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.

My true nature is wholly bright, and the Way opens by itself. Aching to master transformations is not easily done; forging long life is not for ordinary folk. Clear and turbid turn again and again by the tide of fate; open through measureless kalpas, letting east and west shift as they will. To wander carefree through myriads of ages there is no way to count; one point of divine light forever rests upon the void. This verse aligns with the subtle Dao of the Great Sage Sun Wukong. He had obtained that demon’s true treasure, tucked it into his sleeve, and joyfully said, “P’o Demon, you worked so hard to catch me; it is truly like trying to pull the moon from water. If old Sun wants to catch you, it is like playing with ice on fire.” He concealed the gourd, slipped out through the gate in quick little movements, revealed his true form, and shouted in a harsh voice, “Monster, open the gate!” A little demon called out, “Who are you, to come and shout like this?” The Wanderer said, “Report to your old P’o Demon quickly: it is Sun Wukong.”

A little demon rushed inside to report: “Great King, someone called a Wukong has come outside the gate.” The old demon was startled and said, “Brother, this is bad—we’ve stirred up a whole storm. The golden cord is still tying the Great Sage Sun, and the gourd contains him; how could there be another called Sun Wukong? It must be that several of his brothers have come.” The second demon said, “Elder brother, do not worry. My gourd can hold a thousand people; I only just put in that one called Sun. How could there be another Sun Wukong? Let me step out and see; I’ll swallow him in one go.” The old demon said, “Brother, be cautious.”

That second demon took up a fake gourd, looked again as before, broad and swelling with swagger, and walked out to the gate crying, “Who are you and where are you from that you dare shout here?” The Wanderer answered, “You don’t recognize me: I dwell at Flower-Fruit Mountain, my ancestral root is Water-curtain Cave. I only caused the uproar in Heavenly Court, and long since the contention has ended. Now I have escaped disaster and left the path to serve the monk. I carry the teaching up to Mount Leiyin, seeking the Classics and returning to awakened truth. I met the wild and violent demon, and yet I was forced to use my powers. Return the Tang monk to me; we go westward to the Buddha. Let both camps stop this war and keep to our own peace. Do not provoke old Sun Wukong into rage and wound your own life.” The demon said, “Come here. I will not fight you, but if I call your name once, can you answer?” The Wanderer laughed, “If you call me, I answer; if I call you, can you answer?” The demon replied, “If I call you, I have a precious gourd with which to hold people. If you call me, what do you have?” The Wanderer said, “I have a gourd too.” The demon said, “If so, take it out and let me see.” The Wanderer drew forth a gourd from his sleeve: “P’o Demon, look.” He flashed it once, then tucked it back into his sleeve, lest the demon come to seize it.

When the demon saw this he was greatly startled: “Where did this gourd come from? How can it be exactly like mine? Even if two gourds grow on one vine, their sizes and forms differ, one not the same as the other. How can they match so perfectly?” He then called sternly, “Sun Wukong, where did your gourd come from?” The Great Sage feigned ignorance and asked in turn, “Where is your gourd from?” Not seeing that it was a test, the demon answered straightforwardly: “My gourd came from the earliest age when chaos split in two, heaven opened and earth was cleared. There was a Supreme Ancestor called Taishang, who in the form of Nüwa remade the sky with stone and saved the Jambudvipa world. After filling the gap in heaven, he reached the foot of Kunlun and saw, below, a strand of immortal vine, on which hung this purple-gold-red gourd. It is the one Lord Lao left to this day.” The Great Sage, hearing this, replied lightly, “My gourd came from that same place too.” The demon lord said, “How do you know?” Sun Wukong replied, “From the first separation of purity and impurity, heaven unfilled in the northwest and earth unfilled in the southeast, the Taishang Dao Ancestor who repaired Nüwa’s heavenly breach passed the foot of Kunlun and found one vine bearing two gourds. I obtained a male one; yours is a female one.” The monster said, “No matter whether male or female, if it can hold people, it is a good treasure.” The Great Sage said, “You are right. I’ll let you swallow first.”

