Chapter 43: Black River Demon Captures the Monk Western Dragon Son Catches the Crocodile

The Bodhisattva chanted several times, then stopped, and the demon immediately felt no pain. As it stood up, it saw golden bands on its neck and limbs. They were extremely painful. When it tried to remove them, it couldn't budge them a fraction of an inch. These treasures had already taken root in its flesh, and rubbing them only made the pain worse. Pilgrim chuckled, "My dear boy, the Bodhisattva was afraid you wouldn't grow up, so she gave you a collar and bracelets." Hearing this, the boy became annoyed, grabbed his spear, and wildly thrust it at Pilgrim. Pilgrim quickly dodged behind the Bodhisattva, crying, "Chant the spell, chant the spell!" The Bodhisattva dipped her willow branch into a drop of sweet dew, sprinkled it, and called out, "Join!" The boy dropped his spear, and his hands came together in front of his chest, unable to open again. This is the origin of the "Guanyin Twist" posture, which remains to this day. The boy, unable to open his hands or hold his spear, finally understood the profound magical power at work. Having no choice, he bowed his head in submission. The Bodhisattva chanted a true word, tilted the pure vase, and collected the sea water, leaving not a single drop behind. She said to Pilgrim, "Wukong, this demon has been subdued, but his wild heart is still restless. I will make him bow step by step, all the way to Mount Luojia; only then will I withdraw the spell. Now, go quickly to the cave and rescue your master!" Pilgrim turned and kowtowed, saying, "Thank you, Bodhisattva, for traveling so far. Your disciple should escort you for a ways." The Bodhisattva replied, "You need not escort me. You might delay and endanger your master's life." Hearing this, Pilgrim happily bowed in farewell. The demon had already returned to the path of righteousness, participating in the "Fifty-Three Visits" and bowing to Guanyin.

Leaving aside the benevolent Bodhisattva's subduing of the boy. Meanwhile, Sandy, who had been sitting in the forest for a long time, worried by Pilgrim's absence, tied the luggage to the horse, held his demon-subduing staff in one hand, and the reins in the other. He emerged from the pine forest and looked southward. He saw Pilgrim approaching joyfully. Sandy went to meet him, saying, "Brother, you went to invite the Bodhisattva, but you've only just arrived! I was so anxious!" Pilgrim said, "You're still dreaming. Old Sun has already invited the Bodhisattva and subdued the monster." Pilgrim then recounted in detail the Bodhisattva's magical power. Sandy was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Let's go rescue Master!" The two of them leaped over the ravine, burst through the entrance, tied up the horses, and with weapons raised, charged into the cave. They wiped out all the demons, untied the leather sack, and released Pigsy. The idiot thanked Pilgrim, saying, "Brother, where is that demon? Let me give him a few rakes to vent my anger!" Pilgrim said, "Let's find Master first." The three went straight to the back and saw Master, naked and bound, weeping in the courtyard. Sandy quickly untied the ropes, and Pilgrim immediately took out clothes for Master to wear. The three knelt before him and said, "Master, you've suffered greatly." Tripitaka thanked them, saying, "My virtuous disciples, you have all worked so hard. How did you manage to subdue the demon?" Pilgrim then recounted in detail how they invited the Bodhisattva and subdued the boy. Hearing this, Tripitaka immediately knelt and bowed in worship towards the south. Pilgrim said, "You needn't thank him. Rather, we are doing him a favor by subduing this boy." This is why it is now said that the boy bowed to Guanyin, making fifty-three visits, each one seeing the Buddha. He told Sandy to collect the treasures in the cave, find some provisions, and prepare a vegetarian meal to serve Master. The venerable monk owed his life entirely to the Great Sage Sun, and relied solely on the beautiful monkey spirit to obtain the scriptures. The master and disciples emerged from the cave, mounted their horses, found the main road, and steadfastly headed west.

