Early the next morning, Tang Monk and his two disciples brought the captured spirits before the king.
Presenting the Captives
The king was so delighted that he immediately ordered a banquet to celebrate their success. However, considering that the treasure had not yet been recovered, Wukong declined the invitation and took his leave at once to go hunt the monster.
Seeing the Monkey King and Bajie ride the wind and vanish among the clouds with the two little imps, both the King and all his subjects of the Kingdom of Sacrifice, regardless of rank or status, bowed toward the sky and exclaimed in awe:
“Up until today, we had never truly believed such immortals could exist! They are indeed living Buddhas!”
As soon as Bajie and Wukong had disappeared, the king confessed to Tripitaka and Sha Monk:
“I am but an ordinary man. I knew your disciples were capable of capturing demons, but I never imagined they could fly above the clouds riding the wind.”
Confrontation at Green Wave Lake
Riding a whirlwind, Wukong and Bajie soon arrived near the Green Wave Lake, deep within the Scattered Rocks Mountain, bringing the two little demons with them.
They stopped midair, and the Monkey King declared in a powerful voice:
“Go and inform your Dragon King of All Spirits of what has happened. Tell him that the Great Sage Equal to Heaven has just arrived and demands the immediate return of the sacred relics to the Golden Light Monastery in the Kingdom of Sacrifice. If he agrees to my demand, he will save himself and his entire family from death. But if he refuses, I will dry up this lake completely and slaughter every creature dwelling within it.”
Despite the pain and the chains cutting into their feet and hands, the two little demons felt relieved to have escaped with their lives. Upon entering the water, they were immediately surrounded by fish spirits, shrimp, crabs, sea turtles, water lizards, and all manner of river creatures, who asked in surprise:
“Why are you bound like criminals?”
Realizing something terrible had occurred, the curious onlookers followed them in droves to the palace of the Dragon King.
“How great a calamity!” the two cried out desperately upon entering.
At that moment, the Dragon King of All Spirits was drinking wine with his son-in-law, Nine Heads.
Hearing the commotion, he set down his cup and rushed out quickly to see what had happened.
The two little demons reported:
“Last night, while we were on patrol, we unluckily ran into Tang Monk and Sun Wukong, who were sweeping the steps of the pagoda. After arresting us, they shackled us in chains and this very morning brought us before the king. The only reason they let us return was to deliver an ultimatum: you must return the Buddha’s relics to the monastery from which they were taken.”
Upon hearing the name of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, the Dragon King was seized with such terror that his soul seemed to leave his body. Trembling, he turned to Nine Heads and said:
“Oh, dear son-in-law, what a dangerous predicament we find ourselves in! He is far too powerful for us.”
The Nine-Headed Consort’s Arrogance
But the son-in-law replied with a smile:
“Please calm yourself. Since my youth, I have devoted myself to martial arts and have gained considerable skill in wielding weapons. I have fought against the fiercest warriors of the Four Seas. Why should I fear a mere monkey? I assure you, after three exchanges, he will bow his head in defeat and dare not even look me in the eye.”
His attendants helped him put on armor as he reached for the weapon that made him famous — a sword ending in a crescent blade. In two swift strides, he left the palace, pushed aside the waters, and emerged to the surface with an imposing gesture.
“Who is this Great Sage Equal to Heaven that everyone says has just arrived?” he shouted arrogantly.
“Let him come here right away and I’ll teach him how to control his tongue!”
He was greatly surprised when no one answered his challenge.
“Who is this Great Sage Equal to Heaven?” he repeated, now irritated.
Stroking his iron rod, the Monkey King replied:
“None other than the Monkey King himself.”
Smiling disdainfully, the dragon’s son-in-law asked:
“How dare you meddle in other people’s affairs when you’re nothing more than a monk seeking scriptures? What do you care whether I steal treasures or not? You should focus on your own mission. Why come here to fight me?”
The Monkey King roared:
“Although I serve no royal court and receive no sustenance from the king, I cannot remain indifferent. By stealing the sacred relics, you not only stripped the Golden Light Monastery of its holy aura, but also brought disaster upon the monks who serve there. All Buddhists are part of one family; they are our brothers. How can I stand idly by while your despicable actions bring suffering to them?”
The dragon’s son-in-law replied:
“So you mean to fight. Bear in mind, as the old saying goes, ‘War knows no mercy.’ There will be no compassion in battle. Think again — if I end your life, your master’s journey to obtain the scriptures will suffer a serious setback.”
Losing his patience, Wukong shouted:
“Cursed thief! What makes you so arrogant? Come closer and I’ll show you the taste of your grandfather’s staff!”
After more than thirty exchanges, neither side managed to gain the upper hand.
Bajie had been standing with arms crossed, waiting for the battle to reach its peak. When he judged that moment had finally come, he raised his rake high over his head and brought it crashing down on the monster’s back.
But this monster had nine heads and many eyes, able to observe in all directions. His rear eyes caught the blow in time, and with a sidestep, he managed to parry both the rake and the staff.
Monstrous Transformation
After six or seven more attacks, the monster realized he could no longer withstand such brutal assaults. Suddenly, he leapt magnificently into the air and revealed his true form: a hideous, terrifying nine-headed insect.
Shocked by the sight, Bajie exclaimed:
“I’ve never seen anything so repulsive! What kind of creature could give birth to something so vile?”
“Indeed, it’s disgusting,” admitted the Monkey King.
“But that won’t stop my iron rod from landing a blow.”
With a spectacular leap, Wukong soared into the clouds and delivered a mighty strike at the creature’s heads. Majestically, the beast spread its wings and dodged to the side.
Then it slid down the mountainside and, letting out a terrible roar, another head sprouted from the center of its chest.
Bajie’s Capture
With it, it grabbed the unsuspecting Bajie by his bristles and plunged with him into the waters of the Green Wave Lake.
Once inside the dragon’s palace, it resumed its previous form, threw Bajie into a corner, and bellowed loudly:
“Where have you all gone?”
Instantly, a veritable swarm of mackerels, carps, and perch appeared, accompanied by a turtle, a sea lizard, and other aquatic beasts, shouting at the top of their lungs:
“Here we are, sir!”
“Seize this monk and chain him over there!” commanded the nine-headed son-in-law of the dragon king.
“I’ll avenge my scouts’ humiliation through him!”
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