Sun Wukong was overjoyed when he got the monster's treasure gourd. He tucked it into his sleeve and boasted, "These monsters trying to catch me is like trying to fish for the moon in the water—impossible! But for me to catch them is like melting ice on a fire—easy peasy!" With that, he quietly slipped out the door, resumed his true form, and shouted loudly, "Monsters, open the door!"
A little demon nearby asked, "Who are you, making such a racket here?" Sun Wukong replied, "Go tell your old monster boss that Sun Wukong is here!" The little demon rushed inside to report, "Great King, someone called Sun Wukong is at the door." The old monster was startled and said, "Brother, this is bad! We've got big trouble! The Golden Rope is tying up Sun Wukong, and the gourd has trapped Zhe Xing Sun, so how can there be another Sun Wukong? Could it be that all their brothers have come?" The second demon king said, "Don't worry, brother. My gourd can hold a thousand people. I've only trapped one Zhe Xing Sun, so why fear Sun Wukong? I'll go out and trap him too." The old monster said, "Be careful, brother."
You see, the second demon king, holding a fake gourd, walked out with confidence and said, "Who are you, making noise here?" Sun Wukong replied, "You don't recognize me? I'm from Flower Fruit Mountain, Water Curtain Cave. I once caused havoc in Heaven, but now I follow my master to fetch scriptures from the West. Running into you, a monster, and you dare to show off your magic. Return my master to me, and we'll each go our separate ways. Don't force me to take action and cost you your life!" The monster said, "Come here, I won't fight you, just call your name. Do you dare to respond?" Sun Wukong laughed, "You call me, and I'll answer; but if I call you, will you dare to respond?"
The monster said, "I call you because I have a treasure gourd that can trap people; what do you have when you call me?" Sun Wukong said, "I also have a gourd." The monster said, "Show me then." Sun Wukong took out the gourd and gave it a shake before quickly tucking it back, fearing the monster might snatch it. The monster was startled, "Where did he get a gourd that looks just like mine? Even if they grew on the same vine, there should be some size difference, but they look exactly the same!" So he asked seriously, "Sun Wukong, where did your gourd come from?" Sun Wukong, not knowing its origin, casually retorted, "Where did yours come from?"
The monster, thinking Sun Wukong was genuinely asking, explained the whole story: "My gourd was left by the Supreme Lord Laozi when the world first began. He disguised himself as Nüwa, mended the sky with stones, and saved all beings. At the foot of Mount Kunlun, he found a celestial vine with this purple gold red gourd growing on it." Upon hearing this, the Great Sage immediately chimed in, "Mine came from there too."
The monster asked, "How can you prove it?" The Great Sage said, "When the world first began, after the Supreme Lord Laozi mended the sky, he found a celestial vine under Mount Kunlun with two gourds on it. I got the male one, and yours is the female one." The monster said, "Male or female doesn't matter, as long as it can trap people, it's a good treasure." The Great Sage said, "You're right, I'll let you try first." The monster was delighted, jumped into the air, and called out, "Sun Wukong." The Great Sage responded eight or nine times, but still wasn't trapped. The monster, disappointed, fell to the ground, pounding his chest, "Oh no! This treasure is afraid of its husband; the female one won't dare trap when it sees the male!"
Sun Wukong laughed, "Now it's my turn to call you." He leapt into the air, turned the gourd upside down, pointed it at the monster, and shouted, "Silver Horn King." The monster didn't dare keep his mouth shut and had to respond, and in an instant, he was sucked in. Sun Wukong sealed it with a talisman saying, "By the decree of the Supreme Lord Laozi," and thought to himself joyfully, "My dear child, today you also get to try something new!"
He descended on his cloud, holding the gourd, thinking of quickly rescuing his master, and arrived at the entrance of Lotus Cave. The mountain path was rugged, and as he walked, he shook the gourd, which made a rattling sound inside. You ask why there was a sound? Well, it turns out that Sun Wukong's body had been tempered and wasn't easy to dissolve, but the monster, though able to ride the clouds, was ultimately of mortal flesh. Once inside the gourd, he dissolved. The Great Sage, not realizing he had already dissolved, chuckled, "My dear child, I don't know if you're peeing or gargling, but that's something I, old Sun, have done before. I won't open the lid to check until seven or eight days later, when you've turned to liquid. What's the rush? What's the hurry? Thinking about how I got out easily, it should be a thousand years before I look again!"
