After Sun Wukong (the Monkey King) returned to the Water Curtain Cave, he gathered all the monkeys who had been idly passing their days. He began teaching them how to wield weapons, training them in martial arts. However, the weapons they had were made of wood and bamboo, lacking any real power.
One day, Sun Wukong addressed the monkeys: "We spend our days practicing with bamboo sticks and wooden staffs, but if a real enemy comes, we won't be able to defend ourselves! We should find some proper, sharp, and strong weapons."
The monkeys all agreed that this was a sensible idea but weren't sure where to find such weapons. At that moment, a few of the older monkeys stepped forward and said, "Great King, it's not difficult to find sharp weapons. If you head east to the borders of Aolai Kingdom, you'll find a city full of soldiers. Surely, their armory will have plenty of weapons."
Sun Wukong was delighted with the suggestion. He jumped onto his cloud and flew eastward. After traveling for a while, he found a city. True to the older monkeys' words, the city was filled with soldiers, and the armory was stocked with numerous weapons. Sun Wukong, using his magical powers, recited a spell, and in an instant, a fierce storm filled the sky, with winds howling and clouds swirling. He then arrived at the armory, where he plucked a hair from his body, blew on it, and turned it into a group of little monkeys. These monkeys rushed into the armory, collecting as many weapons as they could carry.
Sun Wukong gathered them all up on his cloud and flew back to the Water Curtain Cave. When he arrived, he distributed the weapons to the monkeys—everyone now had a sword, spear, or staff. The monkeys were thrilled and immediately began practicing with their new gear. The sound of clashing weapons echoed throughout the Flower-Fruit Mountain, and the scene became lively and noisy.
Soon, creatures from nearby mountains—tigers, leopards, jackals, gorillas, and lions—heard the commotion and came to pledge allegiance to Sun Wukong, recognizing him as their great king. The Flower-Fruit Mountain became an army stronghold, more powerful than ever before. But Sun Wukong soon found himself in another dilemma. He said to the older monkeys, "The little monkeys can have fun with their swords and bows, but what weapon should I use for myself?"
One of the older monkeys pondered for a moment and said, "Great King, you are a mighty figure. Surely, you cannot use just any weapon. But tell me, can you swim?"
Sun Wukong replied proudly, "I have mastered the seventy-two transformations. I can travel as fast as the wind, and I am not afraid of fire or deep water. There's nowhere I cannot go!"
The old monkey then said, "In that case, it's perfect. Below the Water Curtain Cave lies a deep pool, which leads to the Dragon Palace in the Eastern Sea. Surely, the Dragon King there will have a weapon that suits you."
Without hesitation, Sun Wukong performed a water-concealing spell and dove into the pool beneath the Water Curtain Cave. He swiftly swam through the waters and soon arrived at the Dragon Palace in the Eastern Sea. The sea creatures guarding the palace saw him and stopped him, asking, "Who are you? We must inform the Dragon King."
Sun Wukong responded, "I am Sun Wukong, the Monkey King of Flower-Fruit Mountain. I am a neighbor of the Dragon King. Don't you recognize me?"
The sea creature hurried to report to the Dragon King: "Great King, there's someone named Sun Wukong outside who wishes to meet you." The Dragon King, though he had never met Sun Wukong, had heard of his fame and hurriedly ordered, "Please, bring him in!"
Upon meeting Sun Wukong, the Dragon King respectfully offered him tea and asked, "What brings you to my humble palace?"
Sun Wukong replied, "I have attained immortality through my training. I am now leading my disciples to protect Flower-Fruit Mountain. However, I am in need of a proper weapon for myself. I've heard that the Dragon Palace holds many treasures, and so I have come to request a weapon."
The Dragon King, unable to refuse, instructed his attendants to bring forth a large blade. However, when Sun Wukong saw the sword, he said, "I don't use swords. Please, bring me something else."
Next, the Dragon King had a large trident brought out. Sun Wukong grabbed it, waved it around a few times, and said, "It's too light! Find me something more suitable!" The Dragon King, slightly embarrassed, said, "This trident weighs over 3,600 pounds!"
Sun Wukong was unsatisfied and insisted, "It's still too light! Bring me something better!" The Dragon King, desperate, had his servants bring out a gigantic halberd—an imposing weapon weighing 7,200 pounds. Sun Wukong grabbed the halberd and swung it a few times. After testing it, he shook his head and said, "Still too light! This won't do!"
The Dragon King, at a loss for what to do, hurriedly said, "Great Sage, this Fangtian Ji halberd is the heaviest weapon in our Dragon Palace! We truly have no other weapons." Sun Wukong smiled and replied, "It seems the Dragon Palace doesn't have much treasure after all."
At that moment, the Dragon Queen and the Dragon Princess whispered to the Dragon King, offering a suggestion. "There is a magical piece of Sea-Calming Divine Iron at the bottom of the ocean. It has been glowing red for days, and the air around it is misty. Perhaps it's waiting for this monkey to appear?"
The Dragon King replied skeptically, "That iron was thrown into the sea by the legendary Yu the Great during his flood control efforts. What could it possibly be good for?" The Dragon Queen insisted, "Don't worry about whether it's useful or not—just offer it to him and see if he can lift it."
With little other choice, the Dragon King informed Sun Wukong about the Sea-Calming Divine Iron.
