Chapter 51

Chapter 51

The Great Sage Equal to Heaven, having been defeated in battle empty-handed, came and sat behind the Golden Summit Mountain, tears streaming down his face, crying out: "Master, I had hoped to share with you:

Buddha's grace—virtue and harmony flowing as one,

Growing together, sharing one's purpose without end.

Dwelling together, cultivating together, attaining liberation together,

Sharing compassion and devotion, revealing spiritual merit.

Karmic bonds and forms truly resonating,

Sharing insight and understanding, wisdom flowing freely.

Who could have known that now I am without my staff,

Empty-handed and barefoot—how can I prosper!"

The Great Sage grieved for a long time, then thought to himself: "That demon recognized me. I remember how he praised me on the battlefield, saying: 'Truly, this is on the level of causing havoc in Heaven!' Such a creature is certainly no ordinary monster—he must be some fierce star from the heavens who has descended to the mortal world. But from which realm did this demon chief come down? I must go up and investigate."

The Pilgrim was thus consulting his own mind and acting on his own authority. He turned somersaults and soared up on auspicious clouds, going straight to the Southern Heavenly Gate. Raising his head, he suddenly saw the Wide-Eyed Heavenly King approaching him with a bow. "Where is the Great Sage bound for?" The Pilgrim said, "I have business with the Jade Emperor. What are you doing here?" The Wide-Eyed King replied, "Today it is my turn to patrol the Southern Heavenly Gate." Before he finished speaking, the four great marshals Ma, Zhao, Wen, and Guan also appeared, bowing and saying, "Great Sage, we failed to greet you properly. Please stay for tea." The Pilgrim said, "I have business to attend to." He then took leave of the Wide-Eyed King and the four marshals, entered the Southern Heavenly Gate, and went straight to the Palace of Numinous Heaven. There he found the four Heavenly Masters Zhang Daoling, Ge Xuanyu (known as Ge Xianweng), Xu Jingyang, and Tao Hongji, together with the Six Offices of the Southern Dipper and the Seven Primes of the Northern Dipper, all waiting before the hall. They saluted him together and asked, "What brings the Great Sage here?" They also asked, "Is the task of protecting Tang Seng completed?" The Pilgrim said, "Not yet, not yet! The road is long and demons are plentiful—I've only accomplished half. Now we are blocked at the Golden Summit Mountain, Golden Summit Cave. There's a she-ox demon who has captured Master Tang in his hole. I went to his door and fought him, but that fellow has vast divine powers—he snatched away my golden-banded cudgel, which is why I cannot subdue the demon. I suspect some fierce star from above has descended to the mortal world, though I don't know which realm he came from. I've come to look up the Jade Emperor and ask him why his control is so lax." Xu Jingyang laughed and said: "This monkey head is still as cunning as ever." The Pilgrim said, "I'm not being cunning. I, old Sun, have always been rather tight-lipped—that's the only way to find the right lead." Zhang Daoling said: "No need for many words. We will simply report this to the throne." The Pilgrim said: "Many thanks, many thanks."

The four Heavenly Masters then presented the report at the Palace of Numinous Heaven and introduced him before the Jade Throne. The Great Sage sang out a great salute to the throne: "Old official, I trouble you, I trouble you! I, old Sun, have been protecting Tang Seng on his journey to the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures. The dangers along the way are too many to mention. Now we are at the Golden Summit Mountain, Golden Summit Cave, where a she-ox demon has captured Tang Seng in his hole. I don't know whether he wants to steam him, boil him, or dry him in the sun. I went to his gate and fought him, but that demon actually seemed to recognize me. He truly has vast divine powers and snatched away my golden-banded cudgel, which is why I cannot subdue the demon. I suspect some fierce star from Heaven has descended to the mortal world. For this reason I have come to make this report. I humbly beg the August One to look down with compassion, issue an edict to investigate the fierce star, and send troops to subdue the demon. I, old Sun, am trembling with anxiety." He then made another deep bow and said: "This is reported." Beside him, Ge Xianweng laughed and said: "Monkey, why such arrogance followed by such humility?" The Pilgrim said: "I dare not, I dare not. It's not arrogance followed by humility—I, old Sun, am now without my cudgel to play with!"

