Master and disciple were still looking when a crash came from the middle of the stream. A dragon burst out, driving waves before him and tossing up the water, then sprang clear of the cliffs to seize the elder. Alarmed, Pilgrim dropped the luggage, lifted his Master off the horse and turned to flee. The dragon could not catch them. Instead he swallowed the white horse, saddle and bridle and all, in a single gulp, then sank beneath the water and disappeared. Pilgrim carried his Master to a high mound and seated him there, then went back to lead the horse and shoulder the luggage. Only the load of luggage remained: the horse was gone. He brought the luggage to his Master and said, “Master, that wicked dragon has vanished too. But he has frightened our horse away.” Sanzang said, “Disciple, how are we to find it?” Pilgrim said, “Do not worry, do not worry. Let me go and look.”

He gave a whistle and sprang into the air. Shading his fiery eyes and golden pupils with his hand, he looked in every direction, but there was no trace of the horse. He lowered his cloud and reported, “Master, that dragon must have eaten our horse. I cannot see it anywhere.” Sanzang said, “Disciple, how big a mouth can that fellow have, to eat a whole large horse, saddle and bridle included? Surely it took fright, slipped its reins and ran into a hollow in the mountains. Look carefully again.” Pilgrim said, “You do not know my powers. In daylight these eyes of mine can always see good fortune and bad a thousand li away. Within those thousand li, I can even see a dragonfly spread its wings. How could I fail to see a great horse?” Sanzang said, “If he has eaten it, how am I to go on? What misery! How shall I cross these thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers?” As he spoke, tears fell like rain. At the sight of him crying, Pilgrim could not hold his temper. He shouted, “Master, stop being such a blubbering weakling! Sit there, sit there. Let Old Sun find that fellow and make him give back my horse.” But Sanzang caught hold of him. “Disciple, where are you going to look? What if he springs out of hiding and kills me too? Then both man and horse will be lost. What are we to do?” At this Pilgrim grew angrier still and roared like thunder, “You are utterly useless, utterly useless! You want a horse to ride, yet you will not let me go. Then sit here with the luggage till you are old!”

He went on growling and shouting, unable to calm his anger, when a voice called from the air: “Do not be angry, Great Sage Sun. Do not weep, brother of the Tang Emperor. We are the gods sent by the Bodhisattva Guanyin to guard the scripture-seeker unseen along his journey.” Hearing this, the elder hastily bowed. Pilgrim said, “Which gods are you? Give me your names so that I can call the roll.” The gods said, “We are the Six Ding and Six Jia1, the Guardians of the Five Directions, the Four Merit Officers of the Watches2, and the Eighteen Monastery Guardians3. Each takes a turn on duty, waiting to serve.” Pilgrim said, “Who begins today?” The Guardians replied, “The Ding and Jia, the Merit Officers and the Monastery Guardians take turns. Of us Guardians of the Five Directions, only the Gold-Head Guardian remains at your side day and night.” Pilgrim said, “In that case, those off duty may withdraw. Let the Six Ding divine generals, the Merit Officer of the Day and all the Guardians stay to protect my Master. Old Sun will find that wicked dragon in the stream and make him give back my horse.” The gods obeyed. Only then did Sanzang feel at ease. He sat on a rocky ledge and told Pilgrim to be careful. “Set your mind at rest,” Pilgrim said. A fine Monkey King! He tightened his padded cloth gown, hitched up his tiger-skin skirt, gripped the gold-banded iron cudgel and roused his spirits. He went straight to the ravine and, half in cloud and half in mist, shouted over the water, “You wretched loach! Give back my horse! Give back my horse!”

Back and forth they fought for a long time, circling one another through many exchanges. At last the dragon’s strength failed and his sinews grew numb. Unable to hold his own, he wheeled round and plunged into the water, hiding deep at the bottom of the stream and refusing to show his head again. Though the Monkey King hurled abuse without cease, he merely pretended to be deaf.