After traveling for over a month, they suddenly heard the sound of water roaring in their ears. Tripitaka was greatly alarmed and said, "Disciples, where is that sound of water coming from now?" Pilgrim laughed, "Master, you are too suspicious; you are not fit to be a monk. Among the four of us, why is it only you who hears some water sound? Have you forgotten the Heart Sutra again?" Tripitaka said, "The Heart Sutra was orally transmitted by Chan Master Wuchao of Mount Futu, totaling fifty-four sentences and two hundred and seventy characters. I heard it directly then, and I recite it constantly to this day. How do you know I forgot a single line?" Pilgrim said, "Master, you've forgotten 'no eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, or mind'. We monastics should not see colors with our eyes, hear sounds with our ears, smell fragrances with our noses, taste flavors with our tongues, feel cold or heat with our bodies, or harbor false thoughts in our minds—this is how we drive away the six bandits. But now, for the sake of obtaining scriptures, your mind is constantly worried: afraid of demons, unwilling to sacrifice yourself; craving vegetarian food, stirring your tongue; delighting in sweet fragrances, sniffing with your nose; startled by sounds, alarming your ears; gazing at things, fixing your eyes—these bring the six bandits in droves. How then can you reach the Western Heaven and see the Buddha?" Hearing this, Tripitaka fell silent in deep thought and said, "My disciple, I—"

Since that year I bade farewell to the Holy Ruler,I've toiled day and night with great diligence.Straw sandals have worn through mountain mist,Bamboo hats have parted ridge-top clouds.In the quiet night, ape cries are truly lamentable;In the bright moonlight, bird clamor is unbearable to hear.When will the 'Three-Threes' be fulfilled,And I obtain the Tathagata's wondrous scriptures?

Pilgrim listened, then couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh heartily, "This Master is simply overcome with homesickness and cannot rest! If you want those 'Three-Threes' to be fulfilled, what's so difficult about that! As the saying goes, 'Success comes naturally with effort'." Pigsy turned his head and said, "Brother, if we keep encountering such fierce obstacles, we won't succeed even if we walk for a thousand years!" Sandy said, "Second Brother, you're just like me, clumsy-tongued and slow-witted. Don't provoke Big Brother. Let's just keep enduring the hardships, shoulder to shoulder, and success will surely come one day."

As the master and disciples conversed, their feet kept moving, and the horse's hooves clattered swiftly. They saw before them a boundless expanse of black water, preventing the horse from advancing. The four halted at the bank and observed closely, seeing only—

Layers of dense waves, churning murky ripples;Dense waves turned up black grime, murky ripples rolled black oil.Close up, it reflected no human shadow;From afar, no shape of trees could be found.Rolling across the land like ink, surging for a thousand miles like ash.Water foam floated like piled charcoal,Spray rose like overturned coal.Cattle and sheep would not drink, crows and magpies struggled to fly.Cattle and sheep disliked its deep blackness,Crows and magpies feared its vastness.Only the reeds on the bank knew the seasons,And the flowers and grasses on the sand competed in strange greenness.Lakes and rivers are common in the world,Streams and marsh caves are numerous.In life, there are encounters everywhere,But who has seen the Black Water River in the West!

Tripitaka dismounted and said, "Disciples, why is this water so murky and black?" Pigsy said, "Someone must have spilled an indigo vat." Sandy said, "No, it must be someone washing their inkstone and brushes." Pilgrim said, "Stop your wild guessing and idle talk. Let's find a way to get Master across." Pigsy said, "For Old Pig, crossing this river is no problem. I could either ride on a cloud or carry him across the water in the river. I'd be across in no time." Sandy said, "If it were Old Sandy, I'd just soar on a cloud or glide through the water and be across in an instant." Pilgrim said, "It's easy for us, but difficult for Master." Tripitaka asked, "Disciples, how wide is this river?" Pigsy said, "It's about ten *li* wide." Tripitaka said, "You three discuss which one of you will carry me across." Pilgrim said, "Pigsy can carry you." Pigsy said, "It's not good to carry him. If I carry him while flying, I can't get three feet off the ground. As the saying goes, carrying a mortal is as heavy as a mountain. If I carry him through the water, I'd sink down with him."

