Journey to the West: The roadblock!

Chapter 67, Encountering Demons in the Black Pine Forest (Part 11)
Meanwhile, the Yellow-Robed Monster released smoke and fled, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Wukong rushed into the cave, where all the little demons had already fled. As he walked in, he saw a woman, about thirty years old, with a beautiful face, wearing a pearl hairpin and her hair in a bun.

The woman was somewhat frightened when she saw Wukong.

Wukong asked, "That woman, are you the third princess of Baoxiang Kingdom?"

Upon hearing this, the woman said tremblingly, "I am the third daughter of the King of Baoxiang Kingdom, and my name is Baihuaxiu."

Wukong said, "You're the one I've been looking for."

Baihua asked shyly, "Who are you, and what do you want with me?"

Wukong called out, "Bajie, Bajie!"

Bajie was rummaging through Kui Mulang's stone bed for treasure when he heard Wukong calling him. He quickly replied, "Brother, what do you want?"

Wukong said, "We've found the princess. Talk to her about it."

Pigsy exclaimed, "There really is a princess!"

When Baihuaxiu saw Bajie's appearance, she became even more frightened.

Fortunately, she had developed some adaptability from living with monsters over the years, so she didn't lose her composure.

Pigsy, being quite polite, stepped forward and bowed, saying:

“Princess, do not be afraid. I, Old Pig, am a disciple of the Tang Dynasty monk Sanzang, my Dharma name is Wuneng, and this is my senior brother.”

It was because we had encountered a demon who plotted to sow discord between us brothers and then lied that he was the prince of Baoxiang Kingdom.

My master believed it to be true and helped him restore his kingdom, but now he has been harmed by him and transformed into a fierce tiger, imprisoned in the palace of Baoxiang Kingdom.

The entire court was bewitched by that demon, and my brothers and I were unable to rescue our master. Therefore, we came to find you so that you could testify and expose the demon's disguise, so that we could rescue our master.”

Upon hearing this, Baihua Xiu couldn't help but shed tears and said:
"So that's how it is! I've been away from home for thirteen years, and my family's estate has been seized! I wonder where my father is now?"

Bajie felt a little embarrassed upon hearing this and looked up at the cave ceiling.

Wukong patted Bajie and asked, "Idiot, where is her father?"

Pigsy thought to himself, "That old king has been riddled with nine holes by my rake; he's already dead beyond any doubt."

This was truly his own karmic debt, mistakenly killing a good person as a monster.

If I tell her directly, I'm afraid she'll hold a grudge.

However, if one doesn't tell the truth and instead tells a lie, one can cover it up for a while, but it will still be exposed when one reaches the palace. Then one will be guilty of "deceiving others," which is not just two separate karmic burdens.

Both sides are karmic obstacles. Pigsy pondered and compared them in his mind. One karmic obstacle is better than two. He decided to tell the truth.

Bajie said:
“Princess! It was my fault, I believed that monster’s words. That monster used magic to turn your father into a tiger, and I believed it to be true, so I beat your father to death with an iron rake in the palace.”

Upon hearing this, Baihua Xiu was heartbroken and couldn't help but cry.

Wukong couldn't bear to see people cry, so he said:
"Why are you crying, you woman? Your father is dead. Even if my junior brother was wrong, he was deceived by him. Ultimately, it was that demon who caused this. Now that he has seized your family's property, you should take revenge on him!"

Baihua Xiu then stopped crying and said:
“Masters, please forgive my outburst. It is not that I blame you, but I have been away from home for many years and now I have suddenly heard the devastating news that we are separated forever. I am truly unable to bear it.”

Although I am a woman, I know that of all virtues, filial piety comes first. My parents gave me life, yet I have failed to fulfill my filial duty to them even for a single day; this is a grave sin.

Wukong said, "Don't worry, once you reclaim your kingdom, you'll have made amends. If your father hasn't entered the cycle of reincarnation yet, I, Old Sun, will go to the underworld and bring him back."

