NINETY-SEVEN

Gold-dispensing external aid¹ meets demonic harm;

The sage reveals his soul to bring restoration.

Let us not speak for the moment of the Tang Monk and his disciples, who spent a night of discomfort in the dilapidated shrine of Bright Light to seek shelter from the rain. We tell you now instead about a group of violent men in the city located at the Numinous Earth District of the Bronze Estrade Prefecture, who had squandered away their possessions through sleeping with prostitutes, drinking, and gambling. Without any other means of livelihood, those men—more than a dozen of them—banded together to become thieves. As they deliberated on which family in the city might be considered the richest and which the second richest for them to rob, one of them said, “There’s no need for investigation or calculation. There’s only one man here who is very rich, and he’s that Squire Kou who sent off today the priest from the Tang court. In this rainstorm tonight, people won’t be out in the streets, and the police won’t make their rounds. We should strike now and take some capital from him. Then we can go and have some more fun, whoring and gambling. Won’t that be nice?”

Delighted, the thieves all agreed. Taking up daggers, caltrops, staffs, clubs, ropes, and torches, they set out in the rain. Having broken through the gates of the Kou home, they rushed in with a shout. The members of his family, young and old, male and female, were so terrified that they all fled. The squire’s wife cowered under their bed, while the old man hid behind a door. Kou Liang, Kou Dong, and his other children all scattered in every direction.

Grasping weapons and torches, the thieves broke open the chests and trunks in the house and ransacked them for gold, silver, treasures, jewels, clothing, utensils, and other household goods. Agonized at parting with all his possessions, the squire risked his life to walk outside his house and plead with the robbers, saying, “Great Kings, please take what you need. But leave this old man a few things and some garments for his remaining years.”

Those robbers, of course, would not permit such discussion. They rushed forward, and one kick at the groin sent Squire Kou tumbling to the ground. Alas!

His three spirits² gloomily drifted back to Hades;

His seven souls slowly took leave of mankind.

After their success, the thieves left the Kou residence and climbed out of the city by means of rope ladders they set up along the rampart walls. They then fled toward the west through the night rain.

Only when they saw that the thieves had left did the houseboys and servants of the Kou household dare show themselves. They immediately discovered the old squire lying dead on the ground. “O Heavens! Our master has been slain!” they cried, bursting into tears as they fell on the corpse to mourn him.

By about the hour of the fourth watch, the old woman began to think spitefully of the Tang Monk. Because of his refusal to stay and enjoy their hospitality, she thought, they had to make such lavish arrangements to send him off and brought on themselves instead this terrible calamity. Her rancor thus aroused her desire to plot against the four pilgrims. As she leaned on Kou Liang for support, she said, “Child, there’s no need for you to weep anymore. Your old man used to be so eager to feed monks. He wanted to do it one day after another. Little did he know that when he achieved perfection, he would run into a bunch of murderous monks!”

“Mother,” said the two brothers, “what do you mean by murderous monks?”

“When those savage robbers broke into our room,” replied their mother, “I hid under our bed. Though I was shaking all over, I managed to take a good look at them under the glare of torches and lights. Do you know who they were? The one holding a torch was the Tang Monk. Zhu Eight Rules was holding a knife and Sha Monk was dragging out our silver and gold. The one who slew your old man was Pilgrim Sun.”

Thinking that what they heard was the truth, her two sons said, “If mother caught a clear glimpse of them, they had to be the robbers. After all, the four of them spent over half a month here, and they must be completely familiar with the layout of our house—with the entrances, the walls, the casements, and the alleys. Wealth is a big temptation. That’s why they have taken advantage of this night’s rain to return here. Not only have they robbed us of our possessions, but they have also slain our father. How vicious can they be? In the morning we must go to the prefecture to file charges against them.”

“How shall we word the complaint?” asked Kou Dong. “Exactly as mother told us,” replied Kou Liang, and this was what he wrote:

Eight Rules cried for slaughter;

The Tang Monk held the fire.

Sha Monk removed our silver and gold

While Pilgrim Sun beat to death our sire.

The whole family was in uproar, and soon it was dawn. They sent word immediately to their relatives to prepare for the funeral and purchase the coffin. Meanwhile, Kou Liang and his brother went to the prefectural hall to file their plaint. Now, the magistrate of this Bronze Estrade Prefecture, you see, was

Upright all his life,

And his nature, virtuous.

In his youth he had studied studiously

And had been examined at Golden Chimes.

At all times, he had been a patriot,

A man full of mercy and kindness.

His fame would spread in history for a thousand years

As if Gong and Huang³ reappeared;

His name would resound forever in the halls of justice

As if Zhuo and Lu⁴ were reborn.

After he had ascended the prefectural hall and disposed of routine affairs, he ordered the display of the placard which announced that he was ready to hear and decide cases. The Kou brothers placed the placard in one of their bosoms and entered the hall. Falling to their knees, they cried, “Venerable Father, these little ones wish to file a complaint on the weighty matter of robbery and murder.”

