The old man was greatly pleased, and only then had the tables and chairs wiped down and a vegetarian meal laid out.

展抹 is to spread a cloth and wipe down. 齋供 takes 供 as gòng. And note the 才, only then: the meal appears only after the promise of extermination has been given.

The meal done and evening drawing on, the old man asked, "What weapons will you want? How many men to attend you? Let them be got ready in good time."

將晚: jiāng again, meaning about to. 要甚兵器: 甚 is shén, the question word what, not the intensifier shèn, very — a distinction the default reading regularly loses. 趁早 is in good time, betimes.

The Pilgrim said, "I have my own weapon." The old man said, "Your reverences have nothing but that staff. How shall a staff beat such a monster?"

錫杖 is the ringed monk's staff. It is Sanzang's, and it is not a weapon in any sense; the rings are there to warn small creatures off the path ahead. 打得 is the can-or-cannot pattern, with 得 read dé: how could it beat him? The old man has seen nothing but the pilgrims' luggage and reasons soundly from it.

The Pilgrim thereupon drew from his ear an embroidery needle, pinched it between his fingers, waved it once in the wind,

繡花針, an embroidery needle: the rod's travelling size, kept in his ear since chapter three. 捻 is to pinch and roll between the fingers; 幌 is to shake once, and 幌了一幌, shook it a shake, is the standard vernacular shape for doing a thing briefly.

and there it was — an iron rod with a golden fillet, thick as a bowl. He held it out toward Old Gao and said,

碗來粗細 is of a thickness you might call a bowl's. 金箍鐵棒 is the iron rod with the golden hoops, and its weight is thirteen thousand five hundred catties. 對著 keeps 著 as zhe.

"Look at this cudgel. How does it compare with the weapons of your house? Will it beat this fiend or no?"

比你家兵器如何 is not a question but a taunt: the weapons of this house are hoes. 可打得這怪否 runs the same can-or-cannot dé again, with the classical 否 tacked on the end to turn it into a yes-or-no.

Old Gao said further, "You have a weapon, then. Will you want men to go with you?"

可要人跟: the squire is still picturing a posse. He has hired three exorcists and not one of them worked alone.

The Pilgrim said, "I want no men. I want only a few old fellows of years and standing,

年高有德 is of great age and settled virtue. What the Pilgrim actually wants is witnesses and a babysitter, and he asks for them in the language of respect.

to sit at their ease with my master and keep him in talk, so that I may leave him and go.

清坐閑敘 is to sit quietly and talk of nothing in particular. 好 is the purposive hǎo, so that I may. And 撇 is to fling aside — the verb is a good deal franker than the sentiment it is wrapped in.

Wait till I have brought that monster back, taken his confession before the company, and pulled him up by the root for you."

對眾取供 is to take a deposition in front of the assembled company, and 供 is gòng, a confession, not gōng, to offer. The Pilgrim is proposing a trial. Gao has already asked for an execution.

The old man at once called his houseboy and invited a few kinsmen and friends.

家僮 is a household boy. And 親故朋友 — the very kinsmen whose estrangement the squire was lamenting a page ago come running at a word.

In a little while all had come, and when the greetings were over the Pilgrim said, "Master, sit easy and set your mind at rest. Old Sun is off."

一時都到: 都 is dōu, all of them. 相見已畢 takes 相 as xiāng, the greetings exchanged. 放心穩坐 is sit firm and easy — advice Sanzang will spectacularly fail to take in the next chapter.