Chapter 109: Great Battle With Red Boy
Yet Wukong went up to heaven to seek aid and requested an audience with the Jade Emperor.
The Jade Emperor laughed, “Wukong, why have you come again? Have you encountered another monster on the westward journey?”
Wukong said with a face full of worry:
“Your Majesty guessed correctly. Old Sun is protecting Tang Sanzang on the journey to the Western Heaven for sutras. When we reached Six Hundred Li Drill Mountain in the Western Ox Continent, we encountered a Sea of Blood Great King. He is truly a ferocious demon. Not only is his martial prowess superior, but he also has a Black Lotus protecting his body, impervious to all spells, making him extremely difficult to defeat. He captured my Master and junior brother. I beg Your Majesty to show mercy and send troops to rescue them.”
The Jade Emperor said, “Do any of you immortal officials and divine generals know what treasure this Black Lotus that Wukong speaks of is?”
The assembled immortal officials and divine generals looked at each other, all unaware.
Taibai Jinxing said, “Your Majesty, this old minister has heard that Buddhism has the Golden Lotus, transformed from merit; the Daoist Sect has the Green Lotus, the profound mystery of creation; the Netherworld has the Blood Lotus, born from the blood sea. However, this Black Lotus, I do not know what treasure it is.”
Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor looked toward Jiazi Taisui God and asked:
“Jiazi Tai Sui, you just said the Three Realms are peaceful with no demonic aura. Why then is there now a monster obstructing the pilgrim’s path?”
Jiazi Taisui God hurriedly said, “Your Majesty, the Three Realms are peaceful with no great chaos. This demon is just an exception. Your Majesty, dispatch Li Tianwang and Nezha the Third Prince to lead troops to the mortal realm, and it can be exterminated in moments.”
The Jade Emperor said, “As Jiazi Tai Sui has reported, order Li Tianwang and Nezha the Third Prince to lead troops to the mortal realm and eliminate the demon.”
Jiazi Taisui God happily said, “Your Majesty is wise!”
Li Tianwang stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, my son Nezha is still recovering from heavy injuries and fears he cannot go into battle.”
The Jade Emperor said, “Order the Tai Sui Department: Jiazi Tai Sui, the Tai Sui of the current year, Day Roaming God, Night Roaming God, Zengfu God, Sunfu God, Xiandao God, Kailu God to go to the mortal realm with Li Tianwang and eliminate the demon.”
Jiazi Taisui God said, “This…”
The Jade Emperor looked over.
Jiazi Taisui God hurriedly said, “As commanded!”
Li Tianwang assembled the soldiers and generals. The gods of the Tai Sui Department gathered and went to the mortal realm together with Li Tianwang.
One Jiazi is sixty years, and there are sixty Tai Sui gods of the current year. Jiazi Tai Sui is the chief among them, also called Jiazi Taisui Gold Discriminating Great General. The remaining fifty-nine are arranged in order, such as Yichou Tai Sui Chen Cai Great General, Bingyin Tai Sui Geng Zhang Great General, and so on.
Adding the other divine generals, there were over seventy in total.
Wukong looked at the crowd of deities. Although the numbers were sufficient, he was not entirely reassured in his heart.
These people’s strength was not even as good as his own. How could they subdue that demon?
But in front of everyone, Wukong could not say it directly, so he said to Li Tianwang:
“Heavenly King, that monster’s abilities are not inferior to Old Sun’s. Do you know how to subdue him?”
Li Tianwang said, “I have not yet seen the demon and do not know its details, so it is not good to speak lightly.”
Wukong said, “I do not know where that monster came from. His martial arts are on par with Old Sun’s, but with that Black Lotus, Old Sun could not defeat him.”
Upon hearing this, Jiazi Tai Sui said, “Great Sage, do not worry. Have you not heard that one thing subdues another? The Heavenly King has the Precious Pagoda, which can suppress that Black Lotus. While the Great Sage fights the demon, we gods will assist together and surely help the Great Sage defeat the demon.”
Upon hearing this, Wukong thought that with so many divine generals, they could provide some help, so he agreed.
The gods descended from the Heavenly Court to the mortal realm, arriving above Broken Arm Mountain and Blood Sea Cave.
They raised the Heavenly King’s great banner and beat the war drums.
Jiazi Tai Sui said, “Great Sage, go down first to challenge. Let the demon use the Black Lotus, then the Heavenly King can use the Precious Pagoda to suppress it.”
