Chapter 51: Heart Monkey Wastes Countless Schemes; Neither Water nor Fire Can Refine the Demon

The Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, having lost the battle empty-handed, sat down behind Mount Jin Dou, tears streaming from his eyes. He cried out, “Master! I hoped that with you—

The Buddha’s grace is virtuous and harmonious, our shared youthful journeys endless.We lived, cultivated, and achieved liberation together, our shared compassion and thoughts manifesting divine power.Our destinies and appearances aligned perfectly, our shared understanding made the Dharma accessible.Yet now, without my staff, how can I succeed with empty fists and bare feet!”

The Great Sage lamented for a long time, then thought to himself, “That demon recognized me. I remember he praised me during the battle, saying, ‘Indeed, you are of the sort who caused havoc in Heaven!’ This means it’s definitely not a mortal monster, but a fierce star from Heaven. It must have descended to the mortal realm out of worldly desire, but I don’t know where this demon came from. I need to go to Heaven and investigate.”

The Pilgrim, thinking things over, made his own decision. He swiftly turned, mounted his auspicious cloud, and flew directly to the South Heavenly Gate. There, he suddenly saw Virūpākṣa, the Heavenly King, who greeted him with a deep bow, saying, “Great Sage, where are you headed?” The Pilgrim replied, “I have business with the Jade Emperor. What are you doing here?” Virūpākṣa said, “Today, it’s my turn to patrol the South Heavenly Gate.” Before he finished speaking, the Four Marshals—Ma, Zhao, Wen, and Guan—approached him with a bow, saying, “Great Sage, forgive our not meeting you. Please, stay for tea.” The Pilgrim said, “I have urgent business.” He then bid farewell to Virūpākṣa and the Four Marshals and entered the South Heavenly Gate. He went directly to the outside of the Palace of Miraculous Mists, where he indeed saw the Four Heavenly Masters—Zhang Daoling, Ge Xianweng, Xu Jingyang, and Qiu Hongji—along with the Six Constellations of the Southern Dipper and the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper. They all greeted the Pilgrim, joining their hands and asking, “Great Sage, why have you come here?” They also asked, “Is your mission to protect Tang Sanzang complete?” The Pilgrim said, “Far from it, far from it! The journey is long and demons are widespread; I’ve only completed half the mission. Currently, we are blocked at Jin Dou Cave on Jin Dou Mountain. There’s a rhinoceros monster that captured my Master Tang and took him into its cave. I don’t know if he’s to be steamed, boiled, or dried. I went to its lair and fought a battle with it. That fiend has immense magical power and snatched my golden-banded staff, making it impossible to subdue the demon. I suspect it’s a fierce star from the Upper Realm who descended to the mortal world out of worldly desire, but I don’t know where this demon came from. That’s why I’ve come to seek out the Jade Emperor and ask him about his lax discipline.” Xu Jingyang laughed and said, “This monkey head is still so arrogant!” The Pilgrim replied, “It’s not arrogance. I, your old孙, have always been direct in my speech; that’s how I get to the bottom of things.” Zhang Daoling said, “No need for further words. We’ll simply report it for him.” The Pilgrim said, “Thank you, thank you!” Immediately, the Four Heavenly Masters conveyed the message to the Palace of Miraculous Mists and led him to the Jade Emperor’s presence. The Pilgrim bowed deeply and addressed him, “Esteemed Official, I apologize for bothering you! As you know, my journey protecting Tang Sanzang on his pilgrimage to the West has been fraught with peril. Now, we’ve encountered a rhinoceros monster in Jin Dou Cave on Jin Dou Mountain, which has captured Master Tang. I don’t know if he’s to be steamed, boiled, or dried. I went to its lair and fought with it. That monster seemed to recognize me and, with its immense magical powers, snatched my golden-banded staff, making it impossible to subdue the demon. I suspect it’s a fierce star from Heaven who descended to the mortal realm out of worldly desire. Therefore, I have specifically come to petition you, humbly begging the Heavenly Venerable to graciously discern and issue a decree to investigate this fierce star and send troops to suppress the demon. I am trembling with anxiety and utterly overwhelmed!” He then bowed deeply again and said, “This has been reported.” Ge Xianweng, standing nearby, chuckled and said, “Monkey, why are you so arrogant at first and then so deferential?” The Pilgrim replied, “No, no! It’s not arrogance at first and then deference. It’s just that I, your old孙, am now without my staff!”

