Chapter 89: The Yellow Lion Spirit Sets a False Rake Feast; Gold, Wood, and Earth Scheme at Leopard-Head Mountain

Now then: the blacksmiths in the courtyard had all been worn out by days of labor, and at night they had fallen asleep. When dawn came and they got up to work, the three weapons were nowhere beneath the awning. One and all they stared in alarm and searched the place from end to end. Just then the three princes came out of the palace to look around. The smiths all knelt and cried, "Young lords, the holy master's three weapons are nowhere to be found."

The youngest prince was so startled that his heart went cold. "It must be that our master took them away in the night."

He hurried off to the screened pavilion to look. The white horse was still standing in the corridor. He could not help calling out, "Is Master still asleep?"

Sha Wujing answered, "He has gotten up."

He opened the door and let the prince look inside. Seeing no weapons, the prince grew flustered and asked, "Has Master put the weapons away?"

Wukong jumped up and said, "I have not touched them."

The prince said, "The three weapons were gone in the night."

Bajie quickly sat up and asked, "Is my rake there?"

The prince said, "When we came out just now, everyone searched front and back and could not find them. We thought Master must have put them away, so we came to ask. Your sacred treasures can all grow and shrink. Perhaps you are keeping them hidden on your person to tease us."

Wukong said, "I truly did not put them away. Go search."

They went out to the courtyard and looked under the awning. Sure enough, the weapons were gone. Bajie said, "It must be that those smiths stole them. Seize them quickly. If they are a little late about giving them back, beat them to death. Beat them to death."

The smiths were frightened half out of their wits. They knocked their heads to the ground, tears streaming down. "Grandfathers, we have been laboring day after day. We fell asleep at night, and by morning they were gone. We are all ordinary mortals. How could we lift them away? We beg you, spare our lives, spare our lives."

Wukong said nothing, but in his heart he blamed himself. "It was our own fault. Since we had already measured the shape, we ought to have kept them close at hand. Why did we leave them here? Those treasures shine with brilliance. Perhaps some villain saw the light and sneaked in during the night to steal them."

Bajie would not believe it. "Brother, what are you saying? This is such a peaceful place, not some wild mountain in the open country. Where would a villain come from? It must be that the smiths had wicked hearts. Seeing the brilliance of our weapons, they recognized them as treasures, then slipped out of the palace at night and hired a crowd to haul them away. Grab them and beat them, beat them."

The smiths only knelt and swore oaths.

As the shouting went on, the old king came out and asked about the matter. His face had gone pale. After a long pause he said, "The holy master's weapons are no ordinary things. Even a hundred men could not move them. As for me, I have ruled this city for five generations. I am not boasting, but I have earned some reputation for virtue, and the people of this city, soldiers and craftsmen alike, all fear my laws. They would never dare deceive us. I beg the holy master to think again."

Wukong laughed. "There is no need to think again, and there is no need to blame the smiths. Let me ask Your Highness this: around your prefecture, are there any mountains or forest-haunted monsters?"

The prince said, "Holy master, that is a fair question. North of my city there is Leopard-Head Mountain, and within it Tiger-Mouth Cave. People keep saying there are immortals in the cave, or tigers and wolves, or demons and fiends. I have never found the truth, and I do not know what it really is."

Wukong laughed. "That is enough. It must be some villain from that direction. Seeing that all three were treasures, he stole them in the night."

He called out, "Bajie, Brother Sha, you stay here and protect Master and the city. Let Old Sun go search it out."

He also told the smiths not to stop the furnace work, but to keep forging and refining. The Monkey King took leave of Tripitaka, gave a whistle, and vanished from sight. In the twinkling of an eye he had reached Leopard-Head Mountain. The city was only thirty li away, so he arrived in an instant. He went straight up the peak to look around, and sure enough there was a little demonic air. Truly:

The dragon veins ran long, and the lay of the land was grand. Sharp peaks stabbed high into heaven, and steep ravines carried swift waters below. In front of the mountain, rare grasses spread like a carpet; behind it, strange flowers bloomed like brocade. Old pines and ancient cypresses stood thick, with tall bamboo groves beyond. Mountain crows and magpies flew and cried in confusion, while wild cranes and monkeys all shouted from the trees. Below the cliffs, deer moved in pairs; before the crags, badgers and foxes stood in couples. The mountain ridge rose and fell in long waves like a dragon; nine turns and nine bends hid the veins of the earth. At the ridge foot it joined Jade Flower Prefecture, a place blessed for all time.

