Meeting the Man Himself

At those words, the dark-skinned fellow looked Sun Wukong up and down and gave a cold chuckle. "You insolent wretch! Yes, I took a cassock. What are you going to do about it? Where did you come from? What's your name? What powers do you possess, to dare spout such wild boasts?"

Pilgrim said, "So you don't even recognize your granddaddy! Your granddaddy is the disciple of Master Sanzang, the holy monk of the Great Tang. My surname is Sun, my given name Wukong. I am also called Pilgrim, and bear the title Great Sage Equal to Heaven!"

"If you ask about Old Sun's powers, hearing them will scatter your soul and leave you dead on the spot!"

The monster laughed. "I've never met you. What powers have you got? Tell me, and I'll listen."

Pilgrim laughed. "My boy, stand firm and listen closely! I: ... Our Buddha Tathagata wielded his might, and Five Elements Mountain pinned Old Sun tight.

For five full centuries beneath it I lay, till Sanzang came from the Tang one day.

Now turned to the true path, westward I go, to Thunderclap and the Buddha's white brow.

Go ask through heaven and earth, across all four seas: of all history's famed demons, none ranks above me!"

Any ordinary monster who heard that history would already have been trembling at the knees.

But the dark-skinned fellow narrowed his eyes, as though remembering something, and a mocking smile curled his lips.

"I wondered what grand personage you were. So you're the Bimawen who caused that uproar in Heaven?"

Sun Wukong's heroic spirit had been soaring to the clouds, but that final word, "Bimawen," nearly choked him unconscious.

The instant "Bimawen" left the fellow's mouth, a vein on Sun Wukong's forehead gave a sharp twitch.

That was his sorest spot.

Sun Wukong smiled without a trace of warmth. "A keen eye. That's right, I'm Old Sun. Since you know my name, hand over the cassock at once, so we needn't spoil our cordial relations."

"Cordial relations? Hahahaha!"

The dark-skinned fellow threw back his head and laughed, pointing at Sun Wukong.

"You impudent monkey! You used to tend horses in Heaven, and now you're some monk's slave, who knows where. How have you the face to talk about cordial relations with me?"

"That cassock is a Buddhist treasure, radiant with boundless light. Put it on a monkey like you, and wouldn't that be a monkey dressed in a crown? Only someone like me, versed in Buddhist teachings and cultivated in refinement, deserves to wear it!"

He delivered this speech with spirit that pierced the stars and boundless swagger.

"You thieving monster! You stole the cassock and won't return it, and now you insult your lord! Don't run! Take my staff!"

Sun Wukong flew into a rage, and the Golden Cudgel crashed down toward the fellow's head with the thunderous force of ten thousand tons.

The dark-skinned fellow sidestepped it, his black-tasseled spear darting out like a venomous dragon leaving its lair to meet the blow.

Clang!!!

Metal rang against metal, and sparks flew in every direction.

At that first exchange, Sun Wukong's heart tightened.

The Black Bear Spirit's strength was actually no less than his own! And his spearwork was exquisite: his defense let not a drop through, while his attacks swept wide and bold. Every movement carried a faint air of divine majesty, nothing like the crude methods of an ordinary wild monster.

The two fought from the ground into the air, then from the air to the mountaintop.

The Golden Cudgel was a treasure of the sea; the black-tasseled spear, iron of the mountains. After dozens of exchanges, neither had gained the upper hand.

The longer Sun Wukong fought, the more suspicious he became. This fellow is formidable! And judging by his spearwork, he's clearly had guidance from a master.

Just as Sun Wukong was about to unleash his Heaven-and-Earth Form and settle the contest, the dark-skinned fellow glanced at the sun, feinted with his spear, and leaped clear of the fight.

"Stop!"

Panting, the dark-skinned fellow said, "No more fighting! No more!"

Sun Wukong froze, his Golden Cudgel suspended in midair. "What? Scared?"

"Scared, my ass!" the dark-skinned fellow declared without a shred of shame. "It's noon! I'm hungry, and I'm going home to eat! Once I've had my fill of food and drink, I'll come back and fight you to the death, Bimawen!"