Pilgrim could do nothing more and had to return to Sanzang. “Master, Old Sun shouted that monster out. He fought me for quite a while, then lost his nerve and fled. Now he is hiding in the water and will not come out again.” Sanzang said, “But do you know for certain that he ate my horse?” Pilgrim said, “Listen to yourself! If he had not eaten it, would he have come out to answer and pick a fight with Old Sun?” Sanzang said, “When you killed the tiger the other day, you said you had the means to subdue dragons and tame tigers. Why can you not subdue this one today?” Now, the monkey could never bear anyone goading him. At this taunt from Sanzang he flared up in all his divine might. “Say no more, say no more! Let me have another bout with him and see who comes out on top!”

The Monkey King lengthened his stride, leapt to the bank and brought out his divine power to overturn rivers and churn the seas. He stirred Eagle-Grief Stream’s steep ravine, its water clear to the bottom, into a flood like the swelling waves of the nine-bend Yellow River. Deep in the ravine, the wicked dragon could neither sit nor lie in peace. He thought to himself, “Blessings never come in pairs, but troubles never come alone! Less than a year ago I escaped death under Heaven’s laws, and here I have been passing my days as fate allows. Now I have run into this wretched demon, who has come to torment me.” Look how his anger grew as he brooded! Unable to bear the affront, he clenched his teeth, sprang out and cursed, “Where have you come from, you wretched demon, to bully me like this?” Pilgrim said, “Never mind where I come from. Just give back the horse, and I shall spare your life.” The dragon said, “Your horse is down in my belly. How am I to spit it out? I will not give it back. What are you going to do about it?” Pilgrim said, “If you will not give back the horse, look out for my cudgel! I shall kill you, and your life will pay for my horse’s.” The two fought bitterly again beneath the cliffs. After only a few exchanges, the young dragon truly could not withstand him. He shook his body, changed into a little water snake and slipped into a clump of grass.

Cudgel in hand, the Monkey King chased after him and parted the grass to search for the snake, but could find no trace. He was so furious that his Three Corpse Spirits4 raged and smoke poured from his seven openings. He chanted the single syllable “Om” and summoned the local earth god and mountain god. They came together and knelt, saying, “The mountain god and earth god present themselves.” Pilgrim said, “Stick out your ankles. Five blows apiece by way of greeting, to ease Old Sun’s feelings.” The two gods knocked their heads on the ground and begged, “Please show mercy, Great Sage, and let us humble gods explain.” Pilgrim said, “What have you to say?” They said, “You were imprisoned so long, Great Sage, and we humble gods did not know when you were freed. That is why we failed to welcome you. We earnestly beg forgiveness.” Pilgrim said, “In that case, I shall not beat you for now. Tell me: where did that monstrous dragon in Eagle-Grief Stream come from? Why did he seize and eat my Master’s white horse?” The two gods said, “You never had a master, Great Sage. You were a Supreme Perfected One of the Primal Unity (Hunyuan Shangzhen), who bowed to neither Heaven nor earth. How can there be any master’s horse?” Pilgrim said, “You do not know. For that business of deceiving my sovereign I endured five hundred years of suffering. Now the Bodhisattva Guanyin has urged me to be good and had a true monk in the service of the Tang Emperor set me free. She told me to follow him as his disciple to the Western Heaven, to worship the Buddha and seek the scriptures. Passing this way, I lost my Master’s white horse.” The two gods said, “So that is how it stands. There has never been anything evil in this stream. It is merely deep, steep and broad, with water so clear you can see the bottom. Crows and magpies dare not fly across. The clear water shows them their own reflections, which they mistake for birds of their flock, and often they plunge into the water. That is why it is called Eagle-Grief Stream. But some time ago, when the Bodhisattva Guanyin was on her way to find the scripture-seeker, she saved a jade dragon and sent him here. She told him to wait for the scripture-seeker and forbade him to do evil. When hungry, he only comes ashore to catch birds and magpies, or takes roe deer and other deer for food. We do not know how he could have been so foolish as to offend you today, Great Sage.” Pilgrim said, “The first time he did trade blows with Old Sun, and we fought several exchanges. The second time Old Sun shouted and cursed, but he would not come out. So I used my art of overturning rivers and churning the seas to muddy his water. Then he sprang up and tried to fight again. He did not know how heavy Old Sun’s cudgel was. Unable to fend it off, he changed into a water snake and slipped into the grass. I chased after him, but could find no trace.” The earth god said, “You do not know, Great Sage. This stream has countless holes and passages that connect with one another, which is why its waters run so deep and far. There must be an opening here too, and he has slipped down through it. There is no need to be angry or keep searching. To capture him, you need only invite Guanshiyin here, and he will naturally submit.”

