Chapter 83: Heart Monkey Recognizes the Elixir Head The Beauty Returns to Her Original Nature

Tripitaka was escorted out of the cave by the demon. Sha Wujing approached and asked, "Master, you're out, but where is Brother?" Pigsy chuckled, "He must have a plan to get Master out by exchanging places." Tripitaka pointed at the demon and said, "Your senior brother is inside her belly." Pigsy laughed, "How disgusting! What's he doing inside? Come out!" Wukong shouted from within, "Open your mouth, let me out!" The monster actually opened its mouth. Wukong, having shrunk himself, was lodged in its throat. Just as he was about to exit, he feared the demon might bite him without reason. He immediately took out his iron staff, blew a magical breath upon it, and commanded, "Transform!" It became a date-pit-sized nail, propping open the demon's upper palate. He then launched himself out of the mouth, taking the iron staff with him. With a bend of his waist, he resumed his original form and raised the staff to strike. The demon also quickly drew two treasured swords, clanging them against the staff. A fierce battle erupted between them on the mountaintop.

Swords flew, clashing and parrying, while the Golden-Banded Staff came down on the demon's head. One was a celestial monkey, born with a restless heart; the other, an earthly spirit, a female fiend. Hatred swelled in their breasts, joy turned to fierce enmity. One sought to seize primal yang for a marital union; the other battled pure yin to secure the sacred task. The staff's swing brought forth a cold, pervasive mist, while the swords' parries kicked up a screen of black dust. For the sake of the Elder, the Buddha's disciple, they fought with bitter determination, showcasing immense power. Like fire and water, they were incompatible, their clash causing disruption; yin and yang, unable to merge, they stood apart. They battled for a long time, until the earth shook and the mountains trembled, and trees were shattered.

Pigsy watched their fight, muttering and complaining, resenting Wukong. He turned to Sha Wujing and said, "Brother, Senior Brother is making a mess! He was just in her belly; couldn't he have punched her until her insides were a bloody mess, then ripped open her belly and crawled out? Wouldn't that have settled it? Why did he come out of her mouth only to fight her, letting her rage so freely?" Sha Wujing said, "Exactly. But Senior Brother did save Master from deep inside the cave, only to then fight the demon. Let's ask Master to sit down safely, and then you and I will take our weapons and help Big Brother defeat the demon." Pigsy waved his hand, "No, no, no! He has supernatural powers; we are not as capable." Sha Wujing retorted, "What are you talking about! This is for the benefit of all; even if we are not as capable, every little bit helps."

The simpleton, suddenly invigorated, snatched his rake and shouted, "Let's go!" Disregarding their Master, the two rushed forward on the wind, raising their rake and staff, and began to strike the demon wildly. The demon was already struggling against Wukong alone; how could she resist these two as well? She quickly turned and fled. Wukong yelled, "Brothers, pursue her!" Seeing them pressing hard, the demon took off the embroidered shoe from her right foot, blew a magical breath upon it, recited a spell, and commanded, "Transform!" It immediately transformed into her exact likeness, wielding two swords in battle. She then shimmered, transforming into a gust of clear wind, and sped directly back to her cave. This time, she simply thought she couldn't win the battle and fled for her life, little did she know that her actions would lead to yet another misfortune! It was truly a case of Tripitaka's ill fortune not yet having passed: when she reached the entrance of the cave, beneath the archway, she saw Tang Monk sitting there alone. She immediately rushed forward, seized him in her arms, snatched the luggage, bit through the reins, and with both the Monk and the horse, spirited them away into the cave once more.

