Chapter 75: The Mind-Ape Drills Through the Yinyang Orifice; The Demon Lord Returns to the Great Way and Truth

The Mind Ape Bores Through the Yin-Yang Orifice; The Demon Lord Returns to the Great Way of Truth

Now, as the Great Sage Sun entered the cave mouth, he looked left and right. He saw:

Skulls piled up like mountains, bones like a forest. Human hair spread into felt mats, human flesh and skin rotted into mud and dust. Human sinews tangled in the trees, withered and scorched, shining like silver. Truly, corpses heaped into hills, blood gathered into seas; indeed, the stench was unbearable. On the east side, little imps took living men to slice their flesh; on the west side, wanton fiends freshly boiled and cooked human meat. Were it not for the Handsome Monkey King’s heroic courage, no second mortal would dare enter his gate.

Before long, he walked into the second layer of gates and looked around. Ah! This place was different from outside: pure, quiet, strange, secluded, and elegant; beautiful, broad, and level. To left and right were magic grass and immortal flowers; before and behind were tall pines and green bamboos. After walking another seven or eight miles, he reached the third layer of gates. Hiding his body, he stole a glance upward, where three old demons sat on high, exceedingly fierce and hideous. The one in the middle looked like:

Chiseled fangs and jagged teeth, round head and square face. His roar like thunder, his eyes like lightning. Upward-turned nose pointing to heaven, red eyebrows streaming like flames. When he moved, all beasts’ hearts trembled; when he sat down, the host of demons quaked with fear. This was the king of beasts—the Green-Haired Lion Monster.

The one on the left looked like:

Phoenix eyes and golden pupils, yellow fangs and thick legs. Long trunk and silver fur; his head looked like a tail. Round forehead and furrowed brows, his body massive and imposing. His soft voice like a beautiful maiden, his jade face like an ox-headed demon. This was the Yellow-Tusked Old Elephant, who had hidden his teeth and cultivated himself for many years.

The one on the right looked like:

Golden wings and a roc’s head, starry eyes and leopard’s glance. Shaking the north and plotting against the south, fierce and bold. Changing forms, he took on an air of soaring; the quail mocked him, and even the dragon grew grim. Beating the wind and spreading his wings, a hundred birds hid their heads; when he stretched out his claws, all fowl lost their courage. This was the Great Roc Eagle, who traveled ninety thousand miles through the clouds.

On both sides were arrayed a hundred or more chieftains, great and small, each fully armed and armored, their gear neat and tidy, their bearing majestic, their aura murderous.

When the saw this, joy arose in his heart, and he felt no fear at all. He strode straight through the gate, removed his clapper and bell, called out upward, “Great King.” The three old demons laughed heartily and asked, “Little Drilling Wind, you’ve come?” The replied, “I’ve come.” “You went on patrol to investigate Sun the Novice’s whereabouts. What news?” The said, “Great King, I dare not even speak of it.” The old demon said, “Why dare not speak?” The said, “I was following your majesty’s orders, beating the clapper and ringing the bell as I walked, when suddenly I looked up and saw a man squatting there, sharpening a staff. He looked like a road-opening god; if he stood up, he’d be a full ten or more rods tall. He scooped up water against the cliff rock, rubbed the staff a bit, and muttered to himself, saying that his staff had yet to show its divine power here, and he was going to make it bright, then come to beat the great king. That’s how I knew he was Sun the Novice, and I came especially to report.”

When the old demon heard this, his whole body broke out in sweat, and he trembled with fear, saying, “Brothers, I told you not to provoke the Tang Monk. His disciple has vast divine powers and has prepared in advance, sharpening his staff to beat us. What can we do?” He called out, “Little ones, summon all the demons, great and small, from outside the cave, close the gates, and let him pass.” Among the chieftains, one who knew the situation reported, “Great King, the little demons outside have already scattered.” The old demon said, “Why have they scattered? I suppose they heard the bad news. Quickly close the gates, quickly close the gates.” The host of demons, with a clatter and bang, firmly bolted and shut all the front and back gates.

The, startled within himself, thought, “Now that he’s closed the gates, if he asks me about household affairs and I can’t answer, won’t I expose my true colors and be captured? Let me scare him again, so he’ll open the gates, and I can flee.” He stepped forward again and said, “Great King, he said something even worse.” The old demon said, “What else did he say?” The said, “He said he would take the Great Great King and flay his skin, take the Second Great King and scrape his bones, and take the Third Great King and pull out his sinews. If you close the gates and don’t go out, he can transform; in a moment, he’ll turn into a fly, fly in through the crack in the gate, capture us all, and take us out. What then?” The old demon said, “Brothers, be careful. In my cave, there are never any flies all year round. If a fly comes in, it’s Sun the Novice.” The laughed to himself, “Let me turn into a fly to scare him, so he’ll open the gate.” The Great Sage stepped aside, reached behind his head, plucked a single hair, blew on it with immortal breath, and cried, “Change!” It turned into a golden fly, which flew straight at the old demon’s face and bumped into him. The old monster panicked and said, “Brothers, it’s bad; that thing has entered the gate.” Startled, the host of demons, great and small, each grabbed a rake or a broom and rushed forward to swat at the fly.

