Chapter 32: Pingdingshan Official Sends Message Lotus Cave Wood Mother Meets Disaster

So, Tang Sanzang had regained Sun Wukong, and the master and disciples were united in purpose, all heading west. After rescuing the princess from the Kingdom of Baoxiang and being seen off by the king and his officials to the west of the city, they continued their journey, enduring hunger and thirst by day and traveling from dawn till dusk. It was then the height of spring, when—

Gentle breezes swayed willows like green silk threads, a beautiful scene most worthy of inscription. Timely bird songs filled the air, warmth encouraged flowers to bloom, and fragrance permeated everywhere. Swallows returned in pairs to the crabapple courtyards, truly a time to appreciate spring. In the bustling world and on the colorful paths, fine silks, string instruments, and flutes resounded, as people played grass games and drank from wine cups.

As the master and disciples were enjoying the scenery, they saw a mountain blocking their path. Tang Sanzang said, "Disciples, be careful. The mountain ahead is high, and there might be tigers and wolves blocking our way." Wukong replied, "Master, as renunciants, we shouldn't speak like worldly people. Do you remember the Heart Sutra by Monk Wuchao, which says, 'When there is no hindrance in the mind, there is no fear, and one is far from inverted delusions and dreams'? You simply need to sweep away the dust from your heart and cleanse the grime from your ears. Without enduring the bitterest hardships, one cannot become a superior person. Don't worry. As long as I, your old disciple, am here, even if the sky falls, you will be safe. Why fear tigers and wolves!" The venerable monk reined in his horse and said:

That year, I received the imperial decree and left Chang'an, only remembering to travel west to worship the Buddha's face. In the land of relics, golden elephants shone with color, and in the pagodas, the Buddha's hair gleamed like jade. I've sought out every nameless stream under heaven, and traversed every mountain unreachable by man. Pursuing misty waves, one after another, when will my body ever find rest?

Hearing this, Wukong laughed heartily and said, "Master, if you desire leisure, what difficulty is there? Once our mission is accomplished, all worldly ties will cease, and all dharmas will be empty. At that time, naturally, won't you be at leisure?" Hearing these words, the venerable monk found joy and forgot his worries. He loosened the reins, urging on the white horse, and the master and disciples ascended the mountain, which was exceedingly steep and truly a magnificent, towering peak—

Towering ridges, sharp, pointed peaks. Below winding, deep ravines, beside isolated, steep cliffs. Below the winding, deep ravines, one could only hear the splash of water as pythons played and turned; beside the isolated, steep cliffs, one could only see tigers emerging from the forest, swishing their tails. Looking up, the mountain tops pierced the blue sky; looking down, the ravines were deep, reaching the netherworld. Climbing high felt like ascending ladders or steps; descending low was like entering trenches or pits. Truly a strange, culminating ridge, indeed a continuous series of sharp, sheer cliffs. On the peak, herb gatherers feared to tread; before the sheer cliffs, woodcutters found it impossible to take a single step. Wild sheep and horses darted about like shuttles; cunning rabbits and mountain oxen moved like troops in formation. The mountains were so high they obscured the sun and stars, and monstrous beasts and fierce wolves were frequently encountered. The grassy paths were overgrown, making it difficult for horses to pass. How then could they reach Thunderclap Monastery to see the Buddha King?

The venerable monk reined in his horse, observing the mountain at a difficult point on the path. There, on a green grassy slope, stood a woodcutter. How was he dressed, you ask—

On his head, he wore an old blue felt hat; on his body, a coarse black monk's robe. The old blue felt hat, a rare sight, shielded him from mist and sun; the coarse black monk's robe, truly uncommon, allowed him to forget his worries in joy. In his hand, he held a sharp, brightly polished steel axe, used to cut dry firewood, which he bound tightly. On his carrying pole, the colors of spring, quietly blending through the four seasons; beyond his body, leisure, always with a sense of calm and ease. Throughout his life, he lived content with his lot. What honor or disgrace could momentarily concern him on these mountains?