Meanwhile, Pigsy, seizing an opening, struck the demon with his rake, knocking it to the ground—only to find it was just an embroidered shoe. Wukong saw this and exclaimed, "You two blockheads! You were supposed to guard Master; who asked you to come here and claim credit?" Pigsy said, "Sha Wujing, what do you think! I told you not to come. This monkey is utterly mad; we help him subdue the demon, and he just resents us!" Wukong retorted, "Where did you subdue a demon? That demon tricked me with a 'shoe decoy' when I fought her yesterday. Now that you've run off, I don't know what's happened to Master; let's go back and see quickly!" The three rushed back, and indeed, their Master was gone, along with the luggage and the white horse, vanished without a trace. Pigsy panicked, running aimlessly, while Sha Wujing searched back and forth, and the Great Sage Sun became agitated and irritable. As they were searching, they suddenly spotted half a rein lying askew by the roadside. Wukong picked it up, and tears streamed uncontrollably from his eyes. He cried out aloud, "Master! When I left, both you and the horse were here, but when I returned, all I found was this rope!" It was truly a case of seeing the saddle and thinking of the fine horse, tears falling as he thought of his dear one. Pigsy saw his tears and couldn't help but burst into laughter, looking up at the sky. Wukong cursed, "You lout! Are you trying to break up the group again?" Pigsy laughed again, "Brother, that's not it. Master must have been spirited back into the cave by the demon. As the saying goes, 'Nothing succeeds without three tries.' You've been into the cave twice; go in once more, and you're sure to rescue Master!" Wukong wiped his tears and said, "Alright, at this point, there's no turning back. I'll go in again. You two needn't worry about the luggage or the horse; just guard the cave entrance well." The Great Sage then turned and leaped inside, not bothering to transform, but appearing in his original form. It was truly—

Strange and strong-willed, with a powerful heart,Since childhood, a monster of might.His face, uneven like a saddle's pommel,Eyes gleaming like fiery gold.

His whole body's hair, hard as steel needles,A tiger-skin skirt adorned with bright patterns.In heaven, he scattered ten thousand flying clouds,In the sea, he churned up a thousand layers of waves.

Once, relying on his strength, he battled Heavenly Kings,Repelling one hundred and eight thousand generals.An official title, Great Sage, a handsome monkey fiend,In his hand, he skillfully wields the Golden-Banded Staff.

Today, on the journey to the West, he again displays his might,Returning to the cave to assist Tripitaka.

See him, stopping his cloud, he arrived directly outside the demon's dwelling. Finding the gatehouse closed, he swung his iron staff without hesitation, smashing it open, and charged in. Inside, it was quiet, completely deserted. Tripitaka was not in the east corridor, nor were there any tables, chairs, or household furnishings in the pavilion or anywhere else. It turned out the cave stretched over three hundred li in circumference, with many demon nests. The previous time, when Tripitaka was imprisoned here, Wukong had found him; this time, after capturing him, the demon feared Wukong would come searching again, so she had immediately moved, and her whereabouts were unknown. This enraged Wukong, who stamped his feet, beat his chest, and cried out loudly, "Master! You are Tripitaka, transformed by ill fortune, a scripture-seeking monk forged from calamity! Alas! This path is familiar, so how can you not be here? Where on earth should this Old Monkey search for you now?!" As he roared and fumed, he suddenly caught a whiff of fragrant smoke. He collected himself and thought, "This incense smoke is wafting from the back; I suppose they are in the rear." He strode forward, staff in hand, and went to look, but still found no movement. He saw only three backward-facing rooms, and near the rear wall, a carved lacquer altar table with a dragon-mouth design. On the table sat a large gilded censer, from which incense smoke wafted fragrantly. Above it, a large golden plaque was enshrined. On the plaque was written: "Revered Father Li Heavenly King's Tablet," and slightly below, "Revered Elder Brother Third Prince Nezha's Tablet." Wukong was overjoyed upon seeing this. He didn't bother searching for the demon or Tripitaka; instead, he twisted his iron staff into an embroidery needle, tucked it into his ear, then opened his hand, picked up the plaque and the censer, mounted his cloud, and flew straight out of the cave. Upon reaching the cave entrance, he laughed with glee, his chuckles unending.

