Chapter Summaries

Maitreya Buddha decided that the Western Buddhist Sect would stay out of the Flowing Sand River incident and leave the Heavenly Court to respond. At the river, Sun Wukong reported that its Weak Water made crossing impossible, so Tang Sanzang proposed using himself as bait to draw out General Juanlian.

• Venerable Kashyapa persuaded Maitreya Buddha that the Flowing Sand River incident was a trap meant to distract the Western Buddhist Sect from the attack on it.
• Maitreya Buddha decided the Western Buddhist Sect would not intervene and would wait to see whether the Heavenly Court protected Tang Sanzang.
• Sun Wukong explored the Flowing Sand River, found its Weak Water impossible to cross, and returned to report what he had learned.
• Marshal Tian Peng worried that the Weak Water might have grown stronger and that he could be helpless at its bottom.
• Tang Sanzang proposed camping beside the river and using his flesh to lure General Juanlian onto the bank so Sun Wukong and Marshal Tian Peng could deal with him.

Tang Sanzang and his companions tried to lure General Juanlian out of the Flowing Sand River, but he remained hidden. Sun Wukong went to Heaven to ask the Heavenly Emperor Haotian for the Glazed Lamp, while Maitreya Buddha and the other Buddhas speculated about General Juanlian’s silence.

• Sun Wukong and Marshal Tian Peng built a dwelling beside the Flowing Sand River while watching for General Juanlian.
• Tang Sanzang sent Sun Wukong away to draw General Juanlian out, but Sun Wukong secretly returned and waited in hiding without success.
• Sun Wukong returned with food, and Marshal Tian Peng suggested asking the Heavenly Emperor Haotian to bring out the Glazed Lamp to lure General Juanlian out.
• Tang Sanzang agreed, and Sun Wukong left for Heaven to seek Haotian’s help.
• Maitreya Buddha and the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas wondered why General Juanlian had not attacked, then decided to wait for Haotian to intervene.

Sun Wukong went to the Heavenly Court to ask the Heavenly Emperor Haotian for help with General Juanlian and the impassable Weak Water of Flowing Sand River. Haotian pretended not to know General Juanlian and claimed he had kept him on the celestial register only out of respect for Sun Wukong.

• Venerable Kashyapa and Maitreya Buddha concluded that General Juanlian would hesitate to harm Tang Sanzang because of the alliance between the Heavenly Court and Western Spirit Mountain.
• The Heavenly Emperor Haotian grew displeased when Sun Wukong arrived at the Hall of Lingxiao to ask for help.
• Haotian asked Sun Wukong why he had left Tang Sanzang and come to the Heavenly Court.
• Sun Wukong explained that Weak Water at Flowing Sand River could not be crossed and asked Haotian to help release General Juanlian.
• Haotian claimed he knew nothing of General Juanlian and said he had not removed him from the celestial register only on account of Sun Wukong's face.

Sun Wukong secured Heavenly Emperor Haotian’s help in drawing General Juanlian out of Flowing Sand River by promising that his group would turn to Heaven for help with future troubles. Taibai Jinxing used the Glazed Lamp to summon General Juanlian, while Sun Wukong explained to Tang Sanzang that the former deity could gain a chance to join their pilgrimage.

• Sun Wukong promised Heavenly Emperor Haotian that his group would seek Heaven’s help with future troubles, and Haotian agreed to assist him.
• Heavenly Emperor Haotian gave Taibai Jinxing the Glazed Lamp and ordered him to lure General Juanlian out of Flowing Sand River.
• Sun Wukong brought Taibai Jinxing to the riverbank, where Tang Sanzang welcomed Heaven’s help.
• Taibai Jinxing activated the Glazed Lamp above Flowing Sand River and called for General Juanlian.
• Sun Wukong told Tang Sanzang that General Juanlian was a banished deity whose opportunity was to become Tang Sanzang’s disciple and join the journey to the Western Spirit Mountain.

