It is said that Lishan Laomu, Wenshu Bodhisattva, Puxian Bodhisattva, and Guanyin Bodhisattva burned paper offerings for the Jing River Dragon King.
When King Yanluo learned of this, his face changed drastically, and he nearly fell from his seat.
What was going on? Hadn’t they said that old dragon had no real backing?
Fearful at heart, he hurriedly invited the other Ten Kings of Hell to discuss the matter: King Qin Guang, King Chu Jiang, King Song Di, King Wuguan, King Pingdeng, King Taishan, King Dushi, King Biancheng, and King Zhuanlun.
The Ten Kings gathered together, trembling with anxiety. Each offered a word, and with every exchange their hearts grew more panicked, yet they could come up with nothing.
The matters involving that old dragon of the Jing River were numerous and far from honorable. They did not dare go to Cuiyun Palace to ask Dizang Wang Bodhisattva; still less did they dare report it to Heaven.
King Yanluo asked his subordinates where the dragon soul of that old Jing River dragon was now.
The ghostly envoy replied that it was wandering in the Land of the Nine Nether, unwilling to enter reincarnation.
The so-called Land of the Nine Nether was the lowest layer where the turbid qi had sunk when chaos first opened, lying beneath the eighteen levels of hell. It was a place where the most yin, the darkest, and filthiest qi gathered.
When Patriarch Bodhi expelled Sun Wukong from his sect, he had once said to Sun Wukong:
“Once you leave, you are certain to cause no good. No matter what calamities you stir up or what violence you commit, you are not permitted to say you are my disciple. If you utter even half a word of it, I shall know; I will flay you, grind your bones, and cast your divine soul into the depths of the Nine Nether, so that you shall never rise again through ten thousand kalpas!”
From this, one could see how perilous the Land of the Nine Nether was.
King Song Di suggested, “How about we bring him out and attend to him properly?”
King Qin Guang said, “Absolutely not. The matters involving that old dragon cannot be redressed even if these three Bodhisattvas came in person. If we bring him out, trouble is certain to arise, and disaster will fall upon you and me.”
King Yanluo said, “We certainly cannot bring him out, but we cannot offend him either. In my view, we might as well send ghostly envoys every day to offer him incense and provisions. If any real change occurs in the future, you and I will have something to say for ourselves.”
When the other Kings of Hell heard this, they all approved the proposal.
Thus, each arranged for his subordinate ghostly envoys to take turns looking after that old dragon of the Jing River.
At that time, the dragon soul of the Jing River Dragon King was drifting through the Nine Nether. There was no light in all four directions, only a dim and miserable gloom. His divine soul was nearly blown apart by the baleful yin winds, sustained solely by a single obsession in his heart.
Just then, ghostly envoys suddenly brought incense offerings from the mortal world, stabilizing his yin soul. This left the Jing River Dragon King utterly astonished, completely unaware of what was happening.
Outside, when Ao Tu saw that Guanyin Bodhisattva had actually burned paper money, he could not help sighing inwardly. As expected of a Bodhisattva—able to endure what ordinary people could not.
After Lianlian finished burning the paper money in her hands, her beautiful eyes turned toward Ao Tu, and she said in a delicate voice:
“Now we can be married, can’t we, husband?”
Lianlian was beautiful to begin with, and now that she called him husband, she was all the more capable of toppling a nation.
One saw that she had mothlike brows like horizontal emeralds, and a powdered face blooming with spring. Bewitching beauty fit to ruin a kingdom, slender and moving. Her figure was delicate, her bearing ethereal and beyond the dust. Half-smiling, she held the tender charm of Xi Shi; walking slowly, she seemed Xuannü descended to the mortal world.
Ao Tu, however, knew that she was a transformation of the Bodhisattva. No matter how beautiful she was, he regarded it all as illusion, and pushed his advantage further:
“Lianlian, for a marriage one must bow to the parents in the high hall. Kneel with me before my father’s spirit tablet, and that will count as bowing to the parents.”
Hearing this, Lianlian walked over. Her slender fingers were like spring bamboo shoots as she took Ao Tu by the arm and said, “Everything shall be as husband wishes. Let us bow quickly!”
Ao Tu led her to kneel.
How could Guanyin Bodhisattva truly kneel? She merely pretended to comply, making as if to kneel. With one hand she held Ao Tu’s arm, while with the other she raised her hand and conjured a hoop, then moved to place it over Ao Tu’s head.
Ao Tu had long been on guard in his heart. He reached out directly, seized Lianlian’s slender wrist, and sneered, “I was guarding against you from the start!”
Seeing her scheme fail, Guanyin Bodhisattva revealed her true form.
Auspicious mists scattered in profusion, and blessed light protected the Dharma body.
Within the splendor of the nine heavens, a true female immortal appeared.
On her head she wore golden-leaf clasps, with auspicious qi hanging in jeweled tassels.
Before her chest hung jade rings and pendants, over a pale robe of plain blue.
Lingering mist draped like willow branches, one spray scattering through the blue heavens.
Jade rings passed through embroidered fastenings, and golden lotuses lay deep beneath her feet.
