NINETY-TWO

Three priests fight fiercely at Green Dragon Mountain;

Four Stars help to capture rhinoceros fiends.

We were telling you about the Great Sage Sun, who trod the wind and mounted the clouds with his two brothers and headed toward the northeast. Soon they arrived at the entrance to the Mysterious Flower Cave in the Green Dragon Mountain. As soon as they had dropped down from the clouds, Eight Rules wanted to tear down the doors with his rake. “Wait a moment!” said Pilgrim. “Let me go in and find out whether Master is dead or alive. Then we can do battle with them.”

“These doors are tightly shut,” said Sha Monk. “How can you get in?”

“With my magic power, of course,” replied Pilgrim.

Dear Great Sage! Putting away his rod, he made the magic sign with his fingers and recited a spell, crying, “Change!” At once he changed into a little firefly, truly quick and agile. Look at him!

Wings stretched he soars like a comet.

“Grasses decayed become fireflies.”¹

One should not take lightly such magic change:

His is a nature that endures.

Flying near the stone door to look

Through the drafty crack on one side,

With one leap he reaches the quiet yard

To spy on the demons’ conduct.²

He flew inside and immediately found several buffalo sprawling all over the place. Snoring thunderously, they were all fast asleep. Even when he reached the center hall, he did not come across any activity. The doors on all sides were closed, and he had no idea where the three monster-spirits were sleeping. Passing through the hall, he headed for the rear, his tail glowing, and he heard the sound of weeping. There he discovered the Tang Monk, who had been chained to a pillar in a back room. As Pilgrim flew quietly up to him, he heard his master sob out:

Since leaving Chang’an o’er ten years ago,

Mountains and streams I’ve passed in bitter woe.

Happy to find one gala in the West,

To reach at Gold-Level the Lanternfest,

I cannot discern the lamps’ false Buddha-forms,

For tribulations are my poor life’s norms.

If my good pupils come in strong pursuit,

Let their heroic powers soon bear fruit!

On hearing this, Pilgrim was filled with delight and at once spread his wings to fly in front of his master.

“Ah!” said the Tang Monk, wiping away his tears. “The West is truly different! This is only the first month, a time when most insects are just beginning to stir. How can there be fireflies already?”

Unable to contain himself, Pilgrim called out, “Master, I’m here!”

“Wukong,” said the Tang Monk, delighted, “I was just saying, how can there be fireflies in the first month? So, it’s you!”

“O Master!” said Pilgrim as he changed back to his original form. “Because you could not distinguish the true from the specious, you have caused such delay in your journey and wasted so much effort. I shouted at you repeatedly, trying to tell you that these were not good people, but you were already making your bows. Those fiends were allowed to dim the lamps, steal the specially blended fragrant oil, and even kidnap you. I instructed Eight Rules and Sha Monk to remain in the monastery to guard our belongings. I myself followed the scent of the wind here. I didn’t know, of course, the name of this region, but luckily the Sentinels came to report that this was the Mysterious Flower Cave of the Green Dragon Mountain. Yesterday I fought with those fiends until nightfall and then went back to tell my younger brothers what had happened. We didn’t sleep, but we all came here instead. Fearing that it’s not easy to do battle deep in the night, and not knowing either how Master is faring, I used transformation to get in here to do a bit of detection.”

Highly pleased, the Tang Monk said, “So, Eight Rules and Sha Monk are outside?”

“Yes, they are,” replied Pilgrim. “Just now old Monkey saw that all the monster-spirits had fallen asleep. Let me open the lock, bash down the door, and lead you out.” The Tang Monk nodded his head to thank him.

Using his lock-opening magic, Pilgrim brushed the instrument with his hand, and the lock snapped open at once by itself. As he led his master out, he suddenly heard one of the monster-kings calling out from one of the chambers by the side of the main hall, “Little ones, shut the doors tightly, and be careful with the candles and torches. How is it that there is no patrol or watch announcement? Why aren’t the rattles sounded?”

That bunch of little fiends, you see, had been fighting strenuously all day and had therefore all fallen asleep. They were awakened only by these words of the old monster. When the rattle sounded, some of them picked up their weapons, struck up a gong, and headed for the rear. They ran smack into both master and disciple.

“My good monk!” shouted the little monsters in unison. “You may have twisted open the lock, but where do you think you’re going?”

