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.

After speaking, the Bull Demon King hurried up to Sun Wukong. He saw him walking with a bright, cheerful face, a Banana-fan slung over his shoulder. The demon king exclaimed in surprise: “A monkey has even learned how to use it. If I ask him for it directly, he surely will not part with it; but if I ask him to fan me once, he must carry me ten, maybe eighteen, thousand li away, and would that not thwart his purpose? I have heard that Tripitaka is waiting on the main road. His second disciple is the pig spirit and his third is Sha Wujing; when I was a demon before, I met him then. I will transform into Zhu Bajie’s form and trick him in return. I figure this monkey, happy to have gained the upper hand, will not be careful.” The Bull Demon King was a worthy fiend indeed: he had the Seventy-two Transformations, and his martial skill was on par with the Great Sage’s, only his body was a bit rough and not so agile. He tucked away his precious sword, murmured a spell, shook himself into a change, and at once became Zhu Bajie in face and form. He crossed the road, met the Great Sage face to face, and called, “Brother, I am coming.”

The Great Sage was indeed joyful. As the ancients say, ‘A cat that has won is as proud as a tiger.’ Relying only on strength, he did not at all probe the newcomer’s intention. Seeing him in the shape of Zhu Bajie, he called out, “Brother, where are you going?” The Bull Demon King, with a scripture in hand, said, “Master has not seen you for many days. He fears the Bull Demon King’s arts; you can’t match him. Since you can hardly gain his treasure, he has sent me to receive you.” Sun Wukong laughed: “Do not take trouble. I have already secured it.” The Bull King asked, “How did you get it?” Sun Wukong replied, “Old Niu fought me for a hundred turns and we had no winner. He then left and went beneath the Blue-Wave Pool of Chaotic Stones, where he drank with a band of jiao and dragon spirits. I followed him in secret, changed into a crab, stole the Pishui Golden-Eyed Beast he rode, and took Old Niu’s form to go straight to Banjiao Cave to fool the Rākṣasa woman. She and Old Sun entered into a hollow marriage; it was a deception devised by Old Sun.” The Bull King said, “You have suffered too much, brother. You have labored beyond measure; give me the fan.” Sun Wukong, not knowing the truth and not thinking of this, handed over the fan.

When he saw this, the Bull King instantly learned the key to folding and opening the fan. Taking it, he gave no proper counter-charm, became in an instant as small as an apricot leaf, and returned to his true shape. He spoke out, cursing, “Rough little monkey! Do you even recognize me?” Sun Wukong saw him and repented inwardly: “The fault is mine.” He let out a fierce cry, stamped his foot and shouted, “Ah! I have spent years fighting geese—now this little gosling has pecked out my eyes!” Fury surged in him like thunder. He drew the staff and struck right at the head. The demon king fanned him once with the fan. The Great Sage did not know that earlier, when he had turned into a chōriyo insect and entered the Rākṣasa woman’s body, he had held the Calming-Wind Pill in his mouth and had unknowingly swallowed it, so his five organs were firm and his flesh and bones were hardened; no matter how it was fanned, he could not be moved. The Bull King panicked, bit the treasure into his mouth, and with both hands raised his sword to chop. Their clash in midair was a fierce contest:

