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

Pingdingshan is no ordinary place; it is a place where demonic and spiritual energy intertwine, and there is a faint sense of restlessness about it.

Jiang Wang gently stroked a jade pendant with his fingertips. The pendant was carved with a crane about to take flight. It felt warm to the touch, yet it also had a hint of coolness.

This day was destined to be anything but peaceful.

At the foot of the mountain, Pigsy was dragging his nine-toothed rake, huffing and puffing as he walked along a rocky mountain path.

His steps were languid, the rake leaving shallow marks on the ground as he muttered, "This wretched mountain is full of rocks, like a pigsty. What monsters could there be? Master is really something, insisting on making me, an old pig, patrol the mountain. It's exhausting!"

He looked around and, seeing no one was around, found a corner with dense grass, crawled in, found a flat spot to lie down, threw the rake aside, put his hands behind his head, and began to snore comfortably.

Dew dampened the hem of his clothes in the grass, and sunlight shone through the gaps in the branches and leaves onto his honest face. His snoring was so loud that it startled several sparrows into flight.

Not far away, a woodpecker perched on a dead tree, its sharp beak gently tapping the trunk, making a "tap-tap" sound.

The sound.

A sly glint flashed in the woodpecker's eyes; it was clearly Sun Wukong in disguise.

Looking at Pigsy's lazy appearance, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself: "This fool, he went to sleep in the bushes while patrolling the mountain. Does he really think I, Old Sun, can't see through him?"

With a flap of his wings, he transformed into a streak of light and silently flew to Pigsy's side, pecking hard at his thick ears with his sharp beak.

"Ouch!"

Pigsy jumped up suddenly, covered his ears, looked around, and cursed, "Which damned bastard dares to peck your grandpa Pig?!"

He rubbed his ears and saw only swaying grass and trees and the sound of wind all around him, but there was not a single person in sight.

He scratched his head and muttered, "Am I still half asleep? Oh well, I'll just go back and tell my master that this mountain is just a rocky mountain and the cave is just a rocky cave, there's nothing there, so I won't have to make another trip!"

As he spoke, he picked up the rake, preparing to turn back, but then stopped and muttered to himself in front of a large rock, as if rehearsing: "Master, this Pingdingshan is just a barren mountain, with rocks as numerous as the stars in the sky. Monsters? Where are the monsters! Caves? Just cracks in the rocks!"

He spoke more and more smoothly, chuckled twice, and felt that his lie was flawless.

Unexpectedly, an inconspicuous flea was perched on a leaf in the grass, its ears perked up, and it heard everything Pigsy said.

This flea was naturally also a transformation of Sun Wukong. He almost laughed out loud, thinking to himself, "What a fool! He even has to practice his lies on a stone. How could I, Old Sun, not expose you for your efforts?"

He flashed back to his original form, standing behind Pigsy, and coughed: "Pigsy, you've made up quite a story, haven't you? Stone Mountain, Stone Cave? Should I, Old Sun, polish it up for you a bit more?"

Pigsy was so startled that he almost dropped his rake. When he turned around and saw that it was Monkey, he immediately put on a fawning smile: "Brother Monkey, what are you doing here? I was just... just being diligent in patrolling the mountain!"

He rolled his eyes, trying to cover up his lie: "This mountain is really nothing to see, it's all rocks. I was just about to go back and report to my master!"

Sun Wukong sneered and glanced at him sideways: "Oh? Then what were you practicing in front of the stone just now? The crack in the stone? Pigsy, I'm not deaf. You think you can fool anyone with your little schemes?"

Pigsy, exposed, blushed crimson and stammered, unable to utter a word. He could only kneel down with a thud, clinging to Monkey King's leg and pleading, "Brother Monkey, please forgive me this time! I was just exhausted and wanted to rest! Next time I promise I'll patrol the mountain properly and never slack off!"

His pitiful appearance even seemed to soften the mountain breeze.

Just then, Tang Sanzang walked over from afar, followed by Sha Wujing, their faces showing some worry.

Seeing Pigsy kneeling on the ground, he quickly stepped forward and asked, "Wukong, what's going on? Did Pigsy discover any monsters while patrolling the mountain?"

Sun Wukong glanced at Zhu Bajie and snorted, "I didn't find the demon, but I did find this idiot sleeping soundly in the grass, and even making up lies to the stone to fool Master!"

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang frowned and sighed, "Bajie, how can you be so negligent? Demons roam freely on the journey to the West. If you don't diligently patrol the mountains, I fear great calamity may befall you!"

Pigsy kowtowed repeatedly, tears and snot streaming down his face: "Master, your disciple knows he was wrong! I will go and patrol the mountain properly from now on and never be lazy again!"

Tang Sanzang was soft-hearted. Seeing that Bajie's attitude of admitting his mistake was sincere, he advised, "Wukong, since Bajie has admitted his mistake, let's give him another chance."

Patrolling the mountain is a matter of our safety, and we must not be careless about it.

Although Sun Wukong was unwilling, he had no choice but to nod when his master spoke, and said coldly, "Fool, if you slack off again this time, my old Sun's staff won't be so lenient!"

