Chapter 34: Magic King Cunningly Traps the Mind-Searing Ape Great Sage Ascends to Trick the Treasure

The two minor demons took the fake gourd into their hands, examining it for a while. Suddenly, they looked up and found that Sun Wukong had vanished. Nimble Demon said, “Brother, even immortals tell lies. He said he’d exchange treasures to help us become immortals, but then he left without a word?” Meticulous Demon said, “We got the better deal! How could he succeed? Hand over the gourd; let me try to ‘contain the sky’ and see how it works.” He actually threw the gourd upwards, but it just plopped back down. Nimble Demon panicked and exclaimed, “Why isn’t it working? Isn’t it working?! Could Sun Wukong have pretended to be an immortal and swapped our real gourd for a fake one?” Meticulous Demon said, “Don’t talk nonsense! Sun Wukong was trapped under three mountains; how could he have escaped? Hand it over; let me recite his incantation and try to use it.” This demon also tossed the gourd into the air, muttering, “If there’s even half a refusal, I’ll go to the Hall of Divine Mists and stir up a war!” Before he finished, it plopped back down again. The two demons said, “It’s not working! It’s not working! It must be a fake.”

As they were complaining, the Great Sage Sun, listening clearly and observing everything from mid-air, feared they might waste too much time and let news of his trickery leak. He gave a shake, retracting the hair that had transformed into the gourd. This left the two demons with nothing in their hands. Meticulous Demon said, “Brother, hand over the gourd.” Nimble Demon replied, “You had it! Oh my! Where did it go?” They frantically groped on the ground, searched wildly in the grass, checked their sleeves, and patted their waists, but found nothing. The two demons were terrified and stammered, “What are we going to do? What are we going to do! The King gave us the treasure to capture Sun Wukong, but now Wukong isn’t caught, and the treasure is gone too! How can we report back? We’ll be beaten to death for sure! What are we going to do? What are we going to do!” Nimble Demon said, “Let’s run away.” Meticulous Demon asked, “Where would we go?” Nimble Demon replied, “Anywhere! If we go back without the treasure, we’re certainly dead.” Meticulous Demon said, “Don’t run, let’s go back. The Second Great King always thought highly of you; I’ll put the blame on you a little. If he’s willing to overlook it, we might save our lives. If not, even if we’re beaten to death, it’ll still be here. Don’t end up losing both ways! Let’s go, let’s go!” After discussing, the demons turned and headed back to the mountain.

From mid-air, Wukong watched them return, then shook himself and transformed into a fly, buzzing down to follow the minor demons. You might ask, if he transformed into a fly, where did he keep the treasures? If he had dropped them on the road or hidden them in the grass, and someone found them, wouldn’t his effort have been in vain? He still carried them on his person. But how could a fly, no bigger than a bean, carry them? Actually, his treasures, like his Golden-Banded Staff, were called “As-You-Wish Buddha Treasures.” They could change size at will, becoming large or small, which is why he could carry them on his person. He buzzed down and followed the demons. Before long, they arrived at the cave.

Inside, the two demon kings were seated, drinking wine. The minor demons knelt before them. Wukong perched on a cupboard by the door, listening intently. The minor demons said, “Great Kings.” The two old demons immediately put down their cups and asked, “You’re back?” The minor demons replied, “Yes, we’re back.” “Did you capture Sun Wukong?” they asked. The minor demons kowtowed, not daring to speak. The old demon asked again, and still, they didn’t dare answer, only kowtowed. After being pressed repeatedly, the minor demons prostrated themselves on the ground, crying, “Forgive our ten thousand deaths! Forgive our ten thousand deaths! We were carrying the treasure and reached halfway up the mountain when we encountered an immortal from Mount Penglai. He asked where we were going, and we replied that we were going to capture Sun Wukong. When that immortal heard ‘Sun Wukong,’ he said he was annoyed with him too and offered to help us. We didn’t ask for his help, but we told him about our treasure’s ability to capture people. That immortal also had a gourd, which could contain the sky. We were ambitious, thinking about our family’s prosperity, and decided to exchange them: his sky-containing gourd for our man-containing one. It was originally a gourd for a gourd, but Nimble Demon also gave him a purifying vase. Who would have thought that an immortal’s object cannot be handled by mortals? When we tried to use it, even our own people disappeared. We humbly beg you to spare us from death!”

