Chapter 70: Demon's Treasure Releases Smoke and Fire Wukong's Plan to Steal the Purple Gold Bell

Sun Wukong, demonstrating his divine power, held his iron rod and rose into the air on auspicious clouds. He confronted the monster, shouting, “From where do you, fiend, come? Where do you intend to run rampant?”

The monster shrieked in reply, “We are none other than the vanguard of His Majesty the Great King Sai Tai Sui from Qilin Mountain’s Xiechi Cave! By His Majesty’s order, I have come to fetch two palace maids to serve the Golden Saint Princess. Who are you to question me!”

Wukong retorted, “I am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong! I am escorting the Tang Monk from the East to the West to worship Buddha. Passing through this kingdom, I learned of your fiendish group oppressing the ruler. I have specifically come to display my prowess, govern the kingdom, and expel evil. I was just looking for you, and here you are, delivering yourself to death!”

The monster, unaware of the gravity, stretched its long spear and thrust it at Wukong. Wukong raised his iron rod to meet it head-on. A fierce battle ensued in mid-air—

The rod was a treasure from the Dragon Palace, guarding the seas; the spear was mere refined iron.How could mortal weapons compare to divine ones? A mere touch would sap one’s vitality.The Great Sage was truly an immortal of the Great One, while the demon was a wicked fiend.How could evil spirits approach a righteous person? When righteousness prevails, evil perishes.One stirred winds and raised dust to frighten the king; the other trod fog and rode clouds, overshadowing sun and moon.They dropped their guard to gamble on victory or defeat; only the capable dare boast as heroes!Still, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven was superior; with a "ping-pong" blow, the spear broke first.

The demon’s spear was broken in two by Wukong’s iron rod. Panicked and fearing for its life, it turned tail and fled westward. Wukong did not pursue it, but brought down his cloud. He arrived outside the entrance to the Demon-Avoiding Pavilion and called out, “Master, please come out with His Majesty. The monster has been chased away.”

The Tang Monk, supporting the king, emerged from the cave. They saw the sky clear and no trace of evil spirits. The emperor immediately went to the banquet table, took a pot and goblet himself, and filled a golden cup, offering it to Wukong, saying, “Reverend Monk, please accept my temporary thanks, temporary thanks!”

Wukong took the cup, but before he could reply, an official from outside the palace gate reported, “Fire has broken out at the west gate!” Hearing this, Wukong flung the golden cup with its wine skyward. With a loud clang, the golden cup fell to the ground. The king became flustered, bowed, and saluted, saying, “Reverend Monk, please forgive me, please forgive me! It is my fault! It is proper to invite you to the main hall to thank you, but since this convenient wine was here, I simply offered it. Reverend Monk, why did you throw the cup? Does it mean you are displeased?” Wukong laughed, “It’s not that, it’s not that.”

A short while later, another official reported, “What a rain! The fire that just broke out at the west gate was extinguished by a heavy downpour. The streets are flowing with water, all smelling of wine.”

Wukong laughed again, “Your Majesty, you saw me throw the cup and suspected I was displeased. Not so. That demon fled westward, and I didn't pursue him. He then started a fire. That cup of wine was how I extinguished the demon's fire and saved the homes inside and outside the west city. How could there be any other meaning!”

The king became even more joyful and respectful. He immediately invited Tang Sanzang and his three disciples to the main hall, even showing an intention to abdicate the throne. Wukong smiled, “Your Majesty, that demon just now claimed to be the vanguard of Sai Tai Sui and came to fetch palace maids. Now he has been defeated and returned, he will surely report to that fellow. That fellow will certainly come to contend with me. I fear he might suddenly raise an army and harm the common people, or frighten Your Majesty. I wish to go and meet him, capture him in mid-air, and retrieve the Empress. But I don't know which direction his mountain cave is in, or how far it is from here?”

The king said, “I once dispatched scouts and cavalry for reconnaissance. The journey there and back takes over fifty days. It is located to the south, approximately three thousand *li* away.”