As Wukong was looking, he suddenly heard voices behind the mountain. He turned quickly and saw two wolf-headed demons walking west-northwest as they talked aloud. Wukong thought, "These must be mountain patrolmen. Let me follow and listen to what they are saying."

He pinched a charm, recited a spell, and changed into a butterfly. He opened his wings and flitted after them. He truly had a fine form:

Two pale wings, two silver feelers,
flying swiftly when the wind rose,
dancing slowly in the sunlight.
He crossed water and walls with ease,
and loved to flirt with flowers and willow fluff.
Light of body, he especially liked the scent of fresh blossoms,
with such elegant poise he could turn and fold at will.

He hovered over the demons' heads and listened as they talked. One of them said, "Second Brother, our great king has had a lucky streak these past days. Last month he got himself a beauty and has been enjoying her in the cave. Last night he also got three weapons, and they are truly priceless treasures. Tomorrow morning they are holding a rake feast to celebrate. We all get to share in the fun."

The other said, "We have some luck of our own too. We took twenty taels of silver to buy pigs and sheep. Now that we are at Qianfang Market, we can first drink a few jars of wine. We can book the goods under an account, skim off two or three taels, buy ourselves a padded coat for the cold, and still come out ahead. How about that?"

The two demons laughed and chatted as they hurried along the main road.

When Wukong heard that they were celebrating a rake feast, he was greatly pleased. He wanted to kill them, but it was no concern of his and he had no weapon in hand. So he flew ahead, resumed his true form, and stood waiting at the crossroads.

As the demons drew near, he spat a mouthful of magic at them and recited "Om hum zha li," then used a spell to still their bodies. The two wolf spirits were frozen in place, eyes open, unable to speak and unable to move. Wukong turned them over, searched their clothing, and found twenty taels of silver. Each wore a satin pouch tied to a waist sash. Each also carried a gold-painted token. One said "Cunning Oddity," the other said "Oddity Cunning."

The Great Sage took the silver, took the tokens, and flew back to the prefectural city. He reached the palace and told the prince, Tripitaka, and all the officials and craftsmen what had happened.

Bajie laughed. "No wonder the glitter of my treasure was so bright. They bought pigs and sheep and were preparing a feast."

Wukong said, "But how are we to get at them? The three of us will go. This silver was meant for the purchases, so give it to the craftsmen and tell the prince to have them buy a few pigs and sheep. Bajie, you transform into Cunning Oddity, I will transform into Oddity Cunning, and Brother Sha will dress as a pig-and-sheep merchant. We will go into Tiger-Mouth Cave. Once we find a chance, each man will take back his own weapon and smash those fiends to pieces, then we will pack up and leave."

Sha Wujing laughed. "Excellent, excellent. No time to lose. Let's go."

The old king agreed at once and ordered the steward to buy seven or eight pigs and four or five sheep.

The three of them took leave of their master and displayed their powers outside the city. Bajie said, "Brother, I have not seen that Cunning Oddity before. How am I to look like him?"

Wukong said, "That fiend is still frozen by Old Sun's spell. He will not wake until this time tomorrow. I remember exactly what he looks like. Stand still and let me teach you."

He instructed him thus and thus, and the fool truly muttered a charm while Wukong blew a breath of immortal wind. In a flash Bajie looked exactly like Cunning Oddity, with a gold-painted token hanging at his waist. Wukong himself changed into Oddity Cunning and wore a token as well.

