The Great Sage Sun Wukong and his two brothers rode on clouds, whistling as they headed straight for the Xuan Ying Cave on Qinglong Mountain in the northeast. As soon as they arrived at the cave entrance, Bajie wanted to build a door, but Wukong said, “Hold on, let me go in and check on Master’s situation first.” Sandy frowned and said, “The door is tightly shut, how do we get in?” Wukong confidently replied, “I have a way!”
So, Sun Wukong put away his staff, chanted a spell, and instantly transformed into a firefly, quickly slipping through the stone door—talk about nimble! Inside the cave, he saw several bull-headed monsters sprawled out, snoring loudly, clearly deep in sleep. As he walked further in, he found doors everywhere, completely clueless about where those three monsters were. Just as he was about to turn around to search, he suddenly heard a crying sound. It turned out that Tang Seng was locked in a back room, sobbing away.
Wukong's heart leaped with joy at the sound and quickly flew over to Tang Seng, who was lamenting, “It’s been over ten years since I left Chang’an, enduring countless hardships. Luckily, I caught a festival in the Western Regions, but who knew the fake Buddha statue under the lantern would bring me this disaster.” Wukong felt a wave of emotion and immediately flew in front of his master, shouting, “Master, I’m here!”
Tang Seng was overjoyed to see him: “Wukong, how did you come?” Wukong quickly reverted to his original form and said, “Master, I was worried about you, and it cost us a lot of time and effort. I originally wanted to leave Bajie and Sandy at the temple to guard it, but I heard some news and chased it here. Thankfully, I got a message from the messenger to find out this is the Xuan Ying Cave on Qinglong Mountain.” Tang Seng was even more grateful and asked, “Are Bajie and Sandy outside?” Wukong replied, “Yes, they’re outside, but they’re all asleep. I’ll take you out right now.”
After saying that, he used magic to unlock the door and was about to lead Tang Seng out when suddenly they heard the monster king shouting from the main hall, “Hey, everyone, close the door, watch out for the fire, why isn’t anyone patrolling?” It turned out that those little monsters had fought all day and were so tired they fell asleep, only waking up at the sound. Wukong’s heart raced; he quickly pulled Tang Seng forward.
Just then, several little monsters bumped into them, shouting in unison, “Good monk, where are you going to unlock the door?” Wukong didn’t have time to explain, so he immediately pulled out his staff and struck hard, killing two little monsters on the spot. The remaining little monsters saw this and dropped their weapons, hurriedly shouting, “King! Not good! The hairy-faced monk is attacking!” As soon as the three monsters heard this, they jumped up and shouted, “Catch him!” This scared Tang Seng so much his legs went weak, but Wukong was unfazed, charging forward.
The little monsters couldn’t stop him at all; he knocked them down one by one, opened several doors, and shouted, “Where are my brothers?” Bajie and Sandy were waiting with their weapons, asking, “Brother, what happened?” Wukong quickly filled them in on the situation, and everyone joined forces, ready to face the next challenge.
Meanwhile, the monster king had captured Tang Seng, locking him up tight, brandishing a knife and an axe, and asked menacingly, “How did you unlock the door? How did that monkey get in? Speak up, or I’ll slice you in half!” Tang Seng trembled in fear and quickly knelt down, saying, “Great King, my disciple Sun Wukong can transform into seventy-two different forms; he turned into a firefly to sneak in. Unfortunately, you discovered him, and he didn’t know better, injuring two little monsters, causing everyone to shout, which made you forget about me and run out.”
The three monster kings burst into laughter: “We already knew, he didn’t get far!” They ordered the little monsters to tightly close the front and back doors, forbidding any noise. Sandy felt a tightening in his chest: “If they’re closing the doors quietly, they must be plotting against my master; we need to take action!” Wukong nodded: “You’re right, let’s break the door!” Bajie, not to be outdone, raised his weapon and smashed the door, shattering it to pieces, shouting, “You thieving monsters! Let my master go!” The little monsters inside were so scared they hurried to report, “Great King, not good! The front door has been broken by the monk!”
The monster kings were extremely agitated: “This guy is truly disrespectful!” They ordered the little monsters to don their armor, ready their weapons, and prepare for battle. It was already the third watch of the night, with the moon shining bright as day. Wukong, Bajie, and Sandy each braced themselves against the monster kings' weapons, ready for a showdown. This battle was truly spectacular, with the monks wielding staffs and forks while the monsters used axes and clubs, the sound of wind howling and dust swirling.
