Sun Wukong was full of energy, holding his iron staff, soaring into the air with an impressive aura, and shouted at the monster, “You evil spirit! Where do you come from, and where are you going with such arrogance?” The monster, not willing to back down, replied harshly, “We are no ordinary monsters! I am the vanguard of the King of Qilin Mountain, here on a mission to capture two palace maids to serve the Golden Holy Mother. Who are you to question me?”
Upon hearing this, Wukong felt a surge of pride and responded, “I am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong! I’m escorting Tang Seng to the West to worship Buddha. Passing through here, I heard that you evil spirits are bullying the common people, so I came to eliminate evil and uphold righteousness. What a coincidence to run into you!” The monster, unfazed, immediately brandished its spear and lunged at Wukong. Not to be outdone, Wukong raised his iron staff to meet the attack.
The ensuing aerial battle was a sight to behold: Wukong’s staff was a treasure from the Dragon Palace, while the spear was crafted from earthly iron. How could mere earthly weapons compare to celestial ones? When their weapons clashed, sparks flew, and the momentum was overwhelming.
With one powerful strike, Wukong broke the monster’s spear, causing it to panic and flee westward. Wukong didn’t chase after it but landed steadily on a cloud, calling out to Tang Seng and the king, “Master, Your Majesty, the monster has run away!” Tang Seng helped the king out of the cave, and they saw the sky was clear, with no trace of evil spirits. The king hurriedly approached, personally pouring wine, filling a golden cup, and gratefully said to Wukong, “Holy monk, thank you! Thank you!”
Wukong took the cup, just about to respond, when an official rushed in to report, “There’s a fire at the west gate!” Wukong’s heart sank, and he immediately tossed the golden cup, which crashed to the ground. The king panicked and quickly apologized, “Holy monk, forgive me! It’s my fault! I should have invited you to the palace to thank you properly, but since the wine was here, I served it. How could you throw the cup away? Do you find it strange?”
Wukong chuckled, “That’s not it, that’s not it.” Before long, another official rushed in, saying, “A good rain has come! The fire at the west gate was extinguished by a downpour, and the streets are flowing with water, filled with the scent of wine.” Wukong laughed again, “Your Majesty, you thought I threw the cup because I found it strange. In fact, that monster fled westward, and I didn’t pursue it. It was the monster that set the fire. This cup of wine is for extinguishing the monster’s flames and saving the people of the West City; it has no other meaning!”
The king, hearing this, was even more delighted, inviting Tang Seng and his disciples to the treasure hall, thinking of offering them positions. But Wukong smiled and said, “Your Majesty, that monster claimed to be the vanguard of the King of Qilin Mountain, here to capture palace maids. Now that it has been defeated and returned, it will surely report back. The King of Qilin will send someone to challenge me. I worry it might come with its troops and disturb the people, even frighten you. I want to meet it, capture it, and bring it back to the Holy Mother, but I don’t know where its cave is or how far it is.”
The king replied, “I once sent troops at night to investigate; it takes over fifty days to go back and forth. The mountain is to the south, about three thousand miles away.” Wukong exclaimed, “Bajie, Sha Seng, you stay here and watch; I’ll be back soon.” The king grabbed him and said, “Holy monk, don’t rush. Let me prepare some provisions and silver, and select a fast horse before you set off.”
Wukong laughed and responded, “Your Majesty, you’re talking about walking through Ba Mountain. I, old Sun, won’t hide it from you—three thousand miles, I won’t even get cold drinking wine; I can go back and forth easily.” The king was astonished, saying, “Holy monk, don’t blame me for saying this, but you look like a monkey. How can you have such magical powers and walking skills?”
Wukong confidently replied, “Though I am a monkey, I have practiced since childhood, sought out wise masters, learned principles, and trained day and night. The sky is my roof, the earth is my furnace, and with medicinal herbs, I merge yin and yang, water and fire, gradually understanding the truth. I rely on the Heavenly Gang’s transportation technique, moving my steps with the Big Dipper. No matter how high the mountain, I can leap over it; what do I have to fear about crossing the Yangtze River? My transformations are limitless, allowing me to traverse countless paths!”