He held the gourd and spoke as he unknowingly reached the cave entrance. Shaking the gourd, the noise grew louder, and he said, "This sound is like a divination tube rattling; let's do a divination. Let me divine when my master will be able to leave." You see him shaking the gourd continuously, chanting, "Zhou Yi of King Wen, Sage Confucius, Lady Peach Blossom, Master Guiguzi." The little demons inside the cave saw this and hurriedly reported, "Great King, it's bad! Sun Wukong is using the gourd to divine with the Second King inside!" The old demon was so frightened that his soul nearly left his body, his bones went soft, and he collapsed to the ground, crying out loud, "Dear brother! We left the upper realm together, hoping to share glory and rule the mountain caves forever. Who knew that because of this monk, your life would be taken, severing our brotherly bond!" All the little demons in the cave also began to weep bitterly.
Zhu Bajie, who was hanging from a beam, heard the monsters crying so miserably that he couldn't help but speak up, "Hey, you monsters, stop crying and listen to what this old pig has to say. The first Sun Wukong, the second Zhe Xing Sun, and the third Xing Zhe Sun are all actually my senior brother Sun Wukong. He can transform seventy-two ways, sneaked in, stole your treasures, and trapped your brother. Your brother is beyond saving, so stop mourning. Quickly prepare the kitchen, get some mushrooms, tea leaves, bamboo shoots, tofu, gluten, black fungus, and vegetables ready, and invite my master and the others down to recite a transcendental scripture for your brother." The old demon was infuriated upon hearing this, "I thought Zhu Bajie was honest, but he's so cheeky, daring to joke with me!" So he ordered the little demons, "Stop crying, take Zhu Bajie down, steam him until he's mush, and after I've eaten my fill, I'll go seek revenge on Sun Wukong." Sha Wujing, standing by, scolded Bajie, "I told you to talk less, and now your big mouth is going to get you steamed!" Bajie was indeed a bit frightened. At this moment, a little demon said, "Great King, Zhu Bajie is hard to steam." Bajie quickly chanted, "Amitabha! Which kind brother is showing mercy? Indeed, hard to steam." Another demon said, "Skin him first, then he'll be easy to steam." Bajie, terrified, quickly said, "Easy to steam! Easy to steam! My skin is thick and flesh is tough, but once the soup boils, I'll be tender. Go ahead, quickly, go ahead!"
As they were clamoring, a little demon came in to report, "Xing Zhe Sun is at the door cursing again!" The old demon was startled once more, "This guy really doesn't take me seriously!" So he commanded, "Boys, hang Zhu Bajie back up as before and check what other treasures we have." The steward demon said, "There are three treasures left in the cave." The old demon asked, "Which three?" The demon replied, "There's the Seven-Star Sword, the Banana Leaf Fan, and the Purity Vase." The old demon said, "The vase is useless; it was supposed to trap people upon calling their name, but Sun Wukong learned the incantation and trapped my brother. Don't use it, leave it here. Quickly bring me the sword and the fan."
The steward demon quickly presented the two treasures to the old demon. The old demon placed the Banana Leaf Fan on his back and held the Seven-Star Sword in his hand, gathering over three hundred little demons, each armed and ready for battle. The old demon donned his armor, wearing a fiery red silk robe, and led the demon horde, setting up a formation to confront Sun Wukong. Sun Wukong, already aware that the second demon was trapped in the gourd, tied the gourd securely to his waist and, wielding his golden staff, prepared for battle. The old demon, with red flags waving, leaped out of the door. See how imposing he looked! The plume on his helmet glittered, a colorful sash cinched his waist, his armor gleamed like dragon scales, and he wore a fiery red robe over it. His eyes were round and glaring, his steel-like whiskers bristling, holding the Seven-Star Sword in one hand, half-covering the Banana Leaf Fan on his shoulder. As he walked, it was like flowing clouds emerging from the sea, his voice thunderous as he led the demon horde out of the cave to face the battle.
