The Yellow Robe Demon is a minor antagonist in the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. He is actually the Wood Wolf of Legs of the 28 Mansions on Heaven, who has kidnapped and married Princess Baihuaxiu for 13 years. When Xuanzang comes, the Yellow Robe Demon captures him, knowing that eating the latter's flesh would grant him immortality.
In the 1986 series, he was portrayed by Ren Fengpo.
Personality[]
Being a demon king, the Yellow Robe Demon is very brutal and cruel. He has no qualms kidnapping Princess Baihuaxiu and forcing her to marry him, and has succeed for 13 years, not to mention having two kids with her. Effectively, he's her gaoler and rapist, and their relationship is eerily like that of an abusive household ala Ozai and Ursa, or within the story itself, Liu Hong and Lady Yin. That said, he also has a genuine love for her, treating her well when things are normal. Unfortunately, upon realizing via piecing things together that she sent a letter to her parents, he beats her for "betraying him" and ruthlessly drags her by hair, and it's only thanks to Sha Wujing lying to him that she survives.
When first meeting Baihuaxiu's father, the King of Baoxiang, Yellow Robe Demon disguises as a handsome man and pretends to be polite, while accusing Xuanzang of being a tiger demon and the one who kidnapped her while he only met her when she was dropped into his mountain. But this charisma vanishes once he's drunk as being unable to control himself, he reverts to his true form and eats a concubine in enjoyment, much to everyone's horror.
It's later revealed that Baihuaxiu is in fact the reincarnation of his lover on Heaven, and the two had promised to be together in the mortal world as he didn't want to disgrace Heaven's purity. While this doesn't excuse his actions, it paints the Yellow Robe Demon as a sympathetic villain who is in love but doesn't know how to express it.
Biography[]
Past[]
The Wood Wolf of Legs of the 28 Mansions once fell in love with a Jade Maiden in Heaven and decided to elope with her. However, didn't want to ruin the Heaven's pureness, he told her to reincarnate as a human first, which she did as Baihuaxiu, the third princess of the Kingdom of Baoxiang. Meanwhile, he became a demon lord, based in Moon Waves Cave on Bowl Mountain, kidnapped the princess, marries her for 13 years and had two children with her.
Role[]
Upon learning that Xuanzang had arrived to his mountain, knowing that eating the monk's flesh would grant him immortality or long lifespan, the Yellow Robe Demon captured Xuanzang, forced Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing try to save their master but they are no match for the demon. Worse, the demon disguised as a handsome man and framed Xuanzang being a demonic tiger in front of the king. Zhu Bajie then went to bring back Sun Wukong – who was previously banished by Xuanzang after killing the Baigujing – to help them but they were still unable to defeat the demon lord, who had managed to escape. Wukong, knew that he is from the Heaven, then seeked help from Heaven. The Jade Emperor discovered that one of the 28 Mansions is missing, so he orders the remaining 27 to subdue the demon. Upon hearing his fellow Mansions' voices, he headed back to Heaven. As a punishment, the Wood Wolf is ordered to become a furnace keeper under Taishang Laojun until when he can finally make up for his crimes, or otherwise he might get an even worse punishment.
Much later, Sun Wukong was forced to fight the Kings of Cold, Heat and Dust Protection (the three demonic rhinos), and seeked help from Heaven again. They sent four deities to subdue the three demon kings. Wood Wolf was included in the deities. Eventually, they managed to capture and defeat the three rhinos, and then bid a farewell to Wukong before returning to Heaven. Though it wasn't stated, this is most likely meant to be Wood Wolf's redemption to make up for his crimes.
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