OriginChapter 5
It is told that the Great Sage Equal to Heaven was, after all, an ape-demon. He knew nothing of official ranks or grades, nor did he care whether his stipend was high or low; so long as his name was entered on the rolls, that was enough. The two bureaus beneath the Qitian Residence had immortal clerks who waited upon him morning and evening. He had only to eat three meals a day and sleep on one bed at night, with no affairs to entangle him, free and at ease. In his leisure he visited friends and wandered through palaces, forming friendships and swearing brotherhood. When he met the Three Pure Ones, he addressed each as “Elder”; when he encountered the Four Imperial Emperors, he called them “Your Majesty.” As for the Nine Luminaries, the Generals of the Five Directions, the Twenty-Eight Mansions, the Four Great Heavenly Kings, the Twelve Solar Spirits, the Five Elders of the Five Directions, the stars and constellations throughout Heaven, the host of gods of the River Han, and all the rest, he treated them as brothers, and they addressed one another accordingly. Today he wandered east, tomorrow he roamed west; clouds carried him here and there, and his whereabouts were never fixed.
One day, the Jade Emperor held his morning audience. From among the ranks stepped Xu Jingyang, the Perfected Immortal. Bowing and lowering his head, he submitted: “There is now the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, who idly wanders with nothing to do, forming friendships with all the stars and constellations of Heaven. Regardless of rank, he calls them all his friends. I fear that, in his leisure, he may cause trouble. It would be better to give him some office to administer, so as to prevent other disturbances from arising.”
When the Jade Emperor heard this, he immediately issued a decree. The Monkey King came cheerfully before him and said, “Your Majesty, for what promotion and reward has Your Majesty summoned your old grandson?”
The Jade Emperor said, “I see that you have nothing to occupy you. I shall give you an office to perform: for the time being, take charge of the Peach Garden, and be diligent in attending to it morning and evening.”
The Great Sage joyfully expressed his thanks, bowed to the court, and withdrew.
Unable to wait to get to work, he entered the Peach Garden to inspect it. The local spirit of the garden stopped him and asked, “Great Sage, where are you going?”
The Great Sage said, “I have been appointed by the Jade Emperor to take charge of the Peach Garden. I have come to inspect it.”
The local spirit hurriedly saluted and summoned the troop of Strongmen who hoed the trees, carried water, tended the peaches, and swept the grounds. They all came to see the Great Sage, kowtowed to him, and led him inside. There he saw:
Tender and radiant, every fruit and every tree;
Tender and radiant, flowers filled the trees,
Every fruit and every tree bent down the branches.
The fruit weighed down the branch tips like brocade balls;
The flowers filled the trees in clusters of rouge.
Sometimes they opened, sometimes they formed fruit,
Ripening once in a thousand years;
Without summer or winter, they took ten thousand years to mature.
Those first ripe bore flushed faces, as if drunk;
Those still growing had green skins and their stems attached.
Their mist-condensed flesh wore a green hue;
In the sun they revealed their vermilion beauty.
Beneath the trees were rare blooms and strange flowers,
Their colors never fading through the four seasons.
On either side stood towers, terraces, and halls;
Above, clouds and rainbows constantly veiled the sky.
They were no common plants of Xuandu;
The Queen Mother of the West herself had planted and nurtured them in the Jade Pool.
The Great Sage admired them for a long while, then asked the local spirit, “How many trees are there in this garden?”
The local spirit said, “There are three thousand six hundred trees. The first one thousand two hundred bloom sparsely and bear small fruit, ripening once every three thousand years. Whoever eats them becomes an immortal and attains the Way; his body grows strong and his form light. The middle one thousand two hundred have layers of blossoms and sweet fruit, ripening once every six thousand years. Whoever eats them rises into the clouds and flies upward, attaining immortality and agelessness. The last one thousand two hundred bear purple-veined, yellow-fleshed fruit, ripening once every nine thousand years. Whoever eats them lives as long as Heaven and Earth and shares the age of the sun and moon.”
