The Journey to the West: Volume I

As promised, Taizong holds the service for those souls who are trapped in the Underworld, unable to be reincarnated. He requests that monks come from all over the region to attend and participate in the service, and they start to arrive over the course of the next month. The next task is to choose a monk to lead the service: Xuanzang is selected. Taizong recognizes his name because he knows Chen E. The service will last for 49 days, and it’s scheduled for the third day of the ninth month. Guanyin also attends the service. She interrupts Xuanzang and yells at him for his preaching. Guanyin reveals that what he should be preaching is contained in the text in India, to the west. Taizong asks who will undertake the quest, and Xuanzang volunteers, much to Taizong’s delight. Taizong gives Xuanzang documentation that will allow him to travel throughout the land. Taizong gives Xuanzang another name: Tripitaka. 

Tripitaka begins his journey to the west. It’s early, and the sun hasn’t come up yet. His horse trips, and they fall into a pit where they’re captured by an ill-intentioned demon king. The demon eats Tripitaka’s attendants, with the threat that he’ll eat Tripitaka later. An old man appears, walking with the aid of a stick. He frees Tripitaka, who thanks him, showing gratitude and humility. The old man offers to show him how to get out of the pit and back on the road. When Tripitaka turns to thank the old man again, he’s gone. The old man has flown into the sky on the back of a crane and has dropped a few lines of poetry that reveal he is the Planet Venus. The poem also informs Tripitaka he will gather disciples and urges him not to feel anger regarding the scriptures.

Tripitaka continues on his way. A tiger almost devours him, but the warden of the mountain, Liu Boqin, saves him. Boqin invites Tripitaka and his horse to rest at his home. In exchange, Tripitaka prays for Boqin’s deceased father and saves his spirit. The spirit comes to the family that night: Tripitaka must be rewarded because the spirit will now be reincarnated into a good family. Because Tripitaka won’t accept any gifts, Boqin agrees to escort him for part of his quest. They hear a voice cry out that his master has arrived.

It’s been 500 years, and Wukong is desperately happy to see Tripitaka. Wukong tells Tripitaka about Tathāgata and shares that he was imprisoned because of what he did in Heaven. He explains that Guanyin promised him the chance at redemption if he protected Tripitaka and served him. In order to release Wukong, Tripitaka must remove the written command of Tathāgata at the top of the mountain. Tripitaka does this, and the mountain breaks open. Wukong is free and bows to Tripitaka. At that moment, six bandits attack them. Wukong defeats all the bandits with ease, killing them. This upsets Tripitaka; Wukong doesn’t like Tripitaka’s anger and leaves him to journey alone. Tripitaka meets a woman who gives him clothes for Wukong and casts a spell to make him return; she disappears, and Tripitaka realizes it was Guanyin. Wukong talks to the Dragon King, who reminds him that if he doesn’t follow Tripitaka, he won’t be redeemed. Wukong is then referred to as Pilgrim and returns to Tripitaka, who has control over him because of Guanyin’s magic.

Tripitaka and Pilgrim continue their travels, and they reach Eagle Grief Stream. They hear a noise and observe a dragon in the waves. The dragon tries to eat Tripitaka, but Pilgrim saves him and they flee. Instead of eating Tripitaka, the dragon eats Tripitaka’s horse and goes back under water. 

Pilgrim fights with the dragon but can’t capture it, so he turns to Guanyin to help. She tells the dragon that Pilgrim serves the man the dragon was waiting for—this is the dragon Hui’an fought. Guanyin changes the dragon into a horse. With the dragon-turned-horse, Tripitaka and Pilgrim can continue their journey.