Journey 046: Gator Raid
Sun Wukong visits the Dragon King of the West Sea and tells him to go collect his nephew.
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Transcript
Welcome to the Chinese Lore Podcast, where I retell classic Chinese stories in English. This is episode 46 of Journey to the West.
Last time, the pilgrims hit another snag when, while trying to cross a river of black water, San Zang and Zhu Bajie were abducted by a river demon who fancied a little human flesh with a side of immortality. After one unsuccessful attempt to rescue their companions, Sun Wukong and Sha Zeng learned from the local river spirit that the demon was actually the nephew of the Dragon King of the West Sea. Sun Wukong was no stranger to the dragon kings of the seas, so he decided to go pay this particular dragon king a little visit.
Wukong flew to the West Sea, cast a water-repelling spell, and dived in. As he was traveling underwater, he ran into a Black Fish demon lackey who was carrying a gold invitation box, shooting from upstream like an arrow. But he came face to face with Sun Wukong, who promptly delivered a killing blow to the lackey’s head, spilling his brains and cracking his skull. While the dead lackey’s body floated up to the surface, Wukong picked up the invitation box and read its content. The invitation said:
“Greetings second uncle, from your nephew Tuo (2) Jie (2). Thank you for your kind regards. I captured two people today. They’re monks from the East and are true rarities. I dared not eat them alone. I remembered that your birthday is coming up soon, so I’m setting up a feast to wish you long life. I hope you will attend.”
Wukong chuckled, “Well, this scoundrel delivered this right into my hands.” He stashed away the invite and continued on his way. Soon, he was spotted by a Yaksha spirit that served the Dragon King of the West Sea. The spirit rushed back to the palace to report that the Great Sage was coming. The Dragon King, whose name was Ao (4) Shun (4), went out with his clan to welcome Wukong and invited him in for tea.
But Wukong said, “I haven’t tasted your tea yet, but you’ve already tasted my wine!”
Ao Shun laughed, “Great Sage, you haven’t touched wine since joining the Buddhist school. So when would you have invited me to wine?”
“You may not have been over for drinks, but you’re already in trouble for it!”
Ao Shun was taken aback and asked what offense he had given. Wukong now showed him the invite from his nephew. Ao Shun was scared out of his mind. He hurriedly kneeled, kowtowed, and said, “Great Sage, please pardon me! That scoundrel is my younger sister’s ninth son. Her husband delivered less rain than heaven had commanded, so he was executed by the mortal prime minister Wei (4) Zheng (1).”
So, if you had listened to supplemental episodes 1 through 3, you would recognize that this unfortunate brother-in-law of Ao Shun’s was none other than the dragon king whose execution led to the Tang emperor’s trip through the underworld, which in turn led to the commissioning of San Zang’s pilgrimage.
Ao Sun now continued: “My sister had nowhere to go, so I brought her son here and raised him to adulthood. The year before last, my sister unfortunately passed away. Seeing that my nephew had nowhere to go, I set him up at the Black Water River so he could work on his cultivation. Who knew that he would commit such evil. Let me send someone to capture him and bring him here.”
Wukong asked, “How many sons did your sister have? Where are the rest of them causing trouble?”
“She had nine sons. The other eight are all good. well. The eldest is the Little Yellow Dragon, and he lives in the Huai (2) River. The second is the Little Black Dragon who lives in the River Ji (4). The third is the Blue−backed Dragon who occupies the Yangzi River. The Red−whiskered Dragon is the fourth son, and he holds the Yellow River. The fifth is the Vain−Effort Dragon who looks after the bell for the Buddha. Guardian Dragon is the sixth, and he sits guarding the roof of the Heavenly Palace. Respectful Dragon is the seventh; he holds up the winged column at the Jade Emperor’s court. The eighth is Clam Dragon, who lives with my eldest brother on Mount Tai (4). The youngest, Alligator Dragon, has had no particular duties since he is still young. He was only sent to the Black Water River to nourish his nature last year. He hasn’t yet won himself any fame or been transferred to another job. But I never expected that he would disobey me by offending you, Great Sage.”
Wukong chuckled, “How many husbands did your sister have?”
“Just the one, the dragon king of the Jing (1) River. He was executed years ago, so my sister came to stay with me, and she died the year before last.”
“How can one couple produce so many bad seeds?”
