Chapter 79: Seeking the Cave and Capturing the Demon, Meeting the Old Longevity; The Legitimate Ruler Rescues the Infant

The embroidered-uniform official dragged the fake Tang Monk out of the guesthouse. Surrounded by imperial guards, they went all the way to the palace gate and told the palace attendant, "We have brought Tang Monk here; please report our arrival to His Majesty." The attendant quickly entered the court and reported to the bewildered king as instructed, who then ordered them to be admitted. All the officials knelt in obeisance on the steps, but only the fake Tang Monk stood upright in the center of the steps, loudly proclaiming, "King of Bhikṣu, why have you invited this humble monk?"

The king smiled and said, "I have been afflicted with an illness that has lingered for a long time without healing. Fortunately, the Royal Granduncle has provided a prescription, and all the ingredients for the medicine are ready. Only one medicinal 'primer' is missing. I have specially invited the Elder to request some. If my illness is cured, I will build a shrine for the Elder, where sacrifices will be offered throughout the four seasons, and it will forever serve as a national legacy of incense and veneration." The fake Tang Monk replied, "I am a monk, and I have arrived here alone. I do not know what item His Majesty requests from the Royal Granduncle as a primer." The bewildered king said, "We specifically request the Elder's heart and liver." The fake Tang Monk said, "To be frank with Your Majesty, I have several hearts. I'm not sure what kind you require." The Royal Granduncle, standing nearby, pointed and said, "Monk, we want your black heart!" The fake Tang Monk said, "If that is the case, quickly bring a knife. I will cut open my chest and abdomen; if there is a black heart, I shall dutifully obey your command." The bewildered king was delighted and thanked him, immediately ordering an attendant to fetch a bull-ear short knife and hand it to the fake monk. The fake monk took the knife, unbuttoned his clothes, puffed out his chest, and with his left hand stroking his abdomen and his right hand holding the knife, with a ripping sound, he cut open his abdominal skin. From within, a heap of hearts tumbled out, rolling around. The civil officials turned pale with fright, and the military generals felt their bodies go numb. The Royal Granduncle, seeing this from the dais, exclaimed, "This monk has many hearts!"

The fake monk, one by one, picked up the bloody hearts and showed them to the astonished crowd. They were all red hearts, white hearts, yellow hearts, hearts of greed, hearts of coveting fame and gain, hearts of jealousy, hearts of calculation, hearts of competitiveness, hearts of ambition, hearts of arrogance, hearts of malice, hearts of cruelty, hearts of fear, hearts of caution, hearts of wickedness, hearts of nameless darkness, and various other evil hearts—but not a single black heart. The bewildered king was so terrified he stood motionless, unable to speak, and stammered tremblingly, "Take them away, take them away!" The fake Tang Monk could no longer bear it. He withdrew his spell and revealed his true form, saying to the bewildered king, "Your Majesty has no discernment whatsoever! We monks all possess good hearts. Only your Royal Granduncle has a black heart, which would make an excellent medicinal primer. If you don't believe me, let me take his out for you to see!" Upon hearing this, the Royal Granduncle quickly opened his eyes wide and looked closely, seeing that the monk's face had changed; he no longer looked as before. "Aha!" he recognized the Great Sage Sun of old, whose name had been renowned five hundred years ago. He immediately drew back and ascended into the clouds, but the Pilgrim somersaulted, leaping into the air, and shouted, "Where do you think you're going?! Take this!" The Royal Granduncle immediately brought forth his Coiling Dragon Staff to meet the attack. The two then engaged in a fierce battle in mid-air—

The Compliant Rod, the Coiling Dragon Staff,Filling the void with swirling clouds.It turned out the Royal Granduncle was a demon,Who therefore called his monstrous daughter a beauty.The king, indulging in pleasure, fell ill,And the evil fiend sought to slaughter children.When he met the Great Sage, he displayed his divine powers,Capturing the monster and resolving the people's plight.The iron rod struck fiercely at the head,The staff met it, worthy of praise.They fought until the sky was filled with mist,Obscuring the city walls,And the city dwellers all turned pale.The civil and military officials were terrified,And the concubines and palace maids changed their countenances.The King of Bhikṣu, confused and frightened, hid himself haphazardly,Trembling with no plan.The rod rose like a tiger emerging from a mountain,The staff spun like a dragon leaving the sea.This time, they caused great commotion in Bhikṣu City,Making clear the distinction between good and evil.

