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

Golden Horn and Silver Horn burned incense and prayed, the smoke rising upwards, passing through the cave ceiling, through the clouds, and straight up to the thirty-third heaven.

Normally, if the patriarch ignored it, it would be fine, but this time was different.

King Silver Horn knelt before the incense table, his forehead pressed against the ground, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Although King Golden Horn appeared calm, his fingers trembled slightly inside his sleeve.

They knew that if the patriarch did not respond, they would have to face the unfathomable monk alone.

The shadow of that battle still weighed heavily on Silver Horn's heart, refusing to dissipate.

In the Tushita Palace, Laozi was leaning against the alchemy furnace, closing his eyes to meditate, when he suddenly felt a familiar wisp of incense drifting over, and he couldn't help but be slightly startled.

A day in heaven is equivalent to a year on earth.

To him, the two children had only burned incense and prayed an hour ago, and their return now was truly strange.

These two boys are not ungrateful; there must be something important for them to act this way.

Thinking of this, Laozi attached a wisp of his divine consciousness to the cigarette smoke, and along the faint trail of smoke, it silently sank into the Lotus Cave.

Golden Horn and Silver Horn felt a slight weight on the top of their heads, as if something was gently pressing down on them, but then the pressure disappeared.

Immediately afterwards, an aged yet gentle voice resounded in their hearts: "What's the matter that you're in such a panic?"

Jin Jiao and Yin Jiao were overjoyed, knowing that their ancestor had heard their prayers, and quickly recounted the events of the day in detail.

From Silver Horn descending the mountain and transforming into an old Taoist priest, to using the Purple Gold Gourd to subdue Sun Wukong, to using the Golden Rope to bind his three disciples, to the monk single-handedly subduing the demon, all the way to the monk wanting to come to their mountain for a chat.

They dared not embellish or conceal a single word, and described the story in great detail.

After listening, Laozi remained silent for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter: "Hahaha... Interesting, interesting."

He hadn't expected that the person traveling west would have such abilities. He had already felt that there seemed to be some changes in the eastward transmission of Buddhism, and now it seemed that the changes were quite significant.

The fact that the monk on his journey to the West possessed such great abilities was beyond his expectations.

"Very well, since he wants to see me, then let him see me."

Laozi's voice resounded in the hearts of the two boys, Jin and Yin, "You two should treat him well, this humble Taoist is coming right now."

Upon hearing this, Jin and Yin Jiao were overjoyed and repeatedly kowtowed, expressing their gratitude.

Since the patriarch was going to descend to the mortal realm in person, it meant that they would finally no longer have to face that unfathomable monk.

With the support of their patriarch, the huge weight on their hearts was finally lifted.

In front of Lotus Cave, Yun Zhao and his disciples had already arrived at the cave entrance.

The black bear spirit stepped forward to knock on the door, but the cave door opened by itself.

The Golden Horn King and the Silver Horn King emerged side by side, but instead of transforming into their ferocious demon forms, they revealed their true forms.

They were two exquisitely beautiful young Taoist boys, their faces beaming with smiles, though the smiles were somewhat forced, they were much more sincere than before.

Golden Horn cupped his hands and said, "Holy Monk, you have come from afar. Please forgive me for not welcoming you properly."

Silver Horn also bowed, but dared not look up at Yun Zhao, as if afraid that if he looked at him for too long, he would tremble involuntarily again.

Master Yun Zhao and his apprentice found the appearance of the two children quite amusing.

Yun Zhao returned the greeting with his palms together and said with a smile, "You two Daoist masters are too kind. I've only come to bother you for a moment."

Jinjiao said repeatedly, "No need to bother you, no need to bother you, Holy Monk, please come in."

As he spoke, he stepped aside to lead the way.

Yun Zhao didn't stand on ceremony and stepped into the Lotus Cave.

Sun Wukong followed behind, carrying his golden cudgel, his gaze sweeping around the cave, a faint smile playing on his lips.

The Black Bear Spirit, the Yellow Wind Monster, and Sha Wujing also filed in and took their seats.

Tea and snacks were already prepared in the cave; although not lavish, they were neat and thoughtfully arranged.

Golden Horn and Silver Horn sat with him for a while, exchanging some perfunctory pleasantries, but never mentioning what had happened on the mountain earlier.

Yun Zhao wasn't in a hurry. He slowly sipped his tea, occasionally praising the tea or asking about the scenery in the mountains, as if he were truly visiting someone's home.

Sun Wukong, however, was a little impatient. He sat on the stone chair with his legs crossed, watching the two Taoist priests chatter on and on, and secretly chuckled to himself.

As they were talking, a melodious song suddenly drifted from outside the cave. The voice was ancient and clear, as if it were coming from a very far place, or as if it were ringing in their ears:

"The primordial chaos was shattered, revealing the mysterious and yellow landscape, and the five elements were governed in the human world."

He ascended to the heavens in broad daylight, and through the Hangu Pass, he cast spells that illuminated the eternal path.

Riding an ox, I passed far beyond the village; the melodious sound of a short flute could be heard across the fields.

"He opened up the world and became the leader of the sect; he forged a magnificent universe in the furnace..."

Before the song had even finished, Golden Horn and Silver Horn stood up simultaneously, their faces beaming with joy, and exclaimed repeatedly, "The Ancestor has arrived! The Ancestor has arrived!"

Ignoring Yun Zhao and his disciples, they hurriedly got up and rushed out of the cave to greet them.

Yun Zhao put down his teacup, stood up, and led his disciples slowly to the cave entrance.

The sky was a clear, blue expanse, and a blue ox, riding on auspicious clouds, slowly approached.

An old man sat backwards on the ox's back. His beard and hair were all white, his face was thin and refined, he wore a blue Taoist robe, had a silk sash around his waist, held a whisk in his hand, and looked relaxed.

He looked like the most common old man in the world, peaceful, calm, and even somewhat inconspicuous, as if he were just passing by and casually humming a little tune.

But as he rode his ox past, the clouds parted on their own, the mountain winds ceased, and even the birdsong in the forest subsided, as if all things in heaven and earth had consciously quieted down in front of him.

Sha Wujing, hiding at the back of the group, was startled when he saw the old man, thinking to himself, "It's actually this man who has come."

Although he had never spoken directly to Laozi, he had seen him from afar many times during his years in Heaven.

This old man appeared ordinary, but the invisible pressure he exuded was deeper than any deity he had ever seen in Heaven.

Although the Black Bear Spirit and the Yellow Wind Monster did not recognize the old man, they sensed his aura and instinctively restrained their usual carefree demeanor, becoming much more disciplined.

"Greetings, Master!"

The two attendants, Golden Horn and Silver Horn, had already prostrated themselves on the ground, respectfully bowing to Laozi.

The blue ox slowly landed in front of the cave. The old man dismounted from the ox's back, flicked his whisk, and a cloud of auspicious clouds lifted the two boys up.

He laughed and said, "You two little children are always causing trouble. Get up."

After speaking, he turned his gaze to Yun Zhao: "This humble Taoist priest greets the Holy Monk. I have heard that my two young disciples have offended the Holy Monk, and this old Taoist apologizes on their behalf."

Yun Zhao dared not accept this, and said, "Laojun, you flatter me. It's just a minor disagreement, nothing serious."

Laozi smiled and said, "Fortunately, this disagreement allowed us to meet such an extraordinary person as the Holy Monk. Why don't we go into the cave for a chat?"

Yun Zhao smiled and said, "Please, Laozi!"

"Holy Monk, please!"

"Please, Lao Jun, go first. We'll follow your lead."

Laozi laughed heartily, no longer standing on ceremony, and went straight inside.