Chapter 65: Evil Spirits Pretending to Be Little Thunder Sound The Four Sects All Face Great Calamity

This cycle of karma urges people to do good and refrain from evil. As soon as a thought arises, the gods observe it, no matter what one does. How can one learn from both clumsiness and cunning? Both are unwitting remedies. While alive, one should cultivate the right path; do not drift aimlessly. Recognize your roots, shed your earthly shell. To seek immortality, you must grasp it. You must always see clearly, deliberating with profound wisdom. Pass through the three gates and fill the dark sea, ensuring that the good ride on phoenixes and cranes. At that time, show compassion and mercy, ascending to ultimate bliss.

The story tells how Xuanzang's devout resolve, not to mention the protection of celestial beings, was such that even the spirits of plants guided him, enjoying a pleasant night's encounter, freeing him from thorns and prickles, and removing all entanglement from thick vines. The four pilgrims continued their journey westward for a long time. Winter was ending, and it was just the beginning of spring—

Nature's beauty mingled harmoniously; the Big Dipper pointed to Yin.Grass sprouts covered the ground in green; willow buds adorned the embankments.A ridge of peach blossoms, a red brocade fringe; half a stream of misty water, a clear blue silk.How many winds and rains, endless emotions.The sun made flower hearts vibrant; swallows carried light moss pollen.Mountain colors like Wang Wei's painting, light and dark; bird songs like Ji Zi's eloquent tongue.Fragrant blossoms spread like embroidery, but no one appreciated them; yet butterflies danced and bees sang with feeling.

The master and disciples also sought beauty and trod through green, slowly following the horse's pace. As they traveled, they suddenly saw a tall mountain, which from a distance seemed to touch the sky. Xuanzang raised his whip and pointed, saying, "Wukong, I wonder how tall that mountain is; it seems to reach the azure sky and pierce the blue firmament." Pilgrim replied, "Doesn't an old poem say, 'Only heaven is above, no mountain can compare'? It merely means the mountain is extremely high, with nothing to equal it; how could it actually touch the sky?" Bajie said, "If it doesn't touch the sky, why is Mount Kunlun called the Sky Pillar?" Pilgrim said, "You don't know, since ancient times, the sky has not filled the northwest. Mount Kunlun is in the northwest Qian position, hence the idea of propping up the sky and filling the void, thus it's named the Sky Pillar." Sha Seng laughed and said, "Brother, don't tell him these clever words; if he hears them, he'll use them to lecture others. Let's just walk, and once we're on that mountain, we'll know its height."

That oaf (Bajie) chased Sha Seng, playing and wrestling, while the master's horse was swift as if flying. In a moment, they reached the edge of the mountain cliff. Step by step, they ascended, and saw that the mountain—

Wind rustled in the forest; water gurgled in the stream.Crows and sparrows couldn't fly over it; even immortals found it difficult.A thousand cliffs and ten thousand ravines, countless bends and turns.Dust rolled, no one reached; strange rocks stood dense, never tiresome to behold.In some places, clouds were like watery necks; everywhere were trees with abundant bird songs.Deer carried ganoderma away; apes returned with peaches.Foxes and badgers leaped back and forth on cliffs; foolish deer played in and out of the ridge tops.Suddenly, a tiger's roar startled the heart; spotted leopards and grey wolves blocked the path.

Xuanzang's heart trembled at the sight. Sun Wukong, with his vast magical powers, simply roared with his golden-banded cudgel, frightening away wolves, insects, tigers, and leopards, clearing a path and leading his master straight up the high mountain. After crossing the ridge and descending to a western plain, they suddenly saw an ethereal aura of auspicious light and swirling colorful mists, revealing a complex of towers, terraces, and halls, from which faint sounds of bells and chimes drifted. Xuanzang said, "Disciples, see what place this is." Pilgrim raised his head, cupped his hand over his eyes as a shade, and observed carefully. What a magnificent place it was! Truly—

