Chapter 51

It is told that the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, having lost the battle empty-handed, came and sat down behind Mount Jindou, tears trickling from both eyes, and cried out, "Master, ah, I had hoped that with you: By Buddha's grace, with virtue and harmony, From youth together, our intent unending. Together we dwelt, together we cultivated, together we attained liberation, Together we showed compassion, together we thought, revealing numinous merit. Together in affinity, together in form, our hearts truly aligned, Together we saw, together we knew, the way turned clear. How could I have known that now, without my staff, With empty fists and bare feet, how can I prosper?" After grieving for a long while, the Great Sage thought to himself: "That fiend knows me, and I remember how he praised me in the battle formation, saying: 'Truly one of the kind that caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace!' If that is so, he is certainly no mortal monster; he must be a baleful star from Heaven, who has descended to the mortal realm out of longing for the world below. I do not know from where this demonic chief has descended, but I must go up to the celestial realm to investigate and inquire." Having thus questioned his own mind and made his own decision, the Walker at once turned about, mounted an auspicious cloud, and sped straight to the outside of the Southern Heavenly Gate. Suddenly raising his head, he saw the Heavenly King Broad-Eyed, who greeted him face to face with a deep bow and said, "Where is the Great Sage going?" The Walker replied, "I have business and must see the Jade Emperor. What are you doing here?" Broad-Eyed said, "Today it is my turn to patrol the Southern Heavenly Gate." Before he had finished speaking, they saw the Four Great Marshals—Ma, Zhao, Wen, and Guan—also making obeisance, saying, "Great Sage, we failed to welcome you. Please stay for tea." The Walker said, "I have urgent business." So he took leave of Broad-Eyed and the Four Marshals, entered directly through the Southern Heavenly Gate, and proceeded to the outside of the Lingxiao Hall, where indeed he found the Four Celestial Masters—Zhang Daoling, Ge Xianweng, Xu Jingyang, and Qiu Hongji—as well as the Six Directors of the Southern Dipper and the Seven Primes of the Northern Dipper, all standing before the hall to receive the Walker. Together they raised their hands and asked, "Why has the Great Sage come here?" They also asked, "Have you completed your task of escorting the Tang Monk?" The Walker said, "Far from it, far from it. The road is long and the demons are many; only half the merit is accomplished. At present we are blocked at Mount Jindou, in the Jindou Cave. There is a rhinoceros monster who has captured the Tang Master and taken him into the cave. I sought him out at his door and fought one battle with him. That wretch is vastly powerful and seized my Golden-Banded Cudgel, making it difficult to bind the demon king. I suspect it is some baleful star from the upper realm who has descended to the mortal world out of longing, but I do not know from whence this demonic chief has come. I have therefore come to find the Jade Emperor and ask him about his laxity in restraint." Xu Jingyang laughed and said, "This monkey is still so perverse." The Walker said, "It is not perversity. Your Old Sun has always been a bit sharp-tongued; that is how I manage to find a lead." Zhang Daoling said, "No need for many words; we shall merely transmit your report." The Walker said, "Many thanks, many thanks." Thereupon the Four Celestial Masters transmitted the memorial in the Lingxiao Hall and led him into the presence of the Jade Throne. The Walker faced upward and made a great bow, saying, "Old Officer, I trouble you, I trouble you. Your Old Sun has been escorting the Tang Monk to the Western Heaven to fetch scriptures, and the journey has been fraught with perils and little fortune—no need to dwell on that. Now we have come to Mount Jindou, Jindou Cave, where a rhinoceros monster has taken the Tang Monk into the cave; I know not whether he intends to steam him, boil him, or sun-dry him. Your Old Sun sought him out at his door and did battle with him. That fiend did indeed seem to recognize Your Old Sun, and he is vastly powerful—he seized my Golden-Banded Cudgel, so I cannot bind the demon. I suspect he is a baleful star from Heaven, who has descended to the mortal world out of longing. For this reason, Your Old Sun has specially come to present this memorial. I humbly