Chapter 25: Zhenyuan Immortal Chases the Pilgrims Sun Wukong Causes Havoc at the Five Villages Shrine

When the three disciples arrived in the hall, they said to their master, "The meal is almost ready. What should we do now?" Tripitaka replied, "Disciples, I'm not asking about the meal. This monastery has some Ginseng Fruits, things that resemble babies. Which one of you stole and ate them?" Pigsy said, "I'm honest. I don't know anything about it. I haven't seen them." Breezy said, "It's him, the one laughing! It's him!" Monkey yelled, "This is just how I, Old Monkey, smile! Are you saying I can't smile just because you've lost some fruit?" Tripitaka said, "Disciples, calm your anger. We are monks. Do not lie, and do not eat food gained through deceit. If you truly ate his fruits, then apologize to him. Why deny it so vehemently?" Seeing that his master spoke reasonably, Monkey confessed, "Master, it wasn't my idea. Pigsy, from next door, overheard those two young Daoists eating some Ginseng Fruits. He wanted to try one, so he asked me to get three. My brothers and I each ate one. We've already eaten them, so what now?" Brighty said, "You stole four of them, and this monk still claims he's not a thief!" Pigsy exclaimed, "Amitabha! If you stole four, why did you only bring three to share? You already held one back!" The blockhead, instead, started to rant. Convinced by the truth, the two immortal youths intensified their insults. The Great Sage was so enraged his steel teeth gnashed and his fiery eyes widened. He gripped his golden-banded cudgel repeatedly, enduring the provocation, then said, "These lads are so hateful! It would be one thing if they just hit me directly, or if I had to bear their insults, but I'll give them a plan that ensures no one gets to eat them ever again!" The clever Monkey plucked a hair from the back of his head, blew a breath of immortal qi on it, and cried, "Change!" It transformed into a fake Monkey, who stayed with Tripitaka, accompanying Pigsy and Sandy, enduring the Daoists' scolding. His true self, in spirit form, leaped onto a cloud and soared away, heading straight to the Ginseng Fruit Garden. He swung his golden-banded cudgel at the tree with a 'ping-pang' sound, then used his mountain-moving and ridge-shifting divine power to push the tree over. Alas, leaves fell, branches broke, and roots were exposed; the Daoists' elixir was utterly ruined! The Great Sage pushed down the tree, then searched for fruits on the branches, but not even half a one could be found. It turned out that this treasure would fall when it encountered metal. His cudgel's tip was covered in gold, and iron itself is a type of metal, so when he struck it, the fruits shook off. Once they fell, they sank into the earth, which is why there were no fruits left on the tree. He said, "Good, good, good! That's it for everyone!" He put away his iron cudgel and returned to the hall. With a shake of his hair, he retrieved the magical strand into his body. Those ordinary mortals, with their mortal eyes, could not perceive what had truly happened.

Meanwhile, after the immortal youths had cursed for quite some time, Breezy said, "Brighty, these monks are quite tolerant of abuse. We've been scolding them like chickens for a while now, and they haven't uttered a sound. Perhaps they didn't steal or eat anything. What if the tree is tall and the leaves are dense, making it hard to count clearly? Let's not falsely accuse them! Let's go check again." Brighty said, "That makes sense." Indeed, the two went back to the garden, only to find the tree fallen, its branches broken, and no fruits or leaves. Breezy was so terrified his legs went weak and he stumbled, while Brighty felt a tingling in his waist and collapsed. The two were utterly panic-stricken. A poem bears witness to this, which says:

Tripitaka arrived west at Longevity Mountain,Sun Wukong ruined the herb-elixir.Branches broke, leaves fell, the immortal root exposed,Brighty and Breezy's hearts turned cold with fear.

They lay in the dust, their words jumbled, crying out, "What shall we do, what shall we do! You've ruined the elixir in our Wuzhuang Temple, cutting off our immortal lineage! How will we explain this to our master when he returns?" Brighty said, "Brother, don't shout. Let's straighten our clothes and avoid alarming these monks. It can't be anyone else; it must be that hairy-faced, thunder-mouthed fellow. He projected his spirit and used magic to ruin our treasure. If we try to reason with him, that scoundrel will surely deny it, and we'll end up fighting. How can the two of us possibly defeat four of them? It's better to trick them. We'll say there are plenty of fruits, that we miscounted, and even apologize to them. Their meal is ready. When they eat, we'll offer them some side dishes. When each of them picks up a bowl, you stand by the left door, and I'll stand by the right. Then we'll slam the door shut, lock it, and lock all the other doors. Don't let them out. When our master returns, he can deal with them as he pleases. He is also an old acquaintance of our master; if he pardons them, it's our master's favor. If he doesn't, at least we'll have caught the thief, which might spare us from punishment." Breezy heard this and said, "That makes sense, that makes sense!"