When the old demon heard this, he roared like thunder, “Enough! Enough! That was Sun Wukong disguising himself as an immortal to trick you! That monkey has vast magical powers and is familiar everywhere. I don’t know which minor deity let him out to steal our treasure!” The Second Demon King said, “Brother, calm your anger. That monkey is truly impudent! If he had the power, he could have just left, why did he also steal our treasures? If I can’t capture him, I swear I’ll never be a demon on the Western Road again!” The Old Demon King asked, “How will you capture him?” The Second Demon King said, “We have five treasures. Two are gone, but we still have three. We must use them to capture him.” The Old Demon King asked, “What are the other three?” The Second Demon King replied, “The Seven-Star Sword and the Plantain Fan are with me. As for the Golden Lasso, our old mother in Pressed Dragon Cave on Pressed Dragon Mountain is keeping it. Now, send two minor demons to invite Mother here to eat Tang Monk’s flesh, and tell her to bring the Golden Lasso to capture Sun Wukong.” The Old Demon King asked, “Who should we send?” The Second Demon King said, “Not these useless creatures!” He shouted at Meticulous Demon and Nimble Demon, making them jump. The two demons said, “What luck, what luck! We weren’t beaten or scolded, and we’re even forgiven.” The Second Demon King said, “Call our regular attendants, Bazhanhu and Yihailong.” The two knelt down, and the Second Demon King instructed, “You must be careful.” They both replied, “Careful.” “You must be thorough.” They both replied, “Thorough.” He then asked, “Do you know where the old grandmother lives?” They both replied, “Yes, we know.” “Since you know, hurry up and go to the old grandmother. Give her our best regards and say that we invite her to eat Tang Monk’s flesh. Also, ask her to bring the Golden Lasso to capture Sun Wukong.”

The two demons quickly set off as ordered, unaware that Wukong was nearby, hearing every word clearly. He spread his wings and flew, catching up with Bazhanhu and perching on him. After traveling two or three li, he considered beating the two to death. But he thought, “Killing them is easy. However, their grandmother has the Golden Lasso, and I don’t know where she lives. I’ll ask them first, then kill them.” The clever Wukong buzzed away from the minor demons, letting them go ahead by a hundred paces or so. Then he shook himself, transformed into a minor demon, wearing a fox-skin hat and with a tiger-skin skirt tucked up and tied around his waist. He caught up and called out, “Hey, travelers, wait for me!” Yihailong turned and asked, “Where are you from?” Wukong replied, “My good brother, don’t you recognize your own kind?” The minor demon said, “We don’t have you in our family.” Wukong said, “How can you not? Look again.” The minor demon replied, “Unfamiliar face, unfamiliar face, we haven’t met before.” Wukong said, “That’s right, you haven’t met me. I’m from the outer guard.” The minor demon said, “An officer from the outer guard, no, we haven’t. Where are you going?” Wukong said, “The Great Kings dispatched you two to invite the old grandmother to eat Tang Monk’s flesh and to bring the Golden Lasso to capture Sun Wukong. They feared you two might walk slowly or be lazy and delay the important matter, so they sent me to urge you to hurry.” The minor demons, hearing words that seemed to come from within their own group, no longer doubted and indeed recognized Wukong as one of their own. They quickly ran forward, covering another eight or nine li in one stretch. Wukong said, “You’re running a bit too fast. How far are we from home?” The minor demon said, “About fifteen or sixteen li.” Wukong asked, “How much farther?” Yihailong pointed and said, “It’s in the black forest.” Wukong looked up and saw a dark forest not far away. He estimated that the old demon must be in or around that forest. He then stopped, let the minor demons walk ahead, and quickly drew out his iron staff. Stepping forward, he swept it behind their feet. Pathetically, they couldn’t withstand the blow and were instantly flattened into a pulp of flesh. He then dragged their bodies and hid them in the deep grass beside the road. Immediately, he plucked a single hair, blew a breath of immortal energy on it, and commanded, “Transform!” It became Bazhanhu, while he himself transformed into Yihailong. Disguised as the two minor demons, they headed directly to Pressed Dragon Cave to invite the old grandmother. This demonstrated his mastery of the seventy-two transformations and his extraordinary skill in creating illusions.

