We tell now how the Great Sage gathered up his two brothers and rolled upon the wind, riding the clouds toward the northeast, to the quarter of Gen; and in a moment they had come to the mouth of the Dark-Blossom Cave on Green Dragon Mountain. There they pressed down their cloud-heads, and Eight Rules would have gone straight at the door with his rake.
Pilgrim said, "Hold a moment. Let me go in and see whether our master is alive or dead, and then we shall be in a fit state to fight him."
Sha Monk said, "This door is shut fast. How will you get in?"
Pilgrim said, "I have powers of my own."
Splendid Great Sage! He put away his rod, worked a finger-sign, spoke out a spell and cried, "Change!"
At once he changed into a firefly, and a nimble one at that.
Look at him:
Spreading his wings, a streaming star, his light ablaze; the ancients said that rotten grass turns into fireflies.
His magical changes are not to be taken lightly.
By nature he goes to and fro.
Flying close to the stone door, he hung there and looked: at the side, a flawed crack let the wind through.
With one spring of his body he was into the shadowed courtyard.
To spy out what the monsters were about.
In he flew, and saw a few oxen sprawled every which way, each one snoring like thunder, all of them fast asleep.
He came into the central hall, and there was no sign of anything.
On every side the doors were barred, and there was no telling where the three demons slept.
He had just turned past the hall and cast his light behind him when he heard the sound of weeping — and it was the Tang Monk, chained to a pillar under the eaves of the back room, crying.
Pilgrim listened quietly to hear what he was crying about, and heard him say through his tears:
"Ten years and more since I parted from Changan, climbing hills and fording streams, stewed in bitterness.
Glad to reach the Western Regions and fall in with a festival, happy to come to Jinping and meet the Lantern Night.
I could not tell the false Buddha-images among the lamps — all because my fate had a disaster in it.
My worthy disciples give chase and make their strength felt; I only pray my heroes may bring their full power to bear."
Hearing this, Pilgrim's heart filled with delight. He spread his wings and flew close before his master.
The Tang Monk wiped his tears and said, "Why!"
"The West runs to different seasons. It is the first month now, when the sleeping insects are only beginning to stir — how is there a firefly on the wing?"
Pilgrim could hold back no longer and called out, "Master, I have come."
The Tang Monk said gladly, "Wukong! I said to myself, where would a firefly come from in the first month?
So it was you."
Pilgrim changed back to his true form at once and said, "Master! Because you could not tell true from false, we have lost no end of road and spent no end of effort.
I told you all along that they were not good people, and you went straight down on your knees — and then the fiends darkened the lamps, stole the aromatic oil, and carried you off along with it."
"I gave orders then for Eight Rules and Sha Monk to go back to the monastery and keep watch, and I followed the wind straight to this place — though I did not know what it was called.
By good fortune the Four Sentinels came and told me: this mountain is called Green Dragon Mountain, and the cave the Dark-Blossom Cave."
"I fought this fiend all day until nightfall and then went back, and told my brothers the whole of it in detail; and then, without sleeping at all, I came here with the two of them.
I was afraid a battle at dead of night would go badly, and I did not know where you were, so I changed shape and came in to have a listen."
The Tang Monk said gladly, "And are Eight Rules and Sha Monk outside now?"
Pilgrim said, "They are outside.
I had a look just now — the fiends are all asleep.
Let me undo the lock and force the door, and I will take you out."
The Tang Monk nodded his thanks.
Pilgrim worked a lock-opening spell, passed his hand across, and the lock sprang open of itself.
He was leading his master forward when he suddenly heard the demon king calling from an inner room off the central hall, "You little ones! Shut the doors tight and mind the lamps and fires.
Why has no watch been called this while, and why have the clappers and bells fallen silent?"
The fact was that the pack of little fiends, worn out from a whole day's fighting, had fallen dead asleep; hearing the shout they woke at last, and as the clappers and bells sounded, several of them carrying weapons came beating a gong from the rear — and ran slap into the master and disciple.
The little fiends all shouted together, "A fine monk you are! Where do you think you are going with that lock forced open?"
Pilgrim gave them no chance to argue. Out came the rod with a flourish and a flourish, thick as a rice-bowl, and he struck; and where the rod fell, two of them died.
The rest dropped their weapons, ran for the central hall and beat on the door, calling, "Great King! It has gone badly, it has gone badly — the hairy-faced monk is inside the house killing people!"
