Now, the Handsome Monkey King returned to Flower-Fruit Mountain . Ever since he had vanquished the Chaos Demon King and seized his large blade, he spent each day teaching the smaller monkeys martial arts. He had them cut bamboo for spears and whittle wood for swords, and they made banners and blew whistles as he instructed them in how to advance, how to retreat, and how to set up camp.
While the smaller monkeys were enjoying this boisterous training, the Handsome Monkey King suddenly grew thoughtful. "We drill here," he said to himself, "but if this turns serious, we might alarm the kings of the mortal world, or the bird kings and beast kings of the mountains might think we are rebelling and come with armies to attack us. The weapons you hold are nothing but bamboo poles and wooden swords—how could you stand against them? We need sharp blades, spears, and swords, but where are we to get them now?"
Hearing this, the assembled monkeys all grew flustered. "The Great King thinks far ahead," they said, "but there is simply nowhere to find weapons!"
As they spoke, four old monkeys came forward—two Red-Bottomed Horse Monkeys and two Long-Armed Gibbons . They stepped up and said, "Great King, if you wish to find sharp weapons, it is actually quite easy."
"How so?" asked Wukong.
The four old monkeys replied, "Two hundred miles east of our mountain, across the water, lies the territory of the Aolai Kingdom . That kingdom has a king, and within its cities are countless soldiers and civilians. There are certainly artisans who forge gold, silver, copper, and iron. If the Great King goes there, whether by purchase or by commissioning, he could obtain weapons to bring back for us to use in defending our mountain. Only then can we have lasting peace."
Wukong was overjoyed. "You stay here and play," he said. "Wait for my return!"
The fine Monkey King immediately leaped into the air on his cloud-somersault . In an instant, he had crossed the two hundred miles of water. He saw before him a great city, with six main streets and three smaller lanes, thousands of households, and countless people bustling about in the bright daylight.
Wukong thought to himself, "There must be ready-made weapons here. Rather than go down and buy a few, it would be far easier to use my magic to take them." He formed a hand seal , recited a spell , drew a deep breath from the southeast, and blew it out with a whoosh. Instantly, a fierce wind arose, whipping up sand and stones in a terrifying spectacle:
Blasts of cloud arose, shaking heaven and earth; black mist and murky gloom darkened the land. The rivers and seas churned with waves, frightening fish and crabs; the mountain forests had their trees snapped, sending tigers and wolves fleeing. No merchants or travelers plied their trades; no one was seen pursuing any livelihood. The sovereign in his hall retreated to his inner palace; the civil and military officials before the steps fled back to their offices. The thousand-year throne was blown over; the five-phoenix tower swayed at its very foundations.
As the gale raged, the king of the Aolai Kingdom fled in terror to his inner palace, and the people in the streets and lanes hastily shut their doors and sealed their windows, none daring to venture out. Only then did Wukong descend from his cloud, charging straight through the main gate of the imperial palace until he found the armory. When he opened the doors, he saw weapons of every kind: sabers, spears, swords, halberds, axes, battle-axes, scythes, whips, maces, clubs, staves, bows, crossbows, tridents, and lances—not a single type was missing.
Wukong was delighted. "How many can I carry alone?" he said. "Better to use my body-splitting magic to move them!" The fine Monkey King plucked a handful of hairs, chewed them in his mouth, spat them into the air, and chanted a spell, crying, "Change!" Instantly, hundreds of thousands of little monkeys appeared, scrambling and snatching wildly—the strong ones taking five or six pieces, the weaker ones two or three—until the armory was stripped clean. Then Wukong mounted his cloud, used his magic to quell the gale, and led the little monkeys back to Flower-Fruit Mountain.
Meanwhile, the monkeys great and small of Flower-Fruit Mountain were playing outside the cave when they suddenly heard the roar of wind and saw the sky filled with monkey spirits. Terrified, they scattered in all directions to hide. After a moment, the Handsome Monkey King descended on his cloud, dispelled the mist, and shook his body, drawing back his hairs. The weapons were piled in a jumble before the mountain. "Little ones!" he shouted. "Come and claim your weapons!"
