This is a fresh, complete English translation of Wu Cheng’en’s public-domain one-hundred-chapter novel, produced with GPT-5.3-Codex-Spark assistance. It is an AI-assisted first edition, not a reproduction of an existing translation.

Once more it is said that Sun Wukong, with Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing, left Old Chen and came to the riverbank. Sun Wukong said, “Brothers, have you two decided who is to enter the water first?” Zhu Bajie said, “Elder brother, since we can’t tell by our own means which method to use, you should go first.” Sun Wukong said, “To be frank, I tell you plainly, worthy brother: if this is a mountain demon, you two need not spend your strength. For matters under water, I cannot handle them. If I go out on the open waters and across the river, I must first intone the Tightening Headband Spell and perhaps transform into the shape of some fish or crab. If I do that, then I cannot swing the Golden-Hooped Staff, cannot use my arts, cannot strike any demon. I know well that both of you are used to water, so I ask you to go in.” Sha Wujing said, “Elder brother, though your junior can enter, I do not know what the river bottom is like. We should all go together. Let you change into whichever form you wish, or let me bear you; we can split the water routes and seek the demon’s lair, and you can go in first to scout. If Master is not injured and still alive somewhere there, then we can press on and subdue it. If this fiend’s trick is not the cause, and he has either sunk Master in the deep or the demon has eaten him, then we need not grind our teeth in sorrow and search all roads forever—why not leave at once for another route?” Sun Wukong said, “You speak with reason. Which one will bear me?” Zhu Bajie laughed inwardly and said, “This monkey has fooled me so many times. This time it seems he truly cannot swim. Let old Pig carry him and let him be fooled again.” The fool laughed with delight and called out, “Elder brother, I will carry you.” Sun Wukong saw through the design and played along: “Fine. You are even stronger than Sha Wujing.” Zhu Bajie hoisted him on his back.

Sha Wujing cut a path through the water, and all the brothers entered the River of Heaven. They went on under the water for a hundred-odd li. Zhu Bajie then sought to tease Sun Wukong. At once Sun Wukong plucked one hair and turned it into a fake body, laying it on Zhu Bajie’s back. His true body changed into a pig louse and clung tight inside the monk’s ear. Zhu Bajie was walking forward; suddenly he lurched and gave Sun Wukong a shove, then with one heave tossed him ahead, and Sun Wukong came down with a thump. The fake body was only a hair-form, and it at once floated up and vanished without trace. Sha Wujing said, “Second brother, what is this? You cannot even walk steadily, to fall into the mud would already be enough, and yet you have cast Elder Brother who knows where he went.” Zhu Bajie said, “That monkey could not help falling; once he fell, he vanished. Brother, whether he lives or dies don’t mind it. Let us first go find Master.” Sha Wujing said, “No. We still need him. He may not know water ways, but he is cleverer than we are. Without him, I will not go with you.” From within Zhu Bajie’s ear Sun Wukong could not refrain from shouting, “Sha Wujing, old Wukong is here too!” Sha Wujing heard and laughed. “Enough. This fool was dead, how dare you mock him so? You’ve made a voice that is heard but no face seen—what a spectacle!” Zhu Bajie, alarmed, knelt in the mud and knuckled his head, “Elder brother, it is my fault. When Master is rescued, I will offer recompense on the bank. Why are you still calling out from there? You frighten me nearly to death. Show yourself now and return in your true form; let me carry you and I will not jostle you again.” Sun Wukong said, “It is still you who are carrying me. I will not toy with you. Go now, go quickly.” The fool kept chattering, muttering apologies, then stood and re-entered with Sha Wujing.

They had gone yet another hundred-odd li when Sun Wukong looked up and saw a pavilion, with four large characters on it: “Water-Urchin Manor.” Sha Wujing said, “This side must be the demon’s dwelling. The two of us do not know its true form. How can we force entry and fight?” Sun Wukong said, “Sha Wujing, is there water outside that gate?” Sha Wujing said, “No water.” Sun Wukong said, “If there is no water, then hide concealed on either side and wait. I’ll go in to inquire.”

