Chapter 985
Successfully Passing Lion Camel Ridge
The two little demons were startled by Sun Wukong's reprimand. They quickly stood up straight, their faces showing fear, and hurriedly said, "We're sorry! We won't do it again! We'll check carefully right away and we won't slack off!"
Sun Wukong snorted coldly, feigning impatience: "Hmph, you're smart enough to know what's good for you! I've been ordered to check the situation at the south entrance. You two, come with me to check ahead and see if any strangers have entered Lion Camel Ridge, or if there's anything unusual going on!"
"Yes, yes, yes! We'll go with you right away!" The two little demons replied hastily, not daring to be negligent in the slightest, and followed behind Sun Wukong, heading towards the south entrance.
Outside the south intersection lies a dense forest, eerily gloomy. The trees are so thick with leaves that sunlight cannot penetrate them to reach the ground, which is covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves that rustle harshly underfoot. A few birdsongs drift faintly from the forest, sounding particularly desolate, blending seamlessly with the somber atmosphere of Lion Camel Ridge.
Sun Wukong, accompanied by two lesser demons, slowly walked into the forest. As he walked, he pretended to look around, but his eyes constantly scanned the surroundings, searching for an opportunity to leave. He knew that once he left this forest, he would be close to the pine forest at the foot of Lion Camel Ridge. At that time, he could shake off the two lesser demons and reunite with Chu Yang.
"Hey! You two, check this area carefully. I'm going to check that area. Don't slack off. If you find anything unusual, call me immediately!" Sun Wukong said gruffly to the two little demons, pointing to a clump of bushes not far away.
"Yes, yes, yes! We understand! We will definitely check carefully and will not slack off!" The two little demons quickly replied, turned around and walked towards the bushes, pretending to check as they walked, but their faces still showed a lazy expression.
Sun Wukong watched the two little demons walk into the bushes, a smug smile appearing on his face. He quickly turned around, leaped into the air, and his figure instantly transformed into a blur, rushing towards the pine forest at an extremely fast speed. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the forest, leaving only a swaying leaf as proof that he had just been there.
The two little demons pretended to check for a while in the bushes, but when they saw that Sun Wukong had not returned for a long time, they looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Hey, why isn't that patrol leader back yet? Did he slack off and go somewhere to rest?" a little demon asked in a low voice, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction.
"Who knows!" another little demon said, pursing his lips. "Maybe he's just slacking off and going somewhere to drink, leaving us here to do all this work. It's so unfair! But we dare not say anything. If he finds out, we're definitely in big trouble!"
“Sigh, that’s true!” The first little demon sighed and said, “We should quickly pretend to check and when he comes back, we can say that we have checked carefully and found nothing unusual. That way, we can avoid being scolded.”
“Okay, let’s do it this way!” Another little demon nodded and said, “Let’s check it out quickly, and then go back to the checkpoint and wait for him to return.”
As they spoke, the two little demons pretended to investigate for a while in the bushes, then turned around and headed towards the checkpoint at the south entrance, completely unaware that Sun Wukong had already left the forest and was speeding towards the pine forest.
Sun Wukong sped along, and soon arrived at the pine forest at the foot of Lion Camel Ridge. In the pine forest, the trees were tall and straight, their branches and leaves lush and verdant. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The air was filled with the sweet fragrance of pine trees, a stark contrast to the somber atmosphere of Lion Camel Ridge, bringing a sense of peace.
He stopped, hovering in the air, his gaze sweeping across the pine forest, searching for Chu Yang's figure. He knew that Chu Yang should already be waiting for him here; they had agreed to meet here in an hour to exchange information.
"Brother Monkey, I'm here!" Just then, a deep voice came from behind a big tree; it was Chu Yang.
Sun Wukong's eyes lit up, and he quickly flew towards the big tree. There he saw Chu Yang, still the skinny little demon, hiding behind the tree, cautiously observing his surroundings.
"Brother Chu Yang, you've finally arrived!" Sun Wukong landed behind a large tree, withdrew his demonic aura, and regained some of his own tone, "So, what information have you gathered?"
