Chapter 6: Guanyin Attends the Assembly and Inquires into the Cause; The Little Sage Subdues the Great Sage with Displayed Power
Chapter 6: Guanyin Attends the Assembly to Inquire into the Cause, the Little Sage Displays His Might to Subdue the Great Sage
For the moment, let us not speak of the heavenly soldiers surrounding the Great Sage as he rests. Let us speak instead of the Greatly Compassionate, Greatly Merciful, Rescue-From-Agonies, Relief-From-Sufferings, Efficacious Guanyin, Bodhisattva of the South Sea, from Mount Potalaka. Since the Queen Mother of the West had invited her to attend the Festival of Peaches, she took her great disciple, the Pilgrim Hui'an, and together they ascended the Precious Pavilion and the Jasper Pool. There they saw that it was utterly desolate, the banquet in disarray. Although a few celestial immortals were still present, none were seated; all were gathered in noisy discussion. When the Bodhisattva had finished exchanging greetings with the immortals, they recounted in detail the events that had transpired. The Bodhisattva said, "Since there is no grand feast, and the cups are not being passed, you may follow me to see the Jade Emperor." The immortals gladly followed her. When they reached the Hall of Universal Brightness, the Four Heavenly Masters, the Barefoot Immortal, and others were already there. They welcomed the Bodhisattva and spoke of the Jade Emperor's distress, the dispatch of heavenly troops to capture the monster, and how they had not yet returned, along with other reasons. The Bodhisattva said, "I wish to see the Jade Emperor; I trouble you to announce me on my behalf." The Heavenly Master Qiu Hongji then entered the Hall of Divine Mists, reported the matter, and after the summons, the Bodhisattva was admitted. At that time, the Most High Lord Laozi was seated above, and the Queen Mother of the West was behind him.
The Bodhisattva, leading the assembly, entered together. After performing the rites of greeting to the Jade Emperor, she also exchanged greetings with Lord Laozi and the Queen Mother, and each took their seat. She then asked, "What has become of the Festival of Peaches?" The Jade Emperor said, "Every year we invite guests and gather joyfully; this year, that monstrous monkey caused chaos, and we held an empty feast to no avail." The Bodhisattva asked, "What is the origin of this monstrous monkey?" The Jade Emperor said, "The monstrous monkey was born from a stone egg on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit in the Land of Aolai, in the Eastern Continent of Superior Divinity. When he first emerged, his eyes shot forth golden beams that pierced straight to the constellation of the Northern Dipper. At first, we paid it no heed. Later, he became a spirit, subdued dragons and tamed tigers, and erased his own name from the registers of death. At that time, the Dragon Kings and the King of Yama reported to me. I wished to capture him, but the Star Lord of Longevity advised: 'Among the Three Realms, any being with nine apertures may become an immortal.' So I granted him instruction, allowed him to become worthy, summoned him to the upper realm, and appointed him as the Protector of the Horses in the Imperial Stables. That creature, deeming the office too small, rebelled against Heaven. I then dispatched Heavenly King Li and Prince Nezha to subdue and capture him. Later, I issued a decree to pacify him, summoned him to the upper realm, and granted him the title 'Great Sage, Equal to Heaven,' but it was a title without emolument. Having nothing to manage, he roamed east and west. Fearing he might cause further trouble, I put him in charge of the Peach Garden. Yet he defied the laws and secretly ate all the large peaches from the ancient trees. When the feast was prepared, he, being without emolument, was not invited. So he devised a plan to trick the Barefoot Immortal, transformed himself to resemble the Barefoot Immortal, entered the assembly, and stole all the immortal delicacies and immortal wine. He also stole the Lord Laozi's elixir and a large quantity of imperial wine, taking them to share with his monkey subjects on the mountain. This caused me great distress, and I deployed a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers, laying out nets above and nets below, to subdue him. To this day, there is no report of their return, and I know not of victory or defeat." Upon hearing this, the Bodhisattva commanded the Pilgrim Hui'an, saying, "Hasten down from Heaven to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, and investigate the military situation. If you encounter battle, you may lend a hand. Be sure to report back truthfully."