Precious towers and treasure seats, a renowned monastery.Empty valleys echoed with earthly sounds; tranquil surroundings diffused celestial fragrance.Green pines veiled the high pavilion with rain; emerald bamboos held clouds, guarding the lecture hall.Misty rays of light revealed the Dragon Palace; vibrant hues spread far across the sandy realm.Vermilion railings and jade doors, painted beams and carved pillars.The fragrance of sutra discussions filled the seats; moonlight streamed through the window as scriptures were recited.Birds chirped within cinnabar trees; cranes drank beside stone springs.Flowers bloomed all around, making the Qiyuan Garden beautiful; three sides of gates opened, radiating the light of Jetavana.Towers and terraces rose abruptly, their gates facing peaks; bells and chimes sounded lingeringly.Windows opened to a gentle breeze; curtains rolled up to a vast mist.Monks had tranquil dispositions; no worldly intentions prospered.The red dust of the world didn't reach this true immortal realm; a pure land, a good monastery for cultivation.

After looking, Pilgrim replied, "Master, that place is indeed a monastery, but I don't know why, amidst the aura of Buddhist light and auspicious mist, there is also a hint of ominous energy. This scene resembles the Thunderclap Monastery, yet the path is wrong. We must not enter that place without caution, lest we fall prey to evil." Xuanzang said, "Since it has the appearance of Thunderclap Monastery, isn't it the Spirit Mountain? Don't mislead me and delay my sincere purpose!" Pilgrim said, "No, no! I've walked the path to Spirit Mountain several times; this is not the way!" Bajie said, "Even if it's not, there must be good people living there." Sha Seng laughed, "No need for too much suspicion; this path inevitably passes by its gate. We'll know whether it is or not once we see it." Pilgrim said, "Wujing speaks reasonably."

The elder spurred his horse to the monastery gate. Seeing the three large characters "雷音寺" (Thunderclap Monastery), he panicked, fell off his horse, and lay on the ground, cursing, "You vile monkey! You've killed me! It's clearly the Thunderclap Monastery, yet you still tried to trick me!" Pilgrim chuckled apologetically, "Master, don't be angry. Look again. There are four characters on the gate; why did you only read three and then blame me?" The elder nervously got up and looked again. Indeed, there were four characters: "小雷音寺" (Little Thunderclap Monastery). Xuanzang said, "Even if it's the Little Thunderclap Monastery, there must be a Buddha inside. The scriptures speak of three thousand Buddhas, implying they are not confined to one place. Like Guanyin is in the South Sea, Puxian on Mount Emei, Wenshu on Mount Wutai. I wonder which Buddha's sanctuary this is. As the ancients said, 'Where there is Buddha, there are scriptures; where there is no square, there are no treasures.' We can go in." Pilgrim said, "We must not go in. This place has little good fortune and much ill omen. If trouble arises, don't blame me." Xuanzang said, "Even if there's no living Buddha, there must be a Buddha statue. My disciple's heartfelt wish is to meet Buddhas and worship Buddhas; how could I blame you?" He immediately ordered Bajie to fetch his kasaya and change his monk's hat. Having tidied his attire, he stepped forward.

Just then, a voice from inside the monastery gate called out, "Xuanzang, you have come from the East to worship our Buddha, how can you still be so slow?" Hearing this, Xuanzang immediately prostrated himself. Bajie also kowtowed, and Sha Seng knelt down. Only the Great Sage, leading the horse and tidying the luggage, remained behind. As soon as they entered the second gate, they saw the Grand Hall of the Tathagata. Below the precious platform outside the hall, arrayed were five hundred Arhats, three thousand Gatis, four Vajra, eight Bodhisattvas, Bhikkhunis, Upasakas, and countless holy monks and Taoists, truly resplendent with fragrant flowers and abundant auspicious energy. The elder, Bajie, and Sha Seng hastily prostrated themselves with every step, bowing their way onto the spiritual platform. Pilgrim, however, openly refused to bow. Then, a stern voice from the lotus throne loudly demanded, "Sun Wukong, why do you not bow before the Tathagata?" Unbeknownst to them, Pilgrim had observed carefully, realizing it was a deception. He then dropped the horse and his travel bag, drew his cudgel, and shouted, "You vile beasts, how incredibly bold! How dare you falsely invoke the Buddha's name and corrupt the Tathagata's pure virtue! Don't run!" He wielded his cudgel with both hands and stepped forward to strike. Just then, with a clang from mid-air, a pair of golden cymbals descended, trapping Pilgrim, head and foot, inside them. Bajie and Sha Wujing hastily raised their rakes and staves, but were immediately surrounded by the Arhats, Gatis, holy monks, and Taoists who swarmed forward. Caught off guard, both were captured. Xuanzang was also seized, and all three were tied with ropes and cords, tightly bound and secured.