Chu Yang also withdrew his demonic aura and said softly, "I've gathered a lot of information. The three great demon kings have already deployed lesser demons at various intersections of Lion Camel Ridge, laying a net to capture Master, eat his flesh, and increase their magical power. Moreover, the Golden-Winged Roc will personally patrol and keep an eye on the various intersections of Lion Camel Ridge to prevent us from escaping. He has also noticed me. Although he thinks I'm just a mortal and looks down on me, we can't let our guard down."
He paused, then continued, "Furthermore, I've also learned that every minor demon in Lion Camel Ridge carries 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 our disguise as minor demons looks realistic, we lack the demonic aura mark, making us easy for him to see through. Also, the Green-Haired Lion Monster is afraid of Manjushri Bodhisattva's lotus throne; the Yellow-Toothed Elephant Monster is afraid of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva's Ruyi Hook; and the Golden-Winged Roc's weakness is currently unknown, but it seems extremely powerful and difficult to deal with."
Sun Wukong nodded, his expression gradually becoming serious: "I didn't expect Lion Camel Ridge to be so dangerous, the three demon kings to be so powerful, and to have so many arrangements. However, it's fortunate that we've gathered so much information, so it's not a complete loss. I've also found out some information: the eastern entrance of Lion Camel Ridge is the most heavily guarded, with the Golden-Winged Roc frequently patrolling there; the western entrance is also relatively well-guarded; the southern and northern entrances are relatively less guarded, and they're also closer to here. We escaped successfully from the southern entrance."
"Great!" Chu Yang's eyes lit up. "The south and north entrances are poorly guarded, which will be perfect as a breakthrough for us to take Master through Lion Camel Ridge. We need to hurry back, find Master and Pigsy, tell them the information we've gathered, and then devise a detailed plan to avoid Lion Camel Ridge's spies and get through smoothly." "Okay!" Sun Wukong nodded. "We shouldn't delay. We need to get back quickly. Master and Pigsy must be getting impatient. Besides, we can't waste too much time. If the Golden-Winged Roc discovers we're missing, it will definitely send people to search everywhere, and then we'll be in trouble."
As they spoke, the two simultaneously raised their hands and made a hand seal. A wisp of green smoke flashed, and they returned to their original forms. Sun Wukong, carrying his golden cudgel, leaped into the air, his figure instantly transforming into a blur as he flew towards the direction where Tang Sanzang and Zhu Bajie were waiting. Chu Yang followed closely behind, his movements light and agile, quickly flying in that direction as well.
The two rode swiftly, soon arriving at the place where Tang Sanzang and Zhu Bajie were waiting. It was a wide-open meadow, surrounded by weeds and shrubs. In the distance, rolling mountains were shrouded in mist, exuding a mysterious and eerie atmosphere. Tang Sanzang, riding on the back of the white dragon horse, clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and silently chanted scriptures, his face full of worry. Zhu Bajie sat on the grass, hugging his knees, his face also full of worry. He frequently glanced towards Lion Camel Ridge, muttering, "Brother Monkey, Brother Chu Yang, why haven't you returned yet? Could something have happened? I, Old Pig, am almost dying of worry!"
"Idiot, I'm back! What's the panic!" Sun Wukong landed on the grass and shouted at Zhu Bajie, his tone showing a hint of impatience, but also a hint of fatigue.
Upon hearing Sun Wukong's voice, Pigsy's eyes lit up. He quickly stood up from the grass and ran to Sun Wukong's side, his face beaming with joy: "Brother Monkey! You're finally back! I, Old Pig, thought something had happened to you! Brother Chu Yang, you're back too! That's wonderful! That's wonderful!"
Tang Sanzang opened his eyes and saw Sun Wukong and Chu Yang. A look of relief appeared on his face, and he quickly said, "Wukong, Chu Yang, you're finally back! I've been worried about you. Are you alright? Did you manage to gather any information?"
“Master, we are fine, don’t worry!” Chu Yang walked to Tang Sanzang’s side and said softly, “We have gathered a lot of information. Now, we will tell you and Bajie about it, and then we will formulate a detailed plan to avoid the eyes and ears of Lion Camel Ridge and pass through Lion Camel Ridge smoothly.”
