Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Now when the Handsome Monkey King returned home in triumph, having slain the Demon King of Confusion and seized a great broadsword, he drilled his troops day after day. He taught the little monkeys to cut bamboo for spears and whittle wood for swords, to make banners and flags, to sound signals, to advance and retreat, to pitch camp and build stockades. They played at warfare for a long time.

Then one day, sitting in stillness, he thought: "If we carry on like this, our play may turn into reality. We might alarm the human king, or some king of birds or beasts might take offense and say we are training troops to rebel, then raise an army to attack us. You all have nothing but bamboo spears and wooden swords—how could you fight? We would need sharp weapons and halberds. But what can we do?"

When the monkeys heard this, they were all terrified. "Your Majesty sees far indeed, but there is nowhere to get such things."

Even as they spoke, four old monkeys came forward—two Red-rumped Macaques and two Long-armed Gibbons—and stood before him. "Your Majesty, if you wish to obtain sharp weapons, it is very easy."

Wukong asked, "How so?"

The four monkeys said, "East of our mountain, across two hundred *li* of water, lies the border of the Kingdom of Aolai. In that kingdom there is a king, and the city is filled with countless soldiers and civilians. Surely there must be goldsmiths, silversmiths, coppersmiths, and blacksmiths there. If Your Majesty goes there, you could buy or have made some weapons to drill us with and guard our mountain. Truly this would be a plan for lasting peace and security."

When Wukong heard this, he was overjoyed. "You all stay here and play. I shall go."

The splendid Monkey King then leaped onto his somersault cloud and in an instant crossed the two hundred *li* of water. Before him he saw a city indeed, with six avenues and three markets, ten thousand households and a thousand gates, people coming and going everywhere under the bright sun.

Wukong thought to himself: "There must be ready-made weapons here. I could go down and buy some, but it would be better to use my magic power to get them." He formed the mudra, recited the spell, drew a breath from the Xun direction, and blew it forth. At once a great wind arose, whipping up sand and stones—how terrifying!

Where the cannon-clouds rose, heaven and earth were shaken;

Dark mists and gloom brought darkness to the great land.

Waves surged in rivers and seas—fish and crabs were afraid;

Trees snapped in the mountains and forests—tigers and wolves fled.

All trade and commerce saw no merchants or travelers;

Every kind of livelihood saw no people at all.

The king on his throne retreated to the inner court;

The civil and martial officials at the steps withdrew to their offices.

The thousand-year throne was blown over;

The five-phoenix high towers shook to their very foundations.

Where the wind struck, it scattered the king of Aolai. The three markets and six streets all panicked, doors and windows were shut, and no one dared to walk abroad. Wukong then pressed down his cloud and strode straight through the palace gates, making his way directly to the Armory and the Weapons Storehouse. He opened the doors and looked inside—there were countless weapons: swords, spears, halberds, axes, battle-axes, scythes, whips, rakes, clubs, staffs, bows, crossbows, forks, lances—every kind fully stocked.

He was overjoyed. "How much can one person carry? I'll use my body-splitting magic to carry them all away." The splendid Monkey King plucked a handful of his body hair, chewed it to pieces in his mouth, and spat it out. He recited the spell and cried, "Transform!" They became a thousand little monkeys, all scrambling and grabbing. The strong ones carried five or seven pieces, the weak ones three or two, until everything was completely cleared out.

He then stepped onto his cloud, worked his levitation magic, summoned the wind again, and led the little monkeys back to their home.

Now the monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain, great and small, were playing outside the cave entrance when suddenly they heard the sound of wind and saw in the middle of the sky a vast, boundless swarm of monkey spirits, branching and spreading everywhere. They were so frightened they scattered and hid. In a little while, the Handsome Monkey King descended on his cloud, gathered the mist, shook his body, and retrieved his hairs. He piled the weapons in a heap on the mountain and called out, "Little ones, come and receive your weapons!"

When the monkeys looked, they saw Wukong standing alone on the level ground. They all came running to bow and ask what had happened. Wukong told them everything—how he had raised the wind and moved the weapons. After they had thanked him, they all rushed to snatch swords and spears, to grab axes and fight over lances, to pull bows and bend crossbows, shouting and hallooing, playing with them all day.

