Journey to the West: Demon Emperor: Beginning as a Little Toad

Chapter 625 Yellow-Eyebrow Scheme and Long-Armed Ape
There is a saying:

"A breeze begins with a ripple on the water, and a wave is formed from a gentle ripple."

The wind initially forms from the subtle trembling of the tips of duckweed leaves, gradually developing into a powerful gale that sweeps across the land.

In a dynamic system, even a tiny change can affect the course of events, leading to drastically different outcomes.

A small butterfly flapping its wings can trigger a world-shaking tornado on the other side of the ocean.

This is:
The butterfly effect.

The Golden Horned King was like a small butterfly fluttering its wings in this world; every move he made unintentionally caused countless ripples.

original.

The reason why Ma Shan and King Huang Mei were able to come together is...

All of this began with King Golden Horn's ambush of Bodhisattva Pilanpo and his subsequent occupation of Xuanyin Mountain.

Back then, when Bodhisattva Pilanpo was ambushed by demon kings such as King Golden Horn, Bull Demon King, and Black Bear Spirit, his life was in danger, so he sought help from Venerable White Lion.

Ma Shan, the wick of the coffin lamp, went down the mountain with Venerable Bai Xiong, intending to help Venerable Bai Xiong in battle.

Unfortunately, Ma Shan and Venerable Bai Xiong were defeated by the combined forces of demon kings including King Golden Horn, Bull Demon King, Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord, Black Bear Spirit, and Yellow Wind Great Sage.

Since then.

Ma Shan then fled to Beiju Luzhou.

However, for Ma Shan, the Golden Horned King was like a nightmare that haunted him and he could not get rid of it.

Beiju Luzhou is a dangerous place where demons roam freely.

Upon first arriving in Beiju Luzhou.

After many twists and turns, Ma Shan finally managed to acquire a mountain stronghold and became the mountain king, intending to settle down there.

Unexpectedly, fate played a cruel trick on us, and destiny is unpredictable.

Ma Shanxin had barely established his power base when he unexpectedly encountered the Golden Horn King again.

In this match, Ma Shan was once again no match for his opponent's strength and suffered another defeat.

After his defeat, Ma Shan was ridiculed by a group of lesser demons, losing face and feeling ashamed to face the demons of Xuan Yin Mountain.

Therefore, Ma Shan was extremely disheartened after the battle of Beiju Luzhou. He felt that there was nowhere for him to stay, so he decided to leave Beiju Luzhou and find another place to establish his own sect.

Unexpectedly, Ma Shan encountered the Yellow-Eyebrowed King, who had been banished from Mount Ling by Maitreya Buddha and was traveling around.

Ma Shan and the Yellow-Eyebrowed King had known each other for a long time.

King Huangmei was skilled in bewitching people, and seeing Ma Shan's destitute state, he immediately hatched a plan.

King Huangmei threatened Ma Shan with the threat that "if you do not obey me, I will reveal your whereabouts to the Buddha Dipankara," and then used sweet words and all sorts of temptations to flatter him to the extreme.

Ma Shan was already disheartened and fearful of the might of Dipankara Buddha. Helpless, he had no choice but to stay by the side of King Huangmei and plot his so-called "great cause".

During the Investiture of the Gods war.

Ma Shan once fought with Yang Jian and was captured by Yang Jian.

However, even though Yang Jian possessed extraordinary abilities, he was no match for Ma Shan and was instead able to escape using the fire escape technique.

To cover up the shame of this defeat, Ma Shan said to the Yellow-Eyebrowed King:

"The demon king who defeated me was highly skilled, no less so than Yang Jian back then."

"I'm afraid you're no match for him either."

Upon hearing that Ma Shan had been defeated by King Golden Horn in Beiju Luzhou, King Yellow Eyebrows secretly pondered:
Firstly, he wanted to win over Ma Shan's heart, to avenge him, and to make Ma Shan sincerely help him.