The king, after hearing this, was overjoyed and handed Wukong a cup of royal wine, saying, “Holy monk, you’ve worked hard; here, drink this cup!” But Wukong, thinking about capturing the monster, had no mood for drinking and quickly said, “I’ll drink when I return!” With that, he whistled and vanished in an instant. The king and the ministers were left astonished, speechless.
Sun Wukong leaped into the air and found a tall mountain blocking his path. He immediately rode on a cloud and flew to the mountain's peak, carefully surveying the area. The mountain was truly majestic, soaring into the sky as if it could tear the heavens apart! Its peak was towering and straight, with a continuous mountain range stretching out. The pine trees at the summit were lush and green, while the stones below sparkled brightly. The ever-green pines and the timeless stones made it a beautiful place.
However, despite its ruggedness, this place was an excellent hideout for monsters and immortals. Wukong was captivated and was about to search for a cave entrance when he suddenly noticed flames bursting forth from a hollow in the mountain, rising high into the air, red as if to burn through the sky! From the flames, a thick, multicolored smoke emerged, dazzling to the eyes. The flickering flames were as bright as golden lanterns, making it hard to look away.
This smoke was no ordinary smoke; its five colors scorched the pillars outside the Southern Heavenly Gate, and even the beams of the Lingxiao Palace couldn’t withstand it. The animals wandering in the mountains had their fur singed black, and the feathers of the flying birds were completely burned off. Wukong was startled and thought to himself, “There must be a monster king hiding in this deep mountain!” Just as he was feeling anxious, he suddenly saw a cloud of sand surge forth, blocking out the sun and making the path nearly invisible.
The fine sand swirled and dazzled the eyes, while coarse ash filled the valley, rolling like sesame seeds. The little immortal children gathering herbs lost their way, and the woodcutters couldn’t find their homes either. Wukong was so entranced that he inhaled some of the sand and ash, causing him to sneeze twice. He quickly turned around, grabbed two pebbles to stuff in his nose, and then transformed into a hawk, flying into the smoke and flames. Unexpectedly, the sand and ash vanished in an instant, and he hurriedly returned to his original form.
At that moment, the sound of a gong echoed in his ears. Wukong thought, “I must have taken a wrong turn! This isn’t a monster’s lair; the sound of the gong seems to lead to the main road. I should go ask.” As he walked, he suddenly spotted a little monster carrying a yellow flag and a document, hurrying to strike the gong. Wukong chuckled to himself, “So this fellow is the one banging the gong. He doesn’t even know what message he’s delivering; I’d better listen in.”
Thus, Wukong transformed into a small insect and gently flew onto the monster’s satchel. He listened as the monster struck the gong and muttered to itself, “My king is truly ruthless; three years ago, he forcibly took the Golden Holy Empress, and to this day, he has not achieved his goal, only making the palace maids suffer. Every year, he comes to capture them, but this year he ran into a formidable opponent. That Sun Wukong defeated our vanguard, and my king is furious and wants to go to war with him.”
Wukong felt secretly pleased upon hearing this: “This monster actually has a bit of conscience, recognizing that this is against the heavenly principles. Moreover, he mentioned that the Golden Holy Empress has not been fulfilled; I need to ask about that.” With a flap of his wings, he flew away from the little monster and continued on his way. After traveling over ten miles, he transformed into a Taoist boy, tying his hair in two buns, wearing patched clothes, beating a fish drum, and singing ballads.
When he turned over the hillside and approached the little monster, he asked, “Officer, where are you going? What document are you delivering?” The little monster seemed to recognize him, paused the gong, and replied with a smile, “My king sent me to deliver a declaration of war to the Kingdom of Zhuzi.” Wukong then asked, “Has your king discussed this matter with them?” The little monster said, “Two years ago, when we captured them, a celestial being gifted the Golden Holy Empress a colorful celestial robe. Ever since she put it on, her entire body has been covered in thorns, and my king doesn’t even dare to touch her.”