The assembled monkeys saw Wukong standing alone on the open ground and rushed over to kowtow and ask what had happened. Wukong recounted the story of raising the gale and seizing the weapons. After expressing their gratitude, the monkeys scrambled for sabers and swords, grabbed axes and spears, drew bows and strung crossbows, making a great racket as they played all day long.
The next day, Wukong resumed drilling his troops in formation. He summoned all the monkeys for a headcount, and there were over forty-seven thousand of them. This soon caught the attention of all the strange beasts on the mountain—wolves, serpents, tigers, leopards, elk, deer, foxes, badgers, lions, elephants, qilin , orangutans, bears, wild boars, mountain oxen, antelopes, rhinoceroses, cunning hounds, and divine mastiffs. There were seventy-two cave-dwelling demon kings in all, and they all came to pay homage to Wukong, acknowledging him as their leader. From then on, they brought tribute every year and reported in each season. Some joined the drills, while others were tasked with collecting grain according to the season, making Flower-Fruit Mountain as impenetrable as a fortress of bronze and iron . The demon kings also sent golden drums , colorful banners , and suits of armor , and every day was filled with the lively practice of martial arts and the drilling of troops.
The Handsome Monkey King was overjoyed, but then he said to the assembled monkeys, "Your bows and arrows are well-practiced, and your weapons are handled with skill, but this blade of mine is far too crude and clumsy. It does not suit me. What can be done?"
The four old monkeys stepped forward and said, "Great King, you are an immortal sage. Mortal weapons are beneath you. But we must ask—does the Great King know how to enter the water?"
"Since I learned the Dao," Wukong replied, "I have mastered the seventy-two earthly transformations , and my cloud-somersault is supremely powerful. I also know invisibility , earth-diving , and the art of summoning objects with magic . I have a path to heaven and a gate to the underworld . I cast no shadow beneath the sun or moon, and I can pass through metal and stone without hindrance. Water cannot drown me, fire cannot burn me. Is there any place I cannot go?"
The four old monkeys said, "Since the Great King possesses such vast divine powers, the water beneath the Iron Plank Bridge leads straight to the Dragon Palace of the Eastern Sea . If the Great King is willing to go down and ask the old Dragon King for a weapon, would that not fulfill your wish?"
Wukong was delighted. "Wait for me to go and return!" he said.
The fine Monkey King leaped to the edge of the bridge, used his water-repelling technique , formed a hand seal, and plunged into the water with a splash. Parting the waters, he made his way straight to the bottom of the Eastern Ocean. As he walked, he suddenly encountered a patrol Yaksha blocking his path. "Who are you?" the Yaksha demanded. "You push the water aside as you come—state your business clearly, so I can report within and arrange a welcome."
Wukong replied, "I am Sun Wukong, the Heaven-Born Sage of Flower-Fruit Mountain, and your old Dragon King's neighbor. How is it you do not recognize me?"
The Yaksha hurried back to the Crystal Palace to report, "Great King, outside there is a Heaven-Born Sage of Flower-Fruit Mountain named Sun Wukong, who claims to be your neighbor and is on his way to the palace."
Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea, quickly rose and, accompanied by his dragon sons and grandsons, shrimp soldiers and crab generals, came out of the palace to greet him. "Please enter, Upper Immortal! Please enter!" he said. He invited Wukong into the palace and seated him, and after offering tea, asked, "When did the Upper Immortal attain the Dao? What immortal arts have you studied?"
Wukong replied, "Since my birth, I left home to cultivate the Dao and achieved an immortal body that knows neither birth nor death. Lately, I have been teaching my children and grandchildren to drill and defend our cave, but I lack a weapon that suits me. I have long heard that you, my neighbor, dwell in a palace of jade and coral, and must have surplus divine weapons. I have come specially to ask for one."
The Dragon King could not refuse. He ordered the Mandarin Fish Commander to bring out a large saber. Wukong took it, but said, "Old Sun does not know how to use a saber. Please trouble yourself to grant me another."
The Dragon King then ordered the Carp Captain and the Eel Strongman to carry out a nine-pronged trident. Wukong jumped down, took it in his hands, twirled it once, and set it down. "Too light! Too light!" he said. "It still does not suit me. Grant me another."
