Chapter 52: Wukong Causes Havoc in the Golden Cudgel Cave Tathagata Hints to the Protagonist

Upon receiving his Golden-Clasped Cudgel, the Monkey King strode out the door, leapt onto the high peak, and rejoiced with the assembled deities. Heavenly King Li asked, "How did your venture go?" The Pilgrim replied, "This old Monkey transformed and entered his cave. That monster was singing and dancing even more wildly, feasting on victory wine, and I couldn't ascertain where his treasure was hidden. I went around to his rear and suddenly heard the sounds of horses neighing and dragons roaring, knowing they were creatures of the Fire Department. My Golden-Clasped Cudgel was resting against the east wall, so I took it into my hand and fought my way out!" The gods exclaimed, "You've recovered your treasure, but when will we get ours back?" The Pilgrim said, "No difficulty, no difficulty! With this iron rod, I'll definitely defeat him and retrieve your treasures for you!" As they spoke, they heard gongs and drums echoing from the base of the mountain, and shouts shaking the earth. It was none other than the Rhinoceros Demon King leading his host of spirits, pursuing the Pilgrim. Seeing them, the Pilgrim cried out, "Excellent, excellent, excellent! This is exactly what I wished for! Please be seated, I shall go and capture him!"

The Great Sage, with his iron rod, met the demon head-on and roared, "Where do you think you're going, wretched demon! Take this!" The monster parried with his spear and cursed, "You thieving monkey! How utterly rude! How dare you rob me of my belongings in broad daylight?" The Pilgrim retorted, "You suicidal beast who knows no death! You set a trap and robbed me of my possessions in broad daylight! Which of those things are yours? Don't you dare run! Take a blow from your Grandpa!" The monster spun his spear to block. What a battle it was—

The Great Sage displayed fierce might, the demon refused to yield.Both sides fought bravely, neither willing to cease!One wielded an iron rod like a dragon's tail, the other a long spear like a python's head.One's rod strikes were swift as the wind, the other's spear parries held majestic power like flowing water.Only hazy colored mists were seen, dimming the mountains, and auspicious clouds obscured the mournful trees.Birds in the sky ceased their flight, and wolves and beasts in the wilderness cowered.On one side, the small demons roared, on the other, the Pilgrim bristled with energy.His iron rod was unmatched, as he had fought across tens of thousands of miles in the West.That long spear was truly a match, forever guarding Golden Helmet Mountain, a formidable opponent.This encounter would not end well; neither would rest until a victor was determined.

The Demon King and the Monkey King fought for three hours without a decisive victory. Soon, the sky began to darken. The demon, propping his long spear, said, "Wukong, let's stop. It's getting dark, not a time for battle. Let's both rest and resume our fight tomorrow morning." The Pilgrim cursed, "Silence, you wretched beast! This old Monkey is just getting warmed up, what do I care about the late hour! We *must* determine a winner!" The monster roared, feigned a thrust with his spear, and made his escape, leading his horde of demons to retreat into the cave and tightly seal the entrance.

As the Great Sage pulled back his cudgel, the Heavenly Generals on the peak cheered him, exclaiming, "You are truly the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, with boundless and immeasurable true abilities!" The Pilgrim laughed, "You flatter me, you flatter me!" Heavenly King Li stepped forward and said, "These are not mere compliments, you truly are a hero! This battle was no less impressive than when you once escaped the Heavenly Net and Earthly Snare!" The Pilgrim replied, "Let's not dwell on past glories. That demon must be exhausted from this fight with this old Monkey. I won't speak of my own fatigue, but you all may sit at ease while I sneak back into his cave to investigate his bangle. I must steal it, capture that monster, retrieve your weapons, and return them to you so you can go back to Heaven." Nezha Prince said, "It's already late. Why not rest for the night and go tomorrow morning?" The Pilgrim laughed, "This young fellow knows nothing of the world! Whoever heard of a thief operating in broad daylight? For this kind of pilfering, one must go and come at night, unnoticed. That's how it's done!" Fire Lord and Thunder God said, "Third Prince, do not speak. We may not know about this, but the Great Sage is an expert. He should seize this opportunity: first, the demon leader is tired; second, the night is dark and unguarded. Please go quickly! Go quickly!"