The three fiends heard, rolled themselves up off their beds in one motion and could only cry, "Seize him! Seize him!"
It frightened the Tang Monk till his hands and feet went soft.
Pilgrim paid his master no further heed, but went rolling forward with his rod the whole way.
The little fiends could not hold him off. He knocked two or three of them flat and shoved another two or three over.
He broke through several sets of doors, came straight out and called, "Brothers, where are you?"
Eight Rules and Sha Monk were standing ready with rake and staff, and said, "Elder brother, how did it go?"
How Pilgrim had changed shape, got inside, loosed his master and been starting away when the fiends woke and, unable to see to his master, fought his way out — all this he related to them at length, which we need not set down.
The demon king had seized the Tang Monk and chained him with the iron chain as before.
Gripping their swords and swinging their axes, with lamps and torches all ablaze, they asked, "You wretch — how did you get that lock open?
And how did that monkey get in?
Make your deposition quickly and we shall spare your life;
if not, you are cut in two at a stroke."
In terror the Tang Monk knelt down trembling and said, "Great King, Your Honour! My disciple Sun Wukong has seventy-two transformations.
Just now he changed into a firefly and flew in to rescue me.
"He did not expect Your Majesty to wake, and the lesser kings and the rest ran into him.
It was my disciple, not knowing what was good for him, who wounded two of them; and when everyone shouted and weapons and fires were raised, he could not see to me after all, and went out."
The three demon kings laughed aloud and said, "It is as well we woke — he did not get away with it."
They ordered the little ones to shut the front and back doors fast, and to make no noise at all.
Sha Monk said, "Doors shut and no noise — I think they mean to do something to our master in secret.
Let us set to."
Pilgrim said, "He is right. Break the door down, and be quick."
The idiot showed off his powers: up went the rake and down it came with all his strength, and he smashed that stone door to powder; then he shouted abuse in a great voice — "You oil-thieving fiends!
Send our master out this instant!"
It frightened the little fiends inside the gate into tumbling away to report, "Great King, it has gone badly, gone badly — the front gate is broken down by the monks!"
The three demon kings were exceedingly annoyed. "These wretches are downright rude," they said.
They called at once for their armour, dressed themselves, took up their weapons each, and led the little fiends out of the gate to meet the enemy.
By this time it was about the third watch, and in the middle of the sky the moon was bright as daylight.
Out they came, and without another word of talk fell straight to their weapons.
On this side Pilgrim took on the battle-axe, Eight Rules met the great sabre, and Sha Monk faced the great cudgel.
It was a splendid fight:
Three monks with staff and cudgel and rake; three demon fiends with their courage up.
Battle-axe, steel sabre, and a knotted rattan rod; nothing to be heard but the wind's roar and the flying sand.
At the first few passes they blew out a fog of care; and after, soaring aloft, they scattered coloured cloud.
The muckrake's whole repertoire went rolling with his body; the iron rod's heroic force was more than could be praised.
Few in this world can match the demon-quelling staff; yet the fiends' stubborn hearts would not give way to him.
The battle-axe with bright edge and sharp-pointed butt; the rattan rod knotted at every joint and flowered all over.
The great sabre flashed and gleamed broad as a door-leaf; but the monk's magic power outmatched him after all.
On this side, for their master's life, they struck with a will; on that side, rather than give the Tang Monk up, they slashed at their faces.
Axes chopped and rods came up to fight it out; rake swung and sabre hacked, the two of them mixed together.
The knotted rattan rod against the demon-quelling staff, over and over, back and forth, they showed their splendid best.
Three monks and three fiends gambled it out for a long while, and no winner could be seen.
Then the Cold-Averting Great King gave a shout and called, "Little ones, come up!"
The host of sprites all came at once with their weapons, and in no time they had tripped Eight Rules flat on the ground, where several water-buffalo sprites tugged and hauled him off into the cave and tied him up.
Sha Monk saw that Eight Rules was gone, and saw nothing but that herd of oxen raising a shout and a bellowing din.
At once he drew his precious staff, made a feint at the Dust-Averting Great King and prepared to run.
But the host of sprites came crowding in on him again, dragged him into a stumble so that he struggled and could not get up, and he too was taken and bound.
Pilgrim saw that things had gone hard, leapt on his somersault cloud and got himself away.
They dragged Eight Rules and Sha Monk in front of the Tang Monk.