At this Pilgrim called the mountain god and earth god to come with him to Sanzang and told the whole story. Sanzang said, “If we must go and invite the Bodhisattva, when will you return? How is this poor monk to bear the hunger and cold?” Before he had finished, the Gold-Head Guardian called from the unseen air, “There is no need for you to go, Great Sage. This humble god will fetch the Bodhisattva.” Pilgrim was delighted. “Thank you for your trouble, thank you! Go quickly, go quickly!” The Guardian mounted a cloud at once and went straight to the South Sea. Pilgrim told the mountain god and earth god to guard his Master and the Merit Officer of the Day to find a vegetarian meal, while he went back to patrol the stream. Let us leave him there for now.

Before long the Bodhisattva and the Guardian reached Snake-Coil Mountain. She halted her auspicious cloud in mid-air and looked down to find Pilgrim Sun shouting abuse beside the stream. She told the Guardian to call him up. The Guardian lowered his cloud and, without going by Sanzang, went straight to the bank. “The Bodhisattva is here,” he told Pilgrim. At this Pilgrim leapt onto a cloud and sprang into the air, shouting at her, “You, the Teacher of the Seven Buddhas7 (Qifo zhi shi), the compassionate lord of the teaching! Why have you devised this magic to torment me?” The Bodhisattva said, “You brazen monkey, you ignorant, bare-bottomed ape! Again and again I took every care to bring the scripture-seeker to you, and expressly told him to save your life. Why do you not thank me for saving you, instead of coming here to shout at me?” Pilgrim said, “You have made a fine mess of me! Once you set me free, you should have let me roam about and play as I pleased. The other day you met me over the sea, gave me a scolding and told me to devote all my strength to serving the Tang Monk. That would have been enough. Why did you give him a flowered cap and trick me into putting it on to suffer? You made this band take root on Old Sun’s head and taught him some ‘Band-Tightening Spell’. Now that old monk recites it again and again, and my head hurts again and again. Is that not tormenting me?” The Bodhisattva laughed. “You monkey! You will not obey instruction or accept true attainment. Without such a restraint you would deceive your sovereign and defy Heaven again, with no sense of right or wrong. If you stirred up trouble as before, who would take you in hand? You need this torment before you will consent to enter the path of yoga8 in my teaching.” Pilgrim said, “Very well, count that as my torment. But why did you put that guilty dragon here to become a monster and eat my Master’s horse? That is letting a villain loose to do evil. It is very far from good!” The Bodhisattva said, “I petitioned the Jade Emperor in person to have that dragon placed here expressly to serve as a mount for the scripture-seeker. Think: how could an ordinary horse from the Eastern Land cross all those rivers and mountains? How could it reach the Buddha’s realm on Spirit Mountain? Only a dragon horse can make the journey.” Pilgrim said, “But he is so afraid of Old Sun that he is hiding and will not come out. What can we do?” The Bodhisattva told the Guardian, “Go to the bank and call, ‘Jade Dragon Third Prince, son of Dragon King Ao Run, come out! The Bodhisattva of the South Sea is here.’ Then he will come.”

The Guardian went to the bank and called twice. The young dragon rolled through the waves, leapt out of the water and changed into human form. He stepped onto a cloud, rose into the air and bowed to the Bodhisattva. “Thanks to your kindness in freeing me and saving my life, Bodhisattva, I have waited here a long time. But I have heard no news of the scripture-seeker.” She pointed at Pilgrim. “Is this not the scripture-seeker’s chief disciple?” The young dragon looked at him and said, “Bodhisattva, this is my enemy! Yesterday I was hungry and did indeed eat his horse. Relying on his strength, he fought me till I weakened and fled, then cursed me till I shut myself in and dared not come out. He never once mentioned fetching scriptures.” Pilgrim said, “You never asked my name. Why should I have told you?” The young dragon said, “Did I not ask where you had come from, you wretched demon? You shouted, ‘Never mind where I come from. Just give back my horse.’ When did you say a single word about the Tang?” The Bodhisattva said, “That monkey relies only on his own strength. When would he ever praise anyone else? Farther along your journey there are others who will submit to you. When asked, mention fetching scriptures first. Then you need not trouble yourself: they will bow and yield of their own accord.”