Pigsy and Sha Wujing heard the laughter. They dashed to the cave entrance, meeting Wukong and asking, "Brother, you're so happy; have you rescued Master?" Wukong chuckled, "We don't need to rescue him; just ask this plaque where he is." Pigsy said, "Brother, this plaque isn't a demon and can't speak; how can we ask it for someone?" Wukong placed it on the ground and said, "Look!" Sha Wujing stepped closer and saw "Revered Father Li Heavenly King's Tablet" and "Revered Elder Brother Third Prince Nezha's Tablet" written on it. Sha Wujing asked, "What does this mean?" Wukong explained, "This is what that demon worships. I broke into her dwelling and found no trace of anyone, only this plaque. I suspect she is Li Heavenly King's daughter and the Third Prince's sister, who, longing for the mortal world, disguised herself as a demon and captured my Master. If we don't ask them for him, whom should we ask? You two stay here and guard the cave entrance; this Old Monkey will take this tablet directly to the Jade Emperor in Heaven to file an imperial complaint, demanding that the Heavenly King and his son return my Master." Pigsy said, "Brother, as the saying goes, 'Accuse someone of a capital crime and you may get a capital crime yourself.' You must be in the right before you can do such a thing. Moreover, how can an imperial complaint be filed so easily? Tell me, how will you accuse them?" Wukong chuckled, "I have a plan. I'll use this plaque and censer as evidence, and I'll prepare a written complaint." Pigsy asked, "What will you write in the complaint? Please read it to me." Wukong then recited—

"Complainant: Sun Wukong, age as recorded in documents, a disciple of Tang Sanzang, the Monk from the Eastern Tang Dynasty on the journey to the Western Heaven to procure scriptures.Complaint regarding the false demon who abducted and imprisoned a person.Currently, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li Jing, along with his son Prince Nezha, have been lax in their household discipline, allowing their daughter to descend to the mortal realm. In the Bottomless Pit of Trapping Hollow Mountain, she transformed into a demon, harming countless lives. Now, she has abducted and imprisoned my Master in a secluded place, making him impossible to find. I believe the father and son are inhumane, for intentionally allowing their daughter to become a demon and harm the populace.I humbly beg for your compassion and approval: proceed with their arrest and bring them to justice, subdue the evil spirit, rescue my Master, clearly rectify their crime, and this would be a profound grace.This complaint is hereby submitted."

Pigsy and Sha Wujing heard his words and were overjoyed. "Brother," they exclaimed, "the complaint is well-reasoned; you will surely prevail! You must return quickly; if you delay even a little, the demon might harm Master's life." Wukong said, "I'll be quick, very quick! I'll be back in the time it takes for rice to cook and tea to boil."

