The Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, was a true mischievous monkey who had no interest in official positions or salaries. All he cared about was having a grand title. In the Qi Tian Mansion, there were two departments of celestial officials who had to attend to him day and night. Sun Wukong lived a carefree and leisurely life, enjoying delicious meals three times a day and sleeping soundly at night. When he had free time, he would visit various palaces, make friends, and form brotherhoods. He would greet the Three Pure Ones with a respectful "Old Master" and address the Four Emperors as "Your Majesty," treating the stars and heavenly kings as his equals. One day he would roam in the east, the next day in the west, coming and going as he pleased, with no fixed whereabouts.
One day, during the Jade Emperor's morning court session, the True Man Xu Jingyang stepped forward and said, "This Great Sage Equal to Heaven spends his days idly wandering and befriending the stars in heaven. I'm afraid his idleness might lead to trouble. It would be better to give him something to do to prevent any issues from arising." The Jade Emperor thought this made sense and issued a decree to summon Sun Wukong. The Monkey King came happily and asked, "Your Majesty, what good task do you have for old Sun?" The Jade Emperor said, "I see you have nothing to do, so I am giving you a job. You will be in charge of the Peach Garden, watching over it diligently day and night." The Great Sage was delighted, thanked the Emperor, and left.
Without wasting a moment, Sun Wukong went straight to inspect the Peach Garden. At the entrance, the local earth deity stopped him and asked, "Great Sage, where are you going?" Sun Wukong replied, "By the Jade Emperor's command, I am here to oversee this Peach Garden. Today, I'm here to inspect it." The earth deity quickly bowed and summoned a group of laborers responsible for tending trees, carrying water, pruning peaches, and cleaning, and led the Great Sage into the garden. The garden was full of lush peach trees, heavily laden with fruit, truly a sight to behold:
The flowers bloomed brilliantly, and the fruits hung in abundance. The branches were adorned with colorful clusters, and the trees were covered in rosy bunches. The fruits that ripen every thousand years grant immortality and enlightenment, making the body healthy and light; those that ripen every six thousand years allow one to ascend to immortality; and those that ripen every nine thousand years enable one to live as long as heaven and earth. The Great Sage was overjoyed by the sight and asked the earth deity, "How many peach trees are there in this garden?" The earth deity replied, "There are 3,600 trees in total: the first 1,200 trees bear fruit every 3,000 years, the middle 1,200 trees every 6,000 years, and the last 1,200 trees every 9,000 years." Hearing this, the Great Sage was so pleased he couldn't stop smiling. He counted all the peach trees that very day and returned to his mansion. From then on, he would visit the garden every three to five days to admire and enjoy the scenery, no longer seeking out friends or wandering elsewhere.
One day, Sun Wukong noticed that most of the peaches on the old trees were ripe, and he wanted to taste them. However, the earth deity, laborers, and celestial officials from the Qi Tian Mansion were always following him closely, making it inconvenient for him to act. So, he came up with a plan: "You all wait outside the gate while I rest in this pavilion." The celestial officials indeed withdrew. The Monkey King then took off his hat, climbed up a tree, picked the ripest peaches, and ate to his heart's content while perched on the branches. After eating his fill, he jumped down, put on his hat, and called everyone to return to the mansion. A few days later, he devised another way to steal peaches and enjoy them to the fullest.
On this particular day, the Queen Mother of the West planned to host a banquet, the "Feast of Peaches," at the Jade Pool. She sent seven celestial maidens to the Peach Garden to pick peaches. When the seven maidens arrived at the garden gate, they saw the local earth deity, the laborers, and the celestial officials from the Qi Tian Mansion guarding the entrance. The maidens stepped forward and said, "We are here by the Queen Mother's command to pick peaches for the banquet." The earth deity replied, "Please wait a moment, maidens. This year is different from previous years. The Jade Emperor has assigned the Great Sage Equal to Heaven to oversee this garden, and we must inform him before opening the garden." The maidens asked, "Where is the Great Sage?" The earth deity said, "The Great Sage is in the garden, resting on a pavilion due to fatigue." The maidens said, "In that case, we will find him ourselves. We cannot delay the Queen Mother's orders." The earth deity then led them inside to search for him. They reached the flower pavilion but did not see Sun Wukong, only his clothes and hat resting there. They had no idea where he had gone. In fact, the Great Sage had played around for a while, eaten a few peaches, and transformed into a tiny two-inch figure, hiding among the dense leaves at the top of a tall tree, where he fell asleep.
