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.

The tale says that Sun Wukong, having obtained the Golden-Hooped Staff, struck out through the gate, bounded up a high peak, and rejoiced fully before all the gods. Li Tianwang said, "How does your fight stand?" Wukong replied, "Old Sun went into his cave in transformation. The demon there grew ever more boisterous, singing and dancing while he drank victory wine. I still have not found where his treasure lies. I went behind him, and all at once heard the horse cry and the dragon’s roar, so I knew it was a thing of the Fire Division. On the eastern bank, by my Golden-Hooped Staff, is where I bore it in my hand and broke my way out." The gods said, "You have recovered your own treasure; when will ours be in our hands?" Wukong said, "Not difficult, not difficult. With this iron staff in my hand, one way or another I shall beat him down and recover your treasure for you."

Just as he spoke, from below the slope came drums and gongs in unison, and shouts shook the ground. It was the Si Great King leading hosts of spirits to chase the Great Sage. When Wukong saw him he called, "Excellent, excellent. This is just to my mind. All of you, be seated. Old Sun will go and catch him." The Great Sage raised his iron staff and met him face to face: "Run, demon-thief, where are you going? Watch this staff!" The monster braced its spear and shouted, "Thief monkey! Very impudent indeed. How dare you loot my items in broad daylight?" Wukong said, "You, pitiless spawn of a beast! It was you who set a snare by daylight to rob what is mine. Whose thing is that to claim as yours? Do not flee. Take one stroke from the old master’s staff!" The monster swung its spear in guard. This was a fierce battle:

The Great Sage displayed awesome might, while demon and demon did not submit to gentleness. Both sides fought with equal courage; which of them would concede? This iron staff crackles and lashes like a dragon-tail wind, that long spear resembles a python’s head. This staff comes on in a ringing like wind, that spear gives majestic breadth like water in flood. Mists, colored and hazy, darkened the mountain ridges, auspicious cloudbanks pressed over the sorrowful trees. All birds in the sky held their wings still, and foxes and insects in the fields drew in their heads. Among the little demons there were cries, and along this wall the Sage braced himself. One iron staff there was no matching foe, striking from west to western lands. That long spear truly had a match, stout enough to pin even the Golden-Hooped lord. In this encounter there was no easy end; seeing no height or low ground, they swore not to cease. The demon king and Sun Wukong fought for three hours with no clear victory, and soon dusk deepened. The demon king said while still bracing his long spear, "Wukong, pause. At this hour, with daylight fading, this is no time for gambling at combat. Rest awhile and tomorrow we shall compare strength again." Wukong cursed, "Filthy beast, do not prattle! Old Sun’s spirit has only just risen; what matter that night has fallen? I must settle win and loss with you." The monster shouted once, made a feint with its spear, and fled for its life. It gathered its band, withdrew its weapons, entered the cave, and shut its gate tight.

The Great Sage, staff in hand, had barely returned when the gods by the bank praised him, all saying, "This truly is a capable and mighty one, a boundless, limitless master of true skill." Wukong laughed and said, "Thank you. Thank you for the praise." Li Tianwang stepped forward: "Those are no compliments, truly. You are a good hero. This bout is not inferior to the net that once covered and restrained the world under Heaven." Wukong said, "Do not raise old matters. That demon has received this full bout from Old Sun and will surely be tired. I cannot be said to have labored in vain. You all sit easy. Let me go in again and learn the layout, take whatever I can, catch the monster, and recover the weapon to return it to heaven." The Prince said, "It is already late; let us sleep one night and go at dawn." Wukong laughed. "This young lord does not know the world. What sort of robber strikes in broad daylight? Thieves who work by feel and touch must move by night and by day both; only then, without noticing, is trade truly done." Fire Virtue and Lei Gong said, "Do not speak so, Third Prince. We do not know this affair. The Great Sage is well-practiced in such arts; he should act now—first, that demon-head is fatigued; second, the night is dark and unguarded. So send him, send him at once."