In a few steps, he leaped into the forest. As he searched, he spotted two stone doors, half-open. Not daring to enter uninvited, he simply shouted, “Open the door, open the door!” This startled a female demon guarding the door, who opened the half-door and asked, “Where are you from?” Wukong replied, “I’ve been sent from Lotus Flower Cave on Flat Top Mountain to invite the old grandmother.” The female demon said, “Go in.” He entered the second gate and peered inside, where he saw an old woman seated high up in the center. You might ask, what did she look like?

With disheveled white hair, her eyes sparkled brightly.Her face was ruddy and full of wrinkles, her teeth sparse, but her spirit was robust.Her appearance was like a chrysanthemum withered by frost, her form like an ancient pine after rain.Her head was wrapped in a white silk scarf, and gold, jewel-encrusted earrings dangled from her ears.

When the Great Sage Sun saw her, he didn’t dare go in. Instead, he stood outside the second gate, covering his face, and began to cry profusely. You might wonder why he cried; was he afraid of her? Even if he were afraid, he wouldn’t cry, especially since he had already tricked her treasures away and killed her minor demons. So why did he cry? He had once been thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil, and even after seven or eight days, he hadn’t shed a single tear. It was only because he recalled the hardships of Tang Monk’s pilgrimage that tears streamed down his face, causing him intense sorrow. He thought to himself, “Since I’ve displayed my powers and transformed into a minor demon to invite this old monster, it wouldn’t be proper to just stand and speak. I must certainly kowtow to her. I’ve lived as a hero, and I’ve only bowed to three individuals: the Buddha in the Western Heaven, Guanyin in the Southern Sea, and my master, who saved me from the Two-Boundary Mountain, to whom I bowed four times. For him, I’ve exhausted my heart and soul. What is a single scripture worth? Yet today I’m forced to bow to this monster. If I don’t kowtow, news will surely leak. Oh, the bitterness! It seems I am only suffering this humiliation because my master is in distress!”

At this point, there was nothing he could do. He strode in, knelt before her, and said, “Grandmother, I kowtow.” The monster said, “My child, rise.” Wukong secretly thought, “Good, good, good! She’s certainly calling me her child!” The old monster asked, “Where are you from?” Wukong replied, “From Lotus Flower Cave on Flat Top Mountain. The two Great Kings have ordered me to invite you, Grandmother, to eat Tang Monk’s flesh, and to bring the Golden Lasso to capture Sun Wukong.” The old monster was overjoyed and exclaimed, “What filial sons!” She then called for her sedan chair. Wukong thought, “My goodness! Even demons use sedan chairs!” From behind a partition, two female demons immediately carried out a fragrant rattan sedan chair, placed it outside the door, and draped it with blue silk curtains. The old monster rose and exited the cave, seating herself in the sedan chair. Behind her, several minor female demons followed, carrying her makeup, holding a mirror stand, a towel, and a perfume box, attending to her left and right. The old monster said, “Why are you coming? I’m going to my sons’ place. Do you think there won’t be anyone to serve me there? Do you want to go and chatter idly? All of you go back! Close the door and guard the house!” Those minor demons indeed all went back, leaving only the two sedan bearers. The old monster asked, “What are the names of those who were sent?” Wukong quickly replied, “He is Bazhanhu, and I am Yihailong.” The old monster said, “You two go ahead and clear the way for me.” Wukong secretly thought, “What bad luck! I haven’t even obtained the scriptures yet, and now I’m serving as her escort!” However, he dared not refuse and could only lead the way, shouting loudly to clear the path.