Great Sage Sun Wukong and the Chaotic-World Stirring Primate, The Rowdy Bull King—they meet by the Banana-fan and both unleash their full might. Careless Great Sage was deceived; bold Bull King tricked him by means of the fan. One bears the Golden-Hooped Staff, merciless and without pity; the other has a twin-bladed green steel sword, quick and subtle in its strokes. The Great Sage sends clouds of colored magic; the Bull King hurls rough radiance. They duel in matched valor, each no less a villain; teeth bared, jaws grinding, pride rising high. Dust from trampled earth darkens heaven, flying sand and stones make ghosts and spirits hide. “How dare you, in your ignorance, trick me again?” one says. “I let my wife agree that you may go with her,” says the other. Their words are coarse and rough, their natures fierce and hard. “You deceived another man and his wife; you truly deserve death—let the case be brought before court,” says the other. Sun Wukong, shrewd and alert, and the fierce Bull King both mean only to kill, staff versus sword and blade in heavy effort. But when even a breath of slackness appeared, Yama’s stare was near. Meanwhile, the two’s struggle was not yet decided. Back on the road, Tripitaka sat waiting, his first misery heat, then hunger and thirst and worry. He said to the Earth God of Flaming Mountain, “May I ask, honored spirit, how powerful is this Bull Demon King?” The Earth God said, “That Bull King’s powers are no small thing; he is limitless in magic, truly Sun Wukong’s equal.” Tripitaka said, “Wukong is a traveler on foot; in ordinary times he goes two thousand li and returns in a breath. How is he delayed a whole day? Surely he is gambling and fighting with that Bull King.” He called, “Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing: which of you will go to meet your elder brother? If you meet enemies, put forth your strength and help him. Bring back the fan, settle this vexation, and pass the mountain quickly so we may hurry onward.” Zhu Bajie replied, “It is late today. I set out to fetch him, but I do not recognize the road to Mount Jilei.” The Earth God said, “This little spirit knows it. Ask the Curtain-Raising General to keep you company with Master, and I will go with you.” Tripitaka rejoiced: “My gratitude, honored spirit; when our task is complete, we shall thank you again.”

Zhu Bajie roused himself, tightened his black brocade robe, gripped the nail-halberd, and with the Earth God rose through the clouds, turning straight eastward. As he went, he suddenly heard loud cries and clashes, with wild wind roaring. When he steadied the cloud and looked, Sun Wukong was still brawling with the Bull King. The Earth God said, “Why does Tiānpéng not rush forward yet?” The fool drew out his nail-halberd and shouted loudly, “Brother, I am coming.” Sun Wukong growled, “You blockhead—you have ruined many of my great errands.” Zhu Bajie said, “Master told me to come and meet you. Because I could not recognize the mountain path and we talked for a long time, he had the Earth God guide me, so this is why I came late. How did I ruin your great matter?” Sun Wukong replied, “Do not blame your lateness. This Rowdy Bull was terribly uncouth. I stole the fan at the Rākṣasa place, and he took the shape of you, claiming he had come to welcome me. I was briefly pleased and handed the fan to him. Then he returned to his true form and fought Old Sun here, so that is why matters were delayed.” On hearing this, Zhu Bajie grew furious and raised his nail-halberd, and directly cursed, “You blood-swollen, diseased ruffian! How could you dare to become your ancestors’ very face and deceive my brother, making brothers fall out?” He swung the nail-halberd wildly with no head or face to his fury.

The Bull King had worn down from fighting Sun Wukong for a full day and was exhausted in strength and spirit; and seeing how fierce Zhu Bajie’s nail-halberd was, he could not keep up the defense, so he withdrew in defeat. Just then the Earth God of Flaming Mountain appeared at the head of the underworld troops and blocked the way. “Great Bull King,” he said, “hold your hand. Tripitaka is traveling west for the Buddhist scriptures. No god can abandon him, no heaven can fail him; all three realms are notified, all ten directions protect him. Bring out the Banana-fan and fan out the flames, let him go over the mountain without calamity and without obstruction, and let him pass quickly. Otherwise Heaven will accuse you of offense and you will surely be executed.” The Bull King said, “You, earth spirit, have not understood what is right at all. That rowdy monkey stole my son, deceived my concubine, tricked my wife—again and again, lawless. I want to swallow him whole and feed him as dung to dogs. How could I lend him this treasure?”