The two forced themselves to appear cheerful, came directly from the back garden to the hall, and bowed deeply to Tripitaka, saying, "Master, our words just now were rude and offensive. Please don't be offended." Tripitaka asked, "What do you mean?" Breezy said, "There are plenty of fruits. It's just that the tree is tall and its leaves are dense, so we couldn't see clearly. We just went back to check, and the original number is still there." Pigsy, seizing the opportunity, swaggered forward and said, "You young lad, you're so young and ignorant! You just cursed us wildly, slandered us with your baseless accusations! You're truly unreasonable!" Monkey understood in his heart but remained silent, thinking to himself, "It's a lie, it's a lie! The fruits are already gone, so why would they say such a thing? They must have a method to bring the dead back to life." Tripitaka said, "Since that's the case, bring the food. Let's eat and be on our way." Pigsy went to serve the food, and Sandy arranged the table and chairs. The two youths hurriedly brought out side dishes: pickled cucumbers, pickled eggplants, fermented radishes, pickled green beans, preserved water chestnuts, and blanched mustard greens, making seven or eight dishes in total, which they served to the master and disciples. They also brought a pot of good tea and two teacups, attending to them closely. Just as the four of them picked up their bowls, the youths, one on each side, slammed the door shut with a 'thud' and fastened a large bronze lock with two hooks. Pigsy chuckled, "These lads are mistaken. Your local custom is rather odd; why do you eat with the door locked?" Brighty said, "Exactly, exactly. We'll open the door after you finish eating." Breezy cursed, "You gluttonous, thieving bald rogue! You stole and ate my immortal fruits, committing the crime of unauthorized consumption of garden produce, and then you pushed over my immortal tree, ruining the immortal root of Wuzhuang Temple! And you still dare to talk back! If you can reach the West to see the Buddha's face, it will only be by reincarnating from the cradle!" Hearing this, Tripitaka dropped his rice bowl, feeling a heavy weight in his heart. The youths then locked the first mountain gate and the second mountain gate, and then returned to the main hall's entrance, speaking harshly, calling them thieves again and again, cursing until dusk, before finally going to eat. After eating, they returned to their rooms.

Tripitaka complained to Monkey, "You ape, you cause trouble again and again! If you stole and ate his fruits, you should have just endured his anger and a few curses. Why did you also push down his tree? If this situation were brought to court, even if your own father were a high official, he wouldn't be able to argue your case!" Monkey said, "Master, don't fuss. The youths have all gone to sleep. Once they're sound asleep, we'll leave tonight." Sandy said, "Brother, several layers of doors are locked, and very tightly sealed. How can we leave?" Monkey chuckled, "Don't worry, don't worry! Old Monkey has his ways." Pigsy said, "I'm worried you don't have a way! You can transform into some insect or worm and fly out through a crack, but it's only us, who can't transform, who'll be stuck here bearing the brunt of the punishment!" Tripitaka said, "If he pulls a trick like that and doesn't take us with him, I'll start chanting my 'old-talk sutra,' and then he'll suffer the consequences!" Hearing this, Pigsy both worried and laughed, "Master, what are you talking about? I've only heard of Buddhist scriptures like the *Shurangama Sutra*, *Lotus Sutra*, *Peacock Sutra*, *Avalokiteshvara Sutra*, and *Diamond Sutra*. I've never heard of any 'old-talk sutra'." Monkey said, "Brother, you don't know. This golden fillet I wear on my head was given to my master by Bodhisattva Guanyin. My master tricked me into wearing it, and it's like it's rooted to me; I can't take it off. It's called the 'Golden Fillet Spell,' also known as the 'Golden Fillet Sutra.' That 'old-talk sutra' of his is precisely this. If he recites it, I get a headache, which is how he makes things difficult for me. Master, please don't recite it. I will not fail you; I promise we'll all get out together." As they spoke, dusk fell, and the moon unknowingly rose in the east. Monkey said, "Now, with all sounds hushed and the clear moon visible, it's the perfect time to leave." Pigsy said, "Brother, don't play tricks. All the doors are locked. Where are we going to go?" Monkey said, "Just watch my skill!"