At that moment, the Jade Emperor, having heard the report, immediately issued a decree to Ke Han Si, saying, “As Wukong has reported, investigate all the stars and constellations in Heaven and all the divine kings of the lodges, to see if any have descended to the mortal realm out of worldly desire. Report back immediately for further action.” Ke Han Zhangren Zhenjun received the decree and immediately went with the Great Sage to conduct the investigation. First, they checked the divine kings and officials at the Four Heavenly Gates; next, they checked all the greater and lesser immortals within the Three Enclosures; then they checked the Thunder Department generals: Tao, Zhang, Xin, Deng, Gou, Bi, Pang, Liu; finally, they checked the Thirty-Three Heavens, where everything was at ease; they also checked the Twenty-Eight Mansions—the seven mansions of the East (Horn, Neck, Root, Room, Heart, Tail, Winnowing Basket), the seven mansions of the West (Dipper, Ox, Girl, Emptiness, Rooftop, Encampment, Wall), the seven of the South, and the seven of the North—all were peaceful and orderly; they also checked the Sun and Moon, the Seven Luminaries (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn), and the Four Appendages (Rahu, Ketu, Qi, Bo). All the stars in Heaven were present, with none having descended to the mortal realm out of worldly desire. The Pilgrim said, “Since that’s the case, I, your old孙, don’t need to go to the Palace of Miraculous Mists and disturb the Jade Emperor, as that would be highly inconvenient. You may return with your report. I’ll just wait here for your reply.” Ke Han Zhangren Zhenjun complied. Sun Wukong waited for a long time and composed a poem to record his feelings:

Clear winds and dispersing clouds herald peace, tranquil gods and bright stars reveal auspicious signs.The Milky Way is peaceful, Heaven and Earth serene, in all directions, weapons and banners are laid to rest.

Ke Han Si Zhangren Zhenjun, having thoroughly investigated, reported back to the Jade Emperor, saying, “All the stars and constellations in Heaven are accounted for, and all divine generals are present; none have descended to the mortal realm out of worldly desire.” Upon hearing the report, the Jade Emperor decreed, “Let Sun Wukong select a few heavenly generals to descend to the mortal realm and capture the demon.” The Four Heavenly Masters, receiving the decree, immediately exited the Palace of Miraculous Mists and said to the Pilgrim, “Great Sage, the Jade Emperor has shown great grace. He says there are no gods in Heaven who have descended out of worldly desire, and he instructs you to choose a few heavenly generals to capture the demon.” The Pilgrim lowered his head and pondered, “Among the heavenly generals, many are inferior to me, and few are my superiors. When I wreaked havoc in Heaven, the Jade Emperor sent a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and set up a Heaven-and-Earth net, yet not a single general dared to contend with me. Later, only when Erlang Shen was summoned, was he a match for me. Now, that monster’s power is even greater than mine, so how can I achieve victory?” Xu Jingyang laughed and said, “That was then, this is now; things are very different. As the saying goes, ‘Every object has its conqueror.’ How can you defy the imperial decree? Just express your esteemed opinion and select the heavenly generals; don’t hesitate and delay matters.” The Pilgrim said, “Since that’s the case, I am deeply grateful for His Majesty’s grace. Indeed, it would be wrong to defy the decree. Firstly, I, your old孙, cannot have come here in vain. I’ll trouble Jingyang to convey this to the Jade Emperor: just ask Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li and Prince Nezha to descend to the mortal realm and confront that monster. They still possess several demon-subduing weapons. Let’s see how they fare against it. If they can capture it, it will be my good fortune; if not, then we can make other arrangements.”