Before he could finish, Zhu Bajie came up and shouted, “You heart-confused fool! Bring out the fan, and I will spare your life.” The Bull King had to turn back, draw his sword, and fight Zhu Bajie again. Sun Wukong raised the staff to help. That encounter there was terrifying:

A spirit-demon boar, a tricking bull, and a monkey who stole heaven and attained the Way— Meditative nature can always endure combat; it must combine the root power of earth and origin. The nail-halberd is keen though its nine-point tips, the treasured sword’s twin blades are swift and yet supple. The Iron Staff, coiling and opening, is their chief weapon; the Earth God lends strength and binds the core. Three martial lines contend in mutual punishment, each showing bold talent, each planning its move. They seize the ploughing bull and long golden plow-line, and call the boar back to hearth and timber, while the breath gathers and settles. If the mind is not set on the Way, what Dao can there be? The spirit keeps watch at the hut, always intent on binding this monkey. They rage and cry in disorder, in distress each calls; the three kinds of blades ring searching and loud. There is no good intent in nail and blade, while the Golden-Hooped Staff rises with cause. They fight till stars lose their shine and the moon no longer gleams, only one cold, dark stretch of haze. The Bull King, mustering courage to compete, fought on, step by step; after a whole night they had gained no clear edge. By dawn it was day again. Before him was the mouth of Moyo Cave of Mount Jilei. Again he, together with three others, the Earth God, and the underworld soldiers, roared so that the Jade-Faced Princess was startled awake and called her maids to see where the commotion was coming from. A guard demon came to the gate to report: “It is our lord with the thunder-mouthed rogue from yesterday, and a long-faced, broad-eared monk, all fighting with the Earth God of Flaming Mountain and his retinue.” When the Jade-Faced Princess heard, she ordered the various guards, near and far, all to come out and help, each with spears and sabers. One after another seven long and eight short points rose up, a hundred and more in all. One by one they flaunted vigor, twirled spears and spun clubs, and all declared together, “Great royal father, our mother-goddess ordered us within; we have come to help.” The Bull King rejoiced, “Good, good, come on.” All the demons surged forward and hacked in confusion. Zhu Bajie, caught unprepared, was pulled back by his nail-halberd and withdrew in defeat. Sun Wukong, riding the fighting cloud, leapt out of the encirclement. The underworld soldiers scattered in all directions. The Old Ox prevailed, gathered his band of demons back into the cave, and shut the cave door tight.

Sun Wukong said, “This fellow is valiant and fierce. Since around the Shēn hour yesterday he began fighting me, and now tonight the contest is still undecided. Yet you two came to take over in sequence. After this bitter struggle for half a day and all night, he is not at all fatigued. It is only this band of little demons, yet they are so reckless and brutish. He has shut the cave door tight and does not come out. What can be done?” Zhu Bajie said, “Brother, you left Master at the Sì hour yesterday. How is it that you only began fighting him at the Shēn hour? Where were you in those two or three hours?” Sun Wukong said, “After I left you, I arrived at this mountain at once and met a woman to make inquiries. It was his beloved concubine, the Jade-Faced Princess. I frightened her with one swing of the Golden-Hooped Staff and she ran into the cave and called out the Bull King. He and this old monkey exchanged hard words and shouted for a while. Then he fought with me for an hour. Just when we were at it, someone invited him to a banquet. So I followed him to the Bibo Pond at the Rocky Mountain, transformed into a crab, learned the news, stole his Bìshuǐ Golden-Eyed Beast, and, in false guise, took on the Bull King’s form. I returned to Cuiyun Mountain’s Banana-leaf Cave, fooled the luocha demoness and coaxed out her fan. I went outside to test how it worked and made the fan lengthen, but I could not learn to shrink it. Right as I was carrying it off, he changed himself to your face and then tricked me away. That is why we were delayed for two or three hours.”

Zhu Bajie said, “This is exactly what the saying goes: ‘A tofu boat in the Great Sea—up out of the broth, down under the water.’ Now, with this precious fan in hand, how can we get Master across the mountains? Let us go back and take a roundabout way.” The Earth God said, “Great Sage, do not grow impatient. Great Marshal Tianpeng, do not grow lax. If we ‘turn the road,’ that is to enter a by-way, not the way of cultivation. The old proverb says, ‘One does not reach the goal by taking a detour.’ How could we turn aside? Your Master sits on the right road, waiting with longing eyes for you to succeed.” Sun Wukong said fiercely, “Exactly so, exactly so. Pigsy, stop your idle talk. What the Earth God says is right. We will press him in this way:

