Tiger-Taming

Biodata

Cultivation and Strength

Appearance

• Monk’s form: Bald, with a muscular, tiger-like build and golden eyes 18 30 31 50.
• Golden radiance: His Arhat Golden Body envelops him in Buddhist light, making his skin and figure appear golden 28 33.
• Tiger manifestations: Roaring tigers, tiger-shaped light, and fierce winds accompany his presence and techniques 18 28 48.
• Colossal manifestation: His defensive Arhat manifestation reaches nearly a hundred meters tall during Yang Jian’s attack 49.

Personality

Tiger-Taming presents himself as a compassionate monk while treating weaker beings as expendable. He forces a village to worship Buddha for incense offerings and regards the monkeys of Flower-Fruit Mountain as an ordinary person might regard ants. He feels no responsibility for the deaths, mental injuries, or destruction caused by his overwhelming presence 24 28.

His pursuit of Jiang Zhe is driven by greed and a conviction that desirable treasures are destined for him. After learning about Jiang Zhe’s fiery armor, he repeatedly assumes that a mortal cultivator has no right to possess such power. Acquiring the armor and the lightning-related opportunity eventually becomes more important to him than Joyful Buddha’s assignment 28 29 46 49.

Despite his arrogance, he recognizes threats from stronger figures. He retreats from Sun Wukong partly because the monkey might be involved in the Buddha’s plans, fears retaliation from Joyful Buddha over his failed errand, and conceals his resentment when Yang Jian gravely injures him. Nevertheless, he continues toward Mount Hua, reasoning that even death and reincarnation might offer another route to advancement 29 32 49.

History

Assignment to Flower-Fruit Mountain

Tathagata sends Tiger-Taming to retrieve a presence near Flower-Fruit Mountain that he declares has an affinity with Buddha. Before Tiger-Taming leaves, Dingguang Joyful Buddha adds two errands: investigate his missing disciple and the vanished Remnant Page of Conversion, and deliver a broken Samsara Mark to his disciple on Mount Hua 18.

Near Flower-Fruit Mountain, Tiger-Taming investigates a village where a cowherd boy has disappeared. His soul search yields no useful memories, but a distant magical disturbance draws his attention toward the mountain. He then forcibly searches a demon’s soul and learns that a human cultivator killed the demons in the Demon King of Havoc’s cave and earned the monkeys’ gratitude. Prioritizing the suspected creation treasure, he sends a clone to handle the Mount Hua errand 24 25.

Attack on Water Curtain Cave

Tiger-Taming searches Gray Monkey’s memories, discovering Jiang Zhe’s red armor and its connection to Samadhi True Fire. His spiritual pressure devastates Water Curtain Cave, leaving Gray Monkey gravely injured and other monkeys dead, unconscious, or mentally damaged 27 28.

Sun Wukong returns and attacks him. Tiger-Taming exploits Wukong’s concern for the monkeys to land the Mountain-Suppressing Tiger-Taming Seal, but Wukong emerges unharmed. The monkey binds him with his tail, breaks his Arhat Golden Body with a strike to the crotch, and overwhelms him at close range. Tiger-Taming escapes behind a tiger-shaped attack, still determined to seize Jiang Zhe’s treasures 28 29.

Clone’s Defeat near Mount Hua

The clone delivers the Soul-Fixing Jade to Joyful Boy and reports the failure of Yellow Ox’s plan. Jiang Zhe overhears their meeting, kills Joyful Boy’s mortal reincarnation, and takes the jade. Its disappearance enrages the clone, who fears punishment from Joyful Buddha 31 32.

Although the clone initially drives Jiang Zhe backward, Jiang Zhe breaks its Golden Bell Shield and draws it into his lightning calamity. With the tribulation preventing escape, Jiang Zhe’s Buddha’s Fury Flame Lotus destroys the clone 32 33 34.

Recovery and Renewed Pursuit

The true Tiger-Taming recuperates in Water Filth Cave, where residual life Qi from the lightning-related object accelerates his recovery. Once healed, he reviews the clone’s memories and concludes that Jiang Zhe’s armor must supply his Samadhi True Fire. He departs for Mount Hua to claim both the armor and the lightning opportunity 46.

Yang Jian intercepts him, pierces his golden manifestation, and demands that he leave Mount Hua. When Tiger-Taming refuses to abandon his opportunity, Yang Jian kicks him into a crater and gravely injures him. Tiger-Taming nevertheless begins walking toward Mount Hua Town, intending to recover along the way and contact Joyful Buddha 48 49.