The Dragon King laughed. "Upper Immortal, you did not look closely. This trident weighs three thousand six hundred pounds!"
"It still does not suit me! It does not suit me!" said Wukong.
The Dragon King began to feel afraid. He then ordered the Bream Commander and the Carp General to bring out a painted halberd with a square blade. This halberd weighed seven thousand two hundred pounds. Wukong saw it, ran over, took it in his hands, struck a few poses, flourished it twice, and thrust it into the ground. "Still too light! Too light! Too light!" he said.
The old Dragon King grew even more frightened. "Upper Immortal," he said, "this halberd is the heaviest weapon in my palace. There are no others."
Wukong smiled. "As the ancients said, 'Never worry about a Sea Dragon King lacking treasure!' Search again. If you find something that pleases me, I will certainly pay for it."
"Truly, there is nothing else," said the Dragon King.
As they spoke, the Dragon Queen and Dragon Princess came from behind and said, "Great King, look at this sage. He is certainly no ordinary being. Beneath our sea lies a divine iron pillar that was used to fix the depths of the Heavenly River. In recent days, it has been shimmering with rainbow light and glowing with auspicious vapor. Perhaps its time has come to appear, and it is meant for this sage."
The Dragon King said, "That is the measuring rod used by Yu the Great when he controlled the floods, to gauge the depth of rivers and seas. It is merely a piece of divine iron. What use could it be?"
The Dragon Queen replied, "Whether it is useful or not, give it to him. Let him do with it as he pleases, and then send him out of the palace."
The old Dragon King agreed and told Wukong the whole story. "Bring it out and let me see it," said Wukong.
The Dragon King waved his hands. "It cannot be carried or lifted! The Upper Immortal must trouble himself to go and see it."
"Where is it?" asked Wukong. "Take me there."
The Dragon King led him to the treasury at the bottom of the sea, where they suddenly saw ten thousand beams of golden light. The Dragon King pointed. "That which glows is it."
Wukong lifted his robe and stepped forward, touching it. It was an iron pillar, roughly as thick as a bushel measure and over two zhang long. He strained to wrap his arms around it. "Too thick and too long!" he said. "If it were a bit shorter and thinner, it would be easier to handle."
No sooner had he spoken than the treasure shrank by a few feet and grew thinner by a span. Wukong hefted it again. "A bit thinner would be even better!" he said. The treasure indeed grew thinner still.
Wukong was overjoyed. He carried the treasure out of the treasury and saw that it had two golden bands at either end, with a length of black iron in the middle. Close to the golden bands was a line of engraved characters reading, "The Compliant Golden-Banded Staff, Weighing Thirteen Thousand Five Hundred Pounds." He rejoiced inwardly. "This treasure can change according to one's will!" he thought. As he walked, he thought and murmured to himself, hefting the treasure. "If it were a bit shorter and thinner, it would be even more wonderful!" By the time he brought it out, the treasure was only two zhang long and as thick as a bowl.
Watch him now as he displayed his divine powers, twirling the Golden-Banded Staff and striding through the Crystal Palace. The old Dragon King trembled with fear; the dragon sons lost their wits. Turtles, tortoises, and giant soft-shelled turtles shrank back their necks; fish, shrimp, crabs, and turtles all hid their heads.
Wukong took the treasure in his hands, seated himself in the Crystal Palace hall, and laughed to the Dragon King. "Thank you for your kindness, neighbor."
"I dare not! I dare not!" said the Dragon King.
"Though this iron staff is useful," said Wukong, "there is still one matter."
"What other matter does the Upper Immortal have?" asked the Dragon King.
"If I had not obtained this treasure, it would be fine," said Wukong. "But now that I hold it in my hands, I have no proper attire to match it. What can be done? If you have a suit of armor here, you might as well give me a set, and I will thank you for it."
"Truly, I have none here," said the Dragon King.
"As the saying goes, 'One guest should not trouble two hosts,'" said Wukong. "If you have none, I shall not leave today."
"May the Upper Immortal trouble himself to look in the other seas," said the Dragon King. "Perhaps they have some."
"Another saying goes," said Wukong, "'Better to sit in one house than to visit three.' Do me the favor and find me a set."
