Chapter 47: Sacred Monk Blocks Tongtian Water at Night Jin and Mu Show Mercy to Save the Young Boy

The king, leaning against his dragon bed, wept uncontrollably until nightfall. Pilgrim stepped forward and shouted, "How can you be so muddled! Look at the remains of those Taoists: one is a tiger, one is a deer, and the Sheep Power Taoist is an antelope. If you don't believe me, pull out their bones and see! What human has such a skeleton? They were originally mountain beasts who became spirits and conspired to harm you. Seeing that your fortune was still strong, they didn't dare to act immediately. If two more years had passed and your fortune waned, they would have taken your life and seized your entire kingdom. Fortunately, we arrived early, eradicated the evil, and saved your life. Why are you still crying? Why are you still crying! Quickly prepare the passport and send us off!" Hearing this, the king finally came to his senses. All the civil and military officials immediately reported, "The deceased were indeed a white deer and a yellow tiger, and there were indeed sheep bones in the oil caldron. The holy monk's words are undeniable." The king said, "Since this is the case, I thank the holy monk. It's late today, so I'll instruct the Grand Tutor to invite the holy monks to Zhiyuan Temple. Tomorrow morning, I will open the East Pavilion and order the Imperial Household Department to prepare a vegetarian feast as a token of my gratitude." So they were sent to the temple to rest. The next day, at the fifth watch (early morning), the king held court, gathered his officials, and issued an edict: "Quickly issue a proclamation inviting monks and post it on all four city gates and along all roads!" Meanwhile, a grand banquet was prepared. The king's carriage left the court and proceeded to the gate of Zhiyuan Temple, where he invited Tripitaka and his disciples. Together, they entered the East Pavilion for the feast.

Meanwhile, the monks who had escaped learned of the proclamation inviting monks. Each of them was overjoyed and entered the city to find Sun Dasheng, offering their hairs in thanks. After the elder finished his banquet, the king exchanged their passport. Accompanied by the queen, concubines, and civil and military officials from both sides, he escorted them out of the palace gates. There, they saw the monks kneeling by the roadside, proclaiming, "Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Grandfather! We are the monks who escaped death on the sandy beach. We heard that Grandfather eliminated the evildoers and saved us, and our king issued a proclamation inviting monks. We have come specifically to offer our hairs and express our profound gratitude." Pilgrim laughed, "How many of you have come?" The monks replied, "Five hundred, not one less." Pilgrim shook his body, retrieved the hairs, and said to the monarch, officials, monks, and commoners, "These monks were indeed set free by your humble servant. The vehicles were crushed by your humble servant's skill of operating both gates through the spine, and those two demonic Taoists were also killed by your humble servant. Now that the evil has been eradicated, you should know that the Buddhist path has true virtue. From now on, do not act foolishly or believe blindly. I hope you will unify the three religions, respect monks and Taoists alike, and nurture talented individuals. I guarantee your kingdom will be eternally secure." The king obeyed his words and expressed endless gratitude. He then escorted Tripitaka out of the city.

Their journey continued, characterized by diligent efforts to obtain scriptures, working tirelessly to cultivate their inner spirit. They traveled by day and rested by night, drinking when thirsty and eating when hungry. Unconsciously, spring ended, summer faded, and autumn arrived. One day, as dusk settled, Tripitaka reined in his horse and asked, "Disciples, where shall we spend the night tonight?" Pilgrim replied, "Master, as renunciants, we shouldn't speak like householders." Tripitaka asked, "What do householders say? What do renunciants say?" Pilgrim explained, "Householders at this hour enjoy warm beds and soft blankets, holding their children and cuddling their wives, sleeping soundly and freely. We renunciants cannot afford such comfort! We must travel under the moon and stars, endure wind and water, continuing as long as there's a path, and only stopping when there's none." Bajie interjected, "Brother, you only know one aspect, not the other. The path now is very treacherous, and I'm carrying a heavy burden, making it truly difficult to walk. We must find a place to rest properly and recuperate our strength, so we can endure the burden tomorrow. Otherwise, won't I just collapse from exhaustion?" Pilgrim said, "Let's walk a bit further by moonlight until we reach a place with dwellings before stopping." The master and disciples had no choice but to follow Pilgrim forward.

