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

Inside the commander's tent, you could hear a pin drop.

Li Jing frowned deeply.

To capture a mere rat spirit from the lower realm and suffer such heavy losses and defeat, how could he, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, possibly save face?

If the rat spirit were truly refined and devoured by the two demons, how would he explain himself to the Great Celestial Venerable and the Buddha?

Thinking of this, the frustration and irritability in my heart became even more difficult to dispel.

Below, the generals, including Fish Belly General, lowered their heads and stared at the boot tips, while Giant Spirit God looked ashamed, and was also somewhat uneasy after being disturbed by the cold wind.

The other generals were also holding their breath, unable to come up with any good solutions.

The Yaksha General stood at the lower end, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the commander and his colleagues, each with a different expression.

He then looked out at the dark mountain shadows that still lingered with poisonous miasma and eerie winds.

After much internal struggle, I finally steeled myself, took half a step forward, clasped my hands in a fist and bowed:

"Marshal... I have a humble opinion, but I don't know if I should say it."

Li Jing's gaze fell on his face. Seeing his expression, a thought struck him. He waved his hand, his voice carrying a hint of weariness and impatience:

"Speak quickly! You hesitate and stutter several times, what kind of manners are you!"

"Speak your mind! At this crucial moment, why hesitate?"

The yaksha general stiffened, no longer daring to hesitate, his expression showing a willingness to risk everything:

"This humble general has pondered that the two demons of Wujin Mountain are particularly vicious and cunning, especially adept at disturbing people's minds and corrupting their magical powers. This is certainly not our department's forte, and it is difficult to act hastily."

However, in the land of Xiniu Hezhou, besides our heavenly soldiers, there is still a venerable deity who may be able to subdue this fiend.

He paused, and seeing Li Jing's gaze sweep over him, he forced himself to speak:

"This is the Radiant Heavenly Peaceful Law True Lord, who was ordered to tour the four continents."

The True Lord should be near Xiniu Hezhou at this moment.

He was personally taught by the Supreme Dao Ancestor, a true disciple of the Xuanmen lineage, and he also commands a Thunder Palace, specializing in vanquishing demons. His power is immense, and his Daoist magic and supernatural abilities must be extraordinary and profound.

It is the nemesis of all kinds of evil spirits, insidious and supernatural powers.

If we can get help from the True Lord of Pacifying Law, we can defeat these two demons.

Furthermore, the True Lord's patrols are inherently responsible for cleansing the mortal realm of demons and evil spirits, so this time it is entirely justified.

Upon hearing this, the generals in the tent displayed various expressions.

Fish Belly General, Giant Spirit God, and others all lowered their gazes, some looking at the ground, others at their noses, and still others at their hearts.

They naturally knew of Chen Jiao, the True Lord of the Pure Law, and also knew that when they met at the South Heavenly Gate before, the Third Prince had casually suggested inviting him to come along, but the Marshal had brushed it off.

Now that they have been defeated and are seeking help, the awkwardness of the situation is self-evident.

Some of Li Jing's trusted generals subconsciously glanced at the Heavenly King's expression.

Li Jing's expression shifted unpredictably.

Yaksha's words were like a fine needle, piercing precisely the unease in his heart.

How could he not know that Chen Jiao was in Xiniu Hezhou?

Even before setting off from the South Heavenly Gate, Nezha had mentioned this matter.

At the time, I thought it was just a matter of catching a rat spirit, why bother that hot new favorite to share the credit?

But now the war is going badly, with heavy losses, and if we were to turn back and beg the enemy for help again...

This dough really doesn't stick together very well.

Moreover, Chen Jiao was on an imperial inspection tour and was not Li Jing's subordinate. Furthermore, given his powerful background, he might not be willing to give in to Li Jing's authority and rush to the rescue.

Without inviting them, a direct attack is risky, and delay could lead to unforeseen complications.

If the rat spirit is truly refined by the two demons, this trip will not only be fruitless, but may even be a mistake.

But if you ask...

Although he and the True Lord Jingfa did not explicitly discuss what happened at the South Heaven Gate, he must have known it in his heart. If he were to invite them again now, how could he save face?

Li Jing couldn't help but glance at Nezha out of the corner of his eye.

Nezha, standing to the side, was clear-headed; what the Yaksha General said was exactly what he had been thinking.

However, these words, spoken by him, carry a completely different meaning than if spoken by someone else.

He was happy to see how his father would make a decision.

Li Jing saw that Nezha was standing with his arms crossed, showing no intention of speaking.

This unfilial son had just invited Chen Jiao to the South Heavenly Gate, but now he acts as if it's none of his business, watching coldly without saying a word.

Yes, he must have thought of this as well, but he was unwilling or disdainful to say it at this time.

Li Jing's nameless anger surged up again, but he didn't know who to vent it on.

After a long while, Li Jing's expression regained some of its former dignity and composure.

He said in a deep voice, "What the Yaksha General said is not without reason."

