He tore off the name plates, gathered the wooden clappers and bells, then picked up the patrol banner and slung it over his back.
The Wind-Cutter’s Disguise
With these in hand, he turned toward the wind, recited a magical incantation, and after giving his body a slight shake, transformed himself into an exact replica of a Wind-Cutter imp. No one could possibly doubt his authenticity.
Striding boldly, he retraced the imp’s path toward the demons’ lair, determined to find out more about the three monsters.
The Lion-Camel Cave Assembly
Without delay, he ventured deeper into the mountains, following the same route he had seen the little demon take. Soon he heard a great uproar—a chaotic mix of shouting and the neighing of horses. He looked up and saw that the noise came from the open ground in front of the entrance to the Lion-Camel Cave, where a large crowd of little demons had gathered. They were armed with sabers, spears, bows, and double-edged axes, and banners and standards waved continuously among them.
When the Monkey King counted a total of forty banners, he immediately deduced that the assembled army consisted precisely of ten thousand soldiers.
Reflecting on the steps he should take next, the Monkey King thought to himself:
“I have nothing to fear. I’ve become a Little Wind-Cutter, and no one will dare block my way. Still, I suppose the demons will want to know how our patrol went once they see me. I must be careful as one slip could doom me. How can I manage to get through with so many forces deployed at the gate? It’s clear that to trap the demons inside, I must scatter this army first. But how can I do that?”
Psychological Warfare
After serious consideration, he reached the following conclusion:
“Although these demons have never seen my face before, there’s no doubt they’ve heard of all my exploits. That gives me a certain advantage. It wouldn’t hurt, then, to boast about my powers a bit—to shake their confidence, terrorise the enemy or even scare them away”
The Monkey King began striking the two wooden clappers and marched boldly toward the entrance of the Lion-Camel Cave. When the gathered demons saw him, they asked:
“Are you already back, Little Wind-Cutter?”
“That’s right,” replied the Monkey King.
“Did you meet Sun Wukong when you went out on patrol this morning?” the demons pressed further.
Wukong answered:
“I did indeed. At this very moment, he is cleaning his fearsome iron staff.”
“How does he look?” the little demons quickly asked, trembling from head to toe. “What kind of staff are you talking about?”
Wukong feigned urgency:
“When I saw him, he was squatting beside a stream, but even so I could tell he looked exactly like a thunder god. Then he stood up, and I was amazed to see he stood over thirty meters tall, holding in his hands his golden-hooped rod – as thick as a rice bowl! Suddenly he started playing with the water, and I heard him say while caressing that deadly weapon: ‘My beloved iron staff, how long has it been since I last used you, despite your incomparable magical powers? Don’t worry—it’s time now to eliminate all these little demons. What difference does it make if there are a hundred thousand of them, when you can destroy ten times that number in a single blow? I’ll even save those three leading monsters for you—as a special offering.’ I’m sure that, as soon as he finishes polishing his precious weapon, he’ll come here and strike down the ten thousand demons stationed at the gate first. However, I prefer to kill them one by one with my bare hands.”
Upon hearing this, all the demons trembled uncontrollably. It was as if their hearts had stopped beating, their courage had vanished, and their spirits had melted away like ice exposed to the sun.
Rout of the Demon Army
The Monkey King continued:
“There’s another important point we must consider. The flesh of this Tang Monk isn’t all that abundant, and I’m afraid that even if we divide it into tiny pieces, there won’t be enough for everyone. So why risk being struck by that terrible iron rod?”
The little demons concluded:
“You’re right. Our best move is to flee before it’s too late.”
In reality, all those little demons were merely goblins transformed from wolves, tigers, leopards, and similar beasts. With a loud roar, they scattered in every direction, fleeing in panic as fast as they could.
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