The demon fought the Pilgrim fiercely for over twenty rounds. The Coiling Dragon Staff could not withstand the Golden-Hooped Rod. The demon feigned a pass with his staff, transformed himself into a cold beam of light, descended into the inner court of the imperial palace, carried the demon queen (who had been presented as tribute) out of the palace gate, and both vanished as cold light, their whereabouts unknown.

The Great Sage descended from the clouds, landing before the palace, and said to the officials, "Oh, what a 'fine' Royal Granduncle you have!" All the officials bowed in unison, thanking the divine monk. The Pilgrim said, "Stop bowing for now, go see where your bewildered king is." The officials replied, "Our lord, upon seeing the battle, became frightened and hid himself; we do not know which palace he went to." The Pilgrim immediately ordered, "Quickly search for him! Don't let the beautiful queen abduct him!" Hearing this, the officials, without regard for internal or external protocol, rushed with the Pilgrim first to the beautiful queen's palace. It was empty, with no trace of her; even the beautiful queen was completely gone. The Empress, the Eastern and Western Palace concubines, and all the consorts from the six residential areas came to pay their respects to the Great Sage. The Great Sage said, "Please rise, it's not time for thanks yet; go find your lord." A short while later, four or five eunuchs were seen, supporting the bewildered king as he emerged from behind the Hall of Reverent Conduct. The assembled ministers prostrated themselves on the ground and reported in unison, "My Lord, my Lord! Thanks to the divine monk's arrival, the truth has been revealed. That Royal Granduncle is a fiend, and even the beautiful queen has vanished!" Upon hearing this, the king immediately invited the Pilgrim out of the imperial palace to the Grand Hall, where he bowed in thanks and said, "Elder, when you arrived this morning, you appeared so handsome and magnificent. How is it that your appearance has now changed?" The Pilgrim laughed and said, "To be honest with Your Majesty, the one who came this morning was my master, the Tang Dynasty Imperial Brother Xuanzang. I am his disciple, Sun Wukong, and I have two junior fellow disciples, Zhu Wuneng and Sha Wujing, who are currently at the Golden Pavilion Guesthouse. Knowing that you had believed the demon's words and intended to take my master's heart and liver as a medicinal primer, I, Old Sun, transformed into my master's likeness and specifically came here to subdue the demon." Hearing this, the king immediately issued an imperial decree, ordering his chief minister to quickly go to the guesthouse and invite the master and his disciples to court.