The complaint was handed over to the magistrate, who, having read its content, said, “People said yesterday that your family, by feeding four noble priests, had fulfilled a vow. Those four, we were told, happened to be arhats from the Tang court, and they were sent off by you with a lavish band of drummers and musicians clogging the streets. How could such a thing happen to you last night?”

Kowtowing, the two brothers said, “Venerable Father, Kou Hong, our father, had been feeding monks for some twenty-four years. It happened that these four monks coming from a great distance would just make up the number of ten thousand. That was why we had a ceremony of perfection and asked them to stay for half a month. They thereby became thoroughly acquainted with the layout of our house. After we had sent them off yesterday, however, they returned during the night, taking advantage of the darkness and the rainstorm. With lighted torches and weapons, they broke into our home and took away our silver and gold, our treasures and jewels, and our clothing. Moreover, they slew our father and left him on the ground. We beg the Venerable Father to grant us humble folks justice!”

When the magistrate heard these words, he at once called up both cavalry and foot soldiers. Including other recruits and conscripts, they formed a posse of some hundred and fifty men. Each wielding sharp weapons, they went out of the western gate to pursue the Tang Monk and his three companions.

We tell you now about master and disciples, who waited patiently till dawn in the dilapidated building of the Bright Light Travel Court before emerging and setting out again toward the West. It so happened that those thieves who had robbed the Kou family the night before also took this same road after getting out of the city. By morning they had walked some twenty miles past the shrine. Hiding in a valley, they were dividing up their booty and had not quite finished when they saw the four pilgrims moving up the road.

Still unsatisfied, the thieves pointed at the Tang Monk and said, “Isn’t that the monk who was sent off yesterday?” Then they laughed and said, “Welcome! Welcome! After all we are engaged in this ruthless business! These monks have traveled quite a distance. And then they stayed for a long time in the Kou house. We wonder how much stuff they have on them. We might as well cut them off and take their belongings and the white horse. We’ll split the heist, too. Won’t that be a satisfying thing?”

Picking up their arms, the thieves ran up the main road with a shout. They stood in a single file across the road and cried, “Monks, don’t run away! Quickly give us some toll money, and your lives will be spared! If only half a no escapes from your mouth, each of you will face the cutlass. None will be spared!”

The Tang Monk, riding the horse, shook violently, while Sha Monk and Eight Rules were filled with fear. “What shall we do? What shall we do?” they said to Pilgrim. “After half a night’s misery through the rain, we now face bandits blocking our path. Truly, ‘Calamity always knocks twice!’”

“Master, don’t be afraid!” said Pilgrim with laughter. “And don’t worry, Brothers! Let old Monkey question them a bit.”

Dear Great Sage! Tightening his tigerskin skirt and giving his silk shirt a shake, he walked up there with folded arms and said, “What do you all do?”

“This fellow has no idea of life or death!” bellowed one of the bandits. “How dare you question me? Don’t you have eyes beneath your skull? Can’t you recognize that we’re all Father Great Kings? Hand us the toll money quickly, and we’ll let you through!”

On hearing this, Pilgrim smiled broadly and said, “So you are bandits who pillage on the road!”

“Kill him!” shouted the bandits, turning savage.

Pretending to be frightened, Pilgrim said, “Great Kings! Great Kings! I’m a village priest, and I don’t know how to talk. If I’ve offended you, please pardon me. If you want toll money, you needn’t ask those three. All you need is to ask me for it, for I’m the bookkeeper. Whatever cash we have collected from reciting sūtras or holding services, whatever we’ve acquired through begging or charity, they’re all in the wrap. I’m in charge of all incomes and expenditures. Though he’s my master, the one riding the horse only knows how to recite sūtras. He has no other concern, for he has quite forgotten about wealth or sex, and he doesn’t own a penny. The one with the black face is a laborer I took in halfway in our journey, and he only knows how to care for the horse. The one with a long snout is a long-term laborer I hired, and all he knows is how to tote the luggage. If you let those three past, I’ll give you all our possessions, including the cassock and the almsbowl.”

When they heard this, the thieves said, “This monk is quite honest after all. Tell those three to drop the luggage, and we’ll let them go by.” Pilgrim turned and winked at his companions. Immediately, Sha Monk dropped the pole and the luggage. He and Eight Rules led the horse and proceeded westward with their master. As Pilgrim lowered his head to untie the luggage, he managed quickly to scoop up a fistful of dirt, which he tossed into the air. Reciting a spell, he exercised the magic of immobilization. “Stop!” he cried, and those bandits—altogether some thirty of them—all stood erect. Each of them with teeth clenched, eyes wide open, and hands lowered, they could neither talk nor move.

Leaping clear from them into the road, Pilgrim shouted, “Master, come back! Come back!”

“That’s bad! Bad!” said Eight Rules, horrified. “Elder Brother is sacrificing us! He has no money on him, and there is neither silver nor gold in the wrap. He must be calling back Master for the horse. And he may be asking us to strip.”

