The Men Kingdom Minister Plots Revenge and Slays the Ling Scouts

On that day, as the sun was about to disappear behind the western mountains in the Men region, Minister Gula Tuojie of the Interior paced through eighteen circuits of thought, unfolded twenty-five strategies, and opened ninety-nine doors of cunning, all while scheming within his tent. He burned with hatred over how two Ling heroes had charged side by side into the Men camp and turned the Men soldiers into a sea of blood. He resolved to launch a night raid on the Ling camp in retaliation. Summoning his four subordinate commanders, he sang the Song of the Night Raid on the Ling Camp:

"Among the heroes of the Ling encampment,

Two vicious warriors wrought their evil,

Stirring our Men troops into a sea of blood,

Slaying thirteen of our wise ministers.

Gatekeeper Dawa Chacheng,

Let the black rope ensnare him and cast him into prison!

Yuzhu Dajie fell to enemy arrows,

His flesh and blood splattered like molten rock,

Boulders shattered into a rain of stone,

Dust filled the heavens above,

War cries shook the valleys.

These wicked black warriors of Ling,

With their murderous air and savage ferocity,

Can only frighten cowards,

Minister Gula does not fear them!

The sun and moon travel through the high heavens,

Thinking themselves supreme and unrivaled,

But let them not boast in their pride,

They too shall fall into Rahu's mouth!

Wild yaks roam the rocky mountains,

Relying on their horns, thinking themselves invincible,

One day they shall be ambushed and slain!

Deep in the forests, the striped tiger,

Trusting in its six arts above all beasts,

Shall one day be caught in the snare!

The king and ministers of Ling, Gesar and the rest,

May call themselves the strongest in Jambudvipa,

But little do they know that beyond strength there is greater strength,

They shall be trampled beneath Gula's feet!

Before the Ling people know what's good for them,

They flaunt their martial skills before the Men troops!

Listen now! Dongde Yuega,One;

Flower-Mouthed Keguo, one;

The Strongman Alu Yuben, one;

Zhongzanbu Dala Yueba, one;

And myself, the mighty Gula, one,

Tonight we raid the Ling camp!

We'll scatter their bones across the fields,

Fill the lowlands with their fresh blood,

And victory shall surely be ours!

Just watch, see what magic Gesar can conjure tonight!

And see how fierce those arrogant Ling heroes truly are!"

After the song, Zhongzanbu Dala Yueba, the Strongman Alu Yuben, Flower-Mouthed Keguo, Gatekeeper Dongde Yuega, and Gula, the five ministers of the Men Kingdom, ate and drank their fill. Then, mounting their warhorses, they rode directly toward the great Ling camp.

From afar, Gula spotted smoke rising from the Abeng rocky mountain, and said, "There's cooking smoke rising from the Abeng rocky mountain, Ling scouts must surely be stationed there."

They removed the bells from their horses' necks and continued forward. Before long, they saw the Ling scout leader Pachu Dajiebu, along with Jaga Mani Pala, Riba Puyi Agu, and Jiasi Dazi Minzhu, as well as forty scout soldiers, keeping watch from the summit of Abeng rocky mountain. At that moment, the Ling scouts spotted a red-crested white-feathered bird, the manifestation of the Nine-Top-Knot Protective Deity of the Men Kingdom, circling in the sky not far from the Ling lookout post. One scout remarked, "We've never seen such a bird in these parts before. How strange it is!"

Jiasi Dazi Minzhu said, "This must surely be a demon bird."

No sooner had he spoken than he shot an arrow and brought the bird down. Examining it closely, they confirmed it was indeed a demon bird. The scout leader Pachu Dajiebu said, "Seeing this bird is by no means a good omen. We must strengthen our watch and stay vigilant! That demon Gula of the Men could strike at any moment. The enemy is like a whirlwind, we cannot predict when it will blow. The enemy is like a thief in the night, we cannot predict when he will come to steal. Last night at midnight, horses neighed; at the hour of the tiger, we heard the gate dogs crying; at the hour of the boar, foxes howled. Many ill omens surround our lookout post. Tonight we must be on high guard. Jaga Mani Pala, one; Riba Puyi Agu, one; Jiasi Dazi Minzhu, one; and I, Pachu Dajiebu, we must hold our arrows, spears, and swords close, and stay alert, leaving nothing to chance." He added, "Judging by today's circumstances, none of these signs bode well. The enemy may launch a surprise attack at midnight. We better go to sleep early."

