Chapter 89: Yellow Lion Spirit's Fake Dingpa Feast / Plan of Metal, Wood, and Earth Causes Trouble at Leopard Head Mountain

The blacksmiths in the courtyard, having worked hard for several days, were all asleep at night. When dawn broke and they rose to continue their work, they found the three weapons missing from under the tent. Shocked and bewildered, they searched everywhere. Just then, the three princes emerged from the palace to see what was happening. The blacksmiths all knelt, exclaiming, “Young masters, the divine master’s three weapons are gone! We don’t know where they’ve gone!” Hearing this, the youngest prince was filled with dread and said, “Perhaps Master collected them last night.” He rushed to the Pavilion of Sunning Silks, saw the white horse still in the corridor, and couldn’t help but call out, “Master is still asleep!” Sha Monk replied, “I’m awake.” He immediately opened the door, and when the princes entered, they saw no weapons. Panicked, they asked, “Have Master’s weapons been put away?” Pilgrim jumped up and said, “No, they haven’t!” The prince said, “All three weapons are gone tonight.” Bajie quickly scrambled up and asked, “Is my rake there?” The young prince said, “When we came out just now, we saw everyone searching everywhere to no avail. Your disciples feared Master had put them away, which is why we came to ask. Your treasures can grow and shrink, so we thought you might have hidden them on yourselves to tease us.” Pilgrim said, “They truly haven’t been put away. Let’s all go look.” They went to the tent in the courtyard and, sure enough, there was no trace of them. Bajie declared, “These blacksmiths must have stolen them! Hand them over immediately! If you delay even a little, I’ll beat you all to death, beat you to death!” The terrified blacksmiths kowtowed, tears streaming down their faces, “Grandfather! We’ve been working hard for days and were asleep at night. When we woke at dawn, they were gone. We are mere mortals; how could we possibly move them? Please spare our lives, spare our lives!” Pilgrim remained silent, inwardly regretting, “It’s our fault. Since they saw the design, we should have kept them by our side. Why did we leave them here? Those treasures glow with a radiant light; they must have attracted some evildoer who stole them last night.” Bajie disagreed, saying, “Brother, what are you talking about? This is a peaceful place, not a desolate wilderness or deep mountain; how could a scoundrel appear here? It must be these blacksmiths acting deceitfully! They saw our weapons shining, recognized them as treasures, and then slipped out of the palace at night, gathered some people, and carried and dragged them away! Get them out here, or I’ll beat you, beat you!” The blacksmiths could only kowtow and swear their innocence.

As they argued, the elder prince emerged. When he learned of the situation, his face turned pale. After a long moment of thought, he said, “The divine masters’ weapons are indeed extraordinary; even a hundred or more people couldn’t move them. Furthermore, I have governed this city for five generations. Not to boast, but I have a reputation for wisdom, and the soldiers, common folk, and artisans in this city greatly respect my laws. They would certainly not dare to act deceitfully. I implore the divine master to reconsider.” Pilgrim chuckled, “No need to reconsider, and no need to blame the blacksmiths. I ask Your Highness: are there any mountains, forests, or demons surrounding your city?” The prince replied, “Divine Master, your question is very pertinent. To the north of my city lies Leopard Head Mountain, and within it is Tiger Mouth Cave. People often say there are immortals inside, or tigers and wolves, or even demons. I have never personally investigated, so I don’t know what truly resides there.” Pilgrim laughed, “No need to say more. It must be some evildoer from that direction who knew they were treasures and stole them away last night.” He called out, “Bajie, Sha Monk, you both stay here to protect Master and guard the city. I’ll go and investigate.” He also instructed the blacksmiths not to let the forge fires die down, but to continue their work.

The mighty Monkey King bid farewell to Tripitaka, let out a whistle, and vanished instantly, already soaring over Leopard Head Mountain. The city was only seventy *li* away, and he arrived in a flash. He went straight to the mountain peak to observe, and indeed, there was a faint demonic aura. It was truly a place where —The dragon veins stretched far, the terrain vast. Sharp peaks soared high into the sky, steep ravines held rushing waters. Before the mountain, a carpet of jade-like grass; behind it, a tapestry of exotic flowers. Towering pines and ancient cypresses, venerable trees and slender bamboos. Mountain crows and magpies flew about, chirping wildly; wild cranes and apes cried out. Beneath the precipices, elk roamed in pairs; before the sheer cliffs, badgers and foxes moved in twos. The dragon’s energy surged and receded from afar, its pulse winding through nine bends and nine turns beneath the earth. The ridges connected to Yuhua Prefecture, a place of prosperity through countless ages.

