The poem reads: A monkey king, born of heaven, is full of transformations, stealing elixirs and wine, enjoying himself in his mountain dwelling. But because he disrupted the Peach Banquet, a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers laid a trap for him.
At that time, Li Tianwang issued an order, commanding his heavenly soldiers to set up camp and completely surround Flower Fruit Mountain. Eighteen nets were laid out, and the Nine Luminaries, the most malevolent stars, were dispatched to fight. The Nine Luminaries immediately led their troops to the cave entrance, where they saw a group of monkeys of all sizes leaping and playing. The star officials shouted sternly, "You little demon! Where is your Great Sage? We are heavenly gods dispatched from the upper realm to subdue you, this rebellious Great Sage. Tell him to surrender quickly; if he utters even a single 'no,' you will all be executed!" The little demon hurriedly reported, "Great Sage, disaster! Disaster! There are nine fierce gods outside, claiming to be heavenly gods sent from the upper realm to subdue you, Great Sage!"
The Great Sage was drinking celestial wine with the seventy-two demon kings and his four generals when he heard the report. He ignored it, saying, "Let's drink and be merry today, and not worry about right or wrong at the gate." Before he finished speaking, a little demon jumped in and said, "Those nine fierce gods are hurling insults and fighting at the gate!" The Great Sage laughed and said, "Don't bother with them. Let's enjoy the wine and poetry today, and not worry about when fame and fortune will come." Before he finished speaking, another little demon came and reported, "Grandpa! Those nine fierce gods have broken down the gate and are coming in!" The Great Sage was furious and said, "These scoundrels are so rude! I was going to let them off the hook, but why do they come to bully me?" He immediately ordered the One-Horned Demon King to lead the seventy-two demon kings out to battle, with himself and his four generals following behind. The Demon King quickly led his demon soldiers out to meet the enemy, but they were all attacked by the Nine Luminaries and blocked at the Iron Bridge, unable to get out.
Just then, the Great Sage arrived. He shouted, "Clear the way!" He brandished his iron cudgel, which swung around—it was as thick as a bowl and twelve feet long—and charged out. None of the Nine Luminaries dared to resist, and they were all driven back. The Nine Luminaries then stood firm and said, "You ignorant and reckless stable boy! You have committed ten heinous crimes: first you stole peaches, then you stole wine, disrupting the Peach Banquet; then you stole Laozi's elixir of immortality, and now you've stolen the imperial wine to enjoy here. Your crimes are compounded, don't you know that?"
The Great Sage laughed and said, "These things are true, they are true! But what about now?"
The Nine Luminaries said, "I have been ordered by the Jade Emperor to lead my people here to subdue you. Quickly submit to me, lest these creatures pay with their lives. Otherwise, I will flatten this mountain and overturn this cave!"
The Great Sage roared in fury, "What power do you hairy gods possess, daring to spout such nonsense? Don't run away, take a blow from my staff!" The Nine Luminaries all leaped forward. The Monkey King, utterly unafraid, swung his golden cudgel, parrying left and right, until the Nine Luminaries were exhausted and weak, dragging their weapons as they fled in defeat. They rushed into the central command tent and said to the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, "That Monkey King is indeed extremely brave! We cannot defeat him, and we have been defeated." The Heavenly King Li immediately dispatched the Four Heavenly Kings and the Twenty-Eight Constellations to fight. The Great Sage, equally fearless, summoned the One-Legged Demon King, the Seventy-Two Cave Demon Kings, and four valiant generals, who formed a battle array outside the cave entrance. Behold, this chaotic battle is truly astonishing—a cold wind whistles, a strange fog hangs heavy. Banners flutter on one side, spears and halberds gleam on the other. Helmets gleam, armor gleams. The rolling helmets gleamed in the sun, like silver chimes striking the heavens; layers of armor shone on the cliffs, like icebergs pressing down on the earth. Great swords flashed like lightning; white spears pierced through mist and clouds. Halberds and tiger-eye whips stood in rows like a forest of hemp; bronze swords and four-pointed shovels formed a dense array. Bows and crossbows wielded their feathered arrows, short clubs and serpent spears pierced the souls. The Great Sage wielded his Ruyi Jingu Bang, turning it over and over, battling the gods. The birds flew through the air, tigers and wolves fled from the mountains. Sand and stones billowed, darkening the heavens and earth; dust and grime filled the universe. Only the clanging of weapons echoed, shaking heaven and earth; their terrifying power shook even the gods and spirits.
