Chapter 622
You witch, I, Old Sun, will never let you live under the same sky!
Sun Wukong reached out to pull him, saying, "This Pipa Cave is filled with eerie demonic energy. That scorpion demon is no good. Let me, your old Sun, kill her and then take you away from here!"
Tang Sanzang gently pulled his hand away, shook his head, and slowly said, "Wukong, I can't leave."
Why?
Sun Wukong was stunned and looked at him in confusion. "Master, have you been cursed by that demon? I, Old Sun, will help you remove it right away!"
"That's not the case."
Tang Sanzang sighed, raised his hand to touch his lower abdomen, which was still flat, but faintly exuded an eerie aura. "Wukong, I am pregnant, and the child in my womb is a demonic fetus. It is absorbing my cultivation day and night. Now I have lost all my cultivation and can't even use a trace of Buddhist Dharma."
"Demon fetus?"
Sun Wukong's eyes widened as he used his fiery eyes to look at Tang Sanzang's lower abdomen. Sure enough, he saw a cloud of dark mist swirling there, and within the mist, a small figure was vaguely visible, greedily absorbing the remaining energy within Tang Sanzang's body. "What exactly is going on? Why did that scorpion demon make you pregnant?"
"I do not know either."
Tang Sanzang's eyes were dazed. "That day I was chanting sutras in the backyard of the inn when I suddenly felt dizzy. When I woke up, I was here."
The scorpion demon said that she admired my Buddhist nature and wanted to marry me and have a child with me.
But I adhered to the precepts and refused to comply with her, so she used her magic to make me pregnant with this demonic child.
This demonic fetus is extremely strange. In just a few days, it absorbed all my life's cultivation. If it weren't for a sliver of Zen consciousness still supporting me, I would probably have already fallen into the demonic path.
Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong flew into a rage, and his golden cudgel hummed.
With a whoosh, a chilling golden light emanated from it: "That witch! I, Old Sun, will go and kill her right now, and then get rid of this demonic fetus as well!"
"No!"
Tang Sanzang quickly grabbed him, "Wukong, you can't kill her, at least not now."
"Master, why are you doing this?"
Sun Wukong was puzzled, "This demoness has harmed you so much, why are you still protecting her?"
"It's not about protecting her."
Tang Sanzang slowly said, "I have lost all my cultivation, and my mind is also disturbed by the influence of the demonic fetus."
The Kingdom of Women is a place of karmic tribulations, and I currently possess no divine power to suppress my mind. If I were to return to the Kingdom of Women, I fear I would easily fall into love and succumb to its allure. At that time, not only would my pilgrimage to the West be in vain, but I myself would also be doomed.
He paused, his eyes gradually hardening: "Inside this Pipa Cave, the scorpion demon is searching everywhere for an abortion potion. Her abortion potion is extraordinary; it will surely be able to temporarily suppress the fetal energy and prevent the demonic fetus from growing stronger."
I stayed in the cave, which allowed me to feign compliance and use her abortion pills to stabilize the situation.
If I'm lucky enough to abort this demonic fetus, I'll try to escape and continue my journey west; if I can't abort it..."
At this point, a resolute glint flashed in Tang Sanzang's eyes: "This demonic fetus is the child of a great calamity. If it dies at the hands of demons on the journey to the West, it may be able to avoid that immeasurable calamity."
At that time, I will be reborn through the hands of the scorpion demon and start anew.
Sun Wukong was terrified: "Master, how could you take such a risk? That scorpion is ruthless and vicious. If she discovers your intentions, she will definitely harm you!"
"I know what I'm doing."
Tang Sanzang looked at him and said solemnly, "Wukong, I need you to protect me in secret."
Firstly, I must not let the scorpion demon discover my true intentions; secondly, this scorpion demon has abducted me here, probably not just to become husband and wife, but perhaps she wants to absorb my vital essence to enhance her own cultivation.
You must secretly stop her and not let her succeed.
Looking at Tang Sanzang's pale yet resolute face, Sun Wukong was filled with mixed emotions.
My master is always meticulous; once he makes a decision, he won't easily change it.
He nodded emphatically: "Master, rest assured, I, Old Sun, will definitely protect you secretly and will never let that demoness harm you in the slightest!"
Tang Sanzang nodded slightly, a hint of relief in his eyes, before reverting to his usual taciturn demeanor. He turned to look out the window, his gaze deep and unfathomable, lost in thought.
Seeing this, Sun Wukong said no more. With a flicker of his body, he transformed back into a bee, landed on the tent hook, concealed his aura, and quietly guarded him.
Time flies, and three months have passed quietly.
During these three months, the Scorpion Demon indeed sent people everywhere to search for abortifacients. Whether it was rare flowers and herbs in the deep mountains and forests or precious treasures in the underwater dragon palace, she went to great lengths to find them, brew them into medicine, and give them to Tang Sanzang.
