The Bull Demon King caught up with the Monkey King and saw him strolling along with the Banana Fan casually resting on his shoulder, looking quite pleased. The demon king was taken aback and thought, “So the monkey has figured out how to use that fan! If I ask him for it directly, he definitely won’t give it to me. But if I can trick him into using it, he’ll be off on a journey of ten thousand miles, and I can’t let that happen! I heard that Tang Seng is waiting for him on the main road. His second disciple is a pig demon, and his third is a sand demon. Back when I was a demon myself, I encountered them too. I could disguise myself as the pig demon and trick him again. The monkey is so full of himself, he won’t be on guard.”
The clever demon king had his own seventy-two transformations and martial arts skills comparable to the Monkey King, but he was a bit clumsy and not as agile. He hid his sword, muttered a spell, and transformed himself to look just like Pigsy. He then approached the Monkey King and shouted, “Brother, I’m here!”
The Monkey King was genuinely happy to see him. As the saying goes, “A victorious cat is as happy as a tiger,” and he was so confident that he didn’t even consider the newcomer’s intentions. Seeing someone who looked like Pigsy, he asked, “Where are you going, brother?” The Bull Demon King replied, “Master has been waiting for you. He fears that the Bull Demon King is too powerful for you to handle, so he sent me to welcome you back.”
The Monkey King laughed and said, “No need to worry, I’ve already dealt with him.” The Bull King pressed on, “How did you manage that?” The Monkey King boasted, “That old bull and I fought for over a hundred rounds without a clear winner. Then he ran off to a place called Chaos Stone Mountain, where he was drinking with a bunch of dragon and serpent demons. I secretly followed him, transformed into a crab, stole his water-splitting golden-eyed beast, and then disguised myself as the old bull to trick that female demon in the Banana Cave. That woman and I had a brief marriage of convenience; it was all part of my plan!”
The Bull King exclaimed, “You’ve really outdone yourself, brother! Now, can I have that fan?” The Monkey King, unaware of the deception, handed it over without a second thought. The Bull King, knowing the fan's true nature, took it and, not knowing what spell to use, it shrank down to the size of an apricot leaf. He then shouted, “You recognize me, you filthy monkey!”
Upon seeing this, the Monkey King regretted his actions and muttered, “This is my fault!” He stomped his foot and cried out, “Hey! Year after year, I’ve been the hunter, but now I’ve been blinded by a little bird!”
Furious, he swung his iron staff, but the demon king simply waved the fan at him. Unbeknownst to the Bull King, when the Monkey King had transformed into a cricket and entered the female demon’s belly, he had secretly swallowed a Wind-Settling Pill. This made his insides solid and unshakeable, so no matter how hard the Bull King fanned him, he couldn’t budge him.
Panicking, the Bull King swallowed his treasure and wielded his sword to attack. The two of them battled fiercely in mid-air: the Monkey King, who could match the heavens, and the reckless Bull King, both fighting for the Banana Fan, each trying to outdo the other. The Monkey King, with his unyielding staff, and the Bull King, with his double-edged sword, were locked in a fierce duel.
The sky darkened with dust and debris as they clashed. The Bull King shouted, “You dare to trick me!” while the Monkey King retorted, “You promised my wife to share with me!” Their words were sharp, and their tempers flared. The Bull King accused, “You deceived my wife and daughter; you deserve to die! I’ll take you to court for this!”
With the clever Monkey King and the fierce Bull King both determined to kill, there was no room for negotiation. They fought fiercely, their weapons clashing with great force, neither willing to back down.
Meanwhile, Tang Seng was sitting on the road, feeling the heat and growing increasingly anxious and thirsty. He asked the local deity, “How powerful is the Bull Demon King?” The deity replied, “The Bull King is quite formidable, a true match for the Monkey King.” Tang Seng said, “Wukong can usually cover two thousand miles in no time. Why has he been gone for a whole day? He must be battling that Bull King.”
He called out, “Wuneng, Wujing! Which of you will go and greet your senior brother? If you encounter an enemy, you must lend your strength to help him retrieve that fan and relieve my anxiety so we can hurry over the mountain.” Pigsy said, “It’s getting late, and I want to go meet him, but I don’t know the way to Thunderstorm Mountain.”
The deity replied, “I know the way. Let me send the Curtain-Raising General to accompany your master while I take you there.” Tang Seng was overjoyed and said, “Thank you, esteemed deity! I’ll express my gratitude later.”
