Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Now the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, was after all still a demonic monkey. He understood nothing of official ranks or grades, nor did he concern himself with the size of his salary—he simply had his name registered and that was all. The two offices under the Equal of Heaven's mansion had their immortal clerks attending him morning and evening. He knew only three meals a day and one bed at night at dusk, with nothing to trouble him, free and unfettered. In his leisure he would visit friends and wander among the palaces, forming bonds and making alliances. When he met the Three Pure Ones, he would address them as "old fellow"; when he encountered the Four Emperors, he would say "Your Majesty." To the Nine Luminaries, the Five Direction Generals, the Twenty-Eight Constellations, the Four Great Heavenly Kings, the Twelve Hour Spirits, the Five Elders of the Five Directions, all the star spirits of the sky, and the host of gods of the Milky Way—he treated them all as brothers, addressing each other as equals. Today he roamed east, tomorrow he drifted west; clouds came and went, and his movements were unpredictable.

One day, during the Jade Emperor's morning court, the Real Man Xu Yangzi stepped forward from the ranks of officials and prostrated himself, memorializing: "The Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, wanders about with nothing to do, forming friendships with all the star spirits of heaven. He makes no distinction of rank—he calls them all friends. I fear that in his idleness trouble might arise. It would be better to give him some duty to manage, so as to prevent other incidents." The Jade Emperor, upon hearing this, immediately issued a summons. The Monkey King came joyfully and said, "Your Majesty, what promotion or reward do you have for Old Sun?" The Jade Emperor said, "I see that you have no duties and are at leisure. I am giving you a post: you are to take charge of the Garden of Immortal Peaches. See to it carefully, morning and evening." The Great Sage gratefully received the favor and withdrew from court with a salute.

He could not wait to be busy and at once entered the Garden of Immortal Peaches to inspect it. The local earth god of the garden stopped him and asked, "Where is the Great Sage going?" The Great Sage said, "I have been appointed by the Jade Emperor to take charge of the Garden of Immortal Peaches. I have come to inspect it." The earth god hastily bowed in respect and summoned all the hoe-tree laborers, water-carrying laborers, peach-tending laborers, and sweeping laborers to come and kowtow to the Great Sage and lead him inside. He saw:

Lush and luxuriant, every tree and every trunk. Lush and luxuriant, the flowers filled the trees; every tree and every trunk, the fruit weighed down the branches. The fruit pressed on the branches like hanging brocade pellets; the flowers clustered on the trees like rouge. They bloomed and ripened in their own time, ripening once in a thousand years; without summer or winter, they ripened slowly over ten thousand years. Those that ripened first had faces flushed like wine; those that were still growing had green skins clinging to their stems. Their flesh held the green of misty shadows; facing the sun they revealed their cinnabar beauty. Beneath the trees grew rare blossoms and exotic plants, never fading through the four seasons, their colors always the same; to the left and right stood towers and pavilions, halls and lodges, often shrouded in cloud and rainbow. These were not the common species of Xuandu—they had been cultivated by the Queen Mother of the West herself from the Jasper Pool.

After the Great Sage had gazed at the garden for some time, he asked the earth god, "How many trees are there?" The earth god said: "There are three thousand six hundred trees. The first twelve hundred have small flowers and small fruit; they ripen once every three thousand years. Those who eat the fruit become immortals, their bodies healthy and light. The middle twelve hundred have layered flowers and sweet fruit; they ripen once every six thousand years. Those who eat the fruit rise in radiance and fly up, attaining immortality. The last twelve hundred have purple veins and pale-green pits; they ripen once every nine thousand years. Those who eat the fruit live as long as Heaven and Earth, and share the same span as the sun and moon." When the Great Sage heard this, he was overjoyed beyond measure. That day he counted the trees and inspected the pavilions, then returned to his mansion. From then on, he would visit the garden every two or three days to enjoy it, neither making friends nor wandering elsewhere.

One day, he saw that on the old trees the peaches were mostly ripe. He wanted to taste one for the novelty, but the garden's earth god, laborers, and the immortal clerks of the Equal of Heaven's mansion were always close at hand, making it inconvenient. Suddenly he devised a plan and said, "You all wait outside the gate and attend me. Let me rest a while in this pavilion." The immortals withdrew as he wished. Then the Monkey King took off his hat and robes, climbed up a large tree, selected the fully ripe peaches, picked many of them, and enjoyed himself freely right there on the branch. After eating his fill, he jumped down from the tree, put on his hat and robes again, and called his attendants to accompany him back to his mansion. Every two or three days he would go again and find ways to steal the peaches, enjoying them to his heart's content.

