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

He let out a long sigh of relief, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. The system's cold notification echoed in his mind: "Mission Thirty Completed. Rewards: Innate Treasure - Book of Curses, and one experience point lottery chance."

Jiang Wang opened his eyes, and a black-covered ancient book appeared in his palm.

The book cover was like aged cowhide, cold to the touch, yet it emanated a strange, eerie tremor, as if the whispers of countless vengeful spirits were sealed within.

He gently stroked the spine of the book with his fingers, and wisps of black smoke seeped from the cover, turning into twisted runes that wriggled in the air.

The runes burrowed into his skin like living things, causing waves of stinging pain that made him gasp.

"What...what the hell is this? System, are you kidding me?"

Jiang Wang was startled. The ominous aura penetrated his heart and sent chills down his spine, as if he had touched the source of some taboo.

Before he could examine it closely, the system's merciless voice rang out again: "Host's teleportation has begun. Return to the main storyline."

The void twisted, and Jiang Wang's figure flickered and vanished from the alchemy room, leaving only the Book of Curses silently suspended, its pages moving without wind, faintly revealing the words "Cause and effect cycle, curse endures forever."

Blood-written words.

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the Blackwater River, the waves surged and the undercurrents churned like dragons.

Pigsy's fat body struggled in the river, while behind him a ferocious lobster demon bared its teeth and claws, its pincers clamping tightly onto the rope like iron hooks.

Seeing that the rope was about to break, Pigsy was overjoyed. He mustered all his strength and pushed off, using the current to propel himself out of the water.

"Pfft!"

Water splashed everywhere, and his pig-like face appeared on the bank, looking utterly disheveled. He shouted, "Help! I almost got myself killed!"

Dust billowed on the shore as two figures sped towards them.

The leader was none other than the Monkey King Sun Wukong, with his hairy face and thunderous mouth, wielding the golden cudgel. Behind him followed Moang, the third prince of the West Sea, clad in silver scale armor, with a sword hanging at his waist, his dragon might subtly emanating from him.

With a quick glance from his fiery eyes, Wukong saw Bajie's miserable state and frowned slightly: "Fool, why are you in such a sorry state? Where is Master? He's nowhere to be found."

Pigsy scrambled ashore, collapsed onto the muddy ground, snot and tears streaming down his face, crying like a child: "Great, Great King! Master... he was steamed alive by that damned alligator dragon! I saw it with my own eyes, that demon was gnawing on Master's flesh bite by bite, saying that eating Tang Sanzang's flesh would grant immortality and postpone all the three calamities and nine tribulations! Waaah, I risked my life to escape, but Master... Master is gone!"

These words struck like a thunderbolt. Upon hearing them, Wukong froze, a fleeting look of sorrow crossing his face, but a barely perceptible hint of joy flashed in his eyes.

The golden headband tightened like shackles, causing him excruciating headaches. If it weren't for Tang Sanzang, wouldn't the curse have vanished into thin air? But he was, after all, the Monkey King. On the surface, he still let out a long sigh, slamming his staff into the ground and creating a large crater: "Master... alas, this demon of the Blackwater River dared to harm my master! Prince, we came here to find our master, but now that enmity has been formed, I swear I will not be human until I avenge this!"

Upon hearing this, Prince Moang's dragon eyes widened, his anger blazing: "You audacious demon, how dare you devour the holy monk on his journey to the West! Brother Wukong, let me gather my shrimp soldiers and crab generals, and wipe out that demon's lair at the bottom of the river in one fell swoop!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Sha Wujing arrived from afar. The Curtain-Lifting General, who was originally guarding the White Dragon Horse, panicked when he saw Pigsy wailing and lamenting: "Second Brother, Third Brother, how could Master... What should we do? Without Master, how can our pilgrimage team continue its journey to the West?"

Bajie wiped away his tears, his pig eyes darted around, and he immediately straightened up, patting his chest and saying, "What's the point of going on the pilgrimage? Master's gone, let's disband the group! I'm going back to Gao Village, getting married, having kids, and living a carefree life! Great Sage, what do you say? Without Master chanting the golden headband, aren't you free too?"

Upon hearing this, Wukong's heart stirred, but he kept a straight face and thought to himself: This fool knows how to talk, but there needs to be a reason for disbanding the group.

