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24 The Flaming Mountain

Once inside Princess Iron Fan's belly, Wukong revealed his true form and cried aloud, "Sister-in-law, lend me the use of the fan!" The princess was greatly alarmed and hastily called, "Girls, shut the front gate at once!" The girl said, "It is already shut." The princess asked, "Where is that monkey shouting from?" Wukong called again, "Sister-in-law, I am inside your very belly!" Saying this, he kicked downward with his foot. The princess felt sharp pain in her lower abdomen and sat on the ground crying out in agony. Wukong called once more, "Sister-in-law, do not stand on ceremony—let me give you a snack to fill your stomach!" He thrust his head upward. The pain made Princess Iron Fan turn pale and yellow-faced; she rolled on the ground without cease, crying, "Uncle Sun, spare my life!" Only then did Wukong stop and say, "Quickly lend me the fan!" Princess Iron Fan kept saying, "I will lend it, I will—Uncle, come out and take it!" She told the serving girl to bring a palm-leaf fan and set it aside. Wukong reached up to the princess's throat, saw the fan, and then called out, "Sister-in-law, open your mouth!" The princess obeyed and opened her mouth. Wukong turned back into a tiny insect and flew out. Wukong revealed his true form, picked up the palm-leaf fan that lay nearby, cried, "Many thanks, many thanks!" and strode out of the cave. Wukong rode his cloud back to the manor courtyard, handed the palm-leaf fan to the old man to look at, and asked, "Old sir, is this the fan?" The old man said, "Yes, yes, it is!" The Tang Monk said with delight, "My worthy disciple has labored well." The master and disciples took leave of the old man and continued westward. After walking about forty li they felt the heat unbearable. Bajie and Sandy both cried, "The soles of our feet are scorching!" Wukong said, "Wait a moment. Let me fan out the flames, then we will cross the mountain." Wukong carried the fan to the edge of the flames and waved it hard. To his surprise the fire blazed even fiercer. A second wave sent tongues of flame leaping a thousand zhang high, burning Wukong himself. Realizing something was wrong, Wukong tried to retreat in haste, but the hairs on his rump were already scorched clean. He ran to the Tang Monk and shouted, "Run back quickly—the fire is coming!" The Tang Monk hurriedly mounted his horse and fled eastward. The master and disciples ran over twenty li in one breath before stopping. Wukong threw the fan on the ground in fury, and the Tang Monk's face was full of gloom. Then someone said, "Reverend sirs, do not be troubled—eat some vegetarian food first, and then we will discuss matters." They turned and saw an old man holding a dragon-headed staff and carrying a copper basin of food. He bowed and said, "I am the local earth god of the Flaming Mountains, come to offer a meal." Wukong said, "Eating is a small matter. Who set this fire on the mountain? It is truly hateful." The local earth god smiled and said, "Forgive my bluntness, but this fire was originally set by the Great Sage himself." Wukong said angrily, "Nonsense!" The earth god went on, "Five hundred years ago, when the Great Sage wreaked havoc in the heavenly court, he knocked over Taishang Laojun's furnace of elixir. Several bricks fell to the mortal world; because embers remained within them, they became the Flaming Mountains." Wukong suddenly understood and asked the earth god, "By your account, what should I do now?" The earth god said, "That fan is a fake. To borrow the real one you must seek the Bull Demon King. He abandoned Princess Iron Fan and now lives with a fox-spirit named Princess Jade-Face in the Cloud-Scraping Cave on Mount Jilei." Having learned the way, Wukong mounted his cloud and departed. Arriving at Mount Jilei, he happened to meet a woman of graceful figure, holding a spray of orchid fragrance, walking slowly toward him.

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