In the last battle, the Dragon King had been deceived and killed. But Wukong and Bajie did not think it wise to chase after the remnants.
Wukong suggested repeating the same tactic once more, but Bajie doubted that the enemy would fall into the same trap again.
Unexpected Reunion
He had barely finished speaking when they saw a vast mass of black clouds sweeping forward on the back of a powerful wind in a southeast direction.
Surprised, the Monkey King sharpened his vision as much as he could and discovered that it was the Honorable Sage Er-Lang and the other six members of the Plum Mountain Brotherhood. With them came a pack of mastiffs and a flock of falcons, as well as a large group of attendants carrying, on very long poles, the dead bodies of foxes, deer, antelopes, and other game. Each of them wore a bow hanging from their waist and held a sharply honed sword in hand.
Pointing toward the swift figures moving at the speed of the wind, Wukong said:
“Those seven deities flying through the sky are my brothers. I believe we should ask them to help us finish off the monsters below. We may not get another opportunity like this.”
Bajie replied:
“I see no reason not to, if they truly are your brothers.”
The Monkey King confessed:
“The problem is that the eldest among them, the Honorable Sage Er-Lang, once defeated me. I think it would be better if you were to go and ask for their help on my behalf.”
Bajie quickly mounted a cloud and shouted powerfully from the mountaintop:
“Please slow the pace of your steeds and chariots! The Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, wishes to see you!”
“Where is our dear brother?” asked the immortal, gesturing to his companions to halt.
“He awaits you at the foot of this mountain,” Bajie respectfully replied.
“Invite him to come here,” ordered the immortal, turning to his six companions.
The six brothers rode on clouds down to the foot of the mountain.
And they shouted:
“Honored Brother Wukong, our eldest brother wishes to see you!”
The Monkey King ran toward them, greeted them with due respect, and then led them back up the mountain, where he was warmly welcomed by the god Er-Lang with open arms.
After exchanging the usual greetings, the god said:
“I have heard that your punishment has been lifted and that you have accepted Buddhist discipline. Soon you will succeed in your endeavors and even sit upon a lotus throne — something truly worthy of congratulations.”
Erlang’s Aid
Wukong replied:
“I hope so. Although, as you say, my punishment has indeed been lifted and I am now on my way westward, I have not yet achieved any great feats. You once did me a great favor, which I have yet to repay. In fact, I am here now to capture some monsters who have stolen sacred relics from the monks of the Kingdom of Sacrifice. Purely by chance, we saw you passing by and it occurred to me that perhaps you might lend us a hand — of course, only if you have no better things to do and your duties allow it.”
Er-Lang smiled and replied:
“Of course we can. I went hunting simply because I was feeling a bit bored. It is truly a kind gesture that you have thought to seek our cooperation in this endeavor. But would you mind explaining what kind of monsters dwell in this region?”
One of the sages accompanying him said:
“Perhaps you’ve forgotten that this is the Mountain of Scattered Rocks, and within it lies the Green Waves Lake, where dwells the Dragon King of All Spirits.”
Er-Lang replied in surprise:
“As far as I know, that dragon has never caused any trouble. How could he possibly have stolen Buddha’s relics from a monastery?”
Sun Wukong explained:
“Recently, he took in a son-in-law — a nine-headed insect. Together, they carried out the theft. They cast a strange rain of blood over the Kingdom of Sacrifice, allowing them to seize the sacred ashes preserved in the tower of the Golden Light Monastery. That is why we are here. During our first encounter with that nine-headed monster, he managed to capture Bajie. Fortunately, I rescued him before they could skin him alive. That led to another skirmish, in which the old dragon met his death. We were just debating whether to continue or postpone the attack when you and our honorable brothers appeared.”
Er-Lang replied:
“I think this is the perfect moment to strike. They are disoriented, and we can wipe them all out in one fell swoop.”
Bajie said:
“I think I’ll dive into the waters and challenge that monster.”
Er-Lang advised:
“Lure him out of the water, and we’ll handle the rest.”
“Agreed,” said Bajie with a laugh.
He gripped his rake and dove into the lake. It didn’t take him long to reach the palace gates. He let out a fierce shout and stormed into the palace, swinging his weapon wildly in all directions.
Hearing the commotion, the insect grabbed a crescent-tipped sword and rushed to confront him, followed by the descendants of the Dragon King.
Bajie met them head-on with his rake but gradually began to retreat, until finally surfacing on the lake’s surface. Wukong and his seven brothers immediately descended upon them.
Realizing that matters were going worse than expected, the son-in-law dropped to the ground and resumed his usual form. He spread his wings and soared upward. Er-Lang drew his golden sling, loaded it with a small silver pellet, and launched it at the insect. The monster turned furiously toward him, ready to bite, but just as it started to grow a new head from the center of its chest, Er-Lang’s divine hound leapt acrobatically and tore it off with a single bite. Blinded with pain, the monster flew northward across the seas.
Bajie prepared to give chase, but the Monkey King stopped him, saying:
“It’s better to leave him be. As the proverb wisely advises: don’t pursue a desperate fugitive. I doubt he will live long without the head that Er-Lang’s dog just ripped off. I will take his form and make my way through the waters. You follow me to the palace. It won’t be hard for me to get the princess to hand over the treasure we came for.”
Wukong’s Deception
Bajie opened a path through the waters. The Monkey King took the form of the Nine-headed Consort and hurried toward the palace. Bajie charged behind him, shouting like a madman and hurling curses. At the very entrance of the palace, the Princess of All Spirits came out to meet them, asking her false husband in concern:
“Why are you so agitated?”
Wukong replied:
“That Bajie has just defeated me and is chasing me relentlessly. I’m exhausted and cannot hold him off much longer. Quickly hide the treasures.”
The princess could not tell truth from deception. Deeply alarmed, she ran inside the palace and returned with a golden box, handing it to her supposed husband and saying:
“These are the Buddhist ashes.”
As soon as the Monkey King had the box in his possession, he rubbed his face and resumed his original form, mocking:
“Are you sure I’m really your husband?”
With a cry of shock, the princess tried to snatch back the box, but at that very moment, Bajie burst onto the scene and struck her a terrible blow on the shoulder, sending her rolling to the ground like a rotten apple.
Triumph and Farewell
Wukong then seized the treasure and surfaced, followed closely by Bajie.
Once they reached the shore, Wukong said to Er-Lang:
“I don’t know how to thank you enough for all you’ve done for us. We have reclaimed the relics.”
Er-Lang replied:
“Don’t mention it. What have we really done? The credit belongs to you. If you hadn’t defeated the Dragon King and used your shape-shifting powers, we’d still be fighting.”
“Now that our brother has achieved a resounding victory, there is nothing more for us to do here. And so we bid you farewell,” added the immortals who accompanied him.
Wukong kept thanking them repeatedly. He wished they would accompany him to see the king, but those noble gentlemen declined and returned home.
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