The summoned spirits knelt before Sun Wukong. "This mountain god and land spirit are at your service."

"Come on, it’s your turn to receive five strikes. Let's have a brief exchange to calm my mind," Monkey Pilgrim said.

The two spirits kowtowed and pleaded, "Great Sage, please forgive us for our delay and inconvenience. Allow us to explain."

"Start talking."

"Great Sage, you've been trapped for a long time, and we haven't had the chance to interact. Please pardon our delay. We pray for your understanding."

"Alright, I won't hit you right now. Let me ask you: In Eagle Sorrow Steep Gorge, where did that strange dragon come from? How did he manage to snatch my master's white horse?"

"Great Sage, you've never had a master before. You're a unique, untamed, and unrestrained being, neither bowing to heaven nor earth. How could you possibly have a master's horse?" The spirits asked.

"You folks don't know the story. I was tricked into suffering for five hundred years. Thanks to the guidance of the Bodhisattva Guanyin, I was rescued by a true monk under the Tang Dynasty. I became his disciple, and we're on a journey to the West to look for Buddhist scriptures. While traveling through here, I lost my master's white horse."

The spirits said, "Now we understand. This gorge is inherently innocent, characterized by its deep and steep nature, wide expanse, and pristine water. The water is so clear that even crows and magpies dare not fly across it. Because the clear water reflects their own forms, these birds mistake their reflections for their companions and often dive into the water. That's why it's called 'Eagle Sorrow Steep Gorge.' Years ago, the Bodhisattva Guanyin saved a jade dragon and placed it here. She instructed it to await the arrival of the scriptures-seeker and forbade it from causing trouble. Usually, it comes ashore to catch birds and deer for food when hungry. We're not sure why it acted ignorantly and confronted you today."

Monkey explained, "When we first met, we fought and traded a few moves. The second time, I yelled at it, and it chose not to come back out. That's when I used a technique to stir up the waters of the gorge. The commotion prompted it to emerge, ready to fight again. But my staff is heavy, and it couldn't defend against it. So, it transformed into a water snake and slithered into the grass. I rushed here to find it, but there's no trace."

The earth spirit said, "Great Sage, you might not know this. The gorge is interconnected with countless passages, which is why the waves are so vast. There's likely a passage around here that it went down. No need for you to get angry and search here. If you want to capture this creature, just bring Bodhisattva Guanyin. It'll naturally submit.”

Upon hearing this, Monkey ordered the mountain and earth spirits to come before Tripitaka. So, they relayed the previous events.

Tripitaka said, "If we have to go invite the Bodhisattva, how long will it take to return? How can I endure hunger and cold?"

Just then, a voice from the sky called out, "Great Sage, you need not set out. I'll go fetch the Bodhisattva."

Monkey was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Thank you, thank you. Hurry, hurry."

The herald immediately soared through the clouds and headed for the South Sea.

Monkey instructed the mountain spirit and the earth to protect Tripitaka while the daily-duty official sought food offerings. Then, he went to patrol the edge of the gorge.

Now, let's talk about what happened when the Golden-Headed Herald arrived on a cloud in the South Sea.

Guided by a radiant light, he went directly to the Purple Bamboo Grove on Mount Potalaka. There, he enlisted the help of the armored heavenly beings and the Benevolent Pilgrim to relay his message and was able to meet the Bodhisattva.

The Bodhisattva asked, "What brings you here?"

The Herald replied, "Tang Sanzang lost his horse at the Coiling Serpent Mountain's Eagle Sorrow Steep Gorge. Sun the Great Sage is in a difficult situation, not knowing what to do. After asking the local land deities, we learned that a wicked dragon, who claimed to have been sent by you, swallowed the horse in the gorge."

The Great Sage sent one of his small attendants to request the Bodhisattva's assistance in subduing the wicked dragon and recovering the horse. Upon hearing this, the Bodhisattva responded, "This scoundrel is actually the son of the Dragon King of the Western Sea. He set fire to the palace's precious pearl, and his father accused him of disobedience. In the Heavenly Court, he committed a grave offense. I personally spoke to the Jade Emperor and had the dragon son come down to serve Tang Sanzang as a disciple on his journey. How could he turn around and devour Tang Monk's horse? Let me handle this." With that, the Bodhisattva descended on a lotus platform, left the Celestial Cave, and, along with the Golden-Headed Herald, rode on a bright light across the South Sea to arrive.

The poem says:

Buddha's words in Tripitaka resound,

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Bodhisattvas' deeds, virtues unbound.

Profound and wondrous speech spans skies,

Mantras of wisdom free spirits' ties.

Golden cicada sheds its shell anew,

Xuanzang treads the path, purpose true.

Obstacles like eagles' gorge in dismay,

Dragon's child, horse-formed, finds the way.

The Bodhisattva and the Golden-Headed Herald arrived at Coiling Serpent Mountain in no time. They stayed in mid-air on a cloud and looked down, seeing Sun Wukong by the stream, yelling in anger.

The Bodhisattva instructed the Herald to call him over.

The Herald descended on a cloud without passing by Tripitaka and went straight to the stream. He said to Sun Wukong, "The Bodhisattva has arrived."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong swiftly leaped into the air and shouted, "You, the master of the Seven Buddhas, the compassionate leader, how did you come up with ways to harm me?"

The Bodhisattva replied, "I have labeled you as a bold horse and a foolish, stubborn donkey. I've made great efforts to bring the pilgrim to help save your life, yet you haven't come to thank me for sparing you. Instead, you're here making a fuss."

