Bang! The crack of a gavel striking a wooden desk startled the monkey out of his daze, and he looked up toward the seat of honor.
The black-skinned King of Yama gazed down at him sternly and asked, "Who stands before this court?"
Sun Wukong covered his wounded head with one hand and pressed the other against the floor, pushing himself to his feet. With little respect in his voice, he said, "I'm Sun Wukong, the Handsome Monkey King of Water-Curtain Cave on Flower-Fruit Mountain. King of Hell, your soul collectors seized the wrong monkey! I mastered the art of eternal youth and longevity long ago. My name isn't in the Book of Life and Death. How could you drag me here without distinguishing right from wrong, then throw me into the Ninth Layer of Hell to suffer every torment? Hurry up and send me back!"
With that, he found himself a chair and sat down, touching the wound on his head and hissing through his teeth.
Hearing the monkey address him so casually, without a shred of respect, then stand up to answer his question and even find himself a chair, the corner of the King of Yama's eye twitched. Did this monkey not know that the king before him was his martial uncle?
Well, he did not!
"Insolence!" Whether he knew or not, punishment was still due. The King of Yama slammed down his gavel and rebuked the monkey. "How dare you behave so casually in this court? Kneel!"
"What?" The monkey thought he had misheard. Pointing at his own nose, he asked, "You want me to kneel?"
"Indeed."
"Kneel to you?"
"Precisely." The King of Yama nodded.
At that answer, the monkey drew a deep breath, anger stirring within him.
*You're the King of Hell, and I'm