Chapter 984
I beg Your Majesty to investigate!
Chu Yang hid behind a stone pillar, holding his breath, pressed tightly against the cold rock wall, his eyes fixed on the figures of the few lesser demons, his heart pounding faster than ever. He could clearly hear his own heartbeat, which sounded exceptionally clear in the silent cave, and he could also smell the strong demonic aura emanating from the lesser demons, mixed with the stench of alcohol, making him feel nauseous.
The oil lamp in the cave flickered, casting distorted shadows on the rock walls that resembled menacing monsters, exuding a sinister and terrifying aura. Chu Yang lowered his head slightly, concealing his presence and trying to make himself appear even smaller, hiding behind a stone pillar to prevent the lesser demons from discovering him.
"Hurry up! Stop dawdling, do you want to die?" The patrolling demon at the door shouted again when he saw that the demons inside were not coming out for a long time. The footsteps were getting closer and closer, and it sounded like there were at least three or four patrolling demons.
"Coming, coming! Don't rush me!" the fourth little demon replied, quickening his pace and leading the way out of the cave. The other little demons followed closely behind, heads bowed, not daring to slacken in the slightest.
"You lot have quite the nerve, daring to slack off and drink here. If the kings find out, you'll see how you die!" The patrolling demon's voice rang out again, its tone fierce and full of warning. "Get back to patrolling with us right now, or I'll skin you alive!"
"Yes, yes, yes! We won't dare to do it again! We'll patrol with you right away!" The fourth little demon quickly put on a smiling face, apologized in a low voice, his tone full of flattery, and there was no trace of the arrogance he had shown in the cave just now.
The footsteps gradually faded away until they disappeared completely at the end of the path. Only then did Chu Yang slowly breathe a sigh of relief and emerge from behind the stone pillar. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his eyes scanning the cave entrance warily. After confirming that there were no other lesser demons, he quickly walked towards the cave entrance.
The cave entrance remained pitch black. The weeds and bushes outside rustled gently in the eerie wind, sounding as if a monster were lurking in the shadows, sending chills down one's spine. Chu Yang took a deep breath, concealing his presence, and cautiously stepped out of the cave, slowly making his way along the path towards the front of the mountain. He walked slowly and quietly, trying to make as little noise as possible, while constantly scanning his surroundings, vigilantly observing for any movement, lest he encounter a patrolling demon.
The yin energy on the back mountain was even denser than on the front mountain. A gust of wind carried a biting chill, rustling the leaves like the howling of ghosts. The distant mountains, shrouded in mist, were vaguely visible, their outlines blurred, exuding a mysterious and terrifying aura. As Chu Yang walked, he mentally calculated: Now, he had gathered considerable intelligence, knowing the three demon kings' plans and some of their weaknesses. It was time to leave Lion Camel Ridge, reunite with Sun Wukong, tell him the information he had gathered, and then, with his master and Pigsy, find a way to evade the spies of Lion Camel Ridge and pass through safely.
Meanwhile, Sun Wukong, disguised as a patrolling demon, was leisurely patrolling the front of Lion Camel Ridge, following behind the minor leader. While pretending to patrol, he constantly scanned his surroundings, observing the demons' formations, and simultaneously searching for an opportunity to leave Lion Camel Ridge.
"Hey! What are you daydreaming about? Get moving!" The leader turned around and glared at Sun Wukong, impatiently scolding, "The kings ordered us to strengthen our defenses and carefully check every corner. We can't be careless in the slightest. If strangers break into Lion Camel Ridge, or if Tang Sanzang and his disciples escape, we'll all die!"
Sun Wukong quickly snapped out of his daze, feigning fear, and nodded hastily: "Yes, yes, yes! I dare not be distracted! I'll leave right away! I'll check carefully and make sure no strangers enter Lion Camel Ridge, nor let Tang Sanzang and his disciples escape!"
As he spoke, he quickened his pace, following behind the minor leader, his eyes still scanning the surroundings. He saw that there were more patrolling demons on the front mountain than he had imagined; every few steps there was a demon, each with a wary expression, armed, and heavily guarded. Moreover, checkpoints had been set up at every entrance to Lion Camel Ridge, each guarded by at least four demons, making it virtually impossible to leave Lion Camel Ridge from the front.
