So, those fifty little demons got beaten up so badly that they ran back to their cave like a bunch of scared rabbits, dragging their torn flags and broken drums behind them. They rushed in to report: "Boss, we've got big trouble! Tiger Vanguard couldn't handle that hairy-faced monk and got chased down the east slope." The old demon heard this and was really annoyed, staying silent as he tried to figure out what to do next. Just then, another little demon came running in from the front gate: "Boss, Tiger Vanguard got killed by that hairy-faced monk, and now he's dragging the body to our doorstep, yelling insults!" The old demon was furious, stomping his feet: "This guy's got some nerve! I haven't even had a taste of his master yet, and he's already killed my vanguard. How infuriating!" So he shouted, "Bring me my armor! I want to see what kind of creature this Sun Wukong is, daring to cause trouble here." The little demons quickly brought out his armor, and the old demon suited up, grabbing a three-pronged steel fork, and led his crew out of the cave.
Meanwhile, the Great Sage Sun Wukong was standing outside the cave, watching the old demon come out looking all fierce and intimidating. The old demon was decked out in golden armor, with a pheasant tail plume on his helmet, a pale yellow robe over his armor, a dazzling dragon belt, a gleaming chest plate, deer leather boots, a silk apron, and wielding a three-pronged steel fork. He looked as impressive as a legendary warrior. As soon as he emerged, he shouted, "Who here is Sun Wukong?" Wukong, standing confidently on Tiger Vanguard's body, holding his trusty iron staff, replied, "Your Grandpa Sun is right here! Hand over my master!" The old demon looked closely and saw that Wukong wasn't very tall, with a thin face, not even four feet high, and laughed, "Pathetic! I thought you'd be some great hero, but you're just a sickly skeleton!" Wukong chuckled, "You blind fool! I may be small, but if you dare strike me on the head, I'll grow three feet taller." The old demon retorted, "You think you're tough? Take this!" Without fear, the Great Sage faced him. The old demon indeed swung his fork, but Wukong bent his body, instantly growing three feet taller, now a full ten feet tall. The old demon was startled, quickly holding his fork steady, and shouted, "Sun Wukong, how dare you use your transformation tricks at my doorstep! Stop fooling around! Come on, let's see what you've got!" Wukong laughed, "Son, they say, 'If you show mercy, don't raise your hand; if you raise your hand, don't show mercy.' Your Grandpa's hand is heavy, I'm afraid you can't handle one hit!" Without further ado, the old demon swung his fork straight at Wukong's chest. Wukong calmly parried with his iron staff, deflecting the fork, and counterattacked.
The two of them launched into an intense battle right at the entrance of the Yellow Wind Cave. The demon king was furious, wanting to capture Wukong to avenge his vanguard; the Great Sage was determined to show his might and capture the demon to save his master. Forks and staffs clashed, each move met with a counter. One was the mountain's commanding general, the other the protective Monkey King. They started on the ground, then took the fight into the air. The steel fork was sharp, the iron staff dark with a hint of gold. A stab could send a soul to the underworld, a hit could send someone to meet the King of Hell. It was all about speed, strength, and skill. They fought with all their might, not knowing who would win.
After thirty rounds, neither the old demon nor the Great Sage had gained the upper hand. Wukong decided to show his true skills, using his body duplication technique: he plucked a handful of hairs, chewed them up, and spat them into the air, shouting "Transform!" Suddenly, there were a hundred or so Wukongs, each wielding an iron staff, surrounding the old demon in the sky. The old demon was frightened and used his own trick: he quickly turned around, faced the southeast, and opened his mouth wide, blowing out a gust of yellow wind. This wind was truly fierce: it was chillingly cold, turning the sky and earth dark, with no shadow or form, swirling with yellow sand. It tore through forests and mountains, toppled pines and cypresses, scattered dust and dirt, crumbled cliffs and ridges. The Yellow River's waves surged to the sky, the Xiang River's waters churned. The blue sky trembled, nearly toppling the halls of the underworld. Five hundred arhats clamored, eight great vajras shouted. Manjushri's green-haired lion ran off, Samantabhadra's white elephant was hard to find. Zhenwu's turtle and snake lost their group, Zitong's mule was swept away. Merchants cried to heaven, boatmen prayed. Lives hung in the balance amid the waves, fame and fortune drifted away with the water. Celestial mountains and caves turned dark, sea islands and Penglai dimmed. The Old Lord struggled to tend his alchemy furnace, the God of Longevity put away his dragon whisk fan.
