Chapter 66: The Gods Are Poisoned Maitreya Binds the Demon

Sun Wukong, having exhausted all his options, ascended on a propitious cloud and performed a somersault, heading directly to Jambudvipa to visit Wudang Mountain. There, he intended to pay homage to the True Martial Great Emperor and seek his help in rescuing Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, and the heavenly soldiers from their predicament. He flew without rest, and in less than a day, he spotted the ancestor's immortal realm. Gently bringing down his cloud, he fixed his gaze upon a magnificent place:

A majestic peak in the southeast, a divine mountain reaching the heavens. The Furong Peak rose gallantly, and the Zigai Ridge stood towering. The Nine Rivers ended far from Jing and Yang, and the Hundred Yue mountains extended to Yi and Zhen. Above, there were the precious caves of the Great Void and the spiritual altars of Zhu Lu. Golden chimes resonated from thirty-six palaces, and countless pilgrims came to offer incense. Shun toured, and Yu prayed, with jade slips and golden texts. Azure birds flew among the pavilions, and red banners swayed. The land presented a famous mountain dominating the cosmos, and the heavens opened an immortal realm reaching into the void. Several plum trees were in full bloom, and the entire mountain was covered in vibrant jade-like grasses. Dragons lurked in the ravines, and tigers crouched in the cliffs. The quiet seemed to whisper, and tame deer walked close to people. White cranes rested with clouds on ancient cypresses, and azure phoenixes and vermilion birds sang towards the sun. It was the true immortal land of the Master of Jade Void, and the benevolent gate of the Golden Palace governing the world.

The Grand Emperor Ancestor was conceived when King Jingle and Queen Shansheng dreamt of swallowing sunlight. Upon waking, she was pregnant for fourteen months, and on the first day of the third month of the first year of Kaihuang (the year of Jia-chen), at noon, he was born in the royal palace. That venerable one—

Young and valiant, grown and divine. He did not inherit the throne but focused solely on cultivation. His parents could not dissuade him, so he abandoned the royal palace. He engaged in profound contemplation and meditation on this mountain. When his merits were complete and his cultivation perfected, he ascended to heaven in broad daylight. The Jade Emperor bestowed upon him the title True Martial. His profound purity corresponds to the heavens, with the Turtle and Serpent forming a unified shape. Throughout the universe, all spirits pay homage to him. Nothing hidden escapes his notice, and nothing manifest remains incomplete. At the end and beginning of kalpas, he cuts down demonic essence.

Sun Wukong was admiring the scenery of the immortal realm when he arrived at the First Heaven Gate, Second Heaven Gate, and Third Heaven Gate, finally reaching the exterior of Taihe Palace. Suddenly, amidst propitious light and auspicious energy, he saw five hundred spirit officers gathered. The spirit officers stepped forward to greet him, asking, "Who comes here?" The Great Sage replied, "I am the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong. I wish to see the Master." Hearing this, the spirit officers immediately reported it. The Grand Emperor Ancestor descended from his hall to welcome him to Taihe Palace. Wukong saluted, saying, "I have a matter requiring your assistance." The Ancestor asked, "What is it?" Wukong explained, "I am escorting Tang Monk on his journey to the West to obtain scriptures, and we encountered great peril. Upon reaching the Western Ox-He Continent, there is a mountain called Little Western Heaven, and in the Little Thunderclap Temple, there is a demon. My master entered the temple gate and saw Arhats, Revealers, and Bhikshu monks arrayed, believing them to be true Buddhas. As he prostrated himself, he was suddenly seized and bound. I, too, was caught off guard, and the demon threw a pair of golden cymbals, trapping me inside with not the slightest crack, sealing shut like a clamp. Fortunately, the Golden-Headed Revealer reported to the Jade Emperor, who dispatched the Twenty-Eight Constellations. That night, they descended to the lower realm but could not pry open the cymbals. Luckily, Kang Jinlong inserted his horn into the cymbals and helped me escape. I then shattered the golden cymbals, awakening the monster. During the chase and battle, he threw out a white cloth bag and captured me, the Twenty-Eight Constellations, and the Five Directions Revealers, binding us all with ropes. I escaped that night and rescued the constellations and others, including my Tang Monk. Later, while searching for the cassock and alms bowl, I disturbed the demon again. As heavenly soldiers gave chase, the monster again produced the cloth bag. When he was about to use it, I, knowing what was coming, fled. Everyone else was captured again. Having no recourse, I specially came to request the Master's assistance." The Grand Emperor Ancestor replied, "In my time, I held sway over the North, occupying the position of True Martial, cutting down all evil demons in the world, by the Jade Emperor's decree. Later, I disheveled my hair and went barefoot, treading upon the Divine Serpent and Sacred Turtle, leading the Five Thunder Generals, giant horned dragon-lions, ferocious beasts, and venomous dragons to subdue the dark demonic qi in the northeast, by the command of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable. Today, I peacefully enjoy Wudang Mountain, resting comfortably in Taihe Palace. For a long time, the seas and mountains have been peaceful, and the universe clear and thriving. However, in the lands of Jambudvipa and Northern Kuru, demons have been eliminated, and evil spirits have hidden their traces. Now, as the Great Sage has descended, I cannot but act. It's just that I have no decree from the Upper Realm and dare not presumptuously wage war. If I were to dispatch my gods by magic, I fear the Jade Emperor would hold it against me; but if I completely refused the Great Sage, it would be against human kindness. I reckon that even if there are demons on that Western journey, they will not cause great harm. I shall now send the Turtle and Serpent Generals along with the Five Divine Dragons to assist you. I guarantee they will capture the demon and rescue your master from this tribulation." Wukong thanked the Ancestor and immediately set off with the Turtle and Serpent Generals and the Dragon Gods, each leading their elite troops, returning to the Western Continent. In less than a day, they arrived at Little Thunderclap Temple, descended their clouds, and went directly to the mountain gate to challenge the demon.

