The six demon warriors exited the cave and headed southwest, following the path. The Pilgrim thought to himself: "They're inviting their Great King to eat my master, and that Great King must be the Bull Demon King. When I, Old Sun, met him years ago, we truly connected and became very close friends. But now I've returned to the righteous path, while he remains a demon. Though we've been apart for a long time, I still remember what he looks like. Let me, Old Sun, transform into the Bull Demon King and fool them. We'll see what happens."
The clever Pilgrim slipped away from the six minor demons, spread his wings, and flew ahead, putting about ten *li* of distance between himself and them. With a shake of his body, he transformed into the Bull Demon King. He plucked a few hairs, cried "Change!", and they instantly transformed into several small demons. In a mountain hollow, he arranged them, holding falcons and leading dogs, with crossbows drawn and bows strung, pretending to be on a hunt, awaiting the six warriors. As that group trudged along, they suddenly saw the Bull Demon King sitting in their midst. In a fluster, Xinghongxian and Xianhongxing immediately dropped to their knees, exclaiming, "Great King Grandpa is here!" Yunliwu, Wuliyun, Jiruohuo, and Kuaizhaofeng, being mere mortals with ordinary sight, couldn't discern the truth from the illusion. They likewise knelt and kowtowed, saying, "Grandpa! We, your humble servants, were sent by the Holy Infant King of the Fiery Cloud Cave to invite Great King Grandpa to eat Tang Seng's flesh, which will extend your life for a thousand years!" The Pilgrim feigned a reply, "Rise, my children. Come with me back home so I can change my clothes." The minor demons kowtowed again, "Please, Grandpa, it's not necessary to return to your mansion. The journey is long, and we fear our Great King will blame us. We beg you to come with us now." The Pilgrim laughed, "Good, obedient children. Very well, very well. Lead the way, and I will follow." The six monsters, full of vigor, went ahead to clear the path, with the Great Sage following behind.
Before long, they arrived at their destination. Kuaizhaofeng and Jiruohuo rushed into the cave and reported, "Great King, Great King Grandpa has arrived!" The Demon King was delighted, "You truly are useful, to have returned so quickly!" He immediately ordered, "All chieftains, arrange your ranks, raise your banners, and beat your drums to welcome Great King Grandpa!" All the demons in the cave obeyed the command, forming neat rows and marching out. The Pilgrim, with a proud and imposing demeanor, puffed out his chest and gave his body a shake, retracting the hairs that had transformed into falcons and dogs. He strode in through the gate and sat in the center of the southern side. Red Boy knelt directly before him and kowtowed, saying, "Father King, your son greets you." The Pilgrim said, "My child, you are excused from the formality." The Demon King completed four full prostrations and then stood at a lower position. The Pilgrim asked, "My son, what is the reason you invited me here?" The Demon King bowed and replied, "Your unworthy son captured a man yesterday, a monk from the Great Tang of the Eastern Land. I often hear it said that he is a man of ten reincarnations of spiritual cultivation, and that whoever eats a piece of his flesh will live as long as the immortal sages of Penglai. Your foolish son dared not eat him alone, so I specifically invited Father King to share Tang Seng's flesh and extend our lives for a thousand years."
Upon hearing this, the Pilgrim feigned surprise and asked, "My son, which Tang Seng is this?" The Demon King replied, "It's the one traveling to the Western Heaven to acquire scriptures." The Pilgrim asked, "My son, is it Sun Wukong's master?" The Demon King said, "Exactly." The Pilgrim waved his hand and shook his head, saying, "Don't provoke him, don't provoke him! Others might be easy to deal with, but Sun Wukong is a different sort of person. My worthy son, have you never met him? That monkey possesses immense magical powers and endless transformations. He once caused a great disturbance in the Heavenly Palace, and the Jade Emperor sent a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers, setting up nets of heaven and snares of earth, yet they couldn't capture him. How dare you eat his master! You should quickly send him back to him; do not provoke that monkey. If he finds out you've eaten his master, he won't even fight you. He'll simply thrust his Golden-Hooped Rod into the mountainside, create a hole, and scoop up the entire mountain. My son, where would you find a place to live then, and whom would I rely on in my old age?"
The Demon King said, "Father King, what are you saying? You're boosting another's morale and diminishing your son's prestige. That Sun Wukong, along with his two brothers, was leading Tang Seng halfway up the mountain when I used a transformation to snatch his master away. He and Zhu Bajie then came to my door, speaking of kinship and acquaintance. My anger flared, and I fought a few rounds with him, but he was nothing special, not very skilled. Then Zhu Bajie came to assist in the fight. Your son unleashed the Samadhi True Fire and defeated him in one round. He panicked and went to invite the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas to help with rain, but even they couldn't extinguish my Samadhi True Fire. I burned him until he nearly fainted, and he hurriedly sent Zhu Bajie to invite Guanyin Bodhisattva of the Southern Sea. I then disguised myself as Guanyin, lured Zhu Bajie here, and now he hangs in the Ruyi Bag, also to be steamed and eaten by my subordinates. This morning, that Pilgrim came to my door again, shouting. I ordered him captured, but he panicked, dropped his baggage, and fled. I just invited Father King to come and see Tang Seng's living form before we steam him and eat him, to gain longevity and eternal youth."
