“Marshal Tian Peng is right, and he knows the laws too,” the four stars said.
“I have learned a bit during my years as a monk,” Pig replied.
The gods then pushed the rhinoceroses, which fell wreathed in coloured clouds into the prefectural court, to the astonishment of the prefectutal officials and everyone else inside and outside the walled city, who all set up incense tables outside their houses, and bowed their heads to worship the gods from heaven. A little later the monks of the Clouds of Compassion Monastery carried the venerable elder into the court in a sedan chair.
When Sanzang met Monkey he kept thanking him, adding, “I am very grateful for the trouble I have put the star officers to in rescuing us. I had been very anxious when I did not see you, worthy disciple, but now you have returned in triumph. I wonder where you had to chase the monsters to before you caught them.”
“After I left you the day before yesterday,” Monkey replied, “I went up to heaven to make some enquiries. The Metal Planet knew that the monsters were rhinoceroses, so he told me to ask for the four beast stars that belong to the element wood. So I submitted a memorial to the Jade Emperor and he sent them straight to the mouth of the cave, where they gave battle. When the demon kings fled, the stars from the Dipper and the Strider rescued you, Master, I chased the demons with the Well and the Horn stars straight to the Western Ocean, where the dragon king sent his son out with their troops to help us. That's how the monsters were captured and brought here for questioning.” The venerable elder was full of endless praise and thanks. The prefectural and county officials and their subordinates all lit precious candles and whole containers of incense sticks as they kowtowed in respect,
A little later Pig lost his temper, pulled out his monastic knife and beheaded first Dust-avoider, then Heat-avoider, each with a single stroke. Then he removed their four horns with a saw. The Great Sage Monkey then had another suggestion to make: “You four star officers must take these four rhinoceros horns to the upper world to offer to the Jade Emperor as trophies when you report back on your mission.” As for the two horns he had brought back from the sea, he said, “We'll leave one here to guard the storehouses of the prefectural palace and as evidence that from now on no more lamp-oil will ever be levied. We'll take the other to offer to the Lord Buddha on Vulture Peak.” The four stars were delighted, and after bowing to take their leave of the Great Sage they rose by coloured cloud to report back to the Jade Emperor.
The prefectural and county officials kept the master and his disciples for a great vegetarian banquet to which all the rural officials were also invited. Notices were issued to tell the military and civil population that golden lamps were not to be lit the next year, and that the duty of serving as an oil-purchasing household was abolished for ever. Butchers meanwhile were instructed to remove the rhinoceros skins to be steeped in saltpeter and smoked dry for making into armor, while the flesh was to be distributed to the officials. At the same time money and grain that had been raised by unjust fines on innocent people were spent to buy a plot of privately-owned empty land. On this a temple to the four stars who had put the demons down, as well as a shrine to the Tang Priest and his three disciples, were to be built. Stone tablets with inscriptions were to be set up for each of them to record their deeds for ever as a mark of gratitude.
Master and disciples relaxed and enjoyed the offerings. They had hardly a moment to themselves as they had so many invitations from the 240 lamp-oil households. Pig was delighted to have so much to eat, and he always kept in his sleeve some of the treasures he had collected in the cave to give to all his hosts to thank them for their banquets. When they had stayed there for a month and were still unable to get away the Tang Priest ordered Monkey.
“Wukong, give all the remaining valuables to the monks in the Clouds of Compassion Monastery. Let's leave before dawn, without letting the rich families here know. If we are so eager to enjoy ourselves here that we delay in fetching the scriptures we may offend the Lord Buddha and cause some catastrophe. That would be terrible.” Monkey then disposed of all the objects.
When they got up early the next morning at the fifth watch Pig was woken up to get the horse ready. The idiot had eaten and drunk so well that he was still half asleep as he said, “Why get the horse ready so early?”
“The master says we've got to be going,” Monkey shouted.
“That reverend gentleman doesn't do things right,” the idiot said, rubbing his eyes. “We've had invitations from all 240 of the big families, but only had thirty or so good vegetarian meals so far. How can he be making me go hungry again?”
When the venerable elder heard this he retorted abusively, “Dreg-guzzling idiot! Stop talking such nonsense! Get up at once! If you go on arguing back like that I'll tell Wukong to smash your teeth in with his gold-banded cudgel.”
At the mention of a beating the idiot gesticulated frantically as he said, “The master's changed. Usually he favours me and likes me and protects me because I'm so stupid. When you want to hit me, brother, he usually persuades you not to. So why's he dead set on telling you to hit me today?”
“The master's angry with you for being so greedy,” Monkey replied, “and holding us up on our journey. If you don't want me to hit you, pack the luggage and get the horse ready.”
As the idiot really was scared of being hit he jumped out of bed, got dressed and shouted to Friar Sand, “Get up right now! He's going to start hitting.” Friar Sand then jumped up too, and they both got everything packed.
“Keep quiet,” said the Tang Priest, waving his hands about, “and don't disturb the monks.” He quickly mounted, after which they opened the gate of the monastery and found their way out. Indeed, this departure was
Letting the phoenix escape from the birdcage of jade;
Secretly opening locks so the dragon goes free.
If you don't know what the households who still wanted to thank them did at daybreak, listen to the explanation in the next installment.
Chapter 93
In the Almsgiver's Garden Antiquity and Causes Are Discussed
In the Court of India the King Meets the Monks
When thoughts arise there surely will be desire,
Longing is certain to lead one to disaster.
Why should intelligence distinguish the three ranks of nobility?
When conduct is complete it naturally returns to the primal sea.
Whether you become an immortal or a Buddha,
All must be arranged from within.
In absolute purity, with all dust removed,
All will be achieved and one will rise to heaven.
The story tells how when Sanzang and his disciples were nowhere to be seen at dawn the monks in the Clouds of Compassion Monastery all said, “We couldn't keep them, we couldn't say goodbye to them, and we weren't able to ask them for anything. We've let those living Bodhisattvas slip clean away.”
As they were talking, some of the great families from the Southern outskirts of the city came in with invitations, at which the monks clapped their hands in regret and said, “We were caught off our guard last night: they all rode off by cloud.” Everyone then kowtowed to heaven in gratitude. The news was spread to all the officials in the city, who told the great families to prepare the five kinds of sacrificial animal, flowers and fruit to offer to the shrines in thanksgiving.