As the master and disciples were discussing by the riverbank, they saw a small boat being rowed downstream from upstream. Tripitaka happily said, "Disciples, a boat is coming. Ask him to ferry us across." Sandy loudly shouted, "Boatman, come ferry people, come ferry people!" The person on the boat said, "I'm not a ferry, how can I ferry people?" Sandy said, "In heaven and on earth, convenience comes first. Although you are not a ferry, we don't often trouble you. We are Buddhist disciples sent by imperial decree from the East to obtain scriptures. Could you please do us a favor and ferry us across? We will thank you." Hearing this, the person rowed the boat closer to the bank, holding an oar, and said, "Master, my boat is small, and there are many of you. How can I ferry you all?" Tripitaka went closer to look and saw that the boat was carved from a single piece of wood, with only one cabin opening in the middle, just enough for two people to sit. Tripitaka said, "What should we do?" Sandy said, "In that case, let's cross in two trips." Pigsy, using his cunning to avoid work and gain favor, said, "Wujing, you and Big Brother stay here and look after the luggage and horses. I'll escort Master across first, then come back for the horse. Let Big Brother just jump across." Pilgrim nodded and said, "You're right."

The idiot helped Tripitaka, and the boatman punted the boat, raising the oar against the current, and went straight across. As soon as they reached the middle, there was a loud crash, waves rolled and churned, obscuring the sky and blinding the eyes. That gust of fierce wind was incredibly powerful! What a wind—

A cannon-like cloud rose in the sky,A thousand layers of black waves surged high in the current.Sand flew from both banks, obscuring the sun;Trees fell everywhere, shaking the heavens with their roar.Dragons and river gods feared its churning of rivers and seas;Earth and dust scattered, flowers and trees withered.Its howling sounded like spring thunder,Its gusts as fierce as a roaring hungry tiger.Crabs, turtles, fish, and shrimp bowed upwards;Birds and beasts lost their nests and lairs.Boatmen in the five lakes all met with disaster,People in the four seas found their lives precarious.Fishermen in the streams could not hold their hooks,Boatmen in the rivers could not punt their poles.Tiles were lifted and bricks overturned as houses collapsed;Heaven and earth shook, Mount Tai swayed.

This gust of wind was, in fact, created by the boatman, who was originally a monster from the Black Water River. Before their very eyes, Tripitaka and Pigsy, along with the boat, plunged into the water, vanishing without a trace. It was unknown where they had been carried off to.

On the bank, Sandy and Pilgrim were frantic. "What shall we do? Master encounters disaster at every step! He just escaped a demonic obstacle, and we were fortunate to have a peaceful journey so far, but now we've met the Black Water again!" Sandy said, "Perhaps the boat capsized. Let's search downstream." Pilgrim said, "It wasn't a capsized boat. If it had capsized, Pigsy knows how to swim; he would surely have carried Master out of the water. I just saw that the boatman looked somewhat sinister. He must be the one who conjured the wind and dragged Master into the water." Hearing this, Sandy said, "Brother, why didn't you say so earlier? You watch the horse and luggage, I'll go down into the water to search." Pilgrim said, "The water looks ominous. I'm afraid you won't be able to go." Sandy said, "How does this water compare to my Flowing Sands River? I can go, I can go!"

The good monk took off his short monastic robe, tied up his hands and feet, swung his demon-subduing staff, and with a "plop," parted the waters, plunged into the waves, and strode in. As he walked, he heard voices. Sandy hid to the side, peering furtively. On the other side, there was a pavilion. Eight large characters were horizontally inscribed outside the pavilion gate: "Black Water River God's Residence of Hengyang Gorge." He then heard the monster sitting inside say, "It's been a long effort, but today I finally have my prize. This monk is a good man who has cultivated himself for ten lifetimes. If I just eat a piece of his flesh, I will become immortal. I have waited long enough for him, and today my ambition will not be unfulfilled." He commanded, "Minions! Quickly bring out the iron cage, steam these two monks whole, and then write an invitation to invite Second Uncle to warm his longevity!" Hearing this, Sandy could not suppress the rage in his heart. He drew his staff, wildly struck the door, and cursed, "You vile creature, quickly send my Master Tripitaka and Brother Pigsy out!" The demons inside the door were terrified and quickly ran to report, "Disaster!" The old monster asked, "What disaster?" A little demon said, "Outside, there's a gloomy-faced monk, cursing and banging on the front door, demanding people!" Hearing this, the monster immediately called for his armor. Little demons brought out the armor, and the old demon donned it neatly. Holding a bamboo-joint steel whip, he walked out the door, truly a ferocious and venomous sight. One saw only—

