These two little demons were staring at the fake gourd for a long time when they suddenly realized that Sun Wukong had disappeared. The clever demon said, “Brother, even immortals can be tricksters! He said he’d make us immortals if we exchanged treasures, but now he’s just up and left?” The meticulous demon replied, “We’ve been duped big time. Does he think he can just leave like that? Hand me the gourd, I’ll give it a try and capture the sky.” So, he threw the gourd into the air, but it just fell back down with a thud. The clever demon panicked, “Why didn’t it capture the sky? Could it be that Sun Wukong disguised himself as an immortal and swapped our real treasure with a fake one?” The meticulous demon said, “Don’t talk nonsense! Sun Wukong is trapped under the Three Mountains; how could he possibly get out? Let me chant some spells and see.” The demon tossed the gourd into the air again, chanting, “If there’s any reluctance, let it reach the Lingxiao Palace and stir up a fight!” But once again, it fell with a thud. The two little demons complained, “It’s not working! This must be a fake.”
Sun Wukong heard everything from the air and, worried they might cause too much trouble and alert others, shook his body and retrieved the hair that had transformed into the gourd, leaving the two demons empty-handed. The meticulous demon said, “Brother, give me the gourd.” The clever demon replied, “You had it! Oh no, where did it go?” They searched frantically on the ground, in the grass, in their sleeves, and around their waists, but it was nowhere to be found. The two demons shivered with fear, “What do we do? What do we do? The king entrusted us with the treasure to capture Sun Wukong, and now we’ve lost it. How can we face him? We’ll be beaten to death for sure! What do we do?” The clever demon suggested, “Let’s run away.” The meticulous demon asked, “Where to?” The clever demon replied, “Anywhere but here. If we go back without the treasure, it’s certain death.” The meticulous demon said, “Don’t run, let’s go back. The second king has always been kind to you. I’ll take the blame. If he lets us go, we live; if not, we die here. It’s better than having nowhere to go. Let’s go!” So, they decided to head back to the mountain.
Sun Wukong, seeing them return, transformed into a fly and followed them. You might wonder, where did he put the treasure when he became a fly? Wouldn’t it be lost on the way or hidden in the grass for someone else to find? He carried it with him. But how could a fly, as small as a bean, carry such a treasure? Well, his treasures, like his golden cudgel, were magical and could change size at will, so he could carry them with him. With a buzz, he flew down and followed the demons back to the cave. Inside, the two demon kings were sitting and drinking. The little demons knelt down, and Sun Wukong, still in fly form, perched on the door frame, listening intently. The little demons said, “Great King.” The two old demons paused their drinking and asked, “Have you returned?” The little demons replied, “Yes, we have.” They asked again, “Did you capture Sun Wukong?” The little demons kowtowed, too afraid to speak. The old demon asked repeatedly, but they still didn’t dare answer, only kowtowing. After several inquiries, the little demons finally said, “Please forgive our grave sins!”
“We were carrying the treasure and met an immortal from Mount Penglai. He asked where we were going, and we told him we were off to capture Sun Wukong. Hearing the name, he got angry and offered to help us. We didn’t accept his help but told him about using the treasure to capture people. That immortal also had a gourd that could capture the sky. Foolishly, we thought of exchanging our gourd for capturing people with his for capturing the sky. It was supposed to be a gourd-for-gourd exchange, but the clever demon also gave him a net bottle. Who knew that mortal hands couldn’t handle immortal items? When we tried it, both the person and the gourd disappeared. Please spare our lives!” The old demon, furious as thunder, exclaimed, “It’s over! It’s over! Sun Wukong must have disguised himself as an immortal and tricked us into giving up the treasure! That monkey has great powers and helpers everywhere. Who knows which deity released him to steal our treasure!” The second demon said, “Brother, calm down. That monkey is truly outrageous. If he’s so capable, let him go, but how dare he steal our treasure? If I can’t catch him, I’ll never cause trouble on the road to the West again!” The old demon asked, “How will you catch him?” The second demon replied, “We have five treasures, two are gone, but we still have three. We must catch him.” The old demon asked, “Which three?” The second demon said, “We have the Seven-Star Sword and the Banana Leaf Fan with us, and the Golden Rope is with our mother at Yalong Mountain. Let’s send two little demons to invite her to come and eat Tang Monk’s flesh, and have her bring the Golden Rope to capture Sun Wukong.” The old demon asked, “Who should we send?” The second demon replied, “Not these useless ones!” Then he called for the meticulous demon and the clever demon. They said, “Lucky us! We weren’t beaten or scolded, just spared.” The second demon said, “Call for the regulars, Bashan Tiger and Yihai Dragon.” The two knelt down, and the second demon instructed, “Be careful.” They replied, “We will.” “Be thorough.” They replied, “We will.” He asked, “Do you know where mother lives?” They replied, “We do.” “Since you know, go quickly. When you reach her, bow deeply and invite her to eat Tang Monk’s flesh. Have her bring the Golden Rope to capture Sun Wukong.”
