Chapter 73: Old Hatred Breeds Poison and Disaster; the Heart-Mind Meets a Monster and at Last Breaks the Light

Sun Wukong was helping Tripitaka along the road, with Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing following behind, when they had gone only a little way before they saw layered pavilions and towering halls rising ahead. Tripitaka drew in his horse and said, "Disciples, what sort of place is that?"

Wukong lifted his eyes and looked. Before long he saw:

Hills ringed the pavilions, and a stream wound around the terraces.
Wild trees stood thick before the gate, and outside the house the flowers were bright and sweet.
White egrets nested among the willows, like jade hidden in a veil of mist;
yellow orioles sang in the peach trees, like gold glowing in fire.
Deer in pairs forgot themselves as they strolled through the green grass;
birds in couples cried to one another high among the red treetops.
It was like the cave of Liu and Ruan at Tian Tai,
no less than an immortal's garden estate.

Wukong reported, "Master, that place is neither a prince's manor nor a rich family's house. It looks more like a monastery or Daoist retreat. We will know for sure once we arrive."

Tripitaka urged his horse onward. When the four arrived at the gate, they saw a stone tablet set into the lintel bearing the words "Yellow Flower Temple." Tripitaka dismounted. Bajie said, "A Yellow Flower Temple is a Daoist place. It would do us no harm to go in and see them. Though our robes are different, the work of cultivation is the same."

Sha Wujing said, "That is right. First we can look at the scenery, and second we can let the horses and baggage rest. If they are willing, perhaps they will prepare us some vegetarian food for Master."

Tripitaka agreed, and all four entered together. On the second gate there hung a couplet:

Yellow sprouts and white snow, the dwelling of immortals;
jade grass and rare blossoms, the home of Daoist adepts.

Wukong laughed. "These fellows are all charcoal-burners and elixir-keepers, always fussing around with furnaces and pots."

Tripitaka pinched him and said, "Watch your tongue. We do not know them, and they do not know us. Let us just visit for a while and see what comes of it."

By the time he had finished speaking, they had gone through the inner gate. The main hall was shut tight. Under the eastern corridor sat a Daoist priest, pill-making. Look at his dress:

A red-flaming golden cap sat on his head, and he wore a black, ink-dark robe. On his feet were green cloud-topped shoes, and around his waist hung a yellow silk sash. His face was like copper melon, and his eyes shone like bright stars. His nose was high and broad like a foreigner's, and his mouth was flared like a Tart's. Yet within his Daoist mind lay hidden thunder, and he was truly a tamer of tigers and dragons.

Tripitaka saw him and called out in a loud voice, "Old Immortal, this poor monk offers his respects."

The Daoist looked up in alarm. He dropped the medicine in his hand, straightened his hairpin, smoothed his clothes, and came down the steps to greet them. "Teacher, I have failed to welcome you. Please, come inside and sit."

Tripitaka gladly went up into the hall. He pushed open the door and saw the sacred images of the Three Pure Ones, with an incense burner and offering table before them. He first lit incense and bowed three times, then exchanged greetings with the Daoist and took a seat in the guest room with his disciples.

He at once called for the serving boys to bring tea. Two young attendants hurried in and out, hunting for the tea tray, washing the cups, wiping the spoons, and laying out tea fruit, all in a flurry. This quickly stirred up the household's hidden trouble.

It turned out that the seven women demons of Spider-Web Cave had shared cultivation with this Daoist priest under the same roof. After they had changed out of their old clothes and had summoned their sons, they had come straight here. They were in the back room cutting out garments when they heard the boys preparing tea, and one of them asked, "Young man, what guests have arrived that have made you rush about like this?"

The attendant said, "Just now four monks came in. Master asked me to bring tea."

The demon women asked, "Is there a white, fat monk among them?"

The boy said, "Yes."

They asked again, "Is there one with a long mouth and big ears?"

The boy said, "Yes."

The women said, "Hurry up and serve the tea. Then give your master a wink and have him come in. We have something important to tell him."

Sure enough, the boy took out five cups of tea. The Daoist smoothed his robe, took one cup in both hands, and first offered it to Tripitaka, then to Bajie, Sha Wujing, and Wukong. After the tea was drunk, he gathered the cups back up. The attendant gave him a wink, and the Daoist bent slightly and said, "Gentlemen, please wait here a moment. Let the boy remain to serve you while I go and return shortly."