Sun Wukong persuaded Tang Sanzang to accept General Juanlian by recounting the hardships he had supposedly endured, but General Juanlian did not respond to Taibai Jinxing’s repeated calls from above the Flowing Sand River. The others suspected Senior Wu Feng’s trial was behind the silence, while Taibai Jinxing and Tang Sanzang remained confused.

• Sun Wukong told Tang Sanzang that General Juanlian had endured hardships and cleansed his sins, and Tang Sanzang accepted him as a disciple.
• Taibai Jinxing called for General Juanlian and stimulated the aura in the Glazed Lamp, but the Flowing Sand River remained still.
• Taibai Jinxing shouted again, and a crow flew over the river before crashing beside him without drawing any response from General Juanlian.
• Sun Wukong, Marshal Tian Peng, and Little White Dragon Ao Lie suspected Senior Wu Feng’s trial had not yet been completed.
• Taibai Jinxing waited and then called General Juanlian with a magically amplified voice, but the river remained motionless.

Sun Wukong, Marshal Tian Peng, and Taibai Jinxing called for General Juanlian at Flowing Sand River, but he did not appear. In Heaven, Heavenly Emperor Haotian ordered a search and then divined the situation after Thousand-Mile Eye and Wind-Following Ear failed to locate him.

• Tang Sanzang told Sun Wukong and Marshal Tian Peng to help Taibai Jinxing summon General Juanlian.
• Sun Wukong explained that they could not reveal Senior Wu Feng or admit they knew why General Juanlian was absent, so he and Marshal Tian Peng joined Taibai Jinxing in calling along Flowing Sand River.
• Heavenly Emperor Haotian and the gods discussed why General Juanlian had not appeared, and Nezha the Third Prince suggested he might have waited at the wrong place.
• Heavenly Emperor Haotian ordered Thousand-Mile Eye and Wind-Following Ear to find General Juanlian, but their full-strength search failed.
• Heavenly Emperor Haotian began divining the situation, and a result appeared before him.

Heavenly Emperor Haotian and Grand Supreme Elder Lao determined that General Juanlian was in the Flowing Sand River but could not locate him, and they suspected Senior Wu Feng was concealing him. At Spirit Mountain, Maitreya Buddha concluded that Juanlian might be a spy whose disappearance was meant to disrupt the Buddhist Sect’s Journey to the West plan.

• Heavenly Emperor Haotian and Grand Supreme Elder Lao both determined that General Juanlian was in the Flowing Sand River but could not pinpoint his location.
• Heavenly Emperor Haotian and the Heavenly Court deities attributed Juanlian’s concealment to Senior Wu Feng’s methods.
• Grand Supreme Elder Lao told Heavenly Emperor Haotian to wait for Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong to find the opportunity that would reveal Juanlian.
• Maitreya Buddha wondered why Juanlian had not appeared despite Taibai Jinxing bringing out Heavenly Emperor Haotian’s Glazed Lamp.
• Maitreya Buddha argued that Juanlian’s disappearance was meant to disrupt the Buddhist Sect’s Journey to the West plan, and the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas accepted the explanation.

Taibai Jinxing failed to bring General Juanlian out of Flowing Sand River and returned to Heaven for help. Haotian recognized Wu Feng’s influence but had no way to undo it when an unfamiliar yet familiar figure appeared outside the Hall of Lingxiao.

• Maitreya Buddha explained that the mastermind behind Flowing Sand River sought to weaken the alliance between the Western Buddhist Sect and Haotian, then chose to wait because Tang Sanzang was safe.
• After shouting for an entire night without finding General Juanlian, Taibai Jinxing, Sun Wukong, and Marshal Tian Peng returned to Tang Sanzang.
• Tang Sanzang urged Taibai Jinxing to return to Heaven, and Sun Wukong hinted that Wu Feng’s plot was beyond Taibai Jinxing’s ability to resolve.
• Taibai Jinxing hurried back to Heaven to ask Haotian for a solution.
• Haotian acknowledged that he could not overcome Wu Feng’s means, then saw an unfamiliar yet familiar figure appear outside the Hall of Lingxiao.