beg the Heavenly Venerable to extend his compassion and illuminate the matter, issue a decree to investigate the baleful stars, and dispatch troops to subdue and eliminate the demon. Your Old Sun is filled with trembling and fearful anxiety." He then made another deep bow and said, "I await your command." Nearby, Ge Xianweng laughed and said, "Monkey, why are you first arrogant and then humble?" The Walker said, "I dare not, I dare not. It is not a matter of being first arrogant and then humble. Your Old Sun at present has no staff to wield." At that time, the Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, upon hearing the memorial, at once issued a decree to the Ke Han Department, saying: "As Wu Kong has memorialized, investigate immediately among all the celestial stars and stellar lords of the various constellations whether any have descended to the mortal realm out of longing. Report back promptly for implementation. Awaiting your reply." The Lord Senior Elder of Ke Han received the decree and immediately went with the Great Sage to make the investigation. First they investigated the divine kings and officials at the gates of the Four Heavenly Gates. Next they investigated the myriad true immortals great and small within the Three Microcosmic Enclosures. Then they investigated the Thunder Officer Generals—Tao, Zhang, Xin, Deng, Gou, Bi, Pang, and Liu. Finally, they investigated the Thirty-Three Heavens, every one at peace. They also investigated the Twenty-Eight Constellations: the Seven Eastern Lodges—Horn, Neck, Root, Room, Heart, Tail, and Winnowing Basket; the Seven Western Lodges—Dipper, Ox, Girl, Emptiness, Rooftop, Encampment, and Wall; the Seven Southern Lodges and the Seven Northern Lodges—every lodge was tranquil. They further investigated the Seven Luminaries—Sun, Moon, Water, Fire, Wood, Metal, and Earth—and the Four Excesses—Rahu, Ketu, Qi, and Bei. Throughout the host of celestial stars, none had descended to the mortal realm out of longing. The Walker said, "If that is so, your Old Sun need not go up to the Lingxiao Treasure Hall. Disturbing the Jade Emperor would be most inconvenient. You may return and report your findings; I shall simply wait here for your reply." The Lord Senior Elder of Ke Han followed his instructions. Sun Walker waited a long while and composed a poem to record his reflection: The wind is clear, the clouds disperse, joy and peace prevail; The spirits are tranquil, the stars shine bright, manifesting auspicious portents. The Milky Way is calm, Heaven and Earth are at rest; In all five directions and the eight extremities, banners and lances are laid down. The Lord Senior Elder of Ke Han, having investigated in detail, returned and reported to the Jade Emperor, saying: "None of the multitude of celestial stars are missing, and all the divine generals of the various quarters are present; there is none who has descended to the mortal realm out of longing." The Jade Emperor, upon hearing the report, decreed: "Let Sun Wu Kong select several heavenly generals to descend to the mortal realm and capture the demon." The Four Celestial Masters, having received the decree, immediately left the Lingxiao Treasure Hall and said to the Walker, "Great Sage, the Jade Emperor has shown his magnanimous favor. He says that among the heavenly palaces no deities have descended out of longing, and he instructs you to select several heavenly generals to go and capture the demon." The Walker lowered his head and thought to himself, "Among the heavenly generals, there are many inferior to Your Old Sun, but few who surpass him. I recall that when I caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace, the Jade Emperor dispatched a hundred thousand heavenly troops and deployed nets above and snares below, yet not a single general dared to cross hands with me. Later, he summoned the Little Sage Erlang, who alone was my match. Now that monster's abilities are even stronger than Your Old Sun's—how can I possibly achieve victory?" Xu Jingyang said, "That was then, this is now—vastly different. As the saying goes, 'Every thing has its conqueror.' Would you dare defy the decree? Just follow your own judgment, select the heavenly generals, and do not delay and bungle the affair." The Walker said, "If that is so, I am deeply grateful for the imperial favor. Indeed, it would not be right to defy the decree; besides, Your Old Sun should not have made this trip for nothing. I beg you, Jingyang, to relay to the Jade Emperor that he need only send