Starting with the titmouse, seventy-two transformations

Chapter 434 Deduction: If there were no demons in the world, how could there be Buddhas in the Pure Land? (Part 2)

In the 980th year, you once again stood at the foot of Lion Camel Ridge.

Over the years, you've traveled and stopped, hearing many legends and stories about the pilgrims.

Some well-meaning people took the story of the four travelers and made additions, deletions, and compilations, put it into a book, and widely circulated it, even giving it an interesting title...

Journey to the West: The Tale of Exorcising Calamities.

The Lion Camel Ridge in the book has a great king, the Green-haired Lion King; a second great king, the Six-tusked White Elephant King; a third great king, the Golden-winged Roc King; and little monsters who patrol the mountain, as well as little demons and monsters who slay people and stand guard...

But you're not here!

Indeed, back then your cultivation was shallow; you were merely one of the forty-eight thousand demons on the ridge. You had neither outstanding abilities nor remarkable deeds, and you were nameless and faceless, which was quite normal.

It is said that the pilgrims finally obtained the true scriptures at Mount Ling, and some became Buddhas, some became Bodhisattvas, and some became Arhats, all achieving great success.

However, wherever they went on their pilgrimage, the demons suffered heavy casualties; some were injured, some died, and some scattered, their fates tragic.

Perhaps it's because, like you back then, they are both "poisoning the people" and "causing harm to the masses."

Even the three kings of Lion Camel Ridge, who possessed boundless magical power, were eventually taken away by the Bodhisattva from Mount Ling.

It turns out they were all once the mounts of Bodhisattvas...

They came from the sacred Buddhist land of Lingshan!
So, could the scene on Lion Camel Ridge back then, with its hills of skulls, forests of bones, freshly boiled human flesh, and live infants being skinned alive, have been something like this—

What is the truth about the Buddhist Kingdom of Lingshan?
Could the three of them simply be describing the situation inside Mount Ling...?

They moved to Lion Camel Ridge?

You have too many questions in your heart, but unfortunately the three kings have already returned to Mount Ling, and no demon can give you the answers.

Of course, it was just a question, something I only thought about during casual conversations, and then forgot about again.

after all,

That happened more than 500 years ago.

Yes, it's been five hundred years...

But why is Lion Camel Ridge still so lively today?
This... isn't this exactly what happened on Lion Camel Ridge back then?

Why would this place reappear after 500 years? Is it all a dream?

You headed straight for the ridge in a daze, only to be blocked by a demon halfway there, which you killed with a single blow.

This alarmed all the demons in the mountain.

You only realize this now, and try to explain, but it's too late.

You are overwhelmed by demons...

【you are dead. 】

……

"No, he's dead?"

Liu Sheng came to his senses, his face filled with shock.

No matter what, the Golden Tooth Elephant's incarnation was a great demon, yet it was beaten to death by the patrolling demons and lackeys, not even lasting a breath!
Is it too exaggerated?
But thinking about it, this is Journey to the West, and specifically the extremely dangerous Lion Camel Ridge within Journey to the West, so it's understandable.

Any nameless little demon or lackey on this ridge, if placed in another world, might be an unparalleled demon king, a peerless giant demon, or even a being who reigns supreme over an entire realm.

Dying at their hands isn't shameful.

Liu Sheng took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and sorted out the results of this deduction.

The previous deduction of the white elephant's incarnation was skipped, so the specific details are unknown.

However, based on this deduction, it is likely that they spent several hundred years in the Journey to the West world before finally reaching Lion Camel Ridge and meeting Tang Sanzang and his disciples.

Later, the three great demon kings of the ridge were taken away by the Bodhisattva, and the demons on the ridge scattered like monkeys when the tree fell, each fleeing for their lives.

In the end, the white elephant, through some unknown fortuitous encounter, endured five hundred years and finally became a great demon.

Because he missed the place he had visited, he returned to Lion Camel Ridge.

However, they discovered that the once desolate and barren Daling had actually reappeared as it was 500 years ago, with mountains of corpses, seas of blood, and demons everywhere!
Five hundred years after Journey to the West, Lion Camel Ridge has returned to its former state as a living hell.

What was the point of the journey to the West, where the pilgrims endured eighty-one tribulations to obtain the sacred scriptures?

Liu Sheng frowned, pondered for a moment, and decided to change his approach: first, he would infiltrate the demon ranks.

