Eagle Sorrow Stream Water God and Snake Coil Mountain Earth God

Lu Bian: [Checked in today, Eagle Sorrow Stream.JPG]

Unable to cross Eagle Sorrow Stream, Lu Bian felt not a hint of annoyance.

This was, after all, Eagle Sorrow Stream.

It was one of the trials Son Goku and Tang Xuanzang encountered on their journey west, and the very place where the Little White Dragon made his debut.

The mountains were precipitous and the currents swift, but if viewed purely as scenery, it could easily be rated a 5A-level tourist attraction. Any random photo Lu Bian took could serve as a desktop wallpaper.

Kakashi Hatake: [The Group Leader has reached Eagle Sorrow Stream? The scenery is truly magnificent. Could you open a video feed so we can see it?]

Lu Bian: [As you wish.]

Lu Bian opened the video chat, embarking on another day as a "tour guide."

He was a man in the Journey to the West World, though the journey itself had long since concluded.

Seeing that the day was growing late, Lu Bian found a flat patch of ground by the edge of Eagle Sorrow Stream to set up camp. He unhitched the cart from the donkey, let the animal find some grass to graze on nearby, and lit a bonfire. He caught two fish from the stream, gutted them, and roasted them for a meal.

Having waded into the water, Lu Bian sat shirtless by the fire, drying the moisture from his skin.

As the sky gradually darkened, Lu Bian tethered the donkey to prevent the foolish creature from wandering off and getting lost. He added firewood to the flames from time to time to keep the fire from dying out.

Early the next morning, Lu Bian extinguished the fire, hitched up the donkey cart, and continued along the edge of Eagle Sorrow Stream.

The ravine wedged between the two mountains became increasingly difficult to traverse. Lu Bian realized his choice had been a mistake; this was never meant to be a path.

Eventually, the cart had to stop. If he wanted to continue along the edge of the stream, he would have to proceed with just himself and the donkey; the two-wheeled cart could go no further.

Lu Bian's desire to reach the Great Song was unstoppable.

Although it was not the same world, that land was still his home.

Suddenly, Lu Bian spotted a wooden raft drifting down from the upper reaches of the stream.

An old man clad in a straw raincoat skillfully steered the raft to the bank. He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted to Lu Bian, beckoning him over.

Leading the donkey and guiding the cart, Lu Bian navigated the winding terrain to the water's edge.

"Young man, are you looking to cross to the other side?"

"I can take you across."

"That would be wonderful."

"But my raft can only carry you and your donkey. The cart will have to be left behind."

"I understand."

"It seems this two-wheeled cart of mine is destined to be abandoned today," Lu Bian said.

Lu Bian still harbored many doubts regarding the sudden appearance of this boatman. In a place where there wasn't a soul for a hundred miles in any direction, how had an old man poling a boat suddenly popped up?

"Are you wondering about me?" the old boatman asked with a smile.

"I am the Water God of this place. It has been nearly a hundred years since I last saw a traveler."

"When I saw you stop before the stream yesterday, I assumed you would turn back the way you came, just like the people from a century ago."

"Oh," Lu Bian nodded.

"Say, why is it that you haven't seen anyone for over a hundred years?" Lu Bian asked.

"This place is a natural chasm with high mountains and deep waters; anyone planning to head east chooses to avoid it. While it may look like the shortest route to the east, it is also the most dangerous."

"Is it dangerous ahead?"

"Yes, indeed," the Water God nodded with a smile.

"What kind of danger?" Lu Bian asked.

"Past the eastern bank of Eagle Sorrow Stream, there are three demons in the eastern territory. Even the local Mountain Gods and Earth Deities can do nothing against them."

The Water God spread his hands, his face etched with a touch of sorrow.

"So, you're kindly offering to take me across just to feed me to those three demons as a snack?" Lu Bian clenched his fists.

"Oh, oh! Hero! You mustn't say such things!"

"This old man saw that you were imbued with thunder; you seem like a heavenly general descended to the mortal realm, which is why I thought to offer you some assistance," the Water God said, looking somewhat flustered.

"You... are you talking about me?"

Lu Bian pointed at himself in confusion.

"Hero, do not be confused."

"Reincarnating into the mortal realm for training is not an uncommon occurrence. Awakening the memories of past lives requires a catalyst."

"Once you have endured setbacks and hardships and achieved merit, everything will become clear."

"..."

Lu Bian scratched his head.

He still wasn't quite used to the style of speech used by the people in this world and this era—half-classical and archaic. Trying to mimic it was quite a drain on his brain cells.

"I understand what you mean."

"Do you think I can take down those three demons?"

"Absolutely, easily." The Eagle Sorrow Stream Water God looked at Lu Bian with bright, piercing eyes.

Lu Bian pondered.

The old Water God said he contained thunder within him; he was likely referring to the Ultimate Boundless Qigong he practiced.

Currently, he could exert the power of the Third Heaven at full strength.

"Heaven" was another way to describe Magnetic Rotation power levels, which could also be called Magnetic Rotation: 30,000 Horsepower.

Because the practice of Magnetic Rotation was not easy, "Heaven" was used to describe the difficulty of the cultivation.

The highest realm of Magnetic Rotation, the Ninety-Nine Heavens, sounded incredibly powerful!

"No, Water God, you must explain this clearly to me."

"What kind of abilities do the three demons in that territory have, what are their identities, and what kind of backing do they have?" Lu Bian glared at the Water God.

"The three demons are named General Yin, Lord Bear Mountain, and Master Te. They are a tiger demon, a bear monster, and a bull spirit, respectively."

"They don't have any special status or backing, but they are demons who debuted back in the Former Tang. They used to commit evil on the borders of the Great Tang, and I heard they even ate two of the scripture seeker's attendants."

"Huh?"

Hearing the Eagle Sorrow Stream Water God put it this way, Lu Bian had some impression of them.

"After passing those three demons, will I encounter any more demons if I continue heading east?" Lu Bian continued to ask.

"There aren't really any more demons."

"The Former Tang expanded its territory, pushing the borders of the Great Tang by thousands of miles. Once you pass the territory where those three demons run rampant, you reach the Great Song dynasty, which succeeded the Former Tang," the Water God replied.

"I understand. Were those three demons scared into that territory by the expeditionary armies of the Former Tang?" Lu Bian thought for a moment and said.

"Is that so? It should be. This old one doesn't really know much about these things."

"..."

"To be safe, I will cultivate on this west bank for three months before crossing over," Lu Bian said. "Three months doesn't seem like enough, though. Let's be even more prudent; I'll go deal with them in three years."

"..." The Water God was speechless.

Was such prudence necessary?

He had heard from the local Earth Deity to the west that this hero before him threw punches wreathed in lightning, and with just a few blows, he had hammered a tiger demon to death.

"Three months is enough, three months is enough!!" the Water God shouted at Lu Bian.

"I don't believe you."

"There are three demons on the other side, and I am only one person."

"Two fists are no match for four hands, let alone six," Lu Bian countered.

"Furthermore, each of the three demons has at least three hundred years of cultivation. I don't want to die."

"Lord Water God, is there any good place to stay around here? I'm going to go build a house first."

"I'll have someone take you."

The Water God tapped the ground with his punting pole and shouted, "Earth Deity, Earth Deity, come out~!"

"I know you're watching!"

The Water God summoned the Earth Deity of Snake Coil Mountain.

"Hey! I'm here! Stop shouting!"