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

Chapter 424 Arrival at Golden Cauldron Mountain, Strange and Evil Spirits
Time flies, and several more days have passed in the blink of an eye.

After traveling for a long time, Bull Demon King and Wang Chongyang finally arrived in Hanzhong. They looked at the ancient city in the distance and were both moved, for this ancient city had witnessed countless years.

The Bull Demon King gazed into the distance and said, "This city is quite old, but it's still small. Do you think this city is older, or perhaps the old bull is?"

Wang Chongyang laughed and said, "This city is indeed old, and it has been repaired and patched up countless times. But in terms of age, it is far older than the City of the Ox."

The Bull Demon King asked, "What do you mean? I was born during the Zhou Dynasty, while Hanzhong existed during the pre-Qin period. As for its fame, it is because Emperor Gaozu of Han once used this place as his base, hence the name 'Land of the Rise of the Dragon.' How can it be far superior to me?"

Wang Chongyang said, "The Ox King knows one thing but not the other. In the past, this place in Hanzhong was occupied by a country called Bao. The so-called 'beacon fire play with the feudal lords' was born from the offering of a woman by the Bao Kingdom."

The Bull Demon King pondered for a moment and asked, "I am not as learned as you, but I do not know how many years before the Zhou Dynasty established the Bao Kingdom?"

Wang Chongyang replied, "It has existed for nearly a thousand years; it was present in the world during the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties."

The Bull Demon King was startled and said, "If that's the case, then I am indeed inferior, and even you, sir, are inferior. You were also a person from the Western Zhou Dynasty."

Wang Chongyang laughed and said, "King Niu, let's not talk about that for now. First, let's find someone to ask for directions and find the location of Jinding Mountain. Let's not delay things."

The Bull Demon King said, "Let me change my appearance first, then I'll go and ask for directions. I'll wait here a little longer."

Say it.

The Bull Demon King swayed his body and used a spell to transform into a man. He placed the Black Dragon Spear next to the white deer and walked forward to 'ask for directions'.

A short while later, the Ox King walked ahead and saw a farmer returning from plowing. He stopped him and said, "Brother, wait a moment, brother, wait a moment!"

When the farmer saw the Ox King approach, he put down his hoe and said, "Who are you? Why are you stopping me? I don't remember knowing you."

The Bull Demon King bowed and said, "Brother, I am a traveler who has come to Hanzhong. I do not know the way, so I have come to stop you and ask for directions."

Upon hearing this, the farmer was relieved and asked, "So you're asking for directions. In that case, tell me where you're going. Just tell me and I'll tell you. To be honest, my family has lived in the Hanzhong area for three generations, so I'm very familiar with the area around Hanzhong."

The Bull Demon King laughed and said, "Thank you for your trouble, but I wish to go to the 'Golden Cauldron Mountain.' Do you know where the Golden Cauldron Mountain is?"

Upon hearing the name "Golden Cauldron Mountain," the man's expression changed instantly. He said, "Good man, why do you want to go to Golden Cauldron Mountain? That place is no good. If you have nothing important to do, you should leave quickly and not go to Golden Cauldron Mountain. That Golden Cauldron Mountain is no ordinary place now."

The Bull Demon King asked in bewilderment, "Brother, why do you say such things? What is so extraordinary about Golden Cauldron Mountain? You should tell me in detail, otherwise, how can I leave after traveling so far?"

The man looked around and saw many passersby. He then pulled the Bull Demon King to a corner and said, "My dear man, I'm speaking to you from the bottom of my heart, out of concern for you. Golden Cauldron Mountain is different now than before. In the past, it was perfectly fine to go up there, there was nothing special about it. But now there are monsters causing trouble on that mountain, so it's definitely not safe to go. If you go, it will surely cost you your life."

Upon hearing this, the Bull Demon King laughed and said, "Brother, to tell you the truth, I am a cultivator. If there are monsters causing trouble in those mountains, I can go there and subdue them."

The man shook his head and said, “Golden Cauldron Mountain is very close to the city. The prefect has sent countless capable people up there, but they have all been fugitives. This monster cannot be subdued by cultivators. You are a cultivator, which has surprised me. Since you are a cultivator, you should leave and cultivate diligently. If you have the ability in the future, it will not be too late to come to Golden Cauldron Mountain.”

Upon hearing this, the Bull Demon King was both amused and exasperated. After much persuasion, he spoke at length with the man, who then decided to tell him about the events at Golden Cauldron Mountain.

The man said, “As the saying goes, ‘It’s hard to persuade a damned person with good words.’ Since you are so eager to know and want to go, I will not stop you and will tell you the story.”

The Bull Demon King said, "Brother, rest assured, I have some skills, and Golden Cauldron Mountain cannot keep me here."

