Upon not seeing their daughter, the Chens were thrown into a panic, crying and wailing. Some relatives said, “Wasn’t that god dressed in gold armor some sort of demon who dragged her off somewhere?”

Others said, “Wasn’t it some sort of sorcerer disguised as a gold-armored god who took her off somewhere?”

At this time the whole household was in an uproar, crying and wailing. The Liu family relatives who had come to meet the new bride saw this extraordinary situation and were very distressed. They distributed the gongs and drums and the festooned sedan chair to return home.

Chen Chang saw that things hadn’t worked out. Originally, he had accepted the wedding gifts. He said to Lin Bashu, “I am sorry to trouble you, elder brother, to explain things to the other party, but I prefer to return to the Lius the one hundred gold pieces that I accepted.” Bashu took the money and, along with the decorated sedan chair and the crowds, returned home. When he saw the crowd of relatives, he recounted what had happened. All of Gutian talked about the Chen family’s bizarre affair and spread it all around. Only at dusk did they stop.

Shortly afterward Lin Bashu arrived at the Lius. He said, “It’s a strange matter of extraordinary rarity. Your relatives by marriage have entrusted me to return the wedding money to you. They beg you to take it back, and with your wife choose another, better, daughter-in-law.”

Before Liu Tong could reply, Liu Qi, standing at his side with a very proper expression on his face, said, “Among great gentlemen, who has ever discarded a first wife and chosen another? To do so would be to behave like the birds and beasts. Will you please do us the favor of returning the original money to the Chen family? I am now going to Luoyuan to take up my post. Tell them to take all the time they need to search for her, and if there comes a day when she is found, our happy fate will still be there. If she doesn’t return, I will never take another wife.” When Liu Tong heard these words from his son he had no choice but to go along. On the next auspicious day, Liu Qi went with his family to Luoyuan to take up the post of police chief.

When Lin Bashu received this order, he again carried the money and gifts back to the Chens. He explained the other’s position to Chen Chang. When Chen Chang heard this, he was very pleased and said, “This is rare indeed!” Then he took the money and gifts, and charged his relatives and friends with the task of searching everywhere for Chen Jinggu. He sought divine guidance by drawing lots and consulting fortune-tellers, all without effect. Everyday Chen Chang moaned with pain. His back, where he had been struck by the god in gold armor, swelled and festered and became ulcerated. Where his wife, Madame Ge, was injured when she was struck also stiffened up, and ulcers appeared on her hands. Day and night the old couple cried from the pain. A doctor was sent for to treat them, but they did not recover. Chen Chang had a nephew, who came to attend them.

To return to our story, Shancai and Liangnü, under orders from Guanyin, took Chen Jinggu from the Chen household to the mountain facing Haijiu Peak, beyond Zhen North Pass, and there they set her down and roused her. Startled and alarmed, Chen Jinggu asked, “Who are you? Why did you bring me here?”

Shancai and Liangnü replied, “We are none other than Shancai and Liangnü from Guanyin’s side. Consequently, the Dharma Gate of Mount Lü is open. Because you were pressured to marry but did not, on her orders we have brought you to Mount Lü to study magic.¹ When you have mastered the arts, you can still return to see your parents. How will that be?” When Jinggu heard this, and saw that Liangnü was a female companion, she relaxed. Then they went on together.

To take up our story, behind Wangbeitai Peak was Great Ravine Mountain.² To the side of that mountain there was a foul miasma from a swampy, water-filled ditch. Subjected to the essence of the sun and moon, the mixture congealed into a certain Ravine Demon. This Ravine Demon was a hideous monstrosity: on his head grew a single horn, he had three fingers, his face was indigo blue, his hair like red sand, he was over thirty feet tall, his shoulders broad, his nose hooked, his eyes enormous, his huge mouth had long fangs, he had a red beard, and veins ran through his body right to the source. Whether it was broad daylight or darkest night, he would either turn into a young woman or a handsome youth. At either Great Ravine Mountain or around Wangbeitai Peak he would bewitch male and female travelers.

