Chapter 31: Pigsy’s Righteous Encouragement of the Monkey King Sun Wukong Wisely Subdues the Monster

Bonds of brotherhood are forged, and principles align with their true nature. Metal and Wood harmonize to attain perfection; the Mind-Ape and Wood-Mother merge into the Elixir. Together, they ascend to the Land of Ultimate Bliss, entering the Non-Dual Gate of Dharma. The scriptures are the master path of cultivation; the Buddha embodies one's own primordial spirit. Brother and disciples form a tripartite bond; demons and devils embody the five elements. By severing the six karmic paths, they hasten to the Great Thunderclap Temple.

Meanwhile, the idiot was caught by a group of monkeys. They pulled and dragged him, tearing his monk's robe. He mumbled to himself, "That's it, that's it! I'm in for a beating this time!" Before long, they arrived at the cave entrance. The Great Sage sat on the stone cliff and cursed, "You worthless good-for-nothing! You left, and that was enough, but why did you curse me?" Pigsy knelt on the ground and said, "Brother, I didn't curse you. If I did, my tongue would fall out. I only said that if you weren't going, I would go report to Master myself. How dare I curse you?" Monkey said, "How could you hide it from me? If I pull my left ear up, I can hear what people in the Thirty-Three Heavens are saying; if I pull my right ear down, I can hear the Ten Kings of Hell and their judges settling accounts. You cursed me while walking; how could I not hear you?" Pigsy said, "Brother, I know you're shifty and sneaky. You must have transformed into something and followed me to listen." Monkey called out, "Minions, bring the big sticks! First, give him twenty blows to the kneecaps as a greeting, then twenty blows to the back, and after that, I'll use my iron rod to see him off!" Pigsy frantically kowtowed and said, "Brother, please, for Master's sake, spare me!" Monkey said, "I'm thinking of that compassionate Master!" Pigsy then said, "Brother, if not for Master, then for the sake of the Bodhisattva of the Sea, please spare me!"

When Monkey heard the Bodhisattva mentioned, he had a slight change of heart and said, "Brother, since you put it that way, I won't beat you for now. But tell me honestly, don't hide anything. Where is Tang Sanzang in trouble? Why did you come here to trick me?" Pigsy said, "Brother, there's no trouble, I just really missed you." Monkey cursed, "You worthless rascal who deserves a beating! Why are you still babbling? Though my body is back in the Water Curtain Cave, my heart follows the scripture-seeking monk. Master faces difficulties at every step and disaster everywhere. Tell me quickly, or you'll be beaten!" When Pigsy heard this, he kowtowed and pleaded, "Brother, I clearly intended to trick you into coming, but I didn't expect you to be so clever. Spare me the beating, let me get up and tell you." Monkey said, "Alright, get up and speak." The monkeys let go, and the idiot scrambled up, looking around nervously. Monkey said, "What are you looking at?" Pigsy said, "I'm checking for a wide-open road to run away." Monkey said, "Where could you run? I'll let you have a three-day head start, and Old Sun will still have the power to catch you! Speak quickly, or if I lose my temper, I definitely won't spare you!"

Pigsy said, "To be honest, Brother, after you left, Sandy and I continued protecting Master as he traveled. We came upon a black pine forest. Master dismounted and told me to beg for alms. Because it was so far and there were no houses, I got tired and just lay down in the grass to rest for a bit. Unexpectedly, Sandy left Master and came to look for me. You know Master is restless; he wandered alone in the forest, enjoying the scenery. When he emerged from the forest, he saw a golden pagoda emitting light and mistook it for a temple. Unexpectedly, beneath the pagoda was a demon named Yellow Robe, who captured him. Later, when Sandy and I returned to look for him, we only found the white horse and the luggage, but Master was gone. We followed the trail to the cave entrance and fought with that monster. Master was in the cave, luckily saved by someone—it turned out to be the third princess of Baoxiang Kingdom, whom the monster had abducted. She wrote a letter to her family and entrusted Master to deliver it, thus making it convenient for him to be released. When he reached the kingdom and delivered the letter, the king invited Master to subdue the demon and retrieve the princess. Brother, you know that old monk isn't capable of subduing demons! The two of us went back to fight. But that monster was incredibly powerful; he captured Sandy again, and I was defeated and fled, hiding in the grass. That monster then transformed into a handsome scholar and entered the court to claim kinship with the king, turning Master into a tiger. Fortunately, the White Dragon Horse revealed his true dragon form that night and went to look for Master. He didn't find Master, but instead encountered the monster drinking wine in the Silver Peace Hall. He transformed into a palace maid, serving wine and dancing with a sword, hoping to find an opportunity to strike, but was instead injured in the leg by the monster's 'Full-Hall Red' attack. It was he who told me to come and invite you, Senior Brother. He said, 'Senior Brother is a benevolent and righteous gentleman. A gentleman does not hold grudges; he will surely come to save Master from this predicament.' I earnestly hope, Brother, that you will remember the bond of 'once a teacher, always a father' and please, save him!"