the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li and the Crown Prince Nezha. They still have several demon-subduing weapons. Let them go down to the mortal realm and engage the fiend in a battle, to see how it goes. If they can indeed capture him, that would be Your Old Sun's good fortune; if not, we can make other arrangements at that time." Indeed, the Celestial Master memorialized the Jade Emperor, and the Jade Emperor at once ordered Heavenly King Li and his son to lead the various hosts of heavenly troops and assist the Walker. The Heavenly King immediately received the decree and came to meet the Walker. The Walker then said to the Celestial Master, "I am most grateful for the Jade Emperor's dispatch of the Heavenly King. There is one more matter: I must trouble you again to relay it—please have two Thunder Lords made available. When the Heavenly King engages in battle, let the Thunder Lords send down a thunderbolt from amidst the clouds, striking the demon squarely on the crown of his head to kill him—that would be an excellent stratagem." The Celestial Master laughed and said, "Very well, very well, very well." The Celestial Master again memorialized the Jade Emperor, who transmitted a decree ordering the Nine Heavens Department to dispatch the two Thunder Lords Deng Hua and Zhang Fan to join the Heavenly King in binding the fiend and rescuing the afflicted. They then descended with the Heavenly King and the Great Sage Sun straight out of the Southern Heavenly Gate. In an instant they arrived. The Walker said, "This mountain is Mount Jindou. In the middle of the mountain is the Jindou Cave. Let us discuss—who should go first to provoke battle?" The Heavenly King halted his cloud, stationed the heavenly troops at the southern foot of the mountain, and said, "The Great Sage knows well my son Nezha, who has subdued demons from ninety-six caves. He is skilled in transformation, and carries demon-subduing weapons on his person. He should be sent to lead the first assault." The Walker said, "If that is so, let Your Old Sun lead the Crown Prince there." That Prince shook out his majestic might and, together with the Great Sage, leaped onto the high mountain and went straight to the cave mouth. There they saw the cave gate tightly shut, and below the cliff no trace of spirit. Pilgrim drew near and called out loudly, "Vile fiend! Open the gate at once and give me back my master!" The little demon keeping the gate inside the cave saw this and hastily reported, "Great King, Sun Wukong has come with a small boy in tow and is challenging us at the gate." The fiend king said, "That monkey's iron staff has been taken by me; empty-handed he can hardly fight. He must have invited some rescue troops." He ordered, "Fetch my weapon." The fiend king took up his spear in hand and went outside the gate to look. The small boy had a clear and extraordinary countenance, most spirited and sturdy. Truly: His jadelike face, fair and charming, like the full moon; Crimson lips, square mouth, revealing silver teeth. His gaze flashed like lightning, eyes glaring wide; His broad brow gathered rosy clouds, his hair in topknot tied. His embroidered sash danced in the wind with flaming hues; His brocade robe shone in the sun, golden flowers it threw. The ringed belt gleamed bright against his heart-mirror's face; His jeweled armor glittered, matching his war-boots' grace. Small of stature, loud of voice, majestic and grand, The wrathful Nezha, protector of the threefold heaven's land. The fiend king laughed and said, "You are the third child of Heavenly King Li, named Prince Nezha. How dare you come before my gate and shout?" The Prince replied, "Because you, vile fiend, have raised chaos and trapped the holy monk of the East, I have received the Golden Decree of the Jade Emperor and come especially to capture you." The fiend king flew into a rage and said, "I suppose Sun Wukong invited you. I am precisely that holy monk's nemesis. What martial skill could a mere child like you possess, that you dare speak so boldly? Don't flee—take my spear!" This Prince wielded his Demon-Slaying Sword and met him head-on. The two had just joined battle when the Great Sage quickly turned around the mountain slope and called, "Where are the Thunder Lords? Go quickly and strike the fiend with a thunderbolt, to help the Prince subdue him!" Lords Deng and Zhang at once stepped on cloud light and were about to make their move, when they saw the Prince employ his magic: he transformed his body into one with three heads and six arms, wielding