Primordial Era: Starting by overwhelming the Sages, Hongjun was stunned!

The two of them, one in front and one behind, crossed the mountain ridge.

Ahead, a small town appeared.

At the entrance of the town stands a stone tablet with three characters engraved on it: Ping'an Town.

Xuanzang's eyes lit up:

"There's a town now."

"Old Sun, let's go beg for some alms and ask for lodging for the night."

Sun Wukong nodded and followed him into the town.

The town is small, but it's very lively.

The street was bustling with people, and the sounds of vendors calling out their wares filled the air.

But as Xuanzang walked, he suddenly stopped.

He gazed ahead, his brow slightly furrowed.

Sun Wukong followed his gaze.

In the center of the town, a group of people were gathered.

In the center of the crowd stood a wooden stake.

A boy was tied to a wooden stake.

The boy was only fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in rags, covered in wounds, with his head bowed, on the verge of death.

In front of the wooden stake stood a middle-aged man, dressed in a brocade robe, with a face full of fierce features, who loudly addressed the crowd of onlookers:

"Fellow villagers, this thief broke into my house last night and stole fifty taels of silver!"

"According to town regulations, thieves shall be punished with fifty strokes of the cane and paraded through the streets for three days!"

"Today is day two!"

He raised his whip and lashed it at the boy.

Snapped!

With a crisp sound, another bloody gash appeared on the boy's back.

The boy groaned softly, but didn't cry out; he just gritted his teeth and trembled all over.

Among the onlookers, some cheered, some shook their heads, and some sighed.

But no one stepped forward to stop them.

Xuanzang frowned deeply.

He stepped forward and clasped his hands together in prayer:

"Please stop, benefactor."

The man in the brocade robe was taken aback. He turned around and saw that it was a monk. He said disdainfully:

"Monk, mind your own business."

"This thief stole my silver, so it's only right that I beat him."

Xuanzang said, "He stole the silver, so he should be punished."

"But you have already beaten him for two days. He is just a child. If you continue to beat him, he may die."

The man in the brocade robe sneered: "A death? He brought it on himself!"

"When you steal, don't you think about the consequences?"

Xuanzang looked at the young man.

The boy raised his head, his face covered in blood, his eyes filled with fear and despair.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but couldn't utter a word.

Xuanzang sighed softly, took a cloth bag from his bundle, and handed it to the man in the brocade robe:

"Benefactor, this is some loose silver that I received from begging for alms. It's not much, but I'll give it to you as compensation."

"Please, benefactor, spare this child."

The man in the brocade robe took the cloth bag, weighed it in his hand, and his expression softened slightly.

"Alright, for the sake of the monk, let him off this time."

He waved his hand, signaling his men to untie the ropes.

The boy was taken off the leash and collapsed to the ground, trembling all over.

Xuanzang stepped forward and helped him up:

"Child, it's alright now."

The boy looked at him, tears welling up in his eyes:

"Monk...I...I didn't steal..."

Xuanzang was taken aback.

The boy sobbed, "That silver... my mother told me to get it..."

"That was left by my father...he took it for himself..."

"When I went to ask for it back, he accused me of stealing..."

Xuanzang's expression changed slightly.

He turned around and looked at the man in the brocade robe.

The man in the brocade robe froze, then roared:

"Bullshit! Your father owes me money; that silver was for paying off a debt!"

The boy shouted, "My dad doesn't owe you anything! You're the one who owed me!"

The man in the brocade robe raised his whip, ready to strike again.

One hand grasped the whip.

Sun Wukong.

He had appeared before us without us noticing, grabbed the whip, and grinned:

That's enough.

The man in the brocade robe was taken aback: "What are you?"

Sun Wukong scratched his head: "I, Old Sun, am no good."

"I am the Monkey King."

The man in the brocade robe's expression changed drastically, and he retreated repeatedly.

Who hasn't heard of Sun Wukong?

The one who caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace five hundred years ago!

He knelt down with a thud:

"Great Sage, spare me! Great Sage, spare me!"

Sun Wukong didn't look at him, but instead looked at Xuanzang:

"Monk, what do you suggest we do?"

Xuanzang looked at the man in the brocade robe, then at the young man.