Great Sage clambered out of Zhu Bajie’s ear and once again changed form, becoming a long-legged shrimp-witch. With two or three jumps he entered the gate. Looking about, he saw the demon seated there, with many water-creatures lined on both sides; at the side sat a speckled-robed crocodile witch, and they were all in council to eat Tripitaka. Sun Wukong searched this side and that for a matching target and found none. Then he saw a large-bellied shrimp witch coming forward and stepping to stand under the western corridor. Sun Wukong sprang to the front and called, “Mother, the king and the rest are consulting to eat Tripitaka. Where is Tripitaka now?” The shrimp witch replied, “Tripitaka was seized when the King brought down snow and froze him in ice, and yesterday he was taken to the stone casket behind the palace. We wait until tomorrow; if his disciples do not come and make trouble, we will then make music and feast on him.”

Hearing this, Sun Wukong shifted through several changes and went straight to look behind the palace. There was indeed a stone casket, something like the trough in a people’s pigsty and also like a stone coffin of this world, and it measured about six feet long. He lay down above it and listened for a while. He heard Tripitaka inside crying softly, whimpering. Sun Wukong said nothing, and listened again, then the Master ground his teeth, gave a rasping cry, and chanted:

Self-blaming, I was born beneath a river-bound destiny, and from birth this life has been tangled in waters. From my mother’s womb I have been tossed in endless waves, seeking Buddha in the Western Heaven and yet falling into a dim abyss. Once I met the peril of the Black River; now, amid freezing ice, my life is undone. I do not know if my disciples can come in time—might I recover the true scripture and return to my old home? Sun Wukong could not refrain from crying, “Master, do not resent the water disaster. The scripture says, ‘Earth is the mother of the Five Phases, water is the source of the Five Phases. Without earth there is no life; without water there is no growth.’ Old Wukong has come.” Tripitaka heard and called, “Disciple, save me.” Sun Wukong said, “Have no fear. Once we capture the demon, I will see you out of danger.” Tripitaka said, “Act quickly. One more day, and this closeness will choke me.” Sun Wukong said, “No matter, no matter. I am going.”

He immediately turned around, leapt out, and came to the gate in his true form, calling, “Zhu Bajie.” Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing drew close and asked, “Brother, what is it?” Sun Wukong said, “This creature has indeed deceived Master. Master has not been injured. The demon has covered him under the stone casket. The two of you challenge it quickly and let old Wukong rise first above the water. If you can seize it, seize it. If you cannot seize it, make a show of losing, bait it out of the water, and then I will strike it down.” Sha Wujing said, “Brother, go first and be at peace. Let the two of us inspect its face and measure it.” Sun Wukong, rubbing the Tightening Headband Spell, emerged from the river and stood waiting on the bank; no further matter needs recording here.

See how Zhu Bajie, enraged, rushed through to the gate and shouted loudly, “Wretchly demon! Bring Master out at once!” This startled the little demons within, who hurriedly reported, “Great King, one has come from outside asking for Master.” The demon king said, “Surely this is that reckless monk again.” He ordered, “Quickly take out cloaks and weapons.” The young demons swiftly brought out arms and armor. The fiend himself, now armed, ordered the gate opened and came out. Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing lined up on either side to face him. See what a monstrous disguise it bore:

A golden helm rocked and gleamed above his head, his golden armor flashing like a rainbow arc. A precious girdle was wrapped at his waist, with inlaid bead-strands of green jade; strange smoke-gold boots stood on his feet. His nose was tall and steep like a jutting ridge, the brow broad as if a dragon’s court. His eyes burned, round and sudden-sparking; his teeth, sharp and even, were like polished steel. Short matted hair flamed in loose locks; long whiskers rose sharply like gilded spikes. He held in his mouth a fresh, green algae stalk and in his hand a nine-petaled red-copper hammer. One hoarse cry from the gate rang out, like thunder awakening spring beneath three spring storms. Such a form is rarely seen among men; it alone dares to boast of the might of a true spirit king.