As Pilgrim was observing, he suddenly heard voices from behind the mountain. He quickly turned his head and saw two wolf-headed demon monsters, talking loudly as they walked towards the northwest. Pilgrim speculated, “These must be patrolling monsters. I’ll follow them and listen to what they’re saying.” He made a hand gesture, recited an incantation, and with a shake of his body, transformed into a butterfly. Spreading its wings, it flitted and fluttered, quickly catching up to them. Indeed, the transformation was perfect —A pair of powdered wings, two silver antennae. Swiftly it flew with the wind, leisurely it danced in the sunlight. It could cross water and pass over walls with nimble grace, and joyfully steal fragrance and play with catkins. Its light body loved the taste of fresh flowers, its elegant demeanor and fragrant spirit unfolding and retracting at will.It flew directly above the demons’ heads, hovering lightly, listening to their conversation. One demon suddenly exclaimed, “Second Brother, our Great King has been lucky these past few days! Last month he acquired a beautiful woman who has been staying in the cave, making him very happy. And last night, he obtained three weapons, which are truly priceless treasures! Tomorrow morning, he’s hosting a feast to celebrate the rake, and we’ll all get a share of the benefits!” The other replied, “We’re also quite fortunate. With these twenty taels of silver to buy pigs and sheep, once we reach Qianfang Market, we can first drink a few pots of wine, make the accounts look inflated, pocket two or three taels for ourselves to buy some padded clothes for the cold. Won’t that be great?” The two monsters chattered and laughed as they hastened along the main road, moving like the wind.

Pilgrim was secretly pleased to hear about the celebration for the rake. He wanted to kill them, but it wasn’t his immediate priority, and he had no weapon in hand. He immediately flew ahead, reverted to his true form, and stood at the crossroads. As the monsters drew near, he spat a mouthful of magical saliva at them, uttered the incantation “Om Vam Ta Ri,” and cast a body-fixing spell, immobilizing the two wolf-headed demons. Their eyes were wide open, but their mouths could not speak; they stood ramrod straight, their feet rooted to the spot. He then pushed them over, lifted their clothes, and searched them. Sure enough, they each had twenty taels of silver, secured in a pouch tied to their waistband. They also each wore a pink lacquered plaque; one read “Crafty Quirky,” and the other “Quirky Crafty.”

The Great Sage took their silver, removed their plaques, and returned to the prefecture city. Upon reaching the palace, he met the prince, Tripitaka, and all the officials and artisans, and recounted the preceding events in detail. Bajie laughed, “It must be Old Pig’s treasure, shining with brilliant colors, which is why they’re buying pigs and sheep to prepare a feast to celebrate it! But how will we get it back now?” Pilgrim said, “My two brothers and I will all go. This silver was for buying pigs and sheep, so let’s give it to the artisans as a reward. Your Highness, please find some pigs and sheep. Bajie, you transform into Crafty Quirky; I’ll transform into Quirky Crafty. Sha Monk will disguise himself as a pig and sheep vendor. We’ll go into Tiger Mouth Cave, and when the opportunity arises, each of us will seize our weapons, wipe out those evil demons, and then we can get ready to leave.” Sha Monk chuckled, “Excellent, excellent, excellent! No time to lose! Let’s go!” The elder prince indeed followed this plan, immediately ordering his steward to procure seven or eight pigs and four or five sheep. The three of them bade farewell to their master and displayed their magical powers outside the city. Bajie asked, “Brother, I haven’t seen that Crafty Quirky. How do I transform into his likeness?” Pilgrim said, “That monster was fixed in place by my body-fixing spell and won’t wake until this time tomorrow. I remember his appearance. Stand still, and I’ll show you how to transform. Like this and like that, and you’ll have his appearance.” The simpleton truly recited the incantation, and Pilgrim blew a puff of immortal breath. In an instant, Bajie transformed into the spitting image of Crafty Quirky, complete with the pink plaque tied to his waist. Pilgrim then transformed into Quirky Crafty, also with a plaque tied to his waist. Sha Monk dressed himself like a pig and sheep vendor. Together, they herded the pigs and sheep, took the main road, and headed straight for the mountain. Before long, they entered a mountain hollow and encountered another small demon. His face was incredibly fierce! Look at him —Two perfectly round, luminous eyes shone like lanterns; a head of reddish, bristly fur floated like fire. A wine-stained nose, a crooked mouth, sharp tusks; large, coarse ears, a gnarled forehead, a bloated blue face. He wore a light yellow robe and a pair of straw sandals. He looked as imposing and fierce as a wrathful deity, moving with the urgency of a malevolent ghost.