Sha Wujing dressed as a pig-and-sheep merchant. Together they drove the pigs and sheep onto the main road and straight toward the mountain. Before long they reached a hollow in the hills and met a little demon whose face was just as vicious:

His two eyes rolled like bright lamps; his red, bristling hair blazed like fire.
He had a filthy nose, a crooked mouth, and sharp fangs;
his ears were broken, his forehead sloped, and his blue face looked swollen and loose.
He wore a pale yellow coat and a pair of grass-sedge shoes.
He was fierce as a savage spirit, and hurried like a wicked ghost.

Under his left arm he carried a painted lacquer box for invitations. He hailed Wukong and said, "Oddity Cunning, you two are here? How many pigs and sheep did you buy?"

Wukong said, "Isn't this the drive?"

The demon asked Sha Wujing, "Who is this fellow?"

Wukong said, "He is a merchant bringing pigs and sheep. He still owes us a few taels, so we brought him home to settle the balance. Where are you headed?"

The demon said, "I am going to Bamboo-Joint Mountain to invite the old king to come to the feast tomorrow."

Wukong matched his tone and asked, "How many guests are there altogether?"

The demon said, "We are inviting the old king to the chief seat, together with our own mountain king and the captains and the rest. There will be more than forty in all."

As he was speaking, Bajie said, "Let's go, let's go. The pigs and sheep are all scattering."

Wukong said, "You go keep them together. Let me borrow his invitation card and have a look."

The demon knew him to be one of his own and unfastened the invitation, handing it to Wukong. Wukong unfolded it and read:

Tomorrow we will respectfully prepare food and wine to celebrate the fine Rake Feast. Please honor us by crossing the mountain and sitting with us a while. We beg you not to think us rude and are deeply grateful.

Respectfully presented to Grandfather, the Old Lord Nine-Spirit Primordial Sage.

From your gate, Sun Yellow Lion bows a hundred times.

When he had finished, Wukong returned the card. The demon put it back in the box and went on southeast.

Sha Wujing asked, "Brother, what did the card say?"

Wukong said, "It is an invitation to the rake feast. The name written on it is 'From your gate, Sun Yellow Lion bows a hundred times.' The guest invited is Grandfather, the Old Lord Nine-Spirit Primordial Sage."

Bajie laughed. "That yellow lion must be a monster turned from a golden-maned lion. But what sort of creature is this Nine-Spirit Primordial Sage?"

Bajie heard this and laughed. "That is old pig's stock and trade."

Wukong asked, "How is that your stock and trade?"

Bajie said, "As the old saying goes, 'A mangy sow always chases golden-maned lions.' So I know this is old pig's own sort of thing."

The three of them laughed as they drove the pigs and sheep and soon saw Tiger-Mouth Cave. Outside the gate, all around the mountain, green ridges embraced the jade city, and a single vein of qi ran straight through it. Sheer cliffs clutched blue vines, and steep heights hung with purple catalpa blossoms. Birdsong thickened the deep forest, and flowers welcomed the cave gate. It was no less than a Peach Blossom Source, a place fit to hide from the world.

As they drew nearer, they saw a crowd of small demons of every sort playing beneath the flowering trees. When they heard Bajie calling the pigs and sheep along with a loud "Heh-heh," they all rushed out to greet them. They seized the pigs, seized the sheep, and held them fast at once.

That alarmed the demon king inside. He came out with a dozen or so little fiends and asked, "You two are here? How many pigs and sheep did you buy?"

Wukong said, "We bought eight pigs and seven sheep, fifteen head in all. The pigs came to sixteen taels, the sheep to nine. We had received twenty taels before, so there are still five taels owing. This merchant is the one who came to collect the balance."

The demon king said at once, "You little ones, bring him five taels and send him away."

Wukong said, "This merchant came to collect his money, and he also wants to look at the fine banquet."

The demon king flew into a rage and cursed, "You nasty Cunning Oddity! Go buy your things, and what business is it of yours whether he looks or not?"

Bajie stepped forward and said, "Lord, you have got yourself a treasure. It is truly a wonder under heaven. What harm is there in letting him look?"

The fiend snapped, "And you, Oddity Cunning, are just as annoying. This treasure was brought here from Jade Flower Prefecture. If this merchant saw it and carried tales back to the prefecture, what then? Suppose the prince came looking for it. What would I do?"