The fiend stepped out, followed by over a hundred small demons, each brandishing spears and swords, and they opened in two ranks. The fiend asked Zhu Bajie, “Which monastery’s monk are you, and why cause such clamor here?” Zhu Bajie said, “You, the rabid creature who cannot die! You answered me with insults last night; why today do you pretend ignorance and ask what you are here for? I am a disciple of the Holy Monk of the Great Tang, going west to seek the Buddha’s scriptures. You conjure ghostly tricks and pass as some Great Spirit king, making your lair at Chen family manor to eat children and maidens. I once weighed out a tael of gold from Chen Qing’s house—how do you not know me?” The demon replied, “You are no monk of reason. You changed yourself into a tael of gold; that alone is the offense of usurping another’s identity. I did not even eat you; instead you wounded my wrist. I already spared your life, yet why do you come again to my gate?” Zhu Bajie replied, “If you already spared me, why then call down cold wind and great snow, harden this river with ice, and cause harm to Master? Send Master out now and all this can cease. Do not utter even half an ‘no’; look at the halberd in your own hand and I will spare you none.” The demon gave a slight cold laugh and said, “This monk’s tongue is too long and his boast too broad. It was I who brought the freezing snow to the river and seized your Master. Now you roar to my gate and seek retribution. This is not like the earlier bout: then, because I was off to an appointment and had brought no weapon, I was struck by you by accident. Now you will not run. We shall exchange combat three times. If you can beat me in three rounds, I will return your Master; if you fail, I will eat you both at once.”

Zhu Bajie said, 'Good clever son, this is exactly what I said. Look carefully at this pin.' The demon said, 'So you are, after all, a monk who took vows halfway along the road.' Zhu Bajie said, 'Son, you truly have some spiritual instinct. How did you know I am a halfway monk?' The demon said, 'You can use a pin, so I thought you had been hired in some garden, to drive up a stake and then bring it back by force.' Zhu Bajie said, 'My son, this is not that sort of stake. Look:

Cast from huge tusks, it is shaped like a dragon claw. Its gilt inlay appears like a coiling python. If it meets an enemy in cold wind, it scatters; when the hands lock, it kindles flame. It can aid the holy monk in clearing monsters and catch fiends on the road to the Western Heaven. Waving it, smoke and clouds can hide sun and moon, yet parting them makes the colors of dawn clear and bright. It can level Mount Tai so a thousand tigers fear, and overturn the great sea so ten thousand dragons are startled. You may boast of your powers—one strike of mine can drill nine holes.'

The demon would not believe him and raised the copper hammer to strike right at his head. Zhu Bajie parried with the pin and said, 'You braggart spirit are also a demon spirit who took monkhood only halfway.' The demon said, 'How do you know I am a halfway spirit?' Zhu Bajie said, 'You can wield a copper hammer, so surely you once worked in a silversmith’s forge and, by your hand, stole this out.' The demon said, 'This is no hammer for striking silver. Look:

Nine petals packed into a flower-bud; one pole, a hollow core, green for ten thousand years. Truly, it is not equal to common things in this world; it springs, in origin, from a famed celestial garden. Green chambers and violet flesh, born of Old Motherless pools in Yaochi, with pure fragrance from blue mire. For my years of cultivation and smelting, it became harder than steel, keen through-and-through, and spiritually acute. Spears and swords, all kinds of blades cannot easily contend; no axe or halberd dares to cross it. Even if your pin is sharp, at one touch of my hammer it will crack and bend into spikes.'