The Queen Mother of Kunlun investigated Heavenly Emperor Haotian’s unusual actions and offered to deal with General Juanlian at Flowing Sand River. She arrived there with Taibai Jinxing, but General Juanlian did not appear when she called for him.

• The Queen Mother of Kunlun inferred that Heavenly Emperor Haotian was hiding the reason for his changed behavior and offered to help him resolve the problem at Flowing Sand River.
• Heavenly Emperor Haotian explained that Taibai Jinxing had failed to help Tang Sanzang’s group, while concealing Senior Wu Feng and the General Store.
• The Queen Mother of Kunlun asked Taibai Jinxing to take her to Flowing Sand River, and Heavenly Emperor Haotian agreed.
• Taibai Jinxing brought the Queen Mother of Kunlun to Tang Sanzang’s group, where Sun Wukong was surprised and Marshal Tian Peng suspected she had another purpose.
• The Queen Mother of Kunlun called for General Juanlian to come pay his respects, but Flowing Sand River remained silent.

Queen Mother of Kunlun confronted General Juanlian at Flowing Sand River, but he ignored her despite her threats and later appeals. Tang Sanzang gave her a way to end the humiliating standoff, while General Juanlian remained hidden and wary of being deceived.

• Queen Mother of Kunlun demanded that General Juanlian emerge and pay his respects, then threatened him when he failed to respond.
• General Juanlian continued to ignore Queen Mother of Kunlun after her fifteen-minute ultimatum, while Heavenly Emperor Haotian watched from the Hall of Lingxiao and enjoyed her embarrassment.
• Queen Mother of Kunlun softened her tone and offered to hear General Juanlian's grievances, but he stayed hidden because he feared a trap and saw little benefit in appearing.
• Tang Sanzang advised Queen Mother of Kunlun to take a break because General Juanlian was unlikely to come out soon.
• Queen Mother of Kunlun accepted the chance to leave the stalemate, but remained resentful and hoped General Juanlian would give her leverage against him.

Queen Mother of Kunlun tried to replace the missing General Juanlian with one of her own disciples, but Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong were unwilling to accept the proposal. She instead ordered Marshal Tian Peng to bring a hundred thousand Heavenly River troops to search the Flowing Sand River, leaving him wondering whether the troops would obey him.

• Queen Mother of Kunlun threatened to punish General Juanlian for refusing to appear, while Tang Sanzang pleaded with her not to do so.
• Queen Mother of Kunlun offered Tang Sanzang disciples including Chang'e as replacements for General Juanlian, but Tang Sanzang, Sun Wukong, and Taibai Jinxing fell silent.
• Tang Sanzang intended to reject Queen Mother of Kunlun's proposal, while Sun Wukong would not allow General Juanlian to be replaced and Marshal Tian Peng fantasized about Chang'e.
• Queen Mother of Kunlun set aside the replacement proposal and ordered Marshal Tian Peng to bring a hundred thousand Heavenly River troops to search for General Juanlian.
• Marshal Tian Peng came to his senses and wondered whether the Heavenly River troops would obey him now that he was traveling west with Tang Sanzang.

Heavenly Emperor Haotian ordered Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li to lead the Hundred Thousand Heavenly River Navy in a net-style search of Flowing Sand River for General Juanlian. Queen Mother of Kunlun regretted that Li, rather than Marshal Tian Peng, would receive most of the credit if the search succeeded, while Tang Sanzang felt hopeful at the army’s arrival.

• Queen Mother of Kunlun proposed a net-style search to force General Juanlian to reveal himself.
• Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li asked Heavenly Emperor Haotian to let him lead the Hundred Thousand Heavenly River Navy to Flowing Sand River.
• Grand Supreme Elder Lao backed the plan, and Heavenly Emperor Haotian issued Li an Imperial Decree to carry it out.
• Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li led the navy to Flowing Sand River, and Queen Mother of Kunlun realized his success would leave her with little credit.
• Tang Sanzang’s spirits lifted when he saw Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li and the Hundred Thousand Heavenly River Navy arrive.

