The Great Sage Sun Wukong plunged into the cave entrance and looked around. Oh my! The scene was far from pleasant: Skeleton Mountain, Bone Forest— it was like a haunted house. Human heads had turned into mats, human skin was rotten like dirt, and there were even human tendons hanging from the trees, glistening ominously. It was truly a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, the stench so foul it made one want to vomit. To the east, a little demon was butchering meat, while to the west, another was cooking human flesh, the aroma wafting through the air. If it weren't for the brave Monkey King, no ordinary person would dare step inside.
Before long, Sun Wukong entered the second gate. Wow, this place was completely different from outside! It was serene and elegant, spacious and bright, with celestial flowers and rare herbs on either side, and tall pine trees and lush bamboo in front and back. After walking another seven or eight miles, he finally reached the third gate. He peeked in and saw three old demons sitting high up, looking quite fierce. The one in the middle had sharp teeth, a round head like a big pancake, a voice that roared like thunder, and eyes as sharp as lightning— truly a king of beasts, the Blue-Furred Lion Demon.
On the left was a creature with phoenix-like eyes and golden pupils, a long nose and silver fur, a burly body, speaking in a whisper like a sneaky ghost— it was the Yellow-Toothed Old Elephant. On the right sat another with golden wings, a Kun head, leopard-like eyes, and an imposing demeanor, looking like a majestic Roc soaring through the clouds. Surrounding them were over a hundred little leaders, all decked out and radiating a murderous aura. Wukong saw this and felt delighted, showing no fear as he strode in, removed his bell, and called out, "Great King!"
The three old demons chuckled and asked, "Little Wind, you’re here?" Wukong replied, "I’m here." The old demon said, "Did you go patrol the mountains and find out the whereabouts of Sun Wukong?" Wukong’s heart tightened, pretending to be timid: "Great King, I wouldn’t dare say." The old demon pressed, "Why not?" Wukong feigned mystery: "I was following the Great King’s orders when I suddenly looked up and saw someone squatting there sharpening a stick, like a road-opening deity. If he stands up, he must be ten or more feet tall!"
Hearing this, the old demon broke into a cold sweat, trembling, "Brother, I told you not to provoke Tang Seng. His disciple has great powers and is well-prepared. If he starts swinging that stick at us, what should we do?" He commanded, "You all, bring the demons outside in and close the door, let him pass." A nearby leader hurriedly reported, "Great King, the little demons outside have scattered." The old demon was shocked: "What do you mean they scattered? Quick, close the door! Close the door!" The demons rushed to shut it tight.
Wukong felt a pang of anxiety: "This is bad! If he asks me about my family, I won’t have an answer! I’d better scare him again to make him open the door for a chance to escape." So he stepped forward and said, "Great King, he also said something else." The old demon eagerly asked, "What did he say?" Wukong pretended to be mysterious: "He said he wants to skin the Great King, butcher the Second King’s bones, and extract the Third King’s tendons! If you close the door and don’t go out, he’ll turn into a fly and sneak in, and then what will we do?"
The old demon was extremely tense upon hearing this: "Brothers, be careful! There haven’t been flies in this cave for years. If one comes in, it must be Sun Wukong!" Wukong couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly: "Turning into a fly to scare him is just right for opening the door." He then stepped aside, plucked a hair, blew a breath of magical air, and shouted "Change!" Instantly, he transformed into a golden fly and flew towards the old demon's face. The old monster panicked: "Brothers! Quick! That thing is coming in!"
At that moment, the demons were in a frenzy, all rushing towards the fly like a bunch of frightened maids with brooms. Sun Wukong couldn’t hold back his laughter, and as he laughed, he inadvertently revealed his true form. Just then, the third old demon leaped up and grabbed him: "Brother, I almost got fooled by him!" The old demon asked, "Who fooled whom?" The third demon hurriedly said, "That little demon just now wasn’t Little Wind; he is Sun Wukong! He must have encountered Little Wind and transformed to trick us!"
Wukong's heart tightened: "Oh no, he recognized me!" He quickly patted himself and said to the old monster, "How could I be Sun Wukong? I am Little Wind, Great King, you've mistaken me!" The old demon laughed and said, "Brother, he is indeed Little Wind. I see him every day, so I recognize him well." Then he asked, "Do you have a badge?" Wukong replied, "I do!"
He took out his badge, and the old monster looked closely, saying seriously, "Brother, don’t let him escape." The three demons were anxious: "Brother, didn’t you see how he flashed and smiled just now? I could tell right away he is Sun Wukong. No matter how much he transforms to look like Little Wind, I can still recognize him!" The old demon immediately commanded, "You all, hurry and bring ropes!" The leaders quickly fetched ropes and tackled Wukong, binding him tightly.
