Chapter 2: The Dragon Palace and the Treasure of the Golden Cudgel

Summary

This chapter chronicles Wukong's return to Huaguo Mountain, where he learns of the troubles caused by the King of Chaos and his demons. After a fierce battle, Wukong defeats the King of Chaos and rescues the kidnapped monkeys. He also seeks better weapons for himself and his followers, eventually traveling to the Dragon Palace in the Eastern Sea. There, he acquires the magical Ruyi Jingu Bang (Golden Cudgel) and other treasures. Wukong returns to Huaguo Mountain, where he continues his training and defense of the monkeys. The chapter ends with Wukong's dream of being captured by the King of Hell, only to escape with his magical powers, ensuring that he and his followers will never be under the control of the underworld.

Content

After bidding farewell to his master, Wukong (the Monkey King) soared back to Huaguo Mountain, riding on his cloud. As he arrived, he was ready to greet his fellow monkeys with joy, but he was startled by the sound of sorrowful crying. He quickly called out, "Children, I have returned!" The monkeys, emerging from the bushes and behind the trees, gathered around him, sobbing uncontrollably. "Our King, you have been gone so long, we have missed you terribly. Recently, a monster appeared and tried to take over our cave. We fought with all our strength, but still, it managed to steal many things and kidnap many of our young. If you hadn't returned, we would have lost our home."

Furious, Wukong asked, "What monster dares to behave so insolently?" The monkeys explained, "It claims to be the 'King of Chaos' and resides in the north. It always comes shrouded in mist, and we cannot tell how far it is." Wukong vowed, "I will go and take revenge." With a somersault, he sped northward.

As he approached a tall mountain, Wukong landed to investigate. He saw some small demons playing near a cave and shouted, "Go and tell your so-called King of Chaos that the Lord of the Water Curtain Cave is here for revenge!" The little demons, alarmed, hurried into the cave to report. The King of Chaos, upon hearing the news, ordered his weapons to be brought and prepared for battle. He emerged, questioning, "Where is the Lord of the Water Curtain Cave?" Wukong shouted, "You blind demon! Your grandfather is standing right here!"

The King of Chaos scoffed, "You are barely four feet tall, frail and unarmed. Do you dare to challenge me?" Without answering, Wukong leaped up and struck him with a punch. The King of Chaos, putting aside his weapon, declared, "I will fight you with fists and feet, to avoid any mockery." They exchanged blows, and soon Wukong gained the upper hand. The King of Chaos, panicking, grabbed a steel knife and tried to strike Wukong. Wukong dodged and pulled out a hair, chewing it and blowing it into the air, summoning hundreds of little monkeys. These monkeys began to pester the demon, pulling his arms, legs, and eyes. Wukong seized the opportunity to grab the demon's steel knife and cleaved him in half. He then killed all the demons in the cave.

After shaking his body, Wukong returned to his original form, and he brought back the kidnapped monkeys to Huaguo Mountain. The other monkeys, seeing his victory, threw a feast in his honor. During the banquet, Wukong shared his journey and declared, "Now I, the Great Monkey King, finally have a surname." A monkey asked, "What is your surname, my lord?" Wukong proudly replied, "My surname is Sun, and my Dharma name is Sun Wukong." The monkeys cheered, chanting, "Our king is Old Sun, and we are all his sons!"

Having dealt with the King of Chaos, Wukong decided to teach the young monkeys martial arts to defend their home. He crafted wooden and bamboo weapons for them, but soon realized they needed better arms. An elder monkey suggested, "To the east, two hundred miles away, is Aolai Kingdom, where you can find blacksmiths who may supply us with weapons." Wukong agreed and, with a somersault, traveled to Aolai Kingdom. There, he caused a whirlwind and stole a vast array of weapons, returning to Huaguo Mountain.

One day, Wukong lamented, "You all have fine weapons, but my own sword is ineffective!" The four elder monkeys advised him, "Great King, as a sage, ordinary weapons are not suitable for you. The Dragon Palace under the Eastern Sea has many treasures. You could borrow a weapon from there." Wukong was delighted by the idea and journeyed to the Dragon Palace.

Upon his arrival, a sea patrol stopped him and asked, "Who dares to trespass in the Dragon Palace?" Wukong replied, "I am Sun Wukong, the Great Sage of Huaguo Mountain, a neighbor to your Dragon King." The patrol hurried to inform the Dragon King. Soon, the Dragon King, along with his sons and various sea creatures, came to greet Wukong. The Dragon King asked, "What brings you here, noble one?" Wukong explained, "I have come seeking a suitable weapon for martial arts training. I have none, and so I seek to borrow one from you."

The Dragon King, unable to refuse, summoned his officials to present a large sword, but Wukong declined, saying, "I do not know how to wield a sword." The Dragon King then presented a nine-pronged steel fork, but Wukong found it too light. After several more attempts with various weapons, the Dragon King reluctantly offered the "Sea-Calming Needle," a magical staff used by the Great Yu to control the seas. Wukong, upon inspecting it, found it to be a simple iron pillar. However, when he wished for it to shrink and become lighter, the staff obediently transformed into a perfect size and weight for him.

Wukong, overjoyed, began to wield the staff, causing the Dragon Palace to tremble. The Dragon King, terrified, begged Wukong to stop. Grateful, Wukong asked for armor, and the Dragon King, seeing no choice, had his brothers bring a set of golden armor and a crown. Wukong, now fully equipped, returned to Huaguo Mountain.

When the monkeys saw his new attire, they asked about his weapon. Wukong revealed the magical staff, the Ruyi Jingu Bang, which could change its size at will. He demonstrated its power, causing the staff to grow to immense proportions, frightening the demons and kings of the nearby seventy-two caves.

After settling matters on the mountain, Wukong spent his time drinking and making friends with other demon kings, including the Bull Demon King, the Flood Dragon King, and others. One day, after a drunken feast, Wukong fell asleep under a pine tree. In his dream, two figures appeared and took his soul to the Underworld, where the King of Hell sought to claim his life. However, Wukong, angered, used his staff to escape and returned to Huaguo Mountain, where he shared his dream with the other monkeys. They rejoiced, knowing that Wukong's power could protect them from even the King of Hell himself.