The Great Black Yaksha

Zhuang Yan used the Earth Gods spread throughout the human world to quickly transmit decrees to the righteous gods in every region of Guangci Prefecture.

Over several months, righteous gods from all over the land successively went to the Spirit Platform Divine Mansion to pay their respects to Zhuang Yan and be registered. Once no more righteous gods arrived, Zhuang Yan led the Fire Spirit True Immortal, Chi Ling, and Vanguard Hu to patrol the entire territory, ensuring nothing was missed.

Half a year later, the divine system of Guangci Prefecture was completely under Zhuang Yan's control. He issued the Divine Mansion's charter, ordering Chi Ling and Vanguard Hu to patrol the territory twice each month, while the Fire Spirit True Immortal would inspect once every three months, focusing on monitoring rogue spirits and cultivators to prevent them from causing chaos in the human world.

In the third month, news arrived from the True Palace of Great Mystery that the Four Great Demon Sages who had allied with the Great Black Yaksha had been executed on the Demon Slaying Platform. On Spirit Mountain, the Asura Tribe was implicated due to Jie Hanli's affairs. Luohu was deposed, and the Buddhist Sect appointed Pazhi as the new Asura King. All involved clan members were executed. The Peacock King was reprimanded by Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva for the transgressions of its mount, Kong Ling, and had ten thousand merits stripped away. With this, the Heavenly Sin Blade was completely quelled.

Time flew by, and ten years passed in the blink of an eye. In Zhuang Yan's humble abode, he reviewed the 720 points of Heavenly Dao Power and decided to add six "Status" functions, each costing 20 points.

After consuming 120 points, Zhuang Yan put away the remaining 600 points of Heavenly Dao Power. He counted on his fingers and sighed at the swift passage of time. He activated "Scour Heavenly Secrets" and, amidst the myriad of information, captured a crucial piece. A smile spread across his face. "Finally, I've waited for this moment."

He rose and pushed open the door, seeing Hu Lailai and Hu Ququ, who had grown into young tiger spirits, standing guard outside the cloud chamber. The two tigers swayed their heads but remained motionless.

Zhuang Yan approached and discovered that the brothers had fallen asleep leaning against the door of his cloud chamber.

The corners of his lips turned up. Without disturbing them, he left the small courtyard alone and entered the Mountain God Hall in the main hall of the Divine Mansion.

At this moment, the Fire Spirit True Immortal was tidying the divine desk inside the hall. Upon seeing Zhuang Yan appear, he hurried forward to bow. "Has the Prefecture Lord emerged from seclusion?"

Zhuang Yan nodded slightly. "Have there been any major events in these past years?"

The Fire Spirit True Immortal replied, "Thanks to the Prefecture Lord's blessings, Guangci Prefecture has been peaceful all these years. It's all been trivial matters."

"That's good," Zhuang Yan said. He then asked, "Has Sun Wukong ever visited?"

The Fire Spirit True Immortal pondered for a moment. "After being defeated by Vanguard Hu and Chi Ling six years ago, he hasn't set foot on Danchi Ridge again. Perhaps he's sulking and won't come back after successive setbacks?"

Zhuang Yan chuckled. "He's not the type to sulk. He must have gone back to cultivate diligently."

He then asked, "Where are Vanguard Hu and Chi Ling?"

The Fire Spirit True Immortal pointed outside the hall. "They are outside practicing martial arts."

Zhuang Yan stepped out of the Divine Mansion. Ten years of time had made the peach trees in front of the mansion even more lush. In the late spring, the trees were covered in peach blossoms, blazing like flames. Distant sounds of fighting rumbled. He transformed into a streak of light and flew to the gentle slope outside Danchi Ridge. He saw lush green grass, and a demon general with a tiger's head and human body, wielding a large saber, was fiercely battling a red-scaled giant python.

It was Vanguard Hu and Chi Ling. Vanguard Hu's Heavenly Sin Blade gleamed with cold light, and the sound of it cutting through the air was incessant. The blade struck Chi Ling's body, colliding with her red scales and sending sparks flying, emitting a metallic clang.

Chi Ling repeatedly tried to coil her body around her opponent but was always forced back by the Heavenly Sin Blade. Vanguard Hu did not unleash the great sin technique—this was a divine ability recorded in the True Art of Refining Dharma and Eliminating Sinful Karma. If the Heavenly Sin Blade were activated with the secret method, it might have severed Chi Ling with a single strike.

Even so, the might of an Immortal Artifact was not to be underestimated. After blocking ten strikes, Chi Ling could no longer hold on and cried out to stop. Vanguard Hu retracted his stance and retreated, carrying the long saber on his shoulder. By the time Chi Ling returned to human form, she was covered in bruises, and several places on her cheeks were swollen.