After traveling a short distance, they heard the roaring sound of waves. Bajie exclaimed, "That's it, we've reached the end of the road!" Sandy replied, "A body of water is blocking our way." Tripitaka asked, "How shall we cross it?" Bajie offered, "Let me test it and see how deep it is." Tripitaka cautioned, "Wuneng, don't talk nonsense. How can you test the depth of water?" Bajie explained, "Find a pebble and throw it into the middle. If it splashes up bubbles, it's shallow. If it sinks with a 'gulu-gulu' sound, it's deep." Pilgrim said, "Go ahead and try it." The simpleton picked up a rough stone from the roadside and threw it into the water. They heard a 'gulu-gulu' sound as fish surfaced, and the stone sank to the bottom. He said, "Deep, deep, deep! We can't cross!" Tripitaka said, "Even if you can test its depth, you don't know how wide it is." Bajie replied, "That, I don't know, I don't know." Pilgrim said, "Let me take a look." The Great Sage, with a somersault cloud, leaped into the sky. Focusing his gaze, he saw:

The vast expanse of water immersed in moonlight,Its mighty reflection floating to the sky.A spiritual current swallowing Mount Hua,A long flow piercing through a hundred rivers.

Thousands of turbulent waves rolling,Myriad towering swells cresting.No fishing lights by the banks,Egrets sleeping on the sandy shoals.

Vast and boundless like the sea,Stretching endlessly in every direction.

He quickly brought his cloud down and landed by the riverbank, saying, "Master, it's wide, so wide! We cannot cross! Your humble servant's Fiery Golden Eyes can usually see a thousand li during the day, discerning good and bad omens, and even three to five hundred li at night. But now, I cannot see the other shore at all. How can we determine its width?" Tripitaka was greatly alarmed, unable to speak, his voice choked with emotion, "Disciples, what shall we do in such a situation?" Sandy said, "Master, don't cry. Look there by the water, isn't that a person?" Pilgrim said, "Perhaps it's a fisherman pulling in his nets. Let me go ask him." He grabbed his iron rod and ran a few steps to get a closer look. "Ah! It's not a person, but a stone tablet." On the tablet were three large characters in seal script, and below them, two lines with ten smaller characters. The three large characters were "Tongtian River," and the ten smaller characters read "Eight hundred li across, few have crossed since ancient times." Pilgrim called out, "Master, come and see!" Tripitaka saw it, and tears streamed down his face, "Disciples, when I left Chang'an years ago, I thought the journey to the Western Heaven would be easy. Who knew there would be demonic obstructions and such distant mountains and waters!" Bajie said, "Master, listen! What's that sound of drums and cymbals? It must be a family holding a vegetarian feast. Let's go get some food, ask for a ferry crossing, find a boat, and cross over tomorrow." Tripitaka, from his horse, indeed heard the sound of drums and cymbals. "That's not Taoist music; it's certainly our Buddhist ceremony. Let's go!" Pilgrim led the horse, and they followed the sound. There was no clear path, just uneven ground as they crossed the sandy beach. They spotted a cluster of dwellings, perhaps four or five hundred houses, all quite well-built. They saw:

Houses nestled by mountains, roads winding through them,By the banks, overlooking the stream.Everywhere, wattle gates were closed,Every home's bamboo courtyard was shut.Egrets on the sandy shoals dreamt peacefully,Cuckoos outside the willows sang with chilled throats.Short flutes were silent, cold beating-blocks lacked resonance.Red smartweed branches swayed in the moonlight,Yellow reeds rustled in the wind.Village dogs barked at the sparse fence by the path,An old fisherman slept in his fishing boat by the crossing.Lights were scarce, human presence quiet,The bright moon hung like a mirror in the half-sky.Suddenly, a wave of faint fragrance wafted by,Carried across the bank by the west wind.