The little monster continued, “This morning, we sent a vanguard to demand palace maids, but they were defeated by that Sun Wukong. My king is furious and ordered me to deliver a declaration of war; he wants to engage in battle with him tomorrow.” Wukong asked, “Why is your king so angry?” The little monster replied, “He’s there fuming right now. Would you like to go sing a ballad to him and help ease his mood?”
Wukong waved his hand and turned to leave, while the little monster continued to bang the gong as it moved along. However, Wukong felt a sudden urgency; he swiftly pulled out his iron rod and turned around, delivering a fierce blow to the back of the little monster's head. Unfortunately, the poor little monster was instantly killed, blood pouring from its wound! After the strike, Wukong felt a twinge of regret: “Oh no, I was too hasty; I didn’t even ask for its name!” He then hid the little monster's declaration of war in his sleeve and stashed the yellow flag and gong in the grass by the roadside.
At this moment, a gold-inlaid badge on his waist was revealed, inscribed with the words: “A trusted subordinate, with comings and goings.” Wukong couldn’t help but laugh: “This little monster has an interesting name, ‘With Comings and Goings’! One strike, and now it has gone for good!” After saying this, he took off the badge and tied it around his waist. He thought for a moment but still didn’t dare to find the little monster’s lair; instead, he raised his rod again and stabbed it into the little monster’s chest, hoisting the corpse as he headed back to his country to report his achievement.
At this time, Bajie was guarding the royal hall and suddenly turned around to see Wukong soaring in the air with a monster in tow. He felt unhappy: “This isn’t fair! If I had known, I would have gone to catch it myself; how can this count as my merit?” As he spoke, Wukong landed on a cloud, bringing the monster down to the steps. Bajie immediately ran up, excitedly saying, “This is definitely my achievement!”
Wukong shot him a glare and replied, “What merit do you have?”
Bajie proudly said, “Didn’t you see that I built nine holes in this rod?” Wukong helplessly asked, “Can you see if this monster has a head or not?” Bajie laughed, “Oh, it turns out to be headless! No wonder it didn’t move when I hit it!” Wukong asked, “Where is Master?” Bajie replied, “He’s inside talking to the king.” Wukong said, “Go invite him out.” Bajie nodded and hurried into the hall to fetch Tang Seng.
Before long, Tang Seng came out to greet Wukong. Wukong stuffed a declaration of war into Tang Seng’s sleeve, saying, “Master, keep this safe and don’t let the king see it.” At that moment, the king also came down from the hall and approached Wukong, asking, “Elder Sage Sun, how did the monster capture go?” Wukong pointed to the steps and said, “Isn’t that the monster? I killed it!”
The king looked and exclaimed in surprise, “This is indeed a monster corpse, but it’s not the Great Tai Sui. I’ve seen the Great Tai Sui; he is eight feet tall, has a golden face, and a voice like thunder. This little monster is nothing like him!”
Wukong laughed and said, “Your Majesty recognizes it; it is indeed not the Great Tai Sui. This is just a little monster that ran into me and got killed, so I brought it back to report my achievement.” The king was delighted, saying, “That’s fantastic! This counts as a significant achievement! I often send people to investigate, but I didn’t expect you to catch one so quickly upon your arrival. Truly impressive!” The king immediately ordered, “Quick, prepare warm wine to celebrate the elder’s achievement!”
However, Wukong said, “Drinking wine is a small matter. I want to ask Your Majesty if there are any tokens left from the Golden Holy Palace?” Upon hearing “tokens,” the king couldn’t help but shed tears: “Years ago, during a festive occasion, the Tai Sui monster forcibly took my beloved wife. I sacrificed her for the people. Now, there’s been no news, and my heart is filled with sorrow!”