Without permitting further explanation, Pilgrim whipped out his rod, which, with one sweep, attained the thickness of a rice bowl. He struck, and immediately slew two of them with one blow. The rest of the little monsters abandoned their weapons and dashed back to the center hall. Hammering on the door of the bedroom, they shouted: “Great Kings! It’s bad! It’s bad! The hairy-faced monk has killed right in our house!”

Scrambling to their feet when they heard this, the three fiends cried, “Seize him! Seize him!” So terrified was the Tang Monk that his arms and legs turned numb.

Unable to care for his master any longer, Pilgrim wielded his rod and charged ahead. Those little monsters were in no way able to block him or stop him; he struck down a few here, pushed over several there, and escaped after smashing through several doors. “Brothers, where are you?” he cried as he emerged.

With upraised rake and staff, Eight Rules and Sha Monk were waiting. “Elder Brother,” they said, “how are things?” Thereupon Pilgrim gave a thorough account of what had taken place after he had entered the cave through transformation—how he had freed his master and begun to slip out when the monsters discovered them, and how he had to leave his master behind and fight his way out. We shall leave them for the moment.

The monster-kings, having captured again the Tang Monk, had him chained as before. Gripping their cutlass and ax, with torches ablaze, they asked, “How did you open the lock? How did that monkey get in here? Confess at once, and we’ll spare your life! If you don’t, we’ll carve you in two!”

Trembling all over, the Tang Monk fell on his knees and said, “Father Great Kings, my disciple Sun Wukong knows seventy-two ways of transformation. Just now he changed into a little firefly and flew in here to try to rescue me. We didn’t expect to wake up the Great Kings or to run into the little Great Kings. Not knowing any better, my disciple wounded two of them. When they all shouted with upraised weapons and lighted torches, he abandoned me and ran out.”

Laughing uproariously, the three monster-kings said, “It’s a good thing we woke up! We haven’t let you escape!” They ordered their little ones to shut the doors tightly front and back, and they were to do this in complete silence.

“If they shut the doors tightly without making a noise,” said Sha Monk, “they might secretly be plotting against our master. We should get moving!” “You are right,” said Pilgrim. “Let’s knock down the door quickly!” Our Idiot at once sought to display his magic powers. Raising his rake, he delivered a blow with all his strength and smashed the stone doors to pieces. “You oil-stealing fiends!” he cried in a loud voice. “Send out my master instantly!” Those little monsters were so terrified that they rolled back inside to report, “Great Kings, it’s bad! It’s bad! Our front doors have been smashed by those priests.”

Greatly annoyed, those three monster-kings said, “These fellows are impudent indeed!” They immediately sent for their armor and, grasping their weapons, led the little monsters out the door to battle. It was then about the hour of the third watch, and a radiant moon in the sky made it almost bright as day. Once outside, they wielded their weapons without exchanging one word. On this side, Pilgrim went for the battle-ax, Eight Rules opposed the huge cutlass, and Sha Monk met the large cane. This was a magnificent battle!

Three Buddhist priests

With rod, staff, and rake,

And three monstrous demons with added spunk.

From battle-ax, cutlass, and knotty cane

One hears only the sound of wind and dust.

The first few rounds stir up such grievous fog;

Colored mists soar and scatter thereafter.

Around the body the rake’s movements churn;

Still more praiseworthy’s the brave iron rod.

A world’s rarity is the treasure staff,

To which the fiends are too stubborn to yield.

The blade of the ax is both bright and sharp;

The cane is knotty and covered with dots.

The cutlass shimmers like a single-leaf door,

Opposed no less by priestly magic might.

On this side they strike fiercely for their master’s life;

On that side they claw at faces to keep the Tang Monk.

The ax and the rod both strive hard to win;

The rake and the cutlass both clash and meet.

The knotty cane and the fiend-routing staff

Go back and forth to display their power.

Three priests and three fiends fought for a long time, and neither side proved to be the stronger.

Then that Great King Cold-Deterrent shouted, “Little ones, come up here!” The various spirits rushed up with their weapons, and almost immediately Eight Rules tripped and fell to the ground. Tugging and pulling, several water-buffalo spirits hauled him inside the cave and tied him up. When Sha Monk saw that they had lost Eight Rules to a bellowing herd of bulls, he struck weakly at the Great King Dust-Deterrent and then turned to flee. He was, however, thrown face first to the ground by the spirits swarming over him. Struggling in vain to get up, he too was taken captive and tied up. Pilgrim knew then that it would be difficult for him to continue fighting by himself; mounting the cloud somersault, he managed to escape.

