Chapter 3

Monkey disturbs the underworld and removes his name from the registers

## Name

### English

Four Seas and a Thousand Mountains all bow to submit; From Ninefold Darkness ten species’ names are removed

### Pinyin

*Sìhǎi qiānshān jiē gǒngfú, jiǔyōu shílèi jǐn chúmíng*

## Characteristics

### Arc

Monkey King Arc

**Four Seas and a Thousand Mountains all bow to submit; From Ninefold Darkness ten species’ names are removed** (四海千山皆拱伏　九幽十類盡除名, *Sìhǎi qiānshān jiē gǒngfú, jiǔyōu shílèi jǐn chúmíng*?) is the third chapter of *Journey to the West*.

## Summary

Sun Wukong obtains his signature weapon, the Ruyi Jingu Bang, after making a scene in the Dragon Palace of Ao Guang. He also unintentionally visits the underworld and commits some antics. Due to his antics, the Court of Heaven starts to take notice of him.

## Synopsis

After Monkey's triumph over the Demon King of Confusion, he and his monkeys practiced military arts and drills daily, using bamboo spears and wooden swords. But their current would be no match against a real opponent. Therefore, they needed real weapons that can be obtained in the princely capital of Aolai, according to Monkey's four advisors. So, Monkey traveled to the capital on his Cloud Somersault and saw the weapons he came for. He decided to steal them using magic and summoned a terrifying gale with sand and stone, using it as a distraction to reach the palace's armory undetected. He used a duplication spell on himself to carry all the weapons and rode back home on a gale. After returning to Flowers and Fruit Mountain, the monkeys were delighted and split the weapons amongst themselves. When Monkey assembled his entire fully-armed monkey host the next day, they numbered over 47.000. This unsurprisingly alarmed all the fauna on the mountain, and 72 Demon Kings on the mountain all came to pay homage to Monkey, offering tribute and partaking in all his events. Flowers and Fruit Mountain was as secure as a "wall of bronze" during this time.

But the time would inevitably come when Monkey grew tired of the sword he looted off his previous opponent. His advisors suggested only an immortal weapon was worthy of his skill, prompting him to follow the stream under the iron bridge leading to the Dragon Palace of the East Sea and request a weapon there. Monkey did so, and on his way there, he was seen by a patrolling Yaksha who announced his arrival to Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East, in his crystal palace. Hearing this news, the Dragon King went out with his descendants and soldiers to welcome Monkey. After hearing his request for a weapon befitting of his skill, the Dragon King sent his officers to fetch some: Commander Perch fetched a large sword which Monkey did not know how to use. Colonel Mackerel and Guard Commander Eel retrieved a nine-pronged spear weighing 3.600 pounds while Provincial Commander Bream and Garrison Commander Carp brought a patterned heavenly halberd at 7.200 pounds, both of which was too light for Monkey. After Monkey rejected even the heaviest weapon in the Dragon King's armory, the latter was out of options. But then, his wife, the Dragon Queen reminded him of a piece of miraculous iron that anchored the Milky Way in place. It was one of the nails that Yu the Great used to fix the depths of rivers and seas when he brought the floods under control, and it had been shining with a rosy glow for the last few days, creating a most auspicious atmosphere. The Dragon King decided to give it a go.

Monkey was led to the middle of the sea treasury, where the miraculous iron gave off a blinding golden light. When Monkey went up to measure it, it was the shape and size of a 20-foot-long iron pillar. But as soon as Monkey wished it to be a little shorter and thinner, the iron did just so. Monkey repeated his wish until it could be handheld. From the inscription on the iron, he read it as the Ruyi Jingu Bang, weighing at a whopping 13.500 pounds. Monkey was delighted at the sight of his new weapon, terrifying the maritime fauna while trying it out. However, Monkey also wanted the clothing to go with his new weapon, not willing to leave without any and threatening to beat the Dragon King with his cudgel if he did not comply. Out of options, the desperate Dragon King contacted his three brothers, all Dragon Kings of their respective seas. To summon them, an Alligator General struck the bell and a Terrapin Marshal. In an instant, the three other Dragon Kings arrived outside the palace: Ao Qin, Dragon King of the South Sea, Ao Shun, Dragon King of the North Sea, and Ao Run, Dragon King of the West Sea. After Ao Guang briefed them on the situation, Ao Qin voted to arrest Monkey. However, Ao Run voted to grant Monkey his wish and, once he left, report him to Heaven for punishment. They went with the plan and put together a fine armor consisting of a pair of Lotus-Root Cloud-Walking Boots, a suit of Golden Chainmail, and a Phoenix-Winged Purple Gold Helmet. They presented it to Monkey, who, as planned, charged out after equipping it.

## Characters

* Sun Wukong
* Ao Guang
* Ao Qin
* Ao Shun
* Ao Run