Journey to the West (vol. 3)

by Wu Cheng-En

  “If there were no Yin and Yang in the heavens the sun and moon would not be bright,” the evil spirit replied with a smile. “If there were no Yin and Yang in the earth the plants and trees would not grow. And if there were no Yin and Yang among people there would be no sexual difference. The peaches on the Southern Yang side of these trees are red because they ripen first in the sun's heat. The peaches on the Northern Yin side are green because they get no sun and are still unripe. It's all because of the Yin and the Yang.”

  “Thank you, lady, for your explanation,” Sanzang replied. “I did not know that.” He then reached out and picked a red peach, while the evil spirit also picked a green one.

  Sanzang bowed as he handed the red one respectfully to the evil spirit with the words, “Lady, you love what is attractive, so won't you take this red peach and give me the green one?”

  The she-devil made the exchange, thinking with concealed delight, “What a nice monk. He really is a good man. He is being so loving to me even before we're man and wife.” With great pleasure she paid him her affectionate respects. As the Tang Priest started to eat the green peach at once the evil spirit was delighted to do likewise, opening her mouth to bite into the red one. When she parted her red lips and revealed her silver teeth the impatient Monkey did not give her time to bite him but rolled straight down her throat into her stomach.

  “Reverend gentleman,” the terrified evil spirit said, “that peach is a terror. Why did it roll straight down and not let me bite it?”

  “Lady,” Sanzang replied, “the first ripe fruits of a garden are very delicious. That is why it went down so fast.”

  “But it shot straight down before I'd had time to spit the stone out,” the evil spirit replied.

  “Because you are such a lover of what is fine and beautiful and enjoyed it so much,” said Sanzang, “you swallowed it before you could bring the stone out.”

  Once inside her stomach Monkey turned back into himself. “Master,” he called, “no need to argue with her now. I've succeeded.”

  “Don't be too hard on her, disciple,” Sanzang replied.

  “Who are you talking to?” the evil spirit asked when she heard this. “I am talking to my disciple Sun Wukong,” Sanzang replied.

  “Where is he?” the evil spirit asked.

  “In your stomach,” Sanzang replied. “He was the red peach you have just eaten.”

  “That's the end of me,” exclaimed the evil spirit in horror. “If that ape's got into my stomach I'm dead. Sun the Novice, why did you go to such lengths to get into my stomach?”

  “No particular reason,” replied Monkey from inside her. “I just wanted to eat the six leaves of your liver and your lungs, and your heart with its three hairs and seven apertures. I'm going to clean your insides right out and leave you a skeleton spirit.”

  This sent the evil spirit's souls scattering in terror and shivering and shaking she clung tightly to the Tang Priest and said, “Reverend gentleman, I had thought that

  Our destinies were from former lives joined by a red thread;

  Our love was as close as the water and the fish.

  I never imagined that we lovebirds would be parted

  Or that the phoenixes would fly to East and West.

  When the waters rose under Lan Bridge the rendezvous failed;

  The meeting came to nothing in the misty temple.

  After brief joy we are parted once more;

  In whatever year will I meet you again?”

  When Monkey heard all this from inside her stomach he was afraid that the venerable elder would have another attack of benevolence and let her talk her way out of the problem. Thereupon he started to wield fist and foot, striking out in martial postures and leveling everything around him. He punched her stomach almost to ribbons. Unable to bear the pain, the evil spirit collapsed in the dust, not daring to utter a single word for some time. As she was not speaking Monkey imagined that she must be dead and eased off.

  She then recovered her breath to some extent and called out, “Where are you, little ones?” Now once in the garden, the creatures had all had the understanding to go off picking flowers, playing in the grass and amusing themselves, leaving the she-devil alone with the Tang Priest for a romantic conversation. As soon as they heard her calling they rushed over to see the evil spirit lying on the ground, her face a terrible color as she groaned, unable to move.

  They hurriedly helped her up, crowding round and asking, “What's wrong, madam? Have you had a heart attack?”