The seven maidens said, "We are here by imperial command. If we can't find the Great Sage, how can we return empty-handed?" A celestial official nearby said, "Since you are here by command, there's no need to hesitate. Our Great Sage often wanders off; he might have left the garden to visit friends. You should go ahead and pick the peaches, and we will explain on your behalf." Hearing this, the maidens entered the grove to pick peaches. They first picked two baskets from the front trees and three baskets from the middle trees. But when they reached the back trees, they found that the blossoms and fruits were sparse, and only a few unripe green peaches remained. The ripe ones had already been eaten by the Monkey King. The seven maidens looked around and spotted a half-red, half-white peach on a southern branch. The maiden in blue pulled the branch down, and the maiden in red picked the peach. But when they released the branch, it startled the Great Sage, who was sleeping above.
The Great Sage returned to his original form, pulled out his golden staff from his ear, and shook it until it grew as thick as a bowl. He shouted, "What demons dare to steal my peaches?" The seven maidens were so frightened that they knelt down together and said, "Great Sage, please quell your anger. We are not demons but the seven celestial maidens sent by the Queen Mother to pick peaches for the 'Feast of Peaches.' We first met the earth deity and other gods here but couldn't find you. Fearing delay in fulfilling the Queen Mother's orders, we picked the peaches without waiting for you. We beg your forgiveness." Upon hearing this, the Great Sage's anger turned to joy, and he said, "Please rise, maidens. Who has been invited to the Queen Mother's banquet?" The maidens replied, "The guest list follows the old customs: the Buddha, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats from the Western Paradise; the Southern Immortal Guanyin; the Eastern Emperor; the immortals of the Ten Continents and Three Islands; the Northern Immortal Xuanling; the Central Immortal Huangjiao; these are the Five Elders of the Five Directions. Also invited are the Lords of the Five Stars, the Three Pure Ones, the Four Emperors, the Taiyi Celestial Immortals from the Upper Eight Caves, the Jade Emperor, the Nine Daoists, the Mountain and Sea Gods from the Middle Eight Caves, and the Underworld Masters and Earthly Immortals from the Lower Eight Caves. All the deities from various palaces and halls will gather for the grand feast." The Great Sage laughed and asked, "Am I invited?" The maidens said, "We haven't heard of any invitation for you." The Great Sage said, "I am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven; how could they not invite me?" The maidens replied, "These are the usual customs for the banquet; we don't know about this time." The Great Sage said, "That's reasonable; I can't blame you. Please wait here while I go and find out whether they intend to invite me."
Sun Wukong, ever the mischievous Great Sage, recited an incantation and cast a spell, shouting to the seven maidens, "Stop! Stop! Stop!" This was a spell of immobilization, freezing the seven maidens beneath the peach tree, unable to move. Delighted, the Great Sage hopped onto a cloud and flew toward the Jade Pool. Along the way, he saw:
Auspicious clouds floated in the sky, with colorful clouds dancing continuously. The cries of white cranes echoed far and wide, and the purple lingzhi leaves were exceptionally beautiful.
At that moment, he encountered a celestial being, who exuded an aura of immortality and had a scroll of eternal life hanging from his waist. This was the Barefoot Immortal, on his way to attend the Peach Banquet. Sun Wukong hatched a plan to sneak into the banquet and asked the immortal, "Where are you headed, Daoist?" The immortal replied, "The Queen Mother has invited me to the Peach Banquet." Sun Wukong lied, "The Jade Emperor has asked me to use my somersault cloud to invite everyone to first attend the ceremony at the Hall of Brightness before going to the banquet." The immortal, being straightforward and honest, believed him and changed direction to head for the Hall of Brightness.
