“Don't be too hard on her, disciple,” Sanzang replied.

“Who are you talking to?” the evil spirit asked when she heard this. “I am talking to my disciple Sun Wukong,” Sanzang replied.

“Where is he?” the evil spirit asked.

“In your stomach,” Sanzang replied. “He was the red peach you have just eaten.”

“That's the end of me,” exclaimed the evil spirit in horror. “If that ape's got into my stomach I'm dead. Sun the Novice, why did you go to such lengths to get into my stomach?”

“No particular reason,” replied Monkey from inside her. “I just wanted to eat the six leaves of your liver and your lungs, and your heart with its three hairs and seven apertures. I'm going to clean your insides right out and leave you a skeleton spirit.”

This sent the evil spirit's souls scattering in terror and shivering and shaking she clung tightly to the Tang Priest and said, “Reverend gentleman, I had thought that

Our destinies were from former lives joined by a red thread;

Our love was as close as the water and the fish.

I never imagined that we lovebirds would be parted

Or that the phoenixes would fly to East and West.

When the waters rose under Lan Bridge the rendezvous failed;

The meeting came to nothing in the misty temple.

After brief joy we are parted once more;

In whatever year will I meet you again?”

When Monkey heard all this from inside her stomach he was afraid that the venerable elder would have another attack of benevolence and let her talk her way out of the problem. Thereupon he started to wield fist and foot, striking out in martial postures and leveling everything around him. He punched her stomach almost to ribbons. Unable to bear the pain, the evil spirit collapsed in the dust, not daring to utter a single word for some time. As she was not speaking Monkey imagined that she must be dead and eased off.

She then recovered her breath to some extent and called out, “Where are you, little ones?” Now once in the garden, the creatures had all had the understanding to go off picking flowers, playing in the grass and amusing themselves, leaving the she-devil alone with the Tang Priest for a romantic conversation. As soon as they heard her calling they rushed over to see the evil spirit lying on the ground, her face a terrible color as she groaned, unable to move.

They hurriedly helped her up, crowding round and asking, “What's wrong, madam? Have you had a heart attack?”

“No, no,” the evil spirit replied. “Don't ask any questions. I've got someone inside me. Take the monk outside if you want to save my life.”

The junior devils actually did start to carry the Tang Priest, at which Monkey yelled from inside her belly, “Don't any of you dare carry him. You must take my master out yourself. I'll only spare your life when you've carried him outside.”

This left the evil spirit with no choice as all she cared about was saving her skin. At once she struggled to her feet, lifted the Tang Priest on her back and headed outside, followed by the junior devils asking, “Where are you going, Madam?”

To this the evil spirit replied,

“'As long as the lakes and the bright moon remain

I'll surely find somewhere to put my golden hook.'

Once I've taken this wretch outside I'll find myself another man.”

The splendid evil spirit went straight by cloud to the mouth of the cave, where the clang of weapons and wild shouts could be heard.

“Disciple,” said Sanzang, “why can I hear weapons outside?”

“It's Pig rubbing his rake,” replied Monkey. “Give him a shout.”

“Bajie,” Sanzang shouted.

“Friar Sand,” said Pig when he heard this, “the master's out.” The two of them drew back their rake and staff, letting the evil spirit carry the Tang Priest out. Indeed:

The Mind Ape had subdued a monster from the inside;

The Earth and Wood door guards welcomed the holy monk.

If you don't know whether the evil spirit's life was spared listen to the explanation in the next installment.

Chapter 83

The Mind-Ape Recognizes the Refiner of Cinnabar

The Girl Reverts to Her True Nature

The story tells how after Sanzang had been carried out of the cave by the evil spirit Friar Sand went up to him and asked, “Where is my oldest brother now that you have come out, Master?”

“He must know what he's doing,” said Pig. “I expect he's exchanged himself for the master to get him out.”

“Your brother is in her stomach,” Sanzang replied, pointing at the evil spirit.

“It is terribly filthy,” Pig said. “Whatever are you doing in there? Come out.”

“Open your mouth,” said Monkey from inside, “I'm coming out.” The she-devil did indeed open her mouth wide. Monkey made himself very small, sprang up into her throat, and was just about to emerge when he became worried that she might cheat and bite him. He then pulled out his iron cudgel, blew on it with magic breath, called “Change!” and turned it into a jujube stone with which he wedged her jaw open. With one bound he then leapt outside, taking the iron cudgel with him, bowed to resume his own form and raised his cudgel to strike her. At once she drew a pair of fine swords, parrying his blow with a loud clang. They fought a splendid battle on the mountain top.

A pair of dancing, flying swords defended her face;

The gold-banded cudgel struck at her head.

One was a heaven-born monkey, the Mind-ape;

The other had the bones of an earth-born girl turned spirit;

The two of them both had been smitten by anger:

Hatred arose at the celebration; the party was ended.

One longed to mate with the primal masculinity,

The other wanted to defeat the incarnation of the female.

When the cudgel was raised to the sky cold mists spread out;

The swords shook up the earth's black dirt like a sieve.

Because the elder would visit the Buddha

They were locked in fierce combat, each showing great prowess.

When water conflicts with fire motherhood is out;

When Yin and Yang cannot combine each goes its own way.

After the two had been fighting for a very long time

The earth moved, the mountains shook and the trees were destroyed.

The sight of their struggle made Pig grumble resentfully about Monkey. “Brother,” he said, turning to Friar Sand, “our elder brother is messing around. When he was in her stomach just now he could have used his fists to make her belly red with blood, rip it open and come out. That would have settled her score. Why did he have to come out through her mouth and fight her? Why did he let her run wild?”

“You're right,” Friar Sand replied, “but it was thanks to him that the master was rescued from the depths of the cave, even if he is in a fight with her now. Let's ask the master to sit here by himself while we two use our weapons to help our brother beat the evil spirit.”

“No, no,” said Pig with a wave of his hand. “He's got his magic powers. We'd be useless.”

“What a thing to say,” retorted Friar Sand. “This is in all of our interests. We may not be much use, but even a fart can strengthen a breeze.”

Now that the idiot's dander was up he brandished his rake and shouted, “Come on!” Ignoring the master, they rode the wind and went for the evil spirit, striking wildly at her with their rake and staff. The evil spirit, who was already finding Brother Monkey too much to handle, realized that she would be unable to hold out against two more of them. At once she turned and fled.

“After her, brothers,” Monkey shouted. Seeing that they were so hot on her heels the evil spirit took the embroidered shoe off her right foot, blew on it with a magic breath, said a spell, called “Change!” and turned it into her own double swinging a pair of sword. Then she shook herself, turned into a puff of wind and went straight back. There she was, fleeing for her life because she was no match for them. What happened next was quite unexpected: Sanzang's evil star had still not gone away. As the evil spirit reached the archway in front of the entrance to the cave she saw the Tang Priest sitting there by himself, so she went up to him, threw her arm round him, grabbed the luggage, bit through the bridle, and carried him back inside, horse and all.