As the Great Sage Sun Wukong retrieved his Golden-Banded Staff and fought his way out of the cave, he leaped to the summit of a high peak and announced to the assembled gods with immense joy. Heavenly King Li asked him, “What happened during your second entry into the cave?”
The Pilgrim replied, “I changed my form and slipped into his lair. That monster was merrily drinking to celebrate his victory, so I couldn’t discover where he had hidden his precious ring . When I made my way to the rear courtyard, I suddenly heard the neighing of a horse and the roar of a dragon, and I knew they were the Fire Department ’s mounts. Then I spotted my Golden-Banded Staff leaning against the eastern wall. I grabbed it and fought my way straight out.”
The gods said, “You have retrieved your own treasure, but when will we get ours back?”
The Pilgrim answered, “It’s not difficult! Not difficult at all! Now that I have my iron staff, I’ll knock him down no matter what and recover all your treasures.”
Just as he finished speaking, they heard the sound of gongs and drums from the foot of the mountain, accompanied by earth-shaking war cries. It was the Rhinoceros King , leading his horde of demon soldiers in pursuit of the Pilgrim. When the Pilgrim saw them, he shouted, “Excellent! Excellent! This is exactly what I wanted! All of you sit tight and wait. I’m going to capture him again!”
What a Great Sage! He raised his iron staff and charged straight at the enemy, bellowing, “Where do you think you’re going, you fiend? Take this blow!” The monster blocked with his spear and cursed back, “You thieving monkey! How dare you be so insolent! Why are you stealing my belongings in broad daylight?”
The Pilgrim retorted, “You ignorant beast! It was you who set a trap and stole my things in broad daylight! Which of these items is yours? Don’t run! Taste your grandfather’s staff!”
The monster swung his long spear to parry, and the battle erupted in full fury. The Great Sage unleashed his savage might, while the demon refused to yield. Both sides fought with all their courage, neither willing to give up. The iron staff lashed out like a dragon’s tail, and the long spear thrust forward like a python’s head. Each strike of the staff howled like the wind, while each parry of the spear flowed with majestic power like rushing water. Colored mists shrouded the mountain peaks, making them dark; auspicious clouds gathered thickly, casting a gloom over the forests. All the birds in the sky stopped their flight, and every wild beast on the earth shrank back in fear. On one side, the lesser demons raised a deafening clamor; on the other, the Pilgrim fought with renewed vigor. His iron staff was unmatched, having swept across the western lands for ten thousand miles. But the monster’s long spear proved a worthy opponent, a weapon that had long secured his dominance in the Golden Cave . This clash could not end peacefully; they swore not to stop until one had clearly triumphed.
The Demon King and the Great Sage fought for three full hours without either gaining the upper hand. As the sky began to darken, the monster rested on his spear and called out, “Wukong, stop! The heavens grow dim, and this is no time for battle. Let us rest for a while and resume our contest tomorrow.”
The Pilgrim cursed him, “Don’t waste your breath, you fiend! Old Monkey is just getting warmed up! What do I care about the time of day? We must settle this today!”
The monster let out a mighty roar, feigned a thrust with his spear, and seized the chance to flee. He led his demon troops back into the cave and slammed the great doors shut, bolting them securely.
The Great Sage carried his staff back to the peak, where the heavenly gods offered their congratulations. They all said, “Truly, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven is a being of boundless skill and power!”
The Pilgrim laughed and said, “You flatter me! You flatter me!”
Heavenly King Li stepped forward and said, “This is no mere flattery. You are a true hero! This battle was no less fierce than the one when the heavenly troops surrounded you in days gone by.”
The Pilgrim replied, “Let’s not speak of the past. That demon must be exhausted after our fight. I won’t complain about my own weariness. You all rest here while I re-enter the cave to investigate the whereabouts of his ring. I must steal it, capture the fiend, and retrieve your weapons so that you may return to Heaven.”
Prince Nezha said, “But it is already dark. Would it not be better to sleep for the night and go tomorrow morning?”
The Pilgrim laughed and said, “You are inexperienced, young prince! Since when do thieves work in broad daylight? Matters of stealth must be conducted at night, when no one knows and no one sees!”