So Tripitaka and his disciples, together with the boy, left the hall to look around outside, and we need not speak further of that.

Instead, let us say that the Daoist went into the abbot's room and found the seven women all kneeling together, calling out, "Brother, brother, hear your little sisters for a moment."

The Daoist helped them up and said, "When you came this morning, you had something to tell me. I was busy pill-making, and this medicine must not see women, so I did not answer you. Now there are guests outside. Let us speak slowly."

The demons said, "Brother, this matter is worth telling only because the guests came. If they go away, it will be useless to speak of it."

The Daoist laughed. "Look at my sisters talking. Do you mean to say I can only hear about it when the guests come? Have you gone mad? I am not some worldly fellow with wife, children, and household chores. Even if I were, I would still wait until the guests left before dealing with such matters. What kind of unkind thing is this, setting up a screen in front of me? Let me go out."

The demon women all caught him and said, "Brother, calm down. Tell us first, where are those guests from?"

The Daoist spat and did not answer. The women said, "Just now the boy came in for tea, and I heard him say they were four monks."

The Daoist snapped, "So what if they are monks?"

The women said, "Among the four monks there was a white, fat one and one with a long mouth and big ears. Brother, did you ask where they came from?"

The Daoist said, "Those two are here. How do you know? Have you seen them somewhere?"

The women replied, "Brother, you do not know the whole story. That monk is the Tang monk sent from the Great Tang to go west for the scriptures. He came to our cave this morning asking for alms. We heard that his name was Tripitaka and seized him at once. But then that long-mouthed, big-eared monk blocked us at the Filth-Washing Spring, first stealing our clothes and then, by force, wanting to bathe together with us. We could not stop him. He jumped into the water and turned into a catfish, wriggling between our legs and trying every kind of shameless trick. Then he sprang back out and showed his true form. Seeing that we would not follow him, he took up a nine-pronged rake and meant to take our lives. If we had not had some understanding, we might already have fallen to his poison.

Then we sent your foolish nephew to fight him, and we do not know whether he is alive or dead. We have come to seek you out, brother, hoping you will remember the old friendship of our school days and stand up for us today."

The Daoist grew furious at once. His face changed color. "So that monk really was so rude and so shameless? Do not worry. Let me deal with him."

The women thanked him. "If Brother will make a move, we will all come to help beat him."

The Daoist said, "No need to fight, no need to fight. As the saying goes, one against three is already a poor bargain. Follow me all the same."

The seven women went along with him on both sides. He went into the room, fetched a ladder, climbed up behind the bed, and took down a little leather box from the beam. The box was about eight inches high, one foot long, and four inches wide, with a small copper lock on it.

From his sleeve he drew out a piece of goose-yellow silk and handkerchief, from which hung a tiny key. He opened the lock and took out a packet of medicine. This medicine was:

Made from bird droppings gathered in the mountains,
pounded and piled up by the thousand.
It was cooked in a copper cauldron,
simmered and refined with exact heat.
A thousand catties were boiled down to one ladle,
one ladle was refined again to three parts.
Those three parts were roasted once more,
then burned, heated, and smoked again.
Once made into this poisonous powder,
it was as precious as pearl and gem.
If a mortal tasted even a little,
he would enter the mouth and meet Yama.

The Daoist said to the seven women, "Sisters, this treasure of mine need only one hair's breadth to kill a mortal. If an immortal eats it, three hair's breadths will finish him. These monks may have some cultivation, so three hair's breadths should do. Hurry and bring me the scales."

One of the women quickly fetched a scale and weighed out one part and two hair's breadths, dividing it into four portions. They took twelve red dates, split them open, stuffed each with one hair's breadth of the poison, and placed them in four tea cups. Then they took two black dates and made them into one cup, setting it on a tray. They said to the others, "I will go and ask them. If they are not from the Tang realm, then never mind. If they are Tang men, I will have them change the tea, and you can have the boy bring this one out. Once they drink it, they will all die, and your revenge will be settled, your anger relieved."

The seven women were deeply grateful.

The Daoist changed into another robe, put on a show of courtesy, and went out to invite Tripitaka and the others back to the guest room. He said, "Teacher, please do not blame me. I just went to the back to tell my disciples to pick some greens and radishes and prepare a vegetarian meal for you, which is why I was unable to keep you company."

