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.

Forget good and evil for a moment, caring neither for honor nor decline. Through dim and bright, hidden and manifest, he lets himself drift. Hunger comes, he eats; thirst comes, he drinks. When the spirit is tranquil and still, it remains profoundly silent. In heavy dark-mist, demons will intrude. The five elements crash and grind and break the Zen grove. When the wind stirs, cold stillness is inevitable.

(If the poem is intended as two lines, read as two balanced couplet lines.)

Sun Wukong led Zhu Bajie off from Sha Wujing, leapt over the Withered-Pine Ravine, and came straight to the monster-ledge. There was a grotto there indeed, and the scene was truly extraordinary.

A winding old path lay quiet in stillness; wind and moonlight seemed to listen as mysterious cranes played. White clouds peered through, flooding the whole valley with light; running water crossed a bridge with a taste of the immortal. Monkeys howled, birds called, and flowers and woods were strange and wondrous; creeping vines on stony steps, and orchids all excelled. Blue-gray cliffs and ravines broke into drifting colors and rosy haze; jade-green pines invited jeweled phoenixes. In the distance, serried peaks stood like screens set upright; the mountain faced the ravine and curled about a true-sage cave. The dragon-breath of the Kunlun earth-vein rose here; only one with fate and affinity may truly use it. He drew near the gate and saw a stone stele engraved with eight large characters: "Hao Mountain, Withered-Pine Ravine, Fire-Cloud Cave." On the wall-side, a crowd of little demons capered, brandishing spears and swords in wild, gusty play.

Sun Wukong shouted in a sharp, loud voice: "You little ones, go report at once to the cave-master and tell him to send out our Tripitaka master. Then your cave-sprites' lives will be spared. If he so much as utters a single 'no', I'll overturn your whole hillside and level your lair flat." The demons, hearing this, hastily turned and ran back inside, shut the two stone gates, and came within to report: "Great King, disaster has arrived."

The demon had already brought Tripitaka into the cave, stripped him of his robes, tied the four beasts with their hooves bundled together in the back courtyard, and told small demons to wash him clean with water, then steam him for cooking. At that moment an alarm came. He set aside the washing and came to the front yard to ask, "What trouble?" One demon said, "A shaggy-faced, thunder-faced monk and a long-faced, broad-eared monk stand at the gate demanding our Tripitaka master. But if he even utters a single word of 'no,' he'll flip your whole mountainside and flatten your cave." The demon king gave a faint cold laugh: "That's Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie. Yet he had also sought this out too, I suppose. I have carried his master from halfway up the mountain to here, a hundred and fifty li; how could he possibly find the gate?" He ordered the little ones to bring out the wheeled carts. Several of the small demons pushed out five small carts, and the front gate was opened.

Zhu Bajie saw and said, "Elder brother, this demon is frightened of us and has brought carts out to move to that side." Sun Wukong replied, "Not yet. Let us see where he sets them." The small demon placed the carts according to Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, and left five on watch while five others entered to report. The demon king asked, "Is it in order?" They answered, "It is in order," and had his spear brought. A handful of weapon-bearing demons lifted a two-jang fire-tipped spear and passed it to the king. The king flourished the spear and strode, no proper armor except a brocaded war skirt at his waist, bare feet, and walked out to the gate. When Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie looked up, they saw the monster:

His face was three parts white like face powder, lips painted like fresh cinnabar. His knotted hair rose like blue-cloud indigo, brows split like new moons, cut as if by blades. In his battle skirt, dragons and phoenixes in fine embroidery; his form outshone even Nezha in proud bearing. In both hands he held the spear, his imposing air cold and fierce, radiant auspices encircling him as he stepped out. His roar was like spring thunder; his wild eyes flashed like darting lightning. If you would know this demon's true name, it has been sung through ages—he is called Red Boy.