In the initial clash, neither side gained the upper hand, but as the fight intensified, Wukong’s iron staff and Bajie’s fork whirled about, creating a lively scene. Just then, the monster king shouted, “Little ones, come here quickly!” The monsters worked together and managed to trip Bajie, dragging him into the cave. Seeing this, Sandy was frantic and swung his precious staff in an attempt to save Bajie, but he was surrounded by the little monsters and captured as well.
Wukong saw this and felt a pang of anxiety; he quickly summoned his cloud and flew away. At this moment, Bajie and Sandy were dragged in front of Tang Seng, who, upon seeing them, burst into tears: “You poor souls have suffered such cruelty! Where is Wukong?” Sandy, with a bitter expression, replied, “As soon as my brother saw us get captured, he ran away.” Tang Seng sighed, “Since he has left, he will surely seek help, but we don’t know when we’ll be able to escape.”
Meanwhile, Wukong rode his cloud back to Ciyun Temple, where the monks hurriedly approached him, asking, “Can Lord Tang be saved?” Wukong shook his head: “It’s difficult to save him! That monster is very powerful; I fought with my brothers for quite a while, and in the end, Bajie and Sandy were captured, leaving only me to escape.” The monks were frightened: “If you can ride the clouds, can’t you save our master?”
Wukong reassured them: “It’s fine! My master has divine protection and has taken the grass-and-immortality pill, so he should be fine. But that monster is quite skilled. Prepare the horses and supplies; I will go to the heavens to seek help.” The monks were astonished: “You can go to the heavens?” Wukong smiled and said, “The heavenly palace is my old home. I was once the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. Although I was later subdued by the Buddha, now I must protect Tang Seng on his journey to the West; this is my chance for redemption.” Upon hearing this, the monks all bowed in respect. As Wukong stepped outside, he gave a loud whistle and instantly vanished from sight.
As for the Great Sage Sun Wukong, he arrived early at the western gate, where he suddenly saw the Morning Star and the King of Growth, along with four celestial officials chatting. As soon as he appeared, everyone hurriedly bowed: “Great Sage, where are you going?” Wukong, shaking his golden staff, replied, “I’m here to protect my master Tang Seng. I just arrived at Ciyun Temple in Jinping Prefecture, but the monks kept me there, coinciding with the Lantern Festival. We saw three golden lanterns on the Golden Lantern Bridge, and the oil was shockingly expensive. My master, not knowing better, actually went up to the bridge to worship the Buddha, and was captured by the monsters. I chased all the way here to Qinglong Mountain, where there’s a cave called Xuan Ying Cave, inhabited by three monsters. I fought them fiercely but couldn’t win! I transformed to sneak in and saw my master locked up, so I hurried to unlock him, but the monsters discovered me, and I had no choice but to flee. Later, when I fought with Bajie and Sandy, they were also captured.”
The Morning Star couldn’t help but laugh: “Great Sage, when you fought the monsters, didn’t you know their origins?” Wukong shook his head: “I recognize them; they are a group of bull demons, but they are quite powerful!” The Morning Star continued, “Those are three rhinoceros demons, who have cultivated for many years and possess celestial abilities, able to fly and burrow into the earth. They are particularly cleanliness-obsessed, often complaining that their shadows are dirty and wanting to wash themselves in water. They have many names, such as Si Rhino, Male Rhino, and Gu Rhino, all with three hairs and two horns, capable of opening waterways. Names like Bi Han, Bi Shu, and Bi Chen denote noble horns, which is why they are called kings. If you want to subdue them, you need to find the Four Wood Bird Stars.”
Wukong quickly asked, “Who are the Four Wood Bird Stars? Please tell me more.” The Morning Star smiled and said, “These four stars are outside the Oxen Palace, governing heaven and earth. Go tell the Jade Emperor, and you will know.” Wukong thanked him profusely and walked straight into the heavenly gate.
Before long, he arrived at the Tongming Hall and met the three heavenly masters, Ge Qiu, Zhang, and Xu. The heavenly masters asked, “Where are you going?” Wukong replied, “I just arrived at Jinping Prefecture, and my master was captured by a monster while viewing the lanterns during the Lantern Festival. I came to seek help.” The four heavenly masters immediately took Wukong to the Lingxiao Palace to report the situation to the Jade Emperor. After hearing the story, the Jade Emperor asked, “Which heavenly troops should we send to help?” Wukong said, “I met the Morning Star at the western gate, and he said that the monster is a rhinoceros demon, which can only be subdued by the Four Wood Bird Stars.” The Jade Emperor then dispatched Master Xu to accompany Wukong to the Oxen Palace to find the Four Wood Bird Stars.
