Chapter 84: Difficult to Extinguish the Perfect Enlightenment of Vajra Holder The Dharma King Realizes the True Nature Naturally

Xuanzang, having preserved his vital essence and escaped the snares of earthly desires, continued his journey westward with his disciples. Before they knew it, summer had arrived. A gentle breeze was beginning to stir, and a fine drizzle of plum rain fell. What a beautiful scene it was—

Lush green shade steadily thickened,A gentle breeze guided the swallows with their fledglings.New lotus leaves turned over on the pond's surface,Tall bamboos gradually grew dense.

Fragrant grass stretched endlessly green,Mountain flowers carpeted the ground.By the stream, irises stood like drawn swords,And pomegranate blossoms flamed like a vibrant painting.

The four pilgrims, enduring the heat, were proceeding on their way when they suddenly saw two rows of tall willows beside the road. From beneath their shade emerged an old woman, holding a child with her right hand. She called out loudly to Xuanzang, "Monk, stop! Turn your horse back east immediately. Going west means certain death!" Startled, Xuanzang dismounted and bowed, asking, "Elder Bodhisattva, the ancients said, 'The vast sea allows fish to leap, the boundless sky lets birds fly.' How can there be no path to the west?" The old woman pointed west and said, "About five or six *li* from here lies the Kingdom of Extinguishing Monks. Its king, in a previous life, harbored a deep grudge, and in this life, he commits senseless sins. Two years ago, he made a great vow to kill ten thousand monks. Over these two years, he has gradually killed nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-six anonymous monks. He's only waiting for four famous monks to complete the ten thousand and fulfill his vow. If you go, you will become 'Living Bodhisattvas of Death' once you enter the city!"

Hearing this, Xuanzang felt a chill of fear. Trembling, he said, "Elder Bodhisattva, I am deeply grateful for your kindness, beyond words! But may I ask if there's a convenient path to bypass the city? This poor monk would prefer to go around." The old woman smiled and said, "There's no way around, no way around. Only those who can fly can get past." Pigsy, standing nearby, quipped, "Old lady, don't speak riddles. We can all fly!" Monkey, with his fiery golden eyes, could discern good from evil. He recognized the old woman holding the child as none other than Guanyin Bodhisattva and the Red Boy. In a panic, he prostrated himself, crying, "Bodhisattva, your disciple failed to welcome you!" The Bodhisattva, borne aloft on an auspicious cloud, gently ascended. Elder Tang, terrified, found no place to stand and simply knelt, kowtowing repeatedly. Pigsy and Sandy also hastily knelt and bowed towards the heavens. In an instant, the auspicious cloud drifted away, returning directly to the Southern Sea.

Monkey rose and helped his master up, saying, "Please get up, Master. The Bodhisattva has returned to her precious mountain." Xuanzang stood and said, "Wukong, since you recognized her as the Bodhisattva, why didn't you say so sooner?" Monkey chuckled, "You were still asking questions, and I immediately prostrated myself. How was that not sooner?" Pigsy and Sandy asked Monkey, "Thanks to the Bodhisattva's warning, ahead is surely the Kingdom of Extinguishing Monks, where they kill monks. What are we to do?" Monkey said, "Don't be afraid, you dolts! Haven't we encountered venomous demons and fierce monsters, tiger's dens and dragon's pools, without ever being harmed? This place is merely a kingdom of mortals. What is there to fear? However, this is not a suitable place to stay. It's getting late, and there are villagers returning from market in the city. If they see us as monks, they might raise a commotion, which would be inconvenient. Let's guide Master off the main road and find a quiet spot to discuss." Indeed, Xuanzang followed his advice. The group turned off the road and settled down in a hollow. Monkey said, "Brothers, you two guard Master carefully. I will transform and go into the city to scout for a secluded path so we can leave tonight." Xuanzang cautioned him, "Disciple, don't take this lightly. The king's law is merciless; you must be careful!" Monkey laughed, "Don't worry, don't worry! Your old Monkey has his ways." The Great Sage, as soon as he finished speaking, sprang up with a whistle and leaped into the air. How strange—

No ropes pulled from above,No sticks propped from below.Born of the same parents,Yet his bones were light.