The resourceful Monkey twirled his golden-banded cudgel in his hand, performed an unlocking spell, and pointed it at the door. With a 'tuk-gao' sound, the bolts on several layers of doors dropped, and the door leaves swung open with a 'hula' sound. Pigsy chuckled, "What amazing skill! Even if you asked a locksmith to pick it, it wouldn't be as smooth and quick as that!" Monkey said, "This door is nothing special! Even the South Heavenly Gate would open if I just pointed at it." He then invited his master out the door, helped him mount the horse. Pigsy picked up the luggage, and Sandy led the horse. They headed directly west.

Monkey said, "You all go slowly. Let Old Monkey go make sure those two youths sleep for a month." Tripitaka said, "Disciple, you must not harm their lives. Otherwise, it would be another crime of gaining wealth by harming others." Monkey said, "I understand." Monkey went back inside and arrived outside the youths' bedroom door. He had sleeping insects he carried on his waist, which he had won from a game of guessing digits with the King of Broadening, Virūḍhaka, at the East Heavenly Gate. He took out two, flicked them through a window crack, and they flew straight to the youths' faces, putting them into a deep, snoring slumber from which they couldn't possibly wake. Only then did he stride with cloud steps, catching up to Tripitaka, and they continued straight west along the main road. They traveled without stopping that night until dawn. Tripitaka said, "This ape is going to be the death of me! Because of your gluttony, I've had a sleepless night!" Monkey said, "Don't just keep complaining. It's daylight now. You can rest for a while in this roadside grove, regain your spirits, and then we'll continue." The elder had no choice but to dismount, leaning against a pine root as a temporary meditation couch. Sandy rested his luggage and dozed off, while Pigsy used a stone as a pillow and fell asleep. Only the Great Sage Sun remained wide awake; behold him leaping among trees and swinging from branches, playing around. The four rested, and no more need be said.

Now, speaking of the Great Immortal, he rose at dawn, ate his morning meal, and came to the hall, ordering the whip to be brought. "Today, it's Tang Sanzang's turn to be whipped." Upon seeing it, he noticed the temple gate wide open and the ground clean. The Great Immortal said, "Breezy and Brighty are quite useful after all. Usually, even when the sun is high, they don't even stretch their backs, but today, with us away, they were willing to get up early, open the gates, and sweep the grounds." All the minor immortals were pleased. When they reached the hall, there was no incense burning, and no sign of people. Where were Brighty and Breezy? The immortals said, "They must have taken some things and run away because we weren't here." The Great Immortal said, "Nonsense! How could cultivators do something so malicious? They must have forgotten to close the gate last night and went to sleep, and haven't woken up yet this morning." The immortals went to their bedroom door and, indeed, found the door closed and the youths deeply, sonorously asleep. Even with all the knocking and shouting from outside, how could they wake up? The immortals pried open the door and pulled them off their beds, but they still wouldn't wake. The Great Immortal chuckled, "My good immortal youths! Those who achieve immortality are filled with spirit and no longer desire sleep. How can they be so tired? Could it be that someone played a trick on them? Bring water quickly." A youth quickly fetched half a cup of water and handed it to the Great Immortal. The Great Immortal recited an incantation, took a mouthful of water, sprayed it on their faces, and immediately dispelled the sleeping spell.

The two finally awoke, rubbed their faces, looked up, and recognized their immortal master, the Immortal with the World, and their fellow immortal brothers. Breezy hastily bowed, and Brighty kowtowed, saying, "Master! Your old acquaintances, those monks from the East, they are a band of extremely vicious bandits!" The Great Immortal chuckled, "Don't be alarmed. Tell me slowly." Breezy said, "Master, not long after you left, there indeed came a Tang Monk from the Eastern Land, with a party of four monks, and five mouths including the horse. Your disciples dared not disobey your command, so we inquired about their purpose and presented two Ginseng Fruits. That elder, with his mortal eyes and foolish mind, did not recognize our immortal treasure. He said it was a child not yet three days old and repeatedly refused to eat it, so your disciples each ate one. Unexpectedly, he had three disciples. One named Sun Wukong the Pilgrim, stole and ate four fruits first. Your disciples tried to reason with him and spoke a few honest words, but he wouldn't allow it. Secretly, he used a spiritual projection trick, oh, the misery!" As the two youths spoke of this, tears streamed uncontrollably down their cheeks. The immortals asked, "Did that monk hit you?" Brighty said, "He didn't hit us, but he pushed over our Ginseng Fruit tree." Hearing this, the Great Immortal did not grow angry. He said, "Don't cry, don't cry! You don't know that fellow named Sun. He's also a Great Unity Loose Immortal who once caused a great disturbance in the Heavenly Palace and possesses vast magical powers. Since he pushed down the precious tree, do you recognize those monks?" Breezy said, "I recognize all of them." The Great Immortal said, "Since you recognize them, all of you follow me. Disciples, prepare the torture instruments; I'll punish him when I return."