Pigsy felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He quickly got up, grabbed his rake, and ran down the mountain in a flash, shouting, "This time I'll definitely patrol very carefully!"

A mountain breeze began to rise, scattering the dew among the grass.

This time, Pigsy dared not be lazy again. He carried the rake on his shoulder, widened his eyes, and looked around, afraid of missing the slightest movement.

However, unbeknownst to him, a pair of cold, sinister eyes were quietly locking onto his figure from the direction of the Lotus Cave.

The Silver Horned King held a portrait in his hand, followed by more than a dozen lesser demons, each wielding a knife and spear, exuding a menacing aura.

The portrait depicted the four members of the Tang Monk's group. King Silver Horn sneered, "That pig-headed monk is alone; it's the perfect opportunity to capture him! Come, follow me to catch this scoundrel!"

The little demons responded immediately, transforming into a gust of demonic wind and heading straight for Pigsy.

Pigsy was walking along a forest path when he suddenly sensed something amiss behind him. Turning around, he saw a group of monsters rushing towards him like wolves and tigers. The leader, Silver Horn King, held a gleaming silver spear with its tip pointed directly at Pigsy's chest.

Pigsy was terrified and brandished his rake to fight, shouting, "Where did this monster come from, daring to mess with your grandpa Pig!"

However, the Silver Horn King was quite skilled and had a sharp spear technique. After a few rounds, he forced Pigsy into a state of chaos.

The little demons seized the opportunity to swarm him and tie him up tightly with ropes.

Pigsy struggled a few times, but the demon rope was too strong and he couldn't break free. He could only curse loudly: "You monsters, if you tie up your grandpa Pig, sooner or later my senior brother will beat you to a pulp!"

King Silver Horn snorted coldly and ordered his minions to escort him back to Lotus Cave. He said smugly, "Let's capture this pig's head first, and then I'll devise a plan to capture Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong!"

On the mountain path, Tang Sanzang waited for Zhu Bajie for a long time, but he did not return, and he became increasingly uneasy.

He stood beside a huge rock, his hands clasped together, and murmured, "Bajie has been gone for a long time, why hasn't he returned yet? Could it be that he encountered some danger?"

Sha Wujing comforted him, saying, "Master, don't worry. Although Pigsy is a bit lazy, he is quite capable. Ordinary monsters can't do anything to him."

Sun Wukong squinted, gazing at the distant mountains and forests, and thought to himself, "The demonic aura on this flat-topped mountain is so strong, that fool Bajie has probably really run into a monster."

If it were an ordinary demon, that would be fine, but if… if Jiang Wang were to make a move, things might turn bad.”

He recalled Jiang Wang's unpredictable methods and felt a chill run down his spine, but he remained calm on the surface and smiled as he said to Tang Sanzang, "Master, don't worry, that fool Bajie is thick-skinned and won't get lost."

"I, Old Sun, will go find him right now and bring him back!" Tang Sanzang nodded and cautioned, "Wukong, be careful in everything you do, and don't be reckless."

Sun Wukong responded, and with a flicker of his body, he transformed into a golden light and vanished into the forest.

A sense of unease crept into his heart, as Jiang Wang's name weighed heavily on him like a boulder.

That person acts mysteriously and has unfathomable cultivation. If it really was a trap set by him, Bajie is likely to be in grave danger.

However, Sun Wukong thought again that if Jiang Wangzhen appeared at Pingdingshan and held off the demon, it would give them, master and disciple, a chance to survive.

He secretly rejoiced, but dared not linger, following the scent left by Pigsy.

Meanwhile, inside the Lotus Cave, King Silver Horn threw Pigsy onto a stone platform and sneered, "This pig's head is a good bait. Let's use him to lure Tang Sanzang into the trap!"

He turned to the Golden Horn King beside him and said, "Brother, that Monkey King has already reached the level of a Great Luo Golden Immortal. We may not be able to defeat him in a direct confrontation. We need to outsmart him."

King Golden Horn stroked his beard and pondered, "Indeed, Sun Wukong is clever and cunning; ordinary methods cannot defeat him."

We might as well take advantage of Tang Sanzang's kindness and devise a plan to capture him.

Silver Horn King's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands, saying, "Great idea! I'll transform into an injured Taoist priest, feign pitifulness, and trick Tang Sanzang. Sun Wukong will definitely fall for it!"

The Silver Horned King immediately used his transformation technique, turning into an old Taoist priest with white hair, tattered clothes, and a pained expression on his face. He leaned on a cane and staggered towards the mountain path where Tang Sanzang was.

Tang Sanzang was sitting under a pine tree chanting scriptures when he suddenly saw an old Taoist priest stumbling towards him, crying out, "Help! Kind man, save me!"

Tang Sanzang felt pity for him and quickly got up to greet him, asking, "Why are you in such a sorry state, Daoist Master? Have you encountered any calamity?"

The old Taoist priest, panting heavily, said in a trembling voice, "This poor Taoist was passing by this mountain when I was accidentally injured by a monster. I beg a kind person to save me!"

