In a single moment, thoughts of good and evil are forgotten; the flourishing and withering of life are no longer a concern. Darkness and light, hiding and revealing, all drift and sink as they will, with only the simple needs of eating when hungry and drinking when thirsty. When the spirit is still and clear, it remains perpetually tranquil; but when confusion and darkness arise, demonic forces will surely invade. When the Five Elements stumble and clash , they shatter the meditation grove ; when the wind stirs, a bitter chill is certain to follow.
So the Great Sage Sun Wukong , accompanied by Zhu Bajie, took leave of Sha Wujing. They leaped across Withered Pine Ravine and went straight to the front of the strange rock cliff. There, indeed, they saw a cave dwelling, and its scenery was truly extraordinary:
The winding ancient path was deep and still, where the wind and moon listened to the songs of dark cranes . White clouds pierced through, casting light across the entire river; flowing waters passed beneath the bridge, evoking the spirit of immortality . Apes howled and birds sang among the wondrous flowers and trees; vines and moss-covered stone steps surpassed even the orchids and iris in beauty. The verdant cliffs shook and scattered mist and rosy clouds; the emerald-dyed pines and bamboos beckoned the colorful phoenix . Distant peaks stood tall like a row of folding screens ; the mountains faced the winding stream, truly a cave of immortals . The veins of the Kunlun Mountains sent forth the dragon's pulse ; only those with the proper fate and affinity could enjoy this place.
As they neared the cave entrance, they saw a stone tablet carved with eight characters: " Fire-Cloud Cave , Withered Pine Ravine, Hao Mountain ." At the cave mouth, a group of little demons were playing and fighting, wielding spears and brandishing swords. The Great Sage Sun Wukong shouted in a thunderous voice , "You little fiends! Go in at once and tell your master to send my master, Tang Sanzang, out! Do this, and I will spare the lives of every demon in this cave! But if you dare utter a single 'no,' I will tear down your mountain and level your cave dwelling to the ground!" The little demons were terrified. They turned and scurried back into the cave, slamming the two stone doors shut behind them, and reported, "Great King, disaster has struck!"
Meanwhile, after capturing Tang Sanzang, the Red Boy had stripped off the monk's clothes and tied him up with ropes, his limbs spread out like a flipped-over turtle . He had thrown him into the back courtyard and ordered the little demons to fetch clean water to wash him, preparing to put him into a steamer and eat him. Suddenly, upon hearing the report of "disaster," he stopped the washing and rushed to the front hall to ask, "What disaster has befallen us?" The little demons said, "There is a monk with a hairy face and a thunder-beak mouth, along with another monk with a long snout and big ears . They are at the cave entrance demanding the return of their master, Tang Sanzang. They said if we dared to utter a single 'no,' they would tear down the mountain and level the cave dwelling."
The Red Boy let out a cold laugh. "That must be the Pilgrim Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie. They certainly know how to track me down! I snatched their master from the road a hundred and fifty miles away. How did they find their way here?" He then gave his orders: "Little ones, summon the cart handlers and push the carts outside!"
A group of little demons pushed out five small carts and opened the front gates. When Zhu Bajie saw this, he said, "Brother, this demon must be afraid of us. He's moving his carts, getting ready to flee."
The Pilgrim replied, "No, that's not it. Let's see where he places those carts."
They watched as the little demons arranged the carts according to the positions of the Five Elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Five little demons stood guard over the carts, while another five went inside to report. The Red Boy asked, "Are they set?" The little demons answered, "They are set." The Red Boy then said, "Bring me my spear." Two little demons carried out a fiery-tipped spear , eighteen feet long , and handed it to him. The Red Boy strode out of the door holding the spear. He wore no armor, only an embroidered battle-skirt tied around his waist, and he came out barefoot.
The Pilgrim and Zhu Bajie looked up and saw the fiend:
His face was as fair as powdered makeup, with a touch of white; his lips were as red as vermilion, marking him as a man of talent. His sideburns were like dark clouds, outshining indigo dye; his eyebrows were like the new moon, as if cut by a knife. His battle-skirt was exquisitely embroidered with coiling dragons and phoenixes; his form was plumper than that of Nezha. In both hands he held his spear, fierce and majestic; auspicious light protected his body as he stepped out the door. His voice was like the roar of spring thunder; his glaring eyes were as bright as flashing lightning. If you want to know this demon's true name, it is one that has echoed through the ages: Red Boy.
