Once upon a time, the Great Sage Sun Wukong got his hands on the Golden Cudgel and was over the moon. He jumped on a high peak, beaming with joy, and exclaimed to the gods, “Look! Now I really have some skills!” Curious, King Li asked, “So, what’s your plan?” Sun Wukong pounded his chest confidently, “I’ll change my form and sneak into that monster’s cave. The monsters will be so busy drinking and dancing that they won’t even notice where my treasure is! I’ll sneak around back, and suddenly hear horses neighing and dragons roaring, knowing that the Fire Department is up to no good. Hey, my Golden Cudgel is just leaning against the east wall! I’ll be so happy to grab it and start a big fight!”
The gods listened eagerly and asked, “So you got your treasure back, but when will we get ours?” Sun Wukong replied confidently, “Not a problem! With this iron rod, I can defeat that monster and return your treasures!” Just as he was getting excited, the sound of gongs and drums erupted from the foot of the mountain, along with shouts that shook the heavens. It turned out that King Si had brought a bunch of little demons to chase him down.
Seeing this, Sun Wukong was thrilled: “Great! Just what I wanted! Everyone, sit tight; I’m going to catch them!” He raised his iron rod and charged at the demons, shouting, “You filthy monster, where do you think you’re going? Take a look at my stick!” The monster, furious, retorted, “You cheeky monkey, how dare you come in broad daylight to steal my stuff?” Sun Wukong shot back, “You ungrateful beast, daring to steal my things in the daytime! Stay right there and take a hit from my rod!”
And so, an intense battle began. Sun Wukong swung his iron rod like a dragon’s tail, while the monster wielded its spear as nimble as a python. They fought fiercely, causing the birds to stop flapping their wings and even the wolves and insects to hide. The little demons cheered from the sidelines, while Sun Wukong grew stronger with each blow, his iron rod unstoppable as he fought across the west.
The battle raged for three hours until dusk began to fall, and the monster finally said, “Wukong, stop! It’s getting dark; this isn’t a good time for fighting. Let’s take a break and continue tomorrow.” Sun Wukong roared back, “You filthy beast, don’t even think about stopping! I’m just getting warmed up; it doesn’t matter if it’s dark; we must settle this today!” Hearing this, the monster feigned a thrust with its spear and fled in fear, quickly gathering the little demons to clean up the mess and shut the cave door tight.
At this moment, Sun Wukong turned around to see the gods congratulating him on the shore, praising, “Truly the Great Sage, unmatched in power!” Sun Wukong chuckled, “Thanks for the compliments!” King Li stepped forward and exclaimed, “This isn’t flattery; you’re a true hero! This battle was even more thrilling than the heavenly net back in the day!” Sun Wukong waved his hand dismissively, “Let’s not talk about the past. I’ve beaten that monster badly; he must be exhausted. You all relax while I sneak into the cave to check on his movements. I must find his treasure!”
The prince chimed in, “It’s getting late; why don’t we rest for the night and go tomorrow?” Sun Wukong laughed heartily, “This kid really doesn’t understand! A thief can’t act in broad daylight! This kind of thing has to be done at night, quietly!” Fire Deity and Thunder God quickly added, “Don’t worry, Third Prince; the Great Sage is an old hand at this. The monster is tired, and it’s dark; let him go!”
Sun Wukong, grinning from ear to ear, quickly hid his iron rod and jumped down from the peak to the cave entrance. He transformed into a little cricket, with a mouth as tough as black skin, eyes bright as light bulbs, and claws very nimble. As night fell, with a clear wind and bright moon, it was the perfect time to work.
Sun Wukong hopped around outside the cave, leaped through a crack in the door, and quietly hid under the wall. Peeking inside, he saw the monsters gorging themselves, eating to their heart's content! He thought to himself that this was a great opportunity to observe. Before long, the monsters finished their meal and began to arrange their sleeping spots, preparing for bed.
