The Monkey King mounted his cloud and headed toward the Palace of Crimson Aura.
The gods of the Fire Division hurried to report:
“Sun Wukong wishes to meet with our lord.”
Seeking the Fire Star
The Star of Fire Virtue put on his finest robes and came out to welcome such an esteemed visitor.
Said the Monkey King:
“Heavenly King Li and the Prince have suffered defeat in their first battle, losing all their weapons. That is why I have come to request your help.”
The star replied, surprised:
“How can a humble deity like myself assist you, when even Prince Nezha—who possesses an extraordinary array of magical weapons—has failed to accomplish this mission?”
Sun Wukong explained:
“I discussed it with Heavenly King Li, and we both concluded that in Heaven or Earth, nothing is more powerful than fire and water. This monster has a band capable of absorbing everything. We don’t yet know its nature, but since fire has the power to destroy almost anything, I decided to come here and ask you to descend to the Lower Realms and unleash a great fire that will destroy the demon and save my master from his suffering.”
Before he had even finished speaking, the Star of Fire Virtue summoned the celestial warriors and set off alongside Wukong toward the Mountain of the Golden Helmet.
Upon reaching the entrance of the cave, the Monkey King shouted:
“Open the door at once and return my master!”
The little demons guarding the cave ran inside to inform their lord:
“Sun Wukong is here again outside the door!”
“You damned monkey!” the demon cursed the Monkey King, as he marched out of the cave leading his troops.
“Would you care to explain what kind of help you’ve gone to seek this time?”
Shouted Heavenly King Li, the Pagoda-Bearing Devaraja:
“Do you not recognize me?”
The demon laughed and replied:
“I suppose, Heavenly King Li, you wish to avenge your son’s defeat and recover his weapons. Isn’t that right?”
The Heavenly King responded:
“On one hand, yes, I do seek revenge; but on the other, I intend to capture you and thus secure the release of Tang Monk. Don’t run away—taste the edge of my saber!”
The monster dodged the blow, stepping aside. Then he raised his long spear and skillfully turned against his opponent.
Flames of Futility
Wukong leapt to the mountain peak and said to the Star of Fire Virtue:
“Get ready, Third Spirit!”
Positioned at the highest point of the mountain, the Star of Fire Virtue ordered the celestial warriors under his command to begin the attack. The resulting fire was truly extraordinary.
However, the demon showed no sign of fear upon seeing the terrifying flames approaching him. He threw his band into the air and immediately a whistling sound was heard, as it absorbed all the fire dragons, fire horses, crows, rats, bows, and arrows. Then he turned around and returned triumphantly into his cave, just as he had come out.
The Star complained to Wukong:
“What few monsters can compare to this one! What am I to do now that I’ve lost all the power of my fire?”
Turn to the Water Star
Replied the Monkey King:
“If this monster fears no fire, then surely he must fear water. As the saying goes: only water can defeat fire. Stay here for a while—I’m going to make another trip. I’ll go ask the Star of Water Virtue to open the floodgates and drown this monster’s cave.”
With a leap, the Monkey King mounted his cloud and flew toward the Palace of Dark Vastness(Palace of Profound Darkness). He asked the gods of the Water Division to announce his arrival to their lord.
As soon as the Star of Water Virtue learned that Sun Wukong wished to see her, she changed her clothes and came out to greet the illustrious visitor.
Said Wukong:
“At first, the Jade Emperor kindly sent Heavenly King Li, his son, and two Thunder Lords to the Lower World to capture this beast, but all their efforts proved futile. Using his magic band, the monster seized their six sacred weapons. I had no choice but to go to the Palace of Crimson Aura and request the Star of Fire Virtue to ignite a terrible fire. However, the band once again absorbed the fire dragons, horses, and other creatures conjured by the fire deities. It was then that I realized—if the demon fears no fire, he must surely fear water. That is precisely what brought me here to beg you to open your floodgates and flood this monster’s cave.”
Without delay, the Water Virtue turned to the Lord of the Yellow River and commanded:
“Place yourself at the service of the Great Sage and offer him gladly whatever assistance he requires.”
The River Lord took out a small white jade cup from his sleeve and said:
“This cup can be used to hold water.”
The Monkey King asked:
“How much water can it hold exactly? Will it be enough to drown the monster?”
The River Lord replied:
“To be honest, Great Sage, this cup can hold all the water of the Yellow River. Half full corresponds to half the river’s flow, and completely full matches its total volume.”
“Half a cup will be more than enough!” replied Wukong, delighted.
After bidding farewell to the Water Virtue, he left the celestial palace accompanied by the Lord of the Yellow River.
Deluge and Disappointment
The River Lord filled the cup halfway and followed the Monkey King to the Mountain of the Golden Helmet.
Said the Monkey King:
“Now, if you don’t mind, Lord of the River, I will lead you to the monster’s dwelling and urge him to open his gates. Don’t wait for him to come out. Pour all your water directly into the cave and don’t let anyone escape until everyone inside has drowned. Then I will search for my master’s body and bring him back to life.”
The River Lord nodded in agreement and followed Wukong up the mountainside to the very entrance of the cave.
“Open the gates, monster!” Wukong shouted.
The demons guarding the door quickly recognized Sun Wukong’s voice and ran inside to inform their lord:
“Sun Wukong is here again.”
Hearing this, the demon grabbed his band and long spear and strode toward the exit. As the door creaked open, the River Lord swiftly poured the contents of his cup into the cave.
Seeing the torrent of water rushing toward him, the monster dropped his spear and pulled out the band, holding it at the cave entrance. The water not only met an impenetrable barrier there, but suddenly changed direction and rushed out of the cave entrance in bubbling streams.
Alarmed by the sight, the Monkey King exclaimed:
“This is getting worse! The water is flooding the rice fields everywhere, but it hasn’t even touched the inside of the cave!”
He immediately ordered the River Lord to retrieve all the water he had poured.
Desperate Resolve
Shortly after, a group of demons emerged from the cave and, upon confirming that the water level had completely receded, began practicing martial arts and playing joyfully with their weapons.
Despairing, the Heavenly King said:
“So the water didn’t even reach the interior of the cave. It’s hard to accept that all our efforts have been in vain.”
Wukong clenched his fists. “There must be another way. To Heaven—again!”
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