He stood among the clouds, looking down, and saw a vibrant atmosphere of joy and auspicious light rippling through the city. Monkey wondered, "What a fine place! Why would they extinguish Buddhism here?" After watching for a while, as dusk gradually settled, he saw—

At the crossroads, lights glittered brilliantly;In the nine-layered palace, incense wafted and bells chimed.Seven bright stars shone in the clear sky;Travelers from all eight directions rested from their journeys.In the six army camps, faint bugle calls had just sounded;From the five drum towers, water clocks had just begun to drip.All around, the night mist hung dimly;In the three markets, cold smoke pervaded.Couples, two by two, returned to their embroidered curtains;A full moon rose in the east.

He thought to himself, "I need to go down and scout the streets for a path. With this face, if anyone sees me, they'll surely say I'm a monk. I'd better transform." He recited an incantation, shook his body, and transformed into a moth drawn to light—

Slender in form, with delicate and light wings,It flies to lamps and flits to candles in search of light.Its true nature transformed and formed,It finds spiritual resonance among decaying grass.Always loving the fiery glow and touching the flame,It busily flies around without rest.With purple body and fragrant wings, it chases after fireflies,Delighting most in the quiet of a windless deep night.

He was seen fluttering gracefully, flying towards the six streets and three markets. Skirting eaves and nearing rooftops, as he flew, he suddenly saw a cluster of houses at a corner, and a lantern hanging outside one of the doors. He thought, "Are these people celebrating the Lantern Festival? Why are lanterns lit in a row?" He flew closer with his rigid wings and examined it carefully. On a square lantern right in the middle, it read "Accommodation for Traveling Merchants" in six characters, and below that, "Wang Xiao'er's Inn" in four characters. Only then did Monkey realize it was an inn. He peeked inside and saw eight or nine people who had finished dinner, loosened their clothes, removed their headwraps, washed their feet and hands, and each gone to bed to sleep. Monkey secretly rejoiced, "Master can get through!" How did he know they could pass? He had a mischievous idea: he would wait until those people were asleep, then steal their clothes and headwraps to disguise them as ordinary folk to enter the city.

Alas, things didn't go as he wished! Just as he was pondering this, the attendant walked forward and instructed, "Gentlemen, please be careful. Here, gentlemen and scoundrels are different. Each person's clothes and luggage must be handled with care." Consider how cautious traveling merchants are! Hearing the innkeeper's instruction, they became even more vigilant. They all got up and said, "The host speaks wisely. We travelers are tired, and we fear falling asleep too deeply and not waking up in time, losing our belongings. Please take these clothes, headwraps, and bags inside. When dawn approaches, return them to us so we can depart." Wang Xiao'er truly moved all the clothes and such into his room. Monkey, impatient, spread his wings and flew inside, perching on a headwrap rack. He then saw Wang Xiao'er remove the lantern from the door, lower the hanging panel, close the doors and windows, and only then enter the room, undress, and lie down to sleep. Wang Xiao'er had a wife, who, with two children, was making a fuss and not sleeping quickly. The wife also took out a tattered garment and began mending and sewing it, showing no sign of sleep. Monkey secretly thought, "If I wait for this old woman to fall asleep before acting, won't I delay Master?" Fearing it would get too late and the city gates would close, he couldn't resist. He flew down and pounced on the lamp. It was truly a case of sacrificing oneself to embrace the flames, scorching one's forehead to grasp at a lingering life. The lamp instantly went out. He shook his body again and transformed into a mouse, squeaking twice. He jumped down, grabbed the clothes and headwraps, and scurried out. The old woman, in a panic, cried, "Old man, this is bad! A night rat has become a demon!" Hearing this, Monkey used another trick. He blocked the door and loudly declared, "Wang Xiao'er, don't listen to your wife's nonsense. I am not a demonic rat. An honest person doesn't do things in the dark. I am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, descended to earth to protect Tripitaka on his journey to the Western Heaven to acquire scriptures. Your king is unjust, so I have specially come to borrow these clothes and headgear to disguise my master. Once we have passed through the city, I will return them." Hearing this, Wang Xiao'er scrambled up in the dark, fumbling about in a hurry. He grabbed his trousers, mistaking them for a shirt, and tried to put them on, but they wouldn't go on correctly.