The Queen Mother was just on her way to the Peach Banquet when a gust of wind snapped her sash. Erlang Shen got lost in the city of Guanzhou, and Nezha struggled to retrieve his sword from its sheath. The Heavenly King couldn't find the pagoda in his hand, and Lu Ban lost his golden drill. Three tiers of the Thunderclap Temple collapsed, and the stone bridge in Zhao County broke into two. The sun lost its light, and the stars in the sky were all in disarray. Birds from the southern hills flew to the northern hills, and the waters of the eastern lake flooded into the western lake. Mates were separated, unable to call to each other; mothers and children were parted, unable to cry out. The Dragon King searched the seas for his yaksha, and the Thunder God looked everywhere for his lightning. The ten Yama Kings sought their judges, and the ox-headed demon chased the horse-faced demon in the underworld. This wind toppled Mount Putuo and swept away a scroll of Guanyin's scriptures. White lotus flowers flew off the shore, causing the Bodhisattvas' twelve courtyards to collapse. From the time of Pangu until now, no wind has ever been as malevolent as this one. With a roaring sound, the universe trembled as if it might burst apart, and the vast landscape quaked!
The demon unleashed this furious wind, causing the many Wukongs that the Great Sage had transformed into to spin wildly in the air, like spinning wheels, unable to wield their iron staffs or approach the old demon. Wukong quickly shook his hairs back into his body and advanced alone with his iron staff, only to be met with a faceful of yellow wind from the old demon, forcing him to close his fiery eyes tightly, unable to open them. As a result, he couldn't wield his staff and had to retreat in defeat. The demon withdrew the wind and returned to his cave, and there was no more mention of it.
Zhu Bajie, seeing the fierce yellow wind outside, with the sky darkened and the earth obscured, was so scared that he held onto the horse tightly, guarding the luggage, hiding in a mountain hollow, not daring to lift his head or open his eyes, muttering prayers and vows. He worried to himself: How is Wukong faring in the fight? Is our master alive or dead?
Just as Bajie was fretting, the wind suddenly stopped and the sky cleared up. He looked up toward the cave entrance, surprised to see no sign of fighting or hear the sound of gongs and drums. Bajie was perplexed: What should I do? He didn't dare approach the cave, yet he couldn't leave the horse and luggage unattended, caught in a dilemma, pacing anxiously. Just then, he heard Sun Wukong calling from the west, and he hurried over: "Brother, that wind was really strong! Where did you come from?" Wukong waved his hand and said, "Ah, that wind was truly fierce! Since I was born, I've never seen such a strong wind. I fought that old demon for over thirty rounds, used my body duplication technique to surround him, and he panicked, unleashing that wild wind, blowing me off my feet. I had to retract my technique and flee in the wind. Oh, what a wind! Even though I can summon winds and rains, I've never encountered such a vicious wind!" Bajie asked, "Brother, how skilled is that demon?" Wukong replied, "He's decent, his fork technique is quite orderly, and he managed to fight me to a draw. But that wind was too fierce, making it hard to win." Bajie then asked, "So how can we rescue Master?" Wukong said, "We'll talk about rescuing Master later. Right now, my eyes are sore from the wind, and I need to find an eye doctor." Bajie said, "Brother, we're halfway up the mountain, and it's getting dark. There isn't even a place to stay, let alone an eye doctor!" Wukong said, "Finding a place to stay isn't difficult. I reckon that demon wouldn't dare harm our master. Let's find a main road and ask someone for shelter for the night. We'll deal with the demon at dawn." Bajie nodded in agreement: "Exactly, exactly."
