Interesting Journey to the Dharma-Extinguishing Kingdom (21)

Meanwhile, Wukong Somersault Cloud and leaped onto the South Heaven Gate.

The heavenly guards at the gate all bowed in greeting.

However Heavenly King Guangmu turned his head and hid behind him.

Upon seeing this, Wukong stepped forward and grabbed him, saying, "Heavenly King Guangmu, you always greeted me warmly when we met in the past. Why are you deliberately avoiding Old Sun today?"

The Heavenly King Guangmu said, "Great Sage, I retreated because I did not possess Divine Iron Immortal Gold."

Wukong laughed and said, "Old Sun, am not here today to ask for any treasures. It's just that a scoundrel has appeared in the Lower Realm, and I have come to request the Jade Emperor to send troops to subdue him."

The Heavenly King Guangmu exclaimed in surprise, "What kind of thief can't even be subdued by the Great Sage, and requires Your Majesty to send troops?"

Wukong mumbled, "He's a formidable thief, Old Sun, am going now!"

The Heavenly King Guangmu bowed and saw them off.

Wukong rode the clouds all the way to the Lingxiao Hall and asked to see the Jade Emperor.

In the Lingxiao Hall, Jade Emperor had already gathered all the civil and military officials.

The Perfected One Qiu relayed the message: "Your Majesty, Sun Wukong requests an audience outside the palace."

The Celestial Worthy Jade Emperor said, "Summon him."

Wukong then went to the hall.

The Celestial Worthy Jade Emperor asked, "What business does Wukong have with me?"

Wukong announced:

"Your Majesty, while protecting Tang Sanzang on his Journey to the West to the West to the Dharma-Extinguishing Kingdom, we encountered a powerful figure named Hua Yunlong in the land of the Destroyer of the Kingdom of the Western Ox Continent. We do not know his master or religion, but he is extremely skilled in martial arts. He has seized a mountain as his own, acting arrogantly and demanding weapons and armor. I have begged everywhere and given him treasures, yet he continues to display his martial arts and supernatural Supernatural Ability, making insatiable demands and refusing to submit to the rule of the human king. Our small kingdom in the Lower Realm has few soldiers and generals, making him difficult to subdue. I earnestly request Your Majesty to send troops to capture this villain."

Upon hearing this, the Celestial Worthy Jade Emperor laughed and said, "No need to worry about him."

Wukong said urgently, "You, sir, are the ruler of the Three Realms, and all creatures are under your jurisdiction. How can you not take charge?"

All the immortals laughed upon hearing this.

Wukong jumped up and shouted, "What are you laughing at? What are you laughing at?"

Celestial Master Xu said, "Great Sage, don't be anxious!"

Wukong said, "Old Sun, am not in a hurry!"

Celestial Master Zhang laughed and said, "Why jump if you're not in a hurry?"

Wukong indeed stopped jumping.

Celestial Master Xu said, "Great Sage, the creatures below are a mixture of good and evil, nothing surprising. That bandit who seized the mountain and became king only engaged in plunder; why should His Majesty be alarmed enough to send troops? Just have the Night Patrol God send a warning in a dream."

Celestial Master Zhang laughed and said, "If such a trivial matter requires Your Majesty's attention, wouldn't Your Majesty have to send troops out every day to protect the billions of living beings in the Three Realms?"

Wukong said, "What do you two know? Hua Yunlong is Supernatural Ability powerful. If he can't control himself when he commits minor evils, he will surely commit serious mistakes in the future. Can you bear the consequences?"

Upon hearing this, Celestial Master Zhang and Celestial Master Xu exchanged a glance and couldn't help but laugh.

Seeing this, Wukong became very annoyed, scratching his ears and cheeks in great anxiety.

The Celestial Worthy Jade Emperor raised his hand to stop the immortals from laughing, and asked with a smile:

"Wukong, how can you be so sure that person will commit a great evil in the future?"

Wukong said, "That's naturally because..."

Wukong stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence, unsure of what to say, and stood awkwardly in the hall.

The Celestial Worthy Jade Emperor smiled and no longer made things difficult for Wukong, saying:

"Very well, let's send Third Prince Nezha, down to the Lower Realm with you first, and see just how Supernatural Ability that person is."

Nezha accepted the order.

Wukong then descended to the Lower Realm with Nezha.

On the way, Nezha asked, "Monkey, who is that person? How skilled is he? Why are you in such a hurry?"

