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28 The Purple-Gold Bells

When the king had finished he felt his chest grow easy and his spirits rise. He rose from the dragon couch, went up into the treasure hall, and at the sight of the Tang Monk threw himself down and bowed. The Tang Monk hastily returned the courtesy and raised him to his feet. The king then sent for Wukong, Bajie and Sandy, and laid on a great banquet to thank master and disciples alike. During the feast Wukong asked, "Yesterday Old Sun found that Your Majesty suffers from an illness of grief and foreboding. But what is the cause of it?" The king said, "Three years ago my queen, Queen Jin Sheng, was carried off by a demon. I was terrified out of my wits and fell into this sickness." It happened thus. Three years ago, on the Double Fifth festival, the king of Zhuzi and Queen Jin Sheng were eating rice dumplings and drinking wine in the Hailiu Pavilion of the imperial garden, watching the dragon boats, when a wild wind suddenly sprang up and a demon appeared in midair. The demon called himself Sai Taisui and said that he lived in Xiechi Cave on Mount Qilin. Having heard of Queen Jin Sheng's beauty, he meant to carry her off to be the lady of his stronghold. He told the king of Zhuzi to hand Queen Jin Sheng over at once, or he would devour every soul in the city. For the sake of his people the king of Zhuzi swallowed his grief and pushed Queen Jin Sheng out of the Hailiu Pavilion. After the demon had carried Queen Jin Sheng away, the king of Zhuzi was overwhelmed by terror and grief. The rice dumpling he had eaten lodged undigested in his body, and because he brooded day and night without ceasing, he fell into this grievous sickness, and had been ill for three years. Since then the demon had come once every three or five months, and each time demanded two palace maids, saying they were to wait upon the queen. The king of Zhuzi, terrified by these frequent visits, had a refuge tower built, and whenever he heard the demon wind rise he would take his consorts of the inner palace and his officers and hide within it. When Wukong heard this he declared at once that he would go and subdue the demon and bring Queen Jin Sheng back. The king thanked him again and again. Even as he spoke, a wind was heard rising outside the palace, and dust filled the air. The king, his officers and the Tang Monk fled in panic into the refuge tower. Wukong raised his head and saw a soot-faced, golden-eyed monster appear in midair. He leaped up on a beam of auspicious light into the sky and shouted in its face, "What evil demon are you, and whence do you come? Give me your name!" The monster cried harshly, "I am the vanguard of Sai Taisui of Xiechi Cave on Mount Qilin. By order of my great king I have come to fetch two palace maids to wait upon Queen Jin Sheng. Who are you, that dare question me?" Wukong said, "I am Sun Wukong, the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven!" With that he whirled his staff and struck. The monster raised his spear to meet him. After a few rounds Wukong brought his iron staff down and broke the monster's spear in two. The monster hastily wheeled about on the wind and fled westward. Wukong, anxious for his Master, did not pursue. Wukong brought his cloud down to earth and went with his brothers to the mouth of the cellar beneath the refuge tower, and called the king, his ministers and his Master to come out, telling them the demon had been driven away. They all returned to the banquet and were about to drink on, when an official came in from the palace gate crying, "There is a fire at the west gate!" At this Wukong flung his golden cup, wine and all, into the air. It fell to the ground with a ringing clang. The king of Zhuzi was still wondering at this when another official came to report that the great fire at the west gate had been put out by a shower of rain, and that the water running down the streets smelled entirely of wine. Wukong explained with a smile, "Do not blame me, Your Majesty, for throwing away the cup. That demon, seeing that I did not pursue him after his defeat, went to the west gate and set fire to it. The cup of wine I threw just now was to quench the demon's fire and save the households inside and outside the western city." At this the king held Wukong in still greater esteem. Wukong went on, "That monster will go back and report his defeat to Sai Taisui, and I fear the latter may raise a host and come and frighten the people. I will go at once and take him, and bring the queen back." With that he told Bajie and Sandy to guard the Master and the king, gave a whistle, and vanished from sight. The king and his ministers were at once astonished and filled with admiration. Mount Qilin lay three thousand li from the Kingdom of Zhuzi, but with one leap Wukong was there, standing on its highest peak. He halted and looked about him, meaning to search for the mouth of the cave, when he saw blazing fire come shooting up from a hollow in the distance. In an instant the whole mountain was aflare with red flame that leapt to the sky. Before long a column of evil smoke in five colors rose out of the red flames, hiding the sky and blotting out the sun.

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