Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Now the Handsome Monkey King had received his name, and he was overjoyous and elated. He bowed to the Bodhisattva and offered his thanks. The Patriarch then instructed the assembly to lead Sun Wukong out beyond the second gate, and there teach him the proper rites of greeting and response, of advancing and withdrawing, and of courtly conduct. The immortals carried out his orders and departed. Once outside the gate, Wukong bowed to all his senior fellow students, then settled himself into quarters within the corridors and side halls. The next morning, he joined his fellow students in learning proper speech and etiquette, in discussing the sutras and expounding the Way, in practicing calligraphy and burning incense. So it went every day. In his spare time he swept the ground and tended the gardens, nurtured flowers and pruned trees, gathered firewood and kindled flames, carried water and transported supplies. Everything that was needed was provided without fail. In the cave, before he knew it, six or seven years had slipped by.

One day the Patriarch ascended the high platform and summoned all the immortals to gather. He began to expound the Great Way. Truly it was a sublime sight:

Heavenly flowers tumbled wildly through the air, and golden lotuses sprang up from the earth. Subtly he expounded the Three Vehicles of the Teaching; exquisitely he encompassed the myriad dharma in their entirety. Slowly he waved his fly-specked tail, spouting pearls and jade; his voice thundered like thunderclap, shaking the Nine Heavens. For a while he spoke of the Tao, then for a while he discoursed on Chan—the three schools harmonized as naturally as one. A single illuminating character opened the door to sincere principle; he pointed the way to the deathless mystery of original nature.

Sun Wukong, listening from the side, was so delighted that he scratched his ears and rubbed his cheeks, his brows blooming and his eyes smiling. He could not help but wave his hands and stamp his feet. Suddenly the Patriarch caught sight of him and called out, "Sun Wukong, why are you leaping and dancing about in the assembly? Why are you not listening to my lecture?"

Wukong said, "Your disciple was listening with all sincerity. When I heard the wondrous sound of the Master's words, my joy was beyond containing, and I could not help but leap and dance in this manner. I beg the Master's forgiveness."

The Patriarch said, "Since you can recognize the wondrous sound, let me ask you: how long have you been in this cave?"

Wukong said, "Your disciple was originally too ignorant to know the passage of time. I only remember that when the stove ran out of fire, I would often go to the mountain behind to gather firewood. There was a hill with fine peach trees, and there I ate my fill of peaches seven times."

The Patriarch said, "That hill is called Rotten Peach Hill. Since you have eaten seven times, that must be seven years. Now then, what sort of Way do you wish to learn from me?"

Wukong said, "I leave it entirely to the revered Master's instruction. But if there is even a breath of the Way in it, your disciple will learn it."

The Patriarch said, "Within the school of the 'Way,' there are three hundred and sixty side-gate schools, and each side-gate school leads to a proper fruition. Which one do you wish to learn?"

Wukong said, "I follow the Master's wishes entirely. Your disciple listens with all his heart."

The Patriarch said, "How would you like to learn the Way of the 'Techniques' school?"

Wukong said, "What does the Way of the Techniques school teach?"

The Patriarch said, "The Techniques school involves summoning immortals, spirit-writing, divination, and milfoil-stalk casting—it enables one to know the principles of pursuing good fortune and avoiding calamity."

Wukong said, "Can one gain immortality that way?"

The Patriarch said, "No, no."

Wukong said, "Then I won't learn it. I won't learn it."

The Patriarch said again, "How would you like to learn the Way of the 'Flowing' school?"

Wukong asked, "What is the principle of the Flowing school?"

The Patriarch said, "The Flowing school encompasses the Confucians, the Buddhists, the Taoists, the Yin-Yang school, the Mohists, and the physicians—reading sutras or chanting Buddha's name, paying homage to the True Ones and descending to meet the sages."

Wukong said, "Can one gain immortality that way?"

The Patriarch said, "If one seeks immortality that way, it is like propping up a wall with a pillar."