The Pilgrim Hui'an adjusted his robes, took up his iron staff, mounted a cloud, and left the Heavenly Court, going straight to the front of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. There he saw the nets above and below, layer upon layer, dense and thick. At each camp gate, bells were rung and watchwords shouted, encircling the mountain so tightly that not a drop of water could seep through. Hui'an halted and called out, "Heavenly soldiers guarding the camp gate, trouble you to report: I am the second prince of Heavenly King Li, Muzha—the great disciple of Guanyin of the South Sea, Hui'an by name—come specially to inquire into the military situation." The divine soldiers of the Five Peaks within the camp then reported to the interior of the camp. In no time, the Star of Void Sun, the Star of Sun Rooster, the Star of Sun Horse, and the Star of Sun Hare transmitted the message to the central tent. Heavenly King Li issued a command flag, ordering the nets above and below to be opened so that he might enter. At this time, the eastern sky was just growing light. Hui'an followed the command flag inside, saw the Four Heavenly Kings and Heavenly King Li, and prostrated himself. After paying his respects, Heavenly King Li said, "My son, where have you come from?" Hui'an said, "Your son followed the Bodhisattva to attend the Festival of Peaches. When the Bodhisattva saw the desolation of the grand feast and the solitude of the Jasper Pool, she led the immortals and your son to see the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor related in detail how you, Father King, and others descended to the lower realm to subdue the monstrous monkey, and how, after a day, there was no report of return, and victory or defeat was unknown. For this reason, the Bodhisattva sent your son here to ascertain the true situation." Heavenly King Li said, "Yesterday, we arrived, set up camp, and pitched our tents. We sent the Nine Luminaries to issue a challenge, but that creature displayed great divine powers, and the Nine Luminaries were all defeated and retreated. Later, we led the troops ourselves, and that creature also deployed his forces. Our hundred thousand heavenly soldiers fought a chaotic battle with him until evening, when he used a body-splitting technique to drive us back. When we gathered our troops and counted, we had only captured some wolves, tigers, leopards, and the like, not a single monkey-demon. Today, we have not yet gone out to battle."
Before he had finished speaking, someone reported from outside the camp gate, "That Great Sage is leading a host of monkey spirits outside, issuing a challenge to battle." The Four Heavenly Kings, Heavenly King Li, and the prince were just discussing the dispatch of troops when Muzha said, "Father King, your son, having received the Bodhisattva's command to come down and investigate, was told that if I encountered battle, I might lend a hand. Now, your son, though unworthy, is willing to go and see what kind of 'Great Sage' he is." The Heavenly King said, "My son, you have cultivated under the Bodhisattva for these years; you must have some divine powers. Be extremely cautious."
Well, this prince! He grasped his iron staff with both hands, tightened his embroidered robe, leaped out of the camp gate, and called out in a loud voice, "Which one is the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven?" The Great Sage brandished his Mind-As-You-Will Staff and answered, "Old Sun is he. Who are you, daring to ask me?" Muzha said, "I am the second prince of Heavenly King Li, Muzha, now a disciple and guardian of the Law before the Bodhisattva Guanyin, with the religious name Hui'an." The Great Sage said, "You do not cultivate at the South Sea but come here to see me—why?" Muzha said, "I have received my master's command to investigate the military situation. Seeing you so rampant, I have come specially to capture you." The Great Sage said, "You dare speak such big words? Don't run! Taste Old Sun's staff!" Muzha, fearless, raised his iron staff to meet him head-on. The two of them stood on the mountainside, outside the camp gate. What a fine battle this was:
Though staff meets staff, the iron is not the same; though weapons clash, the men are different. One is a loose immortal of the Ultimate, called the Great Sage; the other is a disciple of Guanyin, truly the primal dragon. The mixed-iron staff was forged from a thousand hammer blows, the Six Ding and Six Jia spirits exercising their divine might; the Mind-As-You-Will Staff is the divine pillar that fixed the bed of the Heavenly River, the sacred treasure of the sea-suppressing pillar, its power vast and boundless. These two, meeting, are truly matched opponents; their techniques, coming and going, are truly inexhaustible. This one's shadow-hand staff has a thousand perils, circling waist and piercing ribs, swift as the wind; that one's spear-grip staff never misses, blocking left and warding right—how can they yield? On that side, banners and pennants flash; on this side, alligator-skin drums rumble. Ten thousand heavenly generals surround them in a ring; a whole cave of monkey spirits clusters thick and dense. Strange mists and sorrowful clouds darken the underworld; wolf-smoke and killing vapors shoot straight to the Heavenly Palace. Yesterday's chaotic battle was passable; today's struggle is even more fierce. Truly enviable is the monkey king's skill; Muzha, defeated, flees for his life.
