The patriarch's mind raced, and he thought to himself that this was exactly what he wanted. He turned around and shouted angrily, "You all shouting and yelling, which is not in the manner of a cultivator at all. A cultivator's spirit dissipates when he opens his mouth, and trouble arises when he moves his tongue. How dare you make such a racket here?"
The disciples said, “We dare not lie to our master. Just now, Sun Wukong was performing a transformation trick. We taught him to transform into a pine tree, and it really was a pine tree. We all praised and cheered, so we raised our voices and startled our master. We beg your forgiveness.”
The Patriarch said, "You all get up." He called out, "Wukong, come here! I ask you, what kind of spirit are you displaying, and what kind of pine tree are you turning into? Is this skill something to show off in front of others? If you see others have it, won't you ask them for it? If others see you have it, they will definitely ask you for it. If you are afraid of disaster and still want to pass it on to them, and you don't pass it on to them, they will definitely harm you, and your life will not be safe."
Wukong kowtowed and said, "I only hope that Master will forgive me!"
The patriarch said, "I will not punish you, but you may leave."
Upon hearing this, Wukong's eyes filled with tears as he asked, "Master, where should I go?"
The patriarch said, "Go back to where you came from."
Wukong suddenly realized and said, "I come from the Water Curtain Cave of Flower and Fruit Mountain in Aolai Country of Dongsheng Shenzhou."
The Patriarch said, "Go back quickly to save your life; it is absolutely forbidden to stay here!"
Wukong confessed his sins, saying, "I have been away from home for twenty years, Master. Although I am looking back on my old children and grandchildren, I dare not go because I have not yet repaid Master's great kindness."
The Patriarch said, "What kindness or gratitude is there? Just don't cause trouble or implicate me, that's enough!" Seeing that he had no choice, Wukong had to take his leave and bid farewell to the others. The Patriarch said, "Your journey will surely lead to trouble. No matter what trouble you cause or what violence you commit, you are not allowed to say that you are my disciple. If you utter even half a word, I will know it, and I will skin you alive, grind your bones to dust, and banish your soul to the deepest hell, so that you will never be able to reincarnate!" Wukong said, "I would never dare to mention the word 'Master,' I will only say that I learned it myself."
Wukong thanked him, then withdrew, made a hand seal, threw a somersault cloud, and flew straight back to Dongsheng.
The time has come. The Patriarch is using this opportunity to expel him from the sect. After all, Wukong will still have to do some things in the future, which are of great importance. If he is associated with him, he will not be able to bear the consequences.
Wukong, having mastered the Somersault Cloud technique created by his patriarch, could travel 108,000 li in a single somersault. Before practicing it, the journey home would have taken at least ten years. Now, having learned immortal arts, it took less than an hour. He soon saw the Water Curtain Cave of Flower Fruit Mountain. The Monkey King, feeling joyful, secretly praised himself: "When I left, my mortal bones and body were heavy; now that I have attained the Dao, my body is light. No one in the world is willing to make such a vow; but if one makes a vow to cultivate the profound mysteries, the truth will become clear."
Back then, crossing the sea was difficult, but today the return journey is effortless. Your parting words still ring in my ears; who would have thought I'd see the Eastern Sea so soon?
Wukong descended from the clouds and went straight to Flower Fruit Mountain. As he searched for a path, he suddenly heard the cries of cranes and monkeys. The cranes' cries soared to the heavens, and the monkeys' cries were mournful and heart-wrenching. He immediately called out, "My children, I've come!"
From the rocky banks below the cliff, among the flowers and trees, countless monkeys of all sizes leaped out and surrounded the Monkey King, kowtowing and crying out, "Great King, how kind you are! Why have you been gone for so long? We have all been waiting for you here, as if we were starving! Recently, a demon has been bullying us here, trying to seize our Water Curtain Cave. We fought him with our lives on the line. In the meantime, that scoundrel stole our food and captured many of our children, forcing us to guard our home day and night without sleep. Fortunately, Great King has come. If Great King had not come for another year, we and our entire cave would have belonged to someone else."
Upon hearing this, Wukong was furious and said, "What kind of demon dares to be so insolent! Tell me in detail, and I will find him and take revenge." The monkeys kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, that fellow calls himself the Chaos Demon King and lives in the north." Wukong asked, "How far is it from here to him?" The monkeys replied, "He comes in clouds and leaves in fog, sometimes with wind, sometimes with rain, sometimes with lightning, sometimes with thunder. We don't know how far it is." Wukong said, "In that case, don't be afraid. Play around while I go find him."
The Monkey King, with a leap, somersaulted all the way north to see a towering, truly precipitous mountain. A magnificent mountain—its peaks stand tall like writing brushes, its winding ravines deep and secluded. The peaks pierce the sky, the ravines flow deep into the earth. Flowers and trees vie for beauty on both cliffs, pines and bamboos compete in verdant splendor. To the left, a dragon, docile and graceful; to the right, a tiger, submissive and docile. Iron oxen plow the fields, and golden coins are sown. A secluded bird sings its northern song, a phoenix stands facing the rising sun. The rocks gleam, the water is clear and still, strange and wondrous, truly ferocious. Countless famous mountains exist in the world, flowers bloom and fade, and flowers bloom and wither. But none can compare to this scene, eternally enduring, unmoved by the seasons. Truly, it is the source of the three realms, nourishing the five elements' water caves!
The Monkey King was silently admiring the scenery when he heard voices and immediately went down the mountain to investigate. It turned out that before the steep cliff lay the Water Curtain Cave. Several minor demons were dancing outside the cave entrance. Upon seeing Wukong, they tried to flee, but Wukong said, "Don't go! I'll use your words to convey my innermost thoughts. I am the master of the Water Curtain Cave on Flower Fruit Mountain in the due south. Your family's troublesome bird demon has repeatedly bullied my children and grandchildren. I've come here specifically to settle things with him!"
Upon hearing this, the little demon rushed into the cave and reported, "Your Majesty, disaster has struck!" The Demon King asked, "What disaster?" The little demon replied, "There's a monkey outside the cave who calls himself the master of the Water Curtain Cave of Flower and Fruit Mountain. He says you've repeatedly bullied his children and grandchildren, so he's come looking for you to see you!" The Demon King laughed, "I've often heard those monkey spirits say he has a king who has gone to become a monk. I suppose he's here now. What did you see him dressed like? What weapons did he have?" The little demon said, "He didn't have any weapons. He was bald, wearing a red robe, a yellow silk sash, and black boots. He looked neither like a monk nor a layman, nor like a Taoist or immortal. He was empty-handed, shouting outside the door." Upon hearing this, the Demon King said, "Bring me my weapons!" The little demon immediately brought them out. The demon king, clad in armor and wielding a sword, emerged from the gate with his entourage of demons and shouted, "Which one of you is the master of the Water Curtain Cave?" Wukong quickly opened his eyes to see, and there stood the demon king—wearing a black-gold helmet that shone brightly in the sun; a black robe that billowed in the wind; black iron armor tightly bound with leather straps; and embroidered boots, as imposing as a general. His waist was ten spans wide, and he stood three zhang tall. He held a sword, its blade gleaming. He was known as the Chaotic Demon, a fierce and ruthless figure.
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