Monk Sha then grabbed the Monkey King and helped him walk toward the forest, where he sat down to rest.
Soon, he began breathing at his normal rhythm again.
The Sand Monk advised:
“Let’s come up with a good plan and go wherever necessary to seek help.”
The Monkey King replied:
“Who could possibly help us now, if even the dragons have failed?”
A Divine Promise Remembered
Sha Monk responded:
“I remember that when the Bodhisattva entrusted us with the protection of Master Tang, she also promised that we would always be under her protection, no matter where or when.”
The Pilgrim said sadly:
“Only Bodhisattva Guanyin could offer us decisive help, but unfortunately I’ve lost much of my strength and can no longer travel through the air. What can we do?”
“If you want,” said Bajie, “I can go in your place.”
The pig ascended into the air and hurried southward.
The Demon’s Cunning Gambit
Unexpectedly, just at that moment, the monster also rose into the sky. He soon noticed that Bajie had left the group and was rushing south.
The monster thought:
“That means he’s going to seek help from Bodhisattva Guanyin.”
The monster had lived in that region for a long time and knew it like the palm of his hand. He knew the shortest and longest routes to the Southern Seas.
Therefore, it was not difficult for him to get ahead of the unsuspecting Bajie. Ahead of him rose a tall peak, and there he flew. He sat on the summit with a solemn posture, and after giving his body a slight shake, transformed himself into an exact replica of the Bodhisattva.
Before long, the pig encountered this false Bodhisattva, never once suspecting it might be a deception. He immediately descended from the cloud and, prostrating himself on the ground respectfully, said:
“Honored Bodhisattva, please accept the greetings of your humble disciple Zhu Wuneng.”
The monster scolded him:
“Do you have any idea why you are not protecting Master Tang? Who gave you permission to come here to see me?”
Bajie replied:
“Pardon my boldness. The truth is, near Dry Pine Creek, at the Fire Cloud Cave, we have encountered a terrible monster who calls himself the Red Boy. He has extraordinary knowledge of magical arts and managed to capture our master. Nevertheless, we discovered his hideout and challenged him to battle. However, he is a master in the use of Samadhi fire, and our efforts were regrettably ineffective. We faced him twice without achieving anything positive. And that was despite receiving help from the Dragon Kings of the Four Oceans, who tried to extinguish his fire with torrential rain so heavy it swept away entire forests and uprooted countless mountains. Worst of all, Wukong suffered such severe burns that he can barely move. That’s why he asked me to come here and beg you to rescue our master from this terrible ordeal.”
A Trap Sprung
The disguised monster commented:
“I find it hard to believe you. The Lord of Fire Cloud Cave does not eat human flesh. You must have somehow offended him to make him act this way toward you.”
Bajie defended himself:
“I swear I did nothing wrong. However, I cannot say the same for Wukong. In fact, the monster initially pretended to be a child hanging from a pine tree to test our master. As you well know, Tripitaka is naturally compassionate and ordered us to untie and carry him. Wukong reluctantly complied, only to drop him at the first opportunity. This enraged the monster, who then captured our master. I must admit that this deplorable act was motivated solely by understandable revenge.”
The monster remarked:
“That’s exactly what I think. Get up and accompany me to that beast’s cave. It’s necessary that I meet with her immediately, apologize on your behalf, and ask her to release your master.”
In this way, the pig abandoned his journey to the Southern Seas and returned with the monster to the Fire Cloud Cave. Upon reaching the entrance, he hesitated to enter further, but the monster encouraged him:
“Why are you afraid? Don’t you know that this monster is a friend of mine? Come, follow me inside.”
Putting aside all suspicions, Bajie followed the false bodhisattva. At that very moment, a legion of demons rushed out, screaming fiercely. Before he could react, he was captured.
A Monkey’s Investigation
Seeing that Bajie did not return for a long time, Monk Sha asked:
“Why hasn’t Second Brother returned yet?”
The Pilgrim replied:
“I don’t know, but something has definitely gone wrong. Stay here and take care of the luggage while I cross to the other side of the stream to find out what’s happening.”
Then Wukong transformed into a fly and flew toward the cave—only to discover that Bajie had also been captured by the demon.
Flight to True Salvation
So the Monkey King left the cave, ascended into the sky, and flew toward the Southern Seas. After flying for less than half an hour, he spotted Potalaka Mountain in the distance.
The Bodhisattva asked:
“Why aren’t you by the side of your master, the Golden Cicada, on the road to the West? What brings you here?”
The Monkey King replied:
“Please allow me to explain. Our pursuit of the scriptures brought us to the Fire Cloud Cave near Dry Pine Creek, where a monster named the Red Boy resides—he prefers to be called the Holy Child—who captured our master. Zhu Wuneng and I tried to rescue him, confronting the beast at the very entrance of his cave, but he used Samadhi fire, and we could not achieve our goal. I then flew to the Eastern Ocean and sought help from the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, who gladly agreed to assist. However, their rain proved powerless against the fire, and I suffered such severe burns that I nearly lost my life.”
The Bodhisattva inquired:
“Since that Samadhi fire is so powerful, why did you go to the Dragon Kings instead of coming directly to me?”
Truth Revealed, Wrath Unleashed
Wukong replied:
“I intended to, but the fire and smoke left me too weakened to fly on a cloud, so I sent Zhu Bajie to request your help instead.”
“Wuneng hasn’t come here,” the Bodhisattva remarked.
“That’s true,” admitted the Monkey King.
“The monster prevented him by disguising himself as you to deceive Bajie, tricking him into entering the cave. Poor Wuneng was also captured by the monster and thrown into a sack.”
“How dare that beast impersonate me!” roared the furious Bodhisattva.
She was so enraged that she hurled the porcelain vase she held into the waves. The Monkey King was so startled that he leapt to his feet, every hair on his body standing straight up.
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