When the Great Sage heard this, he was beyond delighted. That day he inspected all the trees and examined the pavilions and halls, then returned to his residence. From then onward, every three or five days he came to admire the garden. He made no friends and went nowhere else.
One day he saw that most of the peaches on the old trees had ripened. He wished to taste the fresh fruit, but the local spirit of the garden, the Strongmen, and the immortal clerks of the Qitian Residence followed him closely, making it inconvenient. Suddenly he devised a plan and said, “You all go outside and wait. Let me rest for a little while on this pavilion.”
The entire company withdrew as he bade them. The Monkey King took off his cap and robes, climbed into the great tree, selected the ripest peaches, and plucked many of them. Then, perched on the branches, he freely enjoyed them. After eating his fill, he jumped down, put on his cap and robes, and summoned his attendants to return with him to the residence. Two or three days later he went again and devised another way to steal peaches, enjoying them to his heart’s content.
One day the Queen Mother of the West set a banquet and opened the Treasure Pavilion wide, preparing the Peach Banquet in the Jade Pool. She ordered the Red-Robed Immortal Maidens, the Blue-Robed Immortal Maidens, the Plain-Robed Immortal Maidens, the Black-Robed Immortal Maidens, the Purple-Robed Immortal Maidens, the Yellow-Robed Immortal Maidens, and the Green-Robed Immortal Maidens, each carrying a flower basket, to go to the Peach Garden and gather peaches for the banquet.
The Seven Immortal Maidens went straight to the garden gate. There they saw the garden’s local spirit, the Strongmen, and the immortal clerks of the two bureaus beneath the Qitian Residence, all guarding the gate.
The maidens approached and said, “We have come by the Queen Mother’s gracious command to gather peaches and set the banquet.”
The local spirit said, “Fair immortals, please wait. This year is not like former years. The Jade Emperor has appointed the Great Sage Equal to Heaven to supervise and manage this place. We must report to the Great Sage first; only then may we open the garden.”
The maidens asked, “Where is the Great Sage?”
The local spirit said, “The Great Sage is inside the garden. Since he was tired, he went to sleep by himself in the pavilion.”
The maidens said, “If that is so, let us go and find him. We must not delay.”
The local spirit entered with them. They searched as far as the Flower Pavilion, but he was nowhere to be seen. Only his cap and robes lay in the pavilion, and no one knew where he had gone. They searched in every direction but found no trace. As it happened, after playing for a while and eating several peaches, the Great Sage had transformed himself into a person only two inches tall and fallen asleep beneath the thick leaves at the treetop.
The Seven Immortal Maidens said, “We have come by command, yet we cannot find the Great Sage. How can we return empty-handed?”
An immortal attendant nearby said, “Since the fair immortals have come by command, there is no need to hesitate. Our Great Sage is accustomed to wandering idly; he has probably left the garden to meet friends. You may go ahead and gather the peaches. We shall explain matters on your behalf.”
The maidens followed his advice and entered beneath the trees to gather peaches. From the front trees they filled two baskets; from the middle trees they filled three. But when they went to gather from the rear trees, they saw that the blossoms and fruits were sparse, with only a few bearing hairy stems and green skins. The ripe ones had all been eaten by the Monkey King.
The Seven Immortal Maidens looked about them. On a branch facing south they saw only one peach, half red and half white. The Blue-Robed Maiden pulled the branch down with her hand, and the Red-Robed Maiden plucked the peach, then released the branch upward.
The Great Sage, who had transformed himself and was sleeping on that very branch, was startled awake. He immediately resumed his true form, drew the Golden-Hooped Staff from his ear, shook it once until it was as thick as a bowl, and shouted, “What sort of monster are you, daring to steal my peaches?”
The Seven Immortal Maidens were so frightened that they all knelt and said, “Great Sage, calm your anger. We are not monsters. We are the Seven Immortal Maidens sent by the Queen Mother of the West to gather immortal peaches and open the Treasure Pavilion for the Peach Banquet. When we arrived here, we first met the gods of this garden and the others, but we could not find the Great Sage. We feared delaying the Queen Mother’s gracious command, and therefore could not wait for the Great Sage before gathering the peaches. We beg you to forgive our offense.”