A square face with round, brightly shining eyes like rosy clouds;Curled lips and a huge mouth, blood-red like a basin.A few iron-wire-like sparse whiskers swayed;Vermilion sideburns, wild, disheveled hair.Its form resembled a true Tai Sui manifesting his power,Its appearance like an enraged, fierce Thunder God.Its body was covered in iron armor with dazzling circular patterns,Its head adorned with a golden helmet thickly inlaid with jewels.A bamboo-joint steel whip held in its hand;As it moved, it rolled and pulled along a wild wind.Born a creature of the waves,Its transformed form was fierce and dangerous.If you ask the demon's true name,Its former self was called Little Alligator Dragon.

The monster roared, "Who dares to strike my door here!" Sandy said, "You ignorant, vile monster! How dare you play tricks, transform into a boatman, and use a boat to abduct my Master? Return him quickly, and I will spare your life!" The monster laughed heartily, "This monk doesn't know what's good for him! Your Master was captured by me, and now I'm going to steam him for guests! Come on up and let's see who's stronger! If you can defeat me in three bouts, I'll return your Master; if you can't, I'll steam and eat you both, and you can forget about going to the Western Heaven!" Hearing this, Sandy was furious. He swung his staff and struck directly at the monster's head. The monster raised his steel whip and quickly parried. Under the water, what a fierce battle it was—

Demon-subduing staff, bamboo-joint whip,Both, raging, sought to gain the upper hand.One was a thousand-year-old monster from the Black Water River,The other an old immortal from outside the Numinous Sky Palace.One, coveting Tripitaka's flesh to eat;The other, pitifully, to protect Tripitaka's life.Both came to fight under the water,Each wanting success, but neither could achieve it.Fish and shrimp shook their heads in pairs and dodged;Crabs and turtles, in pairs, withdrew their heads and dived.One only heard the myriad demons of the water palace beating drums,And the monsters at the gate clamoring wildly.What a truly enlightened Sandy,Displaying his might all alone!Leaping over waves and churning water, neither won nor lost;Whip met staff, both inextricably linked.All for the sake of the Tang Monk,Who sought to obtain true scriptures and worship the Buddhas in Heaven.

The two fought for thirty rounds without a clear victor. Sandy secretly thought, "This monster is my match; I cannot win in vain. I'll lure him out so my elder brother can fight him." Sandy feigned a retreat, dragging his precious staff, and fled. The demon did not pursue him, saying, "Go on, I won't fight you anymore. I need to prepare the invitation for my guests."

Sandy angrily leaped out of the water and said to Pilgrim, "Brother, this monster is insolent." Pilgrim asked, "You've been down there for so long. What kind of demon is it, exactly? Have you found Master?" Sandy said, "Inside, there's a pavilion, and outside its gate are eight large characters horizontally inscribed, calling it 'Black Water River God's Residence of Hengyang Gorge'. I hid to the side and heard him speaking inside, telling his minions to scrub the iron cage, as he intended to steam Master and Pigsy to invite his uncle for a longevity celebration. That's when I got furious and went to bang on the door. The monster came out with a bamboo-joint steel whip and fought me for half the day, about thirty bouts, with no clear winner. I used a feigned retreat to lure him out so you could assist. That monster is very clever; he didn't pursue me. He just wanted to go back and prepare invitations for his guests, so I came up." Pilgrim said, "What kind of demon is it?" Sandy said, "It looks like a big soft-shelled turtle; otherwise, it must be an alligator dragon." Pilgrim said, "Who could his uncle be?" Before he finished speaking, an old man walked out from the lower bend of the river and, from a distance, knelt down, calling out, "Great Sage, the Black Water River God bows to you." Pilgrim said, "Are you that boatman demon, come to trick me again?" The old man kowtowed, shedding tears, "Great Sage, I am not a demon. I am the true deity of this river. Last year, in the fifth month, that demon came here from the Western Ocean with the high tide and fought with me, your humble deity. Alas, I am old and frail, and could not defeat him. He seized my residence, the Black Water River God's Residence of Hengyang Gorge, and moved in, also harming many of my aquatic creatures. Having no other recourse, I went directly to the sea to report him. It turns out the Dragon King of the Western Sea is his maternal uncle, and he refused my complaint, telling me to let him live there. I wished to report to Heaven, but alas, my divine power is minor and my rank low, so I could not meet the Jade Emperor. Now I hear the Great Sage has arrived here, so I specially came to pay my respects and seek help, hoping that the Great Sage will exert his power to avenge me!" Hearing this, Pilgrim said, "In that case, all four Dragon Kings are guilty. Now he has captured my Master and my junior brother, and openly declared that he would steam them to celebrate his uncle's longevity. I was just about to catch him, and luckily you came to report. In that case, you stay here with Sandy and keep watch. I'll go to the sea first, seize that Dragon King, and make him capture this monster." The River God said, "I am deeply grateful for the Great Sage's immense kindness!"

