Chapter Summaries

Ao Lie took the form of a white horse and carried Tang Xuanzang west with Sun Wukong, who found them fruit and later spotted a secluded temple where they might spend the night. As Tang Xuanzang urged them toward the temple, Ao Lie protested that he had hardly done any walking himself.

• Ao Lie transformed into a white horse to carry Tang Xuanzang and his luggage, while Sun Wukong joked about his old duties tending heavenly horses.
• Sun Wukong found an orchard, picked fruit for the group, and led them west again after they ate.
• After four shichen of travel, Sun Wukong spotted a hidden temple in the forest and told Tang Xuanzang they could ask to stay there.
• Tang Xuanzang and Ao Lie initially looked in the wrong direction, then saw the temple after Sun Wukong corrected them.
• Tang Xuanzang urged Sun Wukong and Ao Lie toward the temple, and Ao Lie pointed out that he and Sun Wukong had done most of the traveling while Tang Xuanzang rode.

Tang Xuanzang, Sun Wukong, and the White Dragon Horse reached a forest temple after Tang Xuanzang exhausted himself trying to hit Sun Wukong. The temple’s gates were opened, and Tang Xuanzang introduced himself as a monk from the Great Tang traveling west to obtain scriptures.

• Tang Xuanzang attacked Sun Wukong, who dodged every blow without moving his feet, until Tang Xuanzang collapsed from exhaustion.
• Sun Wukong and the White Dragon Horse helped Tang Xuanzang up and carried him to the temple, where he punched Sun Wukong on the way.
• Tang Xuanzang knocked and shouted at the closed temple gates until a monk opened them and invited the travelers inside.
• Tang Xuanzang thanked the old monk for lodging them and told him he was traveling from the Great Tang to the Western Heaven to obtain Mahayana scriptures from Buddha Tathagata.

Tang Xuanzang and Sun Wukong stayed at a temple where the old monk showed them the staffs and kasayas collected by its abbots. After the old monk challenged Tang Xuanzang to reveal his own treasure, Sun Wukong brought out the kasaya bestowed by Buddha, setting the stage for a contest between treasures.

• The old monk praised Tang Xuanzang’s perseverance and asked about Sun Wukong, whom Tang Xuanzang described only as his disciple.
• The old monk led Tang Xuanzang and Sun Wukong to a candlelit room filled with the staffs and kasayas of the temple’s seventy-eight abbots.
• The old monk displayed the kasayas and staffs as treasures and asked Tang Xuanzang to show him his own.
• Tang Xuanzang said he had left his treasures in Chang'an, but Sun Wukong claimed his master had a treasure and scolded the old monk for doubting him.
• The old monk insisted on seeing it, so Sun Wukong fetched the kasaya Buddha had given Tang Xuanzang and took it out before him.

The old monk was captivated by Tang Xuanzang’s kasaya and admitted that his own treasured robes paled beside it. Sun Wukong then escorted him out after he showed them to a dusty side room for the night.

• The old monk admired Tang Xuanzang’s kasaya and called his own kasayas inferior by comparison.
• Sun Wukong asked which kasaya was better, and the old monk returned Tang Xuanzang’s robe while longing to possess it.
• The old monk considered ways to obtain the kasaya but concluded he could neither persuade nor overpower Tang Xuanzang and Sun Wukong.
• Sun Wukong asked for a place to stay, and the old monk led him and Tang Xuanzang to a dusty side room.
• Tang Xuanzang thanked the old monk for the room, and Sun Wukong told him to leave so they could rest.

Sun Wukong sent the old monk away before he could ask to borrow Tang Xuanzang's treasured kasaya, warning his master that the monk intended to keep it. The old monk's desire for the kasaya grew through the night until he rushed back and woke Sun Wukong and Tang Xuanzang.

• The old monk considered asking Tang Xuanzang to lend him the kasaya, but Sun Wukong urged him to leave before he could ask.
• Sun Wukong explained to Tang Xuanzang that the old monk coveted the kasaya and would likely make excuses to keep it.
• The old monk dreamed that the kasaya eluded him, then tried reciting Buddhist teachings to calm his desire, but failed.
• The old monk dressed and hurried back to Tang Xuanzang and Sun Wukong's room, where he banged loudly on the door.
• Sun Wukong woke angrily, opened the door, and shouted at whoever was disturbing them.