The Great Sage, smiling, hid his iron rod, leapt down the peak, and returned to the cave entrance. He shook his body and transformed into a cricket, truly—

With a hard mouth and long whiskers, a dark skin,Bright eyes and splayed claws.In clear wind and bright moonlight, he chirped by the wall,In the quiet night, like a human voice.His sorrowful cries evoked lonely scenes,His intermittent sounds were praiseworthy.A traveler in his window might dread to hear him,Yet he chirped precisely beneath the empty steps by the bed.

With three or five leaps of his powerful legs, he reached the door and squeezed through the crack, crouching by the wall. Facing the light inside, he observed carefully. He saw large and small demons, all wolfing down food. The Pilgrim chirped and trilled several times. After a short while, they put away their cooking utensils and went to arrange their sleeping places, each settling down. Around the first watch of the night, the Pilgrim went to the demon king's inner chamber. He heard the old demon issuing orders: "Little ones at each gate, stay awake! Beware of Sun Wukong transforming and sneaking in to steal!" There were also some on night duty, clanking and rattling, with gongs and bells sounding in unison. This only made it easier for the Great Sage to act. He slipped into the room and saw a stone bedstead. To the left and right, several mountain sprites and tree imps, with painted faces and rouged cheeks, spread out bedding to serve the old demon, some removing his shoes, others his clothes. The Demon King loosened his garments, and on his left arm, he wore the glistening white bangle, which resembled a series of interconnected bangles. He did not take it off, but rather stroked it upwards twice, tightening it firmly on his arm before finally lying down to sleep. Seeing this, the Pilgrim transformed again, into a tiny yellow flea. He jumped onto the stone bed, burrowed under the quilt, and crawled onto the monster's arm. He bit down hard, causing the monster to turn over and curse, "You worthless servants! You didn't even shake out the quilt or dust the bed! What is this thing that bit me!" He then stroked the bangle upwards twice again and went back to sleep. The Pilgrim crawled onto the bangle and bit him again. The monster couldn't sleep, and turned over again, saying, "This is driving me mad!"

Seeing that the demon was tightly guarded and kept the treasure on his person, unwilling to remove it, the Pilgrim realized he couldn't steal it. He jumped off the bed, transformed back into a cricket, exited the room, and went straight to the back. He heard dragon roars and horse neighs again. It turned out that the door to that section was tightly locked, and the fire dragons and fire horses were all suspended inside. The Pilgrim resumed his original form, approached the door, used a lock-picking spell, chanted a incantation, and with a swipe of his hand, with a *crackle*, both bolts of the lock detached. He pushed open the door and entered to inspect. The inside was brightly lit by the fire implements, like broad daylight. Suddenly, he saw several weapons leaning against the east and west walls, all belonging to Nezha Prince, such as his Demon-Slaying Sword, and also Fire Lord's Fire Bow and Fire Arrows. The Pilgrim, by the light of the fire, looked around. He also saw a bamboo tray on a stone table behind the door, holding a strand of hair. The Great Sage was overjoyed. He picked up the strand of hair, breathed warm air on it twice, and cried, "Change!" Immediately, it transformed into thirty to fifty small monkeys. He instructed them to each take a sword, cudgel, rope, ball, wheel, bow, arrow, spear, cart, gourd, fire crow, fire rat, fire horse, and all the other captured items. They mounted the fire dragons, ignited the flames, and began burning their way out from the inside. They heard a *rumbling, crackling, popping, and banging*, like continuous thunder and cannon fire. The large and small demons, startled and confused, clutched their quilts and hid their heads, some screaming, some crying, all with nowhere to run. More than half of them were burned to death by the fire. The Monkey King returned victorious. It was about the third watch of the night.

Meanwhile, on the high peak, Heavenly King Li and the other deities suddenly saw a brilliant firelight and rushed forward. They saw the Pilgrim riding a dragon, roaring and calling, leading the small monkeys straight up the peak, and loudly shouting, "Come and collect your weapons, come and collect your weapons!" Fire Lord and Nezha answered. The Pilgrim shook his body, and the strand of hair returned to him. Nezha Prince retrieved his six divine weapons, and Fire Lord instructed his Fire Department to collect the fire dragons and other items. All of them smiled and praised the Pilgrim.