Fiery Virtue Star Lord and the Thunder God quickly added, “Third Prince, say no more. We know nothing of such arts. The Great Sage is an old hand at this. He should go now—first, because the demon is weary, and second, because the darkness offers cover. Go quickly! Go quickly!”
What a Great Sage! Chuckling to himself, he concealed his iron staff, leaped down from the peak, and arrived once more at the cave entrance. With a shake of his body, he transformed into a cricket . It was a perfect mimicry: its mouth was hard and its feelers long, its skin pitch-black; its eyes were bright, and its legs and feet were jointed and spiked. In the clear breeze and under the bright moonlight, it chirped on the wall, its voice in the dead of night sounding almost like human speech. Its cries were mournful, like dew weeping in the desolate scene, and its voice came in broken, intermittent bursts that were strangely captivating. Travelers in lonely inns dreaded hearing it, especially when it sang beneath the empty steps or under their beds.
It kicked off with its hind legs, jumped three or five times to reach the door, squeezed through a crack, and crouched at the base of the wall. Peering by the lamplight inside, the Pilgrim saw that the demons, great and small, were wolfing down their food. The Pilgrim chirped a few times. After a while, the lesser demons cleared away the dishes and prepared their beds, each one settling down to rest.
Around the first watch of the night , the Pilgrim finally slipped into the rear chamber. He heard the old demon king issuing orders: “All guards at the doors, be vigilant! Don’t let that Sun Wukong change his shape and sneak in to steal anything!” Some of the demons on night watch beat wooden clappers and rang bells, their noise ceaseless.
The Great Sage took his chance and crept into the room. He saw a stone bed , and around it were several mountain sprites and tree spirits , all powdered and painted , attending to the old demon—some helped him take off his shoes, others loosened his robes. The demon king removed his outer garment, revealing a gleaming white ring on his left arm, which looked like a bracelet of linked beads. He did not take it off at all, but instead pushed it higher up his arm, tightening it securely, and then lay down.
Seeing this, the Pilgrim transformed again, this time into a yellow flea . He leaped onto the stone bed, burrowed under the covers, and bit the monster’s arm hard. The demon king cried out in pain and rolled over, cursing, “You worthless servants! You didn’t shake out the blankets or wipe down the bed! Something bit me!” He pushed the ring up higher on his arm and tried to go back to sleep.
The Pilgrim then crawled onto the ring itself and bit it. The monster could no longer sleep. He tossed and turned, shouting, “I’m itching to death!”
Seeing how tightly the demon guarded his treasure, wearing it constantly and refusing to take it off, the Pilgrim knew he could not steal it. He leaped off the bed, turned back into a cricket, slipped out of the room, and headed straight for the rear courtyard. There he heard the dragon’s roar and the horse’s neigh once more. The rear gate was tightly locked, and the Fire Dragon and Fire Horse were hanging inside.
The Pilgrim resumed his original form, walked up to the door, and used his unlocking spell. He chanted the incantation, touched the lock with his hand, and with a click, it fell open. He pushed the door open and rushed inside. The interior was lit up as bright as day by the fire weapons. He saw several weapons leaning against the walls on either side—Prince Nezha’s demon-slaying sabers and others, as well as Fiery Virtue Star Lord’s fire bows and fire arrows.
Looking around by the firelight, the Pilgrim also noticed a bamboo-woven tray on a stone table behind the door. In it lay a handful of his own hairs. Overjoyed, the Great Sage picked up the hairs, blew two puffs of warm breath on them, and shouted, “Change!” Instantly, they transformed into thirty or fifty little monkeys. He ordered these little monkeys to take up the swords, spears, pestles, ropes, embroidered balls, fire wheels, as well as the bows, arrows, spears, fire carts, gourds, fire crows, fire rats, and fire horses—all the items that had been taken by the ring. They then mounted the Fire Dragon and set everything ablaze, burning from the inside out.
With a roar and a series of thunderous explosions, the fire spread. The lesser demons woke from their dreams in panic. Clutching their blankets and covering their heads, some screamed, some cried, and most were burned to death with nowhere to flee. By the time the Handsome Monkey King emerged victorious, it was roughly the third watch of the night.