When the Jade August Deity heard the report, he immediately issued an edict to the Bureau of Possible Inquiry: "As Sun Wukong has reported, you are to investigate the various celestial stars and constellation deities to see whether any have descended to the mortal world, and report back for action." The True Lord of Possible Inquiry received the ediat and at once went with the Great Sage to investigate. First they checked the deities and officials at the four Heavenly Gates. Next they checked the various immortals within the Three Enclosures. Then they checked the Thunder Generals Tao, Zhang, Xin, Deng, Gou, Bi, Pang, and Liu. Finally they checked the Thirty-Three Heavens—each heaven was at peace. They also checked the Twenty-Eight Constellations: the Eastern Seven—Jiao, Kang, Di, Fang, Shen, Wei, Ji; the Western Seven—Dou, Niu, Nu, Xu, Wei, Shi, Bi; the Southern Seven and the Northern Seven—all were tranquil. They also checked the Seven Regulators—Sun, Moon, Water, Fire, Wood, Metal, and Earth—and the Four Remainders—Rahu, Ketu, Qi, and Bei. The entire starry host showed no signs of having descended to the mortal world. The Pilgrim said: "Since that's the case, I, old Sun, need not go up to the Hall of Numinous Heaven and disturb the Great Jade Emperor—that would be most inconvenient. You go back and report on your own. I'll just wait here for your reply." The True Lord of Possible Inquiry obeyed. Sun Wukong waited a long time, then composed a poem to mark the occasion:

The wind is clear, the clouds have cleared—joy and peace ascend,

The gods are still, the stars shine bright—auspicious signs appear.

The Milky Way is calm, Heaven and Earth are tranquil,

The five directions and eight extremities lay down their banners of war.

The True Lord of the Bureau of Possible Inquiry thoroughly investigated and reported back to the Jade Emperor: "All the celestial stars are accounted for, all the divine generals are in place—none have descended to the mortal world." The Jade Emperor heard the report and issued an edict: "Let Sun Wukong select several celestial generals and go down to capture the demon."

The Four Great Celestial Masters received the decree and departed the Hall of the Miraculous Mist. Addressing the Great Sage, they said, "Great Sage, the Jade Emperor has shown leniency. He says that no god in the Heavenly Palace has descended to the mortal world with longing, and he bids you select several celestial generals to capture the demon." The Great Sage lowered his head and thought to himself, "Among the celestial generals, more are inferior to old Sun than superior. When I created havoc in the Heavenly Palace, the Jade Emperor sent a hundred thousand celestial troops and spread a net across the heavens, yet not a single general dared to match hands with me. Later, he summoned the Lesser Sage, Erlang, and only he proved my equal. Now this creature's abilities surpass even old Sun's—how can we possibly prevail?"

Xu Jingyang said, "Times have changed. As the saying goes, 'One thing subdues another.' How can you defy the decree? Use your own judgment in selecting the celestial generals, but do not delay and let the matter go wrong."

The Great Sage said, "Since that is so, I am deeply grateful for the Emperor's kindness and truly cannot disobey the decree. Moreover, old Sun cannot make this trip in vain. I would trouble Master Xu to report to the Jade Emperor once more: let it be the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li and Prince Nezha who go. They possess several weapons for subduing demons, and they can descend to face the demon in battle to see how things go. If they can capture him, it will be old Sun's good fortune. If not, we can make other arrangements then."

The Celestial Masters indeed presented this to the Jade Emperor, who at once commanded the Heavenly King and his son to lead the celestial troops and assist the Great Sage. The Heavenly King received the decree and came to meet the Great Sage. The Great Sage said to the Celestial Masters, "I am most grateful that the Jade Emperor has sent the Heavenly King. I have one more matter to trouble you with: I need two Thunder Generals. When the Heavenly King engages in battle, let the Thunder Generals strike from the clouds with a thunderbolt, nailing the demon through the crown of his head—this would be an excellent plan."