The Great Sage, laughing, concealed the iron staff. He leapt down from the peak, returned to the cave mouth, and in a blink changed into a small ragged loom-boy. Indeed:

Lips hard-set, whiskers long, skin black, eyes bright, claws and split toes. In clear wind and moon-bright night, he called along the wall’s edge; the night was still, almost like human speech. Tearful, pale, and desolate the scene appeared, his voice broken and worthy of wonder. At a guest-latticed window it was fearfully like a traveler’s lonely longing to hear him, yet he lay off by the empty stair beneath the bed. Kicking open with his legs, three or five jumps, he leapt to the doorway and slipped in through the crack, crouching at the base of the wall. Facing the light within, he watched closely. He saw all the big and small demons, each with wolf and tiger hunger, all in the midst of eating. Wukong gave a sharp clattering call. After little time, they put out the home fire, and all of them went to set up their beds and settle themselves.

About a watch had passed before Wukong reached the back room. He heard the old demon giving orders: "The small ones at every gate, keep alert; if Wukong comes to change and sneak in, he may steal under cover of night." Some were already on night watch; they clanged bells in crisp, quick rhythm. This Great Sage handled his business more cleverly. Entering the room, he saw a stone bed. On either side were several mountain spirits and tree ghosts, powdering and rouge-faced, laid out with blankets attending the old demon, some removing shoes, some unbuttoning robes, some unfastening coats. He saw that the demon king loosened his robe; on his left shoulder-arm a white, icy-white loop was fitted, like a linked-bead bracelet. See—he did not remove it, but with two quick rubs he tightened it hard against his shoulder and only then lay down to sleep. Wukong saw this and changed again, this time into a yellow flea-like thing, hopped onto the stone bed, burrowed into the bedding, and climbed atop the monster’s shoulder-arm and bit down hard. The demon twitched and growled, "You worthless little slaves! You did not shake the cover or brush the bed—what is this thing that bit me so?" He wound the ring up twice and put it back in place, then slept again. Wukong climbed up the ring and bit again. The demon could not sleep and rolled over, crying, "Bastard, you have nearly killed me!"

Seeing how secure the demon’s guarding was, and the treasure stayed on him, unwilling to remove it, Wukong judged he could not steal it there. He jumped off the bed and changed back to the weaving boy, went out through the door, and returned to the rear, where again he heard dragon-cry and horse-neigh. The inner gates were tightly locked, with the Fire Dragon and Fire Horse hanging inside. Wukong resumed his true form, came to the door, used a lock-breaking art, chanted the spell, and with one sweeping motion the double chains of the lock fell away. He pushed open the door and burst inside to inspect. Inside, the room was bright as daylight with fire devices and implements. He saw, slanting on both sides, several weapons: among them the Third Prince’s demon-cleaving sabre and others, and also the Fire Deity’s fire bow, fire arrows, and such. In the firelight Wukong looked around once more; behind the door he saw a straw basket on a stone table with a bundle of hair lying there. The Great Sage, filled with joy, took up the hair, drew two breaths as if from its heat, cried, "Transform!" and became thirty to fifty small monkeys. He ordered them to take up swords, sabres, maces, chains, wolf-hide shields, bows, arrows, spears, chariots, gourds, fire-crows, fire-mice, and fire horses—every captured implement—and to go, fire-dragon and all, burning outward. Then there came sounds like honghong and hahah and puping—like chains of cannon-fire. The little and great goblins woke in panic, heads wrapped, half-awake, crying and weeping; each had nowhere to go, and half of them died in the flames. Handsome Monkey-King returned in triumph only near the hour of the third watch.

Then on the high peak, Li Tianwang and the gods all noticed the flickering light and came forward in a rush. They saw Wukong riding a dragon, panting and snorting, sending the little monkeys forward, and leaping straight to the summit. He shouted aloud, "Collect the weapons! Collect the weapons!" Huode and Nezha answered in assent. The Sage shook himself once and the hair came back onto his body. Nezha gathered six of Wukong’s weapons. Huode Star Lord collected from the Fire Division the fire dragon and other gear. All smiled and praised Wukong in good cheer; it need not be told here.