Indeed, the Heavenly Masters reported to the Jade Emperor, and the Jade Emperor immediately ordered Heavenly King Li and his son to lead their celestial troops and assist the Pilgrim. The Heavenly King, obeying the imperial decree, came to meet the Pilgrim. The Pilgrim then said to the Heavenly Masters, “I am endlessly grateful for the Jade Emperor sending the Heavenly King. There’s one more thing I’d trouble you to convey: if I could have two Thunder Gods to assist, then when the Heavenly King is fighting, the Thunder Gods could strike the demon’s crown with a thunderbolt from the clouds, pinning it dead. That would be an excellent plan.” The Heavenly Masters laughed and said, “Good, good, good!” The Heavenly Masters then reported to the Jade Emperor, who issued a decree to the Nine Heavens Bureau to dispatch Deng Hua and Zhang Fan, two Thunder Gods, to assist the Heavenly King in subduing the demon and saving them from calamity. Thus, they descended directly outside the South Heavenly Gate with the Heavenly King and Sun Wukong.

They arrived in an instant. The Pilgrim said, “This is Jin Dou Mountain, and in the middle of it is Jin Dou Cave. Let’s discuss, who should go first to challenge the demon?” The Heavenly King stopped his cloud and stationed his celestial troops on the south slope of the mountain. He said, “Great Sage, you already know my son Nezha. He once subdued ninety-six demon caves, is skilled in transformation, and carries demon-subduing weapons. He should be the one to go forth first.” The Pilgrim said, “Very well, I’ll lead the Prince there.” The Prince, bristling with valiant power, leaped with the Great Sage to the high mountain and went directly to the cave entrance. They saw the cave door tightly shut, and no demons below the cliff. The Pilgrim stepped forward and shouted, “Vile demon, open the door quickly! Return my Master!” The small demons guarding the door inside the cave saw him and immediately reported, “Great King, Sun Wukong is here with a young boy, challenging us at the gate.” The demon king said, “This monkey’s iron staff was taken by me; he can’t fight empty-handed. He must have brought reinforcements.” He commanded, “Bring my weapon!” The demon king grabbed his spear, walked out of the door to observe. The young boy was exceptionally handsome and robust. Truly he was—

His jade-like face and delicate features were like the full moon, vermilion lips and square mouth revealed silver teeth. His eyes flashed like lightning, pupils bulging; his broad forehead was veiled in mist, his topknot soaring. Embroidered sashes danced in the wind with colorful flames, his brocade robe reflected the sun with golden flowers. His splendid armlet shone like a mirror to the heart, his lustrous armor complemented his battle boots. Small in stature yet with a mighty voice, he was the magnificent and formidable Nezha, protector of the Three Heavens.

The demon king smiled and said, “You are Heavenly King Li’s third son, Prince Nezha. Why have you come to my gate shouting like this?” The Prince replied, “Because you, vile demon, are causing chaos and harming the Venerable Monk from the Eastern Land! I have come specifically to capture you, by the Jade Emperor’s golden decree!” The demon king was furious and said, “You must have been invited by Sun Wukong. I am indeed that Venerable Monk’s bane! What martial arts do you, a mere child, possess to utter such arrogant words! Don’t run! Take this spear thrust!” The Prince wielded his demon-slaying sword, meeting the attack head-on. As the two began to fight, the Great Sage quickly turned to the hillside and shouted, “Where are the Thunder Gods? Hurry, strike the demon with a thunderbolt to help the Prince subdue it!” Deng Hua and Zhang Fan immediately stepped on their clouds, just about to act, when they saw the Prince use his magic. He transformed his body, becoming three-headed and six-armed, holding six different weapons, and slashed at the demon. The demon king also transformed into three heads and six arms, fending off the attack with three long spears. The Prince then displayed his demon-subduing power, throwing his six weapons into the air. What were these six weapons? They were the demon-cleaving sword, the demon-slaying saber, the demon-binding rope, the demon-vanquishing cudgel, the embroidered ball, and the fiery wheels. He shouted, “Change!” And one turned into ten, ten into a hundred, a hundred into a thousand, and a thousand into ten thousand—all identical weapons, falling like a sudden downpour of hail, dense and numerous, striking towards the demon. The demon king, utterly fearless, took out a gleaming white ring with one hand, threw it into the air, and shouted, “Catch!” With a whoosh, it caught all six weapons. Prince Nezha, in a panic, fled empty-handed, and the demon king returned victorious.