Red Boy the monster came out the gate and bellowed, "Who is shouting in my place?!" Sun Wukong stepped forward and laughed: "Do not play false, my worthy nephew. This morning on the mountain-road's edge, you were a pale, emaciated yellow-faced child perched on a pine top, deceiving my master. I was willing to carry you, and you conjured wind and carried my master off. Now you come out in this guise—how could I not recognize you? Send out our Tripitaka at once. Do not waste your face and lose family ties; better not let your father find out and think old Sun was bullying a younger one." The demon, hearing this, grew furious and barked, "You loud-mouthed monkey! What kinship have you with me? You stand here spouting monkish nonsense. What is this 'worthy nephew' of yours?" Sun Wukong replied, "Elder brother, you do not know. In those days when I and your father were sworn as brothers, you had not yet been born." The demon said, "This monkey just lies! You are from somewhere, I am from somewhere—how could I and my father have been brothers?" Sun Wukong said, "You know nothing. Before I threw my fury through Heaven and Earth as the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, I had already roamed every sea and shore, the Four Continents, no land untouched by me. In that age my heart sought only mighty heroes. Your father was called Niu Mo Wang, Great Sage Pacifying Heaven; he made me his elder and we became sworn brothers. Then there was the Jiao Demon King, Great Sage Conquering the Ocean, as second brother; the Great Peng Demon King, Great Sage Mixing Heaven and Earth, as third; the Lion-king, Great Sage Who Moves Mountains, as fourth; the Macaque King, Great Sage of Open Wind, as fifth; the Rorong King, Great Sage that Drives the Gods, as sixth. Only old Sun was small, called the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, seventh in order. At the time my brotherhood was at play, you had not yet been born."

The demon refused to believe him and raised the fire-tipped spear to stab. Sun Wukong, unruffled in his art, sidestepped the spearhead, raised his iron staff, and roared, "You little beast, you know no rank or propriety—show me the staff!" The demon-phantom also shifted form and dodged beneath the staff strike, crying, "Reckless monkey, you do not understand the times. See my spear!" The two went wild in face-changing and sorcery, leaping into the clouds, eager for slaughter:

The Great Sage's renown is vast, the demon-king's tricks are strong. One hurls the Golden-Hooped Staff aloft, one holds a straight fire-tipped spear. Mists they exhale cover the Three Realms; flames from their breath and spray of steam light the Four Quarters. For a day, murderous qi roars, and moon and sun, star and constellation lose their light. No words of civility were spoken; no room was left for yielding. One violated decorum with shameless boldness, the other changed faces with no restraint. The staffwork set forth a long sweep of majesty; the spear advanced with untamed wildness. One is the True Great Sage of Primordial Unity, one is the righteous, fruit-bearing scion of Good Wealth. Both fought with all their might for supremacy, only so that Tripitaka might worship the Dharma King.

The demon and Sun Wukong fought for twenty exchanges and could not yet determine a victor. Zhu Bajie, watching nearby, saw clearly: though the demon did not break the formation, he only blocked and intercepted, never truly attacking to kill; though Sun Wukong did not win outright, his staff method was excellent, and their exchanges kept to the demon's head, never venturing beyond it. Zhu Bajie thought, "This is bad. If Sun Wukong slips away and leaves a gap, that demon will dart in and a single strike of the iron staff could end my credit." See him then, rousing himself, lifting the nine-tined halberd in the air and preparing to smash the demon straight across the head. The monster saw this and, startled, pulled back his spear in retreat. Sun Wukong shouted, "Zhu Bajie, keep up, keep up."

The two rushed to his cave gate. The demon had one hand gripping the fire-tipped spear, standing atop a small cart at the center; with the other he clenched a fist and struck his own nose twice. Zhu Bajie laughed, "This scoundrel is shameless indeed. You say you broke your nose and some blood came out to redden your face—where did you go to report for us then?" The demon banged his nose twice more, muttered a spell, and breathed fire from his mouth. Thick smoke burst from his nose; his eyes bulged, and flames rose together. Firelight burst from the five carts. After several blasts, a great tongue of red flame burned through the sky; the Fire-Cloud Cave was swallowed by smoke and fire, truly blazing heaven and earth. Zhu Bajie panicked: "Brother, it's not secure. If he buries himself in this fire, none of us can live. He'll roast old Zhu like pork, add spices, and feast on him. Run! run!" Saying so, he did not even heed Sun Wukong and ran off across the ravine.

