I'll kill you after I finish this game!

Skadi, however, was unwilling to see such a person being manipulated by Buddhism, and even more so, she wanted to see what Tang Sanzang would become if he didn't go on the journey to the West.

Ignoring the complicated expressions of the surrounding villagers, Skadi and Mary led Chen Xuanzang and the water demon away from Jinsha Water Village.

After leaving Jinsha Water Village, Miss Duan, who had been watching the show for quite some time, also took the initiative to follow, approaching Chen Xuanzang and asking with great interest:

"Hey, you monk who hasn't shaved your head, aren't you afraid this water demon will eat you? Besides, if other exorcists see you with a monster, you won't be in a good situation."

Chen Xuanzang was an ordinary person with no physical strength, which Miss Duan had already noticed, but she did not look down on him.

She admired the other party's behavior. If she didn't know the background of the water demon and the villagers, she would definitely have decisively taken action to subdue the water demon.

Now that she understood that the water demon was also a pitiful person, she no longer had the intention to take action.

But for a good person like Chen Xuanzang, the kind-hearted Miss Duan didn't want to see him die young, so after striking up a conversation, she handed him a gold bracelet, explaining to Chen Xuanzang's surprised expression:

“This is something I separated from my magical artifact, the Boundless Flying Ring. You can wear this around the water demon’s neck to prevent him from harming people.”

"..."

Chen Xuanzang remained silent. He could sense the girl's goodwill, but he did not accept the Wuding Flying Ring.

The water demon snorted coldly at the sight. As a prisoner, he naturally had no right to resist.

If it weren't for Chen Xuanzang's selfless act of standing in his way and saving his life, he would have definitely risked everything to escape and then continued to take revenge on the villagers who had killed him.

"That magical artifact can only restrain the water demon's body, but it cannot restrain the water demon's demonic heart."

Skadi, who was walking ahead of Mary, glanced over and looked at the Unstable Flying Ring in Miss Duan's hand before speaking.

"Ha, so what's your plan? You're handing the water demon over to this weakling? Aren't you afraid he'll get eaten by the monster?"

Miss Duan rolled her eyes at Skadi, but also withdrew the Unbound Flying Ring from her hand, looking at her with an expression that said, "If you're so capable, then come and try."

She wanted to see what method this white-haired woman had to restrain the demon's evil nature.

"Please point me out, young lady."

Chen Xuanzang bowed politely to Skadi. Rather than locking her body, Chen Xuanzang was more interested in how to lock the demonic heart of the monster.

"As for me, I have a few techniques I learned from Buddhist principles to convert people, which can rewrite their minds and turn them into puppets who are wholeheartedly devoted to good deeds and worship Buddha..."

Skadi's words caused the water nymph to show a terrified expression and involuntarily take a step back. Miss Duan and Chen Xuanzang also couldn't help but feel a jolt in their hearts.

Isn't this just forcibly brainwashing people? What kind of method is this to lock down a demon's heart?

This is certainly not a good solution; it's just that Skadi is deliberately trying to smear Buddhism in front of Chen Xuanzang. She has more to say.

"However, for someone as powerless as you, the simplest way is for you to understand each other heart to heart, let the water demon feel your good intentions without any malice, and for you to understand his pain, thus locking hearts together."

Skadi offered a solution that was both simple and complex. Compared to the Buddhist concept of "laying down the butcher's knife and becoming a Buddha on the spot," it was simpler for ordinary people to understand.

Chen Xuanzang clearly valued this method, which involved using his heart to lock the heart, so that the water demon could feel his kindness and thus restrain its ferocity.

Chen Xuanzang believed that if they could understand each other, the water demon, given its previous kindness, would certainly not have harmed him.

Having figured it out, Chen Xuanzang also felt enlightened and wanted to do the same, so he silently looked at the water demon beside him.

"I'm warning you, if you sing me any more nursery rhymes, I swear I'll beat you so badly your own mother won't recognize you!"

Faced with Chen Xuanzang's burning gaze, the water demon took a step back uncomfortably and glared at him warily.

Although he wouldn't hurt the guy, he would definitely beat him up if he did what he did before.

And you want to understand him? What makes you think you can? You've only heard about my experiences, but that doesn't mean you understand my pain.

Sensing the water demon's wariness and vigilance, Chen Xuanzang also realized the difficulty this seemingly simple method posed for a mortal like him who was powerless to even kill a chicken.

Mutual understanding is easy to talk about, but absolutely difficult to do, because there are people in this world who do not understand others.

However, Skadi, who was determined to change Chen Xuanzang, didn't mind helping him out.

"Water Demon, if this Chen Xuanzang had the same experiences and suffering as you, and could still maintain a kind heart, would you be able to believe him?"

"...if he could."

The water demon's expression was indifferent and cold, but there was a hint of something different in her eyes when she looked at Chen Xuanzang.

He did not say that he could believe in Chen Xuanzang, because it was, after all, just a hypothesis by Skadi.

"it is good."

Having received a reply, Skadi flashed in front of Chen Xuanzang and the water demon, swiftly grabbing their heads with both hands to immobilize them and prevent them from resisting. Then, she calmly said to Chen Xuanzang:

"Now I can transmit the water demon's memories to you. At the same time, you will experience his pain, resentment, and fear of dying once. If you cannot bear it, you will become a living dead person with a mental breakdown or spiritual death. Chen Xuanzang, are you willing to 'understand' this water demon?"

Skadi's abilities could easily bring the human and the demon closer together, provided that Chen Xuanzang is willing to accept the consequences of taking shortcuts.

If you want someone to lay down their weapon, you should experience their pain firsthand.

The same experience can produce different results. Maintaining a kind heart is much better than just saying "I understand you".