The woodcutter was busy chopping rotten firewood on the slope when he suddenly saw the venerable monk approaching from the east. He stopped chopping, laid down his axe, emerged from the forest, and quickly ascended a rocky cliff. He loudly called out to the monk, "Venerable monk journeying west! Halt for a moment. I have a word of warning for you: this mountain is home to a band of venomous demons and fierce monsters who specialize in devouring people traveling east and west!" Hearing this, the venerable monk was terrified, his soul almost leaving his body. He trembled so much he couldn't sit steady on his carved saddle. He quickly turned around and urgently called to his disciples, "Did you hear that woodcutter report that this mountain has venomous demons and fierce monsters? Who dares go and ask him more details?" Wukong said, "Master, don't worry. Let your old disciple go and get to the bottom of it."

The excellent Wukong strode forward, went up the mountain, called out "Big Brother" to the woodcutter, and greeted him. The woodcutter returned the greeting and said, "Venerable monk, why have you come here?" Wukong said, "To be honest with you, Big Brother, we were sent from the Eastern Land to obtain scriptures from the Western Heaven. The one on the horse is my master, and he's a bit timid. You just kindly informed us about venomous demons and fierce monsters, so I've come to ask: How many years old is that demon? How many years old is that monster? Is it a powerful veteran, or just a novice? Please tell me honestly, Big Brother, so I can instruct the Mountain Gods and Earth Deities to escort them away." Hearing this, the woodcutter burst into laughter, looking up at the sky. "So, you're a mad monk!" he exclaimed. Wukong said, "I'm not mad; this is the truth." The woodcutter said, "You say you're truthful, yet how dare you speak of having them escorted away?" Wukong retorted, "You're boosting their prestige and babbling nonsense to block our path and deliver a message. Are you perhaps related to them? If not related, then a neighbor; if not a neighbor, then a friend." The woodcutter chuckled, "You wild, mad monk, you're too unreasonable. I came with good intentions, specifically to warn you to be cautious day and night while traveling, and you're turning around and blaming me. Besides, even if I knew where the demons came from, how would you dare to escort them away? And where would you escort them to?" Wukong said, "If it's a celestial demon, I'll send it to the Jade Emperor; if an earthly demon, to the Earthly Court. Western ones go to the Buddha, Eastern ones to the Sage. Northern ones go to True Warrior, Southern ones to Fire Virtue. If it's a dragon spirit, it goes to the Sea King; if a ghost, to Yama. Each has its own jurisdiction. I, your old disciple, know people everywhere. I'll issue a warrant and have them escorted away, flying through the night." The woodcutter couldn't help but let out a cold, sneering laugh. "You wild, mad monk, you must have been wandering around, learning some talismans and spells. Those can only drive away evil spirits and bind ghosts. You haven't encountered truly vicious monsters like these yet!" Wukong asked, "How do you know they are vicious?"