Tripitaka said, "I entered this place empty-handed. How could I dare trouble you for a feast?"

The Daoist smiled. "We are both monks. As soon as we see a mountain gate, we gain three measures of ration grain. Why speak of coming empty-handed? May I ask, teacher, from which blessed mountain do you come, and what brings you here?"

Tripitaka said, "This poor monk is an envoy from Great Tang in the Eastern Land, sent west to the Great Thunderclap Monastery to seek the scriptures. We happened to pass by your immortal gate and came in all sincerity to pay our respects."

The Daoist's face brightened. "You are a loyal and virtuous monk. I did not know it and failed to greet you from afar. Forgive me, forgive me."

He called, "Boy, hurry and change the tea. Also see that the vegetarian meal is prepared quickly."

The boy went in, and the women called him over. "There is ready-made good tea here. Take it out."

Sure enough, the boy carried out five cups. The Daoist hastily took one cup with a red date and offered it to Tripitaka with both hands. Seeing that Bajie was large, he took him for the eldest disciple. Sha Wujing he took for the second. Wukong was small in stature, so he took him for the third. Only after that did he offer the fourth cup to Wukong.

Wukong had keen eyes. As soon as he took the cup, he saw that the cup on the tray held two black dates. He said, "Sir, let us exchange cups."

The Daoist smiled. "To tell the truth, teacher, this poor Daoist was ill-prepared. Just now I went back myself to find the fruit, and there were only these twelve red dates, enough for four cups. Since I could not offer only empty courtesy, I set two lesser dates in one cup to accompany the others. That is this poor Daoist's sign of respect."

Wukong laughed. "What are you saying? As the old saying goes, 'If you are at home, you are not poor. If you are on the road, poverty can kill you.' You are the one who lives at home, so how can you speak of being poor? We wandering monks are the truly poor ones. Let us exchange. Let us exchange."

Tripitaka said, "Wukong, this immortal is merely being hospitable. Drink it. Why exchange?"

Wukong had no choice, so he took the cup in his left hand and covered it with his right, watching the others.

Now Bajie was both hungry and thirsty, and his belly was enormous. Seeing three red dates in the cup, he gulped them all down in one swallow. Tripitaka drank his too, and so did Sha Wujing. In an instant Bajie's face changed color, Sha Wujing's eyes filled with tears, and Tripitaka began to froth at the mouth.

They could no longer sit upright and all collapsed to the ground.

The Great Sage knew at once that they had been poisoned. He raised the tea cup high and flung it straight at the Daoist's face. The Daoist caught it with his robe sleeve; with a sharp crack, the cup shattered to pieces. He shouted in anger, "You monk are utterly crude! Why did you smash my cup?"

Wukong cursed back, "You beast! Look at what you have done to my three people. I have no quarrel with you, yet you drugged my companions with poison tea?"

The Daoist cried, "You rough creature, you have brought this disaster on yourself. Do you not know it?"

Wukong said, "We only just came through your gate. We had barely sat down and exchanged names, and not a single rude word was spoken. What disaster did we bring on?"

The Daoist said, "Have you not been to Spider-Web Cave seeking alms? Have you not bathed at the Filth-Washing Spring?"

Wukong said, "The Filth-Washing Spring belongs to seven demon women. Since you can speak of that place, you must surely be in league with them. You must be a monster too. Do not run. Taste my staff!"

The Great Sage reached into his ear and took out the Golden-Hooped Rod. With a shake it became as thick as a bowl, and he swung it at the Daoist's face. The Daoist turned quickly aside and drew a precious sword to meet him.

The two of them cursed and fought, and at once the demon women were alarmed in the back room. All seven rushed out and cried, "Brother, do not labor yourself. Let your little sisters take him."

Wukong saw them and grew all the angrier. He swung the iron rod with both hands, casting away all restraint, and rushed in to strike wildly.

The seven women opened their robes wide, exposing their snow-white bellies, and from their navel holes they worked their magic. Thick ropes of silk shot out all at once and knitted a sky-covering net that trapped Wukong beneath it. When he saw that matters were going badly, he turned over, recited a spell, and somersaulted upward, smashing through the net and escaping.