It turned out that the one impersonating the Buddha on the lotus throne was a demon king, and the Arhats and others were all minor monsters. So, they discarded their Buddha forms, revealed their true demonic bodies, carried the three captives to the back for confinement, and kept Pilgrim sealed inside the golden cymbals forever, placing them on the precious platform, limiting him to three days and nights to be melted into pus and blood. After he melted, they would then steam the other three in iron cages for their enjoyment. This exactly illustrates:The green-eyed monkey discerned the false from the true, but in the Zen context, seeing the form led to worshipping the golden body. Old Mother Huang blindly bowed in reverence, and Wooden Mother foolishly engaged in conversation. Evil monsters forcefully bullied their true nature, and demon leaders wickedly deceived heavenly beings. Truly, the path was small, but the demon king was great; entering the wrong gate was a wasted effort.

At that time, the group of demons confined Xuanzang and the other two in the back, tied the horse behind, and stored his kasaya and monk's hat in the luggage bundle, also securing them tightly, without further mention.

Now, Pilgrim was trapped inside the golden cymbals. It was pitch black, making him sweat profusely from agitation. He pushed left and right, but couldn't get out. In his haste, he furiously swung his iron cudgel, but it wouldn't budge an inch. He had no more ideas. He tried to struggle outward, hoping to break the cymbals. So, he formed a hand seal and grew thousands of feet tall, but the golden cymbals also grew with him, without any crack or opening for light. Then he formed another seal and shrank his body to the size of a mustard seed, but the cymbals also shrank with him, without any tiny holes. He blew a breath of immortal qi onto his iron cudgel and commanded, "Change!" It immediately transformed into a flagpole, propping up the golden cymbals. He then selected two long hairs from the back of his head, commanded "Change!", and they transformed into five-petaled plum-blossom drills. He drilled thousands of times alongside the cudgel, only producing a resounding clang, but without making any progress. Pilgrim grew desperate. He formed a hand seal and recited the incantation, "Om lan jing fa jie, qian yuan heng li zhen," summoning the Five Directions Gatis, the Six Ding and Six Jia divine generals, and the eighteen Guardian Garlands, who all appeared outside the golden cymbals and said, "Great Sage, we are all protecting the master, ensuring no demons harm him. Why have you summoned us?" Pilgrim said, "My master didn't listen to my advice; even if he were to die, it wouldn't be unfair! But you all, quickly use your magic to pry open these cymbals and let me out, then we can deal with the situation. It's pitch black in here, and I'm covered in sweat from agitation; won't I suffocate?" The gods truly tried to pry the cymbals open, but they were as if grown together, impossible to separate even an inch. The Golden-Headed Gati said, "Great Sage, we don't know what kind of treasure these cymbals are. They are joined together, top and bottom, as a single piece. Our power is too weak to pry them open." Pilgrim said, "I've used countless divine powers inside, but they haven't budged either."