“As the saying goes, ‘If a dragon sires 9 children, each will be different.’ ”
“Alright. I was really annoyed just now and was going to file a petition in heaven to accuse you of collaborating with demons and abducting people. But according to what you just told me, it’s that scoundrel who refuses to listen to you. So I’ll spare you this time, partly on account of your noble family, and partly because that scoundrel is young and ignorant, and you weren’t aware of his actions. But send someone to go arrest him at once and save my master. And then we’ll talk about this.”
Ao Shun now summoned his crown prince, Mo (2) Ang (2), and told him, “Mobilize 500 aquatic soldiers and bring that Little Alligator here to answer for his crime. Meanwhile, I’ll arrange a banquet to apologize to the Great Sage.”
But Wukong said, “No need to worry so much. I’ve already said I’ll spare you, so what need is there for a banquet? I must go back with your son right now. My master is in trouble, and my fellow disciple is eagerly waiting for me.”
Ao Shun tried to keep him but couldn’t, so he told his daughter to present tea to Wukong. Wukong drank a cup, took his leave, and departed with Mo Ang and the troops. When they arrived back at Black Water River, Wukong said to Mo Ang, “Crown prince, go get that demon. I’ll be on the bank.”
“Great Sage, don’t worry,” Mo Ang said. “I will go capture him and present him to you first. Only when I have returned your master would I dare to go home to see my father.”
So Wukong took his leave and leaped out of the river. He headed back to the eastern bank, where Sha Zeng and the river spirit met him. He recounted his visit, and they eagerly awaited the return of their master.
Meanwhile, Mo Ang went to the palace of his cousin Tuo (2) Jie (2) and told the lackeys at the gate to announce him. Tuo Jie was wondering what was taking his black fish demon lackey so long to return from delivering the invitation to his uncle, and he grew even more suspicious when he heard that his cousin had come instead of his uncle. Just then, a lackey who was on patrol came to report that there was an army of aquatic soldiers in the river, holding position to the west of his palace and carrying banners that bore the name of his cousin.
“This cousin has gone too far,” Tuo Jie said. “My uncle must have been unable to come, so he sent his son. But why would my cousin be bringing troops to a banquet? Something must be up. Little ones, prepare my weapon, just in case things go south. I’ll go see him and ask what’s up.”
So Tuo Jie headed out and saw a stout army in his waters. He approached their camp gate and shouted, “Cousin, my respects! Welcome!”
The guards went into camp to report this, and soon Mo Ang came out, donning a golden helmet and carrying a triple-edged short staff.
“Why are you here?” Mo Ang said.
Tuo Jie replied, “I had sent an invitation to my uncle this morning. I figure he must be busy and so he sent you. But why did you bring an army to attend a banquet? And why do you refuse to come into my palace, and instead are garrisoned here? And why are you dressed in armor and leading troops?”
“Why did you invite my father?” Mo Ang asked.
“I have received much kindness from him, but I haven’t seen him in a while and haven’t had the chance to repay him. Yesterday I captured a monk from the East. I heard that he has cultivated his Dao for 10 lifetimes, so whoever eats him would gain immortality. So I wanted to invite my uncle to come have a look, and then I was going to cook that monk and share him with uncle.”
Mo Ang shouted, “You are an idiot! Do you know who that monk is?”
“He’s a monk from the Tang kingdom, heading West to fetch scriptures.”
“But do you know the skills of his disciples?”
“He had a long-snout monk with him, called Zhu Bajie. I captured him too and was going to eat them together. He had another disciple named Sha Zeng. He’s a tall, dark man with a sullen face, and he wields a Buddhist staff. Yesterday he came to demand his master back, but I went out and sent him scurrying. He didn’t seem like much.”
“So you don’t know! He also has a senior disciple. It’s the Great Sage who turned heaven upside down 500 years ago. He’s protecting the Tang monk on his pilgrimage. The Bodhisattva Guanyin guided him toward this path. He’s called Sun Wukong. How can you poke that hornets’ nest? He ran into your messenger in our sea and took the invitation. He then stormed into our palace and accosted my father and me, accusing us of being in cahoots with demons and abducting people. Hurry up and deliver the Tang monk and Zhu Bajie to the river bank and give them back to the Great Sage. And then I’ll apologize to him on your behalf, and you might yet live. If you dare to utter half a no, you can give up any thought of staying here!”
