I am submissive in Journey to the West, I strike hard at the gods

Sha Wujing remained calm and composed. He put down his bowl and chopsticks and advised, "Master, although the ice is thick, it may melt when the weather warms up."

Chen, the benefactor, once said that when the ice melts, one must cross the river by boat to prevent accidents.

"Perhaps we should also prepare a small boat; it would be safer that way."

Tang Sanzang shook his head, stubbornly saying, "Sha Wujing's words make sense, but the journey is fraught with danger, and we must not miss this opportunity."

The Bodhisattva is compassionate and will surely protect us.

Let's go! "

Seeing this, Chen Cheng sighed and then instructed, "Elder, you must be careful where you step when walking on ice."

Once the ice melts, remember to take a boat; don't be reckless.

The master and his disciples thanked him, packed their bags, and led the white dragon horse onto the crystal-clear ice surface.

Wukong led the way, his fiery eyes scanning the surroundings for any "travelers."

Upon seeing them approach, they all gave way, transforming into wisps of green smoke and disappearing beneath the ice.

He sneered, remaining expressionless, but secretly formed a hand seal to protect his master.

Pigsy, being experienced, took out strips of cloth from his luggage and wrapped the white dragon horse's hooves tightly. He then advised everyone, "Master, brothers, this ice is slippery. If you slip, you'll be soaked to the bone."

"Come here, hold this weapon horizontally as a walking stick; if you slip, it will help you regain your balance."

Tang Sanzang nodded in approval and gripped his staff tightly; Sha Wujing picked up his crescent shovel; Wukong was happy to watch the spectacle, simply holding his golden cudgel across his shoulder; and Bajie himself wielded his nine-toothed rake, huffing and puffing as he followed.

The group walked on the ice, the river wind was biting, and the ice surface made a slight crunching sound under their feet.

At first, everything went smoothly. The white dragon horse trotted a few steps and felt steady.

Tang Sanzang was overjoyed, chanting "Namo Amitabha Buddha" as he walked with increasingly light steps.

Wukong, however, felt increasingly uneasy as he walked: beneath the ice, a sinister wind seemed to be stirring, and those "travelers"...

Although scattered, they seemed to have formed an array in the middle of the river.

What bothered him even more was the faint, familiar fishy smell wafting in the air—Jiang Wang! That guy must be nearby. Wukong wished he could immediately transform into a fly to investigate, but he was afraid that Tang Sanzang wouldn't believe the demon's words and would only cause more trouble. So he could only secretly use his somersault cloud, ready to take action at any time.

As we reached the middle of the river, the ice suddenly trembled, as if a giant beast had awakened.

Tang Sanzang suddenly felt his feet sink into the ice, and with a crack, the ice shattered! A stream of icy, bone-chilling river water surged up, instantly engulfing him in a whirlpool.

"Master!"

Wukong shouted and leaped to save him, only to see a pair of enormous fish claws emerge from the water, firmly grasp Tang Sanzang's cassock, and drag him into the abyss.

The demon revealed its true form: a golden, gleaming Linggan King, its scales gleaming, its breath white, and it grinned maliciously, "Tang Sanzang's flesh grants immortality! Our meeting in the river today is truly the will of Heaven!"

Before Tang Sanzang could even cry out in alarm, he had already been dragged deep into the underwater palace.

Wukong's eyes were bloodshot with rage. He swung his golden cudgel in a wide arc and brought it down, but it only shattered the ice. The demon had already disappeared into the water.

Pigsy and Sandy also missed their target, and the white dragon horse neighed and retreated.

Pigsy rubbed his eyes and cursed, "Damn it, there's a demon hiding in this ice! I told you it would be safer to take the boat..."

Sha Wujing's face turned ashen: "Eldest brother, quickly save Master!"

Wukong gritted his teeth, put away his staff, and said, "Don't panic! This demon is the Linggan King of the Tongtian River, who has occupied the old turtle's water palace."

Let's go back to Chenjiazhuang first and discuss our strategy.

The three men led their horses back, and the river behind them had returned to calm, with only broken ice floating on the surface, seemingly mocking their recklessness.

Inside Chen Family Village, Chen Cheng saw them return in a disheveled state and hurriedly asked what had happened.

Wukong briefly recounted what had happened and concluded, "That demon came specifically for Master. Its water palace is at the bottom of the river, so we must fight it in the water."