Upon hearing this, Baihua Xiu repeatedly bowed and thanked her without further ado.

Wukong then prepared to take Princess Baihuaxiu to Baoxiang Kingdom.

Pigsy remained standing still. Monkey said, "Pigsy, what are you waiting for?"

Pigsy said, “Brother, let me think, it seems we’ve forgotten something.”

Wukong laughed and said, "Are you still thinking about finding that monster's treasure?"

Bajie clapped his hands and said, "That's right! That monster has been entrenched in this place for many years. There must be treasure hidden in its cave, but we haven't found it yet!"

Wukong grabbed Bajie by the ear and said, "You idiot, all you think about is saving your master and greed!"

Pigsy begged for mercy, "Brother, saving Master won't take much longer! It hurts! It hurts! I, Old Pig, know I was wrong. I won't look for the treasure anymore, please let me go!"

As they were talking, they heard cries for help coming from deep inside the cave.

"Eldest brother! Second brother! Help!"

It was Sha Wujing, who was tied to the soul-fixing stake inside the cave.

Sha Wujing was a defeated general, now in a sorry state. He felt ashamed and didn't want to say anything, waiting for Wukong and Bajie to come and rescue him.

Unexpectedly, listening to the conversation outside, Wukong and Bajie forgot about him, which is why they couldn't help but call out for help.

Upon hearing the noise, Wukong and Bajie remembered that Sha Wujing was also there, and hurriedly went in to rescue him.

They untied Sha Wujing from the magic rope and removed him from the soul-fixing stake.

After recounting the events, the three brothers, along with Princess Baihuaxiu, set off for Baoxiang Kingdom to rescue their master.

On the other side, Kui Mulang fled to Baoxiang Kingdom and landed in the royal palace. He was swaying and unsteady on his feet.

Seeing his disheveled state, Ao Tu ordered the White Bone Demon to go and greet him.

Before long, Kui Mulang followed the White Bone Demon into the main hall and bowed:

"Thank you for reminding me, senior. Otherwise, I would be dead today!"

Ao Tu asked, "Has Sun Wukong arrived?"

Kui Mulang said:

"Here he comes. That monkey stormed the entrance to the Little God's Cave today. The Little God led his troops to fight him, intending to fight him for a few rounds before leaving. Firstly, so as not to diminish my reputation; secondly, it would sound better if word got out."

Unexpectedly, the monkey was truly ferocious. It immediately used its supernatural powers of having three heads and six arms, killing countless of my subordinates, demon soldiers and generals.

I used a sword technique from the Six Secret Teachings, but he parried it and struck me more than twenty times in a short while, almost breaking my body. He even smiled at me instead.

Seeing this, I quickly seized the opportunity to escape, not daring to linger for a moment, and came here to seek the protection of this senior.

Ao Tu couldn't help but laugh:
“You are an honest man. Don’t be afraid of that monkey. I have my own way of dealing with him. I have already sent your two sons to my younger brother’s Blackwater River. If you want to take them to live in the heavens later, you can make your own arrangements.”

Kui Mulang smiled bitterly:

"Senior is too kind. How could I, a humble deity, dare to take them to live in the heavens? After this incident, I fear my divine position will be lost. It would be a blessing if my two children could have a place to live."

Ao Tu said, "I have heard about your story. You were in love with the Jade Maiden of Pixiang Palace, so you made a pact to descend to the mortal realm. However, her cultivation was shallow, and she did not remember her past life after reincarnation."

You shouldn't disturb her. Even if there's a past, you should secretly help her achieve immortality first. Once she remembers her past, you two can rekindle your romance.

Kui Mulang said with shame, "It's only because I descended to the mortal realm without permission that I dared not linger, hence this desperate measure."

Ao Tu said, "Very well, since you have pledged allegiance to me, how could I treat you unfairly? Even if you see the Jade Emperor, just say that I coerced you to descend to the mortal realm as a demon. No matter what heavenly laws or crimes you committed, I will bear the consequences."

(End of this chapter)