Within the Golden-Hooped Cave, the flames swirled and burst; the Si Great King was so frightened that his spirit left him. He quickly rose and opened the chamber door. With both hands he held the ring: pushing eastward, the eastern fire died; pushing westward, the western fire went out. Smoke rose all through the air, sudden fires sputtered through the room. He held the treasure tight and ran it in a circuit, and all the fire and smoke in all directions were extinguished. He hurried to rescue the gathered demons. Already two hundred and some had been burned; men and women alike lay, more than a hundred and ten or so and not all could be accounted for. He then checked the cache of weapons: all were gone. He looked behind and saw Bai Zhuba? and Sha Wujing and Master still bound and unfastened, the White Dragon Horse still at its stall, and the baggage pole still in the house. The demon then grumbled in resentment: "One of these little spirits must have been careless and, through failure to attend the fire, caused this ruin." A nearby attendant reported, "Your Majesty, this fire is no business of our household. It was most likely a small thief from elsewhere, who looted the camp: he released the Fire Division’s gear and stole divine arms." The old demon suddenly woke to full understanding: "There is no one else; surely it is Wukong, that thief. This is why I could not rest while sleeping. That thief monkey must have transformed in, and bit me twice on my shoulder. Certainly it was to steal my treasure; seeing I had bound the ring tightly, he could not act directly. So he stole the weapons, loosed the Fire Dragon, and raised this cruel heart of fire to burn us alive. Monkeys call you thief? You used devices, yet you do not know my powers. If I take this treasure with me, even entering the Great Sea I am never drowned, and entering the sea of fire I am not burned. If now this thief is taken, I will scrape him raw and satisfy my heart."

As they spoke, still angry from the long argument, they did not notice that dawn had arrived and the roosters were crowing. On the high peak, Nezha, the Crown Prince, had obtained six divine weapons. He said to the Great Sage: “Great Sage, the day is bright now. We must not be careless. Let us take this chance while the demon’s edge has been dulled, with the Fire Division and the others to support you, and go on and fight again. Perhaps this time we can catch him.” The Great Sage laughed. “That’s reasonable. Let’s join our minds and go at him.” One after another they shook off weariness, swaggered with martial spirit, and went directly to the cave entrance. The Great Sage called out, “Come out, demon, and fight old Sun.”

Those two stone gates had been reduced to ashes by the heat, and inside there were several little demons sweeping up dust and ash. As soon as they saw the whole host arriving together, they dropped their brooms in fright, tossed aside their ash rakes, ran inside, and cried out, “Sun Wukong has come with many heavenly generals and he is taunting and fighting outside.” When the Rhinoceros King heard the report, he was startled; his steel teeth clicked as he snapped and his eyes bulged round in circles. Leaning on a long spear and brandishing his treasure, he came out and shouted abuse: “You thieving imp who set fire to our camp! How dare you treat me like this? How many tricks do you think you have?” The Great Sage answered with a smiling insult: “You wretched demon! If you want to know what I can do, come forward and I’ll show you:

