Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Leaving aside the heavenly host surrounding him and the Great Sage resting, let us turn to the Bodhisattva Guanyin of the South Sea, Mount Putuo Luojia, the Great Compassionate One who saves the suffering and the distressed. Having been invited by the Queen Mother of the West to the Peach Banquet, she had ascended together with her senior disciple Hui'an Xingzhe to the jeweled pavilion by the Jade Pool, only to find it desolate and forlorn, the banquet tables in disarray. Though several celestial immortals were present, none had taken their seats; all were gathered in agitated discussion. After the Bodhisattva had exchanged greetings with the assembled immortals, they related to her all that had transpired. The Bodhisattva said, "Since there is no grand feast and no passing of cups, you may all follow this poor monk to see the Jade Emperor." The immortals gladly accompanied her. Upon reaching the front of the Hall of Penetrating Light, they found the Four Heavenly Masters, the Barefoot Immortal, and others already assembled there. They came forward to greet the Bodhisattva and informed her that the Jade Emperor was troubled, that heavenly troops had been dispatched, and that the monster had not yet been captured and returned. The Bodhisattva said, "I wish to see the Jade Emperor. Please be so good as to announce me." The Heavenly Master Qiu Hongji at once entered the Hall of the Divine Firmament and secured permission for her to enter. At that time, the Supreme Lord Lao Zi was above, and the Queen Mother of the West was behind.

The Bodhisattva led the others inside, paid her respects to the Jade Emperor, and then exchanged greetings with Lord Lao Zi and the Queen Mother, after which all were seated. She asked, "How did the Peach Banquet fare?" The Jade Emperor replied, "Each year when the banquet is held, all is joy and delight. But this year the monkey demon caused such great disturbance that the invitation was entirely in vain." The Bodhisattva asked, "What is the origin of this monkey demon?" The Jade Emperor said, "The monkey demon was born from a stone egg on Flower-Fruit Mountain in the Kingdom of Aolai in the Eastern Continent of Superior Deity. When he first came forth, his eyes emitted golden light that shot straight up to the Big Dipper. At first I paid no attention, but later he became a spirit, subduing dragons and tigers and erasing his name from the register of the dead. The Dragon King and the King of Hell then submitted memorials. I wished to seize him, but the Star of Long Life memorialized, saying, 'Within the Three Realms, any creature with nine orifices can become an immortal.' I therefore extended him instruction and virtue, summoned him to the Upper Realm, and appointed him to the post of Keeper of the Heavenly Horses, Bimawen. But that wretch, despising the post as too small, rebelled against the Celestial Palace. I dispatched the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King and Prince Nezha to subdue him, then issued an edict of pacification, summoned him again to the Upper Realm, and granted him the title Great Sage Equal to Heaven—though it was a title without stipend. Having nothing to manage, he wandered east and west. Fearing he might cause further trouble, I put him in charge of the Peach Garden. But he disobediently broke the law and stole all the ripe peaches from the old trees. When the banquet was prepared, since he was a title-holder without stipend, he was not invited. He then devised a scheme to trick the Barefoot Immortal, assumed his form, and entered the feast himself, devouring all the immortal delicacies and celestial wine. He also stole Lord Lao Zi's elixir pills and a quantity of the Emperor's own wine, which he carried back to share with the monkeys of his mountain. My heart was troubled by this, and so I dispatched a hundred thousand heavenly troops with nets above and below to capture him. But a full day has passed without any report—I do not know whether they have won or lost."

When the Bodhisattva heard this, she commanded Hui'an Xingzhe, "You must hasten down from the Celestial Palace to Flower-Fruit Mountain and find out how the battle progresses. If you encounter combat, you may lend your aid and earn merit. Be certain to report back truthfully."