With a soft sigh:

"Make him return the money."

"Give this child some more compensation for medical expenses."

"Let's leave it at that."

Sun Wukong nodded and looked at the man in the brocade robe:

"Did you hear that?"

The man in the brocade robe nodded vigorously, took out a money pouch from his pocket, and presented it with both hands.

Xuanzang took the money bag and handed it to the boy:

"Take it and go home."

"Buy some food and medicine for your mother."

The boy knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times:

"Thank you, monk! Thank you, Great Sage!"

He took the money bag and staggered away.

The crowd gradually dispersed.

The man in the brocade robe also slunk away.

Sun Wukong looked at Xuanzang and scratched his head:

"Monk, why didn't you let me teach that guy a lesson?"

Xuanzang shook his head:

"Teaching him a lesson is easy."

"But what happens after the lesson is over?"

"He's still in town, the child is still in town."

"Even if you leave, he'll still bully that child."

Sun Wukong was taken aback: "Then what should we do?"

Xuanzang said:

"Make him return the money and pay some compensation."

"If the child has money, he can leave this town and make a living elsewhere."

"This is the real way to help him."

Sun Wukong looked at him, then suddenly grinned:

"Monk, you're thinking too far ahead."

Xuanzang smiled slightly:

"It's not about thinking too far ahead."

"Having learned a lesson, I've remembered it."

Sun Wukong remained silent.

He knew that the monk was referring to the ten lifetimes of reincarnation as a loss.

It was those ten lifetimes of arduous cultivation.

It was those ten lifetimes when they were schemed against, hunted down, and used as pawns.

Sun Wukong suddenly felt a pang of heartache.

This monk's life is so miserable.

He scratched his head: "Monk, let's go find a place to rest."

Xuanzang nodded.

The two were about to leave.

suddenly.

A voice echoed from the void:

"well done."

Xuanzang looked up, and Sun Wukong looked up.

In the void, a figure in a black robe slowly descended.

Kong Xuan.

Sun Wukong was overjoyed:

"Senior! What brings you here!"

Kong Xuan landed in front of the two men, standing with his hands behind his back:

"I've come to see you all."

He looked at Xuanzang, his gaze calm:

"Well done."

Xuanzang put his hands together in prayer:

"You flatter me, senior."

Kong Xuan shook his head:

"That's not an overstatement."

"Your ability to refrain from killing is an act of compassion."

"It is wise of you to think of letting him leave."

"True Buddhism is the combination of compassion and wisdom."

What the Buddha taught was merely Hinayana Buddhism.

Xuanzang remained silent.

Kong Xuan continued:

"The path you've chosen is the right one."

Keep walking, don't look back.

Xuanzang's eyes were slightly red.

"Thank you, senior."

Kong Xuan nodded slightly and looked at Sun Wukong:

"What about you? Have you been slacking off?"

Sun Wukong scratched his head: "Slacking off? I, Old Sun, haven't been slacking off!"

"They protected this monk all the way, not even letting a single demon escape!"

Kong Xuan's lips curled slightly:

"No monsters around, itching to play?"

Sun Wukong chuckled: "A little."

Kong Xuan said, "Don't worry, it'll be soon."

"There's a mountain ahead called Hidden Mist Mountain."

"There is a leopard spirit on the mountain who has cultivated for a thousand years and specializes in eating human hearts."

"If you go there, there will be a fight."

Sun Wukong's eyes lit up: "Really?"

Kong Xuan nodded: "Really."

"But that leopard demon is quite capable, so be careful."

Sun Wukong patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, senior! I'll kill him with one blow!"

Kong Xuan did not answer, but simply looked into the distance.

Hidden Mist Mountain.

Not only are there leopard spirits on that mountain.

There are other things too.

He came here not just to see these two people.

There's one more thing to do.

Kong Xuan turned around: "Let's go, I'll see you off."

Xuanzang nodded, and Sun Wukong followed.

The three of them walked out of the town.

Outside Ping'an Town, the mountain road winds its way through the area.

Kong Xuan walked ahead, his black robe fluttering lightly.

Xuanzang followed behind, silently reciting scriptures.

Sun Wukong walked at the back, looking around.