The demon, carrying a lacquered invitation box under his left arm, greeted the three of them, “Quirky Crafty, are you two here? How many pigs and sheep have you bought?” Pilgrim said, “Aren’t these the ones we’re herding?” The demon turned to Sha Monk and asked, “Who is this?” Pilgrim replied, “He’s the pig and sheep vendor. We still owe him a few taels of silver, so we’re bringing him home to collect it. Where are you off to?” The demon said, “I’m going to Bamboo Knot Mountain to invite the Great Elder King to tomorrow morning’s gathering.” Pilgrim, seizing the opportunity, asked, “How many people are invited in total?” The demon replied, “The Great Elder King will sit at the head of the table. Including our own Great King and the other chieftains, there are about forty or so guests.” Just as he was speaking, Bajie exclaimed, “Go on, go on! The pigs and sheep are scattering!” Pilgrim said, “You go gather them. Let me take a look at his invitation.” Seeing them as his own people, the demon opened the box, took out the invitation, and handed it to Pilgrim. Pilgrim unfolded it and read —“Tomorrow morning, respectfully preparing a feast to celebrate the auspicious gathering for the rake. We humbly request your esteemed presence over the mountain for a discussion. We hope you will not decline; your presence would be greatly appreciated! To the esteemed Ancestor, the Venerable Nine-Headed Holy King. From your humble servant, Huang Shi, prostrating himself a hundred times.”After reading, Pilgrim handed it back to the demon. The demon put it back in the box and went straight southeast. Sha Monk asked, “Brother, what did the invitation say?” Pilgrim said, “It’s an invitation for the rake celebration. The name signed is ‘your humble servant Huang Shi, prostrating himself a hundred times,’ and the guest invited is ‘Ancestor, the Venerable Nine-Headed Holy King.’” Sha Monk chuckled, “Huang Shi must be a golden-maned lion demon, but I wonder what kind of creature the Nine-Headed Holy King is.” Hearing this, Bajie laughed, “It’s Old Pig’s stuff!” Pilgrim asked, “How do you figure it’s yours?” Bajie said, “The ancients say a mangy sow specifically chases golden-maned lions, so I know it’s Old Pig’s possession!” The three of them chatted and laughed, herding the pigs and sheep, and soon saw the entrance to Tiger Mouth Cave. Outside the entrance, one could see —Surrounding mountains circled in emerald green, a continuous vital energy flowed to the city. Sheer cliffs climbed with green vines, high precipices hung with redbuds. Birdsong filled the deep trees, and flower shadows greeted the cave entrance. It was no less beautiful than Peach Blossom Spring, a truly fitting place to escape the world.