Hui'an Xingzhe straightened his robes, took up an iron staff, mounted the clouds, and departed the celestial precincts, making straight for the mountain. He saw the heavenly nets above and below, dense and layered, with sentries at every camp gate raising their bells and shouting their watchwords, surrounding the mountain so tightly that not a drop of water could have passed through. Hui'an halted and called out, "Heavenly soldiers guarding the camp gate, please announce me: I am Muzha, the second son of the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, and the senior disciple of Guanyin of the South Sea, Hui'an. I have come especially to inquire about the military situation." The Five Peaks divine soldiers within the camp at once conveyed this to inside the main gate. Quickly the Rat of the Day, the Rooster of the Star, the Horse of the Constellation, and the Rabbit of the Mansion passed the message on to the central command tent. The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King issued an order flag, commanding that the heavenly nets be opened to let him in. By then the east was just brightening. Hui'an followed the flag inside and bowed to the Four Heavenly Kings and the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King. When the obeisance was finished, the Heavenly King said, "My child, from where have you come?" Hui'an replied, "Your son accompanied the Bodhisattva to the Peach Banquet. The Bodhisattva saw that the feast was desolate and the Jade Pool lonely, and led the assembled immortals and your son to see the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor related in full that Your Majesty and the others had descended to subdue the monkey demon, but a full day had passed without any report, and the outcome was unknown. The Bodhasattva therefore ordered your son to come here and find out the truth." The Heavenly King said, "Yesterday we arrived and made camp. I sent the Nine Luminaries to challenge him, but that wretch displayed such great magic powers that all nine fled back in defeat. Afterward we personally led our troops, and he arrayed his forces as well. Our hundred thousand soldiers fought with him in a confused battle until evening, when he employed his body-splitting technique and drove us back. When we withdrew and took stock, we had captured only wolves, tigers, and such beasts—not a single monkey demon. Today we have not yet gone out to battle."

Before he had finished speaking, someone at the main gate came to report, "The Great Sage has led a troop of monkey spirits and is outside, challenging us to battle." The Four Heavenly Kings, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, and the prince were just discussing when to send out troops, when Muzha said, "Father, your son was instructed by the Bodhasattva to come down and gather intelligence, and she said that if battle was joined, I might lend my aid and earn merit. Though I am unworthy, I wish now to go and see what sort of 'Great Sage' he is." The Heavenly King said, "My child, you have trained under the Bodhisattva these past several years and must possess some magical powers. You must be most careful."

Splendid prince! He gripped his iron staff in both hands, gathered up his embroidered robes, leaped out of the main gate, and shouted at the top of his voice, "Which of you is the Great Sage Equal to Heaven?" The Great Sage leveled his Ruyi staff and answered, "This old Sun is he. Who are you, that you dare to ask me?" Muzha said, "I am Muzha, the second son of the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King. I now serve as a disciple and guardian of the faith before the throne of the Bodhisattva Guanyin. My dharma name is Hui'an." The Great Sage said, "Why are you not cultivating in the South Sea, instead of coming here to see me?" Muzha said, "I was sent by my master to gather intelligence on the military situation. Seeing you so rampant, I have come especially to capture you." The Great Sage said, "How dare you speak such big words! Don't run away—take this staff from old Sun!" Muzha was not in the least afraid; he raised his iron staff and met the blow with his hand. The two of them took their stand halfway up the mountain, outside the main gate, and this was a fine battle:

Although both wielded staves, the iron was different; though weapons clashed, the men were not the same. One was the Great Immortal Sage, a loose immortal of the Grand Unity; the other was the true dragon, a disciple of Guanyin. The crude iron staff had been hammered a thousand times, forged with the power of the Six Ding and Six Jia spirits; the As-You-Will staff was forged from the Heaven's River, a divine treasure of the sea with boundless might. The two met as true opponents, their exchanges beyond count. One wielded his underhand staff with a thousand ferocities, whipping it around his waist and lashing out swift as the wind; the other kept his splitting-staff from ever striking empty, blocking left and right—how could they yield to each other? On that side the banners flashed and fluttered; on this side the alligator-skin drums boomed and thundered. Ten thousand heavenly generals swarmed in circles; a whole cave of demon monkeys huddled in dense clusters. Strange mists and gloomy clouds spread across the underworld; wolf-smoke and killing qi shot up toward the Heavenly Palace. Yesterday's confused battle had been fierce enough, but today's struggle was even more savage. How admirable, the true ability of the Monkey Prince—Mu Na was defeated again and barely escaped with his life.