From childhood I was born with strength and guile, and my fame has spread through the vast underheaven and earth. In my early awakening I took to the way of immortality and learned the method that wards off old age. I set my resolve, offered my heart to cultivation, and earnestly sought the abode of sages. Having mastered boundless arts of transformation, I run wild through the endless cosmos. Idling before the mountain I brought a tiger low; at will I subdued dragons in the seas. I once ruled on Floral-Fruit Peak; in Water-Curtain Cave I displayed my fierceness. More than once I aimed for Heaven’s realm, and more than once in reckless ignorance I ascended there. The Jade Emperor honored me with the title Great Sage Equal to Heaven and also conferred the name Handsome Monkey King. I only slipped in because I was not properly invited to the banquet of the peaches of immortality. I broke into the Jade Pond at night to steal celestial nectar, and in secret drank nectar in a treasure pavilion. I stole and ate dragon’s liver and phoenix marrow, and sampled all manner of precious foods. I enjoyed peaches meant to last a thousand ages, and swallowed elixirs meant to last ten thousand. I took odd things from the heavenly court and tucked away every marvel from the divine halls. When the Jade Emperor learned of my powers, he sent out heavenly troops and set a battlefield. The Nine Luminaries and evil stars were humbled by me; the ferocious asterisms of the five directions were struck down. No divine general in the whole world could withstand me; ten thousand mighty warriors dared not oppose me. By my pressure the Jade Emperor issued orders, and the young saint of Guan Jiang raised the army. We held each other for seventy-two changes, each displaying all our spirit, each formidable. Guanyin from the Southern Sea came to fight for them, and Pure-Bottle and Yangliu aided as well. Laozi then used the Vajra net to seize me and bring me before the High Heaven. Bound, I was taken before the Great Jade Emperor, where officials examined and judged what crimes should be laid. The emperor ordered Great Force to cut down with a blade, and the strokes flamed across my scalp. Through myriad stratagems they failed to kill me, and I was dragged to the Hall of Laozi. In the divine furnace of six Ding fires they forged me; my whole body came out hard as steel. When the seventy-seven measures had passed and the cauldron was opened, I leaped out fiercer than before. The gods shut their doors and offered no refuge; all the holy ones conferred to plead to the Buddha. Truly the Tathagata has vast power, and his wisdom is immeasurably boundless. In his palm he flicked and overturned like a gambling cup, and set a mountain upon me, yet I could not be overpowered. Only after the Jade Emperor held the Heavenly Pacification assembly was the Western Region then praised as the Pure Bliss realm. I was crushed beneath him for five hundred years and tasted no tea or gruel. Elder Golden Cicada descended among the mortal world; in the Eastern Land he was sent to lead this mission before Buddha’s Buddha-land. To fetch the True Scripture and return to the Great Tang, your previous Great Emperor had already passed away. Guanyin persuaded me to return to the way and keep the good teaching, so I would bear the precept and not be wild. Deliverance from the roots of this sacred mountain was no easy matter, so now I go west for the Scripture mission. Do not toy with me with fox-and-deer deceit, wretch. Return my master and let him bow to the Buddha-kings.” The monster listened and pointed at the Great Sage: “So you are indeed a thief who robbed Heaven. Do not run. Eat this spear of mine.” The Great Sage answered with his staff. They locked in combat. At that moment Nezha the Crown Prince grew angry, while Fire Virtue Star Lord grew ferocious; they threw the six divine weapons and the Fire Division’s armaments at the monster’s body. The Great Sage grew even more imposing. Meanwhile the Lord of Thunder used his hooked hook, and the Heavenly King raised his sword; without regard to rank, all surged in together. The demon, broad and cold with laughter, quietly pulled out his treasure from his sleeves, cast it into the air, shouted “Now!” and with a sharp crack snatched up all six divine weapons, the Fire Division supplies, Thunder-god’s hook, the Heavenly King’s blade, and even the Great Sage’s staff. The gods stood bare-handed, and the Great Sage was left with empty fists. The demon, having gained the upper hand, stepped back and said: “Servants, carry stones, rebuild the wall, dig up and repair the house and corridor. Once all is restored, I’ll invite the Three of Tang Monk and make thanks to the earth. Then all of you may feast and enjoy your blessings.” The little demons obeyed, and the matter need not be described further.

That Li Heavenly King then withdrew his host back up the high peak. Fire Virtue was resentful, saying Nezha was too impatient; Leigong blamed the Heavenly King for mischief; only Water Virtue stood mute at his side. The Great Sage saw that they did not meet his eyes. Disturbed in thought and unable to help it, he swallowed his resentment and forced a smile. He said to them all, “Do not be distressed. As the old saying goes: in war, victory and defeat are the way of soldiers. What happened was only this—I tested him in arms, and nothing more. It is only this ring he has that causes trouble and lets him snatch away our weapons. Hold easy. Let Old Sun go and look into what sort of fellow he is.” The Crown Prince said, “You already petitioned the Jade Emperor and scoured the entire heavens. There was no trace left behind. How are we to track him now?” The Great Sage said, “It comes back to me: the Dharma is without bounds. I will go up to the Western Heaven and ask the Buddha, the Tathagata, to look with wisdom over the four great continents. We will see where this demon was born, where he lives, and what treasure his ring is. Whatever it is, I must seize him, relieve your grievance, and send you all back to Heaven in joy.” The gods replied, “If this is your resolve, do not delay. Go quickly, go quickly.”

