Journey to the West: The roadblock!

Chapter 95 Exorcising Demons in Wuji Kingdom (Part 8)
Meanwhile, King Li led his people to the Kingdom of Wuji.

Li Tianwang could have taken the demon away without alerting the mortals, but he deliberately led his followers to reveal his divine form above the palace, knowingly asking the King of Wuji Kingdom about the demon's location.

Why is this?

It is because immortals believe in "doing things right and leaving a good name" and would never do anything behind someone's back.

After Li Tianwang ascertained the location of the demon, he led his heavenly soldiers to the top of the pagoda, untied the green-haired lion demon from the pagoda, and escorted him back to the Heavenly Court to report.

In the Heavenly Court, at the Lingxiao Palace.

The Jade Emperor decreed that the Green Lion be taken to the Demon-Slaying Platform and beheaded at dawn, with all the gods invited to witness the event.

All the gods were pleased.

Wukong said, "Your Majesty, please allow me to descend to the mortal realm first."

The Jade Emperor asked, "Wukong, what brings you to the mortal realm?"

Wukong said, "One day in heaven is equivalent to one year on earth. The execution will take place at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM). I was afraid my master would be waiting anxiously on earth, so I went to inform him first."

The Jade Emperor laughed and said, "Wukong's filial piety is commendable. Go, go."

Wukong left the Lingxiao Palace, somersaulted down to the mortal realm, met Tang Sanzang and the King of Wuji Kingdom, and told them in detail about what had happened in the Heavenly Realm.

Upon hearing this, the King of Wuji Kingdom sighed with emotion, never expecting that a case that no one would handle would now have alarmed so many gods.

Tang Sanzang asked, "Wukong, how much longer will the journey take?"

Wukong said, "That old Jade Emperor is too slow. He ordered the execution at dawn, but it will take another six months before he returns."

Pigsy hid behind and eavesdropped. He was delighted to hear that it would be half a year before he returned, thinking to himself that he could enjoy such comfortable days for another half a year.

The King of Wuji Kingdom said, "Great Sage, this is already considered fast. Here, even if we catch someone red-handed, we still need to interrogate them, obtain a confession, and get approval before we can behead them, no matter how fast we are."

Wukong said, "That's true. Back when I went up to the Demon-Slaying Platform, I also had a warrant issued."

The King of Wuji Kingdom exclaimed in surprise, "Elder Sun, are you going to the Demon-Slaying Platform?"

Wukong laughed and said, "Let's not talk about it, let's not talk about it, those are all old stories."

Wukong said to Tang Sanzang, "Master, I'll be returning to the Upper Realm now."

Tang Sanzang said, "Go. Come back soon after you've finished."

Wukong was about to leap away when he suddenly remembered something and said, "I almost forgot."

Wukong took out a pastry and fruit from his pocket and said, "Master, this was a gift from the Queen Mother. I brought it back especially for you and my fellow disciples to try."

Seeing this, Pigsy ran out and snatched the pastries and fruits, saying, "Brother! Why didn't you bring out such good things sooner!"

Wukong said, "You idiot!"

Tang Sanzang said, "Bajie, how can you be so rude!"

Tang Sanzang took the pastries and fruits, opened them, and found six portions in total. He then said to the King of Wuji Kingdom, "Your Majesty, there are exactly six portions of this. Why don't you invite the Queen and the Crown Prince to enjoy it together, as a way of repaying Your Majesty for your hospitality over the past few days?"

The King of Wuji Kingdom, knowing this was a divine item, was overjoyed and said, "Thank you, Holy Monk."

The King of Wuji Kingdom immediately ordered a banquet to be held, summoning the Queen and the Crown Prince, and also inviting Tang Sanzang and his disciples to share the celestial delicacies.

On the other side, after the Jade Emperor issued his decree, Ao Tu found Nezha and pulled him along, saying, "Come with me."

Nezha asked, "Monk, where are we going?"

Ao Tu said, "Let's talk about it first."

Ao Tu pulled Nezha and hid him at the Demon-Slaying Platform.

The Green Lion Demon was bound to the Demon-Binding Rope, guarded by heavenly soldiers. He would be executed when the appointed time arrived.

Nezha asked, "What are we doing here?"

Ao Tu said, "Let's wait for someone to come and rescue this lion."

Nezha said, "No way, how could anyone dare to come to the Demon-Slaying Platform to save someone?"

Ao Tu said, "That's hard to say."

Nezha was still somewhat skeptical.