Secondly, having heard of the Golden Horned King's formidable reputation and the fact that his abilities were no less than Yang Jian's, he couldn't help but feel curious and wanted to find out more and witness the prowess of such a demon king.

With this in mind, King Yellow Eyebrows devised a plan.

The Yellow-Eyebrowed King is a cunning demon.

King Huangmei first sent one of his "old turtle spirit" incarnations to Xuanjin Mountain in Beiju Luzhou, intending to test the strength and weakness of King Jinjiao.

After the "Old Turtle Spirit" of the Yellow-Eyebrow King transformed into Xuanjin Mountain, it conducted some exploration and probing, and many messages were sent back to the Yellow-Eyebrow King's ears.

one.

King Yellow Eyebrows was wary of King Golden Horn, who possessed a vast power, numerous demon followers, and extraordinary strength.

Second.

On that trip, King Yellow Eyebrows did not carry the magical treasures "Golden Treasure" and "Human Race Bag" with him.

If we act rashly, we may find it difficult to win.

Third.

He, the Yellow-Eyebrowed Old Buddha, was originally a Buddhist disciple, but Beiju Luzhou was a place where demons roamed, and the atmosphere of evil permeated the air.

He has no advantage in this place, and his actions are inconvenient.

After weighing the pros and cons, the Yellow-Eyebrowed King abandoned the "Old Turtle Demon" incarnation and refrained from making any rash moves.

However, this trip to Xuanjin Mountain was not entirely fruitless.

In the Xuanjin Mountains, the Yellow-Eyebrowed King encountered a remarkable ape, namely the Long-Armed Ape Yuan Tong.

Back then, the gibbon Yuan Tong and the "old turtle spirit" of the Yellow-Eyebrowed King fought each other.

After a fight.

The Yellow-Eyebrowed King's "Old Turtle Demon" incarnation was killed by that ape.

But the Yellow-Eyebrowed King saw that the ape had a pair of iron arms that were impervious to swords and spears, and when it swung them, they were like rolling wind and thunder, unstoppable; it also had the supernatural power to shrink mountains, and its figure could move swiftly, sometimes far and sometimes near, making it difficult to catch.

Huang Mei recognized the monkey's identity from its iron arms and its ability to shrink mountains.

It is indeed the "Long-Armed Ape".

"Long-armed ape..."

Thinking of this gibbon, King Yellow Eyebrows seemed to be deep in thought.

He practiced under the tutelage of Maitreya Buddha for many years and possessed extraordinary insight.

He had also heard the Buddha mention the "Four Monkeys of Chaos".

These four mischievous monkeys are: the first is the "Spiritual Stone Monkey", the second is the "Red-bottomed Horse Monkey", the third is the "Long-armed Ape", and the fourth is the "Six-eared Macaque".

This "Long-Armed Ape" is one of the Four Monkeys of Chaos. It possesses great supernatural powers, including the ability to grasp the sun and moon, shrink mountains, discern good and bad fortune, and manipulate the universe.

King Yellow Eyebrows thought to himself:

"These gibbones might be destined to be with me, Yellow Eyebrows!"

"That Jin Chanzi is the incarnation of the ancient ferocious beast, the six-winged golden cicada. In terms of supernatural abilities, I am no match for Jin Chanzi, and the outcome is uncertain."

"But if I can get the help of the gibbon and take it under my command, it will surely be of great assistance in my future endeavors."

"Why worry that great things cannot be accomplished!"

"With me, Yellow Eyebrows, and the Long-Armed Ape, the advantage is in my hands against Golden Cicada!"

From then on, King Yellow Eyebrows conceived another plan, waiting only for the right opportunity.

……

The gibbon was still in its growth stage, like an uncarved gem. Although it had unlimited potential, it had not yet fully shown its brilliance.

But in the eyes of the Yellow-Eyebrowed King, this was not a bad thing, but rather a good thing.

This is like a student who has just left school and entered the world for the first time. Their mind is pure, like a blank sheet of paper, ready for anyone to write on.

