On a sunny morning, a few blacksmiths, exhausted from days of hard work, finally fell asleep. When they woke up at dawn to continue forging weapons, they suddenly realized that the three magical weapons were missing! They were all dumbfounded and started searching everywhere. Just then, three young princes came out of the palace, and the blacksmiths hurriedly knelt down and said, “Your Highness, we don’t know where the master’s three weapons went!” The young prince was terrified and thought, “Could it be that the master took them away last night?” So he rushed to the White Sand Pavilion to check and found that the white horse was still there, unable to help but exclaim, “The master is still sleeping!” The Sand Monk replied, “He’s already awake.”
When the prince entered the room and saw that the weapons were indeed missing, he hurriedly asked, “Have the master’s weapons been taken?” The Monkey King jumped up and said, “They haven’t been taken!” The prince panicked, “The three weapons are missing tonight!” Pigsy immediately got up and asked, “Is my rake still here?” The young prince said, “When we came out just now, everyone was looking for them. I was scared, thinking the master took them, so I came to ask. The master’s treasures can hide and reveal themselves, so they must be nearby, playing tricks on us.”
Hearing this, the Monkey King thought to himself, “So they really weren’t taken; we need to find them.” They all returned to the courtyard, but found nothing. Pigsy was furious: “It must be those blacksmiths who stole them! Hurry up and catch them! If we’re any later, we’ll beat them to death!” The blacksmiths were terrified, kneeling and crying, “Please, we really fell asleep from exhaustion! We didn’t notice until dawn. We’re just ordinary people; how could we steal these magical weapons? Please spare us!” The Monkey King felt helpless and secretly regretted, “This is truly our fault. We knew the treasures would shine; how could we leave them here? It must have attracted bad people, and they were stolen last night.”
Just as they were arguing, the old prince came out, pale and thoughtful, and after a long pause said, “The master’s weapons are extraordinary; even a hundred people couldn’t lift them. Moreover, I’ve been in this city for five generations, and everyone knows my good name. No one would dare bully us. Master, please think of a way.” The Monkey King smiled and said, “No need to think further, and don’t blame the blacksmiths. Let me ask you, are there any monsters around this city?” The prince replied, “Good question, Master. There’s a Leopard Head Mountain to the north, and inside there’s a Tiger Mouth Cave. I’ve heard that there are immortals, tigers, wolves, and monsters inside. I haven’t been there, so I don’t know what’s really inside.”
Upon hearing this, the Monkey King understood: “That’s right; those bad guys must have known these treasures were here and stole them overnight.” He told Pigsy and the Sand Monk, “You stay here to protect the master and guard the city. I’ll go take a look.” He instructed the blacksmiths, “Don’t stop the furnace; keep forging.”
After bidding farewell to Tripitaka, the Monkey King whistled and instantly disappeared, flying to Leopard Head Mountain. In fact, the mountain was only seventy miles away from the city, and he arrived in no time. Upon reaching the mountain top, he felt a strong aura of evil spirits; the mountain was majestic, with a long dragon vein. The front was carpeted with beautiful grass, while the back was filled with rare flowers. Ancient pines and towering trees surrounded him, birds flew in the sky, and wild geese and monkeys chirped together, creating a beautiful scene.
Just as he was admiring the view, he suddenly heard voices coming from behind the mountain. He quickly turned around and saw two wolf-headed monsters chatting as they walked toward the northwest. The Monkey King thought, “These must be the patrolling monsters; I need to follow them and see what they’re saying.” So, he chanted a spell, transformed into a butterfly, and fluttered over.
At that moment, the two monsters were happily chatting: “Brother, my king has been really lucky lately! A few days ago, he got a beautiful woman, and now he’s acquired three priceless weapons. Tomorrow we’ll have a banquet to celebrate, and we’ll all benefit from it.” The other monster replied, “We’re lucky too! Let’s use twenty taels of silver to buy some pigs and sheep, have a few jugs of wine, and spend some silver on winter clothes. That sounds great!” The two monsters laughed and hurried along the main road.
Hearing about the celebratory banquet, the Monkey King felt secretly pleased, but he also wanted to take action without any weapons. He flew ahead, revealed his true form, and stood at the road’s entrance waiting. As the two monsters approached, the Monkey King spat out a spell and immediately froze them in place. They could only watch, unable to move their mouths or feet. The Monkey King flipped them over, opened their clothes, and indeed found twenty taels of silver, along with a package tied around their waist that had two painted tags—one labeled “Cunning and Strange” and the other “Strange and Cunning.”
The Monkey King took the silver, untied the monster's tags, and turned back to the city. As soon as he entered the royal palace, he saw the prince, Tripitaka, and a group of officials and blacksmiths busy discussing the recent events. Pigsy cheerfully said, “Haha, it must be that old pig’s treasures were too dazzling, so they bought pigs and sheep to celebrate! But how did these pigs and sheep end up here?”