The two demons, Bashan Tiger and Yihai Dragon, received their orders and set off quickly. Little did they know, Sun Wukong was nearby, eavesdropping on everything. He thought to himself, "Taking down these two little demons is easy, but I still don't know where their granny lives. I need to find out before making a move." So, Sun Wukong transformed into a small fly and quietly landed on Bashan Tiger.
After flying for a while, he thought, "I should transform into a person; it'll be easier to gather information this way." With a shake, he transformed into a little demon, wearing a fox fur hat and a tiger skin skirt worn backward, tightly fastened. He then ran up to them, shouting, "Hey, wait up!" Yihai Dragon turned around and asked, "Who are you?" Sun Wukong replied with a grin, "Oh, come on, you don't recognize one of your own?" The little demon said, "I don't recall anyone like you." Sun Wukong said, "How could that be? Look closely." The little demon said, "Your face is unfamiliar; I haven't seen you before." Sun Wukong said, "I'm from another division." The little demon asked, "Another division? Where are you headed?"
Sun Wukong said, "The king sent you to invite the old granny to eat Tang Monk's flesh and to bring the Golden Rope to capture Sun Wukong. He was worried you might dawdle and delay things, so he sent me to urge you to hurry." Hearing this, the little demon found Sun Wukong's words convincing and didn't suspect a thing, hastily continuing on their way. They ran swiftly, covering another eight or nine miles. Sun Wukong asked, "How far are we from home?" The little demon replied, "About fifteen or sixteen miles." Sun Wukong asked again, "How much further?" Yihai Dragon pointed ahead, "It's right there in that dark forest."
Sun Wukong looked up and saw a dense forest not far away, guessing that the old demon lived nearby. He stopped, letting the little demons go ahead, then took out his iron rod and swiftly attacked from behind. The poor little demons didn't stand a chance and were turned into a pile of minced flesh, which Sun Wukong dragged into the bushes by the roadside. Then he plucked a hair, blew some celestial breath on it, and shouted "Change!" He transformed into Yihai Dragon, and the hair turned into Bashan Tiger, pretending to be the two little demons heading to Yalong Cave to invite the old granny. This is a testament to Sun Wukong's seventy-two transformations, showcasing his extraordinary skills and abilities.
In just a few steps, they reached the forest. As they searched, they saw two stone doors, half-open. Sun Wukong didn't dare enter recklessly, so he called out, "Open the door! Open the door!" The noise alerted the female demon guarding the door. She opened it halfway and asked, "Where are you from?" Sun Wukong said, "I'm from Lotus Cave on Flat Top Mountain, sent to invite the old granny." The female demon said, "Come in." At the second door, Sun Wukong peeked in and saw an old lady sitting in the middle. You might wonder what she looked like. She had snow-white hair, sparkling eyes, a rosy yet wrinkled complexion, sparse teeth, but a spirited demeanor.
Sun Wukong, not daring to enter rashly, started crying outside the door. You might ask why he cried. It wasn't out of fear but rather thinking about the hardships of Tang Monk's journey to fetch the scriptures, which moved him to tears. He thought, "I've gone through so much trouble transforming into a little demon to invite this old demon. I can't just stand here talking; I must kowtow. In my life, I've only bowed to three people: the Buddha in the West, Guanyin in the South Sea, and my master at the Two Realms Mountain. For my master, I've done everything I could, and now I have to bow to this demon for his sake." Thinking this, he felt bitter but forced himself to go in, kneel down, and say, "Greetings, Granny."
