The Journey to the West, Revised Edition, Volume 1

by Unknown

While half of Great Wall’s rampart was blown down.

  When the violent gust of wind had gone by, there appeared in midair a monster who was ugly indeed. With his black face covered with short, stubby hair, his long snout and huge ears, he wore a cotton shirt that was neither quite green nor quite blue. A sort of spotted cotton handkerchief was tied round his head. Said Pilgrim, smiling to himself, “So, I have to do business with a thing like this!” Dear Pilgrim! He neither greeted the monster, nor did he speak to him; he lay on the bed instead and pretended to be sick, moaning all the time. Unable to tell the true from the false, the monster walked into the room and, grabbing his “spouse,” he at once demanded a kiss. “He really wants to sport with old Monkey!” said Pilgrim, smiling to himself. Using a holding trick, he caught the long snout of that monster and gave it a sudden, violent twist, sending him crashing to the floor with a loud thud. Picking himself up, the monster supported himself on the side of the bed and said, “Sister, how is it that you seem somewhat annoyed with me today? Because I’m late, perhaps?” “I’m not annoyed!” said Pilgrim. “If not,” said that monster, “why did you give me such a fall?” “How can you be so boorish,” said Pilgrim, “grabbing me like that and wanting to kiss me? I don’t feel very well today; under normal conditions I would have been up waiting for you and would have opened the door myself. You may take off your clothes and go to sleep.”

  The fiend did not suspect anything and took off his clothes. Pilgrim jumped up and sat on the chamber pot, while the fiend climbed into bed. Groping around, he could not feel anyone and called out, “Sister, where have you gone? Please take off your clothes and go to sleep.” “You go to sleep first,” said Pilgrim, “for I have to wait until I’ve dropped my load.” The fiend indeed loosened his clothes and stayed in bed. Suddenly Pilgrim gave out a sigh, saying, “My luck’s pretty low!” “What’s bothering you?” said the monster. “What do you mean, your luck’s pretty low? It’s true that I have consumed quite a bit of food and drink since I entered your family, but I certainly did not take them as free meals. Look at the things I did for your family: sweeping the grounds and draining the ditches, hauling bricks and carrying tiles, building walls and pounding mortar, plowing the fields and raking the earth, planting seedlings of rice and wheat—in short, I took care of your entire estate. Now what you have on your body happens to be brocade, and what you wear as ornaments happens to be gold. You enjoy the flowers and fruits of four seasons, and you have fresh vegetables for the table in all eight periods. Whatever makes you so dissatisfied that you have to sigh and lament, saying your luck’s pretty low?”

  “It isn’t quite as you say,” said Pilgrim. “Today my parents gave me a severe scolding over the partition wall, throwing bricks and tiles into this place.” “What were they scolding you for?” asked the monster. Pilgrim said, “They said that since we have become husband and wife, you are in fact a son-in-law in their family but one who is completely without manners. A person as ugly as you is unpresentable: you can’t meet your brothers-in-law, nor can you greet the other relatives. Since you come with the clouds and leave with the fog, we really don’t know what family you belong to and what your true name is. In fact, you have ruined our family’s reputation and defiled our legacy. That was what they rebuked me for, and that’s why I’m upset.” “Though I am somewhat homely,” said the monster, “it’s no great problem if they insist on my being more handsome. We discussed these matters before when I came here, and I entered your family fully with your father’s consent. Why did they bring it up again today? My family is located in the Cloudy Paths Cave of Fuling Mountain; my surname is based on my appearance. Hence I am called Zhu (Hog), and my official name is Ganglie (Stiff Bristles). If they ever ask you again, tell them what I have told you.”

  “This monster is quite honest,” said Pilgrim to himself, secretly pleased. “Without torture, he has already made a plain confession; with his name and location clearly known, he will certainly be caught, regardless of what may happen.” Pilgrim then said to him, “My parents are trying to get an exorcist here to arrest you.” “Go to sleep! Go to sleep!” said the monster, laughing. “Don’t mind them at all! I know as many transformations as the number of stars in the Heavenly Ladle,3 and I own a nine-pronged muckrake. Why should I fear any exorcist, monk, or Daoist priest? Even if your old man were pious enough to be able to get the Monster-Routing Patriarch to come down from the Ninefold Heaven, I could still claim to have been an old acquaintance of his. And he wouldn’t dare do anything to me.”

