The Tang Priest and his three disciples—Monkey (Wukong), Pig, and Friar Sand—were journeying to the Western Heaven. They felt the air grow strangely hot for autumn and soon learned the Fiery Mountains lay ahead.
These mountains spanned 800 li in circumference, barren of all vegetation. A cake seller informed them that crossing was impossible without a magic plantain fan, owned only by Princess Iron Fan. After settling his master, Monkey went to her Plantain Cave.
The princess, wife of the Bull Demon King and mother of Red Boy, bore a grudge. Monkey had previously subdued Red Boy for attempting to eat the Tang Priest. She refused to lend the fan and, with one wave, blew Monkey far away.
Learning of this, Bodhisattva Lingji gave Monkey a Wind-Fixing Pill. On his second visit, with the pill in his mouth, Monkey stood firm against the fan's power. The princess retreated and locked her cave. Monkey then transformed into an insect, entering her belly as she drank tea. In agony, she promised the fan but gave him a fake.
For the third attempt, Monkey decided to impersonate the Bull Demon King and successfully obtained the fan. Discovering the trick, the real Bull Demon King gave chase, leading to a fierce fight. Pig and Friar Sand soon arrived to aid Monkey, forcing the demon to reveal his true form.
With the genuine plantain fan, Monkey extinguished the mountain fires. The master and disciples then resumed their westward journey to fetch the scriptures.