The Great Sage said, “Very well,” and, as soon as the words were out, he spread into the air on a cloud of many tens of li and quickly arrived at Mount Lingshan. Auspicious radiance descended and he looked about all around; it was truly a fine place:

The sacred peak rises sparse and lofty, tiers of ridges shining clear and fine. On the summit of the immortal mountain, it seems to brush the lapis-blue heavens. Facing the West, one beholds a mighty stronghold; its presence presses upon China. Primal energy flows through earth and sky across vast distances; its majesty fills the terraces and blossoms. One hears long peals of bells and chimes, and whenever one listens, the Dharma sounds bright and clear. Beneath green pines one sees compassionate elders teaching; among emerald cypresses, arhats walk. White cranes with sentiment come to Jiu Ridge. Blue-headed birds linger in quiet pavilions. Dark monkeys, in pairs, bear sacred fruit. Paired deer of long life offer violet-golden shoots. Soft birdcalls come often as if in speech. Strange blossoms of many colors unfurl in forms unknown. Returning peaks wind in layer upon layer; the ancient roads turn, and the land opens in gentle steadiness. Truly this is a pure, clear, numinous and beautiful place, charged with the solemn atmosphere of Great Awakening’s Buddhist sphere. As the Great Sage was still appreciating the scenery, he suddenly heard someone call: “Sun Wukong, where are you coming from and where are you going?” He turned quickly and saw that it was a venerable bhikshuni. The Great Sage greeted her and said, “I have a matter here and wish to see the Tathagata.” She replied, “You mischievous one. If you want to see the Tathagata, why did you not go up to the jeweled shrine and instead stand here admiring the mountain?” The Great Sage said, “It is my first time in this precious land, so I took this liberty.” The bhikshuni said, “Follow me quickly.” The Great Sage followed closely to the foot of the Leiyin Temple gate, where he saw the Eight Great Vajra Kings, grand and fierce, blocking the way on both sides. The bhikshuni said, “Wukong, wait here a moment while I present your petition.” The Great Sage had to stand outside the gate. The bhikshuni went before Buddha and knelt with joined palms: “Sun Wukong has business and wishes to see the Tathagata.” The Buddha gave instructions to admit him, and the vajra guardians then parted the way and let him through.

After bowing his head and finishing his homage, the Tathagata asked, “Wukong, I heard earlier that Bhikshu Guanyin freed your body and that you had taken refuge in the Sakyamuni teaching to protect Tripitaka on this journey for the scriptures. Why have you come here alone? What has happened?” The Great Sage knelt deeply and said, “I respectfully report, my Buddha. Your disciple has kept the monastic discipline since childhood and has come westward with my master from the Tang court to seek the Way. We arrived at the Gold-Dipper Mountain, Gold-Dipper Cave, and met a dreadful demon king named the Rhinoceros King, whose powers are vast. He seized my master, our teacher Tripitaka, and our brothers and captured them in his cave. I sought him and made requests, but there was no good intention in him. When we both resisted him, he used a white, stark haloed ring to steal my iron staff. Fearing he might be a celestial general descended to the mortal world, I hurried upward to search heaven and nether without finding him. The Jade Emperor dispatched Li Heavenly King and son to assist; even then he stole away the Crown Prince’s six battle weapons. Later Fire Virtue was asked to send down fires to burn him, but the demon stole away the fire gear. Then we asked Water Virtue to flood him, yet not a hair of his was touched by a single drop. After spending much strength and qi, I sneaked out and recovered that iron staff and the others, and went again to challenge him. He once again wrested those things from me and turned me away; I could not bring him down. So I came here to beg your compassion and ask you to let your disciple see what sort of being this is by origin. If I can return, I will take his kinsfolk and neighbors, arrest this demon king, rescue my master, and with full reverent devotion seek the true fulfillment of the Dharma.”