Upon arriving outside the palace, the twenty-eight constellations were already waiting. The heavenly master said, “I come on the emperor’s orders, requesting the Four Wood Bird Stars and Great Sage Sun to descend to subdue the demons.” At this moment, the stars like Jiao Mu Jiao, Dou Mu Xie, Kui Mu Lang, and Jing Mu Han responded, “Great Sage, where should we go to subdue the demons?” Wukong smiled and said, “So it’s you! I was wondering where the Morning Star was hiding; I already said it was among the twenty-eight constellations. Quickly follow me, don’t waste time!” The Four Wood Bird Stars immediately replied, “What the Great Sage says is right! We can’t leave without permission; take us with you!” Wukong said, “In the Xuan Ying Cave on Qinglong Mountain in the northeast of Jinping Prefecture, there are rhinoceros demons.”
Upon hearing that it was a rhinoceros demon, the stars Dou Mu Xie, Kui Mu Lang, and Jiao Mu Jiao immediately said, “This matter is not for us; Jing Su can handle it. He can catch tigers on the mountain and rhinoceroses in the sea!” Wukong became anxious and said, “That won’t do! These rhinoceroses are not ordinary ones; they are monsters that have cultivated for a thousand years. All four of you must go; if one person can’t handle it, it will be troublesome!” The heavenly master immediately slammed the table and said, “What are you talking about! The Jade Emperor has issued an order; you cannot refuse. Hurry up and go!”
Thus, the four star lords said to Wukong, “Great Sage, you go lure the monster out first, and we will come to support you.” Wukong felt a surge of excitement and ran to the cave entrance, shouting, “Thieving monster! Hurry up and return my master!” At that moment, the door was broken by Bajie, and several little monsters, hearing the shouting, hurriedly ran to report, “Great King, Sun Wukong is outside cursing!” The Pi Chen monster felt a pang of anxiety: “Why is this guy back again? He must be here to seek reinforcements!” The Pi Han and Pi Shu monster kings dismissed it: “What are we afraid of? Quickly put on your armor and surround him; don’t let him escape!”
The little monsters, armed with weapons, rushed out, shouting at Wukong, “You fearless monkey, why are you back again?” Wukong was most infuriated by being called a “monkey,” gritting his teeth and raising his iron staff to strike. As a result, the three monster kings commanded the little monsters to surround Wukong. Just then, the Four Wood Bird Stars also revealed their weapons, saying, “Monsters, don’t make a move!” The three monster kings, seeing this situation, panicked: “Oh no! The Great Sage has brought reinforcements to subdue us; run!”
With a whoosh, all the little monsters revealed their true forms, which turned out to be mountain bull demons, water buffalo demons, and yellow bull demons, scattering in all directions to escape. The three monster kings also showed their true forms, their four hooves pounding like iron cannons as they fled northeast. Wukong chased closely with Jing Mu Han and Jiao Mu Jiao, while Dou Mu Xie and Kui Mu Lang fought fiercely behind, capturing quite a few bull demons.
In the end, they finally rescued Tang Seng, Bajie, and Sandy, who were locked up. Upon seeing the two stars, Sandy immediately thanked them: “Thank you for coming to rescue us! How did you end up here?” The two stars replied, “We were invited by Great Sage Sun to subdue the demons and save you.” Tang Seng, moved to tears, asked, “Where is Wukong?” The two stars said, “Those three monsters are rhinoceros demons; when they saw us coming, they quickly ran away. The Great Sage took Jing Mu Han and Jiao Mu Jiao to chase them; we came here to save you.”
Tang Seng bowed in gratitude again, while Bajie pulled his master aside, saying, “Master, don’t just keep bowing; too much courtesy can be deceitful! We need to clean up this cave and eliminate the monsters’ roots before we wait for Wukong to return.” Kui Mu Lang nodded: “Marshal Tianpeng is right; you and the Curtain-Lifting General should take the master back to the temple while we deal with the monsters and then come back.” Bajie replied, “Yes, we must eradicate all the monsters before we can return to report!”
The two star officials immediately pursued, while Bajie and Sandy searched through the cave for treasures. They found a lot of coral, agate, pearls, and other valuables, which they moved outside for Tang Seng to sit on. After that, they set fire to the cave, reducing it to ashes, and finally led Tang Seng back to Jinping Ciyun Temple.