Hearing this, the Great Sage changed anger into delight and said, “Fair immortals, rise. The Queen Mother is opening the pavilion and setting a banquet. Whom has she invited?”
The maiden said, “The previous banquet followed an established rule. Those invited were the Buddha of the Western Heaven, the Bodhisattvas, holy monks, and Arhats; Guanyin of the Southern Polestar in the south; the Sagely Emperor Chong’en of the east; the immortal elders of the Ten Continents and Three Islands; the Mysterious Numinous of the Northern Polestar in the north; and the Yellow-Horned Great Immortal of the Central Yellow Pole. These are the Five Elders of the Five Directions. There are also the Lords of the Five Dippers; the Three Pure Ones, Four Imperial Emperors, Great Heavenly Immortals of the Taiyi rank, and the others of the Upper Eight Caverns; the Jade Emperor, the Ninefold Earth, and the gods and immortals of the seas and mountains of the Middle Eight Caverns; the Netherworld Lord and the earthly immortals who register the lifespans of men of the Lower Eight Caverns; and all the great and lesser honored gods of every palace and hall. All will attend the auspicious Peach Banquet together.”
The Great Sage laughed and said, “May I be invited?”
“We have not heard that you were,” the maiden replied.
“I am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven,” said the Great Sage. “Why should I not be invited as the honored guest of the feast?”
“This banquet follows the old rules,” said the maiden. “We do not know how matters stand for this gathering.”
“What you say is reasonable,” said the Great Sage. “I cannot blame you. Stand here for the moment while your old grandson first goes to inquire. We shall see whether they will invite me or not.”
The Great Sage formed a hand seal, recited an incantation, and said to the maidens, “Stay! Stay! Stay!”
This was a body-fixing spell. The Seven Immortal Maidens stood beneath the peach tree one by one, wide-eyed and staring, their eyes turned white.
The Great Sage mounted a cloud of auspicious radiance, leapt out of the garden, and headed straight along the road to the Jade Pool. As he traveled, he saw:
A sky of auspicious haze, its light wavering and bright;
Five-colored lucky clouds flying without end.
The cry of white cranes rang through the Nine Marshes;
Purple fungi displayed their beauty, each dividing into a thousand leaves.
In their midst appeared an immortal lord,
His natural features and elegant bearing unlike any other.
His spirit danced like rainbows, waving across the Milky Way;
At his waist hung a precious register, beyond birth and death.
He was known as the Barefoot Great Luo Immortal,
And was specially bound for the Peach Banquet to add to the celebration of longevity.
The Barefoot Immortal came face to face with the Great Sage. The Great Sage lowered his head and devised a plan to deceive the Perfected Immortal. Wishing to go secretly to the banquet, he asked, “Old Daoist, where are you going?”
The Immortal replied, “I have been honored by the Queen Mother’s invitation and am going to attend the auspicious Peach Banquet.”
“Old Daoist, you do not know,” said the Great Sage. “Because my Somersault Cloud is swift, the Jade Emperor has ordered me to invite the assembled worthies by five different routes. I must first go to the Hall of Brilliant Intelligence to perform the ceremonial rites, and only afterward go to the banquet.”
The Barefoot Immortal was an upright and honorable man, and took the Great Sage’s falsehood for truth. He said, “Every year the ceremonial rites of thanksgiving are performed in the Jade Pool. How is it that we must first perform them at the Hall of Brilliant Intelligence and only then go to the Jade Pool for the banquet?”
He had no choice but to turn his auspicious cloud around and proceed straight to the Hall of Brilliant Intelligence.
The Great Sage mounted his cloud, recited an incantation, and shook his body. At once he transformed himself into the likeness of the Barefoot Immortal and hurried toward the Jade Pool. Before long he reached the Treasure Pavilion, halted his cloud, and gently stepped inside. There he saw:
Jade fragrance wound through the air; auspicious haze shimmered in profusion.