Pilgrim immediately mounted his cloud, went straight to the Western Ocean, performed a somersault, recited a water-repelling spell, and parted the waves. As he walked, he encountered a black fish demon holding a pure gold invitation box, darting up from downstream like an arrow or a shuttle. Pilgrim ambushed it head-on, drew his iron staff, and struck it on the head. Pitifully, its brains burst out, its jawbone cracked open, and with a "gulu" sound, it floated to the surface. He then opened the box to look, and inside was a simple invitation, on which was written—

Your foolish nephew, Tuojie, bows a hundred times, respectfully presenting this to Second Uncle, the esteemed Elder Ao:I have always received your kindness, and am deeply grateful. Now, having obtained two individuals, monks from the Eastern Land, they are truly rare in this world. Your nephew dares not enjoy them by himself. Remembering that Uncle's birthday is near, I have specially prepared a humble feast to pre-celebrate your thousand-year longevity. I earnestly hope your esteemed presence will grace us soon!

Pilgrim chuckled, "This fellow has delivered his confession to Old Sun first!" He put the invitation in his sleeve and continued forward. Soon, a sea-scouting yaksha spotted Pilgrim, quickly pulled back, and rushed into the Crystal Palace to report to the Great King, "Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Grandfather Sun, has arrived!" The Dragon King Ao Shun immediately led his aquatic creatures out of the palace to welcome him, saying, "Great Sage, please enter my humble palace and take a seat. I shall offer tea." Pilgrim said, "I haven't even had your tea yet, but you've already had my wine!" The Dragon King chuckled, "Great Sage, you have long since converted to Buddhism and do not partake in meat or wine. When did you invite me to drink wine?" Pilgrim said, "Although you haven't gone to drink, you've incurred the guilt of one who drinks." Ao Shun was greatly alarmed and said, "Why is this humble dragon guilty?" Pilgrim took the invitation from his sleeve and handed it to the Dragon King. Seeing it, the Dragon King was terrified. He hastily knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Great Sage, spare me! That fellow is my younger sister's ninth son. Because my brother-in-law mistakenly performed the rain and reduced the rain count, the Heavenly Court issued a decree, and Chancellor Wei Zheng of the Human Court executed him in a dream. My sister had nowhere to settle, so I, the humble dragon, brought him here and graciously raised him to adulthood. Two years ago, unfortunately, my sister passed away. Only he had no place to live, so I instructed him to cultivate himself in the Black Water River, awaiting a future appointment once he matured. Who knew he would disobey my order and offend the Great Sage!" Hearing this, Pilgrim chuckled, "How many worthy sons does your sister have in total? Where are they causing trouble?" The Dragon King said, "My sister has nine sons. The other eight are all good. The first, Little Yellow Dragon, resides in the Huai River; the second, Little Black Dragon, lives in the Ji River; the third, Blue-backed Dragon, occupies the Yangtze River; the fourth, Red-bearded Dragon, guards the Yellow River; the fifth, Toil Dragon, oversees the Buddha's bell; the sixth, Stable Beast Dragon, guards the ridge of the divine palace; the seventh, Jingzhong Dragon, guards the Heaven-Propping Huabiao for the Jade Emperor; the eighth, Mirage Dragon, is with my eldest brother, holding up Mount Tai. This ninth one is the Alligator Dragon. Because he was young and had no particular duties, I only assigned him to cultivate himself in the Black Water River last year, awaiting a future appointment once he matured. Who knew he would disobey my order and offend the Great Sage!" Hearing this, Pilgrim chuckled, "How many brothers-in-law does your sister have?" Ao Shun said, "She only married one brother-in-law, the Dragon King of Jing River. He was executed years ago, and my sister resided here as a widow before she unfortunately passed away two years ago." Pilgrim said, "One husband and one