The Great Sage used a levitation spell, had already soared out on a cloud, then turned back and went directly to the hollow by the roadside. Xuanzang, seeing the bright starlight and moonlight, craned his neck and peered. When he saw it was Monkey approaching, he immediately asked, "Disciple, can we pass through the Kingdom of Extinguishing Monks?" Monkey stepped forward, put down the clothes, and said, "Master, to pass through the Kingdom of Extinguishing Monks, we cannot be monks." Pigsy said, "Brother, who are you joking with? Not being a monk is easy enough; just don't shave your head for half a year, and hair will grow out." Monkey said, "Where is there half a year to wait? We all need to become ordinary folk right now!" The dolt panicked and said, "Your words make no sense. We are all monks right now. If we are to become ordinary folk immediately, how can we wear headwraps? Even if the edges hold, there's nowhere to secure the top string." Xuanzang snapped, "Stop fooling around and get to the point! What exactly is it?" Monkey said, "Master, I have already scouted this city. Although the king is unjust and kills monks, he is truly a Son of Heaven; there's auspicious light and joyful aura over the city walls. I recognize the streets in the city, and I understand and can speak the local dialect here. Just now, I borrowed these few pieces of clothing and headwraps from the inn. Let's disguise ourselves as ordinary people, enter the city, and find lodging. We'll get up at the fourth watch, ask the innkeeper to prepare a meal, and by the fifth watch, we'll head for the city gate and set off westward on the main road. If anyone stops us, we can easily explain that we are imperial envoys from a superior kingdom, and the King of Extinguishing Monks would not dare to hinder us, having let us pass." Sandy said, "Elder Brother's plan is most fitting. Let's follow it." Indeed, the Venerable Elder, having no other choice, took off his cassock, removed his monk's cap, put on ordinary clothes, and donned a headwrap. Sandy also changed. Pigsy's head was too big to wear a single headwrap, so Monkey took some needles and thread, ripped open a headwrap, sewed two together to make one, and draped it over his head. He then picked out a loose, large garment for Pigsy to wear. After changing into his own set, Monkey said, "Gentlemen, from now on, let's put aside the terms 'Master' and 'disciples.'" Pigsy asked, "Besides these four words, what shall we call each other?" Monkey said, "We will all address each other as brothers: Master will be called Sir Tang, you will be Sir Zhu, Sandy will be Sir Sha, and I will be Sir Sun. When we get to the inn, none of you speak; let only me answer. If they ask about our business, just say we are horse traders. Use this white horse as an example, say we are ten brothers, and the four of us came ahead to rent rooms and set up. The innkeeper will surely treat us well. After we have enjoyed their hospitality, when it's time to leave, I'll pick up a piece of tile, transform it into a silver ingot to thank them, and then we'll depart." The Elder, having no choice, could only comply.

The four pilgrims hastily led the horse and carried their burdens, hurrying over there. This was a peaceful place. When they entered the city at the watch hour, the gates were not yet closed. They walked straight in and reached the entrance of Wang Xiao'er's inn, only to hear shouting from inside. Some were saying, "My headwrap is gone!" Others cried, "My clothes are gone!" Monkey feigned ignorance and led them to an inn diagonally opposite to settle down. That inn had not yet taken in its lanterns. Monkey immediately approached the door and called out, "Innkeeper, do you have any vacant rooms for us to stay?" From inside, a woman answered, "Yes, yes, yes. Please come upstairs, gentlemen." No sooner had she spoken than a man came to lead the horse. Monkey handed the horse over to be led inside. He then led his Master, from behind the lantern's glow, straight up the stairs. Upstairs, there were convenient tables and chairs. They pushed open the window frames and sat down together in the moonlight. Someone came to light a lamp, but Monkey stood by the door and blew it out with one puff, saying, "With such moonlight, we don't need a lamp." The person then went downstairs, and another maid brought four bowls of clear tea, which Monkey took.