In the Golden Helmet Cave, flames raged, terrifying the Rhinoceros Demon King. He quickly sat up, opened his chamber door, and holding the bangle in both hands, he pushed it eastward, and the east fires extinguished; he pushed it westward, and the west fires died down. Smoke and fire billowed throughout the cave as he ran around with his treasure. Soon, the smoke and flames completely vanished. He hastily gathered his demons, but more than half had already been burned to death, and scarcely a hundred of his followers, male and female, could be found. He then checked his treasure chambers, finding all the weapons gone. He went to the back and saw Pigsy, Sandy, and Tripitaka still bound and untied, the White Dragon Horse still in its stable, and the luggage still in the room. The demon then cursed, "Which careless imp set this fire and caused all this!" A nearby attendant reported, "Your Majesty, this fire was not caused by our own. It was most likely a thief who raided our camp, released the creatures of the Fire Department, and stole the divine weapons." The old demon then realized, "There's no one else, it must be that thieving Monkey King! No wonder I couldn't sleep peacefully! That thieving monkey must have transformed and sneaked in, biting me twice on the arm. He must have intended to steal my treasure, but seeing that I had tightened it securely, he couldn't get his hands on it. So he stole the weapons, released the fire dragons, and unleashed such viciousness, intending to burn me to death. You thieving monkey! Your schemes are useless, for you don't know my true power! As long as I wear this treasure, I cannot drown even if I enter the great sea, nor can I be burned even if I enter a pool of fire! This time, if I catch that thief, I'll flay him and mince him into paste; only then will I be satisfied!" As he spoke, he fumed for a long time, unaware that the rooster had crowed and dawn had broken.

On the high peak, Nezha Prince had retrieved his six divine weapons. He said to the Pilgrim, "Great Sage, it's already morning, there's no time to delay. Let's take advantage of the demon's morale being broken. With the Fire Department and others assisting you, let's fight him again. Perhaps this time he can be captured." The Pilgrim laughed, "You speak wisely. Let's join forces and go have some fun!" Each of them, bristling with valor and eager to display their martial arts, went straight to the cave entrance. The Pilgrim shouted, "Wretched demon, come out! Come and meet your Grandpa Sun!" The two stone doors had been reduced to ashes by the fire. Inside, several small demons were sweeping and scooping up ash when they suddenly saw the multitude of sages arriving. Panicked, they dropped their brooms and rakes, ran inside, and reported, "Sun Wukong has brought many Heavenly Gods and is cursing and challenging us outside the gate again!" The Rhinoceros Demon King was greatly alarmed by the report. His steel teeth gnashed loudly; his round eyes spun wide. He gripped his long spear, took his treasure, and stormed out the door, cursing wildly, "You thieving monkey who raided my camp and set fires! What great power do you possess that you dare to disrespect me so?" The Pilgrim, with a smile on his face, cursed back, "You wretched monster! If you want to know my power, step forward, and I'll tell you—

From youth, I was born with great might,My name echoed across the vast universe.In those days, I ingeniously cultivated the immortal way,And learned the secret of eternal life.

With determination, I sought Square Inch Mountain,With devout heart, I visited the land of the sages.I mastered boundless transformations,Roaming the vast universe at will.

When idle, I subdued tigers in the mountains,When bored, I tamed dragons in the seas.I ruled as king in my ancestral Flower Fruit Mountain,Displayed my might within the Water Curtain Cave.

Several times I intended to invade the Celestial Realm,Repeatedly presuming to seize the High Heavens.The Jade Emperor bestowed upon me the title 'Great Sage Equal to Heaven,'And additionally conferred the title 'Handsome Monkey King.'

It was only because of the Peach Banquet,For which I received no invitation, due to my stubborn nature.I secretly invaded the Jade Pool to steal immortal nectar,And privately entered the treasure chambers to drink jade liquor;

I stole and ate dragon liver and phoenix marrow,Secretly tasted a hundred delicacies;Enjoyed millennia-old peaches at will,And filled my belly with ten-thousand-year elixirs.