We wager at win and loss, we work out clever devices; let me summon the di-sha transformation. As for coming westward, none can match me; the Bull King is only a change of the mind-monkey. This time we have found the source and stream; we must keep him engaged and borrow that Precious Fan. Take the cooling, still the flames, and break through the arrogant void to face the Buddha. When the circuit is complete, we shall ascend beyond to the Land of Ultimate Bliss and all attend the Dragon-Hwa banquet.” Hearing this, Zhu Bajie grew eager and earnestly said: Yes, yes, yes—go, go, go. Why should it matter whether the Bull King dares to stand?” Wood born in Hài can become pig; I can drag that ox-beast back to dust and clay. Gold is born under Shēn and is by nature a monkey, and where there is no penalty or punishment there is much accord. Make the Banana-leaf [fan] a thought of water, and flame and fire are cooled, settling into peace. Do not cease from day to day in hardship until the task is done; when the work is finished, we hurry to the Ullambana assembly.” The two of them, with the Earth God and the shadow soldiers behind them, advanced together. They brandished steel maces and swung iron staff and rods—clack, clack, crash—as they smashed the front gate of Moyun Cave into dust. The outer sentry captain was terrified and trembled as he burst inside to report: “Great King, Sun Wukong has come with his company and broken the front gate.” The Bull King was then speaking with the Jade-Faced Princess of their affairs and already resented Sun Wukong deeply. On hearing the gate was broken, he became furious. He quickly donned his arms, took up his iron staff, and from inside shouted out, “You unruly monkey! How big a man are you, that you come charging here and rage like this, breaking my gate and my fan?” Zhu Bajie pushed forward and raged back, “You old skinning of a brute! What kind of person are you to measure your strength against mine? Do not run. Come, take that pick.” The Bull King barked, “You foul, blunt-mouthed swine! Why don’t you call that monkey to come forward?” Sun Wukong said, “You senseless that know no good or evil! Yesterday we spoke as brothers; today we are enemies. Now take this one club well!” The Bull King charged in valor. This bout was far stronger than before. The three heroes writhed and crashed together in one place, killing and slaying: The spiked picks and iron staves display divine might; the two of us lead the shadow soldiers against the old sacrificial beast. That beast alone unveils a ferocious, forceful nature, and every limit of heavenly power is covered in all directions. They drive with the pick, they strike with the staff; the iron staff of heroes shows fresh wonders. Three kinds of weapons ring ding-dang; whoever bars the way gets cut down first. He says he is foremost, I say I seize the head. Earth troops witness, and it is hard to divide; wood and earth grind and clash, rising and falling together. The two say, ‘Why do you not lend the Banana-leaf Fan?’ One says, ‘How dare you cheat and steal my wife in your heart? The revenge for abducting the concubine and harming children has not yet been avenged; you break doors and windows and still seem frightened of blame.’ The other says, ‘Watch carefully the as-you-like staff: one scrape of it and the skin will split.’ This one says, ‘Watch the tooth of the pick-head well; one scratch leaves nine orifices bloodied and open.’ The Bull Demon was no less than the power he displayed, his iron staff raised high, seizing every chance. They rushed like storm-cloud and rolling rain, spitting fog and loosing wind with full force. Bitterly this bout was all in deadly earnest, both full of hateful intent, each loving the contest all the more. They threw aside forms and let posture answer posture, advancing first and blocking back, never once at a loss. The two brothers both exerted themselves; a single stick was wielded in a singular way. From Mao time through the end of the Chen time they fought, and when the fight ended the Bull King threw down his hands and withdrew. The three fought as if life itself were forgotten, and they crossed a hundred and more bouts. Zhu Bajie’s dull-witted strength surged, and leaning on Sun Wukong’s divine powers he struck and built with the pick in wild confusion. The Bull King could not block those guards, so he retreated in defeat, fleeing back to the cave mouth. But the Earth God and the shadow soldiers blocked the entrance and shouted, “Greatly Powerful King, where are you going? We are here.” The old bull could not enter the cave, and pulled away in haste. He saw Zhu Bajie and Sun Wukong coming and in panic shed his armor, cast aside the iron staff, changed his form, became a wild goose, and flew up into the sky.