  “But they were saying that they hoped to invite someone by the name of Sun,” said Pilgrim, “the so-called Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, who caused havoc in the Celestial Palace five hundred years ago. They were going to ask him to come catch you.” When the monster heard this name, he became rather alarmed. “If that’s true,” he said, “I’m leaving. We can’t live as a couple anymore!” “Why do you have to leave so suddenly?” asked Pilgrim. “You may not know,” said the monster, “that that BanHorsePlague who caused such turmoil in Heaven has some real abilities. I fear that I am no match for him, and losing my reputation is not my form!”

  When he had finished speaking, he slipped on his clothes, opened the door, and walked right out. Pilgrim grabbed him, and with one wipe of his own face he assumed his original form, shouting: “Monster, where do you think you’re going? Take a good look and see who I am!” The monster turned around and saw the protruding teeth, the gaping mouth, the fiery eyes, the golden pupils, the pointed head, and the hairy face of Pilgrim—virtually a living thunder god! He was so horrified that his hands became numb and his feet grew weak. With a loud ripping sound, he tore open his shirt and broke free of Pilgrim’s clutch by changing into a violent wind. Pilgrim rushed forward and struck mightily at the wind with his iron rod; the monster at once transformed himself into myriad shafts of flaming light and fled toward his own mountain. Mounting the clouds, Pilgrim pursued him, crying, “Where are you running to? If you ascend to Heaven, I’ll chase you to the Palace of the Polestar, and if you go down into the Earth, I’ll follow you into the heart of Hell!” Good Heavens! We do not know where the chase took them to or what was the outcome of the fight. Let’s listen to the explanation in the next chapter.

  NINETEEN

  At Cloudy Paths Cave, Wukong takes in Eight Rules;

  At Pagoda Mountain, Tripitaka receives the Heart Sūtra.

  We were telling you about the flaming light of the monster, who was fleeing, while the Great Sage riding the rosy clouds followed right behind. As they were thus proceeding, they came upon a tall mountain, where the monster gathered together the fiery shafts of light and resumed his original form. Racing into a cave, he took out a nine-pronged muckrake to fight. “Lawless monster!” shouted Pilgrim. “What region are you from, fiend, and how do you know old Monkey’s names? What abilities do you have? Make a full confession quickly and your life may be spared!” “So you don’t know my powers!” said that monster. “Come up here and brace yourself! I’ll tell you!

  My mind was dim since the time of youth;

  Always I loved my indolence and sloth.

  Neither nursing nature nor seeking the Real,1

  I passed my days deluded and confused.

  I met a true immortal suddenly

  Who sat and spoke to me of cold and heat.2

  ‘Repent,’ he said, ‘and cease your worldly way:

  From taking life accrues a boundless curse.

  One day when the Great Limit ends your lot,

  For eight woes and three ways3 you’ll grieve too late!’

  I listened and turned my will to mend my ways:

  I heard, repented, and sought the wondrous rune.

  By fate my teacher he became at once,

  Pointing out passes keyed to Heav’n and Earth.

  Taught to forge the Great Pill Nine Times Reversed,4

  I worked without pause through day and night5

  To reach Mud-Pill Palace6 topping my skull
>
  And Jetting-Spring Points7 on soles of my feet.

  With kidney brine flooding the Floral Pool,8

  My Cinnabar Field9 was thus warmly nursed.

  Baby and Fair Girl10 mated as yin and yang;

  Lead and mercury mixed as sun and moon.

  In concord Li-dragon and Kan-tiger11 used,

  The spirit turtle sucked dry the gold crow’s blood.12

  ‘Three flowers joined on top,’13 the root reclaimed;

  ‘Five breaths faced their source’14 and all freely flowed.

  My merit done, I ascended on high,

  Met by pairs of immortals from the sky.

  Radiant pink clouds arose beneath my feet;

  With light, sound frame I faced the Golden Arch.