Wukong said, "He's a Bandits. I don't know who his master is, but his martial arts are about the same as mine. I fought him for dozens of rounds, and we couldn't draw the score. He's just a little stronger in fist and foot."

Upon hearing this, Nezha said, "If that's the case, there's no need for His Majesty to send troops; the two of us can capture him."

Wukong said, "That man's fists and feet are quite powerful; don't be careless."

Nezha said, "I understand."

The two went straight to the Bandit Mountain. Nezha, riding on his Wind Fire Wheels, stepped forward to challenge them, saying:

"Which one is Hua Yunlong? Come out now!"

The Ground-Digging Tiger, glanced outside and saw flames raging in the Heaven. Terrified, he dared not go out and hurried back to report to the Patriarch Styx:

"Big Brother, something terrible has happened! We don't know how we angered the gods, the Heaven outside is ablaze with Divine Fire!"

The Patriarch Styx said, "Let me go out and take a look!"

The Patriarch Styx walked out, and the bandits followed behind him in fear.

Once outside, they saw a child standing in the air, with the features of a boy and the appearance of a girl, delicate and beautiful. What a sight to behold!

Truly Qilin Heaven, a phoenix amidst the misty Colored Phoenix.

Her offspring are naturally extraordinary, and her youthful beauty is unlike that of ordinary people.

He carries six divine weapons, and his flight and transformations are boundless.

Now, by Jade Emperor decree of the Jade Emperor, the Sea Assembly is granted the title of Three Altars.

Upon seeing him, the Patriarch Styx recognized him as Third Prince Nezha, who was very close to the Cult Leader. Therefore, he restrained ninety-nine percent of his strength and shouted:

"Where did this child come from, playing with fire in the Heaven!"

Nezha said, "You wicked scoundrel, don't you recognize me? I am Nezha, the Third Lotus Prince, sent by the Jade Emperor Lower Realm assist the Great Sage in capturing you!"

The Patriarch Styx said, "What god, what saint? I have never heard of them!"

Nezha said, "That scoundrel is indeed rampant!" He took off the Universe Ring and threw it downwards.

The Patriarch Styx raised his arm and blocked the Universe Ring.

Nezha exclaimed in surprise, "What Indestructible Diamond Body!"

So he drew his Demon-Slaying Sword and leaped down to slash.

The Patriarch Styx dodged left and right, or used his arms to block, and even when Nezha slashed at him several times, he was unharmed.

Upon seeing this, Nezha used the Universe-Splitting Silk) to bind the arm of the Patriarch Styx.

The Patriarch Styx raised his arm and pulled on the Universe-Splitting Silk).

Nezha, pulling on one end, was struggling against the Patriarch Styx.

Seeing this, Wukong flew down and swung his staff at the Patriarch Styx.

With one hand holding the Universe-Splitting Silk), the Patriarch Styx raised the other hand and caught the Golden Cudgel.

Nezha said, "Monkey, didn't you say you were evenly matched with me?"

Wukong said, "He is the elder brother, and I am the younger brother. In terms of martial arts, he is better than me!"

Nezha retorted angrily, "Is this stronger?"

Left with no other choice, he used his Three Heads and Six Arms Supernatural Ability to unleash six weapons simultaneously at the Patriarch Styx.

The Patriarch Styx caught them one by one.

Upon seeing this, Wukong also acquired the Supernatural Ability of Three Heads and Six Arms, transforming his Golden Cudgel into three, and simultaneously striking at the Patriarch Styx.

The Patriarch Styx caught it again.

The three fought for sixty or seventy rounds. When the Patriarch Styx saw that the fight was almost over, he pushed Wukong, causing Wukong to tumble headfirst under the Bodhi Tree on Spirit Mountain.

Seeing this, Nezha tried to leave, but was punched in the back by the Patriarch Styx and fell down the mountain in pain.

Upon seeing this, Ao Tu picked up Nezha and carried him home.

Guanyin Bodhisattva asked, "Old man, whose child have you brought here?"

Upon seeing him, Tang Sanzang and his companions exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't this Third Prince Nezha?"

Ao Tu explained, "This morning I heard that there were raging fires outside the city, and that Immortal had descended to punish my rebellious son. So I went outside the city to check, and found this child at the foot of the mountain. He must have fallen off a cliff and injured himself, and was unconscious. I saw that he was still breathing, so I carried him back to ask a doctor to treat Physician."

