The Birth of Nezha
Chapter 12 of Investiture of the Gods, “Nezha’s Birth at Chentang Pass,” opens with Li Jing, garrison commander of Chentang Pass, who had studied Daoist arts under the Immortal Duyi of the Western Kunlun Mountains but, unable to attain immortalhood, was sent down to enjoy mortal wealth. His first wife, Lady Yin, had borne two sons: the eldest, Jin Zha, who studied under the Bodhisattva Manjushri at Wulong Mountain; and the second, Mu Zha, who studied under the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra at Jiugong Mountain. Lady Yin then became pregnant again, carrying the child for three years and six months without giving birth. Li Jing was anxious and suspicious, saying to his wife’s belly one day: “Pregnant for over three years and still not born — if not a demon, then a monster.” Lady Yin was equally troubled: “This pregnancy must be an ill omen, keeping me anxious day and night.” At the third watch of the night, Lady Yin slept deeply and dreamed of a Daoist with two buns of hair, dressed in Daoist robes, who entered her chamber directly. She scolded him, but he said, “Lady, quickly receive your qilin child!” The Daoist placed something in her bosom, and she woke with a start, drenched in cold sweat. Her belly began to ache. Li Jing hurried up, sat in the front hall, and thought: “Pregnant for three years and six months — tonight, is the child finally coming? Good or ill, I cannot tell.” Just then, two maidservants rushed in: “Master, the lady has given birth to a demon!” Li Jing rushed to the chamber with his sword and saw a mass of red vapor filling the room with an unusual fragrance, and a flesh ball rolling round like a wheel. Startled, Li Jing struck the ball with his sword; with a resounding crack, it split open and out jumped a child — the ground covered in red light, his face like powdered jade, a golden bracelet on his right hand, and a red silk sash around his belly, golden light dazzling the eyes. The bracelet was the Cosmic Ring; the red silk was called the Heaven-Shaking Silk, a treasure of the Golden Light Cave on Qianyuan Mountain.
This divine being descended at Chentang Pass, as the vanguard of Jiang Ziya, the incarnation of the Divine Pearl. The next day, many subordinate officials came to offer congratulations. Just as Li Jing finished receiving them, the commander of the central army reported: “Outside, a Daoist requests an audience.” Li Jing, originally of the Daoist school, dared not forget his roots, and said: “Invite him in!” The Daoist entered the great hall and bowed: “General, this poor Daoist salutes you.” Li Jing returned the greeting and invited him to sit. The Daoist said: “This poor Daoist is Taiyi Zhenren of the Golden Light Cave on Qianyuan Mountain. I heard the general has had a son, and have come specially to congratulate you — may I see the young master?” Li Jing had the child brought out. The Daoist took him, looked at him, and asked: “At what hour was this child born?” Li Jing answered: “At the hour of the Ox.” The Daoist said: “Not good. Born at the hour of the Ox, this child has violated one thousand seven hundred killing prohibitions.” He then asked if the child had been named; Li Jing said no. The Daoist said: “Let me give him a name, and let him be my disciple — how about that?” Li Jing agreed. The Daoist said: “This third son shall be called Nezha.”
Bathing in the Nine-Bend River, the Heaven-Shaking Silk
Nezha was seven years old, six chi tall. It was the fifth month, and the weather was hot. Nezha said to his mother: “I am restless today and want to go outside the pass to play for a while.” Lady Yin ordered an attendant to accompany the Third Young Master. Nezha and the attendant left the pass, and the heat soon made him sweat. The attendant said: “Young Master, there is a river ahead — the water is clear and cool. Why not take a bath?” Nezha came to the riverbank, saw the water was refreshing, took off his clothes, sat on a stone, and placed the seven-chi Heaven-Shaking Silk into the water to bathe. But Nezha did not know that this river was the Nine-Bend River at the mouth of the Eastern Sea. The moment the Heaven-Shaking Silk entered the water, it dyed the river red. A single sway made rivers and streams tremble; a single shake made Heaven and Earth quake. How could the Crystal Palace withstand the power of such a treasure? The Dragon Palace shook and clattered, ringing without cease. Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea, was sitting in his palace when he felt the palace shake. He ordered the patrolling sea yaksha Li Gen to go ashore and investigate. The yaksha parted the waters and leaped ashore. Seeing a child bathing naked by the river, he shouted sternly: “You there, child! Who are you, daring to bathe here and disturb the Dragon Palace?” Nezha looked up, saw the yaksha with a blue face and fangs, a ferocious appearance, and said: “I am Nezha, Third Young Master of Li Jing of Chentang Pass. The weather is hot, and I am bathing here — what business is it of yours?” Without another word, the yaksha raised his axe and swung at Nezha.