six kinds of weapons, and slashed at the fiend. The fiend king also transformed into three heads and six arms, with three long spears to parry. Then the Prince deployed his demon-subduing powers and hurled the six weapons into the air. What were those six weapons? They were the Demon-Cutting Sword, the Demon-Slaying Blade, the Demon-Binding Rope, the Subduing-Demon Pestle, the Embroidered Ball, and the Fire Wheels. He gave a great shout, "Change!" One became ten, ten became a hundred, a hundred became a thousand, a thousand became ten thousand—all the same weapons, like a sudden rainstorm or hail, thick and dense, pelting down upon the fiend. But the fiend king showed no fear at all. With one hand he produced that gleaming white ring, tossed it into the air, and cried, "Take!" With a whirring sound, it sucked all six weapons away. The startled Prince Nezha fled bare-handed. The fiend king returned in triumph. Lords Deng and Zhang, the two Thunder Lords, chuckled to themselves in midair, "Good thing I first sized up the situation and didn't release the thunderbolt. If it had been snatched away by that ring, how could we face the Celestial Worthy when we returned?" The two lords descended on their clouds and came with the Prince to the southern slope of the mountain, where they said to Heavenly King Li, "That fiend's magic is indeed vast and mighty." Pilgrim laughed at the side and said, "That fellow's powers are only so-so, but that ring of his is fearsome. I don't know what treasure it is, but when thrown up it can snatch away all manner of things." Nezha said resentfully, "This Great Sage is utterly unseemly. We have lost our troops and been defeated—greatly vexed, all for your sake—and yet you laugh with delight. Why?" Pilgrim said, "You speak of vexation—do you think I, Old Sun, am not vexed? I am now at my wits' end and cannot weep, so I can only laugh." The Heavenly King said, "In such a case, how are we to bring this to a conclusion?" Pilgrim said, "It is up to you to devise some plan; only something that the ring cannot snatch away could capture him." The Heavenly King said, "What it cannot snatch are water and fire. As the saying goes: 'Water and fire are merciless.'" When Pilgrim heard this, he said, "Well spoken. You stay seated here while I go up to Heaven once more." Lords Deng and Zhang asked, "What will you do there again?" Pilgrim said, "I need not petition the Jade Emperor—I shall only go to the South Heavenly Gate, enter the Crimson Brilliance Palace, and invite the Fire Virtue Star Lord, Mars, to come here and set a blaze upon that fiend. Perhaps even that ring will be burnt to ashes, and we can capture the fiend. First, we will recover your weapons for your return to Heaven; second, we may release my master from his ordeal." When the Prince heard this, he was greatly pleased and said, "Do not delay. Please, Great Sage, go early and return early. We will await you here." Pilgrim soared up on auspicious light and arrived again outside the South Heavenly Gate. The Broad-Eyed Celestial and the four marshals greeted him, saying, "Why has the Great Sage returned?" Pilgrim said, "Heavenly King Li sent the Prince to battle, but in one encounter the fiend seized all six weapons. I now go to the Crimson Brilliance Palace to invite the Fire Virtue Star Lord to aid us." The four marshals dared not detain him and let him pass. He entered the Crimson Brilliance Palace, where the fire部 hosts at once reported, "Sun Wukong wishes to see the sovereign." The Fire Virtue Star Lord of the Southern Three Energies straightened his robes, came out, and welcomed him in, saying, "Yesterday the Kesi Bureau inspected my palace and found not a single one of us longing for the mortal world." Pilgrim said, "I know. But Heavenly King Li and the Prince have been defeated and have lost their weapons, so I have come especially to invite you to rescue them." The Star Lord said, "That Nezha is the Great Spirit of the Three Altars and the Sea—when he first emerged, he subdued the demons of ninety-six caves, and his magic is vast. If even he cannot prevail, how could a minor deity like me presume to succeed?" Pilgrim said, "Because I discussed with Heavenly King Li that the sharpest forces under heaven are water and fire. That monster has a ring that is excellent at snatching people's objects—I do not know what treasure it is. Hence I said fire can destroy all things, and I have come especially to invite you, Star Lord, to lead the Fire Department down below and set fire upon that fiend, to rescue my