So, Bajie led the horse, carrying the load, and together with Wukong, they left the mountain hollow and headed onto the main road. As darkness fell, they heard dogs barking from the south side of the road, down the hillside. They stopped to look and saw a household with lights shining brightly. Without worrying about paths, they stepped through the grass to the house's entrance. The area was lush with purple grass and white stones, verdant trees lined up, clear springs flowing, ancient cypresses clinging to cliffs, a serene environment with wildflowers blooming at the entrance. They didn't dare enter without permission, so they called out, "Open the door, open the door!"
After a while, an old man came out with several young farmers, holding pitchforks and brooms, asking, "Who goes there? Who goes there?" Wukong quickly bowed and said, "We are disciples of the holy monk from the Great Tang of the East, journeying westward to worship the Buddha and seek scriptures. We passed by this mountain, and our master was captured by the Yellow Wind King, and we haven't rescued him yet. It's getting late, and we humbly ask to spend the night here if you could kindly accommodate us." The old man quickly returned the courtesy and said, "Forgive us for not welcoming you. This place is sparsely populated and full of strange occurrences. When we heard someone calling at the door, we thought it might be a fox demon, a tiger, or mountain bandits. We apologize. We didn't know it was you esteemed elders. Please, come in, come in." Wukong and Bajie led the horse and carried their load into the courtyard, tied the horse, set down their load, greeted the host, and sat down to chat. Servants brought tea, and after drinking, they were served a few bowls of sesame rice. After the meal, the host arranged sleeping quarters for them. However, Wukong said, "No rush to sleep. May I ask if there's anyone here who sells eye medicine?" The old man asked, "Which elder is having trouble with their eyes?"
Wukong said, "To be honest, we monks are usually free from illness and don't really understand eye ailments." The old man asked, "If you're not sick, why do you need medicine?" Wukong replied, "Today, while trying to rescue my master at the Yellow Wind Cave, I was caught off guard by a gust of wind from the demon, which made my eyes sore and caused tears to flow. So I'm looking for some eye medicine." The old man said, "Blessings! Blessings! How can you, a young elder, lie like this? The wind from the Yellow Wind Great Sage is the most formidable, fiercer than any spring or autumn wind, pine or bamboo wind, or the winds from any direction." Bajie interjected, "Could it be the 'brain-piercing wind,' 'sheep's ear wind,' 'leprosy wind,' or 'migraine wind'?" The old man shook his head, "No, no. That wind is called the 'Samadhi Wind.'" Wukong asked, "What do you mean?" The old man explained, "That wind can darken the heavens and earth, bring misery to ghosts and gods, split rocks and cliffs, and blow life away. If you've encountered it and are still alive, you must have had the protection of immortals." Wukong sighed, "Indeed! Indeed! Though we're not immortals, immortals are still my juniors. It's not easy to lose this life, but my eyes are sore from the wind!" The old man said, "In that case, you must be someone with a significant background. We don't have any eye medicine for sale here, but I do have a prescription passed down by a master for treating wind-induced eye pain, called 'Three Flowers Nine Seeds Ointment.'"
Hearing this, Wukong quickly bowed and said, "Please, may I try some of this medicine?" The old man agreed readily, went inside, and brought out a small agate jar. He opened the lid, dipped a jade hairpin into the ointment, and applied it to Wukong's eyes, instructing him to keep his eyes closed and rest well, assuring him that they would be better by morning. After applying the ointment, the old man put the jar away and retreated into the house with his attendants.
Meanwhile, Bajie unpacked their belongings, laid out the bedding, and invited Wukong to lie down. Wukong, with his eyes closed, groped around to find a place to rest. Seeing this, Bajie teased, "Master, where's your 'seeing stick'?" Wukong was annoyed, "You fool! Are you really treating me like a blind man?" Bajie chuckled to himself and lay down to sleep. Wukong sat on the bed, meditating, and didn't fall asleep until the third watch of the night.
