Once upon a time, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, was feeling as restless as an ant on a hot pan. After getting defeated empty-handed, he sat behind Mount Jinji, tears in his eyes, crying out, “Master! I really count on you! The Buddha’s grace is so profound, yet why can’t you help me? We live and cultivate together; can’t we achieve liberation together? Now I don’t even have a stick left, empty-handed and barefoot, how can I thrive?” He thought to himself, “That demon definitely recognizes me; it just praised me for being a troublemaker in Heaven. This isn’t an ordinary monster; it must be a fierce star from the heavens. I need to check this out!”
Without hesitation, Sun Wukong decided to act. He hopped on his cloud and headed straight for the South Heavenly Gate. On the way, he looked up and ran into the Heavenly King Guangmu. He quickly greeted him, “Great Sage, where are you off to?” Sun Wukong replied, “I need to see the Jade Emperor. What are you doing here?” Guangmu said, “I’m on patrol at the South Heavenly Gate today.” Before he could finish, four marshals came over to greet him, “Great Sage, sorry for the wait. Please have some tea.” Sun Wukong, feeling anxious, replied, “I have urgent matters!” and rushed straight to the South Heavenly Gate, arriving outside the Lingxiao Palace.
Outside the Lingxiao Palace, he met several heavenly masters, including Zhang Daoling, Ge Xianweng, Xu Jingyang, and Qiu Hongji, all looking concerned. “Great Sage, what brings you here? Have you completed your task of protecting Tang Seng?” Sun Wukong sighed, “Not yet! It’s a long journey, and I’ve encountered difficulties. I’ve been caught by a monster, and Master Tang is trapped in the Jinji Cave.” He continued, “I went to find him, but that demon recognized me and snatched my golden staff. It’s really troublesome!”
Hearing this, Xu Jingyang chuckled, “This monkey is still so crafty!” Sun Wukong retorted, “I’m not crafty! This is just my nature; it’s how I find solutions.” Zhang Daoling interjected, “Stop talking; just send a report.” Sun Wukong quickly thanked them, “Thank you, thank you!”
The four heavenly masters immediately sent a report to Lingxiao, introducing Sun Wukong to the Jade Emperor. Sun Wukong called out, “Old official, I’m sorry to trouble you! I, Sun Wukong, am protecting Tang Seng on his journey to the West. It’s fraught with dangers, no need for me to elaborate. Right now, in the Jinshan Dou Cave, a monster has captured Master Tang. I don’t know if it plans to steam or boil him. I went to find him, but that monster recognized me and took my golden staff. It’s really hard to deal with this demon!”
He continued, “I suspect it’s a fierce star from above that has come down to the mortal realm. I hope to consult the Jade Emperor about this and request troops to exterminate the demon. I’m truly trembling with fear!” After bowing deeply, Ge Xianweng chuckled, “The monkey’s attitude is quite amusing!” Sun Wukong quickly replied, “I wouldn’t dare! I’m currently left with nothing.”
At that moment, the Jade Emperor heard the report and immediately issued a decree: “Since Wukong says so, let’s investigate the heavenly stars and see if any have descended to the mortal realm. Report back immediately.” The True Lord Han Zhang received the command and went with Sun Wukong to investigate. They first checked the officials at the Four Heavenly Gates, then the various celestial beings at the Sanwei Courtyard, followed by the Thunder God’s officials, and finally the Thirty-Three Heavens, where everything seemed peaceful; they also checked the Twenty-Eight Mansions, and all were at ease. In the end, they examined the Seven Luminaries—Sun, Moon, Water, Fire, Wood, Metal, and Earth—and found no signs of any fierce star descending.
Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong sighed in relief, “Then I won’t disturb the Jade Emperor anymore; it’s really inconvenient. You can report back yourself; I’ll wait here.” The True Lord Han Zhang complied.
After careful investigation, the True Lord Han Zhang returned to report to the Jade Emperor: “All the heavenly stars are present, and the divine generals are all accounted for; no immortals have descended to the mortal realm.” Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor immediately ordered, “Let Sun Wukong choose a few heavenly generals to descend and capture the demon!” The four heavenly masters, receiving the decree, quickly told Sun Wukong, “Great Sage, the Jade Emperor has granted you permission. Since no immortals have descended, you can choose a few heavenly generals to capture the demon.”