Sun Wukong was thrilled. "Quick, bring it out so I can see it!" the Monkey King said eagerly.
The Dragon King hesitated and replied, "Great Sage, we can't lift it. You'll need to see it for yourself."
So, Sun Wukong followed the Dragon King deep into the Dragon Palace, where the Dragon King pointed to a glowing golden pillar. "That is it," he said.
Sun Wukong leaped over to the pillar, which was about as thick as a large water jug and more than 20 feet long. He tried to lift it, but it was too thick to hold. He muttered, "If only it were shorter and thinner…"
To his surprise, as soon as he said this, the iron pillar shrank and became thinner. Excited, Sun Wukong called out, "Make it shorter and thinner still!" Again, the pillar shrank further. After a few more calls, the pillar was perfectly sized—not too long, not too short, not too thick, and just the right size to hold in his hand.
Upon closer inspection, Sun Wukong saw that this iron pillar was a piece of black iron, with golden rings at both ends. There was an inscription on it: Ruyi Jingu Bang, weighing 13,500 pounds.
Sun Wukong secretly rejoiced: "This treasure is perfect for me!"
He then took the staff and joyfully went to the Crystal Palace, where he swung it around. The fish, crabs, and other sea creatures were so frightened that they fled in panic. Sun Wukong turned to the Dragon King and said, "Thank you, Dragon King, for this fine weapon. But now that I have a suitable weapon, I still don't have any clothes or armor to match. Can you provide me with a suitable outfit?"
The Dragon King replied, "I'm afraid we don't have anything like that."
Sun Wukong grinned and said, "If you don't provide me with a full outfit, I'll just test the power of this Ruyi Jingu Bang here!"
The Dragon King, now nervous, quickly said, "Please, Great Sage, don't! Let me ask my brothers; they should be able to find something for you."
Sun Wukong asked, "Where are your brothers?"
The Dragon King replied, "My brothers are the Dragon Kings of the South Sea, North Sea, and West Sea. If I ring the golden bell and strike the iron drum here in the palace, they will come right away."
Sun Wukong urged, "Well then, go ahead and strike them!"
The Dragon King immediately ordered the tortoise to ring the bell and strike the drum. Before long, the three Dragon Kings arrived.
The South Sea Dragon King asked, "Brother, what is so urgent?"
The Dragon King of the East replied, "Brother, you don't know! Today, a monkey from Flower-Fruit Mountain came to my palace looking for a weapon. He rejected a steel trident and the Fangtian Ji halberd, saying they were too light. In the end, he took the Sea-Calming Divine Iron! Now, he's causing a scene in the Crystal Palace and refuses to leave unless I provide him with armor. Do any of you have any armor or clothing to send him on his way?"
Upon hearing this, the South Sea Dragon King became furious. "Are we four brothers, along with all the soldiers of the Dragon Palace, unable to deal with one monkey?"
The East Sea Dragon King quickly tried to calm him down. "Don't say that! With that Ruyi Jingu Bang, one blow to your head will leave you injured, and one strike will shatter your bones. We can't afford to anger him!"
The West Sea Dragon King agreed. "Brother is right. Let's just gather some armor and send him on his way."
Thus, the four Dragon Kings pooled their resources and put together a set of golden armor, a purple-golden crown, and a pair of golden silk boots to present to Sun Wukong.
When Sun Wukong donned the armor, he was satisfied and said, "Very good, very good. Thank you all for your generosity!" With that, he left the Dragon Palace, Ruyi Jingu Bang in hand.
Back at Flower-Fruit Mountain, the monkeys were waiting at the Iron Bridge. Suddenly, they saw the water in the pond churning, and soon Sun Wukong leapt out of the water, his body shimmering with golden light, completely dry. The monkeys, awestruck, knelt before him, exclaiming, "Great King, you shine with glory and your power is unmatched!"
Sun Wukong proudly returned to the Water Curtain Cave and set the Ruyi Jingu Bang before the monkeys. Seeing the treasure, the monkeys rushed forward to try and lift it, but none of them could budge it.
Sun Wukong laughed and said, "This treasure weighs 13,500 pounds, and it's the Sea-Calming Divine Iron from the East Sea. But the Dragon King sees it as just a worthless piece of black iron. How laughable! Stand aside, and watch how I can shrink it."
The monkeys stepped back, and Sun Wukong held the staff in his hand, calling out, "Small! Small! Small!" To their amazement, the staff shrank down to the size of a sewing needle, which Sun Wukong tucked into his ear.
The monkeys, seeing the staff disappear, immediately clamored for him to make it large again. Sun Wukong grinned and pulled the staff from his ear, shouting, "Big! Big! Big!"
The staff grew back to its enormous size. The monkeys were overjoyed, urging Sun Wukong to show them his strength with it.
Sun Wukong then led them outside the Water Curtain Cave, raising the staff high and shouting, "Long!" Instantly, the staff grew to an incredible length, reaching thousands of feet. Sun Wukong swung it through the air, causing the heavens and earth to tremble, and the mountain's demon kings were thrown into confusion, trembling in fear.
After a while, Sun Wukong was satisfied. He shrank the staff down again and tucked it back into his ear. The tigers, leopards, jackals, and other creatures who had heard the commotion rushed to the Water Curtain Cave to congratulate Sun Wukong on his acquisition of the treasure.