  The Jade Emperor gave a banquet for gods

  Who sat in rows according to their ranks.

  Made a marshal of the Celestial Stream,

  I took command of both sailors and ships.

  Because Queen Mother gave the Peaches Feast—

  When she met her guests at the Jasper Pool—

  My mind turned hazy for I got dead drunk,

  A shameless rowdy reeling left and right.

  Boldly I barged into Vast Cold Palace15

  Where the charming fairy received me in.

  When I saw her face that would snare one’s soul,

  My carnal itch of old could not be stopped!

  Without regard for manners or for rank,

  I grabbed Miss Chang’e16 asking her to bed.

  For three or four times she rejected me:

  Hiding east and west, she was sore annoyed.

  My passion sky-high I roared like thunder,

  Almost toppling the arch of Heaven’s gate.

  Inspector General17 told the Emperor Jade;

  I was destined that day to meet my fate.

  The Vast Cold completely enclosed airtight

  Left me no way to run or to escape.

  Then I was caught by the various gods,

  Undaunted still, for wine was in my heart.

  Bound and taken to see the Emperor Jade,

  By law I should have been condemned to death.

  It was Venus the Gold Star, Mr. Li,

  Who left the ranks and knelt to beg for me.

  My punishment changed to two thousand blows,

  My flesh was torn; my bones did almost crack.

  Alive! I was banished from Heaven’s gate

  To make my home beneath the Fuling Mount.

  An errant womb’s my sinful destination:

  Stiff-Bristle Hog’s my worldly appellation!”

  When Pilgrim heard this, he said, “So you are actually the Water God of the Heavenly Reeds, who came to earth. Small wonder you knew old Monkey’s name.” “Curses!” cried the monster. “You Heaven-defying BanHorsePlague! When you caused such turmoil that year in Heaven, you had no idea how many of us had to suffer because of you. And here you are again to make life miserable for others! Don’t give me any lip! Have a taste of my rake!” Pilgrim, of course, was unwilling to be tolerant; lifting high his rod, he struck at the monster’s head. The two of them thus began a battle in the middle of the mountain, in the middle of the night. What a fight!

  Pilgrim’s gold pupils blazed like lightning;

  The monster’s round eyes flashed like silver blooms.

  This one spat out colored fog:

  That one spouted crimson mist.

  The spouted crimson mist lit up the dark;

  The colored fog spat out made bright the night.

  The golden-hooped rod;

  The nine-pronged muckrake.

  Two true heroes most worthy of acclaim:

  One was the Great Sage descended to earth;

  One was a Marshal who came from Heaven.

  That one, for indecorum, became a monster;

  This one, to flee his ordeal, bowed to a monk.

  The rake lunged like a dragon wielding his claws:

  The rod came like a phoenix darting through flowers.

  That one said: “Your breaking up a marriage is like patricide!”

  This one said: “You should be arrested for raping a young girl!”

  Such idle words!

  Such wild clamor!

  Back and forth the rod blocked the rake.

  They fought till dawn was about to break,

  When the monster’s two arms felt sore and numb.

  From the time of the second watch, the two of them fought until it was growing light in the east. That monster could hold out no longer and fled in defeat. He changed once more into a violent gust of wind and went straight back to his cave, shutting the doors tightly and refusing to come out. Outside the cave, Pilgrim saw a large stone tablet, which had on it the inscription, “Cloudy Paths Cave.” By now, it was completely light. Realizing that the monster was not going to come out, Pilgrim thought to himself, “I fear that Master may be anxiously waiting for me. I may as well go back and see him before returning here to catch the monster.” Mounting the clouds, he soon arrived at Old Gao village.

