Chapter 986
Wasting Time!
Tang Sanzang gently patted the white dragon horse's neck. The horse neighed softly, slowly rose, and began to walk towards Lion Camel Ridge. Sun Wukong followed beside the horse, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily. His golden eyes, like fiery specters, were fixed on the road ahead. If he spotted any demons, he would immediately warn the group to stop and hide. Chu Yang walked at the front, his movements light and quiet, trying to make as little noise as possible. His eyes constantly scanned the surroundings, carefully examining the path and searching for the best route to avoid the demons' notice. Zhu Bajie brought up the rear, carrying the luggage. He walked while constantly observing his surroundings, his face filled with tension and fear, glancing ahead every now and then, lest he encounter any demons.
The group cautiously made their way towards Lion Camel Ridge. As dusk settled, the setting sun hid behind the distant mountains, offering only a faint sliver of light to illuminate the path ahead. The eerie atmosphere in the air grew increasingly thick, the sinister and terrifying aura intensifying, sending chills down their spines. Lion Camel Ridge, bathed in the setting sun, appeared particularly sinister; the outline of its peaks was barely visible, exuding a chilling aura.
"Brother Chu Yang, the southern entrance to Lion Camel Ridge is just ahead. Be careful and check carefully to see if there are any demons guarding it. If there are, we'll hide first and sneak in quietly after they leave." Sun Wukong whispered to Chu Yang, his tone serious, his eyes scanning the area ahead warily.
"Okay, Brother Monkey, I understand!" Chu Yang nodded, slowed his pace, and became even more agile. He carefully walked towards the south entrance, observing his surroundings vigilantly as he went, keeping his eyes fixed on the checkpoint at the south entrance to see if any demons were guarding it.
After walking about several dozen steps, Chu Yang stopped and hid behind a large tree, peering out with his eyes fixed on the checkpoint at the south entrance. He saw that the checkpoint was still guarded by only two minor demons. These two demons were leaning against the rock wall, chatting and yawning, showing no vigilance whatsoever. Their demonic aura was also quite weak, and they still looked lazy.
He breathed a sigh of relief, slowly walked out from behind the big tree, waved towards Sun Wukong and Tang Sanzang, indicating that the checkpoint at the south entrance was guarded by only two minor demons, and they were quite lazy, so they could sneak in quietly.
Sun Wukong nodded upon seeing Chu Yang's gesture and whispered to Tang Sanzang and Zhu Bajie, "Master, Bajie, keep your voice down. There are only two minor demons guarding the south entrance, and they are quite lazy. Let's sneak past them, avoid their sight, and infiltrate Lion Camel Ridge. Be careful not to make a sound and let them discover us."
"Okay, okay!" Tang Sanzang and Zhu Bajie responded in unison, slowing their pace, concealing their breathing, and carefully walking towards the south entrance. Their steps were very light, trying not to make a sound, and even their breathing became extremely shallow.
The group cautiously made their way towards the south intersection. As they got closer to the intersection, the two little demons' conversation became clearer and clearer.
"Hey, why isn't that patrol leader back yet? It's been so long, could something have happened to him?" a little demon asked in a low voice, his tone tinged with doubt.
"Who knows!" another little demon said, pursing his lips. "Maybe he's just slacking off and going somewhere to drink, leaving us here to guard the checkpoint. That's too much! Anyway, there aren't any strangers here, so we don't need to be too vigilant. If we slack off a little longer, we should be fine."
“Okay, let’s do it this way!” The first little demon nodded and said, “Let’s slack off for a little while longer. If he still doesn’t come back, we’ll go back to the checkpoint and pretend we’ve been guarding it the whole time. He won’t notice.”
As they spoke, the two little demons leaned against the rock wall again, closed their eyes, and yawned, looking drowsy. They were completely unaware that Sun Wukong and his group had quietly arrived near the south entrance and were carefully avoiding their sight as they prepared to sneak into Lion Camel Ridge.