After walking five or six li, he sat on a rocky cliff, waiting for the sedan chair to arrive. Wukong said, “How about we rest a bit? My shoulders are aching from the weight.” The minor demon, unaware of any trick, set the sedan chair down. Wukong, behind the sedan, plucked a hair from his chest, transformed it into a large flatbread, and began to gnaw on it. The sedan bearer asked, “Officer, what are you eating?” Wukong replied, “It’s hard to say. We’ve come such a long way to invite the grandmother, without any reward. I’m hungry, so I’m eating some of the dry rations I brought. I’ll continue after I’ve eaten a bit.” The sedan bearer said, “Give us some to eat.” Wukong laughed, “Come on, we’re all family, why be so particular?” The minor demons, foolishly unaware, gathered around Wukong to share the rations. Wukong suddenly drew out his staff and swept it across their heads. One demon was crushed into a pulp; the other, though not dead, was groaning. The old monster heard the groaning and poked her head out of the sedan. Wukong immediately leaped to the front of the sedan and delivered a blow to her head, creating a hole. Brains gushed out, and blood spurted. When he dragged her out of the sedan to look, she was revealed to be a nine-tailed fox. Wukong laughed, “You wicked beast! What ‘old grandmother’! If you’re an old grandmother, then Old Sun should be called Great Grand Ancestor!”

The excellent Monkey King searched her and found the Golden Lasso, which he tucked into his sleeve, delighted. “That impudent demon, no matter what tricks she has, now three of her treasures belong to Sun!” he declared. He then plucked two hairs and transformed them into Bazhanhu and Yihailong. He plucked two more and transformed them into two sedan bearers. He himself transformed into the old grandmother’s likeness and sat inside the sedan chair. The sedan chair was lifted, and they headed back along the same path. Before long, they arrived at the entrance of Lotus Flower Cave. The minor demons transformed from hairs were ahead, shouting, “Open the door, open the door!” A minor demon guarding the door opened it and asked, “Bazhanhu and Yihailong are back?” The hair-demons replied, “Yes, we’re back.” “Where’s the grandmother you invited?” The hair-demons pointed and said, “Isn’t she in the sedan chair?” The minor demon said, “Wait here; let me go in and report first.” He reported, “Great Kings, Grandmother has arrived.” Hearing this, the two demon kings immediately ordered an incense table to be set up to receive her. Wukong secretly rejoiced, “What luck! It’s my turn to be revered! First, I transformed into a minor demon to invite the old monster and kowtowed to her. Now, I’ve transformed into the old monster, their mother, and they will certainly perform four bows of respect. Though it’s not much, at least I’ll get two kowtows out of them!”

The excellent Great Sage dismounted the sedan, shook his clothes, and retracted the four hairs into his body. The minor demon guarding the door carried the empty sedan chair inside, while Wukong followed slowly, with a delicate, mincing, and affected gait, just like the old monster, and walked right in. He then saw all the demons, great and small, coming to kneel and welcome her. Drums, music, and pipes sounded loudly; from the Boshan censers, fragrant smoke billowed. He arrived in the main hall, sat facing south, and the two demon kings knelt on both knees, kowtowing before him, calling out, “Mother, your sons greet you.” Wukong said, “My children, rise.”

Now, Pigsy, hanging from the beam, let out a loud laugh. Sandy said, “Second Brother, well done! You’re laughing even while hanging!” Pigsy said, “Brother, there’s a reason for my laughter.” Sandy asked, “What reason?” Pigsy said, “We were afraid that Grandmother had arrived and was going to steam us to eat; but it turns out it’s not Grandmother, it’s the old story again.” Sandy asked, “What old story?” Pigsy laughed, “The Stable Keeper is here!” Sandy asked, “How do you know it’s him?” Pigsy said, “He bent his waist and said ‘My children, rise,’ and then his monkey tail curled up behind him. I’m hanging higher than you, so I can see clearly.” Sandy said, “Let’s not speak for now; let’s hear what he says.” Pigsy replied, “Quite right, quite right.”

