The Monkey King exclaimed: “That explains everything! Why don’t you just escape and be done with it?”
The Monks’ Desperate Plight
The monks replied:
“We cannot do that. Those immortals have obtained the king’s permission to post our portraits throughout his entire kingdom. Though his territory is vast, these wanted posters are present in every market and public place across all villages, towns, and cities of this Cartslow Kingdom. Spies and informants are everywhere, making any attempt at escape practically impossible. We have no choice but to remain here, suffering.”
The Monkey King remarked:
“If this is what life has become for you, death would be better.”
A Curse of Immortality
The monks confessed:
“Many of us have died already. At first, there were about two thousand of us monks. Six or seven hundred perished—unable to endure the grief of losing their freedom, or due to the cold and harsh conditions. Another seven or eight hundred committed suicide, and those of us who remain—around five hundred—are simply unable to die.”
“What do you mean by that?” Sun Wukong exclaimed in surprise.
The monks replied:
“Some of us tried to hang ourselves, but the ropes broke; others tried to cut our wrists, but the knives we had were too blunt; some threw ourselves into the river, only to float as if made of wood; and others took poison, but it had no effect on us whatsoever.”
Wukong declared:
“That sounds so suspicious—it must be ghosts!”
The monks exclaimed:
“No way! They are not ghosts, but rather the Six Deities of Light and Darkness(Six Luminaries) and the Guardians of our monasteries. As soon as night falls, they come to us and revive those who are near death.”
Divine Intervention
The Monkey commented:
“They don’t seem very reasonable. What they should do is let you die peacefully, allowing you to ascend to paradise sooner. Why protect you like this?”
The monks answered:
“In our dreams, they encourage us, advising us to give up the pursuit of death and try to endure just a little longer, because a holy monk from the Great Tang Kingdom in the Eastern Lands is soon to arrive. He is traveling westward toward the Western Paradise in search of sacred scriptures. According to messages from the gods, he travels with a disciple named Sun Wukong, who possesses great magical powers. Despite everything, he is a compassionate and righteous person, who avenges injustices, protects the oppressed, and comforts orphans and widows. We are urged to wait patiently for his arrival, for he will unleash his full power, destroy the Taoists, and restore honor to the teachings of Zen and absolute poverty.”
Revelation of Identity
Upon hearing these words, the Monkey King smiled and said:
“Stop crying and wailing like mourners! I am not a Taoist priest of the Absolute Truth Sect—I am your liberator. I am Sun Wukong, disciple of Master Tang, and I am here to save your lives.”
The monks shouted:
“No, no! That’s impossible. You look nothing like the man who is supposed to save us.”
“How do you know,” replied the Monkey King, “if you’ve never seen him before?”
One of the monks explained:
“In our dreams, we saw an old man who called himself the Golden Star of Venus(Gold Star Venus). He described Sun Wukong to us in great detail. He has repeated it so many times that we could never mistake him. The moment we see him, we will recognize him without any difficulty.”
So the Monkey King used his magic to resume his usual form.
The monks immediately recognized him. Kneeling before him, they said emotionally:
“With our mortal eyes, we gazed upon you and failed to see beyond the disguise you wore. Avenge this humiliating treatment and drive our enemies out of this city, which has always been ours.”
Hairs of Salvation
“Follow me! You need special protection!” the Monkey King shouted, and the monks obeyed, confident in victory.
He plucked a handful of hairs from his body, chewed them carefully, and handed a small piece to each monk, giving them instructions:
“Stick it under the nail of your ring finger and clench your fist tightly. You may go wherever you please. If anyone tries to lay hands on you, tighten your fist and shout: Sun Wukong! In the blink of an eye, I will come to your side. I assure you that even if you are more than ten thousand miles away, nothing will happen to you.”
One of the monks, bolder than the rest, suddenly clenched his fist and shouted:
“Sun Wukong!“
Instantly, a thunder god appeared before him, wielding a huge iron bar. Encouraged, the other monks followed suit, and again came the miraculous appearance of exact replicas of the Monkey King. Seeing such a marvel, the monks prostrated themselves and cried gratefully:
“How unshakable is your mighty power!”
Promise of Return
The Monkey King advised them:
“Don’t wander too far and stay alert to news from the city. If a decree is issued allowing all monks to return, enter without hesitation—and return the hairs I lent you. Agreed?”
The five hundred monks promised to return and began to disperse in all directions.
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