master from his calamity." When the Fire Virtue Star Lord heard this, he immediately mustered his own divine troops and went with Pilgrim to the southern slope of Mount Jindou, where they met the Heavenly King and the Thunder Lords. The Heavenly King said, "Great Sage Sun, you go again and call that wretch out. I will engage him in battle; when he moves to use his ring, I will dodge aside, and let the Fire Virtue lead his hosts to burn him." Pilgrim laughed and said, "Right—let you and I go." The Fire Virtue, together with the Prince and Lords Deng and Zhang, stood upon the high peak and watched the challenge. The Great Sage arrived at the entrance of the Jindou Cave and called out, "Open the gate! Return my master at once." The little fiend again urgently reported, "Sun Wukong has come again." The fiend king led his hosts out of the cave and, seeing Pilgrim, said, "You accursed monkey, what troops have you invited this time?" From the other side, the Heavenly King who Bears the Pagoda stepped forward and shouted, "Vile fiend! Do you recognize me?" The fiend king laughed and said, "Heavenly King Li, I suppose you want to avenge your son and reclaim your weapons?" The Heavenly King said, "First, to avenge and reclaim weapons; second, to capture you and rescue Tang Monk. Do not flee—take my blade!" The monster sidestepped to dodge, thrust out his long spear, and met him. The two fought a splendid battle before the cave. Behold: The Heavenly King's blade slashed; the fiend's spear parried. The blade's frosty light spurted raging flames; The spear's keen aura burst forth gloomy clouds. One was the evil fiend born on Mount Jindou; The other, a heavenly god dispatched from the Jade Palace. One, for bullying the meditative nature, displayed his might; The other, to save his master from disaster, unfolded his great righteousness. The Heavenly King used his arts to fling sand and stones; The fiend, contending in strength, stirred up dust and earth. Stirred dust could darken heaven and earth; Flinging sand could roil the seas and rivers. Both strove with all their might for merit— All for Tang Monk's homage to the World-Honored One. When the Great Sage Sun saw them engaged, he turned and leaped to the high peak, saying to the Fire Virtue Star Lord, "Three Energies, be mindful!" Now the fiend and the Heavenly King were fighting at a fine pitch when the fiend again produced his ring. The Heavenly King saw it and at once turned his auspicious light and fled in defeat. From the high peak, the Fire Virtue Star Lord hurriedly gave the order for all the fire gods to release their flames at once. This was truly fearsome—the fire, splendid indeed: The Classic says: "The south is the essence of fire." Though it be but a spark of fire, it can burn a thousand acres of fields; such is the might of the Three Qi, able to transform into a hundred kinds of fire. Now there are fire-spears, fire-blades, fire-bows, and fire-arrows—each used differently by the various deities. But look there: in mid-air fire-crows fly and screech, over the hilltops fire-horses gallop; paired crimson rats, matched fire-dragons—the crimson rats belch roaring flames that turn ten thousand li crimson; the fire-dragons spew thick smoke that darkens a thousand directions. Fire-carts are rolled out, fire-gourds are opened wide; fire-banners wave and stir a skyful of rosy clouds, fire-staffs whirl and churn the ground into a blaze. Why speak of Ning Qi whipping his ox? This outshines even Zhou Yu at Red Cliffs. Truly this is celestial fire, no common flame—fearsome and fierce: roaring and crackling, a fiery red wind. When the demon saw the fire coming, he showed no fear at all. Lifting his ring into the air, he flung it—whoosh!—and with one sweep of the ring, he drew down the fire-dragons, fire-horses, fire-crows, fire-rats, fire-spears, fire-blades, fire-bows, and fire-arrows, and returned to his lair in triumph. The Fire Virtue Star Lord, holding an empty banner in his hand, summoned his generals back and joined the Heavenly King and the others, sitting at the southern foot of the mountain. He said to the Traveler, "Great Sage, this fierce demon is truly rare. Now that I have lost my fire implements, what is to be done?" The Traveler laughed and said, "Do not complain. Gentlemen, please sit at ease for a while; Old Sun will go and return again." The Heavenly King said, "Where are you going now?" The Traveler said, "Since that monster is not afraid of fire, he must surely fear water. As the saying goes: 'Water conquers fire.' Let Old Sun