As they gradually approached the entrance, they saw a cluster of miscellaneous demons, large and small, playing beneath a flowering tree. Suddenly, hearing Bajie’s “Hoo, hoo!” as he herded the pigs and sheep, they all came out to welcome them, immediately grabbing the pigs and sheep and tying them all down. This alerted the Demon King inside, who emerged with a dozen or so lesser demons and asked, “You two have arrived? How many pigs and sheep have you bought?” Pilgrim said, “We bought eight pigs and seven sheep, a total of fifteen animals. The pigs cost sixteen taels, the sheep nine taels. We received twenty taels previously, so we still owe five taels. This is the vendor, who has come along to collect the silver.” Upon hearing this, the Demon King immediately called out, “Minions, fetch five taels of silver and send him away!” Pilgrim said, “This vendor, firstly, is here to collect his silver, and secondly, he wants to witness the grand gathering.” The demon flew into a rage, cursing, “You crafty scoundrel! You just buy things, why are you telling people about our gathering?!” Bajie stepped forward and said, “Our master has obtained a true treasure, a rarity in the world! What’s the harm in letting him take a look?” The demon spat, “You quirky fellow are also annoying! This treasure of mine was obtained from Yuhua Prefecture. If this vendor sees it and spreads the word in the prefecture, and the prince learns of it and comes to reclaim it, then what?” Pilgrim said, “My lord, this vendor is from beyond Qianfang Market, quite far from the prefecture, and he’s not a resident of that city, so where would he spread rumors? Secondly, he’s hungry, and we two haven’t eaten yet either. There’s ready food and drink at home; give him some to eat and send him on his way.” Before he finished speaking, a small demon fetched five taels of silver and handed it to Pilgrim. Pilgrim handed the silver to Sha Monk and said, “Vendor, take the silver. I’ll take you inside to the back for some food.” Sha Monk, emboldened, followed Bajie and Pilgrim into the cave. They reached the second-story hall, where, in the very center of a table, a nine-pronged rake was conspicuously displayed, truly dazzling to the eye. Leaning against the east side was a golden-banded cudgel, and against the west side, a monster-subduing staff. The Demon King followed closely behind and said, “Vendor, the one shining brightly in the middle is the rake. Look if you wish, but when you leave, by no means tell anyone about it.” Sha Monk nodded in thanks. Alas! It was just as the saying goes, “When an object sees its master, it must be claimed.” Bajie, ever the rash and clumsy one, saw the rake and wasted no time on pleasantries. He rushed forward, seized it, wielded it in his hand, revealed his true form, and without further ado, swung it at the demon’s face. Pilgrim and Sha Monk also rushed to the two sides, each grabbing their weapons and revealing their true forms. The three brothers attacked in unison, startling the Demon King, who swiftly dodged aside, retreated to the back, and returned with a Four-Cornered Shovel. Its shaft was long and its blade sharp. He met their three weapons in the courtyard, roaring, “Who are you, daring to deceive me and steal my treasures!” Pilgrim cursed, “You furry thief! You don’t recognize me! We are the disciples of the Holy Monk Tripitaka from the Eastern Lands. We came to Yuhua Prefecture to exchange travel documents, and the wise prince asked his three sons to become our disciples to learn martial arts, using our treasures as models to forge similar weapons. We left them in the courtyard, and you, furry thief, secretly entered the city at night and stole them! And now you accuse me of deceiving you and stealing my treasures! Don’t try to run! Let’s give you a taste of each of our three weapons!” The demon then raised his shovel to fight. This battle raged from the courtyard out to the front gate. Behold the three monks against one monster! What a fierce fight —The cudgel whirred like wind, the rake rolled like rain. The monster-subduing staff lifted, filling the sky with colored clouds, the Four-Cornered Shovel stretched, bringing forth shimmering clouds. Like three immortals forging a great elixir, their fiery glow startled gods and ghosts. Pilgrim displayed immense power, the demon was truly brazen for stealing treasures! Marshal Tian Peng (Bajie) showed his magical might, and General Sha Monk was even more heroic and magnificent. The brothers, united in cunning, started a fierce battle within Tiger Mouth Cave. The powerful demon was cunning and tricky, but the four heroes were evenly matched. The battle continued until sunset, when the demon’s strength weakened, and he could no longer resist.

They battled on Leopard Head Mountain for a long time. The demon could no longer resist and shouted at Sha Monk, “Take this, shovel!” Sha Monk dodged aside, and the demon seized the opportunity to escape, flying southeast on the wind. Bajie pulled himself forward to give chase, but Pilgrim said, “Let him go for now. As the ancients say, ‘Do not pursue a desperate foe.’ Let’s just cut off his retreat.” Bajie complied. The three went straight to the cave entrance and killed all the hundred or so demons, big and small, who turned out to be tigers, wolves, leopards, horses, deer, and mountain goats. The Great Sage then used a magical technique to bring out all the fine articles from the cave, the bodies of the dead miscellaneous beasts, and the pigs and sheep they had brought. Sha Monk took out dry kindling and started a fire. Bajie flapped his two ears, fanning the flames, and instantly burned the entire lair to ashes. Then they took all the salvaged items back to the prefecture city.

