Journey to the West: A clone sacrifices to the heavens, possessing boundless magical power.

Chapter 150 Another Mountain Patrol

Fan Yuan's consciousness flowed between the two clones, quickly organizing the information.

"Tomorrow's patrol will be a good opportunity to get to know the terrain."

"When I met Golden Horn and Silver Horn before, the Seven Star Sword was on Silver Horn's waist, but the Banana Leaf Fan and the Jade Bottle were nowhere to be found."

"The Golden Rope is with the Nine-Tailed Old Fox in the Yalong Cave of Yalong Mountain. We'll only have a chance when they go to invite the Old Fox."

"The most crucial thing right now is to completely gain the trust of Golden Horn and Silver Horn before Sun Wukong arrives. Bashan Tiger and Yihai Dragon, these two local bullies, are the first problems we need to solve."

With his plan in mind, Fan Yuan's two clones fell silent, waiting for dawn.

The next day, at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM).

In the front hall of Lotus Cave, hundreds of lesser demons gathered, their demonic aura soaring to the sky.

Bashanhu stood on the high platform, holding a scroll in his hand, and loudly ordered, "Listen up, all of you! The King has ordered that a group of monks from the East will be passing through this area soon. Their leader is called Tang Sanzang, and he is our top target! Make sure you remember what he looks like!"

He unfurled the scroll, which contained a portrait of Tang Sanzang.

"Keep your eyes peeled during today's patrol! Whoever is the first to spot Tang Sanzang will be richly rewarded by the King!"

The lesser demons stirred, each one eager to fight.

Bashanhu glanced around, his gaze landing on Xijinggui and Linglichong, a cold smile appearing on his lips.

After he finished arranging the routes for each team, Yi Hailong suddenly stood up and pointed at Linglingchong, saying, "Linglingchong, you, come with me to Nanshan."

Bashanhu immediately replied, "You little devil, come with me to the North Mountain."

Upon hearing this, all the demons fell silent. Everyone could see that the two leaders wanted to separate these two troublesome newcomers so they could control them one by one.

However, the cunning ghost and the clever bug seemed not to hear, standing still in place.

Ba Shanhu's face darkened: "What? Didn't you hear me?"

The clever insect raised its head, revealing an innocent expression, blinked, and asked, "We brothers are new here and unfamiliar with the terrain of the mountains. The king assigned us to serve together in the hope that we could look after each other. You've separated us right away. What if something goes wrong and delays the king's important business? Who will bear the responsibility—you or us?"

Yi Hailong, standing beside Ba Shanhu, sneered, "Take responsibility? You two newcomers, what right do you have to talk to us about responsibility? Go wherever we tell you to go, stop talking nonsense!"

The meticulous ghost stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting to the demons, and said loudly, "Brothers, my brother and I only obtained..."

"The King appreciates us and bestows upon us titles. He values ​​our cleverness and wants us to contribute to the cave and capture Tang Sanzang. But the two leaders want to forcibly separate us. Isn't this intentionally preventing us from using our strengths? I really can't understand. Is this for the greater good of the cave, or for the selfish interests of certain individuals?"

These words immediately caused the surrounding demons to whisper among themselves.

Bashanhu was furious, feeling that his authority had been challenged like never before.

"Insolence!" he shouted, pointing at the exquisite ghost's nose. "Before you entered my Lotus Cave, we treated you with courtesy because we saw your profound cultivation, which was no less than mine and my brother's. Now that you've been incorporated into my ranks by the Great King, you must abide by the rules of my cave! How dare you question my brother's arrangements? I think you're deliberately defiant and trying to rebel! Guards, tie them up and, according to the cave rules, give them thirty strokes of the cane!"

He invoked the name of the Golden Horned King, intending to suppress the two demons and avenge the grudge from Wanzishan.

However, the meticulous ghost remained calm and raised his voice: "Bashanhu, what a display of official power! We merely raised a question, and you're already resorting to vigilante justice! Does this Lotus Cave not belong to the King, but to you, Bashanhu? What rules have we broken that require the King's judgment, not your arbitrary actions here!"

Upon hearing this, many lesser demons showed a look of agreement in their eyes. It was already common knowledge that Bashan Tiger and Yihai Dragon usually acted arrogantly and tyrannically, withholding the blood food and pills from the lesser demons.

Bashanhu and Yihailong were furious when they saw this.

They hadn't expected the two newcomers to be so sharp-tongued, managing to incite the demons' emotions with just a few words.

More importantly, the weasel and the cat demon are at different cultivation levels: one is at the early stage of the Dao Integration Realm, and the other is at the mid stage of the Void Refinement Realm. If they were to fight, even if they joined forces, they might not be able to gain the upper hand.

Unable to force the issue, the two exchanged a glance and could only temporarily back down.

"Fine, very well!" Bashanhu gritted his teeth and said, "Since you two are so close, then I'll grant your wish! You two will form a team and head to the farthest route in the west! If you can't find even a trace of Tang Sanzang, see what I say to the King!"

After saying that, he led his men away angrily.

The commotion was temporarily resolved, and the clever ghost and the nimble insect, having become troublemakers, established their authority in front of the demons.

On their patrol, the two demons formed their own team. Along the way, they also befriended the lesser demons who were being suppressed by Bashan Tiger and Yihai Dragon, sharing some of their blood offerings with them and claiming to uphold justice for them. They quickly gained a group of supporters.

The development of events naturally did not escape the notice of Bashanhu and Yihailong.

After their search of the mountain yielded no results that day, the two immediately ran to the cave of the Silver Horn King to complain.

"Your Majesty! You must do us justice!" Bashanhu knelt down and cried as soon as he entered, "That new cunning ghost and the clever..."

"Li Chong, taking advantage of the name you bestowed upon us, you completely disregard us! You're unruly, defy your superiors, and even form cliques in the cave, causing panic among the demons. The lesser demons no longer obey our orders!"

Yi Hailong chimed in, adding fuel to the fire: "Yes, Your Majesty! If they dare to oppose us today, they'll dare to challenge you tomorrow! These troublemakers must be eliminated!"

The two of them twisted the truth, shifting all the blame onto the meticulous ghost and the clever bug.

As soon as he finished speaking, the meticulous ghost and the clever bug walked in from outside and knelt down on the ground as well.

King Silver Horn sat on his throne, looking down at the four demons kneeling below, his face so gloomy it was almost dripping with water.

"Tell me! What exactly happened?!"

The meticulous ghost said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Your Majesty, my brother and I are wholeheartedly concerned for the well-being of our cave. We only wish to find Tang Sanzang as soon as possible to relieve your burdens, but the two leaders are making things difficult for us at every turn. Not only are they trying to forcibly separate us, but they have also assigned us to the most remote and secluded places..."

We argued forcefully about the route least likely to contain Tang Sanzang's traces, and they harbored resentment. Now, they are even distorting the truth and spreading rumors before Your Majesty! Please, Your Majesty, investigate thoroughly!