Wukong comforted him, saying, “Your Majesty, don’t be sad. Since the Empress left no tokens, did she have any cherished belongings in the palace? Just give me one.” The king thought for a moment and asked, “What do you want?” Wukong replied, “The monster king has great powers; I saw him using smoke, fire, and sand. If I capture him, I fear the Empress won’t recognize me. I must have something she cherished to prove to her that I can bring her back.”
The king said, “In the Zhaoyang Palace, there is a pair of golden bracelets that are the Empress’s treasured belongings. She wanted to bind five-colored threads during the Dragon Boat Festival but didn’t bring them with her; they are still in the dressing box.” After saying this, the king sighed, “Seeing them would feel like seeing her again; it makes my heart ache.”
Wukong said, “Let’s not dwell on that; quickly bring me the golden bracelets. If you can part with them, give me both; if not, just one will do.” The king immediately ordered someone to fetch them, and when they were brought out, he handed them to the king. Upon seeing them, the king called out for the Empress several times before passing the golden bracelets to Wukong. Wukong accepted them, satisfied, and slipped them onto his side.
Once upon a time, the great sage Sun Wukong, uninterested in celebrating his achievement with wine, rode on his cloud and hummed as he flew back to Qilin Mountain. He was just about to search for a cave when he suddenly heard a commotion of voices, so he stopped to see what was happening. Oh, it was quite a scene ahead! Over five hundred people were gathered at the entrance of the Xiezhi Cave, all armed and organized, looking as if they were ready for battle!
The tiger generals and bear warriors were truly impressive, and the leopard-headed and fierce-looking ones were also there, full of spirit. The fierce wolves were formidable, and the otters and elephants were even more valiant. The cunning rabbits and clever deer wielded swords and halberds, while the long snakes and pythons carried knives and bows on their backs. Wukong felt a tightening in his heart upon seeing this and decided not to proceed any further; instead, he turned around. Why did he turn back? It wasn't out of fear but rather to find the yellow flag and gong of the little monster he had killed earlier.
After finding them, Wukong made a hand gesture against the wind and transformed into the little monster “With Comings and Goings,” banging the gong as he strode towards the Xiezhi Cave. As soon as he entered the cave, the gorilla shouted, “With Comings and Goings, you’re back!” Wukong had no choice but to respond, “I’m back.” The gorilla hurriedly said, “Quickly! The king is waiting for your report at the skinning pavilion.” Upon hearing this, Wukong quickly banged the gong and walked straight into the cave.
Inside the cave was truly a hidden paradise, with sheer cliffs and stone houses, adorned with exotic flowers and plants on both sides, while ancient cypress and tall pines stood in the front and back. As he walked, Wukong suddenly looked up and saw a bright pavilion with eight windows. In the center of the pavilion sat a terrifying monster king!
He had shimmering clouds above his head, a fierce aura in his chest, exposed fangs, and hair at his temples emitting red smoke. Upon seeing this, Wukong felt a surge of defiance and didn’t want to show any respect to the monster king; he turned his face outward and continued banging the gong. The monster king asked, “You’ve come?” Wukong didn’t answer. The king asked again, “With Comings and Goings, you’ve come?” Still, Wukong remained silent. The king, growing impatient, grabbed him and asked, “Why are you banging the gong at home? You don’t answer when I ask you; what’s going on?”
Wukong, filled with anger, slammed the gong onto the ground: “What’s going on? I said I wouldn’t go, but you insisted I do! As soon as I got there, I was captured, shouting ‘Catch the monster, catch the monster!’ They dragged me into the city and almost had me executed. Thankfully, a strategist said it was a dispute between two parties, which spared me. I collected the declaration of war and was allowed to come back to report.”
Upon hearing this, the monster king felt a tightening in his chest: “You really suffered, no wonder you didn’t speak.” Wukong said, “How could I dare to speak? I was terrified!” The king asked, “How many troops were there?” Wukong looked confused: “I was so scared I couldn’t count! I only saw their weapons piled high like a mountain, with bows, arrows, swords, and armor—an overwhelming sight!”
