Encountering a Monster at Zhenhai Temple (IV)

Now, Ao Tu had been living in the Bottomless Cave for about two months.

The Scorpion Demon, Six-Eared Macaque, and others led a group of demons to arrive.

The group brought over 400,000 Demon, and the Demon City was abandoned. The Bottomless Cave was a Cave Heaven, so although there were many Demon, it could still accommodate them.

The Rat Spirit was astonished to see so many Demon and exclaimed, "I've long heard that my elder brother is capable, but I never imagined he was this powerful! With so many Demon, where can't he establish a great enterprise?"

The Great Sage Yellow Wind said, "It's too late to regret it now. No one can accept someone with your dissolute nature."

The Rat Spirit laughed, "Brother Yellow Wind, what are you saying? I'm just a little envious. If I could have sex with him a thousand times, it wouldn't matter; I'd actually be the one getting the better deal. But if he really wanted to marry me, I wouldn't like it. How could a man with such abilities allow me to have a say? If I'm going to be matched, I'll be matched with someone I can do whatever I want with."

The Great Sage Yellow Wind sighed, "You do have some ideas. However, you have committed many evils. If no one protects you, you may perish long ago."

The Rat Spirit laughed and said, "Don't you still have two older brothers to protect you?"

The Great Sage Yellow Wind shook his head and said nothing more.

After Ao Tu gathered the demons in the Bottomless Cave, he trained them daily. He also sent Youlai Youqu a team of Asura for the demons to practice on.

Soon after, when they attacked the Blood Sea, Patriarch Styx would naturally be left to deal with, while the countless Asura under Patriarch Styx's command would be left to the demons.

In addition, Tang Sanzang and Tang Sanzang disciples are also arriving soon, so while attacking the Blood Sea, we also need to hold them back.

I don't expect the obstruction to last too long, but it will take some time to accumulate.

And so, time passed.

After leaving the Bhikshu Kingdom, Tang Sanzang and his disciples traveled Journey to the West, passing through summer and autumn, until they arrived at the foot of a mountain, where they saw:

Crags rise high, pines stand tall and green. The rugged mountain path is steep and exquisite. Sheer cliffs and precipices are covered with lush vines and Grass and Wood. A thousand rocks vie for beauty like a row of halberds, and ten thousand ravines compete for the flow of distant, mighty waves.

The four travelers gazed at the mountain scenery from afar.

The mountain spirits, including the Ao Tu and the Rat Spirit, also watched Tang Sanzang and his disciples.

The Rat Spirit said, "Is that monk Tang Sanzang? Why does he look so old?"

Ao Tu said, "He is Mortal. Although he ate the Ginseng Fruit, he has not attained immortality and will naturally grow old. What, do you dislike him?"

The Rat Spirit laughed, "No problem! No problem! Who cares if they're fat, ugly, old, or young? As long as I can gain cultivation after refining them, that's all that matters!"

Ao Tu laughed and said, "You certainly have a plan. How do you intend to deal with him?"

The Rat Spirit said, "I'll devise a plan. I'll tie myself up in front of him, and when Tang Sanzang comes to untie me, I'll capture him."

Ao Tu said, "This plan is unlikely to succeed; I'm afraid you won't be able to carry it out."

The Rat Spirit said, "How could it be difficult? We've always used this trick to eat people; every monk in the nearby temples has fallen for it. It's always Bailing!"

Ao Tu said, "You don't know, these Tang Sanzang and his disciples are cunning. You try your plan, and if it fails, I'll come back to help you."

The Rat Spirit agreed, leaped down, landed in the woods ahead, tied herself to a tree, looking pitiful, and cried for help.

The Tang Sanzang and his disciples ascended the mountain and walked forward, encountering a dense forest of Black Pine Forest. The forest was very deep, stretching densely from east to west and in rows from north to south. There were thousand-year-old locust trees and ten-thousand-year-old cypress trees. Thorns grew thickly all around, while smartweed entwined the branches. Vines entwined with kudzu, making it difficult for travelers to travel east and west; kudzu entwined with vines, making it difficult for merchants to travel north and south. They stayed for half a year without distinguishing between day and night; they traveled several miles without seeing the stars.

Seeing that this was such an unsafe place, rarely visited by people, Tang Sanzang and his disciples became extremely cautious and headed into the forest.

After walking for half a day, Tang Sanzang was hungry, so he sent Wukong to beg for alms.

When the Rat Spirit saw that Wukong had left, she cried for help, and the news reached Tang Sanzang's ears.

Tang Sanzang said, "Why is someone calling for help in this forest? Wujing, go and find out who is in trouble, then come back and report to me."

Bajie said, "Master, Junior Brother Sha wasn't careful enough, let me go look for him!"

Tang Sanzang said, "Judging from that voice, it's a woman's. You've never had much self-control, so it's probably Demon. You won't be able to recognize it and will be captured. I'll have Wujing go and find her."

Bajie squatted down on the ground, somewhat resentful.

Sha Wujing obeyed the order and went to search. After walking for a long time, he saw a woman, who was none other than the Rat Spirit. Judging from her appearance, she was truly beautiful. Her peach-blossom cheeks were wet with tears, and she had the beauty to make fish sink and geese fall from the sky; her starry eyes were filled with sorrow, and she had the beauty to make the moon hide and flowers blush. She was no less beautiful than the Fairy Chang'e.