Sun Wukong pondered, “There aren’t many generals in heaven who are stronger than me, and even fewer who can surpass me. Back when I caused a ruckus in heaven, the Jade Emperor sent a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers, and none dared to compete with me. Only the minor sage Erlang could match me. Now that demon is even stronger than me; how can I defeat it?” Xu Jingyang smiled, “This is a different situation. As the saying goes, ‘One thing conquers another.’ You can’t defy the order; hurry and choose your heavenly generals!” Sun Wukong understood, “Since that’s the case, I can’t disobey. But I still need to request the Jade Emperor to send down the Pagoda-Bearer Li Tianwang and Prince Nezha. They have some magical weapons for subduing demons; let’s see if we can capture that monster.”
So, the heavenly master immediately reported to the Jade Emperor, who agreed to let Li Tianwang and his son lead the heavenly soldiers to assist Sun Wukong. Upon receiving the decree, Li Tianwang promptly came to see Sun Wukong. Sun Wukong said to the heavenly master, “Thank the Jade Emperor for sending Li Tianwang! There’s one more thing I’d like you to convey: I hope two Thunder Lords can strike from the clouds during the battle and hit that demon on the head. That would be a great idea!” The heavenly master smiled and replied, “Good! Good! Good!” He then reported to the Jade Emperor, ordering the Thunder Lords Denghua and Zhangfan from the Nine Heavens to join the battle.
Before long, they arrived outside Mount Jinji. Sun Wukong pointed and said, “This is Mount Jinji, and inside is the Jinji Cave. Let’s discuss who will challenge first.” Li Tianwang halted his cloud and positioned the heavenly soldiers at the southern slope of the mountain. “Great Sage, you know Nezha. He has defeated demons from the Ninety-Six Caves before, has countless transformations, and possesses magical weapons to subdue demons. He should go first.”
Sun Wukong nodded, “Then I’ll go call the Prince.” Nezha, full of spirit, followed Sun Wukong as they jumped to the high mountain and rushed to the cave entrance. They found the cave door tightly shut and the surroundings eerily quiet. Sun Wukong stepped forward and shouted, “You demon! Open the door! Return my master!”
Inside, the little demon in charge of guarding the door hurriedly reported, “My lord, Sun Wukong is outside with a young boy challenging us!” Upon hearing this, the demon king felt a pang of anxiety: “This monkey has stolen my iron staff and comes empty-handed to fight; he must have summoned reinforcements!”
So, the demon king shouted, “Get my weapon!” He picked up a spear and stepped outside, seeing Nezha and feeling startled. “You’re the third son of Li Tianwang! Why are you here?” Nezha replied, “Because you, demon, are causing havoc and troubling the holy monk of the East. I’m here on the orders of the Jade Emperor to capture you!” The demon king, furious, retorted, “Do you think I’m afraid of you? I’m the demon that troubles that holy monk! What can you, a mere child, do to challenge me?” With that, he lunged forward, shouting, “Take this spear!”
Nezha immediately drew his Demon-Slaying Sword to meet him. The two fought fiercely, and Sun Wukong, feeling anxious, turned and shouted, “Thunder Lords, come quickly! Strike the demon with lightning to subdue the prince!” Deng and Zhang were preparing to act when Nezha suddenly unleashed his magic, transforming into a figure with three heads and six arms, wielding six different weapons to attack the demon king. The demon king, not to be outdone, also transformed into a three-headed, six-armed figure, using three spears to block Nezha’s assault.
Nezha then used his demon-subduing powers, causing the six weapons to fly up and rain down on the demon king like a torrential storm. The demon king, undaunted, produced a white ring, threw it into the air, and shouted “Capture!” The ring instantly ensnared the six weapons, leaving Nezha to escape empty-handed. The demon king seized the opportunity to triumphantly return.
Deng and Zhang, the Thunder Lords, chuckled secretly in the sky: “If we had known, we should have unleashed lightning first. If that demon had captured us, how would we return to face the Celestial Venerable?” They then descended to the southern slope of the mountain, joining Nezha to report to Li Tianwang, “This demon truly possesses great powers!” Sun Wukong laughed nearby, “That guy’s abilities are just so-so; it’s that ring that’s formidable! I really want to know what kind of treasure that is, that it can ensnare things just by throwing it.”