Meanwhile, on the high peak, Heavenly King Li and the others suddenly saw flames flickering and rushed over. They saw the Pilgrim riding the Fire Dragon, leading his little monkeys in a wild charge up the peak, shouting, “Come and take your weapons! Come and take your weapons!” Fiery Virtue Star Lord and Nezha quickly responded.
The Pilgrim shook his body, and the handful of hairs returned to their original form, reattaching themselves to his skin. Prince Nezha retrieved his six weapons, and Fiery Virtue Star Lord ordered his Fire Department gods to collect the Fire Dragon and other items. They all praised the Pilgrim with smiles, but we will leave them for now.
Back in the Golden Cave, the flames had risen to the sky. The Rhinoceros King was terrified out of his wits. He hurriedly got up, opened the door, and held his ring in both hands. He pushed it to the left, and the fires on that side went out; he pushed it to the right, and the fires on that side subsided. Carrying the treasure, he ran around the entire cave, and only then were all the flames extinguished. He rushed to save his demon soldiers, but more than half had already been burned to death. The survivors, male and female combined, numbered fewer than a hundred. He then went to inspect the weapons storage, only to find it completely empty. Looking into the rear courtyard, he saw that Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, and Tang Sanzang were still tied up and not yet freed. The White Dragon Horse was still at its manger, and the luggage was still in the room.
The demon king fumed, “Which careless demon started a fire and caused this disaster?” A close attendant reported, “Great King, this fire was not of our making. There must have been a thief who sneaked in, set off the Fire Department’s weapons, and stole all our arms!”
The old demon king finally understood. “There’s no one else but that thieving monkey Sun Wukong! No wonder I felt uneasy before I went to sleep. That thieving monkey must have changed into something and sneaked in, biting me twice on the arm. He must have wanted to steal my treasure, but seeing it was too tight, he failed. So he stole the weapons and set the Fire Dragon loose, trying to burn me to death! You thieving monkey! You’ve wasted your efforts. You don’t know my power! As long as I have this treasure, even if I jump into the sea, I won’t drown, and if I walk into a fiery furnace, I won’t burn! If I catch you this time, I’ll cut you into a thousand pieces to vent my rage!” He fumed and fretted for a long time.
Before they knew it, the roosters crowed and the sky grew light. On the high peak, Prince Nezha had retrieved his six weapons. He said to the Pilgrim, “Great Sage, the sky is bright now. Let’s not waste time. Since the demon’s spirit is broken, I and the Fire Department will join you for another battle. This time, we might just capture him!”
The Pilgrim laughed and said, “Well said! Let’s join forces and go!”
All of them mustered their spirits and their skills, going straight to the cave entrance. The Pilgrim shouted, “Come out, you fiend! Fight Old Monkey!” The cave’s two stone doors had been burned to ashes by the fire weapons. Inside, a few lesser demons were sweeping up the cinders when they suddenly saw the gods approaching together. Terrified, they dropped their brooms and dustpans and ran inside to report, “Sun Wukong has brought a host of heavenly gods and is cursing us at the gate again!”
Upon hearing this report, the Rhinoceros Monster gnashed his steel teeth until they cracked. His round eyes blazing with fury, he grabbed his spear and his treasure and strode out of the door, cursing, “You thieving monkey who sneaks around and sets fires! What kind of power do you have to dare look down on me like this?”
The Pilgrim laughed and cursed back, “You fiend! You want to know my power? Then step forward and listen: From childhood, my skills were strong; my fame spread across the cosmos far and wide. In my youth, I awakened to the path of immortality, and in days of old, I learned the art of eternal youth. I set my heart on studying at the Place of the Heart’s Inch, and I devoutly sought the Sage’s homeland. I mastered the boundless arts of transformation, roaming freely throughout the universe. In leisure, I subdued tigers before the mountain; in boredom, I subdued dragons in the sea. I made my home on Flower-Fruit Mountain, claiming the throne, and I flaunted my strength in Water Curtain Cave. Several times I schemed to enter the Heavenly Realm, and in my ignorance, I tried to seize the upper world. The Jade Emperor granted me the title of Great Sage Equal to Heaven and bestowed upon me the name Handsome Monkey King.
