第 3 回

Since driving away the Demon King of Chaos, Sun Wukong has been leading the monkeys in practicing martial arts every day.

The reputation of Flower-Fruit Mountain is growing, and more and more monkeys are coming to join.

However, Sun Wukong has a worry in his heart.

He has now become an immortal monkey with magical powers, and ordinary mortal weapons, whether swords or spears, are too light to use and very inconvenient.

One day, an old monkey said to Sun Wukong: "Great King, the waterway beneath our Flower-Fruit Mountain leads directly to the East Sea Dragon Palace."

The East Sea Dragon King is very wealthy, and his palace houses many treasures.

Why doesn't the Great King go there once and ask the Dragon King for an immortal weapon?

Sun Wukong listened and thought this was a great idea, so he immediately set off for the East Sea.

Sun Wukong parted the sea water and directly arrived at the East Sea Dragon Palace.

The East Sea Dragon King Ao Guang was very surprised in his heart to see him suddenly visit.

Sun Wukong said with a smile: Old Dragon King, I am Sun Wukong, the master of the Water Curtain Cave on Flower-Fruit Mountain, and I am your neighbor.

Today I came specially to visit, hoping to borrow a handy weapon from you, and you cannot be stingy.

Upon hearing that it was just about weapons, the Dragon King felt relieved and said with a smile: Since we are neighbors, I will definitely help.

He immediately ordered the shrimp soldiers and crab generals to bring out many weapons and invited Sun Wukong to choose.

Sun Wukong tried all the weapons like broadswords and long halberds, but found them all too light and was unsatisfied.

At this moment, the Dragon Queen whispered to the Dragon King: Your Majesty, why not let him go see that Sea-Pacifying Needle?

That treasure weighs thirteen thousand five hundred jin, and I estimate he won't be able to lift it.

When he can't lift it, then he will have nothing to say, and cannot blame our Dragon Palace for not having treasures.

The Dragon King thought it made sense, so he took Sun Wukong to the depths of the sea.

Only to see a huge iron pillar standing in the seawater, shining with light, looking very extraordinary.

Both ends of the iron pillar are two golden hoops, the middle is black iron, and there is a line of characters engraved on it: Ruyi Jingu Bang.

The Dragon King pointed at the iron pillar and said: "Immortal, this is the Sea-Fixing Needle left by Da Yu when he controlled the floods, and it is the most important treasure of our Dragon Palace."

It's just too heavy, I'm afraid even you, Immortal, cannot lift it.

Sun Wukong saw this treasure and was very happy in his heart.

He walked forward, touched the iron pillar with his hand, and chanted in his mouth: "Smaller, a little smaller."

The Golden Hooped Rod really became smaller as he spoke, finally becoming only as thick as a bowl's mouth and as long as two zhang, just right to hold in the hand.

Sun Wukong held it in his hand and tested it, and the weight was just right.

The Dragon King saw this situation, was so scared that his face changed color, and hurriedly ordered the shrimp soldiers and crab generals to go forward and snatch it.

Sun Wukong swung the Golden Hooped Rod, and immediately the water in the Dragon Palace churned and became chaotic.

Taking advantage of the chaos, he parted the seawater and directly returned to the Flower and Fruit Mountain.

After obtaining the Golden Cudgel, Sun Wukong's abilities became even greater.

The news spread, and the mountain spirits, wild monsters, and various demon kings near Flower-Fruit Mountain all came to join him one after another, making Flower-Fruit Mountain's reputation very great for a time.

One day, Sun Wukong and the monkeys drank together, got very drunk, and fell asleep on the stone slab outside the Water Curtain Cave.

In a daze, he saw two ghost messengers, one black and one white, holding a document with Sun Wukong's name on it, staggering over.

They put an iron chain around Sun Wukong's neck and, without any explanation, dragged him all the way to the underworld.

When he sobered up, Sun Wukong found himself in a very gloomy Yama Hall and couldn't help but become very angry.

He took out the Golden Cudgel and started wildly hitting, scaring Ox-Head and Horse-Face, as well as the big and small ghost soldiers, into fleeing everywhere, and even the Ten Yama Kings hid under the table.

Sun Wukong saw a very thick book on the Yama King's table, with the three words "Book of Life and Death" written on it.

He took it over, opened it, and saw that it detailed the names of all living beings under heaven, how many years they could live, and when they would die.

He found the book that recorded the monkey category, then found his own name, and saw that it indeed said Sun Wukong, should live three hundred and forty-two years, and die a normal death.

Sun Wukong was very angry in his heart, so he asked the judge for a brush and ink, and crossed out his own name and the names of all monkeys from the Book of Life and Death.

After doing this, he threw the Book of Life and Death away, laughed heartily, swung the Golden Cudgel, fought his way out of the underworld, and returned to the Flower-Fruit Mountain by himself.

The Dragon King of the Eastern Sea and the King of the Underworld, one lost his most important treasure, and the other had the order of the underworld disrupted, were both very angry.

They rode clouds together up to the sky, came to the Hall of Lingxiao, complained to the Jade Emperor, and carefully described Sun Wukong's various crimes of stealing the Sea-Calming Needle, causing chaos in the Hall of Yama, and arbitrarily altering the Book of Life and Death.

The Jade Emperor listened to the report, then asked the gods in front of the hall how to handle it.

At this moment, Taibai Jinxing came out and reported: Your Majesty, Sun Wukong is a body nurtured by heaven and earth, and a life conceived by the sun and moon.

Now he has cultivated the way of immortality and also has supernatural powers.

In my opinion, it would be better to issue an imperial edict of amnesty, call him up to heaven, and give him an official position.

This way, on one hand, it can win over his heart, and on the other hand, it also makes it convenient to control him, to prevent him from causing trouble in the human world again.

The Jade Emperor thought this made sense, so he agreed, and sent Taibai Jinxing down to the mortal world to offer amnesty.

Taibai Jinxing received the imperial decree and rode a cloud to arrive at Flower-Fruit Mountain.

He was old and unfamiliar with mountain paths, wandering around in the mountains, looking around in all directions.

The little monkeys patrolling the mountain saw his suspicious behavior, thought he was a bad person, rushed up together, tied him up, escorted him to the Water Curtain Cave, and came to see Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong asked: "Who are you, why do you casually barge into my Flower-Fruit Mountain?"

Taibai Jinxing hurriedly explained his identity and purpose: "I am the Taibai Jinxing from heaven, under the command of the Jade Emperor, specially come to invite the Great King to ascend to heaven, receive the roster of immortals, and become an immortal official in the Heavenly Palace."

That heavenly official position naturally has endless glory and wealth to enjoy.

Sun Wukong listened, felt very happy in his heart, thought that the Heavenly Palace must be a good place, then nodded and agreed, saying: "Since there is such a good thing, I, Old Sun, will go with you for a trip."

Before leaving, he said to the monkeys all over the mountain: "You stay here and guard the family property well, wait for me to first ascend to heaven to check the situation."

If it is really good there, I will come back to pick you up and go up together to enjoy happiness."

The monkeys listened, each and every one was very happy.