"Master, Bajie, come with me. Let's sneak past them quietly. Don't make a sound and don't let them find us," Sun Wukong said softly, his eyes scanning the two little demons warily. He slowly made his way towards the checkpoint at the south entrance, his footsteps so light that they made almost no sound.
Tang Sanzang, riding on the back of the white dragon horse, gently patted its neck, signaling it to slow down and be quiet. The white dragon horse seemed to sense the tense atmosphere, gradually slowing its pace, its steps light and almost silent, as it quietly made its way towards the checkpoint at the south entrance. Pigsy, carrying the luggage, followed behind the white dragon horse, head bowed, not daring to make the slightest move, his steps very light, barely daring to breathe, for fear of making a sound and being discovered by the two lesser demons.
Chu Yang walked in front, carefully circling behind the two lesser demons. His eyes swept over them warily, and only after confirming they were unaware of his presence did he slowly and stealthily make his way into the interior of Lion Camel Ridge. Sun Wukong followed behind Chu Yang, protecting Tang Sanzang and the White Dragon Horse, his eyes fixed on the two lesser demons. He was ready to act immediately if they made any noise, subduing them and preventing them from revealing their location.
The group cautiously circled around the two lesser demons from behind, coming within a few steps of them. They could clearly hear their breathing and smell the nauseating, overwhelming demonic aura emanating from them. But they dared not make a move, carefully proceeding forward, trying to avoid their sight, quickening their pace to leave the southern checkpoint as soon as possible and infiltrate the interior of Lion Camel Ridge.
Soon, the group successfully bypassed the two lesser demons and infiltrated the interior of Lion Camel Ridge. They stopped and hid behind a rock wall, breathed a sigh of relief, and cautiously scanned their surroundings. Only after confirming that there were no other lesser demons did they slowly relax.
"Great! We've successfully infiltrated Lion Camel Ridge!" Pigsy said excitedly in a low voice, a look of surprise on his face, though his tone still carried a hint of nervousness.
"You idiot, keep your voice down!" Sun Wukong glared at Zhu Bajie, lowered his voice, and sternly scolded, "We've only managed to sneak into Lion Camel Ridge, not yet passed through it. There are still many lesser demons and the three great demon kings inside. If they discover us, we'll be in trouble! Quickly conceal your presence, don't make a sound, and follow us forward!" "Yes, yes, yes! I, Old Pig, understand! I, Old Pig, will definitely keep my voice down and follow you forward!" Zhu Bajie nodded hurriedly, lowered his voice, and dared not speak loudly again. His face once again showed a tense expression.
Tang Sanzang put his hands together and said softly, "Amitabha, Wukong is right. We must be careful and cautious, and not be careless. We must not be discovered by the monsters. We must pass through Lion Camel Ridge smoothly and continue our journey westward."
"Master, don't worry!" Chu Yang said softly, "We will be careful and avoid the eyes of the little demons to pass through Lion Camel Ridge smoothly. Next, we will follow the path on the back mountain. There are fewer patrolling little demons on the back mountain, and their guard is more relaxed, so it is not easy to be discovered by the demons. As long as we follow the path on the back mountain, we will pass through Lion Camel Ridge smoothly."
"Alright, alright!" Tang Sanzang nodded and said softly, "Then let's do as you say. Let's follow the path on the back mountain and move forward. We must be careful."
As they spoke, the group once again concealed their presence and cautiously headed towards the back of the mountain. The interior of Lion Camel Ridge was eerie and terrifying, filled with black rocks. Dark red bloodstains stained the ground, emanating a faint, nauseating stench. A thick, demonic aura permeated the air; a gust of wind carried a chilling cold, rustling the leaves like the howls of ghosts. In the dim light, the distant palaces and caves appeared particularly sinister, and the faint roars of lesser demons echoed from within the caves, sending chills down their spines.