Tuo Jie, however, flew into a rage. “We’re cousins, and yet you are defending someone else?! You think you can just come and demand that I send the Tang monk out? You may be afraid of Sun Wukong, but I’m not. If he’s got skills, then tell him to come to my palace and trade three blows with me, and then I’ll return his master. But if he can’t beat me, then I’ll capture him too and cook them all together. And then I won’t bother inviting any relatives. I’ll just shut my door and make merry with my little ones while we feast!”
Mo Ang was enraged at that insolence. “You scoundrel! You really are disobedient. Nevermind the Great Sage; do you dare to face off against me?!”
“A hero is not afraid of a faceoff!” Tuo Jie shot back. He gave a shout, and his lackeys rushed forward and helped him put on his armor and handed him his own steel staff. The two now squared off in the bottom of the river.
After a few fierce exchanges, Mo Ang feigned an opening, luring Tuo Jie into attacking. But Mo Ang quickly smacked Tuo Jie’s right arm with his staff and then knocked him to the ground. Mo Ang then stepped on his foe to keep him down while his soldiers surged forward and tied up Tuo Jie. They pierced his shoulder blades with a steel wire to keep him from using his magic. Then, they dragged him out of the river and threw him in front of Sun Wukong.
“Great Sage, I have captured the demon alligator. Please decide his fate,” Mo Ang said.
Wukong lectured Tuo Jie, “You disobedient scoundrel. Your uncle set you up here so you can cultivate your Dao and make something of yourself one day in another post. Why did you occupy the river spirit’s palace and commit evil? And you dare to deceive my master and fellow disciple? I was going to smack you with my pole, but it would kill you with one graze. Where did you stash my master?”
Tuo Jie kowtowed nonstop and said, “Great Sage, I didn’t know your reputation. That’s why I disobeyed my cousin and acted against reason. But my cousin has captured me. Thank you for sparing my life. Your master is still tied up in my palace. If you will undo my chains, I will go in the river and bring him back.”
Mo Ang, however, advised caution. “Great Sage, this scoundrel is a wicked demon and is very crafty. If you release him, he might get ideas.”
But Sha Zeng said, “I know where he lives. Let me go search for master.”
So he and the river spirit leaped in and made their way to the palace. The doors were wide open, and there was not a single demon lackey in sight. They went straight in and found San Zang and Zhu Bajie stripped naked and tied up. Sha Zeng and the river spirit hurriedly released them and carried them back up to the river bank.
Once there, Zhu Bajie saw the demon chained up, so he grabbed his rake and stomped toward him, cursing, “Damn beast! Are you gonna eat me now?!”
But Wukong pulled him back and said, “Brother, spare his life, on account of the dragon king and his son.”
Mo Ang now said, “Great Sage, I dare not linger. Since you have rescued your master, I’ll take this scoundrel home to see my father. Even though you spared his life, my father will not allow him to escape punishment. He’ll get his. My apologies again.”
“In that case, take him and go,” Wukong said. “And please send my regards to your father. I will thank him in person another day.”
So Mo Ang took his prisoner and his troops and returned to the West Sea. Meanwhile, the river spirit thanked Wukong for restoring control of the river and the palace to him. San Zang, though, asked Wukong, “We’re still on the east bank. How would we cross this river?”
The river spirit said, “Sir, don’t worry. Please mount your horse. I will lead the way and take you across.”
So San Zang hopped on his horse, Bajie took the reins, Sha Zeng carried the luggage, and Wukong followed right beside him. The river spirit now worked his magic and literally parted the water, opening up a wide path through. The pilgrims made their way over to the west bank, thanked the river spirit, and continued on their way.
After weathering snow and wind for a good while on the road, it was spring once again. Life was returning to the land, and the weather was gentle and warm. On day, as they were traveling and taking in the scenery, they suddenly heard a shout that sounded like the roar of 10,000 men. It struck fear into San Zang’s heart. He reined in his horse and asked Sun Wukong what that was.
“It sounded like the earth opening and a mountain collapsing,” Zhu Bajie said.
“And like thunder,” Sha Zeng added.
“And I heard people shouting and horses neighing,” San Zang chimed in.
Wukong, however, chuckled, “You’re all wrong. How about I go take a look?”
So he flew into the sky and looked in the direction of the noise. He saw a city in the distance. Upon closer inspection, however, he noticed an evil miasma emanating from it.
