In the middle of the night, Bajie mounted a cloud and returned to the post house.
“Don’t you know what trial our Master has endured?” asked the White Horse.
“No,” replied Bajie, puzzled.
“Of course not!” exclaimed the Dragon with some bitterness.
“You and Monk Sha boasted before the King about your powers, thinking you could capture the monster alone—and instead, you became his victims. I don’t blame you for that, for I know how strong and fearsome he is. But at least you could have warned us of your defeat! What does it matter if doing so cost you the reward? You should have come to tell us! That cursed monster disguised himself as a handsome and refined scholar, entered the court, and claimed to be the King’s son-in-law. But that was not the worst part—he transformed our Master into a fierce tiger, who had to be locked in an iron cage!”
“Is all that true?” asked Bajie, alarmed.
“Why would I lie to you?” protested the Dragon.
The White Dragon’s Plea
The Pig cried out:
“The Sand Monk is now in the monster’s grasp, and I am powerless to defeat him. I think it’s time we each go our separate ways. There’s nothing more we can do.”
The Dragon remained silent for a few moments, then spoke with tears in his eyes:
“I don’t think you should speak so soon of returning home. If you truly wish to save the Master, there is only one person you must seek out and bring here.”
“Who is that?” asked Bajie.
The Dragon replied:
“Our eldest brother. I believe you should mount a cloud and go straightaway to the Flower-Fruit Mountain. You must persuade Sun Wukong to return with you without delay. Without doubt, he possesses a Dharma powerful enough to subdue the monster and free our Master. Only then will our humiliation be avenged.”
Bajie retorted:
“No, no. He hates me! Better someone else should go. That monkey and I never got along very well, you see? When he killed the White-Boned Lady on Tiger Mountain, I angered him forever by advising the Master to recite the headband spell whenever he misbehaved. I admit I acted rashly, but I never imagined the Master would actually obey me—or worse, that he’d drive our elder brother away. I’m sure he hates me with all his soul, and no matter what I say, he’ll never agree to come back with me. You know how heavy and mighty his iron rod is. Suppose we start arguing—what if he turns it against me and strikes me down? I may not live to tell the tale.”
The Dragon replied:
“You know he would never do such a thing. Whether you like it or not, he is a man of integrity and noble heart. When you see him, don’t tell him the Master is in danger. Simply say that the Master often thinks of him, and do whatever it takes to convince him to return. Once he comes and sees what has happened, he will be furious and challenge that merciless monster without hesitation. Then, after defeating him, he will rescue the Master, and we may continue our journey.”
The Pig concluded:
“All right. If I don’t do this, everyone will think me irresponsible and ungrateful. So I’ll go find the Monkey, and if he agrees to come, I’ll return with him. But I warn you this: if he refuses, don’t wait for me—I won’t be coming back either.”
The Dragon urged:
“Go quickly. I know him well, and I know he will come.”
Journey to Flower-Fruit Mountain
So Pigsy rose into the air, mounted a cloud, and flew toward the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit.
Soon, Bajie arrived at the mountain.
Upon seeing him, the Monkey King could hardly suppress his laughter and exclaimed:
“Why aren’t you accompanying Master Tang on his quest for the scriptures? Don’t tell me you’ve offended him too, and like me, he’s cast you aside. Did he give you a letter of dismissal? If so, I’d like to see it.”
Bajie retorted:
“Why would he give me such a letter when I’ve neither offended him nor been expelled from his company?”
Wukong pressed:
“In that case, why are you here and not with him?”
The Pig explained:
“The Master hasn’t stopped thinking of you for even a moment and sent me to beg you to return to his side.”
The Monkey King protested:
“That’s not true. He hasn’t thought of me, nor did he send you to fetch me. The day he cast me out, he swore to Heaven that he never would again. How can he go back on that now? Besides, even if it were true, I refuse to humble myself before him again.”
Bajie lied fervently:
“But it is true! He’s thought of you constantly! Never once has he forgotten you! Not long after you left, while riding his horse, the Master said how instantly you responded to his calls and how quick-witted you were—how for any problem, you always had at least ten solutions. It wasn’t long before he sent me to ask you to return.”
Wukong’s Reluctance
Hearing this, the Monkey King leapt from the great rock where he sat and, grabbing Bajie’s hands, said:
“Well then, since it’s your first visit here, why not take a look around my mountain?”
The sun was already high. Fearing they had little time to save Master Tang, the Pig tried to hurry his companion:
“We must hurry. The Master is surely waiting for us impatiently.”
The Monkey protested:
“I want you to enjoy yourself a bit longer in the Waterfall Cave.”
Bajie replied:
“Thank you sincerely, but I must decline. The Master must be growing anxious over our delay.”
Wukong concluded:
“In that case, I won’t detain you further. We’ll bid farewell here.”
Bajie exclaimed, deeply uneasy:
“Aren’t you going to come with me?”
“To where?” asked the Monkey King.
“This is my place. Neither Heaven nor Earth has power over it. Here I enjoy total freedom. Why should I give all that up to become a monk with no future? I’m sorry, but I’m not leaving. I fear you’ll have to go back alone, just as you came. Tell Master Tang not to think of me anymore—if he really meant it, he wouldn’t have cast me out the way he did.”
Bajie confessed:
“This is the truth, Brother. After you left, we continued forward and soon reached a pine forest. The Master dismounted and ordered me to beg for some vegetarian food. When I took longer than expected, the Sand Monk went looking for me. The Master wandered aimlessly through the woods and came upon what seemed to be a pagoda—but it was actually the dwelling of the Yellow-Robed Monster, who captured him without difficulty… It was the Dragon who suggested I come find you. He said you were a man of noble spirit, repelled by wrongdoing, and that once you heard what had happened, you would surely rush to rescue the Master.”
Provoking the Monkey King
“You fool!” scolded Wukong.
“Didn’t I warn you when I left that if the Master fell into the hands of a monster, you should tell them I was his disciple? Why didn’t you do that?”
Before answering, Bajie thought to himself:
“It’s far more effective to provoke a warrior than to reason with him. I’ll try to anger him a little.”
Then he raised his voice and added:
“It might have been better not to mention you at all—because the moment the monster heard your name, he grew even more arrogant.”
“What do you mean?” asked the Monkey King.
Bajie replied:
“When I saw the monster appear, I told him: ‘Set aside your pride and let my Master go, for his finest disciple is the Pilgrim Sun. Need I remind you that his magical powers are unmatched, and he can overcome any monster who dares stand in his way? If you don’t comply, he’ll reduce you to pieces before you even choose your burial ground!’ But far from being frightened, the monster only grew angrier and retorted: ‘Who is this Pilgrim Sun? I swear, if he dares show his face here, I’ll flay him alive, rip out his sinews and bones, and then eat his heart. I care not whether that cursed monkey is fat or thin—for once I tear him apart, I’ll fry him in my pan.’”
Upon hearing this, the Monkey King flew into a rage, jumping about like a madman, scratching his cheeks in fury, and shouting:
“Who is this monster who dares mock me like this?”
Bajie advised:
“Please calm down. I already told you—it’s the Yellow-Robed Demon.”
The Great Sage commanded:
“Stand up. I must confront that beast at once. I won’t rest until I’ve defeated him. How dare that braggart monster mock me so? Only by capturing him and reducing him to mincemeat can I restore my honor. I’ll return here once I’ve done it.”
Bajie replied:
“That’s exactly what I’ve been asking of you. First, catch the monster—and once you’ve cleared your name, return to your domain, if that’s truly your wish.”
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