The True Lord of Pacifying Law was ordered to patrol and cleanse the demonic atmosphere, which was precisely his duty.

The demons of Wujin Mountain are ferocious and of great importance; strong reinforcements are definitely needed.

Li Jing paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over the generals in the tent.

Everyone thought that if they were to invite Chen Jiao, it would be most appropriate to send Nezha, the Third Prince, who was familiar with him and had an exceptionally fast gait.

The whirlwind can travel a thousand miles in an instant and make a round trip in no time, without missing a battle opportunity.

Unexpectedly, Li Jing's next sentence was:

"Yaksha General, you shall take my command arrow and go quickly to find the whereabouts of the True Lord Jingfa."

Upon meeting the True Lord, you must explain the situation here.

The two demons of Wujin Mountain are vicious and possess strange supernatural powers. They are adept at disturbing the mind and poisoning living beings. They have even kidnapped the spirit rat in front of the Buddha, which is no small matter.

This commander... This commander's troops have suffered a setback, which may delay the important task of capturing the rat demon and pacifying the demon's lair.

We hope that the True Lord will prioritize his duty to vanquish demons and uphold justice, and lend us a helping hand.

Li Jing pondered for a moment, then added:

"When you meet the True Lord, you must be respectful and make it clear that this is my request, not an order from the Heavenly Court."

Li Jing pondered for a moment, then added:

"When you meet the True Lord, you must be respectful and make it clear that this is my request, not an order from the Heavenly Court."

These words sounded very dignified and respectable.

He was still using his status as the Heavenly King Marshal to ask his colleagues for help in the battle, and he was unwilling to lower his voice in the slightest.

Upon hearing this, not only was the Yaksha general stunned, but the other generals in the tent also showed surprise and sighed inwardly.

The marshal's temperament remains unchanged. Even when things are dire, he still insists on maintaining his airs.

But no one dared to say it out loud.

But then Li Jing turned to Nezha, his tone softening slightly, and said:

"My son, you fought bravely against the two demons and were also disturbed by the yin wind. You need to take good care of yourself and calm your mind."

Don't let this trivial matter delay your recovery and leave any potential problems.

Nezha slowly turned his head, his face expressionless, and said calmly, "I understand."

Li Jing had his own plans.

Send Nezha? No.

Firstly, Nezha was arrogant and unruly, and he and Chen Jiao were of equal social standing. In their conversations, they might not be able to consider the dignity of Nezha as his father.

Wouldn't that make the generals of Lei's mansion laugh at us?

Secondly, and more importantly, the demonic forces at the foot of Wujin Mountain are currently unclear.

If Nezha leaves, and those two wicked demons regroup and launch a counterattack, who in the army will be able to withstand them?

That eerie wind is unsettling and can disturb one's mind; if something were to happen to me... I must be on guard.

It would be safer to keep him by our side.

"This humble general... obeys the order."

The Yaksha was inwardly cursing himself for being so talkative, but dared not disobey.

He had no choice but to accept the command token with a stiff upper lip, bowed and left the command tent, riding on a cloud and hastily departing from the camp.

…………

…………

On Skull Ridge, the stench has dissipated, but the bloodstains remain.

When the Thunder Department's soldiers took action, they were utterly annihilated.

The evil cultivators' lair, the Seven Fiends Temple, was destroyed. The Seven Fiends Grand Master and his evil cultivators have now turned into ashes under the lightning, their souls scattered.

The innocent civilians and low-level cultivators who had been kidnapped to be used as alchemical materials and artifact materials have now been rescued and are gathered in the open space in front of the temple.

Most of them were ragged, emaciated, and still in shock. Facing the heavenly soldiers and generals standing solemnly around them, some wailed and wept bitterly, while others simply stared blankly.

Commander Chuihai Jiebo has dispatched a team of thunder soldiers to escort and guide these survivors slowly down the mountain, and then hand them over to the local city god for resettlement.

Fei Peng and Yang Feng are leading their troops to clean up the battlefield and sweep away the remaining evil spirits and demonic atmosphere.

In the mountains, a short, wiry old man was all smiles as he bustled about, tending to things.

They pointed out to the Thunder Department soldiers where the earth's veins were blocked and needed to be cleared, and where the evil spirits were accumulated and needed to be burned.

His words of gratitude and praise for Jingfa Zhenjun and the power of the Thunder Department were endless.

After all, getting rid of this scourge would be a huge relief for him, a lowly local deity.

Inside the main hall of the Seven Fiends Temple, the lingering smell of blood and alchemical fire had not yet dissipated, and the furnishings had been simply cleaned up.

The evil god statues inside the temple had long been toppled, and the blood-stained altar had been burned clean by lightning and fire.

Chen Jiao, draped in a cloak, stood with his hands behind his back, his figure appearing even more upright and imposing in the somewhat empty hall.

He was holding a magnificent invitation embroidered with intricate cloud patterns and precious artifact designs, examining it quietly with a thoughtful look in his eyes.