The Great Sage had fought Hui'an for fifty or sixty bouts. Hui'an's arms grew numb and sore, unable to meet the foe any longer. He made a feigned thrust and fled the field in defeat. The Great Sage also withdrew his monkey troops and encamped them outside the cave gate. At the camp gate of the Heavenly King, the heavenly soldiers, high and low, received the prince, cleared the main road, and let him pass straight through the stockade gate to face the Four Heavenly Kings, Li the Pagoda-Bearer, and Nezha, panting furiously and still out of breath: "What a Great Sage! What a Great Sage! Truly his powers are vast and great! I could not defeat him and have come back defeated!" Li the Heavenly King was alarmed at this and at once ordered a memorial to be written requesting aid. He then dispatched the Great Strength Demon King and Prince Mu Na to ascend to Heaven and present the report.

The two did not dare delay. They broke through the Heavenly Net and Heavenly Snare and rose on auspicious clouds and auspicious mist. In an instant they arrived at the Hall of Penetrating Light, where they saw the Four Heavenly Scribes, who led them to the Hall of Spiritual Radiance and presented the memorial. Mu Na also bowed to the Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva asked, "How did your reconnaissance go?" Mu Na said, "Upon receiving orders, I went to Flower-Fruit Mountain, called for the Heavenly Net and Heavenly Snare gate to be opened, and saw your servant's father, conveying the meaning of your instructions. His Majesty the King said, 'Yesterday I fought a battle with that Monkey King. We only captured his tigers, leopards, lions, and elephants, but did not capture a single monkey spirit.' While we were talking, he came out again to challenge us. Your servant took my iron staff and fought him for fifty or sixty bouts but could not prevail, so I fled back to camp. Father therefore sent the Great Strength Demon King and your servant to come up to Heaven to request aid." The Bodhisattva lowered her head in thought.

Meanwhile, the Jade Emperor opened the memorial and saw the words requesting aid. He laughed and said, "How intolerable, this monkey spirit! What great abilities can he have, that he dares to oppose a hundred thousand heavenly troops? And now Li the Heavenly King comes asking for aid again. Which divine general shall we send to assist him?" Before he finished speaking, Guanyin pressed her palms together and said, "Let Your Majesty set his mind at ease. This poor monk can recommend a god who can capture this monkey." The Jade Emperor asked, "Which god do you recommend?" The Bodhisattva said, "It is Your Majesty's nephew, the Illustrious Sage Erlang True Lord, who dwells at Guanyang River in Guanyang Prefecture and enjoys the incense and offerings of the common people below. In days past he used his strength to slay six monsters, and he also has the Mei Mountain brothers and twelve hundred Grass-Head Spirits before his tent. His powers are vast and great. However, he only listens to summons but not to summons by edict. Your Majesty may issue a decree summoning troops and send it to him, ordering him to render assistance, and then the monkey can be captured." Hearing this, the Jade Emperor at once issued the decree summoning troops and dispatched the Great Strength Demon King to carry the summons.

The Demon King received the decree and immediately mounted his cloud, heading straight for Guanyang River. In less than half an hour he arrived at the True Lord's temple. The gatekeeping ghost-judges already reported inside: "Outside there is an angel bearing an edict." Erlang then went out the gate with his brothers to receive the edict, burned incense, and opened it to read. The decree read:

"The demon monkey, the Great Sage Equal of Heaven, on Flower-Fruit Mountain has caused havoc: having stolen the peaches, stolen the wine, and stolen the elixir in the palace, and having disrupted the Grand Peach Banquet, he has been surrounded on the mountain by a hundred thousand heavenly troops and eighteen sets of Heavenly Nets and Heavenly Snares to be subdued, but victory has not been achieved. We hereby specially summon our worthy nephew and his sworn brothers to proceed to Flower-Fruit Mountain to assist in the suppression. After success, there will be high promotion and generous rewards."