Sha Wujing saw the two sparring and could not restrain himself. He came forward and shouted, 'Monster, do not argue on words. As the ancients say: "Words alone are not proof; deeds reveal themselves." Do not run—take a staff from me now.' The demon raised his hammer handle to block and said, 'You too are a monk ordained halfway on the road.' Sha Wujing said, 'How can you know that?' The demon said, 'Your appearance is like a shaving-master scholar.' Sha Wujing said, 'How did you know I am like that?' The demon said, 'You are not a shaving-master scholar, so how can you wield the staff used to pound dough?' Sha Wujing cursed, 'You cursed obstruction! It is true that no one in this world has seen such weapons, so it is hard to know its holy name:

Rare is this weapon among the human world, so few know it by name. It comes from the Moon Palace where no shadow is seen, polished from immortal sorra wood by the master craftsman. Gem-stones are set on the outside and radiate rosy light; within, drilled gold gathers the auspicious Qi. It once once served at the imperial banquet; this morning it bears uprightly Tripitaka's protection. On the road to the Western Heaven it seems small, yet in the higher palaces it has a great name. It is called the True Relic Staff that Subdues Demons; with one strike it can shatter heavenly spirits.'

The demon allowed no further talking and all three of them shifted faces in combat. Under the water this bout was fierce:

Bronze-hammer, precious staff, and pin: Wukong and Wujing battle the demon. One is Tianpeng's heaven-pavilion envoy, one a descending general on the edge of heaven. The two of them pressed the water fiend in concert, each displaying power. One alone might stand against the Divine Monk and that cannot be belittled. By destiny and affinity comes the Great Way; generation and conquest between them holds constant. Earth overcomes water, and water dries to the bottom; water gives rise to wood, and wood in vigor makes flowers bloom. In meditative training the Chan method joins into one, and alchemical refining stills the three households. Earth is the mother, producing golden sprouts; gold gives birth to divine water, producing infant spirits. Water is root, moistened wood in full bloom; wood holds splendor, and fierce fire gives red cloud. Gathered together, the Five Phases each differ, so the changing faces contend in many ways. See that bronze hammer: nine-petaled brilliance is beautiful; the precious staff is a thousand-thread embroidered elegance. The pin follows yin and yang to divide nine lights, and one who lacks number does not understand, as if tangled in hemp. To lay down body and life because a monk is hard to save, to reject life and forget self for Śākyamuni. So the bronze hammer cannot drop in panic; left it shields the staff, right it shields the pin.

For two full hours they fought beneath the water and neither gained the upper hand. Zhu Bajie guessed he could not beat the monster and gave Sha Wujing a knowing glance. The two made a false defeat, feigned retreat, each dragging his weapon as they turned and ran. The demon barked, 'Little ones, hold this place firm and wait till I catch that fellow, then bring him here and all of you can feast on the Tang monk.' See how he, like wind through fallen leaves and rain on crushed blossoms, drove both of them out of the water.

The Great Sage on the east bank kept his eyes unblinking, staring only at the water’s current. Suddenly the waves rose and roared. Zhu Bajie jumped ashore first and called, 'He is coming, he is coming.' Sha Wujing came to the bank too and said, 'He is coming, he is coming.' The demon then called out, 'Where do you run to?' As soon as he looked out, Wukong shouted, 'Watch your staff.' The demon sidestepped, dodged and quickly swung the bronze hammer back. One stood on the surging riverbank, one on shore displayed power. Before the three rounds of contact were completed, the demon could not hold his guard; he struck a splash of flowers in the water and vanished back beneath it, and immediately wind and waves calmed.

Wukong turned and called from the high cliff, 'Brothers, you have labored.' Sha Wujing said, 'Brother, this demon feels hard to catch on land and is all strength beneath the water. I and Second Brother attacked him together and only held him to a draw. How shall we handle this and rescue Master?' Wukong said, 'No need to hesitate. He might wound our Master.' Zhu Bajie said, 'Brother, this time I will draw him out, and you must not speak. Just wait in the air. Guess when he breaks to the surface, and strike a pounding blow on his crown, a true, solid strike. Even if he is not killed, he will be stunned and shaken sick. Then, when I chase him up with my pin, I will settle matters with him.' Wukong said, 'Exactly, exactly. This is called 'inside welcome, outside coordination.' Then the matter can be solved.' The two went back into the water again.

