When they had exchanged courtesies the dragon king said, “I'm sorry that I failed to come and congratulate you on the end of your sufferings, Great Sage. I take it that you are returning to your old cave to put your immortal mountain back in order.”
“That's what I wanted to do,” Monkey replied. “But I've become a monk instead.”
“A monk? How?” the dragon king asked.
“The Bodhisattva of the Southern Sea converted me. She taught me to work for a good reward later by going to the West with the Tang Priest from the East, visiting the Buddha, and becoming a monk. And my name has been changed to Brother Monkey.”
“Congratulations, congratulations,” said the dragon king. “You've turned over a new leaf and decided to be good. But in that case why have you come back to the East instead of going West?” Monkey laughed.
“Because that Tang Priest doesn't understand human nature. He started nagging away at me about a few small-time highwaymen I killed, and said that everything about me was wrong. You know how I can't stand people going on at me, so I left him to come home to my mountain. I looked in on you first to ask for a cup of tea.”
“Delighted to oblige,” said the dragon king, and his dragon sons and grandsons came in with some fragrant tea which they presented to Monkey.
When he had drunk his tea, Monkey looked round and saw a picture called, “Presenting the Shoe at the Yi Bridge” hanging on the wall behind him.
“What's that a view of?” asked Monkey.
“You wouldn't know about it because it happened after your time,” the dragon king replied. “It's called 'Presenting the Shoe Three Times at the Yi Bridge.'”
“What's all that about?” Monkey asked.
“The Immortal is Lord Yellow Stone, and the boy is Zhang Liang, who lived in Han times,” the dragon king replied. “Lord Yellow Stone was sitting on the bridge when suddenly he dropped one of his shoes under it and told Zhang Liang to fetch it for him. The boy Zhang Liang did so at once, and knelt down to present it to him. Lord Yellow Stone did this three times, and because Zhang Liang never showed a trace of arrogance or disrespect, Lord Yellow Stone was touched by his diligence. One night he gave Zhang Liang some heavenly books and told him to support the Han cause. Later he won victories hundreds of miles away through his calculations within the walls of his tent. When peace came he resigned his office and went back to roam on his mountain with Master Red Pine and achieve the Way of Immortality through enlightenment. Great Sage, if you don't protect the Tang Priest with all your might, and if you reject his instruction, then you might as well stop trying to win yourself a good later reward, because it will mean you're only an evil Immoral after all.” Monkey hummed and hawed, but said nothing.
“Great Sage,” said the dragon king, “you must make your mind up. Don't ruin your future for the sake of any easy life now.”
“Enough said. I'll go back and look after him,” replied Sun Wukong. The dragon king was delighted.
“In that case I shan't keep you. I ask you in your mercy not to leave your master waiting for long.” Being thus pressed to go, Monkey left the sea palace, mounted his cloud, and took leave of the dragon king.
On his way he met the Bodhisattva Guanyin. “What are you doing here, Sun Wukong?” she asked. “Why did you reject the Tang Priest's teaching and stop protecting him?” Brother Monkey frantically bowed to her from his cloud and replied, “As you had predicted, Bodhisattva, a monk came from the Tang Empire who took off the seal, rescued me, and made me his disciple. I ran away from him because he thought I was wicked and incorrigible, but now I'm going back to protect him.”
“Hurry up then, and don't have any more wicked thoughts.” With that they each went their separate ways.
A moment later Monkey saw the Tang Priest sitting gloomily beside the path. He went up to him and said, “Why aren't you travelling, master? What are you still here for?” Sanzang looked up.
“Where have you been?” he asked. “I couldn't move without you, so I had to sit here and wait till you came back.”
“I went to visit the Old Dragon King of the Eastern Sea to ask him for some tea,” Monkey replied.
“Disciple, a religious man shouldn't tell lies. How can you say that you went to drink tea at the dragon king's place when you haven't been gone two hours?”
“I can tell you quite truthfully,” replied Monkey with a smile, “that with my somersault cloud I can cover thirty-six thousand miles in a single bound. That's how I got there and back.”
“When I spoke to you a little severely you resented it and went off in a huff,” said Sanzang. “It was all right for a clever person like you-you begged yourself some tea. But I couldn't go, and had to stay here hungry. You ought to be sorry for me.”
“If you're hungry, master, I'll go and beg you some food,” suggested Monkey.
“No need,” his master replied, “there are still some dry provisions in my bundle that the high warden's mother gave me. Take that bowl and fetch some water. When we've eaten some of it we can be on our way.”
Opening the bundle, Brother Monkey found some scones made of coarse flour, which he took out and gave to his master. He also noticed the dazzling brocade tunic and the hat with inlaid golden patterns.
“Did you bring this tunic and hat with you from the East?” he asked. Sanzang had to make something up on the spot.
“I used to wear them when I was young. With that hat on you can recite scriptures without ever having been taught them, and if you wear that tunic you can perform the rituals without any practice.”
“Dear master, please let me wear them,” Monkey pleaded.
“I don't know whether they'll fit you, but if you can get them on, you can wear them.” Monkey took off the old white tunic, put the brocade one on instead, and found that it was a perfect fit. Then he put the hat on his head. As soon as he had the hat on, Sanzang stopped eating and silently recited the Band-tightening Spell.
“My head aches, my head aches,” cried Brother Monkey, but his master went on and recited the spell several times more. Monkey, now rolling in agony, tore the hat to shreds, and Sanzang stopped reciting the spell for fear he would break the golden band. The moment the spell stopped the pain finished. Reaching up to feel his head, Monkey found something like a golden wire clamped so tightly around it that he could not wrench or snap it off. It had already taken root there. He took the needle out of his ear, forced it inside the band, and pulled wildly at it. Sanzang, again frightened that he would snap it, started to recite the spell once more. The pain was so bad this time that Monkey stood on his head, turned somersaults, and went red in the face and ears. His eyes were popping and his body went numb. Seeing the state he was in, Sanzang had to stop, and the pain stopped again too.
“Master,” said Monkey, “What a curse you put on me to give me a headache like that.”
“I didn't put a curse on you, I recited the Band-tightening Spell,” Sanzang replied.
“Say it again and see what happens,” said Monkey, and when Sanzang did as he asked, Monkey's head ached again. “Stop, stop,” he shouted, “the moment you started reciting it my head ached. Why did you do it?”
“Will you accept my instruction now?” Sanzang asked.
“Yes,” Monkey replied.
“Will you misbehave again in future?”
“I certainly won't,” said Monkey.
Although he had made this verbal promise, he was still nurturing evil thoughts, and he shook his needle in the wind till it was as thick as a ricebowl. He turned on the Tang Priest, and was on the point of finishing him off when the terrified Sanzang recited the spell two or three more times.