Chapter 97: Gold Recompenses the Outer Guardian; the Sacred Soul Saves the True Body

Now let us set aside the night rain in the ruined lodging at Huaguang and return to Tongtai Prefecture, where in Deling County there lived a band of rough men. They were gamblers, drunkards, and men of loosened morals, and because they had spent away their family fortunes, they had turned thief. After taking stock of the richest houses in town, they agreed that Kou Hong's household was the fattest prize of all.

One of them said, "There is no need to scout or calculate. Today that Tang monk was sent off from Kou Hong's house, and the place is stuffed with wealth. Tonight it is raining hard, the streets are empty, the fire patrols are not out, and nobody will be on guard. We can strike now, take his gold and silver, and then go back to our women, wine, and gambling. What could be better?"

The rest were delighted. They armed themselves with short knives, thorn-studded truncheons, clubs, hemp ropes, torches, and the like, and under cover of the rain they rushed Kou's gate, smashed it open, and howled as they burst inside. Great and small alike fled in terror, men and women all scattering to hide: the old mother crawled under the bed, the old father dodged behind the door, and Kou Liang, Kou Dong, and the children of the household all ran for their lives.

The thieves set light to their torches, opened every chest and cabinet, and stripped the house bare of gold, silver, jewels, clothing, vessels, and furnishings. Kou Hong could not bear it. He rushed out and pleaded with them, saying, "Gentlemen, take what you need and spare the rest. Leave this old man a few clothes to wear to the grave."

The gang gave him no answer. They rushed forward and kicked him square in the groin, toppling him to the ground. His three souls drifted away to the underworld, and his seven spirits left this world in sorrow. The thieves carried off their haul, slipped out of Kou's house, and used ladders made from ropes along the foot of the city wall to climb down, then fled west through the rain the whole night long.

Only after the thieves were gone did the servants dare show themselves. By then Kou Hong lay dead on the ground. They cried out, "Heavens! The master has been beaten to death!" Then all of them threw themselves over the body and wept bitterly.

By the fourth watch, Kou Hong's wife turned her anger on Tripitaka and his disciples, because their banquet and departure had brought so much bustle and display to the street. She grew jealous and wanted to drag the four monks into the affair. Supporting Kou Liang, she said, "Child, stop crying. Your father held a feast for monks today and will hold one again tomorrow, but who knew that today would be the full completion of it, and that he would end up feeding that band of death-bringing monks?"

"Death-bringing monks?" the sons asked.

The old woman said, "When the thieves rushed in, I was hiding under the bed, shaking so hard I could hardly see the lamplight. But I saw clearly enough. Who were they? The one holding the torch was Tripitaka, the one with the knife was Zhu Bajie, the one carrying out the gold and silver was Sha Wujing, and the one who beat your father to death was Sun Wukong."

The two sons took this as the truth. "Since Mother saw it so clearly, it must be so. Those four lived in our house for half a month and grew familiar with every gate, wall, window, and alley. Wealth stirs the heart. They must have returned in the rain that night to plunder the house and murder Father. What a vicious thing!"

They decided to go to the prefecture at dawn and file a complaint by name. Kou Dong asked, "How do we write the charge?"

Kou Liang said, "We write it exactly as Mother told us."

So they wrote: Tripitaka set the fire, Zhu Bajie cried for killing, Sha Wujing carried off the silver and gold, and Sun Wukong beat my father to death.

The family made a great uproar until daybreak. Some went to prepare the coffin and summon relatives; Kou Liang and his brother went to the prefecture to present their petition.

Now the prefect of Tongtai Prefecture was a man of upright conduct and good repute, one who had studied under snow-lit lamps in youth and passed the palace examinations early in life. His heart was always set on loyalty and righteousness, and he held compassion close at hand. His fame would have brightened the annals for a thousand years.

He took his seat in court, handled the day's business, and ordered the placard for complaints to be set out. Kou Liang and his brother clutched it and came forward, kneeling as they cried, "My lord, we are here to accuse thieves of theft and murder."

The prefect read the petition. It was a tangle of charges and names, and he asked, "Yesterday men said your household had completed a great feast for monks, and that you had sent off four holy monks from the Eastern Land of Tang amid drums, music, and flowers. How is it that such a thing has happened?"

