know if you can live under water.” The Seeker of Secrets said, “Since I discovered the secret of life I know seventy-two magic transformations. I can ride through the air like lightning; I can make myself invisible; I can ascend to high Heaven or descend into the depths of the earth; I can walk in sunlight or moonlight without throwing a shadow; I can go through metals or stones; water cannot drown me, fire cannot burn me. I am in possession of all these powers.” The four elder monkeys said, “Since the Great King has all these magic powers, and the water under our iron bridge flows to the Dragon Palace of the Eastern Sea, if you are willing to go down that water in search of the Venerable Dragon King, and ask him for a weapon, you may get what you want.” The Seeker of Secrets rejoiced on hearing this and said, “I will go.”
He jumped on the bridge, recited an incantation, dived and traveled to the Eastern Ocean under the water. As he went he met some water elves, who wished to stop him and asked him, “Tell us what Holy Sage you are, so that we may announce your arrival.” The Monkey King said, “I am Sun, the Seeker of Secrets, a natural Sage from the Mountain Garden, a neighbor of your Venerable Dragon King. How is it that you do not know me?” The water elves, on hearing this, quickly turned and announced him at the Crystal Palace saying, “Outside there is a natural Sage from the Mountain Garden, named Sun the Seeker of Secrets. He says he is your Majesty’s neighbor and comes to see you.” The Dragon King of the Eastern Sea hurried out to meet him and said, “Honored Sage, please enter.” They entered in and saluted each other. After being seated and served with tea, the Dragon King said, “Honored Sage, when did you find the Secret of Life? And what Magic Arts do you possess?” The Seeker of Secrets replied, “After I was born I left home to study religion and discovered secrets without beginning or end, and now I have returned to train my children to defend the Mountain Cave. But alas, I have no weapons. I have long heard that in your jeweled palace there must be abundance of splendid weapons; I have come to beg one of you.”
On hearing this, the Dragon King, unwilling to refuse, ordered one of his officers to bring one of the biggest swords and present it to him. The Seeker of Secrets said, “I am not used to swords, please let me have something else.” The Dragon King ordered another officer to carry out the nine-pronged fork for him. The Monkey King received it and tried its weight. He then put it down and said, “Too light, too light, I beg of you again to get me another.” The Dragon King laughed and said, “Do you not know that this is 3,600 catties in weight?” The Seeker of Secrets said, “It is no use for my arm, no use at all.” The Dragon King began to fear and ordered his general to carry out the spear that was 7,200 catties in weight. The Seeker of Secrets took it into his hand and made a few thrusts with it and said, “This is far too light.” The Dragon King now feared greatly and said, “This is the heaviest spear I have. I have no other weapons.” The Seeker of Secrets laughed and said, “The ancients had a saying that no one need trouble the Dragon Kings unless they bring precious things. Please search once more, and see if there be a suitable weapon, and I will buy it.” The Dragon King said, “Really there are no more.”
Just as he was speaking, two beautiful women came in at the back door saying, “Great King, this is a great Sage and not an ordinary being. In the sea storehouse there is that miraculous iron from the River of Heaven. Today it sparkles with light as if it desired to come forth to meet this Sage. It is the rod of the great Yu, who regulated the waters of the deluge and judged of the depth of the water.” “It is just a divining rod, of what use is that?” The women replied, “No matter whether it be of use or not, let him have it and do what he likes with it.” The Dragon King told the Seeker of Secrets, who said, “Let me see it.” The Dragon King shook his head and said, “It cannot be carried, it cannot even be moved, it is so heavy. Honored Sage, you must go and see it yourself.” The Seeker of Secrets said, “Lead me to it.”
