Journey to the West: The roadblock!

Chapter 39, Staying a Friend at Wuzhuang Temple (Part 1)
Meanwhile, Ao Tu learned from the woman that this place was White Tiger Ridge.

He then began to calculate in his mind.

He asked the woman, "What is your name? Who else is in your family? Why are you up the mountain alone?"

The woman said, “My name is Qiao’er. I have two elderly parents living at home. I wanted to find a son-in-law, but because of the demons in the mountains these past few years, all the people in the neighborhood have left, and I can’t find a son-in-law.”

My parents are old and cannot travel far, so I, their daughter, am the only one who can take care of them. I grow some light grains in the fields and gather wild mushrooms and vegetables from the mountains every day to make a living.

Ao Tu asked, "May I come to your home for a visit?"

Qiao'er said, "It is a great honor that the Dragon God is going, but..."

Ao Tu asked, "But what?"

Qiao'er said, "But your attendant looks too fierce. My parents are old and I'm afraid they won't be able to withstand the fright."

Upon hearing this, Ao Tu blew a breath and used a transformation spell to turn Tiger Vanguard into a well-equipped hunter, while concealing his dragon horns and golden scales. He then said, "Let's go."

Qiao'er complied and returned home with Ao Tu and Tiger Vanguard.

From afar, they saw a thatched hut, and Qiao'er said that this was her home.

As they were talking, a cold wind blew in from the horizon, and a thick black mist swept over the thatched hut, pulling two people out of it. An old man and an old woman, both around sixty or seventy years old, were caught in the wind, their faces filled with terror, crying for help.

"Father! Mother!"

Qiao'er panicked and hurriedly chased after him, but how could she catch up? Instead, she tripped and fell, cutting a large gash on her wrist.

Upon seeing this, Qiao'er disregarded her pain and hurriedly returned to kneel before Ao Tu, pleading, "Lord Dragon God, please save my parents! If you can rescue them, I am willing to serve you like a slave for the rest of my life."

Ao Tu helped Qiao'er up and said, "You don't need to be my slave, just act in my plays for a few days."

Qiao'er asked in confusion: "Acting?"

Ao Tu pulled Qiao'er's wrist over, blew on it, and the large, bloody gash disappeared, restoring her wrist to its original condition.

Ao Tu said, "You wait here while I chase after that demon and rescue your parents. Afterwards, you must cooperate with my act; I will propose to you, and you must agree."

Upon hearing this, Qiao'er blushed deeply, lowered her head, and remained silent. She then glanced at Ao Tu and, seeing his handsome appearance, felt even more shy and delighted.

Ao Tu said, "Don't worry, it's just acting, it won't ruin your reputation."

Qiao'er agreed and thanked him repeatedly, even hoping that the charade could become real.

Ao Tu rode the clouds and chased after the demon.

The demon flew to a cave called the White Bone Cave, pulled Qiao'er's parents into the cave, drugged them, and was about to eat them.

Ao Tu followed behind, unleashing the Dragon-Binding Rope. In a short while, he bound the demon, revealing its true form: a white bone demon with bones as white as jade, clearly indicating that it had cultivated for a very long time.

Seeing that he was bound by the Dragon-Binding Rope in the blink of an eye, unable to mobilize his magical power and unable to move an inch, the demon knew that he had encountered a master and hurriedly said:

"I have no idea how I offended the immortal, please forgive me!"

Ao Tu asked, "What is your name, and what kind of monster are you?"

The demon said, "I am called Lady White Bone, and I am the spirit of the white bones of a woman who died violently in this mountain. I did not mean to offend the immortal, and I beg the immortal to spare my life."

Ao Tu said, "I am not some immortal, but a monster like you, known as the King of Ling Mountain. I usually like to eat monks. Several monks from the East will be passing through this place soon. If you are willing to capture them for me, I will spare you."

Lady White Bone hurriedly replied, "Yes, yes, I am willing to serve Your Majesty and be at your service."

Upon hearing this, Ao Tu put away the Dragon-Binding Rope.