go to the North Heavenly Gate and invite the Water Virtue Star Lord to deploy his water forces, pour them into his cave, drown the demon king, and retrieve your objects." The Heavenly King said, "This plan is clever, but I fear it might drown your master as well." The Traveler said, "No matter. If my master drowns, I have my own ways to bring him back to life. For now, to keep you gentlemen waiting is most improper." Fire Virtue said, "Since that is so, please go, please go." Brave Great Sage, he mounted his somersault cloud once more and went straight to the North Heavenly Gate. Raising his head, he saw Duowen Heavenly King step forward and salute, saying, "Great Sage Sun, where are you going?" The Traveler said, "I have a matter to attend to at the Wohao Palace to see the Water Virtue Star Lord. What are you doing here?" Duowen said, "Today is my turn on patrol." Just as they were speaking, the four heavenly generals Pang, Liu, Gou, and Bi came forward to offer tea. The Traveler said, "No need, no need—my business is urgent." So he took leave of the gate guardians and went straight to the Wohao Palace, ordering the water ministry gods to announce him at once. The gods reported, "The Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong, has arrived." When the Water Virtue Star Lord heard this, he dismissed all the dragon kings he had been mustering from the Four Seas, Five Lakes, Eight Rivers, Four Streams, Three Rivers, Nine Tributaries, and all other waterways. He straightened his cap and belt, came out to the palace gate to receive him, and ushered him inside, saying, "Yesterday the Kehan Division inspected my humble palace, fearing that some god of our ministry might have grown lustful and become a demon, so I am still in the middle of checking the gods of the rivers, lakes, and streams—not yet finished." The Traveler said, "That demon king is no river or lake god; he is a mighty essence. First the Jade Emperor sent Heavenly King Li and his son, along with two Thunder Lords, down to the mortal world to seize him, but he used his ring and took away their six divine weapons. Old Sun, having no recourse, went again to the Tonghua Palace and invited the Fire Virtue Star Lord to lead the fire ministry gods in setting fire, but he took away the fire-dragons, fire-horses, and all the rest with one sweep of his ring. I reason that since this thing is not afraid of fire, it must surely fear water. I have come especially to request that Your Starlordship deploy your water power to help me capture that fiend, retrieve the weapons for the heavenly generals, and rescue my master." When Water Virtue heard this, he ordered the Yellow River Earl: "Go with the Great Sage to assist him." The River Earl took out from his sleeve a white jade bowl and said, "I have this vessel for holding water." The Traveler said, "Look at that bowl—how much can it hold? How will you drown the demon?" The River Earl said, "To tell you the truth, Great Sage, this bowl holds the water of the Yellow River. Half a bowl is half a river; one full bowl is one whole river." The Traveler was pleased and said, "Only half a bowl will suffice." So they took leave of Water Virtue and left the heavenly gates with the Yellow River Earl. The River Earl dipped his bowl into the Yellow River and filled it halfway. He followed the Great Sage to Jindou Mountain, and at the southern slope they met the Heavenly King, the Crown Prince, the Thunder Lords, and Fire Virtue, and told them all that had happened. The Traveler said, "No need for lengthy explanation. Let the River Earl come with me. I will call open his door; do not wait for him to come out—just pour the water straight into the entrance, and the monster and his whole den will be drowned. Then I will fish out my master's corpse and revive him—that will not be too late." The River Earl obeyed and followed closely behind the Traveler. They turned around the slope and went straight to the cave mouth, and the Traveler called out, "Monster, open the door!" The little demon guarding the gate, hearing the voice of Great Sage Sun, hurried in to report: "Sun Wukong has come again!" When the demon heard this, he took his treasure, grasped his spear, and strode out; with a crash he opened the stone gate. The River Earl tipped the white jade bowl and poured inside. When the demon saw the water coming, he dropped his long spear, quickly produced his ring, and propped open the inner gate. The water gushed forth with a gurgling sound, surging outward. Startled, Great Sage Sun hastily vaulted