Tang Seng was sent out by the demon, and Sha Monk hurriedly stepped forward to ask, “Master, you’re out! Where’s Senior Brother?” Bai Jie chimed in, “He must have a plan to get Master out!” Tang Seng pointed at the demon and said, “Your senior brother is in her belly!” Bai Jie burst out laughing, “What a dirty guy! What’s he doing in there? Come out already!” At that moment, the Monkey King shouted from inside, “Open your mouth and let me out!” The demon indeed opened her mouth, and the Monkey King shrank down, ready to escape, but fearing a bite, he took out his iron rod, blew a puff of magical air, and shouted, “Transform!”
He turned into a jujube pit, wedged against the demon's upper jaw, and with a sudden leap, he jumped out, bringing the iron rod along. The Monkey King bent down, transformed back to his original form, and raised his rod, ready to strike. The demon, not to be outdone, drew two sparkling swords, preparing to defend herself. Thus, a fierce battle erupted on the mountaintop.
The two swords danced in the air, while the golden hoop rod was raised high. One was a naturally born monkey, and the other was a demoness. Both harbored resentment, their hatred intertwined. One sought a mate to achieve balance, while the other aimed to conquer pure yin to bear a holy offspring. As the rod lifted, cold mist filled the air, sword lights flickered, and dust swirled everywhere. Because of Tang Seng, who worshipped the Buddha, their hatred flared, showcasing their talents in a clash that could never coexist, ultimately leading to their separation. The struggle between the two lasted a long time, shaking the mountains and uprooting trees.
Seeing them locked in a fierce fight, Bai Jie complained, “Senior Brother is really being reckless! If he’s in her belly, why not just hit him hard and have him pop out? Why come out of her mouth and fight, letting her be so arrogant?” Sha Monk nodded, “You’re right, but luckily Senior Brother saved Master. Now he’s fighting the demon. Master, just sit tight; we’ll grab our weapons and help him defeat the demon!” Bai Jie waved his hands, “No, no, no! She has powers; we can’t beat her.” Sha Monk insisted, “What are you talking about? This is beneficial for everyone. Even if it’s tough, we have to try.”
At that moment, Bai Jie, feeling inspired, grabbed his rake and shouted, “Let’s go!” He and Sha Monk disregarded their Master and rushed forward, raising their rake and staff to strike at the demon. The demon had already exerted considerable effort dealing with the Monkey King, and seeing the two of them, she panicked and tried to flee. The Monkey King shouted, “Brothers, catch up!” The demon, seeing them close behind, quickly took off her right flower shoe, blew magical air, and chanted a spell: “Transform!” In an instant, she reverted to her original form, wielding her swords, swaying her body like a breeze, and fled back.
Although she couldn’t win this battle, she had to save her life. Who knew such a thing would happen again?
Tang Seng, the disaster star, hadn’t retreated yet. He walked to the archway at the cave entrance and saw Tang Seng sitting there alone. He rushed over, hugged him tightly, snatched the luggage, bit through the reins, and pulled both man and horse back into the cave. What a thrilling adventure!
Now, as Bai Jie swung his rake, he knocked the demon down, but she only lost one flower shoe. The Monkey King couldn’t help but speak up, “You two fools! All you do is watch Master; who told you to come help?” Bai Jie retorted, “Sha Monk, look! I told you not to come. This monkey’s head must be stuck; we helped him defeat the demon, and now we have to bear his resentment!” The Monkey King angrily said, “Defeat a demon? That demon tricked me with a shoe yesterday. What will happen to Master if you leave? Hurry and check!” The three hurried back, only to find that Master, the luggage, and the white horse were all missing. Bai Jie was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot, running back and forth, while Sha Monk followed closely, and Sun Wukong was also burning with anxiety.
Just as they were searching around, the Monkey King found a piece of reins by the roadside, and tears immediately filled his eyes as he shouted, “Master! When I left, I had both man and horse with me, and now there’s only this rope left!” This situation was like seeing a beautiful horse but only being able to shed tears of longing. Bai Jie saw him crying pitifully and couldn’t help but laugh heartily, “Haha, Senior Brother, don’t cry! Master must have been captured by the demon and taken back to the cave. As the saying goes, things do not succeed without three attempts. You’ve already been in the cave twice; if you go in once more, you’ll definitely be able to rescue Master!” The Monkey King wiped his tears and said, “Alright, since it has come to this, I have no choice but to go in again. You two stay outside and guard the cave entrance; don’t wander off.”
