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15 Lotus Cave

Meanwhile Wukong, pinned beneath Mount Tai, used every trick he had in trying to struggle free. The mountain god, the earth god and the guardians of the five directions were all alarmed. The moment they saw that the Great Sage was pinned there, they chanted their true spells and sent the three mountains back to their proper places, releasing Wukong. Wukong blamed the earth god and the mountain god for helping the demon crush him. They pleaded in their defence, "That demon has vast powers and mighty magic. He recites true spells to summon us, and we must take turns at duty in his cave, one of us each day!" Even as they spoke, a blaze of rosy light came flaming out of a hollow in the hill. Wukong asked, "Since you serve in the demon's cave, do you know what it is that shines so?" The earth god said, "That is the light of the demon's treasure. Some sprite must be bringing it to subdue you." Wukong resolved to turn the demon's own trick against him. He sent the gods away, shook himself into the shape of an old Taoist, and leaned against the roadside to wait. Before long the two lesser demons came by, and Wukong quietly stretched out his golden-hooped rod and tripped them up. The two demons angrily demanded to know who he was. Wukong said, "I am an immortal of Penglai, come today to your mountain to lead someone to immortality. Which of you will come with me?" Both vied to be the one. Wukong asked where they were bound, and the two said their king had sent them to capture Sun Wukong. Wukong offered to help them, but Clever Ghost said, "There is no need, sir. Our second king has called down three great mountains and pinned Sun Wukong beneath them, so that he cannot move an inch, and has sent us two with the red gourd and the jade pure vase to bottle him up." The two demons each brought out their treasure and showed it off to Wukong. When he had learned exactly how they were used, he said scornfully, "How can your treasures compare with mine?" Then he secretly reached up, plucked a hair, and turned it into a purple-gold red gourd about a foot high. Nimble Worm looked it over and said, "Your gourd is fair to look at but of no use. Each of our treasures can hold a thousand men." Wukong said, "What is so remarkable about holding men? My gourd can hold the sky." Clever Ghost said, "I fear you are lying. Show us, and then we shall believe." Wukong agreed, left a counterfeit body there to hold the two demons, and with his true self leapt into the clouds. He summoned the day-roving god, the night-roving god and the guardians of the five directions. "Go quickly and report to the Jade Emperor that this old monkey, in order to subdue a demon, wishes the sky to be darkened for one hour. If he utters half a word of refusal, I will fight my way into the Hall of Lingxiao!" The gods dared not delay, but went straight up to the Hall of Lingxiao and reported to the Jade Emperor. The Emperor asked his court for a plan, and Nezha said, "Go to the North Gate of Heaven and borrow the black vulture banner from the True Martial Emperor, then unfurl it over the South Gate of Heaven to blot out sun, moon and stars, and Wukong will succeed." The Jade Emperor at once commanded Nezha to do so. A roving god had already hastened down to Wukong's ear to tell him that Nezha was helping. Wukong looked up and saw the auspicious clouds swirling, and knew that Nezha was ready. He said quickly to the two demons, "Now I shall bottle up the sky." He pretended to chant a spell and threw the gourd upward; it floated and drifted a long while before it fell. At the South Gate of Heaven Nezha unfurled the black banner, blotting out sun, moon and stars, so that on the earth below a man could not see his own hand before his face. The two lesser demons cried out in terror, "That gourd truly can hold the sky! We believe you now; let the sky out at once!" Wukong heard them and chanted a spell, which reached Nezha, who quickly furled the black banner, until the red sun stood in the sky once more. Amazed at how marvellous the purple-gold red gourd was, the two lesser demons talked it over and offered to exchange their two treasures for Wukong's one. Wukong pretended that he could not bear to part with it, and only after they had begged him again and again did he agree to the swap. Wukong took the gourd and the vase, and while the two demons were squabbling over the counterfeit gourd he sprang up to the South Gate of Heaven and thanked Nezha for waving the banner to help him. Nezha returned to his palace to report, and sent the banner back to the True Martial Emperor. When Nimble Worm looked up, Wukong had disappeared. He grumbled, "Even an immortal tells lies. He said he would lead us to immortality, yet here he is gone without a word." Clever Ghost said, "We have the better of the bargain; immortality can wait. Come, let us try bottling the sky." With that he recited the "spell" and tossed the gourd upward.

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