Sun Wukong saw him and laughed. “Zhu Bajie, the old cow has gone.” The gluttonous one stared stupidly and did not know; the Earth God, too, could not make it out. Each looked about in confusion, searching around before Mountain Accumulated Thunder. Sun Wukong pointed. “Is that not the one flying in the air?” Zhu Bajie said, “That is a goose.” Sun Wukong said, “It is indeed the old cow in disguise.” The Earth God said, “If that is so, what are we to do?” Sun Wukong said, “You two break into this gate and exterminate all the demons thoroughly; tear apart his lair and block every road of return. Then I will go and gamble transformations with him.” Zhu Bajie and the Earth God, following his words, broke the cave gate; there is no need to set this down further.

The Great Sage collected the Golden-Hooped Staff, twisted the proper seals, chanted, and with a shift of transformation became a sea-blue hawk. With a rush and one wingbeat he darted into a gap in the cloud and dropped down upside down, landing on the goose’s back and gripping its neck.

...He held its throat and fixed it with a fierce glare. The Bull King knew it was Sun Wukong changing form, so he shook his wings at once and turned into a yellow hawk, flying back to bite at the sea-blue hawk. Sun Wukong changed again, this time into a black-crowned phoenix, and chased the yellow hawk alone. Recognizing him, the Bull King changed into a white crane and gave a long cry, then fled southward. Sun Wukong steadied himself, shook out his feathers, and turned into a crimson phoenix. From one cry he rose in a shrill call. Seeing the phoenix, the white crane, among all birds, did not dare to move rashly, and with one sharp beat of wing it shot down the cliff face, changing its body as it fell into a musk deer and, with low, furtive steps, came grazing before the cliff. Sun Wukong recognized it and dropped his wings, becoming a hungry tiger; he chopped tail and leaped hoof-first, coming to run down the deer for food. The demon king flustered and, in panic, changed into a large leopard with gold-and-black patches, intending to injure the hungry tiger. Sun Wukong, seeing this, turned with the wind, snapped his head, and changed into a golden-eyed suanni guardian beast; with a voice like thunder, a coppery and iron mask, he wheeled and moved to eat the leopard. The Bull King, alarmed, changed once more into a man-beast of a bear and sprang out with open stride to seize that suanni. Sun Wukong rolled once and became a giant tusked elephant with a trunk like a long snake and teeth like bamboo shoots, opening the trunk and setting off to wrap around that human-bear.

The entire force came to the gate and assaulted it at once. Suddenly Zhu Bajie, with the Land God and the Yin soldiers, arrived shouting. When the Great Sage saw them, he asked, "How is the matter of the Mo-yun Cave?" Zhu Bajie laughed: "The old bull’s wife— I killed her with one blow of my axe. I tore her clothes open and found she was a jade-faced fox spirit. That whole band of fiends, all donkeys, mules, calves, bears, badgers, foxes, raccoon-dogs, martens, deer, sheep, tigers, elk, and others like them, are all exterminated. I also set fire to his cave-house and galleries. The Land God said he has another home on this mountain and that is why he came here to sweep it too." Wukong said, "Good brother, you have merit—well done indeed. Old Sun lost himself in a gamble of transformations with that old Ox and had no victory. He transformed into a white ox of unimaginable size; I shaped my form by arts that spanned heaven and earth. At the very moment of our collision, many gods descended and surrounded him for a long while; still, he restored his original body and went back into the cave." Zhu Bajie said, "Is this Ba-jiao Cave then?" Wukong said, "Precisely, precisely. The rākṣasī is here." Zhu Bajie growled, "Then why not break in and exterminate that wretch, ask him for the fan, and make him stay for long while to talk, the two of us settling it together?"