At the sight of Eight Rules and Sha Monk who were brought before him, the eyes of the Tang Monk brimmed with tears. “What a pity,” he said, “that you two have also fallen into the clutches of these vicious hands! Where’s Wukong?”

“When Elder Brother saw that we were captured,” replied Sha Monk, “he fled.”

“If he escaped,” said the Tang Monk, “he most certainly went somewhere to seek help. But I wonder when we might go free.” Master and disciples were overcome by sadness, and we shall leave them for the moment.

We tell you now about Pilgrim, who mounted his cloud somersault to return to the Mercy Cloud Temple. As the priests there met him, they asked, “Have you rescued Father Tang?”

“It’s hard to do that!” said Pilgrim. “Very hard indeed! Those monster-spirits had vast magic powers. We three brothers fought those three for a long time. Then they summoned the little monsters to capture Eight Rules first and seize Sha Monk afterward. Old Monkey was lucky enough to escape.”

Greatly frightened, the priests said, “If someone like you, Holy Father, who could mount the clouds and ride the fog, still could not arrest them, the old master will certainly be harmed.”

“Not necessarily!” replied Pilgrim. “My master himself enjoys the secret protection of the Guardians of Monastery, the Guardians of Five Quarters, and the Six Gods of Darkness and Light. Then, too, he once tasted the Grass of the Reverted Cinnabar.³ I doubt that his life will be harmed. It’s just that the monster-spirits are quite able, which makes it necessary for old Monkey to seek help in Heaven. You all must take good care to guard the horse and the luggage.”

Even more intimidated, the priests said, “Can Holy Father go up to Heaven?”

With a chuckle, Pilgrim said, “The Celestial Palace used to be my homestead, in those years when I was the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven. Because I disrupted the Festival of Immortal Peaches, I was subjugated by our Buddha. I had no choice but to escort the Tang Monk in his quest for scriptures, using my merit to atone for my sins. Throughout the journey, I have been assisting the right by dispelling the deviates. It is my master’s lot, however, that he should suffer this ordeal, something none of you know anything about.” These words moved the priests to kowtow and worship. Stepping out, Pilgrim gave a loud whistle and at once vanished.

Marvelous Great Sage! He soon arrived at the West Heaven Gate, where he ran into the Gold Star Venus conversing with the Devarāja Virūḍhaka and the Four Spirit Officers Yin, Zhu, Tao, and Xu. When they saw Pilgrim arrive, they hurriedly saluted him and asked, “Where’s the Great Sage going?”

“As the guardian of the Tang Monk,” replied Pilgrim, “I have reached the Compassionate Heaven District of the Gold-Level Prefecture, which is located on the eastern border of the Kingdom of India. My master was asked by the priests of the Mercy Cloud Temple to stay and enjoy the Lantern Festival. When we went to see the Golden-Lamp Bridge, we saw three golden lamps, in fact, which used as fuel a specially blended fragrant oil. Though that oil has the worth of some fifty thousand taels of white gold, it is nonetheless presented for the enjoyment of some Buddhas who make an auspicious descent every year. As we were looking at those lamps, three images of Buddha indeed appeared. Not knowing good or ill, my master immediately rushed up to the top of the bridge to make his bow, while I was trying to tell him they were no good. But they had already dimmed the lamps and abducted both the oil and my master in a gust of wind. I set off in pursuit of the wind and by dawn came upon a mountain. The Four Sentinels reported to me that it was the Green Dragon Mountain. The Mysterious Flower Cave of that mountain had three fiends with the names of Great King Cold-Deterrent, Great King Heat-Deterrent, and Great King Dust-Deterrent. Old Monkey quickly demanded my master’s return at their door, fought with the monster-spirits, but did not gain the upper hand. Then I used transformation to gain entrance. When I saw that my master was chained but unharmed, I freed him and tried to lead him out. But we were detected, and I had to flee. Thereafter, Eight Rules and Sha Monk joined me to wage a bitter battle with them, which ended with the capture of my two brothers. For this reason, old Monkey has come to request the Jade Emperor’s assistance in locating their origin and in bringing them to submission.”

“If the Great Sage had already fought with them,” said the Gold Star, chuckling sardonically, “couldn’t he tell where they came from?”

“Of course! Of course!” replied Pilgrim. “I could tell they were a herd of bovine spirits. But because of their great magic powers, they are difficult to subdue quickly.”

