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.

It is said that the six sturdy generals went out through the cave gate and traveled straight southwest, following the road. The Great Sage thought to himself: 'He wants to invite the Great King to eat my master. The Great King must be the Ox-Demon King. Since the year when I once met him, our minds truly matched and our spirits fitted, and we have had deep fellowship. Since I now follow the right path, he is still a wicked demon. Though we have been apart long, I still remember his face. I will wait, turn into the Ox-Demon King, and trick him once—let us see what comes of it.'

Good traveler, he slipped past the six little demons, spread out his wings, and flew forward, keeping himself about ten li ahead of them, then changed form into the Ox-Demon King. He plucked a few hairs from his body and shouted: 'Transform!' and immediately became several little demons. In a hollow of the mountain he set up an eagle-on-a-leash, dogs, and crossbow and bow, posing as if guarding in ambush, and waited for the six sturdy generals.

That ragged lot was still pulling and heaving as they marched when, all at once, they saw the Ox-Demon King seated in their midst, and in panic and confusion they knelt down, saying, 'The Great King is here.' In this world of cloud within fog and fog within cloud, quick as fire and swift as wind, all are mere mortal eyes; none could tell true from false. So they too knelt and knocked their heads, saying: 'Great King, we are little demons sent from the Holy-Child Great King of Fire-Cloud Cave. Come and eat Tang monk flesh so that you may live for a thousand ages.' The Sage feigned: 'Children, rise. Return with me home so I may change my clothes too.' A young demon knelt and said: 'Elder King, please make it convenient; no need to go back home. The road is far, and I fear my Great King may take offense. We beg you here, at once.' The Great Sage laughed: 'Good, good children. Very well, very well—clear the way. I will come with you.' The six fiends straightened themselves and called the path forward. The Great Sage followed close behind.

Not long then, they soon arrived at the place. Swift as wind, swift as fire, they burst into the cave saying: 'Report to the Great King: the Great King has arrived.' The demon king was pleased: 'You have indeed done your task well; you came so quickly.' He at once ordered captains of all routes to form ranks, raise banners and drums, and receive the Great King. All the demons in the cave obeyed the order, stood in proper ranks, and came out in an orderly line. The Great Sage came on with his chest thrust out and head held high, shook himself once, and then pulled the hairs of the eagle and dogs back onto himself. He strode ahead and entered the gate, taking the central seat facing south. Honghaier knelt before him and knelt, bowing upward toward him: 'Father King, your child bows in respect.' The Great Sage said, 'Child, there is no formal worship needed.' The demon king made four great bows, and when he was done he stood at his side. The Great Sage asked, 'My child, why have you called for me?' The demon king knelt, bent low and spoke: 'Though unworthy, yesterday I obtained a man, a monk from Great Tang in the East. It is often said there is no man of ten lives of cultivation. Whoever eats one piece of his flesh becomes as long-lived as an immortal of Penglai. As I am no fool to eat him myself, I specially invite your father to share in the Tang monk's flesh, so he may extend his life for a thousand years.'

Hearing this, the Great Sage started and said, 'My child, who is that monk?' The demon king said, 'He is the one traveling west for the scriptures.' The Great Sage asked, 'My child, is it Tripitaka?' The demon king said, 'It is he.' The Great Sage waved his hand and shook his head: 'Do not provoke him; do not provoke him. Others are easier to provoke. But Sun Wukong is no ordinary one. You have not met him before. That monkey’s powers are vast, his transformations endless. He once threw all of heaven into confusion; even when the Jade Emperor sent ten thousand heavenly soldiers and spread a heavenly-and-earthly net, they could not catch him. How dare you eat his master? Send him back now and at once. Do not provoke the Monkey King. If he hears you have eaten his master, he will not come to fight you, but simply jab his Golden-Hooped Staff into the side of a mountain, bore a pit into it, and pull the whole mountain away. Where will you then have room to settle yourself? On whom could I rely for old age and rest?'}