Xuanzang, upon hearing that the Pilgrim had revealed his true form and was subduing the demon in the sky, was so frightened his soul almost left his body. Fortunately, Pigsy and Sandy were there to protect him. He was feeling glum and annoyed with the dirty mud mask still on his face when he heard someone call out, "Reverend! We are the Chief Ministers sent by the King of Bhikṣu to specially invite you to court to receive His Majesty's gratitude." Pigsy laughed and said, "Master, don't be afraid, don't be afraid! They aren't asking for your heart again. It must be that Senior Brother has won, and they're inviting you to receive thanks." Xuanzang said, "Even though they are inviting me because of the victory, how can I face people with this dirty face?" Pigsy said, "There's nothing for it. Let's go and meet Senior Brother; he'll have an explanation." Indeed, the Elder had no choice but to be supported by Pigsy and Sandy, who carried the baggage and led the horse, as they proceeded to the guesthouse courtyard. When the Chief Minister saw them, he was frightened and exclaimed, "Oh dear! They all look like monstrous fiends!" Sandy said, "Court official, don't mind our ugliness. We are naturally born this way. If our master comes and sees our Senior Brother, he will become handsome again." The three of them, with the attendants, came to court. Without waiting for an official summons, they went directly to the foot of the dais. When the Pilgrim saw them, he immediately turned and descended the dais. He approached his master, peeled off the mud mask from his face, blew a puff of immortal breath, and commanded, "Restore!" Tang Monk instantly regained his original form, and his spirit felt even more refreshed. The king descended the dais to personally greet them, exclaiming, "Reverend, ancient Buddha!" The master and disciples tethered their horse and all ascended the hall to meet. The Pilgrim said, "Does Your Majesty know where that monster came from? Let Old Sun go and capture them both for you, to eliminate future troubles." All the concubines and consorts from the Three Palaces and Six Residential Areas, who were behind the jade screen, heard the Pilgrim speak of eliminating future troubles. Disregarding any distinction between inner and outer chambers, or men and women, they all came out in unison and bowed, pleading, "We earnestly hope, Divine Monk, ancient Buddha, that you will greatly exert your magic power, uprooting evil and completely eradicating him. This would truly be an immeasurable kindness, for which we shall certainly repay you handsomely!" The Pilgrim hastily returned their salute, only asking the king to tell him where the demon resided. The king, with shame, explained, "When he arrived three years ago, I asked him. He said he lived not far from the city, about seventy *li* to the south, on Willow Forest Slope, at a place called Pure Bright Manor. The Royal Granduncle was old and had no sons; only his second wife had borne him a daughter, who was sixteen years old and unmarried. He wished to offer her to me. As the girl was beautiful and graceful, I accepted her and favored her in the palace. Unexpectedly, I fell ill, and the imperial physicians' many remedies were ineffective. He then said, 'I have an immortal prescription that only requires the heart of a young child, boiled into a decoction, as a primer.' Being foolish, I lightly believed his words, and thus selected children from the populace, setting today at noon as the time for the operation to extract their hearts. Unexpectedly, the divine monk descended, and it just so happened that all the cages were gone. He then said that the divine monk, having cultivated his true essence for ten lifetimes without losing his primal yang, would have a heart worth ten thousand times more than a child's. I unwittingly offended you then, not knowing that the divine monk could discern demons. I dare to hope you will widely apply your great magic to eliminate this future trouble, and I shall repay you with all the wealth of my kingdom!" The Pilgrim laughed and said, "To be frank, the children in the cages were hidden by my merciful master. You need not mention any wealth for thanks. When I capture the demon, that will be my merit." He called out, "Bajie, come with me!" Pigsy said, "I will obey your command, Senior Brother. But my stomach is empty, so I won't have much strength." The king immediately issued an order, "Let the Court of Imperial Entertainments quickly prepare a vegetarian feast!" In no time, the feast arrived. Pigsy ate his fill, then roused his spirits and ascended on a cloud with the Pilgrim. The king, the empress and consorts, and all the civil and military officials were so awestruck that they all bowed towards the sky, exclaiming, "True immortals and true Buddhas have descended to the mortal world!" The Great Sage took Pigsy and headed directly seventy *li* to the south. They stopped their clouds and searched for the demon's lair. They only saw a clear stream, with banks lined on both sides by countless willows. They had no idea where Pure Bright Manor was located. Indeed, it was a scene of: Ten thousand acres of fields, endless to behold; a thousand dikes of misty willows, leaving no trace.

Sun Wukong, unable to find it, immediately formed a hand seal, chanted the "Om" mantra, and summoned the local Earth God, who trembled as he knelt before him, saying, "Great Sage, the Earth God of Willow Forest Slope bows before you." The Pilgrim said, "Don't be afraid, I won't hit you. I ask you: where is Pure Bright Manor on Willow Forest Slope?" The Earth God said, "There is a Pure Bright Cave here, but no Pure Bright Manor. This humble deity understands; Great Sage, you must have come from Bhikṣu Kingdom?" The Pilgrim said, "Precisely, precisely. The King of Bhikṣu was deceived by a demon. Old Sun arrived there, recognized it as a monster, defeated it in battle, and it transformed into a cold beam of light, vanishing without a trace. When I asked the King of Bhikṣu, he said that three years ago, when the beautiful woman was presented, he asked about its origin, and the monster claimed to reside seventy *li* south of the city, at Willow Forest Slope's Pure Bright Manor. I have now searched here and found only the willow slope, but no Pure Bright Manor, which is why I asked you." The Earth God bowed his head and said, "I beg the Great Sage to forgive me. The King of Bhikṣu is also the lord of my territory, and this humble deity ought to have investigated. However, that demon has great spiritual power and magic. If I were to reveal his affairs, he would come and harass me, which is why I haven't done so. Now that the Great Sage has arrived, just go to the base of the nine-forked willow tree on the south bank. Turn left three times, then right three times, then press both hands together on the tree and shout 'Open the door!' three times in succession, and the Pure Bright Cave Mansion will appear."