With that, without waiting for Sun Wukong's agreement, he ducked his head and turned into a gale. He whipped up the dust to blind Sun Wukong, then seized the chance to slip into his cave abode.

Rumble-

Two stone doors weighing ten thousand catties slammed tightly shut, leaving not the slightest gap.

Sun Wukong stared dumbfounded from the clouds, stamping his feet in fury.

"A scoundrel! What a shameless scoundrel of a monster! Who takes a meal break halfway through a fight?!"

He swooped down and battered the stone doors with his staff. Rock shattered and sparks flew, but some unknown ward protected the doors, and they did not budge.

Sun Wukong cursed for a while, but seeing that the monster was determined to be a turtle with its head tucked in, he could only put away his staff in bitter frustration.

"This Black Bear Spirit has thick hide and tough flesh, fine spearwork, and now he's hiding inside his turtle shell..."

"I doubt I can get the cassock back anytime soon. Old Sun had better return with the news first, so Master won't worry."

Inside a guest room at the monastery.

Xuanzang sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, resting his mind. Ao Lie stood beside him on guard.

Suddenly, a golden light flashed, and Sun Wukong leaped into the room. He planted the Golden Cudgel on the floor, angrily snatched up the teapot from the table, and gulped down a long draught.

"Rotten luck! Truly rotten luck!"

Xuanzang opened his eyes. Seeing him in this state, he showed no alarm, merely asking calmly:

"Wukong, were you unable to recover the cassock?"

"Master, don't even mention it!"

Sun Wukong wiped his mouth and plopped down on a stool, looking thoroughly disgruntled.

"Old Sun went to Black Wind Mountain and found those three demons, just as expected. I did as you said, Master, and tried reasoning with them first. But that lump of charcoal wouldn't appreciate a kindness. He even called me... called me names!"

"I couldn't help coming to blows. That lump of charcoal does have some ability. He wielded a black-tasseled spear and fought Old Sun to a draw."

At this point, Sun Wukong scratched his head in embarrassment.

"I was about to use my powers to subdue him, but he suddenly said he was hungry and needed to eat. He ducked into his cave and shut the doors, and no matter how I cursed, he wouldn't come out. Those cave doors were sturdy. I was afraid I'd make too much commotion and bring the whole mountain down, so I came back first."

Listening beside them, Ao Lie feigned surprise, though he was really teasing. "With all the Great Sage's vast powers, there are still demons he cannot subdue?"

Sun Wukong flushed and argued stubbornly, "It's not that I couldn't subdue him! The fellow cheated! A few more exchanges, and Old Sun would certainly have beaten him!"

Xuanzang did not reproach him. Instead, he looked thoughtful.

"Wukong, did you just say that the Black Bear Spirit fought you to a draw?"

"Yes. The fellow is strong, but more importantly, his spearwork is disciplined. It doesn't look self-taught."

Xuanzang nodded, rose, straightened his robes and headwear, and beckoned to A-Hu.

The winged tiger immediately lay down obediently.

"Wukong."

Xuanzang mounted the tiger, his back ramrod straight, his gaze fixed southeast.

"Lead the way."

"Since he intends to hold a 'Buddhist Robe Gathering,' wouldn't my absence leave him without the rightful owner?"

"I shall personally meet this Black King."

Sun Wukong and Ao Lie both froze.

Ao Lie took it well enough. Sun Wukong, however, scratched his ears and cheeks and cried anxiously:

"Master! That's a demon's den! A place where they eat people without even spitting out the bones! You're only mortal flesh. If that black fellow flies into a rage and thrusts his spear at you, I'm afraid even Old Sun won't be able to protect you!"

"Aren't you the Great Sage Equal to Heaven?"

Xuanzang gave him a mild glance, the corners of his mouth lifting in something not quite a smile.

"What, you lack even the ability to protect your master on a visit?"

Those words made Sun Wukong's fur bristle on the spot.

He thrust out his chest, swung the Golden Cudgel onto his shoulder, and declared loudly:

"Who says I do! Never mind Black Wind Cave-even if Master wanted to visit the Hall of Yama, Old Sun would clear a path for you! Come on! Let's go right now!"