The Great Sage and Hui'an fought for fifty or sixty rounds. Hui'an's arms grew weak and numb; unable to withstand the assault, he feinted and fled in defeat. The Great Sage also withdrew his monkey troops and encamped outside the cave gate. At the Heavenly King's camp gate, the great and small heavenly soldiers received the prince, cleared the main road, and he entered the camp directly. To the Four Heavenly Kings, Li the Pagoda-Bearer, and Nezha, he said, panting and out of breath, "What a Great Sage! What a Great Sage! Truly, his divine powers are vast! Your son could not overcome him and has returned defeated!" When Heavenly King Li saw this, he was alarmed and immediately ordered a memorial written to request assistance. He then dispatched the Greatly Powerful Ghost King and Prince Muzha to go to Heaven and present the petition.
The two did not dare delay. They burst through the nets above and below, mounted auspicious mists and propitious clouds, and in a flash, went straight to the Hall of Universal Brightness. There they saw the Four Heavenly Masters and were led into the Hall of Divine Mists, where they presented the memorial. Hui'an also saw the Bodhisattva and performed the rites. The Bodhisattva said, "What have you found in your investigation?" Hui'an said, "At first, I received the command and went to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. I called open the gates of the nets above and below, saw my father, and explained my master's intent. Father King said: 'Yesterday, we fought one battle with that monkey king, capturing only tigers, leopards, lions, and elephants—not a single monkey spirit.' While we were still speaking, he came again to challenge. Your disciple fought him with the iron staff for fifty or sixty rounds but could not prevail and fled back to camp. For this reason, Father King sent the Greatly Powerful Ghost King and your disciple to the upper realm to request aid." The Bodhisattva lowered her head in deep thought.
So the Jade Emperor opened the memorial and saw that it contained a plea for help. He smiled and said, "How hateful is this monkey fiend! What great abilities can he possibly have, that he dares to withstand one hundred thousand heavenly troops? Now the Heavenly King Li has come to ask for assistance—which divine army should I send to aid him?" Before he had finished speaking, Guanyin pressed her palms together and submitted a memorial: "Your Majesty, set your heart at ease. I recommend one immortal who can capture this monkey." The Jade Emperor said, "What immortal do you recommend?" The Bodhisattva said, "He is Your Majesty's nephew, the Illustrious True Lord Erlang, who now dwells at Guanjiangkou in Guanzhou, enjoying the incense offerings of the mortal world below. In the past, he once exerted himself to slay six monsters, and he also has the Mei Mountain brothers and one thousand two hundred grass-head spirits under his command. His divine powers are vast and mighty. However, he only obeys a direct summons to action, not a mere summons to court. Your Majesty may issue an edict for mobilization, calling upon him to lend his strength, and then he can be captured." When the Jade Emperor heard this, he transmitted a decree for the mobilization of troops, and ordered the Great Strength Ghost King to take it and go summon the troops.