The Gold Star said, “Those are indeed three rhinoceros spirits. Because their bodily designs bear the patterns of Heaven, long years of cultivation have wrought immortality for them, so that they too, are able to soar on the clouds and tread on the fog. Those fiends also have a penchant for cleanliness. Invariably offended by their own reflection, they would want to leap into water to take a bath. They have various names, too: like female rhinoceros,⁴ male rhinoceros, bull rhinoceros, striped rhinoceros, barbarian-hat rhinoceros,⁵ duoluo rhinoceros,⁶ and Heaven-reaching patterned rhinoceros. They are all endowed with a single aperture, triple hair, and two horns. When they move through rivers and seas, they are able to open a path in the water. As for your Cold-Deterrent, Heat-Deterrent, and Dust-Deterrent, they are so named because of certain precious vital forces stored in their horns. That’s why they have given themselves such titles as Great King so-and-so. If you want to catch them, you must seek help from the Four Wood-Creature Stars. Their mere presence will bring these beasts to submission.”

Bowing hurriedly, Pilgrim asked, “And who are the Four Wood-Creature Stars? I beg Longevity to tell me plainly.”

“These stars,” replied the Gold Star with a smile, “are stationed at that part of the universe just outside the Dipper Palace. When you have memorialized to the Jade Emperor, you will learn the truth.” After folding his hands in front of him to indicate his gratitude, Pilgrim went inside the Heaven Gate. In a moment, he reached the lower level of the Hall of Perfect Light, where he met first with Ge, Qiu, Zhang, and Xu, the Four Celestial Masters. “Where are you heading?” they asked.

“Recently we arrived at Gold-Level Prefecture,” replied Pilgrim. “Because my master has loosened slightly his hold on the nature of Zen, he was abducted by monstrous demons while watching the lights during the Lantern Festival. Old Monkey cannot bring them to submission, and I have come especially to make this known to the Jade Emperor and request assistance.”

The Four Celestial Masters led Pilgrim immediately into the Hall of Divine Mists to present his memorial. After the exchange of greetings and a complete rehearsal of what took place, the Jade Emperor was about to issue a decree to call up some celestial warriors. Pilgrim went forward and said, “Just now when old Monkey arrived at the West Heaven Gate, Star Longevity told me that those fiends were rhinoceroses who had become spirits. Only the Four Wood-Creature Stars are able to bring them to submission.” The Jade Emperor at once ordered Celestial Master Xu to go to the Dipper Palace and summon the Four Wood-Creature Stars to descend with Pilgrim to the Region Below.

When they arrived outside the palace, the Twenty-Eight Constellations were there to meet them. “By the sage decree,” said the Heaven Preceptor, “I am to command the Four Wood-Creature Stars to descend to the Region Below with the Great Sage Sun in order to subdue certain monsters.” Immediately Horn the Wood Dragon, Dipper the Wood Unicorn, Straddler the Wood Wolf, and Well the Wood Hound stepped forward to answer the call. “Great Sage Sun,” they said, “where do you want us to go to subdue monsters?”

“So, it’s you four!” said Pilgrim, laughing. “That old Longevity is so cryptic that I can’t understand him! If he had told me that I should see the Four Woods of the Twenty-Eight Constellations, I would have come directly to issue the invitation. There would have been no need for any imperial decree.”

“How can you say that, Great Sage?” said the Four Woods. “Without the decree, which one of us dares leave his station? Where is this place you want us to go to? Let’s get there quickly.”

“It’s a spot northeast of the Gold-Level Prefecture,” replied Pilgrim, “at the Mysterious Flower Cave in the Green Dragon Mountain. We have some rhinoceroses there who have become spirits.”

“If rhinoceroses have become spirits,” said Dipper the Wood Unicorn, Straddler the Wood Wolf, and Horn the Wood Dragon together, “you don’t need all of us. Just ask Constellation Well to go with you. He can climb mountains to devour tigers, and go down to the seas to catch rhinoceroses.”

“These are no moon-gazing rhinoceroses!” said Pilgrim. “They are ones who have attained the Way through prolonged cultivation, all enjoying the age of a thousand years. We have to have the four of you, and please do not refuse. If only one of you went along with me, you might not be able to catch them. Wouldn’t that be a waste of our efforts again?”

“Look at the way you people talk!” said the Celestial Master. “The decree orders all four of you to go. How could you not go? Let’s start flying at once, so I can go back to make my report.” Thereupon the Celestial Master took leave of Pilgrim and left.

“There’s no need for you to wait any longer,” said the Four Woods. “You go provoke battle first and entice them to come out. We’ll then attack.” Rushing forward, Pilgrim shouted, “You oil-stealing fiends! Return my master!” The doors, you see, had been smashed by Eight Rules, but now they had been boarded up with planks by the little monsters. When they heard Pilgrim reviling them outside, they dashed in to report, “Great Kings, the monk Sun is reviling us outside!”

