Journey to the West: Starting with the True Lord of the Pure Land

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Li Jing changed the subject slightly, his tone somewhat troubled:

"This time, it is ultimately done on the Buddha's orders, which clearly state that my father and I must lead our troops to capture him."

The True Lord also has the important task of patrolling and hunting, but his duties are different.

If we were to travel together rashly, it might be slightly contrary to the law, and it might also disturb the True Lord's important inspection tour.

Moreover, that demon is cunning and has fled to Xiniu Hezhou. Searching for it will likely take quite a while, and if it delays the True Lord's inspection tour, it would be undesirable.

Upon hearing this, Chen Jiao clearly understood the tact and caution in Li Jing's words, but remained unmoved.

As the commander-in-chief, it's understandable that Li Jing would be concerned about merits and responsibilities.

He had no intention of embarrassing Nezha over such a trivial matter, or of causing unnecessary friction with the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King whom the Great Heavenly Venerable trusted.

It's just that I despise him more for his character.

Upon hearing his father's words, Nezha's smile vanished, replaced by a blank expression.

He simply crossed his arms, and the Hun Tian Ling moved without wind, clearly indicating that he knew what was going on, but he did not speak again.

Behind Chen Jiao, his subordinate, the Firebell Thunder Messenger, curled his lip, his face almost overflowing with sarcasm.

Just as he was about to utter his harsh words, he was swept by a cold gaze from General Fei Peng beside him.

He had no choice but to swallow his words, turn his face away, and just let out a soft hum.

The other generals, some with their eyes downcast, others looking up at the sky, all had different expressions, but they all remained silent.

Chen Jiao's expression remained unchanged, his demeanor calm, and he spoke indifferently:

"I appreciate the Third Prince's kind offer."

The tour of the four continents was personally ordered by the Great Heavenly Venerable, with the aim of understanding the situation below and pacifying the four directions. There was no fixed route or time limit; the tour was to proceed as needed and to deal with any situation that arose.

Li Tianwang, acting on the Buddha's decree, captures the demon; the military situation is urgent, and there is a set of methods.

If I were to lead my troops along, it might disrupt the Heavenly King's strategy and delay the important task of capturing the demon, which would be undesirable.

It would be better if each of us acted independently. The Heavenly King and the Third Prince should focus on capturing the demon to achieve complete success. I, on the other hand, will proceed slowly, following the established practice of imperial inspection tours.

If we are fortunate enough to meet again in Xiniu Hezhou, we can discuss the matter of the demonic aura in the lower realm. What do you say?

Upon hearing this, Li Jing's expression relaxed slightly, and he nodded decisively with a smile:

"The True Lord's considerations are thorough; this is excellent."

Then... each shall act in accordance with the will.

I hope the True Lord's inspection tour goes smoothly. If we meet in Xiniu Hezhou, I will once again reunite with the True Lord and enjoy a joyful conversation.

After saying that, he nodded to Chen Jiao.

Nezha glanced at Chen Jiao with a complicated look in his eyes, but ultimately said nothing more. He simply waved his Fire-Tipped Spear as a farewell.

The two armies then parted ways.

Li Jing led his heavenly troops, riding on rolling clouds, and headed towards the western Niuhe Continent in the lower realm, his murderous aura spreading far and wide.

Chen Jiao also gently lifted the reins, and the Xie Zhi understood, striding forward with its four hooves, its clear light flowing, leading the Thunder Department troops across the South Heavenly Gate and heading down to the mortal realm on the cloud road.

…………

Above the cloud path.

The Lei troops moved swiftly and silently, their formation impeccable.

After leaving the brief meeting point at the South Heavenly Gate, the gale intensified, causing the black banners to flutter wildly.

Chen Jiao sat upright on the back of the Xie Zhi, gazing at the surging sea of ​​clouds ahead, but in his heart he was pondering another important matter.

We need to find a safe time to transform the Vermilion Bird into the Crimson Cloud and place it in the Western Continent of Hezhou.

While I was pondering this.

In the ranks behind, the Firebell Thunder Messenger could no longer contain himself and spurred his fiery steed to catch up a few steps.

Walking alongside General Fei Peng, he lowered his voice, his tone sarcastic yet clear enough for the True Lord ahead to hear clearly.

"That Heavenly King Li is really good at scheming!"

The Third Prince clearly meant well, traveling with my Thunder Department to look after each other.

He, on the other hand, evaded questions, beat around the bush, and spoke as if he were wary of a thief.

They seem afraid that our True Lord will share in his merit for capturing the demon!

"A dignified Heavenly King, commanding celestial soldiers, is so stingy even when capturing a mere oil-stealing scoundrel!"

The Firebell Thunder Messenger unleashed a barrage of words, utterly belittling Li Jing to the point of worthlessness.

