As the Great Sage Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing emerged from the city walls, they came face to face with a troop of demons—all lion spirits with motley fur. The Yellow Lion Spirit led the way, flanked on the left by the Suanni Lion and on the right by the Baize Lion and the Fuli Lion . Behind them followed the Nao Lion , the Snow Lion , and the Tuánxiàng Lion , while at the very center stood a nine-headed lion . A blue-faced demon held aloft a jeweled canopy embroidered with intricate patterns, pressing close to the nine-headed lion. The two junior demons, Diaozhuanguaiguai and Guaiguai Diaozhuan , carried two red banners , and they all stood in perfect formation at the Kan Palace position .
Zhu Bajie, emboldened by his temper, stepped forward and cursed, "You thieving demon who stole our treasure! Why have you come here, bringing all these furballs with you?" The Yellow Lion Spirit ground his teeth and retorted, "You vicious bald monk! Yesterday, you three ganged up on me, and I retreated. I would have let you have your moment of glory! But how could you be so cruel as to burn down my cave, destroy my mountain, and harm my family? My hatred for you is deeper than the ocean! Don't run! Taste your grandfather's spade!"
Good Bajie raised his rake and met the charge. As they clashed, before either could claim victory, the Nao Lion Spirit swung an iron thorned club , and the Snow Lion Spirit brandished a chiseled mace , charging straight into the fray. Bajie roared, "Well met!" Watch him as he charged back and forth, battling both demons at once. Meanwhile, Sha Wujing drew his Demon-Quelling Staff and rushed to help. The Suanni Spirit, the Baize Spirit, the Tuánxiàng Spirit, and the Fuli Spirit all surged forward together. The Great Sage Sun Wukong immediately blocked them with his Golden-Banded Cudgel. The Suanni Spirit wielded a blunt club , the Baize Spirit a bronze hammer , the Tuánxiàng Spirit a steel spear , and the Fuli Spirit a battle-axe . These seven lion spirits and the three formidable monks engaged in a fierce battle:
Cudgels, hammers, spears, axes, chiseled maces, and thorned clubs clashed together. The seven lions and their seven weapons were exceedingly sharp, surrounding the three monks who shouted their war cries. The Great Sage's Golden-Banded Cudgel was fearsome, Sha Wujing's treasure staff was rare in the mortal world. Bajie, wild and fierce, displayed his might, his rake flashing with a cold, grim light. They blocked in front and shielded behind, each displaying their skills; they parried left and met right, all of them brave. The prince on the city wall lent them courage, beating drums and clanging gongs to bolster their spirits. They snatched and grabbed, displaying their divine powers, fighting until the heavens and earth were dark and overturned!
The demons and the Great Sage and his two companions fought until midday, and before they knew it, darkness had fallen. Bajie, drooling and his legs feeling weak, feigned a strike with his rake and retreated in defeat. The Snow Lion Spirit and the Nao Lion Spirit gave chase, shouting, "Where do you think you're going? Take this!" The Fool couldn't dodge in time; the Snow Lion Spirit struck him on the spine with his mace, and Bajie fell to the ground, crying out, "It's over! It's over!" The two demons grabbed Bajie by his bristles and tail, carried him off, and presented him to the nine-headed lion, reporting, "Grandfather, we've captured one!"
Before they had even finished speaking, Sha Wujing and Sun Wukong also lost their fight. All the demons gave chase. Wukong plucked a handful of his hairs, chewed them up, and spat them out, shouting, "Change!" Instantly, they transformed into a hundred or more miniature Wukongs, who surrounded the Baize Spirit, the Suanni Spirit, the Tuánxiàng Spirit, the Fuli Spirit, and the Golden Fur Lion Spirit . Sha Wujing and Wukong then rejoined the fight. By nightfall, they had captured the Suanni Spirit and the Baize Spirit, while the Fuli Spirit and the Tuánxiàng Spirit escaped. The Golden Fur Lion Spirit reported the situation to the old demon. Seeing that he had lost two lion spirits, the old demon ordered, "Tie up Zhu Bajie, but do not harm his life. When they return my two lions, I will return Bajie to them. If they are unreasonable and harm my two lions, then kill Bajie to avenge them!" That night, the demons rested outside the city, and we shall say no more of this.