He held back his temper and stood in midair, livid with rage, watching the scene below. The spider threads glittered and flashed, crossing and recrossing in warp and weft until the towers, halls, and pavilions of Yellow Flower Temple were covered so thoroughly that nothing could be seen.

Wukong said, "Vicious, vicious. It is well they never got hold of me. No wonder Zhu Bajie was badly beaten. What can be done now? My master and junior brothers have also been poisoned. These fiends are in league and one-minded, but I do not yet know what sort they are. I had better ask the local earth god again."

The Great Sage lowered his cloud, pinched the seal, spoke the true syllable "Om," and summoned the Earth God once more. The old spirit knelt trembling by the roadside and bowed his head. "Great Sage, you went away to save your master. Why have you come back again?"

Wukong said, "I saved my master earlier and had not gone far when we came upon Yellow Flower Temple. My master and the others went in to look around, and the temple master came out to greet us. While we were speaking, he drugged my master and my junior brothers with poisoned tea. Luckily I did not drink it. I struck at once. Then he mentioned Spider-Web Cave alms-seeking and the Filth-Washing Spring, and I knew he was a monster. When I raised my hand against him, the seven women rushed out and spewed silk threads. Thanks to my skill, I escaped. I asked you before because you are the god of this place. Who exactly is this fiend? Speak honestly and avoid a beating."

The Earth God kowtowed and said, "That monster has lived here less than ten years. I only learned his true form after checking things three years ago. He is a spider spirit, seven of them in all. The silk threads he spits are spider silk."

Wukong was overjoyed. "So that is all? If that is the case, go back and wait. I will work my own spell to subdue them."

The Earth God bowed and left.

Wukong went to the outside of Yellow Flower Temple, pulled out his tail hairs, and blew them into a swarm of clones. He ordered them to pry open the silk net and break the strands, while he himself leaped up, seized seven spider fiends, and killed them on the spot. Then he went back to the temple to finish the Daoist. The Daoist saw that his sisters had been slain and became furious. He lifted his sword and rushed forward.

The battle that followed was a fierce one. One man and one demon each displayed his power to the full. It was a brutal and splendid fight:

The fiend swung his precious sword, and the Great Sage lifted the Golden-Hooped Rod.
All this came from the Tang monk's safety, and first the seven women cried out.
Now both sides pulled out their true art and showed off their power.
The Great Sage shone with divine brilliance, while the monster's courage was fierce.
His whole body knew a hundred arts as naturally as flowering brocade;
both hands whirled and turned like a spinning windlass.
Sword and rod clanged and rang.
Wild clouds drifted darkly overhead.
Each traded sharp words and clever schemes, striking back and forth like a painted scroll.
The fight made the wind cry, the sand fly, and tigers and wolves recoil;
the sky darkened and the earth dimmed, and the stars themselves seemed to battle.

The Daoist and the Great Sage fought fifty or sixty rounds. Gradually his hands grew slack. All at once he loosened his sash and with a loud rip tore off his black robe. Wukong laughed. "My son, if you cannot beat a man, stripping off your clothes will not help."

Once the Daoist had peeled off his robe, he raised both hands. Under his ribs there suddenly appeared one thousand eyes, and from each eye burst golden light, very fierce indeed:

Dark yellow fog, bright golden radiance.
On both sides the fog steamed like clouds from his ribs;
from the thousand eyes golden fire blazed forth.
Left and right there were like great golden vats;
east and west they were like bronze bells.
This was a demon immortal displaying his power,
a Daoist showing off his divine skill.
He flashed those eyes to blind heaven and cover the sun and moon,
and wrapped the Great Sage Sun in golden light and yellow mist.

Wukong was thrown into confusion. He could only spin around inside the golden glare. He could neither go forward nor step back, just as if he were turning around inside a barrel. The heat and irritation were more than he could bear. Desperate, he jumped hard straight up, but he struck the golden light and tumbled head over heels to the ground. His head hurt where he had hit, and when he touched it, the skin across the top had gone soft.

He thought in distress, "Bad luck, bad luck. This head of mine is of no use today. Usually not even blades and axes can hurt it, so why did this golden light soften the flesh? If it stays like this too long, it will surely fester. Even if it heals, it will be a broken head forever."

Unable to endure the burning irritation, he thought again, "I cannot go forward, cannot go back, cannot move left or right, and cannot leap upward. What am I to do? I may as well go downward."