This Great Sage, though vast in magical skill, clenched the secret of fire avoidance and flew into the flames, seeking the demon. The monster saw him come and breathed several stronger blasts; this fire was fiercer than before:

Blazing and burning, they filled the air, scorching and spreading. Fierce light blazed everywhere, red from horizon to ground. It seemed like wheels of fire flew up and down, like dancing cinders drifting east and west. This fire was not born of flint-striking wood, nor old-master alchemical blasting, not heavenly fire, not wild fire, but true samadhi fire, refined through demonic cultivation. The five carts joined with the five elements; through the five element transformations the fire was boiled to essence. Wood of the liver stirs heart-fire into vigor; heart-fire makes the spleen-earth grow still. Spleen-earth gives birth to metal, metal transforms to water, and water gives rise to wood to open spiritual power. All cycles of birth and change arise from fire; as fire spreads through the vast sky, all things flourish. The evil demon, long realized in samadhi, was called and sealed, foremost among the western spirits.

Sun Wukong, whipped up by the demon fire and unable to find him, could not see the path at the cave gate. He drew back and leapt out of the flames. The demon-spirit at the entrance watched clearly. Seeing that Sun Wukong had left, he only then withdrew his fire weapons, gathered the demons, turned back inside, and shut the stone gate as though claiming victory. He then ordered the little ones to set a feast of banquets and music. Their laughter is omitted by necessity.

The Great Sage leapt across Withered-Pine Ravine, brought his cloud to rest, and could only hear Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing talking loudly among the pines. He stepped forward and shouted at Zhu Bajie, 'You fool, you have no sense at all. You were frightened by the demon fire, you broke and fled to save yourself, and yet you left old Sun behind. I should at least have used some judgment.'

Zhu Bajie laughed. 'Elder brother, that demon threw you off, and you truly do not understand the times. The ancients said, “He who understands the times is called a hero.” The demon was not close to you, yet you insisted on making him your rival. When you fought and he released that merciless fire, he did not even retreat and still wanted to keep fighting him.

The Great Sage asked, "How do that monster’s tricks compare with mine?" Zhu Bajie said, 'Not even close.'

"What about my spearplay?" Sun asked. Zhu Bajie said, 'Also not close. Old Pig saw he could not endure the fight, so he came to help you with one spear, but he had no idea how to wield it. He was beaten out of the battle, and when nothing remained, he set the fire.'

The Great Sage said, 'You were wrong to come indeed. If I fight him a few more rounds, I can trick him and hit him cleanly with one staff stroke. Would that not be better?'

The two of them only argued about the demon’s tactics and the poison of his fire. Sha Wujing leaned against a pine root, laughing foolishly. The Great Sage saw it and said, 'Brother, why are you laughing? You said you had good skill, yet you could seize the demon and break his fire array. This is useful to everyone. As the saying goes: "Many hairs bundled can make a cudgel." If you take the demon and save the Master, that would be a great merit for you too.'

Sha Wujing replied, 'I too have no real skill, and I cannot subdue a demon. I only laugh at you both for having rushed into trouble.'

The Great Sage said, 'How is it that I’m in a hurry?'

Sha Wujing said, 'The demon’s tactics are not as good as yours. Your spear method is not as good as yours? No—he only has more of the flame-force, and that is why he cannot win. If, as my humble brother says, we subdue him through the cycle of generation and control, what would be difficult?'

The Great Sage smiled broadly. 'My brother is right. We truly got carried away and forgot the matter. If we follow that principle, water overcomes fire. Let us go bring water and douse this demon fire; can we not save our Master?'

Sha Wujing said, 'That is exactly right; no hesitation.'

The Great Sage said, 'Both of you stay here. Do not wrestle with him again. I will go to the Eastern Seas and ask the Dragon soldiers to send water, to rain him down and capture this fire-bringing demon.'

Zhu Bajie said, 'Elder brother, go in peace. We can handle it here.'