Tripitaka dismounted. At the head of the road, he saw a house with a streamer banner outside its gate. Inside, lamps and candles glowed brightly, and incense smoke was fragrant. Tripitaka said, "Wukong, this place is different from those mountain hollows and riverbanks. Under a human roof, we can shelter from the cold dew and sleep soundly. None of you come with me yet. Let me go first to the benefactor's door and ask for lodging. If they agree to keep me, I'll call for you. If not, don't cause any trouble. Your faces are ugly, and I fear you'll scare people, cause problems, and then we'll have nowhere to stay." Pilgrim said, "That makes sense. Please go first, Master. We'll wait here." The elder took off his straw hat, bared his head, shook his monk's robe, and, dragging his tin staff, walked straight to the house gate. Seeing the gate half-open, Tripitaka dared not enter without permission. After standing for a moment, an old man walked out from inside, a string of prayer beads around his neck, chanting 'Amitabha Buddha'. He was coming to close the gate. The elder hastily clasped his hands and called out, "Venerable benefactor, your humble monk seeks a word." The old man returned the greeting and said, "You monk, you've come too late." Tripitaka asked, "What do you mean?" The old man replied, "You're too late, there's nothing left. If you had come earlier, my humble home would have offered vegetarian food, plenty to eat, three sheng of cooked rice, a piece of white cloth, and ten copper coins for monks. Why have you only just arrived?" Tripitaka bowed and said, "Venerable benefactor, your humble monk is not here for alms." The old man asked, "If not for alms, why have you come?" Tripitaka explained, "I am an imperial envoy from the Great Tang of the East, journeying to the Western Heaven to obtain scriptures. I have arrived at your esteemed village today, and as night has fallen, hearing the sound of drums and cymbals from your residence, I specifically came to request a night's lodging. We shall depart at dawn." The old man waved his hand and said, "Monk, renunciants shouldn't lie. From the Great Tang of the East to my village is fifty-four thousand li. How could you, a lone traveler, have come all this way?" Tripitaka said, "Venerable benefactor, what you say is most true, but I also have three young disciples who clear mountains and build bridges over water, protecting your humble monk, which is how we reached this place." The old man asked, "Since you have disciples, why didn't they come with you?" He then invited, "Please, please, my humble home has a place for you to rest." Tripitaka turned and called out, "Disciples, come here." Pilgrim, naturally impetuous, Bajie, inherently boorish, and Sandy, rather reckless, all heard their master's call. Leading the horse and carrying the luggage, without asking any questions, they burst in like a gust of wind. The old man saw them and was so frightened that he fell to the ground, crying out, "Monsters! Monsters have come!" Tripitaka helped him up and said, "Benefactor, don't be afraid. They are not monsters, they are my disciples." The old man, trembling, said, "Such a handsome master, how did you find such ugly disciples!" Tripitaka said, "Although their appearances are not pleasing, they are capable of subduing dragons, taming tigers, catching monsters, and capturing demons." The old man seemed half-believing, half-doubting, as he leaned on Tripitaka and slowly walked.

Meanwhile, the three unruly disciples burst into the main hall, tied up the horse, and dropped their luggage. In the hall, there were originally several monks chanting scriptures. Bajie stuck out his long snout and bellowed, "Hey, monks, what scriptures are you chanting?" The monks, hearing the question, suddenly looked up:

They saw the newcomers, with long snouts and big ears.Broad bodies and wide shoulders, voices like claps of thunder.Pilgrim and Sandy, even more hideous in appearance.The few monks in the hall, all were terrified.The monastic students continued chanting, but the bandleader ordered them to stop.They disregarded the qing and bell, and even abandoned the Buddha statues.All at once, they blew out the lamps, scattering in a blinding panic.Stumbling and crawling, how could they cross the threshold?Heads bumping into heads, like collapsing gourd racks.A serene spiritual ceremony, turned into a huge joke.