The monster was very pleased, sprang up at once and leapt into the air, grasping the gourd and calling, “Sun Wukong.” The Great Sage heard it and did not stop to catch breath, but answered back eight or nine times, yet he still could not be taken in. The demon came crashing down, stamping and punching his chest: “Ah! I used to say that worldly conditions never stay. With such a treasure, one still dares not frighten old master: when the female sees the male, it dares not hold him.” The Wanderer laughed, “Put it away and hold still. It is now old Sun’s turn to call you.” He sprang up in an armored-buckler leap, turned the gourd bottom upward and the mouth downward, fixed on the demon, and cried, “King of the Silver Horns.” The monster dared not keep silent; he answered once. Instantly he was swallowed inside; the Wanderer then attached a charm reading, “Tai Shang Laojun, urgent lawful command, with obedience,” to the mouth of the gourd. Inwardly he rejoiced: “My boy, today you are trying a fresh trick too.”

He then pressed down the cloud-crown and, carrying the gourd, kept thinking only to save the Master, moving again toward the Lotus Cave entrance. The mountain path was full of ruts and uneven ground, and he was walking with his legs folded awkwardly, turning this way and that. The gourd in his grasp rattled “khok-khok, soku-soku” without cease. Why did it sound so, you ask? The Great Sage’s body had been tempered by fire and could not be transformed on command; though the demon could ride cloud and mist, that was only in spell and technique. In essence he still bore ordinary mortal flesh, and inside the treasure he would soon be dissolved. But Wukong did not think him dissolved and laughed, “My child, how do I know whether you are urinating or just rinsing your mouth? This is the sort of business old Sun has done. I won’t even lift the lid to check until seven or eight days later and you turn to thin gruel. Why such haste? If it was easy for me to come out, it is best you stay hidden for a thousand days.” He held the gourd and kept speaking. Before he knew it, he had reached the cave mouth, shook the gourd, and once more it rang. He said, “This rattling is like the tube used for casting lots—good indeed for that. I will cast and see when the Master can leave the cave.” His hand kept shaking the gourd and his mouth kept reciting: “King Wen of the Zhou Yi, Sage Confucius, Master Taohua Nü, Master Guiguzi.”

A young demon inside the cave saw and said, “Great King, bad times: Wukong has put the Second Great King into the gourd and is casting lots with it.” When the old demon heard this, he was so frightened his spirit flew and his will left him; bones softened, marrow went numb. He stumbled and fell to the ground, crying out, “My respected brother! I left the upper realm with you, descended to mortal dust, hoping to share glory together and be lords of this cave forever. How did this monk of mine wound your life and sever our brotherly bond?” All the demons in the cave wept together in pain.

Zhu Bajie, hung from the beam, heard them cry all together and called out, “Monster, do not cry yet. Let old Pig speak first. The first one was Sun Wukong, the second was the other called Master Sun, and the last one, Sun Wukong again—those three repeated names all refer to one only, my senior monk-brother. He has seventy-two transformations. He flew in, stole your treasure, and put your younger brother inside. The younger brother is already dead. No need for such mourning. Quickly clean the hearth and stove, prepare fragrant mushrooms, mushrooms, tea buds, bamboo shoots, tofu, noodles, wood-ear, and vegetables. Send my master and disciples down and have him recite the Shòushēng Scripture to your younger brother.” The old demon heard this and his heart surged in fury: “You are right, I thought old Zhu Bajie was honest, but look how honest he is not! He makes mockery and plays jokes on me.” He ordered, “Small demon, stop grieving. Untie Zhu Bajie, steam him until he is soft, and when I am fed I will go take revenge on the Great Sage.” Sha Wujing reproved Bajie, “Now see—you talk too much. A tongue so loose first gets you steamed.” The idiot felt some fear. A little demon beside him said, “Great King, it is hard to steam Pigsy.” Zhu Bajie said, “Amitabha! Which elder brother has gathered merit enough for this? Truly he is hard to steam.” Another demon said, “Strip his skin off first, then he will steam well.” Bajie panicked and said, “Good to steam, good to steam. The skin and bones are rough and stout, but if the soup boils they will fall apart—hu hu.”