Hearing this, the Gati immediately ordered the Six Ding gods to protect Xuanzang, the Six Jia gods to guard the golden cymbals, and the Garlands to scout around them. He then soared on an auspicious light, and in an instant, burst into the South Heaven Gate. Without waiting for summons, he went directly to the Lingxiao Palace, prostrated himself before the Jade Emperor, and reported, "My Lord, your servant is a Gati of the Five Directions. Today, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven is escorting Xuanzang on his scripture-seeking journey. They encountered a mountain called Little Thunderclap Monastery. Xuanzang mistook it for Spirit Mountain and entered to worship. It turned out to be a deception by a demon, who trapped the master and disciples. The Great Sage is sealed within a pair of golden cymbals, unable to move forward or backward, on the verge of death. I have specially come to report this." The Jade Emperor immediately issued an imperial decree: "Dispatch the Twenty-Eight Constellations to quickly relieve this calamity and subdue the demon!" The constellations dared not delay. They followed the Gati out of the Heaven Gate and into the monastery. It was around the second watch (10 PM - midnight). The small and large demons, having captured Xuanzang, had all been rewarded by the old demon and gone to sleep. The constellations, without causing any alarm, all reported from outside the cymbals, "Great Sage, we are the Twenty-Eight Constellations dispatched by the Jade Emperor to rescue you." Pilgrim was overjoyed to hear this and ordered, "Use your weapons to break it open, and your old grandson will get out!" The constellations said, "We dare not strike it. This object is a treasure of pure gold; striking it will certainly make a sound. The sound will alarm the demons, making rescue difficult. Let us use our weapons to pry at it; wherever you see a tiny bit of light, escape through there." Pilgrim said, "Exactly." You saw those wielding spears use spears, those with swords use swords, those with knives use knives, those with axes use axes; some carried, some lifted, some overturned, some pried. They worked until the third watch (midnight - 2 AM), but it remained utterly unmoved, as if it were a single, solid casting.

Pilgrim was inside, looking east, looking west, crawling over, rolling around, but he couldn't see any light at all. Metal Dragon said, "Great Sage, don't be anxious. This treasure must be a wish-fulfilling object, and it can certainly transform. You inside, feel for the seam with your hand, and when I push my horn tip in, you can transform and escape through any loose spot." Pilgrim followed the advice and indeed fumbled around inside. This constellation (Metal Dragon) shrank his body, and his horn tip, like a needle point, extended into the seam of the cymbal. Pity, he used up a thousand catties of strength just to penetrate inside. He then used his true form and horn to cast a spell, shouting, "Grow, grow, grow!" His horn grew to the thickness of a bowl. The cymbal opening, however, didn't seem cast from gold; it was as if made of flesh and blood, tightly gripping Metal Dragon's horn, with not a single gap anywhere. Pilgrim, feeling his horn, said, "It's no use! There's not a single loose spot, top or bottom! No choice, bear a little pain and take me out." The Great Sage, transforming his golden-banded cudgel into a steel drill, bored a hole in the tip of the horn. He then shrank his body to the size of a mustard seed, squatted in the drill hole, and cried, "Pull your horn out, pull your horn out!" This constellation (Metal Dragon) then expended unknown effort before finally pulling it out, becoming utterly exhausted and collapsing to the ground.

Pilgrim then drilled out of the horn's tip, resumed his original form, drew his iron cudgel, and struck the cymbals with a resounding clang, as if collapsing a copper mountain, splitting open the golden cymbals. Alas, he shattered a Buddhist artifact into thousands of scattered gold pieces! The Twenty-Eight Constellations were startled and alarmed, the Five Directions Gatis' hair stood on end, and all the large and small demons awoke from their sleep. The old demon king, startled from his sleep, hastily got up, donned his robe, beat the drum, gathered his demonic hordes, and armed them. It was nearly dawn. They swarmed to the precious platform and saw Sun Wukong surrounded by the constellations outside the shattered golden cymbals. The demon king was greatly shocked and immediately commanded, "Minions! Close the front gate tightly! Don't let anyone escape!" Hearing this, Pilgrim immediately took the constellations and leaped into the sky on his cloud. The demon king collected the shattered gold, arranged his demonic troops, and lined them up outside the monastery gate. The demon king, bearing a grudge, reluctantly donned his armor. Wielding a short, soft spiked mace, he stepped out of the formation and shouted, "Sun Wukong! A true man does not flee far! Come forward and fight me for three rounds!" Pilgrim could not tolerate this. He immediately led the constellations, descended his cloud, and observed the demon's appearance, seeing that he—

With disheveled hair, he wore a flat, thin golden circlet; with gleaming eyes, two yellow brows stood erect.His nose, like a hanging gall bladder, had wide-flared nostrils; his square mouth contained sharp teeth.He wore a tightly interwoven chainmail armor; belted with a raw silk tassel cord.His feet wore a pair of black leather shoes; his hand held a spiked mace.This form was like a beast but not entirely; its appearance was not human yet resembled one.