Ao Tu asked, "If it were me and the monkey tied up there, would you come to rescue us?"

Upon hearing this, Nezha turned his head away and said, "Tch, I won't save him."

Ao Tu pinched his little face and said, "Well, you ungrateful Nezha, you actually didn't save me!"

Nezha slapped Ao Tu's hand away and looked at Ao Tu with some suspicion, saying:
"You... why do you seem somewhat familiar to me?"

Ao Tu looked around, pretending nothing was wrong, and said, "Is there?"

Before long, Wukong returned to the Heavenly Realm.

Ao Tu called him over as well, and the three of them ambushed each other on the Demon-Slaying Platform.

Around the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), as heaven and earth were in disarray, a blood-red cloud drifted in from the horizon. The heavenly soldiers guarding the Green Lion Spirit inhaled the blood and collapsed one after another.

Nezha shook Ao Tu, who was leaning against him, and said, "Monk, look, someone's really coming!"

Ao Tu looked over and saw the blood cloud descend, revealing four people. They were tall and covered in black robes, making it impossible to see their faces, but their cultivation levels seemed to be low.

Wukong said, "Let me test your strength with this first strike!"

Wukong leaped up, drew his golden cudgel, and struck the leader with it.

The sound of metal clashing rang out, the black robe exploded, revealing the face of the man, who was an ugly man with four eyes and four faces, holding a vajra pestle to block Wukong's golden cudgel.

Nezha exclaimed in surprise, "Asura!"

The other three also removed their black robes. One had nine faces and a thousand eyes, with blood-red light emanating from them; another had eight legs under his crotch, with fire spitting from his seven orifices; and the third had nine hundred and ninety-nine hands, making him a fearsome figure.

Wukong brandished his staff and fought, disregarding how fierce the men looked. He stirred the golden cudgel, knocked away the demon-subduing pestle, and with a few blows, broke the arms and legs of the four-eyed, four-faced man.

Upon seeing this, the nine-faced, thousand-eyed Asura unleashed a bloody light from its thousand eyes and attacked Wukong.

Nezha leaped up, ripped off his Universe Ring to block the bloody light, and with his left hand swung the Universe Ring horizontally, smashing the man to pieces and shattering over eight hundred eyes. The Asura, who spewed fire from his seven orifices, then attacked Nezha with bloody flames.

Ao Tu released a bowl from a distance, trapping the man inside.

When the Asura with nine hundred and ninety-nine hands came to attack Ao Tu, Nezha, wielding the Demon-Slaying Sword, sliced ​​off all nine hundred and ninety-nine hands.

Seeing that they were no match for the three, the four fled in a cloud of blood.

Wukong wielded his golden cudgel and knocked one down.

Nezha kicked out his Wind Fire Wheels, smashing one down.

There was one left. Ao Tu got up to chase after it, but since one of the alms bowls was covered up, and he couldn't use other magic weapons in front of Nezha, he had to do it himself.

But this played right into their hands.

The last person, who originally had nine faces and a thousand eyes, had eight faces smashed and more than eight hundred eyes shattered by Nezha. Now he only had a little over one hundred eyes left and fled in a sorry state.

Ao Tu gave chase, but the man suddenly turned around.

A streak of red light shot out from its shattered eye, carrying boundless killing power.

Ao Tu was shocked. The red streak was too fast, and he didn't have time to use any of his magical powers or treasures.

The purple-gold gourd automatically protected its master, blocking the way in front of Ao Tu's Niwan Palace.

The red ribbon turned around and passed through Ao Tu's heart.

The dragon scales and bones on Ao Tu's body could not stop him in the slightest and were easily cut to pieces by the red ribbon.

It was a blood-red longsword.

The longsword did not stop, and it attacked Ao Tu again.

Ao Tu dared not linger and used the Rainbow Transformation Technique, his body disappearing from the spot.

Enraged, Nezha brandished his demon-slaying sword and charged at the Thousand-Eyed Asura.

The Buddha's light descended, freezing Nezha in place.

"Third Prince, hold your hand!"

It was Manjushri Bodhisattva, riding a blue lion, who descended from the sky.

Nezha angrily retorted, "Manjushri Bodhisattva, why are you stopping me!"

Manjushri Bodhisattva said, "These are the Eight Heavenly Dragons of our Buddhist sect. They have come here on the Buddha's orders to capture that demonic dragon."

Nezha asked, "What kind of demonic dragon?"