The Celestial Masters laughed and said, "Very well, very well." They reported to the Jade Emperor, who issued a decree to the Nine Heavens Palace to dispatch the two Thunder Generals Deng Hua and Zhang Fan to join forces with the Heavenly King to bind the demon and rescue the monk. They then proceeded with the Heavenly King and Great Sage Sun straight to the Southern Heavenly Gate.

They arrived in an instant. The Great Sage said, "This mountain is the Golden-Ring Mountain, and in the middle is the Golden-Ring Cave. Let us discuss—which of us should go first to challenge them in battle?"

The Heavenly King halted his cloud, encamped the celestial troops on the southern slope of the mountain, and said, "The Great Sage knows well that my son Nezha once subdued demons in ninety-six caves. He is skilled in transformations and carries weapons for subduing demons. He should go forth first to engage."

The Great Sage said, "Since that is so, let old Sun lead the Prince there."

The Prince summoned his heroic might and leaped with the Great Sage onto the high mountain, going straight to the cave entrance. They saw the cave door tightly closed and no spirits at the cliff's base. The Great Sage stepped forward and shouted, "You wretched demon! Open the door quickly and return my master to me!"

The little demon guarding the cave door saw them and rushed to report, "Great King, Sun the Pilgrim has brought a young boy and is calling for battle at our gate!"

The demon king said, "This monkey's iron rod was taken by me. Having no weapon, he can hardly fight—he must have summoned reinforcements." He called out, "Bring my weapons!" The demon king took his spear in hand and walked outside to observe. The young boy had a refined and extraordinary appearance, robust and vigorous indeed. Truly:

A jade-like lovely face full as the moon,

Red lips and a square mouth revealing silver eyes.

Lightning flashed from his glaring pupils,

His broad forehead gathered rosy clouds, his hair in twin topknots.

Embroidered sashes danced in the wind, flying with colored flames,

His brocade robe reflected the sun, releasing golden flowers.

His gleaming girdle clasped a heart-mirror,

His precious armor shone against his battle boots.

Small in stature, loud in voice, magnificent and bold—

The fierce Nezha, guardian of the Three Heavens' faith.

The demon king laughed and said, "You are the third child of Heavenly King Li, called Prince Nezha. Why do you come shouting at my gate?"

The Prince said, "Because you, wretched demon, have caused chaos and imprisoned a holy monk from the Eastern Land. By the Jade Emperor's golden decree, I have come to arrest you."

The demon king flew into a rage and said, "You must have been invited by Sun Wukong. I am the very demon who has captured the holy monk! What skills do you brats possess, that you dare make such bold claims? Don't run away—take my spear!"

The Prince wielded his Demon-Slaying Sword and met the attack hand to hand. The two engaged in combat, and the Great Sage hurriedly turned back up the slope, calling out, "Where are the Thunder Generals? Go quickly—strike the demon with a thunderbolt to help the Prince subdue him!"

The two lords Deng and Zhang immediately trod upon the cloud-light and were about to strike when they saw the Prince employ his magic. He transformed himself into a being with three heads and six arms, holding six weapons, and hacked at the demon. The demon king also transformed into three heads and six arms, blocking with three long spears. The Prince then exerted his demon-subduing power and hurled the six weapons into the air. What were the six weapons? The Demon-Cleaving Sword, the Demon-Slaying Saber, the Demon-Binding Lasso, the Demon-Taming Mace, the Embroidered Ball, and the Fire-Wheel. He gave a great shout, "Transform!" One became ten, ten became a hundred, a hundred became a thousand, a thousand became ten thousand—all the same weapons, like a sudden rain of hailstones, dense and thick, raining down upon the demon. The demon king showed no fear at all. With one hand he produced that gleaming white ring, hurled it into the air, and cried out, "Strike!" With a great swooping sound, he swept up all six weapons. Prince Nezha, in a panic, fled empty-handed. The demon king returned victorious.

