Black Myth: The Legend of Tianpeng Seeking Demons

"The Clean Altar Messenger? Heh, that sounds nice, but he's just a garbage can in Heaven! I, Old Pig, was once Marshal Tianpeng, commanding 100,000 naval troops, how glorious I was! Now I've been reduced to eating leftovers, truly a tiger fallen into the plains being bullied by dogs!"

As he spoke, he exaggeratedly wiped the corner of his eye as if trying to squeeze out a few tears, but the oiliness made it impossible to tell what was going on.

"Sigh," Pigsy sighed, rubbing his round belly, a hint of melancholy in his eyes. "Back in the day, I was a dashing and charming man who captivated countless fairies. Now, with this appearance, even the sows of Gao Village would probably find me unattractive."

He complained as he continued to tear at the roast chicken with his claws, muttering, "Monkey King is really riding high lately. 'Black Myth Wukong' is all the rage in the mortal world. If I, Old Pig, could also have another cultivation, I might even be able to become a Buddha."

He paused, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes, "I also want to become a Buddha! To be the most handsome pig in Heaven!"

Suddenly, he lowered his head and fell silent for a moment. A familiar figure involuntarily surfaced in his mind: Gao Cuilan. The time he spent in Gao Village now seemed distant. He murmured to himself, "I wonder how she's doing now… In my current state, if I were to see her again, she probably wouldn't even acknowledge me…"

Just as he was lost in his memories, a thunderclap suddenly sounded in the sky, followed by a dazzling golden light that descended from the heavens and landed right in front of him.

Pigsy was startled and almost dropped the roast chicken he was holding. He quickly stood up and looked around.

A woman dressed in white slowly emerged from the light; it was none other than Guanyin Bodhisattva. Her expression was solemn, her gaze as still as water, so intense that one dared not look directly at her.

Pigsy hurriedly wiped his greasy hands, knelt respectfully on the ground, and kowtowed, saying, "Bodhisattva, why have you come in person? Is there any instruction you have?"

Guanyin Bodhisattva smiled slightly, her voice as gentle as a spring breeze yet carrying an irresistible majesty: "Wuneng, have you been behaving yourself in the mortal realm all these years?"

"Behave yourself, behave yourself!" Pigsy nodded hurriedly, his mouth as sweet as honey. "All I do is eat and sleep, I'll be absolutely law-abiding!"

"Well, that's good." Guanyin Bodhisattva nodded slightly, then took out an exquisite black box from her sleeve and handed it to Zhu Bajie.

Pigsy curiously took the box and carefully opened it. Inside were a black necklace, a white jade ring, and a string of shiny black prayer beads. He scratched his head and asked, puzzled, "What is this, Bodhisattva?"

With a solemn expression, Guanyin Bodhisattva slowly said, "This is the Tear Necklace. It can collect the tears of the world and transform them into powerful strength. Currently, cracks have appeared in the Heavenly Realm. Your mission is to travel to different worlds and collect 81 drops of the true tears of reincarnated female demons to repair the cracks in the Heavenly Realm and maintain the balance of the Three Realms."

"What? Collect the tears of female demons?" Pigsy was taken aback, his mind instantly filled with complicated emotions. He scratched his head, his face full of doubt. "This task doesn't sound easy... Female demons are not easy to deal with, let alone make them cry tears of true emotion..."

Guanyin Bodhisattva's expression darkened slightly, her gaze fixed on Zhu Bajie, her tone revealing an undeniable firmness: "This is precisely a test for you, Wuneng. If you can successfully complete this task, I will petition the Buddha to grant you a Buddha position."

Pigsy's heart skipped a beat, and his eyes lit up. But then he thought about it again and became worried, muttering to himself, "Is this just empty promises again?"

Guanyin Bodhisattva frowned slightly, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. Pigsy quickly changed his tune: "N-nothing, hehehe..." He laughed awkwardly, but inwardly he groaned: "This is no easy task! How can I, Old Pig, manage alone? Back when we were on our journey to the West, if it weren't for Brother Monkey, I would have turned back long ago!"

