bookbashuk Chapter 989 A Long-Awaited Peace of Mind
Chapter 989 A Long-Awaited Peace of Mind
Tang Sanzang looked at the Black Mountain Demon King being held in Sun Wukong's hands, a trace of pity on his face. He put his hands together and said softly, "Amitabha, Wukong, Chu Yang, now that we have captured him, let's not hurt him. I hope he can repent and turn over a new leaf."
"Master, you're just too kind!" Sun Wukong pouted. "This kind of wicked demon has committed countless evils and harmed countless living beings. He doesn't deserve any sympathy at all! If we let him go, he'll definitely go back to doing evil and continue to harm the world. It's better to just kill him to prevent future troubles!"
"Brother Monkey, Master is right," Chu Yang said softly. "Let's not kill him for now. Let's try to get information out of him first, and then we'll make our plans. Besides, killing him will only alert the monsters of Lion Camel Ridge sooner. Our most important thing right now is to leave this place as quickly as possible and get away from the Lion Camel Ridge area."
Sun Wukong thought for a moment and nodded: "Alright, I'll do as you say! But if this wicked demon dares to try anything funny, I, Old Sun, will definitely not let him off!"
With that, Sun Wukong threw the Black Mountain Demon King to the ground, stomped on his chest, and shouted sternly, "You wicked demon, confess honestly! Where are the Green-haired Lion Demon, the Yellow-toothed Elephant Demon, and the Golden-Winged Roc now? Also, what arrangements have the lesser demons of Lion Camel Ridge made? What other schemes and tricks do you have up your sleeves?"
The Black Mountain Demon King lay on the ground, panting under Sun Wukong's weight, yet he still refused to speak, glaring fiercely at Sun Wukong: "Hmph, if you want me to reveal any information, you'll have to kill me! You won't get anything out of me!"
"Oh ho, you've got guts!" Sun Wukong sneered, increasing the pressure of his foot. "You impudent demon, I see you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin! I, Old Sun, have plenty of ways to make you talk. If you still refuse to confess, I'll pull out your teeth and tear out your tendons, letting you taste a fate worse than death!"
The Black Mountain Demon King trembled with pain, more black blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, yet he still gritted his teeth and refused to speak. He knew that if he revealed the information, the three great kings would definitely not let him go, and he would die an even more miserable death. It was better to be tough now; perhaps there was still a glimmer of hope for him.
"Brother Monkey, stop wasting your breath on him." Chu Yang squatted down, looking at the Black Mountain Demon King with icy eyes. "Since he won't talk, we'll have to use some methods. I know demons are afraid of fire, so let's roast him with fire and see if he still dares to be stubborn!"
As he spoke, Chu Yang raised his hand, a spark flickering at his fingertips, and brought it close to the Black Mountain Demon King's face. The flame was extremely hot, making the Black Mountain Demon King's face burn. He couldn't help but shiver, a hint of fear appearing in his eyes. He wasn't afraid of Sun Wukong's staff, but he feared the raging fire. The fire would scorch his demonic energy, causing him unbearable pain, and might even cause him to lose all his cultivation.
"No, no, don't roast me with fire!" The Black Mountain Demon King finally gave in, his voice trembling as he said, "I'll tell you, I'll tell you everything! Don't roast me with fire, I'll tell you everything!"
Sun Wukong sneered, lightening his pace slightly: "Wouldn't it have been better to do this sooner? Why suffer all this for nothing! Quickly tell me, where are the three great demon kings now? What arrangements have the lesser demons of Lion Camel Ridge made?"
The Black Mountain Demon King took a breath and slowly said, "The three great kings are currently in the central palace of Lion Camel Ridge. They are discussing how to capture Tang Sanzang, eat his flesh, and increase their magical power. The Green-Haired Lion Demon King has ordered us to deploy lesser demons at every intersection of Lion Camel Ridge, laying a net to prevent Tang Sanzang and his disciples from escaping. Moreover, the Golden-Winged Roc King has also sent many lesser demons to patrol around Lion Camel Ridge. If they find anything unusual, they are to immediately report to the three great kings."
He paused, then continued, "In addition, the Green-haired Lion King is highly powerful and skilled in transformation. He can change size and swallow a mountain whole. The Yellow-toothed Elephant King is incredibly strong. His trunk can lift a thousand-pound object and he can also breathe water and fire. The Golden-winged Roc King is extremely fast. With a flap of his wings, he can fly tens of thousands of miles. Moreover, he can see through all illusions. No demon or monster can escape his eyes."