That Ghost King received the decree, mounted the clouds, and went straight to Guanjiangkou. In less than half an hour, he arrived before the True Lord's temple. The ghost wardens at the gate quickly passed word inside: "Outside there is a celestial envoy, bearing an imperial decree." Erlang and all his brothers came out to greet the decree, burned incense, and opened it to read. The decree read:
"The monkey demon, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven of the Flower-Fruit Mountain, has rebelled: because in the Heavenly Palace he stole peaches, stole wine, and stole elixir, disrupting the Peach Banquet. Now one hundred thousand heavenly troops and eighteen layers of heavenly nets and earth snares have surrounded the mountain to subdue him, but they have not been victorious. We hereby specially dispatch our worthy nephew and his sworn brothers to go immediately to the Flower-Fruit Mountain to lend aid and eradicate him. After success is achieved, high promotion and generous rewards shall follow."
The True Lord was greatly pleased and said, "Celestial envoy, please return. I will go at once to draw my blade and lend assistance." The Ghost King returned to report, of which we say no more.
This True Lord immediately summoned the six Mei Mountain brothers—namely, the four Grand Marshals Kang, Zhang, Yao, and Li, and the two Generals Guo Shen and Zhi Jian—and assembled them before the hall, saying, "Just now the Jade Emperor dispatched us to go to the Flower-Fruit Mountain to subdue and capture the monkey demon. Let us go together." All the brothers gladly agreed. They immediately mustered their own divine troops, flew their hawks and led their hounds, strung their crossbows and drew their bows, and riding a fierce wind, in an instant they crossed the Eastern Ocean and went straight to the Flower-Fruit Mountain. There they saw the dense layers of heavenly nets and earth snares and could not advance, so they called out, "Listen, you divine generals guarding the heavenly nets and earth snares: I am Erlang, the Illustrious True Lord, sent by the Jade Emperor's decree to capture the monkey demon. Quickly open the camp gates and let us pass." In a moment, the divine generals of each layer transmitted word layer by layer. The Four Heavenly Kings and Heavenly King Li all came out to the camp gate to greet them. After the greetings were completed, they asked about victory and defeat, and the Heavenly King recounted the previous events in full detail. The True Lord smiled and said, "Little Sage has come here, and he must have a transformation contest with him. Let all you generals not cover the top of the heavenly nets and earth snares, but only keep them tight all around, and let me go and gamble in combat. If I lose to him, you need not lend aid; I have my brothers to support me. If I defeat him, you need not bind him either; I have my brothers to take action. Only ask the Heavenly King Li Ta to help me by using his demon-reflecting mirror and standing in midair. I fear that if he loses and flees to some other place, you must by all means reflect clearly for me and not let him escape." The Heavenly Kings each took their posts on the four sides, and the heavenly troops each arrayed themselves in order of rank.
This True Lord led the four Grand Marshals and two Generals, making seven brothers in all including himself, out of the camp to issue a challenge. He ordered all the generals to guard the camp strictly and to put away the hawks and hounds. The grass-head spirits received the order. The True Lord went straight to the outside of the Water-Curtain Cave, where he saw a crowd of monkeys drawn up in neat formation, arranged in a coiled-dragon battle array. In the center of the army stood a banner pole bearing the words "Great Sage Equaling Heaven." The True Lord said, "That vile demon—how can he be worthy of the title 'Equaling Heaven'?" The six Mei Mountain brothers said, "Don't praise him yet; go and challenge him." The little monkeys at the camp gate saw the True Lord and hastily ran to report. That Monkey King immediately drew out his golden-banded staff, straightened his golden armor, stepped into his cloud-walking boots, adjusted his purple-gold crown, leaped out of the camp, and hastily opened his eyes to look. That True Lord's appearance was indeed pure and remarkable, and his attire was elegant. Truly:
His countenance was clear and handsome, his bearing imposing;
His ears hung to his shoulders, and his eyes shone with light.
On his head he wore a cap of soaring phoenixes over three peaks;
His body was clad in a robe of pale goose-yellow.
Gold-thread boots set off coiled-dragon socks;
A jade belt with clustered flowers and eight treasures adorned his waist.
At his side he carried a pellet-bow like a crescent moon;
In his hand he held a three-pointed two-edged spear.
