As the Bull Demon King caught up to the Great Sage Sun, he saw the monkey striding ahead triumphantly, the Plantain Fan slung over his shoulder. The Bull Demon King’s heart sank. “This ape has even tricked the fan’s secret from my wife! If I demand it back, he’ll refuse; if he fans me, I’ll be blown a hundred and eight thousand miles away, which would suit him perfectly. I’ve heard Tang Sanzang is waiting on the road with his disciples, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing—I knew them when I was a demon myself. I’ll transform into Zhu Bajie’s form and trick him in turn. The monkey is flushed with victory and won’t be on his guard.”
Now the Bull Demon King also knew the Seventy-Two Transformations, and his martial skill matched the Great Sage’s, but his body was heavy and clumsy, lacking agility. He hid his sword, recited a spell, shook himself, and transformed into the likeness of Zhu Bajie. Cutting across a side path, he intercepted the Great Sage and called out, “Elder Brother, I’m here!”
The Great Sage was overjoyed—as the old saying goes, “A victorious cat is as proud as a tiger.” Trusting in his own power, he never suspected a thing. Seeing Bajie’s form, he asked, “Brother, where are you going?” The Bull Demon King answered smoothly, “Master saw you were gone so long and feared the Bull King’s strength was too much for you. He sent me to help.”
The Great Sage laughed. “No need for worry! I’ve already got the fan!” The Bull Demon King pressed, “How did you get it?” The Great Sage replied, “That old bull fought me for a hundred rounds without a winner, then abandoned me to go drinking with a bunch of dragon and flood dragon spirits at the bottom of Clear Waves Lake on Chaotic Stone Mountain . I followed him in secret, turned into a crab, stole his Water-Treading Golden-Eyed Beast , then took his form and went to the Plantain Cave to trick Rakshasi . That woman even put on a false show of affection, and I seized the fan from her.”
The Bull Demon King said, “You’ve worked hard, Elder Brother! You must be exhausted. Let me carry the fan.” The Great Sage, never suspecting the deception, handed it over without a second thought.
But the Bull Demon King knew the secret of shrinking the fan. After taking it, he muttered a spell, and the fan instantly shrank to the size of an apricot leaf. He resumed his true form and cursed, “You mad ape! Do you recognize me now?”
The Great Sage’s heart filled with regret. “How careless I’ve been!” He stamped his foot in fury. “Ah! I’ve hunted geese for years, and now a gosling has pecked out my eye!” Boiling with rage, he pulled out his Golden-Banded Cudgel and struck at the Bull Demon King’s head. The bull king quickly fanned him, but the Great Sage had swallowed the Wind-Calming Pill when he turned into a mosquito and crept into Rakshasi’s belly. Now his innards were as steady as Mount Tai , and his skin was iron-tough. No matter how the bull king fanned, he didn’t budge.
The Bull Demon King panicked. He tucked the fan into his mouth, raised both swords, and charged. The two clashed in midair, a fierce battle indeed:
Heaven-Equal Great Sage Sun and the Havoc-Causing Bull Demon King , meeting over the Plantain Fan, each displaying their prowess. The careless Great Sage had tricked others; the bold Bull King now tricked him. One raised his Golden-Banded Cudgel without mercy; the other wielded his twin swords with cunning. The Great Sage unleashed his power, spewing rainbow mist; the Bull King fought wildly, spitting out radiant light. They vied in courage, both relentless, gnashing their teeth in fury. Dust and sand filled the air, darkening heaven and earth; flying stones and pebbles hid even the gods and ghosts. One said, “How dare you deceive me in return!” The other said, “My wife was promised to you!” Their words grew coarse, their tempers fierce. One cried, “You deserve to die for seducing my wife! I’ll take you to court!” The clever Heaven-Equal Sage and the ferocious Mighty Bull King sought only to kill, without a moment’s hesitation. Cudgel met sword with equal force; a single lapse meant facing the King of Hell.
Leave them to their indecisive struggle, and turn instead to Tang Sanzang, sitting by the roadside. The heat was oppressive, and thirst and anxiety gnawed at him. He asked the local spirit of the Flaming Mountain, “Honored spirit, how powerful is the Bull Demon King?” The spirit replied, “The Bull King possesses immense divine strength and boundless magic. He is a worthy match for the Great Sage Sun.”