Just then, amid the uproar, a little demon outside the front gate reported, “Sun Wukong has come shouting again.” The old demon was startled once more and cried, “This brute thinks it no one but me.” He called, “You little ones, hang Zhu Bajie up as before and check what treasures remain.” The housekeeper demon said, “There are still three treasures in the cave.” The old demon asked, “Which three?” The housekeeper said, “There are still the Seven-Star Sword, the Banana Leaf Fan, and the Pure Bottle.” The old demon said, “The bottle is no use: it works only by calling people, and if someone answers it can swallow them. He even taught that spell to this Sun Wukong and had his own brother swallowed. No need for it—leave it at home. Bring the sword and fan at once.” The housekeeper immediately presented the two treasures. The old demon tucked the fan into the back neck of his robe, held the Seven-Star Sword in his hand, and signaled the gathered host of more than three hundred of the small and large demons to arm themselves with spears and clubs, gripping blades and swinging hooks. The old demon himself donned helmet and armor, draping over himself a silk robe burning bright red. The demons formed battle array to seize the Great Sage Sun Wukong.

The Great Sage Sun Wukong had already known that the two demons had transformed inside the gourd, yet he had tightly bound it shut and fastened it at his waist, holding the Golden-Hooped Staff and preparing to fight. He saw the old demon leap out through the gate, red banners flying. What a terrifying appearance:

On his head the helmet and plume flashed with blazing light; at his waist he wore a bright sash of rosy-cloud color. His body was clad in dragon-scale armor, covered by a red robe like fierce flames. His round eyes opened and flashed like lightning; steel whiskers rose, drifting like smoke. In one hand he lightly held the Seven-Star Sword; in the other a banana-fiber fan half-covered his shoulder. He moved like cloud-streams slipping from sea-peaks, and his voice was like thunder that shook mountains and rivers. In dreadful, awe-filled majesty he dared to defy Heaven, the demon-chief commanding his host of fiends out before the cave.

The old demon quickly ordered the lesser fiends to take formation and yelled, "Monkey, you are outrageously rude. You harmed my brothers, injured my men; this is truly hateful!" The Great Sage snapped back, "You death-seeking fiend! You cannot spare even one demon life. My Master, my junior kinsman, and even the four living creatures hanging uselessly in that cave—I cannot bear it in my heart. Why should I endure this? Quickly bring them out and return them to me, and add a good ransom, and in my good spirits you may leave old Sun to rise and go while I spare your old demon body." The monster did not allow him a word, raised the treasure sword and hacked straight at him at once. The Great Sage lifted his staff to receive him. The fighting outside the cave gate was brutal. Ah!

Golden-Hooped Staff and Seven-Star Sword clashed, and the rosy light flashed like lightning. Vast cold qi pressed in with terrifying force; dark rolling clouds blocked ridge and dam. One side held back by brotherly feeling for his men, this one delayed; this one, for the sake of the pilgrim Tripitaka, would not allow even the slightest delay. Each side kept old enmity, each heart full of brewing rage. It became such slaughter that sky and earth darkened, gods and spirits were startled; the sun grew faint through dense smoke, and dragon and tiger fought in a fiery gale. One ground his teeth as if biting jade pegs; the other flung angering eyes that sent out streaks of gold flame. Back and forth they displayed heroism, staff and sword ceaselessly circling.