Deng Hua and Zhang Fan, the two Thunder Gods, chuckled to themselves in the air, “Good thing we saw how things were going and didn’t unleash a thunderbolt. If it had been caught, how could we have faced the Heavenly Venerable?” The two gods descended their clouds and came with the Prince to the south slope of the mountain, where they told Heavenly King Li, “That demon truly possesses immense magical powers!” Wukong, standing by, chuckled and said, “That fiend’s magic is only so-so, but that ring is formidable. I don’t know what kind of treasure it is, but when thrown, it’s adept at catching everything.” Nezha said resentfully, “This Great Sage is so immature! We’ve lost our weapons and been defeated, filled with annoyance, all because of you, yet you’re laughing! Why?” The Pilgrim said, “You say you’re annoyed, but am I, your old孙, not annoyed? I’m at my wit’s end now, unable to cry, so I can only laugh.” The Heavenly King asked, “How will this end?” The Pilgrim said, “No matter what other plans you might devise, only something that the ring cannot catch will allow us to seize him.” The Heavenly King said, “The only things that cannot be caught are water and fire. As the saying goes, ‘Water and fire are merciless.’” The Pilgrim heard this and said, “That makes sense! You all stay here for a moment; I, your old孙, will go up to Heaven again.” Deng Hua and Zhang Fan asked, “What are you going to do now?” The Pilgrim said, “This time, I don’t need to petition the Jade Emperor. I’ll just go inside the South Heavenly Gate to the Palace of Crimson Splendor and invite Marshal Huo De, the Star Lord of Fire, to come here and set fire to that monster. Perhaps even that ring will be burned to ashes, and we can capture the demon. Firstly, it will allow me to return your weapons so you can go back to Heaven; secondly, it can free my Master from his plight.” The Prince was delighted to hear this and said, “Don’t delay! Please, Great Sage, go and return quickly. We will wait here respectfully.”

The Pilgrim, leaping into his auspicious light, arrived outside the South Heavenly Gate once more. Virūpākṣa and the Four Marshals greeted him, saying, “Great Sage, why have you returned?” The Pilgrim said, “Heavenly King Li sent the Prince into battle, but in just one engagement, the demon king seized all six of his weapons. I am now going to the Palace of Crimson Splendor to invite Marshal Huo De, the Star Lord of Fire, to assist in the fight.” The four generals dared not delay him and let him pass. Arriving at the Palace of Crimson Splendor, he saw the various fire deities, who immediately went in to report, “Sun Wukong wishes to see the Lord.” The Star Lord of Fire, of the Three Pure Energies of the South, adjusted his robes and came out of the palace to welcome him, saying, “Yesterday, Ke Han Si investigated my humble palace, and there was no one who had descended to the mortal realm out of worldly desire.” The Pilgrim said, “I know that. However, Heavenly King Li and the Prince were defeated and lost their weapons, so I have specifically come to request your assistance.” The Star Lord said, “Nezha is the Great God of the Three Altars and Sea Assembly; when he came forth, he subdued ninety-six demon caves and possesses immense magical powers. If even he cannot succeed, how can I, a humble god, hope to?” The Pilgrim said, “I discussed with Heavenly King Li that the most effective elements in Heaven and Earth are only water and fire. That monster has a ring that is adept at catching things. I don’t know what kind of treasure it is, but because fire can destroy all things, I specifically request the Star Lord to lead the Fire Department down to set fire to that demon and save my Master from this calamity.” Upon hearing this, the Star Lord of Fire immediately mustered his divine troops and accompanied the Pilgrim to the south slope of Jin Dou Mountain, where they met Heavenly King Li and the Thunder Gods. The Heavenly King said, “Great Sage Sun, you go call that fiend out again. I will engage him in battle, and when he moves to use his ring, I will dodge, and Marshal Huo De will lead his forces to burn him.” The Pilgrim smiled and said, “Precisely! Let’s go.” Huo De, along with the Prince, Deng Hua, and Zhang Fan, stood on a high peak to challenge the demon.