"Brother Sha, you're a good swimmer, take Pigsy with you and go into the water to rescue them!"

Upon hearing this, Pigsy's face fell: "Brother Monkey, what are you talking about? I'm afraid of the cold and water. If I stay in the river in the middle of winter, I'll freeze into an icicle! Besides, that demon is very cunning. What if that bastard Jiang Wang causes trouble..."

Wukong smiled with narrowed eyes: "Fool, you're afraid of Jiang Wang? That's precisely why we need you to go! If that fellow shows up, your Nine-Toothed Rake will be just what you need to deal with him."

I'll be on the shore to keep you safe.

If anything happens to our Master, Guanyin Bodhisattva will not forgive us!

Speechless, Pigsy could only sigh, "Fine, fine, I'll go all out!"

Sha Wujing nodded, took off his outer robe, and the two of them leaped into the river, transforming into a waterway and diving into the deep riverbed.

At the same time, the riverbed was turbulent, and a strange teleportation light quietly appeared.

Jiang Wang, a mysterious person carrying a system mission, arrived from the void.

A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips as the system's icy voice echoed in his mind: "Mission Update: Interfere with the pilgrimage team crossing the river; apply special glue to the back of the old turtle."

Reward: Points doubled.

Jiang Wang remained calm and swallowed a Transformation Pill, instantly transforming into a dark, oily loach, swimming in the mud and sand at the bottom of the river.

Following the watercourse, he quickly found the occupied water palace—the old turtle's former residence, now the lair of the Great King of Inspiration.

The old turtle was originally the guardian beast of the Tongtian River, a thousand-year-old tortoise with a back as broad as a boat. However, its cave was forcibly occupied by the goldfish demon, and it now lives in a corner at the bottom of the river, feeling depressed and unhappy.

Jiang Wang, the agile loach, darted into the crevices of the rocks where the old turtle was hiding.

The old turtle was resting with its eyes closed when suddenly a blur appeared before its eyes, and a plump fish swam by, emitting an enticing aroma.

That large fish was actually a magical illusion created by Jiang Wang using elixirs, containing a bewitching effect.

The old turtle, ravenously hungry, swallowed the whole thing in one gulp, and immediately felt dizzy, weak in its limbs, and fell into a deep sleep.

Jiang Wang revealed his human form, grinning as he took out the bottle of waterproof glue—a special product of the system, as tough as steel, impervious to swords and spears, and unaffected by water and fire.

He lifted the old turtle's shell and carefully applied the paste evenly to its back, making sure every inch was covered perfectly.

The glue dries instantly upon contact with water, leaving no trace, and is specially designed to stick to the feet of living creatures.

After wiping himself clean, Jiang Wang nodded in satisfaction, then transformed back into a mudfish, lurking behind nearby rocks, waiting for the show to begin.

A sinister glint flashed in his eyes: Sun Wukong, you monkey, let's see how you break this! Inside the underwater palace at the bottom of the river, the flames of war have already begun.

Following the demonic aura, Pigsy and Sandy broke through the water gate and stormed into the lair of the Great King of Inspiration.

The demon had just tied Tang Sanzang to a stone pillar, preparing to disembowel him, when he suddenly heard a commotion and swung his tail to meet the attack.

Pigsy brandished his rake with great force, cursing, "You stinking fish demon, release my master!"

Sha Wujing's crescent shovel moved like a dragon, its steady movement carrying the power of thunder, aiming straight for the demon's head.

As expected of the River King, Linggan Dawang swept his fish tail, creating a huge whirlpool that forced Bajie to stagger.

Sha Wujing, however, stood firm as a rock, his shovel blade slashing down, forcing the demon to retreat repeatedly.

During the battle, Sha Wujing fought with increasing ferocity, his shovels flashing repeatedly, overwhelming Linggan Dawang to the point of being unable to breathe.

The fairy's scales shattered, its blood staining the river red, and it was about to be cleaved in two by a shovel.

Just then, a golden light shone down from the water's surface, and Guanyin Bodhisattva appeared at the bottom of the river, her willow-leaf eyebrows slightly furrowed, softly uttering, "Excellent, excellent."

Suddenly, Sha Wujing heard the chanting of the headband mantra in his ears, and his head throbbed with pain as if pierced by a thousand needles. His crescent shovel veered off course and stopped just an inch in front of the demon's throat.