"Truly, I have none," said the Dragon King. "If I had, I would certainly give it to you."
"Truly none?" said Wukong. "Then let me try this iron staff!"
The Dragon King panicked. "Upper Immortal, do not raise your hand! Do not raise your hand! I will ask my brothers if they have any, and then I will give you a set."
"Where are your brothers?" asked Wukong.
"My brothers are Ao Qin, the Dragon King of the Southern Sea; Ao Shun, the Dragon King of the Northern Sea; and Ao Run, the Dragon King of the Western Sea," said the Dragon King.
"Old Sun will not go! I will not go!" said Wukong. "As the saying goes, 'Three credits are not worth two meetings.' I am counting on you to find me a set, one way or another."
The old Dragon King said, "The Upper Immortal need not go. I have here an iron drum and a golden bell. Whenever there is an urgent matter, we sound the drum and strike the bell, and my brothers will come immediately."
"In that case," said Wukong, "sound the drum and strike the bell at once!"
Indeed, the Alligator General immediately struck the bell, and the Turtle Commander promptly beat the drum. In a short while, the sound of the bell and drum had alerted the three Dragon Kings of the other seas. They soon arrived and, meeting Ao Guang outside the palace, asked, "Elder Brother, what urgent matter has caused you to sound the drum and strike the bell?"
The old Dragon King said, "Brothers! Do not ask! There is a Heaven-Born Sage from Flower-Fruit Mountain who came this morning to acknowledge me as his neighbor. He then demanded weapons. I gave him a steel trident, but he said it was too small. I gave him a painted halberd, but he said it was too light. He himself pulled out a divine iron pillar that fixed the depths of the Heavenly River and even flourished it a few times. Now he sits in the palace demanding a suit of armor. I have none here, so I sounded the bell and drum to summon you. If any of you have a suit of armor, give it to him and send him on his way."
Ao Qin was furious. "Why not lead our troops and arrest him?" he said.
"Do not speak of arresting him! Do not speak of arresting him!" said the old Dragon King. "That iron staff—touch it and you die, graze it and you perish; a single blow and your skin splits, a single brush and your sinews are broken!"
Ao Shun, the Dragon King of the Northern Sea, said, "Second Brother, do not fight with him. It is better to pool together a suit of armor and give it to him. Send him out of the palace, and then we will write a memorial to the Heavenly Court, letting Heaven deal with him."
Ao Run, the Dragon King of the Western Sea, said, "Well said! I have here a pair of Lotus-Silk Cloud-Treading Boots."
Ao Shun, the Dragon King of the Northern Sea, said, "I have brought a suit of Lock-Gold Chainmail."
Ao Qin, the Dragon King of the Southern Sea, said, "I have a Phoenix-Feather Purple-Gold Crown."
The old Dragon King was overjoyed. He led them into the Crystal Palace to see Wukong and presented these items. Wukong donned the golden crown, the golden armor, and the cloud-treading boots. Carrying his Compliant Golden-Banded Staff, he fought his way out, saying to the assembled Dragon Kings, "I have troubled you! I have troubled you!"
The Four Dragon Kings were deeply resentful, and they discussed writing a memorial to the Heavenly Court. We will leave them for now.
Now, the Monkey King parted the waters and returned to the Iron Plank Bridge, leaping onto the shore. The four old monkeys were leading the assembled monkeys, all waiting by the bridge. When they saw Wukong emerge from the water, not a single drop clinging to him, and walk onto the bridge in his gleaming golden armor, they all knelt down and cried, "Great King, how splendid! How splendid!"
Wukong's face beamed with joy. He ascended his throne and stood the Golden-Banded Staff upright in the center. The monkeys, not knowing its weight, came to move it, but it was like a dragonfly trying to shake a great tree—they could not budge it an inch. They bit their fingers and stuck out their tongues. "Heavens!" they said. "So heavy! How did you carry it back, Great King?"