“Hmm, where is that noise coming from?” Wukong thought to himself. “That city doesn’t seem to be at war. So why the sound of people and horses?”
Just then, he noticed a beach outside the city gates. Many monks were gathered there, pulling carts. As they struggled to pull together, they were shouting the name of a Bodhisattva, hence the noise that startled San Zang.
Wukong now descended from the clouds to have a closer look. He saw that the carts were filled with bricks, tiles, and wood beams. The beach was a steep uphill climb, and there was only one narrow path winding its way up the steep cliff side. There was no way a cart could make its way up that path. And even though the weather was warm, the monks were clad in tattered rags, looking quite destitute.
“They must be building a monastery,” Wukong thought to himself. “But this looks like a prosperous place, so they must not be able to find any laborers for hire, so that’s why the monks are having to do this themselves.”
But just then, he saw two young Daoist priests swagger out from the city gates. They were dressed in finery and looked quite well taken care of. When the monks saw them coming, they all panicked and pushed the carts even harder.
“Ah, these monks are afraid of those Daoists priests,” Wukong thought. “Otherwise, why would they be pushing so hard? I once heard people say that on the way West, there’s a place that pays homage to Daoism while spiting Buddhism. That must be this place. I need to report back to master, but if I don’t get a clear picture of the situation, he might fault me. I’m smart enough to go find out the truth. Let me go get to the bottom of this so I can answer any questions master might have.”
So he flew down and turned into a traveling Daoist priest. He carried a basket in one hand and a fish drum in the other. As he walked he sang a Daoist tune. He made his way over to the city gates and greeted the two Daoist priests.
The priests asked him where he was from, and Wukong said, “I travel all over the land. Today, I have come here to beg for some food. Can you tell me which street in the city is good for begging?”
The priests laughed. “Listen to you. How can you say such a thing? You’re such a downer.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re talking about begging for food.”
“But men of religion get by on begging. We don’t have money, so how would we get food if not by begging?”
“You’re from afar and don’t understand how things are in this city,” the priests laughed. “Not only do the court officials here respect Daoism, but so do all the wealthy and respected civilians. Men and women of all ages will offer us food whenever they see us. We don’t have to say a word. And the king is the most devout follower of the Dao.”
“Oh? I’m young and from far away,” Wukong said. “So I really didn’t know. Can you tell me about this place and why the king is so devoted to Daoism?”
“This is called the Chechi (1,2) Kingdom,” the priests said. Chechi, by the way, literally means Slow Cart.
“And the king is our relative,” the priests continued.
That prompted a chuckle from Wukong. “What, did a Daoist priest become king?”
“No. But 20 years ago, there was a huge drought and nothing would grow. The king, his court, and the people all offered penance and prayers, but they were in dire straits. Suddenly, three Daoist immortals descended from heaven and saved them.”
“Who were the three immortals?”
“They are our school’s masters.”
“What are their names?”
“Our senior master is named the Tiger Power Great Immortal. Our second master is the Deer Power Great Immortal. And our third master is the Goat Power Great Immortal.”
“How much power do your three masters have?”
“They can summon wind and rain in the blink of an eye. They can turn water into oil and turn stone into gold as easy as simply turning around. They have the power to seize the creative forces of heaven and earth and alter the mysterious workings of the stars. The king and his officials all revere our masters, so they claimed us as family.”
Wukong now said, “Well, that king is certainly lucky. As the saying goes, ‘Skills can move dukes and ministers.’ With their powers, your masters make good relatives for him. Alas, I wonder if poor ol’ me would ever be lucky enough to meet your masters just once.”
The priests laughed and said, “That’s not so hard. We two are their closest disciples. And our masters are always happy to meet fellow Daoists. Whenever they hear that one is passing through, they go out to greet them. And with the two of us introducing you, it’ll be a cinch.”
Wukong bowed deeply and thanked them. The priests told him, “Just wait for a few. Have a seat here. Once we take care of our official business, we’ll come take you to see our masters.”
“But men of religion have no burdens. What official business do you all have?” Wukong asked.
The priests pointed at the monks on the beach and said, “They’re our laborers. We need to go make sure they’re not slacking off. And then we’ll be right back.”
“Eldrs, you must be mistaken,” Wukong laughed. “Buddhists and Daoists are all men of religion. How can they be our laborers?”