He once split Mount Peach with an axe to rescue his mother;
With pellets he shot down a pair of phoenixes from the sky.
By force he slew eight monsters, spreading his fame far;
In righteousness he allied with the seven sages of Mei Mountain.
Proud of heart, he did not acknowledge himself as kin to heaven;
Haughty of nature, he returned to godhood and dwelt at Guanjiang.
Sincerely bright and blessed, a heroic and holy one,
Manifesting transformations without limit, he was called Erlang.
When the Great Sage saw him, he chuckled, raised his golden-banded staff, and called out in a loud voice, "Where are you from, you little general, that you dare to come here and issue a challenge?" The True Lord roared, "You wretch, you have eyes but no pupils—can't you recognize me? I am the Jade Emperor's nephew, by imperial decree the Illustrious and Beneficent King Erlang. Now, by order of the sovereign, I have come here to capture you, the rebellious court stable-hand baboon who revolted against heaven. You still don't know whether you're alive or dead!" The Great Sage said, "I recall that in days past, the Jade Emperor's younger sister longed for the mortal world, descended to earth, and married a man named Yang. She gave birth to a son who once split Mount Peach with an axe—wasn't that you? I had thought to curse you a few times, but it's a pity we have no grievance. I had thought to strike you with my staff, but it would be a pity to waste your life. You junior upstart, quickly go back and tell your Four Heavenly Kings to come out." When the True Lord heard this, great rage arose in his heart, and he said, "Rebel monkey! Do not be insolent—taste my blade!" The Great Sage sidestepped to dodge, swiftly raised his golden-banded staff, and struck back with all his might. The two of them fought a fine battle:
The Beneficent Erlang Spirit,
And the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun.
This one, proud of heart, belittled the handsome monkey king;
That one, unfamiliar of face, suppressed the true pillar.
The two met for the first time,
Each eager to wager his spirit.
Never before had they known depth or shallowness;
Today they would learn light and heavy.
The iron staff surpassed a flying dragon;
The divine blade was like a dancing phoenix.
Blocking left and attacking right,
Meeting in front and reflecting behind.
On this side, the six Mei Mountain brothers added to the might;
On that side, the four horse-flow marshals transmitted military orders.
Waving flags and beating drums, each gave his full heart;
Shouting and clanging gongs, all came to boost the spirit.
The two steel blades showed keen timing;
Back and forth, there was no gap.
The golden-banded staff was a treasure of the sea,
Able to win through changes and flying.
If one were slow, his life would be forfeit;
A single misstep would lead to disaster.
The True Lord and the Great Sage fought for over three hundred rounds, with neither victory nor defeat decided. Then the True Lord mustered his divine might, shook his body, and transformed himself, becoming ten thousand fathoms tall. His two hands raised the three-pointed two-edged divine blade, which was like the peak of Mount Hua—with a blue face, fangs protruding, and vermilion hair, he hacked savagely at the Great Sage's head. This Great Sage also used his divine power, transforming himself to match Erlang's body and face exactly, and raised his golden-banded staff, which was like a pillar propping up the sky atop Mount Kunlun, to counter the Erlang Spirit. This so frightened the horse-flow marshals that they trembled and could not wave their banners; the Beng and Ba adjutants were so terrified that they could not wield their swords and spears. On this side, Kang, Zhang, Yao, Li, Guo Shen, and Zhi Jian transmitted orders, releasing the grass-head spirits, who loosed their hawks and hounds outside the Water-Curtain Cave, strung their crossbows and drew their bows, and charged in a general slaughter. Pitifully, the four sturdy generals of the monkey host were scattered, and two or three thousand demon creatures were captured. Those monkeys threw down their spears and abandoned their armor, cast aside their swords and dropped their halberds—some ran, some shouted, some went up the mountain, some returned to the cave. It was like night owls startling roosting birds, scattering like stars across the sky. The brothers were victorious, of which we say no more.