The man said, “But everyone who goes to that mountain says the same thing, you’re not the first. So I won’t hide it anymore. In that Golden Cauldron Mountain, there is a monster. That monster calls himself the Xuan Yin King. His demonic arts are powerful, he is invulnerable to swords and spears, he likes to eat human blood, and he can fly and escape into the earth. He has taken over the mountain and says that this mountain belongs to him. If anyone dares to enter, he will kill them. This has caused panic among the people of Hanzhong. The most terrifying thing is that if this person touches or grabs anything, he will turn into a monster. Even if he dies, he will be resurrected as a monster. It’s extremely terrifying.”

The Bull Demon King said, "If you injure someone, they will turn into a monster; if you kill someone, they will also turn into a monster? This is rather strange. Brother, please explain this to me in detail."

The man said, "This is a long story. It started with a man who was killed by a mountain monster. His body fell down the mountain and his family took it back to give it a proper burial. But the body changed. That night, his hair, eyebrows, teeth, and nails all grew out and pierced his flesh and bones. They even grew hair that was five or six inches long. After the transformation, the hair bit many people and then returned to Jinding Mountain. So, gradually, people learned about this."

Upon hearing this, the Bull Demon King already knew about the Golden Cauldron Mountain. He bowed to the man to thank him for his reply, and after finding out the location of the Golden Cauldron Mountain, he took his leave.

Before long, the Bull Demon King returned to Wang Chongyang's side.

Wang Chongyang asked, "King of the Ox, have you found out any solutions?"

The Bull Demon King replied, "I will find out everything about Golden Cauldron Mountain."

Say it.

The Bull Demon King then recounted all the events that had occurred at Jinding Mountain to Wang Chongyang in detail.

Upon learning this, Wang Chongyang looked towards the location of Jinding Mountain and said, "Such strange demons are causing trouble on Jinding Mountain. We should go and take a look."

The Bull Demon King said, "The Liangzhou Cauldron is on Jinding Mountain, and we should go there. But I want to see what kind of ability that demon has that is so strange."

Wang Chongyang said, "Master once said that the connection between Liangzhou Cauldron and Master has changed. It is possible that this demon is causing trouble in the mountains, which is why Liangzhou Cauldron has changed. This struggle is inevitable."

The Bull Demon King nodded and said, "Even if he has nothing to do with the Liangzhou Cauldron, he should still be eliminated. He is a scourge to the people. How can we let him live?"

Wang Chongyang laughed and said, "In that case, Ox King, let us set off for the Golden Cauldron Mountain."

The Bull Demon King responded, swung his Black Dragon Spear, and, leading the white deer, headed towards the location of Golden Cauldron Mountain.

The two traveled for a long time, and as night fell, they finally approached the territory of Jinding Mountain. As soon as they entered, they felt the area was cold and damp.

Wang Chongyang stopped the white deer and looked at the high mountain ahead, saying, "It is summer now, and it is scorching hot outside, and even at night it is unbearably hot. But here it is contrary to the season, extremely cold and damp, which is very strange."

The Bull Demon King said, "This is the cold and sinister nature of demons. That monster is known as the Xuan Yin King, and he does have some tricks up his sleeve. Xuan means black and water, and Yin means the same. With this cold and sinister nature, I'm afraid he is quite powerful."

Wang Chongyang laughed and asked, "Does the Bull King have the confidence to subdue this demon?" The Bull Demon King replied, "Whether I have the confidence or not, I don't know. We should fight it for a while first. Now, let's go up the mountain."

Wang Chongyang responded.

The two headed towards the location of Jinding Mountain. After an incense stick's time, they set off for the mountain path, intending to climb the mountain. Just as they were about to begin their ascent, they suddenly saw someone rushing towards them.

Wang Chongyang looked at the man and saw that his eyes were lifeless, his body was stiff, and his body was covered with hair. He pounced on the two of them like a wild beast.

The Bull Demon King roared, "What kind of little demon dares to harass us!"

The Bull Demon King swung his Black Dragon Spear at the man, and with a single strike, he caused the Golden Cauldron Mountain to shake, his power overwhelming. The man was killed in one blow.

Wang Chongyang said, "The people injured by the Xuan Yin King will become like this, neither human nor ghost, and even less like demons and monsters. They are extremely strange."

The Bull Demon King said, "This Xuan Yin King is probably also such a strange creature, so we must be careful."

Wang Chongyang looked up at the mountain and laughed, "The Bull King's attack has shaken the mountain. I'm afraid we won't need to go there. The Xuan Yin King should have come down the mountain to find us."

The Bull Demon King also looked up at the mountain. He could see black energy coming down from there. He knew that the master of the mountain was about to arrive. He swung his Black Dragon Spear and stood ready to prevent the demon from hurting Wang Chongyang.

The Bull Demon King did not wait long before he saw the mountain lord arrive at the foot of the mountain and head straight for him. He opened his eyes and observed him closely. He saw that the mountain lord was "a giant with a body over ten feet tall, the color of indigo-dyed frozen copper, with deep-set eyes containing two clusters of ghostly blue corpse fire, a mouth that split to the ears, and fangs as white as ice spikes. He was wearing old bronze armor and was a fierce and terrifying true demon lord."