  “No, no,” the evil spirit replied. “Don't ask any questions. I've got someone inside me. Take the monk outside if you want to save my life.”

  The junior devils actually did start to carry the Tang Priest, at which Monkey yelled from inside her belly, “Don't any of you dare carry him. You must take my master out yourself. I'll only spare your life when you've carried him outside.”

  This left the evil spirit with no choice as all she cared about was saving her skin. At once she struggled to her feet, lifted the Tang Priest on her back and headed outside, followed by the junior devils asking, “Where are you going, Madam?”

  To this the evil spirit replied,

  “'As long as the lakes and the bright moon remain

  I'll surely find somewhere to put my golden hook.'

  Once I've taken this wretch outside I'll find myself another man.”

  The splendid evil spirit went straight by cloud to the mouth of the cave, where the clang of weapons and wild shouts could be heard.

  “Disciple,” said Sanzang, “why can I hear weapons outside?”

  “It's Pig rubbing his rake,” replied Monkey. “Give him a shout.”

  “Bajie,” Sanzang shouted.

  “Friar Sand,” said Pig when he heard this, “the master's out.” The two of them drew back their rake and staff, letting the evil spirit carry the Tang Priest out. Indeed:

  The Mind Ape had subdued a monster from the inside;

  The Earth and Wood door guards welcomed the holy monk.

  If you don't know whether the evil spirit's life was spared listen to the explanation in the next installment.

  Chapter 83

  The Mind-Ape Recognizes the Refiner of Cinnabar

  The Girl Reverts to Her True Nature

  The story tells how after Sanzang had been carried out of the cave by the evil spirit Friar Sand went up to him and asked, “Where is my oldest brother now that you have come out, Master?”

  “He must know what he's doing,” said Pig. “I expect he's exchanged himself for the master to get him out.”

  “Your brother is in her stomach,” Sanzang replied, pointing at the evil spirit.

  “It is terribly filthy,” Pig said. “Whatever are you doing in there? Come out.”

  “Open your mouth,” said Monkey from inside, “I'm coming out.” The she-devil did indeed open her mouth wide. Monkey made himself very small, sprang up into her throat, and was just about to emerge when he became worried that she might cheat and bite him. He then pulled out his iron cudgel, blew on it with magic breath, called “Change!” and turned it into a jujube stone with which he wedged her jaw open. With one bound he then leapt outside, taking the iron cudgel with him, bowed to resume his own form and raised his cudgel to strike her. At once she drew a pair of fine swords, parrying his blow with a loud clang. They fought a splendid battle on the mountain top.

  A pair of dancing, flying swords defended her face;

  The gold-banded cudgel struck at her head.

  One was a heaven-born monkey, the Mind-ape;

  The other had the bones of an earth-born girl turned spirit;

  The two of them both had been smitten by anger:

  Hatred arose at the celebration; the party was ended.

  One longed to mate with the primal masculinity,

  The other wanted to defeat the incarnation of the female.

  When the cudgel was raised to the sky cold mists spread out;

  The swords shook
up the earth's black dirt like a sieve.

  Because the elder would visit the Buddha

  They were locked in fierce combat, each showing great prowess.

  When water conflicts with fire motherhood is out;

  When Yin and Yang cannot combine each goes its own way.

  After the two had been fighting for a very long time

  The earth moved, the mountains shook and the trees were destroyed.

  The sight of their struggle made Pig grumble resentfully about Monkey. “Brother,” he said, turning to Friar Sand, “our elder brother is messing around. When he was in her stomach just now he could have used his fists to make her belly red with blood, rip it open and come out. That would have settled her score. Why did he have to come out through her mouth and fight her? Why did he let her run wild?”

  “You're right,” Friar Sand replied, “but it was thanks to him that the master was rescued from the depths of the cave, even if he is in a fight with her now. Let's ask the master to sit here by himself while we two use our weapons to help our brother beat the evil spirit.”

  “No, no,” said Pig with a wave of his hand. “He's got his magic powers. We'd be useless.”