The Jade Terrace was spread with colors and festoons;
The Treasure Pavilion scattered a misty radiance.
Phoenixes bent their wings and luan birds soared,
Their forms indistinct;
Golden flowers and jade blossoms floated and sank like shadows.
Above were arranged the Nine-Phoenix Vermilion-Cloud screen,
The Eight-Treasure Purple-Rainbow stools,
Five-colored tables painted in gold,
And jade basins of a thousand flowers.
Upon the tables were dragon liver and phoenix marrow,
Bear paws and orangutan lips.
Rare delicacies of every flavor, each one exquisite;
Strange fruits and fine dishes, each one fresh and beautiful.
Everything had been arranged in perfect order, yet none of the immortals had arrived.
The Great Sage could not finish examining it all when suddenly a fragrance of wine struck his nostrils. Turning his head, he saw beneath a covered corridor by the right wall several immortal officials who made wine, Strongmen who pressed the lees, and a few Daoists who carried water and boys who tended the fires. They were washing vats and scrubbing jars. The jade nectar, celestial wine, fragrant mash, and fine brew had already been prepared.
The Great Sage could not stop his mouth from watering and wanted to go drink, but those people were all there. He used a supernatural art, plucked several hairs from his body, put them into his mouth, chewed them to pieces, and spat them out. Then he recited an incantation and cried, “Transform!”
They immediately became several sleepy insects and flew onto the faces of the company. Behold those people: their hands grew weak, their heads drooped, their brows closed and eyes shut. They abandoned their duties and fell into drowsy sleep.
The Great Sage took some of the hundred flavors and eight treasures, the fine delicacies and unusual dishes, entered the corridor, and, leaning against the vats and resting beside the jars, drank his fill. After eating and drinking for some time, he became thoroughly drunk. He felt himself over and said, “This is bad, this is bad! Soon the invited guests will arrive. Will they not blame me? If I am caught, what can I do? Better to return to my residence and go to sleep.”
The Great Sage staggered along, relying on the wine, and wandered recklessly. Before long he took the wrong road. It was not the Qitian Residence, but the Tusita Palace.
When he saw it, he suddenly came to his senses and said, “The Tusita Palace is above the Thirty-Three Heavens, the dwelling of the Grand Supreme Elder Lord in the Heaven of No-Hate. How did I come here by mistake? Still, still—I have long wished to visit that old fellow but never found the chance. Since I have come this far today, I may as well pay him a visit.”
He straightened his robes and entered. He did not see the Elder Lord; not a trace of human presence was anywhere. As it happened, the Elder Lord was on the Vermilion Mound Altar of the third-high pavilion, expounding the Dao with the Ancient Buddha Burning Lamp. The immortal youths, immortal generals, immortal officials, and immortal clerks all stood attending on either side and listened to the lecture.
The Great Sage went straight into the alchemical chamber, seeking the Elder Lord but failing to find him. Beside the alchemical furnace, however, he saw that fire still burned. On either side of the furnace stood five gourds, all filled with golden elixirs that had been refined to completion.
The Great Sage rejoiced and said, “These are the most precious treasures of the immortals. Ever since I attained the Way, I have understood the principle that the inner and outer are alike. I too wished to refine some golden elixirs to aid others, but after returning home I never had the time. Today fate has brought me here, and I have encountered these things again. While the old fellow is away, let me eat a few and taste them fresh.”
He tipped out all the pills from the gourds and ate them all, as easily as if they were roasted beans.
In a short while, the elixirs filled him and the wine had worn off. He considered the matter again and said, “This is bad, this is bad! The disaster is greater than Heaven itself. If the Jade Emperor is alarmed, my life will be forfeit. Go, go, go! I might as well descend below and be king.”
He ran out of the Tusita Palace, not taking his former route. From the West Heaven Gate he used an invisibility spell and escaped. He lowered his cloud and returned to the borders of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. There he saw banners flashing and spears and halberds shining. It was the Four Great Commanders and the demon kings of the Seventy-Two Caves practicing martial arts.
