Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

Li Xiuyuan had long anticipated that Sun Wukong would use his Fiery Eyes of Truth, so he had taken that into consideration. Whatever this magical power manifests, that's what it is; even Sun Wukong's Fiery Eyes of Truth cannot see through it.

Pigsy called out, and Monkey King stepped forward, saying, "Fool, step aside and let me take a look."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy immediately retreated, leaving the open space to Monkey King. Monkey King blinked and his fiery eyes shone as he looked towards the old man in the distance.

After staring for a while, Pigsy couldn't help but ask, "Brother! You've been looking for so long, how come you still can't see it? Are you getting old and your eyesight is failing?"

Sun Wukong shook his head and withdrew his Fiery Eyes, saying, "There shouldn't be any problem. We just need to be extra careful."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy chuckled and said, "With Brother Monkey's words, I'm relieved. I was just being paranoid. I'll call that old man over right now and ask him about the situation in the mountains." Monkey nodded and said, "Alright, but we still need to be extra careful."

Pigsy replied "Okay," and then called out to the old man in the distance, "Old man, old man! Come quickly, we have something to ask you."

Upon hearing this, the old man leaned on his bamboo cane and slowly walked over.

Sun Wukong stepped forward to greet him and asked, "Old man, could you tell us about Lion Camel Ridge?"

Upon hearing this, the old man clicked his tongue and said, "You don't mean you're planning to cross Lion Camel Ridge, do you?"

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "That's right. We are monks from the Tang Dynasty in the East. We must pass through Lion Camel Ridge on our way to the Western Paradise to obtain the scriptures."

Upon hearing this, the old man sighed, "Alas, you've really had a tough time. You've come all the way from the Great Tang Dynasty in the East, and you've already covered most of the journey. You should take a detour. I'm afraid you can't get through these mountains."

Sun Wukong had already noticed the overwhelming demonic aura emanating from Lion Camel Ridge ahead, but he still asked, "Old man, tell me, what kind of monsters live in those mountains ahead?"

The old man shook his head and said, "Little monk, ahead at Lion Camel Ridge, there are three demon kings, each with a hundred demon generals under their command. Each demon general also has three thousand three hundred and thirty-three demon soldiers."

In total, that makes three demon kings, three hundred demon generals, and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine demon soldiers.

He roams freely across this vast mountain range, truly a regional overlord. You are probably not to be trifled with.

At this moment, the old man said something that sent chills down the spines of Tang Sanzang and his disciples. Zhu Bajie couldn't help but exclaim, "Good heavens, that's really something! Maybe we should take a detour, otherwise losing our lives would be a huge waste."

However, Tang Sanzang said in a deep voice, "No! We cannot take a detour! The journey to the West to obtain the scriptures is about overcoming all kinds of hardships. If we retreat, we may not be able to obtain the true scriptures."

The old man smiled upon hearing this and said, "Alright. Tang Dynasty monks, I've told you everything. The choice is yours. I'll be going now."

The old man then disappeared into the Ten Thousand Mountains, leaving Tang Sanzang and his disciples hesitant and in a dilemma.

Pigsy couldn't help but sigh, "The demon king ahead must be incredibly powerful. Otherwise, how could he gather 100,000 demon soldiers and 300 demon generals? To be on the safe side, I'd better take a detour. If something unexpected happens, all our previous efforts will be in vain."

Sun Wukong also fell silent. The mountain ahead was filled with demonic energy. If it were Sun Wukong alone, he might be able to escape from the Lion Camel Ridge.

But there are still some burdens: Pigsy, Sandy, the White Dragon Horse, and most importantly, Tang Sanzang. If they can't subdue those demon kings, the 100,000 demon soldiers alone will be enough to give them trouble.

Thinking of this, Sun Wukong also spoke up: "Master, although Bajie's words are not pleasant, it's better to take a detour for safety's sake."

Unexpectedly, Tang Sanzang said, "The journey to the West to obtain the scriptures will be filled with all sorts of hardships, which are all tests for us. Otherwise, how could we possibly achieve enlightenment? If you are unwilling, I will go alone."

These words left Sun Wukong utterly helpless, and Sha Wujing sat on the ground sighing repeatedly. One hundred thousand demon soldiers—the mere mention of it was terrifying. He himself had once served as the Curtain-Raising General and knew what one hundred thousand demon soldiers meant. To annihilate them, it would likely require mobilizing three hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals, plus numerous hundred celestial generals, before they could confidently wipe them out in one fell swoop.

Pigsy (Zhu Bajie) was once a demon; he was a demon king in the mountains outside Gao Village, but he only had a hundred or so lackeys under his command, which is incomparable to others.

Seeing that Sun Wukong and the others remained silent, Tang Sanzang cursed inwardly: What a useless bunch! They want to ride on my journey to the West to achieve enlightenment, but they are unwilling to put in any effort.