After the White Bone Lady was freed from the Dragon-Binding Rope, her magical power returned, and she transformed into her original form, which was extremely beautiful. Her skin was as smooth as ice, concealing her jade-like bones, and her collar revealed her soft breasts.

Emerald sleeves veil slender bamboo shoots, Xiang skirts trail red as she walks.

Her rosy cheeks were glistening with morning dew, and her delicate brows were furrowed in a misty blue.

Golden lotuses conceal jade feet, amidst the enchanting beauty of spring.

Ao Tu said, "You skeleton demon, what beauty are you trying to impress me with, what seductive charm are you trying to sell?"

Lady White Bone said aggrievedly, "Your Majesty, this is my true appearance. How dare I show off in front of you? If Your Majesty is not pleased, I can become uglier."

Ao Tu said, "I misunderstood you, please don't be offended. I'm taking these two people with me. From now on, you must obey my orders and not cause any trouble."

Lady White Bone knelt and obeyed.

Ao Tu then took Qiao'er's parents away and returned on a cloud.

Qiao'er was waiting expectantly when she saw Ao Tu return, and her face immediately lit up with joy.

Ao Tu put his parents down, blew a breath of dragon energy, and the two immediately woke up, looking at the group in a daze.

Upon seeing Qiao'er, he hurriedly asked, "Daughter, weren't we captured by a monster? How did we end up here? And who are this young master and the brave warrior?"

Ao Tu said, “Please rise, gentlemen, there is no need to panic. My name is Long Tu, and I am a young master from Baoxiang Kingdom, which is not far from here. This strong man is my attendant.”

"My family fell into poverty, and I came here to escape my enemies. Fortunately, I met Miss Qiao'er, who gave me food. Just now, I saw that demon take you two away, and I, along with my followers, chased after it to its cave and rescued you."

The two elders were extremely grateful upon hearing this and hurriedly invited Ao Tu and his companion home to express their gratitude.

When they arrived home, the thatched hut had been overturned by the evil wind, and the house was in a state of disrepair.

The two old men couldn't help but shed tears. They were both old and weak, and Qiao'er was a frail woman. When would they be able to repair this dilapidated house? In the future, they wouldn't even have a place to shelter from the wind and rain.

Ao Tu said, "Old man, why are you so worried? Watch me fix this house!"

Ao Tu and Hu Xianfeng went up the mountain to cut down trees and propped up the collapsed pillars of the thatched hut. They repaired the broken parts with new wood, and Qiao'er and her parents picked up the scattered thatch. In less than an hour, the thatched hut was restored to its original state.

The two old men were amazed by Ao Tu's strength and were extremely grateful. They hurriedly invited Ao Tu into the house, had Qiao'er cook some good rice, and then took out their savings to reward him.

Ao Tu refused, only saying that he wanted to stay here for a while.

The two elders readily agreed, and since there were no beds in their home, they gave their own beds to Ao Tu and his servants to rest in.

After resting for one night, Ao Tu and Tiger Vanguard built another wooden house next to the old man's thatched hut the next day. In the following days, they hunted in the mountains and caught meat, which they shared with Qiao'er's family.

Within a few days, Qiao'er's family's life improved with Ao Tu's help.

Seeing this, Qiao'er's parents began to plan to marry her off to Ao Tu.

Qiao'er was naturally willing, but she didn't dare to make the decision on her own. She found an opportunity to ask Ao Tu.

Ao Tu said, "It's not the right time yet. When the time is right, I will propose marriage to your family. You must cooperate well."

Upon hearing this, Qiao'er quickly agreed.

Her face was flushed with spring-like joy, and her heart was full of anticipation.

A few more days passed, and Ao Tu had finished making arrangements here. He estimated that Tang Sanzang and his disciples would soon arrive at Wuzhuang Temple, so he used the excuse of going to the city to inquire about his family's situation and left with Tiger Vanguard.

When Zongyun arrived at Wuzhuang Temple, he looked up from the sky and realized that Tang Sanzang and his disciples would not arrive for several more days. Aotu descended from the cloud and transformed into a Taoist priest.

(End of this chapter)