The Great Sage shouted, “Little ones, I have returned!”
The assembled monsters dropped their weapons and knelt, saying, “Great Sage, you have been very much at ease, leaving us for so long without coming to look after us.”
“Not very long, not very long,” said the Great Sage.
Talking as they went, they entered the depths of the cavern-heaven. The Four Commanders cleaned and prepared a place for him to rest. After bowing and kowtowing, they all asked, “Great Sage, during these hundred and more years in Heaven, what office did you truly receive?”
The Great Sage laughed. “I remember only half a year passing. How can you speak of a hundred years or more?”
The Commanders replied, “One day in Heaven is one year below.”
The Great Sage said, “Fortunately, the Jade Emperor has favored me this time. He indeed made me the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, established a Qitian Residence, and set up the two bureaus of Tranquility and Spirit-Calming, with immortal clerks and guards assigned to them. Later, seeing that I had nothing to do, he put me in charge of the Peach Garden. Recently the Queen Mother of the West arranged the great Peach Banquet but did not invite me. I did not wait for her invitation, but went to the Jade Pool first and stole and ate her immortal delicacies and immortal wine. On leaving the Jade Pool, I staggered by mistake into the palace of the Elder Lord and stole and ate the golden elixirs from his five gourds as well. I feared that the Jade Emperor would punish me, so I came out through the gates of Heaven.”
When the monsters heard this, they were delighted. They immediately arranged wine and fruit to welcome him and filled a large stone bowl with coconut wine. The Great Sage took one sip and immediately bared his teeth and puckered his mouth, saying, “Not good, not good.”
The two commanders Beng and Ba said, “The Great Sage ate immortal wine and immortal dishes in the Heavenly Palace, so coconut wine does not taste very fine to him. As the saying goes: ‘Whether beautiful or not, the water of one’s native village.’”
The Great Sage said, “And you are the saying, ‘Whether kin or not, one’s countrymen.’ This morning, while I was enjoying myself at the Jade Pool, I saw many jars and bottles beneath the covered corridor. They were all filled with jade nectar and celestial wine. You have never tasted it. Let me go steal several jars more and bring them back. Each of you can drink half a cup, and then every one of you will live forever.”
The monkeys were beside themselves with delight.
The Great Sage immediately left the cave, performed another somersault, used an invisibility spell, and went straight to the Peach Banquet. Entering the palace halls of the Jade Pool, he saw that the several wine-makers, lees-pressers, water-carriers, and fire-tenders were still snoring in unconscious sleep. He tucked two of the larger jars beneath his armpits, carried two more in his hands, turned his cloud around, and returned. He joined the monkeys in the cave, where they held an immortal-wine gathering, each drinking several cups. Their happiness is not worth describing.
As for the Seven Immortal Maidens, after being struck by the Great Sage’s body-fixing spell, they could not free themselves until a full cosmic cycle had passed. Each took up her flower basket and reported to the Queen Mother, saying, “The Great Sage Equal to Heaven used magic to hold us fast, and therefore we came late.”
The Queen Mother asked, “How many peaches did you gather?”
The maidens replied, “Only two baskets of small peaches and three baskets of middle-sized peaches. In the rear section there was not even half of one large peach. We think the Great Sage must have stolen and eaten them all. While we were searching, the Great Sage unexpectedly came out, acted violently, and beat us. He also asked whom the banquet was for. We told him everything about the previous banquet. He then immobilized us, and we do not know where he went. Only now have we been released and able to return.”
When the Queen Mother heard this, she immediately went to see the Jade Emperor and fully recounted what had happened. Before she had finished, the company of wine-makers and the immortal officials came to report: “We do not know who disrupted the Peach Banquet and stole and drank the jade nectar and celestial wine. The eight treasures and hundred delicacies were also all stolen and eaten.”
Then four Great Heavenly Preceptors came to report, “The Grand Supreme Elder Lord has arrived.”
