Seeing how easily Bajie had fallen into the monster’s clutches, the Monkey King couldn’t help but think:
“That beast is truly extraordinary. I should inform the Master of everything that has happened, but I’m afraid the king would only mock me. It’s better if I confront that monster again. Unfortunately, I have no helper now, and I am not so powerful in water as I am on land. I must find out what happened to Bajie and rescue him ASAP.”
Infiltration as a Crab
No sooner had he said this than he made a magical gesture and instantly transformed into a crab. In this form, he fearlessly dove into the water and soon reached the gate of the palace at the bottom of the Green Wave Lake.
Inside, the Dragon King was drinking carelessly with the nine-headed insect and other members of his family. Wukong didn’t dare approach them directly. He turned down one of the corridors and soon came across a group of shrimp and crabs who were also celebrating their victory. Joining the merriment, he casually asked:
“Has that long-snouted monk, captured by our lord’s son-in-law, died yet?”
“No, not yet,” one of the spirits replied.
“He’s chained up in the corridor facing west. Can’t you hear his shouts?”
Rescuing Bajie
Wukong crept along until he reached the place they had indicated. Sure enough, there he saw Bajie tied to a pillar. Approaching quietly, he whispered:
“Bajie, do you know who I am?”
Recognizing the Monkey King’s voice at once, Bajie replied:
“What can we do? Instead of capturing that beast, it ended up capturing me.”
The Monkey King looked around and, seeing no one nearby, quickly freed Bajie with his pincers.
Bajie then said:
“First, hide yourself by the lakeshore and prepare for an ambush. I will go deep into the lake and pretend to attack them, then lure them to the surface. At that moment, you’ll have your chance to strike by surprise.”
When the Monkey King advised him not to expose himself too much, Bajie added:
“Don’t worry about me. I know how to defend myself well underwater.”
Reassured, Sun Wukong left the palace and swam toward the shore.
Chaos and Counterattack
After straightening his black cotton robe and gripping his precious rake with both hands, Bajie let out a loud shout and rushed back into the palace, swinging his weapon wildly in all directions.
The aquatic guards rushed into the main hall in a panic and reported to their master:
“Disaster! That long-snouted monk has broken free from his bindings and turned against us!”
Only then did the Dragon King dare to launch a counterattack, leading his sons and grandsons, wielding an arsenal of sabers and spears. Seeing that the tide was turning against him, Bajie suddenly turned around and fled at full speed, pursued closely by the aquatic soldiers. All of them were excellent swimmers, and soon they neared the surface of the lake, preceded by a stream of bubbles that immediately alerted the Monkey King.
Spotting Bajie emerging, followed closely by his pursuers, the Monkey King leapt onto a cloud and began striking the water furiously while shouting excitedly:
“Fools, don’t run away!”
A single blow struck the Dragon King squarely on the head, shattering it into a shapeless mass of flesh and broken bones. Blood splattered every corner of the lake, staining it completely red. His sons and grandsons felt their strength vanish and fled in terror. Only his son-in-law, Nine Heads, had the presence of mind to retrieve the corpse and return with it to the underwater palace.
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