  “What a thing to say,” retorted Friar Sand. “This is in all of our interests. We may not be much use, but even a fart can strengthen a breeze.”

  Now that the idiot's dander was up he brandished his rake and shouted, “Come on!” Ignoring the master, they rode the wind and went for the evil spirit, striking wildly at her with their rake and staff. The evil spirit, who was already finding Brother Monkey too much to handle, realized that she would be unable to hold out against two more of them. At once she turned and fled.

  “After her, brothers,” Monkey shouted. Seeing that they were so hot on her heels the evil spirit took the embroidered shoe off her right foot, blew on it with a magic breath, said a spell, called “Change!” and turned it into her own double swinging a pair of sword. Then she shook herself, turned into a puff of wind and went straight back. There she was, fleeing for her life because she was no match for them. What happened next was quite unexpected: Sanzang's evil star had still not gone away. As the evil spirit reached the archway in front of the entrance to the cave she saw the Tang Priest sitting there by himself, so she went up to him, threw her arm round him, grabbed the luggage, bit through the bridle, and carried him back inside, horse and all.

  The story tells not of her but of Pig, who exploited an opening to fell the evil spirit with one blow of his rake, only to find that she was really an embroidered shoe.

  “You pair of idiots,” said Monkey when he saw it. “You should have been looking after the master. Nobody asked you to help.”

  “What about that, then, Friar Sand?” said Pig. “I said we shouldn't come here. That ape has had a brainstorm. We beat the monster for him and he gets angry with us.”

  “Beaten the monster indeed!” Monkey said. “The monster fooled me yesterday by leaving a shoe behind when I was fighting her. Goodness knows how the master is now that you've left him. Let's go straight back and see.”

  The three of them hurried back to find that the master had disappeared: there was no sign at all of him, the luggage or the white horse. Pig started rushing all over the place in a panic with Friar Sand searching alongside him. The Great Sage Sun was also most anxious. As he searched he noticed half of the bridle rope lying askew beside the path.

  Picking it up, he could not hold back his tears as he called in a loud voice, “Master! When I went I took my leave of you three and the horse, and all I find on my return is this rope.” It was indeed a case of

  Being reminded of the steed by seeing the saddle,

  Missing the beloved amid one's tears.

  The sight of Monkey's tears gave Pig an uncontrollable urge to throw back his head and laugh out loud. “Blockhead,” said Monkey abusively. “Do you want us to break up again?”

  “That's not what I mean,” said Pig, still laughing. “The master's been carried back into the cave. As the saying goes, 'third time lucky'. You've already been into the cave twice, so if you go in again you're sure to rescue the master.”

  “Very well then,” said Monkey, wiping away his tears, “as this is the way things are I have no choice. I'll have to go back in. You two don't have to worry about the luggage or the horse any more, so guard the cave-mouth properly.”

  The splendid Great Sage turned round and sprang into the cave. This time he did no transformations but appeared in his own dharma form. This is what he was like:

  His cheeks looked strange but his heart was strong;

  As a monster since childhood his magic was mighty.

  A misshapen face that looked like a saddle;

  Eyes fiery bright with golden light.

  His hairs were harder than needles of steel,

  And striking was the pattern of his tigerskin kilt.

  In the sky he could scatter a myriad clouds;

  In the sea he could stir up thousandfold waves.

  Once with his strength he fought heavenly kings,

  Putting a hundred and eight thousand warriors to flight.

  His title was Great Sage Equaling Heaven;

  He was an expert with the gold-banded cudgel.

  Today in the West he was using his powers

  To return to the cave and rescue Sanzang.

  Watch Monkey as he stops his cloud and heads straight for the evil spirit's residence, where he found the gates under the gate towers shut. Not caring whether or not it was the right thing to do, he smashed them open with one swing of his cudgel and charged inside. It was completely quiet and deserted, and the Tang Priest was nowhere to be seen in the corridor. The tables and chairs in the pavilion and all the utensils had completely disappeared. As the cave measured over a hundred miles around, the evil spirit had very many hiding places in it. This was where she had brought the Tang Priest the previous time, only to be found by Monkey, so after catching him this time she had moved him elsewhere in case Monkey came looking for him again.