From downstairs, a woman walked up. She looked about fifty-seven or fifty-eight years old. She went straight upstairs, stood beside them, and asked, "Gentlemen, where are you from? What valuable goods do you have?" Monkey said, "We are from the north and have several coarse horses to sell." The woman said, "Horse traders are still young." Monkey said, "This is Sir Tang, this is Sir Zhu, this is Sir Sha, and I am your student, Sir Sun." The woman chuckled, "Different surnames." Monkey said, "Indeed, we are of different surnames but live together. We are ten brothers in total. The four of us came ahead to rent rooms and set up; the other six are resting outside the city with a herd of horses, as it was too late to enter the city. Once we've rented the rooms, they will all come in tomorrow morning, and we will return only after selling the horses." The woman asked, "How many horses are in the herd?" Monkey said, "About a hundred or so, big and small. They all have bodies like this horse of mine, but their coats vary." The woman laughed, "Sir Sun is truly a seasoned merchant. It's fortunate you came to my humble inn; no other place would dare to host you. My inn has a spacious courtyard, fully equipped stables, and plenty of fodder. You can accommodate hundreds of horses here. However, there's one thing: my inn has been open here for many years, and it has a humble name. My late husband's surname was Zhao, and he sadly passed away long ago. I am called Widow Zhao's Inn. My inn offers three kinds of hospitality. Now, to be frank first, before being polite, let's settle the room rates so we can tally the bill later." Monkey said, "That's fair. What are the three kinds of hospitality your establishment offers? The saying goes, 'Goods have three grades of prices, but guests are treated equally regardless of distance.' Why do you say three kinds of hospitality? Please tell me about them."

Widow Zhao said, "Here, we have three tiers: upper, middle, and lower. The upper tier includes a banquet with five fruits and five dishes, a 'lion immortal fighting sugar' centerpiece for every two guests, and young ladies invited to sing and accompany you. Each person pays five *qian* of silver, which includes the room fee." Monkey laughed, "That's reasonable! Where I come from, five *qian* of silver isn't even enough to invite a young lady." The widow continued, "The middle tier is a shared table with only fruits and hot wine, poured for you to play drinking games. No young ladies are needed, and each person only pays two *qian* of silver." Monkey said, "Even more reasonable! What about the lower tier?" The woman said, "I wouldn't dare mention it before esteemed guests." Monkey said, "It's fine to tell us. We can choose what suits us." The woman said, "The lower tier offers no service. There's convenient food in the pot, you can eat however you like. After you've eaten your fill, you can take some straw, make a simple bed, and sleep wherever it's convenient. At dawn, you can give a few coppers for the food, and there will be no dispute." Pigsy, hearing this, exclaimed, "Fortune, fortune! Old Zhu's kind of deal has arrived! Let me watch the pot, eat my fill, and sleep by the stove door!" Monkey said, "Brother, what are you saying! We, who wander the jianghu, have we not earned a few taels of silver? Arrange the upper tier for us!" The woman was overjoyed and immediately called out, "Bring good tea! Kitchen, quickly prepare things!" She then went downstairs and bustled about, calling, "Slaughter chickens and geese, boil and pickle them for dinner!" She also ordered, "Slaughter pigs and sheep; what's not used today can be used tomorrow. Bring good wine, use white rice for cooking, and white flour for making pancakes."

Xuanzang, hearing this from upstairs, said, "Sir Sun, how can this be? They're slaughtering chickens and geese, pigs and sheep. If they bring it up, we are all strict vegetarians. Who would dare to eat it?" Monkey said, "I have a plan." He went to the stairs and stamped his foot, calling, "Mama Zhao, come up here!" The old woman came up and asked, "What is your order, Sir Sun?" Monkey said, "Today, let's not take any lives. We are observing a fast today." The widow was surprised and asked, "Are the gentlemen strict vegetarians, or do you fast monthly?" Monkey said, "Neither. We observe the Gengshen Fast. Today is the Gengshen day for fasting. After the third watch, it will be Xinyou, and then we can break the fast. You can slaughter animals tomorrow. For now, please prepare some vegetarian dishes, and we will still pay the upper-tier price." The woman was even more delighted. She ran downstairs and instructed, "Don't slaughter, don't slaughter! Get some wood ear mushrooms, Fujian bamboo shoots, tofu, gluten, pull some green vegetables from the garden, make noodle soup, steam some leavened buns, and also cook white rice and brew fragrant tea." Lo and behold! Those cooks, accustomed to their daily routines, prepared everything in an instant and laid it out upstairs. There were also ready-made 'lion immortal' candies and fruits, which the four pilgrims enjoyed as they pleased. She then asked, "Can you drink vegetarian wine?" Monkey said, "Only Sir Tang doesn't drink, but we will have a few cups." The widow brought another pot of warm wine. As the three were just pouring it, they suddenly heard a clattering sound. Monkey asked, "Mama, did something fall downstairs?" The widow said, "No, it's just a few tenants from my small farm who brought their rent rice late, so I told them to sleep downstairs. Because you gentlemen arrived, there was no one to serve, so I told them to carry sedan chairs to the courtyard to invite young ladies to accompany you. The sedan chair poles must have hit the floorboards." Monkey said, "It's good you said that. Don't go inviting them quickly. Firstly, it's a fasting day, and secondly, our brothers haven't arrived yet. It's better they all come in tomorrow. Each of us can invite a courtesan to amuse ourselves at your establishment after we've sold the horses and are ready to leave." The widow exclaimed, "Good sirs, good sirs! This way, we maintain harmony and preserve our energy." She instructed, "Bring the sedan chairs inside; don't go invite anyone." The four pilgrims ate their food and drank their wine, put away the utensils, and dispersed.

