As soon as the Great King of Miraculous Power returned to his dwelling, all the little demons came to welcome him.
It was, however, the perch spirit who dared to ask him:
“How far did you chase those monks?”
The fish monster explained:
“They had another monk waiting on the shore. He tried to strike me with an enormous iron staff—only Heaven knows how heavy it is! My bronze mace was powerless against it. Although I resisted three strikes, in the end I had to admit defeat.”
Recognition of Wukong
“Can you remember what that third monk looked like?” asked the Striped Perch.
The monster replied:
“He had a face completely covered in fur, a voice like that of a thunder god, and possessed sharply pointed ears. Moreover, his eyes seemed to shoot out fire.”
The perch spirit gasped:
“A while ago, when I lived in the Eastern Ocean, I heard the Dragon King speak of his fame. That monk can be none other than the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven himself—the Handsome Monkey King. About five hundred years ago, he threw Heaven into complete chaos and even threatened the very existence of the Celestial Palace. Recently, however, he has embraced Buddhism and pledged to accompany Tang Monk to the Western Paradise to obtain the sacred scriptures. He possesses extraordinary magical powers and masters many forms of transformation. I assure you, you couldn’t have survived one more attack from him. Therefore, the best thing for you to do is give up any idea of facing him again.”
Siege at the Mansion
He had not yet finished speaking when a imp appeared and reported:
“There they are again—those two monks—calling you a coward and challenging you to another fight.”
The Great King of Miraculous Power ordered his subordinates:
“Seal the gates. Let them wait there for two or three days if they wish; they’ll leave when they grow tired. Then we can enjoy the flesh of Tang Monk at our leisure.”
Without delay, the demons sealed the entrance to the mansion with rocks and mud.
Seeing this, Bajie and Sha Wujing intensified their insults, but received no response whatsoever. Bajie began uselessly striking the gates of the water palace with his trident. However, behind them stood a high stone wall that resisted every attempt at breaking through.
Sha Wujing remarked:
“It’s clear that this monster is terrified. That’s why he’s locked himself inside the Turtle Marine Mansion and refuses to come out. I think we should consult Wukong about what plan to follow next.”
Bajie agreed, and they quickly returned to the eastern bank.
“Why didn’t the monster follow you this time?” the Monkey King asked.
Sha Wujing replied:
“He has shut himself tightly inside his palace and refuses to come out. Behind the gates there was a solid wall made of stone and mud, which prevented any attempt to enter.”
Journey to Mount Potalaka
The Monkey King replied:
“If he’s acting exactly as you’ve described, then I see it will be very difficult to subdue him. Stay here and make sure he doesn’t escape. I believe it’s time for a small journey.”
“May I ask where you intend to go?” Bajie asked.
The Monkey King replied:
“To Mount Potalaka, to seek the help of Bodhisattva Guanyin.”
No sooner had he said this than he leapt onto a cloud, leaving the riverbank behind, and flew directly toward the Southern Seas. Less than half an hour had passed when he spotted Mount Potalaka and flew straight toward its peak.
Upon seeing it, Wukong could not help exclaiming aloud:
“Bodhisattva, may your humble disciple Sun Wukong respectfully greet you.”
“She said, ‘Wait outside.’” said the Bodhisattva, clearly angry.
The Monkey King replied, throwing himself face-down to the ground:
“Yes, my Lady. But my Master’s life is in grave danger, and I have come urgently to seek your help to rescue him from the claws of the river monster of the Heaven-Reaching River.”
“Go out of the cave and wait for me,” repeated the Bodhisattva.
Not long after, the Bodhisattva emerged from the cave holding a reddish basket in her hand.
“Let us go rescue Tang Monk, Wukong,” she commanded, without further explanation.
Bodhisattva’s basket
Her speed was so extraordinary that they soon arrived at the Heaven-Reaching River.
The Bodhisattva untied her sash and hung the basket from it, suspending herself halfway in the air. She slowly lowered the basket until it touched the water, and recited the following spell:
“The dead depart, while the living remain.”
She repeated it seven times, then pulled the basket back up. Inside it was a small, colorful fish, writhing desperately.
The Bodhisattva turned to Wukong and ordered:
“Jump into the water immediately and free your master.”
“How can I free him when we haven’t yet captured the monster?” the Monkey King replied.
The Bodhisattva answered:
“How do you mean, ‘not yet’? Don’t you see him right here in this basket?”
“How could such a small fish be so powerful?” ventured to ask Bajie and Sha Wujing.
The Bodhisattva explained:
“This is one of the fish from my lotus pond. Every day it used to rise to the surface and listen attentively to my teachings. That explains its great strength—it has indeed reached a very high level of spiritual perfection. I don’t know exactly on which date the high tide carried it here.”
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