Why does Monkey King Thrice Defeats the Skeleton Demon need three dozen? What's the point?

This is a very pertinent, interesting and valuable question. \x0d\ In my opinion, the novel is written in this way, mainly to enhance the narrative needs. Monkey King Thrice Defeats the Skeleton Demon in The Journey to the West is the narrative tradition of China's classical vernacular novels, just like Lu Zhishen's "Ruling Kansai with Three Fists" in Water Margin and "Zhuge Liang's Three qi zhou Yu" in the Three Kingdoms. Only its three strikes and three spirits make the story ups and downs and fascinating. The problem is that in ancient times, the word "three" had more than one meaning. Since in order to enhance the story, why not "four dozen white", "five dozen" and "eight fists to kill the town of Kansai"? \x0d\ In the folk, there has been a saying and habit since ancient times, which is called "three things". As the saying goes, when there is repetition, there is no repetition. Once is too simple, it seems that the opponent is not qualified to fight, twice seems to be hidden, and three times is enough. It not only conforms to the law of the development of things, but also satisfies the appetite of readers.