eded the accession of the Chou dynasty in 1122 B.C., a multitude
of demigods, Buddhas, Immortals, etc., took part on one side or the
other, some fighting for the old, some for the new dynasty. They were
wonderful creatures, gifted with marvellous powers. They could at will
change their form, multiply their heads and limbs, become invisible,
and create, by merely uttering a word, terrible monsters who bit and
destroyed, or sent forth poison gases, or emitted flames from their
nostrils. In these battles there is much lightning, thunder, flight
of fire-dragons, dark clouds which vomit burning hails of murderous
weapons; swords, spears, and arrows fall from the sky on to the heads
of the combatants; the earth trembles, the pillars of Heaven shake.

Chun T'i

One of these gifted warriors was Chun T'i, a Taoist of the Western
Paradise, who appeared on the scene when the armies of the rival
dynasties were facing each other. K'ung Hsuean was gallantly holding
the pass of the Chin-chi Ling; Chiang Tzu-ya was trying to take it
by assault--so far without success.

Chun T'i's mission was to take K'ung Hsuean to the abode of the blest,
his wisdom and general progress having now reached the required
degree of perfection. This was a means of breaking down the invincible
resistance of this powerful enemy and at the same time of rewarding
his brilliant talents.

But K'ung Hsuean did not approve of this plan, and a fight took
place between the two champions. At one moment Chun T'i was seized
by a luminous bow and carried into the air, but while enveloped in a
cloud of fire he appeared with eighteen arms and twenty-four heads,
holding in each hand a powerful talisman.

The One-eyed Peacock

He put a silk cord round K'ung Hsuean's neck, touched him with his
wand, and forced him to reassume his original form of a red one-eyed
peacock. Chun T'i seated himself on the peacock's back, and it
flew across the sky, bearing its saviour and master to the Western
Paradise. Brilliantly variegated clouds marked its track through space.

Arrangements for the Siege

On the disappearance of its defender the defile of Chin-chi Ling
was captured, and the village of Chieh-p'ai Kuan, the bulwark of the
enemy's forces, reached. This place was defended by a host of genii
and Immortals, the most distinguished among them being the Taoist
T'ung-t'ien Chiao-chu, whose specially effective charms had so far
kept the fort secure against every attempt u