It was brave in his simplicity, he shook himself awake and raised his spirit, striking the gate with the p’ah; with a sudden sharp crash the cliff gate on that side crumbled down. The startled girl quickly called out, "Father, someone has smashed in the front gate!" The Ox King then ran in, out of breath, and was just describing to the rākṣasī and Sun Wukong how they had fought for the fan by gambling over transformations when he heard the report. In rage, he spat out the fan from his mouth and handed it to the rākṣasī. The rākṣasī took it with both hands; tears filling her eyes, she said, "Lord, send this fan to that monkey, and tell him to withdraw his troops." The Ox King said, "Lady, though the object is small, grudge is deep when it is hatred. You sit still; I shall go and compete with him again." The demon quickly adjusted his armor, selected two treasured swords, and came out of the door. He met Zhu Bajie as he was breaking the gate with his p’ah and, instead of speaking, drew his sword and chopped immediately. Zhu Bajie raised his p’ah to meet him, staggered backward several steps and came out the gate, just as Great Sage arrived with the staff raised overhead. The Ox Demon then rode on wild winds and leapt from the cave; their clash continued on Cuiding Mountain. Many gods circled all around while Land soldiers attacked at both flanks. The battle was deadly:

The world is cloud-bewildered, the cosmos veiled in mist. A cold wind whistles; sand and stone roll, and towering wrath gathers like sea-swell. He grinds and grinds the two blades, and sets his armor back upon his body. The knot of grievance is deep as sea; resentment only breeds more fury. See the Equal-of-Heaven Great Sage: through merit he does not spare even an old acquaintance. Zhu Bajie exerts authority to demand the fan, while guardian gods of the Dharma seize the Bull Lord. With both hands the Ox King never ceases, barring left and right while stirring divine spirit. The birds passing by can barely fly, all folding their wings; even leaping fishes sink and hide their scales. Ghosts wail and gods cry out, and heaven and earth are darkened; dragons sorrow, tigers fear, and daylight itself grows dim. The Ox King fought to the limit of his life. The combat had gone on for more than fifty rounds; he could not match them and broke his formation, turning north. Already a vajra guardian of the Secret-Demon Cliff on Wutai Mountain, with vast powers, blocked him and shouted, "Ox Demon King, where do you go? I am sent by Śākyamuni Buddha, who has laid out Heaven and Earth nets to seize you here." As he spoke, the Great Sage, Zhu Bajie and many gods came rushing up. The demon startled, turned sharply, and ran south, only to run into the mountain of Wuliang Mountain Qingliang Cave, where an omnipotent vajra guardian stood, chanting and blocking him, saying, "Old Ox, where are you going? I bear Buddha’s command to take you right here." The Ox King, trembling and foot-sore, pulled away east, but then met a mighty vajra guardian, the Pīlú monk of Ma’er Cliff on Sumeru Mountain, who blocked him and shouted, "Where can this brute run? I have a secret order from the Buddha to come and capture you." The Ox King shuddered and withdrew west, and at once faced a vajra guardian of the Golden Radiance Ridge of Kunlun, Lord Yongzhu, who stood firm and cried, "Where shall this fellow escape again? I bear words from the Buddha of Great Thunder-Rain Temple in the Western Heaven to intercept him here—who lets you go?"

The old Ox was shaking in fear, regret came too late. In every direction he looked and saw only Buddha soldiers and heavenly generals, truly a net of fishnets stretched high, with no path of escape. In the midst of this panic, he again heard the Great Sage coming at the head of his hosts, and he mounted a clouded head, rising upward. Then there arrived the Pagoda-Guardian Li Heavenly King and Crown Prince Nezha, leading the Fish-Belly Trident soldiers and the Júlíng god-generals, covering the sky and calling: "Hold, hold. By the Jade Emperor’s order, I come here especially to exterminate you." The Ox King, in haste, changed as before, becoming a great white bull again and using both iron horns to strike the Heavenly King. The Heavenly King drew his knife and struck. Soon after, Sun Wukong arrived too. Nezha the Crown Prince called out sharply: "Great Sage, you are in armor and you are not in proper posture. My foolish father and son only yesterday saw the Buddha Śākyamuni and conveyed to the Jade Emperor that Tripitaka’s road is blocked at Flaming Mountain and Sun Wukong cannot subdue the Ox Demon King. The Jade Emperor has issued this order and assigned my father-king to lead troops to assist." Wukong said, "This fellow has no small magic. He has even changed into such a form. How can I subdue him?" The Crown Prince laughed: "Great Sage, do not doubt. Watch me take him."

