Having made minute observations on the secret properties of the peaches, Sun ate of them and was thus assured against death.  The time was ripe for him to indulge in his tricks without restraint, and an opportunity soon presented itself.  Deeply hurt at not having been invited to the feast of the Peach Festival, P’an-t’ao Hui, given periodically to the Immortals by Wang-mu Niang-niang, the Goddess of the Immortals, he resolved upon revenge.  When the preparations for the feast were complete he cast a spell over the servants, causing them to fall into a deep sleep, and then ate up all the most juicy meats and drank the fine wines provided for the heavenly guests.  Sun had, however, indulged himself too liberally; with heavy head and bleary eye he missed the road back to his heavenly abode, and came unaware to the gate of Lao Chuen, who was, however, absent from his palace.  It was only a matter of a few minutes for Sun to enter and swallow the pills of immortality which Lao Chuen kept in five gourds.  Thus Sun, doubly immortal, riding on the mist, again descended to Hua-kuo Shan.

Sun Hou-tzu Captured

These numerous misdeeds aroused the indignation of all the gods and goddesses.  Accusations poured in upon Yue Huang, and he ordered the Four Gods of the Heavens and their chief generals to bring Sun to him.  The armies laid siege to Hua-kuo Shan, a net was spread in the heavens, fantastic battles took place, but the resistance of the enemy was as strenuous and obstinate as before.

Lao Chuen and Erh-lang, nephew of Yue Huang, then appeared on the scene.  Sun’s warriors resisted gallantly, but the forces of Heaven were too much for them, and at length they were overcome.  At this juncture Sun changed his form, and in spite of the net in the sky managed to find a way out.  In vain search was made everywhere, until Li T’ien-wang, by the help of his devil-finding mirror, detected the quarry and informed Erh-lang, who rushed off in pursuit.  Lao Chuen hurled his magic ring on to the head of the fugitive, who stumbled and fell.  Quick as lightning, the celestial dog, T’ien Kou, who was in Erh-lang’s service, threw himself on him, bit him in the calf, and caused him to stumble afresh.  This was the end of the fight.  Sun, surrounded on all sides, was seized and chained.  The battle was won.

Sun escapes from Lao Chuen’s Furnace

The celestial armies now raised the siege, and returned to their quarters.  But a new and unexpected difficulty arose.  Yue Huang condemned the criminal to death, but when they went to carry out the sentence the executioners learned that he was invulnerable; swords, iron, fire, even lightning, could make no impression on his skin.  Yue Huang, alarmed, asked Lao Chuen the reason of this.  The latter replied that there was nothing surprising about it, seeing that the knave had eaten the peaches of life in the garden of Heaven and the pills of immortality which he had composed.  “Hand him over to me,” he added.  “I will distil him in my furnace of the Eight Trigrams, and extract from his composition the elements which render him immortal.”