The Pilgrim laughed, "My worthy son, you only know that your Samadhi Fire defeated him, but you don't know that he has seventy-two transformations!" The Demon King said, "No matter how he transforms, I will recognize him. I'm sure he wouldn't dare enter my gate." The Pilgrim said, "My son, even if you recognize him, he won't transform into something large, like a huge wolf or elephant, as he might not be able to enter your gate. But if he transforms into something small, you'll find it difficult to recognize him." The Demon King said, "No matter how small he transforms, each layer of my gate is guarded by four or five minor demons. How could he possibly get in?" The Pilgrim said, "You don't know. He can transform into a fly, a mosquito, a flea, or a bee, a butterfly, or even a moth. He can even transform into my appearance; how would you recognize him then?" The Demon King said, "Don't worry, even if he had an iron heart and a bronze gall, he wouldn't dare approach my gate." The Pilgrim said, "Since you say so, my worthy son, you truly possess great skill and can indeed defeat him. That's why you invited me to eat Tang Seng's flesh. However, I won't eat it today." The Demon King asked, "Why won't you eat?" The Pilgrim said, "I've grown old recently, and your mother often advises me to do good deeds. I can't think of much good to do, so I'll observe some fasting and abstinence." The Demon King asked, "Is Father King observing a perpetual fast or a monthly fast?" The Pilgrim said, "Neither a perpetual nor a monthly fast. It's called a Thunder Fast, and it's observed only four days a month." The Demon King asked, "Which four days?" The Pilgrim said, "The three Xin days and the sixth day of the month. Today is Xin-You day, so firstly, it's a fasting day, and secondly, You days are not for entertaining guests. Let's wait until tomorrow. I'll personally clean and steam him, and we can enjoy him together, my son."
Upon hearing this, the Demon King thought to himself, "My Father King usually eats humans to sustain himself and has lived for over a thousand years. Why is he fasting now? Considering his past wicked deeds, how could three or four days of fasting atone for them? This sounds false, suspicious, suspicious!" He immediately withdrew and went out under the second gate, calling the six demon warriors to question them, "Where did you invite Great King Grandpa from?" The minor demons replied, "We invited him halfway along the road." The Demon King said, "I said you returned quickly, but didn't you go home?" The minor demons said, "Yes, we did not go home." The Demon King exclaimed, "This is bad! He tricked you! This is not Great King!" The minor demons all knelt and said, "Great King, can't you even recognize your own father?" The Demon King said, "His appearance and movements are similar, but his words are not. I'm afraid he's an impostor, and we've suffered a loss. All of you must be careful. Those who use swords, draw your swords; those who use spears, sharpen your spears; those who use staffs, use your staffs; those who use ropes, use your ropes. I will go back and question him again to see what he says. If he truly is Great King, then it doesn't matter if we don't eat today or tomorrow, or even a month later! But if his words don't match up, as soon as you hear my 'Humph!', attack him all at once." All the demons acknowledged the command.
The Demon King turned and re-entered, bowing once more before the Pilgrim. The Pilgrim said, "My child, there's no need for such formality at home; no need to bow. Just speak whatever you have to say." The Demon King prostrated himself on the ground and said, "Your foolish son invited you, firstly, to offer the flesh of Tang Seng, and secondly, there's a matter I wish to inquire about. The other day, I was idly traveling on an auspicious cloud, soaring high into the nine heavens, when I suddenly encountered Master Zhang Daoling of Zu Yan." The Pilgrim asked, "Is that Zhang Daoling, the Heavenly Master?" The Demon King replied, "Precisely." The Pilgrim asked, "What did he say?" The Demon King said, "He saw that your son has well-formed features and balanced proportions, and he asked me what year, month, day, and hour I was born. Because your son was young, he doesn't remember clearly. Master Ziping is skilled in astrology and wanted to read my five planets. I invited Father King now precisely to ask about this. Should I meet him again, I can ask him to make the calculations."
Upon hearing this, the Pilgrim, sitting above, secretly chuckled, "What a demon! Since I, Old Sun, returned to the Buddhist path and protected Master Tang, I've captured several demons along the way, but none as cunning as this fellow. If he asked me about household matters or a lack of provisions, I could easily make up a reply. But now he's asking for my birth year, month, and day! How would I know that?" The clever Monkey King, however, remained composed and sat majestically in the center, without a hint of fear. Instead, he smiled broadly and said, "Rise, my worthy son. Because I am old and have been preoccupied with bothersome matters these past few days, I have indeed forgotten your birth details. Let's wait until tomorrow when I return home, and I'll ask your mother; then I'll know." The Demon King said, "Father King, you constantly speak of my eight characters, saying I possess longevity equal to Heaven. How could you suddenly forget them today? This is preposterous! He must be an impostor!" With a "Humph!", the demons, armed with spears and swords, swarmed forward, stabbing wildly at the Pilgrim. The Great Sage blocked their attacks with his Golden-Hooped Rod, revealed his true form, and said to the demon, "My worthy son, you are being unreasonable. What kind of son strikes his own father?" The Demon King's face was flushed with shame. He dared not look back. The Pilgrim transformed into a golden streak of light and exited the cave. A minor demon reported, "Great King, Sun Wukong has fled!" The Demon King said, "Enough, enough, enough! Let him go! I've suffered a loss this time! Close the gates, and don't talk to him. Just come and prepare Tang Seng for steaming and eating."