There's a demon king guarding the mountain ahead, and people are so scared they take a detour. What a bunch of cowards.

He immediately pulled on the reins, ready to go. Unexpectedly, the white horse also refused to move forward, wagging its tail and unwilling to continue.

Tang Sanzang was truly enraged. He picked up his Buddhist staff and began to beat the white dragon horse, cursing as he did so, saying, "You cowardly beast! What use are you? The horse still hasn't come out, and you've already scared the crap out of your head! Go, go quickly!"

Tang Sanzang continued to berate and strike the white dragon horse, greatly displeasing the horse. After all, it had once been a prince, of unparalleled nobility, and now serving as Tang Sanzang's mount was already a condescension. Tang Sanzang's continued insults and blows only made the horse want to throw him off and devour him whole.

Although Tang Sanzang was clearly annoyed by the insults directed at the White Dragon Horse, it was obvious to anyone with eyes that he was subtly criticizing Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing, his henchmen.

............................

Chapter 589 Preparing to Dissolve

Pigsy had long disliked Tang Sanzang and was the least patient of them all. Tang Sanzang's insults were unbearable, so Pigsy immediately said, "Let's break up! Let's break up! If we can't get to the other side, we can't get the scriptures. I think our Monkey King, Sandy, and the White Dragon Horse can live for another thousand years or so. We can all go home and be happy!"

Pigsy shouted, startling Tang Sanzang. Pigsy had hit a nerve with Tang Sanzang, who was now truly flustered.

Pigsy, Sandy, and Monkey King are all demons who live long lives. Even if they didn't go on the pilgrimage, they could return to their caves and live peacefully and happily for thousands of years.

Moreover, Sun Wukong is Li Xiuyuan's disciple, and Zhu Bajie also seems to have a liking for Li Xiuyuan. As long as Li Xiuyuan moves his finger, they can get good results.

That white dragon horse is the third prince of the Dragon King, so why would it worry about its future? It's all alone now, originally from the Buddhist realm, banished to the mortal world. If it misses this opportunity, it fears it will never be able to rise again.

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong couldn't help but laugh and say, "Fool, what are you talking about? We're all going off to have fun, what are you going to do about Master?"

Upon hearing this, Sha Wujing sighed repeatedly. It was truly a difficult journey to obtain the scriptures, yet he still had to put up with the arrogance of that bald monk, Tang Sanzang.

Tang Sanzang finally understood the situation and said, "We don't know what's going on ahead. Although that old man explained it to us, we shouldn't believe him completely. Wukong, why don't you go and check out the mountain gate?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong looked at the billowing demonic aura ahead and said, "Alright, I'll go and scout the mountain gate first. If the demon king is weak, I'll seize the stronghold so we can get through."

Then he looked at Pigsy and Sandy and said, "You two keep an eye on your master. I'll be right back." With that, he somersaulted away.

However, Pigsy spoke up, "Brother Sandy, you watch over Master. I'll go too. There are 100,000 demon soldiers ahead. It's best if I go and provide backup for Brother Monkey, in case something serious happens. If something happens to Brother Monkey, even the Heavenly Dragon Buddha won't let us off the hook."

Then, carrying a rake, he flew over on a cloud.

Tang Sanzang initially wanted to call Zhu Bajie back, since she felt it wasn't safe enough with only Sha Wujing by her side. However, Zhu Bajie said that if anything happened to the monkey, Li Xiuyuan would likely not let them off the hook.

If the monkey gets into an accident, forget about going on the pilgrimage to Buddhahood; he might even lose his life. So, it's better to send Pigsy instead.

Tang Sanzang sighed helplessly and dismounted. Just then, he spotted the white dragon horse, which reassured him considerably. Besides Sha Wujing, he still had the white dragon horse by his side.

Tang Sanzang approached the white dragon horse, his expression softening. He leaned close to the horse's ear and whispered, "Little white dragon, little white dragon, it was your master's fault just now. It was all your three senior brothers who angered your master."

I tell you, if any monster comes to capture me, you must immediately transform into a white dragon, so I can ride you and escape to heaven.

The white dragon horse shook its head, looking quite disdainful. Seeing that the white dragon horse had rejected its offer, Tang Sanzang didn't say anything.

Sun Wukong continued forward. In the blink of an eye, he arrived at the mountain gate, where countless buildings stood before the surrounding mountains, resembling a mountain city.

Sun Wukong couldn't help but exclaim: "Good heavens! This is truly formidable; what a monster's lair!"

Then Pigsy followed and said, "Brother Monkey, Old Pig is here."

Sun Wukong looked over and saw that Zhu Bajie had also come over, so he asked, "Idiot, didn't I tell you to protect Tang Sanzang? Why are you here?"

