Journey to the West: The roadblock!

Chapter 166 A Perilous Crossing of the Tongtian River (Part Six)
After Chen Qingyan finished speaking, the twenty-odd people around him could hardly contain their grief.

These were people who had children who had been sacrificed in their homes, so they naturally empathized with Chen Qing's words, and the villagers behind them also showed more or less sympathy.

Of course, there are also those who hold the opposite attitude.

Those like Chen Si, who wanted to sacrifice their own children in this ceremony, naturally went against the wishes of Chen Qing and the others.

However, Chen Qing brought people who were biased towards him when he came to catch Xiao Shitou, so most of the villagers sympathized with Chen Qing and his group.

Wukong couldn't stand these people. They all had their own difficulties, and he couldn't hit them or scold them.

Bajie said, "Master, this is going to be difficult."

Tang Sanzang sighed.

As the standoff continued, a pulling sound came from behind, followed by a child crying and a woman's crude insults.

Two villagers somehow climbed over to the back and pulled out the small stone.

Little Stone was so frightened that he cried and called for his mother.

Chen Si's wife tried to pull him away, but how could a woman fight against two men? She could only curse and drag him along the ground by the two villagers.

For a time, cries and insults filled the air.

Seeing this, Sha Wujing went to stop the two villagers.

The two villagers were frightened by Sha Wujing's appearance, but they still forced themselves to walk forward. They bumped into Sha Wujing, but they couldn't budge him at all. Sha Wujing was like a wall.

Sha Wujing said, "How could you lay a hand on a child? Put the child down immediately."

Upon hearing this, the two villagers, though afraid of Sha Wujing, still firmly replied, "We won't release him!"

Sha Wujing said, "If you keep doing this, I have no choice but to take action!"

The two villagers still wouldn't let go, gritting their teeth and saying:

"Go ahead and do it, we won't let them go even if you kill us. Why did they hide the child after agreeing to a lottery, disregarding our lives? Now we won't let them go no matter what."

Upon hearing this, Sha Wujing, who was about to take action, stopped and looked at Tang Sanzang, saying, "Master, what do you think of this..."

Tang Sanzang was helpless.

I never imagined that Chenjiazhuang would be so complicated when I came here.

Today, Chenjiazhuang is roughly divided into four groups of people.

The first group consisted of people who were uninvolved, and they made up the largest number of people.

These people may seem indifferent, but they are actually inclined to perform the ritual, since the ritual will ensure good weather and abundant harvests for everyone for thirteen years.

The second group consisted of those who had previously participated in the sacrifices, such as Chen Qing and others.

They advocated for sacrifices, hoping that the sacrifices would save their children.

The third wave consisted of those who participated in the sacrificial rites and drew lots, hiding their own children, such as Chen Si and others.

They were unwilling to perform the sacrifice, not wanting to lose their child.

The fourth wave consisted of those who participated in the sacrificial rites and drew lots, and those who did not hide their own children.

On the one hand, they opposed the sacrificial ceremony, and on the other hand, they resented people like Chen Si who hid their children, because if these people hid their children, their own children would have a high probability of being selected.

That's why they came with Chen Qing and the others to catch small stones this time.

The four groups of people are entangled with each other, so who can say who is wrong?
The villagers were blaming each other. Chen Si's wife scolded the two villagers for working for a monster and kidnapping her child. The two villagers scolded Chen Si's wife for only caring about herself and not others, saying that she cared about her child but not theirs.

At first, the group restrained themselves somewhat, but they quickly became more aggressive in their insults, unleashing a string of vulgar and offensive language.

Tang Sanzang was a good monk, and hearing these words made him extremely uneasy.

Wukong grabbed his ear and snapped, "Alright! Stop talking!"

Wukong interrupted everyone, and the scene fell silent for a moment.

Wukong said, “You’ve been fighting and arguing, all for the sake of your children. But how can you believe that monster’s words? He said he would protect you and save your children, but they’ve been dead for thirteen years. They’ve long since been reincarnated. How can he be saved? That monster is deceiving you mortals and tricking you into believing his sacrifices. Once he’s healed, he might eat you all!” Upon hearing this, the villagers were filled with fear.

Chen Qing said, "No, King Pingyou wouldn't lie to us. He's a good man. He even ate the rebellious King Linggan and avenged us."

Wukong sneered, "What do you mortals with your limited vision, foolish and stupid, know? You say he ate the Great King Linggan, but you haven't even seen the demon's face, nor have you seen him eat people. How dare you say he ate them? Maybe that demon used a trick, making one the Great King Linggan and another the Great King Linggan, to fool you so he can eat more people. Next year, he'll transform into some other king and make you sacrifice him so he can eat even more."

The people were shocked and frightened upon hearing this, and their hearts began to waver.

But some people didn't believe it. Several people said, "King Pingyou saved us. He's not a bad person!"

Wukong asked, "I saved you. How did I save you?"

The group started talking all at once.

One of them said, "I was working as a craftsman in the city. On my way back, I was robbed and murdered by bandits. In my panic, I randomly uttered the name of King Pingyou, and he appeared and saved my life."

One person said, "In the summer, I was fishing in the river when my boat was capsized by the waves. It was King Pingyou who saved me and brought me ashore."

One person said, "When I was walking at night, I encountered a monster and got lost. I couldn't find my way back no matter which way I looked. Later, I recited two lines about King Pingyou and was rescued."

Pigsy said, "This monster is really powerful!"

Wukong asked, "So, you've seen what King Pingyou looks like?"

One person said, "It's a tiger or leopard that's three zhang tall."

One person said, "It is a five-tailed red fish with a single horn."

One person said, "She is a beautiful woman."

Wukong said, "What you all say is different. Even if that monster has transformed to deceive you, the bandits and the storm might all be his disguise. Let me, Old Sun, go and capture him and get to the bottom of this!"

After saying this, Wukong leaped up and flew away.

Seeing this, Tang Sanzang said, "Bajie, go and help Wukong."

Bajie responded and flew away.

The people were so amazed they exclaimed that it was a deity.

Seeing this, Chen Qing knew there was no other way, and after thinking for a moment, he said:

“Holy Monk, although I cannot agree with what your disciple said, since you have come from afar, I would like to extend my hospitality and invite you to stay at my humble abode.”

Tang Sanzang said, "Then this child."

Chen Qing said, "Let's put it aside for now and talk about it later."

Tang Sanzang said happily, "Amitabha, it is all the better that you can see through this matter."

Chen Qing sighed, "This child was saved by the holy monk and his disciples, but who will save my poor child?"

Tang Sanzang said, "The dead cannot be brought back to life. Do you have any relatives? It would be good to adopt one."

Chen Qing said, "There is only one elder brother in the family, and his only daughter has also been worshipped."

Tang Monk: "..."

On the other side, Wukong rode the clouds to the Tongtian River.

Pigsy followed.

Wukong said, "Idiot, what are you doing here?"

Bajie said, "Master called me here to be your helper."

Wukong said, "Alright, I'm not good at water battles. You go down and scout around, lure that monster up here, and I'll capture him!"

Pigsy said, "Okay!"

(End of this chapter)