Bajie said, "Old Benefactor, this is not a child, but Third Prince Nezha of the Heavenly Realm. My senior brother must have invited him down to fight your son. He couldn't win, so my senior brother Somersault Cloud away, leaving him behind. Your son then knocked him down the mountain, and you picked him up!"

Ao Tu exclaimed in shock, "So that's how it is! What should we do? That rebellious son has committed such a heinous crime, injuring Immortal! What a sin! What a sin! I'll go fetch Physician right away!"

Bajie said, "It's no use asking them. This is a Heaven Immortal; how can Physician mortal doctor treat him?"

Ao Tu said with great worry, "What should we do? If the Immortal dies, wouldn't the sin be even greater?"

Sha Wujing said, "Second Senior Brother, don't you have a Jewel that can cure diseases? Why don't you use it to cure the Third Prince?"

Upon hearing this, Bajie glared at Sha Wujing and said:

"You're all talk! My bead can only cure minor injuries and ailments. The Third Prince is unconscious; only the Golden Elixir can heal him. How could I possibly cure him?"

Tang Sanzang said, "Bajie, the Third Prince was invited by Wukong, and now he's seriously injured. How can we ignore him? Let's give him a try!"

Ao Tu also said, "Please, Elder Zhu, give it a try!"

Bajie said, "Alright, you wait here, I'll give it a try!"

Ao Tu quickly expressed his gratitude.

Bajie then took out the Jewel, which emitted Jewel Light and shone it on Nezha. However, it only healed some minor injuries and failed to wake him up.

Bajie said, "I knew it couldn't be cured. We can only wait for my senior brother to come back and then think of a solution!"

Left with no other choice, the group could only place Nezha on a couch in the side room to rest.

As night fell and everyone went to sleep, Guanyin Bodhisattva nudged Ao Tu and said:

"Nezha is injured, are you really going to abandon him?"

Ao Tu said, "Why wouldn't I care? I'll go save him after your Old Woman falls asleep."

Guanyin Bodhisattva said, "Why do you have to wait until I'm asleep?"

Ao Tu said, "If you don't sleep, you'll surely have something to say when you see me taking medicine to save him."

Guanyin Bodhisattva said, "Saving people is a great act of kindness, how can I refuse? Just do the saving."

Upon hearing this, Ao Tu got out of bed, changed his clothes, and went out in his slippers.

When Guanyin Bodhisattva saw this, she also got up, changed her clothes, and followed behind Ao Tu.

The two went to a side room and lit the lamps.

Nezha was sleeping on the couch, his little face looking uncomfortable.

Ao Tu took off his outer garment, turned it over, and exposed his back.

On its smooth back, as delicate as a tender lotus root, was a blood-red fist mark.

Guanyin Bodhisattva said, "That punch was a bit too heavy, but you held back."

Ao Tu laughed, "I used the power of the Blood God Child, but this little Nezha's skin is too tender; he can't withstand the blow."

Guanyin Bodhisattva chuckled and patted Ao Tu, saying, "Stop joking! Who can withstand a punch from the Patriarch Styx? Quickly, save them!"

Ao Tu said, "Don't you dare talk about me!"

Guanyin Bodhisattva said, "Why would I say that about you for no reason?"

Ao Tu then poured a handful of the Three-Lights Divine Water onto Nezha's back, rubbed it in with his hands, and soon the wound was healed.

Guanyin Bodhisattva angrily said, "Good disciple, so it really wasn't the Divine Water you refined? After the Great Calamity is over, I will take you to the Chaoyin Cave and teach you to refine Divine Water of thirty thousand yuan for me!"

Ao Tu said, "You Bodhisattva, you really don't keep your word! You promised without hesitation and said that saving people is a great act of kindness, but now that I've saved them, you're saying this to me! It's truly disheartening!"

Guanyin Bodhisattva retorted angrily, "Is this how you save people?"

Ao Tu said, "Don't say anything more, Nezha is about to wake up."

Guanyin Bodhisattva then stopped speaking.

Ao Tu helped Nezha put on his outer robe, turned him over, and laid him on the couch.

Nezha's eyebrows twitched, and he opened his eyes, seeing the two old men in front of him. He asked, "Who are you?"