Meanwhile, the Yellow-Browed Great King gathered his monsters beneath the precious pavilion, saying, "Sun Wukong hasn't come these past two days. I wonder where he has gone to borrow troops again." No sooner had he spoken than a small demon from the front gate reported, "Sun Wukong has brought some dragon, serpent, and turtle generals, and they are challenging us at the gate!" The demon king said, "How did this monkey get dragon, serpent, and turtle generals? From what region do these creatures come?" He immediately donned his armor, went out the mountain gate, and loudly called out, "Which path's dragon gods are you, daring to invade my immortal realm?" The Five Dragons and Two Generals, with their imposing appearance and spirited demeanor, shouted, "You vile monster! We are the Five Dragon Gods and the Turtle and Serpent Generals, serving the Exorcist Heavenly Venerable, the Primordial Grand Master of Taihe Palace on Wudang Mountain! Today, at the invitation of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, and by our Heavenly Venerable's decree, we have come here to capture you, demon! Quickly release Tang Monk and the celestial constellations, and you shall be spared death! Otherwise, we will chop this entire mountain of monsters into pieces, and burn these few rooms to ashes!" Hearing this, the monster king was enraged. "What magical power do these beasts possess, daring to utter such boasts! Don't flee! Take this staff!" The five dragons conjured clouds and made rain, and the two generals stirred up dust and sand. Each wielding spears, swords, or halberds, they swarmed forward to attack, with Sun Wukong following closely with his iron staff. What a fierce battle it was—

The fierce demon unleashed his might, the Pilgrim sought aid. The fierce demon unleashed his might, brazenly occupying the precious tower and displaying Buddha images; the Pilgrim sought aid, traveling far to a sacred land to borrow dragon gods. The turtle and serpent created water and fire, the monster wielded blades and weapons. Five dragons came by decree to the Western path, the Pilgrim followed to save his master. Swords and halberds shone bright like lightning, spears and blades gleamed like rainbows. That wolf-tooth club, though short and soft, was powerful; this golden-banded staff obeyed his will. Only the fierce thudding sounds were like firecrackers, and the clanging melodies like striking gold. Water and fire came together to subdue the monster, blades and weapons clustered around the spirit. Shouts of battle startled wolves and tigers, and roars shook ghosts and gods. As the chaotic battle raged without a clear victor, the demon king again took out his precious treasure.