The Great Sage Sun, seated in the center, asked, “My children, why have you invited me here?” The demon kings said, “Mother, we’ve been disrespectful for days and haven’t shown proper filial piety. This morning, your foolish brothers captured Tang Monk from the Eastern Land. We dared not eat him without your presence, so we invited you, Mother, to offer him as a sacrifice, then steam him for you to eat and prolong your life.” Wukong said, “My children, I won’t eat Tang Monk’s flesh. But I heard that Pigsy’s ears are very good. You can cut them off and prepare them for me as a snack with my wine.” When Pigsy heard this, he panicked and cried, “That plague! You’ve come to cut off my ears! It won’t sound good if I shout!”

Alas, it was just one revealing remark from the idiot that exposed the Monkey King’s transformation. Several minor demons patrolling the mountain and all the door-guarding demons rushed in, reporting, “Great Kings, disaster! Sun Wukong killed the grandmother and came here in disguise!” Hearing this, the demon kings allowed no explanation. They drew their Seven-Star Swords and slashed at Wukong’s face.

The excellent Great Sage swayed his body, and the entire cave filled with a red glow as he vanished. Such a display of skill was truly impressive. It exemplified how he could gather to form a body and scatter to become air. This terrified the old demon king, who was scared out of his wits, and the crowd of demons bit their fingers and shook their heads in astonishment. The Old Demon King said, “Brother, what are you saying? We should send Tang Monk, Sandy, Pigsy, the white horse, and the luggage back to Sun Wukong and close this door of trouble.” The Second Demon King said, “Brother, what nonsense! I don’t know how much effort and strategy I’ve put into capturing these monks. Now, you’re afraid of Sun Wukong’s cunning and want to send them all back to him? That’s what you call someone who fears blades and avoids swords! Is that what a true hero does? Please sit down and don’t be afraid. I hear you say Sun Wukong has vast magical powers. Although I’ve met him once, I haven’t really tested my strength against him. Bring my armor! I’ll go fight him for three rounds. If he can’t defeat me in three rounds, Tang Monk is still our food. If I can’t defeat him in three rounds, then it won’t be too late to send Tang Monk back to him.” The Old Demon King said, “My worthy brother is right.” He ordered, “Bring the armor.” The demons carried out the armor, and the Second Demon King donned it neatly, grasping his treasure sword. He stepped outside the mountain gate and called out, “Sun Wukong! Where have you gone?” At this moment, the Great Sage was already in the clouds. Hearing his name called, he quickly turned to look and saw it was the Second Demon King. See how he was dressed—

On his head, a phoenix helmet outshone the winter snow;On his body, battle armor gleamed like polished iron.A dragon-sinew belt encircled his waist,And his white leather boots were folded in a plum blossom pattern.

His face was like the True Lord of Guanjiang,His appearance no different from the Great Spirit God.He held the Seven-Star Sword in his hand,His fury piercing the sky, radiating fierce might.

The Second Demon King shouted, “Sun Wukong! Quickly return my treasures and my mother! I will spare Tang Monk and let you continue your journey for the scriptures!” The Great Sage couldn’t help but curse, “You impudent monster, you’ve mistaken your Grandpa Sun! Hurry up and return my master, my disciples, the white horse, and our luggage, and give me some travel expenses for my journey west. If you utter even half a ‘no,’ then you might as well tie your own rope and hang yourself, saving your Grandpa the trouble of doing it!” Hearing this, the Second Demon King quickly ascended into the clouds and leaped into the air, swinging his treasure sword to strike. Wukong drew his iron staff and met the blow. The two fought fiercely in mid-air—

It was a match of equals, a meeting of skilled opponents.When facing an equal, one cannot hide one’s excitement;When meeting talent, one can truly exert oneself.The two divine generals clashed, like tigers fighting on the Southern MountainOr dragons contending in the Northern Sea.Where dragons contended, scales shimmered;When tigers fought, claws and fangs fell wildly.Falling claws and fangs scattered like silver hooks,Shimmering scales resembled iron plates.One twisted and turned, employing a thousand techniques;The other moved back and forth, never idle for a moment.The Golden-Banded Staff was just three fen from a head;The Seven-Star Sword was only a crossbow’s reach from a heart.One’s might made the Dipper and Ox constellations shiver;The other’s fury was more perilous than thunder and lightning.