After about an hour, Sun Wukong stealthily slipped into a room and suddenly heard the old monster roar, “Wake up, you little ones! Be careful; Sun Wukong might transform into something to steal again!” The little demons on duty started bustling about, clanging and clattering. Sun Wukong was delighted; the more commotion, the better for him. He sneaked into the room and saw a stone bed with several elaborately dressed demons attending to the old monster.
Under the old demon's loose clothing, there was a white ring around his left rib, resembling a beaded bracelet. He didn’t even bother to take off the ring; after rubbing it a couple of times, he fell into a deep sleep. Upon seeing this, Sun Wukong’s heart stirred, and he immediately transformed into a yellow flea, jumping onto the stone bed and burrowing under the covers to bite the old demon. The old demon rolled over and cursed, “These little servants! The bed isn’t even shaking; why are you biting me?” After saying that, he rubbed the ring a couple more times and continued sleeping.
Seeing how tightly the old demon was guarding himself and that he wouldn’t take off the ring, Sun Wukong felt a bit disappointed. So, he jumped off the bed, transformed back into a cricket, and slipped out of the room, heading straight to the back. However, upon hearing the sounds of dragons and horses, he found the door tightly locked, with the fire dragon and fire horse trapped inside. Sun Wukong revealed his true form, approached the door, performed a unlocking spell, chanted a few words, and with a click, the lock opened, and the door swung open.
Once inside, wow, it was as bright as day, with weapons all around—there were the prince’s demon-slaying swords and the Fire Deity’s fire bows and arrows. Sun Wukong was overjoyed and noticed a bamboo basket behind the door with a handful of fine hair inside. He quickly picked it up, blew on it a couple of times, and shouted “Transform!” Instantly, three to five dozen little monkeys appeared, each grabbing a weapon and riding on the fire dragon, ready to charge out.
The noise was thunderous, like a mix of thunder and cannon fire. The demons were so frightened that their souls left their bodies, scrambling under their covers, dazed and crying, resulting in many being burned to death. The Beautiful Monkey King returned victorious, and it was nearly the third watch of the night.
At this time, King Li and the other gods on the high peak suddenly saw the flickering flames and rushed over. They saw Sun Wukong riding the fire dragon, leading the little monkeys straight to the peak, loudly shouting, “Come collect the weapons! Come collect the weapons!” The Fire Deity and Nezha also responded, and as Sun Wukong shook himself, the fine hair returned to him. Nezha collected his six weapons, while the Fire Deity took the fire dragon with the other fire department members. Everyone was grinning from ear to ear, praising Sun Wukong’s bravery.
Meanwhile, in the Golden Rim Cave, flames were raging, scaring King Si so much that he nearly lost his mind. He hurriedly opened the door, gripping the ring tightly, pushing to extinguish the flames to the east and west, but the room was filled with swirling smoke and flames. He frantically ran around, discovering that all the fires had gone out, and he breathed a sigh of relief, quickly going to rescue the demons. Poor demons, there were only a little over a hundred men and women combined, suffering heavy casualties! When he checked the weapons storage, he found nothing left.
King Si gritted his teeth in anger: “Who was so careless to cause this fire?” A little demon nearby quickly said, “My lord, this fire wasn’t our doing; it must be that thieving monkey who set the Fire Department’s stuff ablaze and stole the divine weapons!” Upon hearing this, the old demon felt enlightened: “Exactly, it must be Sun Wukong! No wonder I slept so uneasily last night; that thieving monkey must have bitten me twice on the ribs, trying to steal my treasure! Hmph, he’s really too naïve; this treasure of mine is unsinkable in the sea and unburnable in fire! If I catch him, heh heh, I’ll have to punish him properly!”
Just as King Si was feeling frustrated, the sky began to brighten. The prince on the high peak said to Sun Wukong, “Great Sage, it’s dawn; we mustn’t delay! While the demons are demoralized and the Fire Department brothers are here to help, let’s fight again; we might be able to catch them this time!” Sun Wukong’s spirits soared upon hearing this: “Well said! Let’s work together and have a good fight!”