With that, the Monkey King turned and jumped back in, restoring his magical form. He was truly a peculiar character, filled with strength and immense power. Perched high in the saddle, his eyes sparkled like fire, his fur was as stiff as steel needles, and his tiger skin skirt rustled in the wind. He leaped forward, heading straight for the demon's cave, and upon seeing the door closed, he didn’t hesitate to strike it with his iron rod and burst inside. The cave was silent, with not even a shadow of Tang Seng in sight; there were no tables, chairs, or braziers. It turned out that the demon’s cave was surrounded by over three hundred miles, with many hiding places. A few days ago, when they captured Tang Seng, the Monkey King had found them, and this time, fearing discovery, they had already moved.
Furious, the Monkey King stomped his feet and shouted, “Master! You really are an unlucky Tang Seng, a disaster-prone monk on a pilgrimage! I’ve walked this road so many times; how can I not find you?” Just as he was anxiously calling out, he suddenly caught a whiff of fragrant smoke wafting towards him. The Monkey King’s heart stirred: “This fragrant smoke is coming from behind; they must be back there!” He held his iron rod and walked in, eventually discovering three rooms turned upside down. At the back was a lacquered altar carved in the shape of a dragon’s mouth, with a large golden incense burner on it, sending fragrant smoke spiraling upwards. On it was a golden plaque that read, “Respectfully honoring the position of Father Li Tianwang,” and beside it was written, “Respectfully honoring the position of Brother Nezha, the Third Prince.”
Seeing this, the Monkey King felt delighted and decided not to look for the demon or Tang Seng anymore. He transformed his iron rod into a needle and tucked it behind his ear, then picked up the plaque and incense burner, quickly returning to the cave entrance. Upon arriving outside, the Monkey King laughed heartily, and Bai Jie and Sha Monk heard him and hurried over, “Brother, you seem so happy! Did you rescue Master?” The Monkey King chuckled, “We don’t need to rescue him; we just need to ask this plaque for him.” Bai Jie was puzzled, “Brother, this plaque isn’t a demon; how can it talk?” The Monkey King placed the plaque on the ground, “Look!”
Sha Monk approached and saw the words “Respectfully honoring the position of Father Li Tianwang” and “Respectfully honoring the position of Brother Nezha, the Third Prince.” He asked in confusion, “What does this mean?” The Monkey King slapped his forehead, “This is the demon’s offering! I broke into her home, found it empty, and only this plaque remained. It must be that Li Tianwang’s daughter, Nezha’s sister, transformed into a demon to capture my Master. If we don’t ask her for Master, who else can we ask? You two guard here; I’m taking this plaque straight to the Heavenly Palace to report and demand Li Tianwang return my Master!”
Upon hearing this, Bai Jie quickly interjected, “Brother, as the saying goes, you need a reason to report someone; you have to get your facts straight before you can complain. Besides, reporting is not an easy task; what’s your plan?” The Monkey King smiled, “I have an idea! I’ll use this plaque and incense burner as evidence and prepare a written complaint!” Bai Jie was curious, “What will you write in the complaint? Read it to me!” The Monkey King cleared his throat and began, “Complainant: Sun Wukong, year of the rat in the calendar, a disciple of Tang Seng, the monk from the Tang Dynasty in the East, who is on a pilgrimage to the West. Reporting the matter of the demon capturing people…”
Bai Jie and Sha Monk listened with great interest and all agreed, “Brother, this complaint makes sense; it will surely succeed! Hurry up, or the demon might hurt Master!” The Monkey King quickly said, “I’m going fast! I’m going fast! If I’m late, it’ll be trouble!”
Thus, the Monkey King grabbed the plaque and incense burner, leaped up, and rode the clouds straight to the Southern Heavenly Gate. The guards at the gate saw the Monkey King and all bowed their heads, quickly allowing him to enter. All the way, he headed straight for the Hall of Clarity, where he encountered four great heavenly masters. The masters were surprised and asked, “Great Sage, what brings you here?” The Monkey King replied with a smile, “I have a written complaint to file against two people!”