Those medicines did indeed have extraordinary effects. The growth rate of the demonic fetus slowed down, and the fetal energy was suppressed steadily. Tang Sanzang's complexion gradually improved, but his cultivation still showed no signs of recovery, and the complex emotions in his eyes became increasingly intense.
The Scorpion Demon would visit Tang Sanzang every day, sometimes speaking to him gently, sometimes teasing and joking, trying to win him back.
Tang Sanzang remained insincere and lukewarm towards her, neither agreeing to her requests nor explicitly refusing them. He would only occasionally discuss Buddhist scriptures and doctrines with her, his words carrying a hint of Zen, yet also subtly revealing a trace of affection, which made the scorpion demon even more infatuated. She thought he was only reluctant to give in because of his status as a monk.
On this day, the Scorpion Demon came to Tang Sanzang's room again, her face showing some fatigue, but also a hint of excitement.
She sat opposite Tang Sanzang, holding a cup of tea in her hands, and said softly, "Brother Tang, for the past three months, I have searched all over the world, but I have not been able to find a medicine that can completely abort this child."
Perhaps this is fate, destined that we would have this child.
Why don't we leave him here? Then you and I, husband and wife, can take our child and live a carefree life in this Pipa Cave. Wouldn't that be wonderful?
Tang Sanzang raised his head and looked at the Scorpion Demon.
Over the past three months, he has observed her carefully and discovered that although the scorpion demon is a demon, she is not entirely cold-blooded and heartless. She does have some genuine feelings for him, but she is trapped by lust and demonic nature and cannot extricate herself.
His heart stirred slightly, and his gaze gradually softened. A perfectly measured deep affection appeared on his previously indifferent face, like an iceberg melting and spring returning to the earth.
"The cave master is mistaken."
Tang Sanzang's voice was gentle and somewhat magnetic, quite different from his usual coldness. "It's not that I'm unwilling to stay with the cave master, but I feel that true love is not about having children, much less about being together in this life."
The scorpion demon paused for a moment, then asked curiously, "Oh? Then, what does Brother Tang think true love should be like?"
Tang Sanzang put down his teacup, looked at her intently, and said sincerely, "True love is precious because of mutual understanding and because of reunion in the cycle of reincarnation."
In this life, I am a monk, burdened with the great task of obtaining the scriptures, and I am also pregnant with this demonic child. Even if I stay with the cave master, there will still be regrets. What I seek in my heart is a perfect love, one free from worldly constraints and entanglements of karma, a pure love between you and me, where our hearts are in perfect harmony, and we will never be apart.
He paused, his eyes filled with a mixture of melancholy and longing: "The cave master is a demon who has cultivated for a thousand years, with a long lifespan, while I am just a mortal. Even if I succeed in obtaining the scriptures and achieve enlightenment, I will still be worlds apart from the cave master."
Rather than forcing ourselves to stay together in this life and leaving endless regrets, I would rather my soul return to the underworld now and be reborn.
In my next life, I will no longer be a monk, nor will I have the mission of obtaining scriptures. I will come to find you cleanly and purely. Then, we will become husband and wife, spending our lives together, through countless lifetimes, in the cycle of reincarnation. Wouldn't that be a hundred times, a thousand times better than the flawed love of this life?
Tang Sanzang spoke these words with heartfelt sincerity, his eyes even glistening with tears. His deeply affectionate demeanor resembled that of a romantic saint pursuing perfect love, moving everyone who heard him.
The scorpion demon listened in a daze, her eyes filled with confusion, which was then replaced by deep emotion.
She had lived for a thousand years and seen countless men, some who coveted her beauty and others who feared her demonic power, but no one had ever spoken to her like this, and no one had ever seen love so purely and so deeply.
"Brother Imperial Brother..."
The scorpion demon's voice trembled with a sob, and her eyes welled up with tears. "Are you really willing to give up your life in this life and reincarnate to find me again?"
"Of course it's true."
Tang Sanzang nodded heavily, his eyes resolute, "My feelings for the cave master are as clear as day."
"If I could achieve a perfect love with the cave master, I would be willing to be annihilated, let alone be reborn as a new person."
He looked at the scorpion demon, his tone becoming increasingly earnest: "Cave Master, I know this is asking the impossible, but I simply cannot bear this flawed love."
Now that I am entangled in a demonic fetus and have lost all my cultivation, rather than prolonging my life, I would rather end it here, reincarnate as soon as possible, and continue my predestined relationship with you.
"Please grant my request, Cave Master!"
After saying this, he slowly stood up, bowed deeply to the scorpion demon, and looked resolute.
Looking at his affectionate yet resolute face, the scorpion demon was already filled with emotion and could no longer distinguish between truth and falsehood.
She felt that the monk before her truly understood and loved her. For this perfect love, he was willing to give up everything. How could she not be moved by such affection? How could she not give in to it?