At once the Crown Prince shouted, "Transform!" and became three heads and six arms, leaping onto the Ox King’s back, sweeping the demon-slaying sword toward his neck and cutting. Before one could notice, he severed the ox head. The Heavenly King lowered his knife only then and met the Great Sage. From the bull’s shoulder another head burst out, breathing black vapour, with gold light in its eyes. Again Nezha chopped once more; where the head fell, another appeared. Sword after sword, ten-some times, a score of heads sprouted in succession. Nezha then drew out the fire-wheel and hung it on the Ox King’s horn, then blew the true fire. The heat roared and blazed, searing the Ox King so that he bellowed wildly, shaking head and swishing his tail. Just as he was about to change form and slip away, he was held fast by the Heavenly King’s mirror that reveals fiends and their true form, fixed to his original image and unable to move. With no way to flee, he only cried, "Do not take my life; I am willing to submit to the Buddha’s way." Nezha said, "If you value life, bring out the fan quickly." The Ox King said, "The fan is kept by my mountain wife."

Nezha, upon hearing this, untied the spirit-caging rope and laid it across his neck; he seized the nostrils and threaded the rope through the nostrils, then hauled with his hand. Meanwhile Sun Wukong gathered the Four Great Vajra Kings, the Six Ding and Six Jia, the Protective Vajra of the Dharma, the Pagoda-Guardian Heavenly King, the Jùlìng god-generals, together with Zhu Bajie, the Land God, and the Yin soldiers, and surrounded the white ox, escorting it back to the mouth of Ba-jiao Cave. The old Ox called out, "Lady, bring out the fan and save my life." Hearing him, the rākṣasī quickly removed her hairpins and rings, stripped off her coloured robes, knotted her blue hair like a Taoist nun, put on plain gray-white like a bhikṣu, and with both hands brought forth the two-zhang-long fan and came out. She saw the Vajra hosts, the Great Sage and the Heavenly King and his son and rushed to kneel on the ground, knocking her head in reverence. "Great Bodhisattva, spare the lives of my husband and me. Let this fan be presented to Master Sun to complete his success," she implored. The Great Sage stepped forward and received the fan, then with the great crowd mounted a good omen cloud and rode straight back east.

Now Tripitaka and Sha Wujing stood a while and sat awhile, hoping for the Great Sage, but he did not return for a long time, and their worry deepened. Suddenly all the sky filled with auspicious clouds, and bright rays covered the ground; everything floated and drifted as the gods moved near. Tripitaka, frightened, said, "Wujing, who are those divine soldiers on that side?" Sha Wujing recognized them: "Master, those are the Four Great Vajra Kings, Golden-Head Jiedi, the Six Jia and Six Ding, the Protective Vajra of the Dharma, and other passersby. The one pulling the Ox is Crown Prince Nezha, the one with the mirror is the Pagoda-Guardian Li Heavenly King. Elder Brother is carrying the Ba-jiao Fan. Second Brother and the Land God are behind; the rest are all escorting deities." Hearing this, Tripitaka put on the Pílu crown, donned his robe, and with Wukong in tow greeted the saints, praising them: "What merit do my disciples possess that I might dare to burden so many august saints by asking them to descend into this world?" The Four Great Vajra Kings said, "Venerable monk, all goes well. Great merit is nearly complete. We are dispatched by Buddha’s order to aid you; you must strive in cultivation and not slacken for even a moment." Tripitaka knocked his teeth and knocked his head in reverent submission, receiving command and life-duty.