“Second Elder Brother, stop that nonsense!” said Sha Monk, laughing. “Big Brother is an able person. Previously he could subdue even vicious demons and fierce fiends. You think he’s afraid of these few clumsy bandits? When he calls, he must have something to say. Let’s go back quick to have a look.”

The elder agreed; turning around the horse, he went back amiably and said, “Wukong, why do you call me back?”

“All of you see what these bandits have to say,” said Pilgrim. Eight Rules walked up to one of them and gave him a shove, saying, “Bandit, why can’t you move?” That man, however, was completely oblivious and speechless. “He must be numb and dumb!” said Eight Rules. Chuckling, Pilgrim said, “They have been stopped by the magic of Immobilization of old Monkey.” “You might have stopped their bodies, but not their mouths,” said Eight Rules. “Why can’t they make even a noise?”

Pilgrim said, “Master, please dismount and take a seat. As the proverb says,

There’s erroneous arrest

But no mistaken release.

Brothers, push these bandits over and tie them up. We’ll tell them to confess, to see if they are new thieves or experienced bandits.”

“But we have no ropes!” said Sha Monk. Pilgrim pulled off some hairs and blew his immortal breath on them. At once they changed into some thirty ropes. All the brothers worked together: they pushed over the bandits and hog-tied them. Then Pilgrim recited the spell of release, and the bandits gradually regained consciousness.

Pilgrim asked the Tang Monk to take a seat above them before the three brothers, each holding his weapon, and shouted at the thieves, “Clumsy thieves, how many of you are there altogether? For how many years have you engaged in this business? How much stuff have you plundered? Have you killed anyone? Is this the first transgression? The second? Or the third?”

“Fathers, please spare our lives,” the thieves cried.

“Don’t yell!” said Pilgrim. “Make an honest confession.”

“Venerable Father,” said the thieves, “we are not accustomed to thievery, for we are all sons of good families. Because we are stupid enough to drink, gamble, and sleep with prostitutes, we have completely squandered our inheritances and properties. We have neither abilities nor money for our livelihood. Since we learned that Squire Kou in the prefectural city of Bronze Estrade had vast possessions, we banded together yesterday and went to pillage his household last night, taking advantage of the rain and darkness. We took silver, gold, clothing, and jewels. Just now, we were dividing the loot in the valley north of the road here when we saw you coming. Someone among us recognized that you were those priests whom Squire Kou sent off, and we thought that you must have great possessions also. When we saw, moreover, how heavy the luggage was and how swiftly the white horse trotted, we grew so greedy that we were going to try to hold you up. We didn’t know that Venerable Father had such tremendous magic power to imprison us. We beg you to be merciful. Please take away the things we stole, but spare our lives.”

When Tripitaka heard that the Kou family had been robbed, he was so taken aback that he stood up immediately. “Wukong,” he said, “the old Squire Kou is so kind and virtuous. How could he bring on himself such a terrible calamity?”

“All because of his desire to see us on our way,” replied Pilgrim, chuckling. “Those color drapes and floral banners, that extravagant display of drums and music, all attracted people’s attention. That’s why these scoundrels moved against his house. It’s fortunate that they ran into us, so that we could rob them of this great amount of silver and gold, clothing and jewelery.”

“Since we have bothered the Kous for half a month but have nothing to repay their great kindness with,” said Tripitaka, “we should take these belongings back to their house. Wouldn’t that be a good deed?” Pilgrim agreed. With Eight Rules and Sha Monk, he went to the mountain valley and, having packed up the stolen goods, put them on the horse. Eight Rules was asked to tote another load of gold and silver, while Sha Monk toted their own luggage. Pilgrim would have liked to slaughter all those bandits with one blow of his rod, but fearing that the Tang Monk would blame him for taking human lives, he had no choice but to shake his body once to retrieve his hairs. With their hands and legs freed, those bandits scrambled up and fled for their lives. Our Tang Monk then retraced his steps to escort the stolen property back to the squire. This act of his, however, was like a moth darting into fire, a self-induced disaster! We have a testimonial poem for him, which says:

Kindness repaying kindness is a rarity,

For kindness can change into enmity.

To save the drowning you may go amiss.

Think thrice before acting, you’ll live in bliss.

As Tripitaka and his disciples proceeded to take back the stolen goods, they suddenly caught sight of a forest of swords and spears approaching them. Greatly alarmed, Tripitaka said, “Disciples, look at those weapons coming at us! What do they mean?”

“Disaster’s here! Disaster’s here!” Eight Rules said. “These must be the bandits we let go. They have taken up arms and banded together with more people so that they could return to contend with us.”

“Second Elder Brother,” said Sha Monk, “they do not look like bandits. Big Brother, take a careful look.”

“The evil star has descended once more on Master,” whispered Pilgrim to Sha Monk. “These are government troops out to catch bandits.” Hardly had he finished speaking when the soldiers rushed up to them and had master and disciples completely surrounded.

