Courtesy Before Force

The monks gave Elder Jinchi a hasty burial on the mountain behind the monastery.

One great fire, a lifespan of two hundred and seventy years, a collection of seven or eight hundred kasayas-all had amounted to a handful of yellow earth and a three-foot grave in the wilderness.

Xuanzang stood before the grave in silence for a moment, his expression calm.

When he returned to the guest room that had survived, A-Hu was dozing by the door. Seeing Xuanzang return, A-Hu rubbed affectionately against the hem of his robe.

Sun Wukong hopped onto the table and scratched the back of his hand impatiently. Watching Xuanzang pack his belongings, he asked hesitantly:

"Master, that old monk is gone, but the kasaya... I just asked the monks here. About twenty li to the southeast, there's a Black Wind Mountain. On that mountain is Black Wind Cave, and inside lives a black monster. I reckon the demon took advantage of the fire to steal it. Are we... going to do anything about it?"

Xuanzang continued packing, placing several scrolls of scripture into his bundle as he answered evenly:

"Since I gave it to Jin Chi, it became part of his tribulation. Now the man is dead and his lamp extinguished. To this poor monk, that kasaya is nothing more than an earthly possession. If it is lost, let it be lost. Why dwell on it? Let us go."

He truly had let it go.

To him, the kasaya was merely an object. Since it had become a source of turmoil in people's hearts, its departure brought peace instead.

At this, Sun Wukong jumped off the table in agitation. "Master! How can we do that? It's a treasure! If a demon uses it for bedding, wouldn't that disgrace the Buddhist faith?"

Xuanzang tied his bundle shut and glanced at Wukong.

"Wukong, do not cling to outward forms."

Sun Wukong was left speechless. He scratched his ears and cheeks, clearly unwilling to let the demon have that treasure so cheaply.

Just then, Ao Lie, who had been keeping watch at the door, suddenly trembled.

A faint mark like rippling water flickered between his brows, followed by a fleeting pulse of solemn power. Ao Lie's expression grew reverent, as though he were listening to a voice he could not disobey.

A golden gleam flashed in Sun Wukong's eyes. The faintest amused smile curled his lips as he leaned against the wall with the Golden Cudgel in his arms, understanding perfectly. Heh, someone's passed this little loach a message.

Ao Lie then spoke.

"Holy Monk."

Ao Lie cupped his hands and bowed, his expression grave.

"This disciple has something to say, though I do not know whether I should."

Xuanzang looked at him. "Please speak, benefactor."

Ao Lie said solemnly:

"Holy Monk, your spiritual attainment is profound. You regard treasures as rubble, and that is great wisdom. But the Brocade Kasaya is no ordinary treasure. It is set with the seven treasures and holds a hidden Buddhist radiance."

"If that demon merely keeps it in his collection, that is one thing. But what if he puts on the kasaya, disguises himself as an enlightened monk, and comes down the mountain? The common people are simple-minded; they judge the robes, not the man. At the sight of this sacred Buddhist kasaya, they will surely prostrate themselves in worship and let down their guard. Then, if the demon uses it to deceive them before devouring people and taking lives..."

"Holy Monk, you need not cherish this treasure. But can you stand by and watch a Buddhist robe that symbolizes compassion become a guise for a demon to harm people?"

Xuanzang's hands abruptly stopped straightening his robes.

Silence filled the guest room.

"Using the Buddha's name... to commit evil?"

Xuanzang murmured to himself, his brow gradually furrowing.

After a moment, Xuanzang slowly turned, his gaze sharpening.

"Amitabha Buddha. Benefactor Ao, you are right to remind me."

Xuanzang pressed his palms together and bowed slightly to Ao Lie.

"This poor monk was too simplistic in his thinking. I cared only for preserving my own peace and forgot the dangers of this world. If this kasaya becomes a tool that helps a tyrant perpetrate his atrocities, the fault will be mine."

"That kasaya cannot remain in the demon's cave."

With that, Xuanzang turned to Sun Wukong by the wall, his gaze resolute and free of hesitation.

"Wukong."

Sun Wukong chuckled, spun the Golden Cudgel in a beautiful flourish, and straightened up.

"Master, you've come around? You won't call Old Sun a meddler now, will you?"

Xuanzang looked at him and spoke steadily:

"Go to Black Wind Mountain. Since that demon could take advantage of the fire to steal it, he must have some abilities. You must deal with him carefully."

"Remember, courtesy before force. If he agrees to return it, spare him this once..."

