“虎先锋” “Tiger Vanguard”
啸聚夯气力，化石又奇袭。
赤胆忠良将，簪缨老剥皮。
Gathering strength with a mighty roar,
Transforming stones, launching surprise once more.
A loyal general with a heart so bold,
A noble fighter, lost in the age of old.
师徒三众上前，不上半日，果逢一座高山。说起来，十分险峻。正看那山，忽闻得一阵旋风大作。只见那山坡下，剪尾跑蹄，跳出一只斑斓猛虎，喊道:“吾当不是别人，乃是黄风大圣部下的前路先锋。今奉大王严命，在山巡逻，要拿几个凡夫去做案酒。
那妖精急近步，丢一个架子，望八戒劈脸来抓。那行者掣了铁棒，喝声教:“拿了!”
此时八戒抖擞精神，那怪败下阵去。那怪慌了手脚，使个“金蝉脱壳计”，剥下皮来，苦盖在那卧虎石上，脱真身，化一阵狂风，径回路口路口上那师父正念《多心经》，被他一把拿住，驾长风摄将去了。那怪把唐僧擒来洞口，按住狂风，对把门的道:“你去报大王，说前路虎先锋拿了一个和尚，在门外听令。”
把门的入内急报，却又转来两只小虎，尊称了声:“父亲。”与那先锋互行了礼数。极大的一个道:“这白面和尚哪里来的?”先锋笑道:“造化!才要巡山，可可遇上这厮。”极小的一个喜道:“父亲好本事来日教教孩儿。”
父子三个还待要说，洞主传令，教:“拿进来。”虎先锋遂携二子，双手捧着唐僧，上前跪下道:“大王，小将不才，蒙钧令差山上巡逻，忽遇一个和尚，他是东土大唐驾下御弟三藏法师，上西方拜佛求经，被我擒来奉上，聊具一馔。”那洞主闻得此言，吃了一惊，问了经过。先锋跪在下首一一作答。
洞主道:“且莫吃他着。”先锋道:“大王，见食不食，呼为劣。洞主道:“你不晓得，吃了他不打紧，只恐怕他那两个徒弟上门吵闹，未为稳便，且把他绑在后园定风桩上，待三五日，他两个不来搅扰，或煮或蒸，或煎或炒，慢慢的自在受用不迟。”先锋大喜道:“大王深谋远虑，说得有理。”
两小儿且随父退下，大的一个道:“大王素日食人，从不这般，断乎有些蹊跷。”小的一个道:“像是有些怕了这厮……”先锋喝道:“你们哪知大王的本事，我随大王多年，岂有他怕别人的道理。”二子互通眼色，不再多言。
不上半日，却又听大王传唤，原是那孙行者打上门来。虎先锋自请出征那大王道:“但恐拿他不得，返伤了你，那时休得埋怨我也。”二子强劝，先锋不睬，只道:“放心!放心!等我去来。
The Monk and his two disciples pressed on. Before half a day had passed, they came upon a towering peak, dire to behold. As they gazed upon it, there arose a tumult of wind, and from the mountainside leaped a tiger, dappled and fierce, its tail lashing in the wind. "I am no common beast!" it roared. "I am the Vanguard of the Yellow Wind King. By order of my liege, I patrol this range and seek out mortals to serve as side dishes for his brews."
The yaoguai closed in with a flurry of claws aimed at Bajie's face. Wukong whipped out his staff with a shout, "Take him!"
Bajie rallied his courage, and the yaoguai fell back in disarray. Panicked, it sloughed off its skin and draped it over a tiger-shaped rock. Loosed from its flesh, it transformed into a screaming gale and raced back to the mountain road. And there, it found the Tang Monk chanting his sutra. In a trice, the tiger seized the monk and bore him away on the wind. The tiger brought the monk to the mouth of a cave and, stilling the wind, spoke to the guard, "Tell this to our master; the Tiger Vanguard has captured a monk and awaits the king's decision at the gate."
The guard rushed in to report. Out came two tiger cubs who hailed the vanguard as their father and made their courtesies. The older cub asked, "Where did you find this pale-faced monk?" The vanguard laughed. "A stroke of luck! I was patrolling the mountain and chanced upon him." The younger cub, overjoyed, said: "Well done, Father! Teach me how you did it someday."
Even as they spoke, the master of the cave sent word: "Bring him in." Along with his sons, the Tiger Vanguard presented the Tang Monk before his master. "My king," the vanguard began, "I was honored with your command to patrol the mountain. By chance, I came across a monk, none other than the Tang emperor's sworn brother Tang Monk, bound for a journey to the West to seek the scriptures. I seized him and now offer him to grace your table." The master, surprised, demanded the full tale. The vanguard knelt to one side and recounted the fight.
"Hold," said the cave master. "We do not eat him just yet." The vanguard protested: "My king! It is against our nature to refuse the food before us." But his master replied: "You do not understand. Eating him would be no great matter, but I fear the two disciples of his will come clamoring at our gate. It is safest to bind him to the windrest post in our rear garden. Wait three days, or five; if his disciples do not come to our gate, we will boil, steam, fry, or roast him at our leisure. There is no rush." The vanguard rejoiced. "Wise beyond measure, my king! Wise indeed."
The two young tigers followed their father out. The elder muttered, "Master has always devoured mortals without a second thought. There should be something he left unsaid." The younger added: "He seems almost... afraid of that mortal." Their father snapped: "You know nothing of the powers of our master! Long seasons have I served him. How could he shrink before any other?" The brothers exchanged glances but said no more.
Scarcely half a day had passed when the master sent for them again. It was Sun Wukong challenging upon their gate. The Tiger Vanguard requested to face him, but the master demurred, "I fear you cannot prevail against him. You may well be wounded, and you must not then impute blame unto me." The vanguard's sons urged him to reconsider, but he paid them no heed. "Rest assured, you! Wait only until I return!"