Xuanzang whispered in Monkey's ear, "Where shall we sleep?" Monkey said, "Right here upstairs." Xuanzang said, "That's not safe. We've worked so hard, and if we fall asleep, and someone from this family comes to tidy up, they might see our hats rolled off, exposing our bald heads. They'd recognize us as monks and raise an outcry. What then?" Monkey said, "You're right!" He went to the front of the stairs and stamped his foot again. The widow came up again and asked, "What is your order, Sir Sun?" Monkey asked, "Where shall we sleep?" The woman said, "Upstairs is good for sleeping. There are no mosquitoes, and with the south wind, opening the windows wide makes for excellent sleep." Monkey said, "We can't sleep here. My Sir Zhu has a bit of damp coldness, and Sir Sha has some shoulder draft. As for Sir Tang, he only wants to sleep in the dark, and I'm a bit sensitive to light. This is not a suitable place to sleep." The old woman went downstairs and leaned against the counter, sighing. She had a daughter, who came forward holding a child and said, "Mother, as the saying goes, 'sitting on the beach for ten days is like traversing nine shoals in one day.' Even though it's summer and business is slow, there's still plenty of business to do when autumn comes. Why are you sighing?" The woman said, "My child, it's not that I worry about lack of business. This evening, just as I was about to close shop, these four horse traders came to rent rooms at the watch hour. They wanted upper-tier hospitality. I genuinely hoped to earn a few *qian* of silver from them, but they are fasting, so I can't earn money from them. That's why I'm sighing." The daughter said, "Since they've already eaten, it's not good for them to go to another inn. You can still prepare meat and wine for them tomorrow. How can you not earn money from them?" The woman said, "They all have ailments. They are afraid of wind and sensitive to light, and all want to sleep in the dark. Our house only has single-layered tile roofs; where can I find a dark place? Why don't I just give them a free meal and tell them to go to another inn?" The daughter said, "Mother, our house has a dark place, and it's windless. It's very good, very good." The woman asked, "Where is it?" The daughter said, "When father was alive, he made a large cabinet. The cabinet is four *chi* wide, seven *chi* long, and three *chi* high. Six or seven people can sleep inside. Tell them to sleep in the cabinet." The woman said, "I wonder if that would work. Let me ask him. Sir Sun, my humble home has no other dark place, only a large cabinet that is neither drafty nor bright. How about sleeping in the cabinet?" Monkey said, "Good, good, good!" He immediately instructed a few tenants to carry out the cabinet, open its lid, and invited them downstairs. Monkey led his Master, Sandy carried the pole, and they went directly to the cabinet, following the lantern's glow. Pigsy, regardless of propriety, squeezed into the cabinet first. Sandy passed the luggage in, helped Xuanzang in, and then Sandy also went inside. Monkey asked, "Where is my horse?" A servant nearby said, "The horse is tied in the back room, eating fodder." Monkey said, "Bring it over, and bring the fodder. Tie it right next to the cabinet." Only then did he go inside, calling, "Mama Zhao, close the lid, insert the locking pin, and lock it. Also, please check for us if any light leaks through and patch it with paper. Come early tomorrow morning to open it." The widow said, "Too cautious!" So, they each closed their doors and went to sleep.