After walking for about an hour, a large mountain appeared ahead.

The mountains are high and the forests are dense, shrouded in clouds and mist.

At the foot of the mountain stands a stone tablet with three characters engraved on it: Hidden Mist Mountain.

Sun Wukong's eyes lit up:

"arrive!"

Kong Xuan stopped and turned to look at the two of them:

"I'll drop you off here."

"You'll have to walk the rest of the road yourself."

Xuanzang nodded: "Thank you, senior."

Kong Xuanwang said to Sun Wukong:

"Remember, protect him."

Sun Wukong patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, senior!"

Kong Xuan nodded slightly, then his figure flickered and disappeared.

Sun Wukong looked in the direction he disappeared and scratched his head:

"The senior always appears and disappears mysteriously."

Xuanzang said softly, "Senior has his own matters to attend to."

"We'll go our own way."

Sun Wukong nodded, and the two headed up the mountain.

The mountain path is rugged and the forest is dense.

Xuanzang walked slowly, and Sun Wukong was not in a hurry either.

After walking for about half an hour, suddenly, a foul stench wafted from ahead.

Sun Wukong paused, narrowing his eyes:

"There's a monster."

Xuanzang stopped and gripped his staff tightly.

In the woods, a pair of eerie green eyes lit up.

Then, the second pair, the third pair...

A dozen or so wolves sprang out of the forest and surrounded them.

These wolves were large, with glossy fur and eerie glints in their eyes.

It's not an ordinary wolf.

It's a demon.

Sun Wukong glanced at it and said disdainfully:

"A bunch of little brats, daring to block the way?"

He was about to make his move.

suddenly.

A dark figure descended from the sky.

boom!

It landed amidst a pack of wolves, causing the mountain rocks to shatter.

The dark figure was over ten feet tall, covered in black fur, with blood-red eyes and protruding fangs.

It was that leopard spirit.

He looked at Sun Wukong and grinned:

"I heard that a monk is going to pass through my Hidden Mist Mountain."

"Eat his flesh and you will live forever."

"Men, charge!"

The pack of wolves howled and charged forward.

Sun Wukong sighed:

"Monk, step back."

Xuanzang stepped back a few paces.

Sun Wukong raised his golden cudgel and swept it across the room.

boom!

A burst of golden light erupted, sending the pack of wolves flying backward and crashing into the mountainside, where they died instantly.

The leopard demon's expression changed drastically:

"Who...who are you?!"

Sun Wukong scratched his head: "Me, Old Sun? The Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong."

The leopard spirit's pupils suddenly contracted.

Wasn't that monkey imprisoned under the Five Elements Mountain? How did it get out?

He turned and ran.

Sun Wukong caught up in one step and brought his golden cudgel down on his head.

The leopard demon raised his knife to block.

Click.

The knife broke.

The golden cudgel struck his head, and his brains splattered.

Before the leopard demon could even let out a scream, it turned into a corpse and collapsed to the ground.

Sun Wukong put away his golden cudgel and curled his lip:

"this one?"

"A thousand-year-old demon, huh? He couldn't even withstand a single blow."

Xuanzang stepped forward, looked at the corpse, and clasped his hands together in prayer:

"Amitabha."

"May you not be a demon in your next life."

Sun Wukong scratched his head: "Monk, you're even going to perform a ritual for him to be reborn in the Pure Land?"

Xuanzang said, "He also has a life."

"If someone dies, then let them pass on to the afterlife."

"Accumulate some good deeds in secret."

Sun Wukong grinned: "Alright, whatever you say."

The two continued up the mountain.

After walking a few steps, Xuanzang suddenly stopped.

He gazed ahead, his brow slightly furrowed.

Sun Wukong followed his gaze.

A woman was lying by the side of the mountain road ahead.

The woman was dressed in rags, covered in wounds, and unconscious.

Xuanzang stepped forward, squatted down, and examined the area.

Sun Wukong caught up, stared at the woman, and frowned.

"Monk, be careful."

"Something's not right with this woman."

Xuanzang looked up: "Something's not right?"

Sun Wukong stared at the woman:

"Where would a woman come from in this desolate wilderness?"

