Journey to the West: The roadblock!

Chapter 77, Stealing the Treasure Lotus Cave (Part 3) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

Meanwhile, the fox from the Dragon-Suppressing Cave came to pay his respects to Ao Tu.

Ao Tu was somewhat interested in the group of foxes, so he let them in.

The nine-tailed old fox, accompanied by nine female monsters, entered. Upon seeing Ao Tu, she knelt on the ground and said:
"Your Excellency! Just now, the younger generation in the cave and I were fortunate enough to see Your Excellency's true form. We were filled with admiration, so we came here to offer you rare and precious mountain delicacies, hoping to behold your venerable countenance."

Upon hearing this, the nine female monsters behind the nine-tailed fox all knelt down and offered up rare treasures from the mountain.

It contains cinnabar fruit, lingzhi mushroom, polygonatum, old ginseng, chalcedony, cinnabar, amethyst, and langgan.

Ao Tu said, "Get up!"

The foxes got up.

Ao Tu looked at the old fox and asked, "Where are you from?"

The nine-tailed old fox said, "Reporting to Your Excellency, we live in Wulin in the southwest."

Ao Tu said calmly, "I've heard that there's a Dragon-Suppressing Cave in that Black Forest. Have you heard of it?"

Upon hearing this, the nine-tailed fox was filled with trepidation and hurriedly bowed three more times, saying:

“Your Excellency, I dare not deceive you. Our cave dwelling is indeed the Dragon-Suppressing Cave. It was my ignorance and presumptuousness that led me to this place.”

Today, having witnessed the divine form of the Venerable Deity and the manifestation of the laws, I realize the immense power of his divine abilities, and my heart is filled with boundless reverence. Therefore, I have renamed the Dragon-Suppressing Cave the Dragon-Welcoming Cave, cleaned the garden paths and pavilions, and prepared a feast of meat and vegetables, earnestly requesting the Venerable Deity to descend and stay in the cave for a while, to express our deepest respect.

Upon hearing this, Ao Tu thought to himself that this old fox was indeed pragmatic.

They changed their names so quickly.

Among the demon race, the fox clan is indeed a rather cunning type, adept at attaching themselves to the strong.

For example, the Jade-Faced Fox of Mount Jilei attached itself to the Bull Demon King in order to obtain his protection.

Essentially, this is also related to the lack of strong individuals within the fox clan.

Ao Tu didn't mind the past.

Firstly, the Yalong Cave had some influence, which would make it easier for him to later set up plans to obstruct Tang Sanzang and his disciples' journey to the west.

Secondly, living in a cave is more convenient than being in this desolate mountain.

Ao Tu then stood up and said, "You are thoughtful. There's no need to call me Venerable God. My name is King of Lingshan. Just call me King."

The nine-tailed old fox said happily, "Your Majesty."

Ao Tu nodded, looked at the female monsters, and asked, "Are these all your daughters?"

The nine-tailed old fox said, "Your Majesty, these are all my descendants. My children, quickly pay your respects to Your Majesty."

Upon hearing this, the nine female monsters stepped forward one by one and bowed to Ao Tu.

It was supposed to be a greeting, but in reality, it was an opportunity to sway and flaunt one's body.

Fox spirits are naturally alluring, and after transforming into human form, they possess exceptional beauty, naturally attracting admiration.

However, these female monsters lacked cultivation and had mixed bloodlines. Even though they were somewhat beautiful, they were just ordinary in Ao Tu's eyes.

What amused Ao Tu was that the smallest female monster, like the others, swayed her waist and flaunted her figure, unaware that her nine fox tails were swinging back and forth, making it truly hilarious.

Ao Tu reached out and grabbed the fox's tail, scratched it, and asked, "Why did you come here without transforming into human form?"

The little monster girl blushed and replied:
"Your Majesty, it's because I haven't yet reached the stage of human transformation."

The nine-tailed fox hurriedly explained:
“Your Majesty, Xiao Jiu’s bloodline is somewhat atavistic, unlike us gray and yellow foxes, which is why her cultivation is slow.”