Hearing this, Wukong called out, “Pigsy, Sandy, guard this place. Old Monkey is off!” The king held him back, “Reverend Monk, please take your time for a day. Let me prepare some dried provisions, give you some travel money, and choose a fast horse before you depart.”

Wukong laughed, “Your Majesty speaks of traveling on foot through mountains and over ridges. Let me tell you, for Old Monkey, three thousand *li* is like the time it takes for wine to cool in a cup; I can go and return in that time.”

The king said, “Reverend Monk, please don't be offended by my words. Your appearance is like that of an ape, how can you possess such magical power to travel so fast?” Wukong replied:

My body, though it be of ape-kind,From youth I opened the path of life and death.I sought wise masters to impart the Dao,Cultivating before the mountain, day and night.

Taking heaven as my cauldron, earth as my furnace,I refined two substances, the black and white.Gathering yin and yang, water and fire intertwined,In an instant, I grasped the profound secret.

Relying fully on the Big Dipper's transport power,And on the Dipper's handle for my shifting steps.Withdrawing from the furnace, adding fire, always timely,Drawing out lead, adding mercury, watching over each other.

Gathering the Five Elements, creation is born,Harmonizing the Four Symbols, dividing time and measure.The two energies return to the Yellow Path,The three families meet on the Golden Elixir road.

Understanding the laws, they integrate into my limbs,My somersault cloud is truly divine aid.With one leap, I clear the Taihang Mountains,With one strike, I pass through Lingyun Ford.

Why fear steep ridges thousands deep?Why dread great rivers, a hundred in number?Because my transformations have no limits,One leap covers one hundred and eight thousand *li*!

The king, hearing this, was both astonished and delighted. Smiling, he held a cup of imperial wine and offered it to Wukong, saying, “Reverend Monk, you have toiled far and wide; please accept this cup as a token of my regard.” The Great Sage, intent on subduing the demon, had no mind for wine. He only said, “Just put it down; I’ll drink it when I return.”

Good Wukong! With a word, “Go,” and a whistle, he vanished instantly. The king and his ministers were all amazed, a tale untold.

Now, Wukong launched himself, and soon saw a tall mountain obstructing the misty peaks. He brought down his cloud and stood on the summit, examining it carefully. What a magnificent mountain!

Soaring to heaven, covering the earth, hindering the sun, giving birth to clouds.Where it soared to heaven, sharp peaks stood tall; where it covered the earth, distant ranges stretched far.What hindered the sun were the dense pines on the ridge; what gave birth to clouds were the rocky cliffs below.The dense pines, evergreen through all four seasons and eight festivals; the rocky cliffs, unchanging through ten thousand years.In the forest, one often heard the cries of night apes; in the ravines, the passing of demon pythons.Mountain birds chirped mournfully, mountain beasts roared fiercely.Mountain deer and musk deer, in pairs, scurried about; mountain crows and magpies, in flocks, flew densely.Unending mountain grasses and flowers, mountain peaches and fruits appearing fresh with the seasons.Though treacherous and difficult to traverse, it was a hiding place for demons and immortals.

The Great Sage gazed, never tiring, just about to search for the cave entrance, when he saw a fierce fire bursting out from a mountain hollow. In an instant, crimson flames blazed across the sky. From within the crimson flames, a noxious smoke emerged, more venomous than fire. What smoke!

Firelight burst forth like ten thousand golden lamps, flames flew like a thousand red rainbows.That smoke was not chimney smoke, nor wood smoke. The smoke had five colors: green, red, white, black, and yellow.It scorched the pillars outside the South Heaven Gate, and singed the beams of the Palace of Lingxiao.It burned the beasts in their dens to a crisp, and stripped the feathers from birds in the forest.Seeing such wicked smoke, how could one enter the deep mountains to subdue the demon king!