Tang Sanzang said, “Wukong is the swiftest traveler. Normally, two thousand miles take him no time at all. He’s been gone a full day now; he must be fighting the Bull King.” He called out, “Wuneng! Wujing! One of you go meet your elder brother. If you encounter the enemy, help him fight. Borrow the fan, relieve my distress, and let us cross the mountain quickly.”
Zhu Bajie said, “It’s nearly dusk. I’d go, but I don’t know the way to Accumulated Thunder Mountain .” The local spirit said, “I know the path! Let General Sha stay with the master, and I’ll go with you.” Tang Sanzang was delighted. “I am indebted to you, honored spirit. I will thank you properly when this is done!”
Zhu Bajie roused his spirits, tightened his black cloth robe, shouldered his rake, and mounted a cloud with the local spirit, flying eastward. As they flew, they heard the roar of battle and saw fierce winds rolling. Bajie halted his cloud and saw the Great Sage Sun locked in combat with the Bull Demon King. The local spirit said, “Marshal Tianpeng, why don’t you go help?”
Zhu Bajie drew his rake and shouted, “Elder Brother, I’m here!” The Great Sage spat, “You fool! You’ve caused me no end of trouble!” Bajie said, “Master sent me to fetch you. I didn’t know the way, so I had to consult the local spirit to guide me. That’s why I’m late. How have I caused trouble?”
The Great Sage said, “I’m not angry that you’re late. This wretched bull is too insolent! I tricked the fan from Rakshasi with great effort, but he took your form and claimed to be coming to meet me. In my joy, I handed it over. He resumed his true form, and we’ve been fighting ever since. That’s the trouble you’ve caused!”
Zhu Bajie flew into a rage. He raised his rake and cursed, “You plague-ridden wretch! How dare you take your ancestor’s form to deceive my elder brother and sow discord between us brothers!” He swung his rake wildly, aiming for the Bull King’s head. The Bull King was exhausted from a day-long fight with the Great Sage, and Bajie’s rake was fierce and heavy. Unable to withstand the assault, he turned and fled.
At that moment, the local spirit of the Flaming Mountain led a troop of ghost soldiers and blocked his path. “Mighty Bull King, hold your hand! Tang Sanzang is on his pilgrimage to the West to fetch the scriptures. He is protected by gods from all realms, known throughout the Three Realms, and aided from all directions. Give up the Plantain Fan and let them cross the mountain peacefully. Otherwise, Heaven’s wrath will surely destroy you!”
The Bull Demon King said, “What do you know, you local spirit! That monkey stole my son, bullied my concubine, and deceived my wife. His insults are endless. I want to swallow him whole and shit him out for the dogs! Why would I lend him the fan?”
Before he finished speaking, Zhu Bajie caught up and cursed, “You black-hearted beast! Hand over the fan and I’ll spare your life!” The Bull King had no choice but to turn back and engage Bajie with his swords. The Great Sage Sun joined in with his cudgel, and the battle grew even fiercer:
The boar-turned-spirit and the bull-turned-fiend, joined by the monkey who stole Heaven’s secrets. The monk’s nature was tempered through battle, and earth must be used to unite the primal causes. The nine-pronged rake was sharp and pointed; the twin swords were swift and supple. The iron staff coiled and uncoiled as the master weapon, while the earth spirit lent his aid to forge the elixir’s head. The three forces clashed in mutual restraint, each displaying their talents to scheme. To catch the bull and plow the fields would grow gold; to call the boar back to the furnace would gather the wood’s energy. With a distracted mind, how could one attain the Dao? The spirit must remain in its dwelling to rein in the monkey. They shouted and cried out in bitter struggle; the three weapons whistled through the air. The rake’s blows and the sword’s wounds held no mercy; the Golden-Banded Cudgel rose for a reason. They fought until the stars lost their light and the moon dimmed, and a cold, dark mist shrouded the sky.
The Bull Demon King fought with all his might, retreating step by step. They battled through the entire night without a victor. As dawn approached, they reached his lair, the Cloud-Touching Cave on Accumulated Thunder Mountain. The clamor of the three combatants, the local spirit, and the ghost soldiers alarmed the Jade-Faced Princess. She sent a maid to investigate, and the gate-guarding lesser demons reported, “It’s the master fighting that thunder-beaked monk from yesterday, along with a long-snouted, big-eared monk and the Flaming Mountain’s local spirit!”