Before they knew it, dawn arrived. Wukong woke up, wiped his face, and opened his eyes, exclaiming, "This medicine is truly miraculous! My eyes are even brighter than before!" He looked around and was surprised to find no house or windows, just a few old locust and tall willow trees, with his companions sleeping on the green grass. Bajie woke up, groggily asking, "Brother, what are you shouting about?" Wukong said, "Open your eyes and see." Bajie looked up and realized the house was gone, startling him to his feet, "Where's my horse?" Wukong said, "It's tied to the tree." "And the luggage?" Wukong replied, "It's right next to your head."
Bajie muttered, "These folks are really lazy, moving away without a word. If they had told me, I could have given them some gifts as thanks. They probably left in the night to avoid the village head noticing. We must have slept too soundly to hear them dismantling the house." Wukong laughed, "You fool, stop complaining. Look at what's posted on the tree." Bajie walked over, took down a piece of paper, and read a poem:
"This dwelling is not a commoner's abode,
The Dharma Protectors have transformed this abode.
A wondrous ointment heals your eye pain,
Devote yourself to defeating the demon, hesitate not."
Wukong suddenly realized, "Ah, it was the Dharma Protectors secretly aiding us, and I didn't even notice."
Bajie said, "Brother, don't be upset. They were following the Bodhisattva's orders to protect Master in secret. They couldn't show themselves, so they helped us in this way. Yesterday, they not only gave you eye medicine but also provided a meal. They truly went above and beyond. We should hurry to rescue Master now." Wukong nodded, "You're right. The Yellow Wind Cave isn't far. You stay here with the horse and luggage while I go check on Master's whereabouts and have another round with the demon." Bajie agreed, "Alright, find out Master's situation first. If, unfortunately, he's no longer with us, we can each find our own way. But if he's still alive, we'll do everything we can to save him." Wukong said, "Stop talking nonsense. I'm off!"
With a leap, Wukong arrived at the cave entrance, seeing the door still closed, and the demons inside sleeping. Not wanting to alert them, he chanted a spell, transformed into a small mosquito, and flew into the cave. A poem describes it:
"A tiny form with a sharp proboscis,
Its buzzing as soft as thunder.
Through silk curtains it freely roams,
Loving the warm air of summer.
Fearful of smoke and swats,
Yet drawn to the glow of lamps.
Swift and nimble, it darts about,
Flying into the demon's lair."
The little demons were snoring away when Wukong landed on one of their faces and gave a bite. The demon turned over and woke up, "Ouch! What a big mosquito, it left a huge welt!" He opened his eyes and saw that it was already daylight.
Just then, they heard a creak as the inner door opened. Wukong flew inside and saw the old demon instructing his minions to be vigilant and ready their weapons. "That wind yesterday might not have killed Sun Wukong. He will surely return today, and we must make sure he doesn't leave alive!" Upon hearing this, Wukong flew past the hall to the back, where he found several doors tightly shut. Squeezing through a crack, he discovered a large empty courtyard where Tang Sanzang was tied to a wind-stabilizing pillar, his face streaked with tears, worrying about Wukong and Bajie and wondering where they were.
Wukong landed on Tang Sanzang’s bald head and whispered, "Master." Recognizing Wukong's voice, Tang Sanzang excitedly asked, "Wukong, where are you calling me from?" Wukong replied, "Master, I'm right above you. Don't worry, we'll capture the demon and rescue you." Tang Sanzang asked, "Disciple, when will you catch the demon?" Wukong reassured him, "The tiger demon that captured you has already been killed by Bajie. It's just that the old demon's wind is formidable. We'll definitely catch him today. Rest assured, don't cry. I'm off now."
After speaking, Wukong flew back to the front, where he saw the old demon seated, taking attendance of his minions. He noticed a little demon with a flag running in to report, "Great King, I was patrolling the mountain and just outside, I saw a long-snouted, big-eared monk sitting in the woods. I almost got caught by him but didn’t see the hairy-faced monk from yesterday." The old demon said, "If Sun Wukong isn't around, he might have been blown to death by the wind, or he might have gone to seek reinforcements!" The minions worriedly asked, "Great King, if he's dead, that's our good fortune, but what if he isn't and he brings divine soldiers?" The old demon dismissively said, "What divine soldiers are there to fear? Only Lingji Bodhisattva is a threat!"