Seeing the situation, the Great Sage quickly recited a spell and transformed into the likeness of the Barefoot Immortal, heading straight for the Jade Pool. In no time, he arrived at the treasure pavilion, descended from his cloud, and quietly entered. There he saw:
Fragrant mists swirling around, auspicious auras everywhere, with colorful silk draped over the jade terrace and the treasure pavilion exuding an ethereal atmosphere. Phoenixes and luan birds danced gracefully in the air, and the shadows of golden flowers and jade petals swayed gently.
The banquet was laden with delicacies like dragon liver and phoenix marrow, bear paws and ape lips, all sorts of exquisite dishes that would make anyone's mouth water. However, the banquet had yet to begin, and the immortals had not yet arrived. The Great Sage was dazzled by the sight and suddenly caught the scent of wine. Turning his head, he saw several celestial officials and laborers brewing wine under the long corridor, with Daoists and young attendants busying themselves. The Great Sage's mouth watered at the thought of drinking, but it was inconvenient with so many people around. Thinking quickly, he plucked a few hairs, chewed them up, and blew them out, casting a spell to turn them into a few sleep-inducing insects that flew onto the faces of those present. As a result, everyone soon became drowsy and started nodding off. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the Great Sage grabbed some of the exquisite dishes and ran to the corridor, where he drank heartily from the wine vats and jars until he was drunk. Suddenly realizing, he thought, "Oh no! What if guests arrive while I'm still here? If I'm caught, that would be terrible! I'd better hurry back to my abode and sleep."
Staggering as he walked, the Great Sage, having drunk too much, took a wrong turn and accidentally entered the Tusita Palace. Realizing where he was, he thought, "The Tusita Palace is above the Thirty-Three Heavens, the domain of the Supreme Lord Laozi. How did I end up here? Oh well, I've always wanted to visit the old man, so today I'll take a look." He straightened his clothes and swaggered in, but found no sign of Lord Laozi, nor anyone else around. It turned out that Laozi was on the Zhu Ling Altar in the three-story pavilion, discussing the Dao with the Ancient Buddha Dipankara, while the celestial children, generals, officials, and attendants listened nearby. The Great Sage entered the alchemy room and, finding no one there, noticed a fire in the furnace and five gourds filled with refined golden elixirs placed on either side. Delighted, he thought, "These are the treasures of immortals. Ever since I began cultivating the Dao, I've wanted some golden elixirs to enhance my body, but never had the chance. Today, I'm in luck, stumbling upon these. While Laozi is away, I'll taste a few." He poured out the elixirs from the gourds and ate them all like roasted beans.
After a while, having had his fill of elixirs and sobered up from the wine, he thought to himself, "Oh no! I've caused a huge mess. If I alarm the Jade Emperor, my life will be at stake. I must leave quickly! Better to descend to the mortal realm and become a mountain king." So he dashed out of the Tusita Palace, avoiding the main path, and snuck out through the Western Heavenly Gate using an invisibility spell. Descending from his cloud, he returned to Flower Fruit Mountain. There, he saw banners fluttering and weapons gleaming, as the four generals and seventy-two demon kings practiced their martial skills. The Great Sage shouted, "Little ones! I'm back!" The demons dropped their weapons and knelt, saying, "Great Sage, you are truly carefree! You've left us unattended for so long!" The Great Sage laughed, "Not long! Not long!" As he spoke, he walked straight into the depths of the cave. The four generals tidied up and prepared a place for him to rest, bowing and paying their respects before asking, "Great Sage, during your hundred years in heaven, what position did you hold?" The Great Sage laughed, "I remember it being only half a year; how could it be a hundred years?" The generals replied, "One day in heaven is a year on earth." The Great Sage said, "Fortunately, the Jade Emperor favored me, appointing me as the 'Great Sage Equal to Heaven,' and built me a Qi Tian Mansion with departments for tranquility and peace, staffed with celestial officials and guards. Later, seeing I had nothing to do, he assigned me to oversee the Peach Garden. Recently, the Queen Mother held the 'Feast of Peaches,' but didn't invite me, so I went to the Jade Pool uninvited and stole their celestial delicacies and wines. Afterward, I stumbled into Laozi's palace and also stole his five gourds of golden elixirs. Afraid of the Jade Emperor's wrath, I slipped out of the heavenly gate."