Thus, everyone felt invigorated and eagerly walked toward the cave entrance. Sun Wukong shouted from outside, “You filthy monsters, come out and fight me!” The poor demons found that the stone door had already been burned to ashes. Inside, a few little demons were sweeping the floor, and upon hearing that the gods had arrived, they dropped their brooms and rushed into the room, hurriedly reporting, “My lord, Sun Wukong is outside cursing us with a bunch of heavenly gods!”
Upon hearing this, King Si was startled, gritting his teeth, raising his spear, and angrily walking out, cursing, “You thieving monkey who sets fires, how dare you disrespect me like this!” Sun Wukong cheerfully retorted, “You filthy monster, want to know my tricks? Come forward, and I’ll tell you all about it!”
So, he started to introduce himself: “I’ve been impressive since childhood, renowned everywhere! I practice the way of immortality and learn transformations; I’m the most arrogant in the universe! I’ve fought tigers in the mountains and subdued dragons in the sea. My ancestors were kings of Flower-Fruit Mountain, and I’m the strongest in Water Curtain Cave! I am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven; who dares to provoke me in heaven or on earth? I’ve even stolen peaches from the Heavenly Garden and drunk the divine nectar; I’ve taken treasures from the heavenly palace!” He spoke with great pride.
Upon hearing this, King Si pointed at Sun Wukong and roared, “So you’re a grand thief of heaven! Don’t think of escaping; eat my spear!” As soon as Sun Wukong saw this, he immediately swung his staff to meet him. The two were locked in a fierce battle. At that moment, Nezha and the Fire Deity also became anxious, throwing divine weapons at the demons, further boosting Sun Wukong's momentum.
Just then, King Si sneered, pulled a treasure from his sleeve, and tossed it out, shouting, “Take this!” With a whoosh, all the divine weapons were snatched away by him, leaving the gods instantly unarmed, and Sun Wukong was left with nothing. King Si was full of himself and turned to the little demons, instructing, “Quick, bring stones to repair the door and tidy up the place. When the time comes, we’ll kill Tang Seng and offer him to the earth for everyone to enjoy.” The little demons hurriedly obeyed, preparing to get busy.
Meanwhile, King Li returned to the high peak with the other gods. The Fire Deity complained about Nezha's impatience, and Lei Gong grumbled about the King’s cunning, while only the Water Deity remained silent. Seeing their worried faces, Sun Wukong felt uneasy but forced a smile, saying, “Don’t worry, friends! Victory and defeat are common in battle. It’s just a contest of skills. However, he has a ring that snatched our weapons. Don’t worry, I’ll investigate his background!”
The prince asked in confusion, “You’ve already reported to the Jade Emperor and searched the heavens but found no trace. Where else can you look?” Sun Wukong’s eyes lit up: “I just thought of a way! The Buddha’s teachings are boundless; I’ll go to the Western Paradise and ask the Tathagata to use his wisdom to see where this monster came from and what the ring is. No matter what, I must catch him and avenge you all so you can return to heaven happily!” The gods responded in unison, “In that case, don’t delay; hurry and go!”
Thus, with a command, Sun Wukong rode the clouds and flew to Mount Ling. The scenery was picturesque: the spiritual peaks soared, the mountains were lush, and the celestial mountains reached into the clouds. The majesty of the West overshadowed the land of China, with vital energy flowing and infinite beauty. The sounds of bells and chimes echoed, accompanied by the clear chanting of scriptures. Sun Wukong saw a layman preaching under a green pine, Arhats moving among the cypress trees, white cranes flying gracefully, and green phoenixes lounging in the pavilion—truly breathtaking.