Pigsy also felt dizzy, and his rake drooped.

The Bodhisattva smiled compassionately, held a bamboo basket, and covered it with the basket. The Great King of Inspiration transformed into a golden light, obediently entered the basket, and ceased struggling.

The Bodhisattva stroked his beard and said, “Sha Wujing, don’t be anxious. This demon is not wicked. He is a goldfish spirit that escaped from my lotus pond.”

It played in the river, and upon hearing that the flesh of Tang Sanzang could grant immortality, it conceived a wicked plan. Its subjugation today is the consequence of its actions.

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang's eyes welled up with tears: "Bodhisattva is merciful, saving us from suffering."

The Bodhisattva nodded, untied the ropes, lifted Tang Sanzang up, and sent him to the surface of the water.

The master and disciple were reunited and wept with joy.

After being rescued, Tang Sanzang rested briefly in Chenjiazhuang and burned incense to thank the Bodhisattva.

Guanyin appeared briefly, offered some guidance, and then transformed into a rainbow and departed.

Chen Cheng prepared wine and dishes, and everyone sat around. Bajie ate heartily, Sha Wujing silently drank tea, but Wukong was preoccupied, always feeling that Jiang Wang's shadow lingered.

The next morning, the river ice gradually melted, turning into droplets of water, and the river surface shimmered.

Tang Sanzang, eager to continue the journey, urged them to set off again.

Suddenly, a loud splash was heard in the river, and a thousand-year-old turtle emerged from the water, kowtowing and saying, "Elder, this little turtle is grateful to you all for subduing that golden fish demon and reclaiming the Water Palace."

The river ice has now melted, making travel by boat inconvenient. This little turtle is willing to carry you all across the river, to repay your great kindness!

Upon hearing this, Wukong scanned the old turtle with his fiery eyes and saw that its eyes were clear and devoid of any demonic aura. He then said, "Old turtle, what is your intention? If you have any doubts, you must swear a solemn oath!"

The old turtle hurriedly said, "I swear to the heavens that if I have any evil intentions, may I be struck by lightning!"

After making the vow, Wukong nodded: "Alright! Master, let's get on the turtle's back."

I rode the clouds overhead to keep watch.

Tang Sanzang thanked them, and the group of disciples led the horse onto the turtle's back.

Its back is as broad as a boat, floating steadily on the water.

The old turtle shook its head and wagged its tail as it slowly moved forward.

Wukong soared into the air, his golden cudgel lying horizontally, his eyes blazing as he searched for Jiang Wang's whereabouts.

A gentle breeze blew across the river, water birds circled overhead, and everything seemed peaceful.

When it reached the middle of the river, the old turtle suddenly felt something strange on its back, but it didn't know why, and just kept moving forward.

Tang Sanzang stood on the tortoise's head, chanting scriptures with peace of mind; Pigsy leaned lazily against the luggage, dozing off; Sandy stood guard beside the horse, vigilant of the surroundings.

Suddenly, Tang Sanzang felt his feet sink, as if he were stepping into mud, unable to pull himself out! He looked down and saw that the soles of his feet were stuck to the tortoise shell, completely immovable.

"Oh dear, what's wrong?"

Tang Sanzang exclaimed in surprise.

Upon hearing this, Pigsy tried to get up but couldn't move: "Master, my hooves are stuck too! What kind of weird stuff is smeared on this tortoise's back?"

Sha Wujing tried to lift his leg, but to no avail. His expression changed drastically: "Brother, come and take a look!"

Upon hearing this, Wukong hurriedly descended from the cloud. When he landed, he saw that the three people's feet were deeply embedded in the turtle's back, where the glue was invisible yet extremely tough.

He conjured up the golden cudgel, which transformed into a small knife, and attempted to sever the glued joint.

The blade was sharp enough to cut through iron like mud, but it slid across the glue, leaving only a shallow mark.

Wukong tried several times, but the glue was not damaged at all; on the contrary, it became stickier and stickier.

He gritted his teeth in anger, cursing under his breath, "Jiang Wang, you treacherous villain! It must be your doing, you dog!"

Upon hearing this, the old turtle hurriedly said, "Great Sage, spare my life! This little turtle didn't know!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was immediately plunged into a new predicament.