wife, how could they have given birth to these various offspring?" Ao Shun said, "This is precisely what is meant by 'the dragon gives birth to nine types, and each type is different'." Pilgrim said, "I was just troubled in my mind, intending to use this invitation as evidence to report to the Heavenly Court and charge you with conspiring with a monster and abducting people. According to what you've said, that fellow disobeyed instructions. I will spare you this time: firstly, for your sake and that of your family; secondly, that fellow is merely young and ignorant, and you weren't fully aware of his actions. Quickly send someone to capture him and rescue my Master! Then we can decide what to do." Ao Shun immediately summoned Prince Mo'ang, "Quickly muster five hundred shrimp and fish soldiers, and bring that little alligator dragon here to be punished!" At the same time, he arranged a banquet to apologize to the Great Sage. Pilgrim said, "Dragon King, don't worry about it. Since I've already agreed to spare you, why prepare a banquet? I must return with your esteemed son now: firstly, because my Master is in trouble; secondly, because my junior brother is waiting anxiously." The old dragon tried to insist, but Pilgrim wouldn't stay. Then he saw the dragon princess bringing tea. Pilgrim stood and drank a cup of fragrant tea, bade farewell to the old dragon, and then, with Mo'ang leading the troops, departed from the Western Sea. They soon arrived in the Black Water River. Pilgrim said, "Worthy Prince, capture the monster well. I'm going ashore." Mo'ang said, "Great Sage, rest assured. Your humble son will capture him and bring him up to see the Great Sage first, punish him for his crimes, and bring Master up. Only then will I dare to take him back to the sea to see my father." Pilgrim happily bade farewell, recited the water-repelling spell, leaped out of the surging waves, and went straight to the cliff on the east bank. Sandy and the River God came to meet him and said, "Elder Brother, when you left, you went through the sky, but why have you returned from inside the river?" Pilgrim then recounted in detail how he killed the fish demon, obtained the invitation, met the Dragon King, and returned with the Prince leading troops. Sandy was extremely happy, and they all stood on the riverbank, waiting to welcome Master. Let's not dwell on that.

Meanwhile, Prince Mo'ang ordered a warrior to go ahead to the entrance of the water palace and report to the monster, "Prince Mo'ang, son of the Old Dragon King of the Western Sea, has arrived!" The monster was sitting when he suddenly heard of Mo'ang's arrival. He was suspicious. "I sent the black fish demon to deliver the invitation to my Second Uncle. It's so late, and there's no reply. Why isn't Uncle here, but instead my cousin?" As he was speaking, a patrolling imp from the river came to report again, "Great King, there's a troop of soldiers in the river, stationed west of the water palace. Their banner reads 'Mo'ang, Junior Commander, Crown Prince of the Western Sea'." The monster said, "This cousin is quite arrogant! Perhaps Uncle couldn't come and ordered him to attend the banquet. But if he's coming to a banquet, why bother soldiers and stir up a crowd? Alas! I fear there's some ulterior motive." He commanded, "Minions, prepare my armor and steel whip. There might be sudden trouble. I'll go out and meet him to see what's what." The demons received the order, each rubbing their palms and clenching their fists in preparation. When the Alligator Dragon emerged from the gate, he truly saw a marine force camped on his right, and saw only—

Campaign banners fluttered like embroidered sashes,Painted halberds stood in bright mists.Precious swords shimmered with brilliance,Long spears had tassels wrapped like flowers.Bows curved small like the moon,Arrows stuck out like wolf fangs.Great sabers shone dazzlingly,Short staves scraped harshly.Whales and sea turtles, clams and mussels;Crabs and turtles, fish and shrimp.Large and small, all arrayed neatly,Weapons as dense as hemp.Without the general's command,Who would dare to crawl and leap about wildly!