The Heavenly Court sent the Hundred Thousand Heavenly River Navy into Flowing Sand River to find General Juanlian, who was hiding there to earn Golden Pills from Wu Feng's General Store. As the search began, General Juanlian evaded the navy, setting off a game of cat and mouse.

• The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li arrived at Flowing Sand River and ordered the Hundred Thousand Heavenly River Navy to search for General Juanlian without engaging him.
• The Hundred Thousand Heavenly River Navy entered the Weak Water and spread out to search the river.
• General Juanlian had abandoned his plan to join Tang Sanzang after Wu Feng's General Store offered him Golden Pills for each day he stayed hidden.
• General Juanlian sealed his hearing to ignore calls from Taibai Jinxing and the Queen Mother of Kunlun while he pursued the reward.
• When the navy began searching in earnest, General Juanlian took every opportunity to evade them.

General Juanlian evaded the Hundred Thousand Heavenly River Navy by hiding in the Flowing Sand River and disguising himself as one of its soldiers. Tang Sanzang rejected Queen Mother of Kunlun’s offer to escort him across the river and resolved to face the hardship, leaving Queen Mother of Kunlun’s promise to Heavenly Emperor Haotian unfulfilled.

• General Juanlian ignored the Heavenly River Navy’s taunts, hid from their search, and later infiltrated their ranks by transforming into a soldier he had knocked unconscious.
• The Hundred Thousand Heavenly River Navy searched the Flowing Sand River for ten days but failed to find General Juanlian, delighting Queen Mother of Kunlun.
• Queen Mother of Kunlun offered to escort Tang Sanzang and his disciples across the river if Tang Sanzang would reconsider his decision about General Juanlian.
• Sun Wukong and Marshal Tian Peng urged Tang Sanzang not to retreat from a minor hardship or abandon General Juanlian.
• Tang Sanzang refused Queen Mother of Kunlun’s offer and resolved to face the trials of the journey west.

The Queen Mother of Kunlun realized the Hundred Thousand Heavenly River Navy had failed to find General Juanlian and considered why he remained hidden in the Flowing Sand River. In the Hall of Lingxiao, Grand Supreme Elder Lao urged Heavenly Emperor Haotian to send another hundred thousand troops, promising to search personally if they failed within three days.

• The Queen Mother of Kunlun accepted that she could not persuade Tang Sanzang to avoid the Flowing Sand River tribulation and began considering how General Juanlian had evaded the search.
• Heavenly Emperor Haotian watched the navy's failure and worried that it had cost him face.
• Grand Supreme Elder Lao proposed sending another Hundred Thousand Heavenly River Navy to pressure General Juanlian into revealing a flaw.
• Heavenly Emperor Haotian rejected the proposal, doubting that doubling the navy would change the result.
• Grand Supreme Elder Lao promised to go to the Flowing Sand River himself if the second force failed to find General Juanlian within three days, and Heavenly Emperor Haotian became interested.

Nezha the Third Prince led another Hundred Thousand Heavenly River Navy to Flowing Sand River to help search for General Juanlian, while Tang Sanzang and his companions stayed on the riverbank. Queen Mother of Kunlun and several others joined the search, but General Juanlian remained hidden.

• Grand Supreme Elder Lao confirmed he would intervene, and Heavenly Emperor Haotian ordered Nezha the Third Prince to lead another Hundred Thousand Heavenly River Navy to Flowing Sand River.
• Nezha the Third Prince gathered another Hundred Thousand Heavenly River Navy and led them to Flowing Sand River to search for General Juanlian.
• Tang Sanzang, Sun Wukong, and Marshal Tian Peng analyzed where General Juanlian might be hiding while remaining safely on the riverbank.
• Nezha the Third Prince arrived, and Sun Wukong and Tang Sanzang welcomed him without challenging his confidence about finding General Juanlian.
• Nezha the Third Prince and Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li directed the two-hundred-thousand-strong Heavenly River Navy as Queen Mother of Kunlun, Taibai Jinxing, Sun Wukong, and Marshal Tian Peng joined the search.