"Right! Don't worry, Master. I'll go fetch the kasaya right now, and see what that lump of charcoal is made of while I'm at it!"

With that, Sun Wukong pushed open the window and leaped out.

Whoosh!

A streak of golden light shot through the sky toward Black Wind Mountain in the southeast.

Inside the room, Xuanzang gazed at the clouds beyond the window. Rather than relaxing, he grew still more troubled.

On this Journey to the West, even a lifeless object could give rise to so many twists and turns.

After taking leave of his master, Sun Wukong rode his Somersault Cloud straight toward the southeast.

In mere moments, he saw a towering mountain rising from the earth.

Sun Wukong lowered his cloud and took a close look, inwardly applauding the sight. What a fine place! Without that demonic aura, it would be a blessed spot for cultivation.

Across the mountain, streams raced through ten thousand ravines, and a thousand cliffs vied in splendor. Birds sang with no one in sight; flowers fell, yet the trees remained fragrant. Though it was a demon's lair, there was not the slightest trace of foulness or filth. Instead, it possessed a secluded elegance, with several stands of pine, plum, bamboo, and chrysanthemums before the cliffs, all pruned with considerable skill.

"This demon certainly knows how to enjoy himself."

Sun Wukong withdrew his powers, turned the Golden Cudgel into an embroidery needle, tucked it into his ear, and crept forward.

Rounding a hollow in the mountain, he saw animal hides spread before Fragrant Grass Slope, with low tables set out and three demons seated there.

The one in the middle was the black fellow he had seen the previous night, with a dark face and short fur. He wore no armor now, only a blue silk Daoist robe, and held a purple-clay teapot, affecting the elegant air of a distinguished scholar.

A Daoist sat to his left, and a scholar in white to his right.

The three sat on the ground, engrossed in lofty conversation.

Sun Wukong held his breath and focused, hiding behind a rock to eavesdrop.

He heard the black fellow laugh. "Fellow Daoists, Guanyin Monastery caught fire last night. Knowing it was the bodhisattva's sacred ground, I intended to help put it out. But then I saw ten thousand rays of rosy light. It turned out that old monk lacked the fortune to keep hold of his treasure. So I simply 'rescued' it and brought it back."

The white-robed scholar clapped his hands and laughed. "Great King is compassionate! That old monk Jin Chi was a mere mortal. How could he deserve such an extraordinary Buddhist treasure? For it to fall into Great King's hands is like presenting a treasured sword to a hero, casting a luminous pearl into darkness... oh, no, I mean leaving darkness for the light!"

The Daoist chimed in, "Indeed, indeed! What sort of treasure was it?"

The black fellow sipped his tea, brimming with pride. "The Brocade Kasaya! I've settled on the day after tomorrow, an auspicious day, to hold a 'Buddha Robe Gathering' in my cave. I invite you both to admire it and celebrate my acquisition of this Buddhist treasure."

What a 'Buddha Robe Gathering'! What a fine bit of 'rescuing'!

Sun Wukong heard every word from behind the rock and cursed inwardly. This demon's mouth is full of righteousness and virtue, but his deeds belong among thieves and whores. He and that old Jin Chi are jackals from the same hill!

He wanted to leap out and kill the demon with a single blow, but Xuanzang's parting instructions suddenly surfaced in his mind-

Courtesy before force.

Sun Wukong gritted his teeth and forcibly suppressed his anger.

Fine! Today, Old Sun will learn a little of Master's refinement and reason with you first! If you won't listen, there'll still be time to beat you.

With that thought, Sun Wukong straightened his clothes, clasped his hands behind his back, and swaggered out from behind the rock.

"Ahem!"

Sun Wukong cleared his throat and cupped his hands, making his voice as mild as he could.

"Greetings, gentlemen!"

The three demons had been chatting merrily when a monk with a hairy face and a thunder god's jutting mouth suddenly appeared, startling them all.

The black fellow reacted first. Setting down his purple-clay teapot, he frowned. "Who are you? How dare you intrude upon the immortal realm of my Black Wind Mountain?"

Sun Wukong chuckled.

"I am the holy monk traveling from the Great Tang of the Eastern Land on the Journey to the West... his disciple, that is. We lost a kasaya while passing through Guanyin Monastery. Just now, I heard that the Great King had 'happened' to pick it up, so my master specifically sent me to ask for it back. Please do us this kindness and return it. My master and I would be most grateful."

The black fellow's face immediately darkened.

"Ask for it back?"