The demon king said, 'Father King, why speak so and dampen my son's vigor? That monkey Sun Wukong has three brothers. In my mid-mountain he took Tripitaka, and by one of my transformations I took his master. At that time Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie came to my gate and spoke words of fake kinship and flattering familiarity. I flared with anger to the heavens and fought him for several rounds; not much happened. Zhu Bajie came at once to aid him in battle. My child then breathed out samadhi-fire and burned him, and he was routed for a while. In panic he sent for the Four Sea Dragon Kings to summon rain, but even they could not extinguish my samadhi-fire. I made him dazed and sent Zhu Bajie in haste to invite Guanyin of the Southern Sea. It was I who feigned Guanyin, lured Zhu Bajie here, hung him in the Ruyi bag, and meant to steam him and eat him with the little ones. This very monk came bellowing at my gate again this morning, and I ordered men to seize him, whereupon in fright he dropped his baggage and fled. Only after that did I come and ask the Great King to come and see the living Tang monk's likeness, so that he might then be steamed and eaten and grant you long life and freedom from old age.'

The Great Sage laughed: 'My clever child, you only know he was defeated by samadhi-fire; you do not know he has seventy-two transformations.' The demon king said, 'No matter what changes he makes, I can recognize him; surely he would never dare to enter my gate.' The Great Sage said, 'Though you may recognize him, he will not make himself large. If he changes into a huge form, like a wolf grown into an elephant, he will not fit your gate. If he becomes small, you cannot recognize him.' The demon king said, 'Even if he becomes that small, each gate has four or five little demons stationed at it; how could he possibly enter?' The Great Sage said, 'You do not know. He can become a fly, a mosquito, a flea, or a bee, a butterfly, and even a cricket or louse-like creature. He can also become my form—you would have no way to know.' The demon king said, 'Whether he has an iron heart and copper courage, he still will not dare come near my gate.'

The Great Sage said, 'If that is so, your clever child has very good methods and can truly oppose him. Yet for this you have come asking me to eat Tang monk flesh, and why is it that we do not eat today?' The demon king asked, 'How can we not eat?' The Great Sage said, 'Lately I have grown old, and your mother often urges me to do good deeds. I thought it better to keep to vows of discipline.' The demon king asked, 'Is it a long fast or a monthly fast?' The Great Sage said, 'It is neither a long fast nor a monthly fast. It is called the Thunder Fast, observed only on four days each month.' The demon king asked, 'Which four days?' The Great Sage answered, 'The days of three xin meeting Chu Liu. Today is a xin-you day. First, it is a fasting day. Second, on You days we do not receive guests. So let us wait till tomorrow; then I will wash him myself, steam him, and all of us shall share him together.'

Hearing these words, the demon king thought to himself, 'My Great King lives by eating people, and now he has survived more than a thousand years. Why is he taking to fasting now? In former days he did evil for so long—how could three or four days of fasting make up for that? There is falsehood in this, I suspect, I suspect.' He stepped out beneath the twin gates and called the six sturdy generals: 'Where did you invite this Great King from?' A little demon said, 'We invited him midway on the road.' The demon king said, 'I told you you came very fast. Did you not return home yet?' The little one said, 'No, we did not.' The demon king said, 'This is bad—you have been deceived; this is not the Great King.' The small demons all knelt together: 'Great King, can one not even recognize one’s own father?' The demon king said, 'His appearance, countenance, and movement are all alike, but his words are not. I fear he is an impostor and we may lose by eating him. You all must be careful: the one who wields a knife, draw the knife; the one who handles a spear, sharpen the spear. The one who uses a cudgel, ready the cudgel; the one who uses rope, ready the rope. I will go ask him once more and hear his words. If it is truly the Great King, do not worry if we do not eat today, nor tomorrow—delaying by a month is no matter. But if his speech is not matching, then at my own cry you all move at once.' Each demon finished with the order and dispersed.

