Sun Wukong and his two companions set off in pursuit of the whirlwind, riding on a cloud.
They soon came upon a very high mountain, where the swirling wind and dust finally lost their strength and disappeared completely.
Unsure exactly where the monster had taken refuge, the three monks dismounted from the cloud and began searching for any trace of it.
It was then that they discovered, on one side of the mountain, an enormous and gleaming green stone slab so large and bright that it looked like a giant screen. Holding the reins of the horse, they approached it and found that it was actually two stone doors, upon which the following inscription had been carved: Poisonous Fiend Mountain, Lute Cave (Poison Enemy Mountain, Lute Cave).
Infiltration and Confrontation
Wukong used magic, made a finger sign, recited the appropriate incantation, and transformed himself into a nimble and light bee.
He slipped through the narrow crack in the door into the cave. After passing a second gate, he reached a garden where a demoness was sitting.
“Bring me the brother of the Emperor of the Tang,” ordered the demoness.
The demoness rose from her seat and, extending toward the master delicate fingers like spring onion shoots, said, drawing him closer to her:
“Rest here, Brother of the Emperor. Though this humble dwelling does not possess the riches or luxuries of the palace of the Western Liang Kingdom of Women, it has the advantage of being free from so much formality and much more comfortable. I’m sure you will find it perfectly suitable for chanting the name of Buddha and reading the sacred scriptures. I shall accompany you along the path to Enlightenment, and thus we shall grow old together in complete happiness and harmony.”
Tripitaka did not utter a word.
Battle with the Scorpion Spirit
The Monkey King listened from inside the tree trunk. Unable to contain his impatience any longer, he resumed his usual form.
Quickly grabbing his iron rod, he shouted:
“Accursed beast! I’ve never met anyone with less principle than you!”
Seeing him appear so suddenly, the demoness ordered her serving girls:
“Take the emperor’s brother away from here!”
Then she grabbed a steel trident and shouted in a powerful voice:
“Cursed monkey without morals! How dare you sneak into my house uninvited? Don’t run away—taste the flavor of your grandmother’s trident!”
The Monkey King blocked the blow with his iron rod and took a step back.
Still exchanging blows, they moved out from inside the cave.
When the two fighters appeared, Bajie raised his rake with both hands and rushed into the fray, shouting like a madman:
“Step aside, brother! I’ll split this bitch’s head open!”
The Sting that stunned the Monkey King
The demoness, Bajie, and Wukong fought for hours and hours, but neither gained the upper hand. With a tremendous leap, the demoness assumed the posture of the “poisoned horse” and landed a terrible blow on the Monkey King’s head.
“Ahhh!” cried Wukong. “Misfortune has struck!” He abandoned the fight and fled, wailing in pain.
Seeing this, Bajie decided to flee as well, dragging his precious rake behind him. The demoness gathered up her tridents and triumphantly returned to her cave.
With his hands clutching his head, brows furrowed, and face twisted in pain, the Monkey King kept shouting:
“I can’t take it anymore!”
Approaching him, Bajie asked:
“What’s wrong with you? Just when you seemed to be enjoying the fight the most, you turn around and leave me stuck all alone.”
The Monkey King complained in a pained voice:
“It’s terrible! While we were fighting, the demoness realized she was losing ground and suddenly leapt high into the air. I don’t know what weapon she used, but I can tell you for sure she hit me on the head with it—and now I can’t bear the pain. Do you understand now why I ran away?”
Sha Wujing said:
“It’s getting late, and our elder brother has a headache. Let’s sit down and spend the night here. This place is sheltered from the wind. Tomorrow, once we’ve regained our strength, we can decide what to do next.”
In this way, after tying up the horse and securing their belongings, they prepared to sleep outdoors, protected from the wind by a small hillside ledge.
Bajie wasn’t spared
Before long, the rooster crowed. On the hillside ledge, the Monkey King ended his rest and, rising from the ground, said:
“The headache lasted almost all night, but now I feel completely fine and no longer have that strange drowsiness. To be honest, I only feel a slight discomfort now.”
“It’s already daylight. What are you waiting for to go capture the monster?” urged Sha Wujing.
The Monkey King advised:
“You stay here with the horse and don’t move. Bajie will come with me.”
Possessed of a very impulsive character, Zhu Bajie never thought carefully about what he was about to do. Raising his rake high, he ran toward the stone gates, delivered a mighty blow, and shattered them into pieces no larger than splinters. The girls who were sleeping with their heads resting on alarm mats jumped up in fear and ran toward the inner gates, shouting:
“Open quickly! The monsters from yesterday have returned and destroyed the gates!”
The demoness grabbed her trident, raised it above her head with both hands, and stormed out shouting:
“When will you ever learn self-control, filthy pig and mad monkey? Can’t you show respect for anything? How dare you destroy my gates?”
Bajie shouted:
“Curse you, fat sow! You’ve kidnapped our master and still have the audacity to scold us? The Tang Monk is not your husband, he is your prisoner! If you let him go, we’ll spare your life; otherwise, the Pig will flatten your entire mountain until it’s as flat as a valley with his rake!”
Of course, the demoness was not intimidated by such words. On the contrary, summoning great energy, she lunged at them with her trident raised, spewing smoke and fire from her mouth and nose. Bajie dodged the blow by stepping aside and swung his rake downward in a powerful strike. The Monkey King remained alert, never letting go of his iron bar. The demoness truly possessed extraordinary martial skill. She seemed to have not just one pair but many pairs of hands, delivering non-stop blows and expertly blocking those aimed at her.
After several rounds, she once again used her unknown weapon and struck Bajie a tremendous blow on the lips. Bajie had no choice but to retreat painfully, dragging his rake and crying out in pain. The Monkey King made as if to continue the battle but was also forced to withdraw from the field.
Triumphantly, the demoness returned to her cave and ordered her attendants to seal the gates with rocks.
Meanwhile, Sha Wujing was quietly tending to the horse on the hillside ledge when he heard the cries of a pig. He looked up and saw Bajie walking backward with swollen lips, screaming like a woman in labor.
“How could this possibly happen?!” exclaimed Sha Wujing in surprise.
“Tremendous! Terrible! I can’t stand this kind of pain!” interrupted the Pig.
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