Upon hearing this, Ao Tu became somewhat interested and looked at the little female monster's nine white tails, saying, "A nine-tailed celestial fox?"

The nine-tailed old fox said, "It has some Heavenly Fox bloodline, but it's incomplete. There's a red patch at the base of its third tail."

Ao Tu lifted it up to look, and there was a piece of red hair the size of a fingernail. What a pity, a hair's breadth was not enough to miss the mark.

Don't be fooled by its tiny red color; it's more significant than the difference between four and five claws in the dragon race.

At the invitation of the nine-tailed old fox, Ao Tu left the desolate mountain and headed to the Dragon-Suppressing Cave.

All the demons in the cave came to greet them, and the plaque above the cave entrance was indeed changed from "Suppressing Dragon Cave" to "Welcoming Dragon Cave".

Ao Tu followed the nine-tailed old fox into the cave, which turned out to be a hidden paradise. It had three layers of stone doors, and inside were pavilions and houses, with flowers, fruits, and plants. While it might not be comparable to a fairyland, it was certainly a good place to live.

The nine-tailed fox prepared a pavilion for Ao Tu to live in; she also prepared a feast for Ao Tu to enjoy; and she sent Xiao Jiu over because Ao Tu had glanced at her a few times, so she sent her over to serve Ao Tu personally, to warm his bed and make his quilts.

Ao Tu accepted it without hesitation.

The demons in the Dragon-Suppressing Cave suffered a tragic fate in the original story, almost all of them dying. Now that he has come, he can at least save their lives.

After Ao Tu moved in, he asked the nine-tailed old fox to send people to inquire about the White Bone Demon.

A few days later, no news of the White Bone Demon was found, but the Golden Horn King and Silver Horn King learned that Ao Tu had entered the Dragon-Suppressing Cave.

Upon hearing this, King Golden Horn was somewhat pleased and said:
“Great! Now that he’s in our home, he’s family. We’ll have another helper. You clever little devil, you quick-witted rascal, prepare a top-quality gift and send it over quickly.”

King Silver Horn was not very happy.

He and Ao Tu were at odds because Ao Tu defeated him with only one treasure, using three. He felt Ao Tu's victory was unfair and had held a grudge ever since. At this moment, he spoke:

"Ha, that demon is quite cunning, he's even taken up residence with our old mother. Now, even if he captures Tang Sanzang, for Mother's sake, shouldn't we at least give him a piece of his flesh?"

King Golden Horn advised:
“Brother, as the old saying goes, ‘A fence needs three posts, and a hero needs three helpers.’ That man has some skills, and we don’t have any personal grudges against him. But isn’t it a good thing that he’s entered our home?”
"If anything happens in the future, we can ask him for help. What's wrong with sharing a portion of Tang Sanzang's flesh with him?"

After hearing this, King Silver Horn didn't say anything more, but simply gave the order:
"You clever little devil, you cunning wretch! Take that box that guy sent over with dung beetles last time, fill it with mountain delicacies, and send it over as a congratulatory gift. Hmph, consider it my revenge!"

The clever and nimble insect replied, "Yes, Second King!"

The two of them then went to look for the box, but after taking a few steps, they were stopped by someone.

Looking back, it was King Golden Horn.

The clever and quick-witted insect hurriedly asked, "Great King, what are your orders?"

King Golden Horn asked, "Where are you all going?"

The clever and nimble insect said, "We are ordered by the Second King to find the dung beetle box that the monster sent last time."

Upon hearing this, the Golden Horned King reached out and slapped each of them on the head.

The clever and cunning insect hurriedly asked, "Great King, what mistake have I made?"

King Golden Horn said:
"Where has your usual cleverness gone? The Second King was just saying that in anger, and you actually went to find him? If you send over that stinky box that holds dung beetles, won't that just create more enmity? Quickly go to the treasury and get a fine box inlaid with gold and jade, fill it with rare treasures, and send it as a congratulatory gift."

