What Sun Wukong couldn't stand the most was someone scolding him. Hearing his master's words, he couldn't contain his anger and shouted, "If Master feels this way, then I won't go to the West to fetch the scriptures. Go by yourself! I'm returning to the Flowers and Fruit Mountain!" With that, he jumped into the air, mounted his somersault cloud, and flew eastward. By the time Tang Monk looked up, Wukong was nowhere to be seen.
Tang Monk had no choice but to put his luggage on the horse’s back, holding a tin staff in one hand and leading the horse in the other, slowly walking westward. Soon, he saw an old woman coming from the opposite direction, holding a piece of clothing and a flower hat in her hands. Tang Monk quickly stopped the horse, clasped his hands together, and made way for the old woman to pass.
The old woman walked up to Tang Monk and said, “Where are you from, and why are you walking alone in the mountains?” Tang Monk told the old woman about Sun Wukong’s disobedience. The old woman smiled slightly and said, “I’ll give you a piece of clothing and a flower hat for your unruly disciple. Let him wear them!”
Tang Monk sighed and said, “Alas, my disciple has already left! What’s the use of these things?” The old woman smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll help you find your disciple back. I have a spell here, called the Tightening Hoop Spell. You have to remember it well in your heart. You let your disciple wear this clothing and hat. If he disobeys again, you just recite the spell, and he won’t dare to disobey anymore!”