"Chief, look, that's the eastern entrance to our Lion Camel Ridge. The checkpoint there is heavily guarded," Sun Wukong said gruffly, pointing ahead as if it were nothing. "I've heard that the Great Roc King often patrols the eastern entrance. Is that true?"
The foreman glanced in the direction Sun Wukong pointed and snorted coldly, "Of course! The eastern entrance is the most crucial intersection in Lion Camel Ridge, and also the most likely intersection for Tang Sanzang and his disciples to pass through. The Great Roc King will naturally patrol there frequently to ensure everything goes smoothly. You're quite observant, kid, but stop asking about these useless things. Just patrol properly and do your job!"
"Yes, yes, yes! I'll remember!" Sun Wukong nodded hurriedly, but in his heart he was secretly calculating: the east entrance was heavily guarded, and the Golden-Winged Roc often patrolled there, so he absolutely could not leave from the east entrance; the west entrance, although not as heavily guarded as the east entrance, still had many lesser demons guarding it, so it would not be easy to leave from the west entrance; the south and north entrances were relatively less guarded, and they were closer to the pine forest at the foot of Lion Camel Ridge, making them the best choices for leaving Lion Camel Ridge.
He then casually asked, "Boss, are there fewer demons guarding the south and north intersections? When I was patrolling just now, I think I saw only two demons guarding the south intersection."
The leader frowned and said impatiently, "Why do you have so many questions, kid? The south and north intersections are relatively remote. Tang Sanzang and his disciples shouldn't pass through there, so there are indeed fewer demons guarding them. However, even if there are fewer demons guarding them, we can't be careless. If anything goes wrong, we'll all die!"
"Yes, yes, yes! I understand! I will not be careless!" Sun Wukong nodded hurriedly, his face showing a respectful expression, but in his heart he was secretly happy: Great! There are fewer demons guarding the south and north entrances, and they are more remote. It's just right to leave Lion Camel Ridge from there and go to the pine forest to meet up with Chu Yang.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from afar, along with the shouts of a little demon: "Boss! Boss! Something terrible has happened! The Great Roc King is here! Come and greet him quickly!"
Upon hearing this, the leader's expression changed, and he hurriedly scolded Sun Wukong, "Hurry up! The Great Roc King is here. Come with me to greet him. Don't be negligent in the slightest. If we anger the Great Roc King, we'll all die!"
"Yes, yes, yes! I'll be right there!" Sun Wukong hurriedly replied, but secretly he was overjoyed: Heaven is truly helping me! The Golden-Winged Roc is here, and the little leader will definitely be busy welcoming him. At that time, he can take the opportunity to slip away, leave Lion Camel Ridge, and meet up with Chu Yang.
The minor leader hurried towards the direction of the sound, straightening his clothes as he went, his face showing a mixture of respect and fear. Sun Wukong followed behind, deliberately slowing his pace, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings, searching for an opportunity to slip away. Not far away, a group of lesser demons, surrounding a tall monster dressed in golden robes, slowly approached. The monster had a ferocious face, cold eyes, and exuded a powerful demonic aura, radiating an oppressive presence—it was the Golden-Winged Roc. Behind him followed several tall lesser demons, each with a respectful expression, daring not to show the slightest disrespect.
"Your subordinate pays respects to the Great Roc King!" The minor leader immediately stopped and bowed deeply to the Golden-Winged Roc, his tone respectful but his face filled with fear, not daring to even raise his head. The other lesser demons also stopped and bowed to the Golden-Winged Roc, saying in unison, "Greetings to the Great Roc King!"
Sun Wukong also stopped, feigning respect, bowing deeply and keeping his head down, not daring to look at the Golden-Winged Roc. He could clearly feel the powerful demonic aura emanating from the Golden-Winged Roc, an aura a hundred times stronger than that of the Black Wind Monster, incredibly oppressive, making even Sun Wukong's heart sink. He secretly rejoiced that he had transformed into a lesser demon and concealed his aura; otherwise, the Golden-Winged Roc would surely have discovered him.