The two fought for about thirty rounds, with neither gaining the upper hand.

Wukong secretly rejoiced, “This impudent monster can actually withstand Old Sun’s iron staff! I’ve already obtained three of his treasures, so why am I struggling in such a fierce battle with him? Won’t I be wasting my time? It would be better to use the gourd or the purifying vase to capture him. That would be much better.” But then he thought, “No, no! As the saying goes: ‘Things follow their master’s will.’ What if I call him and he doesn’t respond? Wouldn’t that delay my mission? I’d better use the Golden Lasso to bind him first.” The excellent Great Sage, using one hand to wield his staff and block the sword, with the other hand tossed the rope. With a “shuala” sound, it bound the demon king.

It turned out that the demon king had a ‘Tightening Lasso Incantation’ and a ‘Loosening Lasso Incantation.’ If he bound someone else, he would chant the Tightening Lasso Incantation, and they couldn’t escape. If he bound his own people, he would chant the Loosening Lasso Incantation, and it wouldn’t harm them. Recognizing his own treasure, he immediately chanted the Loosening Lasso Incantation, loosening the rope and escaping. He then threw it towards Wukong, and it swiftly bound the Great Sage. The Great Sage was about to use his ‘body-shrinking technique’ to escape, but the demon chanted the Tightening Lasso Incantation, binding him so tightly that he couldn’t get free. It slipped down to his neck, where it was originally a golden hoop. The monster gave the rope a tug, pulling him down. He then struck Wukong’s bare head seven or eight times with his treasure sword, but Wukong’s scalp didn’t even turn red. The demon said, “This monkey, your head is so hard! I won’t chop you. I’ll take you back and beat you later. Quickly return my two treasures!” Wukong said, “What treasures of yours did I take that you’re asking me for?” The demon king thoroughly searched Wukong’s person and found both the gourd and the purifying vase. He then led Wukong by the rope into the cave and announced, “Brother, I’ve captured him!” The Old Demon King asked, “Whom did you capture?” The Second Demon King said, “Sun Wukong. Come and see, come and see!” Upon seeing him, the Old Demon King recognized Wukong and his face lit up with joy. “It’s him, it’s him! Tie him with that long rope to the pillar and let’s play with him!” They truly tied Wukong up, and the two demon kings went into the back hall to drink wine.

The Great Sage squirmed at the base of the pillar, startling Pigsy. The idiot, hanging from the beam, burst out laughing, “Brother, your ears won’t be eaten after all!” Wukong said, “Idiot, are you comfortable hanging there? I’m going to get out now, and I guarantee I’ll save you all.” Pigsy said, “Shameless, shameless! You can’t even escape yourself, and you want to save others? Give up, give up, give up! Let’s all die together here; it’ll be easier to ask for directions in the underworld!” Wukong said, “Don’t talk nonsense! Watch me get out.” Pigsy said, “I’d like to see how you get out.” As the Great Sage spoke to Pigsy, his eyes were also observing the demons. He saw them drinking inside, with several minor demons constantly scurrying back and forth, carrying trays and cups, holding wine pots and pouring wine. The security had loosened a bit. Seeing no one in front of him, he used his magical powers. He allowed his staff to emerge, blew a breath of immortal energy on it, and commanded, “Transform!” It immediately turned into a solid steel file. He twisted the hoop around his neck and, with three or five strokes, filed it into two pieces. He then opened the file’s grip and slipped out. He plucked a hair, commanded it to transform into a fake body, and tied it there. His true self gave a shake and transformed into a minor demon, standing nearby. Pigsy, still hanging from the beam, shouted again, “Oh no, oh no! They’ve tied up a fake; the real one is hanging!” The Old Demon King paused his drinking and asked, “What is that Pigsy yelling about?” Wukong, already transformed into a minor demon, stepped forward and said, “Pigsy is urging Sun Wukong to transform and escape, but Wukong refuses and is yelling about it.” The Second Demon King said, “And they say Pigsy is honest! Turns out he’s so dishonest! He deserves twenty mouth-smacking blows!” Wukong went to get a stick to hit him. Pigsy said, “Hit me lightly! If you hit me too hard, I’ll start shouting again, and I’ll recognize you!” Wukong said, “Old Sun transformed for your sakes, so why are you giving me away? None of the other demons in this cave recognize me, so why do you?” Pigsy said, “Although you’ve changed your face, you haven’t changed your backside. Aren’t those two red marks on your butt? That’s why I recognize you.” Wukong then walked to the back, went into the kitchen, grabbed some soot from the bottom of a pot, rubbed it on his two buttocks to blacken them, and then walked back to the front. When Pigsy saw him, he laughed again, “Where did that monkey mess around for a while? Now he has a black butt!”

