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

Seeing Tang Seng's resolute expression, Yun Zhao smiled slightly, but did not rush to pronounce judgment.

He turned his head and pointed to a short, rat-demon servant beside him. The little demon quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "What are your orders, Master?"

"What's the hardest and most tiring job in this city?"

The little demon scratched his head, thought for a moment, and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, I am naturally a dung collector."

"White Tiger City now has a population of over 400,000. The daily task of sewage disposal is extremely arduous. The excrement and filth must be cleaned up and transported out of the city every day. The stench is overwhelming, and it is such dirty and tiring work that almost no ordinary person is willing to do it."

"Most of the time, it is the powerful demons who use their magic to clear things away from a distance, so that they don't accumulate."

"Even so, it's still very tough."

Upon hearing this, some people in the hall nodded, while others chuckled softly.

Indeed, while White Tiger City is a paradise, there are always some dirty jobs that no one wants to do.

Yun Zhao nodded, his gaze returning to Tang Sanzang and his disciples.

His voice was neither hurried nor slow.

"Logically speaking, murder and arson should be punished with death."

"This is the rule since ancient times, it's only natural."

"It is fortunate that you are not the ringleaders—Sun Wukong has already left, and the real perpetrator is not here."

"I will spare your lives, but imprison you instead."

"But if we just imprison you, feed and serve you, and leave you with nothing to do, it's too easy for you."

"Therefore, you shall be punished with labor."

"Then go and become a dung collector!"

These words immediately caused an uproar in the hall.

Dung collector!

In this megacity of hundreds of thousands of people, how much filth is there every day?

That job was dirty, smelly, tiring, and bitter; mortals avoided it like the plague, and even great demons didn't want to get involved.

Now, these three "high monks" are being punished?

The way everyone looked at Tang Sanzang and his disciples was a mixture of pity and schadenfreude.

Tang Sanzang's expression changed slightly.

He looked up at Yun Zhao, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

Dung collector...

The hardest and most tiring job.

But then, the heavy weight in his heart suddenly lifted.

Some even felt a sense of relief.

If this could wash away his sins, he would gladly accept it.

He bowed his head, clasped his hands together, and said, "This humble monk...accepts the punishment."

Pigsy and Sandy, however, could not accept it at all.

Although they were banished to the mortal realm, they were once heavenly generals.

When have I ever done such dirty and tiring work?

Pigsy's face instantly fell, his pig eyes widened, and he almost jumped up:

"Dung...dung collector?!"

"Master, you must be joking!"

"I, Old Pig... I, Old Pig, was once the commander of the Heavenly River Navy! How could I... go and carry manure?!"

Sha Wujing's face also turned pale, and he whispered, "Great Immortal... this... this punishment is too severe."

"We...we're willing to do any other hard work, sweeping the streets, carrying bricks, repairing roads...anything!"

"But this dung collector... is really... really..."

Yun Zhao ignored their pleas.

Clinging to the last shred of hope, Pigsy cautiously asked:

"Great Immortal, do you know... do you know how many years we'll be punished by being made dung collectors?"

Yun Zhao pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the three of them, and said calmly:

"You killed three people."

"Ten years for one person."

"Then I'll become a dung collector for thirty years."

Thirty years!

Pigsy and Sandy were completely dumbfounded.

Pigsy's body went limp, and he almost collapsed to the ground:

Thirty years?!

"No, no, absolutely not!"

"My master has been ordered by the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty to travel to the Western Paradise to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures!"

"If we waste thirty years here, let alone whether the emperor will wait... by then my master will be old, his hair will be white, and his teeth will be gone. How will he then cross mountains and valleys to obtain the scriptures?!"

Sha Wujing hurriedly added, "Yes, Lord City Lord! The journey to the West is a matter of utmost importance, ordered by the Buddha himself. Thirty years... is too long!"

Pigsy's eyes darted around, and he came up with another plan. He begged Yun Zhao for mercy, saying:

"Great Immortal, please have mercy and change it?"

"Should we go on our pilgrimage to the West first, and then come back to be punished when we return?"