Hearing this, the Great Sage immediately ordered the Earth God to return, then leaped over the stream with Pigsy to search for that willow tree. Indeed, there was a tree with nine forked branches, all stemming from a single root. The Pilgrim instructed Pigsy, "You stand far away for now. When I call open the door, find the monster, and drive it out, you can then assist." Upon hearing the command, Pigsy immediately stood about half a *li* away from the tree. The Great Sage, following the Earth God's words, circled the tree root, turning left three times, then right three times, then pressed both hands together on the tree and cried, "Open the door, open the door!" Instantly, with a loud bang, the door swung open in two halves, and no trace of the tree could be seen. Inside, it was brightly lit and resplendent, yet there was no human habitation. The Pilgrim, seizing the opportunity with his divine might, rushed inside. What a magnificent place he found there—

Hazy mists shimmered brightly, sun and moon stole light.White clouds perpetually emerged from the cave,Emerald mosses sprawled across the courtyard.A path of exotic flowers competed in splendor,Jade-like grasses on every step vied for fragrant glory.A warm atmosphere, scenery ever spring-like,Wholly like the Land of Langyuan, no less than Pengying.Slippery stones were climbed by long vines,Flat bridges hung with tangled creepers.Bees carried red stamens to the rock caves,Butterflies played with secluded orchids past the stone screen.

The Pilgrim hurried forward, stepping closer to examine it. He saw four large characters on the stone screen: "Pure Bright Immortal Abode." He couldn't resist. He leaped over the stone screen to look, and there he saw the old monster embracing a beautiful woman, both panting and discussing the affairs of Bhikṣu Kingdom. They exclaimed in unison, "What a great opportunity! The three-year plan can be completed today, but that monkey head has ruined it!" The Pilgrim rushed closer, brandished his rod, and shouted, "You hairy beasts, what 'great opportunity'?! Take this!" The old monster released the beauty, swung his Coiling Dragon Staff, and hastily moved to meet the attack. The two of them then engaged in a fierce battle before the cave, even more intense than before—

The rod rose, emitting golden light;The staff spun, exuding fierce aura.The monster said, "You ignorant fool, how dare you enter my door!"The Pilgrim said, "I intend to subdue evil monsters!"The monster said, "My affection for the king is none of your business; how dare you presumptuously interfere?"The Pilgrim said, "Monks cultivate governance and teachings with inherent compassion; I cannot bear to see children slaughtered alive."Words exchanged, each harboring enmity,Rod met staff, striking the heart.Precious flowers were damaged for the sake of life,Green moss was kicked apart from slips.They fought until the cave's splendor was dim,And the fragrant beauty on the rocks was suppressed.The clashing startled birds, making them unable to fly;The shouts scared the beautiful woman away.Only the old monster and the Monkey King remained,A howling whirlwind sweeping across the ground.Just as they fought their way out of the cave entrance,Pigsy's foolish nature erupted.

It turned out that Pigsy, who was outside, heard the commotion inside, which made him itch with impatience. He grabbed his rake and dug up the nine-forked willow tree, then struck it several times with his rake, causing fresh blood to gush out, accompanied by faint whimpering sounds. He exclaimed, "This tree has become a spirit! This tree has become a spirit!" He continued to strike it on the ground when he saw the Pilgrim leading the monster out. The simpleton, without a word, rushed forward and raised his rake to strike. The old monster, already struggling against the Pilgrim, became even more panicked when he saw Pigsy's rake approaching. He lost his composure, swayed his body, transformed into a cold beam of light, and fled eastward. The two, determined not to let him escape, pursued him eastward.