"I'm not fighting anymore," she complained, rubbing her arm. "Your saber is too powerful."

Having watched until this point, Zhuang Yan was convinced that this woman was definitely not the python spirit on the journey to the West. How could an ordinary snake demon withstand ten strikes from an Immortal Artifact? Although Chi Ling had not yet become an immortal, her red scales were as hard as refined iron. Such talent was truly rare.

Seeing them stop fighting, he called out, "Vanguard Hu, Chi Ling, come here."

The two, turning their heads upon hearing his voice, immediately showed joy and flew closer to bow. "Greetings, Prefecture Lord."

Zhuang Yan asked with a smile, "Who is superior between you two now?"

Chi Ling pointed at her companion and said directly, "He is."

Vanguard Hu grinned and said, "Prefecture Lord, in terms of weapon skills, I am superior to Chi Ling. If we were to fight bare-handed, the outcome would be hard to predict."

Chi Ling snorted lightly. "Without weapons? One sweep of my tail and a coil, and you wouldn't be able to resist."

Zhuang Yan smiled calmly and said to Chi Ling, "A strong physique is important, but Magic Treasures and weapons are also indispensable. If your methods are too simple, your opponent can easily find your weaknesses."

Chi Ling twisted the hem of her clothes and said softly, "But I have neither Magic Treasures nor weapons to use."

Zhuang Yan flicked his sleeve, and amidst flowing immortal light, a golden halberd appeared in his palm. The Heavenly King Golden Halberd, also an immortal treasure.

Chi Ling's eyes lit up, and she stared directly at the halberd, her eyes full of joy.

"I shall bestow this halberd upon you," Zhuang Yan said with a smile.

Chi Ling was overjoyed and immediately knelt and kowtowed. "Thank you, Prefecture Lord, for bestowing this treasure!" She rose, took the halberd, and caressed it with great affection.

Zhuang Yan instructed, "Refine it well when you return."

Chi Ling nodded heavily, her red eyes flashing. She knelt again and kowtowed three times. "Prefecture Lord's great kindness! This halberd is exactly what I wanted!"

Zhuang Yan smiled and lightly patted her head three times. He then said to both of them, "I am going to Mount Fangcun. You two guard the mountain gate well."

The two responded in unison, "We will strictly obey the Prefecture Lord's command."

Mount Fangcun, outside the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars.

As Zhuang Yan arrived at the mountain gate, he heard Patriarch Bodhi sternly reprimanding, "Wukong! I taught you divine abilities for you to flaunt them in front of others?"

Sun Wukong hastily knelt. "I know my mistake, I beg my master's forgiveness!"

Patriarch Bodhi waved his sleeve. "Enough, you may go."

Sun Wukong's tears streamed down his face. "Where is Master going?"

"Where I came from, I shall return."

Sun Wukong sobbed uncontrollably. "I have followed Master for over ten years and have yet to repay your kindness. How can I dare to leave?"

Patriarch Bodhi said indifferently, "What kindness is there? Do not cause trouble in the future, and do not implicate me."

With that, he waved his whisk. "Go quickly! From this day forward, do not mention my name. Our master-disciple relationship has ended."

Sun Wukong trembled, and as he looked up, he saw his master's retreating back disappear into the cave. With tears in his eyes, he kowtowed three times, and then, looking back at every step, he withdrew from the mountain gate.

Just outside the mountain gate, Sun Wukong saw Zhuang Yan and hurried forward to bow: "Prefect! I've been expelled by my master, please put in a good word for me!" How can I leave without repaying his kindness?

Zhuang Yan chuckled: "Wukong, your master-disciple relationship with Bodhi Daoist only lasts for ten years, you cannot force it."

"I was about to go in to visit. You wait here for a moment."

Sun Wukong nodded repeatedly: "I implore you, Prefect, to put in a good word for me!"

Zhuang Yan smiled slightly, patted Sun Wukong's shoulder, turned, and stepped into the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars.

Sun Wukong watched his retreating back, wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, and silently walked to a green stone on the cliff edge to sit and space out.

Patriarch Bodhi, seeing Zhuang Yan's arrival, happily ordered a young disciple to prepare a banquet with fruits and asked with a smile: "Little friend, have you emerged from your seclusion today?"

"Indeed," Zhuang Yan replied with a smile, "I've come specifically to catch up with you, Daoist friend."

Patriarch Bodhi stroked his beard and nodded: "You've been in seclusion for many years, have you gained anything?"

"Only a slight increase in magical power and cultivation, nothing else," Zhuang Yan said frankly.