Sun Wukong returned to Flower Fruit Mountain, and when the demons heard that he had come back from the heavens, they were overjoyed. They hurriedly prepared wine and fruit to welcome him. They brought out coconut wine and filled a large bowl for the Great Sage. He took a sip and immediately frowned, saying, "This wine doesn't taste good!" The two generals, Beng and Ba, laughed and said, "Great Sage, you've gotten used to celestial wine and delicacies in the heavenly palace, so of course, you find this coconut wine unappealing. As the saying goes, 'No matter how beautiful, it's the water of one's hometown.'" The Great Sage laughed and replied, "And you are like 'No matter how close, it's the people of one's hometown.' When I was drinking at the Jade Pool today, I saw many bottles and jars under the corridor, all filled with celestial nectar. You've never tasted it, so I'll go and steal a few bottles back. Then we can all drink and achieve immortality." Hearing this, the monkeys were delighted. The Great Sage immediately left the cave, flipped his somersault cloud, and used invisibility to head straight for the Peach Banquet. Upon reaching the Jade Pool Palace, he found the celestial officials and laborers who were brewing wine still snoring. He quickly tucked two large bottles under his arms, each hand holding one, and hurried back to Flower Fruit Mountain to host a "Celestial Wine Party" with the monkeys, where everyone drank merrily.
Meanwhile, the seven celestial maidens, who had been immobilized by the Great Sage, were only freed after a week. They returned with their flower baskets to report to the Queen Mother, saying, "The Great Sage Equal to Heaven used magic to trap us, which is why we were delayed." The Queen Mother asked, "How many peaches did you pick?" The maidens replied, "Only two baskets of small peaches and three baskets of medium peaches. There were no ripe peaches at the back; we suspect the Great Sage ate them all. We were looking for him when he suddenly appeared to scare us and asked who was invited to the banquet. After we told him, he immobilized us and disappeared. We only just woke up."
Upon hearing this, the Queen Mother immediately went to see the Jade Emperor and reported the situation in detail. Before she could finish, the celestial officials in charge of brewing wine came to report, "We don't know who it was, but someone disrupted the Peach Banquet, stole the celestial nectar and ambrosia, and also ate the eight delicacies." Following this, the four Grand Celestial Masters came to report, "The Supreme Daoist Patriarch has arrived." The Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother hurriedly went to greet him. After exchanging courtesies, Laozi said, "I had refined some 'Nine-Turn Golden Elixirs' in my palace, intending to present them to Your Majesty for the 'Elixir Banquet,' but they were stolen by a thief." The Jade Emperor was startled upon hearing this. At that moment, celestial officials from the Qi Tian Mansion also reported, "Sun Wukong has been neglecting his duties and hasn't returned since he left yesterday. We don't know where he went." The Jade Emperor grew even more suspicious. Then, the Barefoot Immortal came to report, "I was on my way to the banquet by the Queen Mother's order when I encountered the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. He claimed that Your Majesty had ordered him to invite everyone to first attend a ceremony at the Hall of Brightness before going to the banquet. I believed him and went to the Hall of Brightness, but did not see Your Majesty, so I came here to wait." The Jade Emperor was furious, "This fellow falsely conveyed imperial orders and deceived the immortals. Quickly, send the Inspector Spirit Officer to track him down!"
