The Star-Lord again went out by the Southern Gate and came straight to the Water-Curtain Cave on Flower-Fruit Mountain to look.

觀看 takes 看 as kàn. The Star-Lord's second descent — and the first thing he does is stop and look, because the place has changed.

This time it was unlike before: the air bristled with martial might and killing menace, and demons of every kind, of no sort lacking.

這番比前不同, "this time it was unlike before." Last visit he found a mountain of monkeys; this time he finds an armed camp that has just beaten Heaven's expeditionary force. 不同 and 無般不有 both take bù.

Each and every one gripped sword and leveled spear, held saber and brandished staff, roaring and leaping there.

一個個 takes yí before the falling tone of 個; 在那裡 is the pointing nà lǐ, "there."

The moment they saw the Star-Lord, they all rushed up to lay hands on him.

一見 takes yí before the falling tone of 見. They mob him on sight.

The Star-Lord said, "You captains there, come — I must trouble you to go and report to your Great Sage: I am a heavenly envoy sent by the High Emperor, with a holy decree here to summon him."

累你, "I must trouble you" (累, lèi) — the courtly formula of a man being jostled by demons, keeping his manners because manners are the only weapon he brought. 那眾頭目 takes 那 as the pointing nà.

The demons ran in at once to report, "Outside there is an old man who says he is an envoy from the heavenly realm, with a decree to summon you."

The captains carry the message in. To them he is simply an old man with a document.

Wukong said, "Well come, well come! It must be that Star-Lord Venus who came before. That time he invited me up to Heaven — though the post was beneath me, still I made the trip aloft and learned the roads within and without the heavenly gate. His coming again now must mean good news."

His pleasure is half vanity and half calculation, and the calculating half is worth noticing: the first trip taught him "the roads within and without the heavenly gate." He is already casing the place. 不堪 takes bù; 走了一次 takes yí; all three 那 here are the pointing nà.

He bade his captains throw wide the flags and drums and draw up ranks to welcome him.

教 is causative jiào, "bade." Flags and drums thrown wide: this is no longer a monkey receiving a summons, it is a sovereign receiving an ambassador.

The Great Sage at once led his monkeys out, his crown on his head and his mail on, an ochre-yellow robe over the mail and cloud-shoes on his feet; he hurried out the cave mouth, bowed, and called aloud, "Venerable Star, please come in — forgive my failure to welcome you properly."

He comes out in the full kit — crown, mail, the 赭黃袍 over the top and 雲履 cloud-shoes below. The bow, 躬身施禮, is real courtesy; it is also the courtesy of the party that won.

The Star-Lord stepped briskly forward, went straight into the cave, and standing facing south said, "I now inform the Great Sage: before, because the Great Sage disliked the smallness of his office and slipped away from the Imperial Stable, the officers great and small of that bureau reported it to the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor decreed, 'In all conferral of office one rises from low to high — why disdain a small one?' Then Heavenly King Lǐ led Nezha down to give battle. Not knowing the Great Sage's powers, they met defeat, and returning to Heaven reported, 'The Great Sage has raised a flag and means to be Great Sage Equal to Heaven.' The generals would still have temporized, but it was this old man who, at the risk of blame, strove on the Great Sage's behalf and memorialized that the army be spared and the Great King be invested. The Jade Emperor approved the memorial, and so I have come to invite you."

Watch where the old man stands. 面南立著 — facing south, the direction a ruler faces, which is why 南面 by itself can mean "to reign." He is standing in Wukong's own cave, in the emperor's posture, because he is speaking the emperor's words. The recital that follows retells the entire quarrel as a chain of reasonable misunderstandings and casts him as Wukong's advocate. 著 is the running zhe; 為何 and 力為大聖 both take 為 as wèi, "for what reason" and "on behalf of"; 授籙 is to confer an investiture-register; 眾武將 takes 將 as jiàng.

Wukong laughed, "You were put to trouble last time, and now you favor me again — many thanks, many thanks! But I wonder, will Heaven grant me the office and title of Great Sage Equal to Heaven?"

One blunt question cuts through all the courtesy: will the title actually be 齊天大聖? Nothing else in the offer interests him. 不知 takes bù.

The Star-Lord said, "It was with that very title that this old man got the memorial approved before I dared accept the decree and come; if it is not granted, let the blame fall on this old man alone."

如有不遂，只坐罪老漢便是 — if it is not granted, let the blame fall on this old man alone. He stakes his own neck on the wording, and that is what closes the deal. 不遂 takes bú before the falling tone of 遂.