“He has already fled in defeat,” said Dust-Deterrent. “Why is he returning a day later? Could it be that he has found some help somewhere?”

“Who’s afraid of any help he might get?” asked Cold-Deterrent. “Bring our armor quickly. Little ones, make sure that you surround him this time and don’t let him get away.”

Not knowing any better, that herd of spirits all walked out of the cave, all holding spears and knives, waving banners, and rolling drums. “Aren’t you afraid of a beating, ape? You dare show up again?” they snapped at him.

Now the word “ape” was most irksome to Pilgrim. Clenching his teeth in fury, he raised the iron rod to strike. The three monster-kings ordered the little monsters to fan out and had Pilgrim entirely surrounded. On this side, however, the Four Wood-Creature Stars all brandished their weapons and shouted, “Cursed beasts, don’t you dare move!”

When those three monster-kings saw the Four Stars, they naturally became frightened. “It’s bad! It’s bad!” they all cried. “He has found our conquerors! Little ones, run for your lives!” With loud snorts and bellows, all the little monsters changed back into their original forms: they were all mountain-buffalo spirits, water-buffalo spirits, and yellow-buffalo spirits, madly stampeding all over the mountain. The three monster-kings, too, revealed their true forms. When they lowered their two hands, they had four legs once more. Their hooves thundering like iron cannons, they fled toward the northeast, closely pursued by the Great Sage leading Well the Wood Hound and Horn the Wood Dragon. Dipper the Wood Unicorn and Straddler the Wood Wolf, however, remained on the eastern slope, where they succeeded in either beating to death or capturing live all the rest of the buffalo spirits stranded on the summit, in the stream, or in the valley. Then they proceeded to the Mysterious Flower Cave and freed the Tang Monk, Eight Rules, and Sha Monk.

Recognizing the two Stars, Sha Monk bowed with his companions to thank them. “How did the two of you manage to come and rescue us?” he asked.

“We were ordered here by the Jade Emperor’s decree to bring those fiends to submission and rescue you,” replied the two Stars, “after the Great Sage Sun presented a memorial.”

“Why, then,” asked the Tang Monk, shedding tears again, “didn’t my disciple Wukong come here?”

“Those three old fiends happen to be three rhinoceroses,” said the Star. “When they saw us, they fled for their lives toward the northeast. The Great Sage Sun led Well the Wood Hound and Horn the Wood Dragon to give chase. Having mopped up the herd of buffalo, we two came here especially to free the sage monk.” The Tang Monk again touched his forehead to the ground to thank them. Then he prostrated himself once more to thank Heaven.

Raising him, Eight Rules said, “Master, excessive ceremony becomes insincerity. There’s no need for you to keep on bowing. The Four Star Officers have done this partly because of the imperial decree of the Jade Emperor, and partly because of their regard for Elder Brother. We may have done away with the various fiends, but we have yet to find out whether those old monsters have been brought to submission. Let us take out some of the valuables in this place and then tear down the cave so that they will be permanently uprooted. Afterward we should return to the temple to wait for Elder Brother.”

“Marshal Heaven Reeds is quite right,” said Straddler the Wood Wolf. “You and the Curtain-Raising General should protect your master and return to rest in the temple. Let us go to the northeast to fight.”

“Exactly! Exactly!” said Eight Rules. “You two must join them in pursuit. You must exterminate all of the monsters before you go back to report to the throne.” The two star officers at once left in pursuit.

Ransacking the cave, Eight Rules and Sha Monk took out a pile of valuables—all coral, cornelian, pearls, amber, ornamental gems, precious stones, fine jade, and gold. They asked their master to sit on the mountain ledge before starting a fire that had the entire cave reduced to ashes. Only then did they help the Tang Monk find their way back to the Mercy Cloud Temple. Truly,

“Good’s limit begets evil,” ⁷ the classics say.

Fair fortune ends in mishap? Well it may!

Chan nature’s confused for love of floral lights;

Pretty scenes have led the mind of Dao astray.

The great elixir you must always guard;

One slip and you’re rewarded with dismay.

Never slacken your firm and tight control.

A little indolence brings on disarray.