The Great Sage rose on his cloud and left at once. In but a moment he reached the Eastern Seas, and he did not linger to admire the ocean view. He employed his water-forcing art and split the waves apart. As he traveled, he collided with a patrol yaksha of the sea, who recognized him as Sun Wukong and rushed back to the Crystal Palace to report to the Old Dragon King.

Ao Guang at once sent out dragon sons, dragon grandsons, shrimp soldiers, and crab retainers to greet him and usher him in. After seats were taken, proper courtesy completed, and tea offered, Sun said, 'No need for tea; I have a matter to trouble you with. I am Wukong, journeying with Tripitaka to the Western Heaven to seek the Buddha and fetch scriptures. On the way, at Huoshan, in Withered-Pine Ravine and the Fire-Cloud Cave, there is the Red Boy demon, who styles himself the Sacred-Baby Great King. He has taken my Master away. Sun Wukong found the cave and fought him, but he unleashed fire. We could not suppress it. Since water overcomes fire, I have come to ask you for some water to call a great rain, to douse that fire and rescue Tripitaka from this danger.'

The Dragon King said, 'Great Sage, you are mistaken. If you seek rainwater, you should not come asking me.'

The Great Sage said, 'You are the Dragon King of the Four Seas and ruler of rain and moisture. If I do not ask you, who else should I ask?'

The Dragon King said, 'Though I govern rain, I dare not act on my own. The Jade Emperor’s decree must specify which place, how many feet or inches, and at what hour it should start and stop. Then the three lords must take up their brushes, the Grand Secretary of Taiyi must draft the warrant, and I must summon Lei Gong, Dianmu, the Wind Marquis, and the Cloud Boys. As the saying goes, "A dragon does not travel without wind and cloud."'

The Great Sage said, 'I need none of wind, cloud, thunder, or lightning; I only need some rain to put out the fire.'

The Dragon King said, 'Even so, I alone cannot lend full power. How would it be if my junior brothers joined to help your task?'

The Great Sage said, 'Where are those younger brothers?'

The Dragon King replied, 'The South Sea Dragon King is Ao Qin, the North Sea Dragon King is Ao Run, and the West Sea Dragon King is Ao Shun.'

The Great Sage laughed. 'If I have to cross the three seas again, I might as well go up to the Court for the Jade Emperor’s decree.'

The Dragon King replied, 'There is no need for that. If I strike the iron drum and the golden bell from here, he will arrive at once.'

The Great Sage said, 'Old Dragon King, strike the bell and drum at once.'

In a short while, the three Sea Dragon Kings had arrived and asked, 'Elder brother, what is the matter that sends us?' Ao Guang said, 'Sun Wukong is here to borrow rain and use it to subdue a demon.' The third brother led them in to meet Sun and explain the matter. All the gods each eagerly agreed, and this command was raised:

Sharks, bold and fierce, take the fore lines, and wide-mouthed garrisons lead the vanguard. The loach marshal turns and leaps the waves, the rough-toothed attendant breathes mist and drives the wind. The mackerel general whistles in the east; the flounder marshal spurs the western road to advance. Red-eyed horse-soldiers dance to the south, while black-armor generals surge forward to the north. The drum-lord of the central force keeps the signal, and heroes of the five quarters stand ready. Wily, clever tortoise chancellors twist through the waters with subtle calculations. The lizard minister has counsel and wit; the turtle field marshal, many-shaped and many-skilled. The crab officer swings a long sword straight; the shrimp captain snaps a hard bow in a single leap. The fish clerk checks the records, and orders the dragon troops out from the waves.

This is attested in verse.

The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas gladly aid this effort; Great Sage Equal to Heaven asks them to accompany him. Because Tripitaka has troubles on the road, they come to borrow water and extinguish the Red Fire.

The Great Sage led the dragon soldiers and soon reached the rim of the Withered-Pine Ravine. He said, 'Descendants of the Ao clan, this is an urgent matter. This is the demon’s ground. Stay in the air and do not put your faces out where they can be seen. Let old Sun go alone and finish this wager-fight. If he wins, you need not line up to seize the demon; if he loses, you need not come to the field to support him. Only when he releases his fire, listen for my call and all of you at once pour down rain.' The Dragon kings all obeyed.