With renewed energy, Pigsy straightened his robe, grabbed his rake, and soared into the clouds with the deity, heading back east. Just as they were on their way, they suddenly heard a loud commotion and the sound of battle.
Pigsy was perched on a cloud, watching as the Monkey King and the Bull Demon King fought fiercely. The local deity, puzzled, asked, “Tianpeng, why don’t you go help?” Upon hearing this, Pigsy immediately brandished his rake and shouted, “Brother, I’m coming!”
The Monkey King, furious, cursed, “You fool! How many troubles have you caused me!” Pigsy retorted, “Master sent me to fetch you. I didn’t know the mountain roads, and after discussing for a long time, I had the deity lead the way. How is that causing trouble?” The Monkey King sighed, “It’s not that I blame you for coming late; it’s that the Bull Demon King is too rude! I finally got the fan from the female demon, and he transformed into your likeness to trick me. I was so pleased that I handed him the fan, and then he revealed his true form and started fighting me!”
Hearing this, Pigsy was furious and shouted, “You blood-sucking fiend! How dare you transform into your ancestor’s likeness to deceive my brother, causing discord among us!” He swung his rake wildly, and the Bull Demon King, exhausted from fighting all day, saw Pigsy’s fierce rake and tried to escape. Just then, the local deity from Flame Mountain stepped forward, accompanied by the ghost soldiers, blocking the Bull King’s path: “Great Strength King, stop! Tang Seng is on a journey to the West for scriptures, and the gods are protecting him. Quickly return the Banana Fan to help extinguish the fire, or you will face divine retribution!”
The Bull Demon King was enraged and shouted, “You, land deity, really don’t know what’s good for you! That filthy monkey stole my mount and insulted my concubine; how could I lend him my treasure?” Before he could finish, Pigsy caught up and yelled, “You stubborn fiend! Hand over the fan, or I won’t spare you!” The Bull King had no choice but to turn back and continue fighting Pigsy.
This battle was truly lively: a pig demon, a troublesome bull, and a crafty monkey all working together, each showcasing their strengths. The rake was sharp, the sword was keen, and the iron staff was agile, with the land deity also supporting them from the side. The clash of weapons echoed through the air, dimming the stars and the moon as the sky gradually darkened. The Bull Demon King fought desperately throughout the night, but neither side could gain the upper hand.
As dawn broke, the Bull Demon King planned to escape, heading towards the entrance of his Chaos Thunder Mountain cave. The land deity and the ghost soldiers were making a commotion, which alerted Princess Yumei. She immediately ordered her maid to check, “Go see what the noise is about outside!” The gatekeeper demon returned with a report: “It’s the grandpa and that thunderous monk, along with the land deity from Flame Mountain, who are fighting!”
Upon hearing this, Princess Yumei commanded her top minions to grab their weapons and go support. The demons all shouted in unison, “Your Highness, we come at the command of the lady to assist!” The Bull Demon King was delighted: “Excellent! Excellent!” So the demons rushed forward, starting to attack wildly. Pigsy was caught off guard and retreated, dragging his rake as he fled. The Monkey King leaped out of the encirclement, while the ghost soldiers scattered in all directions. The Bull Demon King, feeling triumphant, led the demons back into the cave and shut the door tightly, bringing the matter to a close.
Sun Wukong looked at the Bull Demon King and thought to himself, “This guy is truly fierce! He has been fighting from yesterday afternoon until tonight, and there’s still no clear winner. Just when those two little demons showed up to help him, he seems even less tired. But he has tightly closed the cave door; I don’t know what to do!”
Pigsy, hearing this, quickly asked, “Brother, you left Master at the hour of the snake yesterday. Why did you only start fighting at the hour of the monkey? Where did you spend those two hours?” Wukong, looking helpless, replied, “As soon as I left you, I arrived at this mountain and encountered the Bull Demon King’s beloved, Princess Yumei. I startled her with my iron staff, and she ran to call the Bull King to fight me. As we were fighting, he was called away to a banquet. Taking advantage of the situation, I transformed into a crab, stole his water-splitting golden-eyed beast, and pretended to be the Bull King to trick the female demon. But she saw through my disguise, and he took the fan!”
