Rising above the clouds, Wukong headed toward the place where he had left Tang Monk.
Wukong’s Return
“I’ve just arrived, Master,” said Wukong.
“How worried I’ve been, Wukong!” replied the master, taking his hand in relief. “I haven’t stopped worrying since I saw you enter the mountain. Tell me, what dangers await us on the road ahead?”
Wukong then recounted how he had disguised himself as a Little Wind-Cutter, how he had been locked inside the jar, and how he had managed to escape.
Finally, Sun Wukong said:
“Now that I can once again see your face, it feels as though I have completed another reincarnation.”
Tang Monk declared solemnly:
“The lesser shall never overcome the greater. I understand that alone you cannot face so many enemies, but Bajie and Sha Wujing can assist you. I will tell them to accompany you, so that you may rid this entire region of monsters and we won’t encounter any unpleasant surprises.”
Reflecting thoughtfully, Wukong acknowledged:
“That’s true. Still, Sha Wujing should remain here to protect you. If he wishes, Bajie may come with me.”
Quick to respond, Bajie said anxiously:
“Now it’s your turn to be less observant than usual. My powers are limited, my behavior is rather crude, and my fat body makes it hard for me to move quickly—even when walking, the wind hinders me. I think, therefore, that instead of helping, I would only be a burden.”
The Monkey King retorted:
“At least you can cheer me on, can’t you?”
Bajie concluded:
“All right. The only thing I ask is that you look after me when things get tough and not make me look foolish with your jokes.”
Tang Monk advised him:
“Don’t take unnecessary risks, Bajie. Sha Wujing and I will stay here.”
Hearing this, Bajie immediately cheered up. Riding on a cloud alongside the Monkey King, he soared above the wind and entered the mountain.
Storming the Demons’ Lair
Before long, they arrived at the entrance to the demon’s cave. The gate was tightly shut, and no one was visible nearby. The Monkey King approached with his fearsome iron bar in hand and shouted loudly:
“Open the gate at once and come out to fight me!”
The imps rushed to report the news to their leaders. The eldest demon remarked dispiritedly:
“Today we’ve learned that the rumors about Sun Wukong were indeed true. This monkey really is a tough opponent. He’s outside now challenging us to battle. Who among us dares confront such a formidable warrior?”
No one present dared to reply. The demon repeated his question, but still no one responded. Everyone in the cave seemed to have gone mute and deaf. This enraged the demon so much that, rising to his feet, he exclaimed:
“We’re losing our honor! Don’t you realize we’ll become the laughingstock of all who travel the road to the West? No matter how powerful Sun Wukong may be, it is our duty to face him and attempt to erase the shame he brought upon us this morning. If none of you dare face him, then I myself shall test my strength against his.
It will be decided in three rounds. If I defeat him in three rounds, we may feast on the flesh of Master Tang. Otherwise, we shall open our arms and allow them to continue their journey peacefully.”
Without delay, he donned his armor and flung the gates wide open, stepping out from his refuge.
The demon laughed aloud and said:
“Cursed monkey! How dare you come here to challenge me when I have not even lifted a finger against you?”
The Monkey King replied:
“As the old saying goes: ‘Waves rise only when the wind blows, and waters calm when the tide recedes.’ Do you really think I would come here to challenge you if you hadn’t provoked me? I came because I heard you plan to devour my master.”
Mockingly, the demon said:
“Why all these threats? Are you trying to say with all this talk that you’re ready to fight?”
“That’s exactly it,” confirmed the Monkey King.
The demon roared:
“Stop acting so arrogantly! You well know that with just an order, my legions of demons could march forth with drums, banners, and standards. But I do not wish to overwhelm you like a tiger who knows its terrain. I shall fight you man-to-man—no help from anyone else.”
Turning to Bajie, the Monkey King said:
“Stay aside and don’t interfere. Let’s see how well this old geezer performs.”
Nodding, Bajie stepped away from his brother.
The Iron Skull Test
Mockingly, the demon shouted:
“Come closer—I’ll sharpen my sword on your head! If you can survive three strikes from my saber, I’ll let the Tang Monk pass; otherwise, hand him over to me for dinner.”