The old demon said, "Good child, stand up." Sun Wukong thought to himself, "Wow, she's quite affectionate." The old demon asked, "Where have you come from?" Sun Wukong replied, "From Lotus Cave on Flat Top Mountain. The two kings ordered me to invite Granny to eat Tang Monk's flesh and to bring the Golden Rope to capture Sun Wukong." Hearing this, the old demon was overjoyed, "Such a filial child!" She immediately called for a sedan chair. Sun Wukong thought, "Goodness! Even demons ride in sedan chairs!" Two female demons brought out a fragrant vine sedan chair, placed it outside, and hung blue silk curtains. The old demon got up, left the cave, and sat in the chair, followed by several little female demons carrying makeup, mirrors, towels, and incense boxes.
The old demon said, "Why are you all following me? I'm going to my son's place; there's no shortage of people to serve me. Go back and guard the house!" The little demons indeed returned, leaving only the two chair-bearers. The old demon asked, "What are the names of the two sent here?" Sun Wukong quickly answered, "He's Bashan Tiger, and I'm Yihai Dragon." The old demon said, "You two walk ahead and clear the way for me." Sun Wukong thought, "What bad luck! I haven't even gotten the scriptures, and now I'm a sedan bearer!" But he dared not resist, so he led the way, calling out to clear the path.
Sun Wukong and the little demons carrying the sedan walked for five or six miles. Sun Wukong sat on a stone cliff and, when they caught up, said, "Let's take a break; my shoulders are about to break." The little demons, unsuspecting, put the sedan down. Sun Wukong took the opportunity to pull a hair from his chest and transformed it into a large pancake, which he began to munch on. The little demon carriers asked, "Sir, what are you eating?" Sun Wukong replied, "Oh, it's nothing special. It's a long journey, and since there are no rewards for fetching Granny, I brought some food to eat when I got hungry." The little demons said, "Let us have a taste too." Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Come on, we're all friends here, don't be shy." The little demons, unaware of the trick, gathered around Sun Wukong to share the food. At that moment, Sun Wukong took out his golden staff and swung it hard, smashing one little demon to bits, while the other was struck and left groaning.
The old demon, hearing the commotion, peeked out of the sedan, only to be met by Sun Wukong, who leaped in front of the sedan and struck her with the staff, leaving a gaping hole, brains splattered, and blood flowing. Dragging her out of the sedan, Sun Wukong discovered she was a nine-tailed fox. Sun Wukong laughed, "Well now, pretending to be an old granny! If you're the granny, then I must be your great-grandfather!"
The Monkey King searched the sedan, found the Golden Rope, and tucked it into his sleeve, delighted. "Perfect! No matter how powerful that demon is, these three treasures now belong to Sun!" He then plucked two more hairs, transforming them into Bashan Tiger and Yihai Dragon, and two more hairs into the sedan carriers, while he transformed into the old granny, sitting in the sedan, heading back to Lotus Cave.
Before long, they arrived at the cave entrance. The hair-transformed little demons called out, "Open the door! Open the door!" The gatekeeping demon asked, "Is Bashan Tiger and Yihai Dragon back?" The hair responded, "Yes, we're back." "Where's the granny you invited?" The hair pointed, "In the sedan." The little demon said, "Wait here, I'll go report."
The little demon went in to report, "Great King, Granny has arrived." The two demon kings, upon hearing this, immediately prepared an incense table to welcome her. Sun Wukong was secretly pleased, thinking, "Haha, now it's my turn to pretend! I first transformed into a little demon to invite the old demon and kowtowed. Now I'm the old demon, their mother, and they'll surely perform the four-bow ceremony. It's not much, but at least I've earned two bows!" He got out of the sedan, dusted off his clothes, and retracted the four hairs back into his body. The gatekeeping demons carried the empty sedan inside, while Sun Wukong, mimicking the old demon's mannerisms, walked in slowly, swaying coyly. All the little demons knelt to greet him, with drums and music playing, incense smoke curling in the air. He walked to the main hall, sat facing south, and the two demon kings knelt, bowing and calling out, "Mother, your children greet you." Sun Wukong said, "Rise, my sons."