“Dear monks!” they cried. “After you’ve robbed and plundered, you are still swaggering around here!” They surged forward and yanked the Tang Monk off the horse. He was immediately tied up with ropes, after which Pilgrim and his two companions were also bound and hog-tied. Poles were inserted through the loops so that two soldiers could carry one prisoner on their shoulders. As the entire troop went back to the prefectural city, hauling the luggage and herding the horse, this was the condition of the pilgrims:

Tripitaka Tang

Shook all over,

Speechless and shedding tears;

Zhu Eight Rules

Mumbled and grumbled,

His feelings grievous and sour;

Sha, the Monk,

Muttered and murmured,

Uncertain what to do;

Pilgrim Sun

Giggled and tittered,

About to show his power.

In a little while, the throng of government troops hauled their prisoners and recovered booty back into the city. They then proceeded to the yellow hall to make this report: “Venerable Father, the recruits have captured the bandits.” Sitting solemnly in the hall, the magistrate first rewarded his troops. Then he examined the recovered property before he sent for members of the Kou family to take it back. Finally, he ordered Tripitaka and his companions brought before the hall for interrogation.

“You priests,” he said, “you claim that you have come from the distant Land of the East and that you are on your way to the Western Heaven to worship Buddha. Actually, however, you are thieves who resort to clever devices to get to know the layout of a place in order to plunder and pillage!”

“Your Excellency, allow me to speak,” said Tripitaka. “This humble cleric is in truth not a thief. This is no lie, for I have with me a travel rescript which you may look at. All this came about because of our regard for the great kindness of Squire Kou, who fed us for half a month. When we ran into the bandits on our way who had robbed the squire’s household, we took the stolen property and were about to return it to the Kou family as a gesture of our gratitude. Little did we expect that the soldiers would arrest us, thinking that we were the thieves. Truly we are not thieves, and I beg Your Excellency to exercise careful discernment.”

“Now that you are caught by government troops,” said the magistrate, “you resort to this clever talk of your gesture of gratitude. If you met the bandits on the way, why didn’t you seize them also, so that you could report to the proper official and repay the squire’s kindness? Why were there only four of you? Look! This is the plaint filed by Kou Liang, who named you specifically as the accused. You still dare to struggle?”

When he heard these words, Tripitaka was scared out of his wits, like someone on a boat in a boiling sea. “Wukong,” he cried, “why don’t you come up here to defend us?”

“The booty is real,” replied Pilgrim. “What’s the use of defense?”

“Exactly!” said the magistrate. “With such evidence before you, you still dare to deny the charge?” He said to his subordinates, “Bring the head clamp. We’ll give this thief’s bald head a taste of the clamp before we flog him.”

Terribly flustered, Pilgrim thought to himself, “Though my master is fated to meet this ordeal, he should not be allowed to suffer too much.” When he saw, therefore, that the bailiffs were preparing the ropes to make the head clamp, he said, “Your Excellency, please don’t clamp that monk. During the robbery of the Kou home last night, it was I who held the light and the knife, and it was I who robbed and murdered. I’m the chieftain of the thieves. If you want flogging, flog me. They have nothing to do with this. Just don’t release me.”

On hearing this, the magistrate gave the order: “Let’s clamp the head of this one first.” Together the bailiffs looped the head clamp onto Pilgrim. When they suddenly tightened the rope, it snapped with a loud crack. They joined the rope and clamped again, and once more it snapped with a loud crack. After three or four times of clamping like this, the skin on Pilgrim’s head did not even show a wrinkle. When they wanted to change ropes and make another clamp, someone came in to report, “Venerable Father, Father Junior Guardian Chen from the capital has arrived. Please go out of the city to meet him.”

The magistrate immediately gave this order to the clerk of justice: “Take the thieves into the jail and guard them carefully. Wait until I have received my superior. We’ll interrogate them some more.” The clerk pushed the Tang Monk and his three disciples into the jailhouse. Eight Rules and Sha Monk, however, had to carry their own luggage in. “Disciples,” said Tripitaka, “how did this thing come to be?”

“Master, get in! Get in!” said Pilgrim, laughing. “There are no dogs barking here. It’s rather good fun!” Alas! The four of them were taken inside and they were all pushed onto the rack. Then belly compressors, head prongs, and chest straps were fastened to each of them. The prison guards then arrived and began a severe flogging. Hardly able to endure the pain, Tripitaka could only cry, “Wukong, what shall we do? What shall we do?” Pilgrim said, “They want to beat some money out of us! As the saying goes,

Settle down if you a nice place find;

Spend money when you’re in a bind.

They’ll probably ease up on us if we give them some money.”

“Where do I have any money?” asked Tripitaka.

“If we have no money,” said Pilgrim, “even clothing is all right. Give him that cassock of yours.” On hearing this, Tripitaka felt as if a dagger had stabbed his heart. Since, however, he could not endure the flogging any longer, he had little choice but to say, “Wukong, do as you wish.”