The two Thunder Gods, Deng and Zhang, laughed secretly in the air, saying, "It was well that I first observed the situation and did not unleash the thunderbolts. Had they been caught by that thing, how could we have faced the Celestial Worthy?" The two gods descended on their clouds and came to the southern slope of the mountain, where they said to the Heavenly King Li, "The demon truly possesses vast supernatural powers." Wukong laughed from the side, "That fellow's powers are merely so-so; it's that ring of his that is formidable. I don't know what treasure it is, but when thrown, it is skilled at catching all things." Nezha said resentfully, "This Great Sage is truly no man at all. We have lost our soldiers and been defeated in battle, deeply troubled, all because of you, and yet you laugh and smile—why?" The Pilgrim said, "You speak of being troubled—is old Sun not troubled? I am now at my wits' end, unable to weep, so I can only laugh."

The Heavenly King said, "What can be done in such a situation?" The Pilgrim said, "No matter how you all scheme, only that which the ring cannot catch can be used to seize him." The Heavenly King said, "That which cannot be caught is most certainly water and fire. As the saying goes, 'Water and fire are merciless.'" Hearing these words, the Pilgrim said, "Well spoken. You sit firmly here, and wait for old Sun to go up to Heaven once more." The two gods Deng and Zhang said, "What are you going to do now?" The Pilgrim said, "This time old Sun goes, I need not report to the Jade Emperor. I shall go only to the South Heavenly Gate, to the Tonghua Palace, and invite Mars, the Star Lord of Fire Virtue, to come here and set fire to that monster, burning him to a crisp. Perhaps even that ring will be reduced to ashes, and we can capture the demon. In the first place, I can retrieve your weapons so you may return to Heaven, and in the second, I can deliver my Master from his calamity." The Crown Prince was greatly pleased upon hearing this and said, "Do not hesitate, Great Sage. Please go quickly and return quickly. We shall wait here with hands folded."

The Pilgrim rose on auspicious light and arrived once more at the South Heavenly Gate. The Wide-Eyed Devaraja and the four generals greeted him, saying, "Why has the Great Sage come again?" The Pilgrim said, "The Heavenly King Li sent the Crown Prince into battle, but in a single engagement, the Demon King snatched away all six weapons. I now wish to go to the Tonghua Palace to invite the Star Lord of Fire Virtue to assist us." The four generals dared not detain him long and let him pass through. Arriving at the Tonghua Palace, he saw the various gods of the Fire Ministry, who entered and reported, "Sun Wukong wishes to see you, my lord." Mars, the Star Lord of Fire Virtue of the Three Qi of the South, straightened his robes and came out to greet him, saying, "Yesterday the Bureau of Merit and Punishment inspected my palace, and not a single person had any desire to descend to the mortal world." The Pilgrim said, "I already know. But the Heavenly King Li and the Crown Prince were defeated in battle and lost their weapons. I have come specially to ask for your aid." The Star Lord said, "That Nezha is a great deity of the Three Altars and the Ocean Assembly. When he was born, he subdued demons in ninety-six caves. His supernatural powers are vast. If even he cannot succeed, how would this minor deity dare hope to?" The Pilgrim said, "After deliberating with the Heavenly King, we concluded that the most formidable things in the universe are water and fire. That monster has a ring that is skilled at catching people's possessions. I do not know what treasure it is, but since fire can destroy all things, I have specially asked the Star Lord to lead the Fire Ministry down below to set fire to the demon and rescue my Master from his calamity."

Upon hearing this, the Star Lord of Fire Virtue immediately mustered his divine troops and went with the Pilgrim to the southern slope of the Golden Grotto Mountain, where he met the Heavenly King, the Thunder Gods, and the others. The Heavenly King said, "Great Sun, go and call that fellow out again. Let me engage him in battle. When he starts to use that ring, I shall dodge away, and you, Lord of Fire, will lead your forces to burn him." The Pilgrim laughed and said, "Exactly so. I shall go with you." The Star Lord of Fire, together with the Crown Prince and the two Thunder Gods Deng and Zhang, stood atop a high peak to watch the battle.

