Volume 3: A Long Journey Chapter 347: Bull Pioneer
The pure vase in Guanyin’s hands was extremely heavy, yet it was still shaken by the lightning. Seeing Guanyin handle the situation so effortlessly, the Taoist realized he was no match for her and stopped, asking, “Which Bodhisattva are you?”
Guanyin replied, “I am Guanyin of the South Sea.”
The Taoist ordered the two people in the air to stop and said to Guanyin, “I’ve learned from you.” He then left with the two Taoists. Knowing it would be difficult to chase after them and even harder to capture them, Guanyin went to Tang Seng and examined him carefully. Tang Seng was only slightly frightened but unharmed.
Guanyin sighed and advised, “Stay away from strangers.” Tang Seng bowed and said, “I will remember that!”
Guanyin then called over the fake Wukong and said, “You’ve not made any mistakes so far on this journey, but you’ve been careless these past few days. With monstrous beasts rampaging in Qitian Ridge, don’t underestimate them.”
The Six-Eared Monkey felt slightly resentful. He had always disapproved of Wukong, and Guanyin’s words made him even more competitive. He said, “Bodhisattva, rest assured. These two incidents were my fault. If it happens again, I’m willing to accept punishment.”
Guanyin gave a few more instructions, glanced at the Two Buddha Guardians, and said, “With their secret protection, as long as you’re careful, nothing will go wrong. I need to return to the South Sea for some matters and will be back soon.”
Tang Seng and the others thanked Guanyin again. When they stood up, they found the Two Buddha Guardians gone.
Guanyin flew slowly toward the South Sea, her mind filled with thoughts. There were three thousand Buddhas in the Western Heaven and eight or nine Golden Immortals in the Heavenly Court—things she was aware of. As she traveled between the Eastern and Western Heavens, she rarely encountered immortals or Buddhas she didn’t know. But those two Buddhas and three Taoists earlier were strangers to her. Could it be that some of the Eight or Nine Golden Immortals had appeared?
As she flew, she suddenly headed west. If there was indeed some movement among the Eight or Nine Golden Immortals, it would be better to inform the Buddhas.
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West of Thorny Ridge, Dayu led Hou Yi, Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng, and others westward. When they passed through Benbo Country, they saw nothing but scorched land. Not a single living person remained in that vast territory, which filled them with anger.
Though they didn’t know who was responsible, they guessed it was likely related to the Western Heaven. Dayu had intended to stop after occupying a few thousand miles to avoid conflict with the Western Heaven. But after the ordeal in Benbo Country, he felt the urge to head straight for Ling Mountain.
As the vanguard, Da Peng went ahead to scout. After circling back, he spat and cursed, “There aren’t many settlements even in the next two or three thousand miles. But I encountered a dangerous ravine that almost drove me off the clouds.”
The Bull Demon King laughed and said, “Nonsense! How could something stink from such a distance?”
The Roc replied, “That Xi Shi Gully stretches for eight hundred li. Originally, it was a major road between two mountains. Ripe persimmons rolled down from the mountain tops over thousands of years, filling the gully completely. With rain, snow, wind, and frost, along with years of dampness, it’s utterly filthy.”
The Bull Demon King smiled and said, “You’ve indeed investigated thoroughly.”
The Roc said, “As the vanguard, one must take the lead, explore the path and enemy situation—these are all part of one’s duties.”
The Bull Demon King retorted, “That’s not right. The vanguard should clear paths through mountains and build bridges over rivers. Since you’ve seen Xi Shi Gully, why not clear this path so the rear troops can pass?”
The Roc glared at the Bull Demon King and said, “That kind of work of digging ditches is something for you to do!”
The Bull Demon King snorted and said, “If you give me the position of vanguard, I’ll surely take it on without hesitation!”
The Roc rejoiced and said, “Great! I’ll discuss this with Dayu right away. If he has no objections, starting today, the vanguard of the western expedition will be the mighty Bull Demon King!”
The Roc flew to Dayu in the rear ranks and said a few words; Dayu nodded repeatedly. When the Roc returned, he told the Bull Demon King, “Dayu has agreed. From now on, you’re the vanguard. Go and clear the path quickly!”
The Bull Demon King was stunned. He had only tried to annoy the Roc, not expecting him to actually give up the position of vanguard. Though he wanted it, he only liked fighting—not digging ditches or building bridges.
The Bull Demon King said, “You’re such a filthy creature!”
The Roc laughed and said, “Second brother, that was your own words. How could I force you?”
The Bull Demon King thought for a moment and said, “Since it’s so stinky here, how about we fly over on clouds?”
The Roc replied, “That won’t work. Many of those twenty cave demons can’t fly on clouds. What then? Besides, once we pass here, this becomes the territory of Qi Tian Ling. How could such filth be allowed in Qi Tian Ling’s domain?”
With no other choice, the Bull Demon King stomped his foot and said, “Hmph! I’ll go to Xi Shi Gully and see if it’s really as bad as you described.” The Roc laughed and said, “Just fly straight west. Don’t try to run away while you can.” The Bull Demon King glared fiercely at the Roc and said, “Wait until I’ve accomplished this feat, and then see what you have to say!” He soared westward. Indeed, after just over two thousand li, he saw a snow-white mountain range that looked like ice and snow from afar. Up close, he realized it was full of persimmon trees in bloom. Getting even closer, the stench hit him. Though the persimmon flowers had a faint fragrance, it couldn’t cover up the smell at all.