The three brothers, seeing the monks stumbling and crawling, clapped their hands and burst into laughter. The monks became even more terrified, bumping their heads and scrambling, each looking out for his own life, and all fled clean away. Tripitaka, helping the old man, walked into the main hall. The lights were all out, and the three were still giggling and laughing. Tang Monk cursed, "You rascals, how utterly ill-behaved! I constantly teach you, daily admonish you. As the ancients said, 'To be good without teaching, is it not saintly? To be good after teaching, is it not wise? If teaching still fails to make one good, is it not foolish?' Your rude behavior is truly the lowest and most foolish kind! You burst in without knowing proper decorum, scared the old benefactor, scattered the chanting monks, and ruined everyone's good deed. Aren't you causing me to accrue demerits?" His words made them dare not reply. Only then did the old man believe they were his disciples. He quickly turned and bowed, saying, "Venerable Sirs, it's nothing, nothing serious. We just turned off the lights and scattered the flowers; the Buddhist ceremony was about to conclude anyway." Bajie said, "Since it's done, bring out the full feast so we can eat and sleep." The old man called out, "Bring lights! Bring lights!" His family members, hearing this, were greatly surprised and wondered, "There are so many lamps and candles in the hall for chanting scriptures, why are you asking for more lights now?" Several servants came out to look. Seeing the darkness, they immediately lit torches and lanterns and rushed in. Suddenly, they looked up and saw Bajie and Sandy. Frightened, they dropped their torches, quickly turned around, closed the inner door, and shouted inside, "Monsters! Monsters have come!"

Pilgrim picked up a torch, lit the lamps and candles, pulled over an armchair, and invited Tripitaka to sit there. His brothers sat on either side, and the old man sat in front. As they were settling in, they heard a door open from inside, and another old man walked out, leaning on a walking stick. He asked, "What kind of evil spirits have come to my benevolent home in the middle of the night?" The old man sitting in front quickly stood up and met him behind the screen door, saying, "Brother, don't shout. They are not evil spirits; they are arhats from the Great Tang of the East who are on a pilgrimage for scriptures. Although their disciples look fierce, they are truly fierce in appearance but good in heart." Only then did the second old man put down his walking stick and greet the four of them. After the greetings, he also sat down in front and called out, "Bring tea! Set the table for the feast!" He called several times, but the servants, trembling, dared not approach. Bajie couldn't resist asking, "Old man, what's with this grand display, people walking back and forth?" The old man replied, "I'm telling them to bring out the feast to serve the venerable sirs." Bajie asked, "How many people are serving?" The old man said, "Eight people." Bajie asked, "Who are these eight people serving?" The old man said, "Serving you four venerable sirs." Bajie said, "That pale-faced master only needs one person; the hairy-faced, thunder-mouthed one only needs two people; that gloomy-faced one needs eight people; but I need twenty people to serve me to be satisfied." The old man said, "In that case, I suppose your appetite is quite large." Bajie said, "It's barely acceptable." The old man said, "There are people, there are people." He called out three or forty people, young and old, to come out.

