Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

Juling Shen looked at the well-prepared Six Brothers of Meishan and those Grassroot Gods before him and knew that he couldn't enter on his own; he didn't persist but just snorted coldly and left.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"What a petty man, too scared to provoke that monkey so he thought about picking on these little ones!" The Six Brothers of Meishan always despised those who bullied the weak.

"He was called a pus-filled blister by that monkey, a phrase that spread throughout Heavenly Court; now he's become a laughingstock throughout the entire capital, naturally he's furious. But this kind of act of revenge on the monkey's descendants is truly disgraceful."

"Let him be, as long as we protect Huaguo Mountain, it'll be fine. If that person who once fought with Yang Jian comes here again and dares to cross over, he might well suffer." The few thought of that person, feeling amazed at how such two skilled individuals suddenly emerged in the three realms, previously unknown and potentially disciples of some highly skilled master.

Yet, soon they saw flames erupting from Huaguo Mountain, causing them to curse loudly, "Who set the fire without our orders?"

Before long, a Grassroot God came to report, "It wasn't us who set the fire; it was Li Tianwang's men, by the time we got there the fire had already grown fierce."

The Six Brothers of Meishan frowned, "I heard those monkeys are hiding in The Water Fall Cave; this fire shouldn't harm them, but this guy took advantage of the situation—truly disgraceful."

Therefore, they ordered their subordinates to be vigilant and forbade anyone from entering Huaguo Mountain again.

The great battle had ended, and the people of Heavenly Court had already returned to Heavenly Court, while the Six Brothers of Meishan also returned to the mouth of Guan River with the Grassroot Gods. They did not enter deeper into the mountains as they still considered themselves enemies. Now, with Yang Jian's rising fame, it would not be good if someone used this against them to spread rumors.

Marshal Ma kept the monkeys hidden under the Water Curtain Cave, not daring to make a sound. For them, waiting was agony. After several days without hearing any cries from outside, they figured the Heavenly Army must have returned and finally sent a small monkey to scout.

The scenery of Huaguo Mountain was nothing like before—A great fire had turned the entire mountain into scorched earth, and the Six Sages of Meishan didn't spare those little demons who had revolted against Heavenly Court alongside Sun Wukong.

Bodies lay everywhere, and fresh blood stained the mountain red. The Demon Kings of Huaguo Mountain, once dominant, were now either dead or had fled.

The wide, clear river in front of the Water Curtain Cave was now filthy as well, with ruined weapons and flags soaking in the blood-red waters, evoking a sense of desolation.

Upstream there was a wide waterfall, behind which was a hidden stone bridge, and a small monkey quietly emerged from under the bridge, carefully surveying his surroundings.

This glimpse shocked the little monkey—Was this still the Huaguo Mountain where he had grown up playing? The bird songs and fragrances of flowers, the dense jungle of before had vanished, replaced now only by blood and flames, the new theme of Huaguo Mountain.

Tears flowed uncontrollably from the little monkey's eyes, a sad testament to the destruction of his home and the sorrow of having nowhere to return to.

Soon, as if unable to await the return of the little monkey inside, other monkeys emerged one after another from various hiding spots, all stunned by the sight before them.

The monkeys who had always lived in the Blessed Land of Huaguo Mountain had never seen such a brutal scene. For a moment, these monkeys, having just narrowly escaped disaster, stood bewildered in front of the waterfall. Their Great King had been captured and taken to the Heavenly Court, and no one was left to lead them. They were utterly lost.

Just then, an auspicious cloud descended from the sky, and a young Scholar, with a treasured sword at his waist and a graceful composure, landed. It was Lu Yu, who had rushed over from the Chen Kingdom.

He had been preaching by the river for several days, guessing that the great battle at Huaguo Mountain had ceased, before he finally set out. After all, he was far from being a match for the immortals of the Heavenly Court at the time, let alone thinking about changing the monkeys' fate.

The matter of the Journey to the West seemed merely a scheme for the spreading of Buddhism in the east, but upon closer consideration, something seemed off. Though the power of faith was indeed a remarkable force, it was dispensable for the Great Luo Immortals and even less significant for the high and mighty Saints.

Therefore, Lu Yu concluded that there must be undisclosed schemes by the powerful deities in heaven, which is why he dared not show himself in this turmoil lightly.

The only thing he could do was to watch over the monkeys' homeland and take care of their offspring.

Nevertheless, even he was shocked by the sight before him, having not anticipated the war to be so devastating. He wondered what the Jade Emperor was thinking; could it be that he intended to use bloodshed to declare the majesty of the Heavenly Court?

The arrival of Lu Yu gave the monkeys quite a scare, as they were already on edge, sensing danger in every rustle of leaves. But when they saw that it was Lu Yu, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

These monkeys certainly recognized Lu Yu. Although he had not visited Huaguo Mountain often or stayed for long, anyone familiar with their Great King knew that Mr. Lu held a special place in Sun Wukong's heart — even the Demon Kings who frequently came to drink at Huaguo Mountain could not compare, so they were thrilled to see Lu Yu.

"Mr. Lu, you've come. Thanks to your wisdom, we were able to escape safely from this war," Marshal Ma remembered Lu Yu's advice and had led the monkeys to quietly hide under the stone slabs.

"Mr. Lu, please save our Great King with your divine skills. He has been captured by the Heavenly Court for many days now!" Marshal Ma viewed Lu Yu as his only hope and thus knelt on the ground, begging desperately.

"Alas! It's not that I won't save him, but I truly am powerless. I always advised the monkey to cultivate his character and avoid recklessness. Unfortunately, he did not take my advice." At these words, the monkeys' faces turned ashen; for them, Sun Wukong was their faith.

"However, rest assured, the monkey will not lose his life over this. However, it might be a long time before you see him again!" Lu Yu shifted his tone, finally putting the monkeys at ease.

In fact, having seen the last of the Heavenly Court's stance, the young monkeys also understood that their Great King had caused a serious trouble and didn't hold much hope.

Lu Yu, ignoring the expressions of the monkeys, looked over the devastated Huaguo Mountain, and thought to himself, "Since I'm here, I must keep watch over the monkeys' home. This situation is a bit hard to overlook."

Just then, as if the sky, previously clear for thousands of miles, suddenly filled with clouds, a large group of Heavenly Soldiers and Generals appeared. Leading them was a big man with a beard, holding a Giant Axe and wearing armor, cursing under his breath.

"Hmph! That damned Protector of the Horse has ruined my reputation for an entire lifetime. If I can't deal with him, why can't I deal with his monkey descendants? I must spill blood into rivers this time, or else I won't be able to quell the rage in my heart!"