As soon as the Buddha heard, he gazed out with his wisdom eye and already knew. He said to Wukong: 'That monster I know, yet I must not tell you. Your monkey mouth is open and reckless; if I tell him I spoke of him, he will not fight you, but will run to Ling Mountain to raise a clamor, and even cause trouble for me. I will now support you with my powers so that you can seize him.'

Wukong knelt again and said, 'What powers will the Buddha give me?' The Buddha then told the eighteen Arhats to open the treasury, take eighteen grains of gold cinnabar, and give them to Wukong as support.

Wukong asked, 'How is this gold cinnabar used?' The Buddha said, 'Go outside the cave and call out that demon for a bout. Make him come out, and then order the arhats to cast the sand, pinning him down so he cannot move his body, cannot wrench back his feet. By your grip and striking he will be finished.'

Wukong laughed: 'Wondrous, wondrous, wondrous—send me quickly.'

Those arhats did not dare to delay. They took out the gold cinnabar and left at once. Wukong again thanked the Buddha. On the way he saw only sixteen arhats and cried out, 'Where is this place, and who has released him?' The arhats said, 'Who has released him?' Wukong said, 'It was ordered that eighteen come, and now only sixteen remain.' Before he could say more, two arhats, Descending Dragon and Subduing Tiger, came out from within.

They stepped forward: 'Wukong, how did you become so evasive? The two of us were behind, awaiting the Buddha's command.'

Wukong said, 'Too much dodging, too much dodging. You delayed only a little in your answering cry—how could you not come out yet?' The arhats laughed cheerfully and mounted auspicious clouds.

In a short while they arrived at the bounds of Gold-Dome Mountain. Li Tianwang, seeing them, led his attendants forward to welcome them and reported what had happened. The arhats said, 'No need for long words. Go call him out at once.' The Great Sage rolled his fist and came to the cave mouth, barking, 'Ravaging wretch, come out and meet your monkey granduncle here and now.'

That little demon flew off to report. The demon king roared, 'This thieving monkey still does not know whom he has invited here to make a racket.'

The little demon said, 'No other general has come, only him alone.'

The demon king said, 'That staff has already been taken back by me—how did another come yet? Does he dare to come to trade blows again?'

Taking his prized treasure in hand and a broad spear on his shoulder, he called a demon to clear away the stones, then leapt from the cave, crying, 'Monkey thief, you have not had your share of fortune for some time; you should avoid me. Why have you come back to shout?'

Wukong said, 'Savage demon, you do not know right from wrong! If you wish your old grand-uncle not to appear, then submit to the binding, offer your submission, and send out my Master and my fellow pilgrims, and I will spare you.'

The fiend said, 'Your three monks I have already washed clean; I will soon slaughter them. You still do not understand? Then go away.'

When Wukong heard the words 'slaughter', sparks of fire flared from his cheeks. He could not hold in his anger; he dropped his pretense, raised his fist, stepped aside at an angle, and moved to strike the demon with a hanging feint. The monster extended its long spear and met him with a split-second slash. Wukong jumped left and right, teasing the demon. Not seeing it as a stratagem, it chanted and ran southward from the cave mouth.

Wukong then called to the arhats: cast the gold cinnabar at the demon all together.

Fine sand it is, and this was indeed it:

Like fog like smoke at first drifting loose, in drifting murk that thickens the world, it descends across the skyline. White and vast, it confuses the eyes wherever one looks; hazy and dim, even in flight one loses the road. The firewood-boy loses his mate while chopping; the immortal-child gathering herbs finds no home. Fine and light, it drifts like flour, roughly it rolls again, like sesame. The world turns blurry, mountain tops darken; the open sky swallows the sun in a smoky shroud. It is no like choking dust behind a swift steed, rare indeed the soft padding of a perfume-carriage. This sand is but insentient matter at heart, covering earth and sky to seize the fiend. Only because a demon trespasses on the True Way, the Arhats enforcing Dharma made proud display. In his hand a bright pearl appears, and with one gust his eyes become flower-clouded.