The Great Sage recited a spell and changed himself into a pangolin, the scaly beast with armor all over its body. Truly, with four iron claws it could rake through mountains and split rock like powder, and with its many scales it could bore through cliffs and ridges as easily as cutting green onions. Its eyes shone like twin stars, and its narrow mouth was sharper than a drill of steel or a golden awl.

He lowered his head and dug straight into the earth. He went more than twenty li before he finally surfaced, for the golden light only covered a little more than ten li. Once outside, he resumed his own form, but his strength had gone weak, his sinews numb, and his whole body hurt. He could not stop the tears from flowing.

He cried out in a broken voice:

Ah, Master! When we left the mountain together and took the road west, we worked with all our might.
We had no fear of the great seas and crashing waves, yet now I have suffered this wind in a shallow ditch.

The Monkey King was still grieving when he heard someone crying behind the mountain. He wiped his tears and turned to look. There he saw a woman in full mourning, carrying in her left hand a bowl of cold gruel and rice, and in her right hand a bundle of burnt paper money, coming step by step and weeping as she walked. Wukong sighed and nodded. "As the saying goes, one tearful eye meets another tearful eye, and one broken-hearted person meets another broken-hearted person.

What is this woman crying for? Let me ask her."

The woman soon came close. Wukong bowed and asked, "Lady Bodhisattva, who is it that you mourn?"

The woman held back tears and said, "My husband had a quarrel with the master of Yellow Flower Temple over the purchase of bamboo poles, and he was poisoned to death by the temple's tea. I am burning these paper offerings in thanks for our married life."

Wukong heard this and tears came to his own eyes. The woman suddenly frowned and said angrily, "How can you be so ignorant? I am grief-stricken over my husband, and you stand there with moist eyes and a mournful brow, as though mocking me in bad faith?"

Wukong bowed deeply. "Lady Bodhisattva, please calm your anger. I am Sun Wukong, eldest disciple of the imperial envoy Tripitaka from Great Tang in the Eastern Lands. We were traveling toward the Western Heaven and stopped at Yellow Flower Temple to rest the horses. The Daoist there, I do not know what sort of monster he is. He has formed sworn brotherhood with the seven spider fiends. The spider fiends tried to harm my master at Spider-Web Cave, and my junior brothers Bajie and Sha Wujing and I rescued him. Then those spider fiends ran here and told twisted tales, saying we intended to deceive them.

That Daoist poisoned my master and the two junior brothers, making three men and four horses ill in his temple. I alone did not drink his tea, so I smashed the cup. That is why he fought me. While we were arguing, the seven spider fiends ran out and shot silk threads, trapping me in a web. I escaped by my own magic.

I asked the Earth God, learned their true forms, used my clones to tear the web apart, dragged out the monsters, and beat them to death. That Daoist then came out for revenge, wielding a precious sword against me.

We fought for sixty rounds. Then he lost and tore off his robe. From under his ribs he released one thousand eyes and a thousand rays of golden light, trapping me within it. I could neither advance nor retreat, so I turned into a pangolin and dug my way out of the earth. I was grieving just now when I heard you crying, which is why I asked.

Since you have brought these paper offerings for your husband, and my master has lost his life, I have nothing at all to repay you with. I was only grieving over myself. How could I possibly mean to make sport of you?"

The woman set down the gruel and the paper money and apologized. "Do not be offended, do not be offended. I did not know you were a man in distress. From what you have said, you do not recognize that Daoist. He is the Hundred-Eyed Demon, also called the Multi-Eyed Fiend.

Since you can change shape and escaped the golden light after fighting for so long, you must surely have great power. But you still cannot get close to that fellow. I can send you to invite one holy being who can break the golden light and subdue the Daoist."

Wukong said at once, "Lady Bodhisattva, you know his background. Please teach me, please teach me. If that holy being can be invited, I will beg him to save my master and repay you for your husband's revenge."

The woman said, "I will tell you. Go invite him. He can subdue the Daoist, but he may only help you avenge your wrong and may not be able to save your master. The poison is too fierce. Once it takes hold, the bones and marrow rot away within three days. If you go and return, I fear it will be too late."

Wukong said, "I can walk. No matter how far it is, half a day will do."