Wukong stepped forward, reached out, and grabbed the Golden-Banded Staff in one hand. He laughed to the assembled monkeys. "Everything has its master. This treasure lay hidden at the bottom of the sea for who knows how many thousands of years, and only this year did it begin to glow. The Dragon King thought it was just a piece of black iron and called it the Divine Pillar That Fixed the Heavenly River's Depths. None of them could lift it, so they asked me to go and get it myself. At that time, the treasure was over two zhang long and as thick as a bushel. I touched it, and thinking it too large, it shrank considerably. I asked it to shrink further, and it shrank again. I asked it to shrink further still, and it shrank again. When I held it up to the light, I saw a line of characters reading, 'Compliant Golden-Banded Staff, Thirteen Thousand Five Hundred Pounds.' All of you stand back, and let me make it change again."
He hefted the treasure in his hand and cried, "Smaller! Smaller! Smaller!" The treasure immediately shrank until it was like an embroidery needle, small enough to be tucked into his ear. The assembled monkeys were stunned. "Great King!" they shouted. "Take it out and play with it again!"
The Monkey King truly did take the Golden-Banded Staff from his ear, placed it in his palm, and cried, "Bigger! Bigger! Bigger!" The staff immediately grew again, becoming as thick as a bushel and two zhang long. In high spirits, he leaped onto the bridge and out of the cave, wielding the treasure as he performed the divine power of "Heaven-and-Earth Transformation." He arched his back and cried, "Grow!" His body instantly became ten thousand zhang tall. His head was like Mount Tai, his waist like a great peak, his eyes like lightning, his mouth like a basin of blood, his teeth like swords and halberds. In his hand, the Golden-Banded Staff reached up to the thirty-third heaven and down to the eighteenth level of hell. The tigers, leopards, wolves, serpents, and all the strange beasts of the mountain, along with the seventy-two cave-dwelling demon kings, were so terrified that they kowtowed and paid homage, trembling in fear, their souls nearly flown away.
After a moment, Wukong withdrew his Heaven-and-Earth Transformation, changed the treasure back into an embroidery needle, and tucked it into his ear. He returned to his cave, where the demon kings of every cave hurried to pay their respects and offer congratulations.
Thus, Wukong made a great display. He sounded the bronze gong, set out a table laden with rare delicacies, filled cups with coconut wine and grape wine, and feasted with the assembled monkeys and demon kings for a long while. Afterwards, he continued to teach them martial arts. He appointed the four old monkeys as generals: the two Red-Bottomed Horse Monkeys were named the Horse and Flow Marshals, and the two Long-Armed Gibbons were named the Beng and Ba Generals. Matters of encampment, rewards, and punishments were all entrusted to these four generals.
With everything arranged, Wukong set his mind at ease. Each day, he rode his clouds and mists, roaming the four seas and visiting a thousand mountains. He displayed his martial skills, visiting heroes and champions everywhere; he showed off his divine powers, making friends with worthy sages far and wide. It was at this time that he befriended six brothers: the Bull Demon King, the Jiao Demon King, the Roc Demon King, the Lion King, the Macaque King, and the Rong King. Together with himself, the Handsome Monkey King, they made seven sworn brothers. Each day, they discussed literature, compared martial arts, passed cups and exchanged toasts, sang and danced, going out in the morning and returning in the evening—there was nothing that was not lively and joyful. Even a journey of ten thousand miles was as close as a walk in their own courtyard—truly, "A nod could carry them three thousand miles; a twist of the waist brought them eight hundred leagues."
One day, Wukong instructed the four generals in the Water Curtain Cave to prepare a banquet and invite his six sworn brothers for a drink. They slaughtered oxen and horses, made offerings to heaven and earth, and commanded all the monsters to dance and sing, until everyone was thoroughly drunk. After seeing off his six brothers, Wukong rewarded the lesser chieftains and then leaned against a pine tree by the Iron Plank Bridge, where he soon fell asleep. The four generals and the assembled monkeys kept watch beside him, not daring to speak loudly.
Suddenly, in his dream, Wukong saw two men carrying a document on which were written the three characters "Sun Wukong." The two men came up to him and, without a word, slipped a rope around him and pulled his soul away. Stumbling and staggering, Wukong was brought to the foot of a city wall. Gradually, his drunkenness faded. He looked up and saw an iron plaque on the wall, inscribed with three large characters: "Darkness Realm."