Meanwhile, the Great Sage Sun Wukong carried the two captured lion spirits to the city wall. The old king, upon seeing this, immediately ordered the gates opened. Twenty or thirty officers with ropes and poles went out, bound the lion spirits, and carried them into the city. The Great Sage recalled the miniature Wukongs he had created from his hairs, and, holding Sha Wujing by the arm, went directly to the city tower to see Tang Sanzang. Tang Sanzang said, "This affair is too dangerous! I wonder if Wuneng's life is still safe?" Wukong replied, "Don't worry! We have captured these two demons; they wouldn't dare harm Bajie. First, tie these two demons up securely, and tomorrow morning we'll exchange them for Bajie."
The three young princes kowtowed to Wukong and said, "Master, during your fight earlier, there was only one of you. Later, you pretended to retreat, but suddenly there were a hundred masters! Then, when you captured the demons and returned to the city, you became one person again. What kind of spell is this?" Wukong laughed and said, "My body has eighty-four thousand hairs . Each hair can transform into ten, and ten can become a hundred. I can create hundreds of millions of clones; these are all external arts ." The young princes all kowtowed in reverence. Soon, a vegetarian meal was served, and they ate on the city tower. At every battlement, lanterns and banners were hung, and clappers, bells, and drums were prepared. Guards were posted to keep watch and pass the signal arrows . They also set off cannons and shouted to guard against the demons.
Soon, dawn arrived. The old demon called the Yellow Lion Spirit to strategize: "Today, you must focus on capturing Wukong and Sha Wujing. I will secretly fly up to the city wall, seize his master and the old king and his sons, and return first to the Nine-Turn Coiling Cave . When you have won, come back and report." The Yellow Lion Spirit received his orders and led the Nao Lion Spirit, the Snow Lion Spirit, the Tuánxiàng Spirit, and the Fuli Spirit, each carrying their weapons, to the city wall. They raised a wind and spat out fog, challenging the monks to battle.
On this side, Wukong and Sha Wujing leaped over the city wall and shouted, "Thieving demons! Return my junior brother Bajie to us immediately, and we will spare your lives! Otherwise, we will smash you all to dust!" The demons did not waste words; they all charged forward together. The two brothers, the Great Sage and Sha Wujing, each used their own tactics to hold off the five lion spirits. This battle was even more ferocious than yesterday's:
A fierce wind howled, scraping the ground, and a dark, evil fog blotted out the sun. Flying stones and sand terrified even gods and ghosts; uprooted trees and toppled forests startled tigers and wolves. The steel spear was vicious, the battle-axe gleamed, and the club and bronze hammer were utterly poisonous in their intent. They wished they could swallow the Pilgrim whole and capture young Sha Wujing alive. But the Great Sage's Wishing Staff was agile, coiling and uncoiling with great skill. Sha Wujing's Demon-Quelling Staff was renowned even outside the Hall of Miraculous Mist. Today, they displayed their vast divine powers, sweeping away the demons in the Western lands.
While these five motley lion spirits were locked in a fierce struggle with Wukong and Sha Wujing, the old demon rode a black cloud directly to the city tower. He shook his heads, and the civil and military officials, the high and low-ranking officers, and the city guards were all so terrified that they rolled off the wall. He charged into the tower, opened his mouths, and one by one, snatched up Tang Sanzang, the old king, and his sons. He then flew to the Kan Palace position on the ground and snatched up Bajie as well. Having nine heads, he had nine mouths. One mouth held Tang Sanzang, one held Bajie, one held the old king, one held the eldest prince, one held the second prince, and one held the third prince. With six mouths holding six people and three mouths still empty, he shouted, "I'm going ahead!" Seeing that their grandfather had succeeded, the five junior lion spirits fought with even greater ferocity.
Wukong heard the shouts from the city wall and knew they had been tricked. He quickly called out to Sha Wujing to be careful, then plucked all the hairs from his arms, chewed them up, and spat them out. They transformed into a thousand miniature Wukongs, who all charged forward together. In that moment, they knocked down the Nao Lion Spirit, captured the Snow Lion Spirit alive, seized the Tuánxiàng Lion Spirit, toppled the Fuli Lion Spirit, and killed the Yellow Lion Spirit outright. With a great clamor, they arrived at the foot of the city wall, but the blue-faced demon and the two junior demons, Diaozhuanguaiguai and Guaiguai Diaozhuan, managed to escape.