Meanwhile, the star officials Dou Mu Xie and Kui Mu Lang rode their clouds straight northeast to chase the monsters. Flying high in the air and looking around, they couldn’t see any trace of the monsters. Just as they were at a loss, they spotted Sun Wukong shouting on the surface of the sea. They quickly descended and asked, “Great Sage, where did the monsters go?” Wukong, upon hearing this, jumped in anger: “Why didn’t you come to chase them? Why are you asking me now?”
Dou Mu Xie hurriedly explained, “We saw you and the two stars, Jing and Jiao, fighting the monsters and thought you could catch them. So, we went to rescue your master and junior brothers, burned the cave, and sent your master back to Ciyun Temple. Now that your master and Bajie have returned, we came to find you.” Hearing this, Wukong was overjoyed: “I see! You’ve worked hard! However, those three monsters have run into the sea; you should intercept them at the shore while I go back to chase them!”
With that, Wukong raised his iron staff, performed a spell, and plunged into the deep waves. As soon as he jumped into the water, he saw the three monsters fighting fiercely with Jing Mu Han and Jiao Mu Jiao. Wukong shouted, “Old Sun is here!” The monsters, upon hearing this, were frightened and hurriedly turned to flee into the depths of the sea. The horns on the monsters’ heads could part the water, splashing everywhere and instantly creating a path.
At that moment, a sea-detecting yaksha in the West Sea saw the rhinoceroses parting the water and immediately recognized Sun Wukong and the two stars. He rushed to the Crystal Palace to report to the Dragon King: “Great King! Three rhinoceroses are being chased by the Great Sage and the two heavenly stars!” The old Dragon King Ao Shun, upon hearing this, immediately called for his son Mo Ang: “Quick, take the water soldiers to help! These three monsters are not easy to deal with!”
Mo Ang received the order and quickly rallied the water soldiers, including turtles, tortoises, and various fish and shrimp, preparing for battle. As a result, the rhinoceros demons were forced to retreat with no way out and scattered in all directions. Just then, the old Dragon King commanded the water soldiers to surround Pi Chen. Upon seeing this, Wukong was delighted and shouted, “Don’t kill them, capture them alive!” Mo Ang heard this and immediately led the water soldiers to pounce on Pi Chen, piercing his nose and tying him up.
Next, the old Dragon King ordered the troops to capture the remaining monsters. Before long, Jing Mu Han captured Pi Han, who was busy chewing on something. Mo Ang anxiously shouted, “Jing Star, don’t bite him to death; the Great Sage wants him alive!” Unfortunately, it was too late, and Pi Han’s neck was bitten through. Mo Ang had no choice but to order the water soldiers to carry the corpse back to the Crystal Palace.
Meanwhile, Jiao Mu Jiao drove Pi Shu back and happened to bump into Jing Mu Han. Mo Ang and the water soldiers surrounded Pi Shu, who begged for mercy: “Spare my life! Spare my life!” Jing Mu Han grabbed him by the ear, took away his weapon, and angrily said, “I won’t kill you; I’ll take you to meet the Great Sage!”
In the end, Wukong saw one monster had already lost its head and was bleeding profusely, while another was captured. He pondered, “This isn’t from a weapon wound.” Mo Ang smiled and explained, “If I hadn’t shouted so loudly, Jing Star would have eaten him already.” Wukong slapped his forehead and said, “In that case, bring a saw to cut off his two horns and skin him. The rhinoceros meat will be for the Dragon King and his son.” Then, he pierced Pi Chen’s nose and instructed Jiao Mu Jiao to lead him, while he also pierced Pi Shu’s nose and told Jing Mu Han to lead him: “Take them to Jinping Prefecture to see the governor and ask for clarification!”
Upon hearing Wukong’s words, everyone quickly bid farewell to the Dragon King and his son, leading the rhinoceroses straight to Jinping Prefecture. Wukong, in mid-air, stepped on auspicious light and shouted like thunder: “Governor of Jinping Prefecture, officials, and citizens of the city, listen up! I am the holy monk sent by the Tang Dynasty in the East to seek scriptures from the West. The golden lanterns you offer every year are actually the tricks of this rhinoceros demon! On the night of the Lantern Festival, it stole the oil from my master’s lamp. I have come today to ask the celestial beings to deal with this monster. The cave has been cleared, and all the demons have been exterminated. From now on, you no longer need to offer lamps; stop wasting the people’s resources!”
At this moment, Bajie and Sandy at Ciyun Temple were escorting Tang Seng into the mountain gate when they heard Wukong shouting in the air. They immediately left their master and flew up to inquire about Wukong's demon-slaying activities. Wukong proudly said, “The one bitten by Jing Star is dead; its horns have been sawed off and its skin peeled. The other two are still alive!”