Wukong, leading the Five Dragons and Two Generals, fought the demon for half an hour. The demon then untied the cloth bag in his hand. Wukong, seeing this, was alarmed and shouted, "Be careful, everyone!" But the Dragon Gods, Serpent, and Turtle did not know what "be careful" meant. One by one, they stopped fighting and approached to resist. With a whoosh, the demon king tossed the cloth bag. Sun Wukong, disregarding the Five Dragons and Two Generals, performed a somersault cloud and leaped into the Ninth Heaven to escape. The demon king then captured the Dragon Gods, Turtle, and Serpent in one swoop of the bag. The demon king, victorious, returned to his temple, bound them with ropes, and lifted them into the cellar, covering it up, not to be mentioned further.

The Great Sage descended from his cloud, leaning dejectedly on a mountain peak, dispirited and remorseful. "This monster is incredibly formidable!" Unknowingly, he closed his eyes, as if sleeping, when suddenly he heard someone call out, "Great Sage, don't pretend to sleep! Quickly go seek help! Your master's life hangs by a thread!" Wukong immediately opened his eyes and leaped up to look. It was none other than the Duty God. Wukong scolded, "You hairy spirit! Where have you been, indulging in blood sacrifices, not reporting for duty? And now you come to startle me! Stick out your leg and let me hit you a few times to relieve my boredom!" The Duty God hastily bowed and said, "Great Sage, you are a joyful immortal of the human realm, what boredom could you have? We long ago received the Bodhisattva's command to secretly protect Tang Monk, along with the Earth Gods and other deities. We dare not leave his side even for a moment, which is why we haven't been able to visit you often. How can you blame us?" Wukong said, "Since you are protecting him, where are the constellations, revealer-deities, temple guardians, and my master and his brothers now? What sufferings are they enduring?" The Duty God replied, "Your master and his disciples are all hanging from the corridor of the precious hall, and the constellations and others are confined in the cellar, suffering. For the past two days, we haven't heard from the Great Sage. Just now, we saw the demon king capture the Divine Dragons, Turtle, and Serpent and send them into the cellar. Then we knew they were the troops the Great Sage invited. Your humble servant specially came to find the Great Sage. Great Sage, do not mind the exhaustion. Please, quickly go seek rescue again." Hearing this, Wukong couldn't help but shed tears to the Duty God, saying, "I am now ashamed to ascend to the Heavenly Palace and embarrassed to visit the Dragon King's ocean treasury! I fear asking the Bodhisattva for the reason, and I dread seeing the Jade Image of the Buddha! Those just captured were the Turtle, Serpent, and Five Dragon Saints of the True Martial Great Emperor. I have no other place to seek help. What shall I do?" The Duty God smiled and said, "Great Sage, cheer up! Your humble servant remembers a place with elite troops who can certainly subdue him. Just now, when the Great Sage went to Wudang, it was in Jambudvipa. This branch of troops is also in Jambudvipa, at Xuyi Mountain's Sishui City, which is now Sishui Prefecture. There is a Great Sage Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva there, whose divine powers are immense. Under him is a disciple named Little Prince Zhang, along with four great divine generals. In earlier years, they subdued the Mother of Waters. If you go and invite him now, and he comes to mercifully assist, you will certainly be able to capture the monster and save your master!" Wukong was delighted. "You go protect my master, do not let him be harmed. I will go invite them."

Wukong activated his somersault cloud, escaping the monster's vicinity, and headed straight for Xuyi Mountain. In less than a day, he arrived early and carefully observed what a truly magnificent place it was—

South near the Jiang ferry, north bordering the Huai River. East connected to the sea peaks, west joined to Fengfu. On the mountaintop, stately towers rose, and in the mountain hollows, torrents surged from ravines. Craggy strange rocks and beautifully gnarled pines. A hundred varieties of fruits were in season, a thousand kinds of flowers bloomed facing the sun. People like ant columns came and went in great numbers, boats like lines of geese returned broadly. Above, there were Ruiyan Temple, Dongyue Palace, Wuxian Shrine, and Guishan Monastery, their bell sounds and incense smoke reaching the azure sky; there were also Glass Spring, Wuta Valley, Eight Immortals Platform, and Apricot Blossom Garden, their mountain light and tree colors reflecting in Sishui City. White clouds hung, not passing, and secluded birds, weary, still sang. What were the beautiful Tai, Song, Heng, Hua mountains compared to this? This immortal realm was like Penglai and Yingzhou.