The demon king returned inside once more and again bowed before the Great Sage. The Great Sage said: 'My child, in one household there is no fixed formality, no need to bow. If you have anything to say, speak it out.' The demon king lay upon the ground and spoke: 'This fool not only invited you to offer Tang monk flesh, but also has one matter to present: the other day, while wandering idly, I rode radiant light and went up into the ninth sky; suddenly I chanced upon Master Zhang Daoling. Was he not the Heavenly Master Zhang Daoling?' The Great Sage asked, 'Is it so?' The demon king said, 'Yes.' The Sage asked, 'What did he say?' The demon king said, 'He saw that my features were whole and upright, my three measures and levels even, and asked on what year, month, day, and hour I was born. My child, being young, does not remember it clearly. The Master of Zi Ping is expert and wanted to cast my stars and predict by the five powers. I invited you, father, chiefly to ask this. If I meet him next time, it would be troublesome to press him to calculate again.' Hearing this, the Great Sage sat and smiled inwardly. 'What a monster,' he thought, 'since my return to Buddha's fruition and protection of Tripitaka I have caught a few demons along the way, but none has resisted as this one does. He asks such household-ritual and scant-rice-not-enough-firewood kind of trifles, and I can answer those offhand by improvising. Now he asks my year, month, day, and hour of birth—how can I possibly know?' A truly clever monkey king, he sat with dignified poise in the middle, not a trace of fear on his face, and smiled broadly: 'My clever child, please rise. Because I am old, for several days I have had matters that did not go my way and my heart has been unsettled; by chance I have forgotten your date of birth. Wait till tomorrow when I return home, and ask your mother, then you will know.'

The Demon King said, “My father king always spoke these eight words and never let them slip from his lips, always saying that I had unaging, heavenly longevity. How could he forget all this today? This is absurd; he must be lying.” With a sharp, rough cry, the demons closed in with spear and saber in a mass, and rushed toward Wukong’s faceless form. The Great Sage blocked them with the Golden-Hooped Staff and revealed his true appearance, saying to the demon spirit, “Honourable lad, yet you did not even care about that son of yours who is fit to beat old father?” Ashamed to the face, the demon king dared not turn his gaze upon him. Wukong turned to golden light and stepped out of the cave. The little demon said, “Great King, Sun Wukong has gone.” The demon king said, “All right, all right, all right—let him go. I will take this loss of mine. Now close the gate and do not speak to him. Simply drag in Tripitaka, wash him off, and steam and eat him.”

The Great Sage was holding up the Iron Bar, laughing boisterously, and came from the other side of the ravine. When Sha Wujing heard it, he hurried out of the woods and met him: “Brother, you have only just returned after half a day. Why do you laugh so, as though Tripitaka had been rescued?” Wukong said, “Brother, although I have not rescued Master yet, Old Sun has gained an upper hand.” Sha Wujing said, “What upper hand?” Wukong said, “Zhu Bajie had been fooled by that demon into believing it was Guanyin, was lured back, and now hangs in a skin sack. I wanted to rescue him, but in the meantime he sent six strong guards to invite the Ox-Demon King to come and eat Master’s flesh. It struck me then that his 'old king' must be the Ox-Demon King, so I took his form, entered, and sat in the middle. He called out for the father king, and I answered him; he knelt, and I accepted. Truly I was at ease, and truly I gained the upper hand.” Sha Wujing said, “Brother, if you seek such a small gain, Master’s life may not be saved.” Wukong said, “No need to worry. Let me go and invite the Bodhisattva.” Sha Wujing said, “You still have the waist pain.” Wukong said, “It is gone. As the elders say, ‘When joy comes, the spirit grows bright.’ Watch the baggage and the horses while I go.” Sha Wujing said, “You have already left a grudge there. He may harm Master. Go quickly and return quickly.” Wukong said, “I will come quickly; by the time of one meal I’ll be back.”

