“There's a hairy-faced monk who looks like a thunder god outside,” the junior devils replied. “He's shouting that Your Majesties carried his master here and wants him given back straight away if our lives are to be spared. Otherwise he'll turn our den upside-down and turn us all into pus and blood.”

This news shocked the demon kings, who all said, “We've only just caught the wretch, and haven't even asked him his name and his background. Little ones, dress him again and bring him here to be questioned. We must find out who he is and where he's from.”

A crowd of devils untied the Tang Priest, put his clothes back on and pushed him to before the thrones, where he fell to his knees, trembling with fear, and pleaded, “Spare my life, Your Majesties, spare my life.”

“Where are you from, monk?” the three evil spirits said, all talking at once, “and why did you rush into the way of our clouds instead of avoiding the Buddha images?”

“I have been sent by the Great Tang Emperor in the East to worship the Lord Buddha and fetch the scriptures from the Great Thunder Monastery in India,” Sanzang replied with kowtows. “When I went into the Clouds of Compassion Monastery for a vegetarian meal the monks there pressed me to stay to see the lanterns at the Moon Festival. Seeing Your Majesties appearing as Buddhas from the bridge of golden lamps I kowtowed to you because my mortal eyes took you for real Buddhas. That's why I got in the way of your clouds, Your Majesties.”

“How long was the journey from your country in the East to here?” the evil spirits asked. “How many people have you got with you? What are they called? Tell us the truth straight away and we'll spare your life.”

“My secular name was Chen Xuanzang,” the Tang Priest replied, “and I was a monk in the Jinshan Monastery from boyhood. Later I was given official rank as a monk in the Hongfu Monastery in Chang'an. When the minister Wei Zheng beheaded the Dragon King of the River Jing in his dream and the Tang emperor came back to life after his travels in the underworld, a Great Land and Water Mass was held for the rebirth of souls. The Tang emperor chose me to officiate at this ceremony and expound the great principles. The Bodhisattva Guanyin appeared during the mass and informed me that in the Thunder Monastery in the Western Heaven there are three stores of true scriptures that can carry the dead up to Heaven. I was sent to fetch them and given the title Sanzang, or “Three Stores.” As I use Tang as my surname people call me Tang Sanzang. I have three disciples. The first one is called Sun Wukong the Novice, and he is the Great Sage Equaling Heaven who has been converted to the truth.”

This news came as a shock to the evil spirits, who asked, “Did this Great Sage Equaling Heaven make great havoc in Heaven five hundred years ago?”

“Yes, yes,” the Tang Priest said. “The second one is called Zhu Wuneng or Zhu Bajie. He is Marshal Tian Peng come down to earth. The third is Sha Wujing, or Friar Sand, the Curtain-lifting General in mortal reincarnation.”

“It's as well we haven't eaten him yet,” the evil spirits all exclaimed in horror. “Little ones, lock the Tang Priest in iron chains at the back. When we've caught his three disciples we'll eat them together.” They then mustered a force of armed yak, water-buffalo and ox spirits to go outside carrying bugles, waving banners and beating drums.

Once the three evil spirits were fully clad in their armor they went out and shouted, “Who's that who dares come here shouting like that?” Monkey slipped round behind the scar to have a good look, and this is what the evil spirits were like:

Multi-coloured faces, round eyes,

Towering horns.

Four sharp-pointed ears,

Neat and shining bright.

Bodies patterned like a painting,

Covered with brocades that shine like fireflies.

The first one wore a hat of foxes' fur

And hot steam rose from the long hairs of his face.

The second wore a flaming cloak of lightest gauze

And had four gleaming, jade-like hooves.

The third had a mighty roar like thunder;

His sharp and pointed fangs were just like silver needles.

Each was brave and fierce

As they carried their three weapons;

One used a battle-axe,

One was an expert in the cutlass,

And the third had a knotted flail resting on his shoulders.

The other evil spirits, tall and short, fat and thin, senior and junior, were all cattle-headed monsters carrying spears or clubs. There were three big banners clearly inscribed with the words “King Cold-avoider,” “King Heat-avoider” and “King Dust-avoider.” After looking at all this for a while Monkey lost his patience and went up to them with a shout of, “Can you recognize Monkey, thieving damned ogres?”

“Are you the Sun Wukong who made havoc in Heaven?” the evil spirits shouted back. “It really is a case of

I heard your name before I saw your face:

The sight of that would bring the gods disgrace.

So all you are is a macaque.”

“I'll get you, you lamp-oil thieves,” Monkey retorted in high dudgeon. “Don't talk such rubbish, you smooth-tongued monsters. Give my master back at once.” With that he advanced and swung his iron cudgel, to be parried by the old demons who raised their weapons to meet the blow. A splendid fight ensued in the mountain hollow:

Battle-axe, cutlass and flail

Met by the Monkey King's lone cudgel.

Cold-avoider, Heat-avoider and Dust-avoider

Had heard of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven.

When the cudgel rose it scared demons and gods;

Axe and cutlass hacked and flew.

A primal dharma image of true emptiness

Holding off three demons masquerading as Buddhas.

Their noses all greasy with this year's stolen oil,

They tried to snatch the monk sent by the emperor.

One for his master's sake feared not the lengthy road;

The others in their greed had lamps offered every year.

All that could be beard was clash of axe and cutlass

And the noisy clatter of the cudgel.

With clashes and lunges three fought against one

As each showed his skill with blocks and parries.

They fought from dawn till almost nightfall

And a victor had yet to emerge in the struggle.

By the time Monkey's cudgel had gone 150 rounds with the three demons it was nearly evening and the outcome was still in doubt. Then Dust-avoider sprang forward from the ranks with a swing of his flail and waved a flag, whereupon the crowd of cattle-headed demons swarmed round Monkey, encircling him and swinging wildly at him with their weapons. Seeing that things were going badly, Monkey set off his somersault cloud and fled in a whoosh. The demons did not go after him but called their devils back so that everyone could have an evening meal. They told the junior devils to take a bowl of food to Sanzang as well: he was not to be dealt with until Monkey had been caught. As the master was a lifelong vegetarian and was besides feeling miserable he sobbed and let none of the food touch his lips.

The story tells how Monkey rode his cloud back to the Clouds of Compassion Monastery and called, “Brothers.”

On hearing this Pig and Friar Sand, who were waiting for him and discussing what to do, came out together to greet him with the words, “Brother, why are you only back now after being away all day? What's happened to the master?”

“I followed the smell of the wind right through the night till we got to a mountain and it disappeared,” Monkey replied with a smile. “Luckily the four Duty Gods told me that the mountain's called Green Dragon Mountain and that there's a Dark Essence Cave on it where three evil spirits live: King Cold-avoider, King Heat-avoider and King Dust-avoider. They've been stealing the oil here for years on end by disguising themselves as Buddhas to trick the officials of Jinping Prefecture. When they came across us this year they wickedly carried our master off with them. I told the Duty Gods and the rest of them to give the master some secret protection while I shouted insults at them from outside their doors. When the three demons came out they all looked like bullheaded demons. The first of them fought with a battle-axe, the second with a cutlass and the third with a flail. They had a whole gang of cattle-headed monsters with them, waving banners and beating drums. The fight went on all day and was still in the balance when one of the demon kings waved a flag to bring all the junior devils forward. As it was late and I was worried that I couldn't beat them I came back by somersault cloud.”