The Bodhisattva seemed to have anticipated his thoughts, and a slight smile appeared on her face. Pointing to the white jade ring in the box, she said, "This ring is called the Moonlight Ring. Your new companion lives inside, and it will guide you to complete your mission."

"Partner?" Pigsy was stunned. He quickly picked up the ring and put it on his hand.

The moment the ring was put on, it emitted a dazzling light, and then a small figure slowly emerged from it. The figure was slender and agile, radiating a soft silver-white light, with a playful smile on its face, looking just like a lively elf.

"Hello, I am the spirit of the Moonlight Ring. You can call me Little White!" Little White, the spirit, said confidently, hands on his hips and chin raised.

Pigsy looked the elfin-like Ringwraith up and down, scratched his head, and asked with some suspicion, "You... are my new companion?"

Xiao Bai snorted lightly, a hint of displeasure flashing in her eyes: "What? You look down on me?"

Pigsy hurriedly waved his hand and said with a forced smile, "No, no, it's just... you seem a little... unreliable?"

Upon hearing this, the Ringwraith White stomped his foot in anger, his face contorted with rage, and his voice rose several decibels: "Hmph! You dare to question my abilities? Let me tell you, without me, you could never have found the first world!"

Upon seeing this, Pigsy quickly bowed and scraped, saying repeatedly, "Hehe, it was just a joke, Little White, don't be angry. I, Old Pig, apologize to you, okay?"

Xiao Bai crossed her arms, raised her chin smugly, and snorted, "Fine, I'll forgive you for now since you're so sincere. But remember, don't ever underestimate me again!"

Pigsy nodded repeatedly, thinking to himself, "This little guy has quite a temper..." But he said aloud, "Of course, of course, Little White, we'll be partners who live and die together from now on, so please take good care of me!"

Seeing the two chatting happily, Guanyin Bodhisattva smiled with satisfaction. She then pointed to the string of prayer beads in the box and said gently, "This string of prayer beads is called the 'Seven Emotions and Six Desires String.' Each bead contains magical power that can transform into a weapon you are familiar with and grant you different supernatural abilities to help you complete your mission."

Pigsy eagerly took the prayer beads into his hands, feeling that each bead was as warm and smooth as jade, shimmering with light, and incredibly delicate to the touch. He put the bracelet on and instantly felt a mysterious power flowing through his body, as if he had become full of strength and vitality.

"Wow!" Pigsy excitedly pumped his fist, his eyes filled with anticipation. "This bracelet is amazing! I, Old Pig, am going to show off my skills from now on!"

Guanyin Bodhisattva nodded slightly and solemnly said, "But remember, true power comes from within your heart. This bracelet can only help you temporarily; the most important thing is how you perceive and understand it."

Pigsy nodded quickly, indicating that he understood. But in his eyes, he was already imagining himself showing off his skills, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up, revealing a smug smile.

Guanyin Bodhisattva sighed softly, her gaze gentle yet firm: "Wuneng, this mission is no small matter. You must use your heart to feel the inner world of each female demon in order to obtain their tears of true emotion. Each tear represents their deepest feelings, and you must wholeheartedly understand them in order to complete this difficult mission."

Pigsy nodded earnestly, though somewhat reluctant, he knew the importance of the task. He looked up at Guanyin Bodhisattva, his expression turning serious: "I, Old Pig, will do my best to complete this task!"

"That's good." Guanyin Bodhisattva smiled slightly, her loving gaze filled with expectation.

"Idiot! What are you daydreaming about? Hurry up and start your tearful journey through the heavens! I don't have time to waste with you!" Little White Ringwraith urged impatiently.

Pigsy finally came to his senses and hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, yes! I, Old Pig, will set off right away! Hehe, I want to see just how many beautiful female demons are waiting for me, Old Pig, to save... no, to collect their tears!"