He coughed and forced a smile, saying, "What Pigsy said makes some sense."

"When our master was alive, we served him tirelessly, enduring countless hardships. Now that he's gone, what's the use of forcing things? It's better for us to go our separate ways; that would be the best way to honor our bond as master and disciple."

Upon hearing this, Sha Wujing immediately became anxious. His honest face turned bright red, and his rolled-up sleeves trembled as his crescent-shaped shovel hummed in his hand: "My two senior brothers, how can you do this? Master has treated us like brothers. We have faced eighty-one tribulations on our journey to the West. How can we abandon us because of one tribulation? Sha Wujing is willing to carry on Master's legacy and continue the pilgrimage to seek enlightenment! If you want to leave, Sha Wujing will go to Mount Ling alone!"

The three of them argued back and forth, their faces turning red with rage.

Pigsy, hands on his hips, yelled, "Curtain Roller, are you stupid? Without our master's protection, where do we monsters go without being hunted down? I don't want to be a vegetarian anymore!"

Sha Wujing retorted, "Second Brother, you're greedy and afraid of hardship, doesn't Master know that? But he's devoted to Buddhism, how can we let him down?"

Wukong, caught in the middle, scratched his monkey cheek, secretly amused, but then he saw Prince Moang's face turn ashen, and he couldn't help but shout: "Three benefactors, our master's great revenge has not yet been avenged, yet you are arguing about disbanding the group! What kind of behavior is this? If you don't destroy that alligator dragon first, I, the prince, will sever all ties with you!"

Upon hearing this, Wukong's eyes darted around, and he swung his staff: "What the prince says is absolutely right! Revenge is the most important thing. We can discuss disbanding the group after we've killed that demon!"

Bajie muttered, "If only you had said that earlier, it would have been fine." Sha Wujing nodded, and the three of them, along with Prince Moang, leaped into the Blackwater River. The water splashed like a tornado, and they instantly disappeared into the riverbed.

The underwater palace at the bottom of the river was brightly lit. The enormous body of the alligator-like dragon was coiled on the golden palace, chewing on the last piece of Tang Sanzang's flesh. The smell of blood permeated the entire cave.

A blue carp spirit fawned from the side, saying, "Your Majesty is wise! This Tang Monk's flesh is indeed miraculously effective. Look, his body is surging with dragon energy, and the three calamities have been postponed by a hundred years! If those monkeys and shrimps come to their deaths, we can catch them all in one fell swoop!"

The alligator dragon laughed loudly, its scales trembling: "Haha, that old nun Guanyin's precious flesh is indeed well-deserved of its reputation! After I swallowed this flesh, my cultivation level will be close to that of a celestial being. Who would dare to underestimate me now?"

Before the words were finished, the water outside the water palace rippled violently, and a dragon's roar resounded. Prince Moang led his troops in, shouting, "Demon! Prepare to die!"

Behind them, Wukong's golden cudgel pressed down like a mountain, Bajie's rake roared, and Sha Wujing's crescent shovel gleamed coldly.

Upon hearing this, the alligator dragon's eyes flashed with fierce light, and it rose to meet the challenge: "Well done! Green Fish, quickly bring me the remaining Tang Monk's flesh. I intend to use this battle to become a god!"

The blue carp spirit hurriedly presented a plate of flesh and blood, which the alligator dragon swallowed whole. Instantly, its scales shone brightly, its aura surged, and it transformed into a black shadow that pounced on Sha Wujing.

Sha Wujing took the lead, his crescent shovel meeting the attack head-on, only to find his opponent possessed immense strength. The single blow left Sha Wujing's hands numb: "How did this demon suddenly become so powerful?"

The battle erupted instantly, with waves churning in the water palace and the sound of weapons clashing like thunder.

After swallowing Tang Sanzang's flesh, the crocodile dragon swept its tail, creating a thousand waves that forced Sha Wujing to retreat several feet.

Pigsy brandished his nine-toothed rake wildly, but got tangled in the water and cursed, "Damn it, fighting in the water is a losing proposition for me!"

Prince Moang's sword flashed like a dragon, aiming for the alligator's weak spot, but it was blocked by the dragon's golden whip, causing his arm to go numb from the impact.