"Besides, my nose is very sensitive."

"She has a demonic aura about her."

Xuanzang was taken aback and looked down at the woman.

The woman remained unconscious, but her face was so pale she looked like a ghost.

Xuanzang stood up and took a step back.

"Old Sun, did you see clearly?"

Sun Wukong nodded: "I see clearly."

"It's a monster."

"It's an act."

As soon as she finished speaking, the woman suddenly opened her eyes.

His eyes were filled with resentment and malice.

She opened her mouth, revealing a mouthful of fangs, and lunged at Xuanzang.

Sun Wukong stepped forward and swept his golden cudgel horizontally.

boom!

The woman was thrown into the air, crashing into the mountainside and turning into a cloud of black mist.

From within the black mist, a giant spider slowly crawled out.

It has eight legs, is covered in black fur, and has blood-red eyes.

Spider demon.

She looked at Sun Wukong and hissed:

"You stinky monkey, you ruined my plans!"

Sun Wukong grinned: "A good thing? Eating people is a good thing?"

The spider demon roared and spat out a ball of spider silk, shooting it towards Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong dodged to the side, and the golden cudgel came crashing down.

The spider demon couldn't dodge in time and was hit on one of its legs, which was then broken in two.

She screamed and turned to run.

Sun Wukong was not about to let him go; he caught up in one step and smashed the golden cudgel again.

boom!

The spider demon transformed into a cloud of blood mist and dissipated in the forest.

Sun Wukong put away his staff and turned to look at Xuanzang:

"Monk, are you alright?"

Xuanzang shook his head: "It's nothing."

He gazed at the cloud of blood mist and sighed softly.

"Another one trying to eat me."

Sun Wukong scratched his head: "Monk, what's so good about this meat of yours?"

"Why do all sorts of monsters want to eat you?"

Xuanzang smiled wryly: "I don't know either."

"All I know is that from the very first life, people have said that eating my flesh will grant immortality."

Sun Wukong frowned: "Who spread this message?"

Xuanzang shook his head: "I don't know."

"But I know that this rumor was deliberately spread by someone."

Sun Wukong was taken aback: "Did you release it on purpose? Who?"

Xuanzang looked towards the west:

"Whoever wants me dead the most is the one."

Sun Wukong followed his gaze.

Western sky.

Lingshan.

Tathagata.

He gripped the golden cudgel tightly, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes:

"That old man, what a vicious heart he has."

Xuanzang shook his head: "I'm not going to say anything more."

"Let's go, it's getting dark."

Sun Wukong nodded and followed.

The two continued up the mountain.

Behind them, the blood mist gradually dissipated.

On Hidden Mist Mountain, clouds and mist swirl around.

Xuanzang and Sun Wukong, one in front and one behind, traveled through the mountains and forests.

it's dark.

The mountains were pitch black; you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

Sun Wukong snapped his fingers, and a ball of fire lit up at his fingertips, illuminating the path ahead.

Xuanzang said softly, "Old Sun, let's find a place to rest for the night."

Sun Wukong looked around and pointed ahead:

"There's a cave over there, shall we rest there?"

Xuanzang nodded.

The two headed towards the cave.

The cave wasn't large, but it was clean, as if someone had lived there.

Xuanzang sat down at the entrance of the cave and took off his monk's shoes.

The injury on my foot has worsened.

Sun Wukong looked at it and frowned:

"Monk, you need to take good care of your foot."

"If we continue down this path, I'm afraid we'll be ruined."

Xuanzang smiled slightly: "It's alright."

"He won't die."

Sun Wukong sighed and stopped talking.

He took out a few wild fruits from his pocket and handed them to Xuanzang:

"Eat."

Xuanzang took it and silently ate it.

Sun Wukong sat at the cave entrance, gazing at the pitch-black night outside, and suddenly spoke:

"Monk, do you think the path the senior spoke of can truly lead to the end?"

Xuanzang was taken aback: "Which road?"

Sun Wukong said, "It's the path you mentioned, the one where you don't have to kneel to walk."

Xuanzang was silent for a moment:

"have no idea."

"But we have to give it a try."

Sun Wukong grinned: "That's true."

"How will you know you won't reach the end if you don't try?"