The Great Sage couldn’t help himself and let out a quiet laugh. But he should not have laughed; this laugh revealed his original face. The third old demon leaped forward, grabbed him, and said, “Elder brother, we were almost deceived by him.” The old demon said, “Worthy brother, who deceived whom?” The third monster said, “That little demon who just reported back isn’t Little Drilling Wind; he’s Sun the Novice. He must have met Little Drilling Wind—who knows how he killed him—and then transformed to trick us.” The, panicking, thought, “He recognizes me.” He felt himself with his hand and said to the old monster, “How am I Sun the Novice? I am Little Drilling Wind; the great king has mistaken me.” The old demon laughed and said, “Brother, he is Little Drilling Wind. He reports for roll call three times a day before me; I recognize him.” He then asked, “Do you have your token?” The said, “I do.” He lifted his clothes and took out the token. The old monster was even more convinced and said, “Brother, don’t wrong him.” The third monster said, “Elder brother, didn’t you see him? Just now he slipped aside and laughed, and I saw his thunder-god mouth. When I grabbed him, he changed back to this form.” He called out, “Little ones, bring rope.” The chieftains immediately fetched ropes.

The third monster knocked the over, bound him hand and foot like a horse trussed up. When they lifted his clothes to look, it was exactly the Horse-Tender. It turned out that the had seventy-two transformations; if he turned into birds, beasts, flowers, trees, vessels, or insects, he could roll his whole body into the form. But when he turned into a human, only his head and face changed; his body couldn’t change. Sure enough, he had a body of yellow fur, two red buttocks, and a tail. The old demon looked at him and said, “This is Sun the Novice’s body, but Little Drilling Wind’s face. It’s him.” He called out, “Little ones, first prepare wine to offer your Third Great King a cup for his achievement. Now that we’ve captured Sun the Novice, the Tang Monk will surely be food in our mouths.” The third monster said, “Don’t drink wine yet. Sun the Novice is slippery; he knows escape arts, and I fear he might flee. Have the little ones bring out the vase and put Sun the Novice in the vase; then we can drink wine.”

The old demon laughed heartily and said, “Exactly so, exactly so.” He immediately summoned thirty-six little demons, who went inside, opened the storeroom door, and brought out the vase. You ask, how big was that vase? It was only two feet four inches tall. Why did it take thirty-six people to carry it? The vase was a treasure of yin and yang, containing the seven jewels, the eight trigrams, and the twenty-four solar terms. To move it required thirty-six people, according to the number of the Heavenly Dipper Stars. Before long, the precious vase was brought out, placed outside the third layer of gates, cleaned, and the lid removed. They untied the’s ropes, stripped off his clothes, and with a whoosh, the immortal air in the vase sucked him inside. Then they replaced the lid and sealed it with a strip of paper. They then went to drink wine, saying, “This monkey has entered our precious vase; he need never think of the Western Road again. If he still wants to worship the Buddha and seek the scriptures, he’ll have to turn his back, shake his cradle, and be reborn in another womb.” Look at the host of demons, great and small, all laughing merrily as they went to celebrate their achievement. No more of this for now.