As soon as the Red Boy came out, he shouted, "Who is making all this racket at my door?" The Pilgrim stepped forward and said with a smile, "Nephew, stop putting on airs. This morning, you were hanging from a pine branch by the mountain path, disguised as a weak, sickly child, deceiving my master. Out of kindness, I carried you on my back, but you summoned a great wind and captured my master. Now you come out in this form, and you think I wouldn't recognize you? Send my master out at once, and don't harm our family ties. Otherwise, when your father finds out, he will blame old Sun for bullying the young, and that wouldn't be proper."
Upon hearing this, the Red Boy flew into a rage. "You insolent monkey! What family ties do I have with you? You're talking nonsense and claiming a connection! Who is your nephew?" The Pilgrim said, "Nephew, you wouldn't know this. Back when I became sworn brothers with your father, you weren't even born yet." The Red Boy retorted, "You're even more full of nonsense! Where are you from, and where am I from? How could you have become sworn brothers with my father?" The Pilgrim explained, "You don't know this, but I am Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven who caused havoc in the Heavenly Court five hundred years ago. Before that rebellion, I roamed the world, traveling to all four great continents, and I made it my business to befriend heroes and champions. Your father is called the Bull Demon King , known as the Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven . He and I became sworn brothers, seven of us in all. He was the eldest brother. Then there was the Dragon Demon King, called the Great Sage Who Covers the Seas , who was the second brother. The Roc Demon King, called the Great Sage Who Confounds Heaven , was the third. The Lion King, called the Great Sage Who Moves Mountains , was the fourth. The Gibbon King, called the Great Sage Who Penetrates the Wind , was the fifth. The Rhesus King, called the Great Sage Who Drives Away Spirits , was the sixth. I was the youngest, the seventh, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. When we brothers were having our fun, you didn't even exist yet!"
The Red Boy didn't believe a word of it. He raised his fiery-tipped spear and thrust it at the Pilgrim. But the Pilgrim was ready. He dodged the strike and swung his golden-banded staff, cursing, "You little beast! You don't know what's good for you! Take this!" The Red Boy also dodged and said, "You reckless monkey! You don't know the times! Take this!" Forgetting all talk of family ties, the two immediately began to fight, leaping into midair:
The Pilgrim's fame was vast; the demon king's skills were formidable. One held his golden-banded staff horizontally; the other thrust his fiery-tipped spear straight. They spat out mist that shrouded the Three Realms; they breathed out clouds that lit up the four directions. A murderous aura filled the sky with fierce shouts; the sun, moon, and stars lost all their light. Their words showed no courtesy; their feelings were full of hostility. The one lost his heart and abandoned all propriety; the other changed his face and disregarded all moral principles. With the staff, his might grew; with the spear, his wild nature raged. One was the true Great Sage of Chaos; the other was the destined Child of Wealth. The two fought with all their strength for victory, all for the sake of the Tang Monk, who sought the Dharma King.
The two fought for twenty rounds without either gaining the upper hand. Zhu Bajie, watching from the side, could see clearly: although the Red Boy hadn't lost, he could barely parry the attacks and had no chance to strike back. The Pilgrim, though not yet victorious, wielded his staff with precision, constantly striking around the Red Boy's head. Bajie thought to himself, "This is bad! The Pilgrim is so agile. If he deliberately leaves an opening and tricks the Red Boy into making a move, then knocks him down with one blow, I'll have no credit at all!" So, summoning his spirit, he raised his nine-toothed rake and brought it down from the air, aiming straight for the Red Boy's head. The Red Boy was startled. He dragged his spear and fled. The Pilgrim shouted, "Bajie, after him! After him!"