One day, the Queen Mother of the West prepared a feast and opened her treasure halls, holding the Grand Festival of Immortal Peaches by the Jasper Pool. She sent the Red-robed Fairy, the Blue-robed Fairy, the White-robed Fairy, the Black-robed Fairy, the Purple-robed Fairy, the Yellow-robed Fairy, and the Green-robed Fairy, each carrying a flower basket, to the Garden of Immortal Peaches to pick peaches for the feast. The seven fairies arrived at the garden gate and found the garden's earth god, the laborers, and the two offices of the Equal of Heaven's immortal clerks all guarding the gate. The fairies approached and said: "We have received the Queen Mother's command to come here and pick peaches for the feast." The earth god said: "Wait, fairies. This year is not like previous years. The Jade Emperor has appointed the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, to oversee this garden. We must report to the Great Sage before we dare open the garden." The fairies said, "Where is the Great Sage?" The earth god said, "The Great Sage is inside the garden. Being tired, he is sleeping in the pavilion." The fairies said, "In that case, go find him. We must not delay." The earth god went in with them. They searched the flowered pavilion but did not find him—only his hat and robes were in the pavilion. No one knew where he had gone; they searched everywhere in vain. The truth was that the Great Sage had been amusing himself for a while, eaten a few peaches, and transformed himself into a figure only two inches tall, falling asleep beneath the dense leaves at the top of a large tree. The seven fairies said, "We came here by command. If we cannot find the Great Sage, how dare we return empty-handed?" A nearby immortal attendant said, "Since you fairies came by command, do not hesitate. Our Great Sage is accustomed to wandering about for leisure—he must have left the garden to visit friends. Go ahead and pick the peaches; we will deliver your message for you."

The fairies did as he said and went beneath the trees to pick peaches. First they picked two baskets from the front trees, then three baskets from the middle trees. When they went to the back trees to pick, they found that the trees had only sparse fruit and flowers—there were just a few with hairy stems and green skins. It turned out that all the ripe ones had been eaten by the Monkey King. The seven fairies looked about in every direction and saw only one peach on a branch to the south, half red and half white. The Blue-robed Fairy pulled down the branch with her hand, the Red-robed Fairy picked the peach, and then placed the branch back upward.

It turned out that the Great Sage, having transformed himself, had been sleeping on this very branch and was roused by their arrival. The Great Sage immediately resumed his true form, pulled the golden-banded staff from his ear, shook it once until it was as thick as a bowl, and cried out in a fierce voice: "What manner of monster are you, that you dare steal my peaches with such audacity?" The seven fairy maidens were so terrified that they all fell to their knees at once, saying: "Great Sage, please calm your wrath. We are not monsters. We are the Seven-Robed Fairy Maidens dispatched by the Queen Mother of the West to gather immortal peaches. She is opening her precious pavilion to host the Grand Feast of Immortal Peaches. When we arrived here, we first met the local deity of this garden and the other gods, but we could not find you, Great Sage. We feared we might delay the Queen Mother's decree, and so we could not wait for you—thus we came here to gather the peaches first. We beg you most earnestly to forgive us."

When the Great Sage heard this, his anger melted into delight. "Rise, fair celestial maidens. Who has the Queen Mother invited to her banquet pavilion?" The maidens replied: "At previous gatherings, according to long-standing custom, invitations were extended to the Buddha of the Western Heaven, the bodhisattvas, holy monks, and arhats; to the Southern Pole Guanyin of the South; to the Sacred Emperor of Boundless Grace of the East; to the immortal elders of the Ten Continents and Three Islands; to the Mysterious Spirit of the North Pole of the North; and to the Great Immortal with the Yellow Horn of the Yellow Pole of the Center—these are the Five Elders of the Five Directions. In addition, there are the Star Lords of the Five Bushels; the Three Pure Ones, Four Sovereigns, and Heavenly Immortals of the Supreme Eight Gaps; the Jade Emperor, the Nine Ramparts, and the gods and immortals of mountain and sea of the Middle Eight Gaps; the Lord of the Underworld and the Earth-Recording Earth Immortals of the Lower Eight Gaps; and the great and small honored spirits of every palace and hall—all are invited to attend the Grand Feast of Immortal Peaches together."