The next day, they arranged their camp as before. Wukong gathered all the monkeys, numbering more than forty-seven thousand. This early on alarmed all the beasts of the mountain—wolves, insects, tigers, leopards, elk, muntjacs, river deer, badgers, foxes, raccoon dogs, hog-badgers, lions, elephants, lions (of the *suanni* kind), orangutans, bears, deer, wild boars, mountain cattle, antelopes, black rhinoceroses, cunning beasts, divine mastiffs… In all, the demon kings of seventy-two caves came to pay homage to the Monkey King as their sovereign. They presented tribute each year and reported at the four seasons. Some joined the regular drills; some contributed provisions according to the season. In perfect order, they made Flower Fruit Mountain as solid as an iron bucket or a golden fortress.

The various demon kings also presented war drums, banners, and armor, bustling and crowding, drilling and training their troops day by day.

While the Handsome Monkey King was rejoicing, he suddenly said to the assembly: "You are all skilled with bows and crossbows and proficient with weapons, but this sword of mine is truly clumsy and does not suit me. What can we do?"

The four old monkeys came forward and reported: "Your Majesty is an immortal sage—ordinary weapons are not fit for you. But I wonder, can you go into the water?"

Wukong said: "Ever since I attained the Way, I have the power of the seventy-two Earthly Transformations. My somersault cloud has tremendous magic power. I can make myself invisible and escape, I can work levitation and attraction magic. I have a road to heaven and a gate to the earth. I walk without shadow in the sun and moon, I enter metal and stone without hindrance. Water cannot drown me, fire cannot burn me. Where could I not go?"

The four monkeys said: "Since Your Majesty has such powers, beneath the Iron Bridge of our cave, the water connects to the Dragon Palace of the Eastern Sea. If Your Majesty is willing to go down, you could find the Old Dragon King and ask him for whatever weapon you wish—would that not be to your liking?"

When Wukong heard this, he was delighted. "Wait while I go."

The splendid Monkey King leaped to the bridgehead, employed his water-avoiding technique, formed a hand seal, and plunged into the waves, parting the waterways and making straight for the bottom of the Eastern Sea. As he proceeded, he suddenly encountered a patrolling yaksha, who blocked his way and asked, "You who push the water along, what divine being are you? Speak clearly, so I may announce and welcome you." Wukong said, "I am Sun Wukong, the Heaven-born Sage of Flower-Fruit Mountain, your Old Dragon King's close neighbor. How can you not know me?" Upon hearing this, the yaksha hurried back to the Crystal Palace and announced, "Your Majesty, outside there is a Sun Wukong, the Heaven-born Sage of Flower-Fruit Mountain, who claims to be Your Majesty's close neighbor. He is about to arrive at the palace." The Dragon King of the Eastern Sea, Ao Guang, immediately rose and went out of the palace with his dragon sons, dragon grandsons, shrimp soldiers, and crab generals to greet him, saying, "Please enter, Exalted Immortal, please enter." When they reached the palace and had paid their respects, served tea, and were seated, the Dragon King asked, "When did you attain the Way, Exalted Immortal? What immortal arts were you taught?" Wukong said, "Since my birth, I left home to cultivate and attained a body beyond life and death. Recently, because I have been teaching my grandchildren and guarding my mountain cave, I find myself lacking a weapon. I have long heard that my worthy neighbor enjoys the pleasures of this jade palace and shell-templed abode, and surely possesses surplus divine implements. I have come specially to beg for one." When the Dragon King heard this, he could not well refuse. He ordered the Mandarin Fish Commandant to bring out a great pole-blade and present it. Wukong said, "Old Sun doesn't know how to use a blade. I beg you to grant me another." The Dragon King then ordered the Peltobagrus Commander and the Eel Warriors to carry out a nine-tined trident fork. Wukong jumped down, took it in his hands, went through a sequence, set it down, and said, "Too light, too light, too light, and not suited to my hand. I beg you to grant me another." The Dragon King said with a smile, "Exalted Immortal, you haven't looked closely. This fork weighs three thousand six hundred catties." Wukong said, "Not suited to my hand, not suited to my hand." The Dragon King's heart filled with fear. He then ordered the Amia Commander and the Carp Brigadier to bring out a painted-pole halberd. That halberd weighed seven thousand two hundred catties. When Wukong saw it, he ran up, took it in his hands, tossed off a few postures, threw out a couple of techniques, and planted it in the ground, saying, "Still light, light, light." The Old Dragon King was even more terrified and said, "Exalted Immortal, in my palace only this halberd is heavy; there are no more weapons." Wukong said with a smile, "As the ancients said: 'Worry not that the Dragon King lacks treasure!' Look around some more. If you find something suitable, I will pay its price." The Dragon King said, "Truly, there are none left."