The Tang Monk saw them, and with his eyes brimming over said, "Poor creatures — the two of you have fallen into their vicious hands as well.
Where is Wukong?"
Sha Monk said, "When elder brother saw us taken, he went off."
The Tang Monk said, "If he has gone, he must have gone somewhere to fetch help.
But there is no telling what day we shall slip the net."
Master and disciples were left in wretched misery, and of them we say no more.
We tell now how Pilgrim rode his somersault cloud back to the Cloud-of-Compassion Monastery, where the monks came out to meet him and asked, "Is His Reverence the Tang Master saved or not?"
Pilgrim said, "Hard to save. Hard to save."
"That fiend's powers are wide and deep. We three brothers fought his three a long while, and he called up his little demons and took Eight Rules first and Sha Monk after; only old Monkey got away."
The monks were frightened, and said, "Your Honour can ride the clouds and drive the mists like this, and still they could not be taken? Then we suppose the old master has been done to death."
Pilgrim said, "No matter, no matter."
"My master has the temple-guardians, the Revealers of Truth and the Six Ding and Six Jia among his gods, protecting him unseen; and besides, he once ate the Herb of Reverted Cinnabar, so I reckon his life is not in danger."
"It is only that the fiends have real ability. Look you well to the horse and the baggage, and let old Monkey go up to heaven and fetch down some rescuing troops."
The monks lost their nerve and said, "Your Honour can go up to heaven as well?"
Pilgrim said with a laugh, "The Heavenly Palace was my old home."
"In the old days I was Great Sage Equal to Heaven, and because I threw the Peach Banquet into confusion I was taken in hand by our Buddha.
Now there is no help for it: I escort the Tang Monk to fetch the scriptures, setting merit against my crime, and along the road I uphold the right and clear away the wicked.
My master was due this trouble, and you would not know it."
When the monks heard this they knocked their heads on the ground and bowed again.
Pilgrim got out of the door, gave a whistle, and in that instant was gone.
Splendid Great Sage! In no time he was outside the West Heaven Gate.
All at once he saw the Gold Star of Great White in conversation with the Deva King of Growth and the four great Numinous Officers Yin, Zhu, Tao and Xu.
Seeing Pilgrim come, they all hurriedly made their bows and said, "Great Sage, where are you off to?"
Pilgrim said, "Escorting the Tang Monk, we came to the county of Mintian in Jinping Prefecture, on the eastern border of the Kingdom of India, and my master was kept by the monks of the Cloud-of-Compassion Monastery to enjoy the Lantern Night.
When we came to the Golden Lamp Bridge there were three golden lamps, lit with fragrant oil of butter and gum worth more than fifty thousand taels of silver; and every year the Buddhas come down to send blessings and take it.
Just as we were watching, three Buddha-images did indeed descend.
My master could not tell good from bad, and went up on the bridge to bow.
"I said they were not good people, and at once they shamed the lamplight into darkness and carried off the oil and my master together on a gust of wind.
I followed the wind in pursuit until daybreak, and came to a mountain; and by good fortune the Four Sentinels reported that the mountain was called Green Dragon Mountain, and had on it the Dark-Blossom Cave.
In the cave are three fiends, called the Cold-Averting Great King, the Heat-Averting Great King and the Dust-Averting Great King.
Old Monkey went straight up to the door to demand him back, had a bout with them, and did not win.
So I changed shape and went inside, and saw my master chained but unharmed, and had just loosed him and meant to get out when they came to notice, and I made off.
Afterwards I fought hard again along with Eight Rules and Sha Monk, and they took those two as well and tied them up."
"That is why old Monkey has come especially to lay it before the Jade Emperor, to look into what they are, and to beg a decree sending a general to subdue them."
The Gold Star laughed a cold little laugh and said, "Great Sage, you have been locked against these monsters — how did you not see what they came from?"
Pilgrim said, "I know them, I know them — they are a pack of ox-spirits."
"It is only that they have great magic powers, and cannot be quickly subdued."
The Gold Star said, "Those are three rhinoceros spirits."
"Because they carry the marks of the heavens, they have practised and awakened over many years and come to true form, and they too can fly on cloud and walk on mist.
Those creatures love cleanliness beyond anything, and are for ever hating their own shadowed bodies, and always wanting to go down into the water and wash.
Their kinds and names are many: there is the female rhinoceros and the male rhinoceros, the bull rhinoceros and the mottled rhinoceros, and there are besides the Humao rhinoceros, the Duoluo rhinoceros, and the Pierce-the-Heavens flowered-pattern rhinoceros.