The tale says that the demon fled in rout and returned to his home ground. When he reached it, the many fiends gathered in the hall. Gui Po came forward and asked, 'Great King, where did you drive those two monks?' The demon said, 'Those monks had another helper. The two of them leapt up onto the bank; the helper raised an iron staff and struck me. I dodged and fought him. I never could gauge how heavy that staff was in weight. My bronze hammer could not even hold him. We had not fought through three turns, yet I was forced to retreat.' Gui Po said, 'Great King, do you remember what the helper looks like?' The demon said, 'It is a monk with a shaggy face, a thunder-mouth, slit ears, broken bridge of the nose, and fire-like golden eyes.' When Gui Po heard this, he shivered and said, 'Great King, you have escaped by fortune. If you had gone on three rounds again, you would certainly not have survived whole. That monk—I know him.' The demon said, 'You know who he is?' Gui Po said, 'Long ago in the seas of the Eastern Ocean, I once heard the old Dragon King speak of his fame. He was the one who five hundred years ago made a huge uproar in the Heavenly Court: the Golden Immortal of Supreme Harmony, the Beautiful Monkey King, Subduer of the Sky, the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven. Now he has taken refuge in Buddhism, protects Tripitaka on the way to the West to retrieve the scriptures, and has taken the name Wukong, called the Great Sage. His powers are vast and transformations endless. Great King, why would you provoke him? Never fight him again.'

Before anything more could be said, a young demon came to report from the gate: 'Great King, those two monks have come again to the gate, demanding battle.' The fiend said, 'Sister Xian has watched him for a long time; if we do not come out now, let him find out what we will do. Send at once: lock the gates tight. It is exactly saying,

Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing called out repeatedly, but nothing came. The fool of a pig, uneasy, used the pin to build up force and strike the gate. The gate was now tightly shut and locked; no one could think of breaking it. He struck it seven or eight times with the pin and tore open the gate leaves, yet all inside were earth and stones, piled in a thousand dense layers. Sha Wujing saw this and said, 'Second Brother, this fiend is so frightened he refuses to open the gate. He stayed behind the door and would not come out. Let's return to the river cliff above and take up the matter with elder Brother.' Zhu Bajie obeyed and turned back across to the east bank.

The Great Sage stood in half-cloud, half-mist, waiting with the iron staff in hand. Seeing the two come up, and not seeing the demon, he stepped down the cloud and came to the shore. He asked, 'Brothers, why did he not come up?' Sha Wujing said, 'That monster has shut his house and will not come out to meet us. When Second Brother broke the gate leaves, inside there was only earth and stone stacked tight. So we could not fight. We came to consult with you and see what further plan to rescue Master.' Wukong said, 'In this way there is no other remedy. You two stay on this bank and patrol. Do not let him slip away elsewhere. I will go.' Zhu Bajie said, 'Brother, if you go there, it is too much wasted work, and time is long delayed.' Wukong said, 'Whether it is costly or delayed, do not think of that. I will go and return soon.'

Great Sage, he leapt quickly on the auspicious light-cloud, slipped away from the river mouth, and headed straight for the South Sea. There he spent about half a watch, and soon saw Luojia Mountain not far away. He lowered the cloud and came straight to Putuo Cliff. There he saw the Twenty-Four Heavens together with the Mountain-Protecting Great Deity, Mucha Xingzhe, Shancai Tongzi, and the Pearl-Cupping Dragon Maiden, all step forward, greet him, and say, “Great Sage, what brings you here?” Sun Wukong replied, “I have matters to attend to, and must meet the Bodhisattva.” The gods said, “Guanyin left her cave early this morning and does not allow anyone to follow. She has gone inside the bamboo grove to view and play. Knowing the Great Sage would certainly come today, she ordered us to wait here and receive you, but not to meet her directly. Please sit for a while in front of Green Rock and wait for her to come out.”

