Yielding to the exhortations of the Goddess Kuan Yin, who, at the time of her journey to China, persuaded him to lead a less dissolute life, he was ordained a priest by the goddess herself, who gave him the name of Chu (Pig), and the religious name of Wu-neng, ’Seeker after Strength.’  This monster was knocked down by Sun when the latter was passing over the mountain accompanied by Hsuean Chuang, and he declared himself a disciple of the pilgrim priest.  He accompanied him throughout the journey, and was also received in the Western Paradise as a reward for his aid to the Buddhist propaganda.

Hsuean Chuang, the Master

The origin of this priest was as follows:  In the reign of the Emperor T’ai Tsung of the T’ang dynasty, Ch’en Kuang-jui, a graduate of Hai Chou, in his examination for the doctor’s degree came out as chuang yuean, first on the list.  Wen Chiao (also named Man-t’ang Chiao), the daughter of the minister Yin K’ai-shan, meeting the young academician, fell in love with him, and married him.  Several days after the wedding the Emperor appointed Ch’en Kuang-jui Governor of Chiang Chou (modern Chen-chiang Fu), in Kiangsu.  After a short visit to his native town he started to take up his post.  His old mother and his wife accompanied him.  When they reached Hung Chou his mother fell sick and they were forced to stay for a time at the Inn of Ten Thousand Flowers, kept by one Liu Hsiao-erh.  Days passed; the sickness did not leave her, and as the time for her son to take over the seals of office was drawing near, he had to proceed without her.

The Released Carp

Before his departure he noticed a fisherman holding in his hand a fine carp; this he bought for a small sum to give to his mother.  Suddenly he noticed that the fish had a very extraordinary look, and, changing his mind, he let it go in the waters of the Hung Chiang, afterward telling his mother what he had done.  She congratulated him on his action, and assured him that the good deed would not go unrewarded.

The Chuang Yuean Murdered

Ch’en Kuang-jui re-entered his boat with his wife and a servant.  They were stopped by the chief waterman, Liu Hung, and his assistant.  Struck with the great beauty of Ch’en Kuang-jui’s wife, the former planned a crime which he carried out with the help of his assistant.  At the dead of night he took the boat to a retired spot, killed Ch’en and his servant, threw their bodies into the river, seized his official documents of title and the woman he coveted, passed himself off as the real chuang yuean, and took possession of the magistracy of Chiang Chou.  The widow, who was with child, had two alternatives—­silence or death.  Meantime she chose the former.  Before she gave birth to her child, T’ai-po Chin-hsing, the Spirit of the South Pole Star, appeared