Monkey said, "You idiot! When I left, I repeatedly instructed you, saying: 'If any demon captures Master, just say that Old Sun is his eldest disciple.' Why didn't you mention me?" Pigsy thought again, "It's better to provoke than to invite. Let me provoke him a little." He said, "Brother, it was actually better *not* to mention you. Because I mentioned you, he became even more insolent!" Monkey said, "What did you say?" Pigsy replied, "I said: 'Demon, don't be rude, don't harm my Master! I have a Senior Brother named Sun Wukong. He has vast supernatural powers and is skilled at subduing demons. When he comes, he'll leave you with no place to be buried!' When that monster heard this, he grew even more furious and cursed, 'What kind of Sun Wukong is that? Am I afraid of him? If he comes, I'll peel his skin, pull out his tendons, gnaw his bones, and eat his heart! Even if that monkey is skinny, I'll chop him into pieces and deep-fry him!'" When Monkey heard this, he became so enraged that he scratched his ears and cheeks, jumping wildly and shouting, "Who dares to curse me like that!" Pigsy said, "Brother, calm your anger. That's how the Yellow Robe Monster cursed, and I'm just repeating it for you to hear." Monkey said, "Worthy brother, get up. It's not that I wouldn't go, but since the demon dares to curse me, I cannot but subdue him. I'll go with you. Five hundred years ago, when Old Sun wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, all the divine generals saw me and bowed respectfully, calling me Great Sage. This impudent monster dares to curse me behind my back! I'm going to capture him, tear him into ten thousand pieces to avenge his insults! After I've had my revenge, I'll come right back." Pigsy said, "Brother, exactly! Just go and capture the demon, get your revenge. Whether you come back then or not, it's entirely up to you."

The monkey then leaped down the cliff, entered the cave, shed his animal skin, straightened his brocade robe, fastened his tiger-skin skirt, grabbed his iron rod, and walked straight out. The monkeys panicked and blocked his way, saying, "Grandpa Great Sage, where are you going? It would be good if you could take us along to play for a few more years." Monkey said, "Minions, what are you saying! Everyone in heaven and on earth knows that Sun Wukong is Tang Sanzang's disciple, and that I'm on this mission to protect him. He didn't chase me away; rather, he told me to come home for a visit, and let me enjoy myself freely. Now, because of this matter, all of you must diligently guard our home, planting willows and pines on time, and not letting anything fall into ruin. I must go back to protect Tang Sanzang and bring the scriptures back to the East. After the mission is accomplished, I will return to enjoy a carefree life with all of you." The monkeys all acknowledged his command.

The Great Sage then took Pigsy's hand, rode the clouds, left the cave, and crossed the Eastern Ocean. Upon reaching the western shore, he stopped his cloud and called out, "Brother, you walk slowly here for a bit, while I go down into the sea to clean myself." Pigsy said, "We're in a hurry; why clean yourself now?" Monkey said, "How would you know? Ever since I returned, I've picked up some demon aura these past few days. Master is very fond of cleanliness, and I'm afraid he might dislike me." Pigsy then realized that Monkey was truly sincere and had no other intentions.

In a moment, he finished washing and resumed traveling westward on his cloud. They saw the golden pagoda emitting light, and Pigsy pointed, saying, "Isn't that the Yellow Robe Monster's home? Sandy is still there." Monkey said, "You stay in the air. I'll go down and see what the front of the cave looks like, so I can face the demon in battle." Pigsy said, "Don't go; the demon isn't home." Monkey replied, "I know." The clever Monkey King descended his auspicious light and went directly to the cave entrance to observe. He saw two small children playing there with curved sticks, hitting shuttlecocks, and playing a game of 'nest-robbing.' One was about ten years old, the other eight or nine. Right in the middle of their play, Monkey rushed forward and, without caring whose children they were, grabbed them by their topknots and lifted them up. The children were terrified and screamed, mixing curses with cries, which alerted the minor demons in Wave Moon Cave. They quickly reported to the princess, "My Lady, someone has snatched away the two young masters!" It turned out those two children were the princess's offspring with the monster. When the princess heard this, she rushed out of the cave entrance and saw Monkey standing on a high cliff, holding the two children and about to throw them down. The princess screamed, "You fellow, you have nothing to do with me, so why are you taking my sons? Their father is formidable; if anything goes wrong, he will never let you off the hook!" Monkey said, "Don't you recognize me? I am Tang Sanzang's eldest disciple, Sun Wukong the Pilgrim. I have a junior brother, Sandy, in your cave. Go release him, and I'll return these two children to you. Trading two for one like this, you're still getting a bargain."

