Not knowing what to do, the three of them sank to the ground, discouraged. After a while, they saw an old woman approaching from the south, carrying a basket full of vegetables in her hand. Upon seeing her, Sha Wujing exclaimed hopefully:
“Look! There comes an old lady. Let me go and ask her if she knows that demoness or if she can tell us what kind of weapon she uses to cause such terrible injuries.”
Divine Intervention
Wukong fixed his eyes on the old woman and noticed that above her head floated an auspicious cloud, and her entire body was surrounded by a fragrant mist. He recognized her at once and hurriedly shouted to his brothers:
“Come on, quickly, fall to the ground! That woman is a Bodhisattva!”
Wukong ran toward her and respectfully bowed as he said:
“Pardon us, Bodhisattva, for not properly welcoming you. We were so absorbed in trying to rescue our master that we failed to notice your descent to the mortal world. The trial we are facing now is nearly insurmountable, so we beg you to lend us your aid.”
The Bodhisattva acknowledged:
“The power of that demoness is indeed extraordinary. Those tridents she wields with such skill are actually her front pincers, and the mysterious weapon that has caused you so much trouble is none other than her venomous claw. She is none other than the Scorpion Spirit. If you wish to rescue the Tang monk, you will have to seek someone else’s help. Not even I dare approach her.”
The Monkey King pleaded, bowing again:
“Please tell us the name of this master you speak of, so we may seek his help as soon as possible.”
The Bodhisattva replied:
“Go to the Eastern Gate of Heaven and ask for the Star of Orion at the Palace of Light. He will help you capture that beast.”
Star of Orion’s Aid
No sooner had she spoken than she transformed into a brilliant beam of light that sped swiftly toward the Southern Seas.
The Monkey King leapt into the air and, in the blink of an eye, reached the Palace of Light.
The deity rose to greet such a distinguished visitor.
“What brings you such honor?” he asked with a smile.
The Monkey King replied:
“I have come to ask you to rescue my master from a dire predicament.”
The god asked again:
“What kind of danger is he in? In which specific place has his pilgrimage been obstructed?”
“In the Lute Cave on the Poisonous Fiend Mountain,” answered the Monkey King, “which, as you know, lies in the Western Liang Kingdom.”
“What kind of monster dwells in that cave to bring you to visit such a humble deity as myself?” the god asked once more.
Wukong responded:
“Not long ago, Bodhisattva Guanyin kindly informed us that it is the Scorpion Spirit. She added that only you are capable of subduing it. That’s why I’ve had the pleasure of coming to see you.”
The god explained:
“I must first report to the Jade Emperor regarding the duties I have carried out. Then, I shall gladly attend to your request, especially since you come on behalf of the Bodhisattva. I would like to have tea with you, but I am aware of the urgency of the situation. Therefore, contrary to what I just said, I will go down to capture that monster before even submitting my report to the Emperor.”
Upon hearing this, Wukong rushed out through the Eastern Gate of Heaven and headed toward the Western Liang Kingdom, followed closely by the god. When they saw the mountain, the Monkey King pointed to it and told his companion:
“It’s right there.”
The god descended from the cloud and made his way toward the stone screen standing on the mountainside. Seeing them approach, Sha Wujing shook Bajie by the shoulder and said:
“Get up! The Star and our eldest brother are here.”
Bajie said to the newcomer:
“Pardon me for not greeting you with the proper ceremony, but I am unwell and barely able to speak.”
Surprised, the god asked:
“How is it possible for someone devoted to cultivating virtue to fall ill? What illness afflicts you?”
Bajie explained:
“This morning at dawn, we went to fight that monster, and it struck me a tremendous blow on the lips. Since then, they have hurt terribly—completely unbearably.”
“Come closer,” said the god, “I will heal them.”
“If you do, I will be forever grateful,” replied Bajie, removing his hand from his swollen mouth.
Without another word, the god gave him a light tap on the mouth and blew a puff of breath onto his lips. The pain instantly subsided. The Pig fell to his knees and shouted gratefully:
“Wonderful! Truly wonderful!”
“Now let’s go, once and for all, and finish off that bitch!” urged Bajie upon the Monkey King with a ferocity unusual for him.
“That is precisely what I was about to suggest,” affirmed the god. “Draw her out of hiding, and I shall take care of capturing her.”
With a tremendous leap, Bajie and Wukong positioned themselves directly in front of the cave’s entrance. They continued hurling curses and insults while clearing away with their hands the rocks blocking the entrance. Bajie put the most effort into it, successfully creating an opening with his rake. Like a madman, he lunged at the inner gates and shattered them into dust with one mighty blow. The girls guarding them ran off in terror to inform their mistress, shouting:
“Those two brutes have just destroyed the gates!”
Hearing that the gates had been smashed to pieces, the demoness leapt forward and charged at Bajie with her trident. The Pig blocked her advance with his rake, while the Monkey assisted with his iron bar. After exchanging a few blows, the demoness prepared to strike with her deadly sting, but Bajie and Wukong sensed her intent and fled in haste.
Final Showdown
She pursued them beyond the stone screen, at which moment the Monkey King shouted:
“Where have you gone, Orion?”
Then the god revealed himself in his true form: the celestial rooster, a gigantic rooster over two and a half meters tall, with two crests when he held his head high. Upon seeing the demoness, he fixed his gaze upon her and crowed just once. As if it were a secret signal, she immediately resumed her natural form—a scorpion the size of a lute. The god crowed again, and the monster lost all coordination, tumbling lifelessly down the slope.
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