Seeing his pitiful state, Tang Sanzang quickly said, "Wukong, carry this Taoist priest on your back and let's find a safe place for him to rest."

Sun Wukong looked at the old Taoist priest from afar, and with a quick scan of his fiery eyes, he could tell that the old man was exuding demonic energy and was clearly the Silver Horn King in disguise.

He sneered inwardly, thinking to himself, "What a monster! He thinks he can fool me with this trick?"

He pretended not to know and stepped forward with a smile, saying, "Master is right, I, Old Sun, will carry this Taoist priest on my back!"

He bent down and carried the Silver Horn King on his back, secretly channeling his magic power to prepare to strike when the opportunity arose.

Silver Horn King, however, was prepared. While Wukong was carrying him, he secretly chanted a spell and moved three great mountains—Mount Emei, Mount Taihang, and Mount Tai—to press down on Wukong.

Sun Wukong felt a sudden weight on his head, as three mountains crashed down on him like Mount Tai. He quickly used his magic to defend himself, but he was still unable to move.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the Silver Horned King jumped down, transformed into the appearance of Sun Wukong, and swaggered up to Tang Sanzang, laughing, "Master, I, Old Sun, have rescued that Taoist priest. Let's go now!"

Tang Sanzang, unsuspecting, nodded and followed.

Sha Wujing sensed something was wrong and was about to speak when he saw the Golden Horn King appear out of nowhere, holding a jade bottle. With a shake of the bottle, he sucked Sha Wujing inside.

Tang Sanzang was shocked and was about to shout when he was grabbed by the Silver Horn King and dragged back to the Lotus Cave.

Inside the Lotus Cave, Pigsy was tied to a stone platform, muttering curses to himself.

When Tang Sanzang and Sha Wujing were brought in, he immediately cried out in alarm, "Master! Brother Sha! How come you've been captured too? Where's the monkey?"

Tang Sanzang sighed, "Wukong has probably also met with a vicious attack. Bajie, this calamity is likely to be more ominous than hopeless."

King Silver Horn sneered, "That Monkey King is being held down by three mountains, he can't cause any trouble! However, to completely eliminate future threats, we must first subdue him!"

He took out a purple-gold gourd from his robes and handed it to a little demon named Jingxi Gui, instructing him, "Go to the top of the mountain and call out Sun Wukong's name. If he responds, this gourd will put him inside!"

The clever ghost took the gourd, bowed and scraped, and left.

However, this exquisite ghost was no ordinary little demon, but rather a transformation of Jiang Wang.

As he took the gourd, he gently stroked it with his fingertips, a strange smile flashing in his eyes.

The air outside the Lotus Cave trembled slightly, and an invisible pressure quietly spread out.

The Buddha sat atop Mount Sumeru, his gaze piercing through the thick clouds, and said in a deep voice, “Jiang Wang has arrived at Pingding Mountain and has transformed into the Fine Ghost. You all must be careful.”

Within the immeasurable Sumeru Formation, Haotian, Bodhi, Laozi, and others wore solemn expressions, ready for battle.

Bodhi Patriarch said in a low voice, "This boy is cunning and scheming; we must not underestimate him."

The purple-gold gourd is a treasure of Laozi (the Supreme Lord Lao), and this opportunity may provide a chance to test its power.

At the same time, Guanyin Bodhisattva arrived on a cloud and waved her hand to remove the three mountains that were pressing down on Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong broke free of his predicament, rubbed his shoulders, and bowed to Guanyin, saying, "Thank you for saving me, Bodhisattva!"

His gaze shifted, and he suddenly saw a glittering light on a distant mountain peak, with a faint demonic aura emanating from it.

He narrowed his eyes, deducing that it was a demon bringing treasure. Suddenly, an idea came to him. He transformed into a Taoist priest, stepped forward, and said loudly, "Young man, what treasure do you hold in your hand? May I have a look?"

The exquisite ghost that Jiang Wang had transformed into smiled slightly, raised the purple-gold-red gourd, and said slowly, "This is a fine treasure; it can hold the heavens and the earth, and contain all things!"

Sun Wukong's heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, "Isn't this the Purple Gold Red Gourd? I, Old Sun, want to see what this monster is capable of!"

He feigned surprise and clapped his hands, saying, "What a treasure! I also have a gourd that can hold the sky! Don't believe me? Let's compare!"

As he spoke, he took out the black-carved flag he had borrowed from Nezha and the True Martial Emperor, and secretly cast a spell, preparing to stage a "pretend to be a god."

They used magic tricks to steal the purple-gold gourd.

Jiang Wang smiled faintly, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes.

He raised the gourd high and shook it gently. Suddenly, a stream of extremely yin and weak water gushed out of the gourd's mouth. It was as black as ink and carried a bone-chilling coldness, rushing straight towards Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong was greatly alarmed and hurriedly waved his black eagle flag to defend himself, but he felt that the Weak Water was extremely cold and damp, and even his magical power was being subtly eroded. (End of this chapter)