The arhats stood empty-handed, clouds held still. Wukong came near and asked, 'All the arhats—why did you stop casting the sand?' An arhat said, 'There was just such a sound just now, and the gold cinnabar is gone.'

Wukong laughed: 'Again, he tricked them and snatched it away.'

The Heavenly King and the others said, 'He is so hard to subdue; how will we catch him? On what day can we return to Heaven, and what face shall we show the Jade Emperor?'

Nearby, the arhats Descending Dragon and Subduing Tiger said to Wukong, 'Wukong, do you know why the two of us were late in going out?'

Wukong said, 'Old Sun had only suspected you were dodging and missed the chance, not knowing another matter was to be done.'

An arhat said, 'The Buddha instructed the two of us: "The demon’s powers and arts are broad. If he loses the gold cinnabar, then send Sun Wukong to seek his traces in the Tushita Palace of Liuhen Heaven, under the Grand Supreme Elder's Lushi Hall of Mount Duoshuai. Perhaps he can be captured at one stroke."'

Wukong, hearing this, said, 'It is vexing, truly vexing. The Buddha too has played a trick on old Sun. He should have told me then and not sent you all on so far a voyage.'

Li Tianwang said, 'Since the Buddha has made this clear declaration, Great Sage, you should have risen early.'

The able Wukong said, 'Good,' then spoke the word and leapt with a jindou cloud straight through the gate of the Southern Heaven. Four great marshals stood there with fists raised and hands clasped. 'How goes the taking of the demon?' they asked.

Wukong answered as he moved, 'Not yet, not yet. I have a place now where I must trace a clue.' The four generals did not dare to hinder him and let him in through the Heaven Gate.

He did not enter Lingxiao Hall or enter Dou-ox Palace. He went straight to the outside of the Thirty-Three Heavens, before the Tushita Palace of Liuhen Heaven. There he saw two immortal boys standing guard. He did not ask their names, simply walked straight through.

Startled, the two boys seized him: 'Who are you? Where are you going?'

Wukong said, 'I am Sun Wukong, Great Sage Equal to Heaven, and I wish to seek Master Laozi.'

The boys said, 'How can you be so rough? Stay where you are and let us report.' Wukong would not allow words and gave one shout, then walked straight ahead.

At once Laozi came out from within, meeting him face to face. Wukong bent low and bowed. 'Great Elder, do not fail to look upon me as before.'

Laozi laughed. 'This monkey does not go to fetch scriptures, so why has he come to me?'

Wukong said, 'Fetching Tripitaka is a task with no rest by day or night. There are some obstacles; I have come to this place on business.'

Laozi said, 'The road to the West is obstructed. How does that concern me?'

Wukong said, 'Speak not of the Western Heaven now. If I find the trace, then we shall entangle him together.'

Laozi said, 'This is the palace of the Supreme Immortal; what trace is there to seek here?'

Wukong entered, eyes never straying. Looking east and west, he passed through several halls and then saw, by the cattle pen, a child dozing; the blue ox was no longer in the pen.

Wukong said, 'Elder, the ox has gone, yes the ox has gone.'

Laozi exclaimed in alarm, 'When did that fiend beast leave?'

As he was shouting, the child only then woke and knelt before him: 'Master, I fell asleep; I do not know when it left.'

Laozi scolded, 'How dare you doze off like this?'

The child knelt lower and said, 'In the elixir room, Master, your disciple picked up a cinnabar pill and ate one at once, and so slept here.'

Laozi said, 'It must be the seven-cycle Fire-Demon pill brewed the other day; this one had hung about; he ate one. One such pill should make one sleep for seven days. Because the boy slept, none was there to watch, and the fiend took the chance and left the realm below. It has been seven days by now.'