The old demon unveiled Wukong's clothing and discovered he was actually a stable keeper. It turned out that Wukong had seventy-two transformations, capable of turning into birds, beasts, flowers, and utensils without issue, but when he transformed into a human, only his face changed while his body remained the same. The old demon gasped, "This is Sun Wukong's body with Little Wind's face, no doubt about it!" He ordered, "You all, prepare some wine first, and bring a cup to the Three Kings. Since we’ve captured Sun Wukong, Tang Seng will become our delicious meal!"
But the three demons said, "Don’t rush to drink, Sun Wukong has the ability to escape; he might slip away. We must bottle him up before we can drink in peace." The old demon laughed heartily, "Well said!" He then summoned thirty-six little demons to fetch a bottle from the storeroom.
You might wonder how big that bottle was. It was only about two feet four inches tall—how could thirty-six people carry it? This bottle was a treasure of yin and yang, containing the Eight Treasures and Twenty-Four Qi, and required thirty-six people to lift it according to the heavenly numbers. Before long, the precious bottle was brought out and placed outside the third gate. They opened the lid, untied Wukong, stripped off his clothes, and using the magical air from the bottle, they swiftly sucked Wukong inside, closed the lid, and sealed it. The old demon proudly declared, "Today, the monkey has entered my precious bottle; he’ll never think of going to the West to seek scriptures again! If he still wants to pray to Buddha for scriptures, he’ll have to turn back and reincarnate!"
Look at those demons, each one laughing so hard they could barely close their mouths, joyfully celebrating this victory—truly a lively scene!
At that moment, Sun Wukong, feeling cramped inside the bottle, simply transformed into a small insect and squatted inside. After a while, he found it quite cool and couldn’t help but laugh, saying, "These demons are all bluster and no real skill. They say this bottle can hold a person and turn them into pus and blood in no time? If that’s the case, I could stay here for seven or eight years without a problem!" Little did he know, this bottle was not so easy to deal with. If it contained a person and they didn’t speak for a year, it would be fine, but once it heard a human voice, flames would burst forth.
Before he finished speaking, flames began to erupt inside the bottle. Fortunately, the Great Sage had skills; sitting in the middle, he performed the fire-avoiding technique and was completely unafraid. After half an hour, forty snakes crawled out from the bottle, lunging at him. Wukong quickly waved his hand, grabbed a few snakes, and squeezed them hard, breaking them into eighty pieces. Not long after, three fire dragons emerged, wrapping around him tightly, making him feel quite anxious: "These fire dragons are really troublesome; if I don’t act soon, the fire will overwhelm me, and I’m done for!"
He thought to himself, "I might as well stretch my body to break out of the bottle." So, Wukong performed the technique and shouted "Long!" Immediately, he grew about ten feet tall. However, the bottle also grew along with him; as he grew, the bottle shrank. Wukong was startled: "What to do now? If I grow, it grows; if I shrink, it shrinks!" Just then, he felt a sharp pain in his back, reached back to touch it, and found it burned soft from the flames. He panicked: "Oh no, my back is burning soft! What if I become disabled? What will I do?" Tears streamed down his face as he thought, "Master, we’ve been through so much together; how could today lead me to this poisonous demon and end up in such a dire situation? It truly feels unjust!"
Just as he lamented, he suddenly remembered that the Bodhisattva had once given him three life-saving hairs on Snake Coil Mountain. He wondered if they were still there. He began to feel around and indeed found three stiff hairs at the back of his head. His heart filled with joy: "These three hairs must be able to save me!" Enduring the pain, he plucked one, blew a breath of magical air, and shouted "Change!" One hair transformed into a diamond, another into a bamboo stick, and the last into a soft rope. He used the bamboo stick to make a bow, pulled the diamond, and drilled forcefully into the bottom of the bottle, finally creating a small hole that let light in. He exclaimed, "Great! Now I can get out!"
As soon as Wukong transformed out, the bottle felt cool again. What was happening? It turned out he had released the yin and yang energy, which made the bottle cool. The Great Sage tucked away the hairs and transformed into a small insect, very light and thin, resembling a hair, and crawled out through the hole. But he didn’t rush to leave; instead, he flew directly onto the old demon's head.
The old demon was drinking when he suddenly put down his cup and exclaimed, "Third Brother, has Sun Wukong transformed this time?" The third demon laughed and said, "He’s still right here!" The old demon hurriedly ordered them to lift the bottle.