The Jade Emperor immediately went out with the Queen Mother to welcome him. After completing his court salutation, the Elder Lord said, “This old Daoist refined some Nine-Turn Golden Elixirs in his palace, intending to present them to Your Majesty for the Elixir-Origin Banquet. Unexpectedly, a thief stole them. I have come especially to inform Your Majesty.”
The Jade Emperor was terrified when he heard the report.
A short while later, the immortal clerks of the Qitian Residence came and kowtowed, saying, “Sun Dasheng has neglected his duties. He went out yesterday and has not yet returned. We do not know where he has gone.”
The Jade Emperor’s suspicions deepened.
Just then the Barefoot Immortal also came forward, bowed, and submitted: “I was summoned by the Queen Mother and went to the banquet yesterday. By chance I met the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, who told me that Your Majesty had issued an order for him to invite us and have us first perform the rites at the Hall of Brilliant Intelligence, after which we were to go to the banquet. I followed his instructions and returned to the outside of the Hall of Brilliant Intelligence, but I did not see Your Majesty’s dragon carriage or phoenix chariot. I have therefore hurried here to await further orders.”
The Jade Emperor was even more greatly alarmed and said, “That fellow falsely transmitted an imperial order and deceived the worthy Immortal. Quickly command the Investigating Spirit Officer to search for that fellow’s tracks.”
The Spirit Officer received the command and left the palace to investigate everywhere. He learned the entire truth and returned to report: “The one who disrupted the Heavenly Palace was the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.”
He then recounted all that had happened.
The Jade Emperor was furious. He immediately dispatched the Four Great Heavenly Kings, together with the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li and the Crown Prince Nezha. They selected the Twenty-Eight Mansions, the Nine Luminary Star Officials, the Twelve Solar Spirits, the Five-Direction Revealing Truths, the Four Duty Officers, the stars of the east and west, the two gods of the north and south, the Five Sacred Mountains and Four Waterways, and the stars and constellations throughout Heaven—a total of one hundred thousand heavenly soldiers. They spread eighteen layers of heavenly nets and earthly snares, descended to the lower world, and surrounded the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. They were determined to capture and punish that fellow.
The assembled gods immediately raised their forces and departed from the Heavenly Palace. On this journey, they saw:
Yellow winds rolled and darkened the sky;
Purple mists rose and dimmed the earth.
Only because the demon ape had deceived the Jade Emperor
Were all the sages compelled to descend into the mortal dust.
The Four Great Heavenly Kings, the Five-Direction Revealing Truths:
The Four Great Heavenly Kings held overall command;
The Five-Direction Revealing Truths marshaled many troops.
Li of the Pagoda led the central army and gave the signals;
The fierce Nezha served as vanguard.
Rahu Star was chief inspector;
Ketu Star followed, imposing and fierce.
The Moon Star’s spirit was vigorous and alert;
The Sun Star shone with clear radiance.
The Five-Element Stars were especially heroic;
The Nine Luminaries delighted most in conflict.
The Solar Spirits of zi, wu, mao, and you,
Each was a mighty heavenly warrior.
The Five Plagues and Five Sacred Mountains stood east and west;
The Six Dings and Six Jias marched on either side.
The dragon gods of the Four Waterways divided above and below;
The Twenty-Eight Mansions formed dense ranks upon dense ranks.
Jiao, Kang, Di, and Fang held overall command;
Kui, Lou, Wei, and Mao were accustomed to surge and whirl.
Dou, Niu, Nü, Xu, Wei, Shi, and Bi—
Each of the stars of Heart, Tail, and Winnowing Basket was capable.
Jing, Gui, Liu, Xing, Zhang, Yi, and Zhen
Wielded spears and danced swords, displaying their awe-inspiring power.
They halted the clouds and brought down mist upon the mortal world;
Before the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit they set up camp.
The poem says:
Heaven gave birth to a monkey king of many transformations;
He stole elixirs and wine and delighted in his mountain lair.
Only because he disrupted the Peach Banquet
Did one hundred thousand heavenly soldiers spread their nets and snares.