To put it bluntly:
"Easy to fool."

He could draw whatever he wanted on a blank sheet of paper.

That gibbon, King Yellow Eyebrows has taken a fancy to it!
Willing to win.

The Yellow-Eyebrowed King believed that even if the Golden-Horned King was extremely powerful, possessing the strength of Erlang Shen, the True Lord Yang Jian, he would still be no match for the might of the "Human Seed Bag" and the "Golden Rao".

King Yellow Eyebrows had already planned ahead. He would first let the Long-Armed Ape be raised under King Golden Horn's command, like planting a hidden chess piece, which would play a huge role when the time was right.

They only need to obtain the "human seed bag" and "golden treasure" from their master, Maitreya Buddha.

He could then meet the Golden Horned King, find an opportunity to capture the Long-Armed Ape, and bring it into his sect, adding a fierce general to the sect.

……

Now, the "grand plan for the eastward transmission of Buddhism" from the Western Vulture Peak is firmly established, which is a great event concerning the prosperity of Buddhism and the far-reaching spread of its teachings.

However, the core problem of the Western Vulture Peak's "Great Plan to Spread Buddhism to the East" remains unresolved, namely, the selection of a person to transmit the scriptures to the East.

Within the sacred mountain.

Each Buddha and Bodhisattva harbored their own thoughts, and undercurrents were surging within them.

Guanyin Bodhisattva acted as a guarantor for Jin Chanzi and also protected him.

at the same time.

The Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta strongly supported Huang Mei, vouching for him and protecting his Dharma.

The Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta said that Huangmei also possessed extraordinary abilities, was resourceful, and ambitious. If he could take on the important task of spreading the scriptures, he would surely be able to create a new era for Buddhism. Therefore, he strongly recommended him.

As the saying goes:
"This humble monk comes from the Great Tang Dynasty in the East, wishing to travel to the Western Paradise to worship Buddha and seek scriptures." Tang Sanzang and his disciples went to the Western Paradise to obtain scriptures and spread them to the East.

The "pilgrim" is actually also the "transmitter of scriptures".

now.

This time.

Huang Mei and Jin Chanzi are vying for the qualification of "transmitter of scriptures," like two tigers fighting, neither willing to give way.

This "battle for transmission of the scriptures" is not only a contest for personal honor, but also a struggle between powerful forces behind the scenes, which concerns the future direction of Buddhism.

Until the dust settles, everything remains uncertain.

Jin Chanzi was merely a self-taught monk.

Huang Mei, on the other hand, is a direct descendant of Lingshan, with impeccable lineage.

In terms of seniority, Jin Chanzi should address Huang Mei as "Huang Mei".
"Senior brother."

This scripture, if Jin Chanzi could pass it on, why can't I, Huang Mei, pass it on?

……

On the journey westward, demons roamed freely, each harboring their own ulterior motives.

However, the reason why the Yellow-Eyebrowed King tried so hard to stop Tang Sanzang and his disciples was not like that of other demons, who coveted Tang Sanzang's flesh in order to gain immortality.

The Yellow-Eyebrowed King harbored the same ambition as the Six-Eared Macaque: to replace Tang Sanzang and his disciples on their journey to the Western Paradise to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures.

On the road westward.

There is a "spiritual stone monkey" named Sun Wukong, one of the four mischievous monkeys, who goes to the Western Paradise to obtain Buddhist scriptures.

The Six-Eared Macaque, one of the Four Mischievous Monkeys, saw that the Spiritual Stone Monkey Sun Wukong was going to the Western Paradise to obtain Buddhist scriptures, and he began to have his own ideas and wanted to go to the Western Paradise to obtain scriptures as well.

The Six-Eared Macaque wanted to replace Sun Wukong.

then.

The Six-Eared Macaque impersonated "Sun Wukong, the Spiritual Stone Monkey," defeated Tang Sanzang, stole his bundle, and occupied Sun Wukong's Water Curtain Cave on Flower Fruit Mountain.