The brothers knocked their heads on the ground and said, "My lord, our father Kou Hong had given monks food for twenty-four years. Because these four monks had come from afar, they completed the full count of ten thousand monks, so Father held a final feast and kept them here half a month. During that time they learned every road and gate. That night they came back in the dark and rain, broke in with torches and weapons, robbed the gold, silver, treasure, clothes, and ornaments, and beat our father to death. We beg my lord to stand for the common people."

The prefect heard this and ordered out mounted patrols, foot patrols, and strong local men - one hundred and fifty in all - each with a sharp weapon in hand. They left by the west gate and went straight after Tripitaka and the others.

Meanwhile the pilgrims had spent the night under the broken roof at Huaguang, and only when dawn came did they set out westward. By chance, the thieves who had robbed Kou's house had also left the city in the night and were traveling the western road. By dawn they had gone about twenty miles beyond Huaguang Monastery and were hiding in a mountain hollow, dividing the stolen silver and gold.

They had not finished their split when Tripitaka and his disciples came along the road. The gang's greed had not cooled. They pointed at Tripitaka and said, "Isn't that the monk who was sent off yesterday?"

The thieves laughed. "Good, good. We live by the same lawless trade. Since these monks are traveling the road and stayed so long at Kou's house, who knows how many valuables they have on them? Why not stop them, seize their traveling money, and snatch the white horse as well? Wouldn't that be perfect?"

So they seized their weapons, gave a shout, and rushed onto the road in a long line. "Monks, don't move! Leave your road money and spare your lives. Say one word of no, and we will cut down one for each word."

Tripitaka was shaken in the saddle. Sha Wujing and Zhu Bajie were alarmed, and they turned to Wukong. "What now? What now? We bore half a night of rain and misery, and now we meet bandits blocking the road. Truly, calamity does not travel alone."

Wukong laughed. "Master, do not be afraid. Brothers, do not worry. Let Old Sun go ask them a question."

He tucked in his tiger-skin skirt, shook out his brocade robe, stepped forward, and cupped his hands before his chest. "Gentlemen, what are you doing here?"

The thieves shouted, "You fool, you do not know whether you are dead or alive, and you dare question us? Have you no eyes under your brow? Don't you know me for your lord and master? Hand over the road money and pass on."

Wukong smiled all over his face. "So you are road thieves."

At that, they roared, "Kill him!"

Wukong pretended to be frightened. "My lords, my lords, I am just a country monk and know nothing. Forgive me if I have offended you. If you want road money, do not ask the other three. Ask me. I keep the accounts. Any scripture money, alms money, donations, and travel money are all in the luggage, and I handle all the spending. That rider may be my master, but he only knows how to recite sutras. He does not meddle in worldly matters and has forgotten both wealth and desire. He has not a single cash coin on him. The black-faced one is a servant I took on the road. He only tends the horse. The long-mouthed one is a hired laborer who carries the load. Let the three of them go, and I will hand over the travel funds and the alms bowl."

The thieves said, "This monk is an honest fellow. Very well, spare your life. Let the three of them leave their baggage and go."

Wukong glanced back and signaled. Sha Wujing set down the load, and together with Tripitaka he led the horse while Zhu Bajie walked west with them.

Wukong bent his head, opened the bag, scooped up a handful of dust, sprinkled it into the air, and muttered a spell. It was a spell to bind the body. He cried, "Stand still!"

All thirty or so thieves stood frozen on the spot, grinding their teeth, staring wide-eyed, hands hanging loose, unable to speak or move. Wukong jumped to the road and called, "Master, come back! Come back!"

Zhu Bajie panicked. "No good, no good. Senior Brother has betrayed us. He has no money on him and no silver in his bag, so he must be asking the master for the horse. We are done for. He is stripping us of our clothes."

Sha Wujing laughed. "Second Brother, do not talk nonsense. Senior Brother is a man of means. He has subdued all kinds of vicious fiends before. What are these petty thieves to him? If he is calling us back, he must have some reason. Hurry and see."