This Ravine Demon was a demon among demons. He had made a very good friend at Panther Head Mountain, to the west of Bian Cheng outside the South Pass.³ On the mountain was a cave where monkeys dwelled. A thousand-year-old red monkey from this cave, with red fur and golden eyes, often assumed human form.⁴ He frequently roamed Wangbeitai Peak, concealing himself in ditches, or he would go to Panther Head Mountain. By nature he was debauched. Often he and the Ravine Demon would roam around together to amuse themselves.

One day he and the Ravine Demon took the forms of two young students. Just then, on Wangbeitai Peak in the distance, they saw Jinggu and Liangnü coming. The Ravine Demon became agitated. The red monkey, nicknamed Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage,⁵ tugged at him, saying, “Elder brother, look! Over there two living prizes are approaching.” When Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage saw that it was two beautiful young women, his high spirits redoubled. Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage said to the Ravine Demon, “These two beauties, you and I can each take one of them, and my lifelong wish will be fulfilled.”

The Ravine Demon replied, “A pair of gifts is coming our way. How could we let them slip away?”

Before he had finished speaking, the two women arrived in front of them. The Ravine Demon blocked their way, and asked, “Where are you two young ladies from? Where are you going that you pass through here?”

Seeing that it was two young men, Jinggu replied, “I am from Xiadu. My father is surnamed Chen and his given name is Chang. I am going to Mount Lü to study the Way.”

The Ravine Demon replied, “Mount Lü is all name and no substance. I see that you two young ladies are still very young, so how could you know what road to take to reach Mount Lü? I am afraid that you have bitten off more than you can chew. Contrary to your hopes, it will do you no good. We two are none other than students of Celestial Master Zhang of Dragon Tiger Mountain in Guixi County in Jiangxi.⁶ Having studied Daoist magic, we can command gods, mobilize spirit generals, set ghosts to task, and cause demons to submit. If you two young ladies study our magic, we will pass on to you the magic we have acquired over an entire lifetime. I don’t know if you will agree to this or not.”

Chen Jinggu replied, “I am going to Mount Lü, so you should not block our way and detain us.” The Ravine Demon then embraced Jinggu, and held her tight. Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage was about to embrace Liangnü, when she perceived that they were a monster and a demon.

She cursed them loudly, saying, “Monkeys should not be without manners! Behold my Dharma Jewel!”⁷ Then she brandished the fragrant pearl, and hurled it at Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage. The pearl turned into a ball of red light, and brilliant flames soared up. Set on fire by the flames, Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage’s skin peeled and his fur smoldered, and he ran for his life all the way back to Panther Head Mountain to seek refuge in the monkey cave. There he rested quietly while his skin and fur healed.

When the Ravine Demon saw the fire burning and the flames leaping, he quickly fled, escaping through the veins of the earth. Liangnü saw the two demons flee and called back her magic jewel. Jinggu asked, “Those two students just now, what sort of people were they?”

Liangnü replied, “One was a thousand-year-old monkey devil, and the other was the Ravine Demon; the one a monster, the other a demon. They are always up to no good, by nature devoted to debauchery. When I threw my precious pearl at them, the monkey was burned so that his skin peeled and his fur smoldered. This worked to the Ravine Demon’s advantage, so he escaped from me.”

When Jinggu heard her say that it was a monster and a demon, totally lacking all decency, she took a gold hairpin from her head, thrust it into the mountain, and vowed, “If I get to Mount Lü and successfully master the magic arts, I swear that I will exterminate these two monsters.”⁸ Her oath concluded, she continued on to Wangbeitai Peak with Liangnü.