The woodcutter said, "This mountain range stretches about six hundred *li*, and is called Flat-Top Mountain. Inside the mountain is a cave called Lotus Flower Cave. In the cave are two demon chiefs. They've drawn pictures and sought out names, wanting to capture monks; they've copied names and investigated surnames, wanting to eat Tang Sanzang. If you're from elsewhere, you might be fine, but if you have the character 'Tang' in your name, don't even think about getting through!" Wukong said, "We are indeed from the Tang Dynasty." The woodcutter said, "Then they're certainly planning to eat you!" Wukong said, "How fortunate, how fortunate! But I wonder how they plan to eat us?" The woodcutter said, "How do you want them to eat you?" Wukong said, "If they eat the head first, that would be acceptable; but if they eat the feet first, that would be troublesome." The woodcutter asked, "What do you mean by eating the head first? And eating the feet first?" Wukong said, "You haven't experienced it yet. If they eat the head first, biting it off in one mouthful, I'd already be dead, and no matter how they fried, stir-fried, or boiled me, I wouldn't feel any pain. But if they eat the feet first, gnawing on the ankle bone, chewing on the shin, and only reaching the spine, I wouldn't die right away, wouldn't I suffer bit by bit? That's why it would be troublesome." The woodcutter said, "Monk, they don't have that much time. They'll just capture you, tie you in a cage, and steam you whole." Wukong laughed, "That's even better, much better! It won't be unbearably painful, just a bit suffocating." The woodcutter said, "Monk, don't be so glib. Those monsters carry five treasures with them, and their magical powers are immense and vast. They're like jade pillars supporting the sky and golden beams propping up the sea. If you want to protect the Tang monk and get him through, you'll certainly have to faint a few times." Wukong asked, "How many times will I have to faint?" The woodcutter said, "About three or four times." Wukong said, "No big deal, no big deal. We faint seven or eight hundred times a year. These three or four faintings are easy; they'll just come and go."

The Great Sage, utterly fearless and intent only on protecting Tang Sanzang, broke away from the woodcutter, strode back, and arrived before the horse on the hillside. He said, "Master, it's nothing serious. There might be a few minor demons, but the locals here are timid and dwell on them too much. With me here, what's there to fear? Let's go, let's go!" Seeing this, the venerable monk felt relieved and proceeded. As they walked, the woodcutter had already vanished. The venerable monk asked, "How did the woodcutter who gave us the warning disappear so quickly?" Bajie said, "Our luck is bad; we've encountered a daylight ghost." Wukong said, "Perhaps he went into the forest to look for firewood. Let me take a look." The Great Sage, opening his Fiery Golden Eyes, scanned over the mountains and ridges, but saw no trace of him. Suddenly, he looked up into the clouds and saw it was the Day Duty God. He soared into the clouds to catch up, cursed him a few times, and said, "Why didn't you just tell me directly? Why did you transform and put on a show for your old disciple?" The Duty God, flustered, saluted and said, "Great Sage, forgive me for the late warning. Forgive me. Those monsters indeed possess vast magical powers and countless transformations. You must be nimble and clever, operate with divine foresight, and carefully protect your master; if you slacken even a little, don't even think about reaching the Western Heaven."

Hearing this, Wukong dismissed the Duty God, taking the words deeply to heart. He lowered his cloud and returned to the mountain. He saw the venerable monk, Bajie, and Sha Seng pressing forward in a cluster, and he thought to himself, "If I truthfully tell Master what the Duty God said, Master is useless and will surely cry. If I don't tell him the truth, but simply lead him blindly, as the saying goes, 'one who first enters a reed marsh doesn't know its depth.' What if he's captured by the demons? Won't I, your old disciple, have to go to trouble again? I'll take care of Bajie first; let him take the lead and fight the monster. If he can defeat it, then he gets the credit; if he's not strong enough and gets captured, I can rescue him later, which will be a good way to demonstrate my abilities and gain fame." As he deliberated, he asked himself, "I'm just afraid Bajie will be lazy and won't step forward, and Master is a bit protective of his shortcomings. I'll have to rein him in." The excellent Great Sage, watch him play a trick. He rubbed his eyes, bringing out some tears, and walked forward to meet his master. Bajie saw him and quickly called out, "Sha Seng, put down the luggage, take out our belongings, let's divide them up!" Sha Seng asked, "Second Brother, divide what?" Bajie said, "Let's divide them! You go back to Flowing Sands River and be a demon, and your old pig will go back to Gao Village to check on his wife. We'll sell the white horse, buy a coffin to send Master off in his old age, everyone will go their separate ways. Are we still going to the Western Heaven?" The venerable monk, hearing this from atop his horse, said, "This blockhead! We're in the middle of a journey, why are you talking nonsense again?" Bajie said, "You're the one talking nonsense! Don't you see Sun Wukong coming here crying? He's a hero who isn't afraid of going through heaven and earth, being chopped by axes, burned by fire, or thrown into oil pots. Now he's wearing a 'hat of sorrow' and weeping. The mountain must be treacherous, and the demons fierce. How can weaklings like us possibly get through?" The venerable monk said, "Stop your idle chatter for now. Let me ask him what's going on." He asked, "Wukong, what's on your mind? Why are you troubling yourself? Why the tear-stained face? Are you trying to scare me?" Wukong said, "Master, that messenger just now was the Day Duty God. He said the demons are fierce, and this place is difficult to traverse. Indeed, the mountains are high and the paths steep; we can't go forward. Let's try another day." Hearing this, the venerable monk was filled with fear and dread. He clutched Wukong's tiger-skin skirt and said, "Disciple, we've already covered one and a half sections of our journey. Why do you speak of retreating?" Wukong said, "It's not that I'm not doing my best, but I'm just afraid there are too many demons and our strength is weak, and our journey is solitary. Even if I were a piece of iron, how many nails could I forge in a furnace?" The venerable monk said, "Disciple, what you say is true; it is indeed difficult for one person alone. The military text says, 'The few cannot contend with the many.' Here, I still have Bajie and Sha Seng, both disciples. You can deploy and use them as you wish, either as guards or assistants. With their combined strength, clear the mountain path and lead me across the mountain, and won't you all achieve true enlightenment?"