Killing the Yaksha, Extracting Ao Bing's Sinew
Nezha saw the yaksha coming fiercely, dodged aside, and raised the Cosmic Ring in his right hand into the air. The ring struck the yaksha on the head, bursting his brains and killing him instantly. The yaksha reverted to its original form — a toad. Nezha said, “You have dirtied my bathwater,” and rinsed the Heaven-Shaking Silk in the river. The Dragon King waited a long time in his palace, and when the yaksha did not return, he sent the Third Prince Ao Bing to go ashore and investigate. Ao Bing mounted his water-avoiding beast, took up his halberd, parted the waters, and came ashore. Seeing Nezha, he shouted: “Was it you who killed my patrolling yaksha?” Nezha replied: “What if it was? I was bathing here, and that yaksha swung his axe at me without a word — I struck him down in one blow. He brought it on himself.” Ao Bing flew into a rage and thrust with his halberd. Nezha and Ao Bing fought for several rounds, but Ao Bing was no match for Nezha. Nezha threw out the Heaven-Shaking Silk, wrapped Ao Bing in it, and struck him on the crown with the Cosmic Ring, forcing Ao Bing to revert to his original form — a small dragon. Nezha said: “So it is a dragon! I hear dragon sinew is the most tough and pliable — just the thing to extract for my father to make a suit of armor lacing.” He went forward and extracted Ao Bing’s dragon sinew. Ao Bing died. When the Dragon King learned in his palace that his beloved son had been tragically killed and his sinew extracted, he was overcome with grief and fury, and swore to take Nezha’s life in revenge.
The Process — Escalation and Self-Sacrifice
Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea, learned that his Third Prince had been killed and his sinew extracted, and was overcome with grief and fury. He intended to go to the Heavenly Court to lodge a complaint with the Jade Emperor, accusing Nezha of his crimes. But Nezha had already anticipated that the Dragon King would go to complain. He arrived first at the Southern Heavenly Gate and blocked the Dragon King. Seeing Nezha, the Dragon King raged: “You cursed creature! You killed my yaksha and my Third Prince, and now you dare block my path!” Nezha replied: “You allowed your yaksha to commit violence, and sent Ao Bing to fight — both brought disaster on themselves. If you go to complain, I will go with you!” With that, he seized the Dragon King, dragged him down from the Southern Heavenly Gate, and beat him soundly, leaving him half-dead. The Dragon King had no choice but to agree not to complain, and slunk back to the Eastern Sea in disgrace. Returning to his palace, the Dragon King grew more furious by the moment. He summoned Ao Qin, Dragon King of the South Sea; Ao Run, Dragon King of the West Sea; and Ao Shun, Dragon King of the North Sea. The four brothers plotted their revenge. They agreed: first, jointly petition the Jade Emperor to demand severe punishment of Nezha and Li Jing; if Heaven refused to act, they would flood Chentang Pass to force Li Jing to hand over Nezha.
The Four Dragon Kings Flood Chentang Pass
The Four Dragon Kings jointly petitioned the Heavenly Court and lodged a complaint with the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor approved and ordered the Four Dragon Kings to go down to the mortal world and arrest Nezha. Receiving the decree, the Four Dragon Kings led their aquatic armies, raising towering waves that surged toward Chentang Pass. Fierce winds howled, torrential rain poured, and the sea flooded backward — the city was in imminent peril. Li Jing stood on the city wall, watching the people struggle in the flood, his heart burning with anxiety. The Dragon King called out from below: “Li Jing! Your son killed my Third Prince. If you do not hand over Nezha today, I will turn Chentang Pass into an ocean!” Li Jing returned to his residence and confronted Nezha. Nezha calmly admitted everything. Li Jing flew into a rage and raised his sword to kill Nezha, but Lady Yin desperately intervened. Nezha looked at his father, then at the people trapped by the flood below the city, and made his decision. The Dragon King, seeing that Li Jing would not hand over Nezha, ordered his aquatic armies to press the attack. The sea continued to rise, and Chentang Pass was in mortal danger. Li Jing and his wife stood on the city wall, tears streaming down their faces, helpless. Nezha walked before his parents, knelt down, and said: “The grace of parents is as high as Heaven and as deep as Earth. What happened today was done by your child alone, and has nothing to do with my parents. Today your child will cut open his belly, remove his intestines, carve out his bones and flesh and return them to his parents, so as not to burden them!”