All the immortals acknowledged the command. The Great Immortal, with Brighty and Breezy, soared up on auspicious light to pursue Tripitaka. In an instant, they covered a thousand *li*. The Great Immortal looked west from the clouds but saw no sign of Tripitaka. When he turned to look east, he found he had overshot them by more than nine hundred *li*. It turned out that the elder had ridden non-stop all night, covering only one hundred and twenty *li*, while the Great Immortal's single cloud leap had covered over nine hundred *li*. The immortal youths said, "Master, that's the Tang Monk sitting under the tree by the roadside." The Great Immortal said, "I see him. You two return and prepare ropes; I will capture him myself." Breezy returned first, and no more need be said about him.

The Great Immortal lowered his cloud, shook his body, and transformed into an itinerant Daoist. How did he look, you ask?

He wore a hundred-patch robe and a Lü Gong sash.In his hand, he waved a fly-whisk, and lightly tapped a fish-drum.Three-eared straw sandals adorned his feet, and a Nine-Yang turban covered his head.His sleeves fluttered in the breeze, and he sang "The Moon Rises High."

He walked directly to the tree and called out loudly to Tripitaka, "Elder, this poor Daoist greets you!" The elder hurriedly returned the greeting, saying, "My apologies! My apologies!" The Great Immortal asked, "Elder, where are you from? And why are you meditating by the roadside?" Tripitaka replied, "This humble monk is from the Great Tang of the Eastern Land, sent to the Western Heaven to fetch scriptures. I am merely resting here as I pass by." The Great Immortal feigned surprise and said, "Elder, coming from the East, have you passed through any desolate mountains?" The elder said, "I don't know what precious mountain your immortal palace refers to." The Great Immortal said, "Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain is where this poor Daoist resides." Hearing this, Monkey, with a secret in his heart, quickly answered, "No, no! We just arrived on this road." The Great Immortal pointed and chuckled, "You mischievous monkey! Who are you trying to fool? You were in my temple, pushed down my Ginseng Fruit tree, and then you ran all night to get here, and you still won't confess? What are you hiding? Don't run! Go back and restore my tree immediately!" Hearing this, Monkey was enraged. He drew his iron cudgel without a word and struck at the Great Immortal's head. The Great Immortal dodged sideways, stepped on auspicious light, and ascended into the air. Monkey also leaped onto a cloud and quickly pursued him. In mid-air, the Great Immortal revealed his true form. How was he dressed, you ask?

He wore a purple-gold crown, and a carefree crane-feather cloak.Embroidered shoes were on his feet, and a silk ribbon was tied around his waist.His body was like that of a youth, his face like a beautiful woman's.Three whiskers floated beneath his chin, and raven-black hair lay neatly at his temples.He met Monkey without a weapon, simply holding a jade fly-whisk in his hand.

Monkey, without regard for propriety or height, wildly swung his cudgel. The Great Immortal used his jade fly-whisk to parry and block left and right. After two or three rounds of enduring Monkey, he employed his "Universe in the Sleeve" technique. In the clouds, he gently unfurled his robe sleeve into the wind, sweeping it forward with a 'shua' sound, and enveloped all four monks, including the horse, within his sleeve. Pigsy cried, "This is bad! We're all trapped in a chamber pot!" Monkey said, "Blockhead, it's not a chamber pot! We've been trapped inside his sleeve." Pigsy said, "That's no big deal. Let me jab him with my rake, make a hole, and escape. We'll just say he was careless and couldn't hold us, so we fell out." The blockhead jabbed wildly with his rake, but how could he pierce it? Though it felt soft when he touched it, when he tried to jab, it became harder than iron.