We’ll speak no more for the moment about those three, who returned to the temple with their lives. Let us tell you instead about Dipper the Wood Unicorn and Straddler the Wood Wolf, those two star officers, who mounted the clouds and pursued the fiends toward the northeast. They looked this way and that in midair but could see no one. Then they looked toward the great Western Ocean and caught sight of the Great Sage Sun in the distance, hollering above the water. Lowering the direction of their clouds, the two of them said, “Great Sage, where have the fiends gone?”

“Why didn’t the two of you join us in pursuit?” asked Pilgrim angrily. “Why do you wait till now to ask your addle-headed questions?”

“When I saw that the Great Sage with Well and Horn had defeated the fiendish demons,” said Dipper the Wood Unicorn, “I thought that you would surely capture them. We two, therefore, made a clean sweep of the other monster-spirits, and then entered the Mysterious Flower Cave to rescue your master and brothers. We ransacked the mountain, burned down the cave, and entrusted your master to the care of your two brothers, who were going to bring him back to the Mercy Cloud Temple in the city. When we saw, however, that you did not return after all this while, we found our way here.”

Moved to delight and gratitude by these words, Pilgrim said, “In that case, you have achieved merit. Thanks for all your trouble! Thanks for all your trouble! Those three monstrous demons, however, crawled into the ocean after we chased them here. Well and Horn went after them, but they told old Monkey to remain by the shore to stand guard. Since the two of you have arrived, you can head them off here. Let old Monkey go in too.”

Dear Great Sage! Gripping his iron rod and making the magic sign with his fingers, he opened up a pathway in the water and went into the depths of the ocean. There he found those three monstrous demons waging the most bitter battle with Well the Wood Hound and Horn the Wood Dragon. Leaping near, he shouted, “Old Monkey’s here!”

Those monster-spirits were already hard pressed when they had to confront the two star officers. When they heard Pilgrim’s cry, they turned immediately and fled for their lives toward the center of the ocean. The horns on the fiends’ heads, you see, were excellent instruments for dividing the water. All you could hear were a loud splatter as they knifed through the billows, with the Great Sage Sun and the two star officers hard on their heels.

We tell you now that in the Western Ocean, there were a yakṣa and a seaman out on patrol. When they saw from a distance the rhinoceroses opening up the water, and, moreover, when they caught sight of the Great Sage Sun and the two celestial constellations, whom they recognized, they hurried to the Water Crystal Palace to report to the dragon king. “Great King,” they said, somewhat apprehensively, “there are three rhinoceroses being chased by the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, and two celestial constellations!”

On hearing this, the old dragon king, Aoshun, summoned Prince Mo’ang and said to him, “Call up the aquatic soldiers at once! It must be that Cold-Deterrent, Heat-Deterrent, and Dust-Deterrent, those three rhinoceros spirits, have offended Pilgrim Sun. Since they have now arrived in our ocean, we should give Sun some armed assistance.” This order immediately made Ao Mo’ang call up the troops.

In an instant, tortoises, sea-turtles, sea-dragons, breams, carps, shrimp soldiers, and crab privates all gave their battle cries and rushed out of the Water Crystal Palace, each wielding spear or sword, to block the path of the rhinoceros spirits. Unable to advance, the spirits retreated hurriedly, only to find the Great Sage closing in with Well and Horn, the two stars. They became so flustered that they were no longer able to stay together as a herd. Scattering in three directions, each tried to flee for his life.

Soon Dust-Deterrent was surrounded by the old dragon king and his troops. Delighted by what he saw, the Great Sage Sun cried, “Hold it! Hold it! We want him alive! We don’t want to catch a carcass!” Hearing this, Mo’ang led his troops to rush forward and pull Dust-Deterrent down. An iron hook was thrust through his nose and then he was hog-tied.

Then the old dragon king gave the command for his troops to track down the other two spirits and lend assistance to the star officers for their capture. When the young prince led his troops forward, they saw Well the Wood Hound had changed into his original form. He had Cold-Deterrent pinned down and was, in fact, devouring him with great bites. “Constellation Well! Constellation Well!” cried Mo’ang. “Don’t bite him! The Great Sage Sun wants him alive, not dead!” He shouted several times, but the monster’s neck had already been bitten through. Mo’ang ordered the shrimp soldiers and crab privates to haul the dead rhinoceros back to the Water Crystal Palace, while he and other soldiers set off in pursuit again with Well the Wood Hound. They ran right into Horn the Wood Dragon, who was chasing Heat-Deterrent back toward them. Ordering the tortoises and turtles to fan out, Mo’ang led his troops to encircle the spirit completely. “Spare my life! Spare my life!” the fiend could only say. Well the Wood Hound walked forward and grabbed one of his ears. Taking away his cutlass, the star officer said, “We’re not going to kill you. We’ll turn you over to the Great Sage Sun for his disposal.” They all lowered their weapons and went back to the Water Crystal Palace, crying, “We’ve caught them all!”

