The Monkey King shouted, "You wicked demon, with eyes so big, can't you see me, Old Sun!" The demon king, seeing him, laughed, "You're less than four feet tall, no more than thirty years old, and unarmed. How dare you be so arrogant, seeking to see me?" Wukong cursed, "You wicked demon, you're blind! You think I'm small, but it's not hard for me to grow bigger. You think I'm unarmed? I can reach the moon in the sky with both hands! Don't be afraid, just take my punch!" He leaped forward and struck. The demon king blocked his attack, saying, "You're so short, and I'm so tall. If you use your fists, I'll use my sword. If I use my sword, I'll kill you, and people will laugh at me. Let me put down my sword and show you some fist fighting." Wukong said, "That's right. Good man, come on!" The demon king abandoned his stance and attacked, but Wukong dodged in to meet him. They exchanged blows, punches, and kicks, charging and colliding. It turned out that the long fist was powerful but the short fist was sturdy. The demon king was struck in the ribs and groin by Wukong, his joints badly injured. He dodged, picked up his large steel sword, and swung it at Wukong's head. Wukong quickly retreated, and the demon king missed. Seeing the demon king's ferocity, Wukong used his external movement technique, plucked a handful of hairs, chewed them, and spat them into the air, shouting, "Transform!" Instantly, they transformed into two or three hundred small monkeys, who swarmed around him.
It turns out that when a person attains immortality, they gain supernatural powers and transformations. Unbeknownst to many, since the Monkey King achieved enlightenment, he possessed 84,000 feathers, each capable of transformation, responding to anything at will. Those little monkeys, with their sharp eyes and quick movements, were impervious to swords and spears. They leaped and bounded, surrounding the demon king, some hugging, some pulling, some crawling between his legs, some kicking, striking his hair, gouging his eyes, pinching his nose, lifting and manipulating him, creating a chaotic mess. Only then did Wukong seize his sword, separate the little monkeys, and with a single blow to the top of his head, cut them in two. He then led his followers into the cave, annihilating all the demons, large and small. He then shook his feathers, trying to retract them onto his body, only to find that the ones he couldn't retract were the little monkeys the demon king had captured in the Water Curtain Cave.
Wukong asked, "Why are you all here?" There were about thirty or fifty monkeys, all tearfully replying, "Since our King went to cultivate immortality, we've been harassed and kidnapped these past two years. Those were our cave's cooking fires! Even the stone basins and bowls were taken by this scoundrel!" Wukong said, "Since they are our cooking fires, you must all move them outside." He then set fire to the cave, burning the filthy cave dry and reducing it to ashes. He said to the monkeys, "Come back with me." The monkeys said, "King, when we came here, we only heard the wind whistling past our ears, and we floated here without knowing the way. How can we get home?" Wukong said, "That's just a trick he used. What's so difficult about it! I've mastered one trick, and now I can do it too. Close your eyes and don't be afraid!"
The good Monkey King chanted a spell, rode a whirlwind, and descended from the clouds, calling out, "My children, open your eyes!" The monkeys felt solid ground beneath their feet, recognized their homeland, and were overjoyed, all rushing towards the old path to the cave entrance. The monkeys already in the cave all crowded around and followed him in. They lined up according to their age and respectfully bowed to the Monkey King. Wine and fruit were prepared to welcome him and offer congratulations. They inquired about the matter of subduing the demon and rescuing his son, and Wukong recounted it in detail. The monkeys praised him endlessly, saying, "Where did Your Majesty go? Unexpectedly, you learned such skills!" Wukong continued, "Years ago, I parted from you all, drifting with the current, crossing the Eastern Ocean, going straight to the Southern Continent, where I learned the [image of a demon]. Wearing these clothes and shoes, I wandered aimlessly for eight or nine years, but never attained enlightenment. Then I crossed the Western Ocean, arriving at the Western Continent, where I inquired for a long time. Fortunately, I met an old ancestor who transmitted to me the true fruit of immortality, the power to live as long as heaven and earth." "This is the great Dharma gate!" The monkeys congratulated him, saying, "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" Wukong laughed again, "My little ones, I'm also delighted that everyone in my family has a surname." The monkeys asked, "What is Your Majesty's surname?" Wukong replied, "My surname is Sun, and my Dharma name is Wukong." Upon hearing this, the monkeys clapped their hands and exclaimed joyfully, "Your Majesty is Old Sun, and we are all Second Sun, Third Sun, Little Sun, and Youngest Sun—a family of Suns, a nation of Suns, a whole brood of Suns!" They all flattered Old Sun, and large and small bowls of coconut wine, grape wine, and celestial flowers and fruits were served. It was truly a joyous family occasion! Ah! Having established one surname, one returns to one's original nature, awaiting only the glorious promotion to the celestial realm.
The Monkey King returned home in triumph. Having defeated the Demon King of Chaos and seized a large sword, he practiced martial arts daily, teaching the monkeys to cut bamboo for spears, carve wood for knives, make flags, and sound whistles. They advanced and retreated, set up camp, and played for a long time. Suddenly, he sat quietly, thinking, "If we play here, it might become real. We might alert the human king, or the kings of birds and beasts might recognize us as rebels and send troops to kill us. You all have bamboo poles and wooden swords; how can you fight them? We need sharp swords and halberds. What should we do?" Hearing this, the monkeys were all terrified, saying, "Your Majesty's insight is great, but we have nowhere to use it!"
Just then, four old monkeys came up, two red-bottomed macaques and two gibbones, and said, "Your Majesty, if you want to forge sharp weapons, it's very easy." Wukong asked, "How so?" The four monkeys said, "Two hundred li to the east of our mountain lies a body of water, and beyond that is the border of the Kingdom of Aolai. There is a king in that kingdom, and countless soldiers and civilians in the city. There must be craftsmen of gold, silver, copper, and iron. If Your Majesty goes there, you can either buy or forge some weapons, train us, and protect our mountain territory. This is truly a way to ensure lasting peace and prosperity." Hearing this, Wukong was overjoyed and said, "You all stay here and play. I'll go and get them."
The Monkey King, in a flash, leaped across two hundred li of water on his somersault cloud. Sure enough, there was a city there, with six streets and three markets, thousands of households and gates, bustling with people in broad daylight. Wukong thought to himself, "There must be ready-made weapons here. Instead of going down to buy a few, I'd better use my supernatural powers to find some." He made a hand gesture, chanted an incantation, inhaled towards the southeast, and blew it out. A fierce wind arose, sending sand and stones flying—a truly astonishing sight—"Where the clouds of fire rise, the heavens and earth are shaken; black mist and haze darken the earth. Rivers and seas churn, fish and crabs tremble in fear; trees in the mountains and forests break, tigers and wolves flee."
There are no merchants or travelers in any trade, and no one is seen in any profession. The king in the palace returns to his inner court, while civil and military officials go to their offices before the steps.
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