The alligator monster saw them and went straight to the camp gate, shouting loudly, "Elder Cousin, your junior brother awaits here, I invite you." A patrolling snail demon quickly went to the central tent, "Reporting, Your Highness, the Alligator Dragon is calling for you outside." The Prince pressed his golden helmet, tightened the jeweled belt around his waist, held a three-edged staff, strode out, and ran from the camp, saying, "Why have you come to invite me?" The Alligator Dragon bowed and said, "This morning, your junior brother sent an invitation to Uncle. Perhaps Uncle has cast it aside and sent you, Elder Brother. Since you are coming to a banquet, why bother soldiers and stir up a crowd? Why not enter the water palace, but instead camp here, armored and with troops?" The Prince said, "Why did you invite Uncle?" The monster said, "Your junior brother has long been graciously granted residence here. I have long been absent from your esteemed presence and have not been able to show filial piety. Yesterday, I captured a monk from the Eastern Land. I heard he is a primordial being who has cultivated for ten lifetimes. If one eats him, one can prolong life. I wanted to invite Uncle to see him, then put him in an iron cage, steam him, and celebrate Uncle's longevity." The Prince shouted, "You are utterly foolish! Who do you think that monk is?" The monster said, "He is a monk from the Tang Dynasty, traveling to the Western Heaven to obtain scriptures." The Prince said, "You only know he's the Tang Monk, but you don't know how formidable his disciples are." The monster said, "He has a long-snouted monk named Pigsy. I also captured him and intend to steam and eat him with the Tang Monk. There's another disciple named Sandy, a dark-skinned fellow with a gloomy face, who uses a precious staff. Yesterday, he came to my gate demanding his master, but I sent out my river soldiers, and with a flurry of steel whips, I defeated him and made him flee for his life. He didn't seem so formidable." The Prince said, "So you didn't know! He has another senior disciple, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, a Golden Immortal of the Grand Unity, who caused great havoc in the Heavenly Palace five hundred years ago. Now he protects the Tang Monk on his journey to the Western Heaven to worship Buddha and obtain scriptures. It was the Great Merciful and Compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva of Mount Putuo who persuaded him to do good and changed his name to Sun Wukong the Pilgrim. Why did you have nothing to do and stir up this trouble? He also met your messenger in my sea, seized the invitation, and went directly into the Crystal Palace, implicating my father and me with the crime of colluding with a demon and abducting people. Quickly send Tang Monk and Pigsy to the riverbank and return them to the Great Sage Sun. If I apologize to him on your behalf, you might still save your life. If you dare to refuse even half a word, don't even think about living here completely!" Hearing this, the alligator monster was furious in his heart and said, "You and I are close cousins, yet you protect an outsider? According to what you say, if I were to just send the Tang Monk out, where in heaven and earth would there be such an easy thing to do! If you fear him, does that mean I must fear him too? If he has the skill, let him dare to come to the entrance of my water palace and fight me for three bouts. Only then will I give him his master. If he can't defeat me, I'll capture him too, steam them all together, without any relatives or guests. I'll just close the door, have my minions sing and dance, and I'll sit here, at ease, and eat them, won't I?" Hearing this, the Prince opened his mouth and cursed, "This vile demon is indeed disrespectful! Let's not even have the Great Sage Sun fight you; do you dare to contend with me?" The monster said, "If I want to be a hero, what's there to fear in a confrontation!" He ordered, "Bring my armor!" With a shout, the little demons followed on his left and right, presenting his armor and handing him his steel whip. Their expressions changed, and each showed off his heroism. Commands were given, and drums were beaten in unison. This battle was quite different from the one with Sandy. One saw only—

Banners illuminated, spears and halberds shimmered.On this side, the camp dispersed;On that side, the gate opened wide.Prince Mo'ang held his golden staff,The alligator monster swung his whip and quickly parried.A cannon blast made the river soldiers fierce,Three gong beats made the sea warriors wild.Shrimp fought shrimp, crabs battled crabs.Whales and sea turtles swallowed red carp,Bream and bleak stirred up yellow catfish.Sharks and mullets ate, and mackerel fled,Oysters captured razor clams, and mussels panicked.Shao Yang with spines hard as iron rods,Yi Si with needles sharp as blades.Eels chased white eels,Perch and bream caught black pomfret.Monsters of the whole river fought for supremacy,Dragon soldiers from two sides determined who was weaker and stronger.After a long chaotic battle, waves rolled;Prince Mo'ang was like a Vajra.With a shout, his golden staff struck heavily on the head,Capturing the demonic alligator, the monster king.