As they were speaking, the Dragon Dame and the Dragon Maiden appeared from behind and said, "Your Majesty, observing this Sage, he is by no means ordinary. That piece of divine precious iron that fixes the bottom of the Heavenly River in our sea treasury—these past few days it has been glowing with radiant light and soaring auspicious vapors. Could it not be that it is destined to appear and encounter this Sage?" The Dragon King said, "That is a gauge that Yu the Great used when he tamed the floods, to fix the depths of rivers and seas. It is a piece of divine iron. What use could it be?" The Dragon Dame said, "Never mind whether it is of use or not. Just give it to him and let him alter it however he wishes. Get it out of the palace gates and be done." The Old Dragon King followed her advice and told Wukong everything. Wukong said, "Bring it out for me to see." The Dragon King waved his hands and said, "It cannot be carried or lifted. You must go see it yourself, Exalted Immortal." Wukong said, "Where is it? Lead me there."

The Dragon King indeed led him to the middle of the sea treasury, where suddenly they saw ten thousand rays of golden light. The Dragon King pointed and said, "That which gives off the light is it." Wukong lifted his robe and stepped forward. He felt it with his hand—it was an iron pillar, about the size of a peck measure in circumference, and over twenty feet long. He gripped it with both hands and said, "Too thick and too long. If it were a bit shorter and thinner, it would do." As soon as he spoke, the treasure shrank several feet in length and one circumference in girth. Wukong hefted it again and said, "Even thinner would be better." The treasure indeed became a bit thinner still. Wukong was overjoyed. He took it out of the sea treasury and saw that it was originally a bar of dark iron with two gold bands at either end. Next to the bands was engraved a line of characters that read: "As-You-Will Gold-Banded Staff, weighing thirteen thousand five hundred catties." He secretly thought to himself, "This treasure must surely do as one wishes." As he walked along, he thought it over in his mind, muttered to himself, and hefted it, saying, "Even shorter and thinner would be more wondrous." When he brought it outside, it was only twenty feet long and as thick as a bowl.

Watch him display his divine powers and unleash his tricks, spinning about within the Crystal Palace. He terrified the old Dragon King so that his heart trembled with fear, scattered the souls and spirits of the young dragon princes, caused the turtles, alligators, and great turtles to tuck in their necks, and made the fish, shrimp, crabs, and giant turtles hide their heads. Wukong held the treasure in his hand, sat upon the Crystal Palace throne, and said to the Dragon King with a laugh, "Many thanks for your generous hospitality, honored neighbor." The Dragon King said, "I dare not, I dare not." Wukong said, "This iron is indeed useful, but there is one more thing." The Dragon King said, "What more does the Immortal have to say?" Wukong said, "If I hadn't had this iron rod, that would have been the end of it; but now that I've got it in my hand, I have no matching garments to go with it. What can be done? If you have any armor and accoutrements here, you might as well give me a full set, and I'll thank you for everything all at once." The Dragon King said, "I'm afraid I have none." Wukong said, "A guest does not trouble two hosts. If you have none, I shall never leave this gate." The Dragon King said, "Might the Immortal visit another sea? Perhaps they would have some." Wukong said again, "Visiting three houses is not as good as sitting in one. By all means, seek out a set for me." The Dragon King said, "Truly I have none. If I did, I would present them at once." Wukong said, "You really have none? Then let me try this iron on you!" The Dragon King, alarmed, said, "Immortal, please don't strike, please don't strike! Let me see whether my brothers might have some—I will give you a set." Wukong said, "Where are your brothers?" The Dragon King said, "My brothers are Ao Qin the Dragon King of the South Sea, Ao Shun the Dragon King of the North Sea, and Ao Run the Dragon King of the West Sea." Wukong said, "I, old Sun, won't go, I won't go. As the saying goes, 'A promise of three is not worth two before your eyes.' I only hope you'll give me whatever is available, be it high or low." The old dragon said, "There's no need for the Immortal to go. Here I have an iron drum and a bronze bell. Whenever there is an urgent matter, if the drum is beaten and the bell is struck, my brothers arrive in an instant." Wukong said, "In that case, go quickly and beat the drum and strike the bell." Indeed, the alligator general went to strike the bell, and the turtle commander came to beat the drum.