Wukong immediately realized where he was. "The Darkness Realm is where King Yama dwells," he said. "Why have I come here?"
The two men said, "Your allotted lifespan has come to an end. We two have been sent with this document to summon your soul."
Hearing this, Wukong grew angry. "Old Sun has already transcended the Three Realms and escaped the Five Elements," he said. "I have long been beyond the jurisdiction of King Yama. How dare you be so muddled as to come and summon me?"
The two soul-summoning messengers ignored his words and dragged him toward the city gate. Wukong was enraged. He drew the Golden-Banded Staff from his ear, shook it until it was as thick as a bowl, and with a single blow, smashed both messengers into meat paste. He untied himself, threw the rope aside, and, wielding the Golden-Banded Staff, charged into the city. The ox-headed ghosts fled east and hid; the horse-faced demons scurried south and ran north.
The lesser ghost officers ran to the Palace of Senluo to report. "Great Kings! Disaster! Disaster! A monster with a hairy face like a thunder god has broken in!"
The Ten Kings of the Underworld hurriedly straightened their robes and came out to see. When they saw Wukong's ferocious appearance, they quickly formed ranks and called out loudly, "Upper Immortal, leave your name! Upper Immortal, leave your name!"
"If you do not know me," said Wukong, "why did you send men to summon me?"
"We dare not! We dare not!" said the Ten Kings. "It must be that our subordinates made a mistake."
"I am Sun Wukong, the Heaven-Born Sage of the Water Curtain Cave on Flower-Fruit Mountain," said Wukong. "What offices do you hold?"
The Ten Kings bowed. "We are the lords of the underworld, the Ten Kings of Darkness."
"State your names quickly, and spare yourselves a beating!" said Wukong.
The Ten Kings said, "We are King Qin Guang, King Chu Jiang, King Song Di, King Wu Guan, King Yan Luo, King Ping Deng, King Tai Shan, King Du Shi, King Bian Cheng, and King Zhuan Lun."
"Since you are the Kings of Darkness," said Wukong, "you are spirits with perception and response. How can you be so ignorant of what is good for you? Old Sun has cultivated immortality and attained the Dao. I am as long-lived as heaven itself. I have transcended the Three Realms and leaped out of the Five Elements. Why did you still send men to arrest me?"
"Upper Immortal, calm your anger," said the Ten Kings. "There are many people in the world with the same name and surname. It must be that the soul-summoners went to the wrong place."
"Nonsense! Nonsense!" said Wukong. "As the saying goes, 'Officers may err in their duties, but the person is never wrong.' Quickly bring the Register of Life and Death for me to see!"
Hearing this, the Ten Kings hastily invited him up to the hall to inspect it. Wukong, carrying his Compliant Golden-Banded Staff, strode straight into the Palace of Senluo and sat down in the center, facing south. The Ten Kings immediately ordered the Clerk of Records in charge of documents to bring out the registers for inspection. The clerk dared not be slow. He ran to the document room and brought out five or six volumes, along with the registers of the ten categories of living beings, and examined them one by one. In the categories of humans, beasts, birds, insects, and aquatic creatures, there was no name of Wukong to be found.
Then they searched the category of monkeys. It turned out that monkeys resembled humans but were not counted among them; they resembled naked creatures but did not dwell in the various mortal kingdoms; they resembled beasts but were not governed by the Qilin; they resembled birds but were not ruled by the Phoenix—thus, they had their own separate register. Wukong examined it himself until he came to the "Soul" character, number one thousand three hundred and fifty. There he saw the name "Sun Wukong," with the annotation: "Heaven-born stone monkey. Lifespan: three hundred and forty-two years. Died a natural death."
"I do not remember how many years I have lived," said Wukong, "but as long as my name is erased, that is enough! Bring me a brush!"
The clerk hastily offered a brush, dipped in thick ink. Wukong took the register and struck out every name in the monkey category. He threw the register to the ground. "Finished! Finished!" he said. "From now on, I am no longer under your jurisdiction!" With that, he swung his Golden-Banded Staff and fought his way out of the Darkness Realm.
