Chapter 983
The Weaknesses of the Kings
The little demon carrying the tray clasped his hands in a fist and fist salute to the two gatekeeper demons, saying, "Brothers, don't be nervous. He's just a cleaning lackey, he means no harm. I'm delivering food to the kings, please let me in quickly, so as not to delay the kings' meal."
The two gatekeeper demons sized Chu Yang up and down, and seeing that he was indeed an inconspicuous cleaning demon with no flaws, they put down their long swords, snorted coldly, and said, "Hurry up and leave! Don't dawdle here and delay the kings' meal, or you'll lose your life!"
"Yes, yes, yes! I'll be going right away!" Chu Yang nodded hurriedly and slowly retreated. At the same time, his gaze inadvertently swept across the palace entrance, observing the palace's layout. He saw that in addition to the two gatekeeper demons, there were many hidden demons at the palace entrance, making the defenses extremely tight. It would be almost impossible to sneak into the palace.
He retreated to a corner not far away, pretending to clean, but his eyes were fixed on the palace entrance, listening to the sounds coming from inside. From within the palace came three rough voices, presumably the three Demon Kings, conversing arrogantly and confidently.
"Hahaha, that Tang Sanzang will soon be delivered to our doorstep. Once we eat his flesh, we can achieve immortality and increase our magical power by a thousand years. At that time, even the Buddha Tathagata will be unable to do anything to us!" A rough voice came, sounding very fierce. It should be the Green-haired Lion Monster.
"Big brother is right!" Another rough voice came, sounding very deep. It should be the Yellow-Toothed Elephant Monster. "That Tang Sanzang has cultivated for ten lifetimes and has not lost a single bit of his primordial yang. Eating his flesh will definitely increase our magical power a lot. At that time, we can dominate the Three Realms and no longer be bound by anyone!"
"Hmph, you two, don't be too smug." A third voice came, sounding extremely cold and oppressive. It must be the Golden-Winged Roc. "That Tang Sanzang has three disciples: Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing. Especially Sun Wukong, who is incredibly powerful, capable of seventy-two transformations, and wields the Golden Cudgel. He's extremely formidable, and we can't underestimate him. Although we've laid a trap, we can't let our guard down. We must be careful and cautious to ensure we can capture Tang Sanzang successfully and not let him escape."
"Third brother, you're too careful!" The voice of the green-haired lion monster came again. "No matter how powerful Sun Wukong is, he's no match for us three brothers! We three brothers are all incredibly powerful, and we have 48,000 lesser demons under our command. We'll lay a net that can't be spread out, so even if he has three heads and six arms, he won't be able to escape! What's more, you are the Buddha's maternal uncle, and you are extremely fast, even faster than his somersault cloud. As long as you make a move, you will definitely be able to catch that Tang Sanzang!"
"Yes, Third Brother, Big Brother is right!" The voice of the Yellow-Toothed Elephant Monster also came. "No matter how powerful Sun Wukong is, he can't stop the three of us brothers from joining forces. As long as we work together, we will definitely be able to capture Tang Sanzang, eat his flesh, and increase our magical power!"
The voice of the Golden-Winged Roc came again, its tone still cold: "That's true, but we can't underestimate our enemy. That Sun Wukong caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace back then, and even the Jade Emperor couldn't do anything to him. His strength is indeed not to be underestimated. Moreover, I've heard that he has a mortal named Chu Yang by his side. Although he's only at the late stage of Qi Refining, he's meticulous and very clever. He often comes up with schemes to help Sun Wukong resolve crises. We can't ignore him either."
"He's just a mortal, what's there to be afraid of?" the green-haired lion monster said disdainfully. "Even if he's clever, he's still just a mortal with weak magic. We can easily take care of him with a little demon we send. There's no need to worry about him at all!"
“Brother, we must not be careless,” said the Golden-Winged Roc. “The more inconspicuous a person seems, the more dangerous they are. That Chu Yang, although his magic power is weak, is meticulous and good at planning. We cannot ignore him. We must be careful and avoid being tricked by him.”
"Alright, alright, Third Brother, we understand!" the Yellow-Toothed Elephant Monster said impatiently. "We'll be careful and won't be tricked by that mortal! Let's quickly discuss how to capture Tang Sanzang, eat his flesh, and increase our magical power!"
