The Clever and Powerful Red Boy

In the classic Chinese tale Journey to the West, Red Boy, also known as the Boy Sage King, is a powerful character with a dramatic storyline. He is the son of two formidable beings—the Bull Demon King and Princess Iron Fan—and spent 300 years honing his skills on the Flaming Mountains, where he mastered the Samadhi Fire, an intense flame few could withstand.

Plot to Capture the Monk

Red Boy lived in the Fiery Cloud Cave, deep within the Withered Pine Valley. When he heard that the monk Tang Sanzang and his disciples were journeying through his territory, he saw an opportunity to gain immortality by consuming Tang Sanzang’s flesh. Transforming into a fiery red light, he made an attempt to capture the monk, only to be stopped by the sharp-witted Sun Wukong, who protected his master with unwavering loyalty.

A Clever Disguise

Determined, Red Boy devised a new plan. He transformed himself into a helpless, seven-year-old child bound with rope and hung himself from a tree, crying for help. Though Sun Wukong saw through the deception and warned Tang Sanzang, the compassionate monk insisted on helping the child. Red Boy pretended to be the son of a wealthy family abandoned by robbers, and his act was convincing enough that Zhu Bajie cut him loose. Then, Red Boy, feigning weakness, tricked Sun Wukong into carrying him. However, he cleverly made himself impossibly heavy, escaped with a trick double, and, in a burst of wind, finally kidnapped Tang Sanzang.

The Fiery Battle and the Five Elements

Sun Wukong learned that Red Boy was the son of his sworn brother, the Bull Demon King, and decided to appeal to their family connection. However, Red Boy was undeterred, facing Sun Wukong in battle armed with a fiery spear and using the Five Elements carts to summon his Samadhi Fire. This mystical fire burned so fiercely that even rain from the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas couldn’t quench it. Sun Wukong barely escaped with his life, his eyes stinging from the flames.

Outsmarting Zhu Bajie

Anticipating that Sun Wukong would seek help, Red Boy set a trap. He intercepted Zhu Bajie, who was on his way to summon Guanyin, by disguising himself as the goddess. Lured into the Fiery Cloud Cave by this illusion, Zhu Bajie found himself captured. Red Boy, confident in his victory, prepared to feast on Tang Sanzang.

The Power of Guanyin’s Golden Rings

To counter Red Boy’s strength, Sun Wukong sought Guanyin’s assistance. The goddess devised a plan, luring Red Boy in by pretending to flee, leaving behind her lotus pedestal. When Red Boy arrogantly sat on it, sharp blades emerged, piercing his legs and trapping him. Though he initially pretended to surrender, Red Boy soon resumed his attack on Guanyin. In response, she used five golden rings to restrain him, reciting an incantation that caused him immense pain. With no escape, Red Boy finally submitted to Guanyin.

Red Boy’s journey ended in transformation; he became a devoted attendant to Guanyin, gaining the new name Shancai (Sudhana). His story in Journey to the West is one of a headstrong youth whose mischief and might were ultimately channeled toward enlightenment and service.