Before long, where the bell and drum sounded, they indeed startled the three Dragon Kings of the other seas, who arrived shortly afterward and assembled together outside. Ao Qin said, "Elder Brother, what urgent matter required beating the drum and striking the bell?" The old dragon said, "Dear brothers, it's hard to tell. There is a certain天生聖人 (Heaven-born Sage) from Flower-Fruit Mountain who came early this morning to claim me as his neighbor. Then he asked for a weapon—he found the steel trident too small and the halberd too light. He took out a piece of divine treasure iron that fixes the bottom of the Milky Way, wielded it himself, and showed off a few tricks. Now he sits in the palace and demands armor and accoutrements. I have none, so I rang the bell and beat the drum to summon you. Do you have any armor and accoutrements? Give him a set and send him out the door, that's all." Ao Qin, upon hearing this, flew into a rage and said, "Shall we brothers muster troops and seize him?" The old dragon said, "Don't talk of seizing him, don't talk of seizing him. That iron—if it brushes you even a little, you die; if it knocks you even a little, you perish. If it grazes you, the skin breaks. If it scrapes you, the tendons are injured." Ao Run the Dragon King of the West Sea said, "Second Brother, do not fight with him. Let us merely put together a set of armor and accoutrements for him, send him out the door, and then submit a memorial to Heaven. Heaven will deal with him." Ao Shun the Dragon King of the North Sea said, "That is well said. Here I have a pair of lotus-silk cloud-walking shoes." Ao Run the Dragon King of the West Sea said, "I have brought a suit of interlocking golden chainmail armor." Ao Qin the Dragon King of the South Sea said, "I have a golden crown with phoenix wings." The old dragon was overjoyed and led them into the Crystal Palace to meet Wukong, presenting these items to him. Wukong put on the golden crown, the golden armor, and the cloud shoes, all properly fitted. He wielded his如意棒 (As-You-Will Cudgel) and fought his way out in one sweep, saying to all the dragons, "What a nuisance, what a nuisance!" The four Dragon Kings were deeply aggrieved, and they discussed among themselves how to prepare a memorial to present to Heaven—but of this, no more.