The Great Sage laughed and asked: "Has an invitation been extended to me?" The maidens replied: "We have not heard so." The Great Sage said: "I am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. What harm would there be in inviting old Sun to occupy the seat of honor?" The maidens replied: "These are the long-standing customs of previous gatherings. We do not know how it will be arranged this time." The Great Sage said: "That makes sense. I cannot blame you. Wait here for now—let old Sun go first and find out the news, to see whether or not I shall be invited."

The Great Sage then made the secret sign with his fingers, uttered an incantation, and said to the fairy maidens: "Stay! Stay! Stay!" This was the Spell of Freeze. The Seven-Robed Fairy Maidens were all frozen in place—eyes staring blankly, white and unblinking—standing motionless beneath the peach trees. The Great Sage then mounted his auspicious cloud, leaped out of the garden, and made straight for the road to the Jasper Pool. As he traveled, he beheld before him:

A celestial radiance shimmering and swaying across the sky,

Five-colored auspicious clouds soaring without end.

White cranes crying out, their voices echoing through the nine marshes,

Purple lingzhi glowing, their beauty dividing into a thousand leaves.

And in the middle appeared a single immortal,

His countenance natural, his bearing elegant and apart from the rest.

His spirit danced among rainbows that dazzled the celestial vault,

At his waist hung the registers of treasure, beyond birth and death.

His name was the Barefoot Great Immortal of the Great Luo Heaven,

Coming specially to attend the Peach Festival to add to his span of life.

The Barefoot Great Immortal met the Great Sage face to face. The Great Sage lowered his head and quickly devised a scheme to deceive the true immortal, intending to slip away to the feast in secret. He asked: "Where are you bound, Old Father?" The Great Immortal replied: "I have been summoned by the Queen Mother to attend the Grand Feast of Immortal Peaches." The Great Sage said: "You do not know this, Old Father. The Jade Emperor, because my cloud-somersaulting is swift, has ordered me to invite all the guests along five routes. We are to first assemble in the Hall of Penetrating Brilliance for the ceremonial rites, and only then proceed to the banquet." The Great Immortal was an open and upright man, and he took the Great Sage's lies for the truth. He said: "In years past, the rites of gratitude have always been performed at the Jasper Pool. Why must we now first perform the rites in the Hall of Penetrating Brilliance before going to the Jasper Pool for the feast?" Having no choice, he turned his auspicious cloud and made straight for the Hall of Penetrating Brilliance.

The Great Sage mounted his cloud, spoke an incantation, shook his body, and transformed—taking on the exact appearance of the Barefoot Great Immortal. He rushed ahead toward the Jasper Pool. Before long, he arrived directly at the precious pavilion. He halted his cloud, moved his steps lightly, and walked inside. What he saw there was this:

Fragrant vapors coiled and swirled,

Auspicious radiance shimmered in profusion.

The jade terrace was adorned with colorful hangings,

The precious pavilion exuded swirling clouds of incense.

Phoenixes soared and roc-birds drifted, their forms ethereal and graceful,

Golden flowers and jade calyxes, their shadows floating and sinking.

Above were arranged the nine-phoenix cinnabar-red screens,

The eight-treasure purple-rainbow cushions,

The five-color painted golden tables,

The thousand-flower jade-green basins.

Upon the tables lay dragon liver and phoenix marrow,

Bear's paw and orangutan lips.

A hundred rare delicacies, each one a wonder,

Strange fruits and fine dishes, each color fresh and new.

Everything was arranged in perfect order, but no immortals had yet arrived.

The Great Sage gazed upon it all but could not take it in completely, when suddenly he caught the fragrant aroma of wine wafting to his nostrils. He turned his head and saw that in the long corridor to the right, several wine-making immortal officials, workmen managing the mash, a few water-carriers, and fire-tending boys were there washing casks and scrubbing jars. They had already produced jade-like liquid and nectar, fine wines of surpassing fragrance. The Great Sage could not keep the saliva from flowing at the corners of his mouth. He wanted to go and drink, but all those people were present. So he exercised his supernatural power, plucked several hairs from his body, threw them into his mouth and chewed them to bits, then spat them out. He spoke an incantation and cried: "Transform!" They immediately became several drowsy bugs, which flew onto the faces of the men. Look at that company—their hands grew limp and their heads drooped, their brows closed and their eyes shut. They dropped whatever they were doing and all fell fast asleep.