The Great Sage arrived at the entrance of Jin Dou Cave and shouted, “Open the door! Quickly return my Master!” The small demons guarding the door immediately reported, “Sun Wukong is here again!” The demon, hearing this, took his treasure, grabbed his spear, and with a clang, the stone door opened. From their side, Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li stepped forward and shouted, “Vile demon! Do you recognize me?” The demon king chuckled, “Heavenly King Li, do you intend to avenge your son and reclaim your weapons?” The Heavenly King said, “Firstly, to avenge and reclaim the weapons, and secondly, to capture you and rescue Tang Sanzang! Don’t run! Take this saber blow!” The monster dodged sideways, extended his long spear, and met the attack. The two of them fought fiercely in front of the cave! See them—

The Heavenly King’s saber struck, the demon’s spear met. The saber slash sprayed frosty light and fierce fire, the spear thrust erupted with keen energy and gloomy clouds. One was a wicked monster born on Jin Dou Mountain, the other a heavenly god dispatched from the Palace of Miraculous Mists. The former wielded power by deceiving the contemplative nature, the latter displayed great principle to save his master from calamity. The Heavenly King used magic to raise flying sand and stones, the monster fought back, scattering dust. The scattered dust could darken Heaven and Earth, the flying sand could muddy seas and rivers. Both sides strove mightily for achievement, all for Tang Sanzang, who sought to revere the World Honored One.

Sun Wukong, seeing them fighting, immediately turned and leaped onto the high peak, saying to Marshal Huo De, “Three Energies, pay attention!” Just as the demon and the Heavenly King were fighting intensely, the demon king took out his ring again. The Heavenly King saw it, immediately turned into auspicious light, and retreated from the battle. On the high peak, Marshal Huo De quickly issued commands, telling all the fire gods to unleash fire simultaneously. This was truly fierce. What mighty fire—

The scriptures say, “The South is the essence of fire.” Though a single spark, it can burn ten thousand acres of land; it is the might of the Three Pure Energies, capable of transforming into a hundred kinds of fire. Now there were fire spears, fire sabers, fire bows, and fire arrows, each deity using different tools. One saw fire crows cawing in mid-air; fire horses galloping all over the mountain. Pairs of red rats, pairs of fire dragons. Pairs of red rats spewing fierce flames, turning the land red for ten thousand miles; pairs of fire dragons emitting thick smoke, blackening a thousand directions. Fire chariots were pushed forth, fire gourds unleashed. Fire banners waved across the sky like a crimson haze, fire staffs stirred up a blazing inferno across the land. What compares to Ning Qi flogging his ox? It was mightier than Zhou Yu’s Battle of Red Cliffs. This heavenly fire was truly extraordinary and formidable, intensely blazing with fiery winds!

When the demon saw the fire coming, it showed no fear. It threw its ring into the air, and with a whoosh, it captured all the fire dragons, fire horses, fire crows, fire rats, fire spears, fire sabers, fire bows, and fire arrows. It then returned to its cave, victorious, and withdrew its forces.

Marshal Huo De, holding an empty banner, recalled his generals and gathered with the Heavenly King and others on the south slope of the mountain. He said to the Pilgrim, “Great Sage, this fierce demon is truly rare! Now I’ve lost my fire implements; what shall we do?” The Pilgrim chuckled and said, “No need to complain. Please, all of you, sit comfortably while I, your old孙, go and return again.” The Heavenly King asked, “Where are you going now?” The Pilgrim said, “Since that monster isn’t afraid of fire, it will certainly be afraid of water. As the saying goes, ‘Water overcomes fire.’ I’ll go inside the North Heavenly Gate and invite Marshal Shui De, the Star Lord of Water, to unleash a flood into its cave, drowning the demon king. Then I can retrieve your items for you.” The Heavenly King said, “This plan is clever, but I fear it might drown your Master as well.” The Pilgrim said, “No problem! If my Master drowns, I have a way to bring him back to life. It’s truly improper to delay all of you any longer.” Huo De said, “In that case, please proceed, please proceed.”