The Heavenly Court and Tang Sanzang searched the Flowing Sand River for General Juanlian, while Maitreya Buddha watched and envied the Heavenly Court’s resources. General Juanlian remained hidden, and Grand Supreme Elder Lao could only determine that he was still in the river.

• Tang Sanzang searched the riverbank while the Queen Mother of Kunlun, Sun Wukong, Taibai Jinxing, and the Heavenly River Navy searched inside the Flowing Sand River.
• Maitreya Buddha watched the Heavenly Court’s forces and envied its wealth, including the Peach Tree and its ties to humanity.
• Weak Water hindered Sun Wukong and Taibai Jinxing, while Marshal Tian Peng handled it relatively well and the Queen Mother of Kunlun suppressed its effects with her strength.
• The exhausted Heavenly River Navy and other searchers grew angry with General Juanlian for continuing to hide.
• Grand Supreme Elder Lao tried to calculate General Juanlian’s location but could only determine that he remained in the Flowing Sand River, because Wu Feng’s General Store had concealed his location from heavenly detection.

Tang Sanzang spotted an ordinary-looking fish in the Weak Water of the Flowing Sand River and jumped in to catch it. As his companions rushed to rescue him, the fish struggled to shake him off, carrying him farther away.

• Grand Supreme Elder Lao swallowed Pills to enhance his divination abilities as the three-day deadline approached without any clues about General Juanlian.
• Tang Sanzang noticed a large fish on the bank of the Flowing Sand River and suspected it was no ordinary fish.
• Tang Sanzang jumped into the Weak Water, grabbed the fish, and mounted it as he began sinking.
• Sun Wukong and Marshal Tian Peng ordered the Heavenly River Navy soldiers to rescue Tang Sanzang, mistaking his leap for an accidental fall.
• Marshal Tian Peng rushed ahead while Sun Wukong struggled through the Weak Water, but Tang Sanzang grew farther away as the fish tried to shake him off.

Tang Sanzang survived the Weak Water while clinging to a huge fish that was secretly General Juanlian, who let him surface for air. After the Heavenly River Navy hauled them ashore, Sun Wukong realized the fish’s unusual behavior supported Tang Sanzang’s suspicion, but chose to tease it rather than expose it outright.

• General Juanlian carried Tang Sanzang through the Weak Water and let him surface periodically, avoiding using magic that could reveal his identity.
• The Heavenly River Navy spotted the conspicuous fish carrying Tang Sanzang and hauled them both ashore, then tossed the fish aside.
• Sun Wukong scolded Tang Sanzang for risking his life in the Flowing Sand River, and Tang Sanzang explained that he had entered the river to catch the huge fish.
• Tang Sanzang signaled that the fish might be General Juanlian, and Sun Wukong recalled how it had sped away while repeatedly surfacing to keep his master breathing.
• Sun Wukong pretended the fish was a thoughtful gift from Tang Sanzang and asked whether they would eat it, leaving Tang Sanzang dumbfounded as his conjecture remained unconfirmed.

Tang Sanzang caught General Juanlian, who was disguised as a fish, and persuaded the Heavenly River Navy that he had fished to repay their efforts. General Juanlian stayed beneath Tang Sanzang’s protection, but Tang Sanzang’s unexpectedly strong body kept him from escaping.

• Sun Wukong misunderstood Tang Sanzang’s intentions, and Tang Sanzang redirected the Heavenly River Navy by saying he had caught the fish for them.
• The Heavenly River Navy were moved by Tang Sanzang’s concern and plunged back into Flowing Sand River to search for General Juanlian.
• General Juanlian remained disguised as a big fish beneath Tang Sanzang’s nose to avoid being discovered or killed by the Heavenly River Navy.
• General Juanlian tried to shake Tang Sanzang off, but Tang Sanzang’s physical strength prevented him from escaping.