The Great Sage then took a selection of the hundred delicacies and rare dishes, walked into the long corridor, and there, pressing close to the casks and leaning against the jars, gave himself over to drinking with abandon. He drank for a long while, until he was thoroughly and blissfully drunk. He patted himself and thought: "This won't do, this won't do! If I stay much longer, the invited guests will arrive. Won't they take offense? If they seize me, what then? I'd better return to my quarters early and sleep it off."

The Great Sage, swaying and staggering, gave himself over to the wine and wandered wherever he pleased. Before long, he had gone astray—not to the Palace of Equal Heaven, but to the Tushita Palace. When he saw it, he started awake and said, "The Tushita Palace is above the Thirty-Third Heaven, the dwelling of the Most High Lord Lao on the Heaven of Separated Sorrow. How did I end up here? Well, well—I have long wished to pay this old one a visit but never had the chance. Now that I have stumbled here, I might as well go and see him." He straightened his robes and strode inside, but nowhere was Lord Lao to be seen—not a soul about. It turned out that Lord Lao was discoursing on the Dao with Burning-Lamp Buddha on the Vermilion Mound Cinnabar Terrace in the three-storied high pavilion, while all the immortal boys, immortal generals, immortal officials, and immortal clerks stood attending on either side. The Great Sage went straight to the alchemical chamber but did not find him there. All he saw was a stove with fire burning beside the cinnabar furnace, and on either side of the furnace stood five gourds, each containing refined golden elixir. The Great Sage rejoiced and said, "This is the supreme treasure of the immortals. Since I attained the Way, I have understood the principle of inner and outer being one, and I too have wished to refine elixir to benefit others, but I never had the time at home. Today by good fortune I have stumbled upon this very thing. Since old Laozi is not here, let me swallow a few pills for a taste." He poured out all the gourds and ate them all, just as one might eat roasted beans.

In no time, the elixir filled him and the wine wore off. Then he reckoned with himself: "This is bad, very bad! This calamity is greater than Heaven itself. If the Jade Emperor is roused, I shall not keep my life. Away, away, away—I had better go down and be king of the lower realm!" He ran out of the Tushita Palace, not taking the old road, and through the West Heaven Gate he fled using his art of invisibility. He pressed his cloud and returned to the borders of Flower-Fruit Mountain. There he saw banners gleaming and spears and halberds shining—it was the Four Valiant Lieutenants and the Seventy-Two Cave Demon Kings, drilling in martial arts. The Great Sage cried out in a loud voice, "Little ones, I'm back!" The monsters threw down their weapons and knelt, saying, "Great Sage, you are most carefree—you abandoned us for so long and never came to look in on us." The Great Sage said, "It hasn't been long, hasn't been long."

Speaking as they went, they proceeded deep into the cave heaven. The Four Valiant Lieutenants swept and prepared a place for rest, kowtowed, and paid their respects, then all said, "Great Sage, you were in Heaven for a hundred-odd years—what office did you actually hold?" The Great Sage laughed and said, "I recall it was only half a year—why do you speak of a hundred-odd years?" The Valiant Lieutenants said, "A single day in Heaven is a year down below." The Great Sage said, "Well, in this instance the Jade Emperor was kind enough to favor me, and indeed created me Great Sage Equal to Heaven, building a Palace of Equal Heaven, with the Bureaus of Tranquility and Serenity, staffed with immortal attendants. Later, seeing I had nothing to do, he put me in charge of the Peach Garden. Recently the Queen Mother held her Peach Festival and did not invite me, so I went to the Jasper Pool uninvited and stole all those immortal delicacies and immortal wine. Coming out of the Jasper Pool, I stumbled and staggered into Lord Lao's palace and stole his five gourds of golden elixir as well. Fearing the Jade Emperor would punish me, I have just slipped out through the Heaven Gate."

When the monsters heard this, they were overjoyed. They at once prepared wine and fruits to welcome him, filling a huge stone bowl with coconut wine and presenting it. The Great Sage took a sip, then bared his fangs and twisted his mouth: "Not good, not good." The generals Beng and Ba said, "The Great Sage has eaten immortal wine and immortal delicacies in Heaven Palace, so the coconut wine does not taste as fine. As the saying goes, 'Nothing is sweet like the water of home.'" The Great Sage said, "And as you say, 'Nothing is dear like people from home.' Earlier today when I was enjoying myself in the Jasper Pool, I saw many bottles and jars beneath the long corridor—all of them nectar and jade liquor. None of you have tasted it. Let me go and steal a few bottles for you, and each of you may drink half a cup, and every one of you shall live forever." The monkeys were beside themselves with joy.