The Great Sage, in the midst of speech, slipped away from Sha Wujing, shot up on a cloud, and headed straight for the Southern Sea. In the air, in but half a watch of time, he saw the form of Mount Putuo. Soon he pressed down the cloud-head and went directly to Luoqia Cliff. He moved with proper composure, and immediately encountered deities of the twenty-four paths, who asked, “Great Sage, where are you going?” After offering respect, he said, “I need to see Guanyin.” The deities said, “Wait. Let us report first.” Then some Goddesses from Guizi Mother came and announced outside the Cave of Tide Voice: “The Bodhisattva has been informed: Sun Wukong has come for a special audience.” Hearing this, Guanyin ordered him to enter. Sun Wukong drew in his robes and submitted, steadied his steps, and went straight inside; seeing Guanyin, he threw himself down in full prostration. Guanyin said, “Wukong, you were not commissioned to take the Golden-Cicada token westward in search of scripture. Why are you here?” Wukong said, “Respectfully, Bodhisattva: I protect Tripitaka as we travel, and arrived at a region called Mount Dry-Pine Ravine, Fire-Cloud Cave. A red-child demon, called Holy-Infant Great King, captured our Master. I and Zhu Bajie and the others reached his gate and fought. He produced samadhi fire, and we could not win; we could not save Master. I hurried eastward across the sea and asked the Four Ocean Kings to send rain, but still could not overcome the fire; it nearly burned us to ash and nearly ended our lives. Wukong continued, “Since it was samadhi fire and he had vast powers, why did you not petition these kings and come to ask me?” Wukong said, “I originally wanted to come, but I was smoke-filled and could not ride the cloud. So I told Zhu Bajie to ask Guanyin.” Guanyin said, “Zhu Bajie has not come.” Wukong said, “That is exactly right. He had not reached Treasure Mountain. The demon transformed himself into a likeness of Guanyin and deceived him back into the cave; now Zhu Bajie hangs in a skin bag as well and is also to be steamed and eaten.”

When Guanyin heard this, she grew furious and said, “How can that vulgar demon dare to imitate my form?” With one roar of anger she flung the treasure gem and Pure Bottle into the heart of the sea. Wukong shuddered so that his bones rose in fright, then stood up and attended below. He said, “The Bodhisattva’s fire-nature has not cooled. It was wrong of this unruly old Sun to say things so recklessly, spoiling his own virtue by casting away the Pure Bottle. Alas, alas. If only she had sent old Sun to me then, it would not have been a great matter.”

He had not finished speaking when the sea there heaved and the waves leapt; from the surf a bottle burst forth. It was a monster that had come out carrying it. Sun Wukong looked closely at the monster who bore the bottle and saw his form thus:

Rooted in origin it is called Bangni, and beneath the water its brilliance alone displays its might. In seclusion, hidden, it can know the nature of heaven and earth; while at rest it alone intuits the workings of ghosts and spirits. Shrunk up it has no head or tail, but when it stretches forth its feet it runs swifter than flight. King Wen once cast divining lines and once read the primordial charts; at times he enshrined this with Fuxi in court. The cloud-dragon peeps out in a thousand tricks, raising and stirring the waves in its waters. Strings of golden thread cross like mail, and dappled patches form a bright tortoiseshell. A cloak of Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams is worn; broken fragments spread across the green-gloss robe. In life it was fond of valiant dragon kings; in death it still carries a Buddha-stele. To know this thing’s name and clan, this is the turbulent, wave-driving black turtle. That turtle carried the Pure Bottle and clambered up the cliff. It bowed its head twenty-four times before Guanyin, counting as twenty-four bows. Wukong, seeing this, laughed quietly: “So it was meant to watch the bottle. If the bottle is not visible, I should just ask him for it.” Guanyin said, “Wukong, what are you saying down below?” Wukong said, “Nothing.” Guanyin instructed, “Take up the bottle.” Sun Wukong went to take it. No, do not think you can move it. Like a dragonfly trying to shake a stone pillar, how could it be stirred by so much as half a hair’s breadth? He knelt and said, “Bodhisattva, I cannot move it.” Guanyin said, “Monkey head, you cannot even lift the bottle—how then do you speak of subduing demons and binding monsters?” Wukong said, “I will not conceal anything from Guanyin. On ordinary days I could lift it, but today I cannot. I must have lost strength in jins from taking harm from the demon.” Guanyin said, “In ordinary times it is an empty bottle. Now this Pure Bottle was thrown into the sea, and in this span it has passed through the Three Rivers, Five Lakes, Eight Seas, Four Channels, and among springs, sources, ponds, and caves. It has borrowed in a whole sea’s water. How much strength for arching the sea do you have? That is why you cannot lift it.” Wukong clasped his palms and said, “Yes. The disciple did not know.”

