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03 Revolt Against Heaven

Wukong went straight to the Southern Gate of Heaven. The heavenly guards, knowing that he had received the register of immortals, did not stop him, but let him go down to the world below. Back at the Water Curtain Cave, the apes asked him to mount his throne and spread a feast to welcome him home, and asked what great office he had held in heaven. The Monkey King, burning with shame and anger, shook his head. ‘Better not ask. Better not ask.’ The feast was set out, and two unicorn demon kings, hearing that Sun Wukong had been granted the heavenly register, came specially to pay their respects, offering him a robe of ochre yellow. Wukong put the robe about his shoulders in great delight, and there and then made the two demon kings his captains of the van. Having given thanks, the demon kings asked what great office he had held in heaven. Wukong said bitterly, ‘That Jade Emperor has no eye for this old Sun's abilities, and cozened me into being Keeper of the Horses. Only today did I learn that the Keeper of the Horses is a steward of no rank whatever. It is enough to kill a man with rage!’ Said the demon kings, ‘Great king, your powers are vast indeed. Why should you tend horses for them? Call yourself “Great Sage, Equal of Heaven” — what is there to stop you?’ The words struck Wukong to the very heart of his desire. ‘Good! Good! Good!’ he cried in delight. ‘Then Great Sage, Equal of Heaven I shall be!’ He ordered his monkey officers to raise a great banner on Flower-Fruit Mountain, bearing the four characters ‘Great Sage, Equal of Heaven.’ The banner snapped in the wind — a most imposing sight. At the morning audience of the next day, the Heavenly Master Zhang, with the stewards and deputy stewards of the Royal Stables, reported Wukong's rebellion to the Jade Emperor. The Emperor flew into a rage and appointed Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, as Grand Marshal for the Subduing of Demons, and his son Nezha, the Third Prince, as Great God of the Three Altars and the Sea Assembly, bidding them lead an army at once to make war upon him. The Heavenly King Li and Nezha mustered the three hosts: the Mighty Spirit God to lead the van, the Fish-Belly General to bring up the rear, and the Yaksha General to urge them on. In great array they marched out of the Southern Gate of Heaven and bore down upon Flower-Fruit Mountain. The heavenly soldiers and generals arrived at Flower-Fruit Mountain and pitched camp on level ground; and the Heavenly King Li at once ordered the Mighty Spirit God to go forward and give challenge. The Mighty Spirit God, whirling his great flowering axe, came before the Water Curtain Cave and shouted at the apes, ‘Go quickly and tell the Keeper of the Horses: I am a great general of heaven, sent by decree to take him. Let him come out at once and yield, and spare us the trouble of using force.’ The words had hardly left his mouth when the Monkey King appeared before him: upon his head a phoenix-winged crown of purple gold, upon his back a suit of chainmail golden armor, on his feet a pair of lotus-thread cloud-walking boots, and in his hand the As-You-Will Golden-Hooped Rod. He cried aloud, ‘Tell the old Jade Emperor this: let him grant me the title “Great Sage, Equal of Heaven,” and not a blade shall be drawn. Refuse me, and I will fight my way into the Hall of Divine Mists itself!’ The Mighty Spirit God swung his axe; the Monkey King, unhurried, raised his rod to meet it, and the two joined battle — a fine fight it was! They had not fought long before the Mighty Spirit God could hold out no longer, and a stroke from the Monkey King, falling full upon his head, broke the axe-haft in two. The Mighty Spirit God broke away and fled the field. The Monkey King laughed. ‘Wretched coward! Wretched coward! I have spared you — go and carry the news, go and carry the news!’ The first bout lost, the Heavenly King Li was furious and would have beheaded the Mighty Spirit God. Nezha, standing by, asked leave to go in his stead. ‘Calm your anger, father. Pardon the Mighty Spirit God, and let your son go and meet this demon monkey, that we may learn how deep he runs.’ Nezha came to the foot of the mountain and shouted at Wukong, ‘What powers have you, demon monkey, that you dare call yourself “Great Sage, Equal of Heaven”?’ Wukong laughed. ‘Little prince, I see your milk teeth have not yet fallen and the down on your head is not yet dry. I will spare your life: go back and tell the Jade Emperor that if he does not grant me that title, I will surely fight my way into the Hall of Divine Mists.’

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