The Great Sage went out of the cave gate, turned another somersault, used his invisibility art, and went straight to the Peach Festival. Entering the Jasper Pool palace, he found those who made the wine, strained the lees, transported the water, and tended the fires still snoring in their sleep. He tucked two large ones under each arm and carried two more in his hands, then turned his cloud and returned. He gathered all the monkeys in the cave and held an immortal wine feast, at which each drank a few cups—of their happiness there is no need to speak.

Now the seven-robed fairy maidens, having been held by the Great Sage's immobilizing magic, were only freed after a full cycle. They each took up their flower baskets and reported to the Queen Mother, saying, "The Great Sage Equal to Heaven used magic to hold us fast, which is why we are late." The Queen Mother asked, "How many peaches did you gather?" The fairy maidens said, "Only two baskets of small peaches and three baskets of medium ones. As for the back, there was not a single large peach—they must all have been eaten by the Great Sage. While we were still looking, the Great Sage came out and threatened us violently, asking who had been invited to the banquet. We told him what had happened at previous festivals, and then he immobilized us. We know not where he went. Only now have we woken and been able to return."

When the Queen Mother heard this, she went at once to see the Jade Emperor and related the whole affair. Before she had finished speaking, the group of wine-makers and the celestial officials also came to report: "We know not who it was that disrupted the Peach Banquet and stole the jade nectar and precious wine; the eight delicacies and hundred flavors have all been eaten as well." Then four great Celestial Masters came forward to announce: "The Supreme Patriarch of the Dao has arrived." The Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother went out to greet him. After the Old Lord had paid his respects, he said: "This old Daoist has been refining some Nine-Cycle Golden Elixir in my palace, intending to present it to Your Majesty for the Elixir Primordial Assembly, but to my surprise it was stolen by a thief. I have come to inform Your Majesty." When the Jade Emperor heard this report, he was filled with alarm. Shortly after, a celestial clerk from the Prefecture of Perfect Blessings knocked his head on the ground and said: "The Great Sage Sun has neglected his duties. He went out wandering yesterday and has not returned to this day; his whereabouts are unknown." The Jade Emperor's suspicions deepened further. Then the Barefoot Great Immortal came forward and reported: "Your subject, having received the Queen Mother's summons, attended the banquet yesterday and happened upon the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven. He told me that Your Majesty had issued an edict instructing him to invite us all to the Hall of Luminous Purity to perform the rites first before proceeding to the banquet. Following his words, I returned to the outside of the Hall of Luminous Purity, but saw no dragon carriage or phoenix palanquin of Your Majesty, so I came here in haste to await your pleasure." The Jade Emperor was even more greatly alarmed and said: "This wretch has forged an imperial decree and deceived you, good sir. Quickly send the Investigating Spiritual Officer to track down this scoundrel's whereabouts."

The Spiritual Officer received the edict and left the palace to make inquiries everywhere. Having learned every detail, he returned and reported: "The one who disrupted the Celestial Palace is the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven." He then recounted all the previous matters. The Jade Emperor was greatly enraged and at once dispatched the Four Heavenly Kings, together with the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li and Prince Nezha, to muster the Twenty-Eight Mansions, the Nine Luminaries, the Twelve Yuan-Chen, the Five Directions' Guardian Spirits, the Four Duty Spirits, the Stars of East and West, the Two Deities of North and South, the Five Peaks and Four Rivers, and all the host of celestial stars—a total of one hundred thousand heavenly soldiers. They spread out eighteen layers of heavenly nets and earthly snares and descended to the lower world to surround the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, determined to capture that scoundrel and deal with him.