The bodhisattva stepped forward, lifted the Pure Water Flask lightly with her right hand and held it on her left palm. The tortoise only nodded once, then dove beneath the water. Sun Wukong said, 'So, you are truly the sort of fool only fit to keep watch over a household bottle.' Guanyin sat and said, 'Sun Wukong, the ambrosial spring water in this flask is unlike the Dragon King’s private rain; it can extinguish that demon’s samadhi fire. When I went to let you take it, you could not lift it. When I asked Shancai Dragon Maiden to go with you, you were not sincere, only skilled at deceiving. You have seen my Dragon Maiden, beautiful in form, and this flask is a treasure; if you should trick and steal them away, how would there be time later to come hunting for you? You must leave something as security.' Sun Wukong said, 'How pitiful! A bodhisattva with so many misgivings! I, your disciple, am a monk and have never done such things. You ask me to leave security—what can there be? This padded cotton robe on me was given by you. This tiger-skin skirt is worth only a few copper coins. This iron staff I must have always to protect my body. As for the hoop on my head, it is golden, and by your art you set it on me so I cannot remove it. If you want security, I am willing to give this. Recite the loosening-hoop spell and remove it, then if not, what else can be given?' Guanyin said, 'You are very free indeed! I want neither your robe, nor your iron staff, nor your golden band; just take one of the life-saving hairs from behind your head and give it me as security.' Sun Wukong said, 'Those hairs were also given to me by you. Yet if one hair is plucked, I fear it will tear the whole tuft apart and fail to save my life.' Guanyin scolded, 'You monkey! If you do not pull out even one hair, then even this Shancai Dragon Maiden I can hardly part with.' Sun Wukong laughed, 'Bodhisattva, you are also suspicious. Truly, it is said, "Do not look at the monk’s face, but at Buddha’s face." Please save my master from one more disaster.' The bodhisattva:

Joyously carefree, she descended from the Lotus Terrace, and stepping on cloud fragrance, rose to the stone cliff. It is because the holy monk has met an obstruction that she comes to subdue the demon and bring him back. Sun Wukong the Great Sage was very joyful and invited Guanyin out of the Chaoyin Immortal Cave. All the heavenly deities stood on Mount Putuo. Guanyin said, 'Sun Wukong, cross the sea.' The Monkey King bowed and said, 'Please let the bodhisattva go first.' Guanyin said, 'You go first.' He knelt and said, 'Your disciple dares not display arts before the bodhisattva. If I ride a jindou cloud and spread myself out, I fear the bodhisattva would think me disrespectful.' Hearing this, Guanyin immediately told Shancai Dragon Maiden to split a petal from the lotus in the Lotus Pool and place it on the water below the stone precipice. 'Get onto that lotus petal,' she said, 'and I will carry you across the sea.' Sun Wukong saw it and said, 'Bodhisattva, this petal is so light and thin. How can it hold me? With one misstep I will fall back into the water and wet this tiger-skin skirt; if all is drenched by dew, how can I keep warm in the cold?' Guanyin barked, 'Get up and see.' Sun Wukong, not daring to argue, risked his life and leapt up. Surely, at first it seemed tiny and light, and then above it looked three parts larger than a sea vessel. Sun Wukong said happily, 'Bodhisattva, it does carry me.' Guanyin said, 'If it carries you, why do you not pass over?' Sun Wukong said, 'There is no pole, no oar, no sail, no mast—how can one cross?' Guanyin said, 'No need.' She drew one breath to blow outward and inward, then with another single breath she blew him all the way across the Bitter Sea of the Southern Ocean, and he came up on the other shore. Sun Wukong had his feet planted upon solid ground and laughed, 'This bodhisattva flaunts supernatural powers, calling me this way and that way, and all without effort.'

Guanyin ordered all the gathered heavenly gods to guard their immortal realms and told Shancai Dragon Maiden to close the cave door. She then rose upon an auspicious cloud, left Mount Putuo behind, and called out, 'Where is Hui'an?' Hui'an—he was the second prince of Tuo-ta Li, Heavenly King of the Pagoda, known in common speech as Mucha—was a disciple directly instructed by the bodhisattva, never far from her side, and was called Protector Hui'an the Traveling Sage. He immediately came to her, joined his palms, and waited on her. Guanyin said, 'You must go quickly to the heavenly court and see your father king, and ask him to lend me the Tian Gang sword for use.' Hui'an asked, 'How much does master need?' Guanyin said, 'I need the whole thing.'