Immediately Pilgrim cried out, “Officers, no need for you to beat us anymore. Inside of one of those two wraps we carried in, there is a brocade cassock worth a thousand gold. Untie the wrap and take it. Please leave us.” When those prison guards heard this, they all went to untie the two wraps. There were indeed several cloth garments and a satchel, which were of no value at all. Then they came upon an object wrapped in several layers of oiled paper, with shafts of luminous radiance coming through. They knew it had to be a good thing. When they shook it loose to examine it, they saw a garment of

Bright, wonderful pearl appliques,

Sequins of rare Buddhist treasures;

With coiled-dragon knots of brocade,

And silk pipings of phoenix made.

As they fought to have a look at such a marvel, they disturbed the prison warden, who came to say, “Why are you all making such noises here?”

Going to their knees, the guards said, “Just now the old sire indicted these four priests, who all belonged to a large group of bandits. When we gave them a little flogging, they offered us these two wraps. We found this object after we untied the wraps, and we didn’t know what to do with it. To tear up the robe and divide it would be a great pity, but if only one of us owned it, the others would receive no benefit. Fortunately the old sire has come along. We’ll leave it up to you to decide for us.”

The warden recognized that it was a cassock. He then examined the other items of clothing and the satchel. Next, he unfolded the travel rescript to have a look. When he saw the signatures and treasure seals of various nations, he said, “I’m glad I saw this in time! Otherwise you people might have brought a terrible disaster on yourselves. These monks are no bandits. Don’t you dare touch their clothing! Wait till the grand sire interrogates them tomorrow, and we’ll probably learn the real truth.” When the guards heard this, they handed the wraps over to him. The warden tied them up as before and put them away for safe-keeping.

Gradually the night deepened; the drum-roll began on the towers as the night patrol shouted the watches. By about the third quarter of the fourth watch, Pilgrim saw that his companions had stopped moaning and had all fallen asleep. He thought to himself, “It was fated that Master should have this one night of prison ordeal. That’s the reason why old Monkey did not bother to dispute the judge or use magic power. Now that the fourth watch is almost over and the calamity is nearly completed, I must leave to make some plans so that we can get out of prison in the morning.”

Look at the way he exercises his abilities! Reducing the size of his body, he at once got out of the rack and, with one shake, changed into a midge to fly out through a crack between the roof tiles. It was a fair and quiet night of stars and a bright moon in the sky. Having determined the direction of the Kou house, he flew toward it. Soon he saw the bright flares of light coming from a house to the west. When he flew near it to look more closely, he discovered that it belonged to a family of bean-curd makers. An old man was tending fire, while his aged wife was squeezing out the soybean milk.

Presently he heard the old man say, “Mother, Mr. Kou might have sons and wealth, but he had no age. He was, you know, a schoolmate of mine when we were young. I am five years his senior. His father’s name was Kou Ming, and at that time, they had no more than a thousand acres of farmland, which they had leased out, but they couldn’t even collect the proper rental. By the time the son was twenty years old, the father died and it was up to him to manage their property. It was a stroke of luck that he took for his wife the daughter of Zhang Wang (Prosperity). Her nickname was Needle-Pusher, but she certainly brought prosperity to her husband. Since her entrance into his family, their lands yielded rich harvests and their rentals excellent returns. What they bought accrued value and what they sold made profits. Their assets by now must be worth a hundred thousand cash. When he reached his fortieth year, he began to devote himself to good deeds and managed to feed ten thousand monks. Who would have thought that he would be kicked to death by bandits last night! How pitiable! He was only sixty-four years old and had reached just the right age to enjoy himself. Who would expect a person of such virtuous inclination to be rewarded by such a violent death? It’s most lamentable! Most lamentable!” Every word of this statement was heard by Pilgrim.

By then it was the first quarter of the fifth watch, and Pilgrim flew right into the house of the Kou family. The squire’s coffin had been placed in the main hall so that the family could hold a wake over the dead man. Lamps were lit at the head of the coffin, flowers and fruit arranged around it. On one side his weeping wife kept vigil, and his two sons also were kneeling there and weeping. Two of his daughters-in-law were bringing in two bowls of rice for offering.

Pilgrim landed on the head of the coffin and gave a cough. The two daughters-in-law were so terrified that they ran outside, their arms and legs flailing the air. Prostrating themselves on the floor, the Kou brothers dared not move at all. All they could mutter was, “Father! Looooo! Loooo! . . .”

The old woman, however, was courageous enough to give the head of the coffin a tap and said, “Old Squire, have you come back to life?”

Imitating the voice of the squire, Pilgrim replied, “No, I haven’t!” More frightened than ever, the two sons continued to kowtow and shed tears. All they could mutter was, “Father! Looo! Looo! . . .” Forcing herself to be bold, the woman asked again, “Squire, if you haven’t come back to life, why are you speaking?”