I took every wondrous item from the Heavenly Palace,And hid every rare treasure from the Sage's abode.The Jade Emperor, discovering my power,Immediately dispatched Heavenly troops to array the battlefield.

I defeated the Nine Luminaries,And wounded the Five Dire Constellations.No god or general in the heavens could match me,A hundred thousand valiant troops dared not face me.

I forced the Jade Emperor to issue a decree,Calling on the Young Sage of Guanjiang to raise his army.We fought with seventy-two transformations,Each displaying supreme might and skill.

Guanyin from the Southern Sea came to assist,With her pure vase and willow branch.Laojun also used his Diamond Bangle,Capturing me and taking me to the High Heavens.

Bound, I was presented before the Great Jade Emperor,The judicial officials judged my crimes deserved.He ordered mighty executioners to behead me,But the swords sparked flames on my scalp.

A hundred schemes and a thousand methods failed to kill me,So I was taken to Laojun's Hall.Refined in the Six Dings Divine Fire Furnace,I emerged with a body hard as steel.

After forty-nine days, the furnace was opened,I leapt out, even more ferocious.The gods closed their doors, unable to stop me,The sages conspired and sought the Buddha's aid.

Indeed, Tathagata possessed great magical power,Truly, his wisdom was boundless.We gambled on somersaults in his palm,And he trapped me beneath a mountain, rendering me helpless.

Only then did the Jade Emperor hold the An-Tian Assembly,And the Western Heaven became known as the Land of Ultimate Bliss.I was imprisoned for five hundred years,Without even a sip of tea or a mouthful of food.

Then Elder Golden Cicada descended to the mortal world,Dispatched from the Eastern Land to seek scriptures in the Buddha's domain.He sought true scriptures to return to his kingdom,So the Emperor of Great Tang could save the departed souls.

Guanyin persuaded me to embrace goodness,Adhering to the Dharma, no longer acting wildly.Freed from the hardship beneath the high mountain,Now I travel west to retrieve the scriptures.

Wretched demon, cease your foxy cunning,Return my Tang Monk so he may worship the Dharma King!"

Hearing this, the monster pointed at the Pilgrim and said, "So you're the great thief of Heaven! Don't you dare run! Take a thrust from my spear!" The Great Sage met him with his rod. As the two stalemated, Nezha Prince grew angry, and Fire Lord became fierce. They immediately threw their six divine weapons and the implements of the Fire Department towards the demon. The Monkey King pressed his attack even more fiercely. Meanwhile, Thunder God wielded his hammer, and Heavenly King Li raised his sword; without regard for rank, they all rushed forward. The demon lord chuckled coldly, secretly took out his treasure from his sleeve, threw it into the air, and cried, "Catch!" With a *whoosh*, it snatched away all six divine weapons, the Fire Department's implements, Thunder God's hammer, Heavenly King Li's sword, and the Pilgrim's rod. All the deities were once again bare-handed, and the Monkey King was again empty-fisted. The demon, victorious, turned and called out, "Little ones, move stones to build the gate, start constructing, and renovate the entire cave. Once it's all ready, we'll slaughter the three monks of Tang and offer them as a sacrifice to bless this place, and we'll all enjoy the good fortune!" The small demons obeyed and began their work.

Meanwhile, Heavenly King Li led the host back to the high peak. Fire Lord complained about Nezha's impulsiveness, and Thunder God blamed Heavenly King Li for his arrogance, while Water God stood by silently. The Pilgrim saw them avoiding each other's gaze, with thoughts swirling in their minds. Helpless, he forced a smile and said to them, "There's no need to be troubled, everyone. As the saying goes, victory and defeat are common in warfare. If we only compare martial skills, it's nothing special. But he has that extra bangle, which causes all this trouble, and has taken our weapons again. Rest assured, this old Monkey will go investigate his origins again." Nezha Prince said, "You previously reported to the Jade Emperor, and a search throughout the entire Heavenly realm yielded no trace. Where will you search now?" The Pilgrim said, "It just occurred to me, the Buddha's dharma is boundless. I shall now go to the Western Heaven and ask my Buddha Tathagata to use his wisdom eye to observe the Four Continents of the world and see where this monster was born, from what region he hails, and what kind of treasure that bangle is. No matter what, I must capture him, give you all satisfaction, and return you joyfully to Heaven." The gods said, "Since you have this intention, there's no need to delay. Go quickly, quickly!"