Again they encountered a man, whose surname was Yuan and given name Guangzhi, who was just over twenty years old. His hometown was Minqing.⁹ He, too, was on his way to Mount Lü to study magic, but didn’t know the way. Running into the two young ladies was Heaven sent! Yuan Guangzhi hurried up to them and bowed. He wanted to go on in the company of the two young women to Mount Lü to study magic, but Jinggu said, “That cannot be allowed. Since there can be no physical contact between a man and a woman unless they are married, how could we travel together? It would be improper.”

Yuan Guangzhi asked, “Why are you talking like this? I only know that since we will study with the same teacher, we are brother and sister under the same master. We belong to the same family, so what is improper?”

Liangnü said, “If you want to go to Mount Lü to study magic, either you walk ahead or behind. As long as you follow at a distance, that is permissible. But if you want the three of us to travel together, that is absolutely out of the question.”

Yuan Guangzhi said, “Since you put it this way, I will follow a few steps behind.” The two women hurried ahead, and Yuan Guangzhi followed them at a distance of a few paces.

Mount Lü was originally at Dragon Pool Ravine.¹⁰ They followed the Hao River to Fan Chuan Pu, along the water, passing Tian Ning temple, where mountains faced each other. It connected to various small tributaries, which led to a great river that reaches the sea. They went through the magic gate, which was near the town. People wanting to study magic came one after another. Those who were not sincere were not accepted, nor were those who did not have the proper karma.¹¹ There was a constant commotion and no peace, so Mount Lü was moved to Ruanchen, where it was sunk beneath the water, only its southern terrace floating on the surface of the river. Consequently, the only trace remained at Goulong Terrace, which was originally on Jiangxin island.

They passed beneath Wu Mountain. From the northeast they went around to Guanxiapu in the southeast, and stopped at Dragon River.¹² After Liufan, they crossed the river and anchored at Jinjiang. At Sizhou they reached the watery region of Longtan and Bosi. It is still Jiangpu Hezhou. (These three names are still in existence.) Precisely because malignant, poisonous vapor rose into the sky, the Daoist master had decided to submerge Mount Lü beneath the water, so that only the southern terrace floated on the water. But all the magic gates and other such places led to exactly where they did before. It was another Mount Lü, not the same as the ordinary one.

Earlier, Mount Lü had taken in the two generals, Huang and Yang, and accepted a student named Zhang Sha from Fuqing, who was all alone in the world.¹³ For generations his ancestors had been Daoist masters, and in his family were those who served the ancestral Lingbao master.¹⁴ One night he dreamed that he saw a god with a long beard, wearing a Daoist cap and clothing, who called himself the Lingbao Daoist master. Expressly for him, Mount Lü opened the Dharma Gate. Crowds quickly made their way to Dragon Pool Ravine at White Dragon River in Fuzhou. On the river small boats followed one after the other. Hurry! Hurry! No one wanted to miss this unique opportunity. When Zhang Sha woke up, he half believed and half doubted what he had dreamed. At dawn, he again asked the god for some sign. The spirit medium said, “If you succeed in reaching Mount Lü to study magic, prostrate yourself and supplicate the Three Sages. Then sequentially strike your head before them.”¹⁵

Zhang Sha was very happy. His mind at rest, he bundled up his things, and closed and locked the door. He went directly to Fuzhou. When he had gone part way, he met a man who asked him, “Elder Brother Zhang, where are you going?”

Zhang Sha saw that it was a neighbor, Liu Yuan, with whom he had often worked as a hired laborer, and told him the truth. Liu Yuan said, “That’s just where I am going! I, your younger brother, am also alone. Elder brother, let’s go together to seek instruction in magic from the master. I don’t know if you are willing or not.”

Zhang Sha replied, “Why not? With a companion on the road, I won’t be lonely. What could be better?”

Zhang and Liu arrived at White Dragon Pool Ravine in Fuzhou, where there was a small boat. Zhang Sha asked the ferryman, “Where did your little boat come from?”

