Journey to the West: Beginning with the Apprenticeship of Bodhi Patriarch

Chapter 333 The Yan family was filled with terror, unaware of their impending doom.

The story takes place in Lishan Village, at the home of the Ox King.

How could Madam Yan accept the idea that the Bull King was a monster? She felt that her husband had been harmed by the Bull King. Now, she thought that the Bull King was an imposter. She had heard in her youth that there was a monster outside the mountains who could skin people for his own use. He would use the skin to disguise himself as a human, enter other people's homes, and devour their families.

The person before her must have murdered her husband and used his skin.

Yan was terrified. How could he possibly talk to the Bull King? He got up and seized an opportunity to escape.

The Bull Demon King wanted to chase after her and stop her, but seeing that Yan Shi was in a state of panic, he was afraid that chasing her would harm the child in her womb, so he had no choice but to let her go.

The Bull Demon King watched as Madam Yan left the house, shouting and yelling, feeling utterly helpless.

Zuo Liang entered the house and said, "King Niu, is it that the negotiations have failed?"

The Bull Demon King shook his head and said, "He doesn't believe me, so he thinks I'm a monster, not his husband. Now it's a real problem, and I really don't know what to do. I didn't realize this was a calamity, but now I can sense where it is. Calamities can indeed make people fall into them without them even realizing it. If you know it's a calamity, then it's not a calamity; if you don't know it's a calamity, then it is a calamity."

Zuo Liang said, “King Niu, do not worry. Since the Lord has issued a decree to send me here, it means that he believes I can solve your troubles. Furthermore, if I cannot solve them, I can still use the Five Thunder Orthodox Method to invite all the gods and Buddhas in the heavens, and they will surely be able to solve your troubles.”

Upon hearing this, the Bull Demon King said, "What you say makes a lot of sense. You have the Five Thunder Orthodox Method, which can surely resolve my tribulation."

Zuo Liang said, "But now, let's go outside and explain things clearly."

The Bull Demon King nodded, said no more, and went outside to find the Yan family.

Zuo Liang followed closely behind.

……

Meanwhile, as Yan walked outside, she kept exclaiming that there was a monster, which attracted the attention of the surrounding villagers. Especially when they heard the word "monster," the villagers were all on high alert. They had personally experienced the calamity caused by monsters, so how could they not be afraid of monsters? They dared not be careless about what was happening here.

The villagers all asked, "Where did this monster come from, Niu Yanshi? Explain yourself!"

A villager standing nearby said, "I wondered who was talking about monsters. How come it's you, Niu Yanshi? Everyone knows your husband has divine power and can drive away monsters. How dare you talk about monsters here?"

Another villager said, "That makes sense. What kind of skill does Old Niu have? Back in the village, he used an iron rod to drive away evil spirits. According to the village chief, if the monster had been slower to escape, it would have been killed by Old Niu. How can you say there is a monster now?"

In his panic, Yan fled and joined up with the villagers. Only then did he feel a little relieved. He exclaimed, "The monster is my brother! The monster is my brother! You all hurry over there and catch the monster!"

Upon hearing this, the villagers all laughed and said, "Niu Yanshi, you are confused. How can you say such things? How could the old ox be a monster? Could it be that the old ox is pretending to be a monster to scare you? You are so panicked because you and your husband are playing tricks on us. We have important matters to attend to and do not have time to play tricks on you and your husband."

Say it.

The villagers were about to disperse, how could they believe what Yan said?

Seeing the villagers about to leave, Yan looked back into the house, terrified that the Bull Demon King would come out. He knelt down and said, "Don't go, don't go! Please believe me, I'm not talking nonsense. My son is indeed a monster. I'm not talking nonsense, and I'm not playing tricks. If I'm talking nonsense, may I be struck by lightning."

The villagers were all shocked to see Yan Shi in this state. They stopped and pondered whether Yan Shi was talking nonsense or not.

The villagers held the oath in high esteem, and when they heard Yan speak in this way, they began to seriously consider it.

A villager asked, "Niu Yanshi, please speak properly. There's no need for you to kneel. Why do you say that the old ox is a monster?"

All the villagers shared this view and asked Yan to explain the matter in detail.

Upon seeing this, Madam Yan explained the matter clearly to the villagers.

When the villagers heard Yan Shi recount the truth about the Bull Demon King—that he was actually a monster—and also heard Yan Shi say that the Bull Demon King was most likely harmed by a monster, and thus disguised as the Bull Demon King, they couldn't help but believe Yan Shi to some extent.