The Great Sage could not finish admiring the sights as he passed the Huai River and entered Sishui City. Outside the mountain gate of the Great Sage Chan Temple, he saw grand, imposing halls, colorful and splendid long corridors, and a towering, majestic pagoda. Truly—

Piercing the clouds, leaning against the sky, a thousand feet high; looking up, its golden spire reached into the blue void. Above and below, light converged on the universe; east and west, it cast no shadow, reflecting in curtains.

Wind blew the precious bells, sounding heavenly music; sunlight reflected on the icy dragon figures, facing the Buddhist palace. Soaring spiritual birds occasionally whispered, and from afar, the Huai River stretched endlessly.

Wukong observed as he walked, reaching the second gate. The Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva, already aware of his arrival, came out with Little Prince Zhang to greet him. After exchanging courtesies, Wukong said, "I am escorting Tang Monk to the Western Heaven to obtain scriptures. On the way, we encountered a Little Thunderclap Temple, where a Yellow-Browed Monster pretends to be the Buddha. My master, unable to discern the truth, prostrated himself and was captured. The monster then trapped me in golden cymbals, but luckily, heavenly constellations descended and rescued me. I then shattered the golden cymbals and fought him, but he used a cloth bag and captured all the heavenly gods, revealer-deities, temple guardians, my master, and my junior brothers. I then went to Wudang Mountain to invite the True Martial Great Emperor for rescue. He dispatched the Five Dragons, Turtle, and Serpent to capture the monster, but they too were captured in one swoop of the bag. Your disciple is now without reliance or support, and thus comes to humbly request the Bodhisattva to display your great power, using the divine ability with which you subdued the Mother of Waters and your marvelous skill to save living beings, to come with your disciple and rescue my master from this tribulation! Once the scriptures are obtained and spread forever in China, it will spread the wisdom of our Buddha and promote Prajnaparamita." Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva said, "Your current mission truly signifies the prosperity of our Buddhist faith, and I should personally go. However, it is early summer, precisely when the Huai River is overflowing. I have just recently subdued the Water Ape Great Sage. That fellow becomes active when there is water, and I fear that if I leave, he might take the opportunity to cause mischief, and there would be no deity to control him. Therefore, I shall send my disciple, along with the Four Generals, to assist you. They shall refine the demon and subdue him." Wukong thanked him and immediately set off with the Four Generals and Little Prince Zhang, riding clouds back to Little Western Heaven, arriving at Little Thunderclap Temple. Little Prince Zhang wielded a chubai spear, and the Four Great Generals each brandished a Kunwu sword. Together with Sun Wukong, they advanced and challenged the demon. A small demon again rushed to report, and the demon king, leading his horde, charged out, shouting, "You monkey! Who have you brought now to challenge me?" Before he finished speaking, Little Prince Zhang commanded the Four Generals to step forward and shout, "You vile demon! You have no meat on your face and do not recognize us here!" The demon king asked, "What young general are you, daring to assist him?" The Prince replied, "I am a disciple of the Great Sage Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva of Sishui Prefecture! Leading the Four Great Divine Generals, I come by command to capture you!" The demon king laughed, "What martial skills do you, child, possess, daring to come here and act so impudently?" The Prince said, "If you wish to know my martial skills, listen to me—

My ancestral home is in the Western Land's Quicksand Kingdom, my father was originally the King of Quicksand. From childhood, I suffered from many illnesses, my fate hindered by an unlucky star.Because I greatly admired the longevity elixir of a master, I had the fortune to meet a physician who offered a prescription. Half a grain of cinnabar expelled my illnesses, and I wished to cultivate rather than be king.Having learned eternal youth and the lifespan of heaven, my appearance forever resembles that of a young man. I once attended the Dragon Flower Assembly, and I once ascended on clouds to the Buddha Hall.I captured mist and seized wind to subdue water monsters, captured dragons and subdued tigers to guard mountain strongholds. I erected pagodas to protect the people, and the serene sea glowed deeply with sarira light.The tip of my chubai spear can bind monsters, and my plain black robe's sleeve can subdue demons. Now, peacefully in Sishui City, my name, Little Zhang, is spread across the land!"