The old demon hastily ordered the little demons to form a battle array and cursed, "You impudent monkey! You've harmed my brother and injured my kin, truly detestable!" Sun Wukong was not to be outdone and retorted, "You suicidal demon! You can't bear the loss of one demon's life, yet my master, my junior disciples, and even our horse are hanging in your cave. How can I endure that? Release them immediately and give me justice, along with some travel expenses, and I'll spare your miserable life!" The demon wouldn't listen and swung his sword to attack, while Sun Wukong met him with his iron staff. The two clashed fiercely outside the cave entrance! The golden staff and the Seven-Star Sword collided, sparks flying and a chilling aura filling the air, dark clouds covering the sky. The demon, deeply attached to his kin, refused to relent; Sun Wukong, determined to retrieve the scriptures, would not yield an inch. Both sides were fueled by hatred, their anger blazing, fighting fiercely like dragons and tigers, causing even gods and ghosts to tremble. The old demon and the Great Sage fought for twenty rounds without a clear winner. The old demon, swinging his sword, shouted, "Little demons, attack together!" Over three hundred little demons rushed forward, surrounding Sun Wukong. But Sun Wukong, fearless, wielded his golden staff, charging left and right, defending front and back. The little demons grew in number, clinging to him like cotton, pulling at his legs and waist, refusing to let go. Sun Wukong, feeling overwhelmed, quickly used his body-splitting technique, plucking a handful of hairs from under his left arm, chewing them up, and spitting them out with a shout of "Transform!" Each hair turned into a Sun Wukong. You could see his clones, some wielding staffs, others swinging fists, and the smallest ones, having no other way to attack, gnawed at the little demons' joints and tendons, scattering them like stars falling from the sky. They all cried out, "Great King, it's not good! The ground is full of Sun Wukongs!" Sun Wukong used his cloning technique to drive away the horde, leaving only the old demon trapped in the middle, running east and west, unable to find an escape.
Seeing the dire situation, the demon held the sword in his left hand and drew the Banana Leaf Fan from behind his neck with his right. He fanned it toward the southeast, and instantly, flames shot up to the sky. This treasure was truly formidable, capable of fanning out fire with a single wave. The demon showed no mercy, fanning seven or eight times in succession, the flames turning the sky dark. Ah, this fire was no ordinary flame; it wasn't celestial fire, nor furnace fire, not even mountain or hearth fire, but rather the spiritual fire born from the natural five elements. The fan was no common earthly item either but a treasure since the creation of heaven and earth. The fire it fanned out shone like lightning, red as sunset glow, without a trace of smoke, just a mountain full of red flames. The pine trees on the mountain turned into fiery trees, the cypresses before the cliffs became lanterns. The birds and beasts in the forest were terrified, fleeing for their lives, flying and running. This blaze cracked the rocks, dried up the streams, and turned the ground red!
Sun Wukong, seeing the fierce flames, felt a pang of anxiety, "Oh no! My body can withstand it, but my hairs can't; if they fall into this fire, they'll be done for!" So he recalled the hairs, leaving only one to transform into a fake body, while he recited a fire-avoidance spell, somersaulting out of the sea of fire, heading straight to Lotus Cave, eager to rescue his master. He hurried to the cave entrance, descended from his cloud, and saw a hundred or so little demons outside, all beaten and bloody, standing there groaning. Seeing this, the Great Sage's anger flared, and he swung his iron staff, fighting his way inside. Alas, these little demons, despite their long cultivation, had only superficial skills.
Sun Wukong fought his way through the little demons, rushing into the cave to rescue his master, only to find it filled with a dazzling light, startling him into a fluster, "Finished! Finished! The fire has spread from the back door; how can I save my master?" In his panic, he took a closer look and realized it wasn't firelight but a golden glow. Calming himself, he peered inside and discovered it was the Sheep Fat Jade Purity Vase emitting light, filling him with joy, "What a treasure! This vase was once taken by the little demons to the mountain to shine, which I obtained, but it was searched back by the demons, and now I see it here again." He took the vase, delighted, and ran out of the cave, momentarily forgetting to rescue his master. Just as he stepped out, he saw the demon approaching from the south, wielding the sword and holding the fan.
Sun Wukong, unable to evade in time, was slashed at by the old demon. He quickly somersaulted into the air, disappearing without a trace, escaping swiftly.
The demon reached the cave entrance and saw the ground littered with the bodies of his minions. Terrified, he looked up to the sky and sighed deeply, unable to hold back his tears, crying out, "Woe! Pain!" A poem bears witness to this: "Cursed be the cunning monkey and the treacherous horse, the spiritual embryo reincarnated into the mortal world. Due to a misguided thought, I left the heavenly palace, leading to my downfall in this mountain. Like a lone wild goose separated from its flock, my demon soldiers are wiped out, tears flowing endlessly. When will my sins be atoned, unlocking my chains, allowing me to return to my original form and ascend to the heavenly gate?" The old demon, filled with shame and sorrow, cried with each step as he entered the cave. Inside, everything was in place but eerily silent, with no sign of life, intensifying his feeling of desolation. Alone, he sat in the cave, leaning on a stone table, placing his sword against it, and the fan on his shoulder, eventually falling into a drowsy sleep. As the saying goes, "When a person encounters joyful events, their spirit is uplifted; when burdened with worries, sleep comes easily."