At this time, the city gates were still open, and people were not yet asleep. The elder prince and his sons, along with Tripitaka, were all at the Pavilion of Sunning Silks, anxiously waiting. They saw them throw down a courtyard full of dead beasts, pigs, sheep, and fine articles, and all shouted, “Master, we have returned victorious!” The prince repeatedly expressed his thanks, and Elder Tang was filled with joy. The three young princes knelt in homage, but Sha Monk helped them up, saying, “No need for thanks yet. Come closer and look at these things.” The prince asked, “Where did all these things come from?” Pilgrim laughed, “Those tigers, wolves, leopards, horses, deer, and mountain goats are all transformed demons. After we reclaimed our weapons, we fought our way out. That old demon is a golden-maned lion. He wielded a Four-Cornered Shovel and fought us until nightfall, then lost the battle and fled southeast. We didn’t pursue him, but we cleared his retreat path, killed all these lesser demons, and gathered these items, bringing them back.” Hearing this, the elder prince was both happy and worried. Happy for the victory, but worried that the demon might seek revenge later. Pilgrim said, “Your Highness, rest assured. I have considered this thoroughly and will handle it appropriately. We will certainly eliminate them all before we depart, so there will be no future harm. When I went at noon, I encountered a small demon with a blue face and red fur who was delivering an invitation. I saw on his invitation that it read: ‘Tomorrow morning, respectfully preparing a feast to celebrate the auspicious gathering for the rake. We humbly request your esteemed presence and entourage over the mountain for a discussion. We hope you will not decline; your presence would be greatly appreciated! To the esteemed Ancestor, the Venerable Nine-Headed Holy King.’ The name signed was ‘From your humble servant, Huang Shi, prostrating himself a hundred times.’ Since that demon just lost the battle, he will surely go to his ancestor to discuss. Tomorrow, he will undoubtedly seek revenge on us. We will then wipe them out completely for you.” The elder prince expressed his thanks, and supper was served. After the master and disciples finished their meal, they each returned to their sleeping quarters. No further details are mentioned.

Meanwhile, the demon indeed fled southeast to Bamboo Knot Mountain. Within that mountain was a heavenly grotto called Nine Bends Circling Cave. The Nine-Headed Holy King in that cave was his ancestor. That night, he traveled without rest, reaching the cave entrance at the fifth watch (around 3-5 AM). He knocked and entered. A small demon saw him and said, “Great King, yesterday evening the blue-faced demon delivered an invitation. Our master kept him here until this morning, intending to go with him to your rake celebration. Why have you come so early yourself to invite him?” The demon replied, “It’s hard to explain, hard to explain! The gathering is off!” As he spoke, he saw the blue-faced demon emerge from inside and say, “Great King, why are you here? The Great Elder King Grandpa is getting up and was just about to go to the gathering with me.” The demon, flustered, merely waved his hand and said nothing. A moment later, the old demon arose and called him in. The demon dropped his weapon, threw himself to the ground in a kowtow, and tears streamed down his cheeks uncontrollably. The old demon said, “My worthy grandson, you sent an invitation yesterday, and this morning I was just about to come to the gathering. But now you’ve come yourself, and why are you so distressed and sorrowful?” The demon kowtowed and said, “Your humble grandson was wandering under the moonlight the night before last when I saw a brilliant light shoot into the sky from Yuhua Prefecture city. When I rushed to look, it was the three weapons in the royal palace courtyard emitting light: one was a nine-pronged rake inlaid with gold, one a precious staff, and one a golden-banded cudgel. Your humble grandson immediately used a divine spell to capture them and named it the Auspicious Rake Gathering. I ordered my subordinates to buy pigs, sheep, fruits, and other provisions, and set up a feast to celebrate, inviting Grandfather to enjoy it for pleasure. After I sent the blue-faced demon to deliver the invitation yesterday, I saw Crafty Quirky and his companions, whom I had originally sent to buy pigs and sheep, herding some pigs and sheep, and they brought a vendor with them to collect silver. He insisted on seeing the gathering. Your humble grandson, fearing he would spread rumors outside, did not allow him to see. He then said he was hungry and asked for some food, so I told him to eat in the back. He went inside, saw the weapons, and claimed they were his. The three of them then each snatched a weapon and revealed their true forms: one was a monk with a hairy face and a thunder god’s mouth, one a monk with a long snout and big ears, and one a monk with a gloomy face. Without any regard for propriety, they shouted and began to attack. Your humble grandson quickly took my Four-Cornered Shovel and rushed out to confront them, asking who they were to dare play such a trick. They claimed to be disciples of Tripitaka, the Tang Monk sent from the Eastern Lands to the Western Heaven. They said that when passing through the city, they exchanged travel documents, and the prince detained them to study martial arts, using their three weapons as models for forging, and that the weapons were placed in the courtyard, from where I stole them. Thus, they were indignant and confronted me. I don’t know the names of those three monks, but they truly possess great skill. Your humble grandson alone could not defeat the three of them, so I fled to Grandfather. I hope you will draw your blade to help me capture those monks and take revenge, thereby showing your love for your grandson!” The old demon heard this, thought for a moment, and then chuckled, “So it was them! My worthy grandson, you’ve messed with the wrong people!” The demon asked, “Grandfather, do you know who they are?” The old demon said, “The one with the long snout and big ears is Zhu Bajie, and the one with the gloomy face is Sha Wujing. Those two are manageable. But the one with the hairy face and thunder god’s mouth is called Sun Wukong. This person possesses truly immense magical powers. Five hundred years ago, he caused a great disturbance in Heaven, and even a hundred thousand celestial soldiers couldn’t capture him. He makes it his business to find trouble; he is a chief who searches mountains, overturns seas, breaks through caves, attacks cities, and creates mischief! Why did you provoke him? Never mind, I will go with you and capture those scoundrels, even the Prince of Yuhua, to help you get your revenge!” Upon hearing this, the demon immediately kowtowed in gratitude.