The Six-Eared Macaque boasted that he would form his own pilgrimage team to retrieve the scriptures from the Western Paradise and deliver them to the Eastern Land, so that the people of Jambudvipa would recognize him as their ancestor and his name would be passed down for ten thousand generations.

The same applies to the Yellow-Eyebrowed King.

The Yellow-Eyebrowed King always wanted to replace Tang Sanzang and his disciples and go to the Western Paradise to obtain the Buddhist scriptures.

Therefore, in "Journey to the West", the Yellow-Eyebrowed King set up a trap at the Little Thunder Temple, conjuring up Buddha statues and creating a Buddhist realm, making the Little Thunder Temple solemn and majestic, no different from the Buddhist realm of Mount Ling.

After luring Tang Sanzang into his trap, he shouted at Sun Wukong, who had seen through the truth and come to confront him:
“I have long known that you went west and have some skills, so I created this illusion to lure your master in and make a bet with you.”

"If you can defeat me, I will spare you and your master, and allow you to attain enlightenment."

"If you cannot, I will kill you all and go to see the Buddha to obtain the scriptures, thus truly bringing order to China!"

The words of the Yellow-Eyebrowed King blatantly revealed his ambition: to replace Tang Sanzang and his disciples in completing the great journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures, thereby seeking enlightenment and fame.

Even the incredibly intelligent Sun Wukong understood the mystery behind it.

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong's fiery eyes widened, he glared angrily, and drew his staff, shouting:
"Fairy, no need for empty promises. If you want to gamble, come up and take the baton!"

When King Yellow Eyebrows saw that Sun Wukong had agreed to the bet, he was overjoyed and stepped forward happily, using his spiked club to block Sun Wukong and begin the duel.

……

Now, let's talk about the "Wangchao Village" in the Southern Continent. Although life was hard in the past, it was a peaceful place where fishermen sang to each other and smoke rose from the chimneys.

But today, it is a truly desolate scene.

But we see:

The setting sun weeps blood, its reflection on the sea and sky changing color; the fishy wind whips up waves, carrying the stench of entrails.

The once-thriving Tanah Lot Temple has become a slaughterhouse; the once-glittering and prosperous place has turned into an infernal hell.

On the jade steps, congealed bloodstains soaked through greedy finger marks; beneath the broken walls and ruins, shattered pearls and jade mingled with the stench of entrails.

Corpses lay strewn about, some killed in a fight, others by mutual slaughter; the village was desolate, devoid of human voices, save for the mournful sound of the sea wind.

The real one is:
"Wealth stirs the heart's demons, and in an instant, prosperity vanishes into nothingness; insatiable desires can turn a fishing village into a deserted place in a single day."

At this moment.

The Yellow-Eyebrowed King was dressed in a dull yellow robe, his hair was disheveled and his face was dirty. He wore a thin, flat gold band around his neck, which accentuated his two yellow eyebrows. He also had a wolf-tooth vajra at his waist.

Although half of his body was still covered in blood, with blood gushing from his wounds, making him look wretched and barely breathing, he still struggled to sit cross-legged on the cold reef, as if determined to uphold his "way" in this desperate situation.

Looking at the "masterpiece of the small fishing village" in front of me.

Despite the intense pain, King Yellow Eyebrows was extremely pleased with himself.

Looking at Huang Mei's disheveled state, Ma Shan couldn't help but mock Huang Mei, saying that he had tried to emulate the Buddha, the supreme ruler, by cutting off his own flesh to feed an eagle, but ended up being dismembered. It was utterly ridiculous.

I heard that Ma Shan said he was imitating the Buddha by "cutting off his own flesh to feed the eagle".

"Humph!"

"Ma Shan, what do you know?!"

A flash of ferocity crossed the Yellow-Eyebrowed King's eyes, and he coldly snorted:

"Although the Buddha Tathagata is the supreme ruler of the world, my master Maitreya Buddha is also a 'supreme ruler of the world,' how could I lose to him?"