"Very well." The voice of the Golden-Winged Roc came. "We have already deployed lesser demons at various entrances to Lion Camel Ridge, laying a net that will surround Tang Sanzang and his disciples as soon as they dare to enter Lion Camel Ridge. Then, the three of us brothers will strike and capture Tang Sanzang in one fell swoop, and eat his flesh. In addition, I will personally patrol and keep an eye on the various entrances to Lion Camel Ridge to prevent Tang Sanzang and his disciples from escaping, and also to prevent that Chu Yang from playing any tricks."
"Alright! Let's do it this way!" the green-haired lion monster and the yellow-toothed elephant monster replied in unison.
Chu Yang hid in a corner, quietly listening to the conversation of the three demon kings, secretly noting down the information: the three demon kings had already deployed lesser demons at various intersections of Lion Camel Ridge, laying a net to capture Tang Sanzang; the Golden-Winged Roc would personally patrol and watch the various intersections to prevent their escape, and the Golden-Winged Roc had already noticed him. Although he considered himself just a mortal and looked down on him, he could not be careless; the three demon kings were very confident, but they were also somewhat wary, especially the Golden-Winged Roc, who was very cautious and not easy to deal with.
He knew that if he stayed any longer, he would easily be discovered by the monsters. So, he slowly retreated, pretending to clean up, and leisurely left the vicinity of the palace to continue gathering intelligence in Lion Camel Ridge. As he walked, he observed the trap layout of Lion Camel Ridge, noting the location of each trap. At the same time, he was also looking for the weaknesses of Lion Camel Ridge, hoping to find a way to pass through it smoothly.
After walking for about half an hour, he arrived at the back of Lion Camel Ridge. The trees on the back mountain were denser than those on the front mountain, and the yin energy was more intense. A faint smell of blood and demonic energy permeated the air, sending chills down one's spine. There were also some lesser demons patrolling the entrance to the back mountain, but there were far fewer of them than on the front mountain, and the guard was relatively relaxed.
He saw a narrow path leading to the back of the mountain, overgrown with weeds and bushes, seemingly rarely frequented by demons. At the end of the path, a cave could be vaguely seen, its entrance unguarded, appearing very well hidden. A thought struck Chu Yang, and he slowly walked along the narrow path, wanting to see what the cave was like inside. Perhaps he could find some important information, or perhaps a way to safely cross Lion Camel Ridge.
He walked cautiously, his footsteps light, trying not to make a sound, avoiding the patrolling demons. The weeds and bushes on both sides of the path grew so tall that they almost completely obscured his figure. As he walked, he vigilantly observed his surroundings, afraid of being discovered by the patrolling demons.
After walking for about several dozen steps, he arrived at the entrance of the cave. The entrance was pitch black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. A faint demonic aura permeated the air, more concentrated and chilling than any other place. Chu Yang took a deep breath, concealed his presence, and cautiously stepped into the cave.
The cave was spacious, with dry grass spread on the floor and weapons and food piled up in the corners, making it look like a minor demon's warehouse. From the depths of the cave, there was a faint light and the sound of minor demons talking. Chu Yang's heart stirred, and he slowly walked deeper into the cave, carefully avoiding the weapons and food in the corners, trying not to make a sound. After walking about several dozen steps, he reached the depths of the cave, hid behind a huge stone pillar, and peered out. He saw several minor demons sitting around an oil lamp, drinking and chatting casually, their tone relaxed and seemingly very leisurely.
"Brothers, when do you think Tang Sanzang will arrive? Once we capture him, the kings will eat his flesh and increase their magical power, and they'll definitely reward us. Then we can eat and drink well and never have to suffer here again!" A little demon said loudly, holding a wine cup, his tone full of anticipation.
"Hahaha, it'll be here soon!" another little demon said with a laugh. "I heard that Tang Sanzang has already left Li Family Village and will soon arrive at Lion Camel Ridge. As soon as he enters Lion Camel Ridge, he will be surrounded by our brothers and will have no way to escape! At that time, we will be able to make a contribution and receive rewards from the kings!"
"Well, that's true, but I'm still a little worried." The third little demon sighed and said, "That Sun Wukong is too powerful. He wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace back then, and even the Jade Emperor couldn't do anything to him. Can so many of us little demons really catch him? What if we can't catch him and he gets the better of us instead? That would be troublesome!"