Just as the cries of battle resounded, the calls of phoenixes and cranes were heard, and auspicious light shimmered. Looking up, they saw it was the Star of the South Pole. The old man enveloped the cold beam of light and called out, "Great Sage, slow down! Marshal Tianpeng, stop pursuing! This old Taoist is here to greet you." The Pilgrim immediately returned the greeting, saying, "Brother Star of Longevity, where have you come from?" Pigsy laughed and said, "Chubby old fellow, since you've enveloped the cold light, you must have caught the demon!" The Star of Longevity gave a conciliatory smile and said, "Here he is, here he is. I hope you two gentlemen will spare his life." The Pilgrim said, "This old monster has nothing to do with you, Brother. Why are you pleading for him?" The Star of Longevity laughed and said, "He is my mount. Unexpectedly, he ran off and became this demon." The Pilgrim said, "If he is indeed your property, then simply make him reveal his true form for us to see." Hearing this, the Star of Longevity immediately released the cold light and commanded, "Vile creature! Quickly reveal your true form, and I will spare your life!" The monster turned around, revealing itself to be a white deer. The Star of Longevity picked up his staff and said, "This vile creature! It even stole my staff!" The deer prostrated itself on the ground, unable to speak, only kowtowing and shedding tears. One could see it was—

Its body speckled like jade tablets,Its two antlers uneven with seven forks.Several times, when hungry, it sought herb gardens;One morning, when thirsty, it drank from cloud streams.With years, it learned the art of flying;With time, it cultivated the ability to transform its appearance.Now, seeing its master's call, it revealed its true form,Lowered its ears, and prostrated itself in the mortal world.

The Star of Longevity thanked the Pilgrim and was about to mount the deer and leave, but the Pilgrim grabbed him, saying, "Hold on, Brother, there are still two unfinished matters." The Star of Longevity asked, "What else is unfinished?" The Pilgrim said, "The beautiful woman has not yet been captured; we don't know what kind of monster she is. Also, we need to go back to Bhikṣu City together to see the bewildered king and reveal our true forms to report the successful mission." The Star of Longevity said, "Since that is the case, I will wait patiently. You and Marshal Tianpeng go down into the cave to capture that beautiful woman, and then we can all go together to reveal our forms." The Pilgrim said, "Brother, please wait a moment; we will be back shortly after we go."

Pigsy, invigorating his spirit, followed the Pilgrim directly into the Pure Bright Immortal Abode, shouting, "Catch the demon! Catch the demon!" The beautiful woman, trembling with fear, was already finding it hard to escape. Hearing the shouts intensify, she immediately darted behind the stone screen, but there was no back exit. Pigsy roared, "Where do you think you're going?! You hussy who tricks men! Take this rake!" The beautiful woman had no weapon in hand and could not defend herself. She dodged, transformed into a cold beam of light, and tried to escape outside, but the Great Sage blocked the cold light with a resounding strike. The monster couldn't stand firm, fell into the dust, and revealed its true form: a white-faced fox. The simpleton couldn't hold back. He raised his rake and struck its head. Alas, that beauty who could topple cities and kingdoms with a thousand smiles was transformed into a furry fox! The Pilgrim called out, "Don't smash it! Keep its body as is to show the bewildered king." The simpleton, not minding the filth, grabbed its tail, dragging it along as he followed the Pilgrim out of the cave. There, they saw the old Star of Longevity stroking the deer's head and scolding, "You vile creature! How could you betray your master and run off to become a demon here! If I hadn't come, the Great Sage Sun would surely have beaten you to death." The Pilgrim leaped out and said, "What are you saying, Brother?" The Star of Longevity said, "I'm advising the deer, I'm advising the deer!" Pigsy threw the dead fox in front of the deer and said, "Is this your daughter?" The deer nodded its head, swayed its antlers, extended its snout, sniffed it a few times, and let out a soft cry, seeming to express reluctance to part with it. The Star of Longevity slapped its head and said, "Vile creature! You are fortunate enough to have your life spared; why are you sniffing it?" He then untied the sash from his robe, tied it around the deer's neck, and led it up, saying, "Great Sage, let's go to Bhikṣu Kingdom to meet." The Pilgrim said, "Hold on! We might as well clear this place completely, to prevent future resurgence of demons." Hearing this, Pigsy raised his rake and wildly struck the willow tree. The Pilgrim then chanted the "Luo" mantra and again summoned the local Earth God, commanding, "Find some dry firewood, light a fierce fire, and help this area eliminate the demonic menace, to prevent future harassment." The Earth God immediately turned around, and a chilling wind whistled. He led his ethereal soldiers and brought forth some frost-defying grass, autumn-green grass, smartweed, mountain core grass, wormwood, dragon bone wood, and reed fuel—all thoroughly dried, withered objects from the previous year, which ignited like oil when touched by fire. The Pilgrim called out, "Pigsy, no need to strike the tree. Just use these materials to fill the cave and set it on fire, burning it clean. As the fire started, it indeed burned the entire Pure Bright demon dwelling into a fiery pit."