Hui'an took the command and mounted a cloud, directly entered the South Heaven Gate, and went to the Cloud Tower Palace, where he bowed before his father king. The Heavenly King saw him and asked, 'Son, from where do you come?' Mucha said, 'My master asked Sun Wukong to descend and subdue demons. He tells this son to bow before Father King and borrow the Tian Gang sword for one use.' At once the King called for Nezha, had him take thirty-six of the blades, and handed them to Mucha. Mucha said to Nezha, 'Brother, return and bow first before our mother on my behalf: I am in urgent business; once I send the sword back, I will return to bow again.' Hurrying to depart, he parted and left in a rush, descended in luminous auspicious light, and went straight to the South Sea, presenting the sword to the bodhisattva.

Guanyin took it in hand and tossed it, then chanted a spell. The blade transformed into a lotus platform of a thousand petals. She leapt onto it and sat upright in the middle. Sun Wukong laughed quietly at her side, 'This bodhisattva is stingily frugal. In that lotus pond there is a five-colored treasure lotus platform, yet she would not deign to sit there, and still goes to borrow elsewhere.' Guanyin said, 'Sun Wukong, do not speak—come with me.' So they all mounted cloud heads and left the sea. The white parrot spread its wings and flew ahead, and Sun Wukong and Hui'an followed behind.

In but a moment they could already see a mountain peak. Sun Wukong said, 'This is Mount Hao. From here to that demon’s gate is roughly over four hundred li.' Hearing this, Guanyin ordered the auspicious cloud to descend and on that mountain peak uttered the mantra sounding "om." Instantly many gods and ghosts came out from both sides of the mountain—indeed the local earth spirits— and all knelt before Guanyin’s jeweled lotus seat. Guanyin said, 'All of you, do not be alarmed. I have come to capture this demon king. Together with me, sweep this whole enclosure clean. For a range of three hundred li, there must be no living creature on the ground. Send the little beasts of the lair and the hatchlings in the caves up to the peak and let them dwell there.' The spirits obeyed and withdrew. Soon they came back again. Guanyin said, 'Since it is now clean, all of you return to your shrines.' She then tipped the pure flask over, and out poured water with a loud hissing rush, like thunder. In truth it was:

Passing over the mountain crest, it broke open the stone walls; Sweeping over the mountain like the force of the sea, Splitting the rocky wall like a boundless swell. Black mist rose to the sky, all vapor and water, Dark blue waves reflected the sun with a cold gleam. Across the whole cliff surged jade-like waves, The full sea glowed in long bands of gold. Guanyin greatly displayed her demon-subduing arts, From her sleeve took out the stillness-of-samadhi, Becoming the realm of Loka, pure and fair, like the true South Sea. Tender cattails rose and fresh mist-lotus buds budded, Fragrant grasses opened, their shell-like leaves bright and vivid. A few stalks of purple bamboo where parrots perched, A few clusters of green pines where pheasants called. A world of ten-thousandfold wave-mass, lotus everywhere, Only the wind howled and water thundered through the sky. Sun Wukong saw this and praised inwardly, 'She is truly a Great Compassionate Bodhisattva! If I had this method, if I merely overturned my bottle toward a mountain, what would all bird, beast, or snake matter?' Guanyin called, 'Sun Wukong, bring out your hand.' The Monkey King quickly folded up his sleeves and extended his left hand. Guanyin took a willow branch, dipped it in ambrosia, and wrote the character "mi" in his palm. She said to him, 'Clench your fist, go at once and demand battle with the demon. You must lose, not win. If you lose and come before me, I myself have power to seize him.'