Look at the Monkey King: he parted the waterway and made straight for the Iron Bridge, leaping up out of the waves. There he saw the four old monkeys leading all the other monkeys, who were all waiting at the bridge. Suddenly they saw Wukong leap from outside the water, not a drop of moisture on his body, walking onto the bridge gleaming golden. The monkeys were so terrified that they all knelt at once, crying, "Great King, how splendid! How splendid!" Wukong, beaming all over, ascended his precious seat and planted the iron staff in the center. Those monkeys, not knowing what was good for him, all came to try to take the treasure, but it was like mayflies trying to shake an iron tree—they could not budge it by the slightest bit. One after another they bit their fingers and stuck out their tongues, saying, "Grandpa! So heavy—how ever did you manage to bring it here!" Wukong stepped forward, stretched out his hand, and seized it in one grip, laughing to all present: "Everything has its rightful master. This treasure had been stored in the sea vault for who knows how many thousands or hundreds of years, and just this year it happened to emit a light. The Dragon King took it for nothing more than a lump of black iron and called it the Divine Treasure That Stabilizes the Bottom of the Heavenly River. None of those fellows could lift or carry it, so they asked me to go and fetch it myself. At that time the treasure was over two zhang long and as thick as a peck measure. When I gripped it, thinking it too large, it grew smaller at once; I told it to be smaller still, and it shrank again; I told it once more to be smaller, and it shrank yet again. I held it up to the light in haste and saw a line of characters on it: 'As-You-Will Gold-Banded Staff, thirteen thousand five hundred catties.' Stand back, all of you, and let me make it change once more." He balanced the treasure in his hand and called, "Small! Small! Small!" Instantly it shrank to the size of a hairpin, small enough to be tucked inside his ear. The monkeys were astounded and cried, "Great King, take it out and play with it again!" The Monkey King truly took it from his ear, held it on his palm, and called, "Big! Big! Big!" At once it grew to the thickness of a peck measure and the length of two zang. When he had his fill of delight, he leaped onto the bridge, walked out of the cave, grasped the treasure in his hand, and employed the magic power of modeling himself on Heaven and Earth. He bent his waist and cried, "Grow!" He grew ten thousand zhang tall, his head like Mount Tai, his waist like a steep ridge, his eyes like lightning, his mouth like a blood basin, his teeth like swords and halberds; the staff in his hand reached up to the Thirty-Third Heaven and down to the eighteen levels of Hell. He terrified the tigers, leopards, wolves, insects, all the mountain monsters, and the demon kings of the seventy-two caves so much that they all kowtowed and paid homage, trembling in terror, their souls scattered and their spirits flown. In an instant he withdrew his magic form, changed the treasure back into a hairpin, hid it in his ear, and returned to his cave. The demon kings of the various caves, thrown into a panic, all came to pay their congratulations.

Thereupon he raised great banners and beat the bronze gongs, laid out a hundred rare delicacies, filled cups with coconut wine and grape juice, and feasted with all his followers for a long time. Then, as before, he drilled and trained them. The Monkey King enfeoffed the four old monkeys as sturdy generals, called the two red-rump macaques Commander Ma and Marshal Liu, and the two armored-ape monkeys Generals Beng and Ba. He entrusted the four sturdy generals with all matters of setting up camp, administering rewards and punishments, and maintaining order.

Setting his mind at ease, he spent his days soaring through the clouds and riding the mists, roaming the four seas and delighting in a thousand mountains. He displayed his martial skills and sought out heroes everywhere; he exercised his magic powers and made friends with the worthy far and wide. At this time he formed a brotherhood of seven: the Bull Demon King, the Dragon King, the Roc Demon King, the Lion Camel King, the Macaque King, the Rhesus Monkey King, and himself, the Handsome Monkey King—seven in all. Day after day they discussed literature and debated martial arts, passed cups and exchanged toasts, played stringed instruments, sang, and played flutes and danced. They went out in the morning and returned at evening, finding no activity that was not delightful. To them, a journey of ten thousand li was no more than a walk to the courtyard gate; as the saying goes, "a nod of the head covers three thousand li, and a twist of the waist takes you over eight hundred."

One day, in his own cave, he ordered the four sturdy generals to arrange a banquet and invite the six kings to drink. They slaughtered cattle and horses, offered sacrifices to Heaven and Earth, and had all the lesser demons dance and sing in celebration. All of them drank themselves dead drunk. After sending the six kings off, he rewarded the high and low-ranking officers among the cattle. Then he leaned against the Iron Bridge beneath the shade of the pines and fell asleep in an instant. The four sturdy generals led the others to surround and guard him, not daring to raise their voices. Now, as the Handsome Monkey King slept, he saw two men carrying a warrant with the three characters "Sun Wukong" written on it. They approached him, gave no room for argument, slipped a rope around him, and seized the Monkey King's soul, dragging him stumbling and staggering straight to the edge of a city. The Monkey King gradually sobered from his wine and suddenly raised his head to look. On the city wall was an iron plaque bearing three large characters: "The Underworld." The Handsome Monkey King suddenly understood and said, "The Underworld is where the King of Hell dwells. Why have I come here?" The two men said, "Your allotted span on earth has run out. We two have received this warrant and have come to seize you." The Monkey King said, "I, Old Sun, have transcended the Three Realms and stand outside the Five Elements. I am no longer subject to his jurisdiction. How can he, in his muddled state, dare to seize me?" The two dead-summoners kept pulling and tugging, determined to drag him inside. The Monkey King's temper flared; he pulled the treasure from his ear, gave it a shake, and it grew to the thickness of a bowl. With a slight motion of his hand, he beat the two dead-summoners into a paste. He untied himself, let go of the rope, swung his staff, and charged into the city. He terrified the Ox-Head Ghosts, who fled east and hid, and the Horse-Face Ghosts, who ran south and fled north. All the ghost soldiers rushed to the Hall of the Netherworld and reported: "Great King, disaster! Disaster! Outside there is a hairy-faced Thunder God charging in!"