Meanwhile, the Pilgrim, carrying his iron rod, came laughing heartily from the other side of the stream. Sha Seng heard him and hurried out of the forest to meet him, saying, "Brother, you've only just returned after half a day. Why are you laughing like that? Have you rescued Master?" The Pilgrim said, "Brother, though I haven't rescued Master, Old Sun has gained the upper hand." Sha Seng asked, "What upper hand?" The Pilgrim replied, "It turns out that Zhu Bajie was tricked by that monster, who disguised himself as Guanyin, and lured him back. He's now hanging inside a leather bag. I wanted to find a way to rescue him, but then I found out he had sent his six warriors to invite his Great King to eat Master's flesh. Old Sun figured his Great King must be the Bull Demon King, so I transformed into his likeness and entered, sitting in the middle. He called me Father King, and I answered him; he kowtowed, and I simply accepted it. It was truly delightful! I certainly gained the upper hand!" Sha Seng said, "Brother, if you're only looking for such small advantages, I fear Master's life will be difficult to save." The Pilgrim said, "No need to worry. I'll go invite the Bodhisattva." Sha Seng said, "But you still have a backache." The Pilgrim said, "I'm not hurting anymore. As the ancients said, 'When one meets with a happy occasion, one's spirit is refreshed.' You watch the luggage and the horses; I'm going." Sha Seng said, "You've made an enemy. I fear he'll harm Master. You must go and return quickly." The Pilgrim said, "I'll be quick. I'll be back in the time it takes to eat a meal."
The Great Sage, while speaking, slipped away from Sha Seng, leaped onto his somersault cloud, and headed directly for the Southern Sea. In mid-air, in less than half an hour, he sighted the scenery of Mount Putuo. Soon, he descended his cloud to Mount Luojia, walking respectfully, when he saw the Twenty-four Heavenly Guardians approaching him, saying, "Great Sage, where are you going?" The Pilgrim completed his greetings and said, "I wish to see the Bodhisattva." The Heavenly Guardians said, "Wait a moment, allow us to announce you." At that moment, the Mother of Ghost Children among the Heavenly Guardians reported outside the Tidal Sound Cave, "Bodhisattva, be informed, Sun Wukong has specially come to pay his respects." Upon hearing the report, the Bodhisattva immediately ordered him in. The Great Sage adjusted his clothes, reverently adopted a fixed stride, and entered. Upon seeing the Bodhisattva, he prostrated himself. The Bodhisattva said, "Wukong, aren't you leading Golden Cicada towards the West to obtain scriptures? Why have you come here?"
The Pilgrim reported, "I humbly report, Bodhisattva, your disciple was protecting Tang Seng as we traveled. We reached a place called Fiery Cloud Cave in the Dry Pine Ridge of Mount Hao. There is a demon, Red Boy, called the Holy Infant King, who kidnapped my master. Your disciple and Zhu Wuneng searched until we reached his door and engaged him in battle. He unleashed the Samadhi Fire, and we could not prevail or rescue Master. We hastily went to the Eastern Ocean and invited the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas to bring rain, but even that could not overcome the fire. Your disciple was almost suffocated, barely clinging to his life." The Bodhisattva said, "Since it's Samadhi Fire, and his powers are immense, why did you go to invite the Dragon Kings and not me?" The Pilgrim said, "I originally intended to come, but your disciple was choked by the smoke and couldn't fly. So I sent Zhu Bajie to invite the Bodhisattva." The Bodhisattva said, "Wuneng hasn't arrived." The Pilgrim said, "Exactly. Before he could reach this precious mountain, that demon disguised himself as the Bodhisattva, lured Zhu Bajie into the cave, and now he's hanging in a leather bag, about to be steamed and eaten."
Upon hearing this, the Bodhisattva grew furious, exclaiming, "That audacious demon dares to transform into my likeness!" With a resentful sigh, she threw the precious pearl vase from her hand into the sea with a splash, startling the Pilgrim so much that his hair stood on end. He immediately rose and stood below. He thought, "This Bodhisattva's temper is quite strong. She must be angry that what I said was inappropriate and ruined her reputation, so she threw the vase. What a pity, what a pity! If only she had given it to me, Old Sun, wouldn't that have been a great service?" Before he finished speaking, he saw the vase emerge from the midst of the sea, bobbing on the waves. It turned out to be carried by a creature. The Pilgrim carefully observed the creature carrying the vase, wondering what it looked like—
Its origins trace
10614 · 0 · 28