The Great Sage, holding the plaque and censer, soared on a propitious cloud directly to the South Heaven Gate. The mighty Heavenly Kings and Guardian Kings guarding the gate, upon seeing Wukong, bowed deeply, daring not to obstruct him, and let him pass. He went directly to the Hall of Penetrating Brightness, where the Four Heavenly Masters, Zhang, Ge, Xu, and Qiu, greeted him with bows and asked, "Great Sage, what brings you here?" Wukong replied, "I have a written complaint; I need to accuse two people." The Heavenly Masters were startled, thinking, "This rogue, who knows who he wants to accuse." Helplessly, they led him into the Lingxiao Palace to present his case. Receiving the imperial decree, Wukong placed the plaque and censer down, bowed to the throne, and presented his complaint. Immortal Ge accepted it and laid it on the imperial desk. The Jade Emperor read it from beginning to end, understood the situation, and immediately endorsed the original complaint as an imperial decree, summoning the Western Long-Life Star, Great White Planet Venus, to receive the decree and invite the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li to an audience. Wukong stepped forward and pleaded, "I hope Your Majesty will punish them severely, otherwise, further troubles will arise." The Jade Emperor then commanded, "The plaintiff shall also go." Wukong said, "This Old Monkey too?" The Four Heavenly Masters said, "Your Majesty has issued the decree; you may go with Great White Planet Venus." Wukong truly followed Great White Planet Venus, soaring on a cloud, and soon arrived at Cloud-Tower Palace. This was the Heavenly King's residence, known as Cloud-Tower Palace. Great White Planet Venus saw a young attendant standing at the palace gate. The attendant recognized Great White Planet Venus and immediately went inside to report, "Lord Great White Planet Venus has arrived." The Heavenly King came out to greet him, and seeing Great White Planet Venus holding an imperial decree, he immediately ordered incense to be burned. As he turned, he saw Wukong following him in, and the Heavenly King immediately became enraged. Why was he enraged, you ask? When Wukong caused chaos in Heaven back then, the Jade Emperor had appointed the Heavenly King as the Grand Marshal for Subduing Demons and Prince Nezha as the God of the Three Altars and Sea Assembly, leading heavenly troops to capture Wukong, but they repeatedly failed to win. It was still the grudge from that defeat five hundred years ago that slightly annoyed him, thus his anger. He couldn't help but say, "Old Long-Life Star, what kind of decree are you carrying?" Great White Planet Venus replied, "It's a complaint filed against you by Great Sage Sun." The Heavenly King was already annoyed, but hearing the word "complaint," he flew into a thunderous rage. "What is he accusing me of?" Great White Planet Venus said, "He accuses you of letting a false demon abduct and imprison a person. Please burn the incense and read it yourself." The Heavenly King, fuming, set up an incense table, thanked Heaven from afar, and after bowing, opened and read the imperial decree. It was as described, from beginning to end. He was so angry that he slammed his hand on the incense table and cried, "This monkey! He has wrongly accused me!" Great White Planet Venus said, "Calm your anger. There's a plaque and censer before His Majesty as proof, claiming she is your own daughter." The Heavenly King said, "I only have three sons and one daughter. My eldest son, Jinzha, serves the Buddha as a frontline protector. My second son, Muzha, is a disciple of Guanyin in the South Sea. My third son, Nezha, is by my side, guarding the court day and night. My daughter, only seven years old, named Zhenying, is still too young to understand worldly affairs; how could she be a demon? If you don't believe me, I'll bring her out for you to see. This monkey is truly impolite! Not to mention that I am a venerable official of Heaven, granted the power to execute first and report later; even a minor citizen of the lower realm cannot be falsely accused. The law states: 'False accusation increases punishment by three grades.'" He ordered his subordinates, "Bind this monkey with the demon-binding ropes!" In the courtyard, the Giant Spirit God, Fish-Belly General, and Yaksha commanders rushed forward and bound Wukong. Great White Planet Venus said, "Heavenly King Li, don't cause trouble! I brought him from the imperial presence with the decree to summon you. Your ropes are quite heavy; if you injure him, there will be serious repercussions." The Heavenly King said, "Great White Planet Venus, how can I tolerate such a false and troublesome accusation? Please sit down while I fetch my demon-slaying blade and cut down this monkey, and then I will present myself to His Majesty and report back!" Seeing him fetch the blade, Great White Planet Venus was terrified. He said to Wukong, "You've made a mistake; how can an imperial complaint be filed so easily? You didn't investigate thoroughly; if you keep causing trouble like this and lose your life, what then?" Wukong was utterly fearless, smilingly saying, "Don't worry, old official, it's nothing. This is how Old Monkey's business usually goes: I always lose first, then win."