The river flowed swiftly, but the turtle's back remained motionless; Tang Sanzang and his disciples' feet were stuck to the ground, unable to move forward or backward.

Wukong looked up at the sky, his eyes revealing a murderous intent.

The Tongtian River surged with turbulent waters, its waves as high as mountains, seemingly threatening to swallow all living things that had passed by.

The four members of the Tang Monk's group rode on the broad shell of the thousand-year-old turtle, barely managing to cross the river with its help.

The old turtle is a river spirit that usually hides at the bottom of the water. Today, it has encountered a holy monk on his pilgrimage and has specially appeared to help him.

Its back was as hard as an iron plate, carrying the master and his disciples steadily forward. Waves splashed up, wetting everyone's monks' robes, but they could not stop the hidden killing intent in the river.

"Master, steady yourself. The river may be swift, but it cannot stop our good intentions."

Sun Wukong led the way, holding his golden cudgel, his eyes blazing as he scanned the water.

Pigsy, carrying his rake, was panting heavily, while Sandy remained silent, holding his staff and guarding Tang Sanzang's side.

Tang Sanzang clasped his hands together and chanted Buddhist scriptures softly, his face as kind and gentle as ever.

But right in the middle of the river, the old turtle suddenly trembled, and its originally smooth shell began to wriggle as if it were alive.

Tang Sanzang felt a tightness around his waist, as if invisible threads were binding him tightly, making him unable to move.

The stickiness was incredibly strange; it didn't hurt or itch, but it felt like a heavy stone, making it hard for him to breathe.

"Oh dear, what is this? Old turtle benefactor, how... how did such a strange thing happen to your back?"

Upon hearing this, the old turtle's voice, like the low tolling of an ancient bell, echoed from the bottom of the water: "Holy monk, do not panic! This humble monk did not originally have this on his back. It is a secret of the turtle shell, which is not usually visible. Today, while carrying you all across the river, I don't know how... it got stuck."

This humble monk harbors no ill intentions; I only beg the Holy Monk's assistance to expedite the deliverance of my suffering soul in the river.

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong flipped over and landed on the tortoise shell, then reached out and probed it.

The glue was a dark green color, sticky to the touch, yet it didn't attract dust, and seemed to wriggle as if it were alive.

He pulled out his golden cudgel, gently poked it, and heard a "sizzle".

With a sound, the tip of the stick was pulled and revealed a wisp of green light, which could not be shaken off.

"What a vicious wretch! Master, this must be the work of that Jiang Taigong Jiang Wang! He failed in his alchemy and resented us for disturbing his peaceful cultivation, so he resorted to this despicable means to stick to you and block my journey to the west!"

Pigsy stepped forward, squinted at it, and shook his head, saying, "Brother Monkey is right, this glue looks like that old man's trick."

Bajie, I've seen a lot. Some fish and turtles in the river have a slime that can kill birds, but this... tsk tsk, it's so sticky that Master can't even move his nest. It must be an ancient treasure.

Master, don't rush, let me, Old Pig, use my rake to pry it open.

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang turned pale, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

The glue stuck tighter and tighter, as if it had a spirit of its own, spreading along his monk's robe to his limbs. The pain made him frown, but he still forced himself to say, "Wukong, stop talking nonsense."

Benefactor Jiang is skilled in alchemy, how could he resort to such a vicious scheme? It must be a misunderstanding.

"Quickly find a way to untie it, lest you harm the old turtle, it meant well."

Sun Wukong didn't care about any of that. Being an impatient monkey, he immediately conjured up his fiery eyes and carefully examined them.

The glue contained faintly flickering runes, indeed made using Taoist secret techniques, making it difficult to be harmed by ordinary weapons.

Without saying a word, he swung his golden cudgel and slashed at the glue.

All that could be heard was a clang.

With a snap, the stick bounced back, the glue completely undamaged, and instead stretched out a green thread that wrapped around the tip of the stick.

"No way! This glue is impervious to blades and bullets!"

He then conjured a sword and slashed at it with serrated edges, sparks flying, but it only left shallow marks.

Then, he summoned river water to wash it away, and the glue floated to the surface like oil, but did not dissolve; next, he sprayed a mouthful of cinnabar fire to heat it, and the green light intensified. Amidst the rising heat, Tang Sanzang cried out in pain and nearly fainted. (End of Chapter)