Summoning the Gods

Sun Wukong pushed aside the grass and searched all around with his Fiery Golden Eyes, but the ravine was deep and its waters wide, with countless interconnected passages. Where was there any trace of that loach?

"Rotten luck! Truly rotten luck!"

Sun Wukong searched for a long while without success, then flew into a thunderous rage.

He slammed the Golden Cudgel against the ground, sending rocks tumbling.

Suddenly, Sun Wukong's eyes lit up. He smacked his forehead. "Old Sun was so angry he lost his head! How could I have forgotten that?"

With that, Sun Wukong walked to the edge of the ravine, formed a hand seal, and stamped hard on the ground, chanting an incantation:

"Om! Mountain God and Earth God of this place, where are you?! Come out at once and meet Old Sun!"

That stamp seemed to split the heavens and shatter the earth.

With a soft puff, two wisps of blue smoke rose from underground and turned into two short old men.

One wore a stone crown: the Mountain God.

The other leaned on a walking stick: the Earth God.

At the sight of Sun Wukong, both gods turned ashen with fright and hurriedly dropped to their knees:

"Great Sage! We did not know you were coming and failed to welcome you from afar. Please forgive us!"

Sun Wukong dispensed with courtesies. He stepped forward, seized the Earth God by the beard, and barked:

"None of that with Old Sun! Stick out your legs. Five blows apiece as a greeting, to help Old Sun unwind!"

The two gods were scared out of their wits and pleaded again and again:

"Have mercy, Great Sage! What instructions have you summoned us to receive? If you mean to beat us to death, at least let us die knowing why!"

"Stop."

A calm voice rang out, commanding respect without a trace of anger.

Sun Wukong froze and looked back to find Xuanzang watching him with a grave expression.

Xuanzang walked up, fixed his gaze on Sun Wukong's hand, and said solemnly:

"Wukong, let go."

Sun Wukong curled his lip and reluctantly released the Earth God's beard, muttering, "Master, these two old fellows are a bit lazy. Old Sun was only joking, helping them wake up. That's Old Sun's... true nature."

"Joking? Your true nature?"

Xuanzang offered no reply. Instead, he bent down, reached out with both hands, and personally helped the trembling Earth God and Mountain God to their feet.

After helping the two gods up, Xuanzang stepped half a pace back, his expression solemn, and pressed his palms together.

He bowed to the Earth God and Mountain God.

"This humble monk has failed to teach his disciple properly, allowing this unruly disciple to offend you both and subject you to fright and humiliation. I hereby apologize to you on his behalf."

"Holy Monk! You mustn't! How could we accept such a thing?"

The Earth God was so flustered that he could barely hold his walking stick.

Overwhelmed by the unexpected honor, both gods were moved until their eyes reddened.

Standing to one side, Sun Wukong felt his pride smarting and protested:

"Master! Why are you bowing to them? They're only two minor gatekeeping gods. Old Sun does them an honor just by calling for them..."

"Wukong! Hold your tongue!"

Xuanzang raised his voice, startling Sun Wukong. Seeing his master's stern expression, he muttered something but said no more.

Xuanzang walked up to Wukong and looked down at him, his eyes holding a severity Sun Wukong had never seen before:

"You keep insisting that this is your 'true nature.'"

"Then let me ask you: if the one standing before you today were Tathagata Buddha or Guanyin Bodhisattva, would you dare offend him or her so casually? Would you dare tell either of them to stick out a leg so you could give them a few blows to amuse yourself?"

Sun Wukong stiffened his neck. "Well... naturally, I couldn't lay hands on them."

"Whatever the circumstances, you would never behave with such utter disregard!"

Xuanzang's tone was like a blade, piercing straight through Wukong's defenses:

"You may call your fearlessness before the strong, your innocence and frankness, your true nature."

"But treating the weak with wanton disrespect and making cruel jokes at their expense is not your true nature. It is bullying!"

"You were pinned beneath Five Elements Mountain for five hundred years, enduring wind and frost. When you saw the Earth God and Mountain God back then, would you have spoken to them this way?"

"Now that you have escaped and regained your power, you use your abilities and standing to lord it over those weaker than you. How are you any different from those who bullied and humiliated you back then?"

Sun Wukong opened his mouth to argue, only to find that his throat felt blocked by a stone.

Xuanzang sighed. "The Mountain God and Earth God protect the land and waters of this place. How can we who cultivate the Way fail to respect them, let alone use our powers to humiliate them at will?"

"Go. Apologize to the two gods."

Sun Wukong scratched his head. He understood the point, and at last tilted his head and cupped his hands toward the two gods, speaking gruffly:

"Well... you two. Old Sun was impatient just now and didn't know his own strength. I... I owe you an apology."

The Earth God and Mountain God hurriedly returned the salute. "Please, please! It was only a joke to begin with. You overwhelm us, Great Sage!"

The two gods were accustomed to being mistreated and had not taken it much to heart. Being berated by higher immortals was an everyday occurrence. When had they ever imagined that the Pilgrim and the Great Sage who had wreaked havoc in Heaven would treat them with such courtesy?

Yet now their eyes held even greater reverence for Xuanzang.

Such was the bearing of a holy monk!

Seeing this, Xuanzang shook his head. Only then did his expression soften, and he asked gently:

"Honored gods, may this humble monk ask a question? What creature inhabits Eagle Sorrow Ravine? Why does it block our way?"

The Earth God dared conceal nothing now and hastily replied, "Holy Monk, this ravine has always been free of evil. But the year before last, while searching for the Pilgrim, Guanyin Bodhisattva rescued a Jade Dragon and sent him here, instructing him to await the Pilgrim and forbidding him from doing evil."

"We do not know why he acted so foolishly and offended the Great Sage today."

"Guanyin Bodhisattva arranged this?"

Sun Wukong sneered. "If it was all arranged, why didn't he say so sooner? Why act viciously here instead? That Bodhisattva, too-she leaves everything muddled and makes trouble for Old Sun for no reason!"

The Earth God said, "Perhaps the dragon does not recognize the Great Sage or the Holy Monk. He is now hiding in a water passage deep in the abyss. It leads straight to a passage in the sea and is unfathomably deep. If you wish to capture him, Great Sage, I fear you must invite Guanyin Bodhisattva herself here to subdue him."

Sun Wukong considered this.

Inviting the Bodhisattva would be easy enough. But Old Sun just boasted that he would protect Master. If I can't even deal with a loach and have to ask for help, won't I lose face?

While he hesitated, a voice suddenly sounded from midair:

"Do not be troubled, Great Sage. There is no need for you to go yourself. This minor god will fetch the Bodhisattva."

Sun Wukong looked up and saw golden light flickering amid the clouds.

Seeing that they had reached an impasse, Golden-Headed Kṣitigarbha, who had been assigned to guard Xuanzang, revealed himself and stood in midair.

Behind him, the indistinct figures of more than thirty other deities appeared: the Six Ding and Six Jia, the Five Directions Kṣitigarbhas, the Four Duty Merits, and the Eighteen Dharma-Protecting Garan.

These deities ordinarily received incense offerings from mortals, yet now they bowed to Xuanzang below.

"Greetings, Holy Monk and Great Sage. By the Bodhisattva's decree, we have been watching over the Holy Monk's Journey to the West in secret."

Golden-Headed Kṣitigarbha cupped his hands and said,

"Since it is inconvenient for the Great Sage to go, this minor god is willing to make the journey to the South Sea."

Delighted, Sun Wukong hastily said, "Sorry for the trouble. Hurry there and back!"

Xuanzang, however, lifted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping across the gods and Buddhas filling the sky.

"Amitabha Buddha."