Sun Wukong helped the trembling king to his feet. “Has the demon returned since abducting your Golden Wisdom Queen?”
The king replied:
“He came back in the tenth month, three years ago, demanding two maidens to serve the queen. He returned again in the third month last year, and once more in the seventh month of that same year and in the second month this year. I have no idea when he will appear again.”
The Demon’s Messenger
“Are you still afraid of him after so many visits?” the Monkey King inquired.
“Of course we have been plunged into terror,” admitted the king.
He had barely finished speaking when a fierce wind rose from the south, carrying so much dust that the air became almost unbreathable. The officials immediately fell into panic and cried out in fear:
“It seems this monk brings bad luck! No sooner had he finished talking about the monster than it arrives here with all its noisy winds!”
Even the king appeared so frightened that, abandoning the Monkey King to his fate, he dove into a hole he had opened in the ground, followed by Tang Monk and the rest of the officials.
Even Bajie and Sha Wujing tried to take refuge inside it. Fortunately, the Monkey King stopped them in time, saying:
“What exactly are you afraid of? You must help me discover what kind of monster this is.”
Heaven’s Retribution
Using his extraordinary powers, the Monkey King soared high into the sky, brandishing his iron bar with great strength. With incredible bravery, he flew directly toward the monster and demanded:
“Where do you come from and where are you going, accursed beast?”
The monster replied in a surprisingly loud voice:
“I am none other than a servant of the Rival of the Lord of Heaven, master of the Xie Zhi Cave located on the Qilin Mountain (Unicorn Mount). By his order, I have come here today to take two maidens to serve the Palace of Golden Wisdom. Who are you to dare question me like this?”
The Monkey King answered:
“I am Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. I am currently traveling through this kingdom on my way to the Western Paradise, accompanying Master Tang from the Eastern Lands. Upon hearing that villains like you are plunging this place into chaos, I decided to test my powers, rid this land of your evil deeds, and restore its former glory. Incidentally, I was just wondering where I might find you, when you yourself showed up to offer me your life.”
Despite the forcefulness of these words, the monster could think of nothing better than to charge at the Monkey King with his spear, which Wukong deflected just in time with his iron bar.
The Monkey King struck with his iron rod, and the monster’s spear shattered into two pieces midair. Overcome with panic, the monster changed the direction of the wind and fled westward in terror.
The Queen’s favorite jewels
Wukong temporarily gave up pursuit and, descending from his cloud, went to the entrance of the hiding place and shouted triumphantly:
“You may come out now! The monster has just left the battlefield!”
Soon after, Tang Monk, the king, and all his courtiers emerged from the gate of the hole.
Smiling, Sun Wukong said:
“That monster was only an envoy of the Divine Rival, who had come for two more maidens. Most likely, he has run off to report his humiliating defeat to his master, and the master won’t leave things as they are. On the contrary, he will surely try to confront me himself, so I’m afraid he will return soon, leading all his troops. When that happens, you and your people will inevitably fall into panic again. To prevent that, I would prefer to face them in the air and rescue your wife as soon as possible. Did your wife leave behind any keepsake or object she especially cherished while living in the palace? If so, I would like to see it.”
“For what purpose?” the king asked.
Sun Wukong replied:
“She will most likely refuse to follow me, since she doesn’t even know I exist. She will only trust me if she sees that I carry something she greatly valued when she lived in this palace. That’s why I’ve asked you to give me such a personal item.”
Then the king said:
“In one of the inner chambers of the Palace of Radiant Sun (Brilliant Sun Palace) there is a pair of golden bracelets that belonged to the queen—they were her favorite jewels.”
The king turned to the Palace of Jade Wisdom and asked her to go fetch the jewelry.
The Wind-Rider’s Pledge
Wukong then asked the king:
“Would you mind telling me how far this city is from his mountain?”
The king replied:
“At one time we sent a group of scouts there, and they took more than fifty days to return, so I estimate it’s over three thousand miles to the south of here.”
Turning to Bajie and Sha Monk, Wukong said:
“Don’t leave this place while I go and take a look at that cave.”
The king grabbed his sleeve and exclaimed:
“Why not wait until tomorrow?! We must prepare some dried food, some money, and the fastest horses we can find before you leave. Only then shall we allow you to depart.”
The Monkey King replied with a laugh:
“You’re thinking of walking, which is not how I usually travel. To be honest, I can cover those three thousand miles before you fill that cup with wine and it cools down a bit.”
The king apologized:
“Please don’t misunderstand my words, but the truth is, you seem more like a monkey than a man. How is it possible that you master magic capable of moving at such speed?”
After bidding farewell to everyone present, the Monkey King vanished at great speed, leaving behind a piercing whistle that amazed the king and all his courtiers.
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