Especially today, Zuo Liang's entry into the village has already puzzled the villagers, and now that they think about it, they feel that Zuo Liang is also a monster.

A villager asked, "Niu Yanshi, don't talk nonsense. You can't talk nonsense about such things."

Yan said, "I have never lied, I have never lied. I am willing to swear on my life that not a single word of it is false."

The villagers said, "In that case, let's go and see if the old ox is a monster in disguise."

Other villagers tried to stop them, saying, "You must not go like this. If the old ox was indeed harmed by a monster, and it is now a monster in disguise, what will you do? You are not the old ox; do you have the divine power to drive away the monster?"

Upon hearing this, the villagers all realized their mistake and felt a wave of fear. They were indeed powerless to defeat the monster, and if they went, they would likely be harmed by it.

The villagers said, "Since we can't go there, what should we do?"

The villager said, "We should go find the village chief and ask him for advice."

The villagers agreed, and so they took Yan and headed towards the village chief's house. Before long, they arrived at the village chief's house and told him about the matter.

After hearing this, the village chief could not believe what Yan said and scolded, "Nonsense! How can you believe what she says? How could the old ox be a monster in disguise? Where did this Taoist master come from? He certainly couldn't be a monster."

Yan knelt on the ground and said, "What I said is true, village chief. You should believe me. I saw it with my own eyes. He turned into a bull demon. If what I said is false, I am willing to accept any punishment."

The village chief said, “Niu Yanshi, you should know that if you speak nonsense, I will not let you off easily. Even if Old Niu pleads for you, I will still punish you.”

Madam Yan said in a sorrowful voice, "My husband has been harmed by a monster. How can anyone plead for me? But if you can find out the truth, get rid of the monster that harmed my husband, and avenge him, I am willing to protect my husband's home for the rest of my life."

The village chief was moved. Seeing Yan's appearance, he realized she wasn't faking it and had no choice but to deal with the matter seriously. He said, "In that case, let's go to Old Niu's house to take a look. If it really is a monster, we must get rid of it and avenge Old Niu. Everyone, go and get some weapons. Those who have knives, take them; those who have sticks, take them. If you don't have knives or sticks, take a hoe or something. Come with me to Old Niu's house."

The villagers all responded and scattered to take weapons and other tools.

A villager stepped forward and said, "Village chief, I have a bow at home, may I borrow it?"

The village chief said, "Of course we're going to take it for use. Why are you hiding it?"

The villagers said, "We are afraid of being harmed by the law, so we hide it and dare not use it when hunting."

The village chief laughed and scolded, "Why are you hiding it? There's no law that says you can't use a bow. I've often heard that there are laws in our dynasty that prohibit the private possession of armor and crossbows. How can there be a reason not to use a bow? The law states that anyone who privately manufactures one set of armor or three crossbows will be hanged. You can use your bow with peace of mind; no one will dare to say anything."

Hearing this, the villagers were relieved and turned back to retrieve their bows. The village chief waited with Yan Shi in the same spot. Looking at Yan Shi, who was heavily pregnant and sobbing softly on the ground, the village chief hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say.

But remembering that Yan was carrying the son of the Ox King, he had no choice but to step forward and persuade her, "Old Ox may not be in any danger. Let's wait until all the villagers have gathered, then we'll go to your house to take a look. Perhaps you've misjudged him."

Yan shook her head and said, "I couldn't be wrong, but Ah Lang is most likely dead."

The village chief sighed but said nothing.

The two waited in place for a while, and then the villagers gathered in twos and threes, each carrying some sticks and knives. A few of them carried bows and arrows and came to await the village chief's orders.

The village chief said, "Now that everyone is here, come with me to Old Niu's house. But be careful with your weapons, so you don't hurt anyone."

All the villagers obeyed the order and headed towards the Bull Demon King's house.

They hadn't walked for long when they ran into the Bull Demon King and Zuo Liang walking out.

The villagers were wary when they saw the Bull Demon King, but seeing that he looked like a farmer and hadn't changed, they were surprised. How could this be a monster? He was clearly an old bull.

But the village chief had not given any instructions, so they dared not do anything more and could only remain vigilant.

The village chief stepped forward and asked, "Are you Old Niu?"

The Bull Demon King was relieved to see Yan Shi among the villagers and replied, "Village Chief, it is indeed me."

The village chief asked, "How can you prove you're really an old ox?"

After pondering for a moment, the Bull Demon King said, "Village Chief, yesterday morning, I asked you for the steamed buns you ate, but you said that food was precious and refused to give them to me."

