This is a fresh, complete English translation of Wu Cheng’en’s public-domain one-hundred-chapter novel, produced with GPT-5.3-Codex-Spark assistance. It is an AI-assisted first edition, not a reproduction of an existing translation.

When all was said, the Handsome Monkey King returned triumphantly to his native land, having on his own subdued the troublesome demon king and taken a great broadsword. Day after day he drilled in martial arts, teaching the young monkeys to use bamboo poles as targets, to carve wood into mock swords, set up banners, blow whistles, advance and retreat, camp and encamp, and make rough martial play. Suddenly, while sitting quietly, he thought: "If we continue this play, it may become real. It might alarm the human king, and some king of birds or beasts might notice this mock mobilisation and report that we are raising troops to rebel, inviting an army to come and kill us. You all have only bamboo poles and wooden blades—how can we stand against an enemy? We need sharp swords and halberds. What are we to do now?" The monkeys all listened in alarm, each saying, "The King’s insight is far-reaching, but there is nowhere to obtain them." Just then four old monkeys came forward: two were red-bottomed macaques and two were broad-back apes. They said: "Great King, if sharp weapons are needed, it is not difficult at all." Wukong asked, "How can it be easy?" The four said: "To the east of this mountain there is two hundred li of open water; beyond is the border of Aolai. In that border there is a royal seat and many soldiers and citizens, and surely many gold, silver, copper and iron craftsmen. If Your Majesty goes there, you can buy or make weapons and then train us to defend this mountain. That is truly the sure means to safeguard it for long." Hearing this, Wukong was filled with joy and said, "You all stay here and keep playing. I’ll go and return."

When he set out, the Handsome Monkey King immediately mounted his somersaulting cloud, and in a moment crossed the two-hundred-li expanse of water. He indeed saw across the way a walled city with six streets and three markets, ten-thousand households and a thousand gates, with crowds moving about in broad daylight. In his mind he thought: "This place surely has ready weapons. Better I were to use my arts and fetch them instead of merely going down to buy some." He then formed his spell, drew in a breath from the southeast, and blew with a shout. Instantly a raging wind rose, blowing sand and stones and terrifying everyone:

Cannons’ smoke-clouds rose and tossed the heavens and earth, black haze and gloom dimmed the world, waves in river and sea heaved, fish and crabs were terrified, mountains and forests cracked, and tigers and wolves fled, all kinds of commerce had no traveling merchants, all ordinary livelihoods disappeared, the king withdrew to the inner chambers of the palace, and in front of the steps the civil and military officials paced the corridors in confusion, the throne of a thousand autumns was blown down, and the high five-phoenix towers shook from their roots.

The gale swept through the kingdom of Aolai and startled its king; its three markets and six streets were thrown into chaos as doors were shut and no one dared move in the streets. Sun Wukong set his cloud down and cut straight through the palace gate, going straight to the armory and weapons hall. He opened the gates and looked: there were endless kinds of arms—swords, spears, jian, halberds, axes, broad axes, flails, sickles, whips, maces, war clubs, bows, crossbows, prongs, and pikes—every sort fully stocked. Delighted, he said, “How many of these can I carry in my own hands? Better I use the cloning art and bring them all back.” The Great Monkey King plucked out a single hair, chewed it in his mouth, spat it forth, and with a spell cried, “Transform!” It became a hundred and thousand little monkeys that rushed in tumult, each carrying and snatching arms. Some strong ones took five or seven at a time; even the light-handed ones hauled two or three. Soon all were taken away, every piece. He mounted the cloud again and used a gathering spell, summoning a mad wind to lead the monkeys home.

At Flower Fruit Mountain, the young and old monkeys were still at play outside the cave mouth when the roar of wind came. In the sky they saw monkey-forms with outstretched limbs and no end of bounds, and they scattered in fear and confusion. In due time the Great Monkey King descended from the cloud, drew back the vapors, shook himself, pulled in his hairs, and piled the weapons in disorder at the front of the mountain. He called out, “Children, come receive your weapons.” All the monkeys saw Wukong standing alone on the flat ground of Pingyang; they ran up and knelt, asking why. He told them in full how he had raised the storm and fetched the armaments. Once he finished, every monkey, after offering thanks, lunged to seize their swords and daggers, to snatch whips and axes, to haul bows and crossbows, shouting as they competed. All day long they played with them.

