Chapter forty-six
Heresy flaunts its strength to mock orthodoxy.
Wukong reveals his divine form and slays the deviates.
wàidàonòngqiángqīzhèngfǎ外道弄强欺正法xīnyuánxiǎnshèngmièzhūxié心猿显圣灭诸邪
How to read this chart:
Contest of Meditation Proposed
Cart-Slow KingdomThe Daoists ask the king to delay the pilgrimage and propose a contest of meditation called 'Epiphany of Saintliness by the Cloud Ladder.' Wukong says he cannot meditate, but Sanzang can. Altars are built for the contest.
Meditation Contest and Cheating
Cart-Slow KingdomTiger-Strength Immortal ascends his altar via cloud. Wukong carries Sanzang to his altar and monitors Bajie as a mole cricket. Deer-Strength Immortal sends a bedbug to bite Sanzang during meditation. Wukong removes the bedbug and retaliates by biting Tiger-Strength Immortal as a centipede, causing him to fall from his altar.
Guessing Game: Chest with Palace Robes
Cart-Slow KingdomDeer-Strength Immortal proposes a contest to guess the contents of a chest. The Queen places palace robes in the chest. Wukong sneaks in, replaces the robes with a torn cassock soaked in blood and urine. Sanzang guesses correctly; the Queen objects when the chest is opened.
Guessing Game: Chest with Peach
Cart-Slow KingdomKing places a large peach in the chest. Wukong eats the peach, leaving only the pit. Sanzang guesses 'peach pit,' which is correct and shocks the king.
Guessing Game: Daoist Lad Disguise
Cart-Slow KingdomTiger-Strength Immportal puts a Daoist lad in the chest. Wukong shaves his head, changes his clothes to monk's robes, gives him a wooden fish and tap, and instructs him to act as a monk. The lad emerges chanting Buddhist prayers, defeating the Daoists.
Head-Cutting Challenge
Cart-Slow KingdomDaoists challenge the monks to a head-cutting contest. Wukong regrows his head after being beheaded. Tiger-Strength Immortal fails, turns into a yellow tiger (demon), and dies.
Stomach Ripping and Heart Gouging Challenge
Cart-Slow KingdomDeer-Strength Immortal proposes a contest of stomach ripping and heart gouging. Wukong volunteers, opens his own stomach, and heals himself.
Deer-Strength's Imitation and Death
Cart-Slow KingdomDeer-Strength tries to imitate Wukong but his organs are stolen by a hawk (Wukong's magic). His true form as a white-coated deer (demon) is revealed.
Boiling Oil Bath Contest
Cart-Slow KingdomWukong enters a cauldron of boiling oil, frolics, and transforms into a tack to evade death. King believes Wukong has melted.
Sanzang's Plea for Mercy
Cart-Slow KingdomSanzang and Bajie are about to be executed. Sanzang requests time for a ritual offering.
Invoking Wukong's Spirit
Cart-Slow KingdomSanzang and Bajie pray to Wukong at the cauldron.
Wukong's Confrontation in the Cauldron
Cart-Slow KingdomWukong reveals himself in the cauldron, startling Sanzang. Officials claim Wukong is a ghost; Wukong attacks an officer.
Goat-Strength Immortal Bathes Unharmed
Cart-Slow KingdomWukong forces the king to send Goat-Strength Immortal into the cauldron of boiling oil. Goat-Strength Immortal bathes and cavorts in the boiling oil, appearing unharmed. Wukong notices the oil is now cold when Goat-Strength Immortal is inside.
Wukong Summons Ao Shun to Remove the Cold Dragon
Cart-Slow KingdomWukong suspects a trick and realizes a cold dragon is protecting Goat-Strength Immortal. He recites a spell to summon Ao Shun, the Dragon King of the North. Wukong orders Ao Shun to remove the cold dragon from the cauldron.
Goat-Strength Immortal is Scalded to Death
Cart-Slow KingdomWith the cold dragon gone, the oil returns to its boiling state. Goat-Strength Immortal is scalded, his flesh dissolves, and he dies. His true form as a goat demon is revealed.
The King's Lament
Cart-Slow KingdomThe king mourns the loss of his Daoist preceptors and laments the futility of their pursuit of immortality through poetry.