The Great Sage, once inside the bottle, found his body compressed by the treasure. He deliberately changed his form, crouching in the center. After a while, feeling cool there, he suddenly burst out laughing and said, "This monster has an empty reputation and no real substance. How could he say that once a person is put in this bottle, in three hours he would turn to pus and blood? With it being so cool, I could stay here for seven or eight years without trouble." Ah! The Great Sage did not yet know the root of this treasure: if a person is put in it and remains silent for a year, it stays cool for a year; but as soon as it hears human speech, fire comes to burn. Before the Great Sage had finished speaking, the whole bottle was filled with flames. Fortunately, he had skill; sitting in the middle, he recited the fire-avoidance spell and was completely unafraid. Enduring for half an hour, forty snakes emerged from all around to bite him. The swung his hands, grabbed them, and with all his strength crushed them into eighty pieces. Shortly after, three fire dragons came out, coiling around the above and below, making it truly unbearable. Feeling panicked and at a loss, he said, "Other things are bearable, but these three fire dragons are hard to handle. If I don't get out soon, the fire will attack my heart—what then?" He thought, "I'll stretch my body and break through." Good Great Sage! Pinching the spell, he recited the incantation and shouted, "Grow!" He grew to over ten feet tall. The bottle clung tightly to his body and also grew. He then shrank his body, and the bottle also shrank. The was alarmed and said, "Hard, hard, hard. Why is it that when I grow, it grows, and when I shrink, it shrinks? What can I do?" Before he finished, his ankle bones began to ache. He quickly reached out to touch them and found they had been softened by the fire. Anxiously, he said to himself, "What to do? My ankle bones are burned soft—I'll become a cripple." Unable to hold back, he shed tears. This was truly: Encountering demons and suffering, he longed for Tripitaka; Facing danger and peril, he worried for the holy monk. He said, "Master! In those days, I returned to the right path, persuaded by Guanyin Bodhisattva to do good, escaping from heavenly calamities. I endured bitter hardships with you across many mountains, subduing many monsters, capturing Eight Rules, obtaining Sha Monk, through a thousand hardships and ten thousand toils, hoping to reach the West together and achieve the true fruit. Who would have thought that today I would encounter this venomous demon, and old Sun, mistakenly entering here, would lose his life, leaving you abandoned halfway up the mountain, unable to advance. I think it's because my fame was too high in the past that I face this calamity today." Just as he was grieving, he suddenly remembered: "The Bodhisattva once gave me three life-saving hairs on Coiled Snake Mountain. I wonder if they're still there—let me look for them." He immediately reached out and felt all over his body, finding three hairs at the back of his head, extremely stiff. Overjoyed, he said, "The hairs all over my body are soft and pliable, but these three are as hard as spears—they must be my life-savers." Gritting his teeth and enduring the pain, he pulled out the hairs, blew a divine breath on them, and shouted, "Change!" One turned into a diamond drill, one into a bamboo splint, and one into a silk cord. He made a crossbow from the bamboo splint, fitted the drill to it, and drilled away at the bottom of the bottle with a whirring sound, drilling a hole through which light shone in. Delighted, he said, "Fortune, fortune—now I can get out." As soon as he changed his form and emerged, the bottle became cool again. Why did it turn cool? Because he had drilled through it, letting out the yin and yang qi, so it became cool. Good Great Sage! He retrieved the hairs, shrank his body, and turned into a tiny cicada-like insect, extremely light, as fine as a hair, as long as an eyebrow, and drilled out through the hole. But he did not leave immediately; instead, he flew straight to the head of the old demon and perched there. The old demon, just drinking, suddenly put down his cup and said, "Third brother, has Sun the Novice turned to pus by now?" The third demon laughed and said, "Is it even that time yet?" The old demon ordered the bottle to be brought up. The thirty-six little demons below lifted the bottle, but it was much lighter. Startled, the little demons reported, "Great King, the bottle is light." The old demon shouted, "Nonsense! The treasure is the full power of yin and yang qi—how could it be light?" One of the more forceful little demons brought the bottle up and said, "Look, isn't it light?" When the old demon lifted the lid to look, he saw it was bright inside and could not help crying out, "The bottle is empty—it's been drained." The Great Sage on his head also could not help saying, "My boy, 'whisked away' means I'm gone." When the demons heard this, they said, "He's gone, he's gone." They immediately ordered, "Close the gates, close the gates." The shook his body, retrieved the clothes that had been stripped off, revealed his true form, leaped out of the cave, and turning back, cursed, "Monsters, don't be rude. The bottle is drilled through and can't hold anyone anymore—it's only good for a chamber pot." Cheerful and noisy, he rode the clouds straight back to where Tripitaka was. The elder was there gathering earth as incense, praying to the sky. The halted his clouds to listen to what he was praying. The elder, palms together, addressed heaven: "I pray to the cloud-dwelling immortals, the Six Ding and Six Jia spirits, and all the heavenly hosts. May they protect my worthy disciple Sun the Novice, with his vast supernatural powers and boundless dharma." When the Great Sage heard these words, he put in even more effort, withdrew his cloud light, and coming near, called out, "Master, I'm here." The elder took his hand and said, "Wukong, you've labored. You went far to explore the high mountain and did not return for a long time—I was very worried. After all, what good or ill omens are there in this mountain?" The laughed and said, "Master, this trip was due, first, to the karmic affinity of the sentient beings in the East; second, to your boundless merit and virtue; and third, thanks to your disciple's dharma power." He then recounted in detail the matter of disguising himself as Small Drill Wind, being trapped in the bottle, and his escape. "Now, to see your honored face again is truly to be reborn." The elder thanked him profusely and said, "Did you not fight with the monster this time?" The said, "No." The elder said, "Then you can't protect me across this mountain?" The, being a competitive person, shouted, "How can I not protect you across the mountain?" The elder said, "Since you didn't engage him in victory or defeat, and it's all so vague, how dare I advance?" The Great Sage laughed and said, "Master, you are too inflexible. As the saying goes, 'A single thread cannot make a line; one hand cannot clap.' There are three demons and thousands of little ones—how can old Sun fight them alone?" The elder said, "The few cannot defeat the many—it's indeed difficult for you alone. Eight Rules and Sha Monk also have skills—send them all to join their strength with yours, clear the mountain path, and protect me across." The pondered and said, "Your words are most fitting. Let Sha Monk protect you, and let Eight Rules come with me." The idiot panicked and said, "Elder brother, you have no discernment. I'm coarse and clumsy, with no real skill; walking, I only stir up wind—what use would I be following you?" The said, "Brother, even if you have no great skill, you're still a man. As the saying goes, 'Farting adds wind.' You can at least boost my courage a bit." Eight Rules said, "All right, all right. I hope you'll look after me. But when things get urgent, don't play tricks on me." The elder said, "Eight Rules, be careful. Sha Monk and I will stay here." The idiot, summoning his divine might, rode the fierce wind and clouds with the, leaping up the high mountain until they reached the cave mouth. They saw the cave gate tightly shut, with no one around. The stepped forward, raised his iron staff, and shouted in a stern voice, "Monsters, open the gate! Come out quickly and fight old Sun!" The little demons inside reported this. The old demon, trembling with fear, said, "For years they've said the monkey is fierce—the talk is no lie; it's truly true." The second demon beside him asked, "Elder brother, what do you mean?" The old demon said, "That earlier changed into Small Drill Wind and sneaked in; we couldn't recognize him. Fortunately, third brother recognized him and put him in the bottle. He used his skill, drilled through the bottle, and even took his clothes and left. Now he's outside challenging us to battle. Who dares to fight the first round?" No one answered. He asked again, and again no one replied—they were all pretending to be deaf and mute. The old demon grew angry and said, "We have a notorious reputation on the Western Road. Today, Sun the Novice shows such contempt. If I don't go out and face him, it will lower our standing. Let me risk this old life and fight him for three rounds. If I can win three rounds, Tang Monk will still be our mouthful of food. If I can't, then we'll close the gate and let him pass." He then put on his armor and gear, opened the gate, and went out. The and Eight Rules watched from beside the gate. Truly, he was a fine monster: Iron forehead, bronze head, wearing a jeweled helmet, The helmet's tassels fluttered, shining brightly. Flashing like lightning, his eyes were bright, Bright as spreading clouds, his whiskers flew on both sides. Hooked claws like silver, sharp and pointed, Saw-like teeth like chisels, dense and even. His body was clad in seamless golden armor, His waist bound with a dragon sash, showing cunning. In his hand he held a gleaming steel blade, His heroic majesty was rare in the world. His shout was like thunder, shaking the earth, And he asked, "Who is it that knocks at the gate?"