The officials on the city wall saw this and opened the gates again. They tied up the five lion spirits with ropes and carried them into the city. Before they could finish dealing with them, the queen consort came crying and kowtowed to Wukong, saying, "Divine Master, my king and his sons, along with your master, their lives are surely lost! What will become of this isolated city?" The Great Sage recalled the miniature Wukongs he had created, bowed to the queen, and said, "Worthy Empress, do not worry. Because we captured his seven lion spirits, the old demon used a soul-snatching spell. He has certainly taken my master and the king and his sons, but I doubt he will harm them. Early tomorrow morning, my brother and I will go to that mountain. I guarantee we will capture the old demon and return your four princes to you."
The queen and her ladies-in-waiting, upon hearing this, all kowtowed to Wukong and said, "We beseech the Divine Master to ensure the safe return of the king and his sons, and to bring peace to our kingdom!" After kowtowing, they returned to the inner palace, still weeping. Wukong instructed the officials, "Skin the dead Yellow Lion Spirit. Securely tie up the six live lion spirits. Bring us some vegetarian food; we will eat and then sleep. All of you rest assured; I guarantee everything will be fine."
The next day, the Great Sage and Sha Wujing mounted a propitious cloud and soon arrived at the summit of Bamboo-Section Mountain. They lowered their cloud and looked down. What a magnificent mountain it was! Behold:
The peaks rose in jagged splendor, and the ridges were steep and rugged. In the deep ravines, the water babbled and splashed; before the precipitous cliffs, the flowers were as beautiful as brocade. The winding mountain paths twisted and turned, and the ancient trails meandered. Truly, cranes came to keep company with the pines, and clouds departed, leaving the stones solitary. Dark apes sought fruit in the bright sunlight, and deer frolicked among the flowers, delighting in the warmth of the day. The azure phoenix sang with a clear, melodious cry, and the orioles warbled softly. In spring, peach and plum blossoms vied for beauty; in summer, willows and locust trees competed in luxuriance. In autumn, yellow chrysanthemums spread like brocade; in winter, white snow flew like cotton. The scenery was beautiful in all four seasons, in all eight festivals, no less than the immortal vistas of Penglai Island.
As the two of them were gazing at the scenery from the mountain peak, they suddenly saw the blue-faced demon, holding a short staff, running straight out of a cliffside valley. Wukong shouted, "Where do you think you're going? Old Sun is here!" The terrified little demon tumbled and rolled back down the valley. The two of them gave chase, but the little demon had vanished. Taking a few more steps forward, they saw a cave dwelling. The two patterned stone doors were tightly shut. Above the lintel was a horizontal stone slab, engraved with ten characters in regular script: "The Cave of Ten Thousand Spirits on Bamboo-Section Mountain, the Nine-Turn Coiling Cave."
The little demon had run back into the cave, immediately shut the doors, and went to the main hall to report to the old demon, "Grandfather, two more monks have come from outside." The old demon asked, "Has your king and the Nao Lion, Snow Lion, Tuánxiàng Lion, and Fuli Lion spirits returned?" The little demon replied, "I didn't see them! I didn't see them! I only saw the two monks looking at the scenery from the high peak. I turned back as soon as I saw them, and they gave chase, so I shut the doors."
The old demon heard this and lowered his head, saying nothing. After a long moment, he suddenly began to weep and cried out, "How bitter! My Yellow Lion grandson is dead! The Nao Lion and the others have all been captured by the monks and taken into the city! How can I avenge this!" Bajie, tied up nearby and squeezed together with the old king, his sons, and Tang Sanzang, was suffering in fear. When he heard the old demon say that his "grandsons" had been captured by the monks, he secretly rejoiced and thought, "Master, don't be afraid. Prince, don't worry. My senior brother has already won. He has captured those demons, and he will surely find his way here to rescue us."
No sooner had he thought this than he heard the old demon say, "Little ones, keep a good watch here. I am going out to capture those two monks and bring them in to be dealt with together." Watch the old demon as he went out without armor or weapon, striding boldly to the front. He heard the Pilgrim shouting outside. He threw open the doors, said nothing, and charged straight at Wukong. Wukong blocked him with his iron staff, and Sha Wujing swung his Demon-Quelling Staff to strike. The old demon shook his heads, and all eight of his other heads opened their mouths. He lightly snatched up Wukong and Sha Wujing and carried them into the cave, shouting, "Bring ropes!"
