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29 The Spider Cave

Wukong came up out of the ground and resumed his true form, but his bones felt soft and his sinews numb, and he could only sit down on the ground to rest. While he wondered what was to be done, he suddenly heard the sound of weeping from behind the hill. Wukong turned and looked: there was a woman dressed in deep mourning, holding paper money in her hand, coming toward him with a wail at every step. Wukong went up to her and asked, "Good lady, for whom do you weep?" With tears in her eyes the woman said, "My husband went to the Yellow Flower Temple to sell bamboo poles, and after a few hot words with the Daoist there, he was robbed of his life by the Daoist's poisoned tea." When Wukong heard this he too could not keep back his tears. The woman said angrily, "I weep for my husband; what have you to weep for? Do you mean to mock me?" Wukong explained, "My master too has been struck down by the Daoist's poisoned tea, and whether he lives or dies I cannot tell. That is why I grieve and shed tears." The woman apologized. "Do not take offence, young monk. That Daoist is called the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord, and you must ask a sage to help you." Then she pointed into the distance. "A thousand li to the south lies Purple Cloud Mountain and the Thousand Flowers Cave, where dwells the Matron Pilanpo. Bring her here and she can subdue this master of the temple." The moment the words were out, the woman vanished. Wukong bowed and said, "Which Bodhisattva was kind enough to direct me?" Then the Old Mother of Mount Li appeared in midair and said, "Wukong, go at once and fetch the Matron Pilanpo. Do not tell her that it was I who directed you, lest she blame me for meddling in what is none of my business." Wukong thanked her, sprang up on his somersault cloud and came down upon Purple Cloud Mountain. He went into the Thousand Flowers Cave, but found it silent and still. "Can this sage be from home?" thought Wukong. He went on a little further and saw a Daoist nun seated upon a couch. "Matron Pilanpo," called Wukong, "old Sun greets you." Then he told her that the Tang Monk had been seized by the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord and begged her to go and subdue the fiend. The Bodhisattva asked, "I have hid my name and lived here in obscurity, and for three hundred years have not crossed my own threshold. Who directed you to come?" Said Wukong with a laugh, "Old Sun is a monkey spirit; he needs no directing and can find his own way." The Bodhisattva sighed. "So be it. The quest for scriptures is a good work, and since you have come, I will go with you." "What weapon will you carry, Bodhisattva?" asked Wukong. "I have my embroidery needle here," she answered. Wukong could not help crying out, "The Old Mother of Mount Li has made a fool of me! Had I known it was only an embroidery needle, old Sun could have conjured a basketful himself." The Bodhisattva said with a smile, "My embroidery needle is no common thing; it was forged in the eye of the sun by my son, the Star Lord of the Pleiades." Wukong was secretly astonished, and went with the Bodhisattva out of the Thousand Flowers Cave. They rode the clouds for a while, until Wukong pointed to a place glowing with golden light and said to the Matron Pilanpo, "That is the Yellow Flower Temple." Then the Bodhisattva took out an embroidery needle, held it between her fingers and tossed it into the air. With a great crash the golden light was broken. Wukong went with the Matron Pilanpo into the temple, and there was the Daoist fixed fast to the spot, unable to stir. Wukong raised his staff to strike, but the Bodhisattva stopped him and bade him go and save his master first. They went into the great hall, and there lay the Tang Monk and the other two upon the floor with foam upon their lips. Tears ran down Wukong's cheeks. "What is to be done?" he said. "Do not fret, Great Sage," said the Matron Pilanpo. "I have an antidote here; I shall give you three pills." She took out three red pills, handed them to Wukong and told him to give them to the three to swallow. Wukong pried open the teeth of the three and pressed a pill into each mouth. In a moment the medicine was in their bellies; the three spewed out the poisoned foam and their lives were saved. "We owe it all to the Matron Pilanpo," said Wukong. The Tang Monk, Bajie and Sandy rose at once and bowed to thank the Bodhisattva. Then Bajie caught sight of the Daoist and raised his rake in anger to strike, but the Matron Pilanpo held him back. "Calm your anger, Bajie. There is no one in my cave, so let him go and keep the gate for me."

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