The Monkey King received the command, returned in a beam of cloud light, and came straight to the cave entrance. One hand made a fist, one hand held the staff, and he shouted, 'Demon, open the gate!' The little demons went in and reported, 'Sun Wukong has come again.' The demon king said, 'Shut the gate tight. Do not notice him.' Sun Wukong called, 'Good son! You send old me away outside and still do not open the gate?' A little demon reported again, 'Sun Wukong shouted those words.' The demon king said only, 'Ignore him.' Sun Wukong called twice, saw no gate open, and in great anger raised the iron staff and struck the gate once, breaking a hole in it. In panic the little demons toppled through and said, 'Sun Wukong has broken the door.' The demon king, hearing it several times and then hearing that the front gate had been broken, sprang up in haste and jumped out. He stood with his long spear and, confronting the Monkey King, sneered, 'You monkey, you are utterly uncouth. I let you enjoy some favor, yet you do not stop at enough; now you come to bully me again. You broke my gate; what fault have you committed?' Sun Wukong said, 'Good child, you drove old me out of the gate—what fault should that be yours?'

The demon king, angry and ashamed, thrust forward his long spear in a chest-stabbing move. Sun Wukong raised his iron staff and met it. They locked arms once in combat, and after four or five exchanges they fought; Sun Wukong clenched his fist, hauled his staff with him, and withdrew in defeat. The demon king stood before the hill and said, 'I am going to seize Tangmonk away.' Sun Wukong said, 'Good child, Heaven is watching you. Here, come on.' That demon, hearing this, grew even more furious. He shouted once and rushed before him, raised the spear and thrust again. The Monkey King swung his staff and fought a few more rounds, then withdrew in loss again. The demon king scolded, 'Monkey, you had skill for twenty or thirty passes at first. Why when the real fight begins do you choose to run now?' Sun Wukong laughed, 'Brave sir, I am afraid you will use fire.' The demon said, 'I am done setting fire. You come up.' Sun Wukong said, 'If you are not setting fire, move aside. A true man does not strike at the gate of a house.' The demon, not understanding this trick, truly raised his spear and rushed again. Sun Wukong dragged his staff and opened his fist. The demon king, bewildered by this confusion, only chased and chased. One ran forward like a meteor crossing the sky; the other followed like an arrow leaping from a drawn bow.

After no time, they saw Guanyin. Sun Wukong said, “Demon, I am afraid of you now—spare me. You came all the way even to Guanyin in the South Sea; why have you not yet gone back?” The demon king did not believe him, gritted his teeth, and kept on rushing forward. Sun Wukong flicked his body once and hid himself in the shadow of Guanyin’s divine light. The demon, seeing Sun Wukong gone, came near, eyes wide, and asked Guanyin, “Are you the reinforcements that Sun Wukong invited?” Guanyin did not answer. The king twisted his long spear and shouted, “Ha! Are you the reinforcements Sun Wukong invited?” Guanyin still did not answer. The demon aimed a spear, stabbing toward Guanyin’s chest. The Bodhisattva transformed into golden light and at once climbed straight into the sky of the highest heavens. Sun Wukong tracked her and said, “Bodhisattva, you have cheated me enough. That demon asked you again and again; why do you pretend to be deaf and keep silent? He was able to spear away, vanishing without form or shadow, and he even tossed aside the lotus platform as well?” Guanyin only instructed, “No speaking—watch what else he is planning.”

Now Sun Wukong and Mucha were both in the air, watching together shoulder to shoulder. The demon gave a sneering, cold laugh and said, “You splashing-mouthed monkey, you have mistaken me too. He did not know what sort of holy child he was dealing with. After several rounds of battle he could not defeat me, then he went to summon what kind of boiled-pus Bodhisattva, and by one spear thrust of mine he was sent away without shape or shadow, and he threw away that precious lotus platform. I’ll go up now and sit a while.” The demon, too, sat down in the center like a Bodhisattva, folding hands and feet. Sun Wukong saw this and said, “Well, this lotus dais is perfect for handing someone over.” Guanyin said, “Wukong, what is it that you mean?” Sun Wukong said, “What do I mean? I mean he has already been delivered. That demon has sat right onto it; can he still avoid you?” Guanyin said, “It is exactly where he should sit.” Sun Wukong said, “His body is small and compact; he sits more steadily than you.” Guanyin said, “Do not speak. Watch the power.”

