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20 The River That Reaches Heaven

While they were talking, they heard drums and gongs clamoring outside. The Chen brothers pretended to weep and wail. They asked Wukong and Bajie to sit in red-lacquered trays placed on a table, and told the young men to carry the table out of the village. The faithful of Chen Village carried various fruits together with Wukong and Bajie, making a great clamor all the way to the Temple of Inspired Power, where they set the boy and girl sacrifices in the place of honor. Wukong looked back and saw on the altar a spirit tablet with golden characters reading "The Spirit of the Great King of Inspired Power." The worshippers finished arranging everything and kowtowed together toward the altar, saying, "Great King, we now present one boy and one girl for Your Majesty's enjoyment. Grant us favorable winds and timely rain, and abundant harvests of the five grains." Then they burned paper horses and went back to their homes. Bajie said to Wukong, "Let us go back to the Chen house and sleep." Wukong said, "Fool, don't talk nonsense. Since we promised them, we must wait until the Great King comes to eat us; only then will we have carried the matter through from start to finish." Bajie said, "You are the fool! Deceiving the Chen family would be enough, but you are taking it seriously!" While they were speaking, they heard the wind howling. Bajie said, "This is bad! The demon is coming!" Wukong only said, "Don't speak. Let me talk to him." In an instant a demon in golden armor and helmet appeared outside the temple, blocked the door, and asked, "Which family is offering sacrifice this year?" Wukong answered with a smile, "In answer to Your Majesty, it is the Chen Cheng and Chen Qing families." When the demon heard this, he was puzzled: the children sent in previous years had always died of fright. Why was this boy so bold today, able to answer so calmly? He asked again, "What are the boy and girl called?" Wukong said with a smile, "The boy is Chen Guanbao, the girl is Yichengjin. Please enjoy yourself, Your Majesty." The demon was even more afraid to act. He shouted, "Don't talk back! In past years I ate the boy first, but this year I shall eat the girl first!" Bajie panicked and said, "Your Majesty, please follow the old custom; don't break the rule." The demon would not listen and reached out to seize Bajie. Bajie became frantic, jumped down from the altar, showed his true form, and swung his rake at the demon. As the demon hastily withdrew his hand and fled, there was a clang, and Bajie struck off two fish scales. Wukong also showed his true form, cried "After him!" and the two leaped into the air together. Because the demon had come to the feast, he had not brought his weapon. He asked empty-handed from the clouds, "Where are you monks from, that you come here to ruin my offerings?" Wukong shouted, "I am the disciple of Tang Sanzang, and I have come especially to capture you, demon!" When the demon heard this, he knew he would gain no advantage, so he turned and fled. Bajie struck with his rake but missed, and the demon changed into a gust of fierce wind and burrowed into the Tongtian River. Wukong and Bajie did not pursue him but returned to the Chen house and told what had happened in the fight with the demon. The Chen brothers were overjoyed. They prepared guest rooms and invited the master and disciples to sleep. Meanwhile the demon returned to his water palace and sighed to his watery subjects, "Today I went to enjoy the sacrifice, but I met the Tang Monk's disciples and they ruined my offerings. I have heard that eating a piece of the Tang Monk's flesh can make one live forever. I wish to capture him, yet I fear I cannot defeat his disciples; it would be hard to succeed." From the side came the spotted fish hag and offered a plan. "This is easy! Tonight, Your Majesty, freeze the Tongtian River and send us to walk on the ice disguised as travelers. The Tang Monk is eager to continue his journey and will surely cross on the ice. Your Majesty can shatter the ice from below the river, and when he and his disciples fall into the water, seize them!" The demon was delighted when he heard this. That very night he left the water palace, worked his magic, and sent down heavy snow, freezing the Tongtian River into ice.

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