Still not satisfied, he said, "Is obeying the Buddha's decree so great?"

Hey, what's with all this talk about 'legal impropriety' and 'harassment of legitimate business'? How high and mighty it sounds!

In my opinion, it is clearly...

"Firebell!"

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a cold voice.

General Fei Peng, however, remained indifferent, gazing straight ahead, and simply said:

"What does it matter to us what Li Tianwang thinks and what he chooses?"

Since the True Lord has made his decision, we should obey; there is no need for further words.

The Firebell Thunder Messenger was momentarily speechless, and had no choice but to swallow back the even more unpleasant part of his words.

He muttered to himself, "I just can't stand his scheming manner, as if nobody cares about his little bit of credit!"

"What General Firebell said, though straightforward, is not without reason."

On the other side, General Hu Lei She Qi stroked his bushy beard and said in a deep, rumbling voice, like muffled thunder:

"Li Tianwang has been in command of the heavenly army for a long time, and his power and influence are considerable. This time, he is acting solely on the Buddha's orders, so naturally he does not want others to interfere."

However… perhaps you're being too concerned with personal connections. The True Lord is known for his clear and decisive actions; would he possibly try to steal credit from him?

General Qian Tian, ​​holding a golden whip, frowned slightly and replied:

Whether or not one seeks credit is another matter.

That golden-nosed, white-haired rat not only dared to steal incense, flowers, and precious candles from the Great Thunderclap Temple, but it also managed to slip away right under the nose of Mount Ling.

He must possess some cunning skills, making him no easy opponent. Li Tianwang was brimming with confidence, but he wasn't entirely certain of victory.

The Third Prince's invitation for us to travel together may well be a way of relying on the True Lord's methods, just in case.

Li Tianwang...sigh.

General Qian Tian Fu Mo shook his head, his words unfinished.

The generals spoke one after another, and although they dared not raise their voices out of consideration for their status, their dissatisfaction and slight disdain were already evident.

The world depicted by Hengyang Yanqu can be found in "Journey to the West: Starting with Jingfa Zhenjun".

After all, Chen Jiao was their lord, and his subordinates naturally felt resentful.

Chen Jiao stood at the front, taking in the whispers of his generals, but his face remained expressionless.

After the murmurs subsided, he slowly spoke: "What the Heavenly King is worried about is only natural."

"We are here on imperial orders to inspect the realm, to uphold justice and punish wrongdoing, not to seek momentary glory, nor to compete with others."

He paused briefly, his tone turning serious, carrying an undeniable authority:

"Our immediate priority is to patrol the four continents. Xiniuhe Continent is our first stop."

"Pass down the order: speed up the march and reach the borders of Xiniuhezhou. This inspection tour concerns the authority of Heaven and the laws of the land; it cannot be neglected."

"I will obey the True Lord's decree!"

The generals straightened up and responded in unison.

The criticism of Li Tianwang that had just been raised was instantly suppressed, replaced by a chilling and murderous aura.

Lei Bu Yunji's speed suddenly increased, transforming into a streak of light that tore through layers of clouds and resolutely shot towards Xiniu Hezhou.

Chen Jiao's gaze fell upon the gradually clearing outline of Xiniu Hezhou beneath the clouds, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

He understood Li Jing's intentions perfectly well, but he didn't bother to point them out, nor did he need to argue with him.

He had the responsibility of touring the four continents on this trip, and the matter of Jianmu Palace was also on his mind. With so many things on his mind, how could he be distracted by such a small disagreement?

However, after this incident, his generals inevitably harbored some resentment towards Li Jing and his troops.

Chen Jiao knew perfectly well what was going on, but he didn't take it to heart.

Water that is too clear has no fish; a little bit of passion that is not important to the big picture can actually make subordinates more cohesive.

He only needs to grasp the general outline.

Ahead on the cloud road, the boundless mountain and river outlines of Xiniu Hezhou are gradually becoming clear on the horizon.

The mountains are like dark eyebrows, the rivers are like ribbons, the landscape is vast and boundless, and the atmosphere is mixed with the energy of the land, giving off a sense of desolation and mystery that is different from that of the Eastern Continent.

The gale seemed to carry with it a touch of the unique, mixed spiritual energy of the lower realm.

As they were about to enter the territory of Xiniu Hezhou, the four Thunder Officials, one in green, one in red, one in white, and one in black, held jade tablets in their hands.

He was about to step forward to report the distribution of the remaining calamity energy scattered along the edge of Xiniuhezhou, so that the True Lord could decide on the course of action.

Chen Jiao waved his hand slightly, indicating that they should wait.

Upon seeing this, the Four Thunder Officials immediately stopped, bowed, and retreated back into formation, awaiting the True Lord's instructions.