The Ten Kings of the Underworld were thrown into a panic. They hastily straightened their robes and came out to look. Seeing his fierce and terrible appearance, they arranged themselves in order and called out in loud voices: "Leave us your name, Immortal! Leave us your name!"

The Monkey King said, "Since you don't even know me, how dare you send people to summon my soul?"

The Ten Kings said, "We dare not, we dare not. It must have been a mistake on the part of those who were sent."

The Monkey King said, "I am the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, Sun Wukong, born of heaven and earth on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, in the Cave of the Water Curtain. What offices do you hold?"

The Ten Kings bowed and said, "We are the Ten Kings of the Underworld, the sovereigns of the realm of darkness."

Wukong said, "Quickly tell me your names, and I'll spare you a beating."

The Ten Kings said, "We are King Qin Guang, King Chu Jiang, King Song Di, King Wu Guan, King Yan Luo, King Ping Deng, King Tai Shan, King Du Shi, King Bian Cheng, and King Zhuan Lun."

Wukong said, "Since you occupy the positions of kings, you should possess spiritual awareness and discernment. Why then do you not know what is right? I, Old Sun, have cultivated the Way and attained immortality. I am co-equal with Heaven, having transcended beyond the Three Realms and leapt out of the Five Elements. Why did you send people to arrest me?"

The Ten Kings said, "Be not angry, Immortal. Throughout the world, there are many who share the same name. Perhaps the soul-summoners simply went to the wrong place?"

Wukong said! "Nonsense! Nonsense! As the saying goes: 'Though officials and clerks may err, the man who comes is not mistaken.' Quickly bring me the ledgers of life and death so that I may look at them!"

Upon hearing this, the Ten Kings invited him up to the hall to examine them.

Wukong, gripping his staff as-you-will, went straight to the Hall of Darkness and sat down in the center, facing south. The Ten Kings ordered the clerk in charge of records to bring out the documents for inspection. The clerk dared not delay. He went to the record office and brought out five or six volumes of documents along with ten categories of ledgers. He examined them one by one: naked creatures, hairy creatures, feathered creatures, insects, and scaled creatures—none of them bore Wukong's name. Then he looked at the category of monkey-like creatures. It turned out that monkeys, being somewhat like human beings, were not listed under human names; being like naked creatures, they did not belong within any national boundary; being like beasts of burden, they were not subject to the rule of the qilin; being like flying birds, they were not governed by the phoenix. There was a separate ledger, and Wukong personally examined it until he reached entry number 1,350 under the category "Soul," where it was inscribed: "Sun Wukong, a stone monkey born of heaven, destined to live three hundred and forty-two years, dying a natural death."

Wukong said, "I don't even remember how many years I've lived. Just erase my name and that will be enough. Bring me a pen."

The clerk hastily brought a pen, dipping it generously in thick ink. Wukong took the ledger and crossed out the names of all the monkey-like creatures listed therein. He threw the ledger down and said, "Settled! Settled! From now on, I am no longer subject to your authority!"

Staff in hand, he fought his way out of the Realm of Darkness. The Ten Kings dared not approach him. They all went to the Palace of Azure Clouds to pay homage together to the Bodhisattva Dizang, to discuss and draft a memorial to be sent up to Heaven. But no more of this.

The Monkey King fought his way out of the city when suddenly he stumbled over a clump of grass, fell headlong, and started awake—it had been nothing but a dream, a dream of Nanke. He stretched himself and was just about to get up when he heard the Four Generals of the Army and all the monkeys crying out loudly: "Great King, how much wine did you drink? You've slept all night and still haven't woken up!"