Wukong remained standing nearby, intending to steal their treasures. He was truly cunning: he walked into the hall, and, feigning exhaustion, said to the demon king, “Great King, look at Sun Wukong tied to the pillar. He’s wriggling left and right, and he’s going to wear out that golden rope. It would be better to replace it with a sturdier one.” The Old Demon King said, “You’re right.” He immediately unbuckled the lion-mane belt from his waist and handed it to Wukong. Wukong took the belt, used it to tie the fake Sun Wukong, replaced the original rope, and carefully tucked it into his sleeve. He then plucked another hair, blew a breath of immortal energy on it, transformed it into a fake Golden Lasso, and respectfully presented it to the demon king with both hands. The demon king, being engrossed in his drinking, didn’t examine it closely and simply accepted it. This was the Great Sage using his magical transformation skills, replacing the Golden Lasso with a mere hair.

Having obtained this treasure, Wukong quickly turned, leaped out the door, revealed his true form, and shouted, “Monsters!” The minor demon guarding the door asked, “Who are you, shouting here?” Wukong said, “Go in quickly and report to your impudent demon kings that ‘Zhexingsun’ has arrived!” The minor demon reported as instructed. The Old Demon King was greatly alarmed, “We’ve captured Sun Wukong, so how can there be a ‘Zhexingsun’?” The Second Demon King said, “Brother, what is there to be afraid of? The treasures are all in my hands. I’ll take that gourd out and capture him.” The Old Demon King said, “Brother, be careful.” The Second Demon King took the gourd and walked out of the mountain gate. He suddenly saw someone who looked exactly like Sun Wukong, only a bit shorter. He asked, “Where are you from?” Wukong replied, “I am Sun Wukong’s brother. I heard you captured my elder brother, so I’ve come to pick a fight with you.” The Second Demon King said, “Yes, I captured him and locked him in the cave. Since you’ve come, you must be seeking a fight. I won’t engage you in battle. I’ll just call your name; dare you answer me?” Wukong said, “I’m not afraid if you call me a thousand times; I’ll answer you ten thousand times!” The demon king, holding the treasure, leaped into the air, with its bottom facing up and its mouth facing down, and called out, “Zhexingsun!” Wukong dared not answer, secretly thinking, “If I answer, I’ll be sucked inside.” The demon king said, “Why aren’t you answering me?” Wukong said, “I’m a bit hard of hearing, I didn’t catch it. Shout louder.” The monster again called out, “Zhexingsun!” Wukong, below, quickly calculated on his fingers and said, “My true name is Sun Wukong, and this made-up ‘ghost’ name is Zhexingsun. A true name can be trapped, but surely a ‘ghost’ name cannot.” However, he couldn’t resist and answered him. With a “sou” sound, he was sucked into the gourd, and a seal was placed on it.