When the heavenly masters heard this, they exchanged glances, thinking, “Who is this kid going to complain about now?” With no choice, they led him to the Lingxiao Palace. The Monkey King placed the plaque and incense burner down, paid his respects to the heavens, and presented the complaint. Ge Xianweng took the complaint and laid it on the imperial table. The Jade Emperor frowned upon reading it and immediately issued a decree, ordering Chang Geng and the Tai Bai Jin Xing to meet with the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King.
Seeing this, the Monkey King rushed forward, “I hope the Heavenly Lord will punish him properly; otherwise, there will be trouble later!” The Jade Emperor nodded, “The complainant must also go.” The Monkey King was surprised, “I can go too?” The four heavenly masters laughed and said, “Since the decree has been issued, you can go with Jin Xing.”
Upon hearing this, the Monkey King immediately followed Tai Bai Jin Xing and quickly arrived at the Cloud Tower Palace. At the palace entrance, Jin Xing saw a young attendant standing there. The moment the attendant recognized Jin Xing, he rushed inside to report, “Lord Tai Bai Jin Xing has arrived!”
When the Heavenly King saw Jin Xing holding the decree, he immediately came out to greet him. However, upon turning around, he noticed the Monkey King had followed him in, and his expression darkened. Why was he angry?
Everyone knew that the Monkey King had caused great trouble in the Heavenly Palace back in the day, which had deeply angered the Heavenly King. To suppress him, the Jade Emperor had appointed the Heavenly King as the Great Marshal of Demon Subjugation, and Prince Nezha as the God of the Three Altars, leading the heavenly soldiers to capture the Monkey King. However, they had repeatedly failed, causing the Heavenly King great frustration. Now, seeing the Monkey King again, his anger flared up, thinking, “This monkey is here to cause trouble again!”
Unable to contain himself, the Heavenly King asked, “Old Chang Geng, what decree are you holding?” Jin Xing replied, “It’s a complaint from the Great Sage Sun against you.” The Heavenly King’s anger surged even more, “What has he complained about?” Jin Xing said, “He accuses you of the matter of the demon capturing people. You should burn incense and see for yourself.” The Heavenly King gritted his teeth in anger, set up an incense altar, and thought to himself, “This monkey is truly infuriating!”
After finishing his incense offering, he unfolded the decree and, enraged, slammed his hand on the incense altar, “This monkey is simply slandering me!” Jin Xing quickly advised, “Don’t be angry; there are the plaque and incense burner as evidence, saying it’s your own daughter.” The Heavenly King huffed, “I only have three sons and a seven-year-old daughter, Zhen Ying. How could she become a demon? My daughter doesn’t even understand human affairs; how could she possibly turn into a demon!”
The more he spoke, the angrier he became, ordering his subordinates to bind the Monkey King: “Such slander is absolutely unforgivable! According to the law, slander adds three degrees of punishment!” Thus, the Giant Spirit God, Fish Belly General, and Medicine Fork Hero rushed forward and tightly bound the Monkey King. Seeing this, Jin Xing hurriedly advised, “Li Tianwang, don’t be so impulsive! I brought the decree; it wouldn’t be good to bind him too tightly.”
The Heavenly King, still seething with anger, replied, “Jin Xing, how can I let this fraudulent complaint go? I’ll go get my knife and chop him up!” Jin Xing’s heart tightened upon hearing this, and he quickly warned the Monkey King, “You need to be careful; filing a complaint isn’t easy, don’t let him really take action!” The Monkey King, however, was unconcerned, smiling and saying, “Don’t worry, old official; it’s fine. I do things this way: I lose first and win later!”
At that moment, the Heavenly King, furious, raised his knife, preparing to strike the Monkey King. Unexpectedly, Prince Nezha quickly stepped forward and blocked the Heavenly King’s knife with his sword, shouting, “Father, calm down!” The Heavenly King was taken aback, thinking, “My son actually used a sword to block my knife; this is truly unbelievable!”
You would think a father should be pleased to see his son blocking his knife with a sword, but he was instead alarmed. The reason was that the Heavenly King knew Nezha was a huge troublemaker. As a child, he had the character “哪” on his left palm and “吒” on his right, hence the name Nezha. This kid had caused havoc in the sea, even trampling the Crystal Palace, and had seized the dragon to make ropes from its tendons. The Heavenly King was worried that this child would cause trouble in the future and wanted to kill him.