Now they checked whether he had stolen any treasure. Wukong said, 'No treasures in particular, only saw him with one of those iron rings, which is quite perilous.'

Laozi quickly searched. All kinds of things were present—only the Vajra chisel was missing.

Laozi said, 'This fiend stole my Vajra chisel!'

Wukong said, 'So this is the treasure. It was this thing that beat old Sun. Now in the mortal realm he runs wild and I do not know how many objects he has snatched from me.'

Laozi asked, 'Where is this fiend now?'

Wukong said, 'He now dwells in the cave of Gold-Dou Mountain, Gold-Dou Cave. He seized my Tripitaka and hauled him in, and he robbed me of the Golden-Hooped Staff. He summoned the heavenly soldiers and stole the prince’s divine weapon. He summoned Fire Virtue Star Lord and stole his implements of fire. The Water Lord could not drown him; even so he did not steal his implements. Finally, when the Buddha asked the arhats to come down with sand, he stole even that. For you, old official, by letting the demon loose to plunder and hurt others, what guilt should be laid at your door?'

Laozi said, 'My Vajra chisel is my instrument for taming barbarians at Guan Huan Pass, a treasure I have refined from childhood. By whatever weapon, water, or fire you bring, it can still not come near him. If he stole my banana leaf fan as well, not even I could control him.'

The Great Sage rejoiced with open delight and followed Laozi. Laozi took up the banana leaf fan, drove the auspicious cloud, and went with him. Out of the immortal palace and beyond the South Gate of Heaven, he lowered the cloud-face and came straight to Gold-Dou Mountain.

There he met the eighteen arhats, the Lord of Thunder, the Water Lord, the God of Fire Virtue, and Li Tianwang with his son. He explained once more all that had happened.

Laozi said, 'Sun Wukong will go out again to lure him out. Then I will capture him.'

Sun Wukong, the Great Sage, leapt down from the peakhead and shouted at the top of his voice, “Vile, filthy monster! Come out at once and die!” The little fiend ran off again to report. The old demon said, “That thief monkey, and he does not even know who he has invited!” He quickly snatched up his spear and came out to meet him at the doorway. The Great Sage shouted, “You wild demon, this time you are certainly doomed! Do not run—take one of my blows.” He sprang in a single bound and smashed a backhand slap straight into the monster’s face, then turned and ran. The demon grabbed his spear and chased. From the high peak came a call: “That bull still has not gone home; how much longer must we wait?” The demon lifted his head, saw it was Laozi, and, frightened through and through, stammered, “This thieving monkey truly is an earth-demon, yet how did he manage to get my master here?”

Laozi muttered a spell and waved his fan once. The monster hurled a loop at him, and Laozi caught it in one hand. Again he swished the fan, and the monster’s strength weakened and its sinews went numb as it revealed its true form: it was a green bull. Laozi blew divine breath through the Golden-Steel zhuo, drove it through the monster’s nostrils, took off the knot-rope from his robe sash, tied it to the zhuo, and held it in his hand. To this day they keep a bull-nose tether called Kuer, also known as Binar, and this is its appointed role. After bidding farewell to the gathered gods, Laozi mounted the green bull, rode on a colored cloud, and returned straight to Doushuayuan; with the fiend bound, he ascended high to Lihen Heaven.

Sun Wukong only together with the Heavenly King and the others had entered the cave and killed all one hundred-odd little demons, each with their weapons, and then thanked the Heavenly King and his father and returned to Heaven. Leigong went to his mansion, Huode returned to his palace, the Water Lord returned to the river, and the Arhats headed west. Only then did he release Tripitaka, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing and take up the iron cudgel. The three of them then thanked the Great Sage, packed up the horse and supplies, and the monastic party left the cave, taking the main road forth.

As they were in the middle of departing, they only heard a shout from the roadside: “Tripitaka, go and eat your vegetarian meal.” The elder monk was startled.

In the end they still did not know who it was that called out; listen, and the resolution will be explained in the next installment.