The Spirit Officer received the order and left the palace to investigate. He soon uncovered the situation and reported back, "The one who disrupted the heavenly palace is indeed the Great Sage Equal to Heaven." He recounted the events in detail. Enraged, the Jade Emperor immediately dispatched the Four Heavenly Kings, along with King Li and Prince Nezha, leading the twenty-eight constellations, the Nine Luminaries, the Twelve Zodiac Generals, the Five Directions Revealing Truth, the Four Duty Officers, the Eastern and Western Stars, the Northern and Southern Deities, the Five Sacred Mountains, the Four Great Rivers, and all the celestial constellations, totaling 100,000 heavenly soldiers, to set up a net of heaven and earth to capture Sun Wukong in Flower Fruit Mountain. The gods promptly set out, leaving the heavenly palace. Along the way, they saw:
Yellow winds rolling, obscuring the sky and sun, purple mists rising, enveloping the earth. It was only because the demon monkey deceived the Jade Emperor that the gods descended to the mortal world. The Four Heavenly Kings and the Five Directions Revealing Truth: The Four Heavenly Kings commanded the entire operation, while the Five Directions Revealing Truth mobilized the troops. King Li held command in the central army, with Prince Nezha as the vanguard. The Star of the Monkey was responsible for inspection, followed closely by the Star of Rahu. The Moon Star was energetic, the Sun Star shone brightly. The Five Element Stars were all valiant, and the Nine Luminaries delighted in battle. The Zodiac Stars, from midnight to noon, were all mighty heavenly warriors. The Five Plagues and the Five Sacred Mountains were arranged in east and west, with the Six Ding and Six Jia providing protection on either side. The Four River Dragon Gods divided into upper and lower, and the twenty-eight constellations were densely arrayed. The Horn, Neck, Root, Room were the leaders, while the Legs, Emptiness, Stomach, Hair were known for their agility. The Dipper, Ox, Girl, Void, Danger, Room, Wall, Heart, Tail, and Winnowing Basket stars were all capable, while the Well, Ghost, Willow, Star, Spread, Wings, and Chariot stars displayed their might and valor. They descended with clouds and mist upon the mortal world, setting up camp before Flower Fruit Mountain.
As the poem says:
Born a Monkey King with many transformations,
Stealing elixirs and wine, he enjoys his mountain lair.
Because he disrupted the Peach Banquet,
A hundred thousand heavenly soldiers set a net to ensnare.
The story goes that King Li ordered the heavenly soldiers and generals to completely surround Flower Fruit Mountain, setting up eighteen layers of heavenly nets. He first sent the Nine Luminaries to challenge Sun Wukong. The Nine Luminaries, leading their troops, arrived outside the cave, where they saw a group of little monkeys jumping and playing joyously. The star officer shouted loudly, "Hey, little demons! Where is your Great Sage? We are celestial beings from heaven, ordered to subdue that rebellious Great Sage. Tell him to come out and surrender immediately, or if anyone dares to say 'no,' you'll all be doomed!" The little demons hurriedly ran inside to report, "Great Sage, it's not good! Nine fierce gods have arrived outside, claiming to be from the heavens, and they want to capture you!"
The Great Sage was drinking celestial wine with the seventy-two demon kings and the four generals when he heard the report. He nonchalantly said, "Let us drink and be merry today, regardless of the troubles outside!" Just as he finished speaking, another little demon came to report, "Those nine fierce gods are outside cursing and challenging us!" The Great Sage laughed, "Ignore them, 'Poetry and wine while we are young, forget about fame and fortune.'" Before he could finish, yet another little demon rushed in, "Grandfather! Those nine fierce gods have broken through the gate and are charging in!" The Great Sage was furious, "These insolent celestial beings are too unreasonable! I didn't want to bother with them, yet they dare to come to my door and bully me?" He then ordered the One-Horned Ghost King to lead the seventy-two demon kings into battle, while he followed with the four generals. The Ghost King led the demon soldiers out to meet the enemy but was blocked at the Iron Bridge by the Nine Luminaries, unable to move.
