Quickly jumping from branch to branch, the four old monkeys hurried to the throne of their king, Sun Wukong. Two mandrills with red bottoms and two tailless monkeys - the sovereign's advisers - were in a hurry. And on an important matter. When they appeared before the king, he told them: “Wise elders, I am worried... However, there is no need to exaggerate, I am only a little worried. During my many adventures, I acquired many weapons. Our army is now well equipped and trained. This may arouse suspicion among the kings who rule over people, birds and animals, and they will want to attack us. So, I need such a weapon to discourage them from doing this.”
The courtiers consulted, and one of them said: “Sir, you are immortal. No earthly weapon will suit you. We know where the weapons you're talking about are, but we'll have to go to the bottom of the ocean to get them. Are you capable of this?
Sun Wukong laughed: “I can take on seventy-two different forms, ride on clouds, I do not drown in water and do not burn in fire. And only if the forces of the underwater kingdom unite will they be able to defeat me. So what am I afraid of? Tell me better, how to get to the underwater world?
The four sages explained everything to him in detail, and he immediately set off on his way to the iron bridge, under which a river flowed, rolling its waters to the palace of the dragon of the Eastern Sea. It was there that Sun Wukong threw himself into the water. He surrendered to the will of the current and quickly found himself in the open sea. Here he dived deep.
Suddenly, a loud voice came from the thick seaweed. Yaxa, one of the frog-headed underwater spirits, called out to him: “Who are you, tell me your name.”
Sun Wukong answered him impressively: “I am the king of the monkeys. I have come to pay a courtesy call on the great dragon."
Yaxa immediately disappeared, going to report this news to his sovereign. Burning with curiosity, the dragon king Aoguan immediately ordered his crew to be laid down and set off to meet the monkey king. He was accompanied by his children and grandchildren, and surrounded by a numerous armed escort of shrimp soldiers and crab officers.
He approached the king of the monkeys and greeted him ceremoniously. Sun Wukong responded in the same tone, but with somewhat exaggerated politeness, because the dragon's attempts to pretend to be an important person made him laugh. They then went to the Aoguang Palace and sat opposite each other on high thrones among a curious crowd, consisting mainly of fish and shells.
“What do you want, Monkey King?” - asked the dragon.
Sun Wukong put on a respectful grimace on his face, scratched his head and spoke confidently:
“You know, of course, that I am immortal. I have achieved the insight inherent in sages and am practicing magic. I need a proper weapon, and I know you have it. You will not have the courage to refuse it to a person of my position, especially since I offer you my friendship. By the way, there is a proverb: you can find whatever your heart desires from a dragon.”
Aoguang stroked his beard. The king of the monkeys seemed impudent to him, but if he did not satisfy his request, he would lose face and become a laughing stock for the immortals. He called the silver perch, ordering him to bring his best saber. Taking it, the king of the monkeys turned it over with the air of an expert in his hands and said: “This does not suit me. I'm not made for fencing."
The sea king then sent a catfish and a giant eel, which brought a trident. The king of the monkeys weighed it in his hand and made a dissatisfied grimace: “It’s very light!”
Aoguang immediately sent the bream, and he, out of breath, returned with a halberd. “Are you kidding me? - Sun Wukong said. “I asked you for a real weapon, not this thing, it’s like a feather in my hands...”
The dragon was increasingly confused: the king of the monkeys was driving him crazy, and he would gladly order his crabs and shrimp to throw him out. However, the respect due to the immortals prevailed. Groaning and groaning, he said: “Sir of the monkeys, unfortunately, in my modest reserves there is nothing better. Perhaps you should visit one of my three brothers who reign in other seas. I am undoubtedly the poorest of them all, but one of them can satisfy you.”
Sun Wukong laughed in his heart: since Aoguang tried to get rid of him, it means he had something to hide. We need to force him to reveal his secret. There was deep silence. The dragon was angry, and the king of the monkeys, making jokes, meanwhile was thinking about how he could achieve his goal. He didn't have to search for long.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru