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32 The Bottomless Cave

Seeing the Heavenly King about to use his sword, Venus quaked with fright and said to Wukong, "Great Sage, you have done a rash thing; is a charge before the throne so lightly brought? What are we to do now?" Wukong was not afraid in the least, and said with a grin, "Have no fear, old sir; old Sun will not lose this case." Even as he spoke, the Heavenly King raised his sword to strike off Wukong's head. But Nezha sprang forward and caught the blade, crying, "Father, stay your anger! Have you forgotten, you have a daughter in the world below!" At these words the Heavenly King started. Nezha went on, "Father, you have forgotten: that daughter is called the golden-nosed white-haired rat demon. She stole and ate the incense, the flowers and the sacred candles of the Buddha, and the Buddha sent you and me to seize her. Afterwards you spared her life, and in gratitude she took you as her father and me as her brother." Then the Heavenly King remembered, and said in amazement, "My son, I had indeed forgotten." He set down his sword at once and moved to untie Wukong. But Wukong chose to play the rogue, rolling on the ground and crying, "Who dares loose me? Carry me before the Jade Emperor; old Sun means to have his lawsuit!" At his wits' end, the Heavenly King begged Venus to intercede. Venus went over and said, "Great Sage, for the sake of the two times I came to offer you amnesty, make peace with the Heavenly King." Wukong cried, "Never mind that, old sir; I know how to roll, and I will roll all the way to the Hall of Clouds Sublime!" Venus had a sudden thought, and said, "Great Sage, a lawsuit takes long. Two days in heaven are a year among mortals; before it is done the demon will have married your master, and a little monk will have been born to them besides." Wukong came to himself: "I have very nearly ruined everything!" He gave a great heave and burst his bonds. The Heavenly King at once mustered his own heavenly troops and went with Wukong out of the Southern Gate of Heaven; together they dropped down through the clouds and made straight for Xiankong Mountain. Bajie and Sandy had been waiting anxiously, and were glad indeed to see help arrive. Bajie went forward and said, "We are much obliged to you, Heavenly King." The Heavenly King said with a bitter laugh, "Marshal Tianpeng, it is a long story. I accepted one stick of incense from that demon, and never thought to bring all this trouble upon myself." Before the Bottomless Cave the Heavenly King gave his orders: "The Great Sage Sun and Nezha shall lead the troops down; I and the rest will hold the mouth of the cave, that the demon may find no road to heaven and no door into the earth!" All answered as one. Wukong and Nezha led their soldiers into the cave and searched it high and low, but not half a demon was to be found. Wukong said doubtfully, "Can the wretch have escaped the Bottomless Cave and gone elsewhere?" In truth, at the south-eastern corner there was another small cave, and in it the she-demon was hiding with a nest of demons great and small, even then pressing the Tang Monk to the marriage. One bolder imp heard the uproar outside, poked its head out to look, and ran straight into a heavenly soldier. "Here they are!" the soldier shouted. Wukong's anger was at white heat; he swung up his golden-hooped rod and charged into the cave with Nezha. The cave was narrow, pitiful thing, and the demons had nowhere to hide; every one of them was slain. Wukong found the Tang Monk, the white horse and the baggage, and brought them out. The she-demon, in utter disarray, kowtowed again and again to Nezha and begged for mercy. Nezha said sternly, "This matter has reached the ears of the Jade Emperor; it is no small thing, and there can be no favouritism." He gave the order, and ropes were brought and the she-demon bound. The Heavenly King, keeping guard at the cave mouth, greeted Wukong and said, "Your master is rescued this time." Wukong said, "My thanks, my thanks!" and brought the Tang Monk forward to bow his gratitude to the Heavenly King. Seeing the matter ended, the Heavenly King and Nezha led the heavenly troops homeward, driving the she-demon before them. Wukong helped the Tang Monk onto the horse, and the four of them took to the high road and went on toward the west. To learn what befell them next, read the following volume: The Kingdom That Slays Monks.

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