The True Lord was greatly pleased and said, "Angel, please return. I will go at once to lend my sword in aid." The Demon King's return to report need not be recounted.

The True Lord then summoned the six Mei Mountain brothers—the four marshals Kang, Zhang, Yao, and Li, and the two generals Guo Shen and Zhi Jian—and gathered them before the hall, saying: "The Jade Emperor has just dispatched us to go to Flower-Fruit Mountain to subdue the demon monkey. Let us all go together." All the brothers gladly agreed. He at once mustered his own divine troops, loosed his hawks and led his dogs, set his crossbows and bent his bow, and riding the wild wind, in an instant crossed the Eastern Ocean and arrived at Flower-Fruit Mountain. Seeing the Heavenly Net and Heavenly Snare spread thick and dense, they could not advance, so he called out: "Hear me, the divine generals who hold the Heavenly Net and Heavenly Snaare! I am the Illustrious Sage Erlang True Lord, summoned by the Jade Emperor to capture the demon monkey. Quickly open the camp gate and let us pass!" In a moment, the message was passed from one level of gods to the next. The Four Heavenly Kings and Li the Heavenly King all came out the stockade gate to welcome him. After the greetings, they asked about the outcome of the battles. The Heavenly King recounted everything that had happened. The True Lord said with a smile: "Now that the Little Sage is here, I must fight him in transformations. Gentlemen, do not cover the top with the Heavenly Net and Heavenly Snare—just keep the four sides tight, and let me wager in battle. If I lose to him, you need not assist me; I have my own brothers to support me. If I defeat him, you need not bind him; I have my own brothers to do the work. I only ask the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King to let me use the Demon-Revealing Mirror, standing it in the air. I fear that if he is defeated in battle, he may flee to another place. You must shine it clearly for me so that he does not get away." The Heavenly King took his position at the four corners, and the heavenly troops arranged themselves in formation all around.

The True Lord, leading the four Grand Marshals and the two Generals, together with himself made seven brothers in all, marched out of the camp to give challenge. He ordered his officers to guard the camp securely and to collect all the falcons and hounds. The various grass-spirits received their orders. The True Lord went straight to the outside of the Water Curtain Cave, where he saw the troop of monkeys drawn up in perfect formation, arranged in the pattern of a coiling dragon. In the center of the army stood a banner bearing the four characters "Great Sage Equal to Heaven." The True Lord said, "How can that wretched impostor presume to claim the title 'Equal to Heaven'?" The six Meishan brothers said, "No need to stand here admiring him. Let's go challenge him." The little monkeys at the camp gate saw the True Lord and hurried off to report. The Monkey King at once seized his golden-banded cudgel, put on his golden armor, donned his cloud-stepping boots, adjusted his purple-gold crown, and rushed out of the camp gate. He opened his eyes wide to look, and the True Lord's appearance was indeed striking and refined, his dress elegant. Truly it was:

Handsome and dignified in bearing,

With ears that hung to his shoulders and eyes that shone.

On his head he wore a three-peaked flying-phoenix cap;

On his body he wore a robe of pale goose-yellow.

His gold-threaded boots matched his dragon-patterned socks;

His jade belt was adorned with eight kinds of jewels.

At his waist hung a crescent-shaped pellet bow;

In his hands he grasped a three-pointed, two-edged spear.

With an axe he had split the Peach Mountain to save his mother;

With pellets he had shot down a pair of phoenixes from the Chanrao.

By slaying eight monsters his fame had spread far and wide;

In righteousness he had joined the Seven Sages of Meishan.

Proud in heart, he would not acknowledge the Heaven's kin;

Arrogant in nature, he returned to the gods and dwelled by Guanjiang.

