“A tough guy is afraid of nobody,” the demon replied. He then called for his armor, at which a host of little devils came forward with his armor and his steel flail. The two of them were now glaring at each other and each wanted to play the hero. The orders were given, the drums rolled, and a fight ensued that was much harder than the one with Friar Sand. What could be seen were:
Dazzling banners,
Gleaming halberds.
The encampment was quickly broken up,
While the gates of the palace were opened wide.
Prince Mo'ang wielded his golden mace;
That alligator parried with his flail.
Fierce were the river soldiers as the cannon roared;
Wild were the ocean warriors as the gong was beaten.
Shrimp fought with shrimp,
And crab with crab.
Whales and giant turtles swallowed red carp;
Bream and carp set mollusks running.
The shark and mullet put the mackerel to flight;
The mussels all panicked when oysters captured clams.
The swordfish barbs were hard as iron rods;
The barracudas needles were sharper than spears.
Sturgeons chased the white eel;
Perch and herring seized the back pomfret.
The river was full of battling demons,
While both side's dragon warriors contended.
The long melee stirred up the waves,
And Crown Prince Mo'ang was better than a vajrapani,
As he roared and struck at the head with his mace,
Capturing the alligator who caused the trouble.
The prince pretended to drop his guard with his three-bladed mace. Not realizing that this was a trick, the evil spirit rushed him, whereupon the crown prince skillfully first struck him a blow with the mace on the right arm that made him stumble, caught up with him, then struck at his feet and set him sprawling.
The ocean soldiers rushed up, seized Alligator, tied both hands behind his back, put an iron chain through his collar bone, hauled him up on the bank, and took him to Monkey, where the prince reported, “Great Sage, I have arrested the alligator demon and am handing him over to you for judgement.”
“You disobedient wretch,” said Monkey when he and Friar Sand saw the demon, “your uncle sent you to live here, build up your nature, and look after yourself. Once you had made your name he was going to transfer you to duties somewhere else. Why did you have to seize the river god's home and become a bully? Why did you use deception to capture my master and my brother? I was going to hit you, but this cudgel of mine hits so hard that a mere touch of it would finish you off. Where have you put my master?”
“Great Sage,” replied the demon, kowtowing ceaselessly, “this humble alligator had never heard of your mighty name. But now I have been arrested by my cousin for my disobedience to him and for my flagrant offences against right. I am endlessly grateful to you, Great Sage, for sparing my life. Your master is still tied up in the water palace. If you would take off the chain and untie my hands I will return to the river and bring him back to you.”
“Great Sage,” said Prince Mo'ang who was standing beside them, “he is a vicious and deceitful beast. If you were to release him he might have evil ideas.”
“I know where his place is,” said Friar Sand. “I'll find the master.”
He and the river god then leapt into the river and went straight to the doors of the water palace, which were wide open and not guarded by a single soldier. Inside the pavilion they saw the Tang Priest and Pig tied up stark naked. Friar Sand quickly untied the master while the river god released Pig. Next they each carried one up to the surface of the water and then to the bank.
Seeing the evil spirit roped and in chains there Pig raised his rake to strike him and said abusively, “Evil beast, take this from me.”
Monkey held him back, saying, “Spare his life, brother, out of consideration for Ao Shun and his son.”
Mo'ang then bowed and said, “Great Sage, I must not stay here any longer. As I have rescued your master I shall now take this wretch to see my father. You have spared him the death penalty, but my father will not let him off other kinds of punishment. When he has been sentenced he will be sent back to apologize to you again.”
“Very well then,” said Monkey, “take him away. Give my respects to your father and tell him that I'll be back to thank him in person another time.” The prince then plunged into the water with his prisoner and took his ocean troops straight back to be Western Sea.
The God of the Black River then thanked Brother Monkey for the recovery of his water palace. “Disciple,” said the Tang Priest, “we're still on the Eastern bank. How are we going to get across this river?”
“Don't worry about that, my lord,” said the river god. “Please mount your horse and I will lead you across the river.” The master then rode his horse while Pig led it, Friar Sand carried the luggage, and Monkey supported Sanzang. The river god did water-stopping magic to hold the waters back. In an instant a broad road opened up where the waters had withdrawn; master and disciples crossed to the West bank, climbed it, thanked the river god, and continued on their way. Indeed:
To visit the West the priest they did save;
When the river was crossed there was never a wave.
If you don't know how they visited the Buddha and obtained the scriptures, listen to the explanation in the next installment.
Chapter 44
Evil in the Heart's Centre Crosses
the Backbone Pass
There is a poem that goes:
They travel West escaping dangers to seek the scriptures;
Nor can they stop at all the famous mountains.
They press on night and day, starting crows and hares;
The seasons turn amid falling blossom and bird-song.
In the dust under one's eyes are three thousand worlds;
Four hundred prefectures rest on the head of a staff.
Sleeping in dew and dining on wind they climb the purple slope;
Never knowing when they will be able to start back.
The story tells how after the dragon prince had subdued the demon and the God of the Black River had divided the waters, master and disciples crossed the Black River and took the main trail West. They faced wind and snow, and traveled under the moon and the stars. After they had been going for a long time it was early spring again.
The sun returns;
All comes back to life.
The sun returns;
Beauty fills the sky like an opened scroll.
All comes hack to life,
As flowers cover the earth with embroidered cushions.
A few snowflakes of plum blossom remain,
While the wheat spreads like a sea of cloud.
In the gentle thaw the mountain spring now flows,
The new shoots grow and cover the burnt-out stubble.
Tai Hao governs the East,
The Wood God rules the dawn.
Above the fragrance and the warming breeze
The clouds disperse and the sun shines anew.
Willows spread their green beside the path,
Enriching rain brings spring to all that lives.
Master and disciples were ambling along enjoying the view when all of a sudden they heard a mighty shout like a war-cry from a thousand throats. Sanzang was terrified. He reined in his horse, unable to take another step forward. “Wukong,” he said, looking back at him, “where is that noise from?”
“It sounded like an earthquake or a landslide,” said Pig.
“Or thunder,” said Friar Sand.
“Or people shouting and horses neighing,” said Sanzang.
“You're all wrong,” laughed Monkey. “Just wait a moment while I go and take a look.”
Splendid Monkey. With one bound he was on a cloud and up in the air looking all around. In the distance he could make out a walled city, and when he went close he could see that it had a haze of auspicious light over it with no sign of any evil emanations. “It's a good place,” he sighed to himself, “but why was there that terrible noise? I can't see war banners or spears there, and there's no sound of cannon. So why was there a noise like shouting and neighing?”