The Dragon King took him to the ocean storehouse, and there were innumerable rays of light radiating from it in all directions. The Dragon King said, “That is it, lying there!’” The Seeker of Secrets went up close and touched it. It was an iron pillar as stout as a bushel measure and over 20 feet long. He stretched both his arms around it, then said, “It is a little too stout and too long. If shorter, it would do.” At the sound of these words the precious pillar became a few feet shorter and thinner. The Monkey King tried its weight again and said, “Still a little smaller, it would be better.” Then it became a fraction smaller. The Seeker of Secrets was greatly delighted at this. Then he took it out of the storehouse to look at it, and behold at each end were golden prongs, but in the middle between the prongs it was black iron, on which was engraved its name “As You Like It.” It weighed 13,500 catties. He rejoiced greatly in his heart and thought, “This is a precious thing, such as I wish!” As he walked away, he wished the pillar shorter and thinner, so as to be more convenient. He carried it away. When he arrived outside, it was only 12 feet long and about the diameter of a rice bowl. At the sight of him walking about the Crystal Palace with this magic power, the old Dragon King trembled with fear and the young dragons were frightened out of their wits, and all the reptiles and dwellers of the deep ran away to hide themselves.
The Seeker of Secrets sat in the Crystal Palace of the Dragon King, holding the precious weapon in his hand, and said to the Dragon King smiling, “Many thanks, neighbor, for your great kindness. I have one thing more to say. If there had been no such iron staff, I would have had nothing to ask. But since I have it, I have no armor to match it. Please let me have a suit of armor, and I shall be much obliged.” The Dragon King said, “I am sorry, I have nothing of the kind.” The Seeker of Secrets said, “A visitor does not trouble more than one host. If you cannot find one, I will never leave this place.” The Dragon King said, “Please look through another sea, perhaps you can find some armor there.” The Seeker of Secrets said, “It is better to remain in one quarter than to search in two quarters. I beg of you a million times to give me a suit.” The Dragon King said, “Truly I have none. If I had, I would give it you.” The Seeker of Secrets said, “Since you will not give it, let me try this weapon on you.” The Dragon King became much alarmed and said, “Worthy Sage, please do not. Wait till I find if my brother has any, then I will give you a suit.” The Seeker of Secrets said, “Where is your brother?” The King replied, “One brother, Aojin, is King of the Southern Ocean. Another, Aosun is King of the Northern Ocean, while the third, Aoyun is King of the Western Ocean.” The Seeker of Secrets said, “I will not go to them. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. I hope you will find me one somewhere nearby.” “You, Worthy Sage, need not go so far,” said the Dragon King. “I have here an iron drum and a golden bell. When there is anything very urgent we beat the drum and strike the bell. Then my brothers come here at once.” The Monkey King then said, “Beat the drum and strike the bell immediately.”
True enough, as soon as the drum and bell sounded, the three Dragon brothers were alarmed and immediately appeared. Aojin asked, “Elder Brother, what is the matter? Why do you beat the drum and strike the bell?” The Old Dragon said, “I am afraid to tell you. There is a Sage from the Mountain Garden come to call on me as a neighbor, and he desires some weapons. I gave him the steel prong, but he said it was too small. When I gave him the carved lance, he said it was too light. Then I took from the bottom of our cave the wonderful iron staff. He was pleased with that, and he now sits in the palace and demands some armor. I have none here; therefore I beat the drum and the bell. My dear brothers, let him have a suit of armor, so that he may go.” The brother Aojin hearing this, got very angry and cried, “Let us get soldiers and arrest him.” The elder Dragon said, “Do not do that, do not do that! If he touches you with that iron beam, or if it falls upon you, you are dead.” The third brother, Aoyun said, “We must not fight with him. The best thing we can do is, to give him a suit of armor so that he may go. We will memorialize High Heaven about him and Heaven will punish him.” Then Aosun said, “That is right. I have here a pair of silk sandals for traveling in the air.” Aoyun said, “I have with me a chain coat with gold buckles.” Aojin said, “And I have a red gold helmet.” At this the elder Dragon King was greatly pleased, and led them to the crystal palace to be presented to his visitor.
The Seeker of Secrets took the gold helmet, and the gold buckled coat, and the silk sandals