The thirty-six little demons quickly raised the bottle, but it felt much lighter, which frightened them into reporting, "Great King, the bottle feels lighter!" The old demon shouted angrily, "Nonsense! This is a treasure of yin and yang; how could it be light?" At that moment, a little demon managed to lift the bottle, and when the old demon opened the lid, he saw it was empty and couldn't help but exclaim, "This bottle is completely empty!"
Wukong, sitting on his head, couldn’t help but shout, "My son, run!" The demons heard this and hurriedly shouted, "Close the door! Close the door!"
As for Sun Wukong, he shook himself inside the bottle, put away his stripped clothes, revealed his true form, and jumped out of the cave, turning back to scold, "You demons, don’t be rude! I’ve already broken the bottle; it can’t hold anyone anymore, so you’d better come out and see me!" He felt extremely happy and rode the clouds straight to Tang Seng.
At that moment, the elder was there, kneading soil to make incense and praying to the heavens. Wukong stopped on the cloud, listening to his prayer, and felt particularly warm inside. The elder clasped his hands to the sky and said, "I pray to the celestial beings, the Six Ding and Six Jia, and all the heavens, to protect my disciple Sun Wukong, who possesses great powers and boundless magic." Hearing this, Wukong felt even more moved and quickly gathered the cloud light, calling to his master, "Master, I’m back!"
The elder, seeing him, held onto Wukong and asked with concern, "Wukong, where have you been all this time? I’ve been so worried!" The disciple smiled and said, "Master, I had three matters to attend to: first, the monks of the East have a connection; second, your merit is boundless; and third, it’s thanks to my own powers!" He then recounted how he had been captured by the demons, broken the bottle, and escaped, saying, "Now that I can see you, it truly feels like a connection from two lifetimes!"
The elder was extremely grateful and asked, "Did you fight with the demons?" Wukong shook his head, "No fighting." The elder frowned, "Then how can I dare cross the mountain?" Hearing this, Wukong immediately shouted, "Why can’t I protect you across the mountain?" The elder replied, "You haven’t seen victory or defeat; how can I dare to move forward?" Wukong laughed, "Master, you’re being too rigid. As the saying goes, 'A single thread cannot be a line, and one hand cannot make a clap.' There are three demons, but thousands of little demons; how can I fight them alone?"
The elder said, "Of course, it’s difficult for you alone. Bajie and Sha Seng both have skills; let them accompany you to clear the mountain path and ensure my safe passage." Wukong thought for a moment and nodded, "Master is right; let Sha Seng protect you, and Bajie will come with me." At this moment, Bajie panicked, "Brother, I’m clumsy and rough, and have no skills; what use am I going with you?" Wukong comforted him, "Brother, even if you have no skills, you’re still a person. As the saying goes, 'Even a fart can add wind,' you can bolster my courage." Bajie helplessly replied, "Alright, alright, I’ll go with you, but don’t play tricks on me." The elder said, "Bajie, you take care; I’ll wait here with Sha Seng."
Thus, Bajie rallied his spirits, and with Wukong, they rode the clouds, flying up the mountain straight to the cave entrance. But upon arrival, they found the door tightly closed, with no one around. Wukong stepped forward, gripping his iron staff, and shouted sternly, "Demons, open the door and come out to fight me!" The little demons inside hurriedly reported, and the old demon, hearing this, was startled: "That monkey is truly fierce; he really wasn’t wrong!"
The two old monsters beside the old demon asked, "What's going on?" The old demon explained, "The Monkey King transformed into a small whirlwind and sneaked in this morning; we didn't recognize him. Fortunately, the Third Brother recognized him and trapped him in a bottle. Now he's used his powers to break out of the bottle and is outside calling for a fight. Who dares to go and confront him?" No one dared to respond, and the old demon became furious: "We have a bad reputation on the Western road. Today, Sun Wukong is disrespecting us like this; if I don’t go out to meet him, won't that be a loss of face? I’ll risk my life to fight him! If I win, Tang Seng will become our delicious meal; if I lose, just close the door and let him pass." After saying this, he donned his armor and walked toward the door.
Wukong and Bajie watched from outside, thinking how impressive the demon looked: with an iron forehead and copper head, wearing a precious helmet, the tassels fluttering and shining brightly. The demon's eyes sparkled like lightning, his claws sharp, clad in golden armor, wielding a steel knife, exuding a formidable presence. "Who’s knocking at the door?" the old demon asked. The Great Sage turned around and replied, "It’s your Sun Old Master, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven!" The old demon sneered, "You are Sun Wukong? You bold and unruly monkey! If I’m not provoking you, why are you here calling for a fight?"