At that time, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li issued his orders. The heavenly soldiers set up camp and surrounded the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit so tightly that not even water could pass through. Above and below they arranged eighteen layers of heavenly nets and earthly snares. They first sent the Nine Luminary Fiends into battle.
The Nine Luminaries led their troops straight to the cave entrance. Outside the cave they saw groups of monkeys, great and small, leaping and playing. The star official shouted sternly, “Little demon, where is your Great Sage? We are heavenly gods dispatched from the upper realm. We have come to subdue your rebellious Great Sage. Tell him to surrender at once. If he says even half a word of refusal, all of you shall be put to death.”
The little demons hurriedly carried the message inside: “Great Sage, disaster! Disaster! Outside are nine ferocious gods who claim to be heavenly gods dispatched from the upper realm to capture the Great Sage.”
The Great Sage was at that moment sharing immortal wine with the demon kings of the Seventy-Two Caves and the Four Great Commanders. When he heard the report, he deliberately ignored it and said, “There is wine today, so let us get drunk today; let us not concern ourselves with right and wrong at the gate.”
Before he had finished speaking, another group of little demons rushed in and said, “Those nine ferocious gods are hurling vile abuse and challenging us to battle at the gate.”
The Great Sage laughed and said, “Pay them no heed. Let poetry and wine make today joyful; do not ask when fame and rank will be achieved.”
Before he had finished speaking, another group of little demons came to report, “Grandfather! Those nine ferocious gods have broken down the gate and killed their way inside!”
The Great Sage grew angry. “Those hairy gods are utterly discourteous. I had intended not to trouble myself with them, but how dare they come to my door and bully me?”
He immediately ordered the One-Horned Demon King, “Lead the demon kings of the Seventy-Two Caves into battle. Your old grandson will lead the Four Commanders behind you.”
The Demon King swiftly led the demon troops out to meet the enemy, but the Nine Luminary Fiends attacked together and held them at the head of the Iron-Plate Bridge, preventing them from advancing.
As they shouted and struggled, the Great Sage arrived and cried, “Make way!”
He drew out the iron staff, shook it once until it was as thick as a bowl and twelve spans long, opened his stance, and struck his way into the fight. Which of the Nine Luminary Stars dared resist him? In an instant he drove them back.
The Nine Luminaries re-formed their ranks and said, “You death-defying Bimawen, you have committed ten grave offenses: first you stole the peaches, then you stole the wine, disrupted the Peach Banquet, stole the Elder Lord’s immortal elixirs, and brought the imperial wine here to enjoy. Your crimes have been heaped upon crimes. Do you not know it?”
The Great Sage laughed. “These several matters are indeed true, indeed true. But what will you do now?”
The Nine Luminaries said, “We have received the Jade Emperor’s golden command and led our troops here to capture and subdue you. Surrender quickly, and we shall spare these living creatures their lives. Otherwise we shall flatten this mountain and overturn this cave.”
The Great Sage flew into a rage. “What magic power do a few hairy gods like you possess, that you dare speak such wild words? Do not run—take a blow from your old grandson!”
The Nine Luminaries sprang forward together. The Handsome Monkey King was not the least afraid. He swung the Golden-Hooped Staff, parrying left and blocking right. He fought the Nine Luminaries until their sinews were exhausted and their strength spent. One by one they dragged their weapons and fled the field, hurrying into the central command tent to tell the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li, “The Monkey King is truly fierce and brave. We could not defeat him and have been driven from the field.”
Heavenly King Li immediately deployed the Four Great Heavenly Kings and the Twenty-Eight Mansions, sending them all into battle. The Great Sage was not afraid in the least. He summoned the One-Horned Demon King, the demon kings of the Seventy-Two Caves, and the four commanders, and formed ranks outside the cave gate.
Behold this great melee, how astonishing it was:
The cold wind rustled sharply; strange mists lay dark and thick.
On one side banners flew in colored splendor;
On the other, spears and halberds flashed.
Helmets rolled and shone;
Armor gleamed in layer upon layer.
The shining helmets reflected the sun,
Like silver chimes striking Heaven.