The monster king laughed heartily: “No worries, no worries! Those weapons are useless once set on fire. You go tell the Golden Holy Empress not to be angry. This morning, when she heard I wanted to go to war, she almost cried. Just say that the enemy troops are brave and will surely defeat me, to ease her heart.”
Hearing this, Wukong felt delighted: “Great, this is just what I wanted!” He took a familiar path, turned a corner, and walked through the hall. Oh, this place was nothing like the front; it was a grand mansion, very impressive! As he reached the back, he could see the residence of the Golden Holy Empress from afar, with its magnificent colorful gates that dazzled the eyes.
Upon entering, Wukong saw two groups of fox and deer monsters, all dressed like beautiful women, standing on either side. In the center sat the Empress, who was truly breathtaking! She rested her chin on her hand, her eyes filled with tears, her delicate beauty resembling that of a living fairy. Her hair was disheveled, as if she couldn’t be bothered to tidy it; her face was bare, giving her a somewhat cold appearance; her cherry lips tightly clenched around silver teeth, and her brow furrowed like a small mountain. Her heart was full of longing for the Zhuzi King, truly embodying the saying “Beauty often meets a tragic fate,” making one feel pity.
Seeing this, Wukong stepped forward to greet her: “Greetings!” The Empress, however, looked displeased: “This rude creature is truly disrespectful! When I was in the Zhuzi Kingdom, the king treated me with great respect; how dare this wild monster address me like that?” At this moment, the maidservants hurriedly explained, “Your Highness, don’t be angry; he is the trusted subordinate of the king, With Comings and Goings. He is the one who delivered the declaration of war this morning.”
Upon hearing this, the Empress couldn't help but ask, “Did you deliver the declaration of war to the Zhuzi Kingdom?” Wukong replied, “I took the letter straight to the city and met with the king; I have already received a response.” The Empress then asked, “What did the king say?” Wukong said, “He misses you dearly and wanted me to convey that, but there were too many people around, so it wasn’t convenient to discuss in detail.” Upon hearing this, the Empress immediately dismissed her maidservants, and Wukong closed the palace door, revealing his true identity.
“Don’t be afraid; I am a monk sent by the Tang Dynasty from the East. My master is Tang Wang’s brother, Tang Sanzang, and I am his eldest disciple, Sun Wukong. I came to rescue you after hearing that you were captured by monsters.” As soon as Wukong finished speaking, the Empress was stunned, unable to respond for a long time. Wukong took out a string of treasures and presented them with both hands: “If you don’t believe me, take a look at this!”
Upon seeing the treasures, tears streamed down the Empress’s face as she hurriedly got down and bowed in gratitude: “Elder, you are truly my savior; I will never forget this!” Wukong then asked, “What treasures does the monster king use for fire, smoke, and sand?” The Empress replied, “Those are not treasures; they are three golden bells. The first bell, when shaken, produces flames that reach three hundred yards; the second bell produces smoke that also reaches three hundred yards; the third bell produces yellow sand that reaches three hundred yards. The most dangerous is the yellow sand, as it can suffocate you if it gets into your nose!”
Upon hearing this, Wukong repeatedly praised, “Impressive, truly impressive! I once sneezed twice but didn’t know where the bells were!” The Empress said, “He never puts them down; they are always at his waist, never leaving his side.” Wukong slapped his forehead: “If you want to return to the Zhuzi Kingdom, you must have a good talk with the king and not let him worry. You need to act cheerful and happy, hide the bells, and when I get the chance, I will steal them, defeat this monster, and take you back to relive old dreams!” The Empress nodded in agreement.
Wukong, disguised as a trusted subordinate, opened the palace door and called for the maidservants. The Empress immediately shouted, “With Comings and Goings, quickly invite my king here; we have much to discuss!” Wukong responded and swiftly ran to the skinning pavilion, saying to the monster king, “My lord, the Holy Empress requests your presence!” The monster king, upon hearing this, was overjoyed: “The Empress usually scolds me; why is she inviting me today?”