The Golden-Winged Roc swept his gaze down at the crowd, his tone icy and filled with oppressive force: "Get up, all of you! While I was patrolling just now, I noticed that the patrolling demons on the back mountain were a bit lax. You all need to be on high alert, strengthen your vigilance, and carefully check every corner. We absolutely cannot allow Tang Sanzang and his disciples to enter Lion Camel Ridge, nor can we allow any strangers to sneak into Lion Camel Ridge. If anything goes wrong, I will not forgive you!"
"Yes! Your subordinate obeys!" the crowd replied in unison, their tone respectful, their faces filled with fear.
The Golden-Winged Roc glanced at everyone again, its gaze lingering on Sun Wukong for a moment. Sun Wukong's heart jumped into his throat. He lowered his head tightly, concealing his aura, not daring to make the slightest move, for fear that the Golden-Winged Roc would see through his true identity.
Fortunately, the Golden-Winged Roc only glanced at him before looking away and said to the leader, "You, take a few lesser demons and go to the back mountain to check if those patrolling demons are slacking off. If they are, teach them a lesson so they know that my rules cannot be broken!"
"Yes, sir! Your subordinate obeys!" the foreman quickly replied, then turned and winked at the few lesser demons beside him, "You lot, come with me!"
The lesser demons quickly responded and followed their leader towards the back of the mountain. Sun Wukong watched the direction where the leader and the lesser demons disappeared, secretly delighted. He knew his chance to slip away had arrived.
The Golden-Winged Roc remained standing in place, its gaze warily sweeping across its surroundings. Its demonic aura remained thick and oppressive. The other lesser demons all lowered their heads, not daring to make the slightest move or even breathe loudly.
Sun Wukong casually shifted his feet, slowly moving towards the south intersection. As he moved, he pretended to patrol, constantly scanning his surroundings to observe the Golden-Winged Roc's movements. He walked very slowly and carefully, trying his best not to attract the Golden-Winged Roc's attention.
"You, stop right there!" Just as Sun Wukong was about to reach the south entrance, the Golden-Winged Roc suddenly spoke, his tone cold and carrying a strong warning, "Where are you going? I ordered you to patrol, and you dare to leave your post without permission. Are you trying to slack off?"
Sun Wukong's heart leaped into his throat. He immediately stopped, turned around, bowed to the Golden-Winged Roc, and pretended to be frightened. He whispered, "Reporting to King Roc, I was ordered to patrol the south entrance to check the situation and ensure that no strangers had entered Lion Camel Ridge. I did not slack off. Please investigate, Your Majesty!"
The Golden-Winged Roc glanced down at Sun Wukong, its eyes cold and menacing, as if scrutinizing him. Its demonic aura grew stronger, the oppressive feeling intensifying. Sun Wukong kept his head tightly shut, not daring to look up. Cold sweat beaded on his palms. He silently prayed that the Golden-Winged Roc wouldn't see through his true identity.
After a long while, the Golden-Winged Roc finally spoke slowly, its tone still cold: "Since you are ordered to patrol the south entrance, then hurry up and go. No slacking off. Carefully check every corner. If anything goes wrong, I will not forgive you!"
"Yes! Your subordinate obeys! I will check carefully and will not slack off, and will not let Your Majesty down!" Sun Wukong replied hastily, relieved. He turned around and walked quickly towards the south intersection without daring to linger.
The Golden-Winged Roc looked at Sun Wukong's back, its eyes narrowing slightly. A sinister smile appeared on its lips as it muttered to itself, "This little demon seems rather strange. However, there's no unusual aura about him. He should just be an ordinary patrolling demon. Hopefully, nothing will go wrong."
Sun Wukong strode towards the south entrance. He could clearly feel the Golden-Winged Roc's gaze fixed on him until he reached the south entrance, at which point the Golden-Winged Roc's gaze slowly shifted away. He breathed a sigh of relief, quickened his pace, and headed towards the checkpoint at the south entrance.
As expected, the checkpoint at the south entrance was guarded by only two minor demons. These two demons looked very lazy, leaning against the rock wall, chatting and yawning, without any vigilance. Their demonic aura was also relatively weak, and they looked like just two ordinary henchmen.
"Hey! You two, what are you doing? How dare you slack off! The kings ordered us to strengthen security and carefully check every corner. How dare you slack off here? Don't you want to live?" Sun Wukong deliberately put on a serious expression and scolded the two little demons in a gruff voice, imitating the tone of their leader. (End of Chapter)