Tripitaka heard that and turned back at once. "Wukong, what is it?"

Wukong said, "See what these thieves are doing."

Bajie went forward and pushed at one of them. "Thief, why don't you move?"

The fellow neither spoke nor blinked.

"So he has gone dumb," Bajie said.

Wukong laughed. "Old Sun used a body-binding spell on them."

Tripitaka said, "If you have bound their bodies, why have you not bound their mouths? Why can they not even make a sound?"

"Master, please dismount and sit for a while," said Wukong. "As the saying goes, there is such a thing as catching the wrong man, but not such a thing as letting the wrong man go. Brothers, take these thieves and flip them over. Let us draw a statement from them and see whether they are petty thieves or seasoned ones."

Sha Wujing said, "We have no rope."

Wukong plucked out a few hairs, blew on them with immortal breath, and turned them into thirty lengths of rope. The three of them then set to work, flipped the thieves over, and bound them hand and foot. Wukong also murmured the release spell, and the gang slowly came to.

He asked Tripitaka to sit in the place of honor, then the three of them each raised their weapons and shouted, "You gang of thieves! How many are you? How many years have you been at this trade? How much have you stolen? Have you killed or wounded anyone? Is this your first offense, or your second, or your third?"

The thieves cried, "Spare our lives, master!"

Wukong said, "Stop howling. Speak truthfully."

They said, "My lords, we are not old hands at this. We are all from good families. We simply wasted our ancestral property on drink, gambling, and women. After that we had no business and no money. We heard that Kou Hong in Tongtai Prefecture was rich, so yesterday we joined together and that night, in the dark rain, went to rob him. We got some gold, silver, clothes, and ornaments, and we were dividing it in the mountain hollow north of the road when we saw you gentlemen coming. Since one of us recognized the monk who had been sent off from Kou's house, we knew he must have valuables on him. Then we saw your luggage was heavy and your white horse moved quickly, so greed took hold of us and we came to stop you.

Who knew that your great divine power would bind us so easily? We beg for mercy. Please take back the stolen goods and spare our lives."

Tripitaka, hearing that the loot had come from Kou's house, was startled. He quickly stood up. "Wukong, Kou the elder was a truly good man. How did he come to such disaster?"

Wukong smiled. "It was all because he sent us off in such a blaze of banners and drums that the display drew every eye in the street. That is why this gang went after his house. Now it is our good fortune to have met them and taken back all these gold and silver things."

Tripitaka said, "We troubled him for half a month and cannot repay his great kindness. Why not escort this property back to his house? That would be a fine deed."

Wukong agreed.

He and Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing went to the mountain hollow, gathered the stolen goods, packed them up, and loaded them onto the horses. He also had Bajie carry a load of gold and silver, while Sha Wujing took his own baggage. Wukong had meant to beat the thieves to death with one stroke, but he feared Tripitaka would blame him for taking lives, so he simply shook himself and recalled his hairs.

The gang's bonds came loose, and they scrambled to their feet and fled in all directions.

Tripitaka turned back and carried the goods to the Kou household. But this journey was like a moth flying into a flame: instead of reward, it met disaster.

There is a verse to prove it:

Few in the world repay kindness with kindness;
more often gratitude curdles into hatred.
To save a man from the water is to court one kind of loss;
to think twice before acting is to invite no regret.

Tripitaka and his disciples had just carried the gold and silver back when they were met by a crowd of spears and blades rushing toward them. Tripitaka was alarmed. "Disciples, look at that ring of weapons. What kind of business is this?"

Zhu Bajie said, "Trouble is coming, trouble is coming. It must be the thieves we let go. They have gathered more men and come back to fight us."

Sha Wujing said, "Second Brother, that is not the look of bandits. Senior Brother, take a careful look."

Wukong whispered to Sha Wujing, "The master's star of calamity has arrived again. This must be the constables coming to arrest thieves."

Before he could finish, the troops had reached them and formed a circle. "Good monks! You robbed a household and still dare swagger around here?"

They rushed up, seized Tripitaka from the saddle, bound him with rope, tied up the three disciples as well, set two men to carry one, took the horse, and seized the baggage as they turned back to the prefecture.