Nezha, hearing this, jumped in anger: “You, Great Sage, are truly unreliable! We worked hard in battle and ended up losing, yet you’re here laughing!” Sun Wukong shrugged, “Worried? I’m not worried! Right now, I can only laugh.” Li Tianwang interjected, “So what do we do next?” Sun Wukong thought for a moment, “As long as that ring can’t capture us, we can catch the demon.” Li Tianwang nodded, “Exactly! Water and fire are the most powerful; as the saying goes, ‘Water and fire are merciless.’”
Hearing this, Sun Wukong’s eyes lit up: “Well said! You all wait here; I’ll go to heaven again.” Deng and Zhang asked, “What are you going to do?” Sun Wukong replied, “I’m going to the South Heavenly Gate to find the Fire Deity, asking him to set the demon on fire and conveniently turn that ring to ash.” Nezha was overjoyed, “Hurry back! We’ll wait for you here!”
Sun Wukong soared into the sky, heading straight for the South Heavenly Gate. The Heavenly King Guangmu and the four generals came to greet him, “Great Sage, you’re here again?” Sun Wukong said, “Li Tianwang and Nezha have gone to battle, but the demon king has stolen their weapons. I need to summon the Fire Deity for help.” The four generals quickly let him in.
Upon arriving at the Tonghua Palace, Sun Wukong met the Fire Deity and immediately reported, “I’ve come to request your assistance. Li Tianwang and the Prince lost their battle and lost their weapons!” The Fire Deity replied, “Nezha is the great deity of the Three Altars and has defeated the demons of the Ninety-Six Caves. If he can’t win, I certainly wouldn’t dare to go!” Sun Wukong, anxious, said, “We’ve discussed this; the most powerful forces in heaven and earth are water and fire. That demon has a ring that can ensnare things. So I’m asking you to bring the fire gods to burn him and save my master!”
Upon hearing this, the Fire Deity immediately rallied his troops and followed Sun Wukong to the southern slope of Mount Jinji, where they met Li Tianwang and the Thunder Lords. Li Tianwang said, “Great Sage, you go call that demon out. I’ll fight him, and while he’s using the ring, we’ll set him on fire!” Sun Wukong laughed, “Exactly! I’ll go right now.”
He reached the entrance of Jinji Cave and shouted, “Open the door! Quickly return my master!” The demon, hearing this, hurriedly reported, “Sun Wukong is back again!” The demon king emerged with his minions, sneering at Sun Wukong, “You troublesome monkey, what reinforcements have you brought this time?” Just then, the Pagoda-Bearer stepped forward and shouted, “Demon, do you recognize me?” The demon king, upon hearing this, laughed, “Li Tianwang, do you want to take revenge on my son and reclaim your weapons?”
Li Tianwang replied, “Not only do I want revenge, but I also want to rescue Tang Seng! Don’t run away; take this blade!” The demon king sidestepped to evade and picked up his spear, preparing for battle.
In front of Jinji Cave, Li Tianwang and the demon were locked in a fierce fight. Just look at the scene! The king’s blade sparked as it struck, while the demon’s spear reached for the clouds. One was a wicked creature of Mount Jinji, the other a divine being from the Lingxiao Palace; they were truly evenly matched! The king fought with all his might to save Tang Seng, while the demon sought to display his power, with both sides striving for merit, hoping to gain favor for Tang Seng.
At this moment, Sun Wukong saw that they were at a stalemate and thought, “I need to come up with a plan!” He jumped to a high peak and said to the Fire Deity, “Hurry, hurry!” Just as the two were locked in combat, the demon suddenly took out the ring. Li Tianwang, seeing this, panicked and quickly prepared to retreat. The Fire Deity, noticing this, immediately commanded the fire gods to unleash their flames. The fire attack was truly fierce, raging like it could burn down thousands of acres of farmland!