The Monkey King slapped his forehead: “All three of us have been there; this silver is meant for buying pigs and sheep. Let’s reward the blacksmiths with this silver and have the prince find a few pigs and sheep. Pigsy, you transform into ‘Cunning and Strange,’ I’ll become ‘Strange and Cunning,’ and Sand Monk, you pretend to be a customer buying pigs and sheep. We’ll go into the Tiger Mouth Cave, take down that monster, and then come back to clean up.” Sand Monk immediately got excited and said, “Great idea! Let’s go!”
The old prince heard this and quickly arranged for someone to buy seven or eight pigs and four or five sheep. The three brothers bid farewell to their master and started using their powers as they walked outside the city. Pigsy scratched his head and said, “Brother, I’ve never seen that ‘Cunning and Strange.’ How can I look like him?” The Monkey King laughed and said, “That monster is frozen by me; he won’t wake up until tomorrow at this time. I remember what he looks like; let me teach you how to transform!” After saying that, the Monkey King chanted a spell and blew some magical air, instantly transforming Pigsy to look just like the monster, complete with a pink tag hanging from his waist.
The Monkey King also transformed into ‘Strange and Cunning,’ while Sand Monk dressed up as a customer buying pigs and sheep. The three of them set off, driving the pigs and sheep straight toward the mountain. Soon, they entered a valley and encountered a small monster. This monster was truly ugly and terrifying, with round eyes like lanterns, red hair like flames, wearing a light yellow outfit and straw shoes, approaching them aggressively.
The monster held a colorful invitation box and shouted at the three, “Strange and Cunning, you’ve come? How many pigs and sheep did you buy?” The Monkey King replied with a smile, “Aren’t we on our way?” The monster looked at Sand Monk and asked, “Who is this?” The Monkey King answered, “He’s a customer here to buy pigs and sheep, carrying some silver. Where are you going?”
The monster said, “I’m going to Bamboo Joint Mountain to invite the Great King. We’re having a meeting tomorrow.” The Monkey King’s heart stirred, and he asked, “How many people are you inviting?” The monster replied, “Inviting the Great King to sit at the head, along with the kings and leaders of this mountain, about forty in total.” Pigsy got anxious: “Hurry up; the pigs and sheep are running away!” The Monkey King said, “You go with the invitation; let me take a look.” Upon hearing this, the monster immediately opened the box and handed the invitation to the Monkey King.
The Monkey King unfolded it and saw it read: “Tomorrow, we respectfully hold the banquet to celebrate the Dingpa Gathering. You are cordially invited; please do not bring outsiders! To the esteemed ancestor, the Nine Spirits Primordial Sage, from your grandson, Huang Shi, bowing deeply.” After reading it, the Monkey King returned the invitation to the monster, who put it back in the box and walked off toward the southeast.
Curious, Sand Monk asked, “Brother, what did the invitation say?” The Monkey King replied, “It’s an invitation to the Dingpa Gathering, mentioning the name of your grandson, Huang Shi.” Sand Monk laughed, “Huang Shi must be a golden-haired lion spirit. I wonder what the Nine Spirits Primordial Sage is?” Upon hearing this, Pigsy chuckled, “That must be the old pig’s goods!” The Monkey King asked, “How is that your goods?” Pigsy explained, “Ancient people say that a scabby sow specifically pursues golden-haired lions, so this is the old pig’s cargo!”
The three of them chatted and laughed, driving the pigs and sheep until they finally saw the entrance to the Tiger Mouth Cave. The scenery outside the cave was picturesque, surrounded by lush green mountains that extended endlessly. Vines covered the cliffs, purple flowers hung from the high ledges, birds sang among the deep trees, and the shadows of flowers swayed at the cave entrance—it truly was a secluded paradise.
As the three brothers approached the Tiger Mouth Cave, they suddenly spotted a group of mixed small monsters playing under the flowering trees. As soon as Pigsy saw them, he let out a laugh and charged toward them with the pigs and sheep. The small monsters rushed over to catch the pigs and sheep, busying themselves. This commotion alerted the monster king inside, who came out with a dozen little monsters and asked, “You’ve come? How many pigs and sheep did you buy?”
The Monkey King put on a seasoned demeanor and said, “We’ve bought eight pigs and seven sheep, totaling fifteen livestock. The price for the pigs is sixteen taels of silver, and for the sheep, nine taels. We’ve already paid twenty taels, but still owe five.” The monster king immediately called to his little demons, “Go, give them five taels of silver and hurry them along!” However, the Monkey King replied, “This guest not only came for silver but also wants to see the banquet.”
