“Get up, my children,” said Monkey.
Pig, still hanging from a roof-beam, began to roar with laughter. “You're a fine one, brother,” said Friar Sand, “laughing while hung up.”
“I know what I'm doing,” said Pig.
“And what are you doing?” asked Friar Sand.
“I was afraid that when the old woman came we'd be cooked and eaten. But it's not her: it's the old story.”
“What old story?” asked Friar Sand.
“The Protector of the Horses is here,” said Pig.
“How can you tell?” asked Friar Sand. “When she leant forward and said, 'Get up, my children,' a monkey's tail stuck out behind her. I can see better than you because I'm hung up higher.”
“Stop talking,” said Friar Sand. “Let's listen to what they say.”
“Yes, yes,” said Pig.
“Well, boys, why have you asked me here?” asked Monkey as he sat between the two demon kings.
“Mother,” they replied, “we've been most discourteous to you for many days and not done our duty by you. But this morning we captured the Tang Priest from the East, and we wouldn't dream of eating him by ourselves. So we invited you over to present him to you live. We'll cook him and offer him to you to eat: he'll prolong your life.”
“I won't eat the Tang Priest's flesh, dear boys,” Monkey replied, “but they do say that Pig's ears are delicious. Could you cut them off and have them prepared? They'd go down well with a drink.”
“A pox on you,” exclaimed Pig in panic when he heard. “So you're here to cut my ears off. What I'll have to say won't make pleasant listening.”
Oh dear! Because the idiot's remarks gave the game away the Monkey King's cover was blown. In burst a crowd of little demons, mountain rangers and doorkeepers to report, “Disaster, Your Majesties. Sun the Novice has killed the old lady and disguised himself as her.”
The moment the demon kings heard this there was no time for arguments: the Seven-star Sword was brought out, and it cut straight at Monkey's face. The splendid Great Sage moved in a flash: the cave was full of red light, and he was gone. A trick like that really was fun: he could concentrate himself into solid form, or disperse into vapor. The Senior Demon King was out of his wits with terror, while all the other devils hit their fingers and shook their heads.
“Brother,” said the senior king, “let's give the Tang Priest, Friar Sand, Pig, the white horse and all their baggage back to Sun the Novice and end the quarrel between us.”
“What a thing to say,” replied the Junior King. “Goodness only knows how much trouble we went to in our plan to capture all those monks. But now you're so intimidated by Sun the Novice's amazing transformations that you want to give everything back to him. You really are a coward. No man would act like that. You sit down and stop being so terrified. I've heard you tell of his tremendous magical powers, but I've never tried my skill against his although we did meet. Bring me my armor. I'm going to find him and fight three rounds with him. If he can't beat me in those three rounds then the Tang Priest will be ours to eat; and if I can't beat him we'll give him back the Tang Priest.”
“You're right, brother,” said the older demon, who then ordered that the armor be brought out. This was done.
When the Junior Demon King was fully accoutered he took his sword in his hand and went outside calling, “Sun the Novice, where have you gone?” The Great Sage, who was now up in the clouds, turned round to look as soon as he heard his name called and saw that it was the Junior Demon King. This was how he was dressed:
The phoenix-helmet on his head outdid the winter snow;
His battle armor shone with the glint of steel.
The girdle at his waist was woven from dragon sinews;
Soft leather boots had folds like plum blossom.
A face like a living True Lord of Guankou,
A countenance no different from the Mighty Miracle God.
The Seven-star Sword was brandished in his fist;
Great was his wrath that rose to the clouds.
“Sun the Novice,” roared the Junior King, “give back our treasures and our mother and we will free your Tang Priest to go to fetch the scriptures.” The Great Sage could not restrain himself from abusing him:
“You revolting demon, you don't know what you're up against in me. Give me back my master, my brothers, the white horse and our baggage, and throw in some travelling expenses for our journey West too. If so much as the hint of a 'no' slips out between your teeth you'd better start making your own rope to save me the trouble of doing it myself.”
On hearing this the Junior Demon King sent a cloud shooting up and sprang into mid-air, swinging his sword round to cut through Monkey, who struck at his face with his iron cudgel. The fight between them in the sky was magnificent:
Well-matched chess-players,
A general against a worthy foe.
A well-matched chess-player must show his mettle;
Only against a worthy foe can a general win glory.
When these divine warriors clashed
It was like tigers fighting in the Southern hills,
Or dragons struggling in the Northern seas.
Where dragons struggle
Their scales glisten.
When tigers fight
Claws and teeth wreak havoc.
The claws and teeth wreak havoc, falling like silver hooks;
The scales as they glisten are iron leaves.
The one twists and turns,
Performing a thousand maneuvers;
The other moves to and fro,
Never relaxing for an instant.
The gold-banded cudgel
Comes within inches of the skull;
The Seven-star Sword
Strives for a thrust to the heart.
The one strikes fear into the stars;
The other's wrath is more terrible than lightning.
The two of them fought thirty rounds, but neither came out on top. Monkey was delighted, though without showing it. “So this vicious devil is a match for my iron cudgel. As I've already got his three treasures I'm only wasting my time slogging it out with him like this. It'd be much better to pop him into the gourd or the vase. But that's no good,” he reflected further. “As the saying goes, 'a possession is at its owner's disposal.' If they don't do what I tell them, everything will be ruined. I'll have to lasso him with the Dazzling Golden Cord.”
Using one hand to parry the magic sword with his cudgel, the splendid Great Sage raised the rope in the other and sent it whistling through the air to lasso the demon king. Now the king had a Rope-tightening Spell and a Rope-loosening Spell. When he lassoed others he would say the tightening spell, and nobody would be able to get free, and if he lassoed his own people he would say the loosening spell, and no one would be hurt. Recognizing this rope as one of his own family's treasures he said the loosening spell, at which the noose slid open. He got free and threw the rope back at Monkey, catching him. Before the Great Sage could apply some slimming magic to escape the demon had recited the tightening spell. Monkey was held fast, unable to free himself; he was locked tight by a gold ring at his neck. The demon jerked at the rope and pulled him over, then struck seven or eight blows at his head with the magic sword. This did not even redden Monkey's scalp.
“If your head's that hard, you ape, I'll not hack at you any more,” the demon said. “I'll take you back to kill later. Give me my two treasures back at once.”
“I haven't got any treasures of yours,” Monkey replied, “so why ask me?” The demon king searched him very carefully, found the gourd and the vase, and dragged him back into the cave by the rope.