Meanwhile, Sun Wukong flipped through the clouds and landed steadily in front of the mountain, pondering how to rescue his master. He securely fastened the Purity Vase to his waist and quietly approached the cave entrance to scout. The cave door was wide open, and inside it was silent, with no movement at all. He tiptoed inside and found the demon leaning on the stone table, fast asleep, the Banana Leaf Fan half resting on his shoulder and the Seven-Star Sword leaning beside him. Seeing this, Sun Wukong carefully approached, gently removed the fan, and turned to leave. However, the fan's handle brushed against the demon's hair, waking him up. The demon saw Sun Wukong stealing his treasure and quickly grabbed his sword to give chase. But Sun Wukong had already leaped out of the cave, securing the fan at his waist, and brandished his golden staff, ready to fight. The ensuing battle was fierce: the demon, enraged with hair standing on end, wished to swallow Sun Wukong whole. "You monkey, you've gone too far! You've harmed so many of my people and now steal my treasure! Today, we'll fight to the death!" Sun Wukong retorted, "You demon, you really don't know your place! A disciple challenging a master, it's like an egg striking a stone!"
The two exchanged blows relentlessly, showing no mercy. They employed both wits and strength, displaying various martial skills. For the mission of retrieving the scriptures, the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—clashed, darkening the sky and sending sand and stones flying. The battle continued until the sun tilted westward, and the demon, gradually losing strength, was finally defeated and fled toward the Dragon Suppression Cave in the southwest.
Only then did Sun Wukong descend from the clouds, rush into the Lotus Cave, and rescue Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing. The three, having escaped danger, hurriedly thanked Sun Wukong: "We owe our lives to you!" Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Indeed, it wasn't easy. You were just hanging there, while I didn't stop for a moment, busier than a delivery man, running back and forth. Fortunately, I stole the demon's treasure and drove them away." Zhu Bajie chimed in, "Brother, show us that gourd. Maybe those two demons have already melted away." Sun Wukong first took down the Purity Vase, then the Golden Rope and the fan, before finally holding the gourd. "Don't look, don't look! I was trapped inside before, and only by rinsing my mouth and tricking them into opening the lid did I escape. Let's not open it, or they might come out and cause trouble again."
The group happily found rice, flour, and vegetables in the cave, lit a fire, and cooked a vegetarian meal, enjoying a good feast before settling down to sleep peacefully in the cave for the night. The next morning, dawn broke.
Meanwhile, the old demon fled to the Dragon Suppression Mountain, gathered the male and female demons, and recounted in detail how his mother was killed, his brother trapped in the gourd, his demon soldiers wiped out, and his treasures stolen. The female demons, upon hearing this, all burst into tears. After a while, the old demon said, "Stop crying. I still have this Seven-Star Sword. Let's gather the female demon soldiers and go to the back of Dragon Suppression Mountain to seek help from my maternal relatives. We must capture Sun Wukong and avenge ourselves!" Just as he finished speaking, a little demon reported, "Great King, your uncle from the back of the mountain has arrived with troops." The old demon quickly changed into mourning clothes and went to greet him. It turned out that this uncle was his mother's brother, called King Hu Aqi. Upon hearing that his sister was killed by Sun Wukong and his nephew's treasures were stolen, he brought over two hundred demon soldiers to assist, first visiting his sister's home. Upon entering and seeing the old demon in mourning clothes, the two embraced and wept bitterly. After crying for a while, the old demon recounted the events. King Hu Aqi, furious, ordered the old demon to change out of mourning clothes, grab his sword, gather the female demon soldiers, and together they set off on the wind and clouds, heading straight northeast.
Sun Wukong was having Sha Wujing prepare breakfast so they could set off after eating when he suddenly heard the sound of wind. He hurried outside to check and saw a group of demon soldiers approaching from the southwest. Alarmed, Sun Wukong quickly called out to Zhu Bajie, "Brother, the demons have returned with reinforcements!" Tang Sanzang, upon hearing this, turned pale with fear and asked, "My disciple, what should we do?" Sun Wukong reassured him with a smile, "Don't worry! Don't worry!" He took out his treasures, fastening the gourd and the Purity Vase to his waist, hiding the Golden Rope in his sleeve, and placing the Banana Leaf Fan on his shoulder. With his iron staff in hand, he instructed Sha Wujing to protect their master and stay inside the cave, while he and Zhu Bajie went out to confront the enemy. The demons arranged themselves in formation, led by none other than King Hu Aqi.