The two pursued him back to the cave entrance, where they saw the Red Boy standing on the middle cart, holding his fiery-tipped spear in one hand. With the other hand, he made a fist and punched himself twice on the nose. Bajie laughed and said, "This brat is a sore loser! He's punching his nose until it bleeds, wanting to smear his face red and go file a complaint?" After punching himself twice, the Red Boy chanted a spell. Fire shot out from his mouth, thick smoke billowed from his nose, and in the blink of an eye, flames erupted. The five small carts also burst into fire. After a few more puffs, a great crimson blaze set the sky ablaze. The entire Fire-Cloud Cave was enveloped in smoke and fire. Truly, the fire was soaring to the heavens. Bajie panicked and said, "Brother, this is bad! If we charge into that fire, we'll be done for! It'll roast me into a suckling pig for his table! Let's get out of here! Let's go!" Without waiting for the Pilgrim, he fled across the ravine.
The Pilgrim, with his vast supernatural powers, recited a fire-avoiding mantra and charged into the flames to find the Red Boy. When the Red Boy saw the Pilgrim coming in, he spat out even more fire, making the blaze fiercer than before. This fire was no ordinary flame:
Blazing and raging, it filled the sky with its burning; majestic and awe-inspiring, it turned the entire earth red. It was like fiery wheels flying up and down, like flying embers dancing east and west. This fire was not kindled by the ancient sage Suiren drilling wood, nor was it the alchemical fire of Lord Laozi. It was not heavenly fire, nor was it wild fire. It was the True Samadhi Fire cultivated by the demon into a perfected state. The five carts merged with the Five Elements, and the Five Elements, in their transformations, gave birth to the perfected fire. The Wood of the Liver can give birth to the Fire of the Heart, and the Fire of the Heart can balance the Earth of the Spleen. The Earth of the Spleen gives birth to the Metal of the Lungs, and the Metal transforms into the Water of the Kidneys, which in turn nourishes the Wood of the Liver, all in a cycle of perfect spiritual communication. All of this birth and transformation comes from Fire; when Fire spreads across the heavens, all things flourish. This fiend, through long cultivation, had awakened the power of the Samadhi Fire, and was the foremost in the Western lands.
The Pilgrim was blocked by the smoke and flames. Unable to see the cave entrance, he had no choice but to leap out of the fire. The Red Boy, watching from the doorway, saw the Pilgrim retreat. Only then did he withdraw his fire weapons and lead his little demons back into the cave, closing the doors. Believing himself victorious, he ordered a feast with music and began a joyful celebration.
Meanwhile, the Pilgrim leaped back over Withered Pine Ravine and descended from his cloud. He heard Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing talking in the pine forest. The Pilgrim went up to Bajie and scolded him, "You idiot! You have no sense of loyalty at all! Afraid of a little fire, you ran away and left me behind. Luckily, I have the skills, or I would have been burned to a crisp!"
Bajie laughed and said, "Brother, that fiend hit the nail on the head. You really don't know the times. The ancients said, 'He who knows the times is a wise man.' That fiend has no relation to you, yet you insisted on calling him nephew. When you fought him, he released such a terrible fire, and you still wouldn't run. You had to fight him head-on!"
The Pilgrim asked, "How does that fiend's skill compare to mine?" Bajie replied, "He's not as good as you." The Pilgrim asked again, "And his spear technique compared to mine?" Bajie said, "Also not as good as yours. I saw he couldn't hold out any longer, so I came to help you with my rake. I didn't expect him to be such a sore loser that he'd just start a fire." The Pilgrim said, "It's all your fault for meddling! If I had fought him for a few more rounds, I would have found an opening and knocked him down with one blow!"
The two were so engrossed in discussing the fiend's skills and his fire that Sha Wujing, leaning against a pine tree, began to laugh. The Pilgrim saw him and asked, "Brother, what are you laughing at? Do you have a way to capture the fiend and break his fire formation? This is for everyone's benefit. As the saying goes, 'When everyone adds wood, the flames are high.' If you can save the master, it would be a great deed."
Sha Wujing replied, "I have no such skills, nor can I subdue demons. I was just laughing at the two of you for panicking." The Pilgrim asked, "How have I panicked?" Sha Wujing said, "That fiend's skills and spear technique are no match for yours. He only has the advantage of his fire, which is why you can't defeat him. In my opinion, you can use the principle of mutual generation and mutual conquest to deal with him. What's so difficult about that?" Upon hearing this, the Pilgrim laughed and said, "Brother, you're right! We did panic and forgot about that. Water can overcome fire. Let's find some water to douse the demon's flames, and then we can rescue the master!"