The Jade-Faced Princess immediately ordered all the minor chieftains and soldiers to take up arms and help. Over a hundred lesser demons swarmed out, brandishing weapons and shouting, “Great King, we’ve come by the lady’s orders to help you!” The Bull Demon King was overjoyed. “Excellent! Excellent!”
The demons charged in a mass, slashing wildly. Zhu Bajie, caught off guard, fled in defeat, dragging his rake. The Great Sage leaped onto his somersault cloud and escaped the encirclement, while the ghost soldiers scattered. The Bull Demon King, victorious, led his demons back into the cave and sealed the entrance.
The Great Sage said, “This bull is truly fierce! We’ve been fighting since the Hour of the Monkey yesterday, and he shows no sign of fatigue. Those lesser demons are also vicious. Now he’s holed up in his cave. What do we do?”
Zhu Bajie asked, “Elder Brother, you left Master at the Hour of the Snake yesterday. How did you not start fighting until the Hour of the Monkey? Where were you in those two or three hours?” The Great Sage replied, “After I left you, I reached this mountain in no time. I saw a woman and learned she was his concubine, the Jade-Faced Princess. I scared her with my staff, and she ran into the cave to summon the Bull King. We argued for a while and fought for an hour. In the middle of it, someone invited him to a feast. I followed him to the bottom of Clear Waves Lake, turned into a crab to spy, stole his Golden-Eyed Beast, then took his form and went to the Plantain Cave on Green Cloud Mountain to trick Rakshasi. I got the fan, but when I tried it, I made it big and couldn’t shrink it. As I was carrying it off, he took your form and tricked me out of it. That’s how I lost two or three hours.”
Zhu Bajie said, “As the saying goes, ‘A boat of tofu capsized in the sea—in broth it came, in broth it went!’ Now we can’t borrow the fan. How will we get Master across the mountain? We might as well go back and take another road!”
The local spirit said, “Great Sage, don’t be anxious! Marshal Tianpeng, don’t be discouraged! Taking a detour is the wrong path, not true cultivation. As the ancients said, ‘Walk not on bypaths.’ How can you detour? Your master is still sitting on the main road, waiting eagerly for your success!”
The Great Sage declared fiercely, “Right! Right! Don’t talk nonsense, fool! The local spirit is correct! We’ll fight him to the finish and use every trick. I’ll employ my Earthly Transformations. Since coming West, I’ve had no equal. The Bull King is but a transformation of my own Mind-Ape. Now is the time to meet the source, to seize the magic fan through combat. With coolness, we’ll quench the flames, break through the void, and see the Buddha. When our journey is done, we’ll ascend to paradise and join the Dragon Flower Feast together!”
Zhu Bajie, invigorated, quickly said, “Yes, yes, yes! Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go! Never mind the Bull King’s skill. The Wood Mother was born in the sign of the Boar; we’ll lead the bull back to the Earth category. Metal is born under the Monkey, and without conflict, all is harmony. Use the Plantain Fan, which represents Water, to extinguish the Fire and achieve completion. Day and night, never cease until the work is done. When finished, we’ll hurry to the Ullambana Feast!”
They advanced together with the local spirit and ghost soldiers. Zhu Bajie raised his rake, and the Great Sage swung his staff, smashing the front gate of the Cloud-Touching Cave to pieces with a thunderous crash. The gatekeeping lesser demons, trembling with fear, ran inside to report, “Great King! Sun Wukong and his men have broken down the front gate!”
The Bull Demon King was just complaining to the Jade-Faced Princess about Sun Wukong’s deeds. Hearing that the gate was broken, he erupted in fury. He quickly donned his armor, grabbed his iron staff, and stormed out, cursing, “You mad ape! Who do you think you are, to come to my door and smash it?”
Zhu Bajie stepped forward and cursed, “You old skinned beast! Who do you think you are, to talk of others’ worth? Don’t run! Taste my rake!” The Bull Demon King roared, “You leftover-eating fool, can’t you see I’m busy? Send that monkey up!”
