Great King Si returned to the cave carrying the Steel-Pointed Spear.
The lesser demons had still been surrounding and attacking A-Hu, but at the sound of footsteps, they all retreated to either side.
With Xuanzang on its back, A-Hu dug all four paws into the stone floor.
One wing shielded Xuanzang, while several bloody gashes already marked the outside of the other.
Iron forks, long hooks, and thick nets lay scattered around its feet.
More than a dozen lesser demons lay beneath the stone walls, clutching their bodies and groaning.
Great King Si did not look at those demons.
His gaze settled on A-Hu first.
A-Hu looked back at him.
Its breathing was heavy.
Its breath struck the stone floor, blowing aside a little dust.
But it did not lower its head.
Great King Si drove the Steel-Pointed Spear down beside him.
It plunged straight into the ground.
Thud.
Every lesser demon in the cave bowed their head.
Great King Si slowly raised his left hand.
A stark white ring rested in his palm.
He shook a streak of golden light out of his sleeve.
The Golden Cudgel lay across Great King Si's palm.
A-Hu's pupils contracted.
Great King Si watched A-Hu.
"See this? What is it?"
"That monkey couldn't even hold on to his own weapon."
"Can he still come save you?"
He tapped the Golden Cudgel with a fingertip, and golden light flickered all along it, as though it were resisting.
Cold light flashed from the ring, and the Golden Cudgel shrank to a little over a foot long, pinned beneath the White Ring.
Great King Si snorted. "It really does take after whoever wields it. Just a piece of iron someone casually forged, yet every bit as irritating."
Then he tossed the Golden Cudgel in front of