Wukong retorted, "There can’t be waves without wind; if you’re not provoking me, I’d still come looking for you! You and your gang of foxes and dogs conspired against my master, so that’s why I’m here!"
Upon hearing this, the old demon became energized: "You brat, shouting at my door, are you looking to fight me?" Wukong replied without hesitation, "That’s right, I’m here to fight!" The old demon snorted coldly, "Don’t be too arrogant! If I mobilize the demon soldiers and set up formations, waving flags and beating drums, then I would become a tiger at home, bullying you. I’ll duel you one-on-one, and your little friends can’t help!"
Wukong immediately called out, "Bajie, come here and see how I deal with this old demon!" Bajie obediently stepped aside, and the old demon continued, "You come here first, and let me chop you three times; then Tang Seng can pass. If you can’t withstand it, then send your master over so I can have a good meal!" Wukong laughed heartily, "Demon, if you have pen and paper, write a contract first. Let’s chop until next year; I won’t take it seriously!"
The old demon was furious, shaking with rage, raising his knife, ready to strike. Wukong leaned forward, and with a "ping," the sound rang out, his scalp not even reddening. The old demon was astonished: "This monkey really has a hard head!" Wukong proudly said, "You don’t know, old Sun has a copper head and iron brain; there’s nothing in the world that can chop me! I even went into Lao Jun's furnace when I was young!"
The old demon scoffed, "Monkey, don’t just talk big! Come on, let’s see these two chops!" Wukong laughed, "It’s probably nothing much, just a few chops." The old demon, feeling proud, said, "You don’t know this knife was forged in the Golden Fire Furnace, refined through a hundred trials; it can slice your skull with one chop!"
Wukong chuckled, "This demon really lacks insight, thinking I’m just a skull! Alright, go ahead and chop again." The old demon raised his knife and swung down again. Wukong leaned forward once more, and with another "ping," the knife split into two! Wukong immediately rolled and transformed into two bodies.
The old demon was startled, unable to hold onto the steel knife in his hand. From a distance, Bajie laughed, "Wow, this old demon is impressive; how did he turn into four people?" The old demon, furious, pointed at Wukong: "Aren’t you supposed to know the technique of splitting? Why don’t you show it to me?"
Wukong laughed, "What splitting technique?" The old demon explained, "You first chopped me once without moving; now you’ve chopped me again, and how did it turn into two people?" Wukong proudly replied, "Demon, don’t be afraid; chop me a thousand times, and I’ll give you two thousand people back!"
The old demon was even more furious: "You monkey, you can only split but can’t gather. If you have the skill to gather one back, try hitting me with a stick!" Wukong replied, "No lying! You chopped me twice; now I’m supposed to hit you with a stick? If I hit you with half a stick, I won’t be surnamed Sun!" The old demon nodded, "Exactly, exactly!"
Upon seeing Wukong transform back into one body, the old demon's heart tightened. He immediately raised his knife and angrily said, "You bold monkey, you dare come to my door to fight! What is that crying stick of yours?" Wukong proudly replied, "Do you want to know how powerful this staff is? Who doesn't know its name, both in heaven and on earth!"
The old demon, curious, asked, "How did it get its name?" Wukong laughed and answered, "This staff is forged from nine-turn refined iron, personally crafted by Lao Jun in the furnace. King Yu sought it, and it has been verified across the four seas and eight rivers. It’s adorned with stars, wrapped in gold at both ends, with intricate patterns that astonish even the gods. Its name is the Lingyang Staff, hidden deep in the sea, unseen by anyone!"
He continued, "This staff can change and soar freely, flashing with five-colored light. After I attained enlightenment, I brought it back to the mountain; it can transform infinitely, thick as a large jar, thin as an iron wire, its length and shortness at my whim. With a light wave, colorful clouds appear, soaring like lightning! This staff is truly formidable, capable of subduing dragons and tigers, traversing the ends of the earth. In the past, I used this staff to cause a ruckus in the Heavenly Palace, forcing those deities to hide, and even the Heavenly Kings couldn’t defeat me!"
Hearing this, the old demon felt a chill in his heart and swung his knife down. Wukong, however, smiled and met him head-on, and the two began to fight fiercely in mid-air. The battle was extraordinary: the divine staff from the depths of the Heavenly River had quite a reputation. The old demon was furious, wielding his knife with great power, but Wukong's staff was even more imposing!