Tripitaka trembled all over, tears running down his face and words stuck in his throat. Zhu Bajie muttered and grumbled without end. Sha Wujing stood there with a troubled heart, while Sun Wukong wore a faint smile, already thinking of his next trick.

The patrols and clerks, with their loads on their shoulders, brought the four monks to the prefect's hall in a short time and reported, "My lord, the constables have captured the thieves."

The prefect sat in state, rewarded the patrols, and examined the recovered loot before ordering it returned to the Kou household. Then he brought Tripitaka and the others before the hall and said, "You monks claimed to be pilgrims from the Eastern Land on the road to the Western Heaven to worship the Buddha, but it turns out you are thieves who use spells to spy on roads and rob households."

Tripitaka said, "My lord, allow me to speak. Poor monk is truly not a thief. I would never dare to pretend otherwise. Here are my travel documents to prove it. Kou Hong invited us to eat in his house for half a month, and his kindness was deep. On the road we met robbers, took back the goods they had stolen from Kou's house, and were carrying them back there in thanks. We did not expect your constables to seize us and mistake us for thieves. We are truly no thieves. I beg my lord to inspect the matter carefully."

The prefect said, "You rascals saw the officers catch you and now talk smoothly about gratitude. If you met thieves on the road, why not capture them too and report them to the authorities, then use that as your reward? Why were only the four of you there? Look - Kou Liang filed a loss report and named you by name. How dare you struggle against it?"

Tripitaka heard this and felt as though the sea had swallowed a boat. His spirit fled and his soul scattered. He cried, "Wukong, why do you not come forward and plead our case?"

"The loot is real," Wukong said. "What is there to argue?"

The prefect said, "Just so. The stolen goods are here. How dare you deny it?"

He ordered his men, "Bring the iron collar. Put it on this bald thief's head and beat him afterward."

Wukong grew anxious. He thought, "My master may deserve this ordeal, but I cannot let him suffer too much."

Seeing the constables prepare the rope and iron collar, he spoke at once. "My lord, do not collar that monk. I was the one who lit the lamp at Kou's house last night. I was the one who held the knife. I was the one who carried off the goods. I was the one who killed the man. I am the thief chief. If there is to be punishment, punish me. It has nothing to do with them, so long as you do not let us go."

The prefect ordered them to collar him first. The officers rushed up and slipped the collar over Wukong's head, tightening it with all their strength. With a crack, the rope snapped. They tied it again and collared him again. Crack, it broke again. They collared him three or four times, but not even the smallest wrinkle appeared on his scalp.

Just as they were preparing a fresh rope, someone came in to report, "My lord, the senior inspector from below the prefecture has arrived and asks you to go out to meet him."

The prefect told the prison clerk, "Take these thieves to the jail and keep them well guarded. I will meet my superior, then question them further."

The clerk drove Tripitaka and the others into the prison gate. Bajie and Sha Wujing carried in their own baggage. Tripitaka asked, "Disciples, what is this place?"

Wukong laughed. "Master, go in, go in. There are no dogs barking here, so this place is rather fun."

Poor the four of them were driven inside and each shoved into a restraining bench, bound with belly-rope, head-iron, and chest-cord. Then the prison wardens came in and beat them without mercy. Tripitaka could no longer bear the pain and cried, "Wukong, what should we do? What should we do?"

Wukong said, "They beat people only to get money. As the saying goes, the good pay for peace and the suffering pay out of pocket. Give them some money and that will end it."

"Where am I to get money?" Tripitaka asked.

"If there is no money, then clothing will do. Give them the robe."

Tripitaka heard that like a knife in his heart. Seeing that he could not withstand the beating, he had no choice but to say, "Wukong, do as you wish."

Wukong called out, "Gentlemen, no need to beat us anymore. In the two bundles we carried in there is a brocade cassock worth a thousand pieces of gold. Untie the bundles and take it."

The jailers heard this and all rushed over to open the two bundles. There were a few plain garments and a carrying pouch, none of them worth anything. Then they found an object wrapped in several layers of oiled paper, glowing with rosy light.