When the Monkey King heard these words, he smiled and said:
“Cursed monster! If there’s paper and ink in your cave, go ahead and write down what you just said. I assure you that even if you strike my bald head with your steel for an entire year, you won’t manage to leave even a single scratch.”
Firmly planting his feet, the demon raised his saber high with both hands and swung it down forcefully onto the Monkey King. To show he feared no blow, the Monkey King did not flinch but stretched his neck as far as he could. A tremendous impact rang out, yet not even a red mark appeared on his head.
Amazed, the demon cried:
“What an incredibly hard head this monkey has!”
Smiling mischievously, the Monkey King replied:
“Don’t you understand that in Heaven or on Earth, there is no other creature whose head is made of bronze and crown of steel like mine?”
The monster urged:
“Stop boasting and prepare yourself for the second strike! Rest assured, this time you won’t walk away alive.”
Mockingly, the Monkey King said:
“What kind of talk is that? I’ll be satisfied if you don’t give up.”
The demon raised his saber again, and the Monkey King braced himself for the blow.
The sound of the clash was terrible. This time, however, the Monkey King’s head split into two exact copies of himself, rolling around on the ground as if affected by the strike. Horrified, the demon took a step back.
Laughing heartily, Bajie remarked:
“What that beast should have done was strike again and see if he could multiply him into four.”
The demon objected:
“I doubt you can reassemble all those pieces and simply return to being one again. If you do, I promise to let you strike me once with your staff.”
The Monkey King then embraced his other self, and instantly they merged back into a single being. Casually grabbing his iron bar, he swung it down with great force toward the old demon, who deflected the blow just in time by raising his saber.
More than thirty exchanges took place between the demon and the Monkey King, neither gaining any clear advantage over the other.
Seeing from below how evenly matched the battle was, Bajie refused to remain idle any longer. Mounting the wind, he soared upward. When he reached the demon’s level, he raised his rake with both hands and brought it down with tremendous force onto the demon’s face. The demon fell into panic. Truth be told, he couldn’t tell whether Bajie was merely taking advantage of the situation or if he was truly formidable—but upon seeing Bajie’s enormous ears and snout, he assumed he must possess immense strength and fled in terror.
Seeing that the demon had dropped his saber, the Monkey King shouted:
“Pursue him! Don’t let him escape!”
The Devouring Gambit
Encouraged by these words, Bajie lifted his rake high and chased after the demon. The slope soon became steeper, making the escape much more difficult. The demon turned to face the wind, resumed his usual form, and opened his massive jaws wide, intending to swallow Bajie whole.
At the sight of this, Bajie was seized with such fear that he threw himself headfirst into some nearby bushes, not caring that they were covered in thorns or that they might scratch his face terribly. Too scared to lift his head, he curled up on the ground and lay as still as if he were dead, waiting to see what would happen next.
Wukong soon appeared. Upon seeing him, the monster once again opened his giant mouth, unaware that this was exactly what the Monkey King had been hoping for.
Quickly tucking away his iron bar, the Monkey King willingly entered the monster’s jaws. With astonishing ease, the demon swallowed him whole. Bajie was so horrified that he could only whisper:
“How foolish you’ve been! Why didn’t you turn around when you saw that beast wanted to devour you? I don’t understand how you could keep running straight into its mouth! You might last a whole day inside his stomach, but no one can save you from becoming a pile of excrement by tomorrow.”
The eldest demon(Lion King) considered it a great feat to have effortlessly swallowed the Monkey King.
Upon arriving at the cave, all the little demons rushed out to welcome him and asked how the battle had gone.
He replied proudly:
“It couldn’t have gone better. I even managed to capture one of those monks.”
“Which one did you capture?” asked the second demon(Elephant King), overjoyed.
Explained the eldest demon(Lion King):
“I’ve actually swallowed none other than Sun Wukong himself.”
Horrified, the third demon(Roc King) repeated:
“You swallowed Sun Wukong? Don’t you know he’s indigestible?”
Stomach Rebellion
From within, the Monkey King confirmed:
“That’s right. No stomach can digest me. But don’t worry. With me here inside, you’ll never feel hungry again.”
All the little demons began trembling with fear.