The woman said, "If you can travel, listen. It is a thousand li from here. There is a mountain called Purple Cloud Mountain, and on that mountain is a cave called Thousand Flower Cave. Inside lives a holy being named Pilanpo. She can subdue this fiend."

Wukong asked, "In what direction is that mountain? Which way should I go?"

The woman pointed and said, "Straight south from here."

Wukong looked back, and the woman had already vanished. He hurriedly bowed and said, "Which bodhisattva was that? I was muddled from my burrowing and could not recognize her. I beg you to leave your name so I may give thanks."

From the empty air a voice answered, "Great Sage, it was I."

Wukong looked up quickly and saw that it was the Lady of Mount Li. He hurried into the air to thank her. "Old Mother, where have you come from to instruct me?"

The Lady of Mount Li said, "I have just returned from the Dragon-Flower Assembly. Seeing that your master was in danger, I pretended to be a grieving widow and used the death of a husband as a pretext to spare him from dying. Hurry and go invite her, but do not say that I pointed the way. That holy being is rather strange."

Wukong thanked her and took his leave. With one leap of his somersault cloud, he flew up to Purple Cloud Mountain. He set his cloud down and saw Thousand Flower Cave. Outside the cave:

Pine trees shaded the wondrous land, and green cypresses circled the immortal dwelling.
Willow branches filled the mountain path, and strange flowers crowded the ravine channels.
Fragrant orchids ringed the stone house, and sweet grasses reflected the rocky bends.
Running water bound the stream in blue, while clouds sealed the old trees in emptiness.
Wild birds cried in a noisy chatter, and hidden deer walked with slow, gentle steps.
Every branch of bamboo was graceful, and every leaf of red plum was open.
Cold crows nested in ancient trees, and spring birds chattered in the high pines.
Summer wheat filled the broad fields, and autumn grain covered the ground.
In all four seasons no leaves ever fell, and in all eight festival days flowers bloomed without end.
Auspicious haze rose to the edge of heaven, and lucky clouds always met the vault of emptiness.

The Great Sage went in happily and saw one scene after another, each more beautiful than the last. He walked deeper inside and found no one at all, only silence. Not a dog barked and not a chicken crowed. He said to himself, "It seems this holy being is away from home."

He went a few li farther and saw a female Daoist sitting on a couch. Look at her:

On her head was a five-flower brocade cap, and she wore a robe woven with gold thread.
On her feet were cloud-tipped phoenix shoes, and around her waist hung a silk sash with twin tassels.
Her face looked like late autumn after frost, yet her voice was as sweet as a spring swallow before the nest is built.
She had long ago mastered the Great Vehicle teachings, and her heart practiced the Four Noble Truths in abundance.
She had awakened to the true fruit of emptiness, and her cultivation had made her serene and free.
She was the Buddha of Thousand Flower Cave, famous by the name of Pilanpo Bodhisattva.

Wukong could not stop himself and went forward to call, "Pilanpo Bodhisattva, I pay my respects."

The bodhisattva immediately stepped down from the couch, joined her palms, and returned the greeting. "Great Sage, I have failed to welcome you. Where have you come from?"

Wukong said, "How is it that you know I am the Great Sage?"

Pilanpo said, "When you raised all that trouble in Heaven years ago, your likeness was spread everywhere. Who did not know you, and who did not recognize you?"

Wukong said, "As the saying goes, good news never leaves the door, but bad news travels a thousand li. Now that I have returned to the Buddha's gate, you had not heard?"

Pilanpo said, "When did you return to the proper path? Congratulations, congratulations."

Wukong said, "By good fortune I have escaped with my life. I am escorting Master Tripitaka west to seek the scriptures. My master encountered a Daoist priest at Yellow Flower Temple, who drugged him with poisoned tea. I fought the fiend, and he shone golden light all around me, but I escaped with magic.

I heard that the bodhisattva can extinguish his golden light, so I have specially come to pay my respects and invite you."

The bodhisattva said, "Who told you that? I attended the Yu Lan Assembly and have not gone out of my cave for more than three hundred years. I keep my name hidden, and no one knows where I am. How did you come to know?"

Wukong said, "I am a ground rat. I do not care where I go. I always know how to find people."

Pilanpo said, "Very well, very well. I ought not to go, but the Great Sage has come down to me in person. I cannot let the good work of seeking the scriptures be destroyed. I will go with you."