Manjushri Bodhisattva said, "That little monk just now was actually a demon dragon in disguise. He was also the one who plotted to sow discord in the affairs of Wuji Kingdom. This was all the demon dragon's scheme. I hope that the Great Sage and the Third Prince will not believe his words."

Wukong stepped forward and said, "So, this green-maned lion is the Bodhisattva's mount?"

Manjushri Bodhisattva said, "That's right, this is a mount I keep in the mountains."

Wukong asked, "Does the Bodhisattva know about this wicked beast's usurpation of the kingdom?"

Manjushri Bodhisattva said, "This is the essence of our Buddhist teachings. I will explain it to Your Majesty."

Manjushri Bodhisattva raised his hand and unlocked the chains on the green-haired lion demon. He then turned and led the four Asuras to the Lingxiao Palace to meet the Jade Emperor and explain the situation to the assembled immortals.

He was originally the king of Wuji Kingdom. He established the kingdom, was kind to monks, and performed many good deeds. Buddha sent Manjushri Bodhisattva to guide him to Mount Ling, where he became a golden-bodied Arhat.

Because he could not appear in his true form, Manjushri Bodhisattva transformed into an ordinary monk, begged for alms from the King of Wuji Kingdom, and asked him several questions about Buddhist principles.

The King of Wuji Kingdom was not a scholar of debate, so naturally he could not answer. Speechless after being questioned by Manjushri Bodhisattva, he became enraged and, on the grounds of "offending the Emperor and showing great disrespect," had Manjushri Bodhisattva bound and thrown into the Imperial River, where he was submerged for three days and three nights.

After Manjushri Bodhisattva returned to Mount Ling, he reported to the Tathagata.

When the Buddha learned of this, he issued a decree ordering the blue-haired lion spirit to descend to the mortal realm and cause the King of Wuji Kingdom to suffer three years of floods, in order to avenge the three-day ordeal of Manjushri Bodhisattva.

Upon hearing this, Wukong hurriedly said, "No, Bodhisattva. The King of Wuji Kingdom died unjustly five years ago and has had nowhere to turn for help. How can you say it's been three years?"

Manjushri Bodhisattva said, "Because a calamity has arisen under the seat of our Buddha Tathagata. That demonic dragon Aotu has been causing havoc in the Three Realms. In order to subdue this monster, he devised a plan in Wuji Kingdom to add two days to the count."

Wukong said, "What a fine two-day figure. If you add two days, then the old king will have suffered two more years of wandering!"

Manjushri Bodhisattva said, "This humble monk will spread the Dharma in Wuji Kingdom to save all sentient beings and relieve their calamities, so as to atone for this transgression."

Wukong said, "Alright, alright, that's fine then. But I still have a question for the Bodhisattva: since you are a lion beast under your command, why did you disguise yourself as a Taoist priest, claiming to be a Quanzhen Taoist who attained enlightenment in Zhongnan Mountain? It made me search for you in vain!"

Upon hearing this, the gods, including Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun, Jiutian Yingyuan Leisheng Puhua Tianzun, and the Three Holy Immortal Maidens, all looked over.

Manjushri Bodhisattva turned around and said, "You wicked creature, why do you falsely claim to be from another sect?"

The green-haired lion spirit looked up blankly at the gods and the Jade Emperor: "Ah, I... I have admired the Dao since childhood, so I acted on my own initiative."

Manjushri Bodhisattva said, "This beast acted on its own initiative, causing the Great Sage to misunderstand. This humble monk will hand it over to the Buddha for disposal."

Outside the Lingxiao Palace, Nezha gripped his demon-slaying sword and slashed wildly in anger.

"You damned dragon! You wicked dragon! How dare you deceive me! You'd better not get hurt or die! When I see you again, hmph!"

Inside the Lingxiao Palace, the Jade Emperor said:

"In that case, let the Buddha of the West deal with it."

Manjushri Bodhisattva said, "Thank you, Your Majesty. This humble monk takes his leave."

"slow!"

A voice came.

Nezha walked up to the main hall, his face pale, and knelt on one knee, saying, "Your Majesty, I and the Great Sage were guarding the execution ground when we were injured by a fierce demon. I beg Your Majesty to do justice for me and capture the fierce demon."

The Jade Emperor asked, "Nezha, how are your injuries? Are they serious?"

Upon hearing this, Nezha pulled open his robe, revealing a sword wound that pierced through his body.

The Jade Emperor exclaimed in surprise, "What kind of ferocious demon is this, daring to be so bold!"

(End of this chapter)