Journey to the West: Starting with becoming an apprentice of the Nine Heavens Demon-Subduing Patriar

Moreover, he was standing on the territory of Huangfeng Ridge.

The incense and prayers from all over the mountain flowed into him like rivers flowing into the sea, making the Yang spirit in his Niwan Palace even more solid than elsewhere.

On his own turf, he was like a dragon in the water and a tiger in the mountains.

"Fine."

Lu Shanjun flicked his sleeves, his figure leaping up from the ground and landing in front of the two formations.

His green robe fluttered in the wind, he stood with his hands behind his back, his bamboo hat pulled low, and his voice echoed through the mountain valley, each word carrying far and wide.

"I am Lu Shanjun of Huangfeng Ridge."

All movements on the field froze.

The black bear paused for a moment, then its eyes lit up.

The four young and strong monks exchanged glances, and their steps slowed down.

Only the old monk in the cassock slowly turned around, his eyes scanning Lu Shanjun up and down, a hint of surprise flashing in them.

"Amitabha."

He clasped his hands together and said, "It is the Tiger God of Huangfeng Ridge in person. I am Huiyuan, the monk in charge of Dazhao Temple. I have long heard that the Tiger God has bestowed great blessings upon this area and protected the people. I have long admired him."

"Admiration?"

Lu Shanjun said calmly, "So, admiration leads you to burn incense at the foot of my mountain? Admiration leads you to ambush and kill my friends in my mountains right here on my territory?"

Huiyuan's expression remained unchanged.

"Tiger God is joking. This black bear is a ferocious demon that eats people and has committed countless evils. This humble monk subdued it to convert it, to liberate it, and to make it lay down its butcher's knife. This is a Buddhist merit, what does it have to do with the Tiger God?"

"Transformation".

Lu Shanjun smiled.

"What a wonderful act of salvation."

He took a step forward, and the water ripples around him moved automatically without any wind.

"I've heard the word 'Buddhism' so many times lately that I'm sick of it. They're always talking about converting people, giving predictions, and touching heads."

"But what I see are mostly ferocious beasts that you can convert, skilled in martial arts and capable of serving as your mounts? Why don't you convert ordinary wandering ghosts?"

"This 'conversion' is about converting someone's abilities, but what it's about transcending is the reputation of your Dazhao Temple, isn't it?"

These words, a mix of classical and vernacular Chinese, subtly revealed the hidden agenda behind the word "compassion," one sentence at a time.

Huiyuan's gentle smile finally crumbled.

The golden light faded, and the chanting subsided.

"Mountain Lord".

His voice turned colder. "A monk does not lie. I only waste my breath on you because I respect you as a deity. This black bear, I've decided to take it in today. If you insist on interfering..."

"Then what?"

"That would be to make things difficult for my Dazhao Temple."

"If it's difficult, then it's difficult."

The stone sword in Lu Shanjun's sleeve rang softly, "On my territory of Huangfeng Ridge, it's not your place, monks of Dazhao Temple, to teach me how to be a person."

Before he finished speaking, Huiyuan uttered a Buddhist chant, and his robe suddenly opened, with golden light surging up like a tide and enveloping him.

"Go!"

Lu Shanjun lightly touched the ground with his toes, his body enveloped in a blue light, and he rose into the air.

A monk and a god collided in mid-air and began to fight.

Golden light and blue light intertwined, and the sounds of chanting and thunder reverberated. The rocks in the hollow were tossed about by the aftershocks, causing the four strong young monks to quickly dispel their formation and cover their heads to avoid the danger.

The black bear caught its breath, wiped the blood from the corner of its mouth, looked up at the fierce battle in mid-air, was stunned for a moment, then grinned and slapped its thigh with joy.

"Good, good. Well done! Beat that bald thief!"

……

The commotion from this aerial battle was earth-shattering.

The whole of Huangfengling heard it.

Inside the Yellow Wind Cave, Huang San, who was discussing matters with a group of lesser demon leaders, suddenly stood up, his triangular eyes narrowing.

"Oh no, it's coming from the foot of the mountain... it's Big Brother's aura."

Before it could finish speaking, the large black-spotted tiger next to it burst open the cave door with a "bang," stood upright, and its eyes were bloodshot.