The old monk borrowed Tang Xuanzang’s precious kasaya for the night, but it vanished while he slept. When Sun Wukong demanded it back, the old monk claimed a black bear demon had stolen it and sent him to Black Wind Cave.

• The old monk borrowed Tang Xuanzang’s kasaya from Sun Wukong and went to sleep holding it.
• The old monk woke to find the kasaya missing and searched his dwelling without finding it.
• Sun Wukong demanded the kasaya back, and the old monk stalled before claiming a demon had stolen it.
• The old monk told Sun Wukong that a black bear at Black Wind Cave on Black Wind Mountain had taken the kasaya.
• The old monk planned to pack up the temple while Sun Wukong went to look for the black bear.

After confirming that a black bear had stolen Tang Xuanzang’s kasaya, Sun Wukong flew to Black Wind Mountain to confront him. Sun Wukong forced his way into Black Wind Cave and demanded that the Black Bear Spirit come out.

• Sun Wukong asked Ao Lie whether a demon had entered the temple, and Ao Lie confirmed that a black bear had climbed over the wall the previous night.
• Sun Wukong told the White Deer Horse to watch the old monk, then flew to Black Wind Mountain.
• Sun Wukong demanded that the leopard spirits guarding Black Wind Cave summon their king, but one boasted that Black Wind had killed the former demon king and claimed the mountain.
• Sun Wukong frightened the leopard spirits with a breath and forced his way into Black Wind Cave.
• Sun Wukong shouted for the Black Bear Spirit to come out and answer for stealing Tang Xuanzang’s kasaya.

Sun Wukong confronted the Black Wind King over the stolen kasaya, but the king mocked his past as a Keeper of the Heavenly Horses and his imprisonment beneath Five Elements Mountain. Enraged by the insults, Sun Wukong drew the Jingu Bang and prepared to fight.

• The Black Wind King appeared with his underlings and demanded to know why Sun Wukong had attacked his disciples.
• Sun Wukong mocked the Black Wind King as a black coal ball and introduced himself as the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.
• The Black Wind King realized the stolen kasaya belonged to Sun Wukong's master but refused to return it.
• The Black Wind King and his underlings ridiculed Sun Wukong's former post and five-hundred-year imprisonment.
• Sun Wukong, furious at their taunts, drew the Jingu Bang and threatened to show them his power.

Sun Wukong drove Black Wind’s underlings away and fought Black Wind over the stolen kasaya, gradually overpowering him. Black Wind faked a stomachache and retreated into Black Wind Cave, leaving Sun Wukong outside demanding the kasaya back.

• Sun Wukong defeated Black Wind’s underlings with the Jingu Bang and challenged Black Wind to fight outside.
• Sun Wukong and Black Wind clashed, but Black Wind’s weapon and strength proved inferior to the Jingu Bang.
• Black Wind called a truce by claiming he had a stomachache, then fled into Black Wind Cave and shut the entrance.
• Sun Wukong tried threats and taunts to make Black Wind come out and return the kasaya, but Black Wind stayed inside.

Sun Wukong found Black Wind Cave deserted and learned that the Black Bear Spirit had gone to the temple to seize Tang Xuanzang. The Black Bear Spirit attacked Xuanzang, and Sun Wukong arrived to find his master helpless in the demon’s grasp.

• Sun Wukong split Black Wind Cave open with his staff, but found only lesser demons inside.
• A lesser demon told Sun Wukong that the Black Bear Spirit had left to guard the cave and would return.
• The Black Bear Spirit went to the temple, where he attacked the old monk and swept him up in a tornado of black wind.
• Tang Xuanzang broke apart the tornado with One-Finger Chan and urged the Black Bear Spirit to return the kasaya and join the Buddhist Order.
• The Black Bear Spirit lunged behind Tang Xuanzang and seized him by the throat as Sun Wukong arrived.

The Black Bear Spirit held Tang Xuanzang hostage to force Sun Wukong to let him escape with the kasaya. Ao Lie ambushed the Black Bear Spirit, and Sun Wukong rescued his master before joining the fight, leaving the Black Bear Spirit’s escape blocked by Wukong’s clones.