As the monk and the old man conversed, the others finally lost their fear. They set a table at the head, inviting Tripitaka to sit there. Three tables were placed on either side, inviting the three of them to sit. And a table in front was for the two old men. First, vegetarian fruits and vegetables were served, followed by noodles, rice, snacks, and soup, all arranged neatly. Elder Tang raised his chopsticks and first chanted a scripture for opening the meal. The simpleton, being somewhat impatient and hungry, didn't wait for Tang Monk to finish his scripture. He picked up a red lacquer wooden bowl, and with a "plop," emptied a bowl of white rice into his mouth, finishing it instantly. A young servant nearby said, "This venerable sir is too careless! He didn't cover the steamed buns, so how could he 'cover' the rice? Won't he soil his clothes?" Bajie laughed, "I didn't 'cover' it, I ate it!" The servant asked, "You didn't even lift your hand, how could you have eaten it already?" Bajie said, "You children lie! I clearly ate it. If you don't believe me, I'll eat it again for you to see." The young servants then brought another bowl, filled it, and handed it to Bajie. The simpleton shook it once and again emptied it into his mouth, finishing it instantly. All the servants exclaimed, "Grandpa! Your throat must be paved with grinding stones, truly smooth and slick!" Tripitaka hadn't even finished one chapter of his scripture, but Bajie had already gone through five or six bowls. Only then did they all begin to eat together. The simpleton, regardless of whether it was rice or noodles, fruits or snacks, just kept scooping and gulping, all the while shouting, "More rice! More rice!" Gradually, no more came! Pilgrim called out, "Brother, eat a little less. It's better than starving in the mountain hollow; getting half-full is good enough." Bajie said, "What a face! As the saying goes, 'If you don't fill a monk, you might as well bury him alive!'" Pilgrim said, "Put away the utensils, don't mind him!" The two old men bowed and said, "To be honest, venerable sirs, we wouldn't be afraid during the day. An elder with such a large belly could feed a hundred or so people! But it's late, and after finishing the remnants of the feast, we only steamed one shi of noodles and five dou of rice, along with several tables of vegetarian dishes. We had intended to invite some relatives, neighbors, and monks to share the blessings. Unexpectedly, you venerable ones arrived, scaring away the monks, and we didn't even dare to invite our relatives and neighbors. Everything has been offered to you. If you're not full, we can steam more." Bajie said, "Steam more, steam more!"

After these words, the utensils and tables were cleared. Tripitaka bowed, thanking them for the meal, and then asked, "Venerable benefactors, what is your esteemed surname?" The old man replied, "Our surname is Chen." Tripitaka clasped his hands and said, "That is my humble monk's family name as well." The old man asked, "Venerable Sir's surname is also Chen?" Tripitaka said, "Yes, my secular surname was Chen. May I ask what kind of ritual was being performed just now?" Bajie laughed, "Master, why ask him? Don't you know? It must be a 'Green Crop Feast,' a 'Peace Feast,' or just a 'Completion Feast'!" The old man said, "No, no." Tripitaka again asked, "What exactly was it for?" The old man replied, "It was a pre-emptive death ritual." Bajie laughed so hard he nearly fell, "Grandpa, you're so blind! We are kings who tell lies and build bridges, how can you try to deceive me with such a lie! Don't monks know about rituals? There are only 'pre-emptive treasury rituals' and 'pre-emptive repayment rituals,' but where is there a 'pre-emptive death ritual'? No one in your family has died, so why perform a death ritual?"

Pilgrim heard this and secretly rejoiced, "This simpleton has gotten a bit clever." He said, "Old gentlemen, you misspoke. What do you mean 'pre-emptive death ritual'?" The two old men leaned forward and said, "You are on a pilgrimage for scriptures, why didn't you take the main road, but instead ended up here at our place?" Pilgrim said, "We were on the main road, but we saw a body of water blocking our way and couldn't cross. Hearing the sound of drums and cymbals, we specifically came to your residence to request lodging." The old man asked, "When you reached the water, did you see anything?" Pilgrim said, "We only saw a stone tablet with 'Tongtian River' inscribed on it, and below it, ten characters reading 'Eight hundred li across, few have crossed since ancient times.' There was nothing else." The old man said, "If you had walked a bit further upstream, just about a li from that tablet, there's a temple for the Great King Linggan. Didn't you see it?" Pilgrim asked, "No, we didn't. Please tell us, old gentleman, what kind of 'Linggan' (spiritual responsiveness) is this?" The two old men both teared up and said, "Venerable Sirs! That Great King—

His spiritual power is felt far and wide, building temples,His divine might protects the common people for a thousand li.Year after year, he bestows sweet dew upon our village,Every year, propitious clouds descend upon our hamlets.