Judging from his appearance, the Bull Demon King knew that this fellow was probably quite powerful and was not a demon that could be born in the Southern Continent. He was also rarely seen in the Western Continent. He must be a demon from the Northern Continent. He wanted to go up and talk to him to find out where he came from.

Before he could speak, the Xuan Yin Great Dynasty attacked him, aiming straight for his chest, as if to rip out his heart.

The Bull Demon King was shocked and swung his Black Dragon Spear to block his chest. The Xuan Yin King's claws struck the Spear, forcing the Bull Demon King to retreat several steps.

King Xuanyin, having failed in his first attack, pursued again, seemingly intent on killing the Bull Demon King on the spot.

The Bull Demon King cursed, "You wretched wretch! If you don't want to talk, don't blame me for being rude! Take this!"

Say it.

The Bull Demon King disregarded etiquette and engaged the opponent in battle with his spear.

The two sides fought fiercely, their claws like corpses, their spears like mountain-splitting swords, displaying their strength beneath the Golden Cauldron Mountain. They attacked, slashing and grabbing, striking and wounding. One stabbed at the vital point with his claws, the other hurled his Black Dragon Spear. The two fought together, spewing dark mist and radiating light. Both possessed supernatural powers; how could they easily determine a victor?

The two fought for over fifty rounds at the foot of the mountain, neither gaining the upper hand. In terms of strength, they were roughly equal, but in terms of martial arts, the Bull Demon King was slightly better. However, the Bull Demon King was unable to defeat the Xuan Yin King.

This Xuan Yin King is truly peculiar; his body is impervious to swords and spears. Even when the Black Dragon Spear of Bi Yue struck him, it was to no avail, as if striking black iron had no effect.

On the other hand, if the Xuan Yin King's sharp claws touched the Bull Demon King, the Bull Demon King would feel a chill.

In this situation, it would be difficult for the Bull Demon King to win. With the balance of power shifting, the Bull Demon King was in danger of being defeated.

The Bull Demon King was secretly alarmed and said, "How come this Xuan Yin King is just like my virtuous brother? Could he also be a born saint? This Xuan Yin King is invulnerable to swords and spears, just like my virtuous brother. He has a copper head and iron arms, and his strength is inexhaustible. It is very strange."

The Bull Demon King was momentarily distracted, allowing the Xuan Yin King to launch another attack on his mind with his claw.

Just when things were in dire straits, a cauldron suddenly appeared and landed in front of the Bull Demon King, blocking the claws of the Xuan Yin King.

Its claw landed on the divine cauldron, causing it to be shaken back.

Upon closer inspection, the Bull Demon King realized that this was the Yu Ding, indicating that Wang Chongyang was helping him. Without time to think further, he immediately prepared to swing his spear and fight against the Xuan Yin King again.

However, he saw that the Xuan Yin King did not attack him again, but instead reached out and grabbed the Yu Ding, as if he wanted to take it away. But the Yu Ding was heavy and could not be taken away by the Xuan Yin King. No matter what the Xuan Yin King did, he could not shake the Yu Ding even a little.

The Bull Demon King laughed, "You fool! The Yu Ding is a divine object; how could you possibly shake it! Take this from me!"

The Bull Demon King brandished his spear, ready to fight the Xuan Yin King again.

Wang Chongyang rode forward on a white deer and said, "King of the Ox, stop!"

The Bull Demon King turned his head and said, "Zhengwei, you should step back first. I'm fighting this fellow, so I don't want to hurt you."

Wang Chongyang said, "Bull King, stop fighting and look around."

Upon hearing this, the Bull Demon King looked around. Suddenly, he saw many hairy dead people walking towards him from all directions. If they surrounded him, and with the Xuan Yin King present, he feared he would not have a good end, not to mention Wang Chongyang was also there.

Do not fight with them.

The Bull Demon King, intending to leave, said, "Zhengwei, I will take you away first. We will find the evil spirits in this mountain another day."

Wang Chongyang agreed.

The Bull Demon King said no more. He glanced at the Xuan Yin King, who was still trying to move the Yu Ding, then turned around, led the white deer, and charged out of Jin Ding Mountain. He only needed to swing his Bi Yue Spear to clear a path.

In an instant, the Bull Demon King led Wang Chongyang out. Once they were out of danger, Wang Chongyang summoned Yu Ding back, and the two left Jin Ding Mountain. The Xuan Yin King did not pursue them, seemingly returning to the mountain.

After leaving, the two returned to the outskirts of Hanzhong City and rested there.

The Bull Demon King put down the Black Dragon Spear, sat on the ground, panting, and said, "What kind of person is that fellow? He has a copper head and iron arms, is impervious to swords and spears, and has endless strength, just like my brother. But judging from his appearance, he is definitely not a born saint, but more like a demon. I really don't know where he comes from, but judging from his style, he is most likely a demon from Beiju Luzhou. Only that place can produce such a strange demon."

(End of this chapter)