The splendid Pilgrim, speaking of going, immediately launched his somersault cloud and swiftly arrived at Spirit Mountain. He descended with an auspicious glow and observed the surroundings. What a beautiful place it was—

Majestic spiritual peaks, layers of beautiful, clear mountains,Immortal mountain peaks touching the azure heavens.Looking West, a mighty stronghold, its imposing presence overshadowing the lands of China.Primordial energy flows through distant heaven and earth, mighty winds sweep across the terraces covered in flowers.The sound of bells and chimes was often heard, scriptures often recited clearly.Upasakas lectured beneath green pines, Arhats walked amidst emerald cypresses.White cranes gracefully approached the Vulture Peak, blue phoenixes thoughtfully perched in quiet pavilions.Mystic monkeys in pairs carried immortal fruits, longevity deer in pairs offered purple blossoms.The chirping of secluded birds was like continuous whispers, the colors of exotic flowers were dazzling, their names unknown.Winding peaks circled back, gazing repeatedly, ancient paths twisted everywhere, flat and smooth.Truly a place of pure, spiritual beauty, majestic and solemn, with the aura of a great enlightened Buddhist abode.

As the Pilgrim was surveying the mountain scenery, he suddenly heard someone call out, "Sun Wukong, where do you come from? Where are you going?" He quickly turned his head and saw it was the Bhikshuni Venerable One. The Great Sage bowed and said, "I have a matter to discuss and wish to see Tathagata." The Bhikshuni said, "You naughty one! Since you wish to see Tathagata, why aren't you entering the precious temple, but instead looking at the mountains here?" The Pilgrim said, "It's my first time in this esteemed place, so I was being bold." The Bhikshuni said, "Come quickly with me." The Pilgrim followed closely to the mountain gate of Thunderclap Temple. He saw the Eight Vajra Guardians standing majestically on either side, blocking the way. The Bhikshuni said, "Wukong, wait a moment. Let me report to him." The Pilgrim had no choice but to stand outside the gate. The Bhikshuni approached the Buddha and pressed her palms together, saying, "Sun Wukong has something to discuss and wishes to see Tathagata." Tathagata issued a decree for him to enter, and only then did the Vajra Guardians step aside to let him pass. The Pilgrim bowed his head in obeisance.