But then Pigsy laughed and said, "Brother Monkey, you are truly skilled and daring. With so many demons around, if something happens to you, Buddha will surely twist my pig ears off."

So I, Old Pig, came too, to provide backup.

Sun Wukong nodded upon hearing this and said, "Alright, I'll provide backup. You retreat ten miles and hide. Wait for the right opportunity to come out."

Pigsy said "Good," and retreated ten miles, hiding in a patch of grass. At this moment, the demon guarding the mountain gate saw Sun Wukong in the sky and called out, "Where are you from, demon? Have you come to pay homage to my king?"

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "That's right, that's right. Just tell him that the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, is coming to see your king, and tell your king to come and see him quickly."

The henchman shouted again, "We have three kings in our household. Which one do you want to see?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan thought to himself: It seems that the old man was right. There are indeed three demon kings, three hundred demon generals, and nearly one hundred thousand demon soldiers.

However, if he needed to find someone, he would need to find someone in charge, so he would probably call him the Great King. Then, Sun Wukong said, "Little minions, go and inform him that I want to see your Great King to discuss something."

Upon hearing this, the demon said, "Wait here, I'll go report right away." He then returned to the mountain stronghold to report.

However, at this moment, Sun Wukong saw the old man who had asked him questions at the foot of the mountain slowly walking up the mountain. Seeing that he was about to enter the demon's stronghold, he shouted from the sky, "Old man, why have you come up the mountain?"

The old man looked up at the sound and saw that it was Sun Wukong. At this moment, Sun Wukong was standing in mid-air, but the old man was not flustered. He said, "Little monk, I am the cook here. You don't know, the demon king here also wants to eat fine food, so he gave me a lot of silver to live in the mountains for a long time to brew wine and cook for them."

Sun Wukong believed the old man's words and said, "Alright, alright, old man, please go inside."

However, the old man shook his head and said, "You monk, you really don't listen. I told you not to come, not to come. You definitely can't escape. If they catch you, I'm afraid I'll help them boil you and your master tonight. Before the Demon King comes out, you'd better leave quickly."

Chapter 590 The Mighty Demon Dragon

Just as Sun Wukong was about to speak, he saw a red light emerge from the mountain stronghold; it was a demonic dragon, incredibly powerful.

Sun Wukong couldn't help but sigh, "This Lion Camel Ridge is indeed a place where hidden talents abound. This demonic dragon is no easy nut to crack either."

The demonic dragon transformed into its original form, swaying in the air, confronting Sun Wukong. The old man dared not say anything more and went into the mountain stronghold.

The dragon swayed in the air, its tail swaying, and with a roar, the wind rustled through the grass.

Pigsy couldn't help but sigh, "It seems that Lion Camel Ridge is truly a hurdle."

The dragon spoke in human language, addressing Sun Wukong: "Are you Sun Wukong? What brings you here?"

Sun Wukong said, "You are the Great King of this place, so naturally I have some things I want to discuss with you."

The demonic dragon asked, "What is it?"

Sun Wukong then explained the situation, saying, "My master, Tang Sanzang, is on his way to the Tang Dynasty in the East to obtain Buddhist scriptures. He will be passing through this Lion Camel Ridge. I hope you can have great compassion and let us pass through here, and do us a favor."

Upon hearing this, the demonic dragon exclaimed, "Tang Sanzang? Could he be the reincarnation of Ling Chanzi?"

Upon hearing this, Wukong sensed something was wrong, but still said, "Exactly."

The demon dragon burst into laughter, saying, "It's like finding a needle in a haystack, only to have it fall into my lap effortlessly. I've long heard that Tang Sanzang's flesh is delicious, and that eating it grants immortality. If you give me Tang Sanzang, I'll let you pass, and I can even share a piece of his flesh with you."

Sun Wukong sneered, "You snake, if it were your grandpa Sun, I wouldn't allow it?"

Upon hearing this, the demonic dragon flew into a rage and roared, "Monkey! You dare to mock me? Then I'll eat monkey meat first, and then I'll eat Tang Sanzang's flesh!"

After the demon dragon finished speaking, Sun Wukong also became furious, and swung his Ruyi Jingu Bang (Golden Cudgel) to knock the demon dragon down with one blow.

The demonic dragon refused to give up and attacked Sun Wukong, engaging him in battle. Sun Wukong relied on his agility, while the demonic dragon relied on its imposing presence.

In the end, the demon dragon was hit a few times by Sun Wukong's staff and suffered a loss. It then transformed back into human form, holding a trident, and fought with Sun Wukong. For a time, the battle was evenly matched, and the fighting was chaotic.

Numerous demon soldiers and generals lined up at the foot of the mountain, cheering on the demon dragon and causing quite a commotion.

Although the situation below was difficult to resolve, Li Xiuyuan, who was nine days earlier, watched with great interest, a satisfied expression on his face.