The Great Sage was still in fear when he saw a stream of sand burst from the mountain. What sand! It truly covered the sky and obscured the sun! Behold:

In disarray, it filled the horizon,Turbidly covering the vast earth.Fine dust everywhere blinded the eyes,Coarse ash rolled like sesame seeds through the valleys.

Immortal youths gathering herbs lost their companions,Woodcutters lost their way home.Even if they held bright pearls in hand,In an instant, their eyes saw stars.

Wukong was so absorbed in watching that he didn't notice the sand and ash flying into his nose. It tickled, causing him to sneeze twice. He immediately turned around and reached for two goose-egg shaped stones under the rock, plugged his nose, shook his body, and transformed into a fire-gathering kite. He flew into the midst of the smoke and fire. After a few passes, the sand and ash disappeared, and the smoke and fire also subsided. He quickly resumed his original form and descended. As he looked again, he heard the "ding-ding-dong-dong" sound of a copper gong. He thought, “I've taken the wrong path! This is not where the demon lives. The sound of the gong is like that of a courier. It must be a main road of the kingdom, with a courier going to deliver official documents. Let Old Monkey go and ask him.”

As he walked, he suddenly saw a small demon, carrying a yellow banner, with documents on its back, beating a gong, rushing as fast as if flying. Wukong laughed, “So it's this fellow beating the gong. He doesn't know what kind of letter he's delivering. Let me listen to him.”

Good Great Sage! He shook his body and transformed into a fierce insect, flying lightly onto the demon's satchel. He heard the demon beating the gong, mumbling to himself, “Our Great King is truly cruel-hearted. Three years ago, he forcibly took the Golden Saint Empress from the Kingdom of Zhu Ziz. For a long time, he couldn't touch her. He only tormented the palace maids he brought in as substitutes. Two came and were killed, four came and were also killed. He wanted them the year before last, then last year, and now again this year. But this year, he met his match. The vanguard who went for the palace maids was defeated by some Sun Wukong, and the palace maids were not sent. Our Great King is furious because of this and wants to contend with that kingdom. He ordered me to deliver a challenge letter. If that king does not fight, so be it, but if he fights, he will surely lose. Our Great King will use smoke, fire, and flying sand. That king, his ministers, and his people, not a single one will survive. Then we will occupy his city, the Great King will be Emperor, and we will be his ministers. Although there will be high and low official ranks, heavenly principles will not tolerate it!”

Wukong listened, secretly delighted, “Even demons have good intentions. These last two sentences about 'heavenly principles not tolerating it' – isn't that a good sign? But he said the Golden Saint Empress was 'unfated' and he 'never touched her.' I don't understand the meaning of that. Let me ask him.” With a buzz, he flew away from the demon. After traveling ten *li* ahead, he shook his body and transformed into a young Taoist priest—

His hair tied in two topknots,He wore a patchwork robe.In his hand, he tapped a fish-drum clapper,From his mouth, he sang Taoist folk songs.

He turned a hill, met the small demon, and greeted him with a bow, “Officer, where are you going? What official document are you delivering?” The demon, as if recognizing him, stopped beating his gong and returned the bow with a smile, “My Great King sent me to the Kingdom of Zhu Ziz to deliver a challenge letter.” Wukong interjected and asked, “Has that lady from Zhu Ziz Kingdom been united with your Great King?”

The small demon said, “Since she was captured the year before last, an immortal immediately delivered a five-colored fairy robe for the Golden Saint Princess to wear as new attire. Since she put on that robe, her whole body sprouted thorns. Our Great King did not dare touch her even once. Just brushing against her hand would cause pain. We don't know the reason, but from then until now, he has not touched her. This morning, the vanguard was sent to fetch palace maids to serve, but was defeated by some Sun Wukong. The Great King is enraged, so he ordered me to deliver the challenge letter. Tomorrow, he will fight them.”

Wukong asked, “Why is the Great King so angry?” The small demon said, “He's in a fit of rage right now. You should go and sing him a Taoist folk song to cheer him up.”