Just as he was admiring the scenery, he suddenly heard someone call out, “Sun Wukong, where do you come from? Where are you going?” He turned around to find it was a nun. The Great Sage respectfully said, “I have matters to discuss with the Tathagata.” The nun sighed, “You mischievous monkey! If you want to see the Tathagata, why don’t you go to the temple? Why are you here looking at the mountains?” Sun Wukong replied, “As a newcomer, it’s hard to avoid being bold.” The nun sighed again, “Come with me.” So, Sun Wukong followed closely behind her to the entrance of the Thunder Sound Temple, where they encountered the eight great Vajra blocking the way with imposing presence.
The nun told Sun Wukong, “Wait a moment; I’ll go announce your arrival.” Thus, Sun Wukong had to wait outside. The nun approached the Buddha, clasped her hands, and respectfully said, “Sun Wukong has matters to discuss and wishes to see the Tathagata.” The Tathagata sent word for him to enter, and the Vajras immediately stepped aside. Sun Wukong bowed his head, and the Tathagata asked, “Wukong, I heard you have taken refuge in Buddhism and are protecting Tang Seng to seek the scriptures. Why have you come alone? What has happened?”
Sun Wukong hurriedly explained, “I told the Buddha that I’ve been following my master from the Tang Dynasty to the West. While passing through Golden Rim Mountain, I encountered a demon called King Si, who captured my master and fellow disciples. When I went to demand their release, he snatched my iron rod with a white ring. Worried that he might be a heavenly general in disguise, I hurried to investigate but found nothing. The Jade Emperor sent King Li to help, but he ended up stealing the prince’s weapon. We asked the Fire Deity to set him ablaze, but he took away the fire tools; we asked the Water Deity to flood him, but nothing was submerged. I worked hard to steal back my iron rod, but when I struck again, he snatched it away once more, leaving me at my wit's end. Therefore, I came to ask for your compassion, Buddha, to help me see what this monster really is so that I can catch him and save my master!”
Upon hearing this, the Tathagata smiled slightly and used his wisdom eye to observe, already knowing the origins of this monster. He said, “Although I know about this creature, I cannot tell you. If you, monkey, speak of it and he finds out, I will be in trouble. I have magical powers here to help you capture him.” Sun Wukong quickly bowed in thanks, asking, “Tathagata, what magical power will you give me?” The Tathagata immediately ordered the eighteen Arhats to open the treasure vault and take out eighteen pieces of “golden elixir sand” to assist Wukong.
Curious, Sun Wukong asked, “What is the use of the golden elixir sand?” The Tathagata explained, “Go outside the cave and challenge that demon. Once you lure him out, have the Arhats sprinkle the golden elixir sand to trap him, rendering him immobile, and then you can beat him at will.” Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong clapped his hands in delight, exclaiming, “Wonderful! Wonderful! Let’s go!” The Arhats dared not delay and quickly took the golden elixir sand and headed out, while Sun Wukong expressed his gratitude to the Tathagata once more.
As they checked along the way, Sun Wukong noticed there were only sixteen Arhats and shouted, “Where are the others? Why are there only sixteen?” The Arhats were puzzled, asking, “Which one is missing?” Sun Wukong replied, “There should be eighteen; how come there are only sixteen now?” Just then, the two Arhats, Dragon Subduer and Tiger Tamer, walked out: “Wukong, why are you in such a hurry? We were listening to the Tathagata’s instructions behind.” Sun Wukong laughed, “You’re so slow; I just called you, and you didn’t come out!” The Arhats all laughed heartily and rode their clouds away.
Before long, they arrived at Golden Rim Mountain. Upon seeing this, King Li and the other gods approached, chattering about previous events. The Arhats grew anxious, saying, “Stop the chatter, quickly call that monster out!” Sun Wukong clenched his fists and walked to the cave entrance, roaring, “You vile monster, come out and let your grandfather see you!” A little demon ran to deliver the message, and upon hearing it, the demon king roared in anger, “This thieving monkey is here to cause trouble again! Who did he bring with him?” The little demon replied, “Just him alone.” The demon king sneered, “I’ve already taken that rod; what can he do alone? Does he think he can fight me again?”