Upon hearing this, Bajie was overjoyed: “Then let’s push the two down for the officials to see; we are indeed divine beings! Let the four star officials come down together to announce the crimes of the monsters!” The four star officials nodded in agreement: “Marshal Tianpeng has really become knowledgeable about law and reason lately; very good!” Bajie boasted, “After being a monk for these years, I’ve learned a thing or two.”
So, all the gods pushed the rhinoceroses down, and with colorful clouds floating, they landed in the government hall, scaring the county officials and townspeople, who hurriedly set up incense altars and worshipped the celestial beings. Before long, the monks from Ciyun Temple carried Tang Seng into the government hall. Upon seeing him, Wukong exclaimed, “Thank you for saving me! I was worried about you all, and now you’ve finally returned victorious! But where did the monster run off to?”
Wukong explained, “Since we parted the other day, I went to heaven to investigate. The Morning Star told me the monster was a rhinoceros, so I specially invited the Four Wood Bird Stars to help. After reporting to the Jade Emperor, I received the decree and rushed straight to the cave to battle. The demon king fled, and Dou and Kui stars also assisted me. In the end, we chased them to the Western Ocean, and fortunately, the Dragon King sent troops to help, which allowed us to capture the monster.”
Tang Seng praised him repeatedly, while the county officials and leaders lit precious candles and burned incense to pay homage. Soon after, Bajie, excited, drew his blade and chopped off Pi Chen’s head, then did the same to Pi Shu, and finally sawed off all four horns. Wukong slapped his forehead: “Four star officials, take these four rhinoceros horns to heaven as tribute to the Jade Emperor, to report back on the decree. We’ll keep one in the government treasury to exempt us from lamp oil taxes; the other will be offered to the Buddha at Ling Shan.” The four star officials were delighted and immediately bid farewell to the Great Sage, riding colorful clouds back to heaven.
The county officials were very hospitable, specifically inviting Tang Seng and his three disciples to stay and hosting a lavish vegetarian feast, with local officials accompanying them. Meanwhile, another notice was posted, informing everyone that next year, lighting golden lanterns would be prohibited, and the burden of buying oil would be completely exempted! What great news! They even called the butcher to slaughter one of the rhinoceroses, peeling the skin to make armor and distributing the meat to the officials, which was very generous.
Additionally, they used public funds to buy a piece of land, planning to build a temple dedicated to the Four Stars of Demon-Slaying. To express their gratitude to Tang Seng and his disciples, they specially built a shrine for them, erecting stone tablets with inscriptions to preserve their legacy for generations. The disciples were quite pleased, accepting everything without feeling any discomfort. Bajie was especially delighted, taking the opportunity to hide some of the treasures he had found in the cave in his sleeves, preparing them as gifts for various feasts.
However, they stayed there for several months and still hadn’t set off. Old Tang Seng suddenly spoke up: “Wukong, give the remaining treasures to the monks at Ciyun Temple as a thank-you gift. Don’t let those wealthy merchants find out; let’s leave before dawn. If we indulge in pleasure and delay our journey for scriptures, angering the Buddha, it would be troublesome!” Upon hearing this, Wukong immediately began to deal with the treasures.
The next morning, Wukong woke Bajie to prepare the horse. The foolish Bajie, just full from a meal, sleepily asked, “What are we preparing the horse for so early?” Wukong was anxious: “The master wants us to leave!” Bajie, looking displeased, replied, “This elder is really not serious! We’ve only had thirty-some hearty meals after being invited by two hundred forty wealthy households; how can you make me, this old pig, starve again?”
Old Tang Seng, hearing this, scolded angrily: “You glutton! Don’t talk nonsense! Get up quickly! If you dare to speak again, I’ll have Wukong beat you!” Upon hearing “beat,” Bajie panicked: “Why has the master changed today? He used to care for me; why does he want to beat me today?” Wukong said, “The master is angry at your chatter, which delayed our journey. Hurry up and pack your things and prepare the horse, or you’ll get beaten!” Bajie was genuinely scared this time, jumped up to get dressed, and shouted at Sandy: “Get up quickly! They’re going to beat people!”
Sandy also hurried to get up, and everyone busily packed. Old Tang Seng waved his hand: “Be quiet, don’t disturb the monks in the temple.” Then he hurriedly mounted the horse, opened the mountain gate, and set off. As they left, it was as if a colorful phoenix had been released in secret, unlocking the dragon privately. As for how the gratitude situation unfolded at dawn, we’ll discuss that next time!