Sha Wujing said, "Exactly! Don't delay. Go find some water." The Pilgrim said, "You two wait here and don't fight with the fiend. I'm going to the Eastern Ocean to invite the Dragon Kings to help. I'll ask them to send rain to put out the flames and capture this fiend." Bajie said, "Brother, go without worry. We understand."
What a Great Sage! He mounted his cloud and departed, quickly reaching the Eastern Ocean. With no mind to admire the sea view, he used his water-repelling technique to part the waves. As he was walking, he ran into a patrolling Yaksha of the sea. When the Yaksha saw it was the Great Sage Sun Wukong, he hurried back to the Crystal Palace to report to the old Dragon King, Ao Guang. Ao Guang immediately led his dragon sons and grandsons, shrimp soldiers and crab generals, out to welcome him, inviting the Pilgrim in to sit. Once seated, Ao Guang offered tea, but the Pilgrim said, "No tea. I have a matter to trouble you with. My master, Tang Sanzang, is on his journey to the Western Paradise to fetch the scriptures. He passed by the Fire-Cloud Cave at Withered Pine Ravine on Hao Mountain, where a fiend called the Red Boy captured him. I found the cave and fought him, but he can summon fire. We couldn't withstand it. Thinking that water can overcome fire, I came specifically to ask you to send rain, to douse the demon's flames and save my master."
Ao Guang said, "Great Sage, you may not know this, but I cannot send rain on my own." The Pilgrim asked, "You are the Dragon King of the Four Seas, in charge of rainfall. If not you, then who?" Ao Guang replied, "Although I am in charge of rainfall, I cannot act on my own authority. I need a decree from the Jade Emperor, specifying the location, the amount of rain, the start and end times. Then the Three Officials must record it, the Grand Unity must issue the dispatch, and the Thunder Lord, Lightning Mother, Wind Uncle, and Cloud Boy must be notified. As the saying goes, 'Without clouds, a dragon cannot move.' Without these procedures, I cannot make it rain."
The Pilgrim said, "I don't need wind, clouds, thunder, or lightning. I just need some rain to put out the fire." Ao Guang said, "Great Sage, even if you don't need wind, clouds, thunder, or lightning, I cannot do it alone. How about I summon my brothers to help you?" The Pilgrim asked, "Where are your brothers?" Ao Guang said, "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." The Pilgrim laughed and said, "If I have to go and invite the other three seas myself, I might as well go to Heaven and request a decree from the Jade Emperor." Ao Guang said, "There's no need for the Great Sage to go. Here, I can strike the iron drum and golden bell, and they will arrive immediately." The Pilgrim said, "Old Dragon King, strike the bell and drum quickly!"
In a short while, the Dragon Kings of the Three Seas arrived and asked, "Elder Brother, what is the matter?" Ao Guang said, "The Great Sage Sun Wukong is here to borrow rain to subdue a demon." After the three Dragon Kings had greeted the Pilgrim, the Pilgrim explained his request for water. All the gods were happy to help and immediately mustered their aquatic troops:
The brave sharks were the vanguard; the fierce sturgeons were the pioneers. Marshal Carp stirred up waves and leaped; Commander Bream spat out mist and blew wind. Grand Instructor Mackerel scouted in the east; Commander Whitefish urged the march in the west. Red-Eyed Horse Fish danced in the south; Black-Armored General charged in the north. Commander Yellow Fish took charge of the central army, blowing the horn; troops from all five directions were heroes everywhere. The crafty Turtle was the Privy Councilor; the wise Tortoise was the Grand Minister. The cunning Alligator was the Chancellor; the versatile Soft-Shelled Turtle was the Commander-in-Chief. The swaggering Crab Soldier wielded his long sword; the leaping Shrimp Woman drew her stiff bow. The Clerk Catfish checked the rosters, and the dragon troops were dispatched, leaving the waves.
A poem says:
The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas were happy to help, invited by the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. Because of the Tang Monk's ordeal on the road, they came to borrow water to extinguish the red fire.
The Pilgrim led the dragon troops and soon arrived at Hao Mountain, Withered Pine Ravine. The Pilgrim said, "Brothers Ao, thank you for making this trip. This is the fiend's territory. You all wait in the sky and don't show yourselves. I will go and fight him. If I win, you won't need to do anything. If I lose, you still don't need to help. Only when he releases his fire, you will follow my command and all send rain together." The Dragon Kings all agreed.