When they unfolded it, they saw:

Crafted with bright pearls in ordered rows,
a rare Buddhist treasure gathered close.
Coiled dragons spread in embroidered knots,
flying phoenixes bordered the hem.

They all fought to look at it, and even the prison officials were stirred up by the uproar. One of the wardens ran in and shouted, "What are you all yelling about?"

The jailers knelt and said, "Sir, we were just brought four monks for questioning. They are a gang of thieves. After we beat them a little, they gave us these two bundles. When we opened them, we found this treasure. We do not know what to do with it. If we all tear it apart and divide it, that would be a pity. If one man takes it all, the rest gain nothing. Since you have come, please decide for us."

The prison officer saw that it was a cassock, then opened the pouch and looked at the travel document as well. Seeing the seals and signatures of many kingdoms, he said, "It is lucky I came myself, or you would all have landed in trouble. These monks are not thieves. Do not touch their things. Wait until the prefect questions them tomorrow, and the truth will be clear."

The jailers, hearing this, returned the bundles, wrapped them up again, and gave them to the officer for safekeeping.

Night deepened. The watch drums sounded from the tower, and the fire patrols made their rounds. By the third quarter of the fourth watch, Wukong saw that the others were no longer groaning and had all fallen asleep. He thought to himself, "My master must spend this night in prison as part of his fate. I have not spoken to explain matters, nor used my powers, for this reason. Now the fourth watch is almost over and the calamity is nearly spent. I must go make some arrangements, so that at daybreak we can get out of prison."

He shrank his body small, slipped out of the restraining bench, changed himself into a tiny gnat, and flew out through a crack in the roof tiles. The stars shone and the moon was clear. The night was calm and still.

He noted the direction and flew straight to the Kou household. There he saw a house on the western side of the street with lights bright inside. Flying closer, he found it was only a tofu seller. An old man was stoking the fire and an old woman was grinding the soy. The old man suddenly said, "Wife, Kou the great official has sons and wealth, but no span of life. I studied with him when we were young, and I was five years older than he was. His father was called Kou Ming. Back then the family did not own even a thousand mu of land, and their rent income was not much to speak of. When he was twenty, old Kou Ming died and he inherited the estate.

He was lucky, too, because he married the daughter of Zhang Wang, nicknamed Thread-Needle. She was a real help to her husband. After she entered the house, the fields yielded more, the loans earned more, the purchases made profit, and the business kept turning money. In the end he amassed a fortune of more than one hundred thousand strings. When he was forty he turned to goodness and fed ten thousand monks. Who would have thought he would be kicked to death by thieves last night? What a pity! He was only sixty-four this year, right at the age to enjoy his wealth. To turn to goodness and still die so violently - ah, how lamentable, how lamentable!"

Wukong listened to every word. By then the fifth watch had begun.

He flew into the Kou house and saw a coffin already set in the hall. Lamps burned at the head of the casket, with incense, candles, flowers, and fruit arranged before it. The old woman stood by the side weeping, and the two sons had come to kneel and mourn. The two daughters-in-law were offering rice bowls.

Wukong settled himself on the coffin head and gave a little cough.

The two daughters-in-law screamed and ran out flailing their hands and feet. Kou Liang and his brother lay flat on the ground, too frightened to move, and cried, "Father! Ooo, ooo, ooo!"

The old woman was bolder. She slapped the coffin head and asked, "Old master, have you come back to life?"

Wukong used Kou Hong's voice and said, "I have not come back to life."

The two sons were even more frightened. They kowtowed without stopping, tears running down their faces. "Father! Ooo, ooo, ooo!"

The old woman, still forcing herself, asked, "If you have not come back to life, how can you speak?"

Wukong said, "I am a ghostly messenger sent by the King of Hell to speak with you at home. That Zhang woman, Thread-Needle, spoke crooked words and framed the innocent."

When the old woman heard her own nickname, she dropped to her knees in terror and kept kowtowing. "Good old man! At your age you still call my girlhood name! What crooked words did I speak? Whom did I frame?"

Wukong thundered, "What do you mean, what? 'Tripitaka set the fire, Zhu Bajie called for murder, Sha Wujing carried off the silver and gold, and Sun Wukong beat your father to death' - that sort of lie! Because you spoke falsely, good men were made to suffer.