• The Black Bear Spirit threatened to kill Tang Xuanzang unless Sun Wukong let him go, while Tang Xuanzang urged Sun Wukong to retrieve the kasaya.
• Ao Lie crept behind the Black Bear Spirit as Sun Wukong distracted him, then struck when the Black Bear Spirit loosened his grip on Tang Xuanzang.
• Sun Wukong carried Tang Xuanzang to safety and went to help Ao Lie, who announced his identity as the third prince of the Dragon Palace of the Western Sea.
• The Black Bear Spirit summoned a black tornado and tried to flee, so Sun Wukong created clones with replica Jingu Bangs to block his path.

Sun Wukong subdued the Black Bear Spirit after Tang Xuanzang repeatedly stopped him from killing the demon and asked for the kasaya back. When the Black Bear Spirit refused, Tang Xuanzang had him restrained so he could teach him, while Sun Wukong and Little White Dragon waited nearby.

• Tang Xuanzang stopped Sun Wukong from striking the Black Bear Spirit and urged him to restrain the demon instead.
• Sun Wukong and his clones joined Little White Dragon in defeating the Black Bear Spirit and demanded that he return the kasaya.
• The Black Bear Spirit refused, and Tang Xuanzang intervened again to stop Sun Wukong from killing him.
• Tang Xuanzang asked Little White Dragon to bind the Black Bear Spirit to a tree so he could teach him and bring him into the Buddhist fold.
• Sun Wukong and Little White Dragon watched Tang Xuanzang, then joked about the hardships of their journey west.

After Tang Xuanzang subdued the Black Bear Spirit, Bodhisattva Guanyin took him away for guidance and told Sun Wukong to protect Tang Monk on the journey. Sun Wukong retrieved the kasaya from Black Wind Cave and returned to find Tang Xuanzang reforming the old monk.

• Tang Xuanzang dispelled the Black Bear Spirit's savagery, leaving him unable to attack.
• Bodhisattva Guanyin arrived, praised Tang Xuanzang and Sun Wukong for subduing the Black Bear Spirit, and took the bear away to guide him.
• Bodhisattva Guanyin told Sun Wukong to protect Tang Xuanzang and cooperate with the White Dragon Horse, then hinted that something good might happen at their next stop.
• Sun Wukong went to Black Wind Cave, reclaimed Tang Xuanzang's kasaya, and ordered the lesser demons to stop troubling people and cultivate.
• Sun Wukong returned to the temple and found Tang Xuanzang helping the old monk overcome his obsession with kasayas.

Sun Wukong and Tang Monk reached a valley shrouded in foul haze and stopped at a farmhouse to seek food and information. The farmer revealed that the haze might have come from Old Gao Village, then agreed to explain the village after Sun Wukong pressed him about a big black pig.

• Sun Wukong sensed something dangerous in a murky mountain valley and found a nearby house where he and Tang Monk could rest and beg for food.
• A frightened householder opened the gate, but Tang Monk calmed him and explained that they were traveling from the Great Tang to fetch scriptures.
• After serving them porridge, the householder denied knowing about the valley’s strange conditions, then said the miasma must have drifted from Old Gao Village.
• Sun Wukong pursued the fleeing householder and demanded to know what was in Old Gao Village.
• The householder agreed to tell them about the village but asked them not to reveal that he had spoken, fearing trouble from a big black pig.

A former hired hand told Sun Wukong and Tang Monk how a dark, strong laborer at Old Gao Village transformed into a black pig spirit, killed workers, and imprisoned Gao Cuilan. The two monks reached Old Gao Village and met Squire Gao, who welcomed them and asked them to subdue the spirit.

• A former hired hand recounted how the dark laborer transformed into a huge black pig, killed workers, and seized Gao Cuilan.
• Sun Wukong and Tang Monk decided to visit Old Gao Village, despite the man's warning that many would-be demon slayers had died there.
• The man escorted Sun Wukong and Tang Monk to the village gates, then fled when they continued toward the village.
• A guard mistook Sun Wukong for a demon and tried to shut the gates, but Tang Monk explained that they had come to help.
• Squire Gao welcomed the monks and asked whether they had come to subdue the black pig spirit.

Sun Wukong learned that the Black Pig Spirit had imprisoned Gao Cuilan in the rear courtyard of Old Gao Village and planned to rescue her while the spirit was away. After waiting until the third watch, he transformed into a sparrow and slipped into the courtyard.