The Pilgrim descended from his cloud and entered the pine forest to see Bajie and Wujing. He said, "Brothers, the Dragon Kings have arrived. You two be careful. The rain might be heavy, so don't let our luggage get wet. I'm going to fight him." Sha Wujing said, "Elder Brother, go without worry. We understand."
The Pilgrim leaped over the ravine and arrived at the cave entrance, shouting, "Open the door!" The little demons went in again to report, "The Pilgrim Sun Wukong is back." The Red Boy looked up and laughed. "This monkey must not have been burned, so he's come back for more. This time, I won't let him off. I'll burn him until his skin is scorched and his flesh is crispy!" With that, he picked up his spear and ordered the little demons to push out the fire carts. He stepped out and asked, "What do you want now?" The Pilgrim said, "Return my master!" The Red Boy said, "You monkey really don't understand. That Tang Sanzang could be your master, but he can also be my appetizer. You think you can get him back? No chance!" The Pilgrim flew into a rage. He raised his golden-banded staff and struck at the Red Boy's head. The Red Boy met him with his fiery-tipped spear. This battle was even more intense than the last:
Rage made the demon ferocious; fury made the Monkey King desperate. One was dedicated to rescuing the scripture-seeking monk; the other was determined to eat Tang Sanzang. Their hearts changed, leaving no family affection; their feelings grew distant, with no room for forgiveness. One wished he could catch him and skin him alive; the other wished he could grab him and eat him raw with sauce. Truly, they were both heroic; indeed, they were both fierce and mighty. The staff met the spear, a contest of victory and defeat; the spear met the staff, a struggle for supremacy. They traded blows for twenty rounds, and the skills of the two were evenly matched.
After twenty rounds, the Red Boy knew he couldn't win. He feigned a thrust with his spear, then quickly withdrew. He made a fist and punched himself twice on the nose again, releasing his fire. Smoke and flames erupted from the carts at the entrance, and red flames shot from his mouth and eyes. The Great Sage Sun Wukong turned his head and shouted, "Where are the Dragon Kings?" The Dragon Kings and their brothers, along with their aquatic troops, immediately released their rain upon the fiend's fire. The rain was torrential:
Drizzling and pattering, thick and heavy. The drizzling and pattering was like silver stars falling from the sky; the thick and heavy was like waves tumbling from the mouth of the sea. At first, the raindrops were the size of fists; then, they came down like water from a basin or a poured-out vat. The ground was flooded, turning the duck's head green; the high mountains were washed clean, revealing the blue of a Buddha's head. The ravines flew with a thousand feet of jade-like water; the streams swelled with ten thousand strands of silver. The three-way crossroads were soon full; the winding, nine-bend creek gradually became level. This was the divine dragons aiding the Tang Monk in his distress, tipping over the Heavenly River and pouring it down.
But this rain could not extinguish the Red Boy's fire. The rain sent by the Dragon Kings was "private rain," which could only put out ordinary fires. How could it possibly extinguish the Red Boy's True Samadhi Fire? Instead, it was like pouring oil on the flames, making them burn even more fiercely. The Great Sage said, "Let me recite the mantra and charge in!" He swung his golden-banded staff and rushed into the fire. When the Red Boy saw him coming, he blew a mouthful of smoke directly into the Pilgrim's face. The Pilgrim quickly turned his head, but the smoke stung his eyes and blurred his vision, making him weep uncontrollably. The Great Sage was not afraid of fire, but he was afraid of smoke. Back when he caused havoc in the Heavenly Court, Lord Laozi had put him in the Eight Trigrams Furnace. Luckily, he had hidden himself in the position of the Wind trigram and wasn't burned, but the wind had blown the smoke into his eyes, giving him his fiery golden eyes. Ever since then, he had been afraid of smoke. The Red Boy blew another mouthful of smoke, and the Pilgrim couldn't bear it. He mounted his cloud and fled. The Red Boy withdrew his fire weapons and returned to his cave.