With his treasure in hand, the demon king jumped out of the cave, brandishing a long spear, and cursed, “Thieving monkey! You’ve never gained anything from me; how dare you come back?” Sun Wukong retorted loudly, “This vile monster really doesn’t know what’s good for him! If you want my grandfather not to come, you must surrender obediently, apologize, and release my master and fellow disciples, and I will spare you!”
The monster coldly laughed, “I have already cleaned up those three monks and will soon slaughter them. You still don’t recognize the situation; get lost!” Hearing the words “slaughter,” Sun Wukong’s anger flared, and he could no longer hold back, dropping his pretense and preparing to fight.
The monster swung his spear and charged at him, while Sun Wukong jumped left and right, deliberately leading the monster outside. At that moment, he called to the Arhats to sprinkle the golden elixir sand towards the monster, showcasing their divine powers. The golden elixir sand fell like mist and smoke, floating down and dazzling the eyes. It created a white haze, obscuring all direction; even woodcutters got lost, and herbalists disappeared.
Though the golden elixir sand was an inanimate object, it could cover the sky and earth, trapping the monster. Seeing this, the demon became flustered, looked down, and found himself sinking three feet deep. He hastily jumped up to escape, but with one leap, he sank down another two feet, truly in a dire situation.
Realizing things were going poorly, the monster quickly pulled out the ring, flicked it, and shouted, “Catch!” As a result, he managed to pull all eighteen pieces of golden elixir sand back and retreated straight into the cave.
The Arhats all stopped in the clouds empty-handed, and Sun Wukong stepped forward to ask, “Why didn’t you sprinkle the sand?” The Arhats smiled wryly, “As soon as we heard the sound, the golden elixir sand vanished.” Sun Wukong couldn’t help but laugh, “That guy snatched it away again!” King Li and the other gods also looked gloomy, saying, “He’s so difficult to deal with; how can we catch him? When will we be able to return to heaven to see the Emperor?”
At this moment, the Arhats Long Subduer and Tiger Tamer said to Sun Wukong, “Wukong, do you know why we were late coming out?” Sun Wukong, puzzled, replied, “I thought you were avoiding me. So, you had something to say?” The Arhats explained, “The Tathagata instructed us that the demon has great powers. If we lose the golden elixir sand, you would have to go to the Heavenly Palace of Doushuai in the Land of Regrets to find the trace of Lao Jun; only then can we capture him all at once.” Hearing this, Sun Wukong stomped his feet in anger, saying, “How infuriating! Why didn’t the Tathagata tell me earlier? You all wasted a trip!”
King Li said, “Since the Tathagata has made this clear, Wukong, you should hurry and go!” Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong immediately leaped and transformed into a cloud, heading straight for the South Heavenly Gate.
As the four marshals saw Sun Wukong, they clasped their hands and asked, “How is the matter of catching that monster going?” As he walked, Sun Wukong replied, “Not yet! But I have a place to check.” The four generals quickly let him into the heavenly gate, not allowing him to linger in Lingxie Palace or Dou Niu Palace, and directly took him to the Doushuai Palace in the Land of Regrets, thirty-three heavens away.
Upon arrival, Sun Wukong saw two celestial boys guarding the gate. They hurriedly asked, “Who are you? Where do you want to go?” Sun Wukong confidently replied, “I am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, here to find Lao Jun!” Upon hearing this, the celestial boys frowned, saying, “You can’t be so rude; stop and let us report first.” But Sun Wukong completely ignored them and walked straight in. Just then, he bumped into Lao Jun, and promptly bowed, saying, “Old official, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you!” Lao Jun smiled and said, “Why is this monkey here instead of going to fetch the scriptures?”