Now, when the four of them were inside the cabinet, what a pitiful sight! Firstly, they had just put on headwraps, and secondly, the weather was hot and stifling with no ventilation. They all took off their headwraps and clothes, and having no fans, they simply fanned themselves with their monk's caps. They pushed against each other and squeezed together until around the second watch, when they all fell asleep. Only Monkey, with mischief in mind, couldn't sleep. He reached out and pinched Pigsy's leg. The dolt pulled back his leg, grumbling, "Go to sleep! After all this hardship, who has the energy to still be fooling around, pinching hands and feet?" Monkey played a trick, saying, "Our original capital was five thousand taels. Earlier, the horse sold for three thousand taels. Now, there are four thousand taels in the two saddlebags. This herd of horses will sell for another three thousand taels. That's a profit on top of the capital. Enough, enough!" Pigsy, being someone who wanted to sleep, didn't bother to respond.

Little did they know, the inn's attendants, water carriers, and cooks were secretly allied with bandits. Hearing Monkey mention so much silver, a few of them slipped out and gathered more than twenty thieves, who then came with torches and weapons to rob the horse traders. They burst through the door, scaring Widow Zhao and her daughter into tremblingly closing their room door, letting the thieves ransack the outside. It turned out the thieves didn't want the inn's property; they were only looking for the guests. Reaching upstairs, they found no trace of them. Lighting torches, they looked around and saw a large cabinet in the courtyard, with a white horse tied to its leg. The cabinet lid was tightly locked and couldn't be opened. The thieves said, "Those who travel the jianghu are cunning. This cabinet feels heavy, so their travel bags and valuables must be locked inside. Wouldn't it be great if we stole the horse, carried the cabinet out of the city, and then opened it to share the contents?" The thieves indeed found ropes and poles, lifted the cabinet, and started to carry it away, swaying it back and forth. Pigsy woke up and said, "Brother, go to sleep. Why are you shaking?" Monkey said, "Don't speak! No one is shaking it." Xuanzang and Sandy suddenly woke up too and asked, "Who is carrying us?" Monkey said, "Don't make a fuss, don't make a fuss! Let them carry us! If they carry us all the way to the Western Heaven, it will save us from walking." The thieves, having succeeded, did not go west but carried it towards the east of the city, killed the gate guards, and broke open the city gate to escape. This immediately alerted the six streets and three markets, and watchmen from all shops reported it to the City Patrol Commander and the Eastern City Military Commander. The Commander-in-Chief and his cavalry, deeming it their duty, immediately dispatched troops and archers out of the city to pursue the thieves. The thieves, seeing the overwhelming force of the imperial troops, dared not resist. They dropped the large cabinet, abandoned the white horse, and each fled into the wilderness. The imperial troops did not catch a single bandit; they merely recovered the cabinet and captured the horse, returning triumphantly. Under the lamplight, the Commander-in-Chief saw the horse—what a magnificent horse it was—

Its mane was divided like silver threads,Its tail a jade tassel.What can one say of the Eight Steeds or dragon colts?It surpassed even the swift *sùxiāng* and the steady *kuǎnduàn*.Worth a thousand gold pieces for its bones,It chased the wind for ten thousand *li*.Climbing mountains, it often merged with the green clouds;Howling at the moon, it seemed to be uniformly white like snow.Truly a flood dragon leaving its island home,Mankind rejoices at having such a jade unicorn.

The Commander-in-Chief did not ride his own horse but instead mounted this white horse, led his troops back into the city, had the cabinet carried to his headquarters, and together with the military commander, sealed it, ordering guards to patrol. He intended to report to the emperor at dawn and seek a decree for its disposition. The imperial troops then dispersed.

Meanwhile, Elder Tang, inside the cabinet, complained to Monkey, "You monkey, you've ruined me! If we had been outside and caught, delivered to the King of Extinguishing Monks, we could at least have argued our case. But now we're locked in a cabinet, robbed by thieves, and then recovered by imperial troops! Tomorrow, when we face the king, it'll be a ready-made execution. Won't that complete his count of ten thousand?" Monkey said, "There are people outside! If they open the cabinet and take us out, we'll either be tied up or hanged. Just endure it for a while; this way, we avoid being tied or hanged. Tomorrow, when we see that foolish monarch, your Old Monkey will have his answers ready. I guarantee not a single hair on your head will be harmed. Just relax and get some sleep."