King Hu Aqi had a jade-like face and long beard, steel-like eyebrows, and knife-like ears. He wore a golden helmet and chainmail armor, wielding a Fangtian Halberd, and shouted, "You audacious monkey! How dare you act so brazenly! You stole our treasures, harmed my family, killed our divine soldiers, and now occupy our cave! Prepare to die, one by one, to avenge my sister's family!" Sun Wukong was unfazed and retorted, "You ignorant furballs, dare you underestimate the power of old Sun! Don't run away! Take my staff!" The demon sidestepped and countered with his halberd. The two fought back and forth on the mountaintop for three or four rounds before the demon's strength waned, and he fled. Sun Wukong gave chase but was intercepted by the old demon, leading to another three-round battle before Hu Aqi returned to attack again. Seeing this, Zhu Bajie hurriedly drew his nine-toothed rake to block him. The fight continued for a long time without a clear winner, until the old demon ordered his soldiers to surround them.
Tang Sanzang, sitting in the Lotus Cave, heard the clamor outside and called out, "Sha Wujing, go see how your senior brother is doing." Sha Wujing raised his demon-subduing staff and charged out, shouting loudly and scattering the demon horde. Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, Hu Aqi turned to flee but was caught by Zhu Bajie, who struck him on the back with his rake, causing blood to gush out and sending his soul to the Western Paradise. Zhu Bajie dragged the body over and stripped it of its clothes, revealing it to be a fox spirit. The old demon, seeing his uncle injured, abandoned Sun Wukong and attacked Zhu Bajie with his sword, which Zhu Bajie parried with his rake. In the midst of their fight, Sha Wujing arrived and struck with his staff, causing the demon to falter and flee southward, with Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing in pursuit. Seeing this, Sun Wukong quickly jumped onto a cloud, took out the Purity Vase, and captured the old demon, calling out, "Golden Horn King!" Thinking it was one of his own calling, the demon turned his head and was immediately sucked into the vase. Sun Wukong affixed a talisman inscribed with "By decree of the Supreme Lord Laozi," and the Seven-Star Sword fell to the ground, becoming Sun Wukong's possession. Zhu Bajie came forward and asked, "Brother, we've got the sword, but where's the demon?" Sun Wukong laughed and said, "It's settled! He's already inside this vase." Sha Wujing, upon hearing this, was overjoyed along with Zhu Bajie.
The disciples cleared out the demons and returned to the cave to report the good news to Tang Sanzang: "The mountain is clear, and the demons are gone. Master, please mount your horse so we can continue our journey." Tang Sanzang was overjoyed. After eating breakfast, they packed their belongings and continued westward. As they traveled, a blind man suddenly appeared by the roadside, approached Tang Sanzang's horse, and said, "Monk, where are you going? Return my treasures!" Zhu Bajie was startled and exclaimed, "Oh no! The old demon is here to reclaim his treasures!" Sun Wukong looked closely and saw that it was the Supreme Lord Laozi. He quickly stepped forward to pay his respects, saying, "Old Lord, where are you headed?" Laozi ascended into the air, seated on his jade throne, and stood in the sky, calling out, "Sun Wukong, return my treasures." Sun Wukong flew up to ask, "What treasures?" Laozi replied, "The gourd is for storing elixirs, the Purity Vase for holding water, the sword for subduing demons, the fan for fanning flames, and the rope is a belt for my robe.
Those two demons: one is my boy attending the golden furnace, and the other attends the silver furnace. They stole my treasures and descended to the mortal realm without permission. I was searching for them when you captured them, which is a commendable deed." Sun Wukong said, "You old Lord are truly unreasonable, allowing your attendants to misbehave. You should be punished for lack of oversight." Laozi replied, "It's not my fault, don't wrong an innocent man. It was the Bodhisattva of the South Sea who borrowed them thrice, letting them incarnate as demons here to test if you and your master are sincere in your journey westward." Hearing this, Sun Wukong thought to himself, "That Bodhisattva is truly lazy! She released me to protect Tang Sanzang on his journey to retrieve the scriptures. I mentioned the perils of the journey, and she promised to help in times of danger. Now, instead, she sends demons to cause trouble. She deserves to be single forever! If the old Lord hadn't come in person, I wouldn't return them. Since you say so, here you go." Laozi collected the five treasures, opened the lids of the gourd and the Purity Vase, and two streams of celestial energy emerged. With a gesture, they transformed into the golden and silver boys, following him closely. Bathed in radiant light, they gracefully returned to the Tusita Palace, ascending to the Great Celestial Heaven. As for what happened next, how Sun Wukong protected Tang Sanzang, and when they finally reached the Western Heaven, stay tuned for the next chapter.