The old demon and the Great Sage fought for twenty rounds, no victor in sight. The demon pointed to the tip of his sword and shouted, "Lesser demons, come at once." More than three hundred spirits surged forward and enclosed the Monk in the middle of the formation. The Great Sage showed no fear, brandished the staff, charging left, battering right, blocking rear and front in turn. The little fiends each had tricks: they pressed harder and closer, like fluff winding around a body, clinging to waists and pulling at legs, refusing to yield. The Great Sage, suddenly at a loss, used the outer-body technique. From under his left side he pulled out a handful of hairs, chewed them to pieces, spat them out, and cried, "Transform!" One by one they became copies of the Great Sage. Behold: some used the long body to wield the staff, some the short form to swing fists; even the smallest had nowhere to find a place to strike. He banged the little demons about until they were scattered like stars through broken cloud, and together they cried, "Great King, this cannot be made right—oh impossible! The ground and the mountains are full of Sun Wukong!" By this outer-body art he drove back the swarming fiends, forcing the old demon into the middle of his own encirclement; the old demon then ran east and west with no road to escape.

The old demon, now in panic, held the treasure sword in his left hand, reached behind his neck with his right, and drew out the banana-fiber fan. Aiming toward the southeast at the Bing-Ding fire, straight at the Li Palace, he whipped the fan once with a rush. At once fire blazed from the ground. It turned out this jewel-like treasure could summon flames out of nothing. The monster, utterly merciless, swept out the fan seven or eight times in succession. Sky seemed to burn, earth blazed, wild fire flew high. This fire:

It is not heavenly fire, not forge fire, not fire on a mountain-top, not hearth fire; it is a spark of living light drawn naturally from the Five Elements. This fan is not a common object of the mortal world, nor a product of human making; it is a true treasure formed since Chaos was first opened. With this fan, stirring this fire, it blazes and flares like a bolt of crimson silk in lightning; it glows and gleams as if red clouds were flying on scarlet satin. Not a single strand of blue smoke appears: all the mountain is filled with red flame. It burns the pines on the ridge into trees of fire, and turns the firs before the cliff into lanterns. Beasts in their dens, clinging desperately to life, crash east and west; birds of the forest, fearing for their feathers, fly high and far. This divine fire drifted through the air and burned on, charring stone and drying streams; red lay over all the earth.

The Great Sage saw this wicked fire and, though usually fearless, he trembled and said, "This is bad. My own body cannot endure; hairs are useless. If I fall into this fire, will I not be no better than hair easy to burn?" He shook his body and drew all his hairs back onto himself. He made one hair into a false form and fled, dodging the blaze. His true body, twisting the Fire-Evasion formula, sprang with a cloud-somersault and leapt away, leaving the fire and running straight for the Lotus Flower Cave, thinking to save his Master. He reached the gate in haste, let the cloud-head sink down, and saw outside the doorway more than a hundred little fiends, heads smashed, legs broken, flesh torn, skin split. All of them were those he had wounded by his body-multiplying technique. They stood crying out in pain. When the Great Sage saw them, he could not restrain his brutal, fierce nature. He raised the iron staff and beat his way in. Alas, all the fruit of hard discipline at taking human form had come to nothing: he remained naught but old skin and fur.

The Great Sage slew the little fiends and burst into the cave to free Master. He saw bright blazing firelight inside and, in alarm, flustered and fretted, "Enough, enough—if this fire is rising from the back gate, old Sun will never be able to save Master!" As he stood in terror and looked closely—ah!—it was not fire but a shaft of gold light. He came to himself, peered inside, and saw that it was the pure jade bottle radiating bright. Joy rose in his heart: "What a rare treasure! That bottle had been carried by that little fiend on the mountain and shone there. I got it, but that monster searched and took it back. Today it is hidden here, and of course it glows." Watch him take the bottle in secret; delighted, he did not even save Master. He hurried and bolted out of the cave. As soon as he came out, he saw the demon coming from the south with sword raised and fan in hand. The Great Sage could not avoid him; the old demon raised his sword and hacked at his head. Sun Wukong immediately leapt on a cloud-somersault and rose up, vanishing without trace; no further account is given.