"Furthermore, our Lion Camel Ridge has 48,000 lesser demons, each with extraordinary skills. Moreover, each lesser demon bears a demonic mark bestowed by the three great kings to identify them and prevent outsiders from infiltrating. The three great kings have also set up a powerful formation in the central palace of Lion Camel Ridge called the 'Ten Thousand Demon Formation.' Once activated, the formation can trap anyone who enters Lion Camel Ridge, and even immortals would find it difficult to escape."
Sun Wukong and Chu Yang listened intently to the Black Mountain Demon King's words, their expressions gradually becoming serious. They hadn't expected the three demon kings of Lion Camel Ridge to be so powerful, with so many arrangements, and even a powerful formation. If they hadn't escaped in time and had been surrounded by the three demon kings and their lesser demons, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
"So, what other schemes and tricks do you have up your sleeve?" Chu Yang continued, his eyes warily fixed on the Black Mountain Demon King. "Three Great Kings, do you have other plans to capture us?"
The Black Mountain Demon King hurriedly said, "No, there are no other schemes or tricks! The three kings just want to capture Tang Sanzang as soon as possible, eat his flesh, and increase their magical power. They didn't expect that you would sneak into Lion Camel Ridge and escape successfully. I was patrolling when I noticed that the little demons in the back mountain were missing. I felt something was wrong, so I came to check and found you. Then I chased after you."
"Is what you're saying true? You're not lying to us?" Sun Wukong asked sternly, increasing the pressure of his foot. "If I, Old Sun, find out you're lying to me, I will definitely not forgive you!"
"No, no! I wouldn't dare lie to you!" the Black Mountain Demon King hurriedly said, his voice trembling. "Everything I said is true, not a single lie! If you don't believe me, you can go to the central palace of Lion Camel Ridge and see for yourself. The three kings are indeed discussing matters there, and there are indeed lesser demons stationed at each intersection."
Sun Wukong and Chu Yang exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of seriousness in each other's eyes. They knew that what the Black Mountain Demon King said was probably true; the three great demon kings were indeed difficult to deal with. Moreover, the defenses of Lion Camel Ridge were extremely tight. If they encountered the three great demon kings again in the future, they must be extra careful and not let their guard down.
"Master, look, this wicked demon has already revealed the information. What should we do with him now?" Sun Wukong asked Tang Sanzang.
Tang Sanzang looked at the Black Mountain Demon King, clasped his hands together, and said softly, "Amitabha, Wukong, Chu Yang, since he has already revealed the information and has not harmed us, let him go. I hope he can repent and start anew, abandon evil and do good, and stop committing evil deeds and harming living beings."
"Master, why did you release him?" Pigsy hurriedly asked. "This wicked demon has committed countless evils. If we release him, he will surely go back and follow the Three Great Kings to continue his evil deeds and harm the world. In that case, even more people will be harmed by him!"
"Bajie, monks should be compassionate," Tang Sanzang said softly. "Although he has committed many evils, he still has a chance to repent and start anew. Let's give him a chance and hope that he can realize his mistakes and abandon evil for good."
Sun Wukong frowned and said, "Master, you're too kind! This kind of wicked demon will never change his ways. Letting him go will only cause endless trouble!"
"Brother Monkey, Master is right," Chu Yang said softly. "Let's release him. Even if we kill him, Lion Camel Ridge still has 48,000 lesser demons and three great demon kings. It won't change anything. Besides, releasing him might make him grateful and prevent him from making things difficult for us in the future. Even if he's not grateful, when he goes back and tells the three great kings that we've left Lion Camel Ridge, they might not send anyone to chase after us. Because right now, what they care about most is how to capture Tang Sanzang. Since we've already left Lion Camel Ridge, even if they send people after us, they might not be able to find us."
Sun Wukong thought for a moment and nodded: "Alright, I'll listen to you! However, if this wicked demon dares to do evil again, I, Old Sun, will chase him to the ends of the earth and kill him!"
With that, Sun Wukong lifted his foot, releasing it from the Black Mountain Demon King's chest, and sternly rebuked him, "You wicked demon, I, Old Sun, will release you today, hoping you can repent, abandon evil and do good, and stop committing so many evil deeds and harming living beings! If I, Old Sun, find out that you have done evil again, I, Old Sun, will definitely not forgive you!"