Wukong said, "Sleeping is a small matter. I dreamed that two men came to summon my soul and took me to the gates of the city of Darkness, where I only just came to my senses. I displayed my supernatural powers and made a great uproar all the way to the Hall of Darkness, where I quarreled with the Ten Kings. I looked at our ledgers of life and death, and wherever our names were listed, I crossed them out. We are no longer subject to the authority of those fellows."

All the monkeys kowtowed and thanked him. From that time on, most of the mountain monkeys did not grow old, because they had been stricken from the registers of the underworld.

When the Handsome Monkey King had finished recounting these events, the Four Generals informed the demon kings of all the caves, and they all came to offer their congratulations. Within a few days, his six sworn brothers also came to congratulate him. When they heard the reason their names had been erased from the registers, they were overjoyed as well, and from that day on they gathered together daily in delight. But no more of this.

Now we must tell of the Most High, the Great Compassionate One, the Jade Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven, the Great Celestial Sage, who one day sat in his golden palace in the Cloud Palace, the Hall of Miraculous Mist, and gathered his civil and military officials for the morning court. Suddenly the Realist Qiu Hongji stepped forward and memorialized: "Your Majesty, outside the Hall of Universal Brightness, the Dragon King Ao Guang of the Eastern Ocean has come to present a memorial, awaiting Your Majesty's summons."

The Jade Emperor issued an edict: "Let him be summoned in."

Ao Guang was ushered into the Hall of Miraculous Mist. After he had finished his obeisance, a guiding immortal youth took the memorial from him. The Jade Emperor read it from beginning to end. The memorial read:

"Your humble subject Ao Guang, the little dragon of the Eastern Ocean of the Land of the East, in the Lower Region of Water, memorializes the Great Celestial Sage, the Jade Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven: Recently, an impudent monkey demon named Sun Wukong, born on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit and dwelling in the Cave of the Water Curtain, has bullied and humiliated your humble subject. He forcibly took possession of your subject's watery residence, demanded weapons, and displayed his magic powers to intimidate. He demanded armor and raiment, showing off his ferocity and might. He terrified the creatures of the water and drove away the turtles and alligators. The Dragon King of the Southern Ocean trembled in fear; the Dragon King of the Western Ocean was filled with grief and terror; the Dragon King of the Northern Ocean bowed his head and surrendered. Your humble subject Ao Guang prostrated himself and presented the iron rod of divine treasure, the golden crown of phoenix wings, together with the chain-mail armor and the cloud-stepping boots, sending him off with all courtesy. But he continued to flaunt his martial arts and display his supernatural powers, merely saying: 'Stop your noise! Stop your noise!' He is truly invincible and exceedingly difficult to subdue. Your humble subject now presents this memorial, hoping for Your Majesty's sacred judgment. I earnestly beg that heavenly troops be sent to capture this monster, so that the mountains and seas may be purified and tranquil, and the lower regions may enjoy peace and security. Respectfully submitted."

When the Sacred Emperor had finished reading, he issued an edict: "Let the Dragon King return to the sea. I shall immediately dispatch generals to capture him."

The old Dragon King kowtowed his thanks and withdrew.

Then below, the Heavenly Teacher Ge Xianweng stepped forward and memorialized: "Your Majesty, the underworld official King Qin Guang has come bearing a memorial from the Bodhisattva Dizang, the Lord of the Underworld, to present to the throne." A transmitting jade maiden took the memorial from him. The Jade Emperor also read it from beginning to end. The memorial read:

"The realm of darkness is the court of the underworld. Heaven has its gods and earth its ghosts, as yin and yang revolve in turn; birds are born and beasts die, cycling through male and female. Endlessly begetting and transforming, conceiving females and bearing males—this is the natural order, which cannot be altered. Now there is a demon monkey born of heaven and earth, Sun Wukong of the Flower-Fruit Mountain and Water-Curtain Cave, who commits evil and acts with violence, refusing to heed summons. He employs his supernatural powers to strike down the ghostly envoys of the Nine Darknesses; he relies on his might to terrorize the Ten Kings of Mercy. He creates a great uproar in the Palace of the Underworld and forcibly erases his name from the registers. As a result, creatures of the monkey kind know no restraint, and the monkey herds enjoy long life; the cycle of annihilation and rebirth is broken, and none now know life or death. This humble monk presents this memorial, presumptuously disturbing the awe of Heaven. I humbly beseech the dispatch of divine troops to subdue this demon, to restore the order of yin and yang, and to bring lasting peace to the underworld. Respectfully submitted."