Upon hearing this, the demon king smirked coldly, "You, Prince, abandoned your kingdom to follow that Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva. What kind of longevity and eternal youth arts have you cultivated? You are only good for subduing water monsters of the Huai River! How could you believe Sun Wukong's deceitful words and travel thousands of mountains and waters to die here! Let's see if you can achieve longevity or eternal youth!" Little Prince Zhang, hearing this, was greatly enraged. He wrapped his spear and thrust it directly at the demon's face. The Four Great Generals swarmed in to attack, and Sun Wukong also brought his iron staff to strike. But the formidable demon showed no fear, swinging his short, soft wolf-tooth club, blocking left and parrying right, thrusting straight and charging sideways. What a fierce battle this was—

The young Prince, with his chubai spear; the four Kunwu swords were even stronger. Wukong again wielded his golden-banded staff, all united around to slay the demon king. The demon king's divine power was truly great, not fearing the slightest deflections from left or right. The wolf-tooth club was a treasure from the Buddha; swords and spears could not harm it. Only the roaring sound of fierce winds was heard, and dark qi swirled endlessly. One side intended to display their mundane skills, the other was devoted to bowing to Buddha and obtaining scriptures. Several times they charged, many times they acted wildly. They spat out clouds and mist, obscuring the sun, moon, and stars, filled with rage and resentment, each displaying ill intent. For a long time, the supreme Dharma of the Three Vehicles, led to a bitter struggle of a hundred arts.

The multitude fought for a long time, neither side gaining an advantage, when the demon king again untied his cloth bag. Wukong again shouted, "Be careful, everyone!" But the Prince and the others did not understand the meaning of "be careful." With a quick whoosh, the monster king again captured the Four Great Generals and the Prince in one swoop of the bag. Only Wukong, having anticipated it, escaped. The demon king, victorious, returned to his temple, again ordered them to be bound with ropes, and sent them into the cellar, securely sealed and locked, not to be mentioned further.

The Pilgrim mounted his somersault cloud, rising into the air. Seeing the monster withdraw his troops and close the gates, he finally descended his auspicious cloud and stood on the Western mountain slope, gazing mournfully and weeping, "My Master! I—

Since accepting the doctrine and entering the monastic forest, I have been deeply indebted to the Bodhisattva for escaping tribulation. I promised to protect you on your journey west to seek the Great Path, to assist you in reaching Thunderclap Temple.I only spoke of smooth, winding roads, how could I have known of towering monsters invading? A hundred plans, a thousand methods, yet I cannot save you; seeking help East and West, all in vain!"

As the Great Sage was in this state of distress, he suddenly saw a colorful cloud descend to the southwest, and heavy rain poured over the mountain. Someone called out, "Wukong, do you recognize me?" Wukong quickly moved forward to look. That person—

Large ears, broad cheeks, a square face, broad shoulders, a full belly, and a stout physique. His heart filled with the joy of spring, his two eyes shimmered like autumn waves.His wide sleeves flowed gracefully, full of blessings; his straw sandals were casual, his spirit robust. The foremost venerable in the Pure Land, Namo Maitreya, the Laughing Monk.