The Black Mountain Demon King quickly scrambled to his feet, rubbing his chest and hind legs. A look of relief and gratitude crossed his face. He bowed deeply to Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong, saying, "Thank you, Master Tang Sanzang! Thank you, Great Sage Equal to Heaven! Thank you, Young Master Chu Yang! From now on, I will definitely repent and reform, abandoning evil and embracing good. I will never again commit evil deeds or harm living beings! I will now leave Lion Camel Ridge, find a secluded place, and cultivate diligently, never again venturing out to harm humanity!"
With that, the Black Mountain Demon King turned around and limped toward Lion Camel Ridge. His hind legs had been broken by Sun Wukong, making it very difficult for him to walk, but he dared not stop for a moment, fearing that Sun Wukong would change his mind and kill him again.
Watching the Black Mountain Demon King's figure gradually disappear, Pigsy curled his lip and said, "Master, I don't think this wicked demon will ever repent. He'll definitely go back to inform the three great kings, and then bring his little demons to chase after us again!"
"Bajie, don't judge a gentleman by your own standards," Tang Sanzang said softly. "We've already given him a chance, hoping he can repent and turn away from evil. Even if he does go back to report, we've already left Lion Camel Ridge. As long as we quicken our pace and leave this place as soon as possible, they might not be able to find us."
"Master is right," Chu Yang said softly. "Our most important task now is to leave this place as soon as possible, get away from the Lion Camel Ridge area, find a safe place to rest for the night, and continue our journey westward tomorrow. Moreover, we have already obtained information about the three great demon kings from the Black Mountain Demon King, so we will be prepared if we encounter them again in the future, and we won't be caught off guard."
Sun Wukong nodded and said, "That's right! We need to leave here quickly and get away from Lion Camel Ridge, lest things get complicated and the three demon kings discover that the Black Mountain Demon King has returned and send people after us, we'll be in trouble! Master, Pigsy, Brother Chu Yang, let's go!"
"Alright!" Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, and Chu Yang responded in unison.
As they spoke, Sun Wukong helped Tang Sanzang onto the back of the white dragon horse, Chu Yang walked in front to scout the road, and Zhu Bajie carried the luggage at the back. The group headed into the depths of the forest. At this time, the waning moon had completely hidden behind the dark clouds, and the forest was pitch black. Only the flame at Chu Yang's fingertips emitted a faint light, illuminating the path beneath their feet.
The eerie wind continued to howl through the woods, causing the leaves to tremble and whimper, as if telling of the sinister and terrifying nature of Lion Camel Ridge. In the distance, a faint trace of demonic energy and the howls of lesser demons could be seen from Lion Camel Ridge, but they grew farther and farther away, gradually disappearing into the night.
"Brother Monkey, do you think the Black Mountain Demon King will really repent and turn over a new leaf?" Walking along the path, Pigsy couldn't help but ask, his tone filled with doubt and worry.
Sun Wukong sneered and said, "Who knows! This kind of wicked demon is hard to change. Even if he says he'll repent now, he might immediately regret it after returning and continue to do evil with the three great demon kings. However, we've already released him. Even if he regrets it, we're not afraid. I, Old Sun, am very capable. Even if the three demon kings bring a million lesser demons after us, I, Old Sun, can protect Master and you all and defeat them soundly!"
"Brother Monkey is right!" Chu Yang said with a smile. "Brother Monkey is very capable. Even if the three demon kings really come after us, we are not afraid! Moreover, we have already found out their intelligence, their weaknesses and plans. In the future, when we encounter them again, we can deal with them in a targeted manner and not be caught off guard."
Tang Sanzang nodded slightly and said softly, "Amitabha, may the Black Mountain Demon King truly repent, abandon evil and do good, and stop committing so many evils and harming living beings. The journey to the West is already full of hardships, and we have encountered too many monsters. I hope that in the future we will encounter fewer monsters, and that we can successfully travel west and obtain the true scriptures."
The group walked and talked, their steps never faltering as they ventured deeper into the woods. Night deepened, and the eerie atmosphere of the forest gradually dissipated, replaced by a refreshing scent of grass and trees that brought a sense of peace. The footsteps of the white dragon horse, the panting of Pigsy, and the chatter of the group stood out clearly in the silent forest, carrying with them a palpable sense of hope.
After walking for about half an hour, they finally emerged from the woods and arrived at a clearing meadow. Wildflowers grew all around, emitting a faint fragrance. In the distance, the mountain ranges, shrouded in night, were faintly visible, exuding an aura of tranquility and peace. Completely different from the eerie terror of Lion Camel Ridge, here there was no demonic aura, no roars, only peace and serenity, bringing a long-lost sense of security. (End of Chapter)