Pilgrim brandished his iron cudgel and shouted, "What kind of monster are you, daring to impersonate the Buddha, occupy this mountain, and falsely establish a Little Thunderclap Monastery!" The demon king said, "This monkey doesn't know my name, which is why he dared to trespass on this immortal mountain. This place is called Little Western Heaven, because I cultivated here, attained true enlightenment, and these treasure towers and precious halls were bestowed upon me by Heaven. My name is Yellow Browed Old Buddha. People here don't know that, but they call me King Yellow Brow or Grandfather Yellow Brow. I have long known you were traveling west and possessed some skills. That's why I set up this illusion to display my abilities and lure your master in, to challenge you to a wager. If you can defeat me, I will spare your master and disciples and allow you to achieve true enlightenment. If you cannot, I will kill you all, and then I will go to see the Tathagata and collect the scriptures myself, truly bringing enlightenment to the Central Kingdom." Pilgrim laughed, "Demon, no need for big talk. If you want to wager, quickly come up and receive my cudgel!" The demon king, delighted, raised his spiked mace to block. What a fierce battle ensued—

Two staffs, not alike, when spoken of, they have their forms:One short and soft, a Buddhist weapon; one hard and firm, hidden in the ocean's depths.Both possess the power to change at will; now they meet to contend for strength.The short, soft spiked mace, adorned with patterns; the hard golden-banded cudgel, like a dragon.Whether thick or thin, truly commendable; to be short or long, perfectly suitable.Monkey and demon, fighting together, this battle truly without deceit.The disciplined monkey follows the teachings, acting as the Mind Ape; the vile monster deceives heaven with false appearances.Both filled with anger and hatred, each showing no mercy; both wicked and fierce, each in their own way.One raised his hand fiercely without relenting; the other parried, making it difficult to give ground.Spraying clouds, darkening the sun; exhaling mist, obscuring peaks and ranges.Cudgel met cudgel, both engaging; forgetting life and death for Xuanzang.

They fought for fifty rounds, with no clear victor. At the monastery gate, gongs clashed and drums thundered, and the demons shouted and waved flags. On this side, the Twenty-Eight Constellation heavenly soldiers and the Five Directions Gatis, each brandishing their weapons, let out a shout and surrounded the demon king in the center. This frightened the demons outside the gate, who couldn't beat their drums, their hands trembling too soft to strike gongs. The old demon king, utterly fearless, wielded his spiked mace with one hand, parrying the numerous soldiers, while with the other, he unfastened an old white cloth bag from his waist. He threw it upwards, and with a whooshing sound, it swallowed Sun Wukong, the Twenty-Eight Constellations, and the Five Directions Gatis all at once. He slung the bag over his shoulder, turned, and strode back, with all the small demons joyfully returning in triumph. The old demon ordered his minions to fetch thirty or fifty hemp ropes. He untied the bag, took out one captive and bound him, each one becoming boneless, limp, and their skin shriveled. After binding them, they were carried to the back and thrown unceremoniously to the ground. The demon king then ordered a feast and drank heartily. It wasn't until dusk that they dispersed, each returning to their sleeping quarters, without further mention.

Now, Sun Wukong and the gods were bound until midnight, when he suddenly heard the sound of weeping. He listened carefully and realized it was Xuanzang's voice, crying, "Wukong! I—"

I hate myself for not listening to you then, which led to today's disaster.Inside the golden cymbals, you were hurt; bound by hemp ropes, who knows my plight?All four of us met with bitter fate; three thousand meritorious deeds all crumbled.How can we escape this terrible calamity and return unimpeded to the Western Paradise!

Hearing this, Pilgrim secretly felt pity. "Although my master didn't listen to me and now suffers this torment, in his distress, he still remembers your old grandson. While the night is quiet and the demons are asleep, with no one on guard, I'll go and release everyone to escape."

