Wu Cheng-en - Journey to the West (vol. 3)

“We asked him when he came here three years ago,” the king replied shamefacedly, “and he told us that it was only some twenty miles to the South of the city, in Pure Splendor Grange on Willow Slope. The Elder of the Nation was old and had no son, only the daughter that his second wife had given him. She was just fifteen and unmarried. He offered to present her to us, and because we fancied the girl we accepted her. She was the favorite among all the palace women. We never expected that we would fall so ill that all the prescriptions of the Royal College of Physicians would be of no avail. Then he told us that he had a formula for an elixir for which a decoction of boiled little boys' hearts was needed as the adjuvant. In our folly we believed him and chose some boys from among the common people. At noon today we were going to operate and take out their hearts. We never expected that you would come down to us, holy monk, and that at that very moment all the boys would disappear in their coops. Then he said that as you were a holy monk who had cultivated the truth for ten lifetimes and not yet dissipated your primal masculinity your heart would be ten thousand times more effective than the little boys' ones. In our temporary delusion we did not realize that you would see through the evil monster, holy monk. We hope that you will make full use of your great dharma to eliminate any future catastrophe. All the wealth of the nation will be given to you as your reward.”

“I will tell you the truth,” Monkey replied. “Because my master took pity on the little boys in the coops he told me to hide them. Don't say anything about giving us wealth. When I capture the evil monsters that will be a good deed to my credit. Come with me, Pig.”

“Whatever you say, elder brother,” Pig replied. “The only thing is that I've got an empty belly: I'll be rather weak.” The king then ordered the department of foreign affairs to prepare a vegetarian meal at once. Before long the food arrived.

Having eaten his fill, Pig braced his spirits and rose by cloud with Monkey. The king, queens, consorts and civil and military officials were all so astonished that they all kowtowed to the sky, exclaiming, “They really are immortals and Buddhas come down to earth.” The Great Sage led Pig twenty miles due South, stopped their wind and cloud and started searching for the demons' home. All he could see was a clear stream running between banks on which grew thousands of willows: he had no idea where the Pure Splendor Grange might be. Indeed:

Endless expanses stretched out in his gaze;

The embankment had vanished amid willows and haze.

When he could not find the grange the Great Sage Sun made a spell with his hands, said the magic word “ Om ” and summoned the local deity, who approached shivering and shaking, fell to his knees and called out, “Great Sage, the local god of Willow Bank kowtows to you.”

“Don't be afraid,” Monkey said, “I'm not going to hit you. Tell me this: is there a Pure Splendor Grange on Willow Hill? And where is it?”

“There is a Pure Splendor Cave,” the local deity replied, “but there has never been a Pure Splendor Grange. I suppose you have come from Bhiksuland, Great Sage.”

“Yes, yes,” Monkey replied. “The king of Bhiksuland was hoodwinked by an evil spirit till I turned up, saw through the monster, defeated him and drove him away. He turned into a beam of cold light and I don't know where he went. When I asked the king of Bhiksuland about it he told me that when the demon first presented him with the girl three years ago he asked the spirit about his background. The demon said that he lived in Pure Splendor Grange on Willow Hill twenty miles South of the city. I've found this place with its wooded hill but can't see any Pure Splendor Grange. That's why I asked you about it.”

“I beg your forgiveness, Great Sage,” said the local god, kowtowing. “This is part of the domain of the king of Bhiksuland, and I should have kept a closer watch on things. But the evil spirit had such terrible magical powers. If I had given away what he was doing he would have come and given me a bad time. That is why he has never been caught. Now that you are here, Great Sage, you need only go to the foot of the nine-forked willow on the Southern bank, walk round it three times to the left and three times to the right, hit the tree with both hands and shout 'Open up' three times. The Pure Splendor Cave Palace will then appear.”

On learning this the Great Sage sent the local god away again, jumped over the stream with Pig and went to look for that willow tree. There was indeed a tree with nine forks on a single trunk. “Stand well back,” Monkey ordered Pig, “while I make the gates open. When I've found the demon and chased him out you're to help.”

In response to this order Pig took up his stand about three hundred yards from the tree while the Great Sage followed the local god's advice and went round the tree three times to the left and three times to the right then hit it with both hands, shouting, “Open up! Open up!” An instant later a pair of double doors opened with a noisy whoosh and the tree was nowhere to be seen. Inside the doors was bright light of many colours but no sign of human life. Confident in his divine might, Monkey charged in. He could see that it was a fine place:

Shimmering clouds, from which

Sun and moon stole their brightness.

White clouds billowing from the caves,

Bright green lichens running wild in the courtyard.

Along the path rare flowers competed in beauty,

While plants on the steps vied in fragrant blossom.

Warm was the air

Where it was ever spring.

This was just like a fairyland,

Or Penglai, the paradise of immortals.

Creepers grew all over the benches;

Vines ran wild across the bridge.

Bees flew into the cave carrying flowers;

Butterflies flirted with orchids as they passed the screen of stone.

Hurrying forward for a closer look Monkey saw that on the stone screen was carved IMMORTAL PALACE OF PURE SPLENDOR. Unable to restrain himself, he jumped over the stone screen to see the old monster embracing a beautiful woman and telling her breathlessly what had happened in Bhiksuland.

“That was our chance,” they said together. “Three years' efforts should have paid off today, but that ape's ruined everything.”

Monkey charged up to them, brandishing his cudgel and shouting, “I'll get you, you fools. What do you mean, that was your chance? Take that!” Pushing the woman aside, the old monster swung his dragon-headed stick to block the cudgel. It was a fine battle that the two of them fought in front of the cave, and quite unlike the previous one:

The upraised cudgel spat out golden light;

Vicious vapors came from the swinging staff.

The monster said,

“How dare you in your ignorance come to my home?”

Monkey replied,

“I intend to subdue evil monsters.”

Said the monster,

“My love for the king was no business of yours,

So why did you come to bully and interfere?”

Answered Monkey,

“A compassionate monk should bring misrule to an end:

We could not endure the slaughter of children.”

As they flung words at each other hostility grew:

Staff parried cudgel as blows struck at the heart.

Precious flowers were destroyed as they fought for their lives;

Green moss became slippery when trampled underfoot.

Pale grew the light in the cave as they struggled:

Crushed were the fragrant blooms on the crags.

At the clash of their weapons the birds dared not fly;

Their shouts sent the beauties all running in terror.

Only the monster and Monkey were left

To stir up a hurricane that roared over the earth.