The excellent Great Sage once again mounted his somersault cloud and flew directly to outside the North Heavenly Gate. He suddenly looked up and saw Vaiśravaṇa, the Heavenly King, step forward and bow, saying, “Great Sage Sun, where are you going?” The Pilgrim said, “I have something urgent to enter the Dark Vast Palace and see Marshal Shui De, the Star Lord of Water. What are you doing here?” Vaiśravaṇa said, “Today is my turn to patrol.” As he spoke, he also saw the Four Heavenly Generals—Pang, Liu, Gou, and Bi—approach to greet him and offer tea. The Pilgrim said, “No need, no need! My business is urgent!” He then bade farewell to the various gods and went directly to the Dark Vast Palace, instructing the water deities to immediately announce him. The gods reported, “The Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, has arrived.” Marshal Shui De, hearing this, immediately dismissed all the dragon kings and deities he was checking from the Four Seas, Five Lakes, Eight Rivers, Four Waterways, Three Gorges, and Nine Tributaries. He adjusted his crown and belt, came out of the palace gate to receive the Pilgrim, and welcomed him inside, saying, “Yesterday, Ke Han Si inspected my humble palace, fearing that some deities of my department might have descended to the mortal realm out of worldly desire. I am currently checking the deities of the rivers, seas, and waterways, but haven’t finished yet.” The Pilgrim said, “That demon king is not a god of rivers and seas; it is a mighty spirit. First, the Jade Emperor dispatched Heavenly King Li and his son, along with two Thunder Gods, to capture it, but it used a ring to seize six divine weapons. In my desperation, I went to the Palace of Crimson Splendor to invite Marshal Huo De to lead the fire deities to set fire to it, but it also captured the fire dragons, fire horses, and other items with its ring. I thought that since this thing is not afraid of fire, it must be afraid of water. Therefore, I have specifically come to request the Star Lord to unleash a flood to help me capture that demon and return the weapons to the heavenly generals. My Master’s predicament can also be resolved.” Upon hearing this, Marshal Shui De immediately ordered the Divine King of the Yellow River, Shui Bo, “Accompany the Great Sage and assist him.” Shui Bo took a white jade bowl from his sleeve and said, “I have this object for holding water.” The Pilgrim said, “How much can this bowl hold? How will it drown the demon?” Shui Bo said, “To tell the Great Sage the truth, this bowl of mine contains the water of the Yellow River. Half a bowl is half the river, and one bowl is the entire river.” The Pilgrim rejoiced, “Half a bowl will be more than enough!” He then bid farewell to Marshal Shui De and, with the Yellow River God, swiftly departed from the Heavenly Palace.

Shui Bo dipped his bowl into the Yellow River, filling it halfway, and then followed the Great Sage to Jin Dou Mountain. On the south slope, he met the Heavenly King, the Prince, the Thunder Gods, and Huo De, and explained all that had transpired. The Pilgrim said, “No need for a detailed explanation. Just let Shui Bo come with me. Once I get him to open his door, without waiting for him to come out, I’ll pour the water straight inside. All the monsters in their den will surely drown, and then I can retrieve my Master’s body and revive him; there’s no hurry.” Shui Bo obeyed, closely following the Pilgrim. They turned around the slope and went directly to the cave entrance. The Pilgrim shouted, “Demon, open the door!” The small demons guarding the door, hearing Sun Wukong’s voice, rushed inside to report, “Sun Wukong is here again!” The demon, hearing this, took his treasure, grabbed his spear, and with a clang, opened the stone door. Shui Bo tilted the white jade bowl inwards. The demon, seeing the water coming, dropped his long spear, immediately took out his ring, and propped it against the two doors. They then saw the water gushing outwards with a gurgling sound. Sun Wukong, startled, quickly somersaulted with Shui Bo onto a high peak. The Heavenly King and the others hovered on their clouds in front of the peak, watching. The water billowed and surged, truly a mighty torrent. What amazing water! It was truly—