Wukong saw him and immediately prostrated himself, saying, "Where are you going, Buddha from the East? Your disciple failed to step aside! Myriad sins, myriad sins!" The Buddha said, "I have come specifically for the demon of Little Thunderclap Temple." Wukong said, "Many thanks for your esteemed virtue and great kindness, Venerable Lord. May I ask what kind of monster he is, what kind of spirit demon from where? And what kind of treasure is that cloth bag? Please enlighten me." The Buddha replied, "He is my yellow-browed boy who serves as my bell-ringer. On the third day of the third month, I went to attend the Primordial Assembly and left him in the palace to guard it. He stole these few treasures of mine and, pretending to be a Buddha, became a demon. That cloth bag is my Houtian Bag, commonly known as the Human Seed Bag. That wolf-tooth club is my mallet for striking the bell." Hearing this, Wukong loudly called out, "What a laughing monk! You let this boy escape, allowing him to falsely claim to be a Buddha and harm your old grandson! You cannot avoid the fault of not being diligent in household discipline!" Maitreya replied, "Firstly, it was my negligence, losing a person. Secondly, your master and disciples' tribulations were not yet complete, thus all spirits descended to the lower realm, destined to suffer. I have now come to take him back with me." Wukong said, "This demon's divine powers are vast, and you have no weapons. How will you capture him?" Maitreya smiled, "I have set up a straw hut and planted a field of melons and fruits on this hillside. You go challenge him. During the battle, you must lose, not win, and lead him to my melon field. All my other melons are unripe, but you will transform into a large, ripe melon. He will surely want to eat the melon, and I will give you to him to eat. Once he eats you, you can do whatever you want inside him. Then I will take his cloth bag and bring him back." Wukong said, "Although this plan is clever, how will you recognize the ripe melon I transform into? And why would he be willing to follow me here?" Maitreya laughed, "As a venerable lord who governs the world, my wisdom eye is sharp; how could I not recognize you! No matter what you transform into, I will know it. My only fear is that the monster might not be willing to follow you. I shall teach you a magic spell." Wukong asked, "He will surely try to trap me with his cloth bag, so how would he be willing to follow me? What magic spell can make him come?" Maitreya smiled, "Give me your hand." Wukong extended his left hand. Maitreya dipped his right index finger into the divine water in his mouth and wrote a 'forbidden' character on Wukong's palm, instructing him to clench his fist and, when facing the demon, release it, and the demon would follow him.

Wukong, clenching his fist, gladly accepted the instruction. With one hand, he swung his iron staff and went directly outside the mountain gate, loudly calling out, "Demon! Your Grandfather Sun is here again! Come out quickly and let's see who's superior!" The small demon hastily ran to report, and the demon king asked, "How many troops has he brought this time to challenge me?" The small demon replied, "No other troops, only him." The demon king laughed, "That monkey has run out of tricks and energy, with nowhere left to seek help. He must be here to throw his life away." He then tidied his armor, took his treasures, and raised his light, soft wolf-tooth club, stepping out to stand and call out, "Sun Wukong, this time you won't struggle free!" Wukong cursed, "You vile monster! How can I not struggle free?" The demon king said, "I see you've exhausted your tricks and strength, with nowhere to seek help, yet you stubbornly come to resist alone. Now, if I capture you, there will be no divine soldiers to rescue you. That's why I say you won't struggle free!" Wukong said, "This monster knows not life from death! Don't boast! Take this staff!" The demon king, seeing him wield his staff with one hand, couldn't help but laugh, "This monkey! Look at him showing off! How can he manage with one hand?" Wukong said, "Son! You can't withstand my two-handed strike! If you don't use your cloth bag, even three or five more of you couldn't defeat your Old Sun with just one hand!" Hearing this, the demon king said, "Alright! Alright! I won't use my treasure now, I'll just fight you fairly to see who's superior." He then raised his wolf-tooth club and came forward to fight. Sun Wukong met him, opened his fist, and wielded his staff with both hands. The demon, affected by the 'forbidden' spell, did not think of retreating. Indeed, he did not use his cloth bag, but only used his staff to pursue. Wukong feigned a move, retreated from the battle, and fled. The demon king chased him directly to the foot of the Western mountain slope. Wukong saw the melon field, rolled, and burrowed into it, immediately transforming into a large, ripe, sweet melon.