Hearing this from the rafters, Wukong was overjoyed. He immediately flew out of the cave, resumed his original form, and hurried to the woods, calling, "Brother!"
Bajie saw Wukong return and asked, "Brother, where did you go? Just now, a demon with a flag ran away when I scared him." Wukong laughed, "You fool! I transformed into a mosquito and entered the demon's cave. I saw Master tied to a wind-stabilizing pillar, crying. I comforted him and then eavesdropped from the rafters. That flag-bearing demon ran to report, saying you scared him off but didn’t see me. The old demon speculated that I might have been blown to death or gone to seek divine soldiers. Ha, he let something slip himself!"
Curious, Bajie asked, "What did he say?" Wukong replied, "He said there's no divine soldier to fear except for Lingji Bodhisattva who can subdue his wind. But I don't know where Lingji is." Just then, an old man walked by the roadside. Look at this old man: sturdy without needing a cane, with white beard and hair, eyes somewhat dim, yet full of spirit despite his frail frame, walking leisurely, with thick eyebrows and a face as red as a child's.
Bajie was delighted, "Brother, as the saying goes, to know the way down the mountain, ask a passerby. Go ask him." Wukong hid his iron staff, tidied his clothes, and went to greet him, "Old sir, sorry to bother you." The old man half-heartedly returned the greeting, "Where are you monks from, wandering in this wilderness? What do you need?" Wukong said, "We are on a pilgrimage to the Western Heaven for scriptures. We lost our master here yesterday and wish to ask where Lingji Bodhisattva resides?" The old man replied, "Lingji is in the true south, two thousand miles away. There is a small Mount Sumeru, where there is a temple where the Bodhisattva preaches. Are you seeking his scriptures?" Wukong answered, "Not for scriptures, I have other business with him and don't know the way." The old man pointed south, "This winding path is the way."
Wukong turned to look at the path, and when he looked back, the old man had vanished into a breeze, leaving only a note behind. It read: "To the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, this old man is Li Changgeng. On Mount Sumeru is the Flying Dragon Staff, where Lingji once received Buddha's soldiers." Wukong took the note and headed down the path. Bajie asked, "Brother, we've had bad luck lately, encountering strange things these past two days. Who was that old man who vanished like the wind?" Wukong handed the note to Bajie and read it aloud: "Who is Li Changgeng?" Wukong explained, "It's another name for the Western Venus, Taibai Jinxing."
Hearing this, Bajie hurriedly bowed to the sky, "Benefactor! Benefactor! If it weren't for Venus pleading for me before the Jade Emperor, my life would have been long gone!" Wukong said, "Brother, it's good that you're grateful. You stay here in the woods and watch over the luggage and horse. I'll go to Mount Sumeru to seek the Bodhisattva." Bajie replied, "Got it! Got it! You go quickly! I'll just hide like a turtle here."
Wukong leaped into the air, riding his somersault cloud, heading straight south at an incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, he flew over three thousand miles, then twisted his waist and flew another eight hundred miles. Soon, he saw a tall mountain, halfway up which clouds of auspicious mist swirled, and a peaceful aura filled the air. In a mountain hollow, there was indeed a meditation temple, with the sound of bells and gongs resonating and incense smoke wafting. Wukong arrived at the entrance and saw a Taoist, with prayer beads around his neck, chanting Buddha's name. Wukong greeted him with a bow, "Greetings, Taoist." The Taoist returned the bow respectfully, "Where are you from, sir?" Wukong asked, "Is this where Lingji Bodhisattva preaches?" The Taoist replied, "Indeed it is. What brings you here?" Wukong said, "Please inform him that I am Sun Wukong, the disciple of Tang Sanzang from the Great Tang of the East. I have urgent business to discuss with the Bodhisattva." The Taoist smiled, "Sir, you speak too much; I can't remember all that." Wukong said, "Just tell him that Tang Sanzang's disciple, Sun Wukong, is here." The Taoist went to deliver the message, and the Bodhisattva immediately donned his robe, added incense, and came out to greet him.