The Great Sage said, “You ungrateful wretch! Yesterday I still called you brother; today we are enemies! Watch out for my staff!” The Bull Demon King fought back with all his might, and this battle surpassed the previous one. The three heroes clashed, a magnificent sight:
The rake and staff displayed divine power, leading the ghost soldiers against the old bull. The bull unleashed his fierce nature, his magic filling the sky. The rake struck, the staff pounded, and the iron staff’s heroism was extraordinary. The three weapons clanged and clattered; who would yield in parry and block? One claimed to be the leader, the other the champion. The ghost soldiers bore witness, but the struggle was unresolved, as Wood and Earth clashed in pursuit.
One said, “Why won’t you lend the Plantain Fan?” The other said, “How dare you deceive my wife! You wronged my concubine and harmed my son—that score is unsettled! Now you knock at my door and disturb me!” One said, “Beware my Ruyi Staff! A single touch will tear your skin!” The other said, “Dodge my rake’s teeth! One wound, nine bleeding holes!” The Bull King, fearless, wielded his iron staff with cunning. Clouds and rain swirled as they came and went; mist and wind erupted at will. They fought with bitter hatred, each delighting in the struggle. They dropped their guards, traded advantages, and parried and blocked without fail. The two brothers fought together, while the lone bull wielded his staff alone. From the Hour of the Hare to the Hour of the Dragon, they fought until the Bull King retreated in defeat.
They fought desperately for another hundred rounds. Zhu Bajie, emboldened by the Great Sage’s power, swung his rake wildly. The Bull Demon King could not withstand the assault and turned to flee into his cave, but the local spirit and ghost soldiers blocked the entrance. “Mighty Bull King, where are you going? We’re here!”
Unable to enter the cave and seeing Bajie and the Great Sage closing in, the Bull King panicked. He threw off his armor, dropped his staff, shook himself, and transformed into a swan, flying into the sky.
Wukong saw the Bull King transform into a swan and laughed. “Bajie! The old bull has fled!” Bajie was confused, and the local spirit didn’t understand either. They looked around, searching aimlessly on Accumulated Thunder Mountain. Wukong pointed upward. “Isn’t that him flying in the sky?” Bajie said, “That’s a swan.” Wukong said, “That’s the old bull’s transformation!” The local spirit asked, “Since it’s him, what do we do?” Wukong said, “You two break into the Cloud-Touching Cave, kill all the lesser demons, destroy his lair, and cut off his retreat. I’ll go match his transformations!” Zhu Bajie and the local spirit did as he said and attacked the cave gate.
The Great Sage put away his cudgel, recited a spell, shook himself, and transformed into a gyrfalcon. With a whoosh, he flew into the clouds, then dove down and landed on the swan, gripping its neck and pecking at its eyes. The Bull Demon King knew it was Wukong’s transformation. He shook his wings and turned into a yellow hawk, turning to peck at the gyrfalcon. Wukong then transformed into a black phoenix, chasing the yellow hawk. The Bull King recognized him and transformed into a white crane, letting out a long cry as he flew south.
Wukong halted, shook his feathers, and turned into a red phoenix, crying out loudly. The white crane, seeing the phoenix—the king of birds—dared not move. He quickly flapped his wings and landed on a cliff, transforming into a musk deer, leisurely grazing. Wukong recognized him, landed, and turned into a starving tiger, swishing his tail and pawing the ground, ready to eat the deer. The Bull King panicked and turned into a golden-spotted leopard, intending to harm the tiger.
Wukong faced the wind, shook his head, and became a golden-eyed lion, its roar like thunder, its head hard as bronze and iron. It turned to devour the leopard. The Bull King grew even more frantic and transformed into a brown bear, striding forward to grab the lion. Wukong rolled over and became an elephant, its trunk like a long snake, its tusks like bamboo shoots. It extended its trunk to coil around the bear.
The Bull Demon King laughed grimly and reverted to his true form—a great white bull. Its head was like a mountain, its eyes like flashing lights, its horns like two iron pagodas, its teeth like sharp knives. From head to tail, it stretched over a thousand zhang; from hoof to back, it was eight hundred zhang tall. He shouted at Wukong, “You mad ape! What can you do to me now?”
