Tang Sanzang and Sha Seng

The Curtain-Lifting General broke a crystal cup at the peach banquet, was banished to the Flowing Sand River, and had a flying sword pierce his breast every seven days. Travelling west to find a pilgrim, Guanyin called to him from the surface of the river, gave him the religious name Wujing, and told him to eat no more travellers and to wait for the monk of Tang.

When Tang Sanzang reached the bank, Sha Wujing leapt from the water and fought back and forth with Zhu Bajie; after Moksa read out Guanyin’s order, he took the nine skulls of former pilgrims from his neck, made them into a raft to carry Tang Sanzang across, and then shaved his head and took him as master.

On the road west he carried the scripture-load on his pole, and took up the Demon-Quelling Staff when Tang Sanzang was carried off by the Yellow Robe Monster, the green lion and others. At Vulture Peak, Tang Sanzang was invested as the Buddha of Sandalwood Merit and Sha Wujing as the Golden-Bodied Arhat in the same hall.