Wukong bowed, turned, and walked away. The demon continued beating his gong and moving forward. Wukong then turned fierce, pulled out his rod, and spun back, striking the small demon on the back of the head. Pitiably, its head was crushed, blood and pulp gushed out, skin burst open, neck snapped, and life ended! He put away his rod, then regretted, “A bit too hasty! I didn't even ask his name. Oh well!” He then took the challenge letter and hid it in his sleeve. He hid the yellow banner and copper gong in the grass by the roadside. As he was about to grab the demon's feet and hurl it into the ravine, he heard a clang. A gold-inlaid name tag was revealed on its waist. On the tag were words:

Confidential minor officer, name: “Comes and Goes”. Short stature, flat face, no beard. To be worn at all times; without the tag, he is fake.

Wukong laughed, “This fellow's name is 'Comes and Goes.' This one blow has made him 'Goes and Never Comes'!” He untied the tag and hung it on his waist. He was about to toss the corpse down, but reconsidered the venomous smoke and fire, and dared not immediately seek the demon's cave. He raised his rod, thrust it into the small demon's chest, lifted it into the air, and returned directly to the kingdom to report his first achievement. He mused to himself, and with a whistle, he arrived at the kingdom's border.

Pigsy, in front of the Golden Throne Hall, was guarding the king's forces when he suddenly turned and saw Wukong carrying a demon in mid-air. He grumbled, “Oh! What a trivial business! If I had known, Old Pig would have gone to get it myself. Wouldn't that count as a merit for me?” Before he finished speaking, Wukong landed his cloud and hurled the demon onto the steps. Pigsy ran up and struck it with his rake, “This is Old Pig's merit!” Wukong asked, “What merit of yours?” Pigsy said, “Don't deny me! I have proof! Don't you see I made nine holes with one rake strike!” Wukong said, “Look if it has a head or not.” Pigsy laughed, “So it's headless! No wonder it didn't move when I raked it.” Wukong asked, “Where is Master?” Pigsy said, “He's in the hall, talking with the king.” Wukong said, “Then go and invite him out.” Pigsy quickly went up to the hall and nodded. Tang Sanzang immediately stood up and descended the hall to meet Wukong. Wukong tucked the challenge letter into Tang Sanzang's sleeve, “Master, keep this. Don't let the king see it yet.”

Before he finished, the king also descended the hall and met Wukong, “Reverend Monk Sun arrived! How about the demon-catching matter?” Wukong pointed, “Isn't that the demon on the steps? Old Monkey killed it.” The king saw it and said, “It is indeed a demon's corpse, but it's not Sai Tai Sui. I personally saw Sai Tai Sui twice: he is eighteen feet tall, five spans wide, his face shines like gold, and his voice is like thunder. This one is so short and ugly!” Wukong laughed, “Your Majesty recognizes it. Indeed, it's not him. This is a small courier demon who ran into Old Monkey. I killed him first and brought him back to report a merit.”

The king was overjoyed, “Good, good, good! This deserves to be counted as the first merit! I often send people to scout, but have never gotten concrete results. For a divine monk like you, to capture one upon going out, truly divine power!” He called, “Bring warm wine! To congratulate the Elder on his merit.”

Wukong said, “Drinking wine is a minor matter. I ask Your Majesty, when the Golden Saint Princess left, did she leave any token? Please give me one.” Hearing the words “token,” the king felt as if a knife had pierced his heart. He couldn't help but burst into tears, saying:

On that auspicious festival of bright summer,The fierce demon Tai Sui roared.Forcibly seizing my empress as his stronghold prize,I offered her up for the sake of the people.

No farewell words, no parting talks were exchanged,No long pavilion, no short pavilion to bid adieu!Her token, her perfume sachet, all vanished without a trace,Leaving me forlorn and suffering to this day!