Wukong also resumed his true form, drew his staff, bent down, and roared, “Grow!” His body swelled to ten thousand zhang, his head like Mount Tai, his eyes like the sun and moon, his mouth like a pool of blood, his teeth like gate planks. He raised his staff and struck at the old bull’s head. The Bull King hardened his head and charged with his horns. This battle shook the mountains and earth, stunning heaven and earth! As the poem says:
When the Dao rises a foot, the demon rises a thousand. The clever Mind-Ape uses all his strength to subdue. If the Flaming Mountain is to lose its blazing flames, the magic fan must bring its cooling air. The Yellow Hag, with great ambition, supports the primal elder; the Wood Mother, with heartfelt intent, sweeps away the demon. When the Five Elements are harmonized, the true fruit is attained; refining the demon and cleansing the filth, they journey West.
The two displayed their immense powers, fighting on the mountainside. Their struggle alarmed the passing celestial spirits, as well as the Golden-Headed Revealer, the Six Ding and Six Jia, and the Eighteen Guardians of the Faith. They all surrounded the Bull Demon King. But the Bull King was fearless. He charged east and west with his gleaming iron horns; he rammed north and south with his thick, sinewy tail. The Great Sage Sun faced him head-on, while the gods attacked from all sides.
The Bull Demon King, in desperation, rolled on the ground and resumed his true form, fleeing toward the Plantain Cave. Wukong also shrank his magical body and chased after him with the gods. The Bull King rushed into the cave and slammed the gate shut. The gods surrounded Green Cloud Mountain so tightly that not even water could seep through.
Just as they were about to attack the gate, they heard Zhu Bajie, the local spirit, and the ghost soldiers approaching noisily. Wukong saw them and asked, “How went it at the Cloud-Touching Cave?” Zhu Bajie laughed. “I killed the old bull’s concubine with one blow of my rake. When I stripped her, she turned out to be a jade-faced badger spirit. The lesser demons were all transformations of donkeys, mules, calves, badgers, foxes, wolves, deer, tigers, and the like. I killed them all and burned down the cave. The local spirit said the bull has family living here on Green Cloud Mountain, so we’ve come to sweep them out too.”
Wukong said, “Well done, worthy brother! Well done! I just matched transformations with the old bull and didn’t gain the upper hand. He turned into a huge, powerful white bull, and I grew to a height of ten thousand zhang. We were locked in a fierce struggle when the gods came to surround him. But he resumed his true form and hid in this cave.” Zhu Bajie asked, “This is the Plantain Cave, isn’t it?” Wukong said, “Yes, yes! Rakshasi is inside.” Zhu Bajie said fiercely, “In that case, why not break in, kill them all, and take the fan? Instead, we let them inside to scheme and let the husband and wife chat!”
The fool roused his spirits, raised his rake, and smashed it against the cave gate. With a thunderous crash, the stone cliff and the gate collapsed on one side. The maids inside ran to report in panic, “Master! Someone has smashed the front gate!” The Bull Demon King had just rushed in, panting, and was telling Rakshasi about Wukong stealing the fan and their fight. Hearing the report, he flew into a rage. He spat the fan out of his mouth and handed it to Rakshasi.
Rakshasi took the fan, tears streaming down her face. “Great King! Give this fan to that monkey and let him withdraw his troops.” The Bull Demon King said, “My lady, this fan may be small, but our grudge is great! Sit tight. I’ll fight him again!” He donned his armor once more, selected two swords, and strode out. Meeting Zhu Bajie smashing the gate with his rake, the old bull said nothing and slashed at Bajie’s face. Bajie blocked with his rake and stepped back. As he emerged, he saw the Great Sage raising his staff to strike. The Bull King mounted a whirlwind and leaped out of the cave, and the two clashed again on Green Cloud Mountain. The gods surrounded them from all sides; the local spirit and ghost soldiers attacked from left and right. This battle was even more intense:
Clouds shrouded the world; mist enveloped the universe. A howling wind stirred sand and stones; towering rage churned the seas into waves. He sharpened his two swords and re-donned his full armor. Their enmity was as deep as the sea; their hatred grew ever fiercer. Behold the Heaven-Equal Great Sage, striving for merit, forgetting his old friend of bygone days. Zhu Bajie displayed his might to win the fan; the gods protected the Dharma and captured the Bull King. The Bull King’s hands never rested; he dodged left and blocked right, exerting all his spirit. They fought until birds in flight folded their wings, fish ceased to leap and hid their scales; ghosts wept and gods howled, heaven and earth darkened; dragons sorrowed and tigers feared, the sun’s light dimmed!
