After soaring through the skies, Sun Wukong soon spotted a mountain piercing the highest clouds. Immediately, he descended onto its peak and curiously looked around.
A Deceptive Encounter
Soon he heard the shrill sound of a gong, and saw a little demon carrying a yellow banner resting on his shoulder and a satchel of documents on his back. In his hands he held a small gong, which he kept striking with renewed enthusiasm.
Wukong said to himself, laughing:
“So this is the one making all that noise. I wonder what kind of papers he’s carrying in that bag. I think it would be best if I took a look.”
After slightly shaking his body, Wukong transformed himself into a young Taoist priest. Going around the mountain, he soon encountered the little demon, whom he greeted by joining his hands in salute before asking:
“May I ask where you’re going and what kind of documents are those you carry in your satchel?”
The Messenger’s Fate
The little demon seemed to mistake Wukong for an ally; he stopped beating the gong, returned the greeting joyfully, and explained:
“Our lord has sent me to the Purple Kingdom to deliver a declaration of war.”
The Monkey King thanked him with folded hands, and after bidding him farewell, continued calmly on his way, while the little demon resumed tapping his gong and prepared to continue his journey. But barely had he taken a few steps when Wukong, reaching for his Golden-Hooped Rod, struck the demon such a blow on the head that it shattered his skull, split open his skin, and broke his neck. Blood spurted out copiously, mixed with brains, ending the life of that battered body.
Grabbing the declaration of war, he tucked it into his sleeve. He then took the yellow banner and the gong.
From the demon’s waist he took a silver plaque bearing an inscription:
“This junior official goes by the name Back-and-Forth(Coming-and-Going), a rather short man with a face pitted from smallpox and completely beardless. He must always carry this plaque with him. Anyone who fails to do so shall be considered an impostor.”
The Monkey King exclaimed with a smile:
“So this fellow was called Back-and-Forth(Coming-and-Going)!”
He tied the plaque to his waist and threw the corpse into a stream.
A Perfect Disguise
Drawing a magical sigil, he transformed himself into the exact image of Back-and-Forth. Without hesitation, he began striking the gong and briskly made his way toward the Xie Zhi Cave. Upon arriving, he heard a chimpanzee call out:
“Why have you returned so soon, Back-and-Forth?”
“I just did,” replied the Monkey King, much to his own regret.
“Go inside and report your mission to our lord. He is impatiently waiting for you at the Pavilion of Dissection (Dismemberment Pavilion),” ordered the chimpanzee, unaware of the deadly imposter.
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