He subsequently encounters Jiang Zhe’s returning primordial spirit. Though Jiang Zhe breaks his attacks and escapes, Tiger-Taming secretly leaves a tracking mark on his spirit. His continued pursuit triggers Jiang Zhe’s quest to deal with him, offering 30,000 merit points and Samadhi Divine Wind 50.

Abilities & Skills

Arhat Golden Body

A reinforced Buddhist body supported by golden light 28 33.

• Withstands the clone’s impact from Second Finger Shatters Mountains and Rivers and a subsequent Heavenly Flame attack with only minor injuries 33.
• Forms the Golden Bell Shield, a protective bell of Buddhist light; Jiang Zhe’s sword-finger technique shatters it 33.
• Is not invulnerable: Sun Wukong breaks its protection at a vulnerable point, while Yang Jian pierces the true body’s enormous defensive manifestation 29 49.

Tiger-Taming Vajra Sutra

Transforms Buddhist light into Qi and blood, producing a gigantic tiger dharma image 28.

• Mountain-Suppressing Tiger-Taming Seal: Sends the manifested tiger down onto an opponent, striking with its paws 28.
• Demon-Subduing Fist: Projects a golden tiger from a punch; the clone uses it across a hundred-meter distance 32.
• Tiger-Subduing Claw: A claw strike powerful enough to threaten to tear Jiang Zhe apart without his armor, which absorbs at least seventy percent of its force 33.
• Tiger-shaped projections: Used to attack suspected observers, cover his retreat, and strike airborne targets 29 31 50.

Clone Creation

Creates a separate body possessing one percent of his power 25 32.

• Shares memories with the true body, allowing the clone to recognize Jiang Zhe from Gray Monkey’s memories 32.
• Leaves memories accessible to the original after its destruction 46.
• Allows Tiger-Taming to pursue the Flower-Fruit Mountain opportunity while carrying out Joyful Buddha’s Mount Hua errand 25.

Soul Searching and Spiritual Pressure

Uses spiritual force to extract information and overwhelm weaker beings 25 28.

• Tears a demon’s soul from its body to search its memories 25.
• Searches Gray Monkey’s memories for information about Jiang Zhe 28.
• Causes weaker monkeys to convulse, faint, or suffer fatal and mental injuries through his presence alone 28.

Divine Eye and Spirit Tracking

Uses a golden Divine Eye to investigate an observer above him 50.

• Conceals a mark within an attack on Jiang Zhe’s primordial spirit 50.
• The mark allows him to sense Jiang Zhe’s location even if Jiang Zhe attempts to leave Mount Hua 50.

Travel and Recovery

• Travels on golden lotuses, golden clouds, or as a streak of golden light 24 29 48.
• Recovers from Sun Wukong’s injuries with help from the residual life Qi in Water Filth Cave 46.
• His spilled golden blood rapidly strengthens nearby plants 49.

Equipment / Items

• Samsara Mark / Soul-Fixing Jade: A broken black jade associated with Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. It fixes a soul’s reincarnations to one place. Tiger-Taming carries it for Joyful Buddha and gives it to Joyful Boy; Jiang Zhe takes and recycles it for 5,000 merit points 18 31 32.

Relationships

• Tathagata — Superior who orders him to retrieve the presence near Flower-Fruit Mountain 18.
• Dingguang Joyful Buddha — Assigns him additional errands. Tiger-Taming fears punishment after losing the jade and failing to protect Joyful Boy 18 32 49.
• Joyful Boy — Addresses him as “Martial Uncle.” Tiger-Taming delivers his master’s jade and message but cannot prevent Jiang Zhe from killing his reincarnation 31 32.
• Jiang Zhe — Target of his treasure hunt and destroyer of his clone. Tiger-Taming later marks his primordial spirit for pursuit 34 46 50.
• Sun Wukong — Defeats him for harming the Flower-Fruit Mountain monkeys. Tiger-Taming considers both taking revenge and converting him to Spirit Mountain 29 46.
• Yang Jian — Gravely injures him and forbids him from approaching Mount Hua 49.
• Dragon-Subduing — Fellow leader of the Eighteen Arhats. His punishment leaves this mission to Tiger-Taming, who later considers taking his opportunity to gain fortune and incense offerings through reincarnation 48 49.

Notable Quotes

“The treasures of the world belong to the virtuous, and I have an affinity with this one. This humble monk will not give it up.” 49

“Hand over the treasures on your person like a good boy! I can give you a chance to become a boy attendant under me.” 50