So they gathered together and lay down to sleep. That night, Jiasi Dazi Minzhu felt different from usual, his heart pounded like a drum, his hair stood on end like a tangled thicket, and he awoke from a nightmare drenched in cold sweat. Before long, he heard the sound of hooves echoing between the rocky crags and shouted, "Hey! Scouts, get up quickly!"

But before the words had even faded, Old Monkey Gula of the Men Kingdom came swinging his blade in continuous strokes, cutting down the Ling scouts until not a single one escaped alive. Gula inspected the bodies, then continued onward toward the main Ling camp.

The Heavenly Mother's Prophecy Warns Gesar of the Night Raid

At that moment, above the great lion king's divine tent, a rainbow canopy appeared in the sky, and flower petals rained down from above. Amidst the thunderous roar of a celestial dragon, the heavenly mother Langman Gam descended from the upper realms, riding bareback upon a lion. Her turquoise hair was adorned with a white conch top-piece, and her crown of the White Conch Buddha King sat perfectly upon her head. The silk ribbons on either side rustled in the wind, her robes swirled and drifted, and from her lips flowed a melodious song. On her right she bore the treasure emblem; on her left she offered the wish-fulfilling bowl. Her right hand held a golden vase of longevity, her left grasped auspicious conch powder. To her right stood the five-colored arrow, to her left the five-colored spear, and around her circled a hundred thousand dakinis. The heavenly mother sang this prophecy to the lion king Gesar:

"King Gesar, listen well!

Early yesterday morning,

Yula Toju of the Jiang Kingdom and

Bara Senda Adong, those two,

Stirred the flowered Men camp into a sea of blood,

Slaying thirteen of Aqiong's men,

And countless common soldiers besides.

Hero Yula used his lasso

To capture gatekeeper Dawa Chacheng,

Who now is tied at the entrance of the Ling camp,

Those two are truly great heroes!

But today, as the sun set,

Gula Tuojie of the Men Kingdom,

Leading four heroic commanders,

Arrived at Abeng rocky mountain,

And attacked Pachu Dajiebu and

The forty-four scout officers and men,

Not one escaped alive!

Even now he inspects the bodies,

And tonight he will come to raid the Ling camp!

Lion King of Ling, Gesar,

Quickly select your finest heroes

And rush to face the wicked Gula!

The hundred thousand dakinis' life-force,

And the hair of a thousand Buddhas,

I grant to your warriors for added strength!

If you do not guard against this tonight,

When Aqiong of the Men Kingdom raids your camp,

You may lose even your Baturu warriors!

O guardian deities of Ling,

Aid the king in destroying the enemy!

Tomorrow at the break of dawn,

The thirteen kings and ministers of Ling,

Shall march forth and journey onward

To the deep ravine of Nyimu Ruochu,

Where the three demon souls reside,

Go quickly and subdue them, remove them!

Upon the altar-like ground,

There lies a great boulder like a box,

Smash it into powder,

Dig thirteen layers beneath the earth,

And buried there you'll find a great meteorite,

Treasured deep below like hidden wealth!

Use the self-arising emptiness lasso

To bind it fast in an instant,

Then take the mountain-cleaving great axe

And split it into two halves,

Just like opening a golden amulet box!

At the center of this meteorite

Lives a nine-headed iron scorpion!

The nine-headed scorpion has eighteen horns,

Their tips glowing red like bonfires,

Its eyes flashing like crimson lightning,

Its eye sockets like bowls filled with blood!

Warriors of Ling, join your strength,

Do not let the scorpion escape!

Pierce it together with arrows and spears,

It is King Xinchi's very soul!

Then continue a little higher up,

There stands a red crag,

Shaped like a bird of disaster in flight!