"Cultivation relies on opportunity," Patriarch Bodhi comforted him. "Sometimes, even sitting in meditation for a hundred years yields no progress."

Zhuang Yan suddenly asked: "Daoist friend, how many years have you been cultivating?"

Patriarch Bodhi shook his head and chuckled: "Since the heavens and earth first opened and the world came into being, I have sought knowledge from the Three Pure Ones, sought dharma from the Western Heaven, studied Confucianism with Kong Qiu, learned farming from a farmer, fished with a fisherman, sought advice from a hunter, and studied with the God of War... Anyone with a specialized path, I have taken human form to learn from them."

Zhuang Yan exclaimed: "Such diligent study is truly unparalleled in the world. Have you perhaps integrated the strengths of all schools of thought?"

Patriarch Bodhi said proudly: "I have gathered the strengths of many, discarded the false and preserved the true, and understand all teachings from the three religions and nine schools of thought."

After praising him, Zhuang Yan changed the subject: "I met Wukong at the mountain gate just now and heard that you expelled him from your tutelage?"

Patriarch Bodhi waved away the surrounding disciples, confirmed that they were alone, and then smiled mysteriously: "Little friend, you once asked me about my connection with Venerable Subhuti, who is under Tathagata?"

Zhuang Yan's eyes immediately lit up.

"That Venerable Subhuti," Patriarch Bodhi stroked his beard, "is precisely the Dharma Body I manifested when I sought dharma from Tathagata back then."

"It is so!" Zhuang Yan was filled with solemn respect. So, in his pursuit of Buddhist dharma, he had actually split his Dharma Body to join the Buddhist sect and eventually became one of Tathagata's ten great...

Zhuang Yan pressed: "Is that Venerable Subhuti still serving Tathagata on Spirit Mountain?"

"Since it is a Buddhist Dharma Form that has been cultivated," Patriarch Bodhi said leisurely, "it is fitting for it to remain in the Western Heaven."

"Do you have any Dharma Bodies in the Daoist sect?"

"None," Patriarch Bodhi chuckled. "When I went to learn the Dao from the Three Pure Ones in the past, I went in my true form. After achieving my goal, I bid farewell and descended the mountain."

Zhuang Yan suddenly understood and said earnestly: "Daoist friend, telling me such a secret truly makes me feel deeply grateful."

Patriarch Bodhi smiled gently: "Firstly, it is out of consideration for our friendship, and secondly, it is also related to Wukong's matter."

Zhuang Yan listened intently.

"There are three reasons for expelling him from the mountain," Patriarch Bodhi recounted slowly. "First, to avoid disaster; second, because he has his own great destiny; and third, my master-disciple bond with him is limited to ten years."

Zhuang Yan frowned: "The latter two points are understandable, but this talk of avoiding disaster... Is there a danger to his life even within your cave?"

Patriarch Bodhi smiled meaningfully: "I have been opening altars and teaching disciples here, and someone has been secretly watching for a long time."

Patriarch Bodhi looked at Zhuang Yan and said slowly: "Wukong is naturally unruly and loves to show off. I taught him spells and divine abilities, but he flaunted them everywhere, inevitably attracting trouble. Little friend, if a powerful but undisciplined demon appeared on Spirit Platform Mountain, could you tolerate him?"

Zhuang Yan nodded in agreement: "But by expelling him from your tutelage and leaving him without your protection, won't he be even more dangerous?"

"Leaving this place is actually safer. The Dao I have taught him is enough for him to roam the Three Realms. If he were to continue as my disciple, he would surely encounter calamity. Moreover, his destiny holds other fortuitous encounters. Once he leaves here, a powerful being will naturally protect him," Patriarch Bodhi explained.

Zhuang Yan understood in his heart that this so-called powerful being was naturally the Tathagata of the Western Heaven.

Now that Patriarch Bodhi has severed his master-disciple relationship with Sun Wukong and driven him down the mountain, it perfectly aligns with the will of heaven, allowing him to escort Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West in the future.

If Sun Wukong had remained in the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars, someone would have tried every means to force him down the mountain, and by then, it would not have been so simple.

After all, escorting Tang Sanzang on his pilgrimage was a matter of destiny, and it could not be escaped.

"So that's how it is," Zhuang Yan nodded in agreement.

Patriarch Bodhi suddenly changed the subject: "Little friend, your Dao is quite peculiar. I cannot discern its origin. Although I know you are an Innate Being, your divine abilities do not belong to any school within the Three Realms."

Zhuang Yan replied with a smile: "My Dao and divine abilities are all innate; they were not acquired through later cultivation."