The village chief said, "Several people have witnessed this, but that is not enough to prove that you are the real Old Ox."

Hearing what the village chief said, the Bull Demon King had no choice but to say, "There is a sum of money hidden under your bed. I saw it when I went to your house last time. At that time, you said that there was nothing there, but I saw it. I just didn't tell you."

Upon hearing this, the village chief's eyes widened, and he exclaimed, "You really are an old ox!"

Upon hearing this, the villagers immediately relaxed and said, "Old Niu, what are you and your wife doing? Your wife said you are a monster and asked us to come and exorcise the demon to avenge you. What kind of trick are you playing?"

The villagers all put down their weapons, unaware that the Bull Demon King was harmful.

Yan stepped forward, looking terrified, and said, “You must not believe him. He is not human, but a monster. He is just trying to scare you. Do not believe him.”

One villager said, "Niu Yanshi, what has provoked you to talk such nonsense and insist that the old ox is a monster? The old ox is just standing right there, how can it be a monster?"

Madam Yan panicked and said, "He can change, he can change. But he will turn into a monster, a bull demon."

The villagers still refused to believe Yan's words, thinking she was talking nonsense. They wondered what had happened to her that had driven her to such madness.

Yan knelt on the ground before the villagers, kowtowing countless times, begging them to believe what he said.

The village chief asked in bewilderment, "Old Niu, what's wrong with your wife? Why does she look like this?"

The village chief did not believe what Yan said, thinking that Yan was talking nonsense.

The Bull Demon King looked at Yan Shi in this state and remained silent, unsure of what to do.

The village chief had no choice but to have one or two villagers help Yan up and ask, "Niu Yan, what exactly do you want? The old ox is standing right here, unchanged. Why do you keep saying that the old ox is a monster? What is your intention? Tell me quickly."

Yan exclaimed in surprise, "Village chief, please believe me, this Ah Lang is a fake. The real Ah Lang has already been harmed by him. This is a monster. You should capture him and he will surely be exposed."

The village chief scolded, "You are the wife of the old ox, how can you keep cursing the old ox as a monster? Such behavior is not the way of a wife. If you continue to say such things, I will definitely punish you according to the village rules, and no one will be allowed to plead for you then."

The villagers also said, "The village chief is right. Niu Yanshi, stop making trouble and go home with Lao Niu. No matter what tricks you two play, you can't call us all here for amusement."

Seeing that none of the villagers and the village chief believed him, Yan was disheartened and said, "He is a monster. I have never lied. Since you do not believe me, I am willing to die to prove that what I said is true."

Say it.

Yan broke free from the villagers' support and tried to crash into the rock in front of her.

Before he could take a step or two, the Bull Demon King suddenly stepped forward, grabbed Yan Shi, and prevented her from breaking free.

When Yan saw the Bull Demon King, she was terrified, but she tried to break free but failed. The Bull Demon King was so powerful that Yan could not break free.

The Bull Demon King said, "I understand that you are unwilling to come with me, but there is no need to act so recklessly."

Yan said tremblingly, "You are a monster, you are a monster!"

The Bull Demon King said, "I did not deny it, you don't need to do this. Since I am being honest with you, I will not deny it. You shouldn't be like this."

Upon hearing this, Yan looked towards the village chief and said, "Village chief, village chief! What I said is true, he is a monster, not a human!"

The village chief, puzzled, said, "Old Niu, what are you talking about? How can you talk about yourself like that? You are a human, why do you say you are a monster?"

Zhang Wang, the village chief of the Bull Demon Dynasty, released Yan Shi and said, "Village chief, what Yan Shi said is true. I am indeed a demon, not a human. I used the art of transformation to become human, but my true form is a demon."

The village chief said, "Old Niu, what nonsense are you talking about?"

Some familiar villagers also asked, "Old Niu, why are you talking nonsense today? We've known each other for a long time. Do you think I can't tell whether you're a human or a monster?"

The Bull Demon King said, “I have known you for many years, but I will not hide it from you now. I was originally a protector under an immortal in Xiniu Hezhou. However, due to matters of cultivation, I had no choice but to go out and experience the mortal world. I came to this mountain village and settled here to cultivate. My true form is a demon, but I have always had a kind heart and will not harm you. Even if you know that I am a demon, you do not need to be afraid of me.”

The villagers said, "Old Niu, what are you saying? Have you been playing too many tricks and are just making fun of us?"

Another villager said, "I think the old ox was secretly reading the storybook, which is why he was talking about immortals protecting the Dharma."

(End of this chapter)