At this moment, Zhu Bajie, who was hanging from the beam, burst into laughter. Sha Monk said, "Second Brother, it's great that you can still laugh!" Bajie replied, "Brother, I have a reason to laugh." Sha Monk asked, "What's the reason?" Bajie said, "We thought Granny had come and we were going to be steamed, but it turns out it's not Granny; it's an old friend." Sha Monk asked, "Who's the old friend?" Bajie laughed, "It's Bimawen!" Sha Monk asked, "How do you know it's him?" Bajie said, "When he bent over and told them to rise, I saw a monkey tail sticking out. I'm hanging high up and can see clearly." Sha Monk said, "Don't talk, let's listen to what he says." Bajie said, "Right, right."
Sun Wukong sat in the middle and asked, "My sons, why have you called me here?" The demon replied, "Mother, recently we have not been able to serve you well and fulfill our filial duties. This morning, we captured the Tang Monk from the Eastern Land. We didn't dare eat him without your consent, so we invited you to taste him first, to steam him for your longevity." Sun Wukong said, "My sons, I'm not interested in eating Tang Monk's flesh. I've heard that Zhu Bajie's ears are quite tasty; let's cut them off to go with some wine." Hearing this, Bajie panicked, "Oh no! You came to cut off my ears! If I shout, it won't sound good!"
Alas, it was this truthful remark from Bajie that exposed Sun Wukong's disguise. Several patrolling little demons and gatekeepers rushed in to report, "Great King, something's wrong! Sun Wukong killed Granny and disguised himself to sneak in!" The demon kings, upon hearing this, couldn't be bothered to explain further and drew their Seven-Star Swords, slashing at Sun Wukong's face. The clever Great Sage shook his body, filling the cave with red light, and swiftly escaped. Such a trick was truly amusing, as the saying goes: gather to form shape, disperse to become air. The old demon was so frightened that his soul nearly left his body, and the group of demons pointed and sighed in dismay. The old demon said, "Brother, let's return Tang Monk, Sha Monk, Bajie, the white horse, and the luggage to Sun Wukong, and close the door to trouble." The second demon said, "Brother, what are you saying? I went through so much trouble and strategy to capture the monk. Now you're afraid of Sun Wukong and want to send them back? That's the behavior of a coward, not a great man! Sit down and don't be afraid. I've heard Sun Wukong is very powerful. Although I've dealt with him before, I haven't truly tested him. Bring me my armor; I want to fight him for three rounds. If I can't defeat him in three rounds, then we can return Tang Monk to him." The old demon said, "Wise brother, you're right." So he ordered his armor to be brought, and the second demon donned it, wielding his treasured sword, and stepped outside, shouting, "Sun Wukong! Where have you gone?" At this time, the Great Sage was already in the clouds. Hearing someone call his name, he turned around to see it was the second demon. He was dressed in: a phoenix helmet on his head, battle armor on his body, a dragon tendon belt at his waist, plum blossom boots on his feet, his face resembling the true deity of Guan Kou, and his appearance no different from a giant spirit. Holding the Seven-Star Sword, his anger soared to the sky, exuding a formidable presence. The second demon loudly shouted, "Sun Wukong! Return my treasures and mother, and I'll spare you to continue your journey for scriptures!" The Great Sage couldn't help but curse, "You wretched creature, you've mistaken your Grandfather Sun! Quickly return my master, my junior brothers, the white horse, and the luggage, and give me some travel expenses to head west. If you dare say no, just find a rope and hang yourself, saving your Grandfather the trouble." The second demon, hearing this, quickly soared into the clouds, wielding his sword to attack, while Wukong drew out his iron staff to meet the challenge.
Sun Wukong and the second demon engaged in a fierce battle in mid-air, truly a match between equals, a contest of worthy opponents. They fought like tigers battling in the southern mountains, like dragons clashing in the northern sea. When dragons fight, their scales glisten; when tigers battle, claws and teeth fly. The exchange was relentless, with moves changing endlessly, neither daring to slack off. The golden staff and the Seven-Star Sword clashed, nearly striking each other's vital points. They fought for thirty rounds without a victor.
Sun Wukong was secretly pleased, "This guy can withstand my iron staff! I've already got his three treasures, yet I'm still fighting so hard. Isn't this a waste of time? I should use the gourd or the vase to capture him; it would be much easier." But then he thought, "No, no, as the saying goes: things follow their owner. If I call his name and he doesn't respond, wouldn't that be a waste of effort? Better to use the Golden Rope." So, the Great Sage blocked the sword with one hand and threw the rope with the other, swiftly ensnaring the second demon. However, the second demon had a "loosening spell," and upon reciting it, the rope loosened and instead trapped Sun Wukong.