The disaster bird has flesh-wings,

And upon those wings are strange markings,

Markings of dice, bone-tiles, and chess-pieces!

The red crag is called Disaster Bird Rock,

And upon it clings the soul of

The one-footed master,

Go quickly and destroy it!

Not far from this Disaster Bird Rock

Lives a nine-mouthed copper fox,

With copper tail and iron fangs, savage beyond compare!

When it howls its strange cries,

Many men's souls are frightened away,

This is Gula's very life-root!

Among the heroes of the Ling camp,

The steadfast Kamba Yuden, one;

Adanam of the northern eight mountains, one;

And Chaxiang Danma Jangcha of Ling, one,

These three are master archers!

You must first subdue the fox spirit!

Upon this copper fox's forehead

Grow seven white tufts of fur,

If you do not remove them first,

There is no way to slay it!

If you destroy these three souls,

You will have eliminated the three evils of Men!

Nephew, listen well to what I say,

Tomorrow, the day after, and the day after that,

The third day from now is an auspicious day!

Gula Tuojie, that demon minister of the South,

Riding alone and flaunting his might,

Shall charge into the Ling camp!

When that time comes, among your heroes,

Let Gade Chujiong Benna in his black cloak lead the vanguard!

Let Red Sinba of the Hor tribe

Ride to meet the enemy from the right flank!

Send Jiang's prince Yula Toju

To engage the enemy from the left flank!

Dispatch Niben to strike like a hammer at the enemy's rear!

When all four sides unite in battle,

Bind Gula with the black iron chain!

Beneath that drum-shaped ground,

At the crossroads of three forest valleys,

Dig a great pit nine layers deep!

Set up eighteen sandalwood pillars,

And nail Gula to the wooden frame,

Skin that demon alive!

When you must cross the great fire-land of Persia,

You shall need that demon's skin!

King Gesar, remember this well,

I shall continue my prophecy."

With that, the heavenly mother vanished into the sky like a fading rainbow. Michong and Qinlun immediately sounded the gong and beat the drums. In an instant, all the heroes and champions of Ling gathered before King Gesar, believing the gods of the upper realms had delivered some great prophecy. They waited with boundless joy for the king's command. After a moment, Gesar spoke: "Brothers of Ling, tonight we shall pretend to sleep. Extinguish all red flames, put out all blue cooking smoke. Let every civil and military minister return to his own camp, don his armor, and ready his arrows, spears, and swords. Let each man saddle his horse and wait for the wicked enemy to come raiding."

The Night Battle Unfolds as Gula's Raid Meets Fierce Resistance

After the command was issued, the heroes swiftly returned to their respective camps. Within the time it takes to drink a bowl of tea, Danma spotted Gula and his followers advancing slowly through the rocky thickets. Danma immediately saddled his horse, pricked up his ears to listen, and stared with wide eyes, watching as Gula and Zhongzanbu Dala Yueba charged forward, one behind the other. Danma swiftly mounted his steed, drew his bow, and shouted: "Hey! You thieves of the Men Kingdom, what business do you have coming in force at this dead of night?" He sang:

"You five traitorous ministers of Men,

Why did you not come boldly in the light of day?

Now in the middle of this night,

You great thieves, great villains, great deceivers,

You who grope in the dark of midnight,

Do not come to rob this rich man's house!

Do not come to sneak after women in the dark!

Unless you are cowards, that is!

If you were a righteous army,

You would be ashamed to attack under cover of night!

You frog-children of the Men Kingdom,

Early yesterday morning,

Your five ministers of the Men Kingdom

Slew our scouts of Ling into a sea of blood!

The upper slopes were covered with corpses,

The lower slopes ran with blood!

And now, not content with that,

You scheme to raid the great Ling camp by night!

Through the dim and hazy darkness,

You come to assault the flowered camp of Ling!

The one who faces you spear-to-spear in this night battle

Is none other than I, the hero Danma!

Do you know me, Gula?

The day before yesterday, at the Auspicious Bridge,

You shot a great poison arrow at me,

The poison spread through me,

And I fell unconscious for a time!

Then you boasted before all,

Declaring that Danma had been slain!