The monster king grew angry and scolded, “You lazy trickster! Buying things is one thing; what’s with this talk of banquets?” Pigsy quickly stepped forward, saying, “The master has obtained treasures; aren’t they rare wonders? Shouldn’t he take a look?” The monster king gritted his teeth in anger, “This treasure of mine was obtained from Yuhua City. What if this guest sees it and spreads the word? What will happen when the prince comes?”
Unfazed, the Monkey King replied, “This guest is from outside; he’s not a local, so he wouldn’t spread any word. Besides, he’s hungry, and we haven’t eaten either. We have food and drink at home. Let’s treat him to some and send him on his way.” As he spoke, a little demon handed over five taels of silver.
The Monkey King passed the silver to Sand Monk, saying, “Guest, take the silver. Let’s go inside and have a meal.” Sand Monk gathered his courage and followed Pigsy and the Monkey King into the cave. Upon reaching the second-floor hall, they saw a nine-toothed nail hammer gleaming brightly on the central table; to the east lay a golden staff, and to the west was a demon-slaying rod. The monster king followed behind and said, “Guest, that in the middle is the nail hammer; take a look, but don’t tell anyone.”
At that moment, Pigsy could no longer contain himself. Seeing the nail hammer, he was as excited as a child, rushing forward to grab it and revealing his true form, swinging it down at the demon. The Monkey King and Sand Monk also dashed to the sides, picking up their weapons, and the three brothers began to fight fiercely. The monster king, seeing this, quickly dodged and turned to grab a four-bright shovel, shouting, “Who are you to come and deceive me of my treasures?”
The Monkey King, filled with rage, retorted, “You thieving scoundrel! We are disciples of the holy monk Tang Sanzang from the East, here to reclaim the treasures you stole! How dare you say we’re deceiving you!” The monster king, upon hearing this, raised his shovel to engage in battle. Thus, a fierce fight broke out between the three brothers and the monster king outside the cave.
During the fight, the sounds of their weapons clashing were like the wind, and the sounds of the hammer rang like rain. The demon-slaying rod was raised high, and the four-bright shovel extended; the scene was truly lively. The three brothers worked in perfect harmony, leaving the monster king in disarray. After a fierce battle, the monster king began to tire and finally shouted to Sand Monk, “Watch the shovel!” Sand Monk easily dodged, and the monster king seized the chance to escape, flying southeast.
Pigsy wanted to chase after him, but the Monkey King said, “Don’t chase; don’t pursue a desperate enemy. Let’s cut off his escape route first.” They then headed straight for the cave entrance, taking down the little demons one by one. It turned out they were just minor monsters like tigers, wolves, leopards, deer, and goats. The Monkey King used magic to bring out the valuables from the cave along with the defeated demons and the pigs and sheep they had brought.
Sand Monk gathered dry wood, and Pigsy fanned the flames with his ears, quickly burning the nest clean. Finally, they returned the items to the city.
At this time, the city gates were still open, and it wasn’t too late at night. The old prince and his son, along with Tripitaka, were sitting in the pavilion waiting. Suddenly, the three disciples burst in, dropping a courtyard full of dead beasts, pigs, sheep, and valuables, shouting in unison, “Master, we have returned victorious!” The old prince was overjoyed, and Tripitaka was equally delighted. The three young princes quickly knelt down, and Sand Monk helped them up, saying, “Don’t thank us; come over and take a look at these things.”
The prince curiously asked, “Where did these things come from?” The Monkey King grinned and said, “Those tigers, wolves, leopards, deer, and goats are all transformed monsters. We took their weapons and drove them out. That old monster was a golden-haired lion; we fought until dark, and he eventually escaped. We didn’t chase him but cleared his escape route, killed these monsters, and brought back these items.” The old prince, upon hearing this, felt both joy and worry—joy for the victory, but worry about possible retaliation from the monsters.
Seeing this, the Monkey King reassured him, “Your Highness, don’t worry. I’ve already considered this. That monster will definitely go find his ancestor, and he will surely come back for revenge tomorrow. I will capture them all.” The old prince was very grateful and arranged for dinner. After the master and disciples finished their meal, they each returned to their rooms to rest.
However, the monster indeed fled southeast to Bamboo Joint Mountain. In the mountain, there was a place called the Nine Curves Cave, where his ancestor, the Nine Spirits Primordial Sage, resided. The monster hurried all night, and by dawn, finally reached the cave entrance and knocked to enter. The little demons saw him and hurriedly said, “Great King, last night a blue-faced little monster brought an invitation. The old master let him stay until this morning, wanting to go to the nail hammer meeting with him. Why have you come in person?”
The monster, flustered, replied, “It’s not good, not good! It’s going to be a disaster!” Just then, the blue-faced little monster walked out from inside and said, “Great King, why are you here? The old king has already gotten up and is preparing to go to the meeting with me.” The monster felt a tightness in his chest and could only shake his head in silence. After a while, the old monster woke up and called him in. The monster dropped his weapons and knelt down in tears.