The Great Sage arrived at the mouth of the Golden Grotto Cave and shouted, "Open the gate! Return my Master at once!" The little demons hurried in to report, "Sun Wukong has come again." The Demon Commander led his troops out of the cave and, seeing the Pilgrim, said, "You wretched monkey, what soldiers have you brought this time?" From the other side, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King roared, "Wretched demon! Do you know me?" The Demon King laughed, "Heavenly King Li, I suppose you wish to avenge your son and reclaim your weapons?" The Heavenly King said, "In the first place, I seek vengeance and my weapons; in the second, I have come to capture you and save Tripitaka. Do not flee—take my blade!" The monster dodged sideways and leveled his long spear to meet the attack. The two of them fought a splendid battle before the cave. Observe:

The Heavenly King swung his blade; the demon thrust his spear. The blade swung, and frosty light sprayed fierce flames; the spear thrust, and sharp vapor burst forth gloomy clouds. One was a wicked monster born of Golden Grotto Mountain; the other was a celestial god dispatched from the Hall of Miraculous Clouds. The one displayed his might because he had insulted the nature of Chan; the other unfolded his great principles to rescue his master from calamity. The Heavenly King used his power to fly sand and stones; the demon strove to broadcast dust and earth. The broadcast dust could darken Heaven and Earth; the flying sand could muddy rivers and seas. Both sides strove with all their might, all for the sake of Tripitaka's reverence for the World-Honored One.

The Great Sage Sun, seeing the two of them engaged in battle, turned and leaped onto the high peak, saying to the Star Lord of Fire Virtue, "Put your heart into it, Lord of the Three Qi!" Observe: that demon and the Heavenly King were fighting at the height of their contest when the monster once again produced his ring. The Heavenly King saw it and immediately mounted his auspicious light, retreating from the battle. The Star Lord of Fire Virtue on the high peak hastily transmitted his orders, commanding all the fire gods of his ministry to unleash their fires together. This was truly a formidable conflagration—what fire!

The sutra says: "The South is the essence of fire." Though a single spark can burn fields stretching thousands of acres, the power of the three vital energies can transform fire into a hundred different forms. Now there are fire lances, fire swords, fire bows, and fire arrows—the various gods of fire each use different weapons. But look—in mid-air, fire crows flew and cawed; over the mountain peaks, fire horses galloped. Pairs of crimson rats and pairs of fire dragons. The paired crimson rats spewed fierce flames, turning ten thousand li red; the paired fire dragons belched thick smoke, making a thousand directions black. Fire carts were pushed forward, fire gourds were flung open. Fire banners waved, filling the sky with rosy clouds; fire staffs stirred, setting the whole land ablaze. What need to speak of Ning Qi whipping his oxen? This was far more magnificent than Zhou Yu at the Red Cliff. This was true celestial fire of extraordinary ferocity—blazing, roaring, with red flames and scorching winds.

When the demon king saw the fire approaching, he showed no fear whatsoever. He tossed his ring into the air, and with a loud *hula*—the fire dragons, fire horses, fire crows, fire rats, fire lances, fire swords, fire bows, and fire arrows were all swept up by the ring in one fell swoop. He returned to his cave in triumph and called back his troops.

The Star Lord of Fire Deity, holding an empty banner, summoned back his generals and joined the Heavenly Kings. They sat on the southern slope of the mountain, and the Star Lord said to the Pilgrim: "Great Sage, this savage demon is truly rare. Now I have lost my fire weapons—what shall we do?" The Pilgrim laughed and said: "No need to complain. Please, all of you, sit and rest a while. This old Sun will go again." The Heavenly King asked: "Where are you going now?" The Pilgrim said: "Since this monster is not afraid of fire, he must surely fear water. As the saying goes: 'Water overcomes fire.' This old Sun will go to the North Heavenly Gate and invite the Star Lord of Water Deity to deploy a flood into his cave, drown the demon king, and retrieve your weapons." The Heavenly King said: "Though this plan is clever, I fear it might drown your master as well." The Pilgrim said: "No matter. If my master is drowned, I have my own way to bring him back to life. But I have already kept you waiting too long, and that was wrong of me." The Star Lord of Fire said: "Since that is the case, please go, please go."