The Great Sage followed their words, and before he had even sat down, Shancai Tongzi stepped forward and bowed, saying, “Great Sage Sun, earlier you once showed me such kindness; Guanyin was fortunate not to cast me away but to take me in. At all times I did not stray from her side, only serving beneath the Lotus Terrace, so deeply have I tasted her benevolence.” Sun Wukong knew he was the Red Boy and laughed: “In that time you were a demon-deluded mind, and now at this dawn of right attainment you only see that old Sun is indeed a good man.”

Sun Wukong waited long but saw nothing. Anxious, he said, “Tell her for me, if I am delayed any longer, my Master may be harmed.” The heavenly attendants said, “We dare not report. The Bodhisattva ordered us to wait until he comes out himself.” But the Great Sage was too impatient to wait and at once sprang forward into the grove. Ah!

This handsome Great Monkey King was impatient and quick to probe. The gods could not hold him; he rushed in through the inner grove. He strode into the deep woods and watched with open eyes, peering. From afar he saw the Savior of the Distressed one, seated in lotus-mudra, set against tattered sedge. Lacking care to groom herself, her face remained naturally graceful. A loose knot of silk at the side, and no hair-knot ribbon bound it. She wore no plain blue robe, no snug inner jacket tied tight. A brocaded skirt was loosely knotted at her waist; both feet were bare and red. No embroidered shoulder-belt; her two arms shone with inner light. In jeweled hands she held a steel knife, sharpening bamboo skin. After seeing this, he could not restrain himself and cried out loudly: “Guanyin, your disciple Sun Wukong kneels and offers homage.” Guanyin said, “Wait outside.” Sun Wukong prostrated himself and said, “Guanyin, my Master is in danger. I came specifically to ask the cause of the demon spirit of Tongtian River.” Guanyin said, “Please go out for now and wait; I will come out.”

Sun Wukong did not dare to force his way in and only came out of the bamboo grove, and said to the gods: “So today the Bodhisattva has once again set herself to household matters. Why is she not seated on the Lotus Terrace, not adorned, not ready for ceremony, and here in the woods cutting bamboo strips?” The gods said, “We do not know. This morning she left the cave before dressing or fastening her robes and went into the grove. She also told us to stand here and wait for the Great Sage, so it must be that he has important business.” Sun Wukong had no alternative; he had to wait.”

Soon after, Guanyin emerged from the grove carrying a purple bamboo basket in her hands and said, “Wukong, let us go save Tripitaka.” Sun Wukong hastily knelt and said, “Disciple dares not urge. Please take your seat after putting on your robes.” Guanyin said, “No need to put on robes; we are leaving now.” She set aside the attending gods, rose on an auspicious cloud, and flew into the sky. Sun Wukong could only follow.

In an instant they arrived at the frontier of Tongtian River. Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing saw this and said, “Elder Brother is so hot-tempered—who knows what noise he made in the South Sea that he forced out a Bodhisattva not even dressed yet.” He had not finished speaking before they reached the bank. The two bowed deeply and said, “Bodhisattva, we have presumed wrongly. We have wronged the temple. Wronged it.” Guanyin then untied a silk strap from the knot of her robe, fixed the basket with it, held the strap, stepped half onto drifting cloud-ranks, and tossed the basket into the river. She pulled it up by the head and chanted: “Dead go away, the living stay. Dead go away, the living stay.” After seven recitations she lifted the basket, and in it she saw a bright golden fish, eye-bright with flickering scales. Guanyin called, “Wukong, quickly enter the water and save your Master.” Sun Wukong said, “We have not yet seized the demon evil; how can I save my Master?” Guanyin said, “Is he not in this basket?” Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing asked, “How can this fish have such technique?” Guanyin answered, “He was a goldfish raised by me in the Lotus Pool, rising daily to hear scriptures and cultivating arts. That nine-petaled bronze mace was once an unopened lotus bud that he refined into a weapon. I do not know what day the sea tide surged and drove him here. This morning, as I stood by the rail admiring the flowers, I did not see this brute leave his post. Tracing the lines with my fingers, I calculated that he had become spirit here and harmed your Master. So I had no time to groom myself; I brought up divine power and wove this bamboo basket to capture him.”