Wukong said, “Good, Old Sun is going.”
Wukong descended on his cloud and landed in front of Blood Sea Cave. By now more than ten days had passed, and the gate had already been repaired.
Wukong raised the Golden Cudgel and with a boom smashed the gate, shouting:
“Monster, come out and meet your Grandpa Sun!”
Ao Tu was lying in the cave while White Bone Spirit peeled grapes to feed him. Hearing the loud noise outside, Tiger Vanguard came in to report:
“Great King, Sun Wukong has smashed the cave gate and is cursing outside!”
Ao Tu said, “Sun Wukong must have called for reinforcements. You stay in the cave and watch Tang Sanzang. I will go out and fight him!”
Tiger Vanguard and White Bone Spirit said, “Yes!”
Ao Tu fastened his blood robe, picked up Red Boy’s Fire-Tipped Spear, walked out of the cave, and said to Sun Wukong upon seeing him:
“Sun Wukong, last time you fled in defeat. This time you’ve come again to court death!”
Wukong laughed, “Monster, this time Grandpa Sun will show you his true power!”
Ao Tu said, “You glib-tongued monkey, take this spear!”
Ao Tu thrust the spear, and Wukong met it with his iron rod.
Ao Tu wielded the Fire-Tipped Spear, thrusting, stabbing, blocking, and parrying; Wukong brandished the Golden Cudgel, chopping, smashing, sweeping, and parrying. Both sides fought fiercely like dragon and tiger, their immense strength evenly matched, neither gaining the upper hand.
In terms of martial arts alone, neither could prevail over the other.
Ao Tu had many supernatural powers, but because he needed to hide his identity, he could not use them at this time.
Wukong had Heavenly Manifestation, but because his Master and junior brother were still in the cave, he could not use it either.
In the sky above, Li Tianwang watched the two fighting below and exclaimed in shock:
“Where did this demon come from to have such martial power?”
Everyone said they did not know.
Jiazi Tai Sui said, “Heavenly King, why not use the Demon-Reflecting Mirror to see the origin of this demon?”
Li Tianwang said, “We came in haste and did not bring the Demon-Reflecting Mirror.”
Jiazi Tai Sui said, “Very well, first help the Great Sage eliminate this demon. I see the Great Sage and the monster are evenly matched. Who is willing to lend the Great Sage a hand and force the monster to use the Black Lotus?”
Day Roaming God and Night Roaming God stepped forward and said, “We two are willing to go!”
Li Tianwang said, “Good, you two divine generals, please go.”
Day Roaming God and Night Roaming God descended on clouds and charged toward Ao Tu.
Seeing this, Ao Tu laughed, “Sun Wukong, you monkey truly have no honor. Unable to beat me, you call helpers to assist!”
Wukong said, “Monster, you captured my Master and harmed my nephew. What honor do I owe you? Take this!”
The two fought together.
Wukong shook his body, manifesting three heads and six arms to fight Ao Tu.
Ao Tu similarly shook, manifesting three heads and six arms to battle Wukong.
Day Roaming God and Night Roaming God came to assist.
This Day Roaming God had a face like indigo, hair like cinnabar, three eyes, and wielded two Wolf Fang Clubs. He was the first to strike at Ao Tu.
Night Roaming God was tall, over two zhang high, dressed in black robes, holding a Precious Sword. He attacked Ao Tu together with Day Roaming God, but half a step behind.
Ao Tu held his spear fighting Wukong. Seeing Day Roaming God strike with the Wolf Fang Club, Ao Tu freed one hand, clenched his fist, and swung fiercely at the Wolf Fang Club, snapping it. The fist’s momentum unabated, it struck Day Roaming God’s chest, splitting his divine body and sending him flying two thousand li.
Night Roaming God saw this, panicked, threw away his Precious Sword, turned, and fled on clouds toward heaven.
Ao Tu flew to chase Night Roaming God.
Wukong came to block Ao Tu.
The two flew from the ground to the sky, fighting even more ferociously. The shockwaves toppled heavenly soldiers, and the clamor shook the gods.
The gods saw the demon’s ferocity and could not help but feel panic.
Li Tianwang held the Precious Pagoda and, having some experience, saw the situation was wrong and quietly retreated behind the crowd.
Jiazi Tai Sui, not often descending to subdue demons, now issued an order in the crisis: “Quick, cast spells to assist the Great Sage!”