The demon king paused, looking around, unsure where Wukong had gone. He then chased to the edge of the hut and called out, "Whose melons are these?" Maitreya, disguised as a melon farmer, came out of the straw hut and replied, "Great King, these melons belong to your humble servant." The demon king asked, "Are there any ripe ones?" Maitreya said, "Yes, there are ripe ones." The demon king said, "Pick a ripe one for me, I'm thirsty." Maitreya immediately took the melon Wukong had transformed into and handed it to the demon king with both hands. The demon king, without sensing anything amiss, took it and began to bite into it. Wukong seized this opportunity and rolled into his throat. Without further ado, he began to scratch his intestines and tear his belly, turning somersaults and performing handstands, doing whatever he pleased inside. The demon king was in so much pain that his teeth were bared, his mouth twisted, and tears streamed from his eyes. He rolled around the melon patch as if it were a threshing floor, crying out, "Enough! Enough! Who will save me!" Maitreya then revealed his true form, laughing and calling out, "You wicked creature! Do you recognize me?" The demon looked up, saw him, and hastily knelt on the ground, clutching his belly with both hands, kowtowing repeatedly, crying, "My Master! Spare my life, spare my life! I will never do it again!" Maitreya stepped forward, grabbed him, untied his Houtian Bag, snatched his bell hammer, and called out, "Sun Wukong, for my sake, spare his life!" Wukong was filled with intense hatred, yet he still gave him a left punch and a right kick, thrashing and stirring inside. The monster, suffering excruciating pain, fell to the ground. Maitreya again said, "Wukong, he has suffered enough. Spare him." Only then did Wukong call out, "Open your mouth wide, let your Old Sun come out." Although the monster's stomach was in terrible pain, he was not yet heartbroken. As the proverb says, a person does not die until his heart is broken; when flowers wither and leaves fall, their roots are dry. He heard the call to open his mouth, so he endured the pain and opened his mouth wide. Wukong then leaped out, resumed his true form, and was about to strike again with his staff when the Buddha had already put the demon into his bag, slung it over his waist, holding the bell hammer. He scolded, "Wicked creature! Where did you steal the golden cymbals?" The monster, only wishing to save his life, moaned and groaned from inside the Houtian Bag, "Sun Wukong broke the golden cymbals." The Buddha said, "The cymbals are broken, return my gold." The monster replied, "The shattered gold is piled on the lotus platform in the hall." The Buddha, holding the bag and the bell hammer, laughed and called out, "Wukong, come with me to find my gold." Seeing such divine power, Wukong dared not disobey. He could only lead the Buddha up the mountain, back to the temple, to collect the golden fragments. They found the mountain gate tightly shut. The Buddha pointed his hammer, and the gate opened. Upon entering, they saw that the small demons, having learned of their old master's capture, were each gathering their belongings, intending to flee in all directions for their lives. Wukong, seeing one, struck one; seeing two, struck two. He killed all five or seven hundred small demons, each revealing their original forms: they were all mountain spirits, tree monsters, beastly fiends, and bird demons. The Buddha gathered the gold fragments into one place, blew a breath of immortal qi, and recited a mantra. Immediately, they returned to their original form, becoming a complete pair of golden cymbals again. He then bid farewell to Wukong and ascended on an auspicious cloud, heading directly back to the Western Paradise.

The Great Sage then untied Tang Monk, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing. Pigsy, having been hung for several days, was famished. Without even thanking the Great Sage, he scurried, bent over like a shrimp, to the kitchen to look for food. It turned out the monster had prepared lunch but hadn't eaten it yet because Wukong had challenged him. Pigsy saw it and immediately ate half a pot. Then he took out two bowls and told his master and junior brothers to each eat two bowls. Only then did he thank Wukong. When asked about the demon's origin, Wukong thoroughly recounted the story: first inviting the Grand Emperor Ancestor's Turtle and Serpent, then inviting the Great Sage Guoshi Wang's Little Prince, and finally Maitreya's subduing of the monster. Tang Sanzang, hearing this, expressed endless gratitude and bowed to all the heavens, saying, "Disciples, where are these divine saints imprisoned?" Wukong said, "Yesterday, the Duty God told your old grandson they are all in the cellar." He called out, "Pigsy, you and I will go release them."

Pigsy, invigorated by food, perked up his spirits. He found his rake and went with the Great Sage to the back, opened the cellar, untied all the ropes, and led them out from beneath the precious pavilion. Tang Sanzang put on his cassock and bowed respectfully to each one. Only then did the Great Sage send the Five Dragons and Two Generals back to Wudang, Little Prince Zhang and the Four Generals back to Sishui City, and later the Twenty-Eight Constellations back to the Heavenly Palace, dismissing the Revealers and Temple Guardians back to their respective realms. The master and disciples rested for half a day, fed the white horse, packed their luggage, and set off early the next morning. Before leaving, they set a fire, burning all the precious pavilions, grand halls, tall towers, and lecture halls to ashes. Only then, without worries or ties, did they escape the peril, eliminating disaster and clearing obstacles on their journey. It is unknown when they will finally reach the Great Thunderclap Temple. Listen to the next chapter for the explanation.