Now as the True Lord and the Great Sage fought in their heaven-spanning, earth-covering forms, the Great Sage suddenly saw that the demon monkeys in his own camp had been scattered in fright. Feeling panic in his heart, he withdrew his magical form, sheathed his staff, and turned to flee. The True Lord, seeing him retreat in defeat, took great strides and pursued him, saying, "Where are you going? Surrender at once, and I will spare your life." The Great Sage did not wish to continue the fight; he simply ran. As he neared the cave mouth, he happened to run into the four Grand Marshals Kang, Zhang, Yao, and Li, and the two Generals Guo Shen and Zhi Jian, who together blocked his way with their troops, saying, "Rebel monkey! Where are you going?" The Great Sage, flustered and caught off guard, pinched his golden-banded staff into the size of an embroidery needle and hid it in his ear. He shook his body and transformed himself into a sparrow, flying up to perch on a treetop. The six brothers, in a panic, searched high and low but could not find him, and together they shouted, "That monkey fiend has escaped! That monkey fiend has escaped!"
Just as the clamor was at its height, the True Lord arrived and asked, "Brothers, where did you chase him to and lose him?" The assembled gods replied, "Just now we had him surrounded right here, and then he vanished." Erlang opened wide his phoenix-like eyes and looked, and saw that the Great Sage had turned into a sparrow and was perched on a tree. He immediately withdrew his dharma form, put aside his divine spear, and set down his slingshot. With a shake of his body, he changed into a goshawk, spread his wings, and flew over to strike. When the Great Sage saw this, he shot up with a whirr of wings and transformed into a great cormorant, soaring straight into the sky. Erlang, seeing this, quickly ruffled his feathers, shook his body, and turned into a large crane, drilling into the clouds to peck at him. The Great Sage then lowered himself, plunged into a ravine, changed into a fish, and submerged in the water. Erlang reached the edge of the ravine and found no trace. He thought to himself, "This macaque must have gone into the water, surely turning into some kind of fish or shrimp. Let me change again to catch him." So indeed he changed, turning into a fish hawk, floating on the surface of the swift current, waiting for a moment. The Great Sage, having turned into a fish, was swimming with the current when suddenly he spotted a bird: it looked like a blue kite, but its feathers were not blue; like an egret, but without a tuft on its head; like an old stork, but its legs were not red. He thought, "That must be Erlang transformed, waiting there for me!" He quickly turned around, splashed a water blossom, and fled. Erlang saw this and said, "That fish that made the splash: it looks like a carp, but its tail is not red; like a mandarin fish, but its patterned scales are missing; like a snakehead, but without stars on its head; like a bream, but without a needle on its gills. Why did it turn back as soon as it saw me? It must be that monkey in disguise." He rushed up and gave a sharp peck. The Great Sage burst out of the water, changed into a water snake, swam close to the bank, and slithered into the grass. Erlang, having failed to peck him, saw a snake dart out amid the splashing water and recognized it as the Great Sage. He quickly turned and changed into a gray crane with a vermilion crown, stretching out a long beak like a pair of sharp iron tongs, and went straight to eat the water snake. The water snake gave a leap and changed into a bustard, dull and clumsy, standing on a patch of smartweed by the water. Erlang saw that it had changed into something base (the bustard is the most lowly and lewd of birds, mating with any creature, whether phoenix, eagle, or crow), so he did not approach. He immediately resumed his original form, walked over, took up his slingshot, drew it full, and with one pellet struck it, making it stagger.
The Great Sage, seizing the opportunity, rolled down a cliff, crouched there, and changed again, turning into a temple to the local earth god: he opened his mouth wide like a temple gate; his teeth became the door leaves; his tongue became the bodhisattva; his eyes became the lattice windows; only his tail was troublesome to manage, so he stuck it up behind him and turned it into a flagpole. The True Lord reached the foot of the cliff and saw no struck bustard, only a small temple. He quickly opened his phoenix eyes and looked carefully, saw the flagpole standing behind, and laughed, saying, "This macaque is at it again, trying to fool me. I have seen temples before, but never one with a flagpole erected behind. This must be the beast playing tricks. If he lures me inside, he will bite me in one gulp. How could I be willing to enter? Let me first smash the lattice windows with my fist, then kick the door leaves." When the Great Sage heard this, he was startled and thought, "How vicious, how vicious! The door leaves are my teeth, the lattice windows are my eyes. If he breaks my teeth and smashes my eyes, what will I do?" With a sudden tiger leap, he soared back into the air and vanished.