Chen Jiao gazed calmly at the gradually enlarging landmass ahead.

He was not in a hurry to immediately venture deep into the heart of Xiniuhezhou, nor was he in a hurry to deal with the scattered calamity energy.

The duty of the imperial patrol is to "inspect the heavens and rectify the lawlessness." The calamity of the Weak Water is the target, but not the whole.

"Fire Rhinoceros," Chen Jiao said, his voice steady.

"Your subordinate is here!"

Clad in crimson armor and exuding an aura of blazing thunder and fire, the Fire Rhinoceros Heavenly Soldiers stepped forward and bowed to receive orders.

He was a general in the Lei family, specializing in summarizing and investigating the movements of demons from all sides.

He was more familiar with the Heavenly Court's wanted list and the evil atmosphere in various places than others.

Chen Jiao did not turn around, but continued to look ahead, and asked:

"In the Book of Demon Extermination, are there any records of evil spirits and heretics who have been entrenched in the border area of ​​Xiniuhezhou, whose crimes are clear, but have not yet been eradicated?"

Now that we've come this far, we might as well take advantage of the situation and eliminate them one by one, to set things right and clear some obstacles for our further advance into the Western Continent.

Chen Jiao's tone was indifferent, yet it carried a sense of sternness that seemed perfectly justified.

His tour of the four continents was not a cursory visit, but rather an act of enforcing the law on behalf of Heaven, and therefore required decisive and swift measures.

The so-called "Demon-Subduing Register" was compiled by the Heavenly Court's Thunder Department, Fighting Department, and other departments responsible for military campaigns, and collected intelligence from all sides and reports from local city gods and land gods.

The list of fugitive demons and evil spirits who urgently need to be eradicated or have committed serious crimes is not a fixed volume, but is constantly being added to and deleted from.

Chen Jiao was in charge of the Huangtian Pivot Thunder Palace and concurrently managed the Arctic Exorcism Institute. Naturally, he had the right to review and investigate these matters, all of which were considered meritorious.

The Fire Rhinoceros Heavenly Soldiers were prepared and immediately replied upon hearing this:

"Reporting to the True Lord, in the Demon Extermination Records, there have indeed been several places recorded as places of demonic activity on the edge of Xiniu Hezhou recently, all of which are to be eradicated."

He thought for a moment, then explained in detail:

"Firstly, in a deep swamp on the coast, there is a six-eyed poisonous toad that has become a demon and is causing trouble."

This demon has been entrenched for over a century, using poisonous miasma to pollute water sources, commanding poisonous creatures in the marshes, harassing passing creatures and outlying villages, and plundering caravans.

The local landowners petitioned the heavenly army several times to eliminate the scorpion, but its lair was deep in a poisonous swamp with complex terrain.

A small force of soldiers is insufficient to accomplish the task, and conscripting a large army would likely have too widespread an impact, hence the delay until now.

"Secondly, near Ghost Cry Gorge, a ghost mother who eats babies has recently been committing crimes."

This fiend does not have a fixed lair, but roams around, specifically targeting newborn infants to devour their innate vital energy.

Their cruelty and brutality caused widespread fear and panic among several small human nations and tribes, leading to constant sacrifices and prayers.

In reality, his strength was around the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm. He possessed uncanny escape techniques and was adept at concealment. He had been repeatedly captured by local city gods and ghostly soldiers, but each time he managed to escape.

"Thirdly, in the Skull Ridge area of ​​the southwestern mountains, a group of evil cultivators and demons are entrenched."

They frequently robbed passing caravans and weak sects, using people to refine pills and souls to forge weapons. Their ruthless actions gradually gained them power.

Nearly a hundred tragic incidents have recently been linked to this group of monstrous individuals.

After reporting the matter, the Heavenly Soldiers of the Fire Rhinoceros, having finished their report, added:

"These three places are all relatively well-known locations recorded in the recent Demon Extermination Manual."

The remaining scattered lesser demons, or those hiding even deeper, are also recorded in the book. However, some pose less of a threat, while others are difficult to find, requiring further investigation.

These three places—one a demon that has become a spirit, one a vengeful ghost in human form, and one a place where evil sects have formed—are all located on the edge of the continent.

The generals listened quietly, all their eyes fixed on Chen Jiao.

The True Lord just said to eliminate them one by one along the way. Now that the list has been released, how to choose will be the beginning of the military strategy.

Chen Jiao remained expressionless, his gaze fixed on the vast land of Xiniu Hezhou below.

After a moment of hesitation, he slowly opened his mouth:

"Pass on my order..."

Author Hengyang Yanqu is waiting for you with "Journey to the West: Starting from Jingfa Zhenjun".