The next day, as before, he set up camp again. Wukong gathered the assembly and counted over forty-seven thousand mouths. Soon the mountain’s strange beasts were all alarmed: wolves, worms and insects, tigers, leopards, 麖, 麂, 獐, 𤜱, foxes, polecats, badgers, bear-cats, lions, elephants,狻猊, apes, bears, deer, wild boars, mountain cattle, antelope, blue rhinoceroses, trickster-beasts, and divine mastiffs—seven kinds of demon kings from all over, coming from seventy-two caves, all came to pay homage to the Monkey King as their lord. Each year they paid tribute; in all four seasons there were periodic muster calls. Some came for drill, some came to haul provisions on schedule. In strict ranks they made Flower-Fruit Mountain look like an iron-bucket, gold-plated fortress. From every side, demon kings came with gongs, drums, banners, and armor and helmets, gathering in crowds day after day and practicing as if to field an army.

Just as the Handsome Monkey King was in good spirits, he suddenly spoke to the group: "You are all skilled with bows and crossbows, and expert with weapons, yet this blade I have is truly rough and blunt and does not suit my mind. What am I to do?" The four old monkeys came forward to remonstrate: "Your Majesty is an immortal sage; ordinary weapons are not fit for You. But who knows if You can go into water?" Wukong said: "Since I learned the Way, I have the powers of the seventy-two earth-and-fiend transformations and the immeasurable power of my somersault cloud. I can hide body and spirit, and wield the summoning and seizing spell. In Heaven there are paths; in the earth there are gates. I can pass through days and months with no shadow; I can enter metal and stone without obstruction. Water cannot drown me; fire cannot burn me. How could I not be able to go there?" The four old monkeys answered: "Under our iron-plank bridge, the waters lead to the Dragon Palace of the Eastern Sea. If Your Majesty goes down there and asks the Old Dragon King for weapons, that would suit our needs completely." Wukong, rejoicing, said: "Then let me go and return."

The Monkey King leaped to the bridgehead, cast a water-sealing art, twisted the spell formula, dived with a splash, parted the waters, and went straight to the bottom of the Eastern Ocean. As he moved, a sea yaksha on patrol stopped him and asked, “Who is this one that comes driving the waters? Tell us clearly so we can report and receive you properly.” Sun Wukong replied, “I am the Celestial Saint of Birth, Sun Wukong of Flower-Fruit Mountain, the close neighbor of your Old Dragon King. How is it you do not know me?” The yaksha ran at once to the Crystal Palace and reported: “Your Majesty, outside there is a Celestial Saint of Flower-Fruit Mountain, Sun Wukong, who calls himself your close neighbor and is coming in.” Ao Guang, Dragon King of the Eastern Sea, immediately rose and came out with dragon sons, dragon attendants, and the soldiers to welcome him: “Immortal, please enter, please enter.” They brought him into the hall, offered tea while seated, and then asked, “Since when did you attain the Way, and what divine art have you mastered?” Sun Wukong answered, “Since I was born I left home and practiced, obtaining a body that is neither born nor extinct. Lately I have been teaching my children and grandchildren to guard the mountain cave, but we have no weapons at all. I have long heard that in your heavenly-garlanded, treasure-rich palace there must be many extra divine armaments, so I came to ask for one.” Seeing this, the Dragon King could not bring himself to refuse and had the commander of the crocodile troops bring out a great bar-staff and present it. Sun Wukong said, “Old Monkey cannot wield a blade; please grant me another one.” Ao Guang then had the commander of eel-men bring out a nine-pronged fork. Sun Wukong took it, used it once all the way through, set it down, and said, “Light. Light. Light. Still not fitting.” Ao Guang said with a laugh, “Venerable, have you not seen? This fork weighs 3,600 jin.” Sun Wukong replied, “Not fitting, still not fitting.” Afraid, the Dragon King then had the turtle-bat captain and carp general raise a large rectangular-staff Fangtian halberd. That halberd weighed 7,200 jin. Sun Wukong stepped close, took it, tossed out a few postures and tricks, planted it in the middle, and said, “Still light. Light. Light.” The Dragon King, suddenly alarmed, said, “Venerable, in my palace there is only this halberd and then no more weapons.” Sun Wukong laughed and said, “The ancients said, ‘The Chouhai Dragon King has no treasure.’ Go on and look again. If there is anything you deem fitting, bring it out one by one.” Ao Guang answered, “I swear, none.”