Hearing this, Pigsy felt frustrated: “This is like capsizing a tofu boat in the sea; it’s terrible! How can we get Master over the mountain now? Should we just turn back?” The land deity nearby advised, “Great Sage, don’t be anxious, and Tianpeng, don’t slack off. Turning back is like taking a side path; it doesn’t look like the way of cultivation. Your master is waiting on the main road, eagerly hoping for your success!”
Upon hearing this, Wukong immediately became resolute: “You’re right! Don’t talk nonsense, fool! We need to fight the Bull King and find a way to get the fan back. I’ll use my Earthly Fiend Transformation. As long as we can get the treasured fan, the fire will be extinguished, and we can proceed smoothly to the West!”
Pigsy perked up, “Yes, yes! Let’s go! No matter what, we will succeed!” So the two of them, along with the land deity and the ghost soldiers, moved forward, raising their rake and iron staff, and began to smash down the door of the Mo Yun Cave. The gatekeeper demon, terrified, ran in to report, “My Lord! Sun Wukong has broken down the front door!”
The Bull Demon King, hearing this, was furious and quickly donned his armor, grabbing his iron staff as he rushed out, shouting, “You filthy monkey! How dare you barge into my home, completely unaware of your own insignificance!”
Pigsy shouted back, “You old skin-flayer! What are you to come here and act wild? Don’t run; take a look at my rake!” The Bull Demon King roared, “You fool, quickly call that monkey out!” Wukong refused to back down: “You ungrateful wretch! Just yesterday, I was discussing brotherhood with you, and today you’ve become my enemy. Prepare to take a hit from my staff!”
The Bull Demon King charged forward, and the three heroes engaged in a fierce battle.
This fight was even more intense than before, with the sounds of the rake and iron staff ringing in the air, and the ghost soldiers supporting them from the side. The clash of their weapons echoed thunderously, with neither side yielding. The Bull Demon King shouted, “Why won’t you lend me the Banana Fan?” Wukong retorted, “You dare deceive my wife; I haven’t settled the score yet!” The Bull Demon King, undeterred, raised his iron staff high, ready for battle. Everyone was giving it their all, each with their own thoughts, fighting fiercely—it was truly a spectacle!
From the hour of the rabbit to the hour of the dragon, the Bull Demon King finally couldn’t hold on any longer and prepared to retreat. He and Sun Wukong were locked in a fierce struggle, and as the three of them fought fiercely, Pigsy, at that moment, became dazed, relying on Wukong’s powers and waving his rake aimlessly. The Bull Demon King, seeing this, panicked and turned to flee, but the land deity and the ghost soldiers had already blocked the cave entrance, shouting, “Great Strength King, where do you think you’re going? We’re waiting for you here!”
The Bull Demon King had no choice but to quickly change forms, shedding his armor and discarding his iron staff. He transformed into a swan and flew into the sky. Wukong, noticing this, laughed, “Pigsy, look, the old bull is flying away!” Pigsy looked confused, and the land deity was also unsure, as everyone looked around, searching. Wukong pointed to the sky and said, “That flying creature up there is him!” Pigsy countered, “That’s a swan.” Wukong chuckled, “Exactly, it’s the old bull transformed!” The land deity asked, “What should we do now?” Wukong thought for a moment: “You two go deal with the demons in the cave, destroy his lair, and cut off his escape route. I’ll go challenge him to a transformation duel.”
So, Pigsy and the land deity followed the instructions and began to break down the cave door. At this moment, Sun Wukong put away his golden staff, chanted a spell, and transformed into a sea eagle, flying towards the swan. The Bull Demon King, seeing this, panicked and quickly flapped his wings, transforming into a yellow eagle to counterattack. Wukong then transformed into a black phoenix, relentlessly pursuing, and when the Bull Demon King saw through this, he transformed into a white crane and flew south.
Wukong, unwilling to back down, immediately transformed into a red phoenix and cried out loudly. Upon seeing this, the white crane transformed into a fragrant deer, grazing at the cliff's edge. Wukong noticed and changed into a hungry tiger, preparing to pounce. The Bull Demon King panicked and transformed into a golden leopard to threaten Wukong. Wukong, seeing this, faced the wind and turned into a golden-eyed lion, his voice like thunder, ready to counterattack. The Bull Demon King, in a hurry, transformed into a human bear, attempting to capture the lion.