“But because the Peach Banquet was held and I was not invited, my pride was wounded. I secretly crashed the Jade Pool and stole the jade liquor; I privately entered the Precious Pavilion and drank the ambrosia. I stole the dragon’s liver and the phoenix’s marrow; I tasted all the rare delicacies. I helped myself to the thousand-year peaches and ate the ten-thousand-year elixirs. I took every rare object from the Heavenly Palace and hid every precious treasure from the Sage’s mansions. When the Jade Emperor learned of my skills, he sent heavenly troops to do battle. I defeated the evil stars of the Nine Luminaries and wounded the ferocious guardians of the Five Directions. All the heavenly generals were no match for me, and a hundred thousand elite soldiers dared not stand against me. I forced the Jade Emperor to issue a decree, and the Little Sage of Guanjiang was summoned to war. We fought through seventy-two transformations, each showing our prowess. The Guanyin of the South Sea came to assist, with her pure vase and willow branch. The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord then used his Diamond Snare to capture me and take me to the Heavenly Court. Bound, I was brought before the Jade Emperor, and the officials interrogated me, finding me guilty. They ordered the executioner to behead me, but the blade only sparked against my scalp. A hundred schemes failed to kill me, so I was sent to Lord Laozi’s hall. He refined me in the Eight Trigrams Furnace with the Six Yang Fire, forging my body as hard as steel. When the seven times seven cycles were complete and the lid was lifted, I leaped out, fiercer than ever. All the gods closed their doors in fear, and the sages discussed begging the Buddha for help.
“Indeed, Tathagata Buddha’s power was immense, and his wisdom boundless. We made a wager, and I somersaulted, but he pressed a mountain down on me, and I could not escape. Only then did the Jade Emperor hold the Peaceful Heaven Banquet, and the Western Lands were called the Realm of Ultimate Bliss. I was trapped under the mountain for five hundred years, not tasting a single drop of tea or a grain of rice. Then the Golden Cicada Elder descended to the mortal world, and the Great Tang sent him to worship the Buddha’s land. He sought to bring the true scriptures back to the Eastern Land, so the Tang Emperor could save the departed souls. Guanyin persuaded me to turn to goodness, and I took the Buddhist vows, no longer acting wildly. I was freed from the hardship at the mountain’s foot, and now I journey west to fetch the scriptures. So, you fiend, stop your foolish tricks! Return my master, Tang Sanzang, so he may worship the Dharma King!”
Hearing this, the monster pointed at the Pilgrim and said, “So you’re a great thief who stole from Heaven! Don’t run! Take my spear!” The Great Sage raised his staff to meet him. As the two fought fiercely, Prince Nezha grew angry and Fiery Virtue Star Lord became enraged. They hurled their six divine weapons and the Fire Department’s items at the demon. The Great Sage’s momentum surged, and on the other side, the Thunder God joined the fray and Heavenly King Li raised his saber. All of them charged forward together without distinction.
The demon king, however, let out a cold laugh. He quietly pulled the treasure from his sleeve, tossed it into the air, and shouted, “Take!” With a whoosh, the ring swept away the six divine weapons, the Fire Department’s items, the Thunder God’s instruments, the Heavenly King’s saber, and even the Pilgrim’s iron staff. Once again, the gods were left empty-handed, and the Great Sage Sun Wukong was without his weapon.
The demon king returned to his cave in victory and shouted, “Little ones! Move stones to build a new gate and repair the halls. When everything is done, we will kill the three pilgrims, Tang Sanzang and his disciples, as a sacrifice to the earth, and then we will all feast together!” The lesser demons received their orders and set to work. We will leave them for now.
Meanwhile, Heavenly King Li led the others back to the high peak. Fiery Virtue Star Lord blamed Nezha for being too rash, and the Thunder God accused the Heavenly King of playing tricks. Only the Water Earl remained silent on the sidelines. Seeing them quarreling, the Pilgrim felt troubled himself, but he forced a smile and said to them, “Don’t worry, gentlemen. As the old saying goes, ‘Victory and defeat are common in battle.’ My skill against his is about equal; the real trouble is that extra ring he has, which makes him so hard to deal with and has taken our weapons again. Rest assured, I will go and investigate his background once more.”
Nezha said, “You already reported to the Jade Emperor and searched all the gods in Heaven without finding a clue. Where will you go now?”