When the demon reached the gate, he saw the ground covered with corpses—his own lieutenants among them. Panic-struck, he threw back his head and wept aloud, "Alas! Woe!" A verse remains:

Cursed is the ape’s unruliness, the horse-like rogue of base deceit, the holy essence misplaced, now cast down to mortal dust. Because I erred from thinking wrongly and left the heavenly court, I forgot my true form and fell to this mountain. A wild goose cut from its flock cries with longing; the demon troops are undone, the clan gone, tears streaming. When, at last, will the heap of sin be emptied, and the lock of transgression opened, to return to root and rise to the Imperial Gate?

The old demon, still ashamed and trembling, walked in crying at each step. He saw that all the vessels and fires were still there, but it was all silence, no human shape in sight; the grief was sharp and the desolation grew. He sat alone in the cave, collapsed upon the stone table, set the treasure sword resting askew on its edge, stuck the fan behind his shoulder, and dozed, dull and silent. Truly this matches the saying: when a man is met with glad news, his spirits brighten; when his heart is heavy and shut in, sleep overtakes him all the more.

Sun Wukong shifted his cloud-somersault and stood before the mountain, thinking of saving Master, fastening the pure bottle tightly at his waist, and came to scout at the cave entrance. He saw the two doors open and all was still, not a sound of movement. He stepped in very quietly and slipped within. There sat the demon, leaning against the stone table, snoring heavily. His banana-fiber fan had slipped from under his shoulder-cloth, half covering the back of his head; the Seven-Star Sword still leaned crooked at the table edge. Sun Wukong quietly advanced and lifted off the fan, and when he did, the monster started with a startled cry and ran out. It was because the fan handle had scraped his hair and roused him. Looking up, he saw Sun Wukong had stolen it; in haste he grabbed his sword and gave chase. The Great Sage had already jumped outside the gate, tied the fan at his waist, and with both hands swung open the iron staff to meet the demon. This was a fierce bout:

You have roused the violent demon king, anger rising over your brow; he cannot swallow the grievance whole, this rage will not release. The fiend cursed the ape: "You old rogue who toy with people, you hurt many of mine and still come to steal my treasure. This contest will not be allowed; now life and death is the only reckoning." The Great Sage roared at the fiend: "You have no manners. My disciple challenges Old Sun—can piles of eggs break stone?" Sword to the fore, staff to the side, neither side showed any trace of mercy. Once and again they traded strike and counterstrike, testing winning and losing. Three turns, four returns, each displaying their arts. All this was for Tripitaka’s pilgrimage to seek Buddha atop Vulture Peak, and so iron met fire out of step, the Five Phases were disturbed and harmony broken. They flaunted splendor and displayed power, making stones leap and sand whirl. As the contest dragged on, the sun neared dusk, and the demon king’s strength failed, so he withdrew first.

The old demon fought with the Great Sage for three or four dozen exchanges. Evening was coming. Unable to withstand him, he was defeated and broke formation, then fled straight for Ya Long Cave in the southwest; no more is recorded.

The Great Sage, Sun Wukong, had only just landed from cloud-somersaulting height and burst into the Lotus-Flower Cave, pulling Tripitaka, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing out of it. The three were saved from peril and thanked Sun Wukong, yet immediately asked, "Where have the demons gone?" Sun Wukong said, "The two demons are still packed in the gourd; by now, they should already have transformed away. The Great Demon was defeated in one round of battle and has gone southwest to Ya Long Mountain. As for the little demons in this cave, Sun Wukong already killed half of them using his body-division technique; of those who returned wounded, he has finished them off as well. Only now have we come here to free you." Tripitaka could never thank him enough: "My disciple, it is all because of your hard labors." Sun Wukong laughed and said, "It truly was hard work. You three were only dangling along being pained while I, old Sun, had no time to settle anywhere, busier than a courier in a relay post, running in and out again and again without end. Only because I stole his treasures could I drive these demons away." Zhu Bajie said, "Brother, take out the gourd and let us see. It may be that the two demons have already transformed." Sun Wukong first unfastened the Pure-Water Bottle, then took out the Golden Rope and the Banana Fan, and then held the gourd in his hand: "Do not look, do not look. He once entered this old monk's body and, while Sun Wukong pretended to gargle, he was tricked into opening the lid, allowing Sun Wukong to escape. We must not lift the lid again, or he may make enough noise and get away." The Master and disciples were overjoyed, and searched the cave for rice flour and vegetables, kindled the stove, set up a simple vegetarian meal, and ate. After a full meal, they slept in the cave and passed a silent night. At daybreak they rose."