Wukong said, "Master, I am an honest man and don't understand slang. What does 'propping up a wall with a pillar' mean?"

The Patriarch said, "When a man builds a house and wishes it to be sturdy, he sets a supporting pillar between the walls. But a day will come when the great mansion is about to collapse, and that pillar will surely rot away."

Wukong said, "By that account, it doesn't last long either. I won't learn it. I won't learn it."

The Patriarch said, "How would you like to learn the Way of the 'Stillness' school?"

Wukong said, "What is the proper fruition of the Stillness school?"

The Patriarch said, "This school involves abstaining from grain and guarding the fields, purity and non-action, meditating in Chan and sitting in meditation, observing precepts and keeping fasts, practicing the sleep-exercise or the merit-exercise, as well as entering samadhi and sitting in closed retreat."

Wukong said, "Can one gain immortality that way?"

The Patriarch said, "It is like an unfired brick from the kiln."

Wukong laughed and said, "The Master does have a way with words after all. You just said I don't understand slang. What does 'an unfired brick from the kiln' mean?"

The Patriarch said, "It is like a brick or tile that has been shaped at the kiln's mouth—though it has already taken form, it has not yet been tempered by water and fire. When the day comes and the great rains pour down, it will surely crumble."

Wukong said, "That doesn't last long either. I won't learn it. I won't learn it."

The Patriarch said, "How would you like to learn the Way of the 'Action' school?"

Wukong said, "And what is the Way of the Action school?"

The Patriarch said, "This school involves deliberate action and effort: gathering yin to supplement yang, drawing the bow and pressing the bow-spring, rubbing the navel to pass breath, using prescriptions and compounding medicines, burning herbs and smelting in the furnace, ingesting red lead and refining autumn minerals, and consuming human milk."

Wukong said, "Can one gain immortality that way?"

The Patriarch said, "If one seeks immortality that way, it is like fishing for the moon in the water."

Wukong said, "Here the Master goes again. What does 'fishing for the moon in the water' mean?"

The Patriarch said, "The moon is in the vast sky, and its reflection is in the water. Although it can be seen, there is nothing to grasp hold of—in the end it comes to nothing but emptiness."

Wukong said, "I won't learn that either. I won't learn it."

The Patriarch, upon hearing this, cried out "Ha!" and leaped down from the high platform. Holding his staff of discipline, he pointed at Wukong and said: "You wretched monkey! You won't learn this, you won't learn that—what do you intend to do, then?" He stepped forward and struck Wukong on the head three times. Then he walked away with his hands clasped behind his back, went inside, closed the middle gate, and departed, leaving the assembly behind. This terrified all those attending the lecture, and they all resented Wukong, saying: "You wretched monkey, how utterly ill-mannered! The Master was going to transmit the Way to you—why wouldn't you learn, and instead talk back to the Master? Now that you've offended him this way, who knows when he will come out again!" At that moment they all complained about him and despised him. But Wukong was not in the least angered—he simply smiled broadly. The truth was that the Monkey King had already cracked the riddle hidden in the plate, keeping it secretly in his heart, so he did not contend with the others but simply endured in silence. The Patriarch struck him three times to tell him to set his mind on the third watch of the night; he walked inside with his hands behind his back and closed the middle gate to tell him to advance through the back gate and receive the Way in secret.

That day Wukong and the others were joyful and happy, waiting before the Cave of the Three Stars for the sky to darken, unable to bear the delay until evening. When dusk fell, he went to sleep with the others, feigning closed eyes while settling his breath and preserving his spirit. There were no night watchmen or signal arrows in the mountain, so he could not tell the time; he simply regulated the breath flowing in and out of his nostrils. When it was approximately the hour of the midnight watch, he rose lightly, put on his clothes, quietly opened the front gate, slipped away from the others, and went out. He looked up and saw:

The moon was bright, the dew was cold;

The eight directions were clear and dustless.

In deep trees the hidden birds had roosted;

At the source the water trickled down.