The Great Sage, using a body-shrinking spell, made himself tiny, slipped out of his ropes, walked close to Xuanzang, and called, "Master!" The elder recognized the voice and asked, "Why are you here?" Pilgrim quietly recounted the previous events. The elder was greatly pleased and said, "Disciple, quickly save me! From now on, I will leave everything to you and never be stubborn again!" Pilgrim then began to act, first untying his master, then releasing Bajie and Sha Seng. He also unbound each of the Twenty-Eight Constellations and the Five Directions Gatis, and then led the horse over, telling them to quickly leave first. Just as they left the door, not knowing where the luggage was, he went back to search for it. Metal Dragon said, "You value possessions over people! Since you've saved your master, isn't that enough? Why are you still looking for luggage?" Pilgrim said, "People are certainly important, but the kasaya and alms bowl are even more important. The bundle contains the customs clearance passport, the brocade-bat kasaya, and the purple-gold alms bowl—all are precious Buddhist treasures; how can we not want them!" Bajie said, "Brother, you go search for them. We'll wait for you on the road ahead." You saw the constellations, clustered around Xuanzang, use a levitation spell and their combined divine powers. They whisked him out of the enclosure like a gust of wind, rushed down the mountain slope to the main road, and then waited in a flat area.

Around the third watch (midnight-2 AM), Sun Wukong moved lightly and slowly, walking inside. It turned out that the layers of gates were very tightly secured. He climbed to a high tower to look, finding all windows closed. He wanted to go down, but feared the window lattices would creak, so he dared not push them. He formed a hand seal, shook his body, and transformed into an immortal mouse, commonly known as a bat. You ask what he looked like:

His head was pointed like a mouse's, his eyes were bright like a mouse's too.With wings, he emerged at dusk; without light, he resided in daylight.He hid himself in tile crevices; he sought food, catching mosquitoes.He especially liked the clear bright moon; he flew at the most opportune times.

He squeezed in through an unsealed tile-opening under the rafters, crossed doors and passed through houses. When he reached the middle, he saw a glimmering ray of light beneath the window of the third story. It was not the light of a lamp or candle, nor of incense, nor of flying clouds, nor of lightning. He half-flew, half-hopped, approaching the light, and saw that it was the bundle emitting light. The demon had removed Xuanzang's kasaya, not folding it, but stuffing it haphazardly into the bundle. That kasaya was originally a Buddhist treasure, adorned with wish-fulfilling pearls, mani pearls, red agate, purple coral, sariras, and luminous pearls, which was why it emitted such radiance. When he saw this kasaya and alms bowl, his heart filled with joy. He resumed his original form, took them, and without caring about the proper position of the carrying rope, hoisted the bundle onto his shoulder and started to descend. Unexpectedly, one end slipped, and with a thud, it fell onto the floorboards, making a loud rustling sound. Alas! Such a thing happened: Just then, the old demon king was sleeping downstairs, and the sound startled him awake. He jumped up, yelling, "Someone's here! Someone's here!" All the small and large demons got up, lit lamps, made fire, and together shouted, going to check everywhere. Some came to report, "Xuanzang has escaped!" Others reported, "Pilgrim and everyone else have escaped!" The old demon urgently issued orders: "Capture them! Guard all gates carefully!" Hearing this, Pilgrim feared falling into their net again. Unable to pick up the bundle, he somersaulted out of the window and fled.

The demon searched everywhere for Xuanzang and the others but couldn't find them. Seeing that dawn was breaking, he grabbed his mace, led his troops in pursuit, and saw the Twenty-Eight Constellations and Five Directions Gatis and other gods, with clouds and mist swirling, waiting at the foot of the mountain slope. The demon king roared, "Where are you going! Here I come!" Horned Wood Dragon quickly called out, "Brothers! The monster is here!" Metal Dragon, Earth Bat, Sun Rabbit, Moon Fox, Fire Tiger, Water Leopard, Wood Xiezhi, Metal Ox, Earth Badger, Sun Rat, Moon Swallow, Fire Pig, Water Python, Wood Wolf, Metal Dog, Earth Boar, Sun Rooster, Moon Crow, Fire Monkey, Water Ape, Wood Yak, Metal Sheep, Earth Deer, Sun Horse, Moon Deer, Fire Snake, Water Worm (these are all constellations names), leading the Golden-Headed Gati, Silver-Headed Gati, Six Jia, Six Ding, and other gods, and the Guardian Garlands, along with Bajie and Sha Seng, but without Xuanzang and having abandoned the White Dragon Horse, each brandishing their weapons, swarmed forward. Seeing this, the demon king chuckled coldly, blew a whistle, and four to five thousand small and large demons, each strong and powerful, engaged in a chaotic battle on the western mountain slope. What a fierce fight—