  We shall now tell you about Tripitaka, who chatted about past and present with the other elders and did not sleep all night. He was just wondering why Pilgrim had not shown up, when suddenly the latter dropped down into the courtyard. Straightening out his clothes and putting away his rod, Pilgrim went up to the hall, crying, “Master! I’ve returned!” The various elders hurriedly bowed low, saying, “Thank you for all the trouble you have been to!” “Wukong, you were gone all night,” said Tripitaka. “If you captured the monster, where is he now?” “Master,” said Pilgrim, “that monster is no fiend of this world, nor is he a strange beast of the mountains. He is actually the incarnation of the Marshal of the Heavenly Reeds. Because he took the wrong path of rebirth, his appearance assumed the form of a wild hog: but actually his spiritual nature has not been extinguished. He said that he derived his surname from his appearance, and he went by the name of Zhu Ganglie. When I attacked him with my rod in the rear building, he tried to escape by changing into a violent gust of wind; I then struck at the wind, and he changed into shafts of flaming light and retreated to his mountain cave. There he took out a nine-pronged muckrake to do battle with old Monkey for a whole night. Just now when it grew light, he could fight no longer and fled into the cave, shutting the doors tightly and not coming out any more. I wanted to break down the door to finish him off, but I was afraid that you might be waiting here anxiously. That’s why I came back first to give you some news.”

  When he had finished speaking, old Mr. Gao came forward and knelt down, saying, “Honored Priest, I have no alternative but to say this. Though you have chased him away, he might come back here after you leave. What should we do then? I may as well ask you to do us the favor of apprehending him, so that we shall not have any further worries. This old man, I assure you, will not be ungrateful or unkind; there will be a generous reward for you. I shall ask my relatives and friends to witness the drawing up of a document, whereby I shall divide my possessions and my property equally with you. All I want is to pluck up the trouble by the root, so that the pure virtue of our Gao family will not be tainted.”

  “Aren’t you being rather demanding, old man?” said Pilgrim, laughing. “That monster did tell me that, although he has an enormous appetite and has consumed a good deal of food and drink from your family, he has also done a lot of good work for you. Much of what you were able to accumulate these last few years you owe to his strength, so that he really hasn’t taken any free meals from you. Why ever do you want to have him driven away? According to him, he is a god who has come down to earth and who has helped your family earn a living. Moreover, he has not harmed your daughter in any way. Such a son-in-law, I should think, would be a good match for your daughter and your family. So, what’s all this about ruining your family’s reputation and damaging your standing in the community? Why not really accept him as he is?”

  “Honored Priest,” said old Mr. Gao, �
��though this matter may not offend public morals, it does leave us with a bad name. Like it or not, people will say, ‘The Gao family has taken in a monster as a son-in-law!’ How can one stand remarks of that kind?” “Wukong,” said Tripitaka, “if you have worked for him all this while, you might as well see him through to a satisfactory conclusion.” Pilgrim said, “I was testing him a little, just for fun. This time when I go, I’ll apprehend the monster for certain and bring him back for you all to see. Don’t worry, old Gao! Take good care of my master. I’m off!”

  He said he was off, and the next instant he was completely out of sight. Bounding up that mountain, he arrived at the cave’s entrance; a few strokes of the iron rod reduced the doors to dust. “You overstuffed coolie!” he shouted, “Come out quickly and fight with old Monkey!” Huffing and puffing, the monster was lying in the cave and trying to catch his breath. When he heard his doors being struck down and heard himself called “an over-stuffed coolie,” he could not control his wrath. Dragging his rake, he pulled himself together and ran out. “A BanHorsePlague like you,” he yelled, “is an absolute pest! What have I done to you that you have to break my doors to pieces? Go and take a look at the law: a man who breaks someone’s door and enters without permission may be guilty of trespassing, a crime punishable by death!” “Idiot!” said Pilgrim, laughing. “I may have broken down the door, but my case is still a defensible one. But you, you took a girl from her family by force—without using the proper matchmakers and witnesses, without presenting the proper gifts of money and wine. If you ask me, you are the one guilty of a capital crime!” “Enough of this idle talk,” said the monster, “and watch out for old Hog’s rake!” Parrying the rake with his rod, Pilgrim said, “Isn’t that rake of yours just something you use as a regular farmhand to plow the fields or plant vegetables for the Gao family? Why on earth should I fear you?”

  “You have made a mistake!” said the monster. “Is this rake a thing of this world? Just listen to my recital:

  This is divine ice steel greatly refined,

  Polished so highly that it glows and shines.

  Laozi wielded the large hammer and tong;