• Squire Gao told Tang Xuanzang and Sun Wukong that the Black Pig Spirit had taken Gao Cuilan and kept her in the inner room for more than two years.
• Sun Wukong proposed rescuing Gao Cuilan, disguising himself as her, and confronting the Black Pig Spirit, but Tang Xuanzang warned him not to take a life unless necessary.
• Squire Gao explained that the Black Pig Spirit left at the third watch each night, and Sun Wukong agreed to wait until then.
• At the third watch, Sun Wukong spotted the Black Pig Spirit riding away on a black cloud and transformed into a sparrow.
• Sun Wukong flew into the rear courtyard and headed toward the house while Tang Xuanzang told Squire Gao to wait at the agreed meeting place.

Sun Wukong rescued Gao Cuilan from Zhu Ganglie and reunited her with Squire Gao. When Zhu Ganglie returned, Sun Wukong disguised himself as Gao Cuilan to trick him.

• Sun Wukong entered the bridal chamber and revealed himself to Gao Cuilan, who fainted from fright.
• Gao Cuilan agreed to leave with Sun Wukong but begged him to spare Zhu Ganglie, explaining that he had never mistreated her.
• Sun Wukong brought Gao Cuilan back to Squire Gao, and she reunited with her parents.
• A demonic wind announced Zhu Ganglie's return, so Sun Wukong sent Tang Xuanzang and the Gao family away and took Gao Cuilan's appearance.
• Zhu Ganglie entered the room, and Sun Wukong greeted him as his wife, leaving him stunned.

Sun Wukong rescued Gao Cuilan and confronted Zhu Ganglie, who recognized him as the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses after their fight began. Zhu Ganglie used an Azure Spirit Pearl to repel Sun Wukong’s attack and claimed it was a treasure formed from a primordial divine stone.

• Sun Wukong revealed himself to Zhu Ganglie after kicking him away and said he had rescued Miss Gao.
• Zhu Ganglie attacked Sun Wukong, then summoned his Nine-Toothed Rake when he began losing.
• Sun Wukong summoned the Jingu Bang and overpowered Zhu Ganglie, who recognized him as the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses.
• Sun Wukong raised the Sea-Calming Divine Needle to strike Zhu Ganglie, but Zhu Ganglie blocked it with the Azure Spirit Pearl and its rebounding force blasted Sun Wukong away.
• Zhu Ganglie told Sun Wukong that the Azure Spirit Pearl was a mountain-guarding treasure from a divine stone that fell when heaven and earth were first created.

Sun Wukong used Samadhi True Fire to force Zhu Ganglie to flee into Black Pig Cave, then transformed into a pangolin and tunneled inside. After they fought for three hundred rounds, Zhu Ganglie asked for a truce, and Sun Wukong pointed at him.

• Zhu Ganglie used the Azure Spirit Pearl to repel Sun Wukong’s attacks and tried to leave, but Sun Wukong attacked him with Samadhi True Fire.
• Zhu Ganglie fled on a black cloud to Black Pig Cave, and Sun Wukong chased him there on a Somersault Cloud.
• Sun Wukong could not break through the Nine Heavens Mysterious Stone doors, so he transformed into a pangolin and dug a tunnel into the cave.
• Zhu Ganglie mistook the pangolin for prey, but Sun Wukong revealed himself and challenged him with the Jingu Bang.
• Sun Wukong and Zhu Ganglie fought for three hundred rounds, after which Zhu Ganglie asked to call a truce.

Sun Wukong defeated Zhu Ganglie, but stopped short of killing him when Zhu Ganglie revealed that Bodhisattva Guanyin had sent him to wait for Tang Xuanzang. Sun Wukong ordered Zhu Ganglie to come meet his master.

• Zhu Ganglie made a duplicate of himself, but Sun Wukong answered by creating several monkeys and quickly defeated both Zhu Ganglies.
• Zhu Ganglie transformed into a gigantic wild boar and charged Sun Wukong, who grew into his own enormous true form and slammed him into the ground.
• Sun Wukong pinned Zhu Ganglie with the Jingu Bang and prepared to kill him for bringing disaster to the world.
• Zhu Ganglie revealed that Bodhisattva Guanyin had commanded him to wait for a scripture seeker from the Great Tang named Tang Xuanzang.
• Sun Wukong recognized Zhu Ganglie as Guanyin's promised surprise, walked away, then told him to come meet Master.