For a moment, facing four opponents alone, the alligator dragon held its own! He wielded his golden whip with impenetrable force, each strike carrying the ferocious power of someone who had devoured flesh. Sandy was forced to retreat steadily, and Pigsy, unable to hold his ground, cried out, "Your Majesty! Help! This demon has eaten Master's flesh and turned into a monster!"

Wukong, who was fighting on the periphery, narrowed his eyes upon hearing this and thought to himself: Enough, revenge is the priority, I can no longer hold back.

He laughed loudly, "Demon, prepare to die!"

The golden cudgel suddenly grew larger, crashing down like a pillar supporting the sky, shaking the entire water palace and causing the mud and sand at the bottom of the river to surge.

The alligator dragon was shocked and rushed forward with its whip, only to find that the golden cudgel was unstoppable. With one strike, it knocked the golden whip away, breaking it into pieces that scattered in all directions.

Wukong gave him no chance to catch his breath, and with his second blow, he aimed straight for his head: "I'll teach you to eat my master!"

"boom!"

Blood and flesh flew everywhere. The crocodile head of the alligator dragon exploded, and its massive body crashed to the ground, causing the pillars of the Water Palace to collapse.

Seeing the situation was dire, the blue carp demon transformed into a small fish and fled. Prince Moang commanded his shrimp soldiers to drag away the demon's corpse and seal the river cave. The water returned to calm, and the four surfaced. Pigsy, panting heavily, was the first to speak: "Phew... We've avenged ourselves! Your Majesty, can we call it a day now? I, Old Pig, don't want to get involved in this mess again!"

Upon hearing this, Sha Wujing slammed his shovel down and angrily said, "Second Brother, how can you still be thinking about disbanding the group? Master's body is barely cold, how can we..."

Before he could finish speaking, Pigsy jumped up and shouted, "Curtain Roller, you're so stubborn! We're going on a pilgrimage to the West, and in the end, our master is gone. You want us to go with you to our deaths?"

The argument resumed, with Pigsy brandishing his rake and Sandy using his crescent shovel for protection. The two pushed and shoved each other, creating a chaotic scene.

Suddenly, a giant crab crawled out from the riverbank, its pincers snapping shut.

With a sharp sound, it precisely clamped onto Pigsy's pig ear.

Pigsy cried out in agony, "Oh my god! Whose crab spirit dares to pinch my ears?"

Upon seeing that the crab was actually a remnant of a minor river demon, everyone hurriedly fled. Pigsy rubbed his swollen ears, looking aggrieved: "These river demons are all bullying people. It's better to break up as soon as possible!"

Seeing this, Wukong shook his head and sighed, then poked the ground with his staff: "Alright, alright, you two stop arguing."

This important matter of obtaining the scriptures is beyond the control of us juniors.

"Let's go to Luojia Mountain in the South China Sea and ask Guanyin Bodhisattva for an explanation! She enlightened us, master and disciple; there must be an explanation."

Pigsy muttered, "The Bodhisattva has allowed me to continue," but Sandy exclaimed happily, "Exactly! Great Sage, you are wise!"

Prince Moang cupped his hands and said, "Three benefactors, I will not see you off further as I am busy with river affairs."

Wishing you a successful journey to the West!

Having said that, it transformed into a dragon and departed.

The three of them rode the clouds and headed straight for the South China Sea.

In the bamboo forest of Luojia Mountain, the bamboo shadows sway and the sea breeze blows gently, but the golden statue of the Bodhisattva remains empty.

The kind-hearted boy shook his head: "The Bodhisattva has gone on a pilgrimage and we do not know when he will return."

Wukong scratched his head: "That old nun, she's not here when it matters!"

Pigsy gloated, "Hehe, it's good that he's not here, let's call it a day!"

Sha Wujing glared at him, and the three of them had no choice but to turn to the Slanting Moon and Three Stars Cave on Fangcun Mountain.

Before the cave entrance, shaded by green pines, Wukong knocked on the door and shouted, "Master! Is Patriarch Bodhi here?"

After a long while, no one answered. A gust of wind blew open the stone door, revealing an empty cave filled with dust.

Wukong scanned the area with his fiery eyes and muttered, "Even the Patriarch has gone out? Where have all these Buddhist masters gone?"

