Despite the severity of his illness, the king appeared in court again the next morning.
Elixir of Black Gold
After leading Tang Monk into the Hall of Audience, he ordered his personal guards to go to the Pavilion of Foreign Envoys and politely request from the Honorable Sun the medicine that would cure his ailment. Without delay, the soldiers left the court and made their way to the palace where Sun Wukong resided.
Kneeling with their faces to the ground, they explained:
“Our lord has sent us to respectfully obtain the miraculous medicine that will heal his illness.”
Wukong asked Bajie to bring out the small box, carefully opened it, and handed it over to the officers in charge.
One of them asked:
“What is this potion called? Please forgive us, but we must inform our lord before he puts it to his lips.”
“It is called the Elixir of Black Gold,” Wukong replied.
Water without source or origin
“What kind of solvent should be used to take this medicine?” the officer asked again.
Wukong answered:
“He should take the medicine with water that has no source or origin.”
“That’s easy enough to find,” another officer said, smiling.
“Are you sure?” the Monkey King countered.
The same officer explained:
“According to the people here, to get water without a source or origin, one must take a container, fill it to the brim, and carry it home without spilling a drop or looking back at the well or river from which it was drawn. Thus, the sick person can drink it and be freed from the illness afflicting him.”
The Monkey King objected:
“All wells and rivers ultimately come from a spring. What I mean by water with no source or origin is that which falls from the heavens and is collected before it touches the ground.”
The officer concluded:
“Well then, that’s still easy enough to obtain. All we need to do is wait for rain.”
After thanking Sun Wukong with great respect, they returned to the king, who eagerly asked:
“What kind of pills are those?”
The officer replied:
“The venerable monk told us this medicine is called the Elixir of Black Gold and must be taken with water that has no source or origin.”
Excitedly, the king ordered one of his servants to immediately go and fetch some of that water, but the officer advised against it, saying:
“According to our wise benefactor, this kind of water cannot be found in rivers or wells, but rather is the water that falls from the sky before it touches the ground.”
Summon rain
Upon hearing this unexpected explanation, the king turned to his officials and ordered them to post notices seeking someone capable of magically summoning rain.
Sun Wukong remained at the Pavilion of Foreign Envoys. Turning to Zhu Bajie, he said:
“I told them the medicine could only be taken with rainwater, but I doubt it will rain as soon as we all wish. It’s clear that this king is a man of great dignity and extraordinary virtue, so I don’t think it right to make him wait in vain. What do you say if you and I help him get a little rain ourselves?”
“How can we do that?” Bajie asked, surprised.
Wukong replied:
“Very simple. Stand to my left and have Sha Wujing stand to my right—thus you shall act as my assisting stars—while I handle bringing the rain.”
Wukong began reciting an incantation. Soon after, a dark cloud appeared from the east and came to hover directly above their heads. At that very moment, a voice was heard:
“Great Sage, it is Dragon King Ao Guang of the Eastern Ocean, paying you a visit.”
The Monkey King replied:
“You may rest assured I wouldn’t have disturbed you unless absolutely necessary. I summoned you because the ruler of this land requires some water without source or origin to take his medicine.”
Without delay, the dragon brought his cloud down over the imperial palace.
A Heavenly Downpour
Shielded by its impenetrable darkness, he spat out a bit of saliva, which instantly transformed into rain.
Seeing this, all the royal officials shouted joyfully:
“Long live our king! The heavens have just opened its pool, and rain has begun to fall upon us!”
The king, filled with excitement, ordered:
“Go out quickly and collect it! Let everyone within and outside the palace, regardless of rank or age, grab whatever they can and gather as much water as possible.”
The Cure Unveiled
The king took the Elixir of Black Gold and the three jars filled with rainwater into the palace. He placed one of the pills in his mouth and swallowed it with the aid of the water from one of the jars. He did the same with the second and then the third.
He had barely finished taking them when his stomach began to churn and emit strange noises, keeping him tied to the chamber pot for quite some time. He had to sit down four or five times, for as soon as he tried to stand, he felt as though he were melting away like a fountain. However, he was soon able to lie down on his bed and asked for a bowl of rice porridge.
Gradually, he began to regain his strength; his blood recovered its lost balance, and his spirit once again became as alert and lively as before. He immediately rose from his bed, put on all his imperial regalia, and hurried toward the throne hall.
He ordered his attendants:
“Quickly draft an invitation that reads: ‘With our faces to the ground, we humbly beg you to answer our call.’ Send it at once to the three distinguished disciples of the Law Master. Then open the doors of the Eastern Hall and prepare a banquet of gratitude.”
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