Around the third watch, Monkey performed a trick. He slipped out his staff, blew an immortal breath on it, and cried, "Change!" It immediately transformed into a three-pronged drill. He used it to drill two or three times near the cabinet leg, creating a hole. He put away the drill, shook his body, and transformed into an ant. He squeezed out, reverted to his original form, stepped onto a cloud, and flew straight to the outside of the imperial palace gates. Just as the king was in a deep sleep, Monkey used his Great Body-Dividing and Assembly Divine Skill. He plucked all the hairs from his left arm, blew an immortal breath on them, and cried, "Change!" They all transformed into small Monkeys. He also plucked all the hairs from his right arm, blew an immortal breath on them, and cried, "Change!" They all transformed into sleep-inducing insects. He uttered the true word "luò," and instructed the local Earth God to lead the multitude to scatter through the imperial palace, the five ministries and six boards, and the residences of all officials, high and low, in various yamen. Anyone with rank was given a sleep-inducing insect, ensuring everyone slept soundly without turning over. He then took his Golden-Banded Staff in hand, weighed it, swung it, and cried, "Treasure, change!" It immediately transformed into hundreds and thousands of shaving razors. He took one, instructed the small Monkeys to each take one, and they all went to the imperial palace, the five ministries and six boards, and various yamen to shave heads. Ah! This was truly—

The Dharma King extinguishing Dharma, Dharma is boundless;Dharma permeates heaven and earth, the Great Dao is unobstructed.The origin of myriad Dharmas returns to a single entity;The wondrous forms of the Three Vehicles are originally the same.Drilling open the jade cabinet to reveal news,Scattering golden hairs to break through the veil.Surely the Dharma King will attain enlightenment,Birthless, deathless, coming and going, all is void.

Having successfully shaved heads in the middle of the night, he chanted a spell, dismissed the Earth God and other deities, and shook his body. The hairs on both his arms returned to their original places. He gathered all the shaving razors, transforming them back to their true form, still recognizing their original nature, into a small Golden-Banded Staff, which he hid in his ear. He then transformed back into an ant, squeezed into the cabinet! He resumed his original form and remained trapped with Xuanzang.

Now, in the imperial palace, the palace maids and attendants rose before dawn to wash and comb, only to find that every single one of them had lost their hair. The eunuchs, both high and low, throughout the palace, also had no hair. They all rushed together to the outside of the sleeping quarters. They played music to wake the king, each with tears in their eyes, not daring to speak. Shortly after, the empresses of the three palaces woke up, also hairless. They hurriedly moved a lamp to look under the dragon bed, and there, amidst the silk quilts, lay a sleeping monk. The empress could not help but exclaim, startling the king awake. The king hastily opened his eyes, saw the empress's bald head, and quickly scrambled up, saying, "Empress, why are you like this?" The empress said, "Your Majesty is also like this." The emperor touched his head, so frightened that his three souls writhed and his seven spirits flew away. He exclaimed, "What has happened to me!" Just as he was in a panic, he saw the concubines from the six courts, palace maids, and eunuchs, both high and low, all kneeling with bald heads, saying, "Your Majesty, we have become monks!" The king, seeing this, shed tears and said, "It must be because I, the lonely one, have been killing monks..." He immediately issued an imperial decree: "None of you are to speak of this hair loss, lest the civil and military officials criticize the state's impropriety. Let everyone now proceed to the audience hall for court." As for the officials of the five ministries and six boards, and all offices, high and low, they were all to attend court and pay respects to the king before dawn. It turned out that during the night, every single one of them had also lost their hair. Each person wrote a memorial to report this matter. One heard: the silent whip cracked three times for the emperor's court, memorials presented the reason for the current baldness. Ultimately, what became of the stolen goods in the cabinet recovered by the Commander-in-Chief, and what fate awaited Xuanzang and his three disciples, remains unknown. Listen to the next chapter for the explanation.