The Great Immortal turned his auspicious cloud, descended, and sat down in Wuzhuang Temple. He ordered his disciples to bring ropes. All the minor immortals attended to him one by one. Behold, from his sleeve, as if pulling out puppets, he took out Tripitaka and bound him to a pillar under the eaves of the main hall. He then took out the other three, binding one to each of the remaining pillars. He also took out the horse and tethered it in the courtyard, giving it some fodder. The luggage was thrown under the corridor. He then said, "Disciples, these monks are renunciants. Do not use knives or spears, nor iron axes. Instead, bring out the leather whip and give them a beating to avenge my Ginseng Fruits!" The immortals quickly brought out a whip. It was not made of ox hide, sheepskin, deerskin, or calfskin; it was a Seven-Star Whip made of dragon skin, which was kept soaking in water. He ordered a strong minor immortal to hold the whip and asked, "Master, who should be whipped first?" The Great Immortal said, "Tang Sanzang is the senior and showed no respect; whip him first." Hearing this, Monkey secretly thought, "My old monk cannot withstand a beating. If he were ruined by a whipping, wouldn't that be my fault?" He couldn't help but speak, "Sir, you're mistaken. I was the one who stole the fruits, I was the one who ate them, and I was the one who pushed down the tree. Why don't you whip me first instead of him?" The Great Immortal chuckled, "This mischievous monkey is quite bold in his words. In that case, whip him first." The minor immortal asked, "How many strokes?" The Great Immortal said, "According to the number of fruits, thirty strokes." The minor immortal swung the whip and began to strike. Fearing the great power of the immortal family, Monkey stared intently with wide eyes, watching where he would strike. It turned out he was striking the legs. Monkey twisted his waist and cried, "Change!" transforming his legs into two iron ones. Let him see how he could hit them now! The minor immortal struck stroke after stroke, completing thirty, and by then, it was almost noon. The Great Immortal then ordered, "Tripitaka should also be whipped for lax discipline, allowing his unruly disciple to act so recklessly." The immortal swung the whip again to strike. Monkey said, "Sir, you're mistaken again. When the fruits were stolen, my master didn't know about it; he was in the hall talking to your two youths. It was my brothers and I who committed the act. Even if there is a crime of lax discipline, as a disciple, I should take the whipping on his behalf. Whip me again!" The Great Immortal chuckled, "This mischievous monkey, though cunning and obstinate, does show some filial piety. Since that's the case, whip him again." The minor immortal delivered another thirty strokes. Monkey looked down and saw his two legs, polished as bright as mirrors, and he felt not the slightest pain or itch. By this time, it was almost dusk. The Great Immortal said, "Soak the whip in water for now; we'll interrogate and beat him again tomorrow morning." The minor immortals put away the whip to soak and returned to their respective rooms. After finishing their evening meal, they all went to sleep, and no more need be said.

The elder, with tears streaming from his eyes, complained to his three disciples, "You lot caused this disaster, and now I'm suffering here because of you. How could this happen?" Monkey said, "Stop complaining. I was the one who got whipped first, and you didn't even get beaten. Why are you sighing?" Tripitaka said, "Though I wasn't beaten, I'm tied up so tightly my body hurts!" Sandy said, "Master, there are others tied up with you here!" Monkey said, "Stop shouting, all of you. We'll leave in a little while." Pigsy said, "Brother, you're playing tricks again. Here, we're tightly bound with water-soaked hemp ropes. It's even worse than being locked in the hall where you could use your unlocking spell to open the door and leave!" Monkey said, "It's not boasting, but even if they used three-strand hemp rope soaked in water, or palm fiber ropes as thick as bowls, they would just feel like an autumn breeze to me!"

