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23 The False Monkey King

After the meal, the Tang Monk asked, "Who will go and fetch back the luggage?" Bajie said, "I will!" The Tang Monk said, "That ape has never got on with you, and your speech is rough. If you anger him, he will beat you. Better let Wujing go." Sandy took leave of his Master and senior brother, mounted a beam of light, and flew straight toward the Eastern Victorious Divine Continent. After three days and nights, he crossed the Eastern Sea and came in the air above Flower-Fruit Mountain, where he brought his cloud down. Sandy walked up to the Water-Curtain Cave. He heard a great hubbub of monkeys' voices. He stepped forward for a closer look, and saw Wukong seated high on a stone chair, holding a sheet of paper in both hands and reading aloud. Sandy called out, "Brother, why are you reading the Master's travel permit?" The Wukong looked up and shouted, "Who are you? How dare you force your way into the Water-Curtain Cave? Lads, seize him!" A crowd of little monkeys rushed at Sandy, dragging and tugging him until they hauled him before Wukong. Seeing that Wukong had turned his face against him and refused to acknowledge him, Sandy stepped forward, saluted, and said, "The other day our Master wrongly blamed you, brother. I beg you, in memory of old times, to come back and protect the Master on his journey west. If you will not come back, please return the luggage to us." Wukong said with a cold laugh, "Dear brother, I have beaten the Tang Monk and seized the luggage because I mean to go west myself, worship the Buddha and fetch the scriptures, then carry them back to the Eastern Lands so that the folk of the Southern Continent will revere me as their ancestor for ten thousand generations." Sandy said, "Without the Tang Monk to go in person, which Buddha would hand over the scriptures to you?" Wukong said, "As if I had no Tang Monk! If you don't believe me, I'll have him brought out for you to see. Lads, bring the Master out at once!" The little monkeys ran inside, and sure enough out came a white horse, then a Tang Monk, with a Bajie shouldering the luggage and a Sandy carrying the staff, all following behind. Sandy, furious, cried, "I, Old Sandy, change neither my name when I walk nor my surname when I sit! Where does another monk Sandy come from? Take this from my staff!" He raised the Demon-Subduing Staff and brought it down on the false Sandy's head, killing him on the spot — for the false Sandy had been a monkey spirit in disguise. Wukong flew into a rage, swung his golden-hooped rod, and led the monkeys in surrounding Sandy. Sandy fought his way out east and west, broke through the encirclement, mounted a cloud, and went off to the South Sea to lodge a complaint with the Bodhisattva Guanyin. Sandy flew on his cloud for a whole day and night before reaching Mount Potalaka. Moksa came to meet him and asked, "Sandy, you are not escorting the Tang Monk to fetch the scriptures — what brings you here?" Sandy bowed and said, "I have business that brings me especially to pay my respects to the Bodhisattva. I beg you to introduce me." Moksa went in and reported to the Bodhisattva, "Outside is the Tang Monk's disciple Sandy, come to pay his respects." Wukong, who was present, said with a laugh, "It must be that the Tang Monk is in trouble and has sent him to fetch the Bodhisattva." The Bodhisattva told Moksa to invite Sandy in. Sandy, seeing the Bodhisattva, fell to his knees and worshipped. He had just raised his head to speak when, to his fury, he saw Wukong standing at the side. He burst into a rage and cursed, "You impudent ape! Once again you come here to deceive the Bodhisattva!" He drew the Demon-Subduing Staff and struck at Wukong. Wukong dodged to one side. The Bodhisattva called out, "Hold! Tell me what the matter is." Sandy lowered his staff and recounted the whole story from beginning to end. The Bodhisattva said, "Wukong has been here four days and has not once left." Sandy said, "There is a Sun Wukong at the Water-Curtain Cave this very moment. How could I dare deceive the Bodhisattva?" The Bodhisattva said, "Then let Wukong go with you to Flower-Fruit Mountain, and the truth will be plain."

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