The Bull Demon King fought desperately for over fifty rounds but could not hold out. He fled north in defeat. But the Dharma-Defying Vajra of the Blue-Gem Cliff on Mount Wutai blocked his path. “Bull Demon, where are you going? We were sent by the Buddha Shakyamuni to spread a net of heaven and earth and capture you!” As he spoke, the Great Sage, Zhu Bajie, and the gods caught up. The Bull King, panic-stricken, turned south, only to be blocked by the Victory-Supreme Vajra of the Cool Cave on Mount Emei. “I await you by the Buddha’s decree. I am here to capture you!”
The Bull King’s heart fluttered and his legs weakened. He fled east, but encountered the Vaisravana Mighty Vajra of the Mo’er Cliff on Mount Sumeru. “Where are you going, old bull? I have the Tathagata’s secret order to capture you!” Terrified, the Bull King retreated west, only to be blocked by the Indestructible Venerable Eternal Vajra of the Golden Glow Ridge on Mount Kunlun. “Do you still think you can flee? I am here by the order of the Buddha of the Great Thunderclap Monastery in the West. Who would let you go?”
The Bull Demon King was terrified out of his wits, regret too late. On all sides, Buddha soldiers and heavenly generals formed a great net, trapping him with no escape. In his panic, he heard Wukong and his men approaching. He quickly mounted a cloud and flew upward.
But in the sky, Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li and Prince Nezha, along with Fish-Belly, Yaksha, and the Giant Spirit God, blocked his path. “Slow down! Slow down! We have the Jade Emperor’s decree to exterminate you!” The Bull King, in desperation, transformed back into the great white bull and charged the Heavenly King with his iron horns. The Heavenly King slashed at him with his sword, and Wukong arrived on the scene.
Prince Nezha called out loudly, “Great Sage, I’m in armor and cannot bow. Yesterday, my father and I saw the Tathagata send a writ to the Jade Emperor, saying that Tang Sanzang was blocked by the Flaming Mountain and the Great Sage could not subdue the Bull Demon King. The Jade Emperor then decreed that my father and I come to help.” Wukong said, “This bull has great powers, and now he’s taken this enormous form. How do we deal with him?” Nezha laughed. “Great Sage, don’t worry. Watch me catch him!”
Nezha shouted, “Change!” and grew three heads and six arms. He leaped onto the old bull’s back and swung his Demon-Slaying Sword at its neck, severing the head. The Heavenly King sheathed his sword and came to greet Wukong. But from the bull’s neck, another head sprouted, spewing black mist and flashing golden light. Nezha struck again, and the head fell, only to be replaced by another. After a dozen strokes, a dozen heads had grown.
Nezha took out his Fire Wheel and hung it on the bull’s horns. He blew true fire, and the flames blazed, scorching the bull until it leaped and roared, shaking its head and tail. Just as the bull was about to transform and flee, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King shone his Demon-Reflecting Mirror on it, fixing its true form. Unable to move or escape, the bull had no choice but to cry out, “Spare my life! I am willing to submit to the Buddhist faith!” Nezha said, “If you want to live, hand over the fan quickly!” The Bull Demon King said, “The fan is kept by my wife.”
Nezha untied his Demon-Binding Rope, looped it around the bull’s neck, grabbed its nose, threaded the rope through its nostrils, and led it along. The Great Sage Sun gathered the Four Great Vajras, the Six Ding and Six Jia, the Guardians of the Faith, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, the Giant Spirit God, along with Zhu Bajie, the local spirit, and the ghost soldiers. They surrounded the white bull and returned to the entrance of the Plantain Cave. The old bull called out, “My lady, quickly bring out the fan to save my life!”
Rakshasi heard his cry. She hastily removed her ornaments and colorful robes, tied her hair in a Daoist bun, donned plain clothes, and walked out, holding the one-zhang-two-chi-long Plantain Fan in both hands. Seeing the Four Great Vajras, the gods, and the Heavenly King and his son, she fell to her knees and kowtowed. “I beg the Bodhisattvas to spare my husband’s life and mine. I am willing to give this fan to Uncle Sun so that he may succeed and cross the mountain!” Wukong stepped forward, took the fan, and mounted a cloud with the others, heading east.
