The Monkey King was forced to flee with empty hands and the bitter taste of defeat in his heart.
As soon as he had returned to the Mountain of the Golden Helmet, he threw himself to the ground. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he thought to himself:
“It’s strange that this monster recognized me! That proves this beast does not belong to the mortal world. It must be none other than a malevolent star from Heaven who has descended to Earth. I wonder which demon it truly is and where its origin lies. I think the best course of action is to go to the Heavenly Regions and try to solve this mystery.”
Retreat to the Heavens
In this way, Wukong regained the confidence he had lost. After quickly jumping to his feet, he mounted a cloud and rushed through the South Gate of Heaven. At the entrance to the Divine Mist Hall, he encountered the Four Heavenly Advisors, who immediately entered the hall of mist and reported the arrival of the Monkey King to the Jade Emperor.
Sun Wukong said respectfully, bowing before the celestial throne:
“Please forgive this humble interruption, Honorable Lord! Since the moment I accepted the task of accompanying Tang Monk on his journey to the Western Paradise in search of sacred scriptures, I have endured far more suffering than true joy. I do not complain, for I knew such trials were inevitable from the beginning. Right now, for instance, Master Tang is in the clutches of a monstrous bull-demon dwelling in the Golden Helmet Cave, located deep within the mountain of the same name. I approached the beast’s door and, strangely, it already knew me. Its magical powers were so extraordinary that it managed to snatch away my golden bar, leaving me practically defenseless against any other monster who might wish to fight me. Such skill led me to suspect that this demon may actually be a malevolent star from Heaven who has descended to Earth. This is why I have come to request an audience with you, and humbly beg for your celestial compassion to hear my plea: order that this evil star be unmasked and brought before you in chains.”
He added, bowing even lower:
“I present this petition with a heart full of reverence and trembling fear. Please, do not ignore my request!”
Upon hearing these words, the Jade Emperor ordered the Ke Han Department to begin the requested investigation, assisted by Sun Wukong.
After completing their thorough inquiry, the venerable Ke Han hurried to report to the Jade Emperor:
“Not a single star or celestial mansion is missing, and all heavenly warriors are at their proper posts. Not one has descended to the Lower Realms.”
Celestial Reinforcements
Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor commanded:
“Let Wukong choose the warriors he deems appropriate to capture this beast he has spoken of.”
Sun Wukong selected Marshal Li the Heavenly King(Heavenly King Li), Prince Nezha, and two Thunder Lords.
The heavenly warriors and Wukong soon arrived at the Mountain of the Golden Helmet.
They did not take long to reach their destination, and the Monkey King, excited, said:
“That is the Mountain of the Golden Helmet. The cave where the beast resides lies exactly at its center.”
Prince Nezha and Wukong leapt powerfully and in the blink of an eye found themselves directly at the heart of the mountain. In no time, they stood before the cave’s entrance. They found it firmly closed and oddly unguarded. In just a couple of steps, the Monkey King reached it and shouted:
“Open this door immediately, you stupid demon, and return my master!”
The demons guarding the interior of the cave ran to inform their lord, saying:
“Before your door stands Sun Wukong, accompanied by a young warrior who dares challenge you openly, Great Sovereign.”
The demon mused:
“I already possess that cursed monkey’s iron bar. Since he cannot fight unarmed, he must have gone to seek help. Bring me my weapons at once!”
After taking his spear in hand, he strode toward the cave entrance.
Nezha’s Defeat
The monster laughed out loud and said:
“I know you are the third son of Marshal Li, known as Prince Nezha. Would you care to explain why you have come to my door with such bravado?”
The Prince replied:
“It is all because of the chaos you have caused, cursed beast! Indeed, I have come here by royal decree to arrest you for capturing and attempting to devour the holy monk from the Eastern Lands. This act has moved the Jade Emperor to send me on the mission I have just declared.”
The demon retorted:
“But can you explain what kind of martial arts a young and inexperienced boy like you could possibly master, to dare speak to me with such arrogance? Don’t run away—taste the edge of my spear!”
Prince Nezha called upon his magic. With a slight shake of his body, he transformed into a being with three heads and six arms, each wielding a different weapon to face the beast.
What were those weapons, you may ask? None other than a sword for slaying monsters, a saber for cutting beasts, a rope for binding devils, a club for taming demons, an embroidered ball, and a fiery wheel.
Like a whirlwind or a storm of lightning, the weapons rained down simultaneously upon the demon’s head.
But the monster did not even flinch. He pulled out a white band, threw it into the air, and shouted:
“Attack!”
Instantly, the band swallowed all six weapons in one motion. Desperate, Prince Nezha had no choice but to retreat, defeated and completely unarmed, while the demon triumphantly returned to his cave.
A Fiery Strategy
After lowering the height of the clouds they rode, the two Thunder Lords turned toward the southern slope and said to Heavenly King Li:
“This demon truly possesses extraordinary powers.”
“How can we bring this matter to an end?” lamented the Marshal.
The Monkey King replied:
“One thing is clear: only something that cannot be absorbed by that band will be able to defeat this gang.”
Marshal Li commented:
“Only fire and water possess the ability to resist absorption. In fact, there is an old saying that goes: ‘Nothing is more ruthless than fire and water.’”
Upon hearing this, the Monkey King exclaimed:
“It’s possible you’re right. Sit here and wait for me. I believe I will make another trip to Heaven.”
Leave a Reply