Sun Wukong held the fan and came near the mountain’s edge. He swung one full stroke. The Flames of Flaming Mountain quietly sank their flames; the blazes dimmed and cleared away. He was pleased and laughed with joy, then fanned once more. A rustling hiss arose, and a soft wind began to stir. He fanned a third time; the whole sky was veiled in dim cloud, and fine rain fell in drifting threads. To witness it is this verse:

Flaming Mountain lies eight hundred leagues away, and its firelight had become famed across the earth. Fire scorched the five-ingredient elixir and it could scarcely be cooked; Fire-scorch blazed through the three passes, and the Way was not made clear. At last the Ba-jiao fan poured rain and dew, Fortunate was the heavenly general’s divine aid. Let the Ox King return to Buddha and trouble cease; When water and fire join in nature, equilibrium restores itself. Now Tripitaka’s dryness and vexation were dissolved, his heart calmed and clear. The four adepts returned to refuge, thanked the vajra kings, and each turned to their jeweled mountains. The Six Ding and Six Jia rose into the air to offer protection. Passing deities scattered apart. The Heavenly King and the Crown Prince led the Ox back to the Buddha realm and returned it in custody. Only the Land God of that home mountain remained, with the rākṣasī detained beside him.

Sun Wukong said, “Rakshasa, why do you still stand here instead of going?” The Rakshasa knelt and said, “May the Great Sage look down with mercy and return my fan to me.” Zhu Bajie barked, “You insolent, ungrateful creature—you don’t even know your place. It is enough that we spared your life; what more do you want, a fan? We hauled you over the mountain, we are not going to go home and buy snacks with sold-for-money cash. After all this strain and effort, why still ask for it? It is raining in drizzles—go home at once.” The Rakshasa knelt again and said, “The Great Sage had once asked me to fan the flames away and then return it. In this case I deeply regret my lateness in repentance. It was only because I was brazen and careless that I caused men to be assembled and disturbed. We, too, are trying to cultivate the path of men, only not yet reaching the true fruit. Seeing now that my true form has been exposed and has turned toward the west, I dare not act rashly again. I beg that you grant this fan, let me reform from this moment, and depart to cultivate and preserve my life.” The Earth God said, “Great Sage, this young lady knows the art of extinguishing flames. If you cut off the source, and return her fan, this little spirit can stay here in peace and save the people of this land, whose sustenance is from blood offerings. That would be true grace.” Sun Wukong said, “When I spoke with the villagers just now, they said that this mountain, once fanned to suppress fire, yields a year’s grain and then the flames flare up again. How can the root be truly cut out?” The Rakshasa said, “If you must cut the root, then simply fan it continuously forty-nine times; it will never burn again.”

On hearing that, Sun Wukong took the fan and used all his strength, then fanned toward the mountain-top forty-nine times in succession. A heavy rain poured over the mountain. It was indeed a precious secret: wherever there was fire, it rained; where there was no fire, the sky stayed clear. The Master and his three disciples stood in the fireless spot and were not drenched.

After sitting there for the whole night, they did not begin packing until the next morning, then gathered up the horse gear and luggage, and returned the fan to the Rakshasa. He said, “If I did not give it back, people would say my word meant nothing. Take your fan back to the mountain and make no trouble again. Now that you have obtained a human form, be off and spared.” The Rakshasa took the fan, chanted a spell, shaped it into a tiny apricot leaf and put it into her mouth. She thanked all the saints, concealed her former name, and withdrew to cultivate; later she attained the true fruit and became known for ten thousand ages in the Buddhist Canon. The Rakshasa and the Earth God both thanked them in gratitude and then escorted them out. Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing protected Tripitaka and moved on. Their bodies were truly cooled, and their feet felt refreshed. Indeed it is rightly said:

Once Kan and Li are harmonized, true essence is complete;\ where water and fire are held in equal balance, the Great Path is fulfilled.

It is still unknown how many years it would be before they finally returned to the Eastern Land; listen to the resolution in the next chapter.