Exclaimed the boldest among them:
“This is terrible! Sun Wukong has started speaking from inside your belly!”
Replied the eldest demon(Lion King):
“Who cares about that? Do you think that after swallowing him, I won’t know how to finish him off? Go boil a pot of salt water immediately. As soon as it reaches my stomach, he’ll shoot out like an arrow, and after simmering him slowly, we’ll enjoy him with wine.”
Boiled Salt Water Test
The little demons quickly returned with half a cauldron of freshly boiled salt water.
Without hesitation, the demon drank it all. Then he opened his mouth, expecting the Monkey King to come flying out at any moment—but the Monkey King seemed to have taken root in his stomach. He didn’t even react to the water’s heat.
Puzzled, the demon stuck his hand down his throat and began trying to vomit, until his vision blurred and he felt dizzy as a drunk man. He even spat out bile, yet still there was no sign of the Monkey King!
Psychological Tactic
After resting briefly, the demon asked, panting like a hard-working ox:
“Are you coming out or not, Sun Wukong?”
The Monkey King answered:
“I’m afraid it’s still a bit too early. I’m very sorry, but I have no intention of leaving.”
“Why not?” the monster insisted.
The Monkey King replied:
“It’s clear you’re not the brightest demon around. Ever since I decided to become a monk, I’ve lived a life full of hardship and deprivation. As you may have noticed, my robe is worn, and it’s getting cold outside. Your belly, on the other hand, is nice and warm and lacks for nothing. It’s the perfect place to spend the winter.”
Alarmed, the little demons exclaimed:
“Did you hear that? Sun Wukong intends to spend the entire winter in your belly!”
The eldest demon retorted:
“Let him stay then! If that’s what he wants, I shall devote myself entirely to meditation and use the magic of hibernation to eat nothing at all this winter. That way, that cursed heavenly stable keeper will starve to death.”
Mockingly, the Monkey King said:
“It’s obvious you’re not known for your intelligence, son. At the beginning of our journey in search of the sacred scriptures, we passed through Canton, where I bought a small pan, perfect for cooking offal. I think I’ll really enjoy cutting pieces of your liver, intestines, stomach, and lungs. That should keep me well-fed until spring.”
Exclaimed the second demon(Elephant King) in horror:
“That damned monkey is capable of doing just that! You should take his words seriously!”
Commented the third demon(Roc King):
“I understand he loves offal, but I can’t imagine where he plans to build a fire to set the pan on.”
Replied the Monkey King:
“Why, on the tip of his breastbone, of course.”
The third demon(Roc King) cried out to his older brother:
“That’s horrifying! When the smoke reaches your nose, you won’t be able to stop sneezing.”
Laughing, the Monkey King replied:
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll make a hole in his skull with my golden-ended staff, giving us both a skylight and a chimney.”
Upon hearing this, the eldest demon trembled with fear, but still tried to act brave and calm his two brothers:
“Don’t worry. A few cups of medicinal wine will finish off that cursed monkey. Where did you put the bottle?”
Alcohol Test
The little demons quickly returned with a barrel of wine. They filled a cup to the brim and handed it to the demon. Its aroma was so strong that, despite being locked inside the beast’s belly, the Monkey King could smell it.
The Monkey King thought:
“It’s better not to let him taste it.”
Slightly turning his head, he transformed his mouth into a funnel and positioned it directly beneath the demon’s throat. Thus, when the demon raised the cup to his lips, the Monkey King had no difficulty drinking its contents. The same happened with the second cup: the demon tasted it, but it was the Monkey King who truly enjoyed it.
After repeating this seven or eight times, the demon finally gave up and, placing the cup on the table, exclaimed:
“How strange! Before, just two cups would have made my stomach burn. Now I’ve drunk seven or eight, and I haven’t even flushed! I think it’s best I stop drinking.”
Unfortunately, the Monkey King wasn’t much of a drinker, and after those seven or eight cups, he felt unusually energetic. He began jumping and tumbling inside the demon’s belly. Not satisfied with that, he grabbed hold of the liver and started swinging and kicking like he was climbing a tree. The unbearable pain caused the demon to collapse to the ground, rolling about as if he had lost his mind.
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