Pilgrim gladly accepted her instruction. The Bodhisattva went forward and removed the bright pearl from beneath the young dragon11’s neck. She dipped her willow branch in sweet dew and brushed it over him, breathed out a breath of immortal air and cried, “Change!” At once the dragon took on the form and coat of Sanzang’s former horse. She instructed him further: “You must work faithfully to repay your karmic debts. When the task is done, you will rise above ordinary dragons, and I shall grant you a golden body and true attainment.” With a transverse bone9 in his mouth, the young dragon gave his assent in his heart. The Bodhisattva told Wukong to lead him to Sanzang. “I shall return to the sea.” Pilgrim caught hold of her and would not let go. “I will not go, I will not go! The road west is so rough. When shall I ever get there, protecting this mortal monk? With so many troubles and trials, even Old Sun’s life will be hard to keep. How can I achieve any merit or attainment? I will not go, I will not go!” The Bodhisattva said, “Before you attained the human way, you were willing to put your whole heart into cultivation and understanding. Now you are free of Heaven’s punishment, why have you become lazy? In our teaching, stillness and extinction10 lead to realization. You must have faith in true attainment. If you come to a place of bodily harm and bitter suffering, I promise that when you call on Heaven, Heaven will answer, and when you call on earth, earth will respond. If you truly reach a peril from which you cannot escape, I shall come in person to save you. Come here. I shall give you another power.” She plucked three leaves from her willow branch, placed them at the back of Pilgrim’s head and cried, “Change!” They became three life-saving hairs. She told him, “When you have neither help nor anyone to turn to, you may transform them as circumstances require and save yourself from urgent suffering and disaster.” Only after hearing all these kind words did Pilgrim thank the Bodhisattva of great mercy and great compassion. Fragrant winds swirled about her and coloured mists drifted round her as she went straight back to Mount Potalaka.

Only then did Pilgrim lower his cloud. He seized the dragon horse by its mane and brought it to Sanzang. “Master, we have a horse!” At the sight of it Sanzang was delighted. “Disciple, why is this horse plumper and stronger than before? Where did you find it?” Pilgrim said, “Master, you are still dreaming! Just now the Gold-Head Guardian fetched the Bodhisattva, and she changed the dragon in the stream into our white horse. Its coat is just the same, but there is no saddle or bridle. She told Old Sun to bring it here.” Sanzang was astonished. “Where is the Bodhisattva? Let me go and thank her.” Pilgrim said, “She has reached the South Sea by now. She had no patience to stay.” Sanzang gathered a pinch of earth to use in place of burning incense and bowed towards the south. When he had finished, he rose and joined Pilgrim in preparing to go on. Pilgrim dismissed the mountain god and earth god, gave instructions to the Guardians and Merit Officers, then asked his Master to mount. Sanzang said, “How can I ride a horse with neither saddle nor bridle? Let us find a boat to cross the stream first, then decide what to do.” Pilgrim said, “What a Master you are, with no sense of circumstances! Where would a boat come from in these wild mountains? This horse has lived here a long time and must know the currents. Just ride him across as if he were a boat.”