The Bull Demon King held his breath and approached to take a closer look. In the midst of the mountains, there was actually a flat road. Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t a road at all—it was pulp from persimmons mixed together, fermented and rotting, filling the original path. The Bull Demon King spread his wings and surveyed the ridge from above, feeling troubled. What the Great Roc had said was true—the Persimmon Gully indeed stretched for eight hundred li in length and one or two li in width. How much effort would it take to clean all that pulp away? Though he possessed great powers and could create a path by transforming into his true form, wouldn’t he end up covered in stinky mud and become a laughingstock to the Great Roc? As he pondered a solution, he suddenly saw white flowers swaying on the ridge, as if large areas of land were moving, with countless persimmon trees shaking along with them. The Bull Demon King, bold and skilled, descended and stood on a high branch to look down. He was too close to see a section of a red qilin—half of it exposed above ground, the other half buried underground, digging a hole. It was hard to tell whether it was a dragon or a snake. The Bull Demon King shouted, “What demon is causing trouble?” Only after shouting did he realize something was wrong—he himself was also a demon! The red qilin arched its body, and a giant tail swept silently from afar, aiming at the Bull Demon King. The Bull Demon King was delighted; he thought it would be a tedious task, but it turned out there would be a fight here too. He leaped aside, rising dozens of feet into the air, before faintly seeing the true form of the demon—it was a giant red qilin python, its head alone several feet wide, with eyes much larger than lanterns. The Bull Demon King cried, “So it’s just a little snake!” The red qilin python didn’t respond; it opened its massive mouth and tried to swallow the Bull Demon King. The Bull Demon King shook himself and transformed into his true form—a white ox, using its two huge horns to pierce the python’s body. The python moved very slowly and couldn’t dodge, so its flesh was torn apart by the Bull Demon King. The Bull Demon King shook his head and said, “So it looks good but is useless.” Seeing that the Bull Demon King was skilled in close combat, the python stopped advancing and sucked in air from afar. The Bull Demon King laughed loudly, “You still dare to try to eat old me?” The suction force was so strong that hundreds of persimmon trees were uprooted and swallowed by the python. The Bull Demon King stood firm in the stinking wind. After a while, the wind stopped, and the Bull Demon King said, “Your cultivation isn’t easy either. Do you really want to die?” Seeing that the Bull Demon King seemed willing to stop, the python retracted its true form and transformed into a man holding a spear with a soft handle. It said, “Old ox, I’m cultivating alone—what business do you have with me?” The Bull Demon King also returned to his human form and said, “This is the territory of Qi Tian Ridge—how can it not be my business?” The python spirit said doubtfully, “Are you from Qi Tian Ridge?” The Bull Demon King replied, “Why, don’t I look like it?”
The python demon said, “I’ve long heard of Qitian Ridge, where the hearts of all demons and monsters in the world gather. To dare defy the immortals in the Heavenly Court truly boosts the prestige of the demon race.”
The Bull Demon King asked, “Since you know about it, why don’t you go to Qitian Ridge to find a way out?”
The python demon replied, “What I’ve heard is just rumor. Who knows what Qitian Ridge actually looks like, whether it accepts outsiders, or what its intentions are.”
The Bull Demon King said, “Hey! You demons are really timid. There are thousands in Qitian Ridge who are more powerful than you. What do you have to gain?”
The python demon said, “It’s just… I accidentally offended an elder earlier—”
The Bull Demon King had an idea and pretended to be puzzled, “I certainly don’t care about that. But if my brothers find out, you’ll suffer greatly. Unless…”
“Unless what?” the python demon asked anxiously.
The Bull Demon King said, “Unless you can make amends through your efforts.”
The python demon replied, “How can I achieve anything in such a hurry?”
The Bull Demon King asked, “Was that your true form you showed just now?”
The python demon said, “Of course it’s my true form.”
The Bull Demon King exclaimed, “How can it be so large?”
The python demon replied, “I don’t know why either. My cultivation has stagnated for many years, yet my body keeps growing larger. It seems I’ll never reach the rank of Taiyi Golden Immortal in this lifetime.”
The Bull Demon King was amazed. Whether human or demon, once one reaches a certain level of cultivation, their body stops growing, and they focus on refining the power in their dantian. But this python demon didn’t know what cultivation method he was using, and his body kept growing despite his efforts, wasting countless opportunities. He then said, “If you can do one thing for me, I’ll find a master to help you solve this problem and ensure you reach the rank of Taiyi Golden Immortal.”
Hearing this, the python demon was overjoyed and said, “Please give me any task, elder.”
The Bull Demon King said, “Help me clear the road in Xishi Gou, and I’ll definitely keep my word.”
The python demon looked troubled and asked, “Why does the elder want to clear this road?”
The Bull Demon King replied, “My army from Qitian Ridge needs to pass through here. With such a foul smell, it will surely demoralize the soldiers.” Then, suddenly curious, he asked, “Hey, how long have you lived here?”
The python demon said, “I can’t even remember how many years. When I first arrived, this was actually a major road, with few trees on the mountain.”
The Bull Demon King asked further, “Why don’t you mind the smell? Don’t you have a sensitive nose?”
The python demon laughed and replied, “To be honest, while the elder finds it stinky, I can’t detect it at all. In fact, I even prefer this smell.”
The Bull Demon King was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter; he had also figured it out. Species in the world are all different, and their preferences naturally vary. While most people consider feces to be filthy, flies and dung beetles do not see it that way.
The Python Spirit asked, “Why is the army from Qi Tian Ling heading west? Could it be that they intend to march toward the Western Heaven?”
The Bull Demon King replied, “It’s fine to tell you—yes, they are indeed heading toward the Western Heaven!”
The Python Spirit became extremely excited and immediately said, “If it’s such an important matter, I’ll risk my life to restore Xi Shi Gou to its former state as a thoroughfare.”