"You brat, don't boost others' morale and diminish our own!" the fourth demon said sternly. "We have three great demon kings in charge, and forty-eight thousand lesser demons under our command. We've laid a net that can't be pulled away. Even if that Sun Wukong is powerful, he's no match for us! What's more, the Great Roc King is extremely fast, even faster than his somersault cloud. As long as the Great Roc King makes a move, we can definitely take him down!"
“Yes, don’t worry!” the first little demon said. “As long as we do our jobs well and guard our posts, we will definitely be able to capture Tang Sanzang and receive the kings’ rewards. There’s no need to be afraid of Sun Wukong!”
"But I'm still a little worried," the third little demon said. "I heard that Sun Wukong can transform into seventy-two forms and become invisible. What if he transforms into one of us and sneaks into Lion Camel Ridge to gather intelligence, or even secretly rescues Tang Sanzang? What should we do then?"
"You're overthinking it, kid!" the fourth little demon said. "Our Lion Camel Ridge is overseen by the Great Roc King. The Great Roc King is incredibly powerful and can see through all illusions. Even if Sun Wukong transforms into one of us, he won't escape the Great Roc King's eyes! Moreover, each of us little demons has a demonic mark bestowed upon us by the kings. As long as we are outsiders, even if we transform into one of us, we won't have that demonic mark. We can easily find out who it is, so there's nothing to worry about!"
Hiding behind a stone pillar, Chu Yang's heart stirred, and he secretly memorized the following: Every lesser demon in Lion Camel Ridge has a demonic aura mark bestowed by the three great demon kings to identify them and prevent outsiders from infiltrating; the Golden-Winged Roc can see through all illusions. Although he and Sun Wukong's transformations into lesser demons looked realistic, they lacked demonic aura marks and were easily seen through by the Golden-Winged Roc. He had to be careful, gather intelligence as soon as possible, and leave Lion Camel Ridge without lingering for too long.
He continued listening to the little demons' conversation, trying to gather more information.
"Brothers, do you think the kings have any weaknesses? I've heard that every monster has its own weakness, and if we find the kings' weaknesses, we can defeat them," the first little demon asked curiously.
"You brat, are you looking for death? How dare you inquire about the Kings' weaknesses!" the fourth demon shouted sternly. "The Kings are all-powerful; what weaknesses could they possibly have? If you dare to spout nonsense again, be careful the Kings will skin you alive!"
"I was just curious and asked, that's all, I didn't mean anything by it," the first little demon said, feeling wronged.
“Being curious is not an option!” said the fourth little demon. “The weaknesses of the kings must never be inquired about. Even if we know them, we cannot speak of them, otherwise, we will only bring about our own demise! However, I have heard that the Green-haired Lion King is afraid of Manjushri Bodhisattva’s lotus seat, the Yellow-toothed Elephant King is afraid of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva’s wish-fulfilling hook, and as for the Garuda King, I do not know. I heard that he is not even afraid of the Buddha Tathagata and has no weaknesses at all.”
Chu Yang was overjoyed and secretly noted down the following: the Green-haired Lion Monster feared Manjushri Bodhisattva's lotus throne; the Yellow-toothed Elephant Monster feared Samantabhadra Bodhisattva's Ruyi Hook; and the Golden-Winged Roc's weakness was currently unknown, but it seemed extremely powerful and difficult to deal with. This information was crucial for them, allowing them to formulate targeted plans to confront the three demon kings.
Just then, the sound of patrolling demons' footsteps and shouts came from outside the cave: "Brothers inside, what are you doing? Come out and patrol now, don't slack off here! The kings ordered us to strengthen our vigilance and not to relax our guard in the slightest. If the Great Roc King finds you slacking off, you'll be in big trouble!"
Upon hearing this, the lesser demons in the cave trembled in fright, nearly dropping their wine cups. The fourth demon quickly put down his cup and said gruffly, "We know, we know! We'll go out right now! What's with the rush? You're so long-winded!"
As he spoke, he stood up first, dusted himself off, and winked at the other little demons: "Get up quickly, stop dawdling, hurry up and go out on patrol. If we get caught slacking off, none of us will have a good time!"
The other lesser demons quickly responded, stood up, and followed the fourth demon towards the cave entrance. (End of Chapter)