Before he finished speaking, the Heavenly King swung his blade at Wukong, intending to strike him directly on the head. Just then, Prince Nezha rushed forward and parried the blow with his waist-slaying sword, crying, "Father King, calm your anger!" The Heavenly King was greatly startled and turned pale. Indeed! When a father sees his son parry his blade with a sword, he should rebuke him, so why did he turn so pale with fright? It was because when the Heavenly King bore this son, the character "哪" (Na) was on his left palm, and "吒" (Zha) on his right, hence his name Nezha. At just three days old, this Prince went to the sea to cleanse himself and caused trouble, overturning the Crystal Palace and capturing a dragon, intending to pull out its tendons for a sash. The Heavenly King, fearing future repercussions, wished to kill him. Nezha, in a fit of rage, took a knife and cut his flesh to return to his mother, and picked his bones clean to return to his father, thus repaying his father's essence and mother's blood. His single wisp of soul then went directly to the Western Paradise and appealed to the Buddha. The Buddha was then lecturing to the bodhisattvas when he heard someone crying, "Help!" from beneath the banners and precious canopies. The Buddha, with his enlightened vision, knew it was Nezha's soul, and immediately used green lotus root for his bones and lotus leaves for his clothes, reciting the true words for reviving the dead. Thus, Nezha regained his life. He wielded divine power, subduing ninety-six caves of demons, his supernatural abilities vast. Later, he sought to kill the Heavenly King to avenge the removal of his bones. The Heavenly King, having no choice, appealed to our Buddha, the Tathagata. The Tathagata, who values harmony above all, bestowed upon him a splendid golden pagoda containing sacred relics. This pagoda had Buddhas on every level, radiating brilliant light. He then commanded Nezha to recognize the Buddha as his father, thus resolving the enmity. This is why he is called the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li. Today, being idle at home, he was not carrying that pagoda, and fearing Nezha's intent for revenge, he was greatly startled and turned pale.

Upon hearing this, the Heavenly King was startled and astonished. "My child," he said, "I truly forgot. What is her name?" Prince replied, "She has three names: her original form is called the Golden-Nosed White-Haired Rat Spirit; because she stole fragrant flowers and precious candles, she changed her name to Half-Guanyin; and now that she has been spared to descend to the lower realm, she has changed it again to Lady of the Earth Cave." The Heavenly King finally understood. He put down his precious pagoda and personally went to untie Wukong. Wukong, however, became difficult and declared, "Who dares to untie me! If you want to, carry me, ropes and all, to see His Majesty; only then will this Old Monkey's case be won!" The Heavenly King's hands went limp with dismay, the Prince was speechless, and the generals withdrew timidly. The Great Sage rolled around, acting stubborn, insisting that the Heavenly King come before the Jade Emperor. The Heavenly King, having no other recourse, pleaded with Great White Planet Venus for a way out. Great White Planet Venus said, "As the ancients say, 'Deal leniently with all matters.' You acted a bit too harshly, binding him and then wanting to kill him. This monkey is a notorious rogue; what do you expect me to do now? As your son says, even if she is an adopted daughter and not biological, the ties of kinship are still significant. No matter how you argue, you still bear some responsibility." The Heavenly King said, "Old Immortal, how can you speak leniently so I am no longer guilty?" Great White Planet Venus said, "I also want to reconcile you two, but there's simply nothing compassionate to say." The Heavenly King chuckled, "Why don't you talk about the time you recommended him for amnesty and official titles; he might relent then." Indeed, Great White Planet Venus stepped forward and, laying a hand on Wukong, said, "Great Sage, for my humble sake, please let go of the ropes so we can go to the audience." Wukong said, "Old official, no need to untie me; I have a rolling technique; I'll just roll all the way there." Great White Planet Venus laughed, "You monkey are too ungrateful! I once showed you some kindness; can't you just follow my advice for such a small matter?" Wukong asked, "What kindness did you show me?" Great White Planet Venus replied, "Back when you were a monster on Mount Huaguo, subduing tigers and dragons, forcibly removing your name from the death registry, and gathering countless demons to wreak havoc, Heaven wanted to capture you. It was I who strongly recommended amnesty, and an imperial decree was issued to summon you to Heaven and appoint you as Stable Master. After you drank the Jade Emperor's immortal wine, I again strongly recommended amnesty, and you were appointed Great Sage Equal to Heaven. You then failed to maintain your proper conduct, stealing peaches, pilfering wine, and purloining Lord Laojun's elixirs, and so on and so forth, until you became 'neither extinguished nor born.' If it weren't for me, how would you be where you are today?" Wukong said, "The ancients said it well: 'Do not share a grave with an old man; he will only dig up your past!' All I did was become Stable Master and cause trouble in Heaven; there were no other major deeds. Oh well, oh well, for your venerable sake, let him untie me himself." Only then did the Heavenly King dare to step forward, untied Wukong, invited him to put on his clothes and sit, and one by one, everyone bowed to him.