She pointed her willow branch downward and called, “Back!” Immediately the lotus platform and its floral radiance vanished, all auspicious light was scattered, and the demon king was in fact seated on the point of a knife. She then ordered Mucha, “Use the monster-subduing club—strike with the knife-hilt at him.” Mucha pressed down the cloud-step and, with the anti-demon club, heaped up the attacks like building a wall, one after another by the hundreds and thousands. The demon’s spear-tip went through both legs; blood welled up into a pool and skin and flesh burst open. The monster bore it in fierce silence, biting his teeth against the pain, then dropped his long spear and pulled at the knife in wild motions. Sun Wukong said, “Bodhisattva, that demon fears no pain and is still trying to pull out the knife.” Seeing this, Guanyin called to Mucha, “Do not injure his life.” She lowered the willow branch again, intoned the syllable “om,” and all the Heaven-strong blades turned into reverse-curled hooks like wolf fangs, and he could not pull them free. Only then did the demon panic. Gripping the blade-tip, with cries of pain he pleaded, “Bodhisattva, your disciple is blind and dull, unable to recognize your immeasurable Dharma-power. I beg a thousand times—have mercy, spare my life. I will never again rely on evil and wish to enter the Dharma gate and keep its vows.”

When Guanyin heard him, she and Sun Wukong and the white parrot descended with golden light before the demon and asked, “Will you receive my precepts?” The demon king nodded with tears and said, “If you spare my life, I will receive the precepts.” Guanyin said, “Will you enter my gate?” The king said, “If you spare my life, I will enter the Dharma gate.” Guanyin said, “Then I will give you the crown-precept by touching your crown.” She took out a golden shaving blade from her sleeve, stepped forward, and shaved the monster’s head in several cuts, making a Mount Tai-like pressed crown, leaving three top knotholes and twisting up three corner-lock tufts. Sun Wukong laughed from beside her and said, “This demon is terribly unlucky; he has been made neither man nor woman—who can say what he looks like?” Guanyin said, “Now that you have accepted my precept, I will not delay you. Shall I name you Shancai Boy?” The demon nodded and accepted, hoping only for his life to be spared. Guanyin pointed with her hand and called, “Back!” With a crash the Heaven-strong knives all fell off into dust, while the boy’s body remained unharmed.

Guanyin called, “Hui’an, take this knife back to Heaven and return it to your father-king. Do not come for me; go first to Putuo Rock and wait there with the assembled heavenly hosts.” Mucha obeyed, delivered the knife to the heavenly court, and returned to the sea; no further record is needed.

Now that boy of wild and unsettled nature saw his sore thigh no longer hurting, his broken hip unbroken, and the three ties on his head still there. He went to retrieve his long spear and said to Guanyin, “Where is true power that can subdue me? It was merely a concealment trick. I will not receive any precept. Watch the spear!” He charged and thrust the spear at Guanyin as if to split her face. Wukong, angered, raised the iron staff to strike. Guanyin only said, “Do not strike. I will punish him myself.” Again she took out a golden hoop and said, “This treasure is one of the three hoops the Buddha gave me when sending me east to seek the Tripitaka pilgrim—first the Golden hoop, then the Tightening Headband hoop, and the Forbidden hoop. The Tightening hoop was already placed on you; the Forbidden hoop was used to bind the Great Mountain Spirit. This golden hoop I have never dared to give to anyone, but seeing this monster’s disrespect, I will give it to him.” She shook the hoop into the wind and called, “Change!” It immediately became five hoops, which she cast at the boy: one around his head, two on his left and right hands, and two on his left and right feet. Guanyin said, “Wukong, move aside. Let me chant the Golden-hoop charm once.” Wukong, flustered, said, “Bodhisattva, you came here to subdue this demon. Why would you cast a spell on me?” Guanyin said, “This spell is not the Tightening Headband Spell to bind you; it is the Golden-hoop spell that binds that boy.” Wukong was relieved and stayed close to one side, listening as she chanted. Guanyin twisted the formula in her fingers and silently repeated it several times. The demon rubbed his ears, gnashed his cheeks, and kicked and rolled in his hooves. Then it was said:

One sentence can reach through all the realm of sand, and its law-power is vast, immeasurable and profound.

In the end, it is still unknown how that boy ultimately took refuge; listen for the explanation in the next installment.