  Not knowing where they had gone, Monkey stamped his foot and beat his chest with fury, letting himself call out at the top of his voice, “Master! You are a Tang Sanzang formed in misfortune, a pilgrim monk molded from disaster. Hmm. I know the way well enough. Why isn't he here? Where should I look for him?”

  Just when he was howling with impatience and anxiety his nose was struck by a whiff of incense, which brought him back to himself. “This incense smoke is coming from the back,” he thought, “so I suppose they must be there.” He strode in at the back, his cudgel in his hand, but still saw no sign of life. What he did see were three side rooms. Near the back wall was a lacquered offertory table carved with dragons on which stood a gilt incense-burner. From this came heavily scented incense smoke. On the table was a tablet inscribed with letters of gold to which the offerings were being made. The letters read, “Honoured Father, Heavenly King Li.” In a slightly inferior position was written, “Honoured Elder Brother, Third Prince Nezha.”

  The sight filled Monkey with delight. He stopped searching for the monster and the Tang Priest, rubbed his cudgel between his fingers to make it as small as an embroidery needle, tucked it inside his ear, gathered up the tablet and the incense-burner with a sweep of his arms and went straight back out through the gates on his clouds. He was still chortling with glee when he reached the mouth of the cave.

  When Pig and Friar Sand heard him they unblocked the entrance to the cave and greeted him with, “You look so happy you must have saved the master, elder brother.”

  “No need for us to save him,” Monkey replied with a smile. “We can ask this tablet for him.”

  “But that tablet isn't an evil spirit and it can't talk,” said Pig, “so how can you ask it for him?”

  “Look at it,” said Monkey, putting the tablet on the ground. When Friar Sand went up to look he saw “Honoured Father, Heavenly King Li" and “Honoured Elder Brother, Third Prince Nezha” written on it.

>   “What does this mean?” Friar Sand asked.

  “The evil spirit makes offerings to it,” Monkey replied. “When I charged into her place there was nobody about, only this tablet. I think she must be a daughter of Heavenly King Li and the younger sister of Prince Nezha who so longed for the lower world that she pretended to be an evil spirit and carried our master off. So who better to demand the master from? You two keep guard here while I take this tablet up to Heaven to lodge a complaint with the Jade Emperor and force those heavenly kings to give our master back.”

  “Brother,” said Pig, “there's a saying that goes, 'Bring a capital charge and pay for it with your own head.' You can only do a thing like that if you're in the right. Besides, a case in the celestial court isn't something to be started lightly. You'd better tell me what sort of case you're going to bring.”

  “I know what I'm going to do,” Monkey replied. “I'm going to produce this tablet and incense-burner as evidence and submit a written deposition too.”

  “What will you write in your deposition?” Pig asked him. “Will you tell me?”

  To this Brother Monkey replied, “The complainant Sun Wukong, whose age is stated in this document, is the disciple of the monk Tang Sanzang who is going from the Tang court in the East to fetch the scriptures from the Western Heaven. He submits a complaint that an imitation evil spirit has committed a kidnap. Li Jing, the Pagoda-carrying Heavenly King, and his son Prince Nezha have been slack in controlling their women's quarters. He has allowed his daughter to run away and turn into an evil spirit in the Bottomless Cave in Mount Pitfall, where she has lured countless deluded people to their deaths. She has now carried my master into a remote corner where he cannot be found. If I had not submitted this complaint I would have been deeply worried that the heavenly king and his son in their wickedness had deliberately incited his daughter to become a spirit and cause general disaster. I beg Your Majesty in your mercy to summon the heavenly king to attend a hearing, bring the demon under control and deliver my master. I would be deeply grateful if Your Majesty would determine the correct penalty for this offence. This is my respectful submission.”