Journey to the West: Please Call Me the White Bone Demon

After driving away Sun Wukong, Tang Sanzang and his disciples continued their journey westward, but the atmosphere was no longer as pleasant as before.

Without the monkey leading the way, the rocks and thorns frequently tripped the horse. Pigsy would shout and complain that he couldn't walk anymore after a few steps. Sandy carried the luggage and just kept walking, silent. Tang Sanzang rode on his horse, his face pale and his lips chapped, but he tried his best not to show any signs of fatigue.

On this day, the three of them, master and disciples, entered a dense forest.

The trees are towering and block out the sun, birdsong is sparse, and the air is filled with the damp smell of decaying leaves.

After traveling for most of the day, Tang Sanzang was unbearably hungry and thirsty, his throat parched. He could no longer resist, so he reined in his horse and whispered:

"Bajie, I am extremely hungry and thirsty. Go ahead and beg for some food."

Pigsy was dozing off while carrying his rake. Waking up, he rubbed his eyes, looking unwilling: "Master, my legs are about to break! When Monkey King was here, he could just somersault back in a flash. Why did I have to work so hard?"

Tang Sanzang sighed: "Wukong has been expelled by me, and now only you and Wujing remain. Bajie, you are the eldest brother, so you have to take some responsibility."

Pigsy muttered a few words, "This chore has fallen on my shoulders again," but in the end, he still carried the rake and swayed forward.

He walked for more than ten miles, and the mountain road became increasingly rugged. Looking left and right, he couldn't even find a village in sight.

The sun was scorching, making his forehead ooze oil. A wave of laziness washed over him, and he thought: Master won't starve to death right away, I, Old Pig, will take a nap first!

After finding a shady rock, he threw down his rake, lay down, and started snoring, drooling all over the ground, sleeping soundly until the world was dark.

In the forest, Tang Sanzang waited for a long time, but Zhu Bajie did not return. He became anxious and called to Sha Wujing, "Wujing, go and find your senior brother and see if there is any water source while you are there."

Sha Wujing agreed, put down his luggage, picked up his demon-subduing staff, and went off.

Tang Sanzang was the only one left in the forest. He sat on a blue stone, his hands clasped together, and chanted scriptures in a low voice, but his mind was in turmoil, and he stopped chanting after a while.

He got up, took the white horse, and strolled into the depths of the woods, wanting to clear his mind.

After walking for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the trees ahead suddenly thinned out, and the view opened up. In an open space stood a golden pagoda, seven stories high with a glazed tile roof. When the sunlight shone on it, it gleamed. The pagoda door was half open, and faint chanting could be heard from it.

Tang Sanzang was overjoyed, thinking to himself: "There is a Buddhist pagoda in this desolate wilderness! It must be the Buddha's divine intervention, protecting my journey to the West!"

Little did he know, this was a trap that the Yellow Robe Monster had laid long ago.

That "pagoda" was nothing more than a demonic illusion conjured by the Yellow-Robed Monster, containing a soul-capturing array, waiting for the pilgrims to walk right into its trap.

Tang Sanzang led his horse straight to the "pagoda". As soon as he stepped into the pagoda gate, a golden light flashed before his eyes, and his body went limp and he collapsed to the ground, unable to move.

A fierce wind arose in the tower, revealing the true form of the Yellow Robe Monster. He laughed loudly, grabbed Tang Sanzang by the back of his collar, and lifted him up like a chick.

"Bald monk! You've finally arrived! I've been waiting for you for so long!"

Tang Sanzang was terrified but could not utter a sound. He was filled with panic and fear, and then everything went black before his eyes, and he fainted.

On the other side, after searching for a long time, Sha Wujing finally found Zhu Bajie fast asleep behind a large rock.

He kicked Pigsy awake: "Brother! Master is getting impatient waiting, why are you sleeping soundly here?"

Pigsy groggily got up: "I...I was just conserving my energy!"

The two rushed back to the original spot, only to find that the luggage was still there, the white horse was grazing with its head down, but Tang Sanzang was nowhere to be seen.

Pigsy panicked: "Oh no! Master must have encountered a monster!"

Sha Wujing said in a deep voice, "We two must go and search immediately! If anything happens to our master, how will we explain ourselves?"