The clever and quick-witted insect readily agreed.

In this way, the two sides eased their tensions.

Two months later, the White Bone Demon arrived.

It turned out that she had transformed into a yin wind to escape that day, but was accidentally struck by a bolt of lightning.

That day, the lightning was extremely strong and yang, which was exactly the counter to her corpse demon technique, and it directly injured her severely.

Fortunately, the lightning strike was random that day; it only hit her once and didn't continue hitting her.

So the White Bone Demon hid away to recover from her injuries, and only came to Pingdingshan after her injuries had healed a little.

Upon hearing this, Ao Tu took out a three-stage golden pill and gave it to the White Bone Demon.

The White Bone Demon's injuries healed instantly, and her cultivation also improved.

The little nine-tailed white fox followed Ao Tu, her eyes filled with longing. She also wanted to eat it, but she knew nothing but how to warm the bed, and she wondered when the king would reward her with a pill.

Several months later, spring passed and summer ended, and autumn arrived.

See there: Yellow chrysanthemums in full bloom, mountain peaks delicate, maple and willow leaves falling red. A lone wild goose flies amidst the setting sun, and wild clouds drift away in the distance.

The four travelers, including Tang Sanzang, finally arrived at the flat-topped mountain area. Seeing the treacherous terrain, Tang Sanzang said:
“Disciples, this mountain is treacherous and dangerous; I fear there may be demons here.”

Wukong laughed and said, "Master, you've quite the eye for demons now."

Tang Sanzang said, "It's not that I can see demons, it's just that we've encountered demons many times on this journey to the West, how can I not be on guard?"

Just then, a woodcutter emerged from the mountain ahead, carrying a steel axe and a load of firewood on his back. He called out to Tang Sanzang and his companions:

“Elder who is heading west! Wait a moment. There is a group of vicious and wicked demons in these mountains that prey on people who travel east and west.”

This was actually a change in the duty officer's demeanor, a reminder to Tang Sanzang and his disciples.

Tang Sanzang, unaware of this, said to Wukong:

"Wukong, we've been traveling through desolate mountains and wilderness all along the way. How come a woodcutter suddenly appears on this mountain? When I was at White Tiger Ridge, I also went up the mountain to chop wood and gather herbs."

Look at the neatly arranged firewood on the woodcutter's back. If it were firewood for his own use, there would be no need to arrange it like this. This neatly arranged firewood must be intended for sale to people in the city.

There are no towns around here. This person must be a demon in disguise. Let's go around him.

Wukong, with his fiery eyes, had already seen the truth, and upon hearing this, he laughed:

“Master, don’t be afraid. I’ll go and capture that monster, interrogate him, and find out what other demons are in the mountains so we can get through.”

Tang Sanzang said, "Be sure to be careful."

Wukong said, "I understand, I understand."

Wukong leaped in front of the woodcutter and asked, "You scoundrel, what do you have to say? Why did you transform yourself and come here?"

The duty officer said:
“Great Sage, you are indeed powerful; this transformation technique cannot deceive you. I have come to report to you that this mountain is called Flat-topped Mountain, and it is about 600 li in length. There is a Lotus Cave in the mountain, and there are two very fierce demons in the cave.”

Wukong asked, "What kind of supernatural powers and magic do they possess?"

Duty Officer said:
"I've only heard that they possess five treasures with endless transformations. A year and a half ago, they drew a portrait of the monk from the Tang Dynasty, but they haven't been able to capture him yet. Now that the Great Sage and his disciples have come here, they've run right into the tiger's den."

Wukong smiled and said:

"Five treasures are far too few. If you want to block my path, you'll need ten treasures, several formations, and plenty of magical powers and spells. Only then can you truly block my way!"

Upon hearing this, the duty officer advised:
"Great Sage, that demon is ferocious. You should be careful and not be careless!"

Wukong said, "I understand."

Upon hearing this, the duty officer bowed and took his leave, disappearing from sight.

Wukong jumped back.

Tang Sanzang asked, "Where did that person go?"