The Red City's Illustrious Beneficent Heroic Sage,

Who manifests boundlessly and is called Erlang.

When the Great Sage saw him, he laughingly raised his golden cudgel and shouted in a loud voice, "You little general from whatever quarter, how dare you come here so boldly to challenge me?" The True Lord thundered at him, "You fellow with eyes but no pupils, you don't recognize me? I am the Jade Duke's nephew, the one invested as the Illustrious Beneficent Spiritual Manifesting King Erlang. Now by Heaven's command I have come to seize you, this rebellious stable-keeping monkey who revolted against the Heavenly Palace. Don't you know whether you're alive or dead?" The Great Sage said, "I recall that years ago the Jade Duke's sister descended to the mortal world because she lusted for mortal pleasures. She wed a certain Yang and bore a boy who once split a mountain with an axe to save his mother. Was that you? I would like to give you a cursing, but I have no quarrel with you; I would like to hit you with one blow, but I would be sorry to end your life. You young fellow, hurry back at once and call out the Four Heavenly Kings." When the True Lord heard this, his heart filled with rage. "Wretched monkey!" he shouted. "Have some manners and taste my blade!" The Great Sage dodged sideways and swiftly raised his golden cudgel to strike back. And what a fight they had!

The Illustrious Erlang, the Great Sage Sun of Heaven.

This one, proud in heart, despised the enemy, the beautiful Monkey King;

That one, stern in countenance, was the true pillar of strength.

The two met for the first time, each burning to compete.

Never before had they known each other's depth or shallow;

Today they learned who was light and who was heavy.

The iron cudgel was like a flying dragon;

The divine weapon was like a dancing phoenix.

They blocked to the left and attacked to the right,

Welcomed the front and responded to the rear.

On this side the six Meishan brothers added to the fierce spirit;

On that side the four Ma and Liu generals transmitted their orders.

They waved their banners and beat their drums with one heart;

They shouted and clanged their gongs, each adding to the excitement.

The two steel blades watched for their opportunity,

Coming and going without the slightest gap.

The golden cudgel was a treasure of the sea,

Capable of transformation, flight, and victory.

If one were slow, his life was forfeit;

If one made a single mistake, he would stumble.

The True Lord and the Great Sage fought for more than three hundred bouts, with neither side gaining the advantage. The True Lord summoned all his divine might, shook his body, and transformed. He grew ten thousand feet tall, his two hands holding the three-pointed, two-edged divine spear, just like the peak of Mount Hua. With a blue face and fang-like teeth, crimson hair, he glared ferociously and hacked at the Great Sage's head. The Great Sage also used his divine powers and grew to the same size as Erlang, with the same face and features, raising his wish-fulfilling golden-banded cudgel, which was like the pillar supporting Heaven atop Mount Kunlun, and blocked the Erlang Shen. The Ma and Liu commanders trembled so that they could not wave their banners; the Beng and Ba generals were so frightened that they could not wield their swords. On the battlefield, the Kang, Zhang, Yao, Li, Guo Shen, and Zhi Jian transmitted orders, deploying the grass-spirits, releasing the falcons and hounds outside the Water Curtain Cave, setting up crossbows and drawing bows, all charging together. Pitifully the four brave generals of the monkey army were scattered, and two or three thousand supernatural creatures were captured. Those monkeys threw down their spears and abandoned their shields, flung away their swords and dropped their spears—some ran, some shouted, some fled up the mountain, some returned to the cave. It was like a night owl startling roosting birds, scattering stars across the sky. We need not relate how the brothers won their victory.