In the 972nd year, you awoke from your sleep, not knowing where you were...

...

In the 980th year, you once again stood at the foot of Lion Camel Ridge.

The past reappears, as if a dream has come true.

Faced with the bustling scene on the ridge, you did not rush in rashly, but cautiously joined the group as an "outsider demon".

You're familiar with this whole routine; after all, that's how you joined Lion Camel Ridge back then.

It's just repeating the same old story.

You became a junior drill sergeant, patrolling the mountain on a shift, taking a break every three days.

The "Little Drill Masters" of Lion Camel Ridge are job titles, and there are as many as four hundred of them.

They are divided into ten classes, each with forty students, and they are all different in age, appearance, name, and species.

They were responsible for patrolling an area of ​​800 li, including Nanling, Beiling, Donglukou, and Xilukou.

You pretend to be a naive "country bumpkin," talk less and listen more, gradually getting to know the lesser demons and learning some information.

For example, the one who currently sits in charge of the three gates and commands 48,000 demons is a three-headed demon king with boundless magical power and great supernatural abilities.

The Great King, also known as the Green-haired Lion King, has a ferocious appearance with jagged teeth, a round head, bright red eyebrows, a roar like thunder, and eyes like lightning.

He once stormed the Southern Heavenly Gate, swallowing 100,000 heavenly soldiers in one gulp, displaying overwhelming ferocity.

The Second King, the Six-Tusked White Elephant King, was born with silkworm eyebrows, phoenix eyes, a beautiful voice, tusks like a carrying pole, and a nose like a dragon. He was loyal, righteous, and unparalleled in courage and strength.

The three kings, the Golden-Winged Roc King, the Golden-Winged Kun-Head, and the Starry-Eyed Leopard Eyes, had just devoured the entire court of the Lion Camel Kingdom, four hundred miles away, and ate up all the people in the city.

Not long ago, he went up the mountain, donated blood to feed a million people, and became sworn brothers with the Lion King and the White Elephant King.

The mountain is bustling with activity now because the three kings are hosting a banquet for the demon kings from all directions to discuss important matters. It is said that...

It is related to immortality.

The Green-haired Lion King, the Six-tusked White Elephant King, the Golden-winged Roc King...

What a familiar name!
Weren't they captured and taken back to Mount Ling to serve as mounts for the Bodhisattva? Why are they coming down the mountain again and returning to their old ways?

You feel fear, panic, and palpitations, realizing that you may have touched upon some "truth".

You decide to test your guess.

So you feigned illness and descended the mountain to infiltrate the human world, only to discover...

The once widely circulated "Journey to the West: The Tale of Exorcising Calamities" is now largely forgotten.

The story of the pilgrims on their journey to the West, from the East to the Western Paradise, and the legend of the eighty-one tribulations, seems to have been erased from the world.

No living being knows it anymore.

"How could this be?"

Even a powerful demon with a strong physique and a cold heart would still feel terrified and filled with fear.

You fled back to Lion Camel Ridge in a panic, pretending nothing had happened, but were summoned to the inner palace by the king.

(Atmosphere of Lion Camel Ridge)
Inside the inner palace, the Blue-haired Lion King, the Six-tusked White Elephant King, and the Golden-winged Roc King drank and chatted, their mouths full of bloody red wine.

Upon seeing you arrive, they all stopped, scrutinized you, and remained silent, creating a tense atmosphere.

You open your mouth to speak, but feel a long trunk swing at you, tearing the sky and splitting the earth, and hear the low sigh of the White Elephant King in your ear:

"idiot!"

But you could clearly see a hint of sadness in his phoenix eyes.

"Smack!"

【you are dead. 】

……

"Phew... another one died."

Liu Sheng exhaled a breath of stale air, his eyes flashing with a sharp light.

Although this simulation failed, it yielded significant results.

After being taken away by the Bodhisattvas of Mount Ling, the three demon kings of Lion Camel Ridge actually ran back and resumed their old ways.

Everything they did was the same as before.

Strangely, "Journey to the West: The Tale of Releasing Calamities," a book based on the true experiences of the pilgrims, which was once widely circulated, disappeared without a trace in just a few years, and no one knew about it.

It was as if a giant hand had wiped it off from the world.

Upon realizing this, the white elephant incarnation was killed by the demon king as soon as it returned to Lion Camel Ridge.