The battle, which began at dawn, raged until sunset. The One-Horned Demon King and the seventy-two cave monsters were all captured by the heavenly gods, leaving only the four generals and the monkeys to escape, hiding deep within the Water Curtain Cave. The Great Sage, with his staff, held off the Four Heavenly Gods, Li Jing, and Nezha, battling them in mid-air for a long time. Seeing that night was approaching, the Great Sage plucked a handful of hairs, chewed them, and spat them out, shouting, "Transform!" Instantly, hundreds of Great Sages appeared, all wielding the Golden Cudgel, defeating Nezha and the five Heavenly Kings.
The Great Sage, victorious, retrieved his hair and hurriedly turned back to his cave. There he saw again at the Iron Bridge, where four strong generals led their followers to greet him. They wept three times, then laughed three times. The Great Sage asked, "Why do you cry and laugh when you see me?"
The four generals said, "This morning, we led our troops in battle against the Heavenly King and captured all the demon kings of the seventy-two caves and the one-horned demon king. We escaped, so we should cry. But seeing the Great Sage return victorious and unharmed, we should laugh."
The Great Sage said, “Victory and defeat are common in war. As the ancients said, ‘For every ten thousand killed, three thousand of your own will be lost.’ Besides, the captured leader was a tiger, leopard, wolf, insect, badger, deer, fox, and the like. None of my kind were harmed, so why worry? Although I used my clone technique to drive him away, he will still set up camp at the foot of my mountain. Let us defend ourselves tightly, have a good meal, sleep soundly, and recharge. At dawn, watch me use my great supernatural power to capture these heavenly generals and avenge everyone.” The four generals and the monkeys drank several bowls of coconut wine and slept soundly.
The Four Heavenly Kings withdrew their troops and ceased fighting. Each soldier reported their achievements: some had captured tigers and leopards, some lions and elephants, some wolves, insects, and foxes, but none had captured a single monkey spirit. Then, the army re-established its camp, set up a large stronghold, rewarded the meritorious generals, and ordered the soldiers of the Heavenly Net to ring bells and shout commands, surrounding Flower Fruit Mountain, awaiting the great battle the next morning. Each soldier, having received their orders, guarded their posts diligently.
Not to mention that the gods surrounded him and the Great Sage was at peace.
The compassionate and merciful Guanyin Bodhisattva of Mount Putuo in the South China Sea, who saves people from suffering and distress, was invited by the Queen Mother of the West to the Peach Banquet. She and her eldest disciple, Huian, ascended the Jade Pavilion and found it desolate and the banquet in disarray. Although several celestial beings were present, none were seated; they were all engaged in noisy discussions. After the Bodhisattva met with the immortals, they recounted the events of the previous banquet. The Bodhisattva said, "Since there is no grand gathering and no passing of cups, you may follow me to see the Jade Emperor." The immortals readily agreed. Upon arriving at the Hall of Universal Brightness, the Four Heavenly Masters, the Barefoot Immortal, and others were already there to greet the Bodhisattva. They explained that the Jade Emperor was troubled, having dispatched heavenly troops to capture the monster, but the monster had not yet returned. The Bodhisattva said, "I wish to see the Jade Emperor; please convey my request." Heavenly Master Qiu Hongji then entered the Lingxiao Palace to announce her arrival. At that time, Laozi was above, and the Queen Mother of the West was behind.
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