Returning Bone and Flesh to His Parents
With that, Nezha took his sword in his right hand, first cut off one arm, then cut open his belly, removed his intestines, carved out his bones, scattered his seven souls and three spirits, and died. Seeing Nezha dead, the Four Dragon Kings released Li Jing and his wife, withdrew the flood, and retreated to the sea. The Four Dragon Kings returned to report to the Heavenly Court as Nezha had said. After Nezha’s death, his wisp of a soul drifted aimlessly, with nowhere to return. He thought of his master Taiyi Zhenren and went straight to the Golden Light Cave on Qianyuan Mountain. Taiyi Zhenren had long foreseen this tribulation. Nezha’s soul knelt before his master and tearfully recounted what had happened. Taiyi Zhenren said: “Your soul now has no refuge. I will create an incarnation for you.” He ordered the Golden Cloud Boy to fetch two lotus flowers and three lotus leaves from the Five Lotus Pool, arranged them in human form, placed a golden elixir in the center, recited the resurrection spell, and pushed Nezha’s soul into it. With a resounding crack, a completely new person leaped forth — Nezha was revived, standing one zhang and six chi tall, with a face like powdered jade, lips like vermilion, eyes gleaming with light, clothed in lotus leaves, treading the Wind-Fire Wheels, holding the Fire-Tipped Spear. Taiyi Zhenren told him: “Now you are a lotus incarnation — no longer a mortal body of flesh and blood. From now on, you will be free from many tribulations.”
The Dream Temple
After Nezha’s death, although his soul was later revived through the lotus incarnation, there was an important episode before that revival. Nezha’s soul had nowhere to rest, so he appeared in a dream to his mother, Lady Yin, pleading with her to build a temple on Cuiping Mountain so that he could receive mortal incense offerings and gather his soul. Lady Yin, heartbroken for her son, secretly had a temple built. After the temple was completed, incense flourished, and the people’s prayers were answered. Nezha’s soul gradually coalesced. However, Li Jing learned of this. He was furious, believing that Nezha, being dead, should not receive mortal incense offerings, and even more so should not “delude the people.” He personally went to Cuiping Mountain, smashed Nezha’s golden statue, and burned the temple. Nezha’s soul was once again left without refuge, and his fury was extreme.
Seeing this, Taiyi Zhenren hastened to reshape Nezha’s body with lotus and revive him. After his revival, Nezha learned of his father’s destruction of the temple. Burning with rage, he went straight to Chentang Pass to seek revenge on Li Jing. Thus: Li Jing destroyed the temple and cut off the incense; Nezha pursued him to avenge the former wrong.
Pursuing Li Jing
Nezha, treading the Wind-Fire Wheels and holding the Fire-Tipped Spear, arrived before the commander’s residence at Chentang Pass and shouted: “Li Jing, come out and face me!” The military officer rushed in to report: “Outside is the Third Young Master, treading the Wind-Fire Wheels, holding the Fire-Tipped Spear, calling out the master’s name, demanding that the master come out to see him.” Li Jing was terrified when he heard this. Knowing Nezha had come for revenge, he had no choice but to come out. Seeing Li Jing, Nezha raged: “Li Jing! You destroyed my temple and cut off my incense — today I will take your life!” With that, he thrust his spear. Li Jing was no match and turned to flee. Nezha pursued relentlessly. Li Jing had nowhere to go — he fled to Mu Zha, who tried to intervene but was defeated by Nezha. Li Jing continued to flee, reaching Jin Zha and Guangfa Tianzun. Guangfa Tianzun beat Nezha severely, but Nezha still would not relent. Nezha chased Li Jing relentlessly, beating him into a sorry state. Li Jing fled to a place where he saw a Daoist ahead — it was the Lamp-Burning Daoist. Li Jing cried out for help. The Lamp-Burning Daoist asked what had happened and said to Nezha: “Between father and son, why must you destroy each other like this?” Nezha replied: “He destroyed my temple and cut off my incense — if I do not avenge this wrong, I swear I am not human!” Seeing that he could not dissuade Nezha, the Lamp-Burning Daoist took an object from his sleeve and raised it into the air. Auspicious clouds swirled and purple mist coiled, and a precious pagoda descended from the sky, covering Nezha within it. A great fire burned inside the pagoda, causing Nezha’s Samadhi Fire to erupt from all his orifices, forcing him to submit.