The True Lord chased wildly back and forth, when the four Grand Commandants and the two Generals all arrived together and asked, "Elder brother, have you captured the Great Sage?" The True Lord laughed and said, "That monkey just now turned into a temple to fool me. I was just about to smash his lattice windows and kick his door leaves when he gave a leap and disappeared without a trace. Strange, strange!" All were astonished and looked around, but there was no sign of him. The True Lord said, "Brothers, keep watch here while I go up to find him." He immediately leaped up, mounted a cloud, and flew into midair. There he saw Li the Pagoda-Bearer holding high the Demon-Viewing Mirror, standing on a cloud with Nezha. The True Lord said, "Heavenly King, have you seen the Monkey King?" The Heavenly King replied, "He hasn't come up here. I have been watching him with my mirror." The True Lord recounted the whole affair of the transformations, the display of divine powers, and the capture of the monkeys. Then he said, "When he turned into a temple and I was about to strike, he fled." Li the Pagoda-Bearer, hearing this, swept the Demon-Viewing Mirror in all directions, laughed, and said, "True Lord, go quickly, go quickly. That monkey used an invisibility spell, slipped out of the camp, and has gone to your Guankou River." When Erlang heard this, he immediately took up his divine spear and returned to Guankou River in pursuit.
Now the Great Sage had already reached Guankou River. With a shake of his body, he turned into the likeness of Lord Erlang, descended his cloud, and strode straight into the temple. The ghostly attendants could not recognize him and bowed their heads in welcome one by one. He seated himself in the middle and began inspecting the incense offerings: he saw Li Hu's repayment of a vow with three sacrificial animals, Zhang Long's prayer for blessings, Zhao Jia's petition for a son, and Qian Bing's vow for recovery from illness. As he was looking, someone reported, "Another lord has arrived." The ghostly attendants hurriedly looked and were all startled. The True Lord said, "Has some Great Sage Equal to Heaven been here?" The ghostly attendants replied, "We have seen no Great Sage; only one lord is inside inspecting the offerings." The True Lord burst through the door. When the Great Sage saw him, he revealed his true form and said, "Lord Erlang, don't make a fuss. This temple now belongs to Sun." The True Lord immediately raised his three-pointed, double-edged divine spear and slashed at the Great Sage's face. The Monkey King used a body maneuver to dodge the spear, then drew out his embroidery needle, shook it until it was as thick as a rice bowl, rushed forward, and returned the strike. The two of them, clamoring and quarreling, fought their way out of the temple gate, half in mist, half in cloud, moving as they battled, and fought all the way back to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. This so alarmed the Four Heavenly Kings and the others that they tightened their defenses. Commandants Kang and Zhang and the others met the True Lord, united their efforts, and surrounded the Handsome Monkey King.
Meanwhile, the Mighty Ghost King, having dispatched the True Lord and the six brothers to lead troops and capture the demon, returned to the celestial realm to report. The Jade Emperor, together with Guanyin Bodhisattva, the Queen Mother, and the assembled immortal ministers, was speaking in the Hall of Spiritual Splendor, saying, "Since Erlang has gone to do battle, there has been no report back this whole day." Guanyin pressed her palms together and said, "I beg Your Majesty to go with the Patriarch of Taoism outside the Southern Heavenly Gate to see for yourselves how matters stand." The Jade Emperor said, "What you say is reasonable." He immediately ordered his carriage and, with the Patriarch of Taoism, Guanyin, the Queen Mother, and the assembled immortal ministers, proceeded to the Southern Heavenly Gate. There, some celestial soldiers and divine warriors received them, opened the gate, and looked into the distance. They saw the celestial soldiers spreading nets, surrounding the area on all four sides; Li the Pagoda-Bearer and Nezha holding the Demon-Viewing Mirror, standing in midair; and the True Lord encircling the Great Sage in their midst, locked in fierce combat.