Wukong said, "That man was a petty thief; he left as soon as he saw me, Old Sun."

Tang Sanzang asked, "Are there any demons in these mountains?"

Wukong laughed and said, "There are a few demons, but they are not as fierce as those we have encountered before. Don't be afraid, let's go."

This monkey is quite bold; it's not afraid of the monsters in the mountains at all.

The four of them, master and disciples, entered the mountains.

Inside the Dragon-Suppressing Cave, Ao Tu was cultivating in his room when Xiao Jiu ran over excitedly and said:
"Your Majesty, the little demons say they saw Tang Sanzang and his disciples coming into the mountains." Ao Tu laughed, "They've finally arrived. I went to see King Golden Horn and King Silver Horn beforehand, asking them to join forces with me to capture Tang Sanzang."

The Silver Horned King, however, refused to join forces, saying he didn't need my help and that they could capture Tang Sanzang and eat his flesh on their own. "Now let me see what they're capable of."

the other side.

Today, the Silver Horned King was patrolling the mountain with fifty lesser demons. Standing on the mountaintop, he saw Tang Sanzang and his disciples.

King Silver Horn exclaimed joyfully, "Tang Sanzang has arrived!"

You might ask, how could he recognize Tang Sanzang if he's never met him before?

It turns out that the Golden Horned King had someone draw a portrait of Tang Sanzang and his disciples, also known as a portrait of the god of shadows. By comparing the portrait with the image, they were able to recognize them.

The Silver Horned King was a vicious demon. Now, as he looked at Tang Sanzang, Tang Sanzang, who was riding his horse, felt unwell and shivered.

Tang Sanzang said, "Disciple, why am I shivering?"

Upon hearing this, Pigsy quickly unloaded the luggage and said, "Quickly help Master down from the horse to rest; Master's headache is about to flare up!"

Wukong asked, "What headache?"

Sha Wujing explained, "Brother, you don't know. Master contracted an old illness when he was in Baoxiang Kingdom, and he is prone to headaches."

Wukong said, "Don't talk nonsense. There's no such thing as a headache. It's caused by a demon. I think Master is just feeling scared and afraid because he's walking through these deep mountains. Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid! Let me clear the way for you."

Wukong flew forward, pulled his golden cudgel into the sky, and it stood upright on the horizon, reaching the sun and moon, its height unknown. He then cleaved through the deep mountains, poisonous forests, and deep caves with a single blow, creating a wide road.

This terrified the Silver Horned King so much that he cried out in disbelief:
"I've only heard that Sun Wukong is powerful, but I've never seen him fight in person back then. Only now do I know that the rumors are true!"

The little demons asked in fear, "Second King, what should we do?"

Silver Horn King said, "If I had known, I wouldn't have been so reckless and agreed to let that monster be the leader. Wouldn't that have made things easier? But if I go to him now, he'll definitely laugh at me. You all go back to the cave, and I'll devise a plan to capture that Tang Sanzang."

Upon hearing this, the lesser demons returned to their cave.

Silver Horn King jumped down the mountain, transformed into an old Taoist priest, and lay by the roadside with blood streaming down his legs.

As Tang Sanzang and his disciples approached, they heard someone say from the roadside:

"Help! Help!"

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang wondered, "How could someone be calling for help in these towering mountains?"

He spoke first, "Who are you?"

Upon hearing this, the Silver Horned King crawled out from the roadside, dragging his bloodied and wounded leg, and kowtowed, saying:
“Master, I am a Taoist priest from a Taoist temple at the foot of the mountain. I have unfortunately injured my leg. I beg you to save me.”

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang did not dismount to save him, but instead asked:

"Where did you come from, Taoist priest?"

Silver Horn King said, "Master, I am a Taoist priest from the Taoist temple at the foot of the mountain. Please have mercy and save me."

Tang Sanzang asked, "Which Taoist temple is it, and what is its name?"

The Silver Horn King thought that Tang Sanzang was the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi, a good person who had cultivated for ten lifetimes, and would definitely save him directly. However, he did not expect that Tang Sanzang would not save him immediately, but would ask him questions carefully.