Fireflies scattered their flickering light;

Wild geese in formation crossed the clouds.

It was truly the third watch—

The hour to seek the true Way.

He followed the old path to the back gate and saw that the gate was half open and half shut. Wukong said joyfully: "The Master truly intends to transmit the Way to me—that is why he has left the gate open." He stepped softly forward, slipped sideways through the gate, and went straight to the Patriarch's sleeping couch. He saw the Patriarch curled up, sleeping facing inward. Wukong dared not disturb him and knelt before the couch. Before long the Patriarch awoke, stretched out his feet, and chanted to himself:

"Hard! Hard! Hard! The Way is most profound—Do not treat the Golden Elixir as a trifle. Without meeting a perfected man who transmits the wondrous formula, Empty words will only tire the tongue and dry the mouth!"

Wukong responded at once, calling out: "Master, I have been kneeling here waiting for a long time." The Patriarch, recognizing Wukong's voice, rose at once, threw on his robe, and sat cross-legged, shouting: "You wretched monkey! Why aren't you sleeping up front, and what are you doing back here?" Wukong said: "Master, yesterday before the assembly at the altar you promised to transmit the principle to me at the third watch through the back gate. That is why I have dared to come directly and kneel beneath Your Honor's couch." The Patriarch was greatly pleased upon hearing this and thought to himself: "This fellow is indeed born of Heaven and Earth—otherwise, how could he have cracked the hidden riddle in my plate?" Wukong said: "There are no other ears here—only your disciple alone. I beg Master to bestow great compassion and transmit the Way of Immortality to me—I shall never forget your kindness." The Patriarch said: "You have the affinity today, and I am pleased to speak. Since you have recognized the hidden riddle in the plate, come closer, listen carefully, and I shall transmit the wondrous Way of Immortality to you." Wukong kowtowed in thanks, cleared his ears, focused his mind, and knelt before the couch. The Patriarch spoke:

The true wondrous formula, manifest and mysterious, complete and penetrating—

In cultivating life and nature, there is nothing else to say.

It all comes down to essence, breath, and spirit—

Guard them firmly and store them, do not let them leak.

Do not let them leak; keep them within your body.

Receive my transmission of the Way, and you shall flourish naturally.

Remembering the oral formula brings great benefit;

Banish evil desires and you shall attain cool clarity.

Attain cool clarity, bright and luminous,

And you may well go to the Cinnabar Terrace to admire the bright moon.

The moon conceals the jade rabbit; the sun conceals the crow;

Naturally the tortoise and serpent coil and intertwine.

Coiled and intertwined, life and nature are firm,

And you can plant the golden lotus in the fire.

Gather and cluster the five elements, using them in reverse—

When the work is complete, you may become a Buddha or an immortal.

At this moment the root source was revealed. Wukong's spirit was blessed with awakening, and he carefully memorized the oral formula. He bowed to the Patriarch in deep gratitude and went out through the back gate to look about. He saw that the eastern sky was faintly brightening with white, while the western road shone with brilliant golden light. Following the old path, he returned to the front gate, quietly pushed it open, and went in. He sat in his original sleeping place and deliberately made the bed creak, saying: "It's light! It's light! Time to get up!" The others were still fast asleep, unaware that Wukong had already obtained the great boon. From that day on, they mingled together as before, but Wukong secretly maintained his practice, regulating his breath before midnight and after noon on his own.