The Bodhisattva spoke to the Patriarch and said, "How about that Erlang God I recommended? He truly has divine powers and has already surrounded the Great Sage, but he has yet to capture him. Let me now lend him a hand and surely take him." The Patriarch said, "What weapon will the Bodhisattva use? How will you help him?" The Bodhisattva said, "I will throw down my pure vase and willow branch to strike that monkey's head. Even if I cannot kill him, I will knock him off balance, so that Erlang the Little Sage can capture him." The Patriarch said, "Your vase is a piece of porcelain. If it hits him, fine, but if it misses his head or strikes his iron staff, won't it shatter? Do not act yet. Let me, the Patriarch, lend him a hand." The Bodhisattva said, "What weapon do you have?" The Patriarch said, "I have one, I have one, I have one." He rolled up his sleeve, took a ring from his left arm, and said, "This weapon is forged from pure steel, tempered with my elixir, and imbued with spiritual energy. It is adept at transformation, impervious to water and fire, and can trap all things. It is called the Diamond Snare, also known as the Diamond Ring. Back when I passed through the Hangu Pass and converted the barbarians to Buddhism, it served me well. I always keep it for self-defense. Let me drop it and strike him."
As he finished speaking, he tossed it from the Heavenly Gate. It spun down, whirring, straight into the camp on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, and happened to strike the Monkey King squarely on the head. The Monkey King was so engrossed in his bitter struggle with the seven sages that he did not notice this weapon falling from the sky. It hit him on the crown, he lost his footing, stumbled, and fell. He scrambled to his feet and tried to flee, but Lord Erlang's fine dog caught up, bit him on the calf, and tripped him again. He lay sprawled on the ground, cursing, "You wretch! Why don't you guard your master instead of biting Old Sun?" He struggled to turn over but could not get up. The seven sages rushed forward and pinned him down, then bound him with ropes, pierced his collarbone with a hook-blade, and he could no longer transform.
Laotzu retrieved the Diamond Snare and requested the Jade Emperor, together with Guanyin, Queen Mother of the West, and the assembled immortals, to return to the Lingxiao Hall. Below, the Four Heavenly Kings and the gods under Li the Pagoda-Bearer all withdrew their troops and dismantled their camps, then approached the Little Sage to offer congratulations, all saying, "This is the merit of the Little Sage." The Little Sage said, "This is due to the Celestial Venerable’s vast fortune and the authority of the host of gods. What merit do I have?" Kang, Zhang, Yao, and Li said, "Elder Brother, there is no need for further talk. Let us escort this wretch to the Upper Realm to see the Jade Emperor and request a decree for his punishment." The True Lord said, "Worthy brothers, you have not yet received the Heavenly Register and thus cannot appear before the Jade Emperor. Order the Heavenly Armor Spirit Soldiers to escort him; I will go with the Heavenly Kings and the others to the Upper Realm to report. You lead your men in searching the mountain. After the search is complete, return to Guankou. When I have received the rewards and claimed the merit, I will come back to share the joy." The Four Majors and Two Generals assented to his words. The True Lord and his company then mounted their clouds, sang victory songs, and triumphantly headed for Heaven. In a short time, they arrived outside the Tongming Hall. The Celestial Master memorialized, saying, "The Four Heavenly Kings and the host have captured the demon monkey, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, and have come to await the decree." The Jade Emperor issued an edict, ordering the Great Strength Ghost King and the Heavenly Soldiers to escort him to the Demon-Slaying Platform and have this wretch chopped into pieces. Alas! It was truly:
Bullying and deceit now suffer punishment’s pain,
The hero’s spirit soon will cease to remain.
But as to whether the monkey king’s life would end, hear it explained in the next chapter.