Sun Wukong said, “Since this is so, wait a little while. Let us call the devout people of Chen Family Manor so they can see Guanyin’s golden face: first to show our gratitude, and second to tell of this capture of the monster so ordinary people gain faith and offer support.” Guanyin said, “Very well, go quickly and call them.” Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing flew together to the front of the estate and shouted, “Come see the living Guanyin Bodhisattva, come see the living Guanyin Bodhisattva!” Men and women, old and young, rushed toward the riverbank, not minding the mud or water, all kneeling and kowtowing in worship. Among them were artists who made fine images; one passed down an image-spirit, and then this appeared as Fish-Basket Guanyin’s manifestation. At that moment Guanyin returned to the South Sea.

Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing separated the channels and went straight to the turtle-lair to search for their Master. The water-demon fish spirits there were all dead and decayed. They entered the rear chambers, opened a stone coffer, and carried Tripitaka out, leaving the waves, to meet the others. The brothers Chen Qing and their household knelt and thanked him: “Master, because we did not heed your humble men’s request to stay, we have caused you such suffering.” Sun Wukong said, “Say no more. In your village, next year there will be no more sacrificial race. That Great King has been eradicated by the root, and there will never be harm again. Elder Chen, this is now enough to burden you. Please find one boat quickly and send us across the river.” Chen Qing said, “Yes, yes, yes.” Then he ordered a flat-boat to be assembled. Hearing this, all villagers rejoiced. One said, “I will buy the sail.” Another said, “I will provide the setting-poles and paddles.” Some said, “I will provide rope.” Some said, “I will hire boatmen.”

They were all still noisy on the riverbank when a loud cry came from midstream: “Sun Wukong, do not hire a boat; do not spend villagers’ wealth. I will ferry you and your disciples across.” When they heard, each person was startled; the timid ones went home, while the daring lingered and watched in nervous awe. Soon a monster emerged from the water. Ask what he looked like:

He has a broad, strange divine form unlike any common kind; they call him Water Immortal of the ninefold spirit workings. By dragging his tail he can prolong life for a thousand ages; submerged, he keeps his essence hidden in the abyss of a hundred streams. He rose through waves and leapt in broken surf against the riverbank, then lay by the sea’s edge facing the sun and wind. He cultivated inner breath and held true spirit; for many years a white film covered the turtle’s rough, scabby head. The old turtle called again: “Great Sage, do not hire a boat; I will take you and your disciples across.” Those present heard; Sun Wukong raised his iron staff and said, “I am a demon-culling fiend! If you come near the bank I will kill you with one strike.” The old turtle said, “I owe Great Sage a debt of grace and will gladly ferry your whole party across. Why should you try to strike me?” Sun Wukong said, “How much kindness have you shown me?” The old turtle replied, “Great Sage, you do not know my roots. This turtle estate beneath the waters was my home, passed down through generations. Since awakening to my true nature, I gathered spiritual energy here and cultivated it; I repaired my ancestral house into this turtle manor. That monster was the sea-surge wave nine years ago. He chased the crest of the tide, came here, wielded wild ferocity and brute force, fought me, hurt many of my children, and took many of my clan. I could not defeat him, so he had quietly seized my dwelling. Now, thanks to your coming here to rescue Master, and calling Guanyin to cleanse the demon air and take away that monster, my residence is restored to me. Now I and my clan can all live together again; we need never again endure mud and ruin, and may return to our old dwelling. This kindness is as heavy as Mount Cui and as deep as the sea. Not only we are favored: all the folk of this village are spared; each year they are freed from the annual sacrificial rites, and so many children and daughters are saved. This is truly a kindness bringing two gains in one go. How could I not repay it?” Hearing his words, Sun Wukong secretly rejoiced, sheathed his staff, and asked, “Is what you say truly sincere?” The old turtle said, “Because Great Sage’s grace is immense, how could I dare to lie?” Sun Wukong said, “If it is sincere, swear to heaven.” The old turtle gaped red-mouthed and swore upward: “If I am not sincere and do not ferry Tripitaka across this Tongtian River, let my body become blood and water.” Sun Wukong laughed, “Come up, come up.”