Yet the old demon at once marched to Ya Long Mountain. He gathered the female demons, great and small, and spoke of what had happened: his mother killed, his brotherhood guise broken, his demon ranks annihilated, and his treasures stolen. The female demons all cried together for a long while in grief, then said, "Stop lamenting so. I still have this Seven-Star Sword here. When your troop has joined at Ya Long Mountain, I will enlist outside kin, and we will certainly catch hold of Sun Wukong and avenge ourselves." He had barely finished speaking when a little demon from the gate announced, "Great King, your old uncle from behind the mountain has come with troops." On hearing this, the old demon quickly changed into mourning white linen and kowtowed in welcome. That uncle was in fact his mother’s younger brother, called Fox Aqi, Great King. He had heard the scouts report that his sister had been killed by Sun Wukong, who had transformed into the form of a sister and stolen his nephew’s treasures, and that he had been fighting at Pingding Mountain, so he brought more than two hundred demon soldiers from his own cave to join the battle. Thus he had first come here to inquire after the family. As soon as he entered and saw the old demon wearing mourning robes, both of them wept together. After long weeping, the old demon knelt and related the previous events. Fox Aqi grew furious at once, ordered him to change out of the mourning robes, seized his treasure sword, gathered the demonesses in one place, rose with wind and cloud, and headed straight toward the northeast.

The Great Sage then told Sha Wujing to prepare an early meal and then let them continue walking. They had just heard the sound of wind when they looked out the door and found a troop of demons coming from the southwest. Sun Wukong was greatly startled; he darted to his feet and hurriedly called to Zhu Bajie: "Brother, they have summoned reinforcements again." Tripitaka, hearing this, turned pale and said, "Disciple, how can we face this?" Sun Wukong laughed, "No need to worry, no need to worry. Bring all the treasures and give them to me." He tied the gourd and Pure-Water Bottle at his waist, tucked the Golden Rope into his sleeve, slotted the Banana Fan behind his shoulder, and raised the Golden-Hooped Staff in both hands. He told Sha Wujing to guard Master Tripitaka and remain seated firmly in the cave. He ordered Zhu Bajie to take up his Nine-Tusked Halberd and go out with him to meet the enemy.

The demon set out his battle formation. In the front stood Fox Aqi, Great King. He had a jade-faced long beard, brows like steel, ears like blades; he wore a helmet of refined gold and a coat of scale armor, and held a square-heaven halberd in his hand. He shouted, "You insolent, rash monkey! How dare you deceive people so? You stole my treasures, harmed my family, killed my demon soldiers, and yet dare to occupy this cave for so long. Run forward now and one by one hold out your throats and die, so that my sister’s grievance is avenged." Sun Wukong shouted back, "You pack of self-destructive brutes, you know nothing of Sun Wukong’s ways. Do not run—receive one blow from my staff." The demon sidestepped, dodging, and used his square-heaven halberd to meet him. On the mountain ridge the two went back and forth for three or four exchanges; the old demon’s power weakened, and he was beaten and retreated. Sun Wukong charged after him, but the old demon met him. They fought three more rounds. Then Fox Aqi circled back and attacked again. On this side, Zhu Bajie saw it and quickly drew the nine-toothed halberd to block him. One against one, they fought for a long time with no clear winner. The old demon shouted once, and all the demon soldiers closed in around them.

