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16 The Kingdom of Wuji

Wukong led the Tang Monk to stand before the white jade steps, and they did not kneel, so that all the officials below were struck with dread. The demon king asked where the Tang Monk and the others came from, and Wukong answered that they were from the Eastern Land. The demon king said angrily, "What of your Eastern Land? I send no tribute to your court and hold no intercourse with your country. How dare you meet me as an equal and not bow?" Wukong laughed. "My Eastern Land was of old established as the celestial court and has long been called the superior kingdom, while you are but a frontier state of the lower region. From of old the emperor of the superior state is father and lord, and the emperor of the inferior state is minister and son. You did not come out to welcome us, so how dare you blame us for not bowing?" The demon king roared, "Seize this wild monk!" The guards of the hall rushed forward together, but Wukong used his body-fixing spell, and not one of them could move. Seeing how formidable Wukong's powers were, the demon king leapt down from the dragon couch and came to seize him. The Monkey King made ready in secret, waiting only for the demon to come close before finishing him with one blow of the staff. But to his surprise the crown prince of the Kingdom of Wuji rushed forward, caught hold of the demon king and cried again and again, "Father, calm your anger!" The prince did not know that Wukong was deliberately provoking the demon; he feared the Tang Monk would be hurt, and so had come to stop them. The demon king sat back down upon the dragon couch and began to question each of the Tang Monk's party about their origins, and Wukong answered them one by one. When it came to the king of Wuji, the demon started with alarm and cried, "You monks are off to fetch scriptures - why is there a Taoist among you? Has he a religious certificate? Bring him up and take his statement!" The king of Wuji was so frightened that he trembled without stopping. Wukong stepped forward to shield the king and said, "If you wish to know the origin of this old Taoist, I will tell you. His family has lived here for generations. Five years ago this place was suddenly struck by a great drought; the king and the common people fasted and prayed to Heaven, but not one drop of rain fell..." Hearing what Wukong said, the demon king's face changed greatly. He dashed down from the dragon couch, sprang to the side of a palace general whom Wukong had fixed in place, snatched the precious sword from his belt, mounted a cloud and fled into the sky. Wukong told Bajie and Sandy to guard the king, the prince and their master, then with one somersault leapt up into the highest heavens. He opened his eyes and looked about, and saw the demon king fleeing for his life toward the northeast. Wukong caught up with him. The demon king turned and shouted, "Sun Wukong, what business is it of yours that I have taken another man's throne? Why must you come meddling and give away my secrets?" Wukong answered nothing and raised his staff to strike. The demon dodged aside and thrust his precious sword straight at Wukong's face. Sword and staff flashed back and forth until the sky and earth grew dark with the fury of the fight. After several rounds the demon could not withstand Wukong, turned back in haste and by the same road he had come plunged into the city. The demon king burst into the palace and darted into the throng of civil and military officials before the white jade steps. There he shook himself and changed into the likeness of the Tang Monk, then stood hand in hand with the Tang Monk before the steps. Wukong caught up and raised his staff to strike, but the demon cried, "Disciple, do not strike - it is I!" When Wukong turned to strike the other, the Tang Monk also cried, "Disciple, do not strike - it is I!" With two identical Tang Monks, Wukong could not tell which was real. He turned to Bajie and Sandy and asked, "Which one is the demon? Point him out to me, so that I may strike him." But neither Bajie nor Sandy could tell them apart. Wukong made a magic sign and chanted a spell, summoning the Dharma-protecting devas, the Six Ding and Six Jia, the Watchers of the Five Quarters, the Duty Officers of the Four Seasons, the Eighteen Guardian Deities, the earth god of the ward and the mountain god of this region. He said to them in secret, "This old Sun is subduing a demon here who has taken my master's shape, and I truly cannot tell them apart. If you recognise the true one, by all means escort my master up into the hall and leave me to seize the demon." But the demon had excellent hearing. Hearing what Wukong said, he leapt at once up onto the Golden Throne Hall. Wukong, thinking the one left below was the demon, raised his staff and struck at the Tang Monk. In alarm the gods joined their strength to hold the iron staff fast, telling Wukong that the one in the hall was the demon. Wukong chased him up into the hall, but the demon leapt down again, seized hold of the Tang Monk and turned this way and that among the crowd, so that they were still impossible to tell apart.

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