The Great Sage turned around and said, "It's your grandfather Sun, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven." The old demon laughed and said, "You're Sun the Novice? You reckless, impudent monkey. I haven't provoked you, so why are you here challenging me to battle?" Pilgrim said, "'Wind raises waves; no tide makes the water calm.' If you hadn't provoked me, would I have come looking for you? It's only because your pack of foxes and gang of dogs have banded together, plotting to eat my master, that I've come here to act." The old demon said, "You come roaring up to my gate so fiercely—could it be that you want to fight?" Pilgrim said, "Exactly." The old demon said, "Don't be so insolent. If I were to call out my demon soldiers, set up a battle formation, wave flags, and beat drums to fight you, it would make me seem like a bully—a tiger defending its own lair. I'll just fight you one-on-one, with no helpers." When Pilgrim heard this, he called out, "Pigsy, move aside and watch how Old Monkey handles him." That idiot really did dodge to one side. The old demon said, "Come here. First, let me use you as a chopping block and take three full-strength swings at that bald head of yours. If you can take it, I'll let your Tang Monk pass. If you can't, then send your Tang Monk over quickly so I can have him as a dish to go with my rice." When Pilgrim heard this, he laughed and said, "Demon, if you have paper and brush in your cave, bring them out, and I'll draw up a contract with you. From today onward, even if you keep chopping until next year, I won't take you seriously."

The old demon shook out his might, planted his feet in a T-stance, raised his blade with both hands, and brought it down with all his strength at the Great Sage's head. The Great Sage lifted his head to meet it, and with a loud gu-cha sound, his scalp didn't even turn red. The old demon was greatly startled and said, "This monkey has a truly hard head!" The Great Sage laughed and said, "You don't know. Old Monkey is:

Born with a copper head and iron skull,

Nowhere in heaven or earth is there its equal.

Axes and hammers cannot shatter it;

In youth, I entered the furnace of Lord Lao.

The four Dipper stars supervised its forging,

The twenty-eight constellations labored over it.

Steeped in water many times, it never spoiled,

Surrounded by a network of tough sinews.