The Pilgrim replied, “I remember now that the Buddha’s Dharma is boundless. I will go to the Western Heaven and ask my Buddha, Tathagata, to use his wisdom eye to survey the four great continents of the world. He can find out where this demon was born and where he lives, and what that ring really is. No matter what, I must capture him, avenge you all, and allow you to return to Heaven in triumph.”
The gods said, “Since you have this plan, don’t delay. Go quickly! Go quickly!”
What a Pilgrim! No sooner said than done. He mounted his somersault cloud and soon arrived at Spirit Mountain. Descending on his auspicious cloud, he looked around and saw that it was truly a magnificent place. The spiritual peaks stood tall and majestic, layered with clear and beautiful crags. The immortal summits grazed the azure sky. This great city of the Western Heaven dominated the landscape, its grandeur surpassing that of China. The primordial energy flowed through heaven and earth, and majesty radiated from every flower-covered terrace. From time to time, the long, clear sound of bells and chimes was heard, and the melodious chanting of sutras was constant. Beneath the green pines, Upasakas preached; among the emerald cypresses, Arhats walked. White cranes, moved by affection, gathered on Vulture Peak, while blue phoenixes stood thoughtfully in the tranquil pavilions. Pairs of black monkeys carried immortal fruits, and pairs of auspicious deer offered purple blossoms. The calls of secluded birds were frequent, like words of lament, and the colors of strange flowers were so brilliant that their names were unknown. The winding ridges and circling peaks repeated themselves in endless layers, and the ancient paths curved smoothly in every direction. Truly, this was a place of pure, ethereal beauty—the solemn home of the Great Enlightened Buddha.
As the Pilgrim admired the mountain scenery, he suddenly heard someone call out, “Sun Wukong, where have you come from and where are you going?” Turning around, he saw it was the Bhikshuni Venerable. The Great Sage bowed and said, “I have a matter to discuss and wish to see the Tathagata Buddha.”
The Bhikshuni said, “You mischievous monkey! If you wish to see the Tathagata, why don’t you enter the temple? Why are you still here admiring the mountain?”
The Pilgrim replied, “This is my first visit to this noble place, so I dared not be presumptuous.”
The Bhikshuni said, “Follow me quickly.” The Pilgrim hurried after her until they reached the gate of the Thunderclap Temple. There, the Eight Great Vajra Guardians stood majestically on either side.
The Bhikshuni said, “Wukong, wait here for a moment while I go in and report.” The Pilgrim had no choice but to stand outside the gate. The Bhikshuni went before the Buddha, pressed her palms together, and said, “Sun Wukong has a matter to discuss and seeks an audience with the Tathagata.” The Tathagata ordered him to be admitted, and the Eight Great Vajra Guardians made way.
The Pilgrim bowed his head and completed his obeisance. The Tathagata asked him, “Wukong, I heard earlier that the Venerable Guanyin rescued you and that you have taken refuge in Buddhism, protecting Tang Sanzang on his journey here to seek the scriptures. Why have you come alone? What has happened?”
The Pilgrim kowtowed and said, “I report to my Buddha! Since I took refuge in the Buddhist faith and followed my master from the Great Tang westward, we arrived at the Golden Mountain and the Golden Cave. There we encountered a demon king called the Rhinoceros King, whose supernatural powers are vast. He captured my master and my younger brothers and took them into his cave. I went to him to demand my master, but he had no good intentions. We fought, and he used a gleaming white ring to snatch away my Golden-Banded Staff. Fearing he might be a fallen heavenly immortal, I quickly went up to Heaven to investigate, but found no clue. By the grace of the Jade Emperor, he sent Heavenly King Li and his son to help, but the demon again took away the prince’s six weapons. Then I invited Fiery Virtue Star Lord to roast him with fire, but the demon also seized the fire weapons. I then invited the Water Earl to drown him with floods, but it was of no use. With great effort, I stole back my Golden-Banded Staff and the other items, but when I fought him again, he used his ring to take them all away once more. I am truly unable to subdue him. Therefore, I have come especially to beg my Buddha, imploring your compassion, to use your wisdom to see what kind of creature this demon is, so that I may go after his family and neighbors, capture this fiend, and rescue my master. We will sincerely seek the scriptures and strive to achieve our true reward.”
