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

The next morning, the eunuch came to invite Yun Zhao and his disciples to a banquet.

The banquet was held in a side hall of the palace. Although it was not extremely luxurious, it was still quite sumptuous.

A variety of dishes, candied fruits, pastries, and other delicacies were laid out on the long table.

The king personally accompanied him, chatting and laughing, as if the letter from home yesterday had never appeared, and the word "kill" had never left his mouth.

Yun Zhao was highly skilled and daring, and the meal was enjoyed by both host and guests without any fear.

Sun Wukong, disguised as a young novice monk, sat at the last seat, shoveling rice into his mouth, but keeping a close eye on the king's every move.

The Black Bear Spirit, the Yellow Wind Monster, and Sha Wujing each knew their place.

The banquet lasted for about an hour.

The king raised his cup and said, "Holy monk, you have come from afar, and I am truly ashamed that I have failed to properly entertain you. How about you stay a few more days so that I may further extend my hospitality!"

Yun Zhao clasped his hands together and said, "Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty. My master and I have troubled you for too long, and it is time for us to take our leave."

The king tried to persuade him to stay a few more times, but seeing that Yun Zhao was determined to leave, he did not insist: "Very well, since the holy monk has something on his mind, I wish him a safe journey to the west and that he will soon attain enlightenment."

The next morning, he personally escorted Yun Zhao and his disciples to the palace gate, and ordered people to prepare ten sets of monk's robes, as well as some dry food and water. The etiquette was impeccable, and there was not a single fault to be found.

The carriage left the city and slowly traveled westward along the official road.

After walking about five or six miles, Sun Wukong became impatient and turned to Yun Zhao, saying, "Master, the king was far too polite to us today. He was ashen-faced when he read that letter the other day, but these past two days he's acted as if nothing had happened. Something's not right here."

The black bear spirit nodded and said, "What my senior brother said is true. The more amiable the king's smile is, the more people feel that he is hiding something sinister."

Huang Feng asked strangely, "Could he be planning to send us out of the city and then make his move in secret?"

Sha Wujing didn't speak, but he had already gripped the Demon-Subduing Staff tightly.

Yun Zhao smiled and said, "Don't worry, he won't take action. He made his decision yesterday."

Sun Wukong blinked and asked, "How did Master know?"

Yun Zhao said, "If he wanted to make a move, he would have done it last night, not waited until today. Since he treated us to such good food and wine as he left the city, he doesn't intend to cause us any trouble openly. However..."

He paused, then said, "Just because he doesn't touch us doesn't mean he won't touch others."

Sun Wukong's eyes lit up, and he immediately understood.

He slung the golden cudgel over his shoulder and laughed, "I, Old Sun, understand! The king isn't targeting us, he's targeting Princess Baihuaxiu! Master, you all take your time, I'll go back and check."

Yun Zhao nodded and said, "Be careful."

Sun Wukong responded, his figure flickered, transformed into a golden light, soared into the sky, and disappeared into the clouds in the blink of an eye.

The black bear spirit gazed in the direction the monkey had disappeared and said, "Master, should I go help our eldest brother too?"

Yun Zhao said, "No need. Wukong knows what he's doing. He's not going to fight. We'll just wait for him."

With a single somersault, Sun Wukong transformed into a rainbow and instantly arrived above the Wave Moon Cave.

He descended from the clouds, hiding in the bushes halfway up the mountain. Looking down, his brows furrowed.

On the open ground in front of the Wave Moon Cave, dozens of corpses lay scattered about, dressed in the armor of the Baoxiang Kingdom, clearly elite cavalry sent by the king.

Blood stained the bluestone slabs in front of the cave, and a few drops were also splashed on the peach blossoms, their red color dazzling in the sunlight.

Sun Wukong counted them; there were at least three hundred people.

As he pondered this, he suddenly heard Baihuaxiu's voice from inside the cave, tinged with sobs and confusion: "Mother is gone... Father has also passed away... So who sits on the throne now?"

Sun Wukong moved closer and peered through the gaps in the vines.

Inside the cave, Baihuaxiu sat on a stone chair, her face pale and her eyes red.

Kui Mulang stood beside her, his expression solemn, softly comforting her.

His two sons, Quinn and Quinin, stood to one side, one holding a blood-stained longsword and the other a crossbow, their faces showing a hint of fear.

Kui Mulang sighed and said, "Madam, the new king these guys are talking about is probably not one of your brothers, but a usurper. He's afraid you'll go back and restore the throne, so he sent troops to kill you."

Baihua Xiu's tears finally fell as she said, "I just wanted to write a letter home to my father and mother, to tell them I was doing well... Why did it turn out like this?"

Kui Mulang reached out and gently wiped away her tears, saying softly, "Because those people are filled with greed and fear."

"Don't worry, Madam, with me here, no one can hurt you."

He paused, then continued, "Now that the Kingdom of Baoxiang has changed, we can't just sit and wait to die. I want to see who has the audacity to provoke me instead of me!"

Baihua Xiu raised her head, looked at her husband, and after a long while, nodded.

Sun Wukong overheard most of what was happening outside the cave and had a general idea of ​​what was going on.

He did not appear, but quietly retreated and flew towards the direction of Baoxiang Kingdom.

As the monkey flew, it thought, "The king did indeed send men to kill the princess, but they were just ordinary mortals. Kui Mulang is a celestial being; even if the entire nation were mobilized, they wouldn't be a match for him."

"Alright, alright, this is interesting. Let's go back and tell Master about it."

He quickened his pace and in the blink of an eye, he was back beside Yun Zhao, recounting everything he had seen and heard.

After listening, the Black Bear Spirit said, "Just as I thought! That dog king! He says one thing to your face and another behind your back! Luckily, Brother Kui Mulang is also capable. If he and his wife were just ordinary people, wouldn't they be in trouble?"

Yellow Wind Monster also said, "Since the king dared to send people to kill the princess, he won't give up easily. Master, should we go back and lend a hand?"

Yun Zhao shook his head and said, "No need."

"Kui Mulang is, after all, a celestial star, and earthly soldiers cannot harm him in the slightest, not to mention he has two sons to assist him. Those elite cavalry sent by the king are nothing more than a mantis trying to stop a chariot."

He paused, then laughed and said, "Besides, with Kui Mulang's abilities, the king's actions must have angered him. With a god-like figure like him taking action, he'll be in for a rough time."

The apprentices thought about it again and realized it made sense, so they couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Meanwhile, in the palace, the king awaited news of the elite cavalry.

Since the dispatch of elite cavalry, not a single message has been sent back.

The people sent out seemed to have vanished without a trace.

He sat on the dragon throne, tapping his fingers on the armrests, the tapping becoming faster and faster.

Finally, a guard rushed into the hall in a panic, knelt on the ground, and cried out in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty! The men sent to Wanzishan... were completely wiped out! Three hundred elite cavalrymen, not a single one survived!"

The cup in the king's hand fell to the ground with a crash and shattered into pieces.

He stood up abruptly, his face ashen.

He then slumped back onto the throne, utterly dejected: "It seems my fate has come to an end..."