Sun Wukong tried to use the "slimming technique" to escape, but the second demon recited the "tightening spell," causing the rope to tighten more and more, forming a golden ring around his neck. The second demon, holding the rope, struck Sun Wukong's bald head seven or eight times with the sword, but it didn't even redden his scalp. The second demon said, "This monkey has such a hard head. I won't chop you; I'll take you back first. Quickly return my two treasures!" Sun Wukong said, "What treasures did I take from you?" The second demon searched him carefully and indeed found the gourd and the vase. Then, holding the rope, he led Sun Wukong back to the cave, saying, "Brother, I caught him." The old demon asked, "Who did you catch?" The second demon said, "Sun Wukong. Come and see, come and see." The old demon, seeing it was indeed Sun Wukong, was overjoyed, "It's him! It's him! Tie him to the pillar and let's have some fun!"
Sun Wukong was tied to a pillar, while the two demon kings went to the back hall to drink. The Great Sage crawled around at the base of the pillar, which caught the attention of Zhu Bajie, who was hanging from the beam. Bajie laughed heartily, "Brother, it seems they won't be eating my ears after all!" Sun Wukong said, "Fool, how comfortable is it hanging up there? I'll be out soon, and I'll rescue you all." Bajie replied, "Shameless! You can't even free yourself, yet you talk about saving others. Forget it! Let's just die together and find our way in the underworld!" Sun Wukong said, "Stop talking nonsense! Watch how I get out." Bajie said, "I really want to see how you'll manage that."
While talking to Bajie, Sun Wukong kept an eye on the demons. Seeing them busy drinking, with several little demons serving dishes and pouring wine, their guard was down considerably. Taking advantage of the moment when no one was watching, Sun Wukong used his magic to transform a hair into a pure steel file, and in a few strokes, he filed through the ring around his neck. Then, he plucked a hair and transformed it into a fake body to remain tied there, while he transformed himself into a little demon standing beside it. Bajie called out from the beam, "This is bad! This is bad! The one tied up is a fake, the real one is hanging here!" The old demon put down his wine cup and asked, "What's Zhu Bajie shouting about?" The little demon, who was actually Sun Wukong, stepped forward and said, "Zhu Bajie says Sun Wukong has escaped, and he's unwilling to leave, so he's making a fuss." The second demon said, "They say Zhu Bajie is honest, but he's actually not! He deserves twenty lashes!" Sun Wukong went to fetch a stick to beat him, and Bajie said, "Take it easy, if you hit too hard, I'll shout. I recognize you!"
Sun Wukong said, "I've transformed to save you all, why are you causing trouble? None of the demons here can recognize me, how come you can?" Bajie replied, "Even though you've changed your face, your backside hasn't changed. Those two red patches on your buttocks gave you away." Sun Wukong had no choice but to go to the kitchen, smear soot from the bottom of a pot on his buttocks to cover the red patches, and then returned to the front. Bajie saw him again and laughed, "Where did that monkey go to get such a dirty backside?"
Standing there, Sun Wukong was scheming on how to steal back the treasures. He approached the old demon and said, "Great King, you see that Sun Wukong tied to the pillar, wriggling around and almost wearing out the golden rope. It needs to be replaced with a sturdier rope." The old demon, thinking this made sense, untied the lion belt from his waist and handed it to Sun Wukong. Sun Wukong took the belt, secured the fake body, then hid the real Golden Rope in his sleeve, plucked another hair, and transformed it into a fake rope to give to the old demon. The old demon, drunk and inattentive, accepted it without a second glance. With this, Sun Wukong successfully reclaimed the treasure.