Wukong thanked her and said, "I was too bold, rushing you without first asking. But what weapon have you brought?"

Pilanpo said, "I have an embroidery needle that can break that fellow."

Wukong could not help laughing. "Old Mother, you have ruined me. If I had known it was only an embroidery needle, I would never have troubled you. I have a basketful of them myself."

Pilanpo said, "Your embroidery needles are only steel, iron, or gold. They would not do. My treasure is neither steel, nor iron, nor gold. It was refined in my son's eye of the Rooster Star Lord."

Wukong asked, "Who is your son?"

Pilanpo said, "My son is the Rooster Star Lord."

Wukong was startled. Then he saw the golden light shining brilliantly in the distance and said at once, "The place with the golden light is Yellow Flower Temple."

Pilanpo took an embroidery needle from her collar. It was as thick as an eyebrow, five or six fen long. She held it between her fingers and tossed it into the sky.

After a little while there was a loud crack, and the golden light was broken. Wukong was delighted. "Bodhisattva, marvelous, marvelous! Find the needle, find the needle."

Pilanpo held it in the palm of her hand and said, "Is this not it?"

The two of them then descended the cloud and walked into the temple. They saw that the Daoist had closed his eyes and could not move a step.

Wukong cursed him. "You filthy monster, pretending to be blind!"

He took up his staff and was about to beat him when Pilanpo held him back. "Great Sage, do not strike him. First go see your master."

Wukong went straight to the guest room at the back. There he saw the three of them lying on the ground, foaming at the mouth. Wukong shed tears. "What can be done now? What can be done now?"

Pilanpo said, "Great Sage, do not grieve. I have made this trip today, so let me earn a little hidden virtue. I have an antidote pill here. I will give you three."

Wukong bowed and begged for them. The bodhisattva took out a ragged paper packet from her sleeve, produced three red pills, and handed them to Wukong, telling him to place them in their mouths. Wukong pried open their teeth and tucked one into each mouth. Before long the medicine scent reached their bellies, and all at once they began to retch and vomit, casting out the poison and recovering their lives.

Bajie was the first to crawl up and cry, "This misery has nearly killed me."

Tripitaka and Sha Wujing woke and said, "What a dizzy spell."

Wukong said, "Your tea was poisoned. Thanks to Pilanpo Bodhisattva, you have been saved. Come quickly and thank her."

Tripitaka sat up, straightened his robe, and bowed his thanks.

Bajie said, "Brother, where is the Daoist? Let me ask him why he harmed us so."

Wukong then explained the story of the spider fiends from start to finish. Bajie flew into a rage. "Since he is sisters with those spider fiends, he is surely a monster."

Wukong pointed. "He is standing outside the hall, pretending to be blind."

Bajie grabbed his rake and was about to drive it down when Pilanpo stopped him. "Marshal Canopy, calm your anger. The Great Sage knows that my cave lacks a gatekeeper. Let me take him back and set him to watch the doors."

Wukong said, "I am deeply grateful for your great kindness. How could I not thank you? But let us first see his true form."

Pilanpo said, "That is easy."

She stepped forward, pointed with her hand, and with a plop the Daoist collapsed into the dust and revealed his original shape. He was a centipede demon, seven feet long. Pilanpo hooked him up with one little finger, rode an auspicious cloud, and went straight back to Thousand Flower Cave.

Bajie cried out in amazement, "That old mother is fierce indeed. How did she subdue such a vile creature so easily?"

Wukong laughed. "I asked her what weapon could break his golden light, and she said she had an embroidery needle, forged in her son's eye. When I asked who her son was, she said he was the Rooster Star Lord. I thought of the Rooster Star Lord as a rooster, so this old mother must be a hen. Chickens are the natural enemy of centipedes, so of course she could subdue him."

Tripitaka kept bowing again and again. He told the disciples, "Pack up. Let us be on our way."

Sha Wujing quickly found some grain inside and prepared a meal, and they all ate their fill.

They led the horse and took up the luggage, and asked Master to come out of the gate. Wukong set fire to the kitchen and burned the whole temple to ashes in an instant, then strode off with long steps.

Tripitaka's life was saved by Pilanpo;
his true nature cleared away the multi-eyed fiend.

As for what happened next on the road ahead, listen to the next chapter for the explanation.