Sanzang had no choice but to do as he said and mount the bareback horse. Pilgrim shouldered the luggage. When they reached the bank, they saw an old fisherman upstream, poling a raft of dead wood down the current. Pilgrim beckoned to him. “Old fisherman, come here, come here! I am going from the Eastern Land to fetch the scriptures. My Master cannot get across here. Come and ferry him over.” At these words the fisherman hurried to pole the raft to shore. Pilgrim asked his Master to dismount and steadied him. Sanzang boarded the raft, the horse was pulled aboard, and the luggage stowed. The old fisherman pushed off. Swift as wind and arrow, they crossed Eagle-Grief Stream before they knew it and reached the west bank. Sanzang told Pilgrim to open the bundle, take out a few coins of the Great Tang and give them to the fisherman. But with one thrust of his pole the fisherman pushed the raft away. “No money, no money!” he said, and drifted off into the misty middle of the stream. Sanzang felt deeply obliged and kept joining his palms to thank him. Pilgrim said, “Do not trouble yourself, Master. Did you not recognize him? He is this stream’s water god. He failed to come and welcome Old Sun, and Old Sun meant to beat him for it. Being spared a beating is quite enough for him now. How would he dare take money?” His Master was half convinced and half doubtful. He could only mount the bareback horse again and follow Pilgrim out onto the main road towards the west. Truly: vast true suchness12 brings them to the farther shore; a sincere heart realizes its nature and ascends Spirit Mountain.

Looking ahead from his horse, Sanzang suddenly saw a compound beside the road. “Wukong, there is a household up ahead. We can ask to stay the night and travel again tomorrow morning.” Pilgrim raised his head and looked. “Master, that is no household compound.” Sanzang said, “Why not?” Pilgrim said, “A household compound would have no flying fish and guardian beasts along its roof ridge. That must be a temple or religious house.”

While master and disciple were talking, they reached the gate. Sanzang dismounted and saw three large characters above it: “Village Earth Shrine.” He went inside. An old man with prayer beads hanging round his neck joined his palms to welcome him. “Please sit down, Master.” Sanzang hastily returned his greeting, then went into the hall to bow before the sacred image. The old man called a boy to bring tea. When they had drunk it, Sanzang asked, “Why is this temple called the Village Earth Shrine?” The old man said, “Our humble home lies within the western foreign kingdom of Habi. Behind this temple is a village whose people joined in devotion to build it. In the name, ‘village’ means a local district, and ‘earth’ means its local earth god. At spring ploughing, summer weeding, autumn harvest and winter storage, each household prepares the three sacrificial animals13, flowers and fruit, and comes to worship the earth god here. Thus we seek peace and good fortune in all four seasons, abundant yields of the five grains and flourishing herds of the six domestic animals.” Sanzang nodded in approval. “Just as they say, ‘Three li from home, and the customs are different.’ The people where I come from have no such good practice.” The old man asked, “Where is your honoured home, Master?” Sanzang said, “This poor monk is from the Great Tang in the Eastern Land, sent by imperial command to the Western Heaven to worship the Buddha and seek the scriptures. Passing through your honoured district at nightfall, I have come to this sacred shrine to ask for one night’s lodging. I shall leave at daylight.” The old man was delighted. He apologized several times for failing to welcome him earlier, then told the boy to prepare a meal. Sanzang ate and gave thanks.

Pilgrim’s sharp eyes spotted a clothesline beneath the eaves. He went over, snapped it off with a tug and tied the horse’s legs. The old man laughed. “Where did you steal that horse?” Pilgrim said angrily, “You old fellow, you have no sense of what to say! We are holy monks going to worship the Buddha. Would we steal a horse?” The old man laughed again. “If it is not stolen, why has it neither saddle nor bridle nor reins? Why must you snap off my clothesline?” Sanzang apologized. “This rascal is merely hot-tempered. You there, if you want to tether the horse, ask the old gentleman politely for a rope. Why break his clothesline? Please do not take offence, sir, please do not. To tell you frankly, this horse is not stolen. Yesterday we came from the east to Eagle-Grief Stream. I had a white horse to ride, with saddle and bridle complete. But a wicked dragon had made his home in the stream as a monster, and he swallowed my horse, saddle and bridle and all, in one gulp. Luckily my disciple has some powers, and we were also blessed with a visit from the Bodhisattva Guanyin. She caught the dragon beside the stream and made him change into the very likeness of my former white horse, with the same coat, to carry me to the Western Heaven to worship the Buddha. We crossed the stream today, and before a day has passed we have reached your sacred shrine. We have not yet had time to get a saddle and bridle.” The old man said, “Do not be offended, Master. This old fellow was only joking. Who knew your worthy disciple would take it seriously? When I was young, I had a little money myself and liked to ride a fine horse. But years of misfortune, bereavements and a fire left me without a livelihood, so I became the keeper of this shrine and tend its incense. Thanks to the benefactors in the village behind it, I live on their gifts. I still have a saddle and bridle, things I have always cherished. Poor as I am, I could never bear to sell them. Now that I have heard your story, venerable Master, and how even the Bodhisattva saved a divine dragon and made him into a horse to carry you, surely this old fellow can give some small help too. Tomorrow I shall bring you the saddle and bridle. I wish to offer them to you, venerable Master, to put on the horse for your journey. I beg you to accept this trifling gift.” At this Sanzang thanked him without end. Soon the boy brought out the evening vegetarian meal. When they had eaten, lamps were lit and beds prepared, and each went to rest.