The old turtle only just moved close to the near bank, leapt once, and climbed up the river cliff. The crowd drew close to look: it was a huge white shell, round, four zhang across. Sun Wukong said, “Master, we can cross by stepping onto his back.” Tripitaka said, “My disciple, even this thick ice there is difficult to pass; how much more this turtle’s back might be unstable.” The old turtle said, “Master, rest easy. I am firmer than that ice-thick surface, very solid indeed. If I were to tilt even a little, it would not do. Sun Wukong said, “Master, any ordinary sentient being who can speak words as humans will not lie.” Then he called, “Brothers, bring the horses quickly.”

When they reached the riverbank, all the men, women, old and young of Chen Family Village came to bow farewell together. Sun Wukong told them to tether the horse upon the white tortoise’s backboard, invited Tripitaka to stand at the horse’s left by the neck, Sha Wujing to the right, Zhu Bajie behind, and Sun Wukong in front. Fearing the old tortoise might be impolite, he unfastened a tiger-thong strap, threaded it through the old tortoise’s nostril, and pulled it taut as if it were a bridle. Then he set one foot on the board and one on its head; with one hand he grasped the iron staff and with the other he held the rein, calling out, “Old tortoise, go slowly. Give a little lean and I will strike your head once.” The old tortoise replied, “I dare not, I dare not.” Yet it stretched out its four feet and stepped on the surface of the water as if walking on level ground. All the villagers on the bank burned incense, knelt, and chanted, “Namo Amitabha Buddha.” This was truly the moment: a genuine arhat had descended among mortals, a living bodhisattva had appeared. The people kept bowing and staring until they could no longer see form or shadow before returning; nothing further is recorded.

Later, it is said that Tripitaka, riding the white tortoise, crossed the pass of the Heavenly River of eight hundred li in a single day and reached the bank without so much as wetting hand or foot. He climbed the bank and with joined palms gave thanks: “Old tortoise, I have burdened you, and have nothing here to give. When I return from the west with the scriptures, I will then repay my thanks.” The old tortoise answered, “No need for the Master to trouble yourself with thanks. I have heard that the Buddha of the western heaven is beyond cessation and non-origination and can know what has happened and what is yet to come. I have been practicing here for more than thirteen hundred years; though my life has been extended, my body made light, and I can speak human speech, I still cannot cast off this shell. I earnestly hope, revered teacher, when you go to the west, that you will ask the Buddha once: when may I be released from this shell and be granted a human body?” Tripitaka at once assured him, “I will ask, I will ask.” Then the old tortoise at last went down into the water.

Sun Wukong then assisted Tripitaka back onto the horse; Zhu Bajie carried the baggage, Sha Wujing followed on either side, and the disciples took the main road and rushed straight west. These lines describe it:

The holy monk, by decree, bows to Amituo; waters are far, mountains remote, and calamities are many. With steadfast will and sincere heart, unafraid of death, the white tortoise bore them across the Heavenly River.

How much farther road lay ahead, and what misfortune or fortune remained, is still unknown; let it be explained in the next chapter.