The Great King of Miraculous Power had returned to his watery lair at the very heart of the river, where he sat in a gloomy and silent mood.
The master and his disciples emerged from the Cave of the Fire Cloud, found the main road, and continued westward.
After leaving the Black Rooster Kingdom, the pilgrims traveled by day and rested by night. About half a month had passed when they came upon a mountain so high it truly touched the clouds and cast shadows over the sun itself. Tripitaka felt deeply discouraged and stopped his horse, calling for Wukong.
Bajie led the way, followed closely by the resurrected king. Monk Sha helped the Master mount his horse, while the Monkey King brought up the rear.
As he walked, Bajie was thinking to himself: “What a wretched life! I was sleeping peacefully when that cursed monkey tricked me into hauling a corpse! Disgusting! I’ll make him pay—I’ll beg the master to recite the Headache Spell!”
Wukong leapt into the air and soared skyward. He opened wide his fiery eyes and gazed westward. Sure enough, he spotted a city not far off—about fifty kilometers away. As he drew near, he saw that it was shrouded in an eerie mist and constantly battered by a ghostly wind.
By the dim light of the oil lamps, Tripitaka spent a long time meditating on the King Liang’s Water Litany (Liang Dynasty Water Repentance Liturgy), followed by the recitation of the Authentic Sutra of the Peacock(True Peacock Sutra).
Defeated, Tripitaka wiped his tears and rejoined his disciples. When the Monkey King saw his Master upset, he approached him and asked: “Did the monks from this monastery strike you?”
Tripitaka mounted his horse, while Bajie shouldered the luggage. The Monk Sha took hold of the reins, and Wukong led the way down the mountain, his indestructible iron bar resting across his shoulders.