The four monks from Tang met a band of thieves on the road, took the goods from them, and brought them here as a kindness. What goodwill was that! Yet you falsely drew up a loss report and had your sons bring the case to the yamen. The officials did not investigate carefully and have thrown them into prison. The prison god, the local earth god, and the city god are all so disturbed they cannot sit still, and they have reported the matter to the King of Hell.

The King of Hell has now sent ghostly messengers to bring me here and tell you to release them at once. If you do not, I will raise a disturbance in your house for a month, and not one old or young soul, not even the chickens and dogs, will be left alive."

Kou Liang and his brother kowtowed again and again and pleaded, "Father, please go back. Do not harm the old and the young. At dawn we will go to the prefecture and file a release petition. We will confess everything, so long as the living and the dead are both spared."

Wukong heard that and cried, "Burn paper money. I am going."

The family rushed to burn paper offerings. Wukong flapped his wings and flew off, straight to the residence of the prefect.

Peering down, he saw light already burning inside and the prefect up and dressed. He flew into the main hall and looked around. On the rear wall there hung a painting of an official riding a spotted horse, with several attendants carrying a blue parasol and a folding chair. He could not make out what story it was.

Wukong settled in the middle and coughed.

The prefect came out from his room, bent over and washing his face. Wukong coughed again, and the prefect was so startled that he hurried back inside. After washing and dressing, he came out in full robes, lit incense before the painting, and prayed, "Ancestral spirit of my late uncle Jiang Gongqian: your humble nephew Jiang Kunsan has received the family blessing and, by luck, passed the highest exams and now serves as prefect of Copper Terrace. I attend the incense morning and night. Why do you manifest yourself today? Do not think me possessed by a devil or spirit and frighten the household."

Wukong laughed to himself. "So this is his ancestral tablet."

Then he raised his voice in the prefect's nephew's ear: "Jiang Kunsan, though you serve by ancestral favor, you have long been known as honest and clean. How could you so carelessly take four holy monks for thieves yesterday, without hearing them out, and throw them in prison? The prison god, the local earth god, and the city god could not bear it and reported the case to the King of Hell. The King of Hell sent me to speak plainly: use your judgment, examine the facts, and release them at once. If not, you will have to argue the case in the underworld."

The prefect was shaken. "Please, uncle, return. I will go up to the hall and release them at once."

Wukong said, "If that is so, burn paper for me. Then I will go answer the King of Hell."

The prefect burned more incense and paper and bowed his thanks. Wukong flew out again and saw that dawn had already broken in the east.

When he returned to Deling County, he saw that all the county officials were already gathered in the hall. He thought, "If a gnat starts talking and someone sees me, the disguise will be blown."

So in midair he changed to a great body and lowered one foot down, filling the entire county court with his sole. Then he called out, "Officials, listen up. I am a wandering spirit sent by the Jade Emperor. I have come to say that you have wrongly beaten the Buddhist pilgrims in your prison, and that the gods of the three realms are all disturbed. I have been sent to tell you to release them at once. If you delay, I will come back and kick to death all the prefectural and county officers first, then trample the people of the four borders, and flatten the city into ashes."

The officials were so frightened that they all dropped to their knees, kowtowing and begging. "Holy spirit, please return. We will go to the prefecture right now and report to the prefect. He will release them at once. Only do not bring your foot down and frighten us to death."

Then Wukong withdrew his great body and changed back into a gnat, flew into the prison through a crack in the tiles, and once again hid himself in the restraining bench as if asleep.

Meanwhile, the prefect went up to the hall just as Kou Liang and his brother arrived at the gate with a release petition. The prefect had them brought in, and they presented the petition.

The prefect read it and said angrily, "Yesterday you filed a loss report, and we captured the thieves for you. Then you took the loot home. Why have you come again today with a release petition?"