Fire crows flew, fire steeds galloped, and fire spears, fire blades, fire bows, and fire arrows all joined the fray, creating a spectacular scene! However, the demon, seeing the fire approaching, was not afraid at all. Instead, he threw the ring, instantly ensnaring the fire dragon, fire steed, and fire crows, turning back into the cave, smugly recalling his troops. The Fire Deity, seeing this, felt anxious: “This demon is really difficult to deal with; my fire weapons are ineffective. What should I do?”
Sun Wukong laughed heartily, “Don’t worry! Everyone sit tight; I’ll go again!” Li Tianwang asked, “Where are you going this time?” Sun Wukong replied, “This demon isn’t afraid of fire, but he must be afraid of water! I need to go to the North Heavenly Gate to invite the Water Deity to help, flooding his cave to drown the demon king and conveniently retrieve the weapons!” Although Li Tianwang thought this was a good idea, he still worried, “What if my master gets drowned too?”
Sun Wukong confidently said, “No problem! I have a way to revive him. You all wait here; I’ll be right back!” The Fire Deity immediately urged, “Then hurry!”
Thus, Sun Wukong rode his cloud straight to the North Heavenly Gate. Upon arriving, he saw the Heavenly King Duowen patrolling there and asked, “Great Sage, where are you headed?” Sun Wukong replied, “I have urgent business with the Water Deity!” The Heavenly King said, “Today is my day to patrol.” Just then, the four great heavenly generals arrived, wanting to invite him for tea. Sun Wukong waved his hand, “No need! I’m in a hurry!” and rushed to the Wuhao Palace.
Upon reaching the Wuhao Palace, Sun Wukong told the Water Deity, “I’ve come to ask for your help. That demon king is not a river god but a formidable monster. He has stolen the weapons of Li Tianwang and the Thunder Lords. I asked the Fire Deity to set fire, but the fire dragon and fire steed were also captured by him. Now I want to ask you to unleash water to save my master!”
The Water Deity, upon hearing this, immediately dispatched the Yellow River Water Lord to assist Sun Wukong. The Water Lord took out a white jade basin from his sleeve, saying, “I have this to hold water.” Sun Wukong curiously asked, “How much water can this basin hold? How can it drown the demon?” The Water Lord smiled, “This is no ordinary basin; one basin is the water of the Yellow River, half a basin is half a river, and one basin is a whole river!” Sun Wukong, hearing this, was overjoyed: “That’s more than enough!” He then bid farewell to the Water Deity and hurriedly left the heavenly palace with the Yellow River God.
The Water Lord held the white jade basin, scooped half a basin of Yellow River water, and followed Sun Wukong as they rushed toward Mount Jinji. They arrived at the southern slope and met Li Tianwang, the Prince, the Thunder Lord, and the Fire Deity. Sun Wukong waved his hand and said, “No time for nonsense, Water Lord, follow me! When I call for the door to open, you pour in the water. That demon will drown, and I’ll go retrieve my master’s body and revive him in no time!” The Water Lord obediently followed Sun Wukong, turning around the slope and heading straight for the cave entrance.
Sun Wukong shouted loudly, “Demon, open the door!” Inside the cave, the little demon heard it was Sun Wukong and immediately reported, “Sun Wukong is back again!” The demon king, upon hearing this, hurriedly grabbed his precious weapon, shouldered his spear, and charged out, loudly opening the stone door. Seeing this, the Water Lord quickly poured the water from the white jade basin, but when the demon saw the water coming, he panicked, dropped his spear, and quickly used the ring to brace the door. Poor Sun Wukong had to leap to a high peak, thinking to himself, “This water situation is not good!”
Suddenly, there was a roaring sound of water, surging like thunder, and the waves rushed in, instantly flooding the surroundings. Sun Wukong felt anxious: “Oh no, the water has spread everywhere but hasn’t flooded the demon’s cave. What should I do?” The Water Lord helplessly said, “I can only release water; collecting it is difficult!” At this moment, although the water spread out, it slowly flowed to lower ground due to the terrain.
Before long, a few little demons jumped out of the cave, looking delighted and ready to play. Li Tianwang, seeing this, gritted his teeth in anger: “The water didn’t even flood inside; what a waste of effort!” Sun Wukong, furious, swung his fists and charged to the demon’s door, shouting, “Nowhere to run! Watch me fight!” The little demons, frightened, dropped their weapons and rushed back into the cave, trembling as they reported, “Lord, an attacker is coming!”