Wukong said, "Lord, this merchant is from behind Qianfang Market. He lives far from the prefecture and is not a man of the city. How could he carry tales? Besides, he is hungry too, and the two of us have not yet eaten. Since you have ready wine and food in your house, give him some and send him away."

Before he had finished speaking, one of the little demons brought out the five taels and handed them to Wukong. Wukong gave the money to Sha Wujing and said, "Merchant, take your silver. Come with me to the back and eat a little."

Sha Wujing took heart and went in with Bajie and Wukong to the cave. When they reached the great hall on the second level, they saw in the middle of the table a nine-pronged rake shining brilliantly, placed high and proud. Leaning against the east side was the Golden-Hooped Rod, and leaning against the west was the Demon-Subduing Staff.

The demon king followed behind and said, "Merchant, the shining thing in the middle is the rake. Look if you will, but once you go out, be sure not to mention it to anyone."

Sha Wujing nodded and thanked him.

Ah! That was just what mattered: when a treasure sees its master, it is bound to be taken. Bajie had always been a clumsy, direct fellow. The moment he saw the rake, he forgot all about manners. He rushed up, snatched it down, and as soon as it was in his hands he revealed his true form, dropped all pretence, and swung the rake at the fiend's face. Wukong and Sha Wujing also ran to the east and west sides, took up their weapons, showed their true shapes, and the three brothers attacked together.

The demon king was startled and quickly flashed into the back, where he took up a four-bright shovel, long-shafted and sharp-tined, and hurried into the courtyard to block the three weapons. He shouted, "Who are you, that you dare use tricks and steal my treasure?"

Wukong cursed, "You thieving furball! You do not recognize us. We are disciples of Tripitaka, the Tang monk from the Eastern Land, traveling west to the Thunderclap Monastery. By the king's kindness, the three princes were made our disciples and taught martial arts. They had our treasures copied to make these weapons, and they were left in the courtyard. You sneaking rogue came by night and stole them from the city, yet you dare say we used tricks and stole your treasure. Do not run. Let these three weapons greet you a few times."

The monster raised his shovel to fight.

The battle rolled out from the courtyard to the front gate. Three monks fought one monster in a savage melee:

The rod whirled like wind, and the rake rolled like rain.
The Demon-Subduing Staff raised a sky full of rosy light, and the four-bright shovel flung out clouds like brocade.
It was like three immortals refining a great elixir,
with firelight flashing and startling spirits and ghosts.
Wukong displayed his might with truly marvelous skill;
the monster had stolen the treasures but showed only rudeness.
Marshal Canopy showed divine power,
and General Sha shone even more gallantly.
The brothers used one mind and one plan, and the fight rose at Tiger-Mouth Cave.
Though the monster was fierce and cunning, the four heroes could still match him.
They fought until the sun was slanting west, and the fiend's strength grew weak.

They fought for a long while at Leopard-Head Mountain. At last the monster could not hold out. He shouted at Sha Wujing, "Look out for the shovel!"

Sha Wujing sidestepped and dodged it. Seizing the opening, the monster fled southeast on a gust of wind.

Bajie wanted to chase him, but Wukong said, "Let him go for now. As the old saying goes, 'Do not press a trapped enemy too hard.' First cut off his road back."

Bajie agreed.

The three of them went straight to the cave gate and killed the hundred or so little demons inside, large and small, without leaving any alive. They were all tigers, wolves, leopards, horses, deer, and goats in demon form. The Great Sage used a trick, gathering up the fine goods from the cave and the bodies of the slain beast-fiends together with the pigs and sheep they had driven in, and carried them all out.

Sha Wujing gathered dry brushwood and set it alight, and Bajie used both ears as bellows. In an instant the nest was burned to a heap of blackened tiles. Then they took the things they had carried out and returned to the prefectural city.

The city gate was still open and the households had not yet gone to sleep. The old king, his sons, and Tripitaka were all waiting in the screened pavilion. They saw the three of them come tumbling in, dropping a yard full of dead beasts, pigs, sheep, and fine goods.