Wukong rolled over and changed into a lazy elephant, charging towards the human bear. The Bull Demon King, seeing this, couldn’t help but reveal his true form, transforming into a giant white bull with a head like a mountain peak and eyes like lightning, bellowing fiercely, “You filthy monkey, what do you think you can do to me?” Wukong also refused to back down, revealing his original form, pulling out his golden staff, and shouting, “Grow!” He instantly became enormous, with a head like Mount Tai, eyes like the sun and moon, a mouth like a blood pool, and wielding an iron staff, he charged straight at the Bull King.
This battle was truly earth-shattering and mountain-shaking! The Bull Demon King braced himself and charged forward, using his iron horns to block, crashing around, his fur standing on end, his momentum overwhelming. Wukong and the other deities surrounded him, and the Bull King became increasingly desperate. After a final roll, he reverted to his original form and dashed towards the Banana Fan Cave. Wukong retracted his elephant form and, with the other gods, pursued relentlessly. The Bull Demon King burst into the cave, tightly closing the doors and windows, trapping the area around Cuiling Mountain.
That day, Pigsy and the land deity were busy attacking the Mo Yun Cave when they suddenly heard commotion outside. Wukong quickly asked, “What’s the situation at the Mo Yun Cave?” Pigsy proudly replied, “Haha, I killed the old bull’s wife with a single strike of my rake! When I tore her clothes open, she turned out to be a jade-faced fox spirit! Those demons were all donkeys, mules, badgers, and tigers; they’ve all been wiped out, and the cave has been burned clean.” The land deity chimed in, “But he still has a home on this mountain, so we need to come back for another sweep.” Upon hearing this, Wukong clapped his hands and said, “Well done! You did great! Old Sun fought fiercely with that old bull; he transformed into a giant white bull, and I also became tall and mighty, but in the end, he fled back into the cave.”
Pigsy, infuriated, exclaimed, “In that case, what are we waiting for? Let’s rush in and finish him off, and demand the fan!” Saying this, Pigsy gathered his spirits, raised his rake, and smashed it against the door, shaking the stone cliff and knocking down the entrance. Inside the cave, the Bull Demon King was panting as he informed the female demon about Wukong. Hearing the noise from outside, he panicked and immediately handed the fan to the female demon, tears in his eyes, saying, “Darling, give this fan to that monkey and let him retreat!” After saying this, the Bull King donned his armor again, selected two treasured swords, and prepared to face the enemy.
As Pigsy stepped outside, the Bull Demon King swung down at him. Pigsy hurriedly raised his rake to meet the blow, stepping back a few paces, while Wukong had already been waiting at the entrance, ready to join the fight. The Bull Demon King sensed the situation was dire and leaped out of the cave, with both sides confronting each other again on Cuiling Mountain. The deities surrounded them, and the land deity and ghost soldiers attacked from the sides, creating a truly lively scene, with swirling clouds and gusts of wind, making it impossible for birds to fly or fish to leap, plunging the world into chaos.
The Bull Demon King fought desperately, but ultimately, he could not withstand the assault and was forced to flee north. Unexpectedly, the fierce Vajra of Wutai Mountain had been waiting and shouted, “Bull Demon, where do you think you’re going!” The Bull King, feeling flustered, turned to run south but ran straight into the Vajra of Emei Mountain, then encountered the Vajra of Xumi Mountain, and finally was blocked by the Indestructible Sovereign at Kunlun Mountain. The Bull King felt terrified, with heavenly soldiers and Buddhist generals surrounding him like a net, leaving him truly nowhere to escape.
At this moment, Wukong arrived with the other deities, and the Heavenly King Li and Prince Nezha blocked the Bull King in mid-air. Upon seeing this, the Bull King hurriedly transformed, trying to escape. Nezha shouted sternly, “Great Sage, you’re armored; you cannot show mercy!” It turned out that Nezha and his father had come at the Jade Emperor’s command to capture the Bull Demon King. With Nezha’s command, he transformed into a figure with three heads and six arms, leaping onto the Bull King’s back, and with a swing of his demon-slaying sword, the Bull King’s head fell to the ground.
Although the Bull King had his head chopped off, he quickly grew a new one, and after being struck by dozens of blows, he ended up with more and more heads. Finally, Nezha used his fire wheel to catch the Bull King’s horns, unleashing true fire. The Bull King, in immense pain, pleaded, “I am willing to submit to the Buddhist faith!” Nezha immediately demanded he produce the fan, and the Bull King could only say, “The fan is with my wife.”