It's hard not to connect the two.

And why did the six-tusked white elephant king, who made his move, have a hint of sadness in his eyes?
The Journey to the West is too complex; we don't know the whole story, and there are too many doubts and questions.

"How about we don't go back to Lion Camel Ridge and instead look for opportunities elsewhere? After all, the world is so big..."

Liu Sheng had the idea of ​​leaving, not wanting to get involved in that mess, and decided to change his approach.

However, the next dozen or so simulations completely shattered his plans—all of them failed.

It was as if they were cursed; whether they infiltrated the human realm or joined the ranks of other demon kings, no matter where they hid, they could not escape death.

The only takeaway is that the eeriness of "Journey to the West: The Legend of the Monkey King" is not limited to the vicinity of Lion Camel Ridge, but extends throughout the four continents.

Like a program, once the set time is reached, it disappears completely, along with all traces, as if it had never existed.

This book, whose author is unknown, appeared and disappeared mysteriously, but upon deeper reflection…

How many people in the Three Realms can do this?

"So, we still have to go to Lion Camel Ridge."

Liu Sheng remained silent for a moment, then a resolute look appeared on his face.

Then let's do it again—

In the 972nd year, you awoke from your sleep, not knowing where you were...

...

In the 980th year, you once again stood at the foot of Lion Camel Ridge.

You disguised yourself as a "country monster" and successfully joined the group, becoming a patrolling ranger.

You talk less and do more, work hard without complaint, live a peaceful and stable life, and never cause trouble.

Days passed by one by one.

...

[In the first millennium, you have returned to Lion Camel Ridge for a full twenty years.]

Over the years, you've kept your head down, blended in with the world, and behaved no differently from an ordinary little demon.

Because of your bloodline, your cultivation level has improved significantly, and you've become the leader of a small group of drill enthusiasts, commonly known as the chief drill enthusiast.

Occasionally, one could enter the gate, meet the three kings, and listen to them chat.

On this day, the three kings held a banquet, summoning all the leaders and chieftains of the mountain, and were filled with joy.

You mingle among them, eating and drinking to your heart's content, and strain your ears to catch snippets of conversation.

It turned out that the three demons had returned from the Heavenly Peach Banquet and, when talking about what they had seen and heard at the banquet, they recognized a powerful monkey demon.

This demon was born in Dongsheng Shenzhou and called himself "Great Sage Equal to Heaven". However, he was tricked by the Heavenly Court into becoming a horse herder with the official title of "弼马温" (Bima Wen).

That monkey was incredibly skilled, but it didn't realize that the name sounded like "avoiding horse plague," leading to a series of comical blunders. It was quite amusing.

You've heard of the "Peach Banquet," and know that it was a feast hosted by the Queen Mother of the West for the Five Elders of the Five Directions, the Five Dipper Star Lords, and various other revered gods and immortals.

The three kings are both demons and have no merit, so how are they allowed to enter this banquet?
You were filled with doubt, but upon closer inspection, you saw that the three kings, the Green Lion, the White Elephant, and the Golden Roc, were clearly toasting and laughing heartily, yet their eyes were blank, concealing a deep sorrow.

This scene is strikingly similar to the "stringed puppet show" you might see in the human world.

...

In the 1100th year, Lion Camel Ridge became increasingly prosperous.

For a hundred years, you sought no merit but only to avoid mistakes, never offending anyone, and never standing out, earning you the reputation of being "cowardly".

Some of your fellow demons from the same cohort have risen to leadership positions, commanding dozens or even hundreds of monsters.

But most of them returned to dust.

And you are still one of the little demons patrolling the mountain, always trying to catch a glimpse of the wind.

On this day, thunder roared in the sky, and silver armor gleamed in the clouds as 100,000 heavenly soldiers descended to the mortal realm to subdue demons. Their might was overwhelming and unparalleled.

However, they were utterly defeated by a monkey demon, suffering heavy losses and returning in disarray.

That monkey demon—

Clad in gleaming golden armor, adorned with a radiant golden crown, he wields a golden cudgel, his cloud-patterned shoes perfectly complementing his attire.

A pair of strange eyes like a star, ears that reach past the shoulders and are stiff and hard. A straight posture allows for many changes, and a voice as loud as a bell.

That's incredibly impressive!

...

In the 1116th year, the war between the Monkey King and the Heavenly Court continued.