onto his somersault cloud and leaped with the River Earl to a high peak. The Heavenly King and all the others also rode clouds and halted before the high peak to watch the water. The waves swelled and rose—truly a mighty torrent. A fine water, indeed! Truly: A single ladleful—how unfathomable it is! Only by the divine power of transformation does it benefit all things and swell a hundred streams. One hears the babbling sound that shakes the valleys, and sees the surging force that fills the sky. Its mighty roar is like thunder racing; its fierce surges are like snow-capped billows toppling. A thousand spans of waves rise high, flooding the roads; ten thousand layers of rapids churn and wash the cliffs. Cool and clear, it is like rinsing jade; rolling and tumbling, it sounds like plucked strings. Striking the rocks, it splashes with a splash—broken jade; swirling in eddies, it spins in vast, round whirlpools. In hollows and dips it flows with the current, filling every gully and ravine, joining high and low in one. When the Traveler saw this, he grew alarmed and said, "This is bad! The water is flooding the countryside and drowning the people's fields—but it has not yet poured into his cave. What can be done?" He called for the River Earl to quickly withdraw the water. The River Earl said, "Your humble deity knows only how to release water, not how to call it back. As the saying goes: 'Spilled water cannot be gathered.'" Alas! That mountain was lofty and steep, and this water rushed only to the low places. In a moment it scattered and drained into the gullies and ravines. Then they saw several little demons leap out from outside the cave, shouting and bawling, rolling up their sleeves, brandishing clubs and wielding spears, happily playing as before. The Heavenly King said, "So the water never actually poured into the cave—all that effort wasted." The Traveler could no longer contain his rage. Clenching both fists, he charged straight to the demon's door and shouted, "Where do you think you're going? Take this!" Terrified, the little demons dropped their clubs and spears, ran back into the cave, and tremblingly reported, "Great King, oh no—he's coming to attack!" The demon king gripped his long spear and came out to meet him at the door, saying, "You wretched ape, you are beyond lazy! You have tried again and again and cannot defeat me; even fire and water cannot touch me. Why do you keep coming back to throw your life away?" The Traveler said, "You've got it backwards, son. Who knows if it's my life or yours? Come here and take a punch from your old grand-uncle." The demon laughed and said, "This monkey is stubborn and unreasonable! I use a spear, but he uses his fists. With those sinewy little fists, no bigger than a walnut, how can they compare to a hammer? Enough, enough, I'll put down my spear and trade a few rounds of boxing with you." The Traveler laughed and said, "Well said—come on." The demon tucked up his robe, stepped forward, struck a pose, and raised both fists—they truly looked like oil-pounding hammers. The Great Sage shifted his feet and moved his body, displaying his fighting forms, and there before the cave entrance he traded fist techniques with the demon king. What a battle this was! Ha! He wrenched open a wide "Four-Square" stance and kicked up with "Double Flying Feet." He struck the ribs, split the chest, and delivered a "Dun" blow; he gouged the heart and plucked out the gall. "Immortal Points the Way," "Old Man Rides the Crane." "Hungry Tiger Pounces on Prey" is most injurious, while "Flood Dragon Plays in the Water" can be fierce and evil. The Demon King used "Python Turns Over," while the Great Sage countered with "Deer Sheds Its Horns." He raised his heel to stamp the earth-dragon, twisted his wrist to seize the sky-bellows. The Green Lion opened its mouth to come, while the Carp arched its back and leaped. "Cover the Head and Scatter Flowers," "Wind around the Waist and Thread the Rope." "Face the Wind and Stick the Fan," "Driving Rain Hastens the Falling Blossoms." The goblin then used "Guanyin's Palm," and the Pilgrim responded with "Arhat's Foot." Long palms are naturally loose and open, but how can they compare with short punches, so tight and incisive? The two struggled against each other for dozens of rounds, their skills evenly matched, neither stronger nor weaker. The two of them were fighting there before the cave gate, when on the high peak, Li Tianwang was so delighted that he shouted out praise in a loud voice, and the Fire Virtue Star clapped