Nezha was furious and, after severing his flesh for his mother and removing his bones for his father, eventually sent his soul to the Western Paradise to seek the Buddha. While the Buddha was preaching, he heard someone calling for help, and upon seeing it was Nezha’s soul, he immediately resurrected him using lotus roots for bones and lotus leaves for clothing. Nezha then used his divine power to defeat the 96 cave demons, and later even sought revenge by attempting to kill the Heavenly King. The Heavenly King, left with no choice, had to plead with the Buddha, who gifted him a exquisite pagoda and declared Nezha as the Buddha’s son, resolving their enmity.
Today, the Heavenly King was at home without the pagoda, feeling somewhat anxious that Nezha might come for revenge, which startled him greatly. He quickly took out the golden pagoda and asked Nezha, “Child, you blocked my knife with your sword; what do you have to say?”
Nezha knelt and replied, “Father, there is actually a daughter in the lower realm.”
The Heavenly King, hearing this, was even more puzzled: “I only have you and your three sisters; where would a daughter come from?” Nezha explained, “Father, you’ve forgotten. That daughter is actually a demon who stole the fragrant flowers and precious candles from the Buddha three hundred years ago. The Buddha ordered us to capture her, and she should have been killed, but I spared her life. Later, she turned into a demon and framed Tang Seng, which the Monkey King discovered and reported.”
Upon hearing this, the Heavenly King was astonished: “What is her name?” Nezha replied, “She has three names: her original name was the Golden-Nosed White-Haired Mouse Demon, later she changed it to Half-Section Guanyin, and now she is called Lady Di Yong.” The Heavenly King finally understood and hurriedly put down the pagoda to personally untie the Monkey King.
As soon as the Monkey King saw this, he perked up: “Who dares to untie me? If you take me to see the Emperor, then I will have won my case!” This flustered the Heavenly King, and Nezha was left speechless, while the other generals quietly stepped back. The Great Sage rolled around and insisted that the Heavenly King must go to see the Emperor. With no other options, the Heavenly King had to seek help from Jin Xing. Jin Xing advised, “As the ancients say, be lenient in all matters. You’re being too tense; tying him up and wanting to kill him is excessive!”
This monkey is truly notorious for being a troublemaker, the Heavenly King thought, troubled about how to handle the situation. Jin Xing, looking helpless, said, “Your son may be a favored daughter, but she is not your biological child, and according to the law, she is guilty.” The Heavenly King, hearing this, became anxious: “Then suggest a convenient way to clear her of guilt.” Jin Xing shook his head: “I want to mediate between you, but there’s no emotional basis for this matter.”
The Heavenly King laughed: “Tell me about that matter of granting amnesty and bestowing titles.” Jin Xing then stepped forward, patted the Monkey King’s shoulder, and said, “Great Sage, for my sake, if you are untied, you can go see the Emperor.” The Monkey King waved his hand dismissively: “Old official, no need to untie me; I can roll my way up to the heavens!”
Jin Xing couldn’t help but laugh: “You monkey really have no loyalty. I treated you quite well back then; why don’t you listen to me?” The Monkey King scoffed: “What kindness did you show me?” Jin Xing replied, “Back when you were causing trouble at Flower Fruit Mountain, the heavens wanted to capture you, and it was my strong recommendation that allowed you to be appointed as the Keeper of Horses. Later, when you stole peaches and drank wine, if it weren’t for me, would you have what you have today?”
Upon hearing this, the Monkey King felt a stir in his heart: “As the ancients say, don’t share a grave with an old man! I only caused a ruckus in the Heavenly Palace; it’s not a big deal. However, seeing your face, I’ll let him untie me himself.” The Heavenly King then dared to step forward and untie the Monkey King.
The Monkey King put on his clothes and pointed at Jin Xing: “Old official, hurry and urge him to go see the Emperor; don’t delay my master!” Jin Xing replied, “Don’t rush; have some tea first.” The Monkey King was dissatisfied: “You’re eating his tea, receiving his favors, and selling out prisoners; this is a major crime!” Jin Xing panicked: “No tea! I’m being implicated too! Li Tianwang, hurry up and go!”