When the princess heard this, she quickly went inside, shouted at the minor demons guarding the door to retreat, and personally untied Sandy. Sandy said, "Princess, don't untie me. I'm afraid that when the monster comes home and asks for me, you'll be implicated and suffer." The princess said, "Elder, you are my benefactor. You vouched for my family letter and saved my life, and I was inclined to release you anyway. But now, unexpectedly, your Senior Brother Sun Wukong has arrived outside the cave entrance and is telling me to release you!" Ah! When Sandy heard the three words 'Sun Wukong,' it was as if he had been enlightened by ghee and his heart nourished by nectar. His face instantly lit up with joy, and his heart was filled with warmth, as if he hadn't just heard a person's name but had found a treasure of gold and jade. Look at him, adjusting his monk's robes, walking out of the cave, and bowing to Monkey, saying, "Brother, you truly descended from heaven! I implore you to save me!" Monkey laughed, "You novice monk! When Master recited the Fillet-Tightening Spell, would you ever speak up for me? Now you're all talk! If you want to protect Master, why aren't you on the path to the West? Why are you squatting here?" Sandy said, "Brother, no need to say more. A gentleman does not dwell on past faults. We are defeated generals; we should not speak of bravery. Just save me, and save the children!" Monkey said, "Come up." Sandy then leaped onto the stone cliff.

Meanwhile, Pigsy, who was still in the air, saw Sandy emerge from the cave. He immediately lowered his cloud and called out, "Brother Sandy, endure it! Endure it!" Sandy saw him and said, "Second Brother, where did you come from?" Pigsy said, "Yesterday I was defeated in battle. Last night, I entered the city and met the White Horse. I learned that Master was in trouble, that Yellow Robe had used his magic to transform him into a tiger. The White Horse discussed it with me, and we decided to invite Senior Brother here." Monkey said, "Idiot, stop reminiscing. The two of you carry these two children, go into Baoxiang City first, and provoke that monster to come. I'll wait here to fight him." Sandy said, "Brother, how should we provoke him?" Monkey said, "The two of you ride your clouds, stand on the Golden Imperial Hall, and unceremoniously throw those children down the white jade steps. If anyone asks who you are, just say they are the Yellow Robe Demon's sons, captured by the two of us. When that monster hears this, he'll definitely come back, and I won't need to enter the city to fight him. If we fight on the city walls, it would certainly involve spewing clouds and mist, stirring up dust and dirt, disturbing the court, officials, and common people, making everyone uneasy." Pigsy chuckled, "Brother, whenever you do something, you put us at a disadvantage." Monkey said, "How do I disadvantage you?" Pigsy said, "These two children, whom you grabbed, are already scared out of their wits. Their voices are hoarse from crying now, and they'll surely die soon. If we throw them down and turn them into a bloody mess, will that monster just let us off? He'll definitely demand our lives in return. And you, aren't you the innocent one? You won't even be a witness. Aren't you putting us at a disadvantage?" Monkey said, "If he chases you, the two of you just lead him here to fight. There's a wide battlefield here, and I'll wait here to fight him." Sandy said, "Exactly, exactly, Elder Brother speaks reasonably. Let's go." The two of them, relying on their might, took the children away.

Monkey immediately leaped down the stone cliff and went to the base of the pagoda. The princess said, "You monk, you're completely untrustworthy! You said that if I released your junior brother, you'd give me back my children. How is it that your junior brother is released, but you're keeping my children, and now you're back at my door? What do you want?" Monkey smiled apologetically, "Princess, don't be angry. You've been here for a long time. I'm taking your sons to meet their maternal grandfather." The princess said, "Monk, don't be rude. My Yellow Robe Lord is unlike others. If you've scared my children, you should settle their shock." Monkey laughed, "Princess, how can a person living between heaven and earth be committing a crime?" The princess said, "I know." Monkey said, "What would a woman like you know?" The princess said, "From a young age, I was taught by my parents in the palace. I remember an ancient text says: 'Among the three thousand offenses under the five punishments, no crime is greater than unfilial conduct.'" Monkey said, "Then you are precisely an unfilial person. For 'father begot me, mother nurtured me. Oh, my parents, how arduous was your labor in giving birth to me!' Therefore, filial piety is the source of all virtues and the root of all good deeds. How could you then spend your life with a demon and not think of your parents? Is this not the crime of unfilial conduct?" When the princess heard these stern words, her ears turned red and her face flushed with shame, having nowhere to hide. She suddenly blurted out, "Elder, your words are most righteous! How could I not miss my parents? It's just that this demon abducted and trapped me here. His laws are strict, and my movements are restricted. The roads are long and the mountains distant; there's no one to send messages. I wished to end my life, but I feared my parents would suspect I had run away, and the truth would never be known. So, I had no choice but to merely prolong my existence, truly a great sinner between heaven and earth!" Having said this, tears streamed down like a spring.