Pilgrim said, "Bestowing sweet dew, descending propitious clouds, that sounds good. Why are you so sad and troubled?" The old man stamped his foot, beat his chest, and grunted, "Venerable Sir!—

Though his grace is abundant, there is also resentment,And while he is benevolent, he also harms people.It's simply because he demands to eat young boys and girls,He is not a righteous and just deity.

Pilgrim asked, "He eats young boys and girls?" The old man said, "Precisely." Pilgrim asked, "I suppose it's your family's turn now?" The old man said, "This year, it's indeed our turn. Here, there are a hundred households living. This place belongs to the Yuankui County of Chechi Kingdom and is called Chen Family Village. This Great King demands a sacrifice once a year: one young boy and one young girl, along with pigs, sheep, and other offerings. He eats them all at once and ensures we have favorable winds and timely rain. If we don't sacrifice, he brings down misfortune and disaster." Pilgrim asked, "How many sons do you have in your household?" The old man beat his chest and said, "Alas, alas! What sons are you talking about, it shames us! This is my younger brother, named Chen Qing. Your humble servant is called Chen Cheng. I am sixty-three this year, and he is fifty-eight. We have struggled with children. At fifty, I still had no son, so relatives persuaded me to take a concubine. With no other choice, I found a partner, and she gave birth to a daughter, who is now just eight years old. Her name is 'One Pound of Gold'." Bajie asked, "What a precious name! Why 'One Pound of Gold'?" The old man explained, "Because I struggled to have children, I repaired bridges, paved roads, built temples and pagodas, and gave alms to monks. I kept an account book, noting where three taels were spent, where five taels were spent. By the year my daughter was born, I had spent exactly thirty catties of gold. Thirty catties make one pound, so I named her 'One Pound of Gold'." Pilgrim asked, "Whose son is it?" The old man said, "My younger brother has a son, also from a concubine, who is seven this year. His name is Chen Guanbao." Pilgrim asked, "Why that name?" The old man replied, "Our family worships Saint Guan, and we obtained this son by praying at Guan Ye's altar, hence the name Guanbao. My brother and I, combined, are one hundred and twenty years old, and we only have these two offspring. Unexpectedly, it's our turn for the sacrifice, so we dare not refuse to offer them. Therefore, the bond between father and child is hard to sever. We are first performing a ritual for the children's liberation, which is why it's called a 'pre-emptive death ritual'." Hearing this, Tripitaka could not stop tears from falling down his cheeks and said, "This is truly what the ancients said: 'The yellow plums do not fall, but the green plums fall,' meaning Heaven often harms those who have no children." Pilgrim laughed, "Let me ask him again. Old gentlemen, how large is your family estate?" The two old men replied, "We have quite a bit. Forty to fifty qing of irrigated land, sixty to seventy qing of dry land, eighty to ninety plots of pasture, two to three hundred water buffalo, twenty to thirty donkeys and horses, and countless pigs, sheep, chickens, and geese. Our humble home also has more old grain than we can eat and more clothes than we can wear. Our family wealth and property are quite considerable." Pilgrim said, "With such a large estate, you must have saved diligently." The old man asked, "How do you see that I save diligently?" Pilgrim said, "Since you have this wealth, how can you bear to sacrifice your own children? For fifty taels of silver, you could buy a young boy; for a hundred taels of silver, you could buy a young girl. Even with all expenses, it wouldn't exceed two hundred taels. Wouldn't it be better to keep your own children and descendants?" The two old men shed tears and said, "Venerable Sir! You don't know, that Great King is very spiritually powerful and often visits our homes." Pilgrim asked, "When he visits, what kind of face do you see? How tall is he?" The two old men said, "We don't see his form; we only smell a burst of fragrant wind, and then we know that Great King Grandfather has arrived. We immediately fill our censers with incense, and young and old bow in reverence to the wind. He knows everything, even the smallest details of our household, and remembers the birth years and months of all the old and young. He only accepts offerings of our own flesh and blood. Not to mention that two or three hundred taels won't buy them, even millions of taels won't buy children exactly alike in age and month." Pilgrim said, "So that's how it is. Alright, alright. Please bring your son out, let me see him." Chen Qing quickly went inside, brought Guanbao to the hall, and placed him before the lamp. The child, unaware of life and death, held two sleeves full of fruit, jumping and dancing, eating and playing. Pilgrim saw him, silently recited a spell, shook his body, and transformed into the exact likeness of Guanbao. The two children, holding hands, danced before the lamp. This frightened the old man, who hastily knelt before Tripitaka, saying, "Venerable Sir, this is improper, improper! This venerable sir just spoke, and now he has transformed into my son's exact likeness, calling his name, they both respond and walk! This will surely shorten our lifespan! Please return to your true form, please return to your true form!" Pilgrim wiped his face and returned to his true form. The old man knelt before him and said, "So, venerable sir has such abilities." Pilgrim laughed, "Does he resemble your son?" The old man said, "Yes, yes, yes! Truly the same face, the same voice, the same clothes, the same height." Pilgrim said, "You haven't looked closely yet. Bring a scale and weigh him. Is he the same weight?" The old man said, "Yes, yes, yes, he is the same weight." Pilgrim asked, "If he's like this, can he pass the sacrifice?" The old man said, "Excellent, excellent! He can pass the sacrifice!" Pilgrim said, "I will now take this child's place, leaving your family with descendants. I shall go and make the sacrifice to that Great King." Chen Qing knelt and kowtowed in gratitude, also promising to give a thousand taels of silver to Elder Tang for his journey to the Western Heaven. Pilgrim asked, "Aren't you going to thank your humble servant?" The old man said, "You are already making the sacrifice, so you will be gone." Pilgrim asked, "How will I be gone?" The old man replied, "The Great King will eat you." Pilgrim asked, "He dares to eat me?" The old man said, "If he doesn't eat you, why would he dislike the raw flesh?" Pilgrim laughed, "It's all up to fate. If he eats me, it's because my life is short; if he doesn't, it's my good fortune. I will go and make the sacrifice for you."

