Home > Journey to the West > 16-kingdom-of-wuji

16 The Kingdom of Wuji

"That is easily done," said Wukong. He leapt up among the clouds, made a magic sign and pronounced the true words "Om, blue and pure Dharma-realm," summoning the mountain god and the earth god, and told them to gather some beasts and birds for the prince's use. The gods at once mustered the spirit soldiers of the place, raised a spirit wind that gathered the beasts, and brought back chickens, hares, roe deer, stags, foxes and badgers, which Wukong told the prince to accept. Seeing Wukong work such magic in mid-air, the prince had no doubts left and ordered the soldiers to take the game back to the city. That evening at the first watch Wukong quietly told his master that he meant to go with Bajie to the glazed well in the royal garden of the Kingdom of Wuji and fish out the king's body, so that they could confront the monster who had murdered him and stolen his throne at court the next day. The Tang Monk feared that Bajie would refuse to go, but Wukong said he had his own way of managing it. Wukong woke Bajie and told him that the monster had a treasure which they must steal in order to subdue him, and that the treasure would be Bajie's to keep. Bajie was delighted at this, put on his clothes and set out with Wukong. The two slipped out quietly, rose upon an auspicious light and headed straight for the capital of the Kingdom of Wuji. They arrived before long, brought their cloud down and went straight to the royal garden. At the gate of the royal garden they saw a triple-eaved gate tower with several layers of paper seals pasted across it and a lock already rusted fast. Bajie, eager for the treasure, raised his iron rake and struck with all his might, smashing the gate to pieces. The two went into the garden. Wukong found the plantain tree and said to Bajie, "The treasure is buried under this tree. Start digging." Bajie raised his rake and hacked down the plantain, then rooted with his snout three or four feet deep until a stone slab appeared. Bajie cried joyfully, "Brother, what luck! There really is a treasure!" Wukong said, "Lift it up and look." Bajie pried the slab away with his snout, and the mouth of the well was revealed, from which several beams of rosy light shot forth. Bajie laughed. "The treasure is glowing!" But when he looked closely, it was only the light of the stars and moon shining upon the water in the well. Wukong said, "The treasure is in the well. Go down and fetch it." Bajie said, "There is no rope here. How am I to get down?" "That is easily managed," said Wukong. He took out his golden-hooped rod and pulled at both ends until it was seventy or eighty feet long. He told Bajie to hold on to the iron rod, lifted him up gently and lowered him into the well. When Wukong heard Bajie call "I have reached the water," he pushed the rod down. Bajie was unprepared and went under with a gurgle, cursing furiously. He groped about at the bottom and said, "No treasure here, just a well full of water!" Wukong said, "The treasure has sunk to the bottom. Dive down and feel around properly." Bajie took a deep dive, but the bottom of the well was very deep indeed. He sank for a long while, and when he opened his eyes he saw an archway with three characters carved upon it: "Crystal Palace." Bajie cried in alarm, "I have taken the wrong road! How did I get to the sea?" He did not know that this was the Crystal Palace of the Dragon King of the Well. A water-patrolling yaksha saw Bajie's appearance and hurried to report to the Dragon King of the Well. "Great King, bad news: a long-snouted, big-eared monk has dropped down the well!" The Dragon King said, "Last night the Night-Wandering God came with a decree from on high to fetch the soul of the king of Wuji to see the Tang Monk and ask the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, to subdue the demon. This must be Marshal Tianpeng. Hurry and receive him." The Dragon King led all his water creatures out to greet him, calling loudly, "Marshal Tianpeng, pray come in and be seated." Bajie said happily, "So this is an old acquaintance." They went into the palace, exchanged a few courtesies, and Bajie brought up the matter of the treasure. The Dragon King understood at once and said, "There is indeed a treasure, but the Marshal must fetch it himself." The Dragon King led Bajie around the Crystal Palace to a side corridor and pointed ahead, saying, "Marshal, the treasure is there." Bajie stepped forward and saw a dead emperor wearing a sky-piercing crown, a reddish-yellow robe, carefree shoes, and a girdle of Lantian jade. Bajie laughed. "What sort of treasure is this?" Bajie demanded burial money from the Dragon King, but the Dragon King refused, and Bajie turned to leave. Seeing this, the Dragon King sent two sturdy yakshas to carry the corpse out and set it down outside the Crystal Palace, and removed the water-repelling pearl.

 6/10   Home Previous 4 5 6 7 8 9 Next Last