"When the time comes, we'll definitely be dutiful dung collectors! We'll never run away!"

"What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Yun Zhao sneered:

"Have you ever heard of someone who killed another and then claimed they couldn't be punished in this life, but could atone after death?"

"There's no such thing as a free lunch!"

"If you kill someone, you must pay the price."

"What is killed in this life, will be repaid in this life."

"Wait until we return from the pilgrimage? By then it'll be too late."

Pigsy, still wanting to joke around, pouted and was about to throw another tantrum:

"Great Immortal, please listen to me..."

But then Tang Sanzang's voice suddenly rang out:

"That's enough!"

Pigsy and Sandy were taken aback and immediately shut up.

Tang Sanzang slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over his two disciples:

"This is the sin of this humble monk."

"This is how we should wash away our ignorance."

"If you acknowledge me as your master, then you will work with me as dung collectors."

"If you don't admit it..."

He paused, his voice low:

"I can write a document severing the bond between teacher and student from now on."

"You may leave on your own."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy and Sandy's expressions changed drastically.

Leave?

Leaving is fine, but where can I write any documents?

They were already burdened with sins.

Sun Wukong was able to leave because he was inherently arrogant, valued personal connections, and had many acquaintances in Heaven and on Mount Ling. Even if Guanyin knew about it, she would at most coax and persuade the monkey to come out of the mountain.

But what about them?

Pigsy has an old grudge against the Moon Goddess, and Sandy has the crime of breaking a glass cup.

They don't have the same sense of human kindness as monkeys, so how could they be as carefree as him?

Pigsy's eyes darted around, and finally he gritted his teeth:

"I admit it! I admit it!"

"Master, I acknowledge you as my master!"

"I...I'll be a dung collector!"

Sha Wujing also said, "Disciple...is willing to follow Master."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang clasped his hands together and said, "Excellent, excellent!"

Yun Zhao was satisfied with what he saw.

He smiled slightly and pointed.

Based on the Five Elements Supernatural Powers, it instantly suppressed Pigsy and Sandy's bodies.

The two trembled instantly, and their magical power receded like a tide.

Pigsy's expression changed drastically:

"Oops! My magic power is gone?!"

Sha Wujing panicked and tried to use his supernatural powers, but found that he couldn't muster any magic power at all.

"Great Immortal... what... what does this mean?"

Yun Zhao said calmly:

"Since they are being punished, their magical powers should naturally be confined."

"To act in a mortal body."

"If we retain the magic power, it's too lenient; what kind of punishment is that?"

"If you're going to be a dung collector for thirty years, then be honest and do it for thirty years with a mortal body."

"Every day, we carried out manure, cleaned up filth, and transported it out of the city."

"No magic power allowed, no laziness allowed."

"Any violation will be punished twice as severely."

Pigsy's face completely fell apart, and he almost burst into tears:

"A mortal... thirty years..."

"Great Immortal...this...this is too ruthless..."

Sha Wujing lowered his head and remained silent, his face pale.

Tang Sanzang, however, showed no unusual reaction.

He was originally a mortal, without any supernatural powers or magical abilities.

This punishment is actually fair to him.

He clasped his hands together and said to Yun Zhao:

"Thank you, Lord City Lord."

"This humble monk...accepts the punishment."

Yun Zhao waved.

Several demon soldiers stepped forward, untied the ropes binding them, and replaced them with chains that shimmered with spiritual light.

The chains were almost weightless, serving only to monitor the three. Anyone who tried to cheat or escape would suffer excruciating pain.

"Take him away."

"Arrange accommodations. Starting tomorrow, you will work as a night soil collector."

The demon soldiers obeyed the order and led the three out of the main hall.

The people inside the hall gradually dispersed.

As Pigsy was being taken away, he was still muttering to himself:

"Old Pig... he's done for..."

There will be another chapter tomorrow. Thank you all so much for your support. If there are many donations on the day, I will also add more chapters for everyone. However, it is a bit difficult to update a lot. The author is not a full-time writer, nor is he a tentacle monster. His ability is really limited!

Finally, thank you again!! ヾ(≧▽≦*)o