"All of them have one nostril and three hairs and two horns, and travel in the rivers and the seas, and can open a road through water.
As for those Cold-Averting, Heat-Averting and Dust-Averting, it is because their horns have a noble property that they take the name and style themselves Great Kings.
If you want to take them, it is only the Four Wood Beast Stars whose face they will submit to on sight."
Pilgrim hurriedly made his salutation and asked, "Which are the Four Wood Beast Stars?
Trouble the old Gold Star to make it plain to me, plain to me, one by one."
The Gold Star said with a smile, "These stars are outside the Palace of the Dipper and the Ox, spread out over heaven and earth.
Go and lay it before the Jade Emperor, and you will see it plainly."
Pilgrim cupped his hands in thanks and went straight in at the heavenly gate.
Before long he came below the Hall of Universal Brightness, and first saw the Four Great Heavenly Preceptors, Ge, Qiu, Zhang and Xu.
The Heavenly Preceptors asked, "Where away?"
Pilgrim said, "Lately we came to the district of Jinping Prefecture, and because my master let his discipline go slack and went to see the lanterns on the night of the full moon, he met with fiends and was carried off.
Old Monkey cannot take them in hand, and comes especially to lay it before the Jade Emperor and beg rescue."
The Four Heavenly Preceptors at once led Pilgrim to the Hall of Divine Mists to make his report; and when each had made his bows, he set out the matter in full.
The Jade Emperor sent down a decree: "Which division of heavenly troops shall be told off to help?"
Pilgrim reported, "Old Monkey had just reached the West Heaven Gate when he met the Star of Long-Bright, who said those fiends are rhinoceroses come to spirit form, and only the Four Wood Beast Stars can bring them to heel."
The Jade Emperor at once dispatched Heavenly Preceptor Xu to go with Pilgrim to the Palace of the Dipper and the Ox and tell off the Four Wood Beast Stars to descend to the world and take them.
When they reached the outside of the palace, the twenty-eight lodges of the zodiac were already there to meet them.
The Heavenly Preceptor said, "I bear the sagely decree: the Four Wood Beast Stars are told off to go down to the world with the Great Sage Sun and subdue fiends."
From the side there stepped out the Horn Wood Dragon, the Dipper Wood Xie, the Straddler Wood Wolf and the Well Wood Hound, who answered aloud, "Great Sage Sun, where are we told off to subdue fiends?"
Pilgrim said with a laugh, "So it was you."
"That old Long-Bright kept it back, and I could not make out his meaning.
Had he said at once that it was the four woods among the twenty-eight lodges, old Monkey would have come straight and asked you himself — what need was there to go troubling a decree?"
The four woods said, "Great Sage, what a thing to say! If we do not receive a decree, who would dare leave his post without permission?
Which quarter is it, exactly?
Let us be off quickly."
Pilgrim said, "It is at the Dark-Blossom Cave on Green Dragon Mountain, in the northeast quarter of Gen, in Jinping Prefecture — rhinoceroses come to spirit form."
The Dipper Wood Xie, the Straddler Wood Wolf and the Horn Wood Dragon said, "If they really are rhinoceroses come to spirit form, there is no need for all of us — the Well lodge alone need go. He can climb a mountain and eat tigers, and go down into the sea and seize rhinoceroses."
Pilgrim said, "These rhinoceroses are not like the moon-gazing sort. They have practised and gained the Way, and every one of them has a thousand years of life.
It needs all four of you to go together to be any good. Do not beg off."
"If one of you at some moment could not hold him, would that not put us to trouble all over again?"
The Heavenly Preceptor said, "What sort of talk is this from you?
The decree tells off the four of you — how can you not go?
Fly at once.
I go back to report the decree carried out."
That Heavenly Preceptor then took his leave of Pilgrim and went.
The four woods said, "Great Sage, no need to hang back. You go first and challenge them, and draw them out; we will start in behind you."
Pilgrim went straight up and cursed them: "You oil-thieving fiends!
Give me back my master!"
It turned out that door had been smashed in by Eight Rules, and a few little demons had got hold of some boards and propped it shut.
Hearing the abuse from inside, they ran in at once to report: "Great King! That monk Sun is outside cursing.
!"
Dust-Averting said, "He was beaten and went off. How is he back again today?"