Now, the True Lord and the Great Sage had been fighting with transformations that rivaled Heaven and Earth in scale when the Great Sage suddenly saw the monkeys in his own camp scattering in alarm. His heart troubled him, he withdrew his transformed body, seized his cudgel, and turned to flee. The True Lord saw him retreating and strode swiftly after him. "Where are you going?" he called. "Surrender now and I'll spare your life." The Great Sage was in no mood to fight and simply ran. Approaching the cave's entrance, he ran straight into the four Grand Marshals Kang, Zhang, Yao, and Li, and the two Generals Guo Shen and Zhi Jian, who together led their troops and blocked his way. "Wretched monkey! Where are you going?" The Great Sage was thrown into a panic. He squeezed his golden-banded cudgel into the size of an embroidered needle and hid it inside his ear. He shook his body, transformed, and became a little sparrow, perched on the treetop. The six brothers rushed about in confusion, searching everywhere but finding nothing. Together they shouted, "We've lost that monkey spirit! We've lost that monkey spirit!"

While they were still clamoring about it, Lord Erlang arrived and asked, "Brothers, where has he gone? You chased him off somewhere?"

The gods replied, "We had him surrounded right here, and then he vanished."

Erlang opened his phoenix eyes wide and looked around. He saw that the Great Sage had transformed himself into a sparrow and was perched on a tree. Erlang immediately withdrew his magical form, sheathed his divine blade, and put away his pellet bow. He shook his body and changed himself into a sparrowhawk, spread his wings, and flew at the sparrow to strike it. When the Great Sage saw this, he darted off with a sweep of his wings and transformed himself into a great cormorant, soaring straight up into the sky. Erlang saw this, quickly ruffled his feathers, shook his body, and transformed himself into a great crane, piercing through the clouds to snatch at him. The Great Sage then dove down again, plunged into a mountain stream, and transformed himself into a fish, darting into the water. Erlang rushed to the edge of the stream but found no trace of him. He thought to himself, "That monkey must have gone into the water. He has surely transformed himself into a fish or a shrimp. Let me change again and catch him." Sure enough, he transformed himself into an osprey and floated on the surface of the water downstream, waiting for a moment.

The Great Sage, having become a fish, was swimming along with the current when suddenly he saw a bird of prey: it looked like a kestrel, but its feathers were not blue-gray; it looked like an egret, but it had no crest on its head; it looked like a grey heron, but its legs were not red. "That must be Erlang, transformed and waiting for me!" He quickly turned around and darted off, swirling through the water as he fled. Erlang saw him and thought, "A swirling fish—it looks like a carp, but its tail is not red; it looks like a mandarin fish, but its patterned scales are not visible; it looks like a snakehead, but it has no star-like spots on its head; it looks like a bream, but it has no spines on its gills. Why did he turn back the moment he saw me? That must be the monkey in disguise." He darted forward and struck with a snap of his beak.

The Great Sage then leaped out of the water and transformed himself into a water snake. He swam close to the bank and slithered into the grass. Because Erlang had failed to snatch him, he noticed a snake darting out from the ripples and recognized it as the Great Sage. He quickly turned and transformed himself into a grey crane with a vermilion crest, stretching out his long beak, which resembled a pair of pointed iron pincers, and came straight to eat the water snake. The snake sprang up and transformed itself into a guan-dove, standing wooden and awkward on a patch of smartweed by the water's edge. Erlang saw that he had transformed himself into something lowly—the guan-dove is the most base and wanton of all birds, mating indiscriminately with phoenixes, cranes, hawks, and crows alike—so he did not bother to approach him. Instead, he resumed his original form, walked over, picked up his pellet bow, drew it back fully, and shot a pellet that struck the Great Sage and sent him sprawling.

Seizing the opportunity, the Great Sage rolled down the mountainside, crouched there, and transformed himself into a little temple to the local earth god: his mouth gaped wide like a temple door; his teeth became the door panels; his tongue became the Bodhisattva statue; his eyes became the window lattice. Only his tail was difficult to dispose of, so he stood it up behind the temple, transforming it into a flagpole. Lord Erlang rushed down to the mountainside and saw no sign of the guan-dove he had struck, only a small temple. He opened his phoenix eyes and examined it carefully. Seeing the flagpole standing behind it, he laughed and said, "So it's that monkey! He's trying to trick me again. I've seen many temples, but I've never seen one with a flagpole standing at the back. This must be that beast up to his tricks. If he lures me inside, he'll bite me in one gulp. How could I go in? Let me punch the window lattice first and then kick the door panels."