Sha Wujing asked, "Female Benefactor, why are you bound here?"

The Rat Spirit lied, saying, "Elder, I am from the Poor Woman Kingdom, more than two hundred li from here. On the anniversary of our death, my parents and relatives came here to sweep the graves of our ancestors, but unexpectedly, they encountered a band of bandits who robbed and killed us. My parents and relatives all fled for their lives, but I was too young to run and was captured. Those Bandits, each lusting after my beauty, argued endlessly, refusing to give way, and unable to share me equally, so they tied me up here for five days and five nights. I was on the verge of death when, fortunately, the Bodhisattva appeared and I met kind people. I beg you, Elder, to save me; I will never forget your kindness."

Upon hearing this, Sha Wujing dared not make the decision himself and hurriedly returned to report to Tang Sanzang.

After hearing Sha Wujing's explanation, Tang Sanzang was somewhat skeptical. How could someone be tied up for five days and five nights and still be able to call for help? But he dared not make a hasty conclusion, so he took Bajie Sha Wujing to see for themselves.

Upon arriving at that place, Tang Sanzang felt even more strongly that it was a Demon.

He was tied up for five days and five nights, and his hair wasn't even tangled. How could that be real?

The Rat Spirit out, "Master, please have mercy and save me! Save me!"

Bajie said, "Master, this woman is so pitiful! Let's save her!"

At this moment, Wukong rushed back on his cloud and blocked their way, saying, "Bajie, you can't save them! This is Demon!"

It turned out that Wukong had gone to beg for alms, but he had only gone halfway when he saw demonic energy emanating from the forest, so he hurriedly returned.

Bajie said, "This is a woman in distress. How can you call her Demon? You probably saw that she's pretty and wanted to lure us away. You should come back and save her!"

Upon hearing this, Wukong grabbed Bajie's ear and said, "You idiot, do you think I'm some lustful fool who values women over life?"

Bajie immediately begged for mercy and dared not utter another word.

Wukong said to Tang Sanzang, "Master, it is indeed Demon. I never speak carelessly."

Tang Sanzang nodded and whispered a few words to Wukong.

Upon hearing this, Wukong rode away on a cloud.

The Rat Spirit, not understanding what was happening, saw Wukong leave and hurriedly cried out again, "Master, please save me! Please save me!"

Tang Sanzang said, "Female Benefactor, don't be anxious. I'll have my disciple pick some fruit for you."

Before long, Wukong returned with a few green fruits.

Tang Sanzang instructed Bajie to give it to the Rat Spirit to eat.

Bajie happily handed over the fruit.

The Rat Spirit, seeing that the fruit was small and green, didn't want to eat it. But seeing Bajie offer it to her, she couldn't refuse, so she reluctantly took a bite. It was extremely sour and difficult to swallow, so she spat it out, saying:

"Master, this fruit is unripe; it's sour and astringent, and we really can't eat it."

Tang Sanzang said, "If an ordinary person goes hungry for a day or two, this fruit will probably be devoured, leaving not even the pit. You've been hungry for five days and five nights, and you still complain that it's sour and astringent? Are you even human? Disciples, hurry! Hurry!"

After saying that, Tang Sanzang left without looking back.

The Rat Spirit gritted her teeth in hatred, thinking to herself that this old monk, though seemingly kind, was actually treacherous, using these sour fruits to harm her! So she used a spell to send a message to Tang Sanzang's ear, saying:

"Master, you're leaving a living person to die, yet you refuse to save them. What kind of scriptures are you going to obtain by worshipping Buddha with a guilty conscience?"

Tang Sanzang had walked for who knows how many miles when he heard these words. Panicked, he fled even further, saying, "That Yaoguai still won't let me go! I've been starving for five days and five nights, and I've traveled so far, and she's still calling my name! Bajie, twist some scraps of cloth for me to plug my ears so I can keep going!"

Despite the Rat Spirit's constant squawking, Tang Sanzang ignored it.

Left with no other choice, she managed to escape herself and went to Ao Tu's side, saying, "Brother, this old monk has no kindness whatsoever; he's truly despicable. Please help me capture him!"

Ao Tu laughed and said, "It would be easy for me to take him down directly, but that would damage our relationship. How about this, I'll teach you a plan that will guarantee you capture Tang Sanzang. Just don't say I taught you, lest it ruin my reputation."

The Rat Spirit exclaimed joyfully, "Brother, quickly teach me!"

Ao Tu said, "There's a Zhenhai Temple ahead. When Tang Sanzang passes by, he'll definitely stay there to pray. Go to the temple and capture two monks, then tie them up somewhere else. Tang Sanzang's eldest disciple, Sun Wukong, is always eager to show off his Supernatural Ability and capture Demon in front of others. Once you've captured the monks, the other monks in the temple will beg him for help, and he'll surely come to their rescue. After he leaves, capture Tang Sanzang and take him to his cave."

The Rat Spirit was overjoyed upon hearing this and exclaimed, "Brother, what a brilliant plan! Brother, what a brilliant plan!"

Ao Tu said, "What plan did I come up with? You came up with this yourself! Don't say I taught you!"

The Rat Spirit readily agreed.