"I suppose he has been off somewhere and got himself some rescuing troops."
Cold-Averting and Heat-Averting said, "What rescuing troops should we be afraid of?
Fetch our armour quickly.
Little ones, every one of you take care to ring him round, and do not let him get away."
That pack of sprites, not knowing whether they were alive or dead, each took spear and sabre in hand, shook out the banners and beat the drums, came out of the cave and shouted at Pilgrim: "You monkey who is not afraid of a beating — here you are again!"
What Pilgrim hates most in the world is those two words, "monkey" — he ground his teeth, worked himself into a fury, and struck with his iron rod.
The three demon kings deployed their little demons to run a ring formation, and shut Pilgrim inside the middle of it.
Over on that side the Four Wood Beast Stars, each one swinging his weapon out, called, "Cursed beasts!
Stay your hands."
Those three demon kings looked at the four stars and were naturally terrified, and all cried, "It has gone badly, it has gone badly — he has gone and fetched a subduer!"
"Little ones — every man look to his own life and run!"
There was nothing to be heard but roaring and bellowing, snorting and panting, and the whole pack of little demons showed their own bodies — they were mountain-ox spirits, water-buffalo spirits and yellow-ox spirits, running wild all over the mountain.
Those three demon kings showed their true forms too, dropped their hands, and were down on four hooves, going like iron cannon straight away to the northeast.
The Great Sage led the Well Wood Hound and the Horn Wood Dragon in close and hard pursuit, not slackening in the least.
Only the Dipper Wood Xie and the Straddler Wood Wolf stayed in the hollows of the eastern hills, on the hilltops, in the mountain streams and down the valleys, taking the ox-spirits — some killed, some caught alive — until they had cleared the lot.
Then they went into the Dark-Blossom Cave and loosed the Tang Monk, Eight Rules and Sha Monk.
Sha Monk knew the two stars, and made his bow of thanks along with the rest.
He asked, "How did the two of you come here to the rescue?"
The two stars said, "We are the ones the Great Sage Sun reported to the Jade Emperor and begged a decree to have told off, to take these fiends and save you."
The Tang Monk shed tears again and said, "How is it my disciple Wukong has not come in?"
The two stars said, "Those three old fiends are three rhinoceroses. When they saw us, every one of them looked to his own life and bolted away to the northeast, to the quarter of Gen, and the Great Sage Sun has led the Well Wood Hound and the Horn Wood Dragon off in pursuit.
We two stars swept up the herd of oxen as far as here, and have come specially to set the holy monk free."
The Tang Monk bowed his head to the ground in thanks again, and bowed once more towards the sky.
Eight Rules helped him up and said, "Master, too much ceremony is a cheat. There is no need to go on bowing.
The four star officers came, first because of the Jade Emperor's sagely decree, and second on our elder brother's account.
Now that the pack of fiends is swept up, there is still no knowing how the old fiends are to be brought to heel.
Let us gather up some of the small valuables and carry them out, tip this cave over to root the thing out altogether, and go back to the monastery to wait for our elder brother."
The Straddler Wood Wolf said, "Marshal of the Heavenly Reeds speaks sense."
"You and the Curtain-Raising Grand Marshal look after your master and get him back to the monastery to rest, and we will go back to the Gen quarter to meet the enemy."
Eight Rules said, "Just so, just so."
"You two go and join the taking of them as well. They must be wiped out to the last, and then the decree can be reported carried out."
The two star officers went off at once in pursuit.
Eight Rules and Sha Monk took the fine goods and treasures from inside the cave — a quantity of coral, agate, pearl, amber, jade rings, precious shells, fine jade and good gold — and turned out a full measure of them, and carried it outside.
They asked their master to sit on the cliff, and went in again and set the place alight, and burnt that whole cave to ashes.
Only then did they lead the Tang Monk to find the road back to the Cloud-of-Compassion Monastery at Jinping.
And it is just as they say:
The classic says, when Tai reaches its height, Pi is born; at the good place to meet with ill really does happen.
Loving to look at flowered lanterns, the settled nature is thrown into confusion; delighting to roam in fine scenery, the heart of the Way runs thin.
The great elixir from of old wants long guarding; one slip, and from the first it is spoilt to the last.
Shut it close and tie it fast, leave off wandering loose; an instant's slackening and you will see it come out crooked.
But we leave off speaking of how those three got their lives and went back to the monastery.