“I have been sent back by King Yama in the custody of a ghost guardian,” said Pilgrim, “so that I can speak to all of you. I am supposed to tell you that Needle-Pusher Zhang has used her foul mouth and slanderous tongue to injure the innocent.”

When the old woman heard her own nickname, she became so flustered that she fell to her knees and kowtowed, saying, “Dear old man! You’re so old already, and you still want to address me by my nickname! What do you mean by my foul mouth and slanderous tongue? Which innocent person have I injured?” Pilgrim bellowed, “Didn’t you say something like this?

Eight Rules cried for slaughter;

The Tang Monk held the fire.

Sha Monk removed our silver and gold

While Pilgrim Sun beat to death our sire.

Because of your slanderous words, good people have been made to suffer. Those four masters of the Tang court, when they ran into the brigands on the road, took back our stolen property. They wanted to return that to us as a token of their gratitude. What an expression of goodwill! You, however, drew up this specious plaint and asked your sons to file it with the official. Without carefully examining the case either, he sent them to prison. Now the god of the jailhouse, the local spirit, and the city deity are all so overwrought that they have reported the matter to King Yama. He in turn sent his ghost guardian to take me back home to tell you this: that you should work for the monks’ release at once. Otherwise, I have been authorized to cause trouble for a solid month here in the house. The entire household, old and young, including chickens and dogs, will not be spared!”

Again kowtowing, the Kou brothers pleaded with him, saying, “Daddy, please go back. Please don’t ever harm the old and the young of this house. We will hasten to the prefecture in the morning and file a petition for release and make our confession. All we want is peace for both the living and the deceased.” On hearing this, Pilgrim cried, “Burn paper money! I’m going!” The whole family gathered at once to burn paper money.

With outstretched wings Pilgrim flew up and soared straight to the magistrate’s house. As he looked down, he perceived light, for the magistrate had already risen. When he flew into the central hall to look around, he saw a painting hanging in the middle, the subject of which was an official riding a horse with black spots. Behind him were several attendants, one carrying a blue umbrella and another an armchair. Pilgrim, of course, could not tell what was the story behind the painting, but he flew up to it and sett led in the middle of the scroll. Presently the magistrate emerged from his room and bent low to wash his face.

Suddenly Pilgrim made a loud cough, so scaring the magistrate that he dashed back into his room. After finishing his washing and combing his hair, he donned a long coat and came out once more to burn incense before the painting and intone this petition: “To the divine tablet of my deceased uncle, Duke Jiang Qianyi. Blessed by ancestral virtue, your filial nephew, Jiang Kunsan, succeeded in passing the second and third degrees. He is now favored with the appointment to the magistrate of the Bronze Estrade Prefecture. To you we have offered night and day without ceasing incense and fires. Why, therefore, do you make a sound this day? I beg you not to work the work of a monster or evil spirit, lest the family members be terrified.”

Chuckling secretly to himself, Pilgrim said, “So, this is the picture of his father’s elder brother!” He made use of the opportunity, however, to say to the magistrate, “Kunsan, my worthy nephew, you have honored your ancestral inheritance by ever being a clean and upright official. How could you, therefore, be so foolish yesterday as to have regarded four sage monks as bandits? Without making a thorough investigation, you sent them to jail. Now the god of the jailhouse, the local spirit, and the city deity are highly disturbed. They have reported the matter to King Yama, who sent me in the custody of a ghost guardian to inform you that you should examine every aspect of the case and quickly release them. If you don’t do this, you will be asked to go and answer for yourself in the Region of Darkness.”

Alarmed by what he heard, the magistrate said, “Let my uncle withdraw his presence. When your humble nephew ascends the hall, he will immediately release them.”

“In that case,” said Pilgrim, “go burn paper money. I’ll go back to report to King Yama.” The magistrate thus added incense and burned paper money to offer his thanks.

Pilgrim flew out of the hall, and he found that it was beginning to grow light in the east. By the time he reached the Numinous Earth District, he saw that the district magistrate had already seated himself in the official hall. “If a midge speaks,” thought Pilgrim to himself, “and someone sees it, my identity may be revealed. That’s no good.” He changed, therefore, into the huge magic body: from midair he lowered a giant leg, which completely filled the district hall. “Hear me, you officials,” he cried, “I’m the Wandering Spirit sent by the Jade Emperor. I charge you that a son of Buddha has been wrongfully beaten in the jail of your prefecture, thus greatly disturbing the peace of the deities in the Three Regions. I am told to impart this message to you, that you should give him an early release. If there is any delay, my other leg will descend. It will first kick to death all the district officials of this prefecture. Then it will stamp to death the entire population of the region. Your cities finally will be trodden into dust and ashes!”

All the officials of the district were so terrified that they knelt down together to kowtow and worship, saying, “Let the noble sage withdraw his presence. We will go into the prefecture at once and report this to the magistrate. The prisoner will be released immediately. We beg you not to move your leg, for it will frighten these humble officials to death.” Only then did Pilgrim retrieve his magic body. Changing once more into a midge, he flew back inside the jail through the crack between the roof tiles and crawled back to sleep in the rack.

