Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 347 After donning the golden headband, you are no longer an ordinary person.
The legend of this great evil spirit comes from China: When Qin lost its deer, the whole world chased after it.

In Chinese culture, the deer is often regarded as an auspicious animal because its pronunciation is similar to "prosperity" (禄). Later, it came to be a metaphor for political power and the throne, as in phrases like "chasing the deer in the Central Plains" and "who will win the deer's fate."

The appearance of the great evil spirit [Zhu Lu] signifies an acceleration of chaos, and the time for establishing a unified empire is about to ripen. At most, within ten years, the situation of a certain warlord unifying the world will become clear.

Upon seeing it, all the powerful daimyo and clan leaders, who considered themselves strong, glared with fervor and couldn't help but shout from the bottom of their hearts:

"That's what a man should do!"

"He can be replaced!"

Clearly, this great evil spirit, [Zhu Lu], is not simply a symbol of the divine artifacts of the state.

Wherever it goes, the feudal lords who have joined the struggle for supremacy will become wildly ambitious and act more aggressively.

Some can suddenly burst onto the scene, staging a miracle of winning with fewer troops despite having nothing to lose;
Some, however, become blinded by lust and, in a fit of rage, ruin their own promising future.

In addition, many small powerful clans that were not originally qualified to participate in the struggle for power now rely on their territories as collateral for loans. They now possess advanced firearms that are enough to change the situation in a local area, and naturally, they are filled with murderous intent.

Once today is over, the intensity of the war in Yingzhou is destined to increase several times over.

"Chase me!"

Mori Motonari led his cavalry out of the castle and pounced on the white deer.

But how easy is it to catch this deer?

It is a natural phenomenon, and has nothing to do with a person's hunting skills. It is only related to whether he is qualified to seize the world and become "the people of the world".

Those who are qualified can catch them easily, while those who are not qualified will not be able to get a single hair on the deer no matter how hard they try.

Of course, no one feels they are not qualified, and they will try their best whenever they have the opportunity.

Similarly, when the "Battle for Supremacy" appeared on the land of China, the requirements for the feudal lords were even higher.

Wu Cheng'en's mind is now in a frenzy, and he has lost interest in everything else.

Finding nothing of interest on the Mori family's territory, he somersaulted towards Kuban Island in Saikaido, separated only by the Kanmon Strait.

This time is different from the past.

I was drawn in by a strange premonition as soon as I entered the country, and flew straight to the highest peak in the Northern Kyushu region—Mount Chikushi.

At this moment, the mountain was bathed in countless rays of light and auspicious clouds, and the unusual sight could be detected even from dozens of miles away.

A wisp of mirage outlined the shape of a Taoist temple on the mountain peak, with a lush, towering tree in the center reaching straight into the sky.

Many plump, white fruits hang among the branches swaying in the wind, and if you listen closely, you can almost hear the laughter of children.

A young man dressed in a blue Taoist robe sat at a stone table in the courtyard under a tree, with two adorable boys following behind him, one in a blue robe and the other in a purple robe, both exquisitely beautiful.

This was a gentle breeze and a rumbling sound.

With the two perfectly fitting children beside him, Wang Cheng, the worldly Prince of Jinghai, even seemed to possess a touch of ethereal elegance.

He looked the Great Sage of the Balance Sheet up and down with the [Rare Goods for Hoarding] in hand, his heart filled with indescribable joy. He thought to himself:

"A rare commodity is worth hoarding, and this time it's a truly rare commodity!"

Brother Wu, so you've written "Journey to the West: The Tale of Exorcising Calamities" to this extent. No wonder the Golden Hoop, which shares the same origin, is acting strangely.

It's true that you can't find anything without wearing iron shoes, and it doesn't take any effort to get it.

No, it will take me a great deal of effort to truly grasp the method.

Even Wu Cheng'en, who was in a state of mental confusion, was startled when he saw him.

At first glance, the young Taoist priest was not particularly outstanding except for his handsome appearance.

But upon closer inspection, one will find that he forms a harmonious whole with the stone arch bridge, the stream, the trees, and the lotus flowers in the courtyard.