Rather we tell how the Dipper Wood Xie and the Straddler Wood Wolf, the two star officers, rode their cloud straight for the northeast, the quarter of Gen, chasing the fiends; and the two of them looked about in mid-air and could not find them.
They went all the way to the Great Western Ocean, and saw far off the Great Sage Sun on the sea, hollering.
The two of them dropped their cloud-heads and said, "Great Sage, where have the monsters gone?"
Pilgrim said resentfully, "Why did the two of you not come and chase them down?
And now at this hour you come blundering up and asking what?"
The Dipper Wood Xie said, "I saw the Great Sage and the Well and Horn stars beat the fiends and give chase, and reckoned they would certainly be taken.
"So the two of us went and swept up the pack of sprites, and got into the Dark-Blossom Cave and brought out your master and your younger brothers.
We searched the mountain and burnt the cave, and made your master over to your two brothers, and they have taken him back to the Cloud-of-Compassion Monastery in the prefectural city.
It was a long while and we did not see your carriage come back, so we followed the trail here."
Hearing this, Pilgrim only then grew pleased and thanked them: "In that case, it is a good piece of work indeed. Much obliged, much obliged."
"But those three fiends were driven by me as far as this place, and then they went down into the sea.
The Well and Horn stars were there to press the pursuit hard, and told old Monkey to hold the shore.
Now that you two are here, stay and cut them off on the shore, and let old Monkey go down again."
Splendid Great Sage! He swung his rod, worked a finger-sign, cleft open a path through the water and went straight into the depths of the waves — and there were the three fiends under the water, fighting for dear life against the Well Wood Hound and the Horn Wood Dragon.
He sprang forward and shouted, "Old Monkey is here!"
Those fiends were holding off the two star officers and hard put to it, in the very thick of their difficulty, when suddenly they heard Pilgrim shout; and looking to what was left of their lives, they turned their heads and fled away into the middle of the sea.
It turned out that the horns on those creatures' heads are extremely good at parting water, and there was nothing to be heard but a rush and a rush and a rush as they opened a clear road ahead.
Behind them, the two star officers and the Great Sage Sun put their strength together and chased.
We tell now how in the Western Ocean there was a sea-scouting yaksha and a patrolling shell-officer, who saw from afar the rhinoceroses parting the press of water, and knew besides the Great Sage Sun and the two heavenly stars; and they went straight into the water-crystal palace and reported to the Dragon King in a great fluster: "Great King, there are three rhinoceroses being chased here by the Great Sage Equal to Heaven and two heavenly stars!"
The old Dragon King Aoshun heard it and at once called his son Aomo'ang: "Quickly muster the water troops. I suppose those rhinoceros spirits Cold-Averting, Heat-Averting and Dust-Averting have provoked Pilgrim Sun, and now that they have come to the sea, quick — draw swords and help him."
Ao Mo'ang received the order and mustered his troops at once.
In a moment, turtles and terrapins, soft-shells and river-lizards, carp and culter, mandarin fish and bream, with the shrimp soldiers and crab troops, each took spear or sabre in hand, and shouted all together, and came pouring out of the water-crystal palace to block the rhinoceros spirits.
The rhinoceros spirits could not get forward, and fell back in haste — and there again were the Well and Horn stars and the Great Sage barring the way.
So frightened were they that they lost the pack and scattered, each to save his own life, and made off in four directions; and Dust-Averting was straight away hemmed in by the old Dragon King at the head of his troops.
The Great Sage saw it and his heart rejoiced, and he called out, "Steady, steady! Take them alive — I do not want them dead."
Mo'ang heard the order, and rushed up in a body, tipped Dust-Averting over on the ground, ran an iron hook through his nose, and trussed his hooves together and threw him down.
The old Dragon King passed the word again, telling off part of his troops to chase the other two and help the two star officers to take them.
At once the young Dragon King led his men forward, and there was the Well Wood Hound in his true shape, holding Cold-Averting down and eating him in great mouthfuls and small.
Mo'ang called out loudly, "Well lodge! Well lodge! Do not bite him to death — the Great Sage Sun wants him alive, not dead!"
He shouted a number of shouts, and it was already too late — he had bitten through the neck.
Mo'ang ordered his shrimp soldiers and crab troops to carry the dead rhinoceros back to the water-crystal palace, and then went forward again with the Well Wood Hound in pursuit.
Then they saw the Horn Wood Dragon driving Heat-Averting back the other way, and he ran straight into the Well lodge.