The Great Sage once again descended his cloud and entered the pines, where he found Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing and called out, 'Brothers.'

Zhu Bajie said, 'You came quickly, brother. Did you manage to ask the Dragon King to come?'

The Great Sage said, 'They are all here. The two of you, you must be very careful. The rain may fall hard, so don’t let the packs get soaked. I will go fight him now.'

Sha Wujing said, 'Shizhang, go ahead with your peace of mind. The two of us can take care of things.'

The Great Sage leapt over the ravine and reached the gate, calling, 'Open the gate!'

The small demons ran and reported, 'Sun Wukong has come again.'

The Red Boy looked up and laughed, 'That monkey thought the fire did not burn him up, so he has come again. This time do not show him mercy; scorch him until skin and flesh are charred and scorched and then stop.' He sprang up at once, shouldered his long spear, and called, 'You little ones, bring out the fire wagons!'

Before leaving, he said to the Great Sage, 'Why are you back here?'

The Great Sage said, 'Give me back my Master.'

The demon replied, 'Monkey head, you truly do not understand transformation. That monk Tang can be my companion by ritual drink, and so can you. If you still crave him for yourself, forget it, forget it.'

Hearing this, the Great Sage was furious. He whipped out the Golden-Hooped Staff and struck at the monster’s head. The demon raised a fire-tipped spear and rushed forward to meet him. This bout was unlike the last, and it was fierce to behold:

Wrath at its height, the demon of spray rages; in fury the Monkey King is enraged. This one vows to save the pilgrim monk. That one wants to eat Tripitaka. Their hearts are altered: no parently bond, no kindness, no shame, and no reason to yield. This one longs to seize him alive and flay him bare; That one longs to bring him home and marinate him in sauce. Both are genuinely heroic and genuinely fierce. Staff and spear contend, winner against loser. Spear meets staff as one, staff meets spear as the other, in fierce exchanges. Hands swing and parry through twenty rounds; The two styles of mastery are equal in every way.

That demon king and the Great Sage fought twenty rounds. Seeing he could not win, he feigned one last thrust, pulled back suddenly, then clenched his fists and struck the ground twice with his nose; immediately fire burst from his mouth and eyes in crimson flames. Sun Wukong turned and shouted, 'Where is the Dragon King?'

The Dragon King and his brothers, with their leading water clans, looked into the demon-fire and sprayed down rain.

It was a fine rain—

Hissing and pouring, dense and heavy it came. Hissing and pouring like stars falling from the sky; dense and deep as waves tipping over in a sea mouth. At first, no bigger than a fist; then like water poured from jars and overturned basins. All the ground ran in flowing green sheen, and green mountains were washed to the clear blue of a Buddha-head. Ruts and channels flung jade water hundreds of feet high; ravine streams rose in silver waves by the thousand. The three-way crossings filled all at once, and the nine-bent creek slowly leveled.

This was the divine dragon aid at the moment Tripitaka was in danger: as though the Heavenly River were pulled down and poured forth.

The rain came in torrents, loud and vast, but could not end the demon fire. It turned out that the dragon king’s private rain could only douse ordinary fire. How could it quench the demon’s true fire of samadhi samadhi? It was like pouring oil on open flames: the more they poured, the fiercer it burned.

The Great Sage said, “Just a moment—I’ll twist the formula and dive into the fire.” He brandished the Iron Staff and sought the demon to beat him. When the demon saw him arrive, it shot a mouthful of smoke straight at his face. The Traveler turned in haste; the blast made his eyes blur and flicker, and tears poured down like rain. The truth was that this Great Sage feared not fire, only smoke. In the past, when he had ravaged Heaven, Laojun had tempered him in the Bagua furnace; by fortune he had lodged at the xun position and was never burned. Only because the wind stirred the smoke and scorched him, he acquired the Flaming-Eyed Golden Pupils, so to this day he fears smoke alone. The demon spat out another blast, and the Sage could not bear it; he mounted a cloud and fled. The demon king then gathered up his fire implements and returned to the cave.