"Hey, he's just a mortal. If you keep doing this, he'll definitely... "

Miss Duan's expression changed drastically upon seeing this scene. After hearing Skadi's description, she naturally knew what the consequences would be, and she did not believe that Chen Xuanzang, a kind-hearted mortal, could survive.

But just as she was about to call a halt, Chen Xuanzang interrupted her to continue speaking.

"I am willing!"

Chen Xuanzang glanced at the water demon beside him and saw the disbelief in the demon's eyes that he couldn't pull through. Without much hesitation, he agreed to Skadi's request.

His exorcism philosophy is to purify the demonic nature of the target without killing them.

The shortcut Skadi suggested to him was naturally the most effective and direct method.

If it passes, it will prove that his idea is feasible.

Therefore, Chen Xuanzang felt that he absolutely could not back down, because if he did, his so-called exorcism of demons and monsters would become a ridiculous joke.

"Since you've made up your mind, then so be it."

Skadi smirked slightly and, without further ado, began the journey that would make Chen Xuanzang experience pain.

An hour later, Skadi had long since stopped what she was doing, and the matter came to an end.

As for the outcome? All we can see is the water demon, with a complicated expression, carrying the unconscious Chen Xuanzang on his back, and leaving with him.

Only by experiencing suffering can one understand the suffering of all beings; only by having attachments can one let go of attachments; only by having worries can one be free from worries.

This is what Skadi sees as the 'little bit' of enlightenment Chen Xuanzang gained in the original story.

The other party's exorcism philosophy is not about elimination, but about salvation.

Such a concept is very difficult to realize, but now Chen Xuanzang is willing to work hard for it and has bravely taken the first step.

The words Skadi spoke to him were invaluable, allowing Chen Xuanzang to directly understand that awakening the true goodness and beauty within others is never about reciting three hundred nursery rhymes, but about true understanding.

Since Chen Xuanzang wanted to convert those people or demons, he had to understand them and comprehend their suffering in order to prescribe the right medicine for their hearts and minds, and to provide them with proper guidance amidst their pain.

This slight understanding would have been difficult for Chen Xuanzang, who had repeatedly failed at exorcising demons, to comprehend.

But Skadi directly showed him the path to take, and it was up to him whether he had the courage to walk it.

And now, Chen Xuanzang has not disappointed anyone.

"That monk... is quite impressive."

Miss Duan watched the water demon carry Chen Xuanzang away, her heart filled with deep emotion. For the first time, she felt admiration for such a person. She then looked at Skadi and said:

"Hey, you're an exorcist too? I heard there's a really powerful monster out in Gao Village. How about we team up to take it down? We'll split the reward according to our efforts, how about it?"

"Gaolaozhuang...good!"

Upon hearing the name Gao Lao Zhuang, Skadi glanced at Miss Duan with surprise.

Skadi knew perfectly well that exorcists were mortal enemies, second only to their sworn enemies, and that they engaged in cold competition among themselves. She never expected that this mysterious Miss Duan would invite her.

However, Skadi was also interested in Gao Lao Zhuang. She had already been to Liusha River, and next she would go to Gao Lao Zhuang to see a certain pig demon.

So she agreed to Miss Duan's request, and Miss Duan, who had witnessed Skadi's abilities, was all smiles.

They weren't very confident about taking down that monster to begin with, and now with Skadi on board, even if they couldn't defeat it, at least their safety should be guaranteed.

"Let's have a meal and then set off!"

Miss Duan seemed a little anxious and wanted to set off immediately.

After all, she hadn't managed to subdue the demon at Jinsha Water Village, so she naturally didn't get any reward. Therefore, she wanted to deal with the monster as soon as possible so she could collect the reward.

Skadi did not refuse. She whispered a few words in Mary's ear, and then Mary turned into a ball of golden light and entered Skadi's body.

Miss Duan was surprised to see Mary's background, but since it was someone else's secret, she didn't want to pry.

The two then traveled together, first satisfying their hunger, and then headed to Gao Laozhuang.

Meanwhile, the water demon carried Chen Xuanzang to a place to rest. After a day and a night, Chen Xuanzang finally woke up from his coma.

He successfully passed Skadi's test, experiencing the water nymph's torment through his mental memories, and ultimately preserved his kind heart.

But Chen Xuanzang also harbored hatred and resentment, which made him understand the water demon's miserable life in her previous life.

The water demon, who originally disliked Chen Xuanzang, willingly stayed by his side after experiencing this incident, as he was someone who understood his bitter and difficult life.

And Chen Xuanzang also regarded him as a friend.

In order to help the other person start over and get rid of the pain and hatred of the past, he also gave him a new name, Sha Wujing.

The sand is on the other side of the Flowing Sand River, the place where the other died and was reborn.

"悟" means hoping that the other person can understand, or to have a complete and thorough understanding.

Purity also expresses the hope that the other person will return to their original pure and kind nature.

The water demon, also known as Sha Wujing, readily accepted the name.

Seeing that Sha Wujing's ferocity had greatly diminished, Chen Xuanzang was deeply moved and very grateful for Skadi's guidance.

This Sha Wujing is proof of Chen Xuanzang's realization of his ideals.

Overjoyed, Chen Xuanzang immediately took Sha Wujing to the market and introduced him to his master.

Chen Xuanzang's master was a fat monk who looked unremarkable. Although he was a monk, he wore a wig on his head.

Upon seeing Chen Xuanzang arrive with the demon Sha Wujing, the fat monk's eyes flickered slightly, but he quickly concealed it, then smiled and said:

"Xuanzang, you look so happy, with barely suppressed joy on your face."

"Master, a lot happened during my exorcism..."