The Prince created an opening with his three-edged staff. The demon, unaware it was a trick, lunged in, and the Prince, using a technique, struck the demon's right arm with a single staff blow, hitting its elbow. He then rushed forward, kicked its leg, and knocked it to the ground. The sea soldiers swarmed forward, pinned him down, tied his hands behind his back with ropes, pierced his shoulder blades with iron chains, brought him ashore, and presented him before Sun Pilgrim, saying, "Great Sage, your humble son has captured the demonic alligator. Please decide his fate."

Pilgrim and Sandy saw him and said, "You rogue, you disobeyed orders. Your uncle originally allowed you to live here to cultivate yourself and improve, and on the day you achieved renown, you would be transferred to another post. How dare you forcibly occupy the water god's residence, rely on your power to commit atrocities, deceive those above you, play tricks, and abduct my Master and junior brother? I want to strike you with this staff, but alas, Old Sun's staff is very heavy; even a slight blow would end your life. Where have you put my Master?" The monster kept kowtowing, saying, "Great Sage, your humble alligator did not know your great name. I just now defied my cousin, displayed strength and went against reason, and was captured by him. Now that I see the Great Sage, I am fortunate to receive your grace of not killing me, and my gratitude is boundless. Your Master is still tied up in the water palace. I beg the Great Sage to release my iron chains and free my hands, so I can go into the river and bring him out." Mo'ang said from the side, "Great Sage, this fellow is a rebellious monster, extremely cunning. If you release him, I fear he will harbor evil intentions." Sandy said, "I know where he is. I'll go find Master." The two leaped into the water and went straight to the water palace gate, where the doors were wide open, with not a single minion in sight. They went straight into the pavilion and saw Tripitaka and Pigsy, naked and bound there. Sandy quickly untied Master, and the River God also untied Pigsy. Each carrying one on their back, they emerged from the water and went directly to the bank. Pigsy saw the demon tied up nearby, quickly pulled out his rake, rushed forward to strike him, and cursed, "You vile beast! So you're not going to eat me now?" Pilgrim pulled him back, saying, "Brother, spare him the death penalty for now, out of consideration for the virtuous Ao Shun and his son." Mo'ang bowed and said, "Great Sage, your humble son dare not tarry long. Now that your Master has been rescued, I will take this fellow to see my father; although the Great Sage has spared him the death penalty, my father will certainly not spare him the penalty of life. There will surely be a punishment and settlement, and he will again offer apologies to the Great Sage." Pilgrim said, "In that case, take him. Convey my many respects to your esteemed father. I will thank him in person later." The Prince, escorting the demonic alligator, plunged into the water, led the sea soldiers, and returned directly to the Western Ocean. Let's not speak of that further.

Meanwhile, the Black Water River God thanked Pilgrim, saying, "I am deeply grateful for the Great Sage's kindness in helping me reclaim my water palace!" Tripitaka said, "Disciples, we are still on the east bank. How shall we cross this river?" The River God said, "Venerable Master, do not worry. Please mount your horse. Your humble deity will open a path and guide you across the river." The Master then mounted the white horse, Pigsy held the reins, Sandy carried the luggage, and Sun Pilgrim supported him on both sides. The River God then performed a water-blocking spell, holding back the upstream flow. In a moment, the downstream dried up, revealing a wide path. The master and disciples crossed to the west side, thanked the River God, and climbed the cliff to continue their journey. This precisely illustrates: The Chan monk was saved and reached the Western Regions; crossing the Black Water River, the ground was dry and waveless. After all, it is unknown how they will succeed in worshipping the Buddhas and obtaining the scriptures. Let's hear the next chapter's explanation.