“You don’t understand. Back during the drought, Buddhist monks and Daoist priests were both praying for rain while being fed by the court. But the monks’ prayers were ineffective. Then, our masters arrived and summoned the rain and wind to relieve the people’s suffering. So the court got angry at the monks for being useless. So the king had their monastery demolished, their idols destroyed, and their ordination certificates revoked. He also refused to let them go back to their homes. Instead, he gave the monks to us as our laborers. They are responsible for all our chores. We still need to finish building our quarters, so these monks came to transport building material. We’re worried they’ll slack off, so we came to conduct an inspection.”
But now, Wukong started weeping and said, “I’m so unlucky. I won’t be able to meet your masters!”
“Why not?” the priests asked.
“I’ve been wandering all over in part to scrounge a living, but also in part to find family.”
“What relatives are you looking for?”
“I have an uncle who became a monk in his youth. Some years back, because of a famine, he left to beg for food. He hasn’t been home in years, so I went to look for him. He must have been stuck here and couldn’t leave, but I don’t know for sure. I must find him before I can go into the city with you.”
“Oh that’s easy enough. We’ll take a seat here, and you can go to the beach to conduct the inspection for us. There are 500-some monks there. See if your uncle is among them. If he is, we’ll put in a good word and have him released, and then you can enter the city with us.”
Wukong thanked them nonstop, and then took his leave and headed to the beach while beating his fish drum. When the monks saw him, they all kowtowed and said, “Sir, we haven’t been slacking off. All 500 of us are present and pulling the carts.”
Wukong mused to himself, “These monks must be afraid of getting a beating from the Daoist priests, for them to be so afraid of a fake priest like me. They might just drop dead if I were a real priest.”
He now waved his hands and said, “Don’t kneel, and don’t be afraid. I’m not the foreman. I’m here to find my relative.”
As soon as they heard that, all the monks crowded around and stuck their faces out, each one hoping that Wukong would pick him and save him from this life of toil. Wukong looked around for a bit and then started laughing.
“Sir, why are you laughing instead of looking for your relative?” the monks asked.
“I’m laughing at you idiots. Your parents must have abandoned you to a life of religion due to unfortunate circumstances. Why do you all then not obey the rules of Buddhism? Instead of reading scriptures, why are you here laboring for Daoist priests, being ordered around like slaves?”
“Sir, you’re here to make fun of us,” the monks lamented. “You’re from afar and don’t understand our plight.”
“I AM from afar, and I really don’t know your plight.”
“Our king is biased and unreasonable. He only likes Daoists like you. He hates us Buddhists.”
“How come?”
“Because three Daoist immortals showed up and summoned rain and wind. They pulled the veil over the king’s eyes and convinced him to tear down our monastery, revoke our ordination certificates, and keep us here as laborers for the Daoists. This suffering is too much! And while any wandering Daoist priest passing through receive rewards from the king, traveling Buddhist monks are seized and forced to work as laborers for the Daoists.”
“Do those priests have some special magic to trick the king?” Wukong asked. “If it’s just summoning rain, that’s child’s play. How can that move the king’s heart?”
“They can mold sand, refine mercury, sit in meditation to preserve the spirit, turn water into oil, and turn stone into gold,” the monks told him. “Right now, they’re building a Daoist temple to the Three Pure Ones, where the Daoist will chant scriptures day and night before Heaven and Earth and pray for immortality for the king. That’s how they won him over.”
“Ah, so that’s how it is. Well, why don’t y’all just leave?”
“We can’t! Those Daoist immortals convinced the king to have likenesses of all of us painted and hung up everywhere. This Slow Cart Kingdom’s territories are vast, and there’s a painting of us hanging in every county, town, and village center, and they carry the king’s personal decree. Any official who captures a runaway monk gets promoted three levels. Civilians who catch a runaway get 50 taels of silver. So we can’t flee. And not only us, but anyone who’s bald or just have very few hair can’t run away either. And there are guards everywhere. So we have no choice but to suffer here.”
So this is sounding more and more like a case right up Sun Wukong’s alley. To see what he’ll do about it, tune in to the next episode of the Chinese Lore Podcast. Thanks for listening!
Music in This Episode
- “Luỹ Tre Xanh Ngát Đầu Làng (Guzheng) – Vietnam BGM” by VPRODMUSIC_Asia_BGM
- “Watercolor Lillies” by Aaron Kenny (from YouTube audio library)