The Heavenly King was too afraid to go, fearing he might say the wrong thing. Meanwhile, the Monkey King was relentless, insisting that the Heavenly King must go see the Emperor. With no way out, the Heavenly King pleaded with Jin Xing: “Please suggest a convenient way.” Jin Xing thought for a moment: “I have a saying; will you listen to me?” The Monkey King, showing disdain, replied, “Go ahead; I’ll consider it for your sake.”
Jin Xing said, “In official matters, ten days of work for one day of results. You have reported that the demon is the Heavenly King’s daughter, and the Heavenly King says she is not. You two will argue endlessly before the Emperor.”
Meanwhile, Zhu Bajie and Sha Monk were anxiously waiting, finally seeing the heavenly soldiers and the Monkey King arrive. Bajie, upon seeing the Heavenly King, immediately bowed respectfully: “Your Majesty! Your Majesty!” The Heavenly King replied, “Marshal Tianpeng, you don’t know, but my son and I were influenced by this monkey, which allowed the demon to unjustly capture your master. If I’m late, don’t blame me.” The Heavenly King then asked, “Is this the Xian Kong Mountain? Where is the cave entrance?” The Monkey King confidently replied, “I’m very familiar with this road, but that cave is called the Bottomless Pit, and there are many demon nests within three hundred miles. My master was previously at the Water Drop Gate Tower, but now it’s quiet, without a ghost in sight. I don’t know where he has moved to.”
The Heavenly King nodded: “No matter what tricks he plays, he ultimately cannot escape the heavenly net. We’ll talk at the cave entrance.” Everyone set off, walking for over ten miles until they finally reached the large rock. The Monkey King pointed to a hole the size of a jar: “It’s right here!” The Heavenly King said sternly, “Without entering the tiger’s den, how can you catch the tiger cub? Who dares to go first?” The Monkey King immediately replied, “I’ll go!” The Third Prince was also eager: “I have the order to subdue demons; I’ll go!” At that moment, Bajie excitedly exclaimed, “Boss, it has to be me, old pig!” The Heavenly King helplessly said, “Stop arguing, listen to my arrangement: Sun Wukong and the Prince will lead the troops down, while we guard the entrance, coordinating from the inside and outside, leaving the demon nowhere to escape.”
Everyone responded in unison, “Yes!” So, the Monkey King and the Third Prince led the heavenly soldiers, swiftly flying into the cave. Looking up, they saw it was indeed a good cave, illuminated by the dual suns and moons, with beautiful mountains and rivers in sight. The pearl pond and jade well, along with the painted pavilions, were truly enviable. However, after searching around, they found no trace of the demon or Tang Seng, and everyone said, “The demon must have run away long ago.”
Little did they know, in the southeast corner, there was a small hole leading to a low house with a few pots of flowers, bamboo swaying, black mist swirling, and a faint fragrance wafting. The old monster had captured Tang Seng here to force a marriage, hoping to keep the Monkey King from finding him. But unexpectedly, the little demons inside were making a racket, and one bold one peeked out, only to bump into the heavenly soldiers, immediately shouting, “Over here!” The Monkey King was furious, brandishing his golden staff and charging inside. The cave was small, and all the demons were squeezed together.
The Third Prince followed in with the heavenly soldiers; how could the demons hide? The Monkey King found Tang Seng, the dragon horse, and the luggage. Seeing there was no way out, the old monster could only beg for mercy. The Third Prince coldly said, “This is a decree from the Jade Emperor to capture you; it’s no small matter. My father and I were influenced by just one incense stick and almost let the monk come to harm!” He then ordered the heavenly soldiers, “Tie up all those demons!” The old monster suffered greatly.
In the end, the Monkey King was laughing, and the Heavenly King opened the cave entrance, greeting the Monkey King: “This time, we finally see your master.” The Monkey King repeatedly thanked him: “Thank you, thank you!” He then led Tang Seng to thank the Heavenly King and the Prince. Sha Monk and Bajie wanted to teach the old monster a harsh lesson, but the Heavenly King said, “He was captured under a decree; we cannot act lightly. We still need to return to report.”
Thus, the Heavenly King and the Third Prince took the heavenly soldiers, escorting the demons to report to the heavenly court, awaiting their fate. The Monkey King supported Tang Seng, Sha Monk packed the luggage, and Bajie led the horse, helping Tang Seng mount. Everyone set off together. This is just the beginning: severing the silk vines across the golden sea, unlocking the jade lock to escape the cage. As for the story that follows, we’ll talk about it next time!