Having dismissed the Earth God, the Pilgrim, accompanied by the Star of Longevity, leading the deer and dragging the fox, all returned to the front of the palace. He said to the king, "This is your beautiful queen. Would you like to play with her?" The king was terrified and trembled. And then, seeing Sun Wukong leading the Star of Longevity and the white deer to the front of the hall, the king, his ministers, and his consorts were so frightened that they all bowed down in unison. The Pilgrim stepped forward, helped the king up, and laughed, "Don't bow to me for now. This deer is actually the Royal Granduncle. You should only bow to him." The king was so ashamed he wished the earth would swallow him. He only said, "I thank the divine monk for saving the children of my kingdom; this is truly a heavenly grace!" He immediately issued an order to the Court of Imperial Entertainments to prepare a vegetarian banquet, opening wide the East Pavilion, and invited the Star of the South Pole and Tang Monk's four disciples to sit together to receive thanks. Xuanzang bowed to the Star of Longevity, and Sandy also greeted him with courtesy. They all asked, "Since the white deer is the Star of Longevity's mount, how did it come here to cause harm?" The Star of Longevity smiled and said, "Earlier, when the Emperor of the East Peak passed by my barren mountain, I invited him to play a game of chess. Before the game was finished, this vile creature ran off. When my guest left and I searched for it but couldn't find it, I calculated with my fingers and learned it had come here. I came specifically to find it, and happened to encounter the Great Sage Sun displaying his power. If I had arrived any later, this creature would have been doomed." Before they could finish their conversation, a report came: "The banquet is ready." What a vegetarian feast it was—

Five-colored banners filled the entrance, exotic fragrances permeated the hall.Tables hung with embroidered curtains, creating splendid beauty;Floors spread with red carpets, shimmering with rosy light.From precious incense burners, agarwood and sandalwood smoke curled;Before the imperial banquet, vegetable dishes exuded fragrant aromas.Display plates piled high with fruits shaped like towers;Dragon-entwined candy formed animal figures.Mandarin duck ingots and lion immortal candies were lifelike;Parrot cups and egret ladles were true to form.Before the seats, fruits of every kind were abundant;On the tables, vegetarian dishes were all exquisite.Large, round chestnuts and fresh litchi and peaches.Dates and persimmon cakes tasted sweet;Pine nuts and grapes made fragrant, rich wine.Several kinds of honeyed treats, a few varieties of steamed pastries.Deep-fried, sugar-glazed, clustered like flowers, pieced like brocade.Golden plates piled high with large steamed buns;Silver bowls filled with fragrant rice.Spicy and pungent noodle soups with long vermicelli;Fragrant and enticing, continuously replenished with delightful dishes.Countless mushrooms, wood ear fungus, tender bamboo shoots, Solomon's seal,Ten-fragrance vegetarian dishes, a hundred flavors of delicacies.Servants moved to and fro without cease,Bringing and taking away all manner of splendid provisions.