The Jade Emperor finished reading and issued an edict: "Let the Lord of the Underworld return to his realm. I shall at once dispatch generals to seize him." King Qin Guang also bowed his head in thanks and departed.

The Great Celestial Worthy assembled all his civil and military immortal officials and asked, "In what year was this demon monkey born, and from what era does he come, that he should have attained such power?" Before he had finished speaking, Thousand-Mile Eye and Wind-Acute Ear stepped forward from the ranks and said, "This monkey is the stone monkey born of heaven three hundred years ago. At the time it was not considered noteworthy. We do not know where he has spent these past few years cultivating himself into an immortal, subduing dragons and tigers, and forcibly erasing the register of the dead." The Jade Emperor said, "Which general shall descend to subdue him?" Before he had finished speaking, the Star of Great White Venus stepped forward from the ranks, prostrated himself, and said, "Your Most Exalted Majesty, all beings in the Three Worlds that have nine oracles may cultivate immortality. But this monkey is a body formed by heaven and earth, a being conceived by the sun and moon. He too supports the sky and treads the earth, drinks the dew and feeds on the mist. Now that he has cultivated the Way of Immortality and possesses the power to subdue dragons and tigers, how is he different from a human? I humbly suggest to Your Majesty that, in consideration of the compassionate grace of creation, an imperial edict of pacification be issued, summoning him to the Upper Realm and bestowing upon him an official post of some rank, registering his name in the immortal rolls and keeping him bound here. If he accepts the mandate of Heaven, he may be promoted later; if he defies it, he may be seized then. In this way, on the one hand, no army need be mobilized, and on the other, the recruitment of an immortal will be accomplished with propriety." The Jade Emperor was greatly pleased and said, "We shall act as you have proposed." He then ordered the Star of Literary Grace to draft the edict and sent the Star of Great White Venus to carry out the pacification.

Venus received his commission, passed through the South Heavenly Gate, pressed down his auspicious cloud, and proceeded straight to the Water-Curtain Cave on Flower-Fruit Mountain. He said to the little monkeys, "I am an envoy from Heaven, bearing an imperial edict. I invite your king to ascend to the Upper Realm. Announce me at once." The monkeys outside the cave passed the word layer by layer into the deepest part of the cave: "Your Majesty, there is an old man outside carrying a document in a corner of his robe. He says he is an envoy sent from Heaven, bearing an imperial edict summoning you." The Handsome Monkey King was overjoyed and said, "These past two days I have been thinking of taking a trip to Heaven, and now an envoy has come to invite me!" He cried, "Quickly, invite him in!" The Monkey King hastily straightened his robes and went to the gate to greet him. Venus walked straight to the center, faced south, and stood firm. "I am the Star of Great White Venus from the West. By order of the Jade Emperor's edict of pacification, I have descended to invite you to ascend to Heaven and receive the immortal registers." Wukong laughed and said, "I am deeply grateful for the elder star's condescension." He ordered the little ones to prepare a feast in his honor. Venus said, "I bear the imperial edict and dare not linger long. I invite Your Majesty to come with me at once. After your promotion, we may converse at leisure." Wukong said, "Thank you for your gracious visit. I shall withdraw for now, I shall withdraw for now." He then summoned his four generals and instructed them: "Diligently train and instruct my descendants. I shall ascend to Heaven to survey the way, and when I return I shall bring you all up to live there as well." The four generals assented.

The Monkey King and Venus then rose together on a cloud head, ascending into the sky. And so it was:

He ascended to the highest rank of celestial immortals,

His name enrolled in the precious registers of the cloud ranks.

As for what official post he was actually given, listen to the explanation in the next chapter.