Tripitaka was still inside the Lotus-Flower Cave. Hearing the cries that shook the ground, he called, "Sha Wujing, go out and see how my elder brother is doing in battle." Sha Wujing immediately brought out the subduing staff, shouted, and charged out, beating back the host of demons. Seeing the tide turning against them, Fox Aqi turned and fled, but Zhu Bajie caught up with him and struck from behind with the halberd; nine bright-red wounds gushed forth. Alas, the fox’s true life-breath rushed out in haste. They dragged the body in quickly and tore off its clothing to inspect it; it turned out to be a fox spirit.

The old demon, seeing his old uncle wounded, dropped Sun Wukong from hold and raised the treasure sword to cleave at Zhu Bajie. Zhu Bajie braced with his halberd. While they were in mid-combat, Sha Wujing came close and lifted his staff to strike. Unable to withstand them, the demon rose with wind and cloud and fled south. Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing chased him hard. Sun Wukong saw this, sprang up into the air on cloud and, unfastening the Pure-Water Bottle, enveloped the old demon. He shouted, "Golden-Corner King." The old demon, thinking it was just one of his own surviving little spirits calling, turned and answered once. He was abruptly pulled inside, and Sun Wukong pasted on the summons tablet reading, "Taishang Laojun, by urgent command as by the law, as proclaimed." At once the Seven-Star Sword dropped into the dust and the treasure returned to Sun Wukong. Zhu Bajie asked, "Brother, you have taken the sword—where is the demon-spirit now?" Sun Wukong laughed, "There—it's sealed in this bottle as well." Sha Wujing was greatly pleased to hear it.

By then, having swept away all lurking evil, they returned to the cave and reported good news to Tripitaka: "The mountain is cleared, the demons are all gone. Please, Master, mount and continue the westward road." Tripitaka was overjoyed. After a morning meal, they packed up their baggage and mounts and hurried west to seek the road.

As they proceeded, a beggar suddenly flashed out from beside the road and came forward, seizing Tripitaka’s horse: "Monk, where are you going? Return my treasures." Zhu Bajie cried out in alarm, "Enough—this is the old demon come for the treasures." Sun Wukong looked carefully and saw that it was none other than Taishang Laojun. Flustered, he rushed forward and offered obeisance: "Your Excellency, where are you going?" The old master rose to his jade-seat throne and stood in the high heaven, calling out, "Sun Wukong, return my treasures." Sun Wukong rose into the air and said, "What treasures?" Laojun answered, "The gourd is mine for storing elixirs; the Pure-Water Bottle mine for holding water; the treasure sword mine for forging away demons; the fan mine for fanning fire; the rope mine from the strap of my robe. As for the two demons, one was the boy in charge of my Golden Crucible and one the boy in charge of my Silver Crucible. They stole my treasures, came down to the mortal world, and hid where none could find them. Yet it was you who have now captured them and earned good merit." Sun Wukong said, "You old official are truly impolite. Even if you shelter evil for your household, you should answer for your own lax oversight." Laojun replied, "It is none of my affair; do not wrongfully blame others. This bodhisattva—Guanyin—borrowed them from me three times and placed them here, entrusting him to use demons in order to test whether you disciples truly have heart to go west." As he spoke, Sun Wukong thought to himself, "This bodhisattva is so terribly remiss. At first she saved me and ordered me to protect Tripitaka on the road to the West; I told her the road is harsh and hard. She promised to come in person in dire danger, and now she has let evil sprites torment us instead. There is no point arguing with words; he deserves to go through a lifetime without a husband. If it were not for the old official’s own presence, I would not have handed them over. But since you say this, take them away."

Laojun took back the five treasures, opened the tops of the gourd and the Pure-Water Bottle, and poured out two streams of immortal vapour. With one finger he pointed, and they transformed back into a Golden Boy and a Silver Boy, one on each side. Then he saw ten thousand red-gold rays of divine light. Ah! > In faint, vast stillness they all returned together to the Dousui Court, and in freedom they rose straight up to Great Luo Heaven.

Still unknown is what happens next: how Great Sage Sun Wukong will continue to protect Tripitaka and when he will reach the West. This will be explained in the next chapter.