As he spoke, Dragon Mother and Dragon Daughter came from behind and said, “Your Majesty, just look at this holy one—he is no small matter. In the sea treasury there is a piece of divine iron from the bed of the celestial river used to regulate the depths when Yu the Great did flood control. These past days it has burned with rosy brilliance and auspicious vapor. Could this be the time for it to appear and meet this holy one?” The Dragon King said, “That is the divine iron fixed to regulate the depth of the rivers and seas; what purpose could it serve?” Dragon Mother answered, “Whether it has use or not, just give it to him. Let him fashion it as he wishes and be done with it—just send it out through the palace gate.” Following this, the Dragon King explained fully to Sun Wukong. Sun Wukong said, “Bring it out so I may look at it.” Ao Guang waved his hands and said, “I cannot lift it, cannot even raise it. The Immortal must go and see it in person.” Sun Wukong asked, “Where is it? Take me there.”

The Dragon King led him to the center of the sea store, and at once many streams of gold light flashed. He pointed and said, “That glowing one is it.” Sun Wukong drew up his robe, stepped forward, and touched it. It was an iron pillar, about one du in thickness and more than two zhang long. He held it with both hands and gave it a testful toss, saying, “It is too thick, too long—better if it were shorter and finer.” As soon as he spoke, the treasure shortened by a few chi and narrowed a little. He turned it once and said again, “A little shorter and finer would be better.” The treasure then shrank a bit more. Delighted, he took it out of the sea store and saw that it had two golden hoops on both ends with a segment of black iron in the middle. Near the hoops was engraved a line of characters: “如意金箍棒，重一萬三千五百斤.” “Surely,” he thought, “this treasure is exactly to my liking.” As he walked and recited while turning it in his hand, he kept saying, “A little shorter and finer is even better.” Outside it was only about two zhang long and bowl-mouth wide.

Watch him work his divine arts: he cast off tricks, spun maneuvers, and whirled through the Crystal Palace. Old Dragon King was shaken in heart and spirit, the Dragon Son nearly lost his soul, turtles, tortoises, and sea turtles all drew in their necks, while fish, shrimp, ao, and crabs hid their heads. Holding the treasure in hand, Sun Wukong sat on the Crystal Palace hall and smiled at the Dragon King: “Thank you, worthy neighbor, for your kindness.” The Dragon King replied, “Please, no.” Sun Wukong said, “Though this iron is very good to use, there is still one more matter.” The Dragon King asked, “Venerable, what more?” Sun Wukong said, “If there had been no such iron, it would have been fine. Now that I hold it in my hand, there is nothing on my body that will match it. What of it? If you have any harnesses or robes here, simply send one set so I may take my leave in thanks.” The Dragon King said, “This one does not exist.” Sun Wukong said, “One guest does not offend two masters. If there is no one, I will not leave this gate.” The Dragon King said, “Venerable, turn to another sea again; perhaps there is something there.” Sun Wukong said, “Visiting three homes is not as good as staying in one. Please, by all means, send one complete set.” The Dragon King said, “I truly do not have it; if there is, I will present it with ceremony.” Sun Wukong asked, “Truly none? Then let me try this iron with you.” The Dragon King panicked: “Venerable, do not strike, do not strike it. Let me see where my younger brothers are; I will send one set.” Sun Wukong asked, “Where are your brothers?” The Dragon King replied, “The younger brothers are South Sea Dragon King Ao Qin, North Sea Dragon King Ao Shun, and West Sea Dragon King Ao Run.” Sun Wukong said, “Old Monkey will not go, will not go. As the old saying goes, ‘Borrowing at three does not win when facing two.’ Just send one set here, no matter high or low.” The Dragon King said, “No need, Venerable, to go there. Here I have an iron drum and a golden bell: if there is urgency, if one beats the drum and rings the bell, the brothers come at once.” Sun Wukong said, “If so, then have it done quickly.” Indeed, the toad general went to strike the bell, and the turtle captain came beating the drum.