Tang Monk, fearing it wasn't strong enough,

Put a purple-gold fillet on it beforehand."

The old demon said, "Monkey, don't brag. Watch this second strike—I'll show you no mercy." Pilgrim said, "It won't make any difference; you'll just be chopping the same way." The old demon said, "Monkey, you don't know this blade:

Forged in a furnace of gold and fire,

Refined through countless divine labors.

Its edge follows the Three Strategies,

Its hardness matches the Six Arts of War.

It's like a fly's tail, like a white python's waist.

In the mountains, it stirs up drifting clouds;

In the sea, it churns up towering waves.

Polished without number of times,

Tempered through hundreds of ordeals.

Kept in deep mountain caves,

It earns merit on the battlefield.

If it hits your bald monk's crown,

It'll cleave you in two like a gourd dipper."

The Great Sage laughed and said, "This fiend has no eyesight; he mistakes Old Monkey for a gourd top. Never mind—if you miss, I'll let you try again. Chop away and see what happens."

The old demon raised his blade and struck again. The Great Sage lifted his head to meet it, and with a ping-pang sound, it split into two halves. The Great Sage rolled on the ground and turned into two bodies. When the demon saw this, he panicked and lowered his steel blade. Pig, watching from afar, laughed and said, "Old demon, you're good at chopping—aren't there now four of you?" The old demon pointed at Pilgrim and said, "I've heard you can use the art of dividing your body. Why do you pull this trick in front of me?" The Great Sage said, "What do you mean by 'dividing your body'?" The old demon said, "Why was it that when I chopped you the first time, you didn't move, but now when I chop you, there are two of you?" The Great Sage laughed and said, "Demon, don't be afraid. If you chop ten thousand times, I'll give you back twenty thousand people." The old demon said, "You monkey, you only know how to divide your body, not how to merge it. If you have the skill, merge back into one and take a blow from my staff." The Great Sage said, "Don't lie. You said you'd chop three times, but you've only chopped twice. If I take a blow from your staff, and it's even half a blow too many, then my name isn't Sun." The old demon said, "Right, right."

So the Great Sage gathered his body, rolled over, and turned back into one form. He drew his staff and struck at the head. The old demon raised his blade to block it and said, "You reckless monkey, how dare you! What kind of mourning staff is this, daring to come to my door and strike at people?" The Great Sage shouted, "If you ask me about this staff, its fame is known throughout heaven and earth." The old demon said, "How is it famous?" He said:

"This staff is forged from nine-refined iron,

Lord Lao himself tempered it in his furnace.

Yu the Great got it, calling it the Divine Needle,

Which set the measure of the Four Seas and Eight Rivers.

Stars and constellations are hidden within it,

At both ends are plates of yellow gold.

Its dense patterns frighten gods and ghosts,

On it are carved dragons and phoenix scripts.

Named the Numinous Yang Staff,

It was hidden deep in the sea, hard for men to find.

It takes shape and transforms, soaring through the air,

Drifting with five-colored mists and clouds.

Old Monkey gained the Way and took it to the mountain,

With endless transformations and much experience.

Sometimes it's as thick as a wine vat,

Sometimes as fine as an iron thread.

Thick as the Southern Mountain, thin as a needle,

Long or short, it follows my wish.

Lifted lightly, colored clouds arise,

Flashing brightly, it flies like lightning.

Chilling cold air frightens men,

Streams of killing mist appear in the sky.

Subduing dragons and taming tigers, it stays with me,

Wandering to the ends of heaven and sea.

With this staff, I once disturbed Heaven,

Its might scattered the Peach Festival.

Heavenly King Li lost to me in battle,

Nezha could not face me in combat.

Beating all the gods, they had no place to hide,

A hundred thousand heavenly soldiers all fled.

The thunder generals guarded the Lingxiao Palace,

I flew up and struck the Tongming Hall.

The heavenly envoys were all thrown into confusion,

The immortal ministers protecting the throne were disturbed.

Lifting the staff, I overturned the Northern Dipper Palace,

Turning back, I wrecked the Southern Pole Courtyard.

The Jade Emperor, seeing the staff's ferocity,

Specially invited the Tathagata to see me.

Victory and defeat in war I accept,

Distress and calamity I can't deny.

For five hundred years I endured,

Thanks to the Bodhisattva Guanyin's advice.

In the Great Tang, there was a monk,

Who swore a great vow before Heaven.

He liberates souls in the City of the Unjustly Dead,

And seeks scriptures at the Spirit Mountain Assembly.

On the Western Road, there are demons,

Making travel very difficult.

Knowing my iron staff is unmatched in the world,

He begged me to accompany him on the journey.

Evil fiends who touch it go to the underworld,

Their flesh turns to dust, their bones to powder.