As they spoke, all sounds had ceased. It was precisely the time when the celestial streets were quiet and people were asleep. The clever Monkey made his body shrink a little, slipped out of the ropes, and said, "Master, let's go!" Sandy panicked and said, "Brother, save us too!" Monkey said, "Quiet, quiet!" He untied Tripitaka, released Pigsy and Sandy, tidied his monk's robe, saddled the horse, retrieved the luggage from the corridor, and together they all exited the temple gate. He then told Pigsy, "Go cut down four willow trees from the cliffside." Pigsy asked, "What do you need them for?" Monkey said, "They're useful, quickly bring them!" The blockhead, having some brute strength, went and uprooted four trees, one with each thrust of his snout, and carried them back in one armload. Monkey snapped off the branches, led his two brothers back inside, and bound the willow trees to the pillars with the original ropes. The Great Sage recited an incantation, bit the tip of his tongue, sprayed blood onto the trees, and cried, "Change!" One transformed into the elder, one into himself, and the other two into Sandy and Pigsy. They all took on identical appearances and looked exactly alike. If asked, they would speak, and if called by name, they would respond. Only then did he and Sandy set off at a brisk pace to catch up with their master. That night, they again traveled non-stop, putting distance between themselves and Wuzhuang Temple.

They traveled until dawn, when the elder, swaying on his horse, began to doze off. Seeing this, Monkey called out, "Master, you're not doing well! How can a monk be so exhausted? I, Old Monkey, can go a thousand nights without sleep and never feel tired. Get off your horse for now, so people on the road don't see and laugh at you. Just rest for a while in a sheltered, energy-gathering spot on the hillside, and then we'll continue."

No more need be said about the master and disciples resting by the roadside. Now, speaking of the Great Immortal, he rose at dawn, ate his morning meal, and came to the hall, ordering the whip to be brought. "Today, it's Tang Sanzang's turn to be whipped." The minor immortal swung the whip and said to the Tang Monk's effigy, "I'm whipping you!" The willow tree also responded, "Whip away!" With a 'ping-pang,' thirty strokes were delivered. The whip was swung again, and he said to Pigsy's effigy, "I'm whipping you!" The willow tree also responded, "Whip away!" When Sandy's effigy was whipped, it also responded, "Whip away!" When it was Monkey's effigy's turn to be whipped, Monkey, who was on the road, suddenly shivered and exclaimed, "This is bad!" Tripitaka asked, "What's wrong?" Monkey said, "I transformed four willow trees into our four-person group. I thought he had already whipped me twice yesterday and wouldn't hit me again today. But he's whipping my transformed body, which is why my true self shivered. I should withdraw the spell." Monkey hastily recited an incantation to withdraw the spell. Behold, the Daoist youths were terrified. They dropped the leather whip and reported, "Master, the first one we whipped was the Great Tang Monk, but now we're just whipping willow roots!" Hearing this, the Great Immortal let out a cold laugh and praised, "Sun Wukong is truly a remarkable Monkey King! I once heard that he caused a great disturbance in the Heavenly Palace, where he evaded the heavenly nets and snares, and indeed, this is true. It would have been fine if you had just left, but why bind willow trees here to impersonate yourselves? We must not let him get away. Chase after them!" With a command to chase, the Great Immortal soared onto his cloud and looked west, seeing the monk carrying his luggage and spurring his horse, still on the road. The Great Immortal lowered his cloud and shouted, "Sun Wukong, where are you going! Return my Ginseng Fruit tree!" Pigsy heard this and said, "That's it! The enemy is here again!" Monkey said, "Master, set aside your kindness for a moment. Let us act fiercely and finish him off completely, then we can escape." Hearing this, Tripitaka trembled, unable to reply. Sandy drew his precious staff, Pigsy raised his rake, and the Great Sage wielded his iron cudgel. They all charged forward together, surrounding the Great Immortal in the air, striking and jabbing wildly. This fierce battle is attested by a poem, which says:

Wukong knew not Zhenyuan Immortal,The World's Co-Ruler, whose profound magic excelled.Three divine weapons struck with fierce might,While a single fly-whisk drifted gracefully.Parrying left and right, he moved with ease;Blocking from behind, welcoming from the front, he spun freely.Day and night, hard to escape his grasp;When would they ever reach the Western Heaven!

