Scaring the White Bone Demon

Eat. Once they ate, she could abduct Tang Sanzang.

Tang Yu sneered inwardly. Naturally, he knew her true identity.

Guanyin Bodhisattva, hidden in the shadows, watched the scene nervously as well.

"Master, she isn't a demon. She's a village girl bringing us food."

Zhu Bajie looked at Bai Jingjing with a lecherous expression.

How could such a beautiful girl possibly be a bad person?

"Thank you, Miss." Zhu Bajie took the basket.

Tang Yu rose to his feet and carefully scrutinized Bai Jingjing.

For some reason, his gaze made Bai Jingjing nervous.

"Miss, how old are you? Are you married?"

Bai Jingjing was somewhat stunned by the question. Was he really a monk?

He had immediately asked her such questions, and this scripture-seeking monk was even eyeing her lecherously.

It sent a chill down Bai Jingjing's spine.

"I am eighteen this year and unmarried."

By now, Bai Jingjing could only force herself to continue.

"Then what do you think of this poor monk?" Tang Yu removed his hat and rubbed his large bald head.

"Holy Monk, you must be joking. As a monk, how could you concern yourself with romantic affairs?"

What kind of monk was this? Wasn't he supposed to be the famous Holy Monk from the Great Tang?

Were all people from the Great Tang like this?

"Besides, I already have someone in my heart." Bai Jingjing blurted out, "The one I love is a peerless hero..."

After saying it, even she found it strange.

Why had she said something like that?

Still, as long as she could fool him, it was fine.

"I see." Tang Yu sighed regretfully. "San Lengzi, haven't you always told me that you wanted to eat people? Eat her. Her taste is terrible—she doesn't even fancy your master. Look at how tender and delicate she is. She probably tastes quite good. But don't eat her in front of me, or it might affect my appetite from now on."

Everyone froze, unable to react for quite a while.

Was this really a monk?

He was actually encouraging his disciple to kill and eat meat.

Sha Wujing was the first to react. A large iron pot and an oversized chopping board appeared directly from his body. Holding a kitchen knife, he sharpened it against a nearby rock several times.

Sparks flew with a scrape, scrape.

"Thank you, Master."

Sha Wujing held his kitchen knife and strode toward the White Bone Demon.

From the look of him, he truly intended to butcher Bai Jingjing and eat her.

At this point, there was no way for her to keep hiding it.

The White Bone Demon transformed into a wisp of purple smoke and vanished without a trace.

Only then did Er Daizi and San Lengzi come to their senses.

The young woman before them had actually been transformed from a demon.

At the same time, the steamed buns in the basket turned back into stones.

"She was a demon," Zhu Bajie said.

"Wrong. She was a female demon." Tang Yu corrected him.

The two disciples were both puzzled. "What's the difference?"

"A demon is male—fierce-looking, brawny, and ugly. A female demon is female."

Uh.

There was actually such a distinction?

Still, Zhu Bajie found it strange. His master had clearly recognized that the woman was a female demon long ago. Telling San Lengzi to eat her had merely been a way to scare that female demon.

"Master, you knew from the start that she was a female demon?"

"Nonsense. In this desolate wilderness, she was a woman alone and wasn't even afraid. And after seeing the way you two look, any normal person would have started screaming long ago. Yet she didn't. So at a glance, your master could tell that she wasn't human."

What nonsense was that analysis?

He had known the plot from the very beginning.

Of course, he had said it for his two disciples to hear, and also for some unseen people hiding in the shadows.

Guanyin Bodhisattva was thoroughly bewildered by Tang Yu's performance.

Then, upon hearing his explanation, she could not help muttering, "When did Tang Sanzang become so clever?"

Western Heaven.

Spirit Mountain.

Yet Spirit Mountain was somewhat strange at this moment. Smoke and mist billowed everywhere, making it seem hazy and dreamlike.

Nearly every Buddha present held one in his hand.

Cigarettes had become a symbol of status on Spirit Mountain. Those who could not afford them would be looked down upon.

Only after smoking them personally did they realize how wonderful and useful they were.

No wonder even the Buddha had become deeply addicted.

How had they not known about something this good before?

They had truly wasted their lives.

They were nothing.

Lighting one up every now and then was truly satisfying.

However, the walls of the Great Thunderclap Monastery were rapidly turning yellow at a visible rate.

At that moment, everyone was watching the Mystic Light Mirror.

No one had expected such a turn of events. It greatly exceeded everyone's expectations.

Without Sun Wukong even making a move, Tang Sanzang had scared the White Bone Demon away himself.

As for Sun Wukong, did anyone even need to guess? He had gone out to find wild game again.

The wild game near White Bone Ridge had nearly been hunted clean during this period, so Sun Wukong had gone farther away this time.

If he had returned a little earlier and struck with his staff, he would at least have barely completed one trial.

The three trials of beating the White Bone Demon three times.

The first battle had ended in failure, and the White Bone Demon had even exposed her identity. It would likely be difficult for her to approach them again in the future.

And Tang Sanzang—why had he become so clever now?

It had to be said that his reasoning was quite right. In the middle of a barren mountain wilderness.

What decent girl would wander around for no reason?

Otherwise, people would naturally grow suspicious.

No.

This was a little too messy.

He needed to light one up.

With a wave of Tathagata Buddha's hand, he dragged a nearby Buddha over and searched him thoroughly.

In the end, he found half a pack of cigarettes, lit one, and naturally stuffed the rest into his own cassock.

Subduing Dragon Arhat looked aggrieved, but he dared not speak out in anger.

He had spent a great price exchanging those from Lingji Bodhisattva. He had barely been willing to smoke them himself.

Only when he truly could not resist did he light one, and even then, he smoked only half at a time.

Yet he had not expected the Buddha to get them for free.

Hmm?

After smoking one, the Buddha immediately had an idea.

With a wave of his hand, several wild rabbits, pheasants, and more appeared below on White Bone Ridge.

This way, Sun Wukong would at least not have to travel too far and would have enough time to return.

"Silver-headed Ketu, Venerable Guanyin is still secretly following the scripture-seeking group. Deliver my decree: no matter what, one of these three trials must be completed."

The Buddha held a cigarette in his mouth, sounding somewhat helpless.

Since the Journey to the West group had set out until now, the number of trials they had completed could be counted on one hand.

It might become impossible to make them up later.

That was why the Buddha was somewhat anxious now.

One of these three trials had to be completed.

"I obey the Buddha's decree."

Silver-headed Ketu accepted the decree and headed down to the mortal realm.

After hunting wild game and returning, Sun Wukong found it strange. Why were there so many pheasants, rabbits, and the like?

In just this short while, White Bone Ridge had already been gnawed into a barren stretch of land.

Moreover, those rabbits and the like were gnawing away at it at a visibly rapid pace.