At that time, seating arrangements were made: the Star of Longevity at the head seat, the Elder (Tang Monk) at the second seat, and the King at the front seat. The Pilgrim, Pigsy, and Sandy occupied side seats. Two or three other masters accompanied them to their left and right. The King immediately ordered the Imperial Music Bureau to play music. The king held a purple cloud goblet and offered wine to each guest, but Tang Monk alone did not drink. Pigsy said to the Pilgrim, "Senior Brother, I'll let you have the fruits, but please let me enjoy the soups and rice." The simpleton, indiscriminately, ate everything presented to him until nothing was left. When the banquet concluded, the Star of Longevity took his leave. The king again knelt before the Star of Longevity, seeking methods for dispelling illness and prolonging life. The Star of Longevity laughed and said, "Because I was searching for my deer, I did not bring any elixir. I wanted to impart to you a method of cultivation, but your sinews are weak and your spirit is depleted; you cannot restore your vital essence. In my sleeve, I only have three dates, which I was going to offer to Emperor Donghua with tea. I haven't eaten them, so I will give them to you now." The king swallowed them and gradually felt his body lighten and his illness recede. Those who later achieved longevity all originated from this. Pigsy saw this and called out, "Old Longevity, if you have fire dates, give me a few to eat!" The Star of Longevity said, "I didn't bring any. I'll send you a few *jin* another day." He exited the East Pavilion, expressed his thanks, let out a cry to the white deer, leaped onto its back, and departed on a cloud. The king, empress and consorts in the court, and the common people in the city, each burned incense and paid homage, a scene which is not further elaborated.

Xuanzang called out, "Disciples, prepare to bid farewell to the king." The king, however, earnestly entreated them to stay for further instruction. The Pilgrim said, "Your Majesty, from now on, indulge less in carnal desires, accumulate more hidden merits, and in all matters, compensate for shortcomings with strengths. This alone will be sufficient to dispel illness and prolong your life—that is the true teaching." The king then presented two trays of scattered gold and silver, offering them as travel expenses. Tang Monk firmly refused, accepting not a single coin. Having no alternative, the king ordered the imperial carriage to be prepared. He invited Tang Monk to sit properly in the phoenix carriage and dragon chariot, while the king himself and his empress and consorts pushed the wheels and turned the axles, only then escorting them out of the court. In the six streets and three markets, the common people also filled cups with pure water and lit true incense in censers, seeing them off out of the city. Suddenly, a gust of wind sounded in mid-air, and along both sides of the road, one thousand one hundred and eleven goose cages fell, with children crying inside. From the shadows, the original protective City Gods, Earth Gods, Local Deities, True Officials, Five Directions Guardian Deities, Four Meritorious Officers, Six *Ding* and Six *Jia* Generals, and the Gāḷāṃha Protectors of the Teachings, and other spirits, all shouted in unison, "Great Sage, we previously received your command to take away the children and their goose cages. Now, knowing that your mission is complete and you are departing, we have brought them all back!" The king, his empress and consorts, and all his officials and common people again bowed down. The Pilgrim looked up at the sky and said, "Thank you, all esteemed deities. Please return to your respective shrines; I will instruct the people to offer sacrifices in thanks to you." With a whooshing and rustling sound, the chilling wind rose again and then receded.

The Pilgrim told the city dwellers to claim their children. News spread quickly, and families came to recognize their children from the cages. Happily, they hugged them, calling "Brother!" and "My dear little one!" Some leaped, some laughed, and all cried, "Hold onto the Tang Dynasty Grandfather! Come to our homes to receive our gratitude for saving our children!" Regardless of age, whether male or female, none feared their ugly appearances. They lifted Pigsy, carried Sandy, bore Sun Wukong on their heads, surrounded Xuanzang, led the horse, and carried the baggage, surging back into the city. Even the king could not stop them. This family held a banquet, that family prepared a feast. Those who couldn't invite them to a feast made monk hats, monk shoes, cassocks, and cloth socks, bringing all kinds of inner and outer clothing, large and small, as gifts. They lingered there for nearly a month before finally being able to leave the city. Moreover, the people painted their images, set up spirit tablets, and offered prostrations and incense. Truly, this was: Hidden merit piled high, grace as weighty as mountains, saving tens of thousands of lives. It is unknown what events transpired next; listen to the next chapter for an explanation.