A resolute glint flashed in her eyes. She abruptly stood up, gathering demonic power in her hand. Her voice carried a hint of tragic determination: "Fine! Brother Yu, I will grant your wish! When you are reincarnated, I will search the ends of the earth to find you and stay with you for life, through countless lifetimes, never to be separated!"
As she spoke, she was about to strike Tang Sanzang with her palm.
"No!"
Just then, a golden light suddenly shot out from the tent hook, and Sun Wukong appeared, his golden cudgel held horizontally in front of his chest, blocking Tang Sanzang's path, glaring angrily at the scorpion demon, "Demoness, don't you dare hurt my master!"
Upon seeing this, Tang Sanzang's expression changed drastically, and he shouted sternly, "Wukong, step back!"
"Master, have you gone mad?"
Sun Wukong said urgently, "If that demoness strikes you with one palm, your soul will be scattered. How can you be reborn? She's lying to you!"
"I didn't lie to my brother!"
The Scorpion Demon glared at Sun Wukong, her eyes filled with hostility. "You impudent monkey, don't you dare ruin my plans with my brother!"
"Wukong, my mind is made up, you must not say another word!"
Tang Sanzang's eyes turned cold, and he raised his hand to recite the Tightening-Headband Mantra.
Sun Wukong was startled and quickly said, "Master, how could you recite the Tightening-Headband Mantra on me for the sake of this demoness? She's a demon, how can you believe her words?"
"I'm not doing this for her, I'm doing it for myself, for that perfect love!"
Tang Sanzang's tone was resolute, without the slightest hesitation, and he had already begun chanting the incantation, "Ah—!"
As soon as the mantra for tightening the headband was recited, the golden headband on Sun Wukong's head tightened rapidly. The intense pain felt like thousands of steel needles piercing his brain, causing him to scream in agony. The golden headband clanged loudly.
He fell to the ground with a thud, clutching his head, crouching down, his body curled up in a ball, writhing in pain.
"Goku!"
Tang Sanzang saw his pained expression and a hint of pity flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination. He continued chanting the Tightening-Headband Mantra and said to the Scorpion Demon, "Cave Master, do it! Don't hesitate any longer!"
The Scorpion Demon looked at Sun Wukong, who was squatting on the ground in agony, and then at Tang Sanzang, whose expression was resolute. She no longer hesitated.
She took a deep breath, gathered all her demonic power, and struck Tang Sanzang's chest with a palm. The palm wind was fierce, carrying a strong demonic aura, yet it was also mixed with a bit of reluctance and tragic grandeur.
"Brother, see you in the next life!"
"puff--"
With a palm strike right to his chest, Tang Sanzang spat out a mouthful of blood, which stained his plain monk's robe red, like a red plum blossom blooming in the snow.
His body went limp and fell down, his eyes filled with a hint of relief and a barely perceptible expectation. He slowly closed his eyes, and his breath gradually ceased.
Sun Wukong lay on the ground, watching his master fall. The pain of the headband seemed to vanish instantly, leaving only endless grief and anger in his heart.
He suddenly raised his head, glaring at the scorpion demon with murderous intent in his eyes: "Witch, I, Old Sun, will never let you live under the same sky!"
The Scorpion Demon looked at Tang Sanzang lying on the ground, her eyes filled with grief and reluctance. She knelt down and gently stroked his cold face, tears streaming down her face: "Brother Tang, in the next life, I will definitely find you..."
The mist in the underworld is cool, completely different from that in the human world.
The coolness was not like the biting cold of winter snow, nor like the mountain wind penetrating one's sleeves; rather, it was like cotton wool soaked in a thousand-year-old cold pool, gently wrapping around one's body and seeping into every crevice of one's soul, making even one's thoughts seem to slow down.
Tang Sanzang's soul drifted on the road to the underworld, with an endless, dim yellow expanse beneath his feet. In the distance, the outline of the Naihe Bridge was faintly visible, and there seemed to be dark shadows moving by the bridge, but they could not be seen clearly.
He thought that after his death, he would be free from the demonic fetus that tormented him day and night. This wicked creature, which had taken root in his womb after he mistakenly drank the water from the Mother-Child River in the Kingdom of Women, gnawed at his Buddhist cultivation day and night, disturbing his mind and spirit.
But at this moment, he clearly felt that the warm, violent presence was still curled up deep within his soul, like a bone-deep infection, which even the separation between Yin and Yang could not sever.
This realization sent a chill down his spine, making his very soul tremble.
He had cultivated for many years and had long since seen through life and death, but this demonic fetus followed him like a shadow, and he could not even escape it in death. This kind of despair was something he had never experienced before.
He lowered his head, his illusory hand touching the abdomen corresponding to the soul. There was no physical touch there, yet he could clearly sense the pulse of the demonic fetus, powerful and domineering, carrying an evil force that did not belong to this world. (End of Chapter)