Chu Yang walked at the front, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings, carefully checking the road conditions and searching for the path behind the mountain. He also vigilantly observed the surroundings, ready to warn everyone to stop and hide if he spotted any patrolling demons. Sun Wukong followed beside the White Dragon Horse, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily. His golden eyes were fixed on the road ahead, not missing a single abnormality. He was ready to fight if he spotted any demons, while also protecting Tang Sanzang and the White Dragon Horse. Zhu Bajie brought up the rear, carrying the luggage. He walked while constantly observing his surroundings, his face filled with tension and fear. He frequently glanced ahead, afraid of encountering patrolling demons and being discovered by the three demon kings.
After walking for about half an hour, the group finally arrived at the path behind the mountain. The path was narrow and rugged, overgrown with tall weeds and shrubs that almost completely obscured their figures. The ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, which rustled jarringly underfoot. The trees on the back mountain were denser than those on the front, and the gloom was much stronger. Sunlight couldn't penetrate the leaves to reach the ground, making the entire back mountain appear dark, eerie, and terrifying. Faint sounds of monster roars could be heard, but their origin was unknown, sending chills down one's spine.
"Brother Chu Yang, is this the path behind the mountain?" Sun Wukong asked Chu Yang in a low voice, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily. "Can this path really get us through Lion Camel Ridge smoothly?"
“Yes, Brother Monkey, this is the path behind the mountain.” Chu Yang nodded and lowered his voice, saying, “This path is relatively remote, and few demons pass by. Moreover, there are fewer patrolling demons, and their vigilance is relatively lax. As long as we follow this path and keep going forward, we can successfully pass through Lion Camel Ridge and reach the other side of Lion Camel Ridge to get rid of the demons there.”
“Alright, let’s continue along this path!” Sun Wukong nodded, lowered his voice, and said solemnly, “Master, Bajie, you must be careful. This path is narrow, rugged, and slippery. Be careful not to fall, and don’t make any noise so that you won’t be spotted by the patrolling demons.”
"Alright, alright!" Tang Sanzang and Zhu Bajie responded in unison, slowing their pace and carefully making their way along the path behind the mountain. The White Dragon Horse also slowed its pace, walking cautiously and lightly, trying not to make a sound. Its footsteps on the thick layer of fallen leaves made only a slight "rustling" sound, which was particularly clear in the quiet back mountain, but not easily noticed by the little demons in the distance.
The group carefully made their way along the path behind the mountain. The path became increasingly rugged and narrow, with the weeds and bushes on both sides growing denser and denser, almost completely obscuring the path. They could only carefully push aside the weeds and bushes, moving forward slowly and quietly, trying not to make a sound, while also vigilantly observing their surroundings, fearing they might encounter patrolling demons.
"Brother Monkey, look, there are patrolling demons ahead!" Just then, Chu Yang stopped and lowered his voice to warn Sun Wukong, his eyes fixed on a bush not far ahead, a tense expression on his face.
Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong immediately stopped and stared intently at a clump of bushes not far ahead. With his Golden Eyes of Fire, he carefully examined the area and, sure enough, saw two patrolling demons leaning against the bushes, chatting and yawning. They looked quite lazy and showed no signs of alertness. Their demonic aura was also rather weak, so they were probably just two ordinary patrolling demons.
"Master, Bajie, quick, hide!" Sun Wukong said sternly to Tang Sanzang and Zhu Bajie in a low voice. He quickly pulled Tang Sanzang and hid behind a huge rock. Chu Yang also quickly hid behind the rock, and Zhu Bajie also quickly hid behind the rock with his luggage on his back. They pressed themselves tightly against the cold rock wall, held their breath, and dared not make the slightest move. Their eyes were fixed on the two patrolling demons in front of them, and their hearts began to beat faster.
The two patrolling demons, leaning against the bushes, were still chatting, completely unaware that Sun Wukong and his group had already hidden behind the rocks and were watching them warily.
"Hey, tell me, what's the point of us patrolling here? This back mountain is so remote, hardly any strangers come here, and even fewer demons pass by. We're just wasting our time here!" a demon complained in a low voice, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction. (End of Chapter)