As the standoff continued, the Great Sage arrived. He shouted, "Make way!" and swung his golden cudgel, as thick as a bowl and twelve feet long, charging forward. The Nine Luminaries dared not confront him and were beaten back repeatedly. After regaining their footing, they shouted, "You reckless Bimawen! You've committed unforgivable crimes, first stealing peaches, then wine, disrupting the Peach Banquet, stealing Laozi's elixirs, and even taking the imperial wine for your pleasure. Your sins are piling up; don't you know?" The Great Sage laughed, "Those things did happen, but what can you do about it?" The Nine Luminaries said, "We are here by the Jade Emperor's command, with orders to subdue you. Surrender now to spare the lives of these creatures, or we'll flatten this mountain and overturn this cave!" The Great Sage was enraged, "You little gods, what abilities do you have to act so arrogantly before me? If you're not afraid of death, come and try my cudgel!" The Nine Luminaries charged together. The Handsome Monkey King was unafraid, swinging his golden cudgel left and right, wearing them out until they were exhausted, dragging their weapons as they fled in defeat back to the central camp to report to King Li, "That Monkey King is truly formidable! We couldn't defeat him and were all beaten back." King Li immediately gathered the Four Heavenly Kings and the Twenty-Eight Constellations to join the battle. The Great Sage, undaunted, called upon the One-Horned Ghost King, the seventy-two demon kings, and the four generals to form a lineup outside the cave.
The ensuing battle was truly intense: cold winds howled, and strange mists spread. Flags flew on one side, while halberds shimmered on the other. Armor gleamed like silver cymbals, layered like icy mountains. Broadswords flashed like lightning, spears pierced clouds and mist. Tridents, tiger-eye whips, bronze swords, and Malin spades were densely arrayed. Bows bent, crossbows strained, and arrows with eagle feathers carried souls. The Great Sage's Ruyi Jingu Bang spun around, fighting the heavenly gods. The sky was void of flying birds, and tigers and wolves fled the mountains. Sand and stones flew as the world darkened, dust and dirt filled the universe. The clash of weapons echoed through the heavens, intimidating ghosts and gods alike.
The battle raged from the hour of Chen (7-9 a.m.) until sunset. The One-Horned Ghost King and the seventy-two demon kings were all captured by the celestial forces, leaving only the four generals and a group of little monkeys to escape into the depths of the Water Curtain Cave. The Great Sage, wielding his golden cudgel, held off the Four Heavenly Kings, King Li, and Prince Nezha, engaging them in aerial combat for a long time. As evening approached, the Great Sage plucked a handful of hairs, chewed them, and spat out a "Transform!" Instantly, hundreds of Great Sages appeared, each wielding a golden cudgel, driving back Prince Nezha and defeating the five heavenly kings.
Victorious, the Great Sage gathered his hairs and quickly returned to the cave. At the Iron Bridge, the four generals and the monkeys greeted him, crying three times and then laughing heartily three times. The Great Sage asked, "Why do you cry and laugh upon seeing me?" The four generals replied, "This morning, when we fought the heavenly kings, the seventy-two demon kings and the One-Horned Ghost King were all captured. We barely escaped, so we cry. Seeing you return victorious and unharmed makes us laugh." The Great Sage said, "Victory and defeat are common in battle. As the ancients said, 'Killing ten thousand costs three thousand of your own.' Besides, those captured were just some tigers, leopards, wolves, and insects. None of my kind were harmed, so why worry? Although I used my transformation technique to drive them back, they will camp at the mountain's foot. Let us guard well, eat and drink our fill, and rest. Tomorrow, I'll show these heavenly generals some real magic." The four generals and the monkeys drank several bowls of coconut wine and slept soundly.
The Four Heavenly Kings withdrew their troops and reported their achievements: some captured tigers and leopards, others lions and elephants, and still others wolves, foxes, and camels, but none caught a single monkey spirit. So they set up camp at the mountain's foot, rewarding the meritorious generals and instructing the soldiers of the heavenly nets to remain vigilant, surrounding Flower Fruit Mountain, ready to fight again at dawn. As the saying goes: The demon monkey's chaos shakes heaven and earth, nets are set and watch kept day and night. As for how it will end at daylight, stay tuned for the next chapter.