The three brothers, each wielding their divine weapons, attacked simultaneously, but the Great Immortal merely used his fly-whisk to parry. In less than half an hour, he unfurled his robe sleeve, and once again, with a single sweep, he enveloped all four monks, the horse, and their luggage. He returned on his cloud to the temple. The immortals greeted him. The immortal master sat in the hall, and from his sleeve, he took them out one by one, as if moving puppets. He bound Tripitaka to a short locust tree at the foot of the steps, and Pigsy and Sandy were each bound to trees on either side. He then tied Monkey down. Monkey said, "I suppose it's time for an interrogation." Before long, they were all securely tied. He then ordered ten bolts of long cloth to be brought. Monkey chuckled, "Pigsy! This master is so generous! He's brought out cloth to make us inner sleeves! If he cut down a bit, he could make us a whole inner garment." The minor immortals brought out the homespun cloth. The Great Immortal said, "Wrap Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing all in cloth!" All the immortals stepped forward and wrapped them. Monkey chuckled, "Good, good, good! They're getting us ready for a living burial!" Soon, the wrapping was complete. He then ordered lacquer to be brought out. The immortals immediately brought some raw and refined lacquer that they had collected and dried themselves. They lacquered the three wrapped figures, coating their entire bodies in lacquer, leaving only their heads and faces exposed. Pigsy said, "Sir, the top part is fine, but please leave some holes at the bottom so we can relieve ourselves."

The Great Immortal then ordered a large cauldron to be brought out. Monkey chuckled, "Pigsy, what luck! They've brought out a pot, so they must be cooking a meal for us!" Pigsy said, "Well, that's fine. Let us eat some food so we can at least be well-fed ghosts." Indeed, the immortals brought out a large cauldron and set it up at the foot of the steps. The Great Immortal ordered dry firewood to be stacked and a fierce fire to be lit. He then instructed, "Boil a pot of clear oil until it's bubbling hot, then throw Sun Wukong into the oil pot to fry him, and avenge my Ginseng Fruit tree!" Hearing this, Monkey secretly rejoiced, "This is exactly what Old Monkey wants! I haven't bathed in a while, and my skin feels a bit dry and itchy. It would be a good chance to clean myself thoroughly. I'm truly grateful for this kind offer." In an instant, the oil in the cauldron was about to boil. The Great Sage, however, was careful, fearing that the immortal's magic might be hard to counter and that it would be difficult to play a trick in the oil pot. He quickly looked around and saw that to the east of the platform was a sundial, and to the west was a stone lion. Monkey sprang up, rolled to the west side, bit the tip of his tongue, sprayed a mouthful of blood on the stone lion, and cried, "Change!" It transformed into his exact likeness, also tied up in a bundle. He then released his primordial spirit, rose into the clouds, and looked down at the Daoists.

Just then, a minor immortal reported, "Master, the oil in the cauldron is boiling hot." The Great Immortal ordered, "Bring Sun Wukong down!" Four immortal youths couldn't lift him. Eight came, but still couldn't lift him. Four more were added, yet they still couldn't lift him. The immortals said, "This monkey is too attached to the earth to be moved. Small as he is, he's surprisingly solid." So, he ordered twenty minor immortals to lift him up. They threw him into the cauldron with a 'peng' sound, splashing boiling oil droplets that formed large blisters on the faces of the young Daoists! Then they heard the stoker youth cry out, "The cauldron's leaking, the cauldron's leaking!" No sooner had he spoken than all the oil leaked out, and the bottom of the cauldron broke. It turned out to be a stone lion placed inside. The Great Immortal was furious. "This mischievous monkey is truly outrageous! He played a trick right before my eyes! It would have been fine if he had just left, but why did he also sabotage my stove? It's useless trying to capture this mischievous monkey. Even if he were caught, it would be like molding sand, playing with mercury, or chasing shadows and catching wind. Enough, enough, enough! Let him go. For now, untie Tang Sanzang, get a new cauldron, and fry him to avenge the Ginseng Fruit tree." The minor immortals indeed began to untie and unwrap the cloth and lacquer. Monkey, listening clearly from mid-air, thought to himself, "My master is not strong. If he goes into that oil pot, one boil will kill him, two boils will char him, and after three to five boils, he'll be a mashed-up monk! I must go and save him!" The good Great Sage lowered his cloud, stepped forward, clasped his hands, and said, "Don't ruin the cloth and lacquer. I'll go into the oil pot." The Great Immortal was shocked and cursed, "You monkey! How did you manage to play a trick and sabotage my stove?" Monkey chuckled, "When you encounter me, your stove is bound to be sabotaged; what does that have to do with me? I was actually looking forward to some of your oil and soup, but I really needed to relieve myself. If I did it in the pot, I might have fouled your refined oil, making it unsuitable for cooking. Now that I've relieved myself completely, I'm ready for the pot. Don't fry my master; fry me instead." Hearing this, the Great Immortal let out a cold laugh, stepped out of the hall, and grabbed him. Exactly what was said, and how he finally escaped, will be revealed in the next chapter.