Wukong said, “Your Majesty is near, why be so distressed? Since the princess has no token, what cherished item did she have in her palace? One piece will do.” The king asked, “What do you want it for?” Wukong said, “That demon king truly has great magical powers. I saw him unleash smoke, fire, and sand, which are indeed hard to subdue. Even if I subdue him, I fear the princess might find my face strange and be unwilling to return to the kingdom with me. I must have one of her normally cherished items so she will trust me, and I can bring her back. That is why I want to take it.”

The king said, “In the Dressing Pavilion of the Zhaoyang Palace, there is a pair of golden beaded bracelets, originally worn by the Golden Saint Princess. She took them off on the Dragon Boat Festival to tie five-colored threads and did not put them back on. These are her cherished items and are now kept in her dressing box. I see her suffering this separation and cannot bear to look at them; seeing them is like seeing her jade face, and my illness worsens a few points.”

Wukong said, “Never mind that now; just bring the golden bracelets. If you are willing, give me both; if not, just give me one.” The king then ordered the Jade Saint Palace to bring them out. They were brought out and handed to the king. The king, seeing them, called out the name of his beloved princess several times, then handed them to Wukong. Wukong took them and hung them on his arm.

Good Great Sage! He didn't bother with the celebratory wine, but immediately mounted his somersault cloud. With a whistle, he was back at Qilin Mountain. With no mind for the scenery, he headed straight for the demon's cave. As he walked, he heard a clamor of human voices. He stopped and stared intently. It turned out that at the entrance of the Xiechi Cave, there were about five hundred large and small demon leaders guarding the gate. They were:

Arrayed densely, in close ranks.Arrayed densely, holding spears and shields, shining brightly in the sun;In close ranks, displaying banners, fluttering in the wind.Tiger generals and bear masters could transform,Leopard-headed and tiger-like commanders displayed their prowess.Azure wolves were fierce,Otters and elephants were even more valiant.Cunning rabbits and clever deer wielded swords and halberds,Long snakes and great pythons carried sabers and bows.Apes could understand human speech,And knew the timing of battles and encampments, sensing the wind.

Wukong saw them and dared not advance. He turned back and took the old path. Why did he turn back? Not because he was afraid, but he went to the place where he had killed the small demon. He found the yellow banner and copper gong. Facing the wind, he performed a magical incantation, conjuring an image. He then shook his body and transformed into the likeness of "Comes and Goes." Beating the gong with a "ping-pong," he strode forward directly to the Xiechi Cave.

As he was about to observe the cave's scenery, he heard an ape speak, “‘Comes and Goes,’ you're back?” Wukong had no choice but to reply, “I'm back.” The ape said, “Hurry! The Great King is waiting for your report at the Skinning Pavilion!” Hearing this, Wukong quickened his pace, beating the gong, and entered the front gate. He saw a cavern with sheer cliffs and rock walls, a spacious hall. To the left and right were splendid flowers and jade-like grasses, and in front and back were ancient cypresses and towering pines.

Unaware, he proceeded into the second gate. Suddenly, he looked up and saw a pavilion with eight bright windows. In the center of the pavilion was a gold-inlaid folding chair. On the chair sat a demon king, truly fierce in appearance. One could see him:

Dazzling rays of light emanated from his head,Imposing murderous aura burst from his chest.Tusks like sharp blades protruded from his mouth,Scorched hair on his temples emitted red smoke.

Moustache like arrows stuck in his lip,Body hair thick as piled felt.Eyes bulging like bronze bells, daring to challenge Tai Sui,Hand holding an iron staff, towering like the sky.

Wukong, seeing him, blatantly disrespected the demon, showing no hint of propriety. He turned his face outward and continued beating the gong. The demon king asked, “You're here?” Wukong did not reply. He asked again, “‘Comes and Goes,’ are you here?” Still no reply. The demon king stepped forward and grabbed him, “What do you mean, 'what do you mean'! You're home, why are you still beating the gong? And why don't you answer when asked?”