Sun Wukong retorted, "You're playing tricks on me. Since you let me out, you should have let me enjoy my freedom. The other day, you welcomed me on the sea and said some hurtful things, making me serve Tang Sanzang wholeheartedly. Then you gave him a fancy flower crown and tricked me into wearing it, causing me great suffering. You've clamped this headband onto my head and made the old monk chant some 'Tightening Spell' over and over, causing excruciating pain. Isn't this your doing?"

The Bodhisattva chuckled and said, "You, monkey, you don't follow teachings. You reject true enlightenment. If I didn't restrict you in this way, you'd continue deceiving and challenging fate. How would you ever learn your lesson? If you keep causing trouble like you did before, who will be accountable for it? Only when you capture this demon will you be willing to enter the path of my yoga practice."

Sun Wukong replied, "Fine, I'll admit that causing trouble is my weakness. But why did you let that guilty dragon become a demon here, allowing him to devour my master's horse? That's letting a criminal run amok, and it's definitely not a righteous action."

The Bodhisattva said, "That dragon was brought here by my plea to the Jade Emperor. He's meant to assist the monk on his journey for scriptures. Think about it, how can ordinary horses from the East traverse countless rivers and mountains? How can they reach the sacred land of Ling Mountain? Only with this dragon-horse can they make the journey."

Sun Wukong asked, "But he's so afraid of me and hiding away. How can I get him to come out?"

The Bodhisattva instructed the Gate, "Go to the edge of the stream and call out, 'Ao Run, Dragon King, Third Prince of Dragon King of the Western Sea, come out! South Sea Bodhisattva is here.' He'll come out then."

The Gate went to the stream's edge and called twice.

The young dragon, leaping through the waves and surging waters, emerged from the water and transformed into a human form. Stepping on a cloud, he bowed to the Bodhisattva and said, "Thanks to the Bodhisattva's mercy, I've been saved from death. I've been waiting here for a long time, but there's no news of the pilgrim."

The Bodhisattva pointed towards Sun Wukong and said, "Isn't this the pilgrim's senior disciple?"

Seeing Sun Wukong, the young dragon said, "Bodhisattva, this is my adversary. Yesterday, driven by hunger, I did indeed eat his horse. He fought me fiercely and forced me to retreat, even hurling insults that left me hiding in fear. He never mentioned a 'pilgrim' at all."

Sun Wukong retorted, "You never asked my name or origin, so how could I say anything?"

The young dragon replied, "I never asked you who you were, the demon from wherever. You were shouting, 'I don't care where you're from, just give me back my horse.' Did you mention 'Tang' even once?"

The Bodhisattva interjected, "This monkey is proud and unyielding, never one to commend others. But next time when you approach, bring up the term 'pilgrim.' No need to worry, it'll lead to his submission naturally."

Monkey was delighted to learn.

The Bodhisattva stepped forward, plucked the bright pearl from the little dragon's neck, dipped a willow branch into sweet dew, lightly brushed it over him, blew a breath of celestial air, and commanded, "Transform!" The dragon immediately changed back into an equine form.

The Bodhisattva instructed him, saying, "You must sincerely repay your karmic debts. Once your mission is accomplished, you'll transcend the mundane dragon state and achieve a golden, enlightened form."

The young dragon held the words close to his heart with his mouth shut in agreement.

The Bodhisattva directed Sun Wukong to take him to meet Tripitaka. "I'll return to the ocean," said the Bodhisattva.

Monkey grabbed the Bodhisattva and protested, "I'm not going, I'm not going. The journey to the Western Realm is rugged like this, and to safeguard this mortal monk, how long will it take? With so many trials and tribulations, it's hard for me to preserve my life, let alone attain any accomplishments. I'm not going, I'm not going."

The Bodhisattva said, "Back when you were still unfinished in your understanding of righteousness, you were willing to dedicate yourself to enlightenment. Now that you've escaped celestial tribulations, why have you grown lazy? In our path, achieving true realization requires unwavering faith and genuine progress. When you face hardships along the way, I promise you can call on the heavens and the earth, and when you encounter the most challenging moments, I'll personally come to your rescue. Come closer, and I'll bestow upon you another special ability."

The Bodhisattva plucked three willow leaves and placed them behind Monkey's head. With a command, they transformed into three life-saving hairs. The Bodhisattva instructed him, "When you're in dire situations where there seems to be no solution, you can use these hairs to adapt and help you escape from immediate danger."

After hearing these words of wisdom, Monkey expressed his gratitude to the compassionate Bodhisattva.

Surrounded by fragrant breezes and colorful mists, the Bodhisattva departed for Potalaka Mountain.

As Monkey landed on the ground, he grabbed the dragon-horse's mane and approached Tripitaka. He said, "Master, we've got the horse."

Tripitaka's face lit up as he exclaimed, "My disciple, how did the horse become even healthier and more robust than before? Where did you find it?"

Monkey replied, "Master, you must be dreaming. Just now, the Gold-Headed Gate brought the Bodhisattva here. The dragon in the stream transformed into our white horse. Their fur patterns are the same, but it lacks a saddle and bridle. So I grabbed it and brought it here."

Tripitaka was astounded, asking, "Where is the Bodhisattva? I must go and express my gratitude." Monkey explained, "The Bodhisattva has already returned to the South Sea. They couldn't stay any longer."

Tripitaka gathered some soil and lit incense, facing south to offer his respects. After finishing his prayers, he stood up and began preparing to continue their journey with Monkey.

Monkey dismissed the mountain god and land deity, gave instructions to the Gates and the other attendants, and then asked Tripitaka to mount the horse.