Though but a ladleful, it proved immeasurable. It was merely divine power in action, benefiting all things and swelling a hundred rivers. One could only hear the gurgling sound shaking the valleys, and see the surging force overflowing the sky. Its majestic roar was like thunder rumbling, its fierce waves like snow-covered peaks tumbling. A thousand-zhang waves submerged the paths, ten thousand layers of surging tides overflowed the mountain rocks. Coldly, it was like rinsing jade; turbulently, like strings playing. Striking rocks, it sprayed shattered jade; in swirling eddies, whirlpools formed. Low and high places flowed with the current, filling ravines and connecting all channels above and below.

The Pilgrim, seeing this, panicked and said, “This is bad! The water has flooded the entire plain, drowning the villagers’ fields, but it hasn’t even entered his cave. What are we to do?” He called Shui Bo to quickly recall the water. Shui Bo said, “This humble god only knows how to release water, not how to recall it. As the saying goes, ‘Spilled water cannot be re-collected.’” Ah! But that mountain was indeed steep, and the water merely rushed downwards. In a short while, it scattered and flowed back into the ravines.

Then, a few small demons leaped out of the cave, shouting and hollering, flexing their fists, twirling their staffs, and brandishing their spears, still happily playing around. The Heavenly King said, “So this water never entered the cave after all! What a wasted effort!” The Pilgrim could not suppress the anger in his heart. With both hands, he spun his fists, charged to the demon’s entrance, and shouted, “Where are you going? Take this!” The small demons, frightened, dropped their spears and staffs and ran into the cave, trembling as they reported, “Great King, he’s here to fight!” The demon king, brandishing his long spear, came out to meet him and said, “This vile monkey is utterly incorrigible! You’ve failed to defeat me many times, and even water and fire couldn’t touch me. Why have you come again to court death?” The Pilgrim said, “This son has it backward! I don’t know whose life will be forfeit, mine or yours! Come here and take a punch from your old grandpa!” The demon king chuckled, “This monkey insists on bothering me! I use a spear, but he uses his fists. A muscular fist like that, barely the size of a walnut, how can it be called a hammer? Oh well, oh well! I’ll put down my spear and we’ll have a round of fisticuffs!” The Pilgrim laughed and said, “Well said, come on!” The demon lifted his robe and stepped forward, assuming a stance. He raised both fists, truly resembling iron hammers used for crushing oil seeds. The Great Sage spread his feet and shifted his body, displaying his techniques. In front of the cave entrance, he exchanged blows with the demon king. What a fierce fight! Lo and behold—

They assumed the ‘Great Four-Square’ stance, launched ‘Double Flying Kicks’. They struck at ribs and pounded chests, aiming for heart and gallbladder. They used ‘Immortal Points the Way’ and ‘Laozi Rides the Crane’. ‘Hungry Tiger Pounces’ was most injurious, ‘Dragon Plays with Water’ was fierce and vicious. The demon king used ‘Python Turns Over,’ while the Great Sage employed ‘Deer Sheds Antlers.’ They lifted heels to strike ‘Ground Dragon,’ twisted wrists to seize ‘Heaven’s Purse.’ ‘Green Lion Opens Mouth’ came, ‘Carp Leaps from Back’ followed. They scattered flowers over the head, and threaded ropes around the waist. Like a fan fluttering in the wind, like a sudden shower urging flowers to fall. The demon used ‘Guanyin’s Palm,’ and the Pilgrim countered with ‘Arhat’s Foot.’ Long palms are naturally broad and loose, how could they compare to the tight, agile short fists? They fought dozens of rounds, their skills equally matched, neither stronger nor weaker.