The Great Sage's body was covered in smoke and fire. Feeling unbearably hot and agitated, he leaped directly into the ravine to cool himself off. But he hadn't expected the shock of the cold water. The fire energy attacked his heart, and his soul nearly scattered. It was truly pitiful: his breath was blocked in his chest, he couldn't speak, his throat was cold, and his spirit was on the verge of departing this life! The Four Dragon Kings in the sky withdrew their rain and shouted loudly, "Marshal Tianpeng! General Curtain-Raiser! Don't hide in the forest any longer! Go and find your elder brother!"
Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing heard their shouts. They quickly untied the horse, shouldered the luggage, and came out of the forest. Ignoring the muddy ground, they searched along the ravine bank. Upstream, they saw waves tumbling and rolling, and a person being swept down in the swift current. When Sha Wujing saw this, he didn't even take off his clothes before jumping into the water. He pulled the person onto the bank, and it was the Great Sage Sun Wukong. Look at the Great Sage: his limbs were curled up and wouldn't stretch out, and his whole body was as cold as ice. Tears filled Sha Wujing's eyes as he said, "Elder Brother! What a pity! An immortal who has lived for billions of years, and now you've become a short-lived man in the middle of your journey!"
Zhu Bajie laughed and said, "Brother, don't cry. This monkey is just pretending to be dead to scare us. Feel his chest and see if there's any warmth left." Sha Wujing said, "His whole body is cold. Even if there's a little warmth left, he won't be coming back." Bajie said, "He has seventy-two transformations, so he has seventy-two lives. Pull his legs, and I'll revive him."
Sha Wujing pulled the Great Sage's legs, and Bajie supported his head. They straightened him out and made him sit cross-legged. Bajie rubbed his hands until they were warm, then pressed them against the Pilgrim's seven orifices and used a massage technique. The Great Sage's breath had been blocked in his dantian by the shock of the cold water, and he couldn't speak. Fortunately, Bajie's massage and manipulation, after a short while, caused the energy to pass through the three passes, reach the Hall of Light, and open up the blocked cavities. The Great Sage cried out, "Master!"
Sha Wujing said, "Brother, you've woken up! We're right here." The Great Sage sat up and looked up, asking, "Where are the brothers Ao?" The Four Dragon Kings answered from the sky, "We are here, at your service." The Pilgrim said, "Thank you for your trouble. We didn't succeed. You may go back now. I will thank you another day." The Dragon Kings led their aquatic troops and departed.
Sha Wujing helped the Pilgrim to his feet, and they went together to sit under the pine forest. After a while, the Great Sage finally recovered his senses. He couldn't help but shed tears and cried out again, "Master!
I recall the year I left the Great Tang, you saved me from disaster in front of that cliff. I have faced demonic obstacles on three mountains and six rivers, endured a thousand hardships and ten thousand pains that tear at my heart. I beg for my meals with my bowl, accepting whatever is given, whether coarse or fine; I meditate in the evening, sleeping in forests or villages. My single-minded hope was to achieve the final fruit of enlightenment. But who would have known that today I would suffer such painful injury!
Sha Wujing said, "Brother, don't be so sad. Let's quickly think of a plan. Where can we go to ask for reinforcements to save the master?" The Pilgrim asked, "Where should we go?" Sha Wujing replied, "When the Bodhisattva first instructed us to protect the Tang Monk, she said that if we called to Heaven, Heaven would answer, and if we called to Earth, Earth would respond. Why don't we go and ask the Bodhisattva for help?"
The Pilgrim said, "Think about it. When I caused havoc in the Heavenly Court, none of those divine soldiers could stop me. But this fiend has no small amount of supernatural power. We need to find someone with greater abilities than mine to subdue him. The gods of Heaven and the spirits of Earth are all useless. To capture this fiend, we must go and ask the Bodhisattva Guanyin. But my whole body aches, my back won't straighten, and I can't even mount my somersault cloud. How can I go?"
Zhu Bajie said, "Just give me your instructions, and I'll go!" The Pilgrim laughed and said, "Alright, you go. When you see the Bodhisattva, don't lift your head to look. Just kowtow with your head down. When the Bodhisattva asks you, clearly state the name of the place and the name of the fiend, and then beg her to save the master. If she is willing to come, she will definitely be able to capture the fiend." Upon hearing this, Bajie immediately mounted his cloud and headed south.