He replied, “The Daoist master of Mount Lü sent the two generals, Huang and Yang, to transform themselves into a boat for you. You want to go to Mount Lü to study magic, and I have especially come to Dragon Pool to pick you up.” The ferryman saw that Zhang and Liu had an auspicious karma, so he told them, “My boat is headed for Mount Lü.”

When Zhang and Liu heard that he was going to Mount Lü, they were overjoyed, and said, “Mount Lü is just where we want to go to study magic. Quickly, let us board the boat; there is no need to formally receive us.”

With a few punts, they left the secular world and entered a mountainous landscape. Before them they saw a lofty peak. On the side stood a great stele, engraved on which were several large graphs. Written in the Dragon Pool Phoenix Seal were the words “Mount Lü Great Academy of Magic.” On the side of the stele were written five small graphs: “Opens Once Every Thirty Years” (San Shi Nian Yi Kai).

The two ascended the mountain and walked several li until they reached the grotto gate. They entered and bowed before the Perfected Lord, the Daoist master Perfected Lord Xu. Seeing that it was two villagers, he said, “You two have just entered the Dharma Gate, and don’t yet know the rules of my grotto. In the grotto we eat a dan of rice per day.¹⁶ You two have just reached the Dharma Gate. For the time being, go to the rear garden to prepare rice. I will transmit the law to you after this.” Then he gave instructions to his attendants to accompany Zhang and Liu to the rear garden to pound rice.¹⁷

The two men obeyed his instructions and entered the rear garden, where all they saw was a stone mortar placed in the center along with a pair of pestles. Every day they ground rice, and before they knew it three years had passed. Liu Yuan said to Zhang Sha, “I feel that the Daoist master is treating us like slaves. It’s been more than three years since the two of us entered the mountain, but he hasn’t taught us a single art. Every day our only companion is this mortar. Wouldn’t it be better to return home? Doing a lowly task like this, we’d at least get half the day off. Just now the master has gone out of the grotto, so the two of us could go home right now.”

They had taken only a few dozen steps when their hands began to itch. Liu Yuan said to Zhang Sha, “Our hands and feet itching horribly like this is probably because we didn’t always wash them clean, giving rise to itchy sores.”

Zhang Sha replied, “The master once said that if it should itch, then rubbing with ink will make the itching stop.” So they took some ink and rubbed it into the itchy spots, and felt the itching stop.

Zhang Sha said, “This ink is actually a wonder drug, so we should hide the rest on our persons to use later. This stone mortar and wooden pestles are big and heavy, and if we take them home with us, what use would they be? We’ve been at Mount Lü for three years. If we take them with us, and the hometown people see them, won’t they laugh at us?”

Liu Yuan said, “What you say is reasonable. Let’s throw them down the mountain.”

The two of them took the stone mortar and the wooden pestles and threw them off the mountain. In a flash flames leaped into the air, thunder rolled, and the earth shook. The two men looked at each other in alarm. How could they have known that they were magic treasures?¹⁸ They rushed down the mountain to pick them up, but when they drew near, the mortar and pestles rolled uphill. As soon as they caught up with them, they rolled down. Again and again they rolled away. Zhang and Liu wanted only to retrieve them, caring nothing for their lives. They fell up and they fell down, following the flames. But when they finally caught them, they were just two utensils, which they carried back up the mountain.

Who would have guessed that all that falling up and falling down would cause the itchy spots that had been rubbed with ink to all fall off? When they examined themselves repeatedly, they were shocked. All the places where the spots had fallen off had turned into eyes! Their hands, arms, legs, and feet were covered with hideous eyes! Zhang Sha said to Liu Yuan, “How is it that our bodies are covered with eyes?”

Liu Yuan replied, “Quick, let’s take the mortar and pestles back. When we see the master we will ask him why.”

Zhang Sha and Liu Yuan, holding the mortar and pestles, again had an audience with Perfected Lord Xu. The master laughed and said, “I foresaw that having departed, you would inevitably return. You can use those eyes to look up at the sky.” The two walked to a clearing. When they looked up, they could see right up to the Celestial Offices and the Palace of the Void, and when they looked down, they could see the high hidden peaks in the earth.

