After snatching the Tang Monk, the old man headed toward a stone house completely shrouded in mist.
The Stone Abode and the Old Man’s Deception
Taking Tripitaka’s hand with unexpected gentleness, the old man said:
“Fear not. We mean you no harm. I am, in fact, Lord Eight-and-Ten of this Brambles Ridge. If I have taken the liberty of bringing you here, it was because I wanted you to meet some of my friends. It is a splendid night, and I thought we might spend the evening speaking of poetry.”
The Tang Monk quickly regained his calm and looked around curiously. Enchanted by the atmosphere, Tripitaka felt as though the stars that dotted the sky were gradually growing brighter, almost reaching the brilliance of the sun.
Encounter with the False Immortals
He heard someone exclaim from behind him:
“What joy! Lord Eight-and-Ten has finally brought the wise monk here.”
Tripitaka raised his head and saw three old men, each dressed differently.
With surprising respect, they greeted Tripitaka, who returned their bows, saying:
“Who am I to deserve such high regard from immortals as venerable as yourselves?”
Lord Eight-and-Ten replied with a smile:
“We have heard that you are a master of the Tao. We have been waiting for you for such a long time that it is we who should thank you for accepting our invitation. Oh, if only you knew how eagerly we have longed to behold the pearls and jade of your wisdom! Please sit down and chat with us, so that we may come to understand the true mysteries of Zen.”
“May I ask your names?” Tripitaka asked again, respectfully bowing.
Lord Eight-and-Ten replied:
“The one whose features resemble frost is called Lord of Solitary Integrity, the one with greenish hair is known as Master Surpassing Emptiness(Master Void-Surmounter), and this other humble-looking one is called Master Cleanser of Clouds(Master Cloud-Clearer).”
Master Cloud-Clearer smiled and said:
“If we are to speak of poetry, perhaps we should go inside the sanctuary and have some tea, don’t you think?”
The Tang Monk looked up and saw that above the door of the dwelling was a stone tablet engraved with the words: Sanctuary of the Immortals of the Forest.
They entered together and sat around a table. A servant brought a tray of root jelly and five cups of an aromatic drink. Respectfully, the elders refused to taste anything until Tripitaka did, but he hesitated, suspecting poison. Only after seeing all four of the elders eat something did he finally take two spoonfuls of the jelly.
The Apricot Immortal’s Seduction
After some time, two blue-robed maidens entered carrying a pair of red silk lamps. Behind them appeared a young immortal girl holding a small branch of apricot blossom. Smiling all the while, she bowed to those present and wished them a good evening.
“To what do we owe the honor of this visit, Apricot Blossom Immortal(Apricot Immortal)?” the elders asked, rising to greet her.
Returning their greetings with a bow, the girl replied:
“I heard that you have a most distinguished guest, and I came to meet him. Would you be kind enough to introduce us?”
Lord Eight-and-Ten answered, pointing at the Tang Monk:
“There he is. You needn’t ask permission to speak with him.”
Tripitaka bowed respectfully, though he dared not say anything.
“Bring us the tea, quickly,” the girl ordered the two servants.
After filling the cups, the girl slightly revealed her elegant long fingers and served the tea first to Tripitaka. Then she poured for the four elders and finally took a cup herself.
When they had finished their tea, she bowed again and said respectfully:
“If it’s not too much to ask, I would love to hear some of the poems recited here tonight.”
Delighted, the four elders repeated word for word the verses sung by the Tang Monk.
Smiling lightly, the girl confessed:
“My talents are nothing compared to yours. I shouldn’t expose myself to your laughter. But since I’ve had the honor of listening to such extraordinary poems, it wouldn’t be right to keep the inspiration they stirred within me to myself. I shall try to continue from the second poem composed by the master, improvising a regulated verse—may I?”
Then the girl composed a poem of her own.
The four elders exclaimed, showering her with praise:
“What sensitivity you possess! Your verses overflow with longing, especially that line: No buds are more tender and coquettish than mine when touched by the rain.“
The girl replied with a playful smile:
“Your praise unsettles me. My verses are utterly without merit. But the wise monk’s seem born of a silken mind and lips embroidered with grace. Might there be any way to persuade you, sir, to recite just one of your poems for me alone?”
The Tang Monk gave no reply.
The girl seemed increasingly overcome by romantic urgency. With every word she spoke, she edged closer and closer to Tripitaka.