Everyone cried, "Master, we have returned victorious."

The prince hurriedly thanked them with repeated bows. Tripitaka was overjoyed. The three princes knelt on the ground, and Sha Wujing helped them up, saying, "Do not thank us yet. Come and look at the things first."

The prince asked, "What are these things, and where did they come from?"

Wukong laughed. "The tigers, wolves, leopards, horses, deer, and sheep were all demon-spirit fiends. We took their weapons and beat them out of the cave. That old fiend was a golden-maned lion. He used a four-bright shovel and fought us until evening, then lost the day and fled east-southeast.

We did not chase him, but we cut off his road home, killed the whole swarm, and searched out all these things to bring back."

The old king was both delighted and worried: delighted that they had returned in triumph, worried that the monster might seek revenge later. Wukong said, "Your Highness need not worry. I have thought this through and know how to handle it.

They will definitely come looking for us tomorrow. The card I saw at noon was written to say: 'Tomorrow we will respectfully prepare food and wine to celebrate the fine Rake Feast. Please honor us by crossing the mountain and sitting with us a while. We beg you not to think us rude and are deeply grateful. Respectfully presented to Grandfather, the Old Lord Nine-Spirit Primordial Sage. From your gate, Sun Yellow Lion bows a hundred times.'

Since that fiend was defeated, he will surely go to his grandfather and report. Tomorrow morning he will most certainly return for revenge. I will see to it that we are fully rid of them."

The old king thanked him. A night meal was set out, and after they had eaten, the master and disciples each went to their sleeping quarters. We need not speak further of that.

Now the monster really did flee southeast to Bamboo-Joint Mountain. In that mountain there was a cave-heaven called Nine-Bend Winding Cave. The Nine-Spirit Primordial Sage in the cave was his grandfather.

That night he did not spare the wind and reached the cave gate by the fifth watch. He knocked and entered. The little demons saw him and said, "Great King, last night a green-faced fellow brought an invitation card. The old lord kept him here until this morning so they could go together to attend your rake feast. Why have you come here so early in person to invite us?"

The monster said, "It is not easy to say. The feast cannot be held."

Just then the green-faced fellow came out from inside and said, "Great King, what brings you here? Grandfather has already gotten up and is going with me to attend the feast."

The monster was so flustered that he only waved his hands and said nothing.

Soon the old monster got up and called him in. The fiend knelt and, not daring to lift his face, let tears stream down. The old monster said, "Grandson, yesterday you sent the card, and this morning I meant to come to the feast. Why have you come yourself in such sorrow and trouble?"

The fiend knocked his head to the ground and said, "Last night your little grandson was walking by moonlight and saw brilliant light rising above the city of Jade Flower Prefecture.

I hurried over to look and saw that in the palace courtyard the three weapons were shining: one was the nine-pronged rake with gold in it, one was a precious staff, and one was the Golden-Hooped Rod. I used my magic to carry them off and then named the feast the Rake Banquet. I told the little ones to buy pigs, sheep, fruits, and such, and set out a banquet to honor you, grandfather, so that you could enjoy yourself.

After the green-faced one had delivered the card, I saw the Cunning Oddity and Oddity Cunning driving pigs and sheep, and with them there was a merchant who came to collect his silver. He insisted on looking at the feast, but I feared he would talk outside and would not let him see it. He said he was hungry, so I had him go to the back to eat.

When he got inside, he saw the weapons and said they were his. The three of them each seized one, revealed their true forms, and it turned out to be a monkey-faced, thunder-god-mouthed monk, a long-mouthed big-eared monk, and a gloomy-faced monk. They did not ask whether anything was right or wrong; they shouted and fought in a wild mess. I hurried out with a four-bright shovel to block them and asked who dared use tricks.

They said they were disciples of the Tang monk from the Eastern Land, traveling to the Western Heaven. On the way through the prefectural city, the Jade Flower King had asked his three sons to take them as masters and study martial arts, and they had used our treasures to make these weapons as models. The weapons were left in the courtyard, and I stole them away. That is why we fought.