Demons everywhere die beneath this staff,

Countless tens of thousands, beyond reckoning.

Above, it smashed the Dipper and Bull Palace,

Below, it crushed the Senluo Hall.

Heavenly generals once chased the Nine Luminaries with it,

In the underworld, it wounded the Judge of Death.

Thrown into midair, it shakes mountains and rivers,

Better than the New Year's Sword of the Grand Duke.

Relying solely on this staff to protect Tang Monk,

I've beaten all the demons under Heaven."

When the demon heard this, trembling with fear but risking his life, he raised his blade and struck. The Monkey King, smiling, raised his iron staff to meet him. For a while, they fought before the cave, then leaped up and battled in midair. This was a fine fight:

The Divine Needle that fixed the bottom of the Heavenly River,

The staff called Ruyi, unmatched in the world.

Its boasts of skill angered the demon chief,

Who wielded his great blade with powerful magic.

At the gate, the struggle was close,

In the air, the contest showed no mercy.

One changed his features at will,

The other grew in stature on the spot.

The battle darkened the sky with clouds,

And filled the wilds with drifting mist.

One repeatedly planned to eat Sanzang,

The other widely spread his magic to protect the Tang.

All because the Buddha transmitted the scriptures,

Good and evil clashed in bitter enmity.

The old demon and the Great Sage fought for over twenty rounds, neither winning nor losing.

Tripitaka was still afraid it wasn't strong enough, so he added the purple gold fillet in advance."

The old demon said, "Monkey, don't boast. Watch this second strike of mine—I won't let you live." Pilgrim said, "Anyway, it's just the same sort of chopping." The old demon said, "Monkey, you don't know this blade:

Forged in a golden fire-furnace,

Refined through divine effort a hundred times.

Its edge follows the Three Strategies, its hardness accords with the Six Arts.

Like a fly's tail, or a white python's waist.

Entering mountains, clouds and mists billow; descending to the sea, waves surge.

Polished countless times, tempered hundreds of times.

Placed in a deep mountain cave, it earns merit in battle.

Chopping down on your monk's skull, it will carve you into two gourds in one stroke."

Great Sage laughed and said, "This fiend has no eyes; he takes old Sun for a gourd top. Oh well, let it be a mistaken chop. Let you cut again and see what happens."

The old demon raised his blade and struck again. Great Sage thrust his head forward to meet it, and with a "crack," it split in two. Great Sage rolled on the spot and turned into two bodies. The demon, alarmed, lowered his steel blade. Pig, watching from afar, laughed and said, "Old demon's good at chopping twice—now there are four men!" The old demon pointed at Pilgrim and said, "I've heard you can use the splitting-body technique; how dare you use that trick before me?" Great Sage said, "What splitting-body technique?" The old demon said, "Why didn't you move when I cut you the first time, but now you've become two men?" Great Sage laughed and said, "Fiend, don't be afraid. Cut me ten thousand times, and I'll give you back twenty thousand men." The old demon said, "You monkey, you know only how to split bodies, not how to join them. If you have the skill to gather into one and hit me with your staff, then go ahead." Great Sage said, "No lying allowed. You said you'd cut me three times, but you've only cut me twice. Let me hit you once; if I hit you half a blow more, I won't be named Sun." The old demon said, "Exactly, exactly."

Truly the Great Sage gathered his body in, rolled once, and became one body again. He pulled out his staff and struck straight at the head. The old demon raised his blade to block and said, "Impudent monkey, what sort of funeral staff is this, daring to come to my door and strike?" Great Sage shouted, "If you ask about this staff, its fame is known throughout heaven and earth." The old demon said, "How is it famous?" He said:

"This staff is forged from ninefold refined iron,

Laogong himself tempered it in his furnace.

King Yu sought it and called it the Divine Needle;

The four seas and eight rivers were all measured by it.

Stars and constellations are secretly inlaid within,

Both ends wrapped with sheets of yellow gold.

Dense patterns startle ghosts and spirits,

Engraved with dragon patterns and phoenix script.

Its name is the Numinous Yang Staff, one of its kind,

Hidden deep in the sea treasury, hard for men to see.

After forming, it changed and wished to soar,

Drifting with five-colored rainbow light.

Old Sun got the Way and brought it back to the mountain,

Its infinite transformations, rich in experience.

Sometimes as thick as a great vat,

Sometimes as small as an iron thread.

Thick as the Southern Peak, fine as a needle,

Its length and shortness follow my mind's changes.

Lifted lightly, colored clouds arise,

Bright and flashing, it flies like lightning.

Bursts of chill air strike one cold,

Trailing murderous mists appear in the sky.

Subduing dragons and taming tigers, it's always at hand,

Roaming heaven's ends and ocean's corners.

Once I used this staff to cause havoc in Heaven,

Its might scattered the Peach Banquet.