The Great Sage was full of smoke and flames, scorched and seething beyond endurance, and leapt headlong into the ravine waters to extinguish it. But when cold water pressed in on him, the heat rose into his chest and the heart was oppressed—his three souls seemed to leave him, life nearly shattered at once. Piteous and pitiable, his breath was blocked in chest and throat, tongue gone cold, spirit and soul in chaos, as if life itself were slipping away. Alarmed, the Four Seas Dragon King in midair called in the rains and cried aloud: “Marshal Tianpeng, Curtain-Lifting General, do not hide in the woods. Go and bring out your senior brother.”

When Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing heard him cry out his sacred name, they hastily unstrapped the horse, took up the shoulder-pole, and ran out of the grove, ignoring the mud, searching along the ravine edge. Just then a figure tumbled from the rolling rapids in the upper current, wading down through the torrent. Seeing him, Sha Wujing leapt into the water and hauled him ashore—it was Sun Wukong’s body. Alas, look: he lay curled tight, limbs drawn in, unable to stretch them, body numb and cold as ice from head to heel. Sha Wujing, eyes brimming, said, “Brother, what a pity! A being of myriad ages, promised longevity without end, is now reduced to one of short life before our eyes.” Zhu Bajie laughed, “Brother, do not weep. This monkey was only feigning death to frighten us. Feel him—does he not have a little warmth left in his chest?” Sha Wujing replied, “His whole body is cold. But there is still one little bit of heat. How can that be enough to revive him?” Zhu Bajie said, “He has seventy-two transformations, therefore seventy-two lives. Pull on his feet; let me set him right.” And so Sha Wujing pulled the feet while Zhu Bajie supported his head, hauled him straight, and brought him into a kneeling seat. Zhu Bajie rubbed his hands warm, pressed and kneaded his seven orifices, and used a pressing Zen method. The Great Sage had been struck hard by the cold water, his qi blocked in the cinnabar field, and he could not speak. Fortunately, through Zhu Bajie’s pressing, kneading, and rubbing, in but a moment the qi passed the three passes, opened the bright hall, unsealed the orifices, and he cried, “Master!” Sha Wujing said, “Brother, since you were born for Master, even in death you still speak of him. Wake up. We are here.” The Great Sage opened his eyes: “You are here, brothers? Old Sun has suffered a loss.” Zhu Bajie laughed, “You only pretended to fall senseless. If it were not for the Pig saving you, it would have ended right then. And you still owe me thanks.”

The Great Sage then rose and asked, “Where is the Ao clan brother?” The Four Seas Dragon King answered from the sky, “The young Dragon is here in attendance.” Sun Wukong said, “You have labored far and gained no merit from this. Please go home; another day I shall thank you properly.” The dragon king gathered the water host, roared in great waves, and returned; nothing more is said.

Sha Wujing sat with him down at the foot of the pines. After a short while he quieted himself, steadied his breath, yet could not stop tears from dripping down his cheeks. He called out, “Master!

I remember, in those days when we left Great Tang, you pulled me from ruin at the cliffside. Through three mountains and six waters we met demon-laden peril, through endless torments and thousand sorrows my heart-bowels were torn apart. By morning bowl and alms, with fare heavy or scant, I followed you; At dusk in meditation, or at night in forest or hut, I slept. With one heart I hoped to reach success—who now knew pain would strike me so?”