The Great Sage, hearing this, was alarmed and thought, "How ruthless! The door panels are my teeth, and the window lattice is my eyes. If he knocks out my teeth and gouges out my eyes, what am I to do?" With a tiger's leap, he vanished into the air once more.

Erlang chased him back and forth in every direction. Then the four marshals and two generals arrived together and asked, "Brother, have you captured the Great Sage?" Erlang laughed and said, "That monkey has just transformed himself into a temple to trick me. I was about to smash his windows and kick in his doors when he leaped away and disappeared without a trace. Strange, truly strange!" All were astonished and looked around, but there was no sign of him anywhere.

Erlang said, "Brothers, stay here and keep watch while I go up and search for him." He quickly soared into the clouds on his flying crane. He saw the Heavenly King Li holding up the demon-revealing mirror, standing in the clouds with Nezha. Erlang said, "Heavenly King, have you seen the Monkey King?" The Heavenly King replied, "He hasn't come up here. I've been watching him from below." Erlang then told him about the contest of transformations and magical powers, and how they had captured the monkey soldiers. He added, "He transformed himself into a temple, and just as I was about to strike him, he fled." Upon hearing this, Heavenly King Li raised the demon-reveering mirror and scanned all four directions. He laughed and said, "Lord Erlang, hurry, hurry! That monkey has used an invisibility spell and slipped out of the encampment. He's gone to your Guanjing River." When Erlang heard this, he took up his divine blade and returned to Guanjing River in pursuit.

Meanwhile, the Great Sage had already arrived at Guanjing River. He shook his body and transformed himself into the likeness of Lord Erlang, descended on his cloud, and went straight into the temple. The ghost judges could not tell the difference and knelt down to welcome him one by one. He sat in the middle and began checking the records of incense offerings: he saw the three sacrificial animals returned by Li Hu, the prayer for blessings promised by Zhang Long, the petition for a son by Zhao Jia, and the prayer for recovery from illness by Qian Bing. Just as he was examining these, someone reported, "Another Lord has arrived!" The ghost judges hurriedly looked and were all terrified. Lord Erlang asked, "Has the Great Sage of Equal Heaven come here?" The ghost judges replied, "We haven't seen any Great Sage. There's only one Lord inside checking the records." Erlang burst through the door. The Great Sage saw him and revealed his true form, saying, "There's no need to shout, my lord. This temple now belongs to Sun." Lord Erlang immediately raised his three-pointed, two-edged divine blade and slashed at his face. The Monkey King used his agility to dodge the blade. He pulled out his embroidered needle, waved it until it was as thick as a bowl, and rushed forward to fight back face to face. The two of them shouted and brawled their way out of the temple, half-hidden in mist and clouds, fighting as they went, until they had battled all the way back to Flower-Fruit Mountain. The Four Heavenly Kings and the others were thrown into a panic and tightened their defenses. The Marshal Kang, Marshal Zhang, and the others greeted Lord Erlang, and joining their hearts and efforts, they surrounded the Handsome Monkey King—but of that, no more for now.

Now the Great Mighty Ghost King, having dispatched the True Lord and his six brothers with troops to capture the demon, ascended to the Upper Realm to report back. The Jade Emperor, the Bodhisattis Guanyin, the Queen Mother, and all the immortal ministers were speaking in the Hall of Lingxiao, saying, "Since Erlang has gone to battle, a full day has passed and still no report has come back." Guanyin pressed her palms together and said, "This humble monk invites Your Majesty to go out beyond the South Heavenly Gate with the Patriarch of the Dao to see for yourselves how things stand." The Jade Emperor said, "That is well spoken." He at once arranged his imperial procession and, together with the Patriarch of the Dao, Guanyin, the Queen Mother, and the immortal ministers, proceeded to the South Heavenly Gate. Some heavenly soldiers and warriors were already there to receive them, and they opened the gate to gaze afar. They saw the heavenly soldiers spreading nets on all sides, surrounding the area; the Heavenly King Li and Nezha holding the Demon-Reflecting Mirror aloft in the sky; and the True Lord surrounding the Great Sage in the midst, all engaged in fierce combat.

