I am submissive in Journey to the West, I strike hard at the gods

He was extremely meticulous in setting up the formation, and the position of each crack was precisely calculated to ensure that no matter how Sun Wukong moved, he could not escape this maze-like spatial loop.

A mountain breeze blew by, and peach petals swirled in the air, while Jiang Wang's figure gradually blurred, as if he had merged into the peach grove.

Half an hour later, the formation was complete. Jiang Wang stood under an ancient peach tree, nodded in satisfaction, and then concealed his figure, waiting for Sun Wukong to fall into the trap.

Meanwhile, Sun Wukong was squatting on a peach tree, holding a big, juicy peach in his hand, his mouth full of juice.

Having escorted Tang Sanzang on his journey to the west these past few days, he had grown tired of the monks' chanting. Since he was passing by Peach Mountain today, he thought he would pick some peaches to offer to his master and also satisfy his own cravings.

He hummed a tune from who-knows-where, the clouds swirling beneath his feet, preparing to ride his somersault cloud back, when he suddenly felt a slight tremor in the surrounding spiritual energy, as if a fluctuation of laws had swept by.

He frowned, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings, but all he saw were blooming peach blossoms and a gentle mountain breeze; nothing seemed amiss.

"That's strange. Could it be that I, Old Sun, am overthinking things?"

He muttered something to himself, shook the peach pit in his hand, and with a somersault, flew back the way he came.

However, in the blink of an eye, Sun Wukong realized something was wrong.

Before me was a familiar peach grove, and peach petals were still falling in the wind, but their direction had inexplicably veered off course.

He was clearly flying south, so how did he end up back under that old peach tree in the blink of an eye? Sun Wukong scratched his cheek and cursed, "Damn it, which blind fool is causing trouble here, daring to play tricks on me, old Sun!"

He soared into the air, his somersault cloud swirling as he changed direction, but after flying for a while, he was still in that peach grove, still in that old peach tree, and even the peach pits scattered under the tree were exactly the same.

Enraged, he drew his golden cudgel and roared, "Break for me!"

The golden cudgel grew longer in the wind, transforming into a hundred-zhang-long behemoth, and slammed fiercely into the ground.

Sun Wukong had originally thought that this blow would smash a hole in the strange formation, but to his surprise, as soon as the tip of the staff touched the ground, he felt a strange force pulling him, and the staff trembled and broke in half! The broken staff tip was transported somewhere unknown. Sun Wukong's eyes widened, and he saw golden light emanating from all over the peach forest. One after another, broken ends of the golden cudgel sprouted up like bamboo shoots after a rain, covering the entire mountain.

He was stunned for a moment, then jumped up and down in anger, cursing, "You scoundrel, how dare you ruin my treasure!"

He called out in all directions, trying to find the person who had set up the formation, but only the mountain wind and the rustling of peach petals answered him.

Sun Wukong realized he had fallen into a trap, and the image of Jiang Wang involuntarily appeared in his mind.

That fellow has always acted unpredictably and used all sorts of tricks. This kind of spatial teleportation formation really does seem to be his work.

He gritted his teeth, put away the remains of the golden cudgel, sat cross-legged, and tried to use his divine sense to detect the flaws in the formation. However, no matter how he deduced it, his spiritual sense kept wandering around in the peach grove and could not find a way out.

Time passed second by second, and Sun Wukong's forehead was covered in a fine sweat. He became increasingly anxious, yet there was nothing he could do.

Meanwhile, Tang Sanzang and his companions were resting by a stream at the foot of the mountain.

The White Bone Demon transformed into a village girl gathering herbs, carrying a bamboo basket and walking lightly towards us.

She had delicate features, with a touch of gentle charm in her eyes. In her bamboo basket were several medicinal herbs, emitting a faint medicinal fragrance.

Tang Sanzang was chanting sutras with his eyes closed, Sha Wujing was meditating beside him, while Zhu Bajie was idly poking at the stream with a twig, humming and groaning.

When the White Bone Demon saw Pigsy, a sly glint flashed in her eyes. She said softly, "Brave warrior, could you please show me the way? I've lost my way while gathering herbs and I'm afraid I won't be able to get home."

Upon hearing the sweet, coquettish voice, Pigsy immediately perked up. Looking up, he saw that the village girl was quite pretty, and grinned, saying, "Oh, sister, don't be afraid. With me, Old Pig, here, I'll make sure you get home safely!"

He patted his chest, leaned forward, sniffed, and smelled a faint scent of perfume. Instantly, his mind wandered.

The White Bone Demon covered her mouth and chuckled, her words laced with a hint of teasing: "You are so valiant, brave warrior, you must be a celestial being descended to earth, right? I have lived in the mountains for a long time and have yet to find my ideal husband. If you do not mind..."

Before she could finish speaking, she lowered her head, looking shy.

Upon hearing this, Pigsy felt as if he had been tickled in the heart, an itch he couldn't stand.

Although he knew he bore the heavy responsibility of escorting Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West, the village girl's tender affection made him somewhat unable to resist.

He rubbed his hands together and chuckled, "What you said, sister, makes me feel really good."