Ao Tu said, "Immortal, you're awake! Hua Yunlong is my son. Today I heard that an Immortal had descended, so I rushed to check and found you fallen at the foot of the mountain, so I carried you back. Elder Zhu recognized you as the Immortal Third Prince Nezha, and used his Jewel to heal your injuries. Afterwards, he put you in the house to rest. My Old Woman and I couldn't sleep at night, and we heard some noises in the house, so we came to check and sure enough, we saw the Immortal awake!"

Upon hearing this, Nezha rubbed his head, his hair falling loose and draped over his shoulders. He didn't care, stood up, and felt that he had no injuries. He then touched his back and found the remaining Three-Lights Divine Water. He immediately became suspicious, jumped off the bed, and stood barefoot on the ground, examining Ao Tu.

Ao Tu asked, "Immortal, what are you looking at?"

Nezha remained silent.

Ao Tu said, "Immortal, my dwelling is simple and cannot compare to the Palace Tower in Heaven. You're not wearing shoes, you'll just get your feet dirty!"

Upon hearing this, Nezha, hovering in mid-air, reached out and pinched Ao Tu's old arms and legs, saying, "Demon Dragon, don't lie to me, it was you who transformed, wasn't it?"

Ao Tu was confident that his transformation was flawless, even his arms and legs resembled those of an old man, so he pretended not to know and asked, "Immortal, what did you say? What Demon Dragon?"

Nezha said, "I recognize you! If you don't, I'll shout it out and teach you a lesson!"

Ao Tu had no choice but to revert to his Original Form.

Nezha laughed, "It really is you!"

Ao Tu asked, "How did you recognize me?"

Nezha sat back on the couch and casually said, "Besides you, no one else would be willing to use that Three-Lights Divine Water to save me."

Ao Tu suddenly realized.

Nezha asked curiously, "If this old man was you in disguise, then who was Hua Yunlong in disguise? He's incredibly powerful!"

Ao Tu said, "I won't tell you, but if I do, everyone else will know!"

Nezha pleaded, "Tell me! I promise I'll never tell anyone else!"

Ao Tu kept his mouth shut, refusing to utter a word.

Nezha was very curious and circled around Ao Tu, repeatedly begging him.

Ao Tu couldn't persuade him otherwise, and after making him repeatedly promise, he finally admitted that he was the Patriarch Styx.

Nezha exclaimed in surprise, "It's actually the Patriarch Styx!"

Ao Tu said, "I know that the Minghe possesses considerable power, which Wukong may find difficult to defeat, so I instructed the Minghe to hold back."

Upon hearing this, Nezha couldn't help but exclaim, "It's truly a blessing from countless lifetimes that the Monkey has befriended you!"

Ao Tu laughed and said, "There's no need to praise me like that!"

Nezha said, "There's no time to lose. I'll return to the Heavenly Realm immediately and beg His Majesty to allow my Father King to lead troops Lower Realm to suppress the bandits!"

Ao Tu stopped him, saying, "Don't rush, let Wukong go and invite him."

Nezha heard Ao Tu say this, he stopped. Then, seeing Guanyin Bodhisattva standing nearby, he asked Ao Tu:

"Speaking of which, since you've turned into an old man, who turned into this old woman?"

Guanyin Bodhisattva smiled and said, "Guess who it was?"

Nezha opened his mouth and said, "It's Jiang..."

Upon hearing this, Ao Tu knew something was wrong and quickly covered Nezha's mouth, saying, "Nezha, don't make wild guesses!"

Guanyin Bodhisattva smiled and gently lifted Ao Tu's palm.

Nezha turned and looked at Ao Tu, then fell silent.

Guanyin Bodhisattva asked curiously, "Who were you guessing just now? What was 'jiang'?"

Nezha thought for a moment and said, "Like a demon lord descended from Heaven, truly Tai Sui God realm. I guess it's the Heavenly Injury Star of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Stems Stars of the Dipper Department."

Upon Guanyin Bodhisattva smiled and transformed back into her Original Form. She extended her jade finger, flicked it, and struck Nezha's Nezha, causing him to stumble and fall, leaving a red mark between his brows. She laughed and said, "Third Prince, don't associate with this Demon Dragon; you've even learned to lie!" Then she left.

Nezha turned to look at Ao Tu, his face full of grievance.

On the other side, Spirit Mountain.

Kasyapa, leading a group of Arhats and monks, carrying hoes and plows, was working with earth and wood when he saw a pilgrim planting a tree under the Bodhi tree.

Kasyapa shouted, "Where did this monk come from, daring to sneak into the temple and seek enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree! Did he pay his Incense Offerings?"