Mo'ang led his turtles and terrapins, soft-shells and river-lizards, and opened out a winnowing-basket formation to hem him in.
That fiend could only cry, "Spare my life! Spare my life!"
The Well Wood Hound came up close, took hold of one ear, wrested away his sabre, and called out, "I will not kill you, I will not kill you — I shall take you to the Great Sage Sun to be dealt with."
There and then they laid down their arms and came back to the outside of the water-crystal palace, and reported, "We have taken them all."
Pilgrim saw one of them with his head off, dripping blood, lying on the ground.
One had been taken by the ear by the Well Wood Hound and shoved down onto his knees.
He came up close and looked carefully and said, "This head was not hurt by any weapon."
Mo'ang said with a laugh, "If I had not shouted so hard, the Well star officer would have eaten the body too."
Pilgrim said, "Since that is how it is, very well then. Fetch a saw and saw off these two horns of his, and strip the hide and take it along.
The rhinoceros meat may be left for the Dragon King and his worthy son to enjoy."
They put a ring through Dust-Averting's nose too, and gave him to the Horn Wood Dragon to lead;
Heat-Averting had his nose rung as well, and was given to the Well Wood Hound to lead: "Take them up to Jinping Prefecture to see the prefect there, have the whole thing looked into, and charge them with years of playing false Buddhas and harming the people — and after that, sentence passed."
The company all followed his word, took their leave of the Dragon King and his son, and came out of the Western Ocean together.
Leading the rhinoceroses, they met the Straddler and Dipper stars, mounted cloud and mist, and went straight back to Jinping Prefecture.
Pilgrim, his feet on auspicious light, called out from mid-air: "Prefect of Jinping, assistant officials and secretaries, and all the soldiers and people within the city walls and without — listen! I am the holy monk sent from the Land of the East, the Great Tang, to the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures.
Your prefecture and county have offered up golden lamps year after year, and those who came falsely dressed as Buddhas sending down blessings were these very rhinoceros fiends.
We passed this way, and because we went to see the lanterns on the night of the full moon, we saw these fiends carry off the lamp-oil and my master along with it; and it was I who requested heavenly gods to subdue them.
The mountain cave is now swept clean and the fiends wiped out to the last, and they can do harm no longer.
From now on your prefecture and county must not offer up golden lamps again, wearying the people and wasting their substance."
At the Cloud-of-Compassion Monastery, Eight Rules and Sha Monk had just got the Tang Monk in through the mountain gate when they heard Pilgrim speaking up in the air; so they dropped their master on the spot, put down the luggage, raised wind and cloud and went up, and asked him how the subduing had gone.
Pilgrim said, "That one was bitten to death by the Well star, and I have sawn off his horn and stripped his hide and brought them;
the two are here, taken alive."
Eight Rules said, "We may as well shove these two down into the city and let the officials and the people have a look at them, so they will know what we are — saints or gods."
"Trouble the four star officers on either hand to bring their cloud down to earth, and go together to the prefectural hall, and have sentence passed on these fiends there.
The facts being true and the guilt established, what more is there to say?"
The four stars said, "The Marshal of the Heavenly Reeds has lately come to understand principle and know the statutes. Very good indeed!"
Eight Rules said, "From having been a monk these several years, I have picked up a little of it too."
The gods duly pushed the rhinoceroses down, and in a cluster of coloured cloud came down onto the prefectural hall.
It frightened the prefecture and county officials and the people inside the walls and out, till every family set out an incense table and every household bowed to the heavenly gods.
In a little while the monks of the Cloud-of-Compassion Monastery carried the elder in a sedan chair through the prefectural gate, and he met Pilgrim, with the word "thanks" never off his lips: "I am much obliged to the star officers of the lodges above for getting us out.
Not seeing my worthy disciple, my mind was hanging on it; and now happily you have won and come back.
But where did these fiends have to be chased to before they could be caught?"
Pilgrim said, "Since I took leave of your reverence the day before yesterday, old Monkey went up to heaven to look into it, and was favoured by the Gold Star of Great White, who knew the fiends for rhinoceroses and directed me to ask for the Four Wood Beast Stars.
I laid it before the Jade Emperor at the time, was favoured with a decree of commission, and went straight to the cave mouth to give battle; and the demon kings fled.
I was favoured again by the Dipper and Straddler lodges, who got your reverence out.