We now tell you about the magistrate, who went up to the hall. No sooner had he displayed the placard announcing his readiness to hear a case than the Kou brothers took it in one of their bosoms and cried aloud on bended knees. The magistrate summoned them inside, where they submitted their petition for release. When the magistrate saw it, he grew angry and said, “It was only yesterday that you filed a complaint of loss. We caught the thieves for you and the stolen property was returned to you. Why did you come today to submit petition for release?”

Shedding tears, the two of them said, “Venerable Father, the spirit of your humble subjects’ father manifested itself last night to say to us, ‘The sage monks from the Tang court were the ones who had originally captured the bandits. It was they who recovered our possessions and released the bandits. Out of goodwill they decided to send back in person the stolen goods in order to repay our hospitality. How could you turn them into thieves and send them to jail to suffer? So overwrought were the local spirit and the city deity that they reported the matter to King Yama. King Yama told me to come in the custody of a ghost guardian to tell you to file another petition with the prefecture for the release of the Tang Monk. Only that will avert further disasters. If you don’t do this, both the old and the young of the family will perish.’ For this reason, we have come to submit our petition for release. We beg the Venerable Father to grant us our request.”

When the magistrate heard this, he thought to himself, “Their father happens to be a corpse that’s still warm. A newly departed showing itself is not an unusual phenomenon. But my uncle has been dead five or six years. Why did he too show his spirit last night and ask me to release the prisoners? Hmmm . . . ! They must be wrongfully accused.”

As he deliberated with himself, the district magistrate of the Numinous Earth District came running up the hall, yelling, “Your Honor! It’s bad! It’s bad! Just now the Jade Emperor sent the Wandering Spirit down here to order you to release quickly some good people from prison. Those monks you caught yesterday were not bandits. They are all sons of Buddha on their way to acquire scriptures. If there is any further delay, all of us officials will be kicked to death. Our cities, including the entire population, will be trodden to dust and ashes.” Paling with fright, the magistrate at once commanded the clerk of justice to issue a placard for the prisoners to be brought out. When this was done immediately, Eight Rules said sadly, “I wonder what sort of beating they’ll give us today!”

With a laugh, Pilgrim said, “I promise that you won’t receive a single stroke. Old Monkey has sett led everything. When you go up to the hall, don’t you kneel, for he will step down to ask us to take the seats of honor. Let me d emand from him the return of our horse and luggage. If anything is missing, I’ll beat him up for you to see.”

Just as they finished speaking, they arrived at the entrance to the hall. The magistrate, the district magistrate, and the officials of the prefecture and district all descended the hall to meet them, saying, “When the sage monks arrived yesterday, we did not manage to question you carefully, partly because of the urgent necessity to go meet our superiors, and partly because we were distracted by the sight of the stolen booty.”

Pressing his palms together in front of him and bowing, the Tang Monk gave another thorough account of what had happened. The various officials all confessed, saying, “We’ve made a mistake! We’ve made a mistake! Please do not blame us! Please do not blame us!” Then they asked the Tang Monk whether he had lost anything in jail. Pilgrim now walked forward, glowering, and declared in a loud voice, “Our white horse was taken away by someone in this hall. Our luggage was snatched by the people in jail. Return them to us quickly! It’s our turn today to interrogate you all. You have wrongly seized common folks and accused them of thievery! What sort of crime should you be charged with?”

When the officials saw how violent he had become, there was not a single one of them that was not scared. They immediately told those who had taken the horse to bring it back, and those who had taken the luggage to return it. Even after all these items were turned over piece by piece, the three disciples continued to display their pique. Look at them! The various officials could only use the Kou family as their excuse.

Trying to be the peacemaker, the Tang Monk said, “Disciples, we won’t get to the bottom of this here. Let’s go to the Kou household. There we can confront and interrogate any witness. Let’s find out who it was who saw me as a robber.”

“You are right,” said Pilgrim. “Let old Monkey call up the dead and ask him to identify his murderer.” Sha Monk at once helped the Tang Monk to mount the horse right there in the prefectural hall. In a body, they rushed out, shouting and bellowing. The various officials of the prefecture and the district all went to the Kou house also.

Kou Liang and his brother were so terrified that they went to their front door and kowtowed without ceasing. When the visitors were received into the living room, they could see that inside the mourning parlor members of the family were still weeping behind the funeral drapes.

Pilgrim called out: “That old woman who used slander to injure common people, stop crying! Let old Monkey summon your husband here. Let him tell us who the real person was who slew him. That ought to put a little shame in you!” Those officials thought that Pilgrim Sun was only jesting, but he said to them, “Sirs, please keep my master company by sitting here for a moment. Eight Rules, Sha Monk, take care to stand guard. I’ll be back soon.”