However, I have to protect my master on his journey to the West to obtain the scriptures, so I'm afraid I won't have time to accompany you.

Upon hearing this, the White Bone Demon's eyes flickered, and she leaned closer, whispering, "The journey to the West is long and arduous. Why must you endure such hardship, brave warrior? Why not come with me to a secluded cave in the deep mountains, where we can live in seclusion together and enjoy a blissful life?"

These words were like a spark, igniting the desires in Pigsy's heart.

He glanced at Tang Sanzang and Sha Wujing not far away, and seeing that the two were resting with their eyes closed, he lowered his voice and said, "What you said, sister, is tempting."

"Alright, I'll go beg for a vegetarian meal and give you a ride on the way!"

Having said that, he shouldered his rake and followed the White Bone Demon into the depths of the forest, completely forgetting the important task of obtaining the scriptures behind him.

High in the sky, Guanyin Bodhisattva was patrolling on a cloud. Her divine eye swept across the foot of the mountain and happened to see this scene.

She frowned slightly, did some quick calculations, and realized that the village girl was actually the White Bone Demon in disguise.

Strangely, this time the White Bone Demon did not covet Tang Sanzang's flesh, but instead tried to seduce Zhu Bajie in every way, seemingly intending to form a marriage alliance.

Guanyin's heart skipped a beat, and she thought to herself, "Why is the White Bone Demon behaving so strangely? Could it be that Jiang Wang's doing it again?"

She knew that Jiang Wang was unpredictable and never acted according to common sense, so today's events must be related to him.

The situation was thorny, and Guanyin dared not delay. She immediately rode a cloud and flew towards Mount Ling to report to the Buddha.

On Peach Mountain, Jiang Wang hid in the shadows, quietly observing Sun Wukong's every move.

Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye, and the system notification sounded as scheduled: "The first link of the chain quest is complete. The reward of a ginseng fruit tree with innate spiritual root has been sent to the system space, and the experience point lottery opportunity has been unlocked."

Jiang Wang was overjoyed. He closed his eyes and sensed the surroundings. Sure enough, he saw a ginseng fruit tree in the system space, radiating spiritual light and laden with fruit, exuding a rich life force.

He nodded in satisfaction and was about to check the lottery details when the system announced again: "Second stage of the chain quest: Go to the White Bone Cave and hide it for three years. Reward: a Primordial Spiritual Root Peach Mother Tree."

Upon hearing this, a glint flashed in Jiang Wang's eyes.

The Mother Peach Tree is the foundation of the Heavenly Peach Garden. Its fruit can help people break through cultivation bottlenecks. If one could obtain this treasure, rebuilding the Peach Garden would be as easy as turning one's hand.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement, and murmured, "White Bone Cave, three years... This mission is not simple."

His gaze swept over Peach Mountain, and seeing that Sun Wukong was still struggling in the formation, he stopped and flashed away towards the White Bone Cave.

In the peach grove, Sun Wukong was still desperately searching for a way out, and the broken heads of his golden cudgel all over the mountain made him both angry and helpless.

He vaguely sensed that Jiang Wang was behind all of this, but he didn't know why that man would play such a trick on him. He gritted his teeth and thought to himself, "Jiang Wang, you just wait, once I break this formation, I'll make you pay!"

No matter how hard he tried, the peach grove remained like a maze, trapping him. Time passed second by second, but Jiang Wang's shadow had long since disappeared into the mountain wind.

As the sun sets, the afterglow of Peach Mountain spills onto the winding mountain road, as if draping this rugged pilgrimage route in a golden veil.

Jiang Wang's figure had long since disappeared into the mist in the mountains, as if he had never existed, and the spatial maze he left behind had also quietly dissipated like morning dew.

Sun Wukong, carrying his golden cudgel on his shoulder and a basket of bright red peaches in his hand, leaped out from the depths of Peach Mountain, humming a little tune, and landed in the mountain hollow where Tang Sanzang was resting after a few somersaults.

A gentle breeze carried the sweet scent of peaches through the air, prompting the white dragon horse to lower its head and sniff, exhaling a string of tiny bubbles from its nose.

"Master, I, Old Sun, am back! Look at these peaches, each one is so juicy and fresh, I guarantee they'll make you live a long and healthy life!"

Sun Wukong grinned, put the bamboo basket on the ground, and the peaches rolled twice in the basket, making a crisp sound.

Tang Sanzang sat cross-legged on a blue stone, holding Buddhist prayer beads in his hand. Hearing this, he slightly opened his eyes, but there was little joy on his face.

He glanced at the bamboo basket, then his gaze swept around, his brow furrowing slightly as he whispered, "Where's Pigsy? Why isn't he here?"

Sha Wujing was squatting by the stream washing his alms bowl when he heard this. He looked up and replied in a muffled voice, "Master, this morning Bajie followed your instructions and went with a woman who was gathering herbs to beg for alms at the foot of West Mountain. She said there was a family there who might be able to get some vegetarian food."