Wukong faced Great White Planet Venus and asked, "Old official, what do you think? Didn't I tell you I always lose first, then win? Hurry him to the audience; don't delay my Master!" Great White Planet Venus said, "Don't rush; after all this fuss, let's have a cup of tea." Wukong retorted, "You drink his tea, accept his bribes, release a prisoner, and treat an imperial decree lightly—what crime do you deserve?" Great White Planet Venus quickly said, "No tea, no tea! You're even accusing me now! Heavenly King Li, hurry, hurry!" The Heavenly King dared not leave, fearing Wukong might turn nothing into something, act difficult, and spout nonsense, making it impossible to argue with him. Helpless, he again pleaded with Great White Planet Venus for a solution. Great White Planet Venus said, "I have a suggestion; will you agree to it?" Wukong said, "I've already shown you face regarding the ropes and the knife. What else is there to say? Speak, speak! If it's a good suggestion, I'll agree; if not, don't blame me." Great White Planet Venus said, "As the saying goes, 'One day of official business means ten days of struggle.' You filed an imperial complaint, saying the demon is the Heavenly King's daughter, and the Heavenly King denies it. If you two keep arguing back and forth before His Majesty, the time will drag on, and a day in Heaven is a year in the mortal realm. During that year, if the demon keeps your Master trapped in her cave, not only might she marry him, but if she were to 'have a son under the wedding flowers,' wouldn't that ruin everything?" Wukong lowered his head and thought, "That's true! I told Pigsy and Sha Wujing I'd be back in the time it takes for rice to cook and tea to boil. I've been here for half a while already; isn't that too late? Old official, since I'll agree to your suggestion, how should this imperial decree be reported back?" Great White Planet Venus said, "Tell Heavenly King Li to muster his troops and go down with you to subdue the demon, and I will report back the decree." Wukong asked, "What will you report?" Great White Planet Venus said, "I'll just say the plaintiff escaped and the defendant is exempted from mention." Wukong chuckled, "Oh, wonderful! I showed you consideration and let it go, and you say I escaped! Tell him to gather his troops outside the South Heaven Gate and wait for me; I'll go back with you now to report the decree and dismiss the complaint." The Heavenly King was scared, "If he goes and says something, it would be a subject betraying his sovereign!" Wukong said, "What do you take this Old Monkey for? I am a true man! Once a word is uttered, four horses cannot overtake it. How could I speak ill of you behind your back?" The Heavenly King immediately thanked Wukong. Wukong and Great White Planet Venus returned to report the decree. The Heavenly King mustered his heavenly troops and proceeded directly out of the South Heaven Gate. Great White Planet Venus and Wukong reported to the Jade Emperor, "The one who trapped Tripitaka is a Golden-Nosed White-Haired Rat Spirit who falsely used the Heavenly King and his son's tablets. The Heavenly King, knowing this, has already mustered his troops to capture the monster. We humbly request Your Majesty's pardon." The Jade Emperor, already aware of the situation, granted divine grace and exempted them from investigation. Wukong immediately rode his cloud back to the South Heaven Gate, where he saw the Heavenly King and the Prince, with their heavenly troops arrayed, awaiting him. Indeed! Those divine generals, swirling with wind and mist, met the Great Sage, and all together descended from the clouds, soon arriving at Trapping Hollow Mountain.

