The White Dragon-Horse Joined Their Ranks

It is told: Sun Wukong and Tang Monk continued westward. After several days of travel, it being the twelfth lunar month, the north wind blew fiercely and the frozen ground was treacherously slippery. The path was filled with steep cliffs and rugged roads until they reached a mountain stream called Eagle Sorrow Gorge. Looking down, they saw the stream’s waters were very deep. Suddenly, with a loud splash, a dragon emerged from the depths and lunged at Tang Monk.

Sun Wukong hastily dropped the luggage, lifted his master off the horse, and turned to flee. The dragon did not pursue them but swallowed the horse whole, then submerged into the stream and vanished without a trace.

Seeing this, Tang Monk felt deeply distressed: "Without the horse, how can we journey on?" Sun Wukong then took out his golden-hooped iron staff, walked to the water’s edge, and shouted: "Slimy loach! Return my horse! Return my horse!"

Hearing the insult, the dragon leaped through waves and surged upward. Sun Wukong swung his staff at its head. The dragon bared fangs and brandished claws to seize him. The two fought fiercely by the stream until the dragon, overpowered, turned and jumped back into the water.

Sun Wukong then leaped to the edge and used his divine power to churn rivers and seas, stirring the crystal-clear stream until it roiled like the Yellow River’s torrents. The dragon, restless in the stream, had no choice but to jump out, cursing: "Where did you come from, you fiend, to bully me like this?"
Sun Wukong retorted: "Never mind where I’m from! Return the horse, and I’ll spare your life!"
The dragon said: "I’ve eaten your horse—how could I spit it out? What will you do if I refuse?"
Sun Wukong declared: "Then I’ll beat you to death to avenge my horse!"

They battled bitterly beneath the cliffs until the dragon, utterly outmatched, transformed into a water snake with a flick of its body and slithered into the grass. Sun Wukong searched with his staff but found nothing.

Sun Wukong was so enraged that "his three corpses gods cursed, and smoke rose from his seven orifices." Suddenly, an auspicious cloud descended from midair. Tang Monk looked up and said: "The Bodhisattva has come."

The Bodhisattva spoke: "Jade Dragon Third Prince, son of Dragon King Ao Run—emerge! The Bodhisattva of the South Sea is here."
The young dragon indeed surged through waves, leaped from the water, transformed into a human figure, stepped onto a cloud, and bowed to the Bodhisattva in midair: "I thank the Bodhisattva for sparing my life. I have long awaited the scripture-seeker but never saw him."

The Bodhisattva pointed at Sun Wukong: "This is the chief disciple of the scripture-seeker."
The young dragon exclaimed: "Bodhisattva, this is my enemy! Hungry, I ate his horse. Yet he relied on his strength to beat me, never mentioning a word about seeking scriptures!"
Sun Wukong then soared onto the cloud. The Bodhisattva stepped forward, plucked the luminous pearl from the young dragon’s neck, dipped a willow branch in sweet dew, brushed it over him, blew immortal breath, and commanded: "Change!" The dragon transformed into a white horse.

The Bodhisattva instructed: "Devote yourself to repaying karmic obstacles. Upon achieving your merit, you shall attain the golden body of enlightenment." She then told Wukong to take the white horse to Tang Monk.
Wukong protested: "The road is fraught with dangers—even my life is at risk! How can I achieve enlightenment? I won’t go! I won’t go!"

The Bodhisattva said: "To attain enlightenment, you must have faith. Come—I grant you another power." She plucked three willow leaves and placed them on the back of Sun Wukong’s head, where they became three life-saving hairs. Only then did Wukong thank the Bodhisattva. She turned and rode her cloud back to Mount Potala.

Sun Wukong led the horse down to Tang Monk and recounted all. Tang Monk rejoiced: "Where is the Bodhisattva? I must bow in gratitude!"
Sun Wukong replied: "She has already returned to the South Sea."
Tang Monk then gathered earth as incense, bowed southward in worship. After paying respects, he mounted the dragon-horse and continued west.
To know what happened next, listen to the next chapter.