Heavenly Kings gambled and could not win,

Nezha fought but found it hard to engage.

When the staff came, all gods had nowhere to hide,

A hundred thousand heavenly soldiers all fled.

Thunder deities guarded the Hall of Spiritual Soaring,

I flew up and struck through the Hall of Universal Brightness.

The envoys of the court were all flustered,

The immortal ministers protecting the carriage were all thrown into chaos.

Lifting the staff, I overturned the Northern Dipper Palace,

Turning back, I shook open the Southern Pole Court.

The Heavenly Emperor of the Golden Que, seeing the staff's ferocity,

Specially invited Tathagata to meet with me.

Victory and defeat are naturally so in war,

Hardship and calamity cannot be distinguished.

For five hundred years I endured straight,

Thanks to the Bodhisattva of the Southern Sea's persuasion.

In the Great Tang there is a monk who left home,

Who made a great vow to Heaven.

In the City of Wrongful Death he saved the ghosts,

To the Vulture Peak assembly he seeks the scriptures.

On the western road there are demons,

Their actions cause much inconvenience.

Knowing this iron staff is peerless in the world,

He begged me to be his companion on the road.

Evil fiends who meet it go to the underworld,

Flesh turns to dust, bones to powder.

Everywhere, goblins die under the staff,

Countless in the tens of thousands.

Above, it damaged the Dipper and Bull Palace,

Below, it crushed the Hall of Darkness.

Heavenly generals once chased the Nine Luminaries,

The underworld's life-judging officials were wounded.

Thrown in midair, it shakes mountains and rivers,

Outshining the Grand Unity's New Flower Sword.

Relying on this staff to protect Tripitaka,

All demons under heaven have been beaten."

Hearing this, the demon trembled with fear but risked his life, raised his blade, and struck. The Monkey King laughed and wielded his iron staff to meet him. They first fought before the cave, then leaped up and battled in midair. This was a fine fight:

The River-Settling Divine Needle Staff,

Named Ruyi, highest in the world.

Boasting of his skill enraged the demon lord,

His great chopping blade raised with mighty power.

Fighting outside the gate was still approachable,

But battling in the air allowed no quarter.

One changed his face at will,

The other grew his body tall on the spot.

The fight filled the sky with thick clouds,

And covered the wilds with drifting mist.

One, with resolve, wanted to eat Tripitaka,

The other, with great power, protected the Tang court.

All because the Buddha transmitted the scriptures,

Good and evil were distinct, hatred and pain intertwined.

The old demon and Great Sage fought over twenty rounds without a clear victor.

Now, Pig, watching from below as the two fought to a fine point, could not restrain himself. He pulled out his rake, rode the wind, leaped up, and struck straight at the demon's face. The demon was alarmed. He didn't know Pig was a tiger-headed type, reckless and terrifying. Seeing Pig's long snout and big ears, his strong hand and fierce rake, the demon lost the battle, dropped his blade, and turned to flee. Great Sage shouted, "Chase him! Chase him!" This idiot, relying on his might, raised his rake and quickly pursued the demon. The old demon, seeing him close behind, stopped on the slope, faced the wind, shook himself, and revealed his true form. Opening his huge mouth, he prepared to swallow Pig. Pig, terrified, quickly drew back and burrowed into the grass. He didn't care about the thorns and brambles, nor about scraping his head in pain. Trembling, he listened for sounds in the grass. Soon Pilgrim arrived. The demon also opened his mouth to swallow him, but this played into Pilgrim's scheme. He put away his iron staff, charged forward, and was swallowed in one gulp by the old demon. This so scared the idiot in the grass that he muttered resentfully, "This Horse-Plague Star doesn't know when to advance or retreat. That demon came to eat you—why didn't you run, but instead go to meet him! Swallowed in one gulp, today he's still a monk, but tomorrow he'll be a turd." The demon, victorious, departed. Only then did this idiot crawl out of the grass and sneak back along the original path.

Now let it be told that as Tang Sanzang was waiting anxiously at the foot of the mountain with Sha Monk, he saw Zhu Bajie gasping as he ran over. Tang Sanzang was greatly alarmed and said, "Bajie, how did you become so wretched? Where is Wukong?" The idiot wept and said, "Elder brother has been swallowed whole by the demon." When Tang Sanzang heard this, he was so terrified that he fell to the ground. For a long while he stamped his feet and beat his chest, crying, "Disciple! I thought you could subdue monsters and bring me to see the Buddha in the West. How was I to know that today you would die in the belly of this fiend? How bitter! How bitter! The merits of this disciple and all the others have now turned to dust!" The master was in great agony. Look at that idiot; he did not even try to console the master, but instead said, "Sha Monk, bring our luggage. Let's split it between the two of us." Sha Monk said, "Second Elder Brother, split what?" Zhu Bajie said, "We'll divide things up and each go our own way: you go back to the Flowing Sands River and eat people again; I'll go back to Gao Village and see my wife. We'll sell the white horse and buy the master a coffin for his funeral." When the elder heard this, he was furious and cried out to Heaven, wailing loudly. Let us leave this for now.