Sha Wujing said, “Brother, stop worrying. We should have settled this already: we must go somewhere and call for troops to aid us, to save Tripitaka.” The Great Sage said, “But where could we ask?” Sha Wujing said, “In the beginning, when the Bodhisattva instructed us, she charged us to protect Tripitaka and promised us this: when we call, Heaven hears, when we call, Earth answers. Where else should we go?” The Great Sage said, “The way I know, when Old Sun once raged through Heaven, none of those heavenly troops could restrain me. This demon’s spirit is not small—only one with hand and skill greater than mine can bring him down. Neither heaven nor earth can manage this alone. If this demon is to be captured, we must beg Guanyin. Yet my skin and flesh are numb, sore in waist and knees, I cannot mount the Cloud Saddle. How then can I go?” Zhu Bajie said, “Give me any orders. I will go.” The Great Sage laughed. “Very well—you may do so. If you see the Bodhisattva, do not look up at her; bow with your head lowered only. When she asks, tell her the place and the demon’s name, then ask that Tripitaka be saved. If she comes, she will surely capture the monster.” Zhu Bajie, having heard this, mounted cloud and fog and rode south.

The tale says the demon king within the cave, rejoicing, spoke: “You minions, Sun Wukong has taken harm. Though he did not die in that bout, he has fallen into a mighty daze. Ah! but perhaps he has gone to ask for aid. Open the gate quickly. I must see whom he asks.”

The demons opened the gate. The demon spirit shot into the air to watch, and saw Zhu Bajie heading south. The spirit knew that beyond the south there was nowhere else, and surely he was summoning Guanyin. It pressed down on the clouds and called, “You minions, bring out my leather sack. It has not been used in a long time; I fear the mouth cord is loose, so replace it with a new one, and put it under the second gate. I will go and bring Zhu Bajie back; once he is inside the sack, steam him until he turns to pulp and share him with all of you.” The truth is, the demon had a wish-fulfilling leather bag. The lesser demons brought it out, changed the mouth rope, and set it in place beneath the cave gate. This is not to be written further.

The tale says that the demon king had dwelt there long and knew every place well. He understood that the route by which one goes south to the South Sea was the nearer way, while the other was the far route. Taking the near path, he mounted a cloud, overtook Zhu Bajie, and sat upon a cliff face, transforming into the form of a false Guanyin, waiting there.

Zhu Bajie was riding through the clouds when suddenly he looked and saw the Bodhisattva. How could he tell true from false? He took this for a true sight of Buddhahood. He lowered his cloud, alighted, and knelt: “Bodhisattva, your disciple Pig Wuneng bows.” The demon said, “You have not been guarding Tripitaka on the journey for scripture—so what is your business here with me?” Zhu Bajie said, “Your disciple and Tripitaka’s brothers-in-arms have reached the midpoint together with Master, and at Mountain Crying Pines, Ravine Fire-Cloud Cave there is a Honghaizi demon spirit. He seized my Master away. Your disciple sought out his gate with my brothers and fought him. He can summon fire; in the first bout we did not win. In the second, I called the Dragon King for rain, and still the fire would not be put out. My brother was burned through and cannot move, so he sent me to ask the Bodhisattva. I beg Your Compassion—save Master from this trouble.” The demon replied, “The lord of that Fire-Cloud Cave is not one who harms living beings. Surely you have assaulted him.” Zhu Bajie said, “I did not assault him. It was my brother Wukong who did. He took the form of a child and hung from a tree to test my Master. Out of kindness, my Master told me to unfasten him and have my brother carry him a while. My brother gave him one shove; then he raised the wind and carried Master off.” The demon said, “Get up and follow me into the cave to meet the cave-lord. I will speak for mercy; with proper reverence you may ask him to return your Master.” Zhu Bajie said, “Bodhisattva, if he will return my Master, one single kowtow is enough.” The demon king said, “Follow me.”

The fool did not know good from bad and simply followed him, returning by the old way, but he did not go toward the South Sea. He followed to the Fire-Cloud Gate, and in a moment reached its threshold. The demon spirit entered and said, “Do not doubt or suspect. He is an old acquaintance of mine. Come in.” Zhu Bajie, unable to refuse, stepped through. The whole host of demons roared together, seized him, packed him into the sack, tightened the mouth knot, and hung him high from the carrying beam. The demon restored its true appearance and sat in the center and said, “Pig Bajie, what skill do you have to dare claim you protect Tripitaka and take him to the scriptures? What made you dare beg Guanyin to subdue me? With your eyes wide open you still do not recognize me—I am the Holy-Baby Great King. Now I have you. Hang him three or five days, steam him till he is cooked, and reward the little demons with him—perhaps with wine.” Zhu Bajie said from within, “Impudent fiend, utterly rude! If with a hundred schemes and a thousand tricks you try to make me eat, I will ensure each of you gets the swelling-head heaven-plague.” The Pig cursed and cursed, shouted and shouted; this need not be further set down.