The two brothers wept. "My lord, last night our father showed his spirit and said: 'The holy monks from Tang had already captured the thieves and recovered the goods, then let the thieves go. Out of kindness they brought the wealth back to our house as repayment. How could you then treat them as thieves and confine them in prison? The prison god, earth god, and city god cannot bear it and have reported the matter to the King of Hell. The King of Hell has sent ghostly messengers to bring me here and tell you to take the monks to court and release Tripitaka, so as to avert disaster. Otherwise, the young and old will all die.' That is why we have come with this release petition. We beg your favor."

The prefect heard this and thought to himself, "Their father is a fresh corpse, and a new ghost may still speak; that would be reasonable. But my own uncle has been dead five or six years. Why did he also manifest himself last night and tell me to inspect and release them? It looks as if this must really be a wrongful case."

He was still turning the matter over when the county magistrate and other officials came rushing up to the hall in alarm, crying, "My lord, disaster! Disaster! Just now the Jade Emperor sent a wandering spirit down to earth to order you to release the innocent men in prison. The monks you arrested yesterday are not thieves at all. They are Buddhist pilgrims seeking the scriptures. If you delay even a little, the spirit will kick to death all the officials, and the city itself, people and all, will be trampled to dust."

The prefect was again startled. He quickly ordered the prison clerk to write a placard and bring the prisoners out.

The prison gate was opened. Bajie grumbled, "I wonder how they will beat us today."

Wukong laughed. "Not one blow will fall. Old Sun has already finished the business. When we get to the hall, do not kneel. They will be the ones inviting us to sit. Just wait for me to ask for the horse and luggage. If even one thing is missing, I will beat them for you to see."

Before he could finish, they had reached the hall. The prefect, the magistrate, and every official in the county and prefecture came down to greet them.

"Holy monks," they said, "when you came yesterday we were pressed by urgent business at the top office, and when we saw the goods recovered we did not have time to ask the full story."

Tripitaka joined his hands and bowed, then explained the whole matter once more from beginning to end.

The officials all cried out at once, "A mistake! A mistake! Forgive us, forgive us."

Then Wukong strode forward, glaring. "My white horse has been taken by the officials in this hall, and my luggage by the men in prison. Bring them back at once. Today it is my turn to question you. What punishment should befall men who wrongly seize honest people and call them thieves?"

The prefectural and county officers were terrified by his fierce manner. Not one of them dared object. They immediately had the men who had taken the horse bring it back and the jailers fetch the luggage, and everything was returned in full.

Tripitaka then said, "Even so, the matter is not yet truly clear. Let us go to the Kou household. We can offer our condolences and face the witnesses there to see who saw me commit the robbery."

Wukong said, "Just so. Let Old Sun call the dead man up and see who struck him."

Sha Wujing lifted Tripitaka onto the horse right there in the prefect's hall, and the whole company set off in a bustle, with the prefectural and county officials following along to the Kou household.

Kou Liang and his brother were waiting at the gate, knocking their heads on the ground without pause, and they led the party into the hall. Inside the mourning chamber, the whole family was still crying behind the white curtains.

Wukong called out, "That old woman who lied and framed the innocent, stop crying for a moment. Let Old Sun call your husband back and ask him who beat him to death, then I will shame him for you."

The officials all thought Sun Wukong was joking.

Wukong said, "Gentlemen, please sit with my master for a while. Bajie, Wujing, guard them well. I will go and return at once."

He sprang out of the door and rose into the sky. All around the house there was a wash of rosy cloud; all heaven was wrapped in auspicious vapors. Everyone then realized he was no ordinary trickster, but a true immortal who rode the clouds and brought the dead back to life. They all burned incense and bowed, so let us not dwell on that here.

The Great Sage rode his somersault cloud straight to the netherworld and landed before the Hall of Darkness. The ten kings of the underworld came with hands clasped to receive him, and the five judges of the ghost realm bowed to greet him. The sword trees leaned aside, the blade mountains flattened, the wrongfully dead in the city of the dead were transformed, and beneath the River of No Return even the ghosts seemed to rise again. A single ray of divine light shone like a heavenly pardon and made the whole dark underworld bright.

The ten kings welcomed the Great Sage and asked why he had come.

Wukong said, "Who took in the ghost of Kou Hong from Deling County in Tongtai Prefecture? Find him for me at once."