In a short while, when the drums and bells sounded, it truly alarmed the three Sea Dragon Kings, who all came at once and gathered outside. Ao Qin said, “Elder brother, what matter is it that requires the drums and bells?” The elder king replied, “Good younger brother, it cannot be spoken lightly. A self-born holy man from Mount Huaguo came and made himself known as my neighbor. At first he asked for one weapon: he said the steel fork was too small, the painted halberd was too light. He then took out of the very bottom of the Celestial River a divine treasure of iron and toyed with it himself. Now he sits in the hall and asks for even more clothing and gear. I have none, so I rang bells and drums to summon you. If any of you has a set of armor or robes, send him one and dispatch him out. Hearing this, Ao Qin was furious: “Could the four of us raise troops and seize him?” The elder king said, “Don’t say seize him. Don’t say seize him. That piece of iron, if dragged a little, can kill; if struck a little, can slay; if merely brushed, breaks skin and leaves wounds. So he is dangerous.” The King of the West Sea, Ao Run, said, “Second brother, do not fight him. Just give him a set of robes and send him out, then submit a memorial to Heaven and let Heaven punish him.” Ao Shun of the North Sea said, “Well said. I have a pair of lotus-silk cloud-soled boots.” Ao Run said, “I brought a coat of linked-golden chain armor.” Ao Qin said, “I have a phoenix-feathered purple-gold crown.” Greatly pleased, the elder dragon king brought him into the Crystal Palace and offered these. Sun Wukong put on the crown, armor and cloud boots in order, then brandished the Ruyi staff and strode out. “Noisy, noisy,” he said to the four sea kings. The Four Seas Dragon Kings were greatly displeased and discussed submitting memorials to Heaven; this is left unmentioned.

Look at this Monkey King: he parted the waterway, returned directly to the Iron-Plank Bridgehead, and climbed up. He saw four old monkeys leading the others waiting by the bridge. Suddenly he emerged from the waves; not a drop of water clung to his body, and he walked onto the bridge shining bright and gold. Startled, all the monkeys knelt and cried, “Your Majesty, how splendid and striking! how splendid and striking!” Wukong, his face full of joy, climbed the treasure seat and planted the iron staff upright in the middle. Those monkeys, not knowing its true weight, came to seize the treasure, but it was like a dragonfly shaking an iron tree—could not be moved not even a hair. One by one they bit their fingers and stuck out their tongues, saying, “Grandfather, such heaviness—how did you bring it?” Wukong came forward, spread out his hands, and with one stroke lifted it, laughing at the assembly. “All things have their rightful master. This treasure has been in the sea storehouse for thousands of years and this year it suddenly radiated light. The Dragon King only thought it a piece of black iron and called it the heavenly-river-below-great-cosmic-precious iron. That brute could not carry it at all, so he told me to go and fetch it myself. Then it was over two zhang long and about one dǒu in girth. I struck it once and thought it too large; it became much smaller. Again I made it smaller and it became smaller again; again I made it smaller and it became smaller again. Stand back and make room, I will have it change again.” He turned the treasure in his hand and called, “Small! Small! Small!” At once it became like an embroidered pin, small enough to be tucked inside the ear. The monkeys, astonished, cried, “Great King, bring it out and show it again.” The Monkey King truly drew it from his ear and placed it on his palm, saying, “Great! Great! Great!” At once it became thick again, du in girth and two zhang long. Delighted, he jumped up the bridge and came out of the cave, holding the treasure in his hand, and used a heavenly-earth-shifting art; bending at the waist he cried, “Long!” Instantly it rose ten thousand zhang: his head was like Mount Tai, his waist like a steep ridge, his eyes like lightning, his mouth like a blood bowl, and his teeth like halberd blades. In his hand the staff reached from the Thirty-Third Heaven down to the Eighteenth Hell. Tigers, leopards, wolves, worms and insects, all mountain demons, and the demon kings of seventy-two caves all knelt and offered obeisance in terror, trembling as their spirits fled. In an instant he withdrew the spell and once again reduced the treasure to an embroidered pin, tucked it into his ear, and returned to the cave residence. In their panic, the demon kings from all the other caves came to offer congratulations.

Thereupon he set great drums and gongs resounding, rang the brass gongs aloud, spread a lavish feast of rare and varied delicacies, and filled cups with coconut juice and grape liquor, drinking with the whole company for a long while before ordering another entertainment. The Monkey King appointed the four elder monkeys as commanders-in-chief: he named the two red-buttock horse-monkeys Ma Liu and Er, and the two broad-backed ape warriors Bongba as generals. He entrusted the establishment of camps, encampment order, rewards and punishments, and all other matters to those four captains to maintain.

With his mind at ease, day after day he rode the clouds and cut through mist, roaming the four seas and the thousand peaks in bliss. He practiced martial arts and sought out heroes; displayed divine powers and made worthy friends. This time he gathered seven sworn younger brothers: the Bull Demon King, the Jiao Demon King, the Peng Demon King, the Lion-Camel King, the Macaque King, the Rong King, and himself (seven in all). Day after day they discussed literature and warfare, passed cups, sang to strings and danced, leaving in the morning and returning at dusk, with nothing that did not bring delight. They thought a span of ten thousand li was no farther than the road to a courtyard gate; they spoke of a nod taking them three thousand li and a twist of the waist carrying them more than eight hundred li.