The bright armor piled against the rocky cliffs,
Like ice mountains pressing upon the earth.
Great-bladed swords flew like clouds and lightning;
Chu-white spears pierced mist and passed through clouds.
Fangtian halberds, tiger-eye whips,
Were arrayed like a forest of hemp.
Bronze swords and Four-Bright spades
Formed dense ranks like a thicket.
Bent bows, hard crossbows, and eagle-feathered arrows;
Short cudgels and snake spears seized the soul.
The Great Sage’s single compliant staff
Turned and wheeled as he battled the heavenly gods.
They fought until no bird could pass through the air,
And tigers and wolves fled within the mountains.
Sand rose and stones scattered, blackening Heaven and Earth;
Dust spread and earth flew, darkening the universe.
Only the clash and crash of weapons could be heard,
Shaking Heaven and Earth and terrifying spirits and gods.
The battle began when the hour of chen arrived and continued in a confused slaughter until the sun sank beyond the western mountains. The One-Horned Demon King and the demon creatures of the Seventy-Two Caves were all captured by the heavenly gods. Only the Four Commanders and the monkey host escaped, hiding deep beneath the Water-Curtain Cave.
The Great Sage, wielding his single staff, held off the Four Great Heavenly Kings, Li of the Pagoda, and Crown Prince Nezha, all fighting in midair. After they had battled for a long while, the Great Sage saw that evening was approaching. He plucked a handful of hairs, put them in his mouth, chewed them to pieces, and spat them out, crying, “Transform!”
They became hundreds and thousands of Great Sages, each wielding a Golden-Hooped Staff. They drove back Crown Prince Nezha and defeated the five Heavenly Kings.
The Great Sage, having won, gathered in his hairs and hurried back to the cave. At the head of the Iron-Plate Bridge he saw the Four Commanders leading the others to kneel and welcome him. The whole assembly sobbed and wailed three times, then laughed loudly three times.
The Great Sage asked, “You see me and yet cry and laugh. Why?”
The Four Commanders said, “This morning we led our troops to battle the heavenly kings. The demon kings of the Seventy-Two Caves and the One-Horned Demon King were all captured by the gods. We escaped with our lives, and therefore we should cry. Now we see the Great Sage returning victorious and unharmed, and therefore we should laugh.”
The Great Sage said, “Victory and defeat are ordinary matters in warfare. The ancients said, ‘For every ten thousand slain, three thousand of one’s own are lost.’ Besides, those chiefs who were captured were tigers, leopards, wolves, insects, badgers, roebucks, foxes, and raccoon dogs. Not one of my own kind has been wounded. Why should we trouble ourselves? Although I used a body-division spell to drive them back, they will still camp at the foot of my mountain. We must guard closely, eat our fill, sleep peacefully, and restore our strength. At dawn, I shall use a great supernatural power to seize those heavenly generals and avenge you all.”
The Four Commanders and the monkey host drank several bowls of coconut wine, then went peacefully to sleep. Nothing more need be said of them.
The Four Great Heavenly Kings called off the battle and withdrew their troops. Each reported his achievements: some had captured tigers and leopards; some had captured lions and elephants; some had captured wolves, insects, foxes, and raccoon dogs. Not one monkey demon had been captured.
They then set up their command poles and established a great camp, rewarded the officers who had won merit, and instructed the soldiers of the heavenly nets and earthly snares. Each took up bells and gave the watchword, surrounding the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit and awaiting the great battle on the following morning. Having received their orders, each guarded his station with care.
This is what it means:
The demon ape’s rebellion shook Heaven and Earth;
Nets were spread and snares laid, watched day and night.
How matters will be settled after dawn, however, we shall hear explained in the next chapter.
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Chapter Four: Officially Appointed Bimawen, His Heart Is Still Unsatisfied; Named Equal to Heaven, His Mind Is Not Yet at Peace
Journey to the West / Chapter 005
Chapter Six: Guanyin Attends the Assembly and Asks the Cause; The Little Sage Displays His Might and Subdues the Great Sage
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