air, when all their
heads fell off and rolled on the ground.

Anger of the Buddhist Priests

The Buddhist priests saw from a distance what had taken place,
and shouted: "Murder, murder! The Taoist superintendents are being
killed." They surrounded Sun, saying: "These priests are our masters;
they go to the temple without visiting the King, and return home
without taking leave of the King. The King is the high priest. Why
have you killed his disciples? The Taoist chief priest will certainly
accuse us Buddhist priests of the murders. What are we to do? If we go
into the city with you they will make you pay for this with your life."

Sun laughed. "My friends," he said, "do not trouble yourselves over
this matter. I am not the Master of the Clouds, but the Great Holy
One, a disciple of the Holy Master from China, going to the Western
Paradise to fetch the sacred books, and have come to save you."

"No, no," said they, "this cannot be, for we know him." Sun replied:
"Having never met him, how can you know him?" They replied: "We have
seen him in our dreams. The spirit of the planet Venus has described
him to us and warned us not to make a mistake." "What description did
he give?" asked Sun. They replied: "He has a hard head, bright eyes,
a round, hairy face without cheeks, sharp teeth, prominent mouth,
a hot temper, and is uglier than the Thunder-god. He has a rod of
iron, caused a disturbance in Heaven itself, but later repented,
and is coming with the Buddhist pilgrim in order to save mankind from
calamities and misery." With mixed feelings Sun replied: "My friends,
no doubt you are right in saying I am not Sun. I am only his disciple,
who has come to learn how to carry out his plans. But," he added,
pointing with his hand, "is not that Sun coming yonder?" They all
looked in the direction in which he had pointed.

Sun bestows Talismans

Sun quickly changed himself from a Taoist priest, and appeared in
his natural form. At this they all fell down and worshipped him,
asking his forgiveness because their mortal eyes could not recognize
him. They then begged him to enter the city and compel the demons to
repent. Sun told them to follow him. He then went with them to a sandy
place, emptied two carts and smashed them into splinters, and threw
all the bricks, tiles, and timber into a heap, calling upon all the
priests to disperse. "Tomorrow," he said, "I am going to see the King,
and will destroy the Taoists!" Then th