When they finished looking, Perfected Lord Xu said, “Those eyes are not ordinary eyes. By examining bodily shapes and facial expressions they can distinguish evil demons among spirits and the good and bad among men. The work of the mortar and pestle is the art of the Five Thunders. There’s no need for you to leave. You can guard the magic gate of Mount Lü. If someone comes to the mountain to study magic, if it’s an evil spirit or ghost then don’t let them in, and don’t let in those who are debauched.”

Zhang and Liu obeyed the order. Perfected Lord Xu instructed them to guard the misty mountain peak. People who came to the mountain called the one on the left King Zhang Sha and the one on the right General Liu. Then Perfected Lord Xu ordered the Daoist masters to make lions to lie by the altar. As for the pictures hanging on either side [today], the feet, hands, back and eyes are those of King Zhang Sha and General Liu.

To return to our story, Chen Jinggu and Liangnü arrived at Dragon Pool, where a small boat was already waiting. They stepped into the boat and punted with the current. Liangnü saw Jinggu onto the boat. When they reached Mount Lü, they stepped ashore. Entering the grotto, they called on the master, who was delighted and admitted them. From this time Jinggu stayed at Mount Lü to study the magical arts. Liangnü said goodbye and returned to the South Sea.

Yuan Guangzhi was only a few steps behind them, but he could not catch up. By the time he had caught up, their boat had vanished. Another man punting a boat asked, “Where is it that you want to go?”

Yuan Guangzhi replied, “I want to go to Mount Lü.”

The boatman said, “Young gentleman, I have never heard of any Mount Lü around here. You must either go upstream four heights to Yanjian Shaoding, or downstream four breadths to Fuxing Quantan. This little boat of mine can only go back and forth between the two banks here.”

Yuan Guangzhi asked, “How is it that you don’t know Mount Lü?”

The boatman replied, “I’ve heard people of the older generation speak of it. Mount Lü is submerged under Dragon Pool Ravine. But you and I are only ordinary people, so how could we go there? Young gentleman, you must ask another boatman, as my boat can’t go there.” Then he punted his boat back to the bank of Dragon Pool River. When Yuan Guangzhi heard that Mount Lü was submerged under the water, he thought he was out of luck. In the end, he took back the boat fare and went to Wangbeitai Peak to dispel his low spirits.

To return to our story, the Ravine Demon had escaped being burned by the fiery pearl thrown by Liangnü by concealing himself in the earth. And Jinggu had pulled out a hairpin and vowed to capture the two evildoers. But having overheard her, the Ravine Demon felt that he should probably go away for a long time. Only then did he emerge from hiding in the mountain, and, transforming himself into a young scholar, went for a stroll on Wangbeitai Peak. He thought to himself, “Just now Jinggu made a vow that after going to Mount Lü to master the magical arts she would exterminate Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage and me. If she comes back, she will certainly make trouble for me. But when the time comes I can try to deal with things.”

Just as he was speaking, he saw someone approaching. The Ravine Demon asked the stranger, “Where are you going, elder brother?” Yuan Guangzhi told him the whole story of how he had met two women on the road and they had taken a ferryboat to Mount Lü, but when he tried to follow them their boat was already too far away and so they had vanished.

The Ravine Demon thought to himself that Yuan Guangzhi’s original idea of going to Mount Lü to study the magical arts was not as good as telling him to go to Mount Mao to pay his respects to Master Mao.¹⁹ “Later, after Guangzhi has mastered the Way, he could be an adversary of that cheap tramp, Chen Jinggu, and so be of assistance to me. Wouldn’t that be a good idea?” So he said to Yuan Guangzhi, “How could the magic of Mount Lü possibly be better than that of Mount Mao? The arts taught at Mount Mao all transform nature: casting beans to become soldiers, cutting grass to make horses, raising sandstorms, making rocks walk, summoning up wind and rain. These arts are far superior to those of Mount Lü. Since you didn’t succeed in going to Mount Lü, how about if I take you to Mount Mao?”