Tang Sanzang nodded and said softly, "Alright, alright, thank you for your hard work. Quickly, tell us the information."
Sun Wukong also walked to Tang Sanzang's side and said in a solemn tone, "Master, Brother Chu Yang is right. We have gathered a lot of information. There are three great demon kings in Lion Camel Ridge: the Green-haired Lion Demon, the Yellow-toothed Elephant Demon, and the Golden-winged Roc. These three demon kings are powerful and have 48,000 lesser demons under their command. They have laid a net to capture you, eat your flesh, and increase their magical power."
Upon hearing this, Pigsy trembled with fear and hurriedly said, "W-what? They want to eat Master's flesh? That's terrifying! Brother Monkey, Brother Chu Yang, let's take a detour. I, Old Pig, don't want to die here!"
"You idiot, all you do is hide!" Sun Wukong glared at Zhu Bajie and scolded him impatiently. "There's only one road to the West, why go around taking detours? Besides, we've already gathered intelligence on them and know some of their weaknesses. As long as we make a good plan and avoid their eyes and ears, we can pass through Lion Camel Ridge smoothly. There's nothing to be afraid of!"
"But they have 48,000 lesser demons and three great demon kings. How can we possibly defeat them?" Pigsy pouted, feeling wronged. "I, Pigsy, may have some skills, but I'm powerless against so many monsters!"
“Fool, we’re not going to fight them head-on. We’re going to avoid their eyes and ears and get through Lion Camel Ridge smoothly,” Chu Yang said softly. “We’ve found out that there are demons guarding all the entrances to Lion Camel Ridge, but the south and north entrances are relatively less guarded and closer to here. We can sneak into Lion Camel Ridge from the south entrance, and then follow the path on the back mountain to avoid their patrolling demons and get through Lion Camel Ridge smoothly.”
He paused, then continued, "Furthermore, we've also discovered that every minor demon in Lion Camel Ridge carries a demonic 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, so we can't disguise ourselves as minor demons. We must conceal our aura, carefully sneak around, and try to avoid their sight so they don't discover us. Also, the Green-Haired Lion Monster is afraid of Manjushri Bodhisattva's lotus throne; the Yellow-Toothed Elephant Monster is afraid of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva's Ruyi Hook; and we don't yet know the Golden-Winged Roc's weakness, so we should try to avoid direct confrontation with them. As long as we avoid their eyes and ears and get through Lion Camel Ridge smoothly, that's fine."
Tang Sanzang nodded, put his hands together, and said softly, "Amitabha, Chu Yang is right. We cannot fight them head-on. We can only proceed cautiously and stealthily, avoiding their eyes and ears, and successfully pass through Lion Camel Ridge. Wukong, Chu Yang, thank you for your hard work. Now, let's proceed according to your plan. Be careful and cautious, and do not act rashly."
"Master, don't worry!" Sun Wukong nodded and said firmly, "I, Old Sun, will definitely protect you and Bajie and get you through Lion Camel Ridge safely. I will absolutely not let those monsters harm a single hair on your head!"
"Yes, Master, don't worry!" Chu Yang said softly, "We will be careful and avoid their eyes and ears, pass through Lion Camel Ridge smoothly, continue westward, and obtain the true scriptures."
Although Pigsy was still very scared, seeing how determined Sun Wukong and Chu Yang were, he had no choice but to nod and say, "Okay, okay! I, Pigsy, will listen to you! Whatever you ask me to do, I, Pigsy, will do! As long as we can get through Lion Camel Ridge smoothly, I, Pigsy, am willing to do anything!"
"Alright, let's set off now!" Sun Wukong, carrying his golden cudgel, scanned the surroundings warily and said in a serious tone, "Brother Chu Yang, you go first and are responsible for scouting the road conditions and avoiding the eyes of the little demons; I'll go in the middle to protect Master and the White Dragon Horse; Pigsy, you go last and are responsible for watching the luggage. At the same time, you should also be alert to any unusual movements around you. If you find anything unusual, call us immediately!"
"Yes!" Chu Yang and Zhu Bajie replied in unison. (End of Chapter)