With the treasure in hand, Sun Wukong quickly slipped outside, revealed his true form, and shouted, "Demons!" The gatekeeping little demons asked, "Who are you, and why are you shouting?" Sun Wukong said, "Go tell your wretched demon king that the real Sun Wukong is here." The little demons hurried to report, and the old demon was startled, "We've captured Sun Wukong, how can there be another Sun Wukong?" The second demon said, "Brother, what's there to fear? The treasures are with me; I'll use the gourd to capture him." The old demon advised, "Be careful, brother." The second demon took the gourd and went out the mountain gate, seeing someone resembling Sun Wukong, though a bit shorter, and asked, "Where do you come from?" Sun Wukong said, "I'm Sun Wukong's brother, here to settle scores since you've captured my elder brother." The second demon said, "I've captured him and locked him in the cave. Since you're here, let's have a contest. I won't fight you; I'll call your name, and if you dare respond, we'll see." Sun Wukong said, "You can call a thousand times, and I'll respond ten thousand times!"
The second demon jumped into the air, holding the gourd upside down, and shouted, "Zhe Xing Sun." Sun Wukong thought, "If I respond, I'll be sucked in." So he didn't dare answer. The second demon called again, and Sun Wukong calculated, "My real name is Sun Wukong, but Zhe Xing Sun is a fake name. The real name might get me sucked in, but the fake name shouldn't." Unable to resist, he answered, and was immediately sucked into the gourd, sealed with a talisman. It turned out this treasure didn't care whether the name was real or fake; as long as there was a response, it would suck you in.
Inside the gourd, Sun Wukong found himself in complete darkness, tightly confined with no room to move, and began to worry, "I've heard that being trapped in this gourd will turn one into liquid in no time. Will I dissolve too?" But then he thought, "No fear! Five hundred years ago, when I caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace, I was placed in Laozi's Eight Trigrams Furnace for 49 days and emerged with an indestructible body. How could I dissolve so easily now? Let's see how they plan to deal with me!"
The second demon brought the gourd back into the cave and said, "Brother, I've caught him." The old demon asked, "Who did you catch?" The second demon replied, "Zhe Xing Sun, I've trapped him in the gourd." The old demon was delighted and said, "Brother, please sit down and don't move. Let's wait until it rattles before unsealing it." Sun Wukong heard this and thought, "How can my big body make it rattle? It would only rattle if I turned into liquid. Maybe I should urinate inside, so when they hear the noise and open the lid, I can slip away!" But then he reconsidered, "No, no, urine might make noise, but it would dirty my clothes. Instead, I should gather some saliva and gargle when they shake it, tricking them into opening the lid, and then I'll escape."
Sun Wukong made his preparations, but the demons were too engrossed in their drinking to shake the gourd. Sun Wukong used his magic to trick them, exclaiming, "Oh no, my legs have dissolved!" Yet the demons still didn't shake it. Sun Wukong shouted again, "Mother, even my waist is dissolving!" The old demon said, "It's dissolved up to the waist, nearly done. Let's open it and take a look." Hearing this, Sun Wukong plucked a hair and transformed it into half of his body, while his true self transformed into a small insect and clung to the rim of the gourd. When the second demon unsealed it, Sun Wukong flew out, transforming into a sea dragon, and stood nearby. The old demon saw the half-body moving inside the gourd but didn't examine it closely. He hurriedly shouted, "Brother, cover it! Cover it! It's not fully dissolved yet!" The second demon quickly resealed the gourd. Sun Wukong chuckled to himself, "They have no idea I've already escaped!"
The old demon picked up a wine jug and poured a full cup of wine, offering it to the second demon with both hands, "Brother, I toast to you." The second demon said, "Brother, we've already had quite a bit to drink, why another toast?" The old demon replied, "You've captured Tang Monk, Bajie, and Sha Monk, and also trapped Sun Wukong and Zhe Xing Sun. Such great achievements deserve a few more drinks." The second demon, seeing his brother being so courteous, couldn't refuse, but since he was holding the gourd with one hand and couldn't receive the wine with the other, he handed the gourd to the sea dragon, not realizing it was actually Sun Wukong. Sun Wukong, disguised as the sea dragon, held the gourd attentively. After the second demon drank the wine and wanted to return the toast, the old demon said, "No need to return the toast, I'll join you for another cup." As they continued to exchange pleasantries, Sun Wukong took the opportunity to slip the gourd into his sleeve, plucked a hair, and transformed it into a fake gourd, identical to the original, and held it in his hands. The demons, drinking away, didn't notice the switch and continued their revelry. Sun Wukong quietly slipped away, feeling pleased, "No matter how powerful these demons are, the gourd still belongs to Sun!" How Sun Wukong will rescue his master and defeat the demons will be told in the next installment.