Wukong threw the gong to the ground and said, “What 'what do you mean, what do you mean'! I said I wouldn't go, but you told me to go. When I got there, I saw countless soldiers arrayed in formation. When they saw me, they all shouted, 'Catch the demon! Catch the demon!' They pulled and dragged me, carried me into the city, and brought me before the king. The king immediately ordered me to be beheaded. Fortunately, the two groups of advisors said that since it was a dispute between two sides, the envoy should not be executed. They spared me, took the challenge letter, and then escorted me out of the city. Before the army, they gave me thirty blows to the legs and let me return to report. They will be coming here soon to fight you!”

The demon king laughed, “So, you suffered a loss, no wonder you didn't say anything when asked.” Wukong said, “Exactly, exactly! It was just to hide the pain, so I didn't answer.” The demon king asked, “How many soldiers are there?” Wukong said, “I was scared silly, and beaten too badly, so I didn't count their numbers! I only saw arrayed there a dense forest of weapons—”

Bows, arrows, swords, spears, armor, and clothes,Halberds, daggers, and feathered banners.Lances, crescent shovels, helmets, and armor,Great axes, round shields, and caltrops.Long blunt clubs, short mallets,Steel forks, blunderbusses, planes, and helmets.Dressed in stout shoes, head guards, and thick padded jackets,Simple whips, sleeve darts, and copper hammers.

The king listened and laughed, “No matter, no matter! Weapons like these will all be turned to naught by one fire. Go and report to the Golden Saint Princess so she won't worry. This morning, she heard me swear to fight, and her eyes welled up with tears. Now go and tell her that the enemy soldiers are brave and will surely defeat me, just to ease her mind for a while.”

Wukong heard this and was overjoyed, “Exactly what Old Monkey wanted!” Look at him, knowing the way so well. He turned a corner gate, passed through a hall. Inside were all high halls and grand mansions, unlike the appearance of the front. He went straight to the back palace. From a distance, he saw a splendid colorful gate, which was the residence of the Golden Saint Princess. As he entered, he saw two groups of demon foxes and demon deer, each disguised as beautiful women, standing on either side. In the very center sat the princess, resting her fragrant cheek on her hand, tears dripping from her eyes. Indeed, she was:

Her jade face delicate and tender, her beauty enchanting and captivating.Too lazy to dress, her hair loosely piled like a crow;Afraid to adorn herself, no hairpins or bracelets worn.Her face unpowdered, the rouge looking faded;Her hair ungreased, her cloudy tresses dishevelled.She pouted her cherry lips, biting her silver teeth tightly;Her moth eyebrows furrowed, tears drowning her star-like eyes.Her heart, entirely remembering her king of Zhu Ziz;In an instant, she yearned to escape this inescapable net.Truly, as the saying goes: "From ancient times, beautiful women often meet unfortunate fates, silently languishing against the east wind!"

Wukong stepped forward and greeted her with a bow, “Greetings.” The princess said, “This crude monster, how utterly rude! I remember when I was in the Kingdom of Zhu Ziz, enjoying glory with the king, the grand tutors and prime ministers would prostrate themselves in the dust upon seeing me, not daring to look up. How dare this wild monster say 'Greetings'? Where did such a crude and rude creature come from?” The attendants stepped forward and said, “Your Highness, please calm your anger. He is the Great King's confidential minor officer, named 'Comes and Goes.' He was the one sent to deliver the challenge letter this morning.”

The princess heard this, suppressed her anger, and asked, “You delivered the challenge letter, did you reach the border of Zhu Ziz Kingdom?” Wukong said, “I carried the letter directly into the city, to the Golden Throne Hall, and met the king in person. I have already brought back his reply.” The princess asked, “When you met the king, what did he say?” Wukong said, “The king's words about fighting and arranging troops, I have just told them to the Great King. However, the king wishes to see you, Princess, and has a private message for you. But there are too many people around; this is not the place to speak.”