Forced Reconciliation, the Feud Temporarily Settled
After Nezha was subdued by the pagoda, the Lamp-Burning Daoist said to Li Jing: “Now that King Zhou of Shang has lost virtue and the world is in chaos, you need not serve as an official — hide in the valleys and forget fame and profit for a while.” He then said to Nezha: “Your father-son feud ends today. You must acknowledge Li Jing as your father and must not seek revenge again.” Under the deterrent of the pagoda, Nezha had no choice but to bow his head and acknowledge his father. Li Jing, holding the precious pagoda in his hand, became known as the “Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King.” Yet Nezha’s resentment was not fully dispelled. In Chapter 14 of Investiture of the Gods, Nezha does not truly let go of his hatred — he reconciles with Li Jing only under the Lamp-Burning Daoist’s coercion. The precious pagoda in Li Jing’s hand is like the Tang Monk’s golden headband — it will forever control Nezha. This father and son, outwardly harmonious but inwardly estranged, have not truly resolved their feud.
Shooting Biyun, Taiyi Subdues Shiji
Before Nezha pursued Li Jing, another major event occurred. Nezha was at the city wall of Chentang Pass when he saw the Cosmic Bow and Heaven-Shaking Arrow hanging high on the pass. Curious and playful, he drew the bow with all his strength. Nezha’s divine strength was such that the arrow flew a thousand li and happened to strike and kill Biyun Tongzi, the personal disciple of Lady Shiji of the White Bone Cave on Skull Mountain. Biyun Tongzi had been gathering herbs with a flower basket at the foot of the cliff when the arrow pierced his throat, and he fell dead. Lady Shiji came with the arrow to demand justice from Li Jing. Li Jing, knowing he was in the wrong, brought Nezha to apologize. But Nezha suddenly struck out and killed another of Lady Shiji’s disciples, Caiyun Tongzi. Lady Shiji flew into a rage and fought Nezha fiercely. Nezha could not defeat her and fled to the Golden Light Cave. Taiyi Zhenren intervened, and without asking questions, killed Lady Shiji with a magical treasure. This incident once again reveals the “trouble-making” side of Nezha in the original novel — he is not the innocent young hero of the 1979 animated version, but a “naturally murderous” and perpetually troublesome child.
Assisting Zhou, Attaining Sagehood
After subduing Nezha, the Lamp-Burning Daoist said to Li Jing: “Now that King Zhou of Shang has lost virtue and the world is in chaos, you need not serve as an official — hide in the valleys.” Later, Jiang Ziya, on the Primordial Lord’s decree, descended the mountain to assist King Wu of Zhou in overthrowing the tyrant King Zhou of Shang. Nezha, ordered by his master, descended the mountain and became the vanguard general under Jiang Ziya’s command. Treading the Wind-Fire Wheels, wielding the Fire-Tipped Spear, draped in the Heaven-Shaking Silk, and bearing the Cosmic Ring on his shoulder, Nezha repeatedly distinguished himself in the Great Investiture War. Because he was a lotus incarnation, without soul or spirit, not a body of flesh and blood, he was immune to all soul-capturing attacks and impervious to plague and disease. After the Investiture War, he refused office, did not cling to wealth and honor, retired upon success, and returned to the mountains to cultivate the Dao. In the end, because he did not enter the Investiture of the Gods list, he attained sagehood with his mortal body, and he, his father, and his two elder brothers — a family of four — were ranked among the immortals, their names passed down through the ages.
Conclusion
The Nezha story in the original Investiture of the Gods is far more complex and tragic than the 1979 animated version. It is not a simple narrative of “a hero eliminating evil,” but a profound allegory of father-son feud, ethical conflict, and individual awakening. From accidentally causing trouble while bathing in the Nine-Bend River, to the tragic self-sacrifice of returning bone to his father and flesh to his mother; from rebirth through the lotus incarnation, to the resolute pursuit of his father for revenge; from forced reconciliation beneath the pagoda, to repeated distinguished service in the Investiture War — Nezha’s life is one of constant struggle between rebellion and submission, freedom and restraint, grudge and reconciliation. He ultimately attains sagehood with his mortal body, ranked among the immortals alongside his father and brothers. Yet that pagoda forever hangs above his head, and that outwardly harmonious but inwardly estranged father and son can never truly reconcile. This is precisely where the original novel is most profound: it does not offer a perfect ending, only a real predicament.