The host of gods set out at once, departing from the Celestial Palace. And this is what was seen:

Yellow winds rolled and blotted out the sky; purple mists billowed and shrouded the earth in gloom. All because this demonic monkey had deceived the Supreme Emperor, causing the host of sages to descend into the mortal realm. The Four Heavenly Kings and the Five Directions' Guardian Spirits: the Four Heavenly Kings held overall command, the Five Directions' Guardian Spirits marshaled the many troops. Li the Pagoda-Bearer directed the central army, fierce Nezha led the vanguard. The Star of Luo Hou took the lead in inspection, the Star of Ji Du followed in splendid array. The Star of Tai Yin was vigorous and spirited, the Star of Tai Yang shone bright and clear. The Five Planets were all bold and heroic, the Nine Luminaries loved most to contend. The Yuan-Chen Stars of Zi, Wu, Mao, and You—each and every one was a mighty celestial warrior. the Five Pestilences and Five Peaks were arrayed east and west, the Six Ding and Six Jia marched left and right. The Dragon Gods of the Four Rivers were disposed above and below, the Twenty-Eight Mansions were packed dense and tight. Jiao, Kang, Di, and Fang led the host; Kui, Lou, Wei, and Mao were ever ready to charge. Niu, Nu, Xu, Wei, Shi, and Bi—the stars of Xin, Wei, and Ji were each formidable. Jing, Gui, Liu, Xing, Zhang, and Zhen brandished spears and swords, displaying their martial might. Halting the clouds and descending through the mists to the mortal world, they made camp before the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit.

A poem says:

The heaven-born Monkey King, of transformations beyond count,

Stole the elixir and stole the wine, rejoicing in his mountain lair.

All because he disrupted the Peach Banquet,

A hundred thousand heavenly soldiers spread their nets and snares.

At that time the Heavenly King Li issued orders for the celestial troops to make camp. They surrounded the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit so tightly that not even water could pass through, and above and below they set out eighteen layers of heavenly nets and earthly snares. First he sent the Nine Luminaries, fierce stars, into battle. The Nine Luminaries led their troops straight to the cave entrance, where they saw the monkeys, great and small, leaping and playing outside the cave. The star officials cried out in stern voices: "You little demons, where is your Great Sage? We are heavenly gods sent from above to subdue this Great Sage who has rebelled. Tell him to surrender quickly; if he utters a single word of refusal, you shall all be put to death." The little demons rushed in to report: "Great Sage, disaster! disaster! There are nine fierce gods outside who claim to be heavenly gods sent from above to subdue the Great Sage."

The Great Sage was just then sharing immortal wine with the demon kings of seventy-two caves and his four mighty generals. When he heard this report, he openly paid no heed and said: "When there is wine today, let us be drunk today; do not trouble ourselves with what happens at the door." Before he had finished speaking, another group of little demons came leaping in and said: "Those nine fierce gods are cursing and hurling abuse outside the gate, challenging us to battle." The Great Sage laughed and said: "Pay them no mind. With poetry and wine let us seek pleasure today; of fame and merit, ask not when they shall be achieved." Before he had finished speaking, yet another group of little demons came to report: "Grandfather! Those nine fierce gods have already broken down the gate and are fighting their way in." The Great Sage was enraged and said: "These wretched hairy gods are utterly without manners. I had intended not to bother with them, but how dare they come to my door and insult me?" He at once commanded the One-Horned Demon King: "Lead the demon kings of the seventy-two caves out to meet the enemy. Old Sun will follow with the four mighty generals." The Demon King swiftly led the demon soldiers out to engage the enemy, but the Nine Luminaries, fierce stars, fell upon them all at once, pressing them back to the head of the Iron Bridge, unable to break through.

While they were still shouting, the Great Sage arrived. He cried, "Clear the way!" He drew his iron staff, shook it once, and it became as thick as a bowl and twelve feet long. He threw off his stance and charged out. None of the Nine Luminaries dared to resist; they were beaten back at once. The Nine Luminaries held their formation and said, "You reckless Stable-Equerry! You have committed the ten most heinous crimes: first you stole the peaches, then you stole the wine, you threw the Peach Banquet into chaos, you stole the Old Lord's immortal pills, and you stole the imperial wine to enjoy yourself here. Crime upon crime—are you not aware of this?" The Great Sage laughed and said, "These things are true, they are true. But what will you do about it now?" The Nine Luminaries said, "We have received the Golden Edict of the Jade Emperor and have led our forces here to subdue you. Submit quickly, and spare these creatures their lives. Otherwise, we will trample this mountain flat and overturn this cave." The Great Sage flew into a rage and said, "You measly gods—what divine power do you have, that you dare make such reckless boasts? Don't run away—take a taste of old Sun's staff!" The Nine Luminaries surged forward together, but the Handsome Monkey King was not in the least afraid. He swung his golden-banded staff, blocking left and right, until the Nine Luminaries were utterly spent and exhausted. They dragged their weapons behind them, fled in defeat, and hurried into the central command tent to report to the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King: "That Monkey King is truly ferocious in battle. We could not defeat him and have returned in defeat."