Three years had already passed when the Patriarch once again ascended his jeweled throne and expounded the Dharma to the assembly. He spoke of gong'an and pariyaya, and discoursed on outward forms and surface husks. Suddenly he asked, "Where is Wukong?" Wukong came forward and knelt. "Your disciple is here." The Patriarch said, "What manner of the Way have you been cultivating these days?" Wukong said, "Lately your disciple's dharma-nature has become quite clear, and the root source has gradually grown firm as well." The Patriarch said, "Since you have penetrated the dharma-nature and grasped the root source, your divine substance has already been infused—but you must still guard against the harm of the Three Calamities." Upon hearing this, Wukong was silent for a long time before saying, "Master, your words are mistaken. I have always heard that one whose virtue of the Way is lofty shares the lifespan of Heaven itself; when water and fire are in harmony, no hundred ailments arise. How then could there be such a thing as 'the harm of the Three Calamities'?" The Patriarch said, "This is no ordinary Way—it seizes the creative power of Heaven and Earth and steals the hidden workings of the sun and moon. Once the elixir is perfected, even ghosts and spirits cannot bear it. Though it preserves the complexion and prolongs life, after five hundred years Heaven sends a calamity of thunder to strike you. You must have insight into your nature and illuminate your mind to evade it beforehand. If you evade it, your lifespan matches that of Heaven. If not, your life ends here. Five hundred years later, Heaven sends a calamity of fire to burn you. This fire is neither heavenly fire nor mundane fire—it is called 'yin fire.' It rises from below at the bubbling spring point and burns straight through the mud-wall palace; the five organs turn to ash, the four limbs all rot, and a thousand years of bitter practice are rendered empty and unreal. Five hundred years after that, a calamity of wind descends to blow you. This is not the wind of the four cardinal directions, not the gentle breeze or the northern gale, not the wind through flowers, willows, pines, or bamboo—it is called 'the bi wind.' It blows through the fontanel into the six bowels, passes through the elixir field, pierces the nine orifices; flesh and bones dissolve and scatter, and the body disintegrates on its own. All of these must be evaded."

When Wukong heard this, his hair stood on end and his flesh crawled. He kowtowed and bowed, saying, "I beseech you, Old Master, to take pity and transmit to me the method of evading the Three Calamities. I shall never, ever forget your kindness." The Patriarch said, "This is not difficult in itself, but you are different from other beings, and so I cannot transmit it to you." Wukong said, "But I too have a round head that faces Heaven and square feet that tread the Earth. Like others, I have the nine orifices and four limbs, the five organs and six bowels. How am I different from other people?" The Patriarch said, "Though you resemble a human, you lack cheeks." Now the monkey had a protruding jawbone, a sunken face, and a pointed mouth. Wukong reached up and felt his face, then laughed. "Master, your reckoning is off. Though I lack cheeks, I have this extra pouch—it ought to make up the difference." The Patriarch said, "Very well. Which sort would you learn? There is the Heavenly Stem category, comprising thirty-six transformations, and the Earthly Branch category, comprising seventy-two transformations." Wukong said, "Your disciple prefers to cast his net wide—let me learn the seventy-two transformations of the Earthly Branch." The Patriarch said, "In that case, come forward and I will transmit the oral formula to you." He then leaned close and whispered, though what wondrous method he imparted is unknown. This Monkey King, once one aperture was opened, had all hundred apertures opened at once. He received the oral formula then and there, practiced and refined it on his own, and mastered all seventy-two transformations.

