This was good news for Monkey, who dismissed the local deities and mountain gods, resumed his original form, and jumped down from the peak. “Relax, brothers,” he said to Pig and Friar Sand, “no need to worry any more. The master won't possibly be killed. The evil spirit is a relation of mine.”
“Stop lying, brother,” said Pig. “This is the Western Continent of Cattle-gift, and you come from the Eastern Continent of Superior Body. They're a very long way apart, with thousands of mountains and rivers between them, to say nothing of a couple of oceans. So how could he possibly be a relation of yours?”
“The crowd that turned up just now were the local deities and mountain gods from round here. When I asked them for some background on the demon they told me he is Red Boy, the son of the Bull Demon King by Raksasi, and he's also known as the Boy Sage King. When I made havoc in Heaven five hundred years ago I visited all the famous mountains and people of distinction in the world. The Bull Demon King took me as his seventh sworn younger brother. There were six demon kings altogether, and the only reason why I was prepared to call the Bull Demon King my elder brother was because I was a bit smaller than him. So as this devil is the Bull Demon King's son and I know his father, I'm his uncle. That means he couldn't possibly harm my master. I must be off straight away.”
“But, brother,” said Pig with a laugh, “three years without paying a visit and relations are no longer relations, as the saying goes. You haven't seen him for five or six hundred years. You haven't even had a drink together or invited him over on holidays. There's no way he'll still treat you as a relation.”
“What a way to judge people,” said Brother Monkey. “As another saying goes,
Every piece of duckweed floats down to the sea;
People will always meet each other somewhere.
Even if he doesn't regard me as a relation any more, at any rate he won't harm the master. I don't expect him to treat me to a slap-up meal, but he's bound to give me the Tang Priest back in one piece.” The three brother-disciples, their minds once more turned to pious thoughts, led the white horse loaded with the luggage along the path.
Without caring whether it was day or night they had covered some forty miles when they saw a pine woods through which a stream flowed in a twisting ravine. The water was green and pure, and at the head of the ravine was a stone bridge leading to a cave. “Brother,” said Monkey, “I'm sure the evil spirit must live in that rock-face over there. Let's have a council of war to decide who looks after the luggage and the horse and who comes with me to subdue the demon.”
“Brother,” said Pig, “I'm no good at hanging around. I'll come with you.”
“Fine,” said Monkey, continuing, “Friar Sand, hide the horse and the luggage deep in the woods and guard them carefully while we two go there to look for the master.” Friar Sand did as he was told, while Monkey and Pig went fully armed to the cave. Indeed:
The vicious fire of a raw child won;
Mind-ape and Mother of Wood both helped.
If you don't know whether things turned out for good or for ill, listen to the explanation in the next installment.
Chapter 41
The Mind-Ape Is Defeated by Fire
The Mother of Wood Is Captured by a Demon
Good and evil are quickly forgotten,
Flowering and fading are of no concern.
When perception is half-revealed it may sink or swim;
Follow fate and take your food and drink when they come.
Divine peace is still and solitary;
Stupidity is open to devilish attack.
The Five Elements smash the woods of contemplation;
When the wind blows it is bound to be cold.
The story tells how the Great Sage Monkey took his leave of Friar Sand and led Pig with him as he sprang across the Withered Pine Creek and headed straight for the demon's crag. There was indeed a cave in it, and it was no ordinary sight.
When returning along one's old route in mysterious silence,
The call of the crane is heard in the wind and moonlight.
White clouds bathe the river in brightness;
The waters under the bridge make one think of immortals.
Apes and birds cry out amid exotic plants;
Creepers cover the steps; magic mushrooms flourish.
Dark green floats among crags as mists disperse;
Turquoise touches the pines when a phoenix alights.
The distant line of peaks looks just like a screen;
In the folds of the mountain an immortal's cave is formed.
In this branch of the Kunlun Range are dragons born;
Only those fated to do so can enjoy this beauty.
As they approached the gate they saw a stone tablet on which was carved in big letters, FIRE-WIND CAVE, WITHERED PINE RAVINE, MOUNT HAO. To the other side a crowd of little demons were sparring with sword and spear, leaping through the air, and generally enjoying themselves. “Little ones,” shouted Monkey at the top of his voice, “tell your ruler at once that if he brings my master the Tang Priest out I'll spare all your lives, but that if so much as a hint of a 'no' comes out between his teeth I'll turn your mountain upside-down and trample your cave flat.” Hearing this, the little demons all scurried back into the cave, shut the doors, and went in to report, “Trouble, Your Majesty.”
The monster had carried Sanzang into the cave, stripped him, tied his hands and feet together, and sent little devils to fetch clean water to wash him with. He was going to put Sanzang into a steaming tray to cook, but when the alarm was raised he forgot about washing Sanzang, rushed into the main hall, and asked, “What trouble?”
“There's a monk with a hairy face as ugly as a thunder-god. He's got another monk with a long snout and big ears. He's demanding their master, who's called the Tang Priest or something, and he says that if there's so much as a hint of a 'no' he'll turn the mountain upside-down and trample the cave flat.”
“They must be Sun the Novice and Pig,” said the demon king with a cruel laugh. “They were bound to come looking for their master. But I carried their master fifty miles from the middle of the mountains to here. How did they find their way here?” The monster then told his carters to push the carts out, and the little devils responsible did so, opening up the front gates.
“Brother,” said Pig when he saw them, “I think they're so scared of us that they've brought their carts out and are going to move away.”
“No,” said Monkey. “Look-they're leaving them there.” The little devils set the carts out in the order of the Five Elements-metal, wood, water, fire and earth-checked them over, and went back inside to report.
“Ready?” the demon king asked.
“Ready,” they replied.
“Fetch my spear,” said the demon king, and two of the little devils from the armory carried in an eighteen-foot long fire-tipped spear that they handed to their king. The king tried out a few swings and thrusts with the spear. He wore no helmet or armor, just a battle-kilt of embroidered brocade around his waist, as he went out barefoot through the gates. When Monkey and Pig looked up at him they saw that the monster had:
A face as pale as if powdered,
Lips as red as from lipstick.
Hair in two tufts looking darker than indigo,
A clear-cut brow like a crescent moon.
His kilt was embroidered with phoenix and dragon,
He looked like Nezha, but a little plumper.
In his hands he wielded an awe-inspiring spear,
As he came out through the gates, protected by his aura.
When he roared it echoed like thunder,
And the glare of his eyes flashed like lightning.
If you would know this demon's true name,
He was the Red Boy of undying renown.