The Great Sage mounted his somersault cloud once more and went straight to the North Heavenly Gate. Looking up, he saw the Heavenly King of Wide Hearing approaching to pay his respects. "Where is the Great Sage Sun going?" The Pilgrim said: "I have business at the Wuhao Palace to see the Star Lord of Water Deity. What are you doing here?" The Wide Hearing King said: "Today it is my turn on patrol." Just as they were speaking, the four great generals Pang, Liu, Gou, and Bi came forward with greetings and invited him for tea. The Pilgrim said: "No trouble, no trouble—my business is urgent." He then took leave from the gate gods and went straight to the Wuhao Palace, ordering the water ministry gods to announce him at once. The gods announced: "The Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, has arrived." When the Star Lord of Water Deity heard this, he immediately dismissed the inspection of the four seas, the five lakes, the eight rivers, the four great waterways, the three rivers, the nine branches, and the dragon kings of every region. He straightened his cap and tied his sash, came out of the palace gate, and welcomed the Pilgrim inside, saying: "Yesterday the Kahan Bureau inspected my palace, fearing that one of my ministry's gods had descended to the mortal world to cause mischief. I was in the middle of inspecting the gods of the rivers, lakes, and waterways, and had not yet finished." The Pilgrim said: "That demon is not a god of rivers or lakes—he is a spirit of vast power. First the Jade Emperor sent the Heavenly King Li and his sons along with two Thunder Gods to capture him, but he used his ring to snatch away six divine weapons. This old Sun had no choice but to go to the Tonghua Palace and invite the Star Lord of Fire Deity to lead his fire generals and unleash fire, but again the fire dragons, fire horses, and other weapons were all swept up by the ring. Since this creature is not afraid of fire, he must surely fear water. I have come specifically to ask the Star Lord to deploy water to help me capture that demon, retrieve the weapons and return them to the heavenly generals, and also rescue my master from his calamity." Upon hearing this, the Star Lord of Water immediately commanded the River Earl King of the Yellow River: "Accompany the Great Sage and assist in this endeavor." The River Earl took from his sleeve a white jade bowl and said: "I have this vessel for holding water." The Pilgrim said: "How much can this bowl hold? How could it possibly drown the demon?" The River Earl said: "To be honest with the Great Sage—this bowl contains the water of the Yellow River. Half a bowl is half the river; one full bowl is the entire river." The Pilgrim was delighted and said: "Half a bowl will be enough." He then took leave of the Star Lord of Water and departed the heavenly palace with the Yellow River god.

The River Earl scooped half a bowl of water from the Yellow River, then followed the Great Sage to the Golden Summit Mountain. (The original text reads "Jin ⿰Shan Dou," a character missing from Unicode.) On the southern slope, they met the Heavenly King, the Crown Prince, the Thunder Gods, and the Star Lord of Fire, and the River Earl recounted everything. The Pilgrim said: "No need for details—just have the River Earl follow me. When I get him to open his gate, before he comes out, pour the water straight into the gate. That monster and his whole brood will be drowned together. Then I'll go in to fish out my master's body and revive him—there'll still be time."