The Ten Kings dared not block him. They all went to the Green Cloud Palace to pay homage to the Bodhisattva Dizang Wang and discuss writing a memorial to the Heavenly Court. We will leave them for now.
Wukong fought his way out of the Darkness Realm, but suddenly tripped over a blade of grass and fell. He woke with a start—it had all been a dream. As he stretched, he heard the four generals and the assembled monkeys shouting, "Great King, how much wine did you drink? You have slept for an entire night and still not woken up!"
"Sleep is a small matter," said Wukong. "I dreamed that two men came to summon my soul and brought me to the gate of the Darkness Realm city. I woke up as I was about to enter. I displayed my divine powers and stormed all the way to the Palace of Senluo, where I argued with the Ten Kings of Darkness. I also looked at the Register of Life and Death and struck out the names of all our monkey kind. From now on, they will no longer be under their jurisdiction."
The assembled monkeys kowtowed and thanked him. From that time on, most of the monkeys on Flower-Fruit Mountain were able to live forever, because their names were no longer in the Register of Life and Death of the underworld.
After Wukong finished speaking, the four generals spread the news to the demon kings of every cave, who all came to congratulate him. Within a few days, his six sworn brothers also came to offer their congratulations. When they heard that it was because he had erased the names from the Register of Life and Death, they were all overjoyed. After that, they continued to gather and enjoy themselves every day, but we will not go into detail here.
Now, let us speak of the Great Sage in the High Heavens—the Great Merciful and Benevolent One, the Jade Emperor, the Great and Exalted Lord of the Vast Heaven. One day, the Jade Emperor was seated in the Hall of Spiritual Splendor within the Golden Palace of Cloud Palace, convening a court of civil and immortal ministers. Suddenly, the Perfected Being Qiu Hongji stepped forward to report, "Your Majesty, outside the Hall of Universal Light, Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea, has presented a memorial and begs to be summoned before the throne."
The Jade Emperor issued a decree: "Summon him."
Ao Guang was brought before the Hall of Spiritual Splendor. After he had performed the proper rites, the attendant immortal boy received his memorial and presented it to the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor read it from beginning to end. The memorial read:
Your subject, Ao Guang, the Little Dragon of the Eastern Sea in the Lower World of the Eastern Continent of Superior Achievement, respectfully memorializes the Great Heavenly Lord, the Exalted Lord of the Vast Heaven: Recently, an immortal monster named Sun Wukong, who dwells in the Water Curtain Cave on Flower-Fruit Mountain, has bullied your subject, forcibly occupied the water palace, demanded weapons with fierce arrogance, and insisted on armor with overbearing force. He has terrified the creatures of the waters and sent the turtles and crocodiles fleeing. The Dragon King of the Southern Sea trembles in fear; the Dragon King of the Western Sea is utterly disheartened; the Dragon King of the Northern Sea can only bow his head in surrender. Your subject, Ao Guang, knelt and begged for mercy, presenting the divine golden-banded staff, the phoenix-feather purple-gold crown, the lock-gold chainmail, and the lotus-silk cloud-treading boots before he would leave. Yet he still boasts of his martial arts and flaunts his divine powers, only saying, 'I have troubled you! I have troubled you!' He is truly too powerful to subdue. Your subject now presents this memorial, beseeching Your Majesty to make a sacred decision and send heavenly troops to capture this monster, so that the four seas and five mountains may return to peace and the common people of the lower world may live in safety.
Your subject, Ao Guang, respectfully presents this.
After reading the memorial, the Jade Emperor decreed, "Let the Dragon King return to the Eastern Sea. I will immediately send a general to the lower world to subdue this demon monkey." The old Dragon King kowtowed in thanks and departed.
Next, the Immortal Elder Ge stepped forward to report, "Your Majesty, King Qin Guang of the underworld has come, bearing a memorial from the Bodhisattva Dizang Wang, the Lord of the Darkness Realm." The attendant Jade Maiden received the memorial and presented it to the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor also read it from beginning to end. The memorial read:
of Heaven. He has now achieved transcendence and ascended to the rank of a high celestial immortal, his name recorded in the precious register of the cloud-ranked immortals. What official title will the Jade Emperor bestow upon Wukong? Listen to the next chapter for the answer.