Pigsy clapped his hands: "Our patriarch is gone, let's disband, let's disband!"

Sha Wujing stopped him, saying, "Don't rush! Go to Mount Ling and ask the Buddha for his judgment!"

At the foot of Mount Ling, golden light shines everywhere, and the sound of chanting lingers.

The three of them climbed the steps, and amidst the rising smoke of incense, they found that the Great Thunder Temple was completely empty.

The Arhats shook their heads: "The Buddha is in seclusion, preaching the scriptures and does not receive outsiders."

Wukong said anxiously, "What should we do? Master's body is still warm, and we need to know whether the group will disband or not!"

Bajie shrugged: "Let's call it a day!"

Sha Wujing shook his head: "No!"

Just as the three hesitated, auspicious clouds appeared in the sky, and a white elephant carrying a lotus platform slowly descended.

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva appeared, with a kind face, holding a blue lotus, and with a solemn appearance: "Three benefactors, why are you making such a commotion here?"

Wukong stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Bodhisattva, save me! Our master, Tang Sanzang, was killed by the alligator dragon in the Blackwater River."

My fellow disciples and I are arguing about this, and we don't know whether the group should disband or continue.

Upon hearing this, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva's lotus platform trembled, his expression changed drastically, and his wise eyes widened in disbelief: "What? Tang Sanzang is dead? Benefactor, you must be joking! That Venerable Xuanzang is a holy monk whom our Buddhist sect encounters only once in a thousand years, with immeasurable merits. How could he perish so easily? It must be a rumor!"

Upon hearing this, Pigsy stiffened his pig head and swore an oath: "Bodhisattva above, I, Pigsy, swear on my pig bristles that if I utter a single lie, may I be struck by lightning! That alligator dragon himself said that after eating Master's flesh, his cultivation greatly increased. We saw the corpse with our own eyes, and after taking revenge, we even dragged it ashore!"

Sha Wujing stepped forward, clasped his hands together, and said with tears in his eyes, "Bodhisattva, you are wise! I, Sha Wujing, am willing to guarantee with my life that the tragic scene at the bottom of the river, with no remains left, is indeed true."

We originally intended to disband, but Sha Wujing couldn't bear to betray his master's last wishes..."

Upon hearing this, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva's body shimmered with Buddhist light, and lotus petals fluttered down. She murmured to herself, "Impossible... Xuanzang was the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi, personally chosen by the Buddha. How could he die at the hands of a demon? This... there must be something fishy about this!"

She paced back and forth, unable to accept it, chanting Buddhist mantras. After a long while, she sighed, "Three benefactors, please stay at Lingshan for now, while this humble monk reports to the Buddha and seeks to find out the truth."

The journey to the West must not be abandoned!

Upon hearing this, the three each had their own thoughts.

Wukong was secretly pleased: If the Bodhisattva doesn't believe him, perhaps he can delay until the golden headband loosens.

Pigsy muttered: "If the Bodhisattva forbids us to disperse, won't I have to eat vegetarian food again?" Sandy knelt down and thanked him: "Bodhisattva is merciful, there is hope for the journey to the West!" At the same time, in the hidden realm of Chang'an, Jiang Wang's figure reappeared in the alchemy room.

He rubbed his temples. The book of curses had been stored in his system space, but the ominous aura still made him feel uneasy.

Suddenly, a system notification rang out: "A major change in the main storyline has been detected. Hidden quest number twenty-nine has been triggered: Witness the absurd cause and effect of 'Tang Sanzang eating Tang Sanzang's flesh'."

Mission complete. Reward: One Innate Spiritual Treasure Upgrade Card.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang nearly jumped off the prayer mat: "What? 'Tang Sanzang eats Tang Sanzang's flesh'? System, your description... is too creepy!"

He took out the glittering golden card, on which runes flowed, vaguely reflecting a bloody scene at the bottom of the Blackwater River: a crocodile dragon devouring flesh, its cultivation level soaring.

Jiang Wang gasped, his heart filled with shock: "This reward... sounds like a dark history! Eating Tang Sanzang's flesh can postpone the Three Calamities? Wouldn't the bigwigs in Buddhism be furious if they knew?"

He suppressed his emotions, rose, and began refining pills. The furnace roared, and the aroma of elixirs gradually filled the air. (End of Chapter)