In a seductive voice, she asked:
“May I know what troubles you? Everyone is enjoying themselves on a night like this. What are you waiting for? Don’t you realize life lasts no longer than a breath?”
Lord Eight-and-Ten said:
“How can you refuse to satisfy the wishes of the Apricot Immortal? If you deny her favor, you will never understand the great kindness she offers you.”
Lord of Solitary Integrity added:
“We must remember that the wise monk is a man well-versed in the principles of the Tao, and he would never act against its established rules. It is wrong for us to force him. That would ruin both his reputation and virtue. How could we ever forgive ourselves afterward? No, no! The rule is the rule. If the Apricot Immortal feels drawn to him, then Master Cloud-Clearer and Lord Eight-and-Ten must serve as matchmakers, while Master Void-Surmounter and I act as witnesses. These are the proper steps to follow in concluding any marriage contract. Isn’t that so?”
Jumping to his feet, Tripitaka shouted, red with anger:
“You’re all monsters! Now I understand—you’ve been tempting me every moment. At first, you convinced me to talk about the principles of the Tao, and I agreed, pleased. But this is too much! You use beauty as a trap to seduce me! Is this not a thoroughly despicable act?”
Fear paled Tripitaka’s face, but he was determined not to yield under any circumstances, shaking his head firmly.
Rescue and Revelation
As dawn began to break, a voice was heard:
“Where are you, Master? We heard your voice but couldn’t see you.”
The Tang Monk managed to break free from the arms that held him back and ran joyfully out the door shouting:
“I’m here, Wukong! Come save me from these madmen!”
He had barely spoken when, in the blink of an eye, the four elders, the girl, and all their attendants vanished.
“How did you manage to find this place?” Bajie and Sha Wujing asked, surprised.
Tripitaka embraced Wukong and explained:
“How much trouble I’ve caused you! Believe it or not, it was all the doing of that old man who approached us with food, pretending to be the guardian spirit of the mountain. He brought me here. Fortunately he never treated me roughly. On the contrary, he took my hand and introduced me to three other elders. They were all extremely refined in manner and possessed truly extraordinary poetic sensibilities. Until midnight, we passed the time reciting poems and verses. Later, a beautiful woman arrived with her maids. She too had an enviable poetic talent, but she became infatuated with me and wanted to marry me. Naturally, I rejected her outright, but inexplicably, the elders took her side and pressured me with all sorts of arguments. Fortunately, your arrival made them abandon their efforts. By the way, there is no trace of them left.”
“Did you ask them their names?” the Monkey King inquired.
Tripitaka replied:
“Indeed I did. The one who brought me here was called Lord Eight-and-Ten, though he was also known as Playful Virtue. As for the others, one was called Lord of Solitary Integrity, another Master Void-Surmounter, and Master Cloud-Clearer. The maiden, meanwhile, claimed her name was the Apricot Immortal.”
“Where can these creatures be found?” Bajie asked.
“I don’t know,” Tripitaka replied.
Guided by the master, they soon discovered a small cliff upon which stood a stone tablet inscribed with the words: Sanctuary of the Immortals of the Forest.
“This was exactly the place,” said the Tang Monk.
Sun Wukong examined the site more carefully and noticed a juniper, a cypress, a pine, and a bamboo stalk. All were enormous, and judging by the twisted branches and rough trunks, as ancient as the earth itself. Behind them grew a maple tree of strange purple color. Not far from the cliff, slightly to the south, reached skyward an old apricot tree, casting its shadow over a sprig of winter plum and two cassia plants.
“Have you found the monsters yet?” Wukong asked mockingly, raising his voice.
“Not yet,” Bajie replied.
“Would you believe me if I told you those trees over there are them?” the Monkey King asked again.
“How did you figure it out?” exclaimed Bajie.
The Monkey King replied:
“The pine tree is Lord Eight-and-Ten, the cypress is Lord of Solitary Integrity, the juniper is Master Surpassing Emptiness, and the bamboo is Master Cleanser of Clouds. Needless to say, the Apricot Blossom Immortal is none other than that old apricot tree there, and her attendants are the cassia plants and the winter plum growing in its shade.”
Purification
Upon hearing this, Bajie rushed toward the trees and, with the help of his rake, uprooted them. A stream of blood spurted from the roots, as though they were not plants at all, but animals.
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