As the two fought fiercely in front of the cave, Heavenly King Li on the high peak cheered loudly in delight, and Marshal Huo De clapped, praising them. The two Thunder Gods and Prince Nezha, leading the other deities, leaped forward, all wanting to assist. Meanwhile, the group of demons on their side waved banners, beat drums, brandished swords, and wielded sabers, all protecting their king. Sun Wukong, seeing that things were not going well, pulled out a handful of his hairs, scattered them into the air, and shouted, “Change!” They immediately transformed into thirty or fifty small monkeys, who swarmed forward and entangled the demon: some hugged his legs, some pulled his waist, some grabbed his eyes, and some plucked his fur. The monster panicked and quickly took out his ring. The Great Sage and the Heavenly King, seeing him deploy his snare, turned their clouds and fled to the high peak to escape the battle. The demon threw the ring upwards, and with a whoosh, it caught the thirty or fifty monkeys transformed from hairs, reverting them to their original forms and sweeping them into the cave. Victorious, he led his troops, closed the door, and celebrated.

The Prince said, “Great Sage Sun is truly a hero! That series of punches was like adding brocade to flowers. And using the transformation technique is truly a display of distinction.” The Pilgrim chuckled and said, “You all watched from afar. How do you rate that monster’s skill compared to mine, your old孙?” Heavenly King Li said, “His punches were loose and his footwork slow, not as swift and agile as the Great Sage’s. When he saw us approach, he became flustered; and when he saw you use the transformation technique, he became anxious, which is why he resorted to his snare.” The Pilgrim said, “The demon king is easy to deal with; it’s just that his snare is difficult to overcome.” Huo De and Shui Bo said, “To win, we must first obtain his treasure; only then can he be captured.” The Pilgrim said, “How can that treasure be obtained? Only by stealing it.” Deng Hua and Zhang Fan laughed and said, “If it comes to stealing, no one is more capable than the Great Sage. Remember when you wreaked havoc in Heaven, stealing imperial wine, peaches of immortality, dragon liver and phoenix marrow, and Laozi’s elixirs—what incredible skill that was! It’s precisely what’s needed now!” The Pilgrim said, “You flatter me, you flatter me! Since that’s the case, you all sit here while I, your old孙, go to scout around.” The excellent Great Sage leaped down from the peak, went secretly to the cave entrance, and with a shake of his body, transformed into a small, striped fly. Truly exquisite! See him—

His feathery wings were as thin as bamboo membrane, his body as tiny as a flower’s heart. His limbs were finer than hair, his starlike eyes clear and bright. Naturally attracted to scent, he flew swiftly with the wind. When weighed, he barely tipped the balance star; charmingly small, yet useful.

He lightly flew onto the door, crawled to the crack, and slipped inside. He saw various demons, large and small, some dancing, some singing, arranged on both sides. The old demon king sat high on a platform, with snake meat, deer jerky, bear paws, camel humps, and mountain fruits arrayed before him. There was a celadon wine pot, filled with fragrant sheep’s milk and coconut wine, which he drank heartily from a large bowl. The Pilgrim landed among the small demons and transformed into a badger-headed demon. He slowly crept closer to the platform, watching for a long time, but saw no sign of where the treasure was kept. He quickly withdrew and went to the back of the platform. There, in the back hall, he saw the fire dragons suspended high, howling, and the fire horses neighing. Suddenly, he looked up and saw his golden-banded staff leaning against the eastern wall. He was so overjoyed he felt an itch he couldn’t scratch, forgetting to change his form again. He stepped forward, grabbed his iron staff, reverted to his true form, and unleashing his full array of skills, he fought his way out with his staff. The group of demons, startled, trembled with fear, and the old demon king was caught off guard. Wukong pushed down three, knocked over two, and carved a bloody path, exiting the cave door directly. This is truly: The arrogant demon was unprepared, and the principal weapon returned to its rightful owner. As to what fortune or misfortune awaits, let’s listen to the next chapter’s explanation.