The demon king, upon hearing this, picked up his spear and came out to face them: “This troublesome monkey is back! You’ve failed to defeat me multiple times; why come again to seek death?” Sun Wukong coldly laughed, “You talk big, but today you’ll learn what it means to face death!” The demon king mocked, “Your little monkey fists are as small as walnuts; how can you defeat me?” Sun Wukong, hearing this, felt delighted: “Then let’s have a match!”
The two began to fight as soon as they exchanged words. Sun Wukong moved his feet and took his stance, wildly attacking the demon king. The scene was truly spectacular! Sun Wukong’s techniques were varied and unpredictable, while the demon king refused to back down. They exchanged blows fiercely, with neither side gaining the upper hand. Li Tianwang and the Fire Deity watched from the peak, their blood boiling, cheering continuously.
At this moment, Sun Wukong had a clever idea. He plucked a hair from his body, tossed it into the air, and shouted, “Transform!” Instantly, three to fifty little monkeys appeared, charging forward to entangle the demon. The demon panicked and hurriedly pulled out the ring to counterattack. Seeing this, Sun Wukong and the heavenly king quickly retreated to the peak. As a result, the demon threw the ring, and with a whoosh, it captured all the little monkeys and pulled them back into the cave, celebrating his success by closing the door. It was truly a situation that made one laugh and cry!
The Prince, upon seeing Sun Wukong, immediately gave a thumbs up: “Great Sage Sun is indeed a hero! This set of boxing techniques is simply icing on the cake! Look at his clone technique; he really shines in front of others!” Sun Wukong chuckled in response, “Everyone here is watching from a distance; is that demon’s ability stronger than mine?” Li Tianwang shook his head: “His boxing style is sloppy, his footwork slow; how can he compare to you! He saw us coming and was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, especially when he saw you using the clone technique; he was completely flustered, falling into a trap.”
Sun Wukong nodded: “This demon king is easy to deal with, but that ring is troublesome.” The Fire Deity and the Water Lord chimed in: “To win, we must first take his treasure; only then can we capture him.” Sun Wukong frowned: “How can we easily get that treasure? Isn’t that just stealing?” Deng and Zhang laughed heartily: “If it’s about stealing, then you, Great Sage Sun, are the best! Remember when you wreaked havoc in heaven, stealing imperial wine, peaches, and dragon liver phoenix marrow? Your skills were exceptional, and now they come in handy!”
Sun Wukong smacked his forehead: “Well said! You all wait here; I’ll go investigate.” With that, Sun Wukong leaped down the peak, stealthily approached the cave entrance, and transformed into a fly.
This transformation is truly marvelous! Look at him—his wings are as thin as bamboo paper, his body is as small as a flower's heart, his limbs are thinner than hair, and his eyes sparkle like stars. He’s practically a little fairy flying in the sky. He gently flies to the door and slips inside the cave.
Inside, it’s bustling with activity; big and small demons are dancing and singing, while the old demon king sits high on a platform, surrounded by a feast of delicious dishes: snake meat, deer jerky, bear paws, camel humps, and fragrant green-glazed wine pots, making one’s mouth water.
Sun Wukong lands among the little demons and transforms into a badger spirit, slowly approaching the edge of the platform. He observes for a long time but doesn’t see where the treasure is kept. Growing anxious, he turns and runs behind the platform, suddenly spotting the fire dragon and fire steed hanging high above. Looking up, he sees his golden staff leaning against the eastern wall, which makes him overjoyed!
Feeling an irresistible urge, he forgets about his disguise and strides forward to grab the iron staff, revealing his true form and starting to unleash a flurry of strikes.
The group of demons is so frightened that their souls nearly leave their bodies. The old demon king has no time to react, and he’s knocked down three of his minions and taken out two. Sun Wukong opens a bloody path and charges straight out of the cave. This scene is truly spectacular: the proud and complacent demon leader, caught off guard, finds his main weapon back in its owner’s hands. As for how the story unfolds next, we’ll discuss that next time!