The River Earl obeyed and followed closely behind the Pilgrim. They rounded the mountain slope and went straight to the cave entrance. The Pilgrim shouted: "Open the gate, demon!" The little demon guarding the gate recognized the voice of the Great Sage Sun and hurried back to report: "Sun Wukong is here again!" When the demon heard this, he took his treasure and seized his spear, and with a loud crash, he opened the stone gate. The River Earl tipped the white jade bowl inward. When the demon saw the water coming, he dropped his spear and hastily took out his ring, propping it against the two gates. But the water only surged outward, gushing and overflowing. In a panic, the Great Sage Sun quickly leaped on his somersault cloud, and the River Earl jumped with him to a high peak. The Heavenly King and the others all rode their clouds and stopped before the high peak, watching the water—its waves swelling and surging, a truly magnificent flood! What water it was! Truly:

A single ladleful, yet truly unfathomable. It is the working of divine power, benefiting all things and flowing into the hundred rivers. One could hear the gushing sounds echoing through the valleys, and see the surging torrents filling the sky. Its mighty roar thundered like running thunder; its fierce waves crested like rolling snow. A thousand-zhang waves rose and flooded the roads; ten thousand layers of torrents crashed against the mountain rocks. Cold and clear like washing jade, rolling and tumbling like strumming strings. Where it struck the rocks, it sprayed shattered jade in rushing cascades; where it swirled back, it formed round whirlpools in the eddies. Through low hollows and sunken channels it flowed and spread, filling every ravine and level ditch from top to bottom.

When Wukong saw this, he panicked and said, "This is no good! The water floods the entire plain, drowning the people's fields, but it hasn't poured into his cave. What can be done?" He called the Water Lord to quickly recall the waters. The Water Lord said, "This minor deity only knows how to release water, not how to recall it. As the saying goes: 'Spilled water cannot be gathered up.'" Strange indeed! That mountain was lofty and steep, and all this water merely flowed downward. In an instant, it scattered and returned to the ravines and gullies.

Then several little demons came leaping out of the cave, shouting and hollering outside, rolling up their sleeves, brandishing staves and spears, carrying on as merrily as before. The Heavenly King said, "So the water never entered the cave after all. All that effort was wasted." Wukong could not contain his fury. He clenched both fists and charged to the demon's gate, shouting, "Where do you think you're going? Take this!" The little demons were so frightened that they dropped their spears and staves and ran into the cave, trembling as they reported, "Great King, terrible news! Someone's attacking us!" The demon king leveled his long spear and came out to meet him at the gate. "This wretched monkey is utterly shameless! You've been defeated by me several times, and neither water nor fire could get near me. Why do you keep coming back to throw your life away?" Wukong said, "You've got it backwards, boy. I don't know if it's my life or yours that's at stake. Come here and take a fist from your old granddad." The demon laughed and said, "This monkey is stubbornly pestering me! I wield a spear, but he uses his fists. A puny little fist the size of a walnut—how could it be called a hammer? Oh very well, I'll put my spear aside and spar with you fist to fist." Wukong said, "Fair enough. Come on then."

The demon hitched up his robes and advanced, settling into a stance. He raised his two fists, which truly resembled iron oil-hammers. The Great Sage planted his feet and shifted his body, displaying his technique. Before the cave gate, he and the demon king exchanged blows. What a splendid fight! Strange indeed!

He throws open the Grand Four Levels, kicks up the Double Flying Feet. He hammers the ribs and cleaves the chest, gouges the heart and plucks the gall. The Immortal Points the Way, the Old Master Rides the Crane. The starving tiger pouncing on its prey is most deadly; the dragon playing in the water can be fierce and savage. The demon king performs the Python Rolls Over; the Great Sage counters with the Deer Unhorns. He raises his heel and smashes the earth dragon; he twists his wrist and seizes the heavenly sack. The green lion opens its mouth to strike; the carp leaps by flipping its spine. He spreads flowers over the head and wraps a sash around the waist. Like a fan catching the wind, like urgent rain hastening the fall of petals. The demon then uses the Guanyin Palm; the Pilgrim counters with the Arhat Kick. The long palm opens wide and naturally relaxes—how can it compare to the short fist, so tight and sharp? The two grapple for dozens of rounds, their abilities equal, neither stronger than the other.

