Bajie and Sha Wujing opened a path through the waters and headed straight for the Mansion of the Sea Turtle(Turtle Marine Mansion) to rescue their master.
All the monsters and demons inside had already perished. They quickly made their way to the back of the water palace and opened the stone chest.
Build a vessel
Without delay, they lifted Monk Tang onto their backs and carried him to the shore. Chen Qing and his brother simultaneously threw themselves face-down on the ground and humbly said:
“You should have listened to our pleas earlier. If you had, you wouldn’t have had to endure this terrible ordeal.”
The Monkey King replied:
“It’s over now. The important thing is that next year you won’t have to offer any more sacrifices to that beast, because the Great King has been arrested and will no longer kill anyone. Now, Elder Chen, it all depends on you to find us a boat to help us cross the river.”
“Consider it done,” said Chen Qing, and immediately he ordered the construction of a boat, an effort in which all the villagers eagerly participated.
The Tortoise’s Offer
Their enthusiasm was immense—some were responsible for acquiring the mast, others for making oars and weaving ropes. Even some volunteered to serve as sailors for the crossing. The noise they produced was truly deafening. Just as everyone was hard at work, a powerful voice rose from the bed of the river, saying:
“There’s no need to build a boat, Great Sage. Why waste so much money and energy when I myself can carry you safely to the other side with complete assurance?”
Upon hearing this voice, everyone was seized by fear and fled back into the village. Even the bravest among them trembled from head to toe, casting furtive glances toward the source of the eerie sound. It came from a most unusual creature that normally lived deep within rivers and oceans. It had a uniquely square-shaped head, distinguishing it among all animals, and was considered one of the most revered deities. Its lifespan was extraordinarily long—it could easily live for a thousand years. This was none other than an old turtle who had so generously addressed the Monkey King.
“I insist you do not build that boat, Great Sage. I myself shall take you across,” repeated the turtle.
But the Monkey King raised his iron bar high and exclaimed threateningly:
“Go away, cursed beast! If you come any closer, I’ll strike you down with one blow.”
The turtle replied:
“I am deeply grateful to you, Great Sage, and that is precisely why I’ve come forward to help. May I ask why you wish to strike me?”
“What have I done to deserve such gratitude?” the Monkey King retorted.
The real owner of the underwater palace
The turtle answered:
“It seems you are unaware that the Mansion of the Sea Turtle actually belongs to me. For generations, it has been the center of my family, passed down continuously from father to son. However, about nine years ago, that monster arrived and unleashed all his violence upon me. He killed nearly all my children and, with incredible audacity, took from me almost all my servants. I must admit my strength was inferior to his, and he eventually drove me out of my own domain. Do you understand now why I owe you so much? Therefore, the favor I have received from you is as high as the mountains and as deep as the sea. But it is not only I who am indebted to you. The entire village has benefited from your unforgettable deed, ending those dreadful annual sacrifices. How many children will continue to live thanks to what you have just done! This is what people call killing two birds with one stone. Do you now understand the reason for my gratitude and desire to serve you?”
“Is everything you’ve just told me true?” asked Sun Wukong, setting aside his iron bar.
“How dare I lie to you after all you have done for us?” replied the turtle.
“Then swear by Heaven that what you say is true,” Wukong insisted.
The turtle declared, looking up to the heavens:
“If my intention is not to safely transport Monk Tang across the Heaven-Reaching River, may my body be instantly covered in blood.”
Crossing the Heaven-Reaching River
“Come closer,” the Monkey King then ordered.
The turtle swam to the shore and crawled onto solid land. Gradually, the curious villagers of Chen approached her and were amazed to discover that her enormous shell measured around fifteen meters across.
Fearing that the turtle might still play a trick on them, Wukong removed his tiger-skin cloak and used it like reins. Then, placing one foot on her head as if she were a common cart driver, he held the fearsome iron rod in his hand like a whip.
The Monkey King said to the turtle:
“You may begin moving, but gently. Remember, if you make even the slightest wrong move, I will strike your head.”
“Be calm. Everything will go well,” the turtle replied.
She stretched out her four legs and glided smoothly over the water, as if walking on solid ground. The crowd gathered along the shore began burning incense and shouting while bowing deeply:
“Namo Amitabha!”
The master and his disciples successfully crossed that vast expanse of water in less than a day. The white turtle kept her promise and carried them across the eight hundred kilometers that separated the two banks of the Heaven-Reaching River. Upon reaching the shore, not a single drop of water had splashed onto their robes.
A question for Buddha
Tripitaka joined his hands before his chest and thanked the turtle, saying:
“There is nothing I can give you in return for what you have just done. When I return with the sacred scriptures, I will present you with a gift as a token of gratitude.”
The turtle replied:
“There is no need for such a gesture. However, I have heard that the Buddhist Patriarch of the Western Paradise has not only transcended the cycle of birth and death to which we are all bound, but also possesses complete knowledge of past and future. Despite having practiced virtue for over thirteen hundred years—which allowed me to attain extreme longevity and the gift of human speech—I have not yet managed to free myself from the burden of my shell. Therefore, I would be deeply grateful if, when you meet the Buddhist Patriarch, you would ask him to free me from it and grant me a human body.”
“I promise I will do so,” replied Tang Monk.
The turtle turned around and quickly dove back into the waters of the river.
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