The gods hurriedly cast spells.
Zengfu God and Sunfu God, one holding the Zengfu sword, the other the Sunfu sword, cast spells striking at Ao Tu.
Xiandao God and Kailu God, one holding the Royal Seal, the other a painting halberd, cast spells striking at Ao Tu.
Jiazi Tai Sui and the other sixty Tai Sui scattered across the heavens, each holding divine weapons and magic treasures, casting spells striking at Ao Tu.
There were also the Four Divisions Gong Cao: gods of the year, month, day, and hour, each holding Jade Brush, Token, Jade Axe, Jade Mirror, all together casting spells striking at Ao Tu.
These four divine officials originally secretly protected Tang Sanzang, but because they also belonged to the Tai Sui Department, they came to help.
In an instant, various spells, magic treasures, and divine weapons struck at Ao Tu: fire spells, water spells, mountain-moving spells, wind-summoning spells, thunder-summoning spells, ice spells, soul-seizing spells, blood-transforming spells, subjugation spells, curse spells, incense and fire arts, divine light arts, manifestation arts, swords, spears, blades, halberds, axes, battle-axes, hooks, forks, Jade Brush, Token, Jade Axe, Jade Mirror, Royal Seal, Treasure Fan, treasure umbrella, treasure banner… all kinds, covering the sky.
Ao Tu’s left shoulder was hit by Royal Seal and Jade Axe, burned by fire, splashed by water; right shoulder hit by treasure umbrella and Treasure Fan, struck by lightning, blown by wind; forehead held by divine light, pressed by mountain, blades, spears, swords, halberds, axes, battle-axes, hooks, forks all landing on his head.
Ao Tu endured these attacks. His left arm was slightly reddened from blows, right arm slightly bruised, forehead lost a few hairs from hits, sweating three or four drops, yet he wielded the Fire-Tipped Spear in hand, still fighting Wukong evenly, neither gaining the upper hand.
The gods grew more panicked the more they fought, thinking: Before we acted, the Great Sage Equal of Heaven and this monster were evenly matched. Now with nearly a hundred gods from our side acting together, the Great Sage Equal of Heaven and this monster are still evenly matched.
Is this not somewhat ominous?
The gods harbored thoughts of retreat, but with everyone fighting the monster, no one wanted to flee first.
Time passed, and Ao Tu and Wukong fought two hundred rounds. Ao Tu’s muscles and bones loosened, divine strength circulating in his body, feeling ever more exhilarated.
With a push of his left hand, Divine Fire sprayed out, burning down ten or so Tai Sui gods.
With a push of his right hand, Divine Water surged, washing down ten or so Tai Sui gods.
With a hum, Divine Thunder boomed, blasting down ten or so Tai Sui gods.
With a cough, lightning pierced the clouds, striking down ten or so Tai Sui gods.
Opening his mouth to spit, he unleashed a hurricane from the Nine Heavens Above, engulfing over twenty divine generals, whirling them chaotically.
The gods saw this and fled in terror.
Wukong saw the gods fleeing, turned with a Somersault Cloud, and fled ahead of them, vanishing without trace.
Ao Tu saw Wukong gone and turned to attack these divine generals.
Jiazi Tai Sui panicked, “The demon is ferocious! Where is Li Tianwang? Where is Li Tianwang? Quick, use the pagoda! Quick, use the pagoda!”
Li Tianwang had long retreated to the Nine Heavens Above. Hearing this, he activated the Precious Pagoda, shining Buddha’s Light down onto Ao Tu.
A Black Lotus appeared above Ao Tu’s head. The Black Lotus shone, resisting the Buddha’s Light from Li Tianwang’s Precious Pagoda.
Jiazi Tai Sui said while fleeing, “Li Tianwang, quick, drop the pagoda and cover the demon with it!”
Hearing this, Li Tianwang pretended deafness, fearing loss of the Precious Pagoda, and dared not release it.
Ao Tu then unleashed several bolts of thunder from afar in all directions, two of which struck Jiazi Tai Sui, splitting his divine robes and charring his face like charcoal.
However, Jiazi Tai Sui was not undeserving as the chief of the Tai Sui of the current year, having some divine strength. He withstood two Divine Thunders from Ao Tu without falling and instead staggered away in the chaos.
Ao Tu gathered those with weak divine power who had not fled in time and were knocked off clouds, collecting them all with the Black Lotus.