Wukong pretended to be mysterious: “The Empress asked about the Zhuzi Kingdom, and I told her that the king no longer wants you and has appointed a new queen. Naturally, the Empress felt uncomfortable upon hearing this, which is why she asked me to invite you.” The monster king was ecstatic: “You’re quite useful! Once I conquer that kingdom, I will definitely reward you with a high position!” Wukong thanked him casually and followed the monster king to the entrance of the inner palace. The Empress welcomed him with a smile, wanting to support the monster king, but he quickly stepped back: “I dare not, I dare not! The Empress is too fond of me; I’m afraid I might hurt my hand and cannot get too close.”
The Empress, with a gentle expression, said, “My lord, please take a seat; I have something to discuss with you.” The monster king replied, “Just speak directly.” The Empress slowly began, “I have been by your side for three years, yet we have never shared a bed, which seems like a connection from a past life. Who would have thought you would have an outside heart, treating me less than a wife? I remember when I was in the Zhuzi Kingdom, every treasure offered as tribute was shared with the concubines, but here, I have received nothing but fur and blood food. I’ve heard you have three bells; they must be treasures, and you carry them with you wherever you go. You should give them to me; as husband and wife, we should trust each other.”
Upon hearing this, the monster king laughed heartily: “The Empress is right! The treasures are here; I will give them to you today!” Saying this, he lifted his clothing to reveal three golden bells. Wukong watched closely, eager to see what would happen. The monster king took off the bells, stuffed cotton into the openings, wrapped them in leopard skin, and handed them to the Empress: “Though this item is small, you must take good care of it; don’t shake it.”
The Empress accepted the bells, nodding, “I understand; I will place them on my vanity, and no one will touch them.” She then called for the maidservants to prepare food and wine, wanting to celebrate with the monster king. The maidservants busied themselves arranging fruits and vegetables, serving deer and rabbit meat, and pouring coconut wine, while the Empress displayed a charming demeanor to entice the monster king.
At this moment, Sun Wukong was not idle; he stealthily approached the vanity, gently took the three golden bells, and slowly slipped out of the palace door, heading straight for the cave. When he reached the skinning pavilion, no one noticed him. He unfolded the leopard skin and saw that the bells inside were all shining brightly. Curious, he pulled at the cotton, and with a loud "Bang!" a huge explosion occurred, and fireworks erupted, engulfing the entire pavilion in flames.
This frightened the monster king, who quickly shouted, “Put out the fire! Hurry, put out the fire!” When they came out to check, they realized that someone had taken the golden bells! The monster king, furious, stepped forward and yelled, “You thief! How dare you steal my treasures!” He commanded, “Bring it back! Bring it back!” The tiger general, bear warrior, leopard-headed, and other monsters rushed forward. Seeing the situation turn dire, Wukong quickly dropped the bells, revealed his true form, and pulled out his golden staff, starting to fight wildly.
The monster king panicked and ordered, “Shut the front door!” The monsters obeyed; some closed the doors while others prepared for battle. Wukong sensed the danger and, retracting his staff, transformed into a fly, sticking to the fireless stone wall. The monsters searched everywhere and reported, “My lord, the thief has escaped! The thief has escaped!” The monster king angrily replied, “This thief is truly bold, daring to transform into ‘With Comings and Goings’ to deceive me! He can’t possibly escape now!”
At that moment, the tiger general stepped forward and said, “My lord, you are blessed with great fortune; our luck is endless.” The bear warrior added, “This thief must be Sun Wukong; he must have encountered ‘With Comings and Goings,’ taken the yellow flag and gong, and transformed into his likeness to trick you.” Upon hearing this, the monster king suddenly realized, “Exactly, exactly!” He quickly ordered, “You lot, search carefully; we must not let him escape!” This was truly a lesson learned: trying to be clever backfired, turning a joke into a serious matter. As for how Sun Wukong managed to escape, we will discuss that next time!