When the Tathagata heard this, he used his wisdom eye to look into the distance. He already knew the situation and said to the Pilgrim, “Although I know the origins of that monster, I cannot tell you. Your monkey mouth is not tight. If word gets out that I told you, he will refuse to fight you and will instead come storming into Spirit Mountain, causing trouble for me. I will send my disciples to use their powers to help you capture him.”
The Pilgrim kowtowed again and asked, “What powers will the Tathagata use to help me?”
The Tathagata immediately ordered the Eighteen Arhats to open the treasury and take out eighteen grains of ‘Golden Sand Pills’ to give to Wukong for his assistance.
The Pilgrim asked, “How are the Golden Sand Pills to be used?”
The Tathagata replied, “Go to the cave entrance and challenge the demon to a fight. Lure him out, and then have the Arhats scatter the sand. It will trap him, making it impossible for him to move or pull his feet free. Then you can strike him however you wish.”
The Pilgrim laughed and said, “Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! Let’s go at once!”
The Arhats did not dare to delay. They immediately took the Golden Sand Pills and left. The Pilgrim thanked the Tathagata again. On the way, he counted the Arhats and found only sixteen. He could not help but shout, “What kind of place is this? How dare you secretly let people go?”
The Arhats asked, “Who has secretly let anyone go?”
The Pilgrim said, “Eighteen were sent, so why are there only sixteen now?”
Before he could finish speaking, the two Arhats Subduing Dragon and Taming Tiger came out from behind. They stepped forward and said, “Wukong, why are you so unreasonable? We two were behind, listening to the Tathagata’s instructions.”
The Pilgrim said, “You were deliberately dawdling! If I had shouted a moment later, wouldn’t you have stayed behind?” The Arhats laughed good-naturedly and mounted their auspicious clouds.
Soon they arrived at the Golden Mountain region. When Heavenly King Li saw them, he led the others forward to greet them and recounted what had happened earlier. The Arhats said, “No need for many words. Go quickly and call him out.”
The Great Sage clenched his fists and went to the cave entrance, cursing, “Come out, you fiend! Come and settle this with your grandfather Sun!”
A lesser demon flew inside to report. The Demon King roared in anger, “That thieving monkey has invited someone else to cause trouble again!”
The lesser demon said, “There’s no one else. It’s just him alone.”
The Demon King said, “His staff has already been taken by me. How dare he come alone? Does he want to box with me again?” Saying this, he put on his treasure, grabbed his spear, and ordered the lesser demons to move the stones away. He leaped out of the door and cursed, “You thieving monkey! You have failed to gain any advantage several times. You should have fled far away. Why are you here yelling again?”
The Pilgrim said, “You fiend, you don’t know what’s good for you! If you want your grandfather to stay away, you must surrender and apologize, and send out my master and my younger brothers. Then I will spare you!”
The monster said, “I have already washed those three monks of yours. Soon I will kill and eat them. Don’t you know when to give up? Get lost!”
When the Pilgrim heard the words “kill and eat,” flames shot from his cheeks. Unable to contain his fury, he dropped into a fighting stance, swung his fists, and twisted his body, aiming a slap-like punch at the demon. The monster thrust his long spear forward to block him. The Pilgrim leaped left and right, luring the demon. The demon, not seeing through the ruse, was drawn to the south side of the cave entrance.
The Pilgrim immediately signaled the Arhats to scatter the Golden Sand Pills all at once toward the demon. The Arhats together unleashed their divine powers. This sand was truly formidable! It spread out like mist and smoke, drifting and falling from the sky in a vast, hazy cloud. A blinding white, it confused the eyes of all who saw it; a dim, murky haze, it made those who walked through it lose their way. Woodcutters lost their companions, and immortal herb-gathering youths could not find their homes. It drifted lightly like wheat flour, then swirled thickly like sesame seeds. The world grew dark, the mountain peaks vanished, and the long sky was shrouded, the sun hidden. It was nothing like the common dust that follows a galloping horse, nor could it be compared to the soft, light powder that perfumes a carriage. This sand was a heartless thing, covering the earth and hiding the sky to capture the fiend. It was because the evil demon had invaded the true path that the Arhats, upholding the Dharma, displayed their power. In their hands, bright pearls appeared, and in an instant, the sand scraped at the demon’s eyes until they saw stars.