Sun Wukong entered Lingji Bodhisattva's preaching hall, amazed by the lavish decorations and grand atmosphere. Many disciples were chanting the Lotus Sutra in unison, with an elder gently striking a golden gong. Before the Buddha, offerings of celestial fruits and flowers were displayed, and the table was set with exquisite vegetarian dishes. The brilliant light of the precious candles shone like a rainbow, and the rich scent of incense rose like dancing mist.
In this serene setting, Lingji Bodhisattva adjusted his robe and came out to welcome Wukong. After they sat down, the Bodhisattva ordered tea to be served, but Wukong quickly said, "No need for that. My master is in trouble at Yellow Wind Mountain, and I came specifically to ask for your help in subduing the demon." The Bodhisattva replied, "I was entrusted by the Buddha to suppress the Yellow Wind Monster. The Buddha gave me a Wind-Fixing Pill and a Flying Dragon Staff. I captured him before and spared his life, allowing him to live in seclusion without harming others. I didn't expect him to violate the decree and attempt to harm your master. This is indeed my oversight."
The Bodhisattva intended to have Wukong stay for a vegetarian meal, but Wukong insisted on rescuing his master immediately. So, the Bodhisattva took the Flying Dragon Staff and, with Wukong, rode the clouds to Yellow Wind Mountain. Upon reaching the mountain, the Bodhisattva said, "Great Sage, this demon fears me somewhat. I will stay in the clouds while you go down to fight him and lure him out so that I can cast my spell." Wukong complied, descended from the clouds, and without delay, swung his iron staff to break down the cave door, shouting, "Demon, return my master at once!"
The little demons guarding the door were terrified and hurried to report. The Yellow Wind Monster was furious, "That wretched monkey is too arrogant! How dare he break my door! I'll go out and blow him to death with my divine wind!" He donned his armor, grabbed his steel trident, and charged out. Upon seeing Wukong, he attacked without a word. Wukong dodged the strike and countered with his iron staff. After a few rounds, the demon turned to unleash his wind, only to see Lingji Bodhisattva in mid-air, wielding the Flying Dragon Staff. The Bodhisattva chanted a spell, and the staff transformed into an eight-clawed golden dragon, which swiftly captured the demon, pinning him against a rocky cliff, revealing his true form—a yellow-haired weasel.
Wukong rushed forward to strike, but the Bodhisattva stopped him, "Great Sage, don't kill him. I need to take him to see the Buddha." The Bodhisattva explained, "He was originally a mouse from the foot of Mount Ling, who fled here to become a demon after stealing the oil from a glazed lamp, fearing capture by the Vajra. The Buddha deemed him unworthy of death and tasked me with subduing him. Now that he's harmed others again, I must take him to face the Buddha and answer for his crimes." Hearing this, Wukong thanked the Bodhisattva, who then rode the clouds back west.
Meanwhile, Zhu Bajie was anxiously waiting in the woods when he suddenly heard someone shouting from the mountain below, "Brother Wuneng, quickly bring the horse and carry the luggage!" Recognizing Wukong's voice, Bajie hurriedly gathered their belongings and ran out of the woods. Upon seeing Wukong, he asked, "Brother, how did it go?" Wukong replied, "Lingji Bodhisattva used the Flying Dragon Staff to capture the demon, which turned out to be a yellow-haired weasel. It has been taken to Mount Ling to face the Buddha. Let's quickly go into the cave to rescue our master."
Hearing this, Bajie was overjoyed and couldn't stop smiling. He and Wukong rushed into the cave, where they used their rake and iron staff to defeat all the sly rabbits, demon foxes, fragrant musk deer, and antlered deer. Then they hurried to the back courtyard to rescue their master. Once Tang Sanzang was freed, he asked, "How did you capture the demon? How was I saved?" Wukong recounted the story of how they requested Lingji Bodhisattva to subdue the demon, and Tang Sanzang expressed his gratitude repeatedly.
The master and disciples then found some vegetarian food in the cave. After eating and drinking their fill, they continued on their journey westward. As for what adventures await them next, you'll have to stay tuned for the next installment.
