The story of Plain Cloud-Realm Banner

The Plain Cloud-Realm Banner was kept at the Jade Pool and was also called the Cloud-Realm Banner and the Immortal-Gathering Banner. Princess Longji said that whenever an assembly was held at the Jade Pool, the banner had only to be raised and the immortals would come when they saw it.

Yin Jiao broke the oath he had sworn on leaving the mountain and turned the Sky-Overturning Seal to the Shang army. Meaning to drive him onto Mount Qi, Randeng had already borrowed the Lihuo Flame-Light Banner and the Blue Lotus Treasure-Colour Banner, and had the apricot-yellow banner of Yuxu Palace besides — but still lacked a banner for the western station.

For a while nobody could think where the Plain Cloud-Realm Banner was. Tu Xingsun mentioned the matter in the inner rooms, and Princess Longji heard him and said the banner was with her mother the Queen Mother of the West, and that only Nanji Xianweng was fit to go and ask for it.

Guangchengzi hurried back to Yuxu Palace and told Nanji Xianweng about Yin Jiao and the Sky-Overturning Seal. Nanji Xianweng changed into court dress, put on his jade pendants, took up his tablet, and rode a cloud to the Jade Pool.

The golden gate of the Jade Pool opened and four pairs of immortal maidens came out bearing the Immortal-Gathering Banner. The Queen Mother of the West gave the order that Nanji Xianweng might carry the banner to Western Qi to help the Zhou army break the enemy.

Nanji Xianweng brought the banner to Western Qi, and Guangchengzi burned incense and received the order. Randeng then assigned the quarters: Wenshu held the east with the Blue Lotus Treasure-Colour Banner, Chijingzi the south with the Lihuo Flame-Light Banner, Randeng the centre with the apricot-yellow banner, and the Immortal-Gathering Banner stood in the west.

The Zhou army raided the Shang camp by night and drove Yin Jiao towards Mount Qi. Yin Jiao broke first east, then south, then at the centre, and the light of the three banners held the Sky-Overturning Seal up each time, so that he had to turn west.

Seeing Jiang Ziya beneath the dragon-and-phoenix banner, Yin Jiao spurred forward with his halberd and threw the Sky-Overturning Seal into the air. Jiang Ziya unfurled the Immortal-Gathering Banner at once; a haze spread over the ground and a strange fragrance and golden light covered the station, and still the seal could not come down.

Jiang Ziya then raised the God-Beating Whip, and Yin Jiao broke away to the north. The armies of the four quarters pursued him together and drove him into a narrow mountain road, where the oath he had sworn to meet his end under the plough on Mount Qi was fulfilled.