The two fought another ten or twenty exchanges.
Wukong darted high and low.
The Golden Cudgel lengthened and shortened in his hands. One instant it was before Great King Si's forehead; the next, it jabbed toward his ankle.
Great King Si's steps were steady, his Steel-Pointed Spear blocking crosswise and parrying upright. Each time its shaft struck the ground, a crack shuddered through the earth.
Neither stopped moving.
One advanced, the other retreated.
One pressed down, the other flicked up.
The lesser demons at the entrance watched until their eyes blurred.
Wukong pivoted, appearing beside Great King Si, and the cudgel's butt sprang up with his momentum, striking straight at the king's ribs.
Great King Si twisted his shoulders and back, sweeping the spear shaft up across his waist.
Clang!
The cudgel's butt struck the spear shaft, making the lesser demons cover their ears and cower off to one side.
Using the force of the collision, Wukong flipped away and landed thirty feet out.
Great King Si stepped back and touched his spear tip to the ground.
Wukong rested the Golden Cudgel at an angle over his shoulder.
He looked at Great King Si, one corner of his mouth lifting.
"Why stop? Getting tired?"
"Don't tell me you can't keep it up!"
He raised his chin and laughed. "I haven't even put my strength into it yet."
Great King Si looked up, but before he could speak,
a tiger's roar suddenly came from inside the cave.
The smile froze on Wukong's face.
He whipped his gaze toward the cave.
"A-Hu?"
Another muffled crash came from within.
It sounded like an iron fork snapping, followed by a chorus of frightened cries from the lesser demons.
Great King Si watched Wukong and slowly smiled.
"There's a little kitty inside who doesn't know