...The demons and ghost soldiers rushed up to the 森羅殿 (Senluo Hall), crying out, "Great King, disaster! Disaster! A hairy-faced Lei Gong has come striding in!"

Sun Wukong said, "I am Sun Wukong, a naturally sanctified one born in Water-curtain Cave of Flower-Fruit Mountain. What offices do you hold?" The ten kings bowed and said, "We are the ten Netherworld kings of the netherworld." Sun Wukong said, "Quickly report my name, then no need for further violence." They answered, "We are Qin Guangwang, Chujiangwang, Songdiwang, Wuguanwang, Yama King, Pingdengwang, Taishanwang, Dushiwang, Bianchengwang, and Zhuanlunwang."

Sun Wukong took his staff and strode straight into the Hall of the Net of Worlds, sat facing south at the center. The ten kings ordered the clerk in charge of the casebook to bring out the ledgers. The clerk did not dare delay. He brought out five or six documents and the ten category registers from the Records Hall. He checked one by one: worms of the body, hair-worms, feathered insects, other creeping creatures, scales and shells—all contained no such name. He then saw the section for monkey-kind: this monkey looked like a human yet did not appear in the human register; like a blindworm yet no domestic boundary; like a beast yet not under Qilin jurisdiction; like a bird yet not under Phoenix authority. In another ledger, which Sun Wukong read himself, he searched until the 1350th entry under the character “soul,” and there it was: Sun Wukong, born of a heavenly stone monkey, lifespan three hundred and forty-two years, dies well. Sun Wukong said, “I do not even keep my own years in mind; this name is enough. Bring me a brush.” The clerk hurriedly brought brush and ink, saturated darkly. Sun Wukong took the register and for every named being among monkey-kind he marked and crossed all of them. He slapped the book shut and said, “Account closed. Account closed. This time you have no authority over me.” With one swing of his staff he drove his way out of the Underworld realm. The ten kings dared not come near. They all returned to the Cuilun Palace and with joint bows to Dizang King Bodhisattva discussed submitting a memorial to Heaven, which was later taken up, no more here to narrate.

He suddenly caught on a straw mat, stumbled with a backward fall and jolted awake; it had all been a dream, a Nanke dream. As he stood, he heard the four captains and all the monkeys calling out, "Great King, you drank too much and slept all night; why do you not wake?" Sun Wukong answered, "I only dozed. I dreamed that two soul-catchers came and dragged me, carrying me beyond the gate of the Underworld. When I woke, I knew it was but a dream. I flashed forth my powers, strode straight to the Senluo Hall, argued with the ten kings, and had our life-death register checked. In the entries of our ranks, all the names were struck out by me, so we are not subject to that lord's jurisdiction either."

When Sun Wukong had finished recounting what happened, he sent word through the four captains to the monster kings of each cave; they all came to offer congratulations and joy. Not long after, the six sworn brothers came again to offer congratulations; hearing the reason for his name’s erasure, each of them rejoiced. Their daily gatherings of delight need not be told further.

One day, while the Jade Emperor, Great Sage Yuhuang Tai Shangren (Xuanqiong Gaoshangdi), rode in state at the Golden Ridge Cloud Palace, Lingxiao Baodian, and the civil and martial immortals were assembled for the morning audience, Qiu Hongji Zhenren came forward to report: “Your Majesty, at the Hall of Tongming, outside, the Dragon King of the East Sea, Ao Guang, has submitted a memorial. Please have your decree announced to him.” The Jade Emperor ordered, “Have him summoned.” Ao Guang came down to the Lingxiao Hall, paid homage, and a child attendant presented the memorial. The Jade Emperor read it from beginning to end. The memorial read:

Afterward the Emperor ordered, “Send the Dragon King back to the sea. I shall dispatch commanders to seize him.” The old Dragon King bowed deeply and withdrew in thanks.