Pigsy and Sha Wujing were anxiously waiting when they saw the heavenly troops arrive with Wukong. The simpleton went to greet the Heavenly King with a bow and said, "Much trouble you've gone to!" The Heavenly King said, "Marshal Tianpeng, you may not know, but it was only because my son and I accepted a stick of incense from her that the demon became unreasonable and trapped your Master. Do not blame us for being late. Is this the Trapping Hollow Mountain? But I wonder which way her cave entrance faces now?" Wukong said, "This path is quite familiar to me. However, this cave is called the Bottomless Pit; it's about three hundred li in circumference, and has many demon nests. Last time, my Master was in the gatehouse near the 'Two Drops of Water' spring, but this time it's quiet; there's not even a ghost's shadow, so I don't know where she has moved to now." The Heavenly King said, "No matter how many tricks she employs, she cannot escape the net of Heaven and Earth. Let's decide what to do when we reach the cave entrance." Everyone proceeded. Indeed, after about ten li, they arrived at the large rock. Wukong pointed to the cave entrance, as wide as a jar, and said, "That's it." The Heavenly King said, "If you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you catch the tiger's cub? Who dares to go first?" Wukong said, "I'll go first." Prince Nezha said, "I received an imperial decree to subdue the demon; I'll go first." The simpleton then became reckless and loudly shouted, "You'll need old Pig at the very front!" The Heavenly King said, "No need for clamor. Just follow my arrangement: Great Sage Sun and the Prince will lead the soldiers and generals down, while the three of us will guard the entrance from above, creating an 'inside-out' pincer movement. That way, she'll have nowhere to go, neither up to Heaven nor into the ground, and only then can we truly display our skills." Everyone responded with a resounding "Yes."

See Wukong and the Third Prince, leading the soldiers and generals, simply sliding into the cave. As they rode their clouds, glittering and shimmering, they looked up and indeed, what a magnificent cave it was—

The sun and moon still like twin wheels,Illuminating the mountains and rivers in such a way.A pearl abyss and jade well, veiled in warm mist,With countless other sights to behold.Layer upon layer of vermillion towers and painted pavilions,Towering red cliffs and verdant fields.Willows in spring, lotus in autumn—Indeed, a rare grotto-heaven.

In an instant, they stopped their clouds and went directly to the demon's old dwelling. They searched door to door, shouting and yelling, layer after layer, place after place, until they had thoroughly traversed the three hundred li of ground, but where was the demon? Where was Tripitaka? Everyone thought, "This beast must have left this cave early and gone far away." Little did they know that in a black corner to the southeast, looking down, there was another small cave. Inside the cave was a small door and a low room, with several types of potted flowers and a few bamboos beside the eaves. Dark vapor swirled, and a subtle fragrance wafted. The old demon had spirited Tripitaka here, forcing him to marry her, thinking Wukong would never find them again. Who knew that her fate was sealed? The small monsters inside were all chattering and bustling, crowding together. One bolder one stretched its neck and peeked out of the cave, only to bump head-on into a heavenly soldier, who instantly cried out, "They're here!" Wukong, enraged, brandished his Golden-Banded Staff and charged in. Inside, it was narrow and cramped, a den full of demons. The Third Prince led the heavenly troops, and they all rushed in together. Where could the demons hide? Wukong found Tripitaka, along with the Dragon Horse and the luggage. The old demon, seeing no way out, just kowtowed to Prince Nezha, begging for her life. The Prince said, "This is an imperial decree to capture you; it's no small matter. My father and I nearly 'dragged a monk out of the temple' just for accepting one stick of incense!" He then shouted, "Heavenly troops, take out the demon-binding ropes and tie up all these demons!" The old demon, too, could not escape a severe ordeal.

They mounted their clouds and all exited the cave together. Wukong laughed with delight. The Heavenly King opened the cave entrance, greeting Wukong and saying, "This time you've found your Master!" Wukong replied, "Many thanks! Many thanks!" He then led Tripitaka to bow in gratitude to the Heavenly King, and then to the Prince. Sha Wujing and Pigsy wanted to slice the old demon into pieces, but the Heavenly King said, "She was captured under an imperial decree; we cannot deal with her lightly. We must go back to report to Heaven." On one side, the Heavenly King and the Third Prince led the heavenly soldiers and generals, escorting the demon, to present her case before the Heavenly Court and await judgment. On the other side, Wukong escorted Tripitaka, Sha Wujing gathered the luggage, and Pigsy prepared the horse, inviting Tripitaka to mount. They all set off on the main road. This was truly:

Cutting through silken vines in a parched golden sea,Opening jade locks and escaping the cage.

As for what awaits them on their journey forward, that will be explained in the next chapter.