The fight lasted over twenty exchanges, with neither side gaining the upper hand. At that moment, Bajie, watching from below, felt an itch to join in and couldn’t help but grab his rake, jumping up to give the demon a hit. The old demon, seeing this, panicked, thinking Bajie was a tough opponent, and in his fright, he dropped his knife and turned to flee.
Wukong shouted, "Catch up! Catch up!" Bajie, emboldened, raised his rake and hurried after him. The old demon, seeing Bajie closing in, immediately revealed his true form, opening his mouth to swallow Bajie. Bajie, terrified, quickly dove into the grass, disregarding the thorns, trembling as he listened for sounds.
At that moment, Wukong arrived, but the old demon fell into his trap and was swallowed by Wukong's iron staff. Bajie muttered from the grass, "This Bi Ma Wen truly doesn’t know when to advance or retreat! That demon came to eat you, and you actually went to meet him! Now it’s good; today you’re still a monk, tomorrow you’ll become a big belly!" The old demon left in triumph, and Bajie cautiously crawled out of the grass and slipped back onto the old path.
Meanwhile, Tang Seng was anxiously waiting on the hillside with Sha Seng. Just then, Bajie ran over, panting and looking disheveled. Tang Seng exclaimed, "Bajie, what happened to you? Where’s Wukong?" Bajie cried as he said, "Brother, Wukong was swallowed by the demon!" Hearing this, Tang Seng immediately collapsed to the ground, pounding his chest and lamenting, "Disciple! Didn’t you say you could subdue demons? How could you die today at the hands of this monster! Alas, my merit has turned to dust!" He was in great pain.
Bajie, however, ignored his master’s feelings and said to Sha Seng, "Shaseng, quickly bring the luggage; let’s split it!" Sha Seng was puzzled, "Second Brother, split what?" Bajie replied, "After we split up, we can each go our own way. You go to the Liu Sha River to eat people, and I’ll go to Gao Laozhuang to see my wife. We can even sell the white horse to buy a funeral offering for Master." Tang Seng, upon hearing this, cried out in anger, "Heavens, how could this happen!"
At this moment, the old demon, having swallowed Wukong, felt triumphant and returned directly to the cave. The other demons gathered around to ask about the battle. The old demon, full of pride, said, "I captured one!" The second demon, curious, asked, "Who is it?" The old demon boasted, "It’s Sun Wukong!" The second demon was shocked, "Where is he?" The old demon proudly replied, "In my belly." The third demon became anxious: "Big Brother, do you know? Sun Wukong is not easy to deal with!" Meanwhile, Wukong in the old demon’s belly chuckled coldly, "I’m quite tasty!"
The little demons hurriedly reported, "Great King, Sun Wukong is talking inside your belly!" The old demon dismissed it, "What’s there to fear about him talking! If he has the ability, let him be eaten; if he doesn’t, he can’t control me!" Thus, the old demon ordered, "Quickly boil some salt soup, pour it down to expel him, and slowly cook him to eat!" The little demons immediately got busy.
The old demon gulped down the salt soup in one go, but his stomach began to churn violently, while Wukong remained completely still inside. Frustrated, the old demon shouted, "Sun Wukong, why aren’t you coming out?" Wukong playfully replied, "Why should I come out? You really don’t know how to adapt! I’m spending the winter in your belly, and it’s quite warm in here!"
Hearing this, the other demons were frightened and exclaimed, "Great King, Sun Wukong wants to spend the winter in your belly!"
The old demon felt a tightness in his chest, thinking, "I can’t handle this kid staying in my belly for the winter!" Seizing the opportunity, Wukong said, "I brought a folding pot to cook some scraps, just right for your liver, intestines, and lungs!" The second demon shouted in fear, "Brother, this monkey is really bold!" The third demon added, "What if the pot starts smoking and the smoke goes up his nose?"
Wukong laughed, "No worries, I’ll make a skylight for you, and the smoke can escape!"
Although the old demon was not afraid, he still felt a bit anxious. He mustered his courage and said, "Brothers, don’t be afraid. Bring me my medicinal wine; I need to drink a few bowls to kill the monkey!" Wukong secretly chuckled, thinking, "I’ve had plenty of medicinal wine before; how could I be scared of you?" The little demons brought the medicinal wine, and the old demon drank it all in one go. Inside, Wukong continued to drink as well, making the old demon dizzy and his face turned as red as a monkey's backside.
In the end, the old demon could no longer bear the pain and collapsed on the ground, writhing in agony. What will happen next? Stay tuned for the next installment!