Monkey said, "Princess, there's no need to grieve. Pigsy once told me that you had a letter which saved my Master's life, and your letter also expressed your longing for your parents. Old Sun is here; I will certainly capture the demon for you, take you back to court to see His Majesty, help you find another suitable spouse, and serve your parents until old age. What do you think of this?" The princess said, "Monk, don't seek death. Yesterday, your two junior brothers, as heroic as they were, couldn't defeat my Yellow Robe Lord. You, a skinny ghost with more muscle than bone, looking like a crab with your bones on the outside, what abilities do you have that you dare speak of capturing a demon?" Monkey laughed, "You truly have no discerning eye, unable to recognize people. As the saying goes: 'A bladder, though large, has no weight; a steelyard weight, though small, can weigh a thousand catties.' Their appearance is superficially large and useless. They resist the wind when they walk, use a lot of cloth for clothes, are hollow-hearted when making fire, have soft crowns and weak waists, and eat without purpose. As for Old Sun, though I am small, I am tough and strong." The princess said, "Do you really have such skills?" Monkey said, "You haven't seen my skills. I am absolutely skilled at subduing demons and extremely capable of taming monsters." The princess said, "Then don't mislead me." Monkey said, "I certainly won't mislead you." The princess said, "Since you can subdue demons and tame monsters, how will you capture him now?" Monkey said, "You should step aside and not be in my sight. If he comes, it will be difficult for me to act. I'm just afraid your affection for him is too deep, and you won't be able to part with him." The princess said, "How could I not be able to part with him? My lingering here is purely out of compulsion!" Monkey said, "You've been husband and wife for thirteen years; how can there be no affection? If I see him, I won't play games with him. Every blow will be a real blow, every punch a real punch. I must defeat him before you can return to court to see His Majesty." The princess indeed followed Monkey's words and hid in a secluded spot. It was also her destiny for her ties to end, which is why the Great Sage arrived. The Monkey King hid the princess, then shook his body and transformed, taking on the exact appearance of the princess. He returned inside the cave to specifically await the monster.

Meanwhile, Pigsy and Sandy took the two children into Baoxiang Kingdom and threw them down onto the white jade steps. Pitifully, they were flattened like meat patties, blood gushing out, and bones shattered. The entire court of officials panicked and reported, "Oh no, oh no! Two people have fallen from the sky!" Pigsy shouted loudly, "Those children are the Yellow Robe Demon's sons, brought here by Old Pig and Brother Sandy!" The monster was still in the Silver Peace Hall, not yet sober from last night's wine. While still dreaming, he heard someone call his name. He turned over and looked up, seeing Pigsy and Sandy shouting from the clouds. The monster thought to himself, "Pigsy might be one thing, but Sandy is someone I tied up at home. How did he get out? How could my wife have released him? And how did my children get into their hands? This must be Pigsy trying to provoke me into fighting him, using this trick to detain me. If I acknowledge this ruse, I'll have to fight him. But ah! I'm still suffering from this hangover! If he strikes me with his rake, won't it destroy my prestige and expose my secret? I'll go home first and see if they're really my sons, then it won't be too late to talk to them." That clever monster, without taking leave of the king, turned towards the mountains and forest and went straight to the cave to check for information. By this time, the court already knew he was a demon. It turned out that he had eaten a palace maid the night before, and seventeen others had barely escaped. At dawn, they reported everything to the king. And because he had left without a word, it was even more certain that he was a monster. The king immediately ordered his officials to guard the fake tiger, but let's not dwell on that.

Meanwhile, the monster returned directly to the cave entrance. When Monkey saw him coming, he devised a way to trick him. He squeezed his eyes, and tears fell like rain as he cried out to heaven and earth, stomping his feet and beating his chest, wailing loudly in the cave. For a moment, the monster didn't recognize him. He stepped forward and embraced him, saying, "Wife, what's wrong? Why are you so distressed?" The Great Sage, fabricating nonsense and empty words, tearfully reported, "My lord! As the saying goes, 'A man without a wife has no master over his property; a woman without a husband loses her foundation!' You went to court yesterday to acknowledge kinship, why didn't you come back? This morning, Pigsy kidnapped Sandy and also snatched away our two children. I pleaded bitterly, but he wouldn't spare them. He said he was taking them to court to meet their maternal grandfather. For half a day now, I haven't seen the children and don't know if they're alive or dead, and you haven't come home either. How can I bear it? That's why I can't stop my heartbroken wailing."