That little act of pretense by Wukong only drew out those words from the venerable monk. Wukong stopped his tears and said, "Master, if we are to cross this mountain, Pigsy must obey me in two matters. Only then will there be a faint chance of success; if he doesn't listen to me and doesn't assist me, don't even think about getting through a single bit." Bajie said, "If Elder Brother isn't going, let's just disband; don't drag me into this." The venerable monk said, "Disciple, just ask your Elder Brother what he wants you to do." The simpleton genuinely asked Wukong, "Elder Brother, what do you want me to do?" Wukong said, "The first is to look after Master, and the second is to scout the mountain." Bajie said, "Looking after Master means sitting, and scouting the mountain means walking. Surely, you don't expect me to sit for a while, then walk, then sit again? How can I attend to both places?" Wukong said, "I'm not asking you to do both simultaneously, just choose one and stick with it." Bajie chuckled again, "That makes it easier to decide. But I don't know what 'looking after Master' entails, or what 'scouting the mountain' entails. First, explain it to me, so I can choose the more suitable one." Wukong said, "To look after Master: if Master needs to relieve himself, you attend to him; if Master wants to walk, you support him; if Master wants to eat, you beg for alms. If he gets a little hungry, you deserve a beating; if his complexion turns a bit sallow, you deserve a beating; if his body gets a little thinner, you deserve a beating." Bajie panicked and said, "This is hard, hard, hard! Attending and supporting him is no big deal; even carrying him constantly would be easy. But if you tell me to go begging for alms in the countryside along this Western Road, people won't recognize me as a monk on a scripture-gathering pilgrimage. They'll just think I'm a half-grown, half-wild pig that wandered out of the mountains. Then many people will grab their pitchforks and brooms, surround your old pig, take me home, slaughter me, and cure me for the New Year! Wouldn't that be a disaster?" Wukong said, "Then go scout the mountain." Bajie said, "What does scouting the mountain entail?" Wukong said, "Just enter this mountain, find out how many demons there are, what mountain it is, what cave, so we can pass." Bajie said, "That's easy. Your old pig will go scout the mountain then." The simpleton then hiked up his robes, brandished his rake, and, full of swagger, headed into the deep mountains; with great spirit, he strode onto the main path.