Diaozhuanguaiguai, Guaiguai Diaozhuan, and the blue-faced demon had escaped the night before. They immediately brought two ropes and tied up Wukong and Sha Wujing securely. The old demon said, "You reckless monkey, you captured my seven grandsons. Now I have captured you four monks and four princes, which is enough to avenge my grandsons! Little ones, find some thorny branches and willow switches. We'll beat this monkey's head first, to avenge my Yellow Lion grandson!"
The three little demons each took a willow switch and set about beating Wukong exclusively. Wukong's body was tempered by countless ordeals; the willow switches felt like nothing more than an itch. He didn't utter a sound. No matter how the little demons beat him, he paid them no mind. Bajie, Tang Sanzang, and the princes watched, their hair standing on end with terror. Before long, the willow switches were all broken. They beat him until nightfall, and no one knew how many blows had been struck.
Sha Wujing saw how much beating Wukong had taken and felt sorry for him. He said, "Let me take a hundred or so blows for him." The old demon replied, "Don't be impatient. Tomorrow it will be your turn. We'll go in order." Bajie grew anxious: "Then the day after tomorrow, it will be Old Pig's turn!" They beat him a while longer, and the sky gradually grew dark. The old demon said, "Little ones, stop for now. Light the lamps, have something to eat. I am going to the Brocade Cloud Nest to sleep for a while. You three have all suffered at their hands before; keep a good watch, and we'll continue the beating tomorrow morning."
The three little demons moved the lamp closer and began beating Wukong on the head with the willow switches again, making a sound like beating a wooden fish—"tick-tock, tock-tick"—sometimes fast, sometimes slow. As the night wore on, the little demons grew drowsy and fell asleep. Wukong then used an escape spell, shrank his body, and slipped out of the ropes. He shook himself, straightened his clothes, took the Golden-Banded Cudgel from his ear, shook it until it was as thick as a bucket and two fathoms long, and said to the three little demons, "You beasts, you beat your grandfather so many times, and he is still perfectly fine. Today, your grandfather will use this staff to 'loosen your bones' for a change. How about that?"
He gently poked the three little demons, and they were instantly crushed into three bloody meat pies. He then trimmed the lamp wick and untied Sha Wujing's ropes. Bajie, who was suffering from being tied up so tightly, couldn't help but shout, "Brother! My hands and feet are all swollen from the ropes! Why don't you untie me first!" The Fool's shout awakened the old demon. The old demon scrambled to his feet and shouted, "Who is untying the ropes?"
Wukong heard this, blew out the lamp in one breath, and, ignoring Sha Wujing and the others, smashed through several doors with his iron staff and fled. The old demon went to the main hall and shouted, "Little ones, why are the lamps out? Don't let them escape!" He shouted once, but there was no answer. He shouted again, but still no answer. When they brought a lamp to look, they saw three bloody meat pies on the ground. The old king, his sons, Tang Sanzang, and Bajie were all still there, but Wukong and Sha Wujing were missing. They lit lamps and searched everywhere. Suddenly, they saw Sha Wujing leaning against the corridor wall. The old demon grabbed him, threw him to the ground, and tied him up again as before. They searched for Wukong, but saw that several layers of doors had been smashed open. Knowing that Wukong had broken through the doors and escaped, the old demon did not give chase. He repaired the broken doors, sealed them up, and guarded the cave, not moving.
Meanwhile, the Great Sage Sun Wukong escaped from the Nine-Turn Coiling Cave, mounted a propitious cloud, and flew straight back to Jade Flower Prefecture. He saw the local Earth Spirits and City Gods from all directions waiting to greet him in the air. Wukong said, "Why did you only come to see me today?" The City God replied, "We minor spirits knew the Great Sage had arrived at Jade Flower Prefecture. Because a wise king was hosting you, we did not dare to disturb you. Now, knowing that the king has encountered demons and the Great Sage is subduing them, we have come especially to welcome you."