The ten kings replied, "Kou Hong was a good man. No ghost officer summoned him. He came here of his own accord and met the boy attendant of the Bodhisattva Kshitigarbha. The boy introduced him to the Bodhisattva."

So Wukong took his leave and went straight to the Jade-Blue Palace to see Kshitigarbha Bodhisattva. After the formal greetings, he explained everything. The Bodhisattva was pleased and said, "Kou Hong's life term ended only by the count of his years. He had not lain upon a deathbed, but passed from the world cleanly. Because he gave monks food and was a good man, I kept him here as chief of the register of good deeds. Since the Great Sage has come to fetch him, I will extend his life by another twelve years and let him go back with you."

The boy attendant then led Kou Hong out.

When Kou Hong saw Wukong, he cried again and again, "Master, Master, save me, save me!"

Wukong said, "You were beaten to death by thieves. This is the place of the Bodhisattva Kshitigarbha in the underworld. I have come specially to take you back to the world of the living and make the matter plain. Since the Bodhisattva has graciously released you and extended your life by twelve years, after those twelve years you may come again."

The old man prostrated himself without end.

Wukong thanked and took leave of the Bodhisattva, then blew Kou Hong into a breath of vapor and tucked him into his sleeve. Together they returned from the underworld to the world of the living on their cloud.

When they reached the Kou house, he called Bajie to lift the coffin lid and pushed the man's soul back into his body. In an instant the man drew breath and came to life.

Kou Hong crawled out of the coffin and knelt before Tripitaka and the others. "Master, masters, Kou Hong died an unjust death, and it was by your grace that I was revived from the underworld. This is a gift of re-creation."

He went on thanking them without pause. Then he turned and saw the officials lined up there and again knelt. "Why are all these gentlemen in my house?"

The prefect said, "Your sons first filed a loss report and accused the holy monks by name, so I sent officers to arrest them. Unexpectedly, the monks met the thieves on the road, took back the stolen goods, and brought them home to repay you. My officers took them by mistake and failed to inspect the matter properly, so I had them jailed. Then your ghost manifested, and my own uncle also came home to complain. At the same time the county received a visitation from the wandering spirit from heaven, so all these signs arrived at once and the monks were released. The holy monks then went to save and revive you."

Kou Hong knelt and said, "My lord, these four holy monks were truly wronged. That night more than thirty thieves came with torches and weapons, robbed the household, and I could not bear to let them go. I reasoned with them and was kicked to death. What had these four to do with it?"

He called his wife forward and said, "It was not these monks but others who beat me to death. How dare you falsely accuse them? Please let my lord pronounce judgment."

At that, the whole family, old and young, only kowtowed.

The prefect, showing mercy, pardoned them all. Kou Hong arranged a banquet to repay the kindness of the prefectural and county officials, and no one left until the next day. Then he again hung out the placard for a feast to monks and kept Tripitaka for another visit, but Tripitaka absolutely refused to stay. More friends were invited, banners were prepared, and they sent the party off as before.

Ah! This is exactly why:

Few in the world repay kindness with kindness;
more often gratitude curdles into hatred.
To save a man from the water is to court one kind of loss;
to think twice before acting is to invite no regret.

The monks then took up their gold, silver, and clothing and moved on. Just as they were on the road, they suddenly saw a cluster of spears and blades coming toward them. Tripitaka was alarmed. "Disciples, look there. What good or ill is this?"

Zhu Bajie said, "Disaster! Disaster! Those are the thieves we let go. They have taken up weapons, gathered more men, and turned back to fight us."

Sha Wujing said, "Second Brother, that does not look like thieves. Senior Brother, take a closer look."

Wukong whispered, "Master's star of misfortune has come again. This must be the officers coming to arrest the thieves."

No sooner had he spoken than the troops arrived, spread into a circle, and shouted, "Good monks! You robbed a household and still dare show yourselves here?"

They surged forward, seized Tripitaka from his horse, bound him with ropes, tied up the other three as well, set two men to carry each prisoner, took the horse and baggage, and marched them back to the prefecture. Tripitaka trembled and wept. Bajie grumbled and muttered. Sha Wujing was uneasy. Wukong smiled faintly and was already planning his next move.