Dear Great Sage! He vaulted through the door and rose immediately into the air. All that the people could see were

Colored mists every where shrouding the house;

The sky’s hallowed air shielding primal spirit.

When they finally realized that this was an immortal who could mount the clouds and ride the fog, a sage who could bring life out of death, they all burned incense to worship. There we shall leave them for the moment.

With a series of cloud somersaults, that Great Sage went to the Region Below and crashed right into the Hall of Darkness. So startled were they that

Ten Yama Kings, hands joined, saluted him;

Five Quarters ghost judges kowtowed to him.

Sword-trees, a thousand stalks, were all askew;

Dagger-hills, ten thousandfold, were all made plain.

Goblins were saved in the Wrongful-Dead City;

Ghosts were redeemed by the No-Option Bridge.⁵

Truly like Heaven’s reprieve was one beam of divine light:

The whole Region of Darkness now turned bright.

The Ten Yama Kings received the Great Sage; after having exchanged greetings, they asked the reason for his visit.

Pilgrim said, “Which one of you took away the soul of Kou Hong, the person who fed the monks in the Numinous Earth District of the Bronze Estrade Prefecture? Find out instantly and bring him to me.”

“Kou Hong is a virtuous person,” said the Ten Yama Kings. “We did not have to use a ghost guardian to summon him. He came by himself, but when the Golden-Robed Youth of King Kṣitigarbha met him, he led him to see the king.” Pilgrim at once took leave of them to head for the Jade Cloud Palace, where he greeted the Bodhisattva King Kṣitigarbha and gave a thorough account of what took place.

In delight the Bodhisattva said, “It was foreordained that Kou Hong should leave the world without touching a bed or a mat when his allotted age reached its end. Because he had been a person of virtue who fed the monks, I took him in and made him the secretary in charge of the records of good karma. Since the Great Sage has come to ask for him, I shall lengthen his age by another dozen years. He may leave with you.”

The Golden-Robed Youth led out Kou Hong, who, on seeing Pilgrim, cried out, “Master! Master! Save me!” “You were kicked to death by a robber,” said Pilgrim. “This is the place of the Bodhisattva King Kṣitigarbha in the Region of Darkness. Old Monkey has come especially to take you back to the world of light so that you may give your testimony. The Bodhisattva is kind enough to release you and lengthen your age for another dozen years. Thereafter you’ll return here.” The squire bowed again and again.

Having thanked the Bodhisattva, Pilgrim changed the soul of the squire into ether by blowing on him. The ether was stored in his sleeve so that they could leave the house of darkness and go back to the world of light together. Astride the clouds, he soon arrived at the Kou house. Eight Rules was told to pry open the lid of the coffin, and the soul of the squire was pushed into his body. In a moment, he began to breathe once more and revived. Scrambling out of the coffin, the squire kowtowed to the Tang Monk and his three disciples, saying, “Masters! Masters! Having suffered a violent death, I am much obliged for this master’s arrival at the Region of Darkness and returning me to life. His is the kindness of a new creation!” After thanking them repeatedly, he turned and saw all the officials standing there. Touching his head to the ground once more, he asked, “Why are all the Venerable Fathers in the house?”

“Your sons at first filed a complaint of loss,” replied the magistrate, “which accused the sage monks by name. I sent people to arrest them, not realizing that the sage monks on their journey had run into those bandits who murdered you and robbed your house. They took back your possessions and were about to send them back to your home in person. My subordinates arrested them by mistake, and I sent them to jail without careful examination. Last night your soul made an appearance, and my deceased uncle also revealed himself at our home. The Wandering Spirit, too, made a descent into the district. All these epiphanies at one time led us to release the sage monks, after which that particular one went to bring you back to life.”

Remaining on his knees, the squire said, “Venerable Father, you have truly wronged these four sage monks. There were some thirty bandits that night who broke into our house with torches and rods. When they took away our belongings, I couldn’t bear it and tried to reason with the thieves. One of them killed me with a kick at my lower parts. These four had absolutely nothing to do with the crime!” Then he summoned his wife and sons into his presence to say, “Didn’t you know who kicked me to death? How dare you file false charges? I’m going to ask the Venerable Father to convict you.”

All the family members, old and young, could only kowtow at that time, but the magistrate was magnanimous enough to pardon all of them. Kou Hong then ordered a banquet to thank this great kindness of the prefecture and the district, but each of the officials returned to his official residence without lingering. The next day the squire once more displayed his plaque announcing his desire to feed monks and wanted to entertain Tripitaka some more. Tripitaka, however, steadfastly refused to stay, whereupon the squire invited his relatives and friends and prepared banners and canopies to send off the pilgrims as he had done before. Lo! Truly

The wide earth may harbor vicious affairs,

But high Heaven will a good man vindicate.

Footloose they’re safe on Tathāgata’s way,

Certain to reach Mount Spirit’s paradise gate.

We do not know what will become of them when they see Buddha; let’s listen to the explanation in the next chapter.