He was in a state of perfect harmony with nature, not a fraction more or less, as if he were the entire world, and the decision to accept or reject outsiders was as simple as a thought.

Moreover, the scene and the personnel seemed strangely familiar. Subconsciously, he transformed from a violent ape back into the Monkey King clad in a golden armor, landing in front of Wang Cheng, his eyes regaining a slight clarity.

Having regained a sliver of reason from his rampaging mind, he asked in a somewhat agitated voice:

"Who are you.?"

Before Wang Cheng could respond, the draft of "Journey to the West: The Tale of Exorcising Calamities" automatically shot out from the top of his head.

Wow.
I quickly flipped to Chapter Twenty-Five, "Zhen Yuanxian Captures the Journey to the West Monk, Sun Wukong Makes a Scene at Wuzhuang Temple."

Endless streams of light surged forth, interacting and changing with the Taoist temple, which was composed of mirages and the ship-borne grotto-heaven [Earthly Dharma Realm]. In an instant, the immortal light on Mount Zhuzi was magnificent.

Wang Cheng spotted the contents of the page, most of which were the same as what he was familiar with.

However, there are also many unrecognizable cursive scripts and ramblings, which vaguely resemble the cryptic texts of Zheng He's treasure maps.

Clearly, neither the author nor the novel is in a good state.

The novelist's inspiration from the seventy-two pentads is "reality and illusion".

The world in the book is a turbulent sea to others, and only a boat can navigate it.

But the novelist himself is like a fish, able to swim freely between reality and illusion, exploring the boundaries of human rationality through the inner world.

Naturally, this also makes it easier to come into contact with all sorts of unknown dangers.

When Wu Cheng'en received the news of his brother Shen Kun's sudden death in prison, he was overwhelmed with grief and suddenly entered an inner world in a dream, from which he obtained a lot of fragmented knowledge from a strange and wonderful place.

After organizing it, I found that every word and sentence explained the way of "cultivating both body and mind".

However, since he did not have the elixir of immortality to enter the Dao through "external alchemy," he had to find another way.

Before he knew it, he began to revise his draft of "Journey to the West: The Tale of Exorcising Calamities" in an attempt to convey the Dao through literature and expound the profound truths of the universe that he had inadvertently glimpsed.

Gradually, they discovered a new way of cultivation, different from the path of immortal scum who had to rely on consuming various immortal medicines to achieve "cultivation of both body and mind".

Even when he was a fourth-rank official, the things he used to disguise himself were the five people who had traveled to the West: the Golden Man, the Wooden Woman, and the Yellow Woman.
However, Wu Cheng'en's current cultivation level is insufficient, lacking key points, and he has not yet truly entered the path of cultivating both body and mind, so he cannot subdue his restless mind at all.

Wang Cheng simply raised his hand, as if to invite him to sit down and discuss philosophy.

"squeak--!"

Suddenly, the monkey turned fierce, and the restless monkey regained the upper hand, wanting to turn the Taoist temple upside down.

Wang Cheng's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly changed his strategy.

With a flick of his whisk, a coin appeared in his palm. He looked at the monkey with obvious disappointment and said:

“You won’t even call me brother.”

The monkey immediately dropped its ferocious demeanor, instinctively clasped its hands in a fist and bowed respectfully to him, saying:

"So it is Zhenyuan Daxian. Elder brother, please accept my bow."

Just as he bowed.

Wang Cheng jumped up like a monkey, took the golden hoop from the money hole, and put it properly on his head.

【Amulet for Stabilizing the Mind: The Golden Hoop (A Treasure of the State)】
This talisman is anchored in a myth familiar to everyone, gathering people's wishes and forming a talisman.

It can calm the mind and subdue the will, controlling people's hearts from the inside out, and unleashing the dormant power in the body. It has miraculous effects on both monkeys and humans.

Taboo: It consists of two parts: a spell and a headband. Once worn, the headband can only be removed and the control broken by the person who cast the spell.

At the same time, he laughed heartily:
"Once you put on the golden headband, you will no longer be an ordinary person."

"Foolish child, why don't you wake up quickly?"

He picked up a ruler and struck him on the head three times.

state! state! state!
(End of this chapter)