I do not know what the three monks are called, but each one has real skill. I alone could not beat the three of them, so I fled here to your grandfather for help. I beg you to draw your blade and help me take revenge on those monks, so you can show that you love your grandson."

The old monster heard this and thought for a while. Then he laughed. "So it was them. Grandson, you have stirred up trouble with the wrong people."

The fiend asked, "Does Grandfather know who they are?"

The old monster said, "The long-mouthed one with the big ears is Zhu Bajie, and the gloomy-faced one is Sha Wujing. Those two are manageable.

The monkey-faced one with the thunder-god mouth is called Sun Wukong. He truly has great powers. Five hundred years ago he raised havoc in Heaven, and even a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers could not take him. He specializes in hunting people down. He is the kind of fellow who searches mountains, tears open seas, breaks caves, attacks cities, and causes endless trouble. Why did you provoke him? Very well. I will go with you and seize that monk together with the Jade Flower princes, to avenge you."

The fiend hurriedly bowed and thanked him.

At once the old monster called out to the Rhesus Lion, Snow Lion, Elephant-Roller, Crouching-Leopard, and the rest of his grandsons, each of whom carried sharp weapons. The Yellow Lion led them, and they all whipped up wild winds and went straight to the border of Leopard-Head Mountain. At once they smelled smoke and fire, and heard crying as well. Looking closely, they saw Cunning Oddity and Oddity Cunning weeping there and calling for their lord.

The monster barked, "Are you truly Cunning Oddity, or a fake one?"

The two demons fell to their knees, tears in their eyes, and knocked their heads on the ground. "How could we be fake? Yesterday at that hour we took the silver and went to buy pigs and sheep. On the west road outside the mountain, we met a monkey-faced monk with a thunder-god mouth. He spat on us, and at once our legs went weak and our mouths went stiff. We could neither speak nor move. He turned us over, searched out the silver, and took our tokens away. We were dazed and muddled until just now, when we woke up.

When we reached home, the smoke and fire still had not gone out, and the houses had all been burned away. We did not see the lord, nor the captains, nor any of the household staff. So we stood here weeping in sorrow. We do not know how the fire started."

When the monster heard this, he could not stop the tears from pouring down. His two feet slipped, and he cried to the sky, "You bald brute! How could you commit such wickedness? You burned my cave to the ground, burned my beauty to death, and wiped out my household and my young ones. You have enraged me, enraged me!"

The old monster called the Rhesus Lion over and said, "Grandson, things have come to this. Fury is useless. First gather your strength. We will go to the prefectural city and seize those monks."

The fiend was still not done crying. "Lord, that mountain ground of mine was not built in a day, and now this bald brute has destroyed everything. What am I living for?"

He lurched up and smashed his head against the stone cliff. The Snow Lion, Rhesus Lion, and the others begged him until he finally stopped.

Then they all left that place and rushed to the prefectural city. All you could hear was the wind roaring and the mist surging as they came near. The people outside the city, frightened half to death, forgot all about their houses and carried their children and belongings into the city. They shut the gate behind them.

Someone ran to the palace and reported, "Disaster, disaster."

The king, Tripitaka, and the others were still eating the morning vegetarian meal in the screened pavilion when they heard the alarm and came out to ask what had happened. The people said, "A whole band of monsters is coming close to the city, kicking up sand, throwing stones, blowing fog, and sweeping the wind."

The old king was terrified. "What shall we do?"

Wukong laughed. "Do not worry, do not worry. These are the Tiger-Mouth Cave fiends, defeated yesterday. They have gone southeast to gather up their grandfather, whoever he may be, the Nine-Spirit Primordial Sage, and now they have come back. Brother Sha and I will go out. Order the gates shut and send the laborers to guard the city."

The prince at once issued orders to close the four gates, and the laborers were set on the walls. Father and sons, together with Tripitaka, took their places on the tower. Banners covered the sun, and guns and cannon roared without end. The three of them, riding half cloud and half mist, went out of the city to meet the enemy.

Carelessness robbed the wise troops of their chance;
at once the demons rose and all the evil hosts surged forth.

As for how this battle ended, listen to the next chapter for the explanation.