Another report was then presented by Elder Ge Xianweng, the Celestial Master, saying: “Your Majesty, the Underworld King Qin Guangwang has received and presented a memorial from Dizangwang Bodhisattva, the Dharma Lord of the Dark Realm, to be presented above.” A heavenly maiden followed by presenting the memorial text; the Jade Emperor also read it through from start to end. The memorial stated:

“The nether region is the underworld of this world. Heaven has spirits and earth has ghosts; Yin and yang revolve in turn. Birds are born and beasts die, and life transforms and cycles; females become males, males become females. This is the natural order and cannot be changed. Now there is a demon monkey, Sun Wukong of Water-Curtain Cave beneath Huaguo Mountain in the Eastern Victory Divine Continent, who commits evil and violence and refuses to submit to summons. He brandishes divine arts and skills, has cut off the Nine-Underworld ghost messengers, and with his power has terrified and wounded the Ten-Dai Ciwangs. He rampages through the nether world and brags of a name and rank. As a result, the monkey tribes are no longer restrained; monkeys and macaques breed with abnormal longevity. The cycles of cessation and rebirth are disrupted, and beings have neither proper life nor death. Your humble monk begs to submit this memorial and has dared to affront Heaven’s majesty. Please dispatch divine troops to bring this demon under control, suppress him, and restore Yin and Yang in order, so that the underworld may be at peace forever. I humbly submit.”

After the Jade Emperor read it, he ordered, “Instruct the King of Darkness to return to the Netherworld; I shall dispatch generals to capture him.” Qin Guangwang likewise bowed and withdrew in gratitude.

The Great Heaven Sovereign then addressed the assembled civil and martial immortals: “This demon monkey was born when, and in what age? In which age did he come forth, and how did he come to attain such Way?” Before he had finished, from among the ranks flashed out Qiānlǐyǎn and Shùnfēng'ěr and said, “This monkey was a heavenly-stone monkey produced three hundred years ago. In those days no one reckoned him as anything, and we know not in which places over these years he cultivated and became an immortal, able to subdue dragons and tigers, and to erase the dead-register.” The Jade Emperor asked, “Which heavenly general shall descend to the mortal realm and subdue him?” Again from the ranks flashed out Taibai Changgengxing, who knelt and offered: “Your Majesty, among beings in the Three Realms, all with nine orifices may cultivate immortality. Yet this monkey was formed by Heaven and Earth and shaped by sun and moon. He now soars heaven and traverses earth, drinks dew and dines on dawn clouds; having already attained the Dao, he has powers to subdue dragons and tigers—what else is he different from us? I advise Your Majesty to remember the Compassionate Favor of life and allow his arrest through beneficence: issue one decree of pacification, summon him up to the Upper Court, give him an office small or great, enter his name in the rosters, and thus restrain this matter. If he accepts Heaven’s Mandate, grant him promotion later; if he defies it, then capture him. Thus you avoid wasting armies and likewise gather one who has truly followed the Dao.” The Jade Emperor rejoiced at this and said, “As you have advised.” He then ordered the Lord of Wénqū Star to draft an edict and sent Taibai Jinxing as envoy to recruit him.

When Gold Star received the command, he passed out through the southern gate of Heaven, descended the auspicious cloud directly to Water-Curtain Cave on Flower-Fruit Mountain, and told the gathered young monkeys: “I am the heavenly envoy. The Sacred Edict commands your Great King to ascend to Heaven. Go quickly and inform him.” The monkeys inside conveyed the news from gate to gate into the deepest reaches of the cave realm: “Your Majesty, there is an elder outside bearing a one-cornered official document; he says he is the celestial envoy sent by Heaven, with a sacred order asking for you.” Sun Wukong heard this with delight, saying, “These last two days I had been thinking to go up to Heaven for a stroll; now an envoy has come to invite me.” He called, “Bring him in at once.” Sun Wukong hastily set his robes in order as the monkeys welcomed him at the gate. Gold Star entered immediately and faced south, saying, “I am Taibai Jinxing of the Western Firmament. I bear the Jade Emperor’s edict of pacification; I am sent below to invite you to ascend and receive an immortal tally.” Sun Wukong smiled: “Much obliged, Elder Star, for descending.” He told his monkeys to prepare a feast and hospitality. Gold Star replied, “The decree is with me; I cannot tarry long. Please come with me at once. After your promotion to honor, we can talk at leisure.” Sun Wukong answered, “Your grace is honored; return for now, return for now.” He summoned the four captains and instructed, “Teach and train the young ones carefully; when I go up and inspect the paths, I will later bring you all up there to live together.” The four captains assented.

The Monkey King ascended with Gold Star, their cloud-heads rising skyward, and soared into the high empty heaven. Then it was so:

As to what official rank he was at last granted, listen to the next chapter for the rest of the tale.