One day, the Patriarch and his disciples were enjoying the evening scenery before the Cave of Three Stars. The Patriarch said, "Wukong, have you completed your training?" Wukong said, "Thanks to your boundless grace, Master, my merit is complete—I can now rise up on colored clouds and ascend." The Patriarch said, "Let me see you rise up." Wukong showed off his skill: he shrugged his body, turned a chain of somersaults, leapt up about five or six zhang from the ground, and trod upon the rose-colored clouds. He was gone about as long as it takes to eat a meal, but he returned having gone no more than three li. He landed before the Patriarch and stood with folded arms. "Master, this is rising up and soaring on the clouds." The Patriarch laughed. "This doesn't count as soaring on clouds—it only counts as crawling on clouds. It has been said since ancient times: 'Immortals roam from the Northern Sea in the morning to Cangwu in the evening.' In half a day, you couldn't even go three li—you can't even call that crawling on clouds." Wukong said, "What does 'roaming from the Northern Sea in the morning to Cangwu in the evening' mean?" The Patriarch said, "Those who soar on clouds rise at dawn from the Northern Sea, roam through the Eastern Sea, the Western Sea, and the Southern Sea, then return to Cangwu. Cangwu, in fact, is the way they refer to Lingling in the region of the Northern Sea. To roam beyond all four seas in a single day—only that counts as soaring on clouds." Wukong said, "That is difficult, that is difficult." The Patriarch said, "Nothing in the world is difficult for one who sets his mind to it." Upon hearing these words, Wukong kowtowed and bowed, saying, "Master, if one does a thing, one should do it thoroughly. I beg you to show great mercy and transmit this method of soaring on clouds to me as well. I shall never forget your kindness." The Patriarch said, "When the immortals soar on clouds, they all rise by treading with bare feet, but you are not like that. I saw you just now—you only got up by turning somersaults. Now, taking advantage of your own manner of movement, I will transmit to you the Somersault Cloud." Wukong bowed again and earnestly begged, and the Patriarch transmitted another oral formula, saying: "For this cloud, pinch the mudra, recite the true words, clench your fists tightly, shake your body, and leap up—one somersault covers a hundred and eight thousand li!" When the assembly heard this, they laughed one after another. "What fortune for Wukong! If he masters this technique, he could serve as a courier for people, delivering documents and dispatches—no matter where, he could find himself a meal." Master and disciples returned to their respective caves as darkness fell.

That very night, Wukong circulated his spirit and practiced the method, and mastered the Somersault Cloud. From day to day he was without restraint, free and unfettered—such is the beauty of the undying life.

One day, as spring turned to summer, the assembled company had been discoursing together for some time beneath the pine trees. They said, "Wukong, what merit from a former life has brought you such good fortune? The other day our Master whispered something to you in private and taught you the method of transformations to avert the three disasters. Have you mastered them all?"

Wukong smiled and said, "I won't hide it from you elder brothers. For one thing, the Master taught me; for another, I've worked diligently day and night. I've got all those techniques down."

The company said, "Since this is a good time, why don't you try performing for us so we can have a look?"

Hearing this, Wukong roused his spirits and showed off his skills, saying, "Brothers, give me a subject. What would you have me transform into?"

They said, "Just turn into a pine tree."

Wukong formed the hand signs, recited the incantation, shook his body, and transformed into a pine tree. Truly it was:

Lush and misty, enduring through all four seasons,

Towering into the clouds, a noble and graceful form.

Not a trace of a demonic monkey remained—

Nothing but branches weathered by frost and snow.

The company saw it and clapped their hands, laughing heartily. "What a fine monkey! What a fine monkey!" they all cried. Their commotion and clamor, quite without restraint, startled the Patriarch. Staff in hand, he rushed out the door and demanded, "Who is making all this racket?"

The company, hearing his voice, hastily straightened themselves and arranged their robes, stepping forward. Wukong also resumed his original form and stood among them, saying, "Revered Master, we were discoursing together here. No outsiders were making a disturbance."

The Patriarch roared in anger, "You shout and carry on—you don't look at all like people who are cultivating themselves! A person who cultivates the Way: when the mouth opens, the spirit and breath scatter; when the tongue moves, right and wrong arise. How can you carry on like this with all this shouting and laughing?"

The company said, "We wouldn't dare deceive you, Master. Just now Sun Wukong was performing transformations for sport. We told him to turn into a pine tree, and sure enough he became a pine tree. All the disciples praised him and cheered, and so our voices rose and disturbed you, Honored Master. We beg your forgiveness."

The Patriarch said, "All of you, rise and go." Then he called, "Wukong, come here! I ask you, what business have you showing off your tricks, turning into a pine tree? Can you take this kind of accomplishment and flaunt it before others? If you see that someone else possesses something, won't you ask for it? And if others see that you have it, they will certainly ask it of you. If you fear disaster, you'll have to teach them; if you don't teach them, they will surely do you harm: your very life will not be safe."

Wukong knocked his head on the ground and said, "I only hope you will forgive me, Master."

The Patriarch said, "I won't punish you, but you must go."