Chen Qing continued to kowtow in thanks, also agreeing to send five hundred taels of silver. However, Chen Cheng did not kowtow or express thanks; he just leaned against the screen door, weeping bitterly. Pilgrim, understanding his distress, stepped forward and grabbed him, saying, "Old man, you don't agree with me, you don't thank me. Are you perhaps unwilling to part with your daughter?" Only then did Chen Cheng kneel down and say, "Yes, I am unwilling to part with her. Although I am deeply grateful for your kindness in saving my nephew, I, a humble old man, have no sons, only this one daughter. Even after I die, she will cry bitterly for me. How can I bear to part with her!" Pilgrim said, "You quickly steam five dou of rice and prepare some good vegetarian dishes for my long-snouted disciple to eat. I will have him transform into your daughter, and my brother and I will go together for the sacrifice. We might as well perform a virtuous deed and save both your children's lives. How about that?" Bajie, hearing this, was greatly alarmed and said, "Brother, you want to show off your powers, regardless of my life or death, and you're dragging me into this!" Pilgrim said, "Brother, as the saying goes, a chicken doesn't eat food it hasn't worked for. We entered this house and were generously feasted, and you were still complaining about not eating enough. How can you not help these people in their distress?" Bajie said, "Brother, you can transform, but I cannot." Pilgrim said, "You also have thirty-six transformations, how can you say you can't?" Tripitaka called out, "Wuneng, your elder brother speaks most wisely and acts most appropriately. As the saying goes, 'Saving one life is better than building a seven-story pagoda.' Firstly, it's to repay their kindness, and secondly, to accumulate hidden virtues. Besides, it's a cool night and there's nothing else to do. You two brothers should go and have some fun." Bajie said, "Look at what Master is saying! I can only transform into mountains, trees, rocks, toads, water buffalo, or large fat men, but transforming into a little girl is quite difficult!" Pilgrim said, "Old man, don't believe him. Bring your beloved daughter out for me to see." Chen Cheng quickly went inside and brought the child, 'One Pound of Gold', to the hall. The entire family, wives, concubines, young and old, male and female, all came out to kowtow and bow, begging for the child's life to be saved. The daughter wore an eight-treasure dangling pearl and jade hairpin on her head, a red and yellow silk jacket, over which was a dark green satin checker-patterned collar cape. Around her waist was a large red floral silk skirt, and on her feet were a pair of shallow red silk shoes with frog-shaped toes. She had two embroidered knee-length leggings on her legs and was also eating fruit from her sleeves. Pilgrim said, "Bajie, this is the girl. Quickly transform to look like her, and we'll go for the sacrifice." Bajie said, "Brother, how can I transform into someone so delicate and beautiful?" Pilgrim commanded, "Hurry up! Don't make me hit you!" Bajie, scared, said, "Brother, please don't hit me, let me try to transform." The simpleton recited a spell, shook his head a few times, and shouted, "Change!" Indeed, he transformed his face to look like the girl, but his belly was too big and awkward, not graceful at all. Pilgrim laughed, "Transform again!" Bajie said, "Go ahead and hit me! I can't transform any better, what can I do?" Pilgrim said, "Is it a girl's head on a monk's body? Making it so neither male nor female, what shall we do? You must conjure up the Heavenly Dipper." He then blew a puff of immortal qi on him. Indeed, his body immediately transformed to be identical to the child's. Pilgrim then instructed, "Two old gentlemen, take your family and your son and daughter inside. Don't get them mixed up. If my brothers try to sneak away later, it will be hard to distinguish them. You will give them good fruits to eat, and don't let them cry out, lest the Great King discover our secret and the news gets out. Then the two of us will go and have some fun!"

