The Journey to the West: Volume I

Wukong is tortured, but it doesn’t hurt him. Because of this, his torturers go to the Emperor for advice. Laozi suggests burning the immortality out of him, from the peaches and elixir. Meanwhile, Erlang returns home with rewards from the Emperor. Wukong hides from the fire; he can’t hide from the smoke, so his eyes turn red permanently. After 49 days, he manages to escape Laozi. Wukong is stopped but fights his way out and escapes. The Jade Emperor sends two sages to seek advice from a Buddha named Tathāgata.

Tathāgata summons Wukong, who reveals that he wants to rule Heaven instead of the Jade Emperor. Tathāgata accuses Wukong of blasphemy and warns him to repent, but Wukong refuses. Tathāgata tells Wukong he can have the throne of Heaven if Wukong can somersault out of Tathāgata’s palm. Wukong thinks this is an easy task and believes he’s accomplished it, but Tathāgata uses the Way to trick Wukong—in reality, he trapped him with his fingers, which Wukong believes are faraway pillars. Wukong is sent back to Earth and trapped between five mountains. 

The Jade Emperor thanks Tathāgata and hosts a banquet in his honor. Tathāgata exhibits humility, but he concedes to accepting the honor of naming the banquet. He calls it The Great Banquet for Peace in Heaven. The Queen Mother gives Tathāgata immortal peaches as a tribute; more gifts and tributes follow. Tathāgata orders that Wukong should not go hungry or thirsty, and that someone should free him when his punishment comes to an end. 

Tathāgata returns home and receives a grand welcome. He tells his bodhisattvas all about Wukong, and they all share a feast and present poems. Tathāgata calls for the epic that is to follow when he says:

Somehow we need a person with power to go to the Land of the East and find a virtuous believer. He will be asked to experience the bitter travail of passing through a thousand mountains and ten thousand waters to come here in quest of the authentic scriptures, so that they may be forever implanted in the east to enlighten the people (205). 

Guanyin volunteers to seek the pilgrim that Tathāgata speaks of. He gives Guanyin talismans to protect and help the pilgrim. Hui’an agrees to go with Guanyin. Along the way, Guanyin and Hui’an encounter a river monster, a mountain monster, and a dragon. Hui’an fights them; the monsters apologize when they discover Guanyin’s mission, and they seek redemption. Guanyin offers them an opportunity to redeem themselves in the future. Next, Guanyin encounters Wukong. Wukong asks to be saved and wants to follow the proper path. Guanyin promises that if he means it, the pilgrim will rescue him, and he can serve the pilgrim. Wukong agrees. Guanyin and Hui’an move on to a city to seek out the pilgrim. 

Emperor Taizong summons scholars to take an exam to work for his government. Chen E wants to take the exam: He tests and takes first place, then marries Wenjiao, daughter of the chief minister. Chen E and Wenjiao go to Chen E’s new post, and on the way, Chen E saves a golden carp from a fisherman. As they’re crossing a river on their journey, Liu Hong kills Chen E and rapes Wenjiao. Liu Hong pretends to be Chen E and makes Wenjiao go along with it; she only agrees out of fear for her and Chen E’s unborn child. 

The golden carp was none other than the Dragon King, who is grateful for Chen E’s help earlier and will repay the favor. Wenjiao gives birth to a son; Guanyin warns Wenjiao that Wenjiao’s son will be known everywhere, but Liu Hong will kill the baby if Wenjiao doesn’t protect him. Indeed, Liu Hong intends on drowning the baby, but Wenjiao sends him down the river with a letter written in blood about their family. She also bites off one of Liu Hong’s pinky toes to later identify him should they meet again. The baby floats to the Temple of Gold Mountain, where a monk raises him, names him Xuanzang, and teaches him the Way.

After being bullied, Xuanzang learns about his parents and decides to avenge them. Xuanzang says, “How can anyone be worthy to bear the name of man if he cannot avenge the wrongs done to his parents?” (223). He quests to find his mother, and they arrange to meet and talk more in secret to avoid Liu Hong. Wenjiao sends Xuanzang to Chen E’s mother and her own father to ask them to have Liu Hong killed. Xuanzang does this, and Wenjiao is rescued. When he finds Chen E’s mother, she is a blind beggar, but he restores her eyesight and rents her a room at an inn. Ashamed, Wenjiao attempts to take her life, but her father says she shouldn’t. Liu Hong and his other bandits are beaten and executed. The Dragon King gives Chen E back to his family and is promoted. However, Wenjiao commits suicide anyway. Xuanzang returns to the monk who raised him.

Two humans, Li and Zhang, live simple lives. Li believes that the mountains are superior, and Zhang believes that the water is superior. Their argument becomes heated, and they start to wish ill upon one another. Zhang reveals that he sees a fortune teller who informs him when to go fishing. A yaksa overhears this claim and reports it to the Dragon King, who in turn wants to slay the fortune teller but does not, for fear of offending Heaven. The Dragon King transforms into a scholar and finds the fortune teller, whom he asks for a weather forecast. The Dragon King promises a reward if the fortune teller is right, and ruin if the fortune teller is wrong. The Dragon King returns home, certain he will be victorious and get to ruin the fortune teller. He receives a decree from the Jade Emperor to make it rain in accordance with the fortune teller’s prediction. The Dragon King doesn’t want to disobey the Emperor, so he plans to make it rain the wrong amount so that he can still ruin the fortune teller. 

After this trick, the Dragon King smashes the fortune teller’s shop; in retaliation, the fortune teller foretells the Dragon King’s death after he recognizes him. The Dragon King begs for help and guidance and must plead his case to Emperor Tang Taizong. Taizong offers to save the Dragon King and summons the judge to keep him from exacting the execution. They play chess together, but while they play, the judge named Wei falls asleep and kills the Dragon King in his dream. Taizong is deeply saddened and dreams that the Dragon King comes for him to exact revenge, but Guanyin saves Taizong. Taizong falls ill and is plagued by ghosts; the physician is called and says Taizong will die in seven days. Generals guard the Emperor but see no ghosts. Wei gives Taizong a letter addressed to a judge of the Underworld to help him come back to life, and Taizong dies.