Pilgrim saw that one of the spirits had been beheaded; still dripping blood, the corpse lay on the ground. Another was pushed to his knees, his ear still grasped by Well the Wood Hound. As he walked forward to look more carefully, Pilgrim said, “It wasn’t a blade that cut this head off!”

“If I hadn’t yelled out,” said Mo-ang, chuckling, “Star Officer Well would have devoured the body as well!”

“It’s all right,” said Pilgrim. “Let’s saw off his two horns and skin him. We’ll take those things along, but the meat will be left here for the enjoyment of the worthy dragon king and his prince.”

A rope was threaded through the iron hook in the nose of Dust-Deterrent, so that Horn the Wood Dragon could lead him. The same treatment was given Heat-Deterrent, and Well the Wood Hound held onto the rope. “Let’s bring them up to see the chief of the Gold-Level Prefecture, so that he can make a thorough investigation of how they have impersonated Buddha to hurt the people all these years. Then we’ll decide what to do with them.” All of them agreed.

They took leave of the dragon king and his prince and left the Western Ocean, leading the two rhinoceroses. After rejoining Straddler and Dipper, the two stars, they mounted the cloud and fog to return to the Gold-Level Prefecture. Treading the auspicious luminosity, Pilgrim cried aloud in midair: “Chief of the Gold-Level Prefecture, subordinate officials, and all you people of this region, hear me! We are sage monks sent by the Great Tang in the Land of the East to seek scriptures in the Western Heaven. The creatures who pretended to be various Buddhas making their auspicious descent and who demanded sacrifices of the golden lamps each year from the households of this district and prefecture are actually these rhinoceros fiends. When we passed through here and went to look at the lamps on the night of the fifteenth, these fiends abducted both my master and the lamp oil. I, therefore, asked the gods of Heaven to bring them to submission. We have now cleaned up their mountain cave, and all the monstrous demons have been exterminated. From now on your district and prefecture should not make any sacrifice of the golden lamps, for it only taxes the people and drains their wealth.”

Inside the Mercy Cloud Temple, Eight Rules and Sha Monk had just escorted the Tang Monk through the gate. When they heard Pilgrim speaking up in midair, they abandoned their master and their luggage to mount the wind and cloud and rise to the sky. When they questioned him, Pilgrim said, “One has been bitten to death by Constellation Well, but we have taken along its skin and the sawed-off horns. The two captured alive are here.”

“We might as well push these two down to the city for the officials and the people to see,” said Eight Rules, “so that they’ll know that we are sages and deities. Moreover, we must trouble the four star officers to lower their clouds to the ground and go with us to the prefectural hall for the disposal of these fiends. The truth and their guilt have been firmly established. There’s nothing more we should discuss!”

“Of late,” said one of the four stars, “Marshal Heaven Reeds seems to be quite knowledgeable about principles and shows good understanding of the law. That’s marvelous!”

“Being a priest for some years has taught me a few things!” replied Eight Rules.

So the various deities pushed the rhinoceroses toward the earth. When they all descended to the prefectural residence on a bouquet of colored clouds, the officials of this district and prefecture along with the populace in and out of the city were so terrified that each household set up incense tables and bowed to receive the gods from Heaven. In a little while, the priests of the Mercy Cloud Temple could be seen entering the prefectural residence also, carrying the elder in a palanquin. When he met Pilgrim, he thanked him profusely.

“I was beholden to the noble Constellation officers,” said the Tang Monk, “for having us rescued. But not having seen my worthy disciple has caused me unending concern. Now I truly rejoice in your return in triumph. I would like to know, however, where you chased these fiends before they were captured.”

“Since I took leave of my honored master day before yesterday,” replied Pilgrim, “old Monkey ascended to Heaven to make his investigation. The Gold Star Venus was kind enough to reveal to me that these monstrous demons were actually rhinoceroses, and that I should solicit the help of the Four Wood Creature Stars. Immediately I memorialized to the Jade Emperor, who gave his permission and his decree for the stars to descend to the cave. We fought there and they fled. Dipper and Straddler, the two Constellations, kindly rescued you, while old Monkey joined Well and Horn, the two other Constellations, to pursue the monsters. When we reached the Great Western Ocean, we were also indebted to the assistance of the dragon king, who sent his son to help us with his troops. That’s why we were able to capture them and bring them back for trial.” The elder could not stop his thanksgiving and commendation. They also saw the magistrate of the district and his various subordinate officials, who were all burning tall precious candles and filling their braziers with incense as they bowed to the sky.