Seeing this, Nezha untied the demon-binding rope, placed it around the Bull King’s neck, and led him back to the entrance of the Banana Fan Cave. The Bull King shouted, “Darling, quickly bring out the fan to save my life!” The female demon, hearing this, hurriedly removed her hairpin, changed into Taoist attire, and came out holding the two-meter-long Banana Fan with both hands. She knelt and bowed, pleading, “Bodhisattva, spare our lives; I am willing to offer this fan to Uncle Sun!” Wukong took the fan, mounted the cloud with everyone, and headed straight back to the eastern road.
On this day, Tripitaka and Sha Seng were anxiously waiting, hoping for Wukong to return soon. After a long time, Tripitaka grew increasingly worried. Suddenly, he saw auspicious clouds filling the sky, shimmering with divine light, and he was startled: “Wujing, whose divine troops are those over there?” Sha Seng looked and immediately recognized them: “Master, those are the Four Heavenly Kings, Jin Tou Jie Di, the Six Ding and Six Jia, as well as the Protector of the Faith, Jialan, and other deities. The one leading the way is Prince Nezha, and the one with the mirror is King Li of the Pagoda. Our senior brother is waving the Banana Fan in front, followed closely by our second brother and the land deity, and the rest are guardian deities.”
Upon hearing this, Tripitaka quickly put on his Pilu hat, donned his robe, and respectfully welcomed the assembly of saints, gratefully saying, “What virtue or merit does my disciple have to deserve the arrival of all you esteemed beings!”
The Four Heavenly Kings smiled and said, “Holy Monk, don’t be so polite; your merit is about to be fulfilled! We come at the Buddha’s command to assist you, so you must diligently cultivate and not be lazy.” Tripitaka repeatedly bowed, respectfully accepting their guidance.
Meanwhile, Sun Wukong, holding the fan, arrived at the edge of the Flaming Mountain. He exerted all his strength to wave it once, and the flames were immediately extinguished, bringing instant tranquility to the mountain. Wukong was overjoyed, and then he waved it again, bringing a gentle breeze that refreshed the spirit. With another wave, a light rain began to fall, filling the air with a fresh scent. At this moment, Tripitaka's anxiety vanished, leaving him feeling extraordinarily refreshed. The deities also paid their respects to him before returning to their realms. Only the land deity remained, keeping watch over the female demon.
Seeing this, Wukong asked, “Rascal, why haven’t you left? What are you waiting for?” The female demon knelt and pleaded, “Great Sage, please return the fan to me!” Pigsy, standing nearby, was outraged: “You shameless wretch, do you really not know the heights of heaven and depths of the earth? We’ve gone through so much effort; isn’t sparing your life enough? Are we going to take the fan to the mountain to sell for some snacks? Just go away!” The female demon bowed again, her face full of sincerity: “Great Sage, I realize my mistake; I truly regret it this time. It was my carelessness that caused you all this trouble. Please return the fan to me, and I will cultivate properly and never act recklessly again.”
The land deity spoke up, “Great Sage, since this girl knows the method to extinguish the fire and sever its roots, let’s return the fan to her. This way, we can save the lives of the people here, and she can attain redemption.” Wukong thought for a moment: “I’ve asked the locals, and the fire on this mountain only consumes the grains each year. After a while, it will flare up again; how can we completely eradicate it?”
The female demon replied, “If you want to completely sever the roots of the fire, you just need to fan it forty-nine times, and the fire will never reignite.” Upon hearing this, Wukong immediately took the fan and with all his strength began to fan the mountain forty-nine times. Miraculously, rain began to pour down in the areas where there was fire, while the areas without fire enjoyed clear skies. The master and disciples remained safe in the fire-free zone, resting peacefully overnight. The next morning, they packed their belongings, ready to return the fan to the female demon.
Wukong said to the female demon, “If I don’t return the fan to you, people will say I’m untrustworthy. You take the fan back, and don’t cause any more trouble. You’ve gained a human form, so I’ll spare your life!” The female demon gratefully accepted the fan, chanted a spell, and transformed it into an apricot leaf. She thanked the deities, concealed her identity to cultivate, and eventually achieved enlightenment, leaving her name in history.
The female demon and the land deity were both extremely grateful and then bid farewell to Wukong and his companions. The travelers—Wukong, Pigsy, and Sha Seng—protected Tripitaka as they continued their journey, feeling physically cool and mentally refreshed. This shows that the harmony of water and fire can lead to the achievement of the Great Way. As for how long it would take them to return to the East, that will have to wait for another time!
