As the Immortal Master was running back and forth, the Plum Mountain brothers came up and surround him, saying: “Brother, did you catch the Great Sage?” The Immortal Master laughed and said, “Just now that monkey turned himself into a shrine to deceive me. Just as I was about to hit his windows and kick his doors, he twisted himself and now he’s disappeared again. Strange! Strange!” The four were stunned, and looked around, but there was no sight of the Great Sage. The Immortal Master said, “Brothers, stay here and keep watch. I’ll fly up and search for him.” He rose into the air on his cloud and saw Lord Li holding up the demon-revealing mirror with Prince Nezha standing at the ready. “My lord, have you seen that monkey king?” the Immortal Master called out. Lord Li answered, “He hasn’t come up here. I have him in my sights.” Erlang recounted the contest of transformations to Lord Li, concluding: “He turned into a shrine, and just as I was about to attack, he ran away.” Lord Li panned the mirror all around and laughed softly to himself. “Master Immortal, go quickly! That monkey made himself invisible and left the enclosure. He’s headed for the Guan River mouth.” Erlang quickly retrieved his magic glaive and returned to the Guan River mouth.
The Great Sage arrived first at Guan River mouth, and with a shake, turned himself into Master Erlang’s likeness.1 Descending on his cloud, he entered the temple. The demons there couldn’t tell the difference, and each bowed down in welcome. He sat amongst them, lit the incense, and began to inspect the prayers and offerings in front of the shrine. As he was looking around, someone reported, “Another Master has arrived.” The demons all turned to look, frightened. The real Erlang said, “Did a Great Sage Equaling Heaven show up here just now?” The demons said, “We haven’t seen any Great Sage, but another Master is inside inspecting the offerings” Erlang kicked down the door and hurried inside. Seeing him, the Great Sage revealed himself and said, “Master needn’t shout, this is Sun’s temple now.” The Immortal Master raised his three-pointed double-edged glaive and chopped right at Wukong’s head. The Monkey King sidestepped the strike, pulled the embroidery needle out of his ear, waved it until it was the thickness of a rice bowl, and ran forward to return the strike. The two of them, screaming and shouting, fought their way out of the temple and back to Huaguo Mountain. The Four Heavenly Kings and all the soldiers hurriedly raised their guard. The Plum Mountain Brothers surrounded the Master and the Handsome Monkey King. Let’s leave them for now.
They say that after the Strong Demon King delivered the summons to Master Erlang and the Plum Mountain Brothers, he returned to Heaven to report. Inside Lingxiao Palace, the Jade Emperor was saying to Guanyin, the Queen Mother, and the various immortal advisors: “Erlang has gone to join the battle, yet we have had no news for a day.”
Guanyin folded her hands and said, “Would your majesty accompany this humble monk outside the South Heavenly Gate so we can see for ourselves the state of the battle?”
“A reasonable suggestion,” the Jade Emperor said. The assembly of immortals proceeded to the South Heavenly Gate. The immortal guards opened the gate, and they saw that the heavenly army had surrounded the mountain with cosmic net. Lord Li stood with Prince Nezha in midair, raising the magic mirror. The Immortal Master and his brothers had the Great Sage surrounded, and they were fighting without ceasing.
Guanyin spoke: “What do you think of this humble monk’s suggestion? Erlang is indeed powerful – he has the Great Sage surrounded. However, it seems he cannot capture him. If I lend him some aid, he is sure to capture him.”2
Lao Tzu replied, “What weapon will the Bodhisattva use to aid him?”
The Bodhisattva replied, “I shall throw down my vase and willow branch and hit that monkey on his head. It will not kill him, but it will cause him to stumble, and then Master Erlang will be able to capture him.”
Lao Tzu replied, “Your vase is porcelain. If it hits him, then all’s well, but if you miss, or if you hit his iron staff, won’t it break? Let me aid him instead.”
“Have you a weapon?” the Bodhisattva asked.
“Yes, I have,” Lao Tzu said. He pulled up his sleeve and pulled a hoop from his left arm, saying: “This weapon was smelted from red gold in my alchemical crucible during the creation of pearls of immortality, which imbued it spiritual energy. It can transform and is indestructible to water and fire. It can bind many things. It is called the Diamond Edge, or the Diamond Snare. Years ago, I relied upon it when I was converting barbarians to Buddhism at the Han Pass. It protected me from morning to night. Let me throw this down to hit him.”
From atop the Heavenly Gate, he threw it down and it fell toward the encampment surrounding Huaguo Mountain and hit the monkey king on the head. The monkey king was fighting bitterly against the seven immortal brothers. This weapon fell from the sky unnoticed, striking him squarely. He lost his footing and stumbled, and immediately got up to flee, but Master Erlang’s little hound ran up and sank his teeth into the monkey’s calf, pulling him to the ground. Lying there, the Monkey King swore: “Worthless mutt!3 Why don’t you go hinder your master instead of biting Old Sun!” He couldn’t get up and was soon surrounded by the seven brothers who pressed him to the ground. They tied him up and pierced his breastbone with a hook-knife to prevent him from transforming.
Lao Tzu retrieved his Diamond Snare and returned to Lingxiao Palace with the Emperor, Bodhisattva, Queen Mother, and the immortal court. The Four Heavenly Kings and Lord Li below brought in the troops and dissembled the camp. They congratulated Erlang saying, “It is all thanks to the Little Sage!” Erlang replied, “It was down to the High Immortal Lao Tzu’s contribution, and my lords’ authority. What is my contribution to that?”
Kang, Zhang, Yao, and Li said, “Brother, stop blabbering. Let’s bring this criminal to the Jade Emperor and complete this summons.”4
“Brother,” Erlang said, “as you are not registered in Heaven, you cannot go see the Jade Emperor. Tell the soldiers to bring the criminal in. I will go up with the Heavenly Kings to report. You all search the mountain and when it’s cleared out, go back to the Guan mouth. When I have received our reward, I’ll come back and celebrate with you all.”
The Plum Mountain Brothers consented. Erlang and the army of immortals ascended to Heaven singing a song of victory. Before long, they arrived at Tongming Palace and were announced to the court: “The Four Heavenly Kings and company have captured the yao monkey, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, and have come to hear the decree.”
The Jade Emperor decreed that the Strong Demon King and immortal soldiers take the criminal to the execution platform for beheading. Oh! The troublemaker faces his punishment today; even the greatest hero one day meets death. To find out if the monkey king lives or dies, read on to the next chapter.
1 The word for master is ‘grandpa’. ↩
2 two pacifists walk into a bar… ↩
3 He calls the dog a ‘dead person’ as an insult. I don’t really get it. ↩
4 and turn in the quest, lol ↩
Etymology Adventures 
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