At once, the old demon summoned his grandsons: Grizzly Lion, Snow Lion, Suanni, Bai Ze, Subduing Weasel, and Elephant Wrestler. Each held sharp weapons, and led by Yellow Lion, they all unleashed fierce winds and went straight to the border of Leopard Head Mountain. They immediately smelled the scent of smoke and fire, and heard sounds of weeping. Looking closely, they saw that it was Crafty and Quirky crying out for their master. The demon approached and shouted, “Are you the real Crafty, or a fake Crafty?” The two monsters knelt, tears in their eyes, and kowtowed, saying, “How could we be fake? Yesterday at this very hour, we took the silver to buy pigs and sheep. When we reached a large ravine on the western side of the mountain, we saw a monk with a hairy face and a thunder god’s mouth. He spat on us, and our legs became weak and our mouths stiff; we couldn’t speak or move. He knocked us down, searched us for the silver, and untied our plaques. We were in a daze and only just woke up now. When we arrived home, we saw the smoke and fire hadn’t ceased, and all the buildings were burned down. Our master and the other chieftains were gone, so we are here grieving and weeping. We don’t know how this fire started!” Hearing this, the demon could not stop his tears from gushing like a spring. He fell to his knees, his cry shaking the heavens, and lamented, “That bald scoundrel! What terrible evil! How could he commit such a cruel act, burning down my cave dwelling, burning my beauty to death, and leaving my entire household empty! I’m so enraged, so enraged!” The old demon told Grizzly Lion to pull him over and said, “My worthy grandson, things have come to this; fretting is useless. Conserve your energy and let’s go to the prefecture city to capture those monks.” The demon still wouldn’t stop crying, saying, “Master! That mountain retreat of mine wasn’t built in a day! Now that bald scoundrel has completely destroyed it! What good is my life now!” He struggled to his feet and tried to bash his head against the stone cliff, but Snow Lion and Grizzly Lion, among others, earnestly persuaded him to stop. At once, they abandoned that place and all rushed towards the prefecture city.

They only heard the swirling wind and billowing fog approaching very closely, frightening the residents of the various outer wards. Dragging their sons and clutching their daughters, heedless of their belongings, they all rushed into the prefecture city, entering through the gates, which were then immediately shut. Someone reported to the royal palace, saying, “Disaster, disaster!” The princes and Tripitaka were having their morning meal in the Pavilion of Sunning Silks. Hearing the report of disaster, they came out to inquire. The people said, “A group of demons, kicking up sand and stones, spewing mist and stirring up wind, are approaching the city!” The elder prince was greatly alarmed and asked, “What shall we do?” Pilgrim laughed, “Don’t worry, don’t worry! These are the demons from Tiger Mouth Cave. They were defeated yesterday and went southeast to gather reinforcements from that Nine-Headed Holy King. Let me and my brothers go out. Order the four gates to be closed, and you all assign men to guard the city.” The prince indeed issued the order to close the four gates and mustered men to ascend the city walls. The prince and his sons, along with Tripitaka, supervised from the city tower. Banners obscured the sun, and cannon fire boomed continuously. The three disciples, cloaked in half-cloud, half-mist, emerged from the city to meet the enemy. This truly shows: losing wisdom’s weapon due to carelessness immediately stirs up hordes of fierce evils. But to know how this battle fared, please listen to the next chapter’s explanation.