Now it says Sun Wukong and Sha Wujing sat together. Just then a foul wind swept across their faces, and he sneezed: “Not good, not good! This wind is ill-omened—few blessings in it. It seems the Pig has gone the wrong way.” Sha Wujing said, “If he took the wrong road, would he not ask someone?” The Great Sage said, “No doubt he has collided with a demon spirit.” Sha Wujing said, “If he collided with one, wouldn’t he run back?” The Great Sage said, “Not at all. You stay here and stand guard. I will run across the ravine and make inquiries.” Sha said, “Brother is waist-sore and sore-kneed; I fear he may again fall into the monster’s hands. Let your younger brother go.” The Great Sage said, “You are no use at this; let me go.”

Sun Wukong, clenching his teeth, endured the pain, and while gripping the Iron Staff, crossed the ravine to the front of Fire-Cloud Cave and called out, "Pour out the monster!" The small demon at the gate hurried inside to report, "Sun Wukong is calling at the gate again." The demon king ordered, "Seize him." The little demons rushed forward with spears and hatchets, crowded together, and cried in one voice as they opened the gate, saying, "Catch him, catch him." Sun Wukong truly was weary and dared not face them, so he slipped off the road, chanted a spell and cried, "Transform!" and became a gilded bundle. The little demon saw this and carried it in, reporting, "Great king, Sun Wukong is frightened; he only said once, ‘Catch!’ Then in panic he dropped the bundle and ran away." The king laughed, "That bundle has no valuables. It’s only a monk’s torn robe and old hat; bring it in, wash it, and tear it for patching." One little demon did carry the bundle in, not realizing it was Sun Wukong in disguise. Sun Wukong said, "Good, this gilded bundle has been taken up." The demon spirit paid it no mind and dropped it inside the gate.

It is a fake among fakes, and within emptiness there is still deeper emptiness. Instantly he plucked a single hair, exhaled divine breath, and turned it into a bundle as before; yet his true body changed again into a fly and was pinned to the gate hinge. He only heard Zhu Bajie there, mumbling and snorting, the voice unclear but like a diseased pig. Sun Wukong buzzed out and searched; indeed he, too, had been hung up inside the leather bag. As Sun Wukong stood pinned to the bag, he heard him reviling and cursing: "How dare you pretend to be Guanyin Bodhisattva, trick me back, hang me here, and then say you want to eat me? My elder brother once said:

Greatly display the boundless Dharma of Equal to Heaven, and in no time seize all the demons on the mountain. Untie this leather bag and let me out, and then only then will your thousand plans suit your heart."

When Sun Wukong heard this, he smiled to himself and said, "This idiot is suffering confinement in here and still not yet fallen from his battle-flag. Old Sun must catch this monster; if I do not, how can I wash away my humiliation?"

Just as Sun Wukong was about to devise a way to rescue Zhu Bajie, he heard the demon king call, "Where are the six commanders?" The six were his trusted spirit companions, appointed commanders, all with names: one named Yun Liwu, one named Wu Li yun; one named Ji Rihuo, one named Kuai Rufeng; one named Xinghongxian, and one named Xianhongxing. The six captains came forward and knelt. The king asked, "Do you know the Old Great King’s estate?" They answered, "We know it." The king said, "Go now, by night if needed, and invite the Old Great King here. Tell him I have caught Tang Sanzang here to steam and eat him so that I may extend my life for a thousand ages." The six demons took the order; one by one they pushed and pulled, then headed straight out through the gate. Sun Wukong gave a sharp cry, flew down from the bag, followed those six demons, and left the cave.

How they in the end managed to summon him, that remains unknown for now. Read on to the next chapter for the explanation.