"What kind of bullshit Buddha is this? I can't do it myself!"

"I will emulate the Buddha's past act of 'cutting off his own flesh to feed the eagle,' transforming myself into an old turtle spirit to offer my flesh to these poor mortals as a form of wealth. In reality, I want to challenge the Golden Cicada to a duel!"

Despite his injuries, King Yellow Eyebrows swayed and pointed at the mess on the ground, his voice filled with a fanatical obsession, as if he wanted to unleash all the pent-up resentment in his heart at once:

"Then Jin Chanzi said that when the Buddha was practicing, he saw an eagle chasing a small bird."

"The little bird panicked and fled in all directions, but had nowhere to hide and was about to be killed by the eagle."

"The Buddha, out of compassion, could not bear to see such a tragic scene, so he cut off a piece of his own flesh to feed the eagle."

"When the eagle saw the Buddha's actions, it felt reverence, abandoned its murderous intent, and flew away."

"It was the Buddha's compassion and selflessness that moved the eagle, causing it to give up its killing intent."

"This shows that selfless compassion can influence the wicked and proves that all sentient beings have the potential for wisdom and can be saved."

"Hmph, such nonsense! I, Huang Mei, scoff at it!"

At this point, the Yellow-Eyebrowed King suddenly spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, which splattered onto the reef, leaving specks of blood, as if expressing his contempt for this kind of "mercy":

"Eagles are born to eat meat. If you don't let eagles eat meat, are you forcing them to eat grass?"

"What kind of compassion is this?"

"Isn't this just feigned compassion?"

"I bother!"

He pointed again to the mess on the ground, his face full of disdain, and continued:

"Furthermore, when Buddha cut off his own flesh to feed the eagle, it was just a meal to fill its stomach. Once the eagle was full, it flew away. It may seem that the eagle 'let go' of its killing intent, but in reality, the eagle was full of meat and naturally flew away."

"The eagle is just not hungry, so it's temporarily quiet!"

"What Buddha said about how he moved the eagle with compassion and selflessness, making it give up its killing intent."

Isn't this a generalization based on limited information?

King Yellow Eyebrows paused, took a breath, and pointed at the fishing village before him, his eyes filled with mockery and disdain:

"The people of this fishing village today are like a flock of hungry eagles!"

“When I gave away my flesh and money, they were initially very grateful and thanked me profusely, which seemed to show their ‘Buddha-nature’.”

“But if you feed them meat a few more times, these fishermen’s compassion will disappear and their greed will emerge.”

"When desires are not satisfied, there will be exploitation, robbery, and killing... This is human nature."

"Humans are inherently greedy and selfish."

"The human heart cannot withstand continuous temptation."

"It is impossible for people to be without desires. No matter what you do, you can only make them suppress their desires."

But does suppressing desire truly mean the absence of desire?
"That's just self-deception, burying your head in the sand!"

Ma Shan is the physical manifestation of the wick of the coffin lamp. He has long been by the side of the ancient Buddha of the Burning Lamp and has been deeply immersed in the essence of Buddhist teachings. Although he often acts with a touch of unruliness, his Buddhist nature and wisdom are also extraordinary.

At this moment, upon hearing the Yellow-Eyebrowed King's extreme remarks, a glint flashed in Ma Shan's eyes, as if he had been touched.

However, he still maintained a nonchalant attitude.
Ma Shan clapped his hands and laughed:

"Brilliant! Brilliant!"

Immediately, Ma Shan's expression turned serious, and he began to debate the laws and principles with the Yellow-Eyebrowed King, his words subtly revealing his wit and strategic thinking.

“Brother Huang Mei, your meticulous planning, using wealth as bait, has lured out this devastating disaster.”

"Your actions, though different in intent from the Buddha's act of cutting off his own flesh to lure the eagle, seem to achieve the same result through different means."

“You accuse him of deceiving the world and stealing fame, but the Buddha did not intend to prove good, while you intended to prove evil.”

(End of this chapter)