The Heavenly King Li immediately marshaled the Four Great Heavenly Kings and the Twenty-Eight Constellations, and they marched out together to do battle. The Great Sage was openly unafraid. He summoned the One-Horned Demon King, the Demon Kings of the Seventy-Two Caves, and his four valiant generals, and they formed a battle array outside the cave entrance. Observe this great battle—how terrifying it was:

The cold wind hissed, and strange mists hung dark. On one side, banners flew in brilliant colors; on this side, spears and halberds gleamed bright. Helmets shone like rolling waves, and armor gleamed in layered rows. The shining helmets reflected the sun like silver chimes striking the sky; the layered armor piled up like cliffs, like ice mountains pressing down upon the earth. Great pole-blades flashed like clouds and lightning; white-pierced spears cut through mist and cloud. Halberds of the Square Heaven, tiger-eye whips were arrayed like a forest; bronze swords and four-bright spades were planted thick as trees. Strong bows and hard crossbows with carved-fletching arrows, short clubs and serpent spears struck fear into the soul. The Great Sage wielded his Ruyi staff, turning it over and over as he fought the heavenly gods. The battle was so fierce that no birds flew through the air, and the tigers and wolves of the mountains fled. Sand was flung and stones were hurled, and the world grew dark; earth was scattered and dust was raised, and the universe was dimmed. All one could hear was the clashing and clattering that shook heaven and earth, the dreadful might that startled gods and spirits.

This battle, from the formation of the lines at the hour of the dragon, raged until the sun set behind the western hills. The One-Horned Demon King and the demons of the Seventy-Two Caves were all captured by the heavenly host. Only the four valiant generals and the troop of monkeys escaped, hiding deep beneath the Water-Curtain Cave.

The Great Sage, with a single staff, held off the Four Great Heavenly Kings, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li, and Prince Nezha, all fighting in midair for a long time. The Great Sage saw that the day was drawing to a close, so he plucked a handful of his hairs, threw them into his mouth, chewed them to pieces, and spat them out, crying, "Transform!" He transformed into a thousand Great Sages, all wielding golden-banded staffs, and they beat back Prince Nezha and defeated the five Heavenly Kings.

Having won his victory, the Great Sage gathered his hairs and hurried back to the cave. At once he saw the four valiant generals at the iron bridge, leading the host to welcome him with kowtows. The great company sobbed and wept three times, then laughed and chuckled three times. The Great Sage said, "Why do you weep and laugh when you see me?" The four generals said, "This morning we led our forces to battle the Heavenly Kings, and the Demon Kings of the Seventy-Two Caves and the One-Horned Demon King were all captured by the gods. We barely escaped with our lives, and so we wept. Now we see that the Great Sage has returned in victory without a single injury, and so we laugh." The Great Sage said, "Victory and defeat are the common lot of soldiers. The ancients said: 'Kill ten thousand of the enemy, and you lose three thousand of your own.' Moreover, the leaders who were captured were tigers, leopards, wolves, badgers, wildcats, and foxes—not one of our own kind was harmed. Why should you grieve? Though I drove them back with my body-dividing trick, they will still make camp at the foot of our mountain. Let us guard closely, eat our fill, sleep in peace, and restore our strength. Tomorrow morning you will see me use my great divine power to capture these heavenly generals and avenge you all." The four generals and the monkey troop drank several bowls of coconut wine and slept in peace—no more of this for now.

The Four Great Heavenly Kings called back their troops and ended the battle. Each reported his achievements: some had captured tigers and leopards, some had captured lions and elephants, some had captured wolves, insects, foxes, and badgers. Not a single monkey spirit had been taken. Then they set up their encampments and pitched their great camp, rewarding the generals who had distinguished themselves and giving orders to the soldiers of the Heavenly Net and Earthly Snare. Each took up his bell and gave the watch-cry, surrounding Flower-Fruit Mountain, waiting for the great battle at dawn. Each received his orders and guarded his post. And so it was:

The demon monkey's rebellion shook heaven and earth;

The nets were spread and the snares were set, watched day and night.

As for what would happen when morning came, let us hear it told in the next chapter.