He paused, then added, "However, it's almost evening, and he still hasn't returned."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong scratched his cheek, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

He squatted down, picked up a peach, tossed it in his hand, and muttered, "At the foot of West Mountain? I took a look when I passed by this morning. That place is so desolate that you can't even see a wild rabbit. Who would have a family there?"

He squinted and looked towards the western mountains in the distance. The mountain shadows appeared somewhat gloomy under the setting sun, as if draped in a layer of gray gauze.

A sense of unease rose in his heart. He stood up, dusted himself off, and said to Tang Sanzang, "Master, I'll go check on that fool. Maybe he's slacking off and sleeping on some tree branch again."

Tang Sanzang waved his hand, his tone tinged with worry: "Wukong, although Bajie is a bit lazy, he never dares to neglect the task of begging for alms."

"Wait a while. If he hasn't returned by nightfall, then you can go looking for him."

Sun Wukong pursed his lips, reluctantly agreeing but having no choice. He sat cross-legged to the side, picked up a peach, took a bite, and the juice dripped down his lips, making him squint his eyes from the sweetness.

As night deepened, the mountain breeze grew cooler, carrying a damp chill.

Tang Sanzang remained seated on the blue stone, his prayer beads slowly turning in his hand, chanting scriptures softly, but a hint of worry occasionally flashed in his eyes.

Sha Wujing had already lit the fire, and the firelight made the surrounding tree shadows sway, as if countless ghosts were lurking in the dark.

The white dragon horse lowered its head to graze on the grass, occasionally flicking its tail and making a soft sound.

Sun Wukong finally lost his patience and jumped up, saying, "Master, it's already past midnight, and there's still no sign of that idiot. I'll go and drag him back!"

Before Tang Sanzang could respond, he had already somersaulted ten miles away and headed straight for the Western Mountain.

The night in the Western Hills was as dark as ink that could not be dissolved, and the forest was so quiet that only the rustling of the wind through the treetops could be heard.

Sun Wukong stood under an old pine tree, his fiery eyes scanning his surroundings. He sniffed the air and his brows furrowed even more.

A faint, eerie aura lingered in the air, mixed with a familiar, pungent smell of pigs.

He snorted coldly, made a hand seal, and summoned the local deity of White Tiger Ridge.

The local deity was a thin, old man with a hunched back and sparse white hair. Upon seeing Sun Wukong, he trembled in fright and hurriedly knelt down, saying, "Great Sage Grandfather, this old man greets you!"

"Cut the nonsense!"

Sun Wukong waved his hand impatiently, "Is there anyone living in this area of ​​three hundred li around White Tiger Ridge?"

The local deity shook his beard and replied tremblingly, "Great Sage, within a radius of three hundred li, it is all desolate mountains and wilderness; there are no houses to be found!"

Sun Wukong narrowed his eyes and asked, "Is there anything strange about the mountainside on the north side of West Mountain?"

The Earth God swallowed hard, lowering his voice even further: "Great Sage, you are wise! There is a White Bone Cave halfway up the north side of that mountain, where a thousand-year-old White Bone Demon lives. She calls herself Lady White Bone, and she is extremely ruthless! This old man lives in constant fear, afraid that one day she will be displeased and tear this old bone of mine apart!"

He paused, then added, "Oh, by the way, recently a demon has appeared in the Tang Kingdom who slaughters the local deities. Several land gods have even died. This old man's life is becoming increasingly uneasy!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong's heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself, "The White Bone Demon? Hmph, so there really is a demon at work! But since this demon is here, why doesn't it just attack my master directly, instead of kidnapping that fool?"

He waved his hand to make the land recede, and with a flash, he transformed into a golden light, heading straight for the north side of the mountain.

On the mountainside to the north, mist swirls and shadows of trees cast long, sweeping patterns.

Following the demonic aura and the stench of pigs, Sun Wukong quickly found a hidden cave.

The entrance to the cave was narrow and surrounded by vines, as if deliberately concealed.

He transformed into a fly and buzzed into the cave. The cave was dark and damp, with several gleaming white bones hanging on the walls, emanating a chilling aura.

However, the cave was empty; there was neither the White Bone Demon nor Pigsy.

Sun Wukong flew around and landed on a stone table in the center of the cave. He carefully sensed the surroundings, but only felt the lingering demonic energy and the faint smell of pigs.

He frowned and muttered, "Strange, could that idiot have run off with a fairy? There's not a soul in this cave!"

When they returned to Tang Sanzang's side, it was nearly dawn.

Sun Wukong told him that the White Bone Cave was empty, but Tang Sanzang remained silent for a long time before saying, "Wukong, although Bajie is a bit confused, he would never leave the group without a reason."

The Bodhisattva once said that if the journey to obtain the scriptures is not complete with all the participants, the merit will not be perfect.

You must go and find him again; do not give up easily.

Sun Wukong scratched his head and muttered, "That idiot has probably taken a fancy to some demon and run off with her! In my opinion, we should just get going and avoid delaying our journey!"

Tang Sanzang simply shook his head, his tone firm: "No."

"We will not leave until Pigsy returns."

Helpless, Sun Wukong could only reluctantly agree, secretly thinking to himself, "This master is so stubborn!" (End of Chapter)