After a little while, Eight Rules became so aroused that he whipped out the ritual razor. With one stroke he cut off the head of Dust-Deterrent and with another, the head of Heat-Deterrent. Then he took up a saw to saw off their four horns. The Great Sage Sun was even more resolute. He at once gave this order: “Let the four star officers take these four rhinoceros horns up to the Region Above and present them as tribute to the Jade Emperor when you hand back the imperial decree. As for the two horns we brought along, we shall deposit one at the prefectural hall, so that it may be used as a perpetual witness to posterity that the lamp-oil levy has been eliminated. We ourselves will take along one horn to present to the Buddhist Patriarch at the Spirit Mountain.” The four stars were enormously pleased. Bowing immediately to take leave of the Great Sage, they mounted the colored clouds to go back.

The chief official, however, would not permit the master and his three disciples to leave. He ordered a huge vegetarian banquet, and asked various village officials to bear the visitors company. Meanwhile, he issued a public proclamation informing the civil and military population that no golden lamps are permitted for the following year, and that the necessity for oil purchases levied on the big households was forever removed. The butchers, too, were told to slaughter the two rhinoceroses; their hides were to be treated and dried so that they could be used to make armor, while their meat was distributed to both officials and the common people. In addition, he appropriated some of the funds already collected for oil purchases to buy land from the people. A temple commemorating the four stars subjugating the monsters was to be erected, along with living shrines to the Tang Monk and his three disciples. Placards with proper inscriptions were set up, so that their good deeds could forever be transmitted and gratefully acknowledged.

Since they could not leave at once, master and disciples made up their mind to enjoy themselves. Each of those two hundred and forty lamp-oil households took turns to entertain them; after a banquet was given by one family, another would be offered by a different household without pause. Eight Rules was determined to have complete satisfaction. Stuffing up his sleeve a few of those treasures that he had looted from the monsters’ cave, he used them as tips for each of the vegetarian banquets. They lived there thus for over a month, and still they could not set out on their journey. Finally, the elder gave this instruction: “Wukong, take the rest of the precious jewels and give them all to the priests of the Mercy Cloud Temple as a token of our thanks. Let’s not tell those big households, but let’s slip away tomorrow before dawn. If we indulge in pleasure like this, our enterprise of scripture-seeking will be delayed, and I fear that we shall offend the Buddhist Patriarch and bring on further calamities. That will be most inconvenient.” Pilgrim carried out his master’s instructions one by one.

By the hour of the fifth watch next morning he was already up, and at once asked Eight Rules to prepare the horse. Having enjoyed his food and drink in great comfort, our Idiot slept so soundly that he was still half-dazed when he said, “Why prepare the horse so early in the morning?”

“Master tells us to get moving!” snapped Pilgrim.

Rubbing his face, Idiot said, “That elder should behave himself! All two hundred and forty of those big households have sent us invitations, but we’ve managed to enjoy a full meal barely thirty times. Why does he want to make old Hog endure hunger so soon?” On hearing this, the elder scolded him, saying, “Overstuffed coolie! Stop babbling! Get up quickly! If you keep up this ruckus, I’ll ask Wukong to knock out your teeth with his golden-hooped rod!”

When Idiot heard that, he became completely flustered. “This time Master has changed!” he cried. “Usually he cares for me, loves me, and, knowing that I am stupid, protects me. Whenever Elder Brother wants to hit me, he pleads for me. Why should he turn so vicious today as to want to beat me?”

“Because Master’s offended by your gluttony,” said Pilgrim, “which has delayed our journey. Hurry up! Pack the luggage and get the horse ready. You’ll be spared a beating!” As our Idiot was truly fearful of being beaten, he leaped up and put on his clothes. Then he shouted at Sha Monk: “Get up quickly! A beating’s on its way!”

Sha Monk, too, leaped up, and each of them finished his preparation. Waving his hand, the elder said, “Quiet! Let’s not disturb the temple priests.” He mounted the horse hurriedly. After opening the gate, they found their way and left. As they went forth this time, it was truly like

Opening the jade cage to let the phoenix out,

Or breaking the gold lock to set the dragon free.

We do not know how those households would react by morning; let’s listen to the explanation in the next chapter.