Wukong, standing nearby, couldn't help but let out a cold, suppressed chuckle. The venerable monk scolded, "You naughty monkey! You have no affection for your brothers, always harboring jealousy. You act so cunningly, speaking cleverly and speciously, tricking him into scouting the mountain, and now you're laughing at him here!" Wukong said, "I'm not laughing at him; there's a meaning in my laughter. Watch, when Pigsy goes, he will definitely not scout the mountain, nor will he dare to face any demons. He'll go somewhere to hide for a while, then invent a lie to deceive us." The venerable monk said, "How do you know him so well?" Wukong said, "I've figured him out to be this way. If you don't believe me, let me follow him and see, listen to what he does. Firstly, to assist him in subduing demons, and secondly, to see if he has a sincere heart for Buddha worship." The venerable monk said, "Good, good, good, but don't go and play tricks on him." Wukong assented, then swiftly went up the slope, shook himself, and transformed into a cicada. He truly transformed lightly and skillfully; one could only see him—

With thin wings dancing in the wind effortlessly, and a waist as slender as a needle. Darting through reeds and grass, past flower shadows, swifter even than a meteor. Its eyes glimmered brightly, its voice faint and low. Among insects, only it was so small, yet so graceful and cunning. On leisurely days, it rested in secluded woods, its entire body unseen, undiscoverable by a thousand eyes.

With a buzz of its wings, it flew away, caught up to Bajie, and settled behind his ear, beneath the roots of his mane. The simpleton just kept walking, unaware that someone was on him. After walking seven or eight *li*, he threw down his rake, turned his head, pointed, and gesticulated as he cursed Tang Sanzang: "You useless old monk! You meddling Stable-Keeper! You weak-faced Sha Seng! They're all relaxing, while they trick your old pig into trudging along! We're all on this scripture-gathering trip to achieve enlightenment, but they specifically send me to scout mountains! Hahaha! If I knew where the demons were, I'd walk around them. I haven't even covered half the distance, and they tell me to go look for them? How unlucky! I'll go somewhere to sleep, take a nap, then go back and give them a vague answer, just say I scouted the mountain, and that'll be the end of it." The simpleton, feeling lucky for the moment, picked up his rake and walked on. He saw a curved slope of red grass in a mountain hollow, burrowed into it headfirst, used his rake to clear a spot on the ground, and rolled down to sleep. He stretched his waist and exclaimed, "What joy! Even that Stable-Keeper can't be as carefree as I am!" Wukong, still behind his ear, heard every word. Unable to resist, he flew up and played another trick on him. He shook himself again and transformed into a woodpecker; one could only see—

A pointed, reddish iron beak, bright and vibrant emerald plumage. A pair of steel talons sharp as nails; why mind the quiet forest when one is hungry? It loved rotten, withered branches most, and disliked solitary old trees. Round eyes and twitching tail, full of spirit, its pecking sound worth hearing.

This bird, neither large nor small, weighed only two or three taels on a scale, with a reddish-copper beak and black-iron feet. With a whirring flap of its wings, it flew down. Bajie had laid his head down and was fast asleep when it pecked him right on the lips. The simpleton scrambled up in a panic, shouting, "There's a monster, there's a monster! It jabbed me with a spear! My mouth hurts terribly!" He reached out and touched it, and blood welled up. He said, "What bad luck! I haven't had any good fortune, so why is my mouth bleeding?" He looked at his bloody hand, muttering and looking around, but saw no movement. He said, "There's no monster, so why did I get jabbed?" Suddenly, he looked up and saw it was a woodpecker, flying in mid-air. The simpleton gnashed his teeth and cursed, "You wretch! It's enough that Stable-Keeper bullies me, but now you come to bully me too! I understand now. He definitely doesn't recognize me as a person; he just thinks my mouth is a rotten, decaying piece of black wood with worms inside, and he's pecking me to eat the worms. I'll just tuck my mouth into my chest and sleep." The simpleton rolled over and went back to sleep. Wukong flew back and pecked him behind the ear again. The simpleton scrambled up in a