The Great Sage, after instructing Sandy to protect Tripitaka, transformed into Chen Guanbao, and Bajie transformed into One Pound of Gold. Both were ready. They then asked, "How should we be offered? Are we to be tied and taken? Are we steamed and taken? Are we chopped up and taken?" Bajie said, "Brother, don't mess with me, I don't have that kind of skill." The old man said, "Certainly not, certainly not! Just use two red lacquer vermillion trays. We'll invite you two to sit in the trays, place them on tables, and have two young men carry the tables to the temple." Pilgrim said, "Good, good, good! Bring out the trays, we'll try them." The old man immediately brought out two vermillion trays. Pilgrim and Bajie sat on them. Four young men lifted the two tables and walked a bit in the courtyard, then carried them back and placed them in the hall. Pilgrim joyfully said, "Bajie, walking around like this, we're becoming monks fit for the stage!" Bajie said, "If we're carried there and carried back, and carried back and forth until dawn, I wouldn't be afraid. But if we're carried to the temple and immediately eaten, that's no fun!" Pilgrim said, "Just keep an eye on me. If he tries to eat me first, you just run away." Bajie asked, "How will I know how he eats? If he eats the boy first, I can run. But if he eats the girl first, what will I do?" The old man said, "When we sacrifice yearly, some brave villagers would hide behind the temple or under the offering table and see that he eats the boy first, then the girl." Bajie said, "Good fortune, good fortune!" As the brothers were discussing, they heard gongs and drums resounding outside, and lights shining. The villagers from the entire community opened the front gate and shouted, "Bring out the boy and girl!" The old man, weeping and wailing, had the four young men carry them out. What became of their lives, let us hear in the next chapter.