The princess heard this and dismissed the two groups of demon foxes and deer. Wukong closed the palace gate, wiped his face, revealed his true form, and said to the princess, “Do not fear me. I am a monk from the Eastern Land of Great Tang, sent to the Western Heaven's India, to Leiyin Temple, to seek scriptures from the Buddha. My master is Tang Sanzang, the imperial brother of the Tang Emperor, and I am his eldest disciple, Sun Wukong. When passing through your kingdom to exchange travel documents, I saw your king and ministers posting notices to seek a physician. I displayed my three-fold prowess and cured his lovesickness. They prepared a banquet to thank me. During the drinking, it was revealed that you were captured by a demon. I am skilled in subduing dragons and tigers, so they specially invited me to capture the monster and rescue you back to your kingdom. I was the one who defeated the vanguard, and I was also the one who killed the small demon. Seeing his wildness outside the gate, I transformed into 'Comes and Goes,' risked myself to come here, and communicate with you.”

The princess heard this and pondered silently. Wukong took out the precious bracelets and offered them with both hands, saying, “If you don't believe me, where do you think this object came from?” The princess, seeing them, burst into tears, descended from her seat, and bowed in thanks, “Elder, if you truly rescue me back to my court, I will never forget your great kindness!”

Wukong said, “Let me ask you, what kind of treasure are his smoke, fire, and sand?” The princess said, “It's no treasure at all! They are three golden bells. When he shakes the first one, three hundred *zhang* of fire light burns people; when he shakes the second one, three hundred *zhang* of smoke light suffocates people; and when he shakes the third one, three hundred *zhang* of yellow sand blinds people. The smoke and fire are not so bad, but the yellow sand is the most venomous. If it gets into a person's nostrils, it will take their life.”

Wukong said, “Dangerous, dangerous! I was affected by it and sneezed twice. But where does he keep his bells?” The princess said, “He never puts them down. He always wears them at his waist; walking, standing, sitting, lying, they never leave his body.”

Wukong said, “If you wish to return to the Kingdom of Zhu Ziz and reunite with the king, then for now, put aside all your worries and sorrow. Put on a charming and joyful expression, and express your conjugal affection to him. Tell him to store the bells with you. When I find an opportunity, I will steal them, subdue this monster, and then I can take you back, reunite you like phoenixes, and enjoy peace together.” The princess agreed.

Wukong, still transformed as the confidential minor officer, opened the palace gate and called in the attendants. The princess said, “‘Comes and Goes,’ quickly go to the front pavilion and invite your Great King to speak with me.”

Good Wukong! He answered, and immediately went to the Skinning Pavilion and said to the demon, “Great King, the Holy Princess invites you.” The demon king was delighted, “The princess usually just scolds me, why does she invite me today?” Wukong said, “The princess asked about the king of Zhu Ziz, and I told her that he no longer wanted her and had installed another queen in his kingdom. The princess heard this, lost all hope, and thus requested me to invite you.” The demon king was overjoyed, “You are truly useful. When I conquer his kingdom, I will make you a Grand Chancellor in my court.”

Wukong readily thanked him and quickly accompanied the demon king to the rear palace gate. The princess greeted him with a joyful expression and went to take his hand. The demon king repeatedly withdrew, saying, “No, no! Thank you for your affection, Your Highness, but I fear my hand will hurt, so I dare not approach.” The princess said, “Great King, please sit; I have something to tell you.” The demon king said, “Speak freely, there's no harm.”

The princess said, “I have been honored by your love for three years now, yet we have never shared a pillow or blanket. Perhaps it was our destiny from a past life to be husband and wife in this way. Who knew that you, Great King, would treat me as an outsider, and not as your wife? I recall that when I was queen in the Kingdom of Zhu Ziz, any treasures presented as tribute by foreign nations would, after the king viewed them, certainly be given to the queen for safekeeping. Here, you have no treasures at all. Those around you wear sable furs and eat raw meat. When have I seen silk, brocade, gold, or pearls! It's just furs and blankets everywhere. Or perhaps you do have some treasures, but because you treat me as an outsider, you neither show them to me nor let me keep them. For instance, I've heard you have three bells, which I assume are a treasure. Why do you carry them when you walk and when you sit? Why don't you let me keep them? You can take them back when you need them; there's no harm in that. This is also part of being husband and wife; there should be mutual trust. If there is no such trust, how is that not treating me as an outsider?”