King Silver Horn had not prepared an answer in his mind, and after a moment's pause, he replied, "It is Lotus Temple."

Tang Sanzang then asked, "In which direction is it, and how far is it from here?"

The Silver Horned King said, "It's two hundred miles to the west."

Tang Sanzang asked, "How did you get here, two hundred li away?"

After thinking for a moment, the Silver Horn King made up a lie:
"It was because the day before yesterday, my master and I went to the home of a benefactor in the south of the mountain to pray for blessings. On our way back, we encountered a fierce tiger that carried my disciple away. I fled for my life, fell down the hillside, and injured my legs and feet. It has been a day and a night since then."

"To see my master today is truly a stroke of good fortune. I humbly beg for your mercy to save my life. If I am brought to the temple, I will gladly sell myself and my life to repay your profound kindness."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang said, "Show me your injured leg."

Silver Horn King stretched out his injured leg, which was covered in blood and soaked through his clothes.

Tang Sanzang said, "It's fake, it's fake. If it were really as you say, after a day and a night, the blood would have become black and thick, and it should have a foul smell. If you were bleeding like this, you would have died even in half a day, let alone a day and a night."

Upon hearing this, the Silver Horn King's face turned ashen.

He thought to himself, "Why is this monk so difficult to deal with?"

Bajie laughed and said to Wukong, "He doesn't know yet, our master is an expert at treating legs!"

Tang Sanzang turned to leave.

The Silver Horn King cried out, “Master, don’t go! You are a monk, I am a Taoist. Though our robes differ, our principles of cultivation are the same. Aren’t you afraid of going to hell if you watch someone die without helping?”

Tang Sanzang said, “Benefactor, you are full of lies and are not a good person. Today you see me, a monk, disguised as a Taoist priest, and say such things; tomorrow you see a Taoist priest disguised as a monk and say the same things; the day after tomorrow you see a scholar disguised as a woman and say something else entirely. How can I believe you? If I save you, I, a monk, will go to hell.”

Upon hearing this, Silver Horn King quickly added to his earlier statement:

“Master, I’m not lying. I’ve been cultivating in the Taoist temple since I was a child and I know some Qi cultivation techniques, which is why I was able to hold on until you came to save me.”

Tang Sanzang said, "Since you know some kind of Qi cultivation technique, why are you afraid of a fierce tiger?"

Silver Horn King said, "Well... firstly, it was dark at the time; secondly, although I know some magic, even a horse can make a mistake."

Master, I'm truly a good person. Your Buddhist teachings often say, "Saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda." Can you really bear to watch me bleed to death here?

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang said:
“Amitabha, I don’t know whether what you’re saying is true or false.”

Seeing this, Wukong quickly said, "Master, this person is not a good person!"

Tang Sanzang waved his hand and asked the Silver Horn King:
"What's your name?"

King Silver Horn said, "My Taoist name is Silver Horn. Just call me Taoist Silver Horn."

Tang Sanzang said, "Bajie, go west and travel two hundred li to see if there is a Lotus Temple. If there is, ask if there is a Silver Horn Taoist in the temple. If there is a Silver Horn Taoist, tell them what this old Taoist looks like and see if it is him."

Bajie said, "Alright, Master. If there really is such a Taoist temple, we can even get a free meal!"

Tang Sanzang said, "Go, but come back quickly."

Pigsy then left.

Silver Horn King thought to himself, "It's good that one of them is gone; the monkey will have one less helper."

After Pigsy left, King Silver Horn said again:

"Master, I don't know how long your disciple will be gone. If you don't save me, I'm going to die."

Tang Sanzang said, "Don't worry, my disciple can fly on clouds and ride the mist, he'll be back in no time."

Seeing that his first plan had failed, the Silver Horn King devised another, saying:
"My legs hurt! My legs hurt! Master, my legs are bleeding profusely, more than a stream is flowing, and you just want to watch? What kind of Buddhism are you practicing?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang said, "With so much blood, you look even less human. I won't argue with you; I'll just wait for my disciple to return, and the truth will naturally become clear."