The Bodhisattva addressed Lord Lao, saying, "How does the Erlang that this humble monk recommended fare? He truly has divine powers and has already surrounded the Great Sage, though he has not yet captured him. Now I shall lend him a hand and surely take him." Lord Lao said, "What weapon will you use, Bodhisattva? How will you help him?" The Bodhisattva said, "I shall throw down my pure vase and willow branch and strike the monkey's head. Even if it does not kill him, it will knock him down, so that the Lesser Sage Erlang can capture him." Lord Lao said, "Your vase is made of porcelain—it would be fine if it struck him, but what if it misses his head or hits his iron rod? It would be shattered. Do not act yet; let me, Lord Lao, lend a hand instead." The Bodhisattva said, "What weapon do you have?" Lord Lao said, "I have one, I have one, I have one." He rolled up his sleeve and took from his left arm a ring, saying, "This weapon is forged from pure kun steel, refined by me and tempered with the elixir of return. It has been nurtured to possess a body of spiritual energy, is skilled in transformation, is impervious to water and fire, and can snatch away all manner of objects. It is called the Diamond Cutter, also known as the Diamond Ring. When I passed through Hanquanguan and converted the barbarians to Buddhism, I owed much to this ring. It is most useful for protection at all times. Let me throw it down and strike him."

With that, he hurled it down from the Heavenly Gate. It whirled and fell straight into the camp on Flower-Fruit Mountain and struck the Monkey King squarely on the head. The Monkey King had been locked in bitter combat with the Seven Sages and had no idea that a weapon was falling from the heavens. It struck his crown, and he could not stand firm. He stumbled and fell. He scrambled to his feet and tried to flee, but the young hound of Lord Erlang caught up and bit him on the leg, pulling him down again. He fell to the ground and cursed, "You wretched creature! Why don't you go bother your own master instead of biting old Sun?" He tried frantically to rise but could not, and the Seven Sages rushed upon him and held him fast. They bound him with ropes and pierced his shoulder bones with hooked blades, so that he could no longer transform.

Lord Lao retrieved the Diamond Ring and invited the Jade Emperor, Guanyin, the Queen Mother, and the other immortals to return to the Hall of Lingxiao. Below, the Four Great Heavenly Kings, the Heavenly King Li, and all the gods gathered their troops and broke camp. They approached the Lesser Sage to offer their congratulations, all saying, "This is the Lesser Sage's achievement." The Lesser Sage said, "This is the great fortune of the Heavenly Worthy and the divine power of all the warriors. What merit have I?" Kang, Zhang, Yao, and Li said, "Brother, let us not speak further. Take this wretch up to the Upper Realm to see the Jade Emperor and await his decree." The True Lord said, "My worthy brothers, you have not received celestial appointments and cannot appear before the Jade Emperor. Let the heavenly armored soldiers escort him. I shall go up with the Heavenly Kings to report. You lead the troops here to search the mountain. When the search is complete, return to Guankou. Wait for me to receive rewards and honors, and then we shall celebrate together." The Two Generals and Four Commanders assented as commanded. The True Lord and the others then mounted the clouds, singing songs of victory as they ascended to heaven. Before long, they reached the Court of Penetrating Light. The Heavenly Master reported, "The Four Great Heavenly Kings and the others have captured the demon monkey, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, and have come here to await your summons." The Jade Emperor issued an edict ordering the Great Mighty Ghost King and the heavenly soldiers to take him to the Demon-Beheading Platform and hack him to pieces. Ah! Truly:

Deception now meets the bitter suffering of the law;

A hero's spirit comes to its end in time.

What became of the Monkey King's life? Listen to the next chapter for the explanation.