Guangzhi asked, “Where is Mount Mao?”

The Ravine Demon said, “It’s a long story. Mount Mao is fifty li southeast of Jurong County in Jiangnan, where there is an ancient mountain called Crooked Mountain (Qu Shan). After the master of Mount Mao attained the Way of the immortals, he changed the name to Mount Mao. The grotto is called Huayang Grotto of the Palace of the Primal Tally (Yuanfu Gong Huayang Dong).”

Guangzhi said, “Jiangnan is a separate province. It’s very far away, so how could we go there?”²⁰

The Ravine Demon said, “I’m only afraid that you won’t go, but if you want to go, we can be there in an instant.”

Guangzhi said, “A distance of a thousand li, how could it be so easy?”

The Ravine Demon replied, “I have already studied the magical arts of Mount Mao. If you want to go there, all you need is the Five Concealments of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. If you have these Five Concealments, in the space of half an hour we’ll be there.”²¹

Guangzhi said, “That would be truly marvelous. Shall we go here and now?”

The Ravine Demon said, “Why not? Close your eyes tight. Follow me and we’ll go using the method of Earth Concealment.”

Guangzhi closed his eyes. He heard only the sound of wind in his nose and ears, and in less than an hour they arrived at Mount Mao. When they left the Earth Concealment, the Ravine Demon told Guangzhi to open his eyes. Opening them and looking around, he saw a great mountain. The Ravine Demon instructed him, “If you enter, just say you came by land, that you have come here in all sincerity to do obeisance and seek learning. But you absolutely must not say that I brought you.” Then he moved to the side of the grotto, saying, “You can go in; I’m leaving. After three years, I’ll see you again.” Thereupon the Ravine Demon went back using the Earth Concealment Method.

When Guangzhi looked up, he saw the three characters “Huayang Grotto” on the plaque on the gate to the grotto. Seeing that the gate was ajar, he boldly slipped in. It happened that the true master of Mount Mao was in the hall expounding the law when he saw Yuan Guangzhi come in. He inquired about his background, and therewith enrolled him in the grotto for instruction.

Now we will return to the Ravine Demon, who, having led Guangzhi to Mount Mao to study the magical arts, had again used the Earth Concealment Method to go back. The Ravine Demon muttered resentfully, “I figure that Mount Lü, opening for study once every thirty years, doesn’t need to open again for several cycles, as those who study magic are ever more numerous.”

From Dragon Pool Ravine he used the Water Concealment Method to go to Mount Lü. There he saw that the gate to the grotto was tightly closed. On the plaque were written five large graphs: “Mount Lü Great Academy of Magic.” To one side was a note: “Opens Once Every Thirty Years.” Then the Ravine Demon pressed the single horn on his head above the character “ten” (shi). Pressing hard, he drew a stroke, changing the character “ten” into the character “one thousand” (qian), so that it told everyone that the academy opened once every three thousand years.

As he finished drawing the stroke, King Zhang Sha and General Liu, alarmed, hurled the mortar and pestle at the Ravine Demon. How could they have known that the Ravine Demon had no regard for his own life? At this point he fled. The two kings Zhang and Liu saw only a small demon, and thought nothing of it. Retrieving the mortar and pestle, they resumed guarding the magic gate. We won’t speak of this any further.

We will pick up our story. When the Ravine Demon had the mortar and pestle thrown at him by the two kings, Zhang and Liu, he used the Earth Concealment Method to escape. Heedless of the direction, he simply ran for his life. This escape route led straight to Gutian.²² But that is another story. There will be separate tales of demons and monsters deluding people by producing evil spirits, and of immortals of the true Way who exorcise these demons and monsters by brandishing their weapons. If you want to know what the Ravine Demon did in Gutian, read the next chapter.