As the two of them fought before the cave gate, the Heavenly King Li on the peak below shouted his approval in a stern voice, and the Fire Virtue Star clapped his hands in praise. The two Thunder Gods and Prince Nezha, leading the host of gods, leaped forward, all wanting to lend aid. On the other side, the host of demons waved their flags and beat their drums, brandishing swords and swinging blades to protect their lord together. The Great Sage Sun saw that things were not going well. He plucked a handful of his hairs, tossed them into the air, and shouted, "Change!" They instantly transformed into thirty or forty small monkeys, who surged forward in a swarm and entangled the demon—some grabbing his legs, some pulling at his waist, some clawing at his eyes, some plucking at his fur. The creature panicked and hastily produced his ring. The Great Sage and the Heavenly King and the others, seeing him bring out his snare, turned their cloud-tops and fled to the peak to regroup. The demon hurled the ring upward. With a great WHOOSH, the thirty or forty hair-transformed monkeys were restored to their original form and sucked into the ring, then carried into the cave. Having won the victory, the demon led his troops back inside, closed the gate, and departed in celebration.

The prince said, "The Great Sage Sun is still a true hero. That fist-fighting was like adding flowers to brocade; using his body-splitting technique was truly showing off before others." Wukong laughed and said, "You all watched from a distance. How does that demon's skill compare to old Sun's?" The Heavenly King Li said, "His fists are loose and his feet are slow, not as swift and fierce as the Great Sage's. When he saw us approaching, he became flustered; and when you used your body-splitting technique, he panicked. That's why he resorted to his snare." Wukong said, "The demon king is easy to handle, but that ring is hard to overcome." The Fire Virtue Star and the Water Lord said, "To defeat him, we must first seize that treasure of his; only then can we capture him." Wukong said, "How can we get his treasure? The only way is to steal it." The two lords, Deng and Zhang, laughed and say, "If it comes to stealing, no one but the Great Sage is capable. Back when you caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace, you stole the imperial wine, stole the peaches of immortality, stole the dragon liver, phoenix marrow, and the Old Lord's elixir pills—what skill that was! Today is just the time to put it to use." Wukong said, "Well said, well said. Since that's the case, you all sit tight and wait while old Sun goes to gather intelligence."

The fine Great Sage leaped down from the peak and stole up to the cave entrance. He shook his body and transformed into a speckled fly, truly dainty and sleek. Just look at him:

Wings thin as bamboo membrane, body small as a flower's heart.

Feet and claws even fuzzier than fur, star-bright eye-sockets gleaming clear.

He excels at chasing scents by smell, and flies swiftly riding the breeze.

Light enough to barely tip the balance scale—charming and somewhat useful indeed.

He flew lightly to the gate, crept up to the crack, and slipped inside. Inside he saw the lesser demons dancing and singing, lined up on both sides. The old demon king sat high upon a platform, before him spread a feast of snake meat, dried venison, bear paws, camel humps, mountain fruits, and vegetables. There was a celadon wine pot, and fragrant goat-milk curd and coconut wine, which the king drank in great bowls with a broad and easy heart. The Pilgrim alighted among the crowd of lesser demons and transformed himself into a badger-headed spirit, slowly making his way toward the edge of the platform. He watched for a long while, but nowhere could he see where the treasure was kept. Anxiously he withdrew and circled behind the platform, and there in the rear hall he saw fire dragons hanging high, neighing and shrieking, and fire horses whinnying and snorting. Suddenly he looked up and saw his golden-banded staff leaning against the eastern wall. His heart itched with joy so fiercely that he forgot to maintain his disguise. He walked forward, seized the iron rod, resumed his true form, and unleashed his full skill, fighting his way out with his staff in a single sweeping motion. The host of demons were thrown into panic, their hearts trembling with fear; the old demon king was caught off guard. The Pilgrim shoved three of them flat, knocked two more down, opened a path of blood, and made straight for the cave gate. And so it is said:

The demon lord, proud and unwatchful, lost his prize;

The staff returned once more to its rightful master.

But as for what fortune or calamity befell next, you will have to hear the next chapter to find out.