Hearing these words, Wukong's eyes filled with tears. "Master, where would you have me go?"

The Patriarch said, "From wherever you came, return there."

Wukong was suddenly awakened and said, "I came from the East Victorious Continent, the Kingdom of Aolai, on Flower-Fruit Mountain, in the Water Curtain Cave."

The Patriarch said, "Go back quickly and preserve your life. If you remain here, it absolutely cannot be allowed."

Wukong acknowledged his fault and told the Honored Master, "It has already been twenty years since I left home. Though I long to look back at my old wives and children, I cannot bear to leave while I have not yet repaid your great kindness, Master."

The Patriarch said, "What kindness is there? Just don't bring disaster upon me, and don't drag me into it—that's all."

Seeing there was nothing to be done, Wukong could only bow in farewell and take leave of the company.

The Patriarch said, "Since you are going, you will surely cause trouble. No matter how you bring calamity and do evil, you must not say that you are my disciple. If you utter even half a word, I will know it. I will have that monkey of yours skinned and his bones ground to powder, and I will banish your soul to the Nine Darknesses, so that you shall not rise again for ten thousand kalpas!"

Wukong said, "I absolutely dare not mention a single word of my Master. I'll just say I learned it on my own—that's all."

Wukong thanked him, then immediately turned, formed the hand signs, made a series of rapid leaps, mounted his somersault cloud, and headed straight back to the East Victorious Continent. Before an hour had passed, he caught sight of Flower-Fruit Mountain and the Water Curtain Cave. The Handsome Monkey King felt a secret joy and said to himself:

When I left, mortal bones and mortal flesh weighed heavy;

Having attained the Way, my body is light and my form is light.

In the whole world, no one was willing to set his mind on the goal;

Set your mind on cultivating the Mystery, and the Mystery will clarify itself.

At that time, crossing the sea was hard to accomplish;

Today, returning home is very easy.

The parting words of caution are still in my ears—

Who expected to see the Eastern Sea so soon?

Wukong pressed down his cloud and descended to Flower-Fruit Mountain, picking his way along the path. Suddenly he heard the crying of cranes and the wailing of monkeys: the cranes cried out beyond the vault of heaven; the monkeys wailed with heart-rending sorrow. He immediately called out, "Children, I'm back!" From beneath the cliff, from among the rocks, from the flowers and grass, from within the trees—monkeys great and small—thousands upon thousands of them leaped out and surrounded the Handsome Monkey King. They knocked their heads and cried, "Your Majesty, how could you be so neglectful as to be gone so long? You've left us all stranded here, and we've longed for you as one longs for food and drink. Recently a demon has been tormenting us here, trying by force to seize our Water Curtain Cave. We've fought him with no thought for our own lives. These past days, he's stolen our household goods and captured many of our sons and nephews. He's made us keep watch day and night, guarding our home. We're so fortunate you've come back, Your Majesty. If you hadn't come for another year or more, we would have lost even the mountain cave to him."

Wukong was furious when he heard this. "What demon is this, that he dares to behave so outrageously? Tell me everything in detail, so I can find him and have my revenge."

The monkeys knocked their heads and said, "We report to Your Majesty: the fellow calls himself the Demon King of Confusion, and he lives directly to the north."

Wukong said, "How far is it from here to where he is?"

The monkeys said, "When he comes, he rides the clouds; when he departs, he travels in the mist. Sometimes with wind, sometimes with rain, sometimes with thunder, sometimes with lightning—we don't know how far the distance is."

Wukong said, "In that case, don't be afraid. Go and amuse yourselves for now. Wait while I go find him."