his hands in admiration. The two Thunder Gods and Prince Nezha, leading the assembled deities, leaped forward to render assistance; on this side, the horde of goblins waved their flags, beat their drums, brandished swords, and twirled sabers, all rallying to protect their master. Sun Dasheng, seeing that matters were not going well, plucked out a handful of his magical hairs, tossed them into the air, and cried, "Change!" They at once transformed into thirty or fifty little monkeys, who swarmed forward and entangled that monster—some hugging his legs, some pulling at his waist, some clawing at his eyes, some tweaking his fur. The fiend, now alarmed, hastily took out his bracelet. When Dasheng and Tianwang and the others saw him produce his snare, they turned their clouds around and retreated to the high peak to escape the battle. The fiend tossed the bracelet upward, and with a sudden whoosh, it drew in those thirty or fifty little monkeys transformed from hairs, reverting them to their original forms, and pulled them into the cave. Having won the victory, he led his troops back, shut the gate, and went off to celebrate. The prince said, "Sun Dasheng is indeed a true hero. His whole sequence of boxing was like embroidering flowers on brocade; and when he used his body-division magic, it was truly a display of excellence before the crowd." Pilgrim laughed and said, "You have all been watching from afar—how does that fiend's skill compare to old Sun's?" Li Tianwang replied, "His fists are loose and his feet slow, not as tight and swift as the Great Sage's. When he saw us approaching, he grew flustered; and when he saw you produce your body-division technique, he became anxious. That is why he resorted to his snare." Pilgrim said, "The Demon King is easy to subdue, but his snare is hard to overcome." The Fire Virtue Star and the Water God said, "If you are to win, you must obtain that treasure of his; only then can he be captured." Pilgrim said, "How can that treasure of his be obtained? Nothing will do but stealing it." Deng and Zhang, the two gentlemen, laughed and said, "If it is a matter of stealing, no one but the Great Sage is capable. Think back to when you caused havoc in Heaven—you stole the imperial wine, stole the Peaches of Immortality, stole dragon liver, phoenix marrow, and Lord Lao's elixirs—what extraordinary skill that was! Today is precisely the time to put that to use." Pilgrim said, "Well said, well said. Since that is so, you all wait here while old Sun goes to scout things out." So the splendid Great Sage leaped down from the peak and secretly made his way to the cave mouth. He shook himself and changed into a tiny housefly, truly delicate and nimble. Look at him: Wings thin as bamboo membrane, Body small as a flower's heart. Limbs even thicker than hairs, Bright eyes in tiny pits distinctly shining. Skilled at following scents and chasing vapors, Flying swiftly riding the wind. Weighed, he barely tips the scale's beam— So tiny, yet so useful. Lightly he flew onto the gate, crawled to the crack by the door, and slipped inside. There he saw the great and small goblins, some dancing, some singing, arrayed on both sides. The old Demon King sat high on the dais, and before him were laid out snake meat, dried venison, bear paws, camel humps, and mountain fruits and vegetables. There was a blue porcelain wine pot, fragrant with goat-milk cheese and coconut brew, and everyone drank freely from large bowls in happy abandon. Pilgrim alighted among the lesser goblins and changed again into a badger-spirit, slowly edging close to the dais. He watched for quite a while but could not see where the treasure was placed. He quickly withdrew and went behind the dais, where he saw hanging in the rear hall a fiery dragon howling and a fiery horse neighing. Suddenly looking up, he spotted his Golden-Banded Cudgel leaning against the eastern wall. Overjoyed, his heart itched unbearably, and forgetting to change his appearance, he stepped forward, seized the iron staff, resumed his original form, and unfurled his combat skills, fighting his way out with a flurry of staff strokes. The horde of goblins was terrified out of their wits, and the old Demon King was caught off guard. Pilgrim knocked down three, felled two, opened a bloody path, and went straight out of the cave gate. This was truly: The Demon King, proud and careless, had made no defense— The master's staff returned to its rightful owner. But whether this boded good or ill, pray listen to the explanation in the next chapter.