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27 Seven Wonders Mountain

"They fought until evening, and then the demon swaggered off home. We hurried out to look for the priest, and found him dead in the mountain stream. When we fished him out he looked for all the world like a drowned chicken!" When Wukong had heard the old man out, he said with a laugh, "By your account, you have suffered a great deal. Never mind - old Sun will certainly catch that demon." Old Man Li was delighted and told a houseboy to go and call the men who managed the village's affairs. In a little while several old men arrived and said to Wukong, "Elder, if you subdue the demon, we will gladly gather a thousand mu of good farmland and present it to you, and build a temple for you and your fellow disciples, where you may sit in meditation and study the Way - far better than wandering abroad as you do." Wukong laughed quietly to himself at this. Even as they spoke, a wind was heard whistling outside the door. The old men said, trembling, "Speak of the demon and the demon comes!" Old Man Li hastily shut the door and called to the other old men and the Tang Monk, "Everyone, get inside quickly!" Bajie and Sandy were somewhat frightened and wanted to hide as well. Wukong stopped them. "Don't go. Come outside with me and have a look at that demon!" Bajie said, "Brother Monkey, we are no kin of the demon's - what is there to look at?" Wukong was very strong; he would take no refusal and dragged the two of them out into the middle of the courtyard. In an instant, where the wind had passed, two lanterns appeared faintly in midair. Bajie lifted his face to the sky and cried out with a laugh, "This demon travels by night - how is it that it carries lanterns?" Sandy said, "You are mistaken. Those are not a pair of lanterns; they are the demon's two eyes shining." Bajie gave a start of fright and cried, "Mercy on us! If its eyes are that big, how big must its mouth be!" Wukong said, "Good brother, do not be afraid. Guard Master, both of you, while old Sun goes up to look." Bajie said quickly, "Brother Monkey, if the demon catches you, don't give us away!" Wukong leapt up into the air, iron rod in hand, and shouted harshly, "Do not rage, demon - old Sun is here!" At the sight of him the demon straightened its body and whirled a pair of long spears. Strangely enough, the shafts of the spears were very soft, like ropes. Wukong shouted, "What region are you a demon of?" Twice he asked, and the demon made no answer, but only whirled its spears. Wukong laughed to himself. "So it is a deaf and dumb demon! Don't run - take this staff!" He brought the staff down on its head. The demon showed no fear at all and whirled its spears to ward the blow. The two fought back and forth in midair until the third watch, with neither the better. Bajie was watching from below. Seeing that the demon did nothing but parry and never struck back, he could not help laughing and saying, "Good brother, you stay here and guard Master. Old Pig is going up to help kill the demon - we mustn't let that monkey take all the credit." With that Bajie leapt up onto the clouds, swung his rake, and struck at the demon. The demon showed no fear whatsoever, and used its other spear to hold Bajie off; both spears moved as fast as lightning. Bajie said admiringly, "What fine spear-work this demon has! - though the spear is strange, being a soft-shafted one!" As they fought, Wukong called out, "Bajie, this demon cannot speak. It must not yet have entered the way of man; its yin humor is too heavy. At daybreak, when the yang humor prevails, it will surely try to flee. When that time comes we must catch up with it and not let it go." Bajie promised again and again. They fought until the sky grew pale in the east, and then the demon, just as he had foreseen, dared not prolong the battle but turned and fled. Wukong and Bajie chased after it.

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