The demon king laughed heartily and apologized, “Your Highness is right, you are right! The treasures are here. Today, I shall entrust them to you for safekeeping.” He immediately lifted his clothes to take out the treasure. Wukong, standing by, watched intently as the monster lifted two or three layers of clothing, revealing three bells tied close to his body. He untied them, stuffed their openings with cotton, wrapped them in a piece of leopard skin as a bundle, and handed them to the princess, saying, “Though these items are humble, you must carefully store them and never shake them.” The princess took them and said, “I understand. I will place them on this dressing table; no one will shake them there.” She called, “Servants, prepare wine! I will celebrate with the Great King and share a few cups.” Hearing this, the attendants immediately laid out fruits and vegetables, arranged some deer and rabbit meat, and poured coconut wine to serve. The princess put on a captivating demeanor, charming the demon.

Sun Wukong, standing by, took the opportunity. He shuffled closer and closer to the dressing table, gently picked up the three golden bells, slowly moved, slipped out of the palace gate, and left the cave. At the Skinning Pavilion, where no one was present, he unrolled the leopard skin bundle. The middle bell was about the size of a teacup, and the two on either end were about the size of a fist. Unaware of their danger, he pulled out the cotton. Immediately, he heard a loud “clang!” and smoke, fire, and yellow sand burst forth, impossible to stop. The entire pavilion was filled with blazing fire.

The gate-guarding demons were so frightened that they rushed into the back palace, startling the demon king. The king frantically shouted, “Go, put out the fire, put out the fire!” He came out to see, and it turned out that “Comes and Goes” had taken the golden bells! The demon king stepped forward and roared, “You wretched slave! How dare you steal my golden bells and create mischief here!” He commanded, “Seize him, seize him!”

The tiger general, bear master, leopard-headed and tiger-like commanders, otters, elephants, azure wolves, cunning deer, clever rabbits, long snakes, great pythons, and other demons at the gate all surged forward. Wukong panicked, dropped the golden bells, revealed his true form, pulled out his Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod, and unleashed his full skill, striking wildly forward. The demon king retrieved his treasures, gave a command, “Close the front gate!” The demons obeyed; some closed the gates, others engaged in battle.

Wukong found it hard to escape. He put away his rod, shook his body, and transformed into a sluggish housefly, landing on the unburnt rock wall. The demons searched but couldn't find him. They reported, “Great King, the thief has escaped, the thief has escaped!” The demon king asked, “Did he go out through the gate?” All the demons said, “The front gate is tightly locked and bolted here; he did not go out.” The demon king only said, “Search carefully!” Some poured water on the fire, others searched carefully, but there was no trace.

The demon king angrily said, “What kind of thief is this, so audacious! He transformed into 'Comes and Goes' to come in and report to me, then stayed by my side, taking the opportunity to steal my treasures! Good thing he didn't take them out! If he had taken them outside the mountain and encountered the celestial wind, what would have happened?” The tiger general stepped forward and said, “It is due to Your Majesty's boundless good fortune, and our lasting destiny, that we became aware of it.” The bear master stepped forward and said, “Great King, this thief is none other than that Sun Wukong who defeated the vanguard. He must have encountered 'Comes and Goes' on the road, killed him, seized his yellow banner, copper gong, and name tag, then transformed into his likeness to deceive Your Majesty.” The demon king said, “Exactly, exactly! That makes sense!” He called, “Minions, search and guard carefully! Do not open the gate and let him escape!” This truly shows: cunning turns into clumsiness, pretense becomes reality.

It is unknown how Sun Wukong managed to escape the demon's gate. To find out, listen to the next chapter.