Meanwhile, Tang Sanzang and Sha Wujing, standing and sitting in turns, grew anxious as Wukong and the others did not return. Suddenly, they saw a sky full of auspicious clouds and a ground bathed in radiant light, as a host of gods drifted toward them. Tang Sanzang said fearfully, “Wujing! Whose divine soldiers are those over there?” Sha Wujing recognized them and said, “Master, those are the Four Great Vajras, the Golden-Headed Revealer, the Six Ding and Six Jia, the Guardians of the Faith, and the passing celestial spirits. The one leading the bull is the Third Prince Nezha. The one holding the mirror is Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li. The senior elder brother holds the Plantain Fan. The second elder brother and the local spirit follow behind. The rest are protective divine soldiers.”
Tang Sanzang quickly donned his Vairocana hat and cassock, and with Sha Wujing, went forward to greet the gods and thank them. “What merit does this disciple possess, to trouble all you honored sages to descend and help?” The Four Great Vajras said, “Holy Monk, congratulations! Your great merit is nearly complete! We have come to help you by the Buddha’s decree. Cultivate well and do not be negligent.” Tang Sanzang kowtowed repeatedly, accepting their command.
The Great Sage Sun, holding the fan, approached the Flaming Mountain. He fanned with all his might once, and the mountain’s flames immediately died down, their light extinguished. Wukong, overjoyed, fanned a second time, feeling a cool breeze gently stirring. A third fan brought dark clouds gathering in the sky and a light rain falling. As the poem says:
The Flaming Mountain stretches eight hundred miles; its fiery earth is famed far and wide. The fire scorches the five leaks, making the elixir hard to refine; the flames sear the three passes, clouding the Dao. Now, with the Plantain Fan, they borrow rain and dew; fortunately, heavenly generals lend their divine aid. Leading the bull back to Buddha ends his wildness; when water and fire unite, nature is naturally balanced.
Tang Sanzang no longer felt hot or troubled; his heart was at peace. The four masters and disciples thanked the Vajras, and each of the honored ones returned to their sacred mountains. The Six Ding and Six Jia ascended into the sky to continue their protection, and the passing celestial spirits dispersed. The Heavenly King and his son led the old bull back to the Buddha’s realm to report their success. Only the local spirit of the Flaming Mountain remained, holding Rakshasi in custody nearby.
Wukong said, “Rakshasi, why don’t you go back? What are you waiting for?” Rakshasi knelt and said, “I beg the Great Sage to show mercy and return the fan to me.” Zhu Bajie shouted, “You brazen wench! You don’t know your place! You should be grateful your life was spared, and you still want the fan? We’ll carry it over the mountain. Do you think we’d sell it for snacks? After all this effort, why would we give it back? The rain is pouring down. Get out of here!”
Rakshasi kowtowed again. “The Great Sage once promised that after the flames were extinguished, he would return the fan. This time, I was in the wrong, and regret is too late. It was my stinginess that caused all these honored spirits to be mobilized. Though we have cultivated human forms, we have not yet attained the true fruit. Now I am willing to submit to the Buddhist faith and will never cause trouble again. I beg the Great Sage to return the fan. I will reform and cultivate diligently.”
The local spirit said, “Great Sage, since this woman knows the method to extinguish the fire, let her cut off the root of the flames, and then return the fan to her. I live here and can use it to save the local people and gain some incense offerings. Please do me this favor.” Wukong said, “I asked the locals earlier, and they said that after the mountain is fanned out, crops can be harvested for only one year before the fire returns. How can we eradicate the root?” Rakshasi said, “To cut the root, you need only fan forty-nine times, and the fire will never reignite.”
Wukong, hearing this, took the fan and fanned the mountain forty-nine times with all his might. Immediately, a great rain fell. This fan was truly a treasure: where there was fire, it rained; where there was no fire, it was clear. The four masters and disciples stood where there was no fire and were not rained upon. They sat there through the night. The next morning, they packed the horse and luggage, returned the fan to Rakshasi, and said, “If Old Sun didn’t return it, people would say I don’t keep my word. Take the fan back to your mountain and cause no more trouble. Since you’ve cultivated a