If you don't know what of good or evil the demons were to do to them, listen to the explanation in the next installment.
Chapter 73
The Emotions Bear a Grudge and Inflict Disaster
The Heart's Master Smashes the Light When He Meets the Demons
The story tells how the Great Sage Sun supported the Tang Priest as they hurried along the main road to the West together with Pig and Friar Sand. Within a few hours they were in sight of a compound with many tall towers and imposing buildings. “Disciple,” said Sanzang, reining in his horse, “what's that place?” Monkey looked up to gaze at it and this is what he saw.
Tall towers girdled by hills,
Streams winding round pavilions.
Dense grew the wood in front of the gates,
And outside the buildings the scent of flowers hung heavy.
White egrets perched among the willows,
Like flawless jades half hidden in a mist;
Golden orioles sang in the peach-trees,
Flashes of gold in the fiery blossom.
Wild deer in couples
Trod lost to the world across cushions of greenery;
Pairs of mountain birds
Sang as they flew among the red tree-tops.
It was like the Tiantai Cave of Liu and Ruan,
And rivaled the home of the immortals in fairyland.
“Master,” Brother Monkey reported, “that's no princely palace or rich man's mansion. It looks like a Taoist temple or Buddhist monastery. We'll know for sure when we get there.” On hearing this Sanzang whipped on his horse, and when master and disciples reached the gates to look there was a stone tablet set over the gateway on which was written YELLOW FLOWER TEMPLE. Sanzang dismounted.
“Yellow Flower Temple means it's a Taoist place,” said Pig, “so it's all right for us to go in and see them. Although we wear different clothes we cultivate our conduct the same way.”
“You're right,” said Friar Sand. “We can go in and have a look round, and at the same time the horse can have a feed. If it looks suitable we can arrange a meal for the master.”
The master accepted their suggestions and the four of them went inside. A couplet was pasted up on either side of the inner gates:
Palace of immortals: yellow shoots and white snow.
Home of men who can fly: rare and wonderful flowers.
“So the Taoist here refines drugs, plays with a furnace and totes a crucible,” said Monkey with a grin.
“Watch your words,” said Sanzang, giving him a pinch, “watch your words. We don't know them and they are no relations of ours. This is only a passing encounter. Never mind what they are like.” Before he had finished saying these words he went in through the inner gate, where he found the doors of the main hall shut tight and a Taoist master sitting under a covered walkway making elixir pills. Just look at how he was dressed:
On his head a bright red hat all set with gold,
On his body a jet-black Taoist robe.
On his feet a pair of deep green cloud-treading shoes,
Round his waist a brilliant yellow Lu Dongbin sash.
His face was round like a golden melon,
His eyes like bright stars.
His nose was as big and as high as a Muslim's,
And his lips turned back like a Tartar's.
His heart, set on the Way, was hidden thunder;
He was a true immortal, subduer of tigers and dragons.
As soon as he saw him Sanzang shouted at the top of his voice, “My respectful greetings, venerable Taoist master.” The Taoist looked up with a start and was so alarmed by what he saw that he dropped the elixir on which he was working.
Then he neatened his hair-pins and clothes, came down the steps and greeted Sanzang: “Venerable sir, excuse me for failing to meet you. Please come inside and sit down.” The venerable elder happily went up into the main hall. On pushing the doors open he saw the statues of the Three Pure Ones and an altar on which stood incense burners and incense, so he planted some joss-sticks in the burner and performed a triple set of obeisances to the Pure Ones before bowing to the Taoist master. He then went to the guest seats, where he sat down with his disciples. Immortal boys were told to bring tea at once, whereupon two boys went inside to fetch the tea-tray, wash the teacups, wipe the teaspoons and prepare some refreshments to eat with it. Their rushing about soon disturbed the pilgrims' enemies.
Now the seven devils from Gossamer Cave had been fellow-students of the Taoist master here, and it was here that they had hurried after putting on their old clothes and calling for their sons. They were making themselves new clothes at the back of the temple when they noticed the boys preparing the tea and asked, “What visitors have arrived, boys? What are you in such a rush for?”
“Four Buddhist monks have just turned up,” the boys replied, “and the master has told us to prepare tea for them.”
“Is one of the monks pale and fat?” the she-devils asked.
“Yes.”
“Does one of them have a long snout and big ears?” they asked again.
“Yes.”
“Then take the tea in as quickly as you can,” the she-devils said, “and tip your master a wink to come in here. We've got something urgent to say to him.”
The boys took five cups of tea out to the Taoist master, who tucked back his sleeves and passed a cup with both hands first to Sanzang and then to Pig, Friar Sand and Brother Monkey. After the tea had been drunk the cups were collected and the boys gave their master a look, at which he bowed and said, “Please sit down, gentlemen. Boys, put the tray down and keep them company. I have to go out. I'll be back.” Sanzang and his disciples went out of the hall to look around, guided by one boy.
When the Taoist master went back to the abbot's lodgings the seven women all fell to their knees and said, “Brother, brother, please listen to what we have to say.”
The Taoist master helped them to their feet and said, “When you came here this morning you wanted to tell me something, but because of the elixir pills I was making I couldn't see any women. That's why I had to refuse. I have visitors out there now, so you can tell me later.”
“We have to report, elder brother,” the she-devils said, “that it's because the strangers are here that we're talking to you. If the strangers go away there'll be no point in telling you.”
“What are you talking about, sisters?” the Taoist master said. “Why do you have to talk to me just now, when the strangers are here? Have you gone off your heads? I'm a man who lives in peace and quiet cultivating immortality, but even if I were a layman with wife and children and family responsibilities I'd wait till my visitor had left before attending to them. How can you be so ill-behaved and disgrace me? Now let me go.”
All the she-devils grabbed him and said, “Please don't lose your temper, elder brother. Tell us where the visitors come from.” The Taoist master pulled a long face and ignored them. “When the boys came in for the tea just now they told us the visitors are four Buddhist monks,” the she-devils said.
“They're monks,” said the Taoist master angrily, “what of it?”
“Does one of the four monks have a pale, fat face,” the she-devils asked, “and one of them a long snout and big ears? Did you ask them where they're from?”
“Yes,” the Taoist said, “there are two like that among them. How did you know? I suppose you've seen them somewhere.”
“You don't know the terrible things that have happened, brother,” the devils said. “That monk was sent by the Tang court to fetch the scriptures from the Western Heaven. He came to our cave this morning begging for food. We captured him because we'd heard of this Tang Priest.”