"Wujing, I still have the splint and cotton cloth I used at White Tiger Ridge in my package. Take them and wrap it around him so he can stop crying."

Upon hearing this, King Silver Horn thought to himself, "How can a monk like Tang Sanzang have everything? If I hadn't seen the Shadow God Map, I would have thought I'd come to the wrong place."

Now that deception is no longer an option, the only recourse is to take it by force.

Fortunately, we managed to get a Pigsy from the trip, so it wasn't a complete waste.

The Silver Horned King suddenly revealed his true form and roared angrily:

"You, Tang Sanzang, have absolutely no compassion! I lay on the ground, begging you for half an hour, and you wouldn't even dismount your horse!"

When Tang Sanzang saw the Silver Horned King reveal his true form, he was slightly startled by his appearance, but not too afraid.

Among demons, the Silver Horn King is actually quite presentable.

Tang Sanzang, urging his horse forward, walked behind Wukong and said:

"Wukong, he really is a demon."

Wukong said, "Master, don't worry, I'll get rid of him!"

Wukong leaped forward and swung his staff at the Silver Horn King.

King Silver Horn, wielding the Seven-Star Sword, fought Wukong for over twenty rounds before fleeing.

Wukong leaped after him, shouting, "Demon, where do you think you're going?"

After fleeing for two hundred miles, the Silver Horn King suddenly stopped, turned around and chanted a spell, using a mountain-moving and sea-overturning magic to move Mount Sumeru from the sky to suppress Wukong.

When Wukong saw the Silver Horn King chanting a spell, let alone waiting for him to move the mountain over, the Silver Horn King simply raised his hand, and Wukong turned around and somersaulted away.

When the Silver Horned King moved the mountain, there was no trace of Wukong left.

The Silver Horn King thought to himself, "This monkey is useless. He was so frightened by my magic that he ran away. I'll go and capture that Tang Sanzang."

So they put Mount Sumeru down and rushed back to capture Tang Sanzang.

They had only gone halfway when Wukong leaped over and struck Silver Horn King on the back with his golden cudgel.

Silver Horn King was suddenly struck hard, spitting out a mouthful of blood, falling off the cloud and crashing to the ground, feeling that his bones were broken.

Then Wukong will come and fight him again.

King Silver Horn was terrified and chanted the incantation again, moving Mount Emei to the area.

Wukong saw Silver Horn King raise his hand and somersault away again.

The Silver Horned King held Mount Emei and waited in place for half an hour, but when he did not see Wukong, his magical power was too exhausted, so he put the mountain down.

As soon as he put it down, Wukong somersaulted over and struck Silver Horn King's leg with his golden cudgel, breaking his leg.

Silver Horn panicked and recited the incantation again, moving Mount Tai to its location.

Seeing this, Wukong left again.

This time, King Silver Horn dared not put it down, nor did he want to eat any more of Tang Sanzang's flesh. He just wanted to go back as soon as possible, so he dragged Mount Tai along, running back to Lotus Cave in a panic and on high alert.

Wukong laughed in the air, descended from the clouds, and landed beside Tang Sanzang, saying:
"Master, that monster took two blows from my staff and I broke its leg. I don't think it will dare to come back. Let's go."

Tang Sanzang said, "Excellent, excellent."

The three of them set off again.

But haven't you forgotten someone?
Bajie followed the direction given by the Silver Horn King, but he didn't see any Lotus Temple. Instead, he found a Lotus Cave in the mountains.

Bajie said, "That's strange, why is the Taoist temple built inside a cave?"

　About the update

　　My daily update time is around 6 PM, with a total of 6000 words. The update time was changed because the book was scheduled to be published at midnight. Each chapter is a long chapter; although it's only one chapter, it has a lot of words.

　　Also, please don't let me support a book while it's still running. I'm a new author, and if I have to support a book while it's still running, I'll die.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)