The splendid Monkey King leaped up with his body and soared away, traveling by somersault cloud directly northward to have a look. He saw a tall mountain, truly rugged and forbidding. A fine mountain:

The brush-like peaks stood tall, the winding ravine ran deep. The brush-like peaks pierced through the empty sky, the winding ravine reached down to the earthly gate. On both cliffs, flowers and trees vied in splendor; here and there, pines and bamboos competed in verdure. On the left, a dragon, tame and docile; on the right, a tiger, calm and prostrate. Often one saw the iron ox plowing, and gold coins being sown. The hidden birds sang with melodious voices; the crimson phoenix stood facing the sun. The rocks were jagged, the waves were clear—strange, treacherous, truly fierce. Though the world has countless famous mountains, with flowers blooming and withering in endless profusion, none can match this scene that endures forever, unchanging through all eight seasons and four times of year. Truly it is the Mountain of the Kan Source of the Three Realms, nurturing the Cave of the Water Organ of the Five Elements.

The Handsome Monkey King was silently taking in the scenery when he heard someone speaking. He went straight down the mountain to investigate. It turned out that before the steep cliff lay the Cave of the Water Organ. Outside the cave door, several minor demons were dancing. When they saw Wukong, they tried to flee. Wukong said, "Don't run! Borrow the words from your mouth to convey the matter in my heart. I am the lord of the Water Curtain Cave on Flower-Fruit Mountain due south. What sort of wretched demon of yours has repeatedly bullied my children and grandchildren? I have come specially to settle accounts with him."

The minor demon, upon hearing this, rushed into the cave to report: "Great King, disaster!" The demon king asked, "What disaster?" The minor demon said, "Outside the cave there is a monkey head who calls himself the lord of the Water Curtain Cave on Flower-Fruit Mountain. He says you have repeatedly bullied his children and grandchildren and has come specially to find you and settle accounts." The demon king laughed and said: "I have often heard those monkey spirits say they have a Great King who left home to cultivate himself. I suppose he has come this time. How was he dressed? What weapons does he have?" The minor demon said, "He has no weapons at all. He is bareheaded, wearing a red robe, with a yellow sash tied around his waist, and a pair of black boots on his feet. He looks neither like a monk nor like a layman, and he doesn't resemble a Daoist or an immortal. He is standing outside the door empty-handed, shouting." The demon king, upon hearing this, said: "Bring me my armor and weapons." The minor demon immediately brought them out.

The demon king donned his armor, took up his saber, and went out the gate with his host of demons. He called out in a loud voice: "Who is the lord of the Water Curtain Cave?" Wukong opened his eyes wide and looked. He saw the demon king:

A black metal helmet on his head, gleaming in the sunlight; a dark silk robe on his body, fluttering in the wind. Below he wore black iron armor, tightly bound with leather straps; his feet were clad in boots with floral folds, majestic as a commanding general. His waist measured ten spans around, his height three fathoms. In his hand he held a saber, its blade shining bright. He was called the Demon King of Confusion, with a bold and ferocious appearance.

The Monkey King roared: "This wretched demon's eyes are so big he can't even see old Sun!" The demon king saw him and laughed: "You are less than four feet tall, not yet thirty years old, and you have no weapon in your hands. How dare you be so bold and reckless, coming to settle accounts with me?" Wukong cursed: "You wretched demon, it turns out you're blind. You think I'm small, but it's not hard for me to become big. You think I have no weapon—my two hands can hook the moon at the edge of the sky! Don't be afraid. Just take a fist from old Sun." He leaped up and threw a punch right at his face. The demon king raised his hand to block it and said: "You're so short and squat, I'm so tall and long. You want to use fists, I want to use a saber. If I use my saber to kill you, people would laugh at me. Let me put down my saber and spar with you using fists." Wukong said: "Well said. Brave fellow, come on!" The demon king dropped his guard and began to fight. Wukong darted in to meet him, colliding and engaging. They punched and kicked, charging and clashing. It turned out that long-range punches were empty and loose, while short-range strikes were solid and firm. Wukong exploited the demon king's short ribs, struck his groin, and landed several blows on his joints, beating him badly. The demon king dodged, picked up his massive steel saber, and chopped straight at Wukong's head. Wukong quickly withdrew, and the demon king's blow struck nothing. Wukong saw that he was fierce and violent, and immediately used his body-cloning technique. He plucked a handful of hairs, chewed them up in his mouth, blew them into the air, and shouted: "Change!" They instantly transformed into two or three hundred small monkeys, swarming around him.