Sun Wukong quickly explained, “The matter of fetching the scriptures is still ongoing, but I’ve encountered some trouble, so I came to seek your help.” Lao Jun shook his head, saying, “The obstacles on the road to the West have nothing to do with me.” Sun Wukong insisted, “Don’t interfere with matters of the West; I’m here to find clues!”
Seeing Sun Wukong so persistent, Lao Jun had no choice but to let him in. As Sun Wukong looked around, he suddenly spotted a little boy dozing off next to the cattle pen, and the green bull was missing. Sun Wukong shouted, “Old official, the bull has run away! The bull has run away!” Lao Jun was startled and asked, “When did this beast escape?” Just then, the little boy woke up and knelt down, saying, “Grandpa, I fell asleep; I don’t know when the bull left.” Lao Jun angrily scolded, “How could you fall asleep?”
The boy hurriedly explained, “I found a pill in the alchemy room and fell asleep after eating it.” Upon hearing this, Lao Jun realized, “That was the Seven Returns Fire Pill I refined; eating it makes one sleep for seven days! Because of you sleeping, the bull took the chance to slip away, and it’s already been seven days!” He immediately checked to see if any treasures were stolen, only to find that the Vajra Zhuang was missing. Lao Jun was so anxious he started jumping: “This beast has stolen my Vajra Zhuang!”
Sun Wukong understood, thinking, “So it was him! He was the one who attacked me! I wonder how many more things he has stolen in the lower realm!” Lao Jun asked, “Where is that demon now?” Sun Wukong replied, “At Golden Rim Mountain, in the Golden Rim Cave. He has captured my master and stolen my golden rod, and now he has taken the prince’s divine weapon!”
After hearing this, Lao Jun sighed, “The Vajra Zhuang is a treasure I refined; why should he take it so easily? If it were my Banana Fan, I would have no way to deal with him.” Sun Wukong, hearing this, felt pleased and followed Lao Jun into action.
Lao Jun took the Banana Fan and rode on clouds to Golden Rim Mountain, where he met the eighteen Arhats, Lei Gong, the Water Deity, the Fire Deity, King Li, and others, and recounted the entire situation. Lao Jun said to Sun Wukong, “You go lure him out so I can capture him.” Sun Wukong immediately jumped down from the peak and shouted, “You vile beast! Come out and die!”
Upon hearing this, the little demon hurried to report, and the demon king angrily came out, brandishing his precious spear. Sun Wukong cursed, “You vile monster, this time you’re doomed! Don’t think of escaping; come and take my palm!” With that, he leaped up and slapped the demon king, then turned and ran.
The demon chased after him, and just as he was feeling triumphant, he suddenly heard someone shout from the high peak, “When will the cow return home?” The demon king looked up and saw it was Lao Jun, scaring him out of his wits: “This thieving monkey is truly a ghost! How could he find my lord?”
Lao Jun chanted a spell and gently waved his fan. The demon dropped the ring, and Lao Jun caught it in his hand. With another wave, the demon's power instantly weakened, revealing its true form—a green bull. Lao Jun blew a breath of celestial energy from his Vajra Zhuang, putting a ring on the demon's nose and leading it by hand.
Lao Jun bid farewell to the gods, mounted the green bull, and rode back to the Doushuai Palace on colorful clouds, taking the demon with him. Sun Wukong and the other gods rushed into the cave, defeating all the little demons, reclaiming their weapons, and thanking King Li and his son. Lei Gong returned to his residence, the Fire Deity went back to the palace, the Water Deity returned to the river, and the Arhats headed west.
In the end, Sun Wukong freed Tang Seng, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Seng, retrieving his iron rod. The three expressed their gratitude to Sun Wukong, organized their horses and belongings, and prepared to leave. Just as they were walking, they suddenly heard someone by the roadside calling, “Tang Sheng Monk, come and eat some vegetarian food.” Tang Seng was startled, not knowing who was calling or what would happen next. We'll continue this story next time!
