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32 The Bottomless Cave

The she-demon could not hold her own against Wukong alone, and when she saw the other two join the fray she broke away at once and fled. Finding the three brothers hard upon her, she pulled the embroidered shoe from her right foot, breathed upon it a breath of immortal air and cried, "Change!" The shoe became her very likeness, whirling the twin swords as it turned to fight. Her true body turned into a puff of light wind, snatched up the Tang Monk, and carried him off together with the white dragon horse and the baggage, back into the Bottomless Cave. To return to Bajie: he raked the double down and found it was only an embroidered shoe. Wukong knew they had been tricked again; he hurried back and found the Tang Monk gone indeed. Vexed beyond measure, he cried, "Bajie, Sandy, watch the cave mouth while I go down again!" This time Wukong did not trouble to change his shape, but leapt into the cave just as he was. Yet when he broke in, all was silent: not only the Tang Monk, but every table, chair and vessel had been cleared away. The she-demon had many lairs, and fearing that Wukong would come seeking her, she had long since moved. Wukong was brooding in vexation when a breath of incense smoke met his nostrils. He followed it and found an offering table, and on it a gilded spirit tablet inscribed: "The Place of My Honoured Father, the Heavenly King Li." Beside it stood another, inscribed: "The Place of My Honoured Brother, Prince Nezha." Wukong was overjoyed. He took the tablets and the incense burner back out of the cave and said to Bajie and Sandy, "So this she-demon is the daughter of the Heavenly King Li. Old Sun will go to the heavenly court and lay a charge before the throne, and make him give me back my master!" Wukong wrote out his complaint, took the tablets and the incense burner, and with a single somersault came to the Southern Gate of Heaven. The gate was kept by the Heavenly King of Great Strength and the Heavenly King Who Guards the Realm, who stood in awe of him and did not stop him, but let him through. "What business brings the Great Sage here?" Wukong said, "To bring a charge." The Heavenly King said, "You rascal; whom do you mean to accuse?" and, having no choice in the matter, led him into the Hall of Clouds Sublime. Wukong entered the hall and presented his complaint. When the Jade Emperor had read it, he commanded the planet Venus to summon the Heavenly King Li into his presence. On reflection he added, "Let the plaintiff go along with you." Wukong followed the planet Venus to the Cloud Tower Palace to see the Heavenly King Li. At the sight of him the Heavenly King remembered how five hundred years before he had been worsted by this very ape, and his face darkened with anger. The planet Venus said, "Heavenly King, here is a complaint lodged against you by the Great Sage Sun." The Heavenly King snorted, "What does he charge me with?" Venus said, "That your daughter has gone down to the world below and turned demon, and carried off his master." And he handed Wukong's complaint to the Heavenly King. The Heavenly King unrolled it and read, then struck the incense table in fury and cried, "The ape has accused the wrong man! I have three sons and one daughter: my eldest, Jinzha, serves the Buddha; my second, Muzha, is a disciple of Guanyin in the Southern Sea; my third, Nezha, is here at my side. My only daughter is but seven years old, so how should she be a demon?" Still not satisfied with his railing, the Heavenly King shouted, "Bind this ape!" His attendants swarmed forward and tied Wukong fast. The Heavenly King drew his sword and said, "Wait a moment, Venus. Let me cut off this ape's head, and then I will go with you to see His Majesty!"

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