Tathagata asked, "Wukong, I heard previously that Venerable Guanyin freed you and that you embraced Buddhism, protecting the Tang Monk on his journey here to seek scriptures. Why have you come alone? What is the matter?" The Pilgrim bowed his head and said, "I report to Your Holiness, since I embraced the Dharma and came west with the Tang Monk, we reached Golden Helmet Mountain and Golden Helmet Cave, where we encountered a wicked demon leader named Rhinoceros Demon King. He possesses immense magical power and captured my master and junior brothers, taking them into his cave. When I tried to get them back, he had ill intentions, and we fought. He used a glistening white bangle to snatch my iron rod. Fearing he might be a Heavenly General who yearned for the mortal world, I quickly went to the heavens to investigate, but found no trace. The Jade Emperor graciously dispatched Heavenly King Li and his son to assist, but the demon snatched away the Prince's six divine weapons. Then I invited Fire Lord to set him on fire, but he snatched away the fire implements. Then I invited Water God to drown him, but not a single drop could touch him. This disciple expended much effort and energy to steal back the iron rod and other items. I went back to challenge him, but he again used the same item to snatch away everything as before. Unable to subdue him, I have specially come to report to Your Holiness, hoping you will show compassion and tell this disciple what kind of creature he truly is, so I can go and capture his family and neighbors, seize this demon, rescue my master, and with utmost sincerity, humbly seek the true fruit." Hearing this, Tathagata used his wisdom eye to observe from afar, and he already knew. He said to the Pilgrim, "Though I know that monster, I cannot tell you directly. You monkeys have loose tongues, and if word gets out that I told you, he won't fight you. He'll surely come roaring to Spirit Mountain, bringing trouble upon me. I shall send some powerful assistance to help you capture him." The Pilgrim bowed again in thanks, saying, "What powerful assistance will Tathagata provide me?" Tathagata immediately commanded eighteen Arhats to open the treasury and bring eighteen grains of "Golden Elixir Sand" to assist Wukong. The Pilgrim asked, "How should the Golden Elixir Sand be used?" Tathagata said, "Go outside the cave and challenge that demon to a contest. Lure him out, then have the Arhats scatter the sand. It will trap him, making him unable to move or lift his feet, leaving him at your mercy for beating." The Pilgrim laughed, "Excellent, excellent, excellent! Let's go quickly!" The Arhats did not dare delay. They immediately took the Golden Elixir Sand and left the gate. The Pilgrim thanked Tathagata again. On the way, he checked, and there were only sixteen Arhats. The Pilgrim exclaimed, "What kind of place is this, letting people go missing!" The Arhats asked, "Who went missing?" The Pilgrim said, "You were originally eighteen, but now there are only sixteen!" Before he finished speaking, the two Arhats, Dragon-Subduer and Tiger-Tamer, emerged from inside and stepped forward, saying, "Wukong, why are you being so rude? We two were behind, listening to Tathagata's instructions." The Pilgrim said, "Too much trickery, too much trickery! If I had waited a little longer to complain, you wouldn't have come out!" The Arhats laughed heartily and ascended their auspicious clouds.

Not long after, they arrived at the border of Golden Helmet Mountain. Heavenly King Li saw them and led his host to meet them, recounting all that had happened. The Arhats said, "No need for lengthy explanations. Go quickly and call him out." The Great Sage clenched his fists and went to the cave entrance, cursing, "You fat, wretched monster, come out quickly and show your Grandpa Sun who's superior!" The small demons again ran to report, and the Demon King angrily said, "That thieving monkey has again invited someone to be arrogant!" He hastily grabbed his spear and treasure and came out to meet them. The Pilgrim cursed, "You wretched monster, this time you are surely doomed! Don't run! Take a blow from my palm!" He lunged forward, leaping straight into the demon's embrace, slapped him across the face, and then turned and ran. The demon, spinning his spear, gave chase. Suddenly, from the high peak, a voice called out, "You ox, why haven't you returned home? What are you waiting for?" The demon looked up and saw Taishang Laojun. He was so terrified that his heart trembled, saying, "This thieving monkey is truly a ghost! How did he manage to find my master!" Laojun chanted a spell, fanned once with his fan, and the monster threw his bangle, which Laojun caught in one hand. With another fan, the monster's limbs became soft and numb, and he revealed his true form: a green ox. Laojun blew an immortal breath on the Vajra Bangle, threaded it through the ox's nose, untied his belt, fastened it to the bangle, and led the ox by hand. To this day, the custom of using such a restraint, also known as a "pinang," for tethering an ox's nose remains. This is what it refers to.

Laojun bid farewell to the deities, mounted the green ox, and rode his colorful cloud directly back to Tushita Palace, having bound the monster and ascended to the Heaven of Parting Regret. Only then did the Monkey King and Heavenly King Li's host break into the cave, killing all the hundred or so small demons. They each retrieved their weapons. They thanked Heavenly King Li and his son, who returned to Heaven. Thunder God returned to his palace, Fire Lord to his abode, Water God to his river, and the Arhats returned west. Only then did they release Tripitaka, Pigsy, and Sandy, and retrieve the iron rod. The three monks again thanked the Pilgrim, packed their horses and luggage, and the master and disciples left the cave, finding the main road to continue their journey. As they walked, they heard a voice from the roadside calling out, "Holy Monk Tang, come and eat a vegetarian meal before you go." The Elder was startled. Not knowing who was calling, let us hear the next chapter for an explanation.