You bragged and blew your own horn,

Feasting and celebrating your 'victory'!

But at this very hour tonight,

Danma blocks your path,

Are you at a loss, little one?

Are you ashamed, Commander Gula?

If you don't know how to shoot arrows,

Then learn from Danma by watching me!

This arrow on my string,

I'll shoot you two one by one!

First I'll shatter your frame like a snow fortress,

Then destroy your soul like a snuffed-out lamp,

If I fail to do so, I'm no Danma!"

With that, he loosed two arrows. The first struck Gula's black arrow-proof cloak on his right arm, merely sparking off it without wounding him. The second arrow pierced Zhongzanbu Dala Yueba squarely between his heart and lungs, he toppled from his horse instantly, and the Men Kingdom ministers had no time to attend to him. Gatekeeper Dongde Yuega and the other three champions joined forces and charged into the Ling camp. There, Gade Chujiong Benna, Wenbu Alubasen, and Mujang Renqing Daru of the Ling side shot arrows and thrust spears together, surrounding Gula in multiple rounds of combat. But Gula's swordsmanship was extraordinary, the four Ling generals could not withstand him and were forced to retreat. At that moment, the invincible King Gesar loosed an arrow from his throne in the divine tent, striking Gula's white helmet and diminishing his ferocity somewhat. Gula and his men charged into the Ling southern camp, cutting down soldiers left and right amid shouting and clamor. Jiang's Prince Yula Toju, Prince Yuchi, and the Jiang commander Yucao, three great generals, each mounted their horses and surrounded the Men ministers with arrows, spears, and swords. Yula cast his silk lasso and looped it around Gula's neck. But Gula, wielding his crescent-moon eight-bladed sword, sliced the lasso in two. He then charged into the western camp, wounding some hundred Darong red-tassel armored soldiers. The Darong lord's son La Guo Benglu, along with Mani Garan and Langka Tuojie, three young lords, each mounted their horses and joined battle with sword, spear, and arrow against the Men enemies. Gula and his four followers, unable to overcome them, turned and charged into the northern camp, the Hor and northern soldiers' encampment. They threw the Hor and northern troops into complete disarray, scattering in all directions.

Gula's Narrow Escape and the Men Kingdom's War Council

Outside the northern camp, Adanam stepped onto her bronze-white flying horse, drew her divine serpent-tongue spear from its sheath, and blocked Gula's path. Aiming at his vital point, she thrust fiercely, striking his right leg and wounding him gravely. Gula's arrogance was immediately halved. He wheeled his horse around and headed back toward his own camp, cutting down some fifteen soldiers of the Bara tribe's white-tassel regiment along the way. As dawn just began to break, Gula said, "Apart from Zhongzanbu Dala Yueba being killed, the other warriors have not suffered serious wounds. The most important thing now is to return to our main camp."

No sooner had he spoken than the demon ministers fled like a whirlwind, not even looking back, racing toward the Men Kingdom's main camp. They quickly sought an audience with King Xinchi. After exchanging a few words in the upper council hall of Qiongzong, Gula rose and reported: "O King Xinchi! Fighting against those wicked Ling armies is most difficult. We can no longer delay like this, we must immediately send out troops to attack the enemy, and every man should strive to earn merit in battle! If we merely wait without striking, what use is sitting guard in our castles? I ask all you ministers and the king to think carefully!"

The ministers and king of the Men Kingdom all pondered how to repel the enemy. Aqiong Guru and Muqiong Guru once again placed their six-fold brocade cloud-patterned ceremonial robe in the center of the assembly hall, and addressed the assembled king and ministers: "We two are advanced in years and no longer have the strength to fight on the battlefield. Please allow us to retire to our homeland in our old age."

Seeing them, King Xinchi's anger flared, and he said to them, "You two can no longer go to the front lines to fight, but you must hold the Jiabei Maojia Castle, do not lose it!"

Gula Tuojie and his commanders swiftly departed for the assembly camp of Yimu Tang. After arranging their battle formations with great care, they swore to fight to the death with arrows, spears, and swords against the enemy.