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17 Fire Cloud Cave

In a short while the two came before the Bodhisattva. Wukong said, "Demon, you have now reached Guanyin of the Southern Sea; why do you still not turn back?" Red Boy did not believe it and, gritting his teeth, kept coming. Wukong dodged and hid in the Bodhisattva's divine light. Red Boy saw Wukong gone and glared with wide eyes, shouting at the Bodhisattva, "Are you a rescuer sent by Sun Wukong?" He shouted three times, but the Bodhisattva did not answer. Red Boy was angered and thrust his spear straight at the Bodhisattva's heart. The Bodhisattva turned into a golden light and rose to the ninefold heaven. Red Boy laughed, "That impudent monkey could not defeat me and invited some useless Bodhisattva, who was speared into nothingness by me. This precious lotus throne left behind is rather amusing; I will sit on it and play." He imitated the Bodhisattva's posture, sitting cross-legged in the center. At that moment the Bodhisattva pointed her willow branch downward and cried, "Withdraw!" The lotus throne's flowers and colors vanished, its auspicious light dispersed, and Red Boy found himself sitting on knife points. The blades pierced through his legs and blood flowed freely. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he wildly pushed at the knives with his hands. Wukong said, "Bodhisattva, this demon is not afraid of pain and is even pulling out the blades." The Bodhisattva lowered her willow branch again, recited a spell, and the Heavenly Gang blades turned into barbed hooks like wolf's teeth, impossible to remove. Red Boy was now alarmed. Clutching the knife points, he said painfully, "Your disciple had eyes but did not see; I did not know the Bodhisattva's vast dharma power. I earnestly beg you to spare my life!" Hearing this, the Bodhisattva came with Wukong before Red Boy and asked, "Are you willing to receive my precepts and enter my dharma gate?" Red Boy nodded with tears and said, "If you spare my life, I am willing to receive the precepts and enter the dharma gate." The Bodhisattva said, "If so, I will shave your crown and give you the precepts." She took a golden razor from her sleeve, shaved Red Boy's head several times, leaving three topknots, and coiled three small tufts at his temples. Wukong watched from the side and secretly smiled. The Bodhisattva said, "Since you have received the precepts, I will call you the Sudhana Attendant; how is that?" Red Boy nodded without cease, only hoping to have his life spared. The Bodhisattva pointed with her finger; with a clang the Heavenly Gang blades fell to the dust, and Red Boy's body was unharmed. Red Boy's wild nature was unchanged. Seeing that his legs no longer hurt, he seized his long spear and cried, "It was only an illusion! I won't receive any precepts; take this!" He thrust at the Bodhisattva's face. Wukong hated him so much he raised his club to strike. The Bodhisattva stopped him, took a golden band from her sleeve, shook it in the wind, and cried, "Change!" It turned into five bands, which she threw at Red Boy: one on the crown of his head, two on his left and right hands, and two on his left and right feet. The Bodhisattva silently recited the "Golden-Band Spell," and Red Boy rolled on the ground in pain, shouting and yelling. The Bodhisattva recited it several times and then stopped. Red Boy was no longer in pain, so he rose and tried to remove the golden bands, but the treasure had taken root in his flesh; the more he rubbed the more it hurt, and it would not move at all. Wukong laughed, "My son, the Bodhisattva is afraid you won't grow up, so she has given you a collar." When Red Boy heard this, he grew angry again and thrust his spear wildly at Wukong. Wukong hurriedly dodged behind the Bodhisattva and cried, "Recite the spell, recite the spell!"

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