Wukong was a little annoyed, but then he saw the Golden-Headed Revealer and the Six Ding and Six Jia Divine Generals escorting an Earth Spirit, who knelt before him and said, "Great Sage, we have captured this earth ghost." Wukong shouted, "Why aren't you protecting my master on Bamboo-Section Mountain? What are you doing here?" The Six Jia and Six Ding Generals replied, "Great Sage, after you escaped, the demon recaptured the Curtain-Raising General and tied him up again. Seeing that the demon's power was too great, we escorted the Earth Spirit of Bamboo-Section Mountain here. He knows the demon's background. We beg the Great Sage to question him, so that you can devise a plan to subdue the demon and rescue the holy monk and the wise king and his sons."
Wukong was greatly pleased. The Earth Spirit, trembling, kowtowed and said, "That old demon came to Bamboo-Section Mountain the year before last. The Nine-Turn Coiling Cave was originally the lair of six lion spirits. Since the old demon arrived, those six lion spirits all acknowledged him as their ancestral grandfather. This grandfather is a nine-headed lion, known by the title of the Ninefold Primordial Saint. To eliminate him, you must go to the Sublime Jade Palace of the Eastern Pole and invite his master to come. Only then can he be subdued. No one else can capture him."
Wukong heard this and thought for a moment. "The Sublime Jade Palace of the Eastern Pole is the abode of the Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Suffering, the Taiyi. His mount is indeed a nine-headed lion. So that's it..." He then instructed, "Revealer, Armored Spirits, and Earth Spirit, return together. Secretly protect my master, my junior brother, and the king and his sons. City God of this region, guard the city. We are leaving." All the spirits followed his orders and departed.
The Great Sage mounted his Somersault Cloud and traveled through the night. Around the hour of the Tiger (3-5 AM), he arrived at the Eastern Heavenly Gate, where he happened to meet the Broad-Eyed Heavenly King and a group of heavenly soldiers and guardians. Everyone stopped, clasped their hands, and greeted him, saying, "Great Sage, where are you going?" Wukong returned their greetings and said, "I am going to the Sublime Jade Palace." The Heavenly King said, "You're not heading west to the Western Heaven; why have you come to the Eastern Heaven?"
Wukong replied, "On the Western Road, I reached Jade Flower Prefecture. The prefectural king hosted us and even sent his three sons to learn martial arts from my brothers and me. Unexpectedly, we encountered a group of lion spirits. Now I have learned that the Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Suffering at the Sublime Jade Palace is the master of that demon. I want to ask him to help me subdue the demon and rescue my master." The Heavenly King said, "So, because you wanted to be a teacher, you stirred up this whole nest of lion spirits." Wukong laughed and said, "Exactly! Exactly!"
The heavenly soldiers and guardians all made way for Wukong to pass. The Great Sage entered the Eastern Heavenly Gate and soon arrived before the Sublime Jade Palace. Behold:
Layers of colorful clouds gathered, and a purple aura was thick and lush. The roof tiles shimmered with a golden, fiery light, and the doors were adorned with majestic jade beasts. Flowers filled the twin gate towers, surrounded by red clouds, and the sun shone on the qianlin trees, veiled in emerald mist. Truly, it was a place where ten thousand immortals gathered in reverence, and a thousand sages flourished. The halls and pavilions were layers of brocade, and the windows and doors were all open and connected. Azure dragons coiled around, bringing auspicious light, and the path of the Yellow Way shone with a rich, auspicious glow. This was indeed the Azure Youth Everlasting Realm, the Sublime Jade Palace of the Eastern Pole.
A young immortal boy, wearing a rainbow cape, stood at the palace gate. Seeing the Great Sage Sun Wukong, he immediately went in to report, "Grandfather, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, who once caused havoc in the Heavenly Court, is here." The Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Suffering, upon hearing this, ordered his attendant immortal officials to welcome him. Wukong was ushered into the palace, where he saw the Heavenly Lord seated on a nine-colored lotus throne, surrounded by a hundred billion auspicious rays of light. Seeing Wukong, the Heavenly Lord descended from his throne to greet him.