Let it be told instead that the old demon who had swallowed Pilgrim thought his plan had succeeded and went straight back to his lair. All the lesser demons came to greet him and ask about his victory in battle. The old demon said, "I have caught one." The second demon said joyfully, "Elder Brother, whom did you catch?" The old demon said, "It is Sun Xingzhe." The second demon said, "Where is he caught?" The old demon said, "I swallowed him in one gulp into my belly." The third demon was greatly startled and said, "Elder Brother, I never warned you: Sun Xingzhe cannot be eaten." The Great Sage, speaking from inside the belly, said, "He can indeed eat, and he can endure hunger too; he will never starve." The lesser demons were startled and said, "Great King, it is bad! Sun Xingzhe is talking inside your belly!" The old demon said, "So what if he talks? If I have the guts to eat him, do I not have the guts to deal with him? You go quickly and boil some salted water; I will drink it down and bring him up, then slowly fry him to go with wine." The lesser demons indeed brewed half a basin of salted soup. The old monster drank it all in one gulp, opened his mouth, and tried hard to vomit. But the Great Sage had taken root in his belly and would not move. He also blocked the throat, so when the demon tried to vomit, he strained until his head spun and his gall bladder nearly burst; Pilgrim still did not stir. The old demon gasped for breath and called out, "Sun Xingzhe, will you not come out?" Pilgrim said, "It is still early! I am perfectly happy not coming out!" The old demon said, "Why won't you come out?" Pilgrim said, "You fiend are utterly inflexible. Ever since I became a monk, my life has been very plain. Now that autumn is cool, I am still wearing a single thin robe. It is quite warm in this belly, and there is no draft. Let me stay here until winter is over before I come out."

When the lesser demons heard this, they all said, "Great King, Sun Xingzhe wants to spend the winter in your belly!" The old demon said, "If he wants to spend the winter, I will enter meditation and use a transport spell to go without food all winter, and starve that Horse-Plague to death." The Great Sage said, "My son, you do not understand things. Old Monkey is protecting Tang Monk on his journey to fetch scriptures. When I passed through Guangzhou, I brought a collapsible pot with me, and now I have come in here to cook some giblets to eat. I will enjoy your liver, intestines, stomach, and lungs slowly, and that will last me until the Qingming Festival." The second demon was greatly alarmed and said, "Elder Brother, this monkey is capable of doing it." The third demon said, "Elder Brother, even if he eats the giblets, where will he set up his pot?" Pilgrim said, "The fork of the triquetral bone is a good place to set up the pot." The third demon said, "This is bad! If he sets up the pot and lights a fire, the smoke will go up my nose and make me sneeze, won't it?" Pilgrim laughed and said, "No problem. I'll take my golden cudgel and thrust it up through the top of your head, making a hole. That will serve as a skylight and also as a chimney."

When the old demon heard this, although he pretended not to be afraid, he was secretly terrified. He had to brace himself and said, "Brothers, do not be afraid. Bring me that medicinal wine. Let me drink a few cups and poison this monkey to death." Pilgrim laughed to himself and said, "Five hundred years ago, when Old Monkey made havoc in Heaven, I ate Lord Lao Zi's elixir, the Jade Emperor's wine, the Queen Mother's peaches, and even phoenix marrow and dragon liver. What kind of thing have I not eaten? What medicinal wine could dare to poison me?" The lesser demons indeed strained two pots of medicinal wine, filled a cup to the brim, and handed it to the old demon. The old demon took it in his hand, and the Great Sage smelled the wine’s fragrance from inside his belly and said, "Do not let him drink it." Good Great Sage! He twisted his head, turned it into a trumpet-shaped mouth, and opened it beneath the demon’s throat. The monster gulped it down, and Pilgrim gulped it down and drank it. The second cup was swallowed, and Pilgrim gulped it down again. He swallowed seven or eight cups in a row, all of which Pilgrim intercepted and drank. The old demon set down the cup and said, "No more. Usually two cups of this wine make my belly burn; but I have just drunk seven or eight cups, and my face is not even red!"

Now it happened that the Great Sage could not hold much wine; after intercepting and drinking seven or eight cups of it, he began to act drunk inside the belly. He would not stop: he propped himself up, did a four-square fall, kicked his legs, grabbed the liver and swung on it like a trapeze, stood on his head, turned somersaults, and danced wildly. The monster was in such unbearable pain that he fell to the ground.

Whether he lived or died, we do not yet know; listen to the explanation in the next chapter.