It is because one who attains an immortal body can transform in unfathomable ways. This Monkey King, ever since he attained the Way, had eighty-four thousand hairs on his body, each one capable of changing, responding to his will as he pleased. Those small monkeys had keen eyes and could leap nimbly—sabers could not cut them, spears could not harm them. Watch them bounding forward and leaping back, darting up and surrounding the demon king. Some hugged, some tugged, some went for the groin, some pulled at the legs. They kicked, struck, plucked at fur, gouged at eyes, pinched at noses, and lifted and tossed him about until he was rolled up into a ball. Only then did Wukong snatch away his saber, scatter the small monkeys, and bring the blade down on the demon king's crown, splitting him in two. He led his forces into the cave and wiped out all the demons, great and small. He then shook his body and recalled the hairs to himself. But some would not return—these were the small monkeys the demon king had captured from the Water Curtain Cave. Wukong said: "How did you end up here?" About thirty or fifty of them, all in tears, said: "After you, Great King, left to cultivate immortality, we were harassed by him for the past two years, and he captured us all and brought us here. Aren't those our household belongings from our cave? The stone basins and stone bowls—that fellow took them all." Wukong said: "Since they are our household belongings, carry them all outside." He then set a fire inside the cave and burned the Cave of Water Organ to a crisp, reducing it to nothing. He said to the assembled monkeys: "Follow me back." The monkeys said: "Great King, when we came, we only heard the wind in our ears and arrived here floating in the void. We don't know the way. How can we return home now?" Wukong said: "This was just a trick of his—what difficulty is there in it? Now that I have mastered one secret, I have mastered a hundred secrets. I can do it too. All of you, close your eyes and don't be afraid."

The good Monkey King uttered an incantation, rode a fierce wind, and descended on a cloud. He called out: "Open your eyes, children!" The monkeys set their feet upon solid ground and recognized their homeland. Delighted, they all rushed toward the cave gate along the old path. The monkeys who had remained in the cave thronged out to welcome them, and together they entered. They arranged themselves by rank and seniority and bowed before the Monkey King. Wine and fruit were laid out for a feast of welcome and congratulation, and they asked the Monkey King to tell them of his subjugation of the demon and the rescue of their kin. Wukong recounted the whole story in detail, and the monkeys praised him without end: "Who would have thought, Great King, that in your travels to distant lands you would have learned such skills!" Wukong went on: "When I left you all those years ago, I drifted with the waves across the Eastern Ocean to the Western Continent of Cows' Gifts, then made my way to the Southern Continent of Jambū. There I learned to take human form, and I put on these clothes and shoes. For eight or nine years I wandered about, but never once did I find the Way. Then I crossed the Ocean to the Western Continent of Cows' Gifts again, and after searching for a long time I had the good fortune to meet an old patriarch, who imparted to me the true fruit of a lifespan equal to Heaven's and the great method of deathless, everlasting life." The monkeys all offered their congratulations, saying: "This is an opportunity not to be had in ten thousand kalpas!" Wukong laughed again: "Little ones, rejoice further—our whole clan now has a surname." The monkeys asked: "What is your surname, Great King?" Wukong said: "I am now surnamed Sun, with the Dharma name Wukong." When the monkeys heard this, they clapped their hands and cried joyfully: "If the Great King is Old Sun, then we are all Second Sun, Third Sun, Little Sun, Small Sun... one family of Suns, one nation of Suns, one nest of Suns!" They all came to pay court to Old Sun, offering great bowls and small cups of coconut wine, grape wine, immortal flowers, and immortal fruits—a true family reunion. Ah!

When one surname is made whole, the body returns to its root;

Only awaiting promotion to the immortal register's name.

How this will ultimately turn out, and how things will unfold in this realm from beginning to end, listen to the next chapter.