Wukong bowed, and the Heavenly Lord returned the greeting, saying, "Great Sage, I have not seen you for several years. I heard that you had abandoned the Dao and converted to Buddhism, protecting Tang Sanzang on his journey to the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures. I trust it is nearly complete?" Wukong replied, "Not yet complete, but it is close. Now, because we were protecting Tang Sanzang and arrived at Jade Flower Prefecture, we were honored by the prince, who sent his three sons to learn martial arts from my brothers and me. We brought out our three divine weapons and had them copied. Unexpectedly, they were stolen in the night. When we went to look for them at dawn, we discovered they had been stolen by a Golden Fur Lion Spirit from the Tiger's Mouth Cave on Leopard Head Mountain north of the city. I used a stratagem to retrieve our weapons, but that demon summoned many lion spirits to battle us. Among them was a nine-headed lion with exceptionally strong magic. He snatched away my master, Bajie, and the king and his four sons, carrying them off to the Nine-Turn Coiling Cave on Bamboo-Section Mountain. The next day, my brother Sha Wujing and I gave chase, but we were also snatched up by him. He tied me up and beat me many times. I was fortunate to escape using a spell, but they are still there suffering. When I asked the local Earth Spirit, I learned that the Heavenly Lord is the master of that demon. I have come especially to ask you to subdue him and rescue us."
The Heavenly Lord, upon hearing this, immediately ordered an immortal general to go to the lion's quarters and summon the lion keeper for questioning. The lion keeper was sound asleep. The immortal generals woke him up, dragged him to the main hall, and presented him before the Heavenly Lord. The Heavenly Lord asked, "Where has the lion beast gone?" The lion keeper wept and kowtowed, only crying out, "Spare my life! Spare my life!" The Heavenly Lord said, "The Great Sage Sun is here. I will not beat you for now. Tell me quickly, how did you come to be so careless as to let the nine-headed lion escape?"
The lion keeper said, "Grandfather, the day before yesterday, I saw a bottle of wine in the Great Thousand Sweet Dew Hall. I did not know whose it was, so I stole it and drank it. Before I knew it, I was drunk and fell asleep. I forgot to tie up the lion, and so it escaped." The Heavenly Lord said, "That wine was a gift from the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord. It is called the 'Cyclic Reincarnation Jade Liquid.' After drinking it, you should have been drunk for three days without waking up. How many days has the lion been gone?" The Great Sage said, "According to the Earth Spirit, it descended to the lower world the year before last. It has been two or three years now." The Heavenly Lord laughed and said, "So that's it! One day in the Heavenly Court is a year in the mortal world."
The Heavenly Lord said to the lion keeper, "Rise. I will spare you the death penalty. Come with me and the Great Sage to the lower world to retrieve it. All you other immortal officials, return to your posts. You need not follow." The Heavenly Lord, the Great Sage, and the lion keeper then stepped onto a propitious cloud and flew directly to Bamboo-Section Mountain. The Five Directions Revealers, the Six Ding and Six Jia Divine Generals, and the local Earth Spirit all came to kneel and welcome them. Wukong said, "You have protected my master. He hasn't been harmed, has he?" The spirits replied, "The demon's anger subsided, and he fell asleep. He hasn't been tortured."
The Heavenly Lord said, "My Yuansheng'er is also a true spirit that has cultivated for a long time. When it roars, its voice can reach the ears of all sages in the Three Realms and penetrate the Nine Springs of the Underworld. It does not usually harm people indiscriminately. Great Sage Sun, go to its cave and challenge it. Lure it out, and I will subdue it." Wukong, upon hearing this, drew his Golden-Banded Cudgel, leaped to the cave entrance, and shouted loudly, "Wicked demon, return my people to me! Wicked demon, return my people to me!" He shouted several times, but the old demon was asleep and no one answered.
Wukong, impatient, swung his Golden-Banded Cudgel and smashed into the cave, cursing continuously. Only then was the old demon awakened. Furious, he scrambled to his feet and roared, "Prepare for battle!" He shook his heads and opened his mouths to snatch Wukong. Wukong turned and leaped out of the cave. The demon chased him outside and cursed, "Thieving monkey! Where do you think you're going?" Wukong stood on a high cliff and laughed, "You still dare to be so bold and insolent! You don't even know that you are about to die! Your master is right here! Don't you see him?"
The demon chased him to the foot of the cliff, and just then, the Heavenly Lord recited a spell and shouted, "Yuansheng'er! I am here!" The demon recognized its master and did not dare to resist. It fell to the ground on all four paws, kowtowing incessantly. The lion keeper ran over, grabbed the demon by the fur on its neck, and rained a hundred blows on its neck with his fist, cursing, "You beast! How dare you run away and cause me to be punished!" The lion beast kept its mouth shut and did not speak, not daring to move. Only when the lion keeper was tired from beating did he stop. He placed a brocade saddle on its back. The Heavenly Lord mounted it, shouted, "Go!" and the lion leaped up, mounted a propitious cloud, and flew straight back to the Sublime Jade Palace.