Old Monkey and the Well and Horn lodges joined strength and pursued the fiends all the way to the Great Western Ocean, and there we had the benefit of the Dragon King sending his son at the head of troops to help; and so they were taken and brought here to be examined."
The elder praised and thanked him without ceasing.
And he saw besides that the chief officers of the prefecture and county and the assistant heads were all standing there burning precious candles high, and burning incense by the bushel, bowing towards the upper seats.
In a little while Eight Rules worked himself into a temper, drew out his precept-knife, and with one stroke cut off Dust-Averting's head, and with another stroke cut off Heat-Averting's head as well.
Then they took a saw and sawed off the four horns.
The Great Sage Sun had a further proposal: he had the four star officers take these four rhinoceros horns up to the world above as tribute to the Jade Emperor, and to return the sagely decree at the same time.
Of the two he had brought himself he left one in the prefectural hall to hold the treasury, as evidence for the remission of the lamp-oil levy hereafter;
and one he took with him, to present to the Buddha Patriarch on Spirit Mountain.
The four stars were greatly pleased in their hearts.
They took their leave of the Great Sage on the spot, and on a coloured cloud went off to make their report.
The prefectural and county officers kept master and disciples, laid out a great meatless feast, and invited the local gentry all round to keep them company.
On one side they put out a proclamation making it known to soldiers and people that in the coming year the golden lamps were not to be set up, and the duty laid on the great households who bought the oil was remitted for ever.
On another side they had the butchers cut up and flay, and the rhinoceros hide was cured with saltpetre and smoke-dried and made into armour;
and the meat was given out generally to the officials and the rest.
On yet another side they drew on the funds from unclaimed fines and unencumbered revenue, bought a piece of open ground from the people, and put up a shrine to the four stars who subdued the fiends; and they set up a living shrine to the Tang Monk and his three as well, and raised a stone tablet at each and cut an inscription, to hand it down for a thousand years, by way of thanks.
Master and disciples, for their part, accepted it all with an easy mind.
And besides, those two hundred and forty households of the lamp-oil levy were repaying them, this family and that family inviting them, with hardly an idle hour.
Eight Rules enjoyed himself to his heart's content, and of the treasures fetched out of the cave he tucked a little of each sort into his sleeve, to give as presents at each family's meatless feast.
They stayed a full month and still could not get on the road.
The elder gave his order: "Wukong, take all the remaining treasures and send them to the monks of the Cloud-of-Compassion Monastery, by way of return for their courtesy.
Keep it from those great households, and let us go before it is light.
I am afraid that if we go on being greedy for pleasure we shall spoil the scripture-fetching, and offend the Buddha Patriarch, and bring more disaster on ourselves, which would be most inconvenient."
Pilgrim thereupon dealt with each of the foregoing items one by one.
Next day at the fifth watch he rose early and called Eight Rules to saddle the horse.
That idiot had eaten and drunk himself comfortable and was sleeping in a daze, and said, "What is the saddling for at this hour?"
Pilgrim called out, "The master says we are taking the road."
The idiot wiped his face and said, "There is that elder being unreasonable again.
Two hundred and forty great households have all invited us, and we have only eaten some thirty-odd square meals — how does he come to be starving old Pig again?"
The elder heard him and scolded, "You swill-guzzling stupid lump — no nonsense. Get up quickly;
and if you answer back again I will have Wukong take the gold-banded rod to your teeth."
The idiot heard the word "beat" and lost the use of his hands and feet, and said, "Master has changed this time. He always used to pity me and be fond of me and think me a stupid clod and shield me; when elder brother wanted to beat me, he would talk him out of it;
and how is it that today he turns fierce and tells you to beat me instead?"
Pilgrim said, "The master blames you for your mouth, and for holding up the journey.
Get the baggage together quickly, and the horse saddled, and avoid a beating!"
That idiot was truly afraid of a beating, and jumped up and put on his clothes, and hollered at Sha Monk: "Get up quick — the beating is coming!"
Sha Monk jumped up too, and each of them got everything ready.
The elder waved his hand: "Quietly, quietly now — do not disturb the monks of the monastery."
In haste they mounted, opened the mountain gate, and found the road and went.
This going away is just what they call:
Quietly opening the jade cage, the coloured phoenix flies; secretly undoing the golden lock, the dragon goes free.
In the end there is no knowing how the families who were to repay them fared when day broke; and for that you must listen to the next chapter's telling.