Meanwhile, the Red Boy was in his cave, saying happily, "Little ones, the Pilgrim Sun Wukong has suffered a defeat and run away. Although I didn't kill him in this battle, I've smoked him badly. However, he will definitely go and ask for reinforcements. Open the doors quickly, and I'll go see who he's inviting."
The little demons opened the doors, and the Red Boy leaped into the sky to survey the area. He saw Bajie heading south. The Red Boy thought to himself, "In the south, besides the Bodhisattva Guanyin of the Southern Sea, there's no one else who can help them." He quickly descended from his cloud and said, "Little ones, find my leather bag. I haven't used it in a long time. I'm afraid the mouth-rope isn't strong enough. Replace it with a new one and put it under the second gate. I'm going to trick Bajie into coming back, put him in the bag, steam him until he's tender, and reward you all." The Red Boy had a magical leather bag that could expand and contract as he wished. The little demons found it, replaced the mouth-rope, and placed it inside the cave gate.
The Red Boy had lived in this area for a long time and knew the roads well. He knew the shortest way to the Southern Sea. He mounted his cloud, took a shortcut, got ahead of Bajie, and sat on a cliff, transforming himself into the image of the Bodhisattva Guanyin to wait for him.
Bajie was speeding along on his cloud when he suddenly saw the Bodhisattva. How could he tell the real from the fake? Seeing a divine image, he bowed. Bajie stopped his cloud and knelt, saying, "Bodhisattva, your disciple Zhu Wuneng kowtows to you." The false Bodhisattva said, "Why aren't you protecting the Tang Monk on his journey to fetch the scriptures? What business do you have with me?" Bajie said, "Your disciple and the master were traveling along when we encountered the Red Boy fiend of the Fire-Cloud Cave at Withered Pine Ravine on Hao Mountain. He captured the master. My elder brother and I went to fight him, but he can release fire. We didn't win the first round. In the second round, we invited the Dragon Kings to send rain, but it couldn't put out the fire either. My elder brother was burned by him and can't move. He sent me to beg the Bodhisattva to come and save our lives!"
The false Bodhisattva said, "That master of the Fire-Cloud Cave is not a bloodthirsty killer. You must have offended him." Bajie said, "I didn't offend him. It was my elder brother, Wukong, who did. That fiend transformed himself into a child and hung himself from a tree to test the master. The master, being kind-hearted, had me take him down and told my elder brother to carry him. My elder brother threw him down, and the fiend summoned a great wind and captured the master." The false Bodhisattva said, "Get up. Come with me into the cave to see the master. I'll put in a good word for you. If you apologize, you can get your master back." Bajie said, "Bodhisattva, as long as I can get my master back, I'll even kowtow to him."
The Red Boy said, "Follow me." The fool didn't realize it was a trick. He followed him, not heading to the Southern Sea, but back to the Fire-Cloud Cave. Soon they arrived at the cave entrance. The Red Boy went in and said, "Don't be suspicious. He's an old acquaintance of mine. Let him in." Bajie had no choice but to enter the door. The little demons immediately shouted and grabbed him, stuffing him into the leather bag. They tightened the mouth-rope and hung him high from a beam in the hall. The Red Boy changed back to his original form, sat in the middle, and said, "Zhu Bajie, what skill do you have that you dare to protect the Tang Monk on his journey to fetch the scriptures? And you dared to go and invite the Bodhisattva to subdue me? Open your eyes wide and look! I am the Holy Infant King! Now I'm going to hang you here for three to five days, and when you're steamed tender, I'll give you to the little demons as an appetizer!"
Bajie, from inside the bag, cursed, "You reckless monster! You're so rude! Even if you tricked me and I suffered a loss, sooner or later my elder brother will: 'Display the boundless power of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, capture all the monsters on this mountain in an instant! Untie this leather bag and let me out, and I'll rake you a thousand times to be satisfied!'"
The Pilgrim, hearing Bajie's curses from outside, laughed to himself. "That fool, though he's suffering in there, he hasn't given up yet. I must capture this fiend, or I'll never be able to swallow this anger!" As he was thinking of a way to rescue Bajie, he heard the Red Boy shout, "Where are the Six Valiant Generals