The demon leader was wicked and bullied true nature; true nature, though gentle, how could it cope with the demon?A hundred strategies were employed, yet hard to escape suffering; a thousand wondrous techniques couldn't harmonize.All heavens came to protect; all saints aided with weapons.Compassion failed Wood Mother; unwavering resolve stirred Yellow Mother.The chaotic battle shook heaven and earth; the fierce struggle involved setting nets and traps.On that side, flags waved and shouts rose; on this side, drums thundered and gongs clashed.Spears and blades gleamed with dense cold light; swords and halberds filled with murderous aura.Demon soldiers were fierce and brave; what could divine soldiers do against them!Somber clouds obscured the sun and moon; dreadful mist covered mountains and rivers.They struggled and fought bitterly, all because Xuanzang worshipped Amitabha.

The demon, becoming even more valiant, led his troops forward to ambush and slay. Just as neither side gained an advantage, Pilgrim's roar was heard: "Your old grandson is here!" Bajie met him and asked, "What about the luggage?" Pilgrim said, "Your old grandson's life was almost lost; what about the luggage then!" Sha Seng, holding his precious staff, said, "Stop talking and quickly go fight the demon!" The constellations, Gatis, Ding and Jia gods were surrounded by the demons in a chaotic battle, and the old demon used his mace to strike the three of them. Pilgrim, Bajie, and Sha Seng cast aside their staves and wielded their rakes to resist. Truly, the earth grew dim and the sky blurred; they could not gain victory. They fought until the sun set behind the mountain roots in the west, and the moon rose from the eastern seas. The demon, seeing it was late, blew a whistle, instructing his demons to be alert, and then he took out his treasure. Sun Wukong saw clearly that the monster had untied the cloth bag and held it in his hand. Pilgrim cried out, "This is bad! Run!" He didn't care about Bajie, Sha Seng, or the heavenly hosts; he somersaulted all the way up into the highest heavens. The gods, Bajie, and Sha Seng didn't understand his meaning; they were thrown up and all captured inside, only Pilgrim escaped. The demon king withdrew his troops and returned to the monastery. He ordered ropes to be brought out and tied them up as before. Xuanzang, Bajie, and Sha Seng were hung high from the beams, the White Dragon Horse was tied in the back, and all the gods were also bound, carried into the cellar, and sealed with a lid and lock. The demons obeyed, one by one securing them without further mention.

Now, Pilgrim had leaped into the highest heavens, preserving his life. Seeing the demon army return without raising their flags, he knew that everyone else had been captured. He then suppressed his auspicious light and landed on the eastern mountaintop. Gritting his teeth, he hated the monster; tears streamed as he thought of Xuanzang. He looked up at the sky, lamenting, suddenly losing his voice as he cried, "Master! What calamity did you create in a past life that in this life you encounter demons at every step? How can we escape such suffering? What should we do!" Alone, he sighed for a long time. Then he calmed his mind and reflected, asking himself, "What kind of cloth bag is this demon's, that it can hold so many things? Now it has even captured so many heavenly gods and generals. I want to seek help from Heaven, but I'm afraid the Jade Emperor might be displeased. I remember there is the True Martial Lord of the North, known as the Demon-Slaying Heavenly Venerable. He is currently on Mount Wudang in the Southern Jambu Continent. I'll go invite him to help rescue master from this tribulation." This perfectly describes:The immortal path unfinished, ape and horse scattered; the mind without master, the five elements withered.After all, it is unknown how this trip will end; let's listen to the next chapter's explanation.