It turned out that the treasure didn’t care about the name being real or fake; as long as an answering sound was made, it would trap the person. The Great Sage found himself in the gourd, utterly dark. He tried to push his head upwards, but it wouldn’t budge; it was tightly sealed. He then grew anxious, thinking, “When I was on the mountain, I met those two minor demons, and they told me that regardless of whether it’s the gourd or the purifying vase, anyone trapped inside will turn into pus in just an hour and a quarter. Could I be turning into pus?” He then reassured himself, “No, it’s fine, it can’t melt me! Five hundred years ago, Old Sun caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace and was refined for forty-nine days in the Eight Trigrams Furnace by the Grand Supreme Lord. I emerged with a heart of gold, lungs of silver, a head of brass, a back of iron, and fiery golden eyes! How could it melt me in an hour and a quarter? I’ll just go along with him and see what he does!”

The Second Demon King carried the gourd inside and said, “Brother, I’ve brought him!” The Old Demon King asked, “Whom did you capture?” The Second Demon King replied, “Zhexingsun. I trapped him in the gourd.” The Old Demon King was delighted. “Worthy brother, please sit. Don’t touch it. Just wait until you hear a rattling sound, then unseal it.” Wukong heard this and thought, “How can a body like mine make a rattling sound? Only if I turn into liquid will it rattle. Let me urinate. If it rattles, he’ll surely unseal the lid. I’ll seize the opportunity and escape!” But he thought again, “No, no! Urine might make a sound, but it would stain this robe. When he shakes it, I’ll just gather some saliva, gargle it to make a sloshing sound, trick him into opening it, and then Old Sun will escape.” The Great Sage prepared himself, but the demon king was too engrossed in drinking to shake the gourd. The Great Sage then used a trick, intending to coax him into shaking it, and suddenly shouted, “Oh dear! My ankle bones have melted!” The demon king still didn’t shake it. The Great Sage shouted again, “Mother! Even my lumbar vertebrae have melted!” The Old Demon King said, “If it’s melted up to the waist, it must be completely liquefied. Unseal it and take a look.” Hearing this, the Great Sage plucked a hair. “Transform!” he commanded. It became a half-body, lying at the bottom of the gourd, while his true self transformed into a cicada nymph, clinging to the rim of the gourd’s mouth. When the Second Demon King unsealed the lid to look, the Great Sage had already flown out, rolled over, and transformed into Yihailong. Yihailong was the minor demon originally sent to invite the old grandmother, and now Wukong, transformed into him, stood by the side. The Old Demon King held the gourd’s mouth open and peered in. Seeing a half-body squirming, he didn’t discern whether it was real or fake. He hastily cried, “Brother, close it, close it! It hasn’t fully liquefied yet!” The Second Demon King sealed it back up. The Great Sage secretly chuckled to himself, “They don’t know Old Sun is already right here!”

The Old Demon King took the wine pot, filled a cup to the brim, and approaching, presented it with both hands to the Second Demon King, saying, “Worthy brother, allow me to offer you a toast.” The Second Demon King replied, “Brother, we’ve already been drinking for a while, why offer another toast?” The Old Demon King said, “Capturing Tang Monk, Pigsy, and Sandy is one thing, but you also got Sun Wukong and trapped Zhexingsun. Such a great achievement deserves several more toasts.” Seeing his elder brother’s respect, the Second Demon King dared not refuse. However, with one hand holding the gourd, he couldn’t reach for the cup. So, he handed the gourd to Yihailong, extending both hands to take the cup, unaware that Yihailong was Sun Wukong in disguise. Watch him, holding the gourd, serving diligently. The Second Demon King took the wine and drank it, then wanted to return the toast. The Old Demon King said, “No need to return the toast, I’ll join you in another cup here.” The two continued to exchange courtesies. Wukong, holding the gourd, watched intently as they passed the cups back and forth, completely unsuspecting. He then deftly slipped the gourd into his sleeve, plucked a hair, transformed it into a fake gourd identical to the real one, and held it in his hands. After passing the wine for a while, the demon king didn’t check for authenticity. He simply grabbed the ‘treasure,’ returned to his seat, and calmly resumed drinking. The Great Sage Sun quietly slipped away, having obtained the treasure. He secretly rejoiced, “Even if this demon king has magical powers, the gourd still belongs to Sun in the end!”

What means he will employ next to rescue his master and defeat the monsters remains to be seen. Let’s wait for the next chapter’s explanation.