As his words fell, the air suddenly went still.
The towering, golden-armored Dharma Form suddenly began to shrink at tremendous speed.
Golden light drew inward. Ten thousand zhang, a thousand, a hundred, ten-
In the blink of an eye, the Dharma Form vanished completely.
Wukong returned to his true form.
His golden armor blazed, his plumes soaring skyward.
He hovered before the three demons, slung the Golden Cudgel over his shoulder, and tilted his head, regarding them with a hint of a smile in his Fiery Golden Eyes:
"Oh? Then tell me. What's the inside story?"
Seeing that Wukong had not attacked immediately, Great Immortal Huli felt a little of his tension ease.
He steadied himself, privately relieved that the Great Sage Equal to Heaven was willing to listen to reason. Making his tone even more respectful, he bowed again before speaking:
"Please hear us out, Great Sage."
"The previous ruler of the Chechi Kingdom believed in Buddhism. He emptied the royal treasury to build temples everywhere."
He sighed, a trace of indignation rising on his face:
"In those days, we disciples of the Daoist Order had no standing in this kingdom. To stay alive, we could only perform grueling menial tasks like carrying water and chopping wood."
"And those monks? Relying on the ruler's favor, they enjoyed every privilege and offering, dressed in silks, ate delicacies, and held grand religious assemblies. What splendor they enjoyed! We disciples of the Daoist Order were bullied at every turn, yet dared not utter a word."
Great Immortal Huli's voice gradually rose:
"Then the great drought came. Not a drop fell from the sky, not a seedling survived in the fields, and everyone in the city faced death from thirst and hunger. And those monks, who usually boasted until flowers rained from the