Secretly pleased, Pilgrim put the saddle and bridle on the horse. They fitted as though made to measure. Sanzang bowed to thank the old man, who hurried to raise him. “You humble me, you humble me. Why trouble yourself with thanks?” The old man did not keep them longer, but asked Sanzang to mount. The elder went out of the gate, took hold of the saddle and mounted, while Pilgrim shouldered the luggage. Then the old man drew a whip from his sleeve. It had a handle of fragrant rattan bound inch by inch with strips of leather, and a lash braided with threads of tiger sinew. Standing beside the road with his hands clasped, he presented it. “Holy monk, I have this whip as well. Let me give it to you along with the rest.” Sanzang took it from his horse. “Thank you for your generous gifts, thank you.”

They were still exchanging greetings when the old man vanished. When they looked back at the Village Earth Shrine, there was only a patch of bare ground. A voice called from mid-air: “Holy monk, forgive my poor hospitality. I am the mountain god and earth god of Mount Potalaka. The Bodhisattva sent me to bring you the saddle and bridle. Strive faithfully on your journey west, and never neglect it for a moment.” Startled, Sanzang tumbled from the saddle and bowed towards the sky. “Your disciple has only mortal eyes and a mortal body, and failed to recognize your divine face. I beg forgiveness. Please tell the Bodhisattva how deeply we are indebted to her gracious protection.” Look how he kept knocking his head towards the sky, without counting the bows! Beside the road Great Sage Sun was laughing fit to fall over, the Handsome Monkey King beside himself with delight. He went forward and caught hold of the Tang Monk. “Get up, Master. He is far away by now. He cannot hear your prayers or see your bows. Why keep bowing?” The elder said, “Disciple, while I bow like this, you will not bow even once. You merely stand there laughing. What sense is there in that?” Pilgrim said, “What do you know? A fellow who skulks about hiding who he is deserves a beating. Only for the Bodhisattva’s sake have I spared him. That is quite enough for him! How would he dare accept a bow from Old Sun? Old Sun has been a hero since he was little and knows nothing of bowing to people. Even when I see the Jade Emperor or Lord Lao the Most High, I only give a greeting with my hands clasped, and that is all.” Sanzang said, “What sinful talk! Stop this empty boasting. Get up quickly. Do not delay the journey.” Only then did his Master rise, gather their things and head west.

From there they travelled peacefully for two months. All they encountered were Lolo and Huihui people14, wolves and wild beasts, tigers and leopards. Time flew, and early spring came round. The mountain woods shone in brocades of green, and grasses and trees put out fresh shoots; the plum blossoms had all fallen, and the willow buds were just opening. Master and disciple travelled on, enjoying the spring sights, until once more they saw the sun sink in the west. Sanzang drew rein and looked ahead. In a hollow among the hills, towers and terraces loomed, and halls and pavilions rose in shadow. “Wukong,” he said, “what is that place over there?” Pilgrim raised his head and looked. “If it is not a temple, it must be a monastery. Let us hurry and ask to stay there.” Sanzang gladly agreed, gave the dragon horse its head and went straight towards it.

But what sort of place were they approaching? To learn what happened next, read the next chapter.