According to the King, the Heavenly Court has dispatched the Heavenly Master, the Star Lord, the Heavenly King, the Great God of the Three Altars and Seas, the True Lord of Pure Source and Wondrous Way, and other celestial beings to the scene.

Meanwhile, the demon monkey's side also gathered giant demons from the four continents to resist. Its six sworn demon kings each guarded a region, leading a million soldiers to form an army to attack the heavens.

Even the three great kings of the mountain range disappeared for a time, their appearances altered.

...

In the 1200th year, the great war finally came to an end.

Legend has it that the demon monkey led his army into the Southern Heavenly Gate, was defeated by the True Lord of the Pure Source Wonderful Way, and was then boiled in Laozi's furnace for forty-nine years before finally breaking out of the furnace and causing havoc in the Lingxiao Palace, leaving all the immortals helpless.

The Jade Emperor of Heaven was terrified and hid under the table. In desperation, he sought help from the Buddha.

And Buddha...

With a single palm strike, he subdued the demon, suppressing the mischievous monkey beneath the Five Fingers Mountain.

Of the demon kings, demon generals, and demon soldiers who followed the monkey demon into the Heavenly Court, most of them, except for a few like the Bull Demon King who escaped, died on the spot, their blood staining the sky.

That night, a divine mountain descended from the sky, its five colors shaking the heavens and earth.

The three kings stood on Lion Camel Ridge, gazing at the sky and sighing deeply.

You vaguely heard a few words, it seemed to be...

"Failed again."

...

In the 1723rd year, you were still patrolling Lion Camel Ridge, working as a lowly chief driller.

More than five hundred years have passed since that great war that swept across the three realms.

Over the years, you have worked diligently, without standing out or making mistakes. You spend your time cultivating yourself on the mountain and never come down.

Many of the demons who joined later climbed over your head and became minor leaders and major leaders.

You've become a very senior "little demon," but fortunately, the three kings remember you fondly and show you great favor.

Therefore, no foolish demon would dare to bully you.

In the past five hundred years, the kings have attended another Peach Banquet and brought you back a peach pit, instructing you to take it if you encounter danger, as it will save your life.

The peach pit was about the size of a fist, with a pleasant aroma, but the texture on its surface resembled a demon roaring angrily to the sky.

This thing can save your life?
You have serious doubts, but you still carefully keep it safe.

A major event occurred that year—

The Five Finger Mountain that suppressed the demon monkey back then... collapsed.

You thought that the mischievous monkey would regroup his followers, attack the Heavenly Court again, and avenge the demons who had died—

but no.

I heard from the kings that he converted to Buddhism, took a monk as his master, and was going to the Western Paradise to seek the true scriptures.

The kings said that the monk had performed great deeds, and that eating his flesh would grant immortality.

He also ordered the demons of Ling Mountain to be alert and, upon discovering any such creatures, to bring them up the ridge.

This is clearly a great thing, so why do the king and the others look so grief-stricken and have tears in their eyes?
This scene looks so familiar, as if I've seen it somewhere before.

But you can't remember.

...

In the 1732nd year, the pilgrim finally arrived.

You met the legendary mischievous monkey, the demon king who wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace and shattered the Lingxiao Palace.

He was short and thin, with a hunched back, like an old dog.

He seemed to be an old acquaintance of the three kings, drinking and chatting merrily. During the meal, it was unclear what they were saying, but it seemed to involve words like "destiny" and "reincarnation," and then...

They drew their swords and faced each other.

When the great battle broke out, the demon monkey was no match for them, so he summoned the gods of Heaven and the Buddhas of Mount Ling.

The three kings were defeated, revealed their true forms, and were ridden back to Mount Ling by the Bodhisattvas.

Meanwhile, the 48,000 demons on the ridge were sucked into a magnificent pagoda and were powerless to resist.

You swallowed the peach pit.

Within the peach pit, there seems to be a strange force that makes you impervious to the pagoda's suction, carrying you across mountains and seas, away from Lion Camel Ridge, until you finally fall into a deep slumber.

...

In the 2262nd year, you awoke from your sleep, not knowing where you were, but feeling that your cultivation had increased dramatically, and you had become an old demon.

The past is like water, gone forever, but that year, that mountain, that demon, will forever haunt your dreams.

You want to go back, back to that paradise of monsters—

狮！
驼！
ridge!】

(End of this chapter)