The two followed the hoofprints and soon found the "Golden Pagoda".

Although Pigsy was foolish, he vaguely sensed something was wrong, but Sandy was already frantic: "Master must be inside the pagoda! Quickly, save him!"

The two rushed into the tower gate, and golden light flashed before their eyes again. A demonic wind swirled up, and the yellow-robed monster appeared, followed by a swarm of lesser demons.

"Well done! We've been waiting for you and your apprentice to reunite."

The yellow-robed monster sneered, flicked his long sword, and pointed it directly at the two of them.

Pigsy flew into a rage and raised his rake to strike: "Monster! Release my master!"

Sha Wujing also swung his magic staff to protect Zhu Bajie.

The three of them were locked in combat.

The Yellow-Robed Monster was originally one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions, the reincarnation of the Star Lord Kui Mulang. He possessed great supernatural powers and was skilled in swordsmanship.

Although Pigsy possessed a nine-toothed rake, his magical powers were greatly diminished due to his reincarnation as a pig. Furthermore, he was lazy and prone to oversleeping, resulting in haphazard and unskilled movements. Sandy, on the other hand, was of mediocre ability, having only served as a minor general in Heaven; how could he possibly be a match for the constellations?

After fighting for less than thirty rounds, Pigsy lost his focus and was slashed in the shoulder by the Yellow Robe Monster, bleeding profusely and howling in pain.

Sha Wujing tried to rush forward to help, but was struck in the chest by the yellow-robed monster's leg, sent flying backward, crashing into the fake tower wall, and spitting out blood.

The Yellow-Robed Monster pressed his advantage, and after more than ten rounds, Pigsy's rake technique was thrown into disarray. Caught off guard, he felt an immense force strike him and fell to his knees with a thud. Sandy barely managed to get up and fought a few more moves before finally exhausting himself and being kicked over by the Yellow-Robed Monster.

The demons swarmed forward, bound the two tightly with the Demon-Locking Rope, gagged them, and dragged them deep into the Wave Moon Cave.

Inside the cave's main hall, the Yellow-Robed Monster sat high in the main seat, while Tang Sanzang was bound to a jade pillar on the left, still unconscious.

Pigsy and Sandy were thrown to the ground, groaning and unable to move.

The Yellow-Robed Monster looked at the three of them and laughed loudly. Without Sun Wukong, the other two were nothing special.

"Guards! Lock this bald monk in the back cave and guard him well! Throw those two idiots in the dungeon and starve them for three days!"

The little demon obeyed the order and carried Tang Sanzang to the back cave to be imprisoned, while Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing were dragged into the cold dungeon and locked with a clang.

Then he used his magic to contact Yun Zhao and told him exactly how he captured Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, and the others.

"It's done."

Upon receiving the message from the Yellow-Robed Monster, Yun Zhao smiled. This was also within the coordinate range; the longer it dragged on, the greater the rewards would be!

As night deepened, the Wanxiang Palace was brightly lit.

Yun Zhao arrived at the dragon bed, surrounded by several beautiful women dressed in light gauze and silk, their fragrance wafting through the air.

He had no interest in enjoying himself; he simply closed his eyes to rest and mentally planned his next move.

It's easy for the Yellow-Robed Monster to capture people, but to prolong the war, he needs the help of the Treasure Elephant Kingdom.

In the original story, after Tang Sanzang and his disciples were captured, Baihua Xiu told them that she was the princess of Baoxiang Kingdom who had disappeared thirteen years ago, and asked them to return to the country so that her father could send troops to rescue her. Then she secretly released Tang Sanzang and his disciples.

Now the plot has changed, and Baihua Xiu is unaware that the person in charge of the country has changed. She will obviously secretly let Tang Sanzang and his disciples go.

As far as Yun Zhao was concerned, Tang Seng could leave, and with the power of Baoxiang Kingdom, he could use it to his advantage, binding him with these rules and regulations, making it difficult for him to move an inch within Baoxiang Kingdom.

But his disciples don't need to come out and join in the fun; they should just stay quietly in the Wave Moon Cave!

Yun Zhao's mind raced, and he had already made a plan.

He immediately contacted the Yellow Robe Monster and told him his plan.

Tell him to keep an eye on Pigsy and Sandy.

As for Tang Sanzang, being released is no big deal.