Guanyin Bodhisattva had long anticipated that her plan might fail, and so she had clasped Ao Tu’s wrist in advance, preventing him from fleeing with the Earth-Crossing Golden Light technique. She then took out her Jade Purity Bottle, intending to contain Ao Tu within it.
Ao Tu had been guarding against her all along. He drew the Dragon-Binding Rope from his waist, uttered the word “Go,” and bound Guanyin Bodhisattva in place.
Seeing this, Wenshu and Puxian Bodhisattva both revealed their true Dharma forms.
Wenshu Bodhisattva manifested a true Dharma form:
His face was like blue indigo, displaying the aspect of a Buddha; red hair and crimson beard cowed all evil spirits.
All over his body, five-colored lights took shape; throughout his form, golden radiance guarded him.
The demon-subduing pestle rolled with red flames, and by the golden lotus, rosy light surged.
The great Dharma of refuge revealed its majesty, and blossoms of auspicious cloud enveloped the eight directions.
Puxian Bodhisattva also manifested a true Dharma form:
His face was like a purple date, a true treasure aspect; his huge mouth and fangs possessed great majesty.
Western red clouds shrouded the crown of his head, and auspicious colors of true fruition covered his golden body.
Jeweled tassels and hanging pearls adorned him all over, while lotus flowers upheld his feet and raised auspicious clouds.
With three heads and six arms, he held sharp weapons; in his hand was a demon-subduing pestle.
Seeing this, Ao Tu brought out the Five-Fire Seven-Bird Fan and raised his hand to fan out boundless raging flames. Golden serpents danced wildly, black smoke clouded the sky, and the two honored ones were forced back.
Lishan Laomu had already dodged aside earlier, standing in a corner and smiling as she watched the excitement.
The little maidservant transformed into Muzha. Wielding a solid iron staff, he approached softly and slowly, intending to strike Ao Tu.
Tiger Vanguard came from behind and, catching him off guard, kicked Muzha over.
Guanyin Bodhisattva removed the Dharma robe from her body and transformed it into a substitute, while her true body escaped from the Dragon-Binding Rope. She drew the willow branch from her Jade Purity Bottle and struck toward Ao Tu.
That willow branch looked light and airy, yet it bore the weight of the Thirty-Three Heavens.
Ao Tu did not dare receive it head-on. He withdrew the Dragon-Binding Rope, took Tiger Vanguard with him, and transformed into a streak of golden light to flee.
Guanyin Bodhisattva, Wenshu Bodhisattva, and Puxian Bodhisattva pursued him together.
Outside, there was a heavenly net and earthly snare: the Nine Luminaries Star Lords, the Four Great Heavenly Kings, the generals of the Thunder Department, and the Eighteen Arhats.
Ao Tu was utterly unafraid and fled forward.
Behind him, the three Bodhisattvas gave chase.
When those divine generals saw the Bodhisattvas, they joined them in surrounding Ao Tu.
The Four Great Heavenly Kings took their positions in the four directions and blocked the sky. The Azure Cloud Sword, the Primordial Chaos Umbrella, the Jasper Pipa, and the Flower-Fox Marten each displayed their might.
The generals of the Thunder Department released divine thunder. Thunderbolts came like the wind, lightning fell like rain, crashing down with a rumble.
The Nine Luminaries Star Lords led one hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals into formation. The heavenly net and earthly snare sealed everything so tightly that not even water could pass through.
The Eighteen Arhats each displayed their golden bodies, like eighteen golden Buddhas standing in the air, towering and unmoving.
As Ao Tu came forward, above and below, in every direction, there were forces blocking him.
The Four Great Heavenly Kings came first to seize him.
On Ao Tu’s back appeared five rays of brilliance—blue, yellow, red, white, and black. The blue light flashed, and the Four Great Heavenly Kings were taken.
The generals of the Thunder Department released divine thunder to strike him.
Yellow light flashed from Ao Tu’s body, and the generals of the Thunder Department were taken.
The Nine Luminaries Star Lords led one hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals charging in to kill him.
Red light flashed from Ao Tu’s body, and the Nine Luminaries Star Lords together with the one hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals were taken.
The Eighteen Arhats each released their divine abilities—lifting pagodas, raising bowls, extending hands, and arching brows—as they attacked Ao Tu.
White light flashed from Ao Tu’s body, and the Eighteen Arhats were taken.
At this moment, Ao Tu had taken in the Four Great Heavenly Kings, the generals of the Thunder Department, the Nine Luminaries Star Lords, one hundred thousand heavenly soldiers, and the Eighteen Arhats.
Ao Tu felt his body grow heavy and his magic power insufficient. Thus, he did not contend with the three Bodhisattvas behind him, but once again used the Earth-Crossing Golden Light technique, transforming into golden light to flee.
The three Bodhisattvas pursued him closely.
Wenshu used the Dunlong Stake, and Puxian used the Long Rainbow Rope.
Ao Tu had no choice but to manifest the black light again, taking in both Wenshu and Puxian Bodhisattva.
Guanyin Bodhisattva saw that Ao Tu was already an arrow at the end of its flight, and still refused to give up the chase.