The Great Sage thanked the Heavenly Lord in the sky, then entered the cave. He first untied the Jade Flower King, then untied Tang Sanzang, and then Bajie, Sha Wujing, and the three princes. He searched the cave thoroughly, and then slowly led the group out of the cave. Bajie gathered a great deal of dry firewood, piled it up front and back, and set it on fire, burning the Nine-Turn Coiling Cave into a blackened, ruined tile kiln. The Great Sage then dismissed the various spirits, ordering the Earth Spirit to remain and guard the place. He then had Bajie and Sha Wujing each use their magic to carry the king and his sons back to the prefectural city. He himself supported Tang Sanzang, and before long, they arrived at the city. The sky was gradually growing dark. The queen consort and the officials all came out to welcome them. A vegetarian meal was served, and everyone ate together. Tang Sanzang and his disciples rested in the Leopard-Tamer Pavilion, while the princes returned to the inner palace to sleep. The night passed without incident.
The next day, the Jade Flower King issued another decree and held a grand vegetarian feast. All the high and low-ranking officials came to express their gratitude. Wukong then called for the butchers to kill the six live lion spirits, skin them along with the dead Yellow Lion Spirit, and prepare the meat for everyone to eat. The king was especially delighted and immediately gave the orders. One lion's meat was kept for the prefectural palace's own consumption, and another was distributed among the royal stewards and officials. The remaining five lions were all cut into pieces weighing one or two taels each. These were sent by the officers to be distributed among the military and civilian population, both inside and outside the city, so that everyone could have a taste. This was done partly for the novelty of it and partly to calm the people's frightened spirits. In every household within the city, there was no one who was not grateful.
Then the blacksmiths came, having finished forging the three weapons. They kowtowed to Wukong and said, "Grandfather, we have completed the work." Wukong asked, "How heavy is each weapon?" The blacksmiths replied, "The Golden-Banded Cudgel weighs one thousand pounds. The Nine-Toothed Rake and the Demon-Quelling Staff each weigh eight hundred pounds." Wukong said, "That will do." He ordered the three princes to be brought out, and each took his own weapon. The three princes said to the old king, "Father, today the weapons are finally finished." The old king said, "It was because of these weapons that we nearly lost our lives, father and sons alike." The young prince said, "Fortunately, the Divine Master used his magic to save us and also wiped out the demons, removing the future threat. This truly means peace under heaven and prosperity for our kingdom!"
At that time, the old king and his sons rewarded the blacksmiths. They then went to the Leopard-Tamer Pavilion to bow and thank their teachers for their kindness. Tang Sanzang then urged the Great Sage and the others to teach the princes martial arts quickly, so as not to delay their journey. The three of them each took their weapons and, in the courtyard of the royal palace, taught the princes one by one. Within a few days, the three princes had become very skilled in martial arts. They knew everything about offensive and defensive methods, the techniques of speed and slowness, and the seventy-two forms. This was partly because the princes were diligent learners, and partly because the Great Sage Sun Wukong had first infused them with divine power. Thus, they could lift and wield the one-thousand-pound Golden-Banded Cudgel and the eight-hundred-pound rake and staff. Compared to their original martial arts, the difference was like heaven and earth! There is a poem to prove it:
Because of good fortune, they met a divine teacher. Who would have thought that learning martial arts would stir up the strange lions? They swept away all the evil spirits and brought peace to the kingdom. Returning to the one true path, they secured the border lands. The Ninefold Spirit's number accords with the principle of Primordial Yang. On all four sides, they thoroughly understood the fruits of the Dao. The teachings they received were clear in their minds, to be passed down for ten thousand ages. Jade Flower would enjoy eternal peace and joy.
The princes then held another grand feast to thank their teachers for their instruction. They also brought out a large tray of gold and silver, wishing to repay them. Wukong laughed and said, "Take it back! Take it back! We are monks; we have no use for such things." Bajie, standing nearby, said, "We truly dare not accept gold and silver. But my clothes were torn by those lion spirits. If you could provide us with new clothes, we would be very grateful."
The prince immediately called for tailors. Following the style of their clothes, they took several bolts of blue, red, and tea-brown brocade and made a set of clothes for each of the three. The