"Is Big Brother fighting with that bald monk?"

Tiger Two's roar sent rocks raining down from the cave ceiling. "You bastards! What are you all standing there for? Come at me!"

The group of leaders suddenly rose up, creating a gust of demonic wind, and rushed towards the foot of the mountain.

Upon reaching the top of the valley, the demons looked up and gasped in shock.

In mid-air, his elder brother, his green robe fluttering, was locked in a fierce battle with the old monk in a cassock.

The old monk's robe shone with a brilliant golden light, momentarily pressing down on the elder brother's blue aura.

"Big brother is at a disadvantage."

Tiger Two's eyes turned red, and he was about to rush upwards.

But this tiger, as fierce as a bull, could not leap up to the three-zhang-high cloud. After jumping twice, it was so anxious that it spun around in place, its fangs clenching loudly.

"Damn it, how can we fight a battle in the sky?"

His eyes widened, and he suddenly spotted a bird demon with wings peeking out from the side. Without saying a word, he grabbed the bird by the collar.

"Youngest, can't you fly? Carry me up!"

The bird demon was terrified: "Second...Second Master! I can't carry you! You must weigh a thousand pounds!"

"Enough talk, you have to lift it whether you can or not. If you can't lift it up, I'll eat you alive!"

Without saying a word, Tiger Two leaped onto the bird demon's back, gripping it with his iron claws. The bird demon was so crushed that its eyes rolled back, and its wings flapped like a windmill. It barely managed to carry a black tiger, swaying and arching into the air.

"Strategist Huang, come up with a plan!" Tiger Two swung in mid-air, not forgetting to turn his head and shout.

Huang San, however, did not blindly rush in.

Those triangular eyes darted around twice, first scanning the battle in mid-air, then the direction of Qing Shi Village at the foot of the mountain, and suddenly a thought struck them.

Buddhism values ​​its reputation.

Since Huiyuan was in charge of affairs, every action he took had to be mindful of the appearance of Dazhao Temple.

These monks dared to hunt down monsters in the desolate mountains and wilderness, but they would never dare to commit violence in front of mortals on the territory of the Tiger God of Huangfeng Ridge.

That would tarnish the reputation of Buddhism as "compassionate." What kind of image would that have if it got out?

The elder brother's reputation in this area is the best protection.

"Don't just stand there!"

Huang San's eyes narrowed sharply, and he raised his voice to command the little demons.

"You, and you too. Go to Qingshi Village immediately and lure everyone to the entrance of the valley."

"Shout... shout that the Tiger God of Huangfeng Ridge has manifested and is battling the demonic monk! Come and see!"

"Remember, you are only allowed to shout, only to look, but you are not allowed to harm a single mortal! Go!"

Upon receiving the order, the little demons darted down the mountain in a flash.

Before long, the villagers who were begging for alms and preaching at the entrance of Qingshi Village heard the shouts of "Tiger God manifests" from the mountain valley and saw golden and blue light clashing together in the sky. They could no longer sit still and rushed up in a rush.

"Truly a tiger god."

"The Tiger God is fighting with the monk!"

"It's a miracle! It's a miracle! Look, look!"

Men, women, young and old, supporting the elderly and leading the young, quickly gathered a large, dark mass at the mouth of the valley.

Everyone craned their necks to look up at the sky, pointing and gesturing. The clamor of voices, mixed with a sense of awe for the Tiger God, soared straight into the heavens.

Huiyuan, who was in mid-air, suddenly frowned.

He glanced down and saw that hundreds of ordinary people were gathered at the entrance of the valley, all their eyes fixed on the sky.

Huiyuan felt a chill run down his spine.

broken.

He came here on orders, ostensibly to solicit donations, preach, and investigate the murder of his nephews, but secretly to scout out locations for the temple and pave the way for the new temple.

Subduing this black bear was just a side benefit.

Which of these incidents can be brought to the table and decided in front of so many ordinary people?

The Tiger God of Huangfengling was extremely popular in this area, something he had known long ago.

In front of hundreds of ordinary people, he beheaded the tiger god they worshipped. If word got out, the Buddhist community in the Huangfeng Ridge area would not be able to receive a single drop of incense offerings for the next ten years.

To lose more than you gain is a mistake.

This deal is not advisable.