When the demon saw the flying sand blinding him, he lowered his head, and his feet immediately sank more than three feet into the ground. Panicking, he leaped upward to a higher level. But before he could steady himself, he sank another two feet. In desperation, the demon pulled his feet free, quickly pulled out his ring, and tossed it into the air, shouting, “Take!” With a whoosh, the ring swept away all eighteen grains of Golden Sand Pills. The demon then turned and went straight back into his cave.
The Arhats, one by one, stopped in the clouds, empty-handed. The Pilgrim went up to them and asked, “Venerable Arhats, why did you stop scattering the sand?”
The Arhats replied, “Just now there was a sound, and the Golden Sand Pills disappeared.”
The Pilgrim laughed and said, “They were taken by that ring again.”
Heavenly King Li and the others said, “He is so hard to deal with. How will we ever capture him? When will we ever return to Heaven? How can we face the Jade Emperor?”
Then the two Arhats, Subduing Dragon and Taming Tiger, stepped forward and said to the Pilgrim, “Wukong, do you know why we two were late in leaving?”
The Pilgrim said, “I only thought you were hiding and didn’t want to come out. I didn’t know you had anything to say.”
The Arhats said, “The Tathagata instructed us two: ‘If the demon is so powerful and the Golden Sand Pills are lost, then tell Sun Wukong to go to the Tushita Palace in the Heaven of Leaving Hatred and seek the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord. He will surely be able to capture the fiend in one go.’”
Hearing this, the Pilgrim said, “How hateful! How hateful! The Tathagata is playing tricks on me, too! He should have told me directly back then, and saved you from having to travel so far!”
Heavenly King Li said, “Since the Tathagata has given such clear instruction, Great Sage, you should go quickly.”
What a Pilgrim! No sooner said than done. He mounted his somersault cloud and went straight through the Southern Heavenly Gate. The Four Great Marshals stepped forward and saluted him, asking, “How is the matter of capturing the demon going?”
The Pilgrim replied as he walked, “Not yet done! Not yet done! Now I have a place to find the source.” The four generals dared not stop him and let him pass through the gate.
The Pilgrim did not go to the Hall of Miraculous Mist or the Bull Taming Palace. He went directly to the Tushita Palace in the Heaven of Leaving Hatred, which lay beyond the Thirty-Third Heaven. At the entrance, he saw two immortal boys standing guard. Without announcing his name, he walked straight in. The immortal boys, startled, grabbed him and said, “Who are you? Where are you going?”
Only then did the Pilgrim say, “I am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. I wish to see Lord Laozi.”
The immortal boys said, “Why are you so rude? Stand still first, and we will go and announce you.”
The Pilgrim would not listen to reason. He let out a great shout and walked straight in. Suddenly, he saw Lord Laozi coming out from inside, and the two collided. The Pilgrim bowed and said, “Old official, I haven’t seen you for a long time.”
Lord Laozi laughed and said, “You monkey, aren’t you supposed to be fetching the scriptures? Why have you come to my place?”
The Pilgrim replied, “Fetching scriptures, fetching scriptures, day and night without rest. I’ve encountered some obstacles and have come here to find a clue.”
Lord Laozi said, “If there are obstacles on the road to the Western Heaven, what does that have to do with me?”
The Pilgrim said, “Western Heaven, Western Heaven, don’t ask about that first. If I find the clue, I won’t let you off.”
Lord Laozi said, “This is the Supreme Immortal Palace. What clue could there be to find here?”
The Pilgrim entered the palace, his eyes darting everywhere without blinking. He searched through several corridors. Suddenly, he saw a boy sleeping by a cattle pen, but the Green Ox was not in the pen. The Pilgrim shouted, “Old official, the ox has run away! The ox has run away!”
Lord Laozi was greatly alarmed and said, “When did this beast run away?”
As he shouted, the boy woke up. He knelt before Lord Laozi and said, “Grandfather, your disciple fell asleep and doesn’t know when it ran away.”
Lord Laozi cursed him, “How dare you fall asleep!”
The boy kowtowed and said, “Your disciple found a pill in the elixir room and ate it. Then I fell asleep.”
Lord Laozi said, “It must have been one of the Sevenfold Fire