The old monster asked, “Good grandson, you sent out invitations yesterday, and you came in person this morning. Why are you so sad?” The monster bowed his head and said, “Last night, I wandered under the moon and saw the brilliance of Yuhua City. I hurried to take a look and found three weapons shining in the royal courtyard: one was a nine-toothed nail hammer, one was a precious staff, and the other was a golden rod. I thought to ask my ancestor for a reward and hold a feast to celebrate, but those little monsters who were buying pigs and sheep brought a customer looking for silver. He insisted on seeing the banquet, and I was afraid he would spread the word, so I let him eat something.”
The monster continued, “He went inside and saw the weapons, and the three of them each grabbed one, revealing their true forms and starting to fight. I hurriedly confronted them with the four-bright shovel and asked who dared to cause trouble. They said they were disciples of Tang Seng, here to learn martial arts, and that I had stolen their weapons, which is why they fought back. I couldn’t defeat them alone, so I could only escape back, hoping my ancestor would help me take revenge!”
The old monster listened, pondered for a moment, and then smiled, saying, “So it’s them. My good grandson, you’ve really gotten yourself into big trouble!” The monster asked, “Does my ancestor know who they are?” The old monster replied, “That long-nosed, big-eared one is Pigsy, and the gloomy-faced one is Sand Monk. Those two are manageable. But that hairy-faced, thunderous-mouthed one is Sun Wukong; he’s formidable! Five hundred years ago, he caused a ruckus in Heaven and couldn’t be captured by a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers! How did you provoke him? No matter, let’s go together and capture them along with the prince of Yuhua to vent your anger!” Upon hearing this, the monster immediately knelt down in gratitude.
At this time, the old monster summoned his subordinates, calling out names like a roll call: Lion, Snow Lion, Suanni, White Zhen, Fuli, and Tuanshi, all wielding sharp weapons. The yellow lion led them, and a fierce wind howled as they rushed toward Leopard Head Mountain. Along the way, the smell of smoke filled the air, and they heard someone crying. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be two crafty little monsters wailing, “Master, woo woo woo!”
As the monster approached, he shouted, “Are you really crafty or just pretending?” The two little monsters were so frightened that they knelt down, tears streaming down their faces as they bowed, “We wouldn’t dare pretend! Early yesterday morning, we received silver to buy pigs and sheep. When we reached the big hill on the west side of the mountain, we encountered a hairy-faced, thunderous-mouthed monk. He spat at us, and we were so scared that our legs went soft, unable to speak, and he knocked us down, taking all our silver and tokens. We were dazed until now. When we got home, we found the fire still burning; our house was completely burned down, and the master and all the leaders were missing, which is why we are here crying, not knowing how the fire started!”
Hearing this, the old monster couldn’t help but shed tears, stamping his feet in anger, shouting, “That bald-headed monk! This is too much! How could he do this, burning my cave clean, killing my beauties, and losing all my possessions! I’m furious, I’m furious!” The old monster called for the lion to come over, saying, “Good grandson, things have come to this; being angry is useless. First, regain your strength, then let’s go to the city to capture that monk!”
However, the monster still refused to stop crying, saying, “Master, my mountain territory can’t be restored in just a day or two; it’s all been ruined by that bald-headed monk. What’s the point of me living!” As he spoke, he struggled to bang his head against the rocky cliff, but the Snow Lion and the other demons quickly persuaded him to stop. So, they left that place and rushed toward the city.
At that moment, the wind howled and the clouds surged closer. The people outside the city were panicking, dragging men and carrying women, forgetting their belongings, and all running toward the city. They rushed through the city gates and tightly closed them. Someone hurried to the royal palace to report, “This is bad! This is bad!” At that time, the prince and Tang Seng were having breakfast in the pavilion. Upon hearing the news, they immediately came out to ask, “What’s going on?”
The crowd hurriedly replied, “A group of monsters is coming; the wind and sand are swirling, and they’re almost at the city!” The old king turned pale with fright, saying, “What should we do?” But the Monkey King smiled and reassured everyone, “Don’t be afraid! These are the monsters from Tiger Mouth Cave; they were just defeated yesterday and are now looking for the Nine Spirits Primordial Sage. My brothers and I will go out and quickly close the four city gates. You all hurry and gather people to guard the city!”
The prince immediately issued orders to close the gates and mobilize the guards to the walls. The old king and his son, along with Tang Seng, busily organized the troops on the city tower, banners blocking the sky, and cannons firing continuously. Meanwhile, the Monkey King and his companions set out from the city, ready to face the enemy amidst the half-cloudy, half-misty atmosphere. This was indeed a situation where the loss of wisdom leads to carelessness, causing demons to rise with all their evil. As for the outcome of this battle, we shall discuss it next time!
