Ngagungco, one of the seven Gyayo sisters, told his father, who was the king, that they had seen Zhaotoin, a minister of King Gesar and that the Lion King had arrived in Gyayo. She also asked how she should welcome him in, but failed to mention the letter to Ling.
King Garlha Kengung felt a little strange. Gesar, the king of the State of Ling, was a hero who vanquished evils and a master who redeemed lost souls from hell. Why would he come without any invitation? It couldn’t be the evils who were causing trouble, he supposed. Immediately, King Garlha Kengung summoned three monster heralds and ordered them to look closely around Wana Chali. Any man with a body would be swallowed; the spirit without a body should be driven out.
Zhaotoin was still waiting at the end of the bridge for the wine and tea to be served by the seven Gyayo sisters. However, they didn’t come. Instead, the three monster heralds appeared. When Zhaotoin saw them, he got scared and ran away.
The Lion King came out and saw the three monsters shouting at and chasing after Zhaotoin. He ordered Mychon and Dainma to hit them with the three-section bamboo paw and the viper head with a crest. The three heralds shook with fear and turned and ran.
After the three monsters returned, Princess Ngaungco said to the king:
“People who set up their tents have omnipotent dharma. It seems that King Gesar has arrived.”
King Garlha Kengung refused to believe this, so he sent out a pack of dogs and a flock of monster birds. But they failed just as the three monster heralds did. The princess said again that Gesar had arrived. Once more, King Garlha Kengung still didn’t believe her.
As King Garlha Kengung the Emperor refused to welcome King Gesar, Lomoco, the smooth-tongued girl, released the three pigeon brothers to send King Gesar a letter. It said that the seven sisters appreciated that King Gesar travelled long to come to Gyayo. The earlier letter was written and sent without the awareness of King Garlha Kengung. Now it would be better for King Gesar to send a wise minister to meet King Garlha Kengung.
The three pigeon brothers took the letter to the Wana Chali beach. The letter was shown to the Lion King immediately after Mychon received it. Gesar was delighted with it and sent Chin’en, Dainma, Garde and two other ministers to meet King Garlha Kengung with woollens, gold and silver ware as gifts.
King Garlha Kengung sent Hashang Chinpa to welcome them outside the palace with hundreds of officers. They met on the bridge area where the nine rivers met. They presented hada scarves to each other and then went together to the palace.
The Ling ministers would like to pay a call on King Garlha Kengung and present him a variety of gifts. Chin’en said:
“We come to Gyayo to relieve King Garlha Kengung’s worries. We have been waiting for a long time but nobody serves us tea and wine. King Gesar is the World Lion King. If nobody comes to welcome him, we will have to return to Ling. For all the Gyayo people, please ask your king to welcome him.”
When he heard this, King Garlha Kengung decided to meet the Lion King, Gesar, on the square outside the palace on May 15.
On the morning of May 15, the people from the State of Ling and their followers conjured up by Gesar came to the square outside the Gyayo palace. Surrounded by domestic and foreign ministers and tens of thousands of warriors, King Garlha Kengung also came to the square. Girls headed by Princess Ngagungco served tea and wine with silver plates and golden wine cups.
The Lion King, Gesar, presented hada scarves and a right-turning treasure pearl to King Garlha Kengung. In return, the Gyayo gave crystals and the three jewels to Gesar.
The kings from Gyayo and Ling, shining like two stars, admired each other very much. When they sat down, King Garlha Kengung said: “Dear Lion King, I have long heard about your vast magic powers. Since we rarely have the chance to meet each other, what about having a competition to show the skills between the heroes from Gyayo and Ling?”
Gesar agreed and they decided to have a horse race at Wutaishan Mountain. The next morning, Hashang Chinpa, a Gyayo minister, on his horse called Faster-Than-Wind, and Woyi Ngapai, a minister from Ling, on his horse called Jade Bird, ran together towards the foot of Wutaishan Mountain. Before the sun shone on the top of the palace, Woyi Ngapai arrived at the palace but Hashang Chinpa didn’t finish a circle until noon.
The Gyayo King said, in his own defence, that it was nothing to be wondered at Ling winning because horse racing was the skill of the Ling people and that they should have a competition on their strength instead. A giant plinth was carried there by 100 musclemen and it was jerking like a dice in their hands. Garde, a hero from Ling took up this challenge. He said,
“It is nothing for me to carry around that plinth. If you want to measure my arm strength, I will carry Wutaishan Mountain in Gyayo, Lencho Mountain in India and Recha Mountain in Tibet.”
He stood facing Wutaishan Mountain and easily held it up. The people from Gyayo, including those men of muscle, were absolutely astonished. King Garlha Kengung was so astonished he could not say a word. After a pause the king said: “Let’s compete at milking tomorrow. Whoever milks 100 cows within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea will be the winner and the loser will have a forfeit.”
The Gyayo selected 500 of the swiftest milking maids, but only one girl, Duozhen, represented the State of Ling. She milked with both hands alternately, and was possessed of a graceful carriage, now like an eagle flying, now like a dragon chanting; now like a lion dancing, and then like a tiger roaring. Everybody who saw her was astounded. Duozhen milked 100 cows, and yet they had not even finished their first cup of tea. The subjects of Gyayo could only stare, stunned and speechless, and, when they recovered their voices, showered praise on her.
Gyayo King Garlha Kengung said resignedly,
“Dear Lion King, your people have won all the games. Tomorrow we will hold the last challenge—archery.”