Journey to the West: I am the fiercest bird under Bodhi's seat

The black bear felt a chill run down its spine and immediately kowtowed repeatedly, pleading, "I surrender! I surrender! Please, sir, have mercy and stop hitting me!"

Ye Feng nodded in satisfaction, took out the mother-child ring from his sleeve, and threw out the child ring.

The ring spun in mid-air and snapped onto the black bear's head with a snap.

The black bear reached out and touched it, then asked timidly, "Master, what is the origin of this thing?"

Ye Feng explained with a smile: "This is the Yin-Yang Ring, a strange and wondrous treasure of the evil path. I hold the mother ring, and you wear the child ring. If you harbor any thoughts of betrayal, I only need to activate the mother ring, and your demonic soul will immediately tremble; if you remain obstinate, within a short time, your soul will be scattered and you will never be reborn."

Upon hearing this, the black bear's expression changed drastically, and its eyes were filled with fear as it looked at Ye Feng—such methods were nothing more than those of a demon or a demon!

Seeing this, Ye Feng chuckled and put away the mother ring. He knew the importance of combining firmness and gentleness; after a beating, one should always offer a sweet treat.

So he said gently, "Don't be alarmed. I am not an unreasonable person. Your coming with me may well be a stroke of luck. From now on, you don't need to call me 'Grandpa.' My name is Ye Feng, you can just call me 'Master.'"

Having said that, he flipped his palm, and two bottles of elixirs appeared out of thin air, both from the Dragon King's treasury, which he casually handed over:

"Your injuries are quite serious. Please use this topical ointment and oral pills yourself."

The black bear took the medicine and followed the instructions to apply it and swallow the pill. In an instant, the burning pain on his face disappeared, and a cool sensation spread through his body. His injuries healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and even the internal injuries that were lurking inside his body were relieved a lot.

He sighed inwardly: This Taoist priest can be as ruthless as Yama, yet as kind as a spring breeze. Perhaps the days to come won't be too bitter.

Seeing that he had recovered somewhat, Ye Feng said, "Now that you have submitted, come with me to the Eastern Continent of Divine Victory."

Black Bear quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "My lord, please forgive me. I have lived in Black Wind Mountain for many years. Although I have no treasures or wealth, I have hundreds of descendants. Now that I am going with you, they have lost their protector. If they encounter the demon-slaying master, their lives will be in danger. I beg you to allow me to return to the cave and arrange a place for them so that they can settle down and make a living."

Ye Feng stared at him for a moment. He had long heard that this demon was of a detached nature, almost like a Buddhist disciple, but he did not expect him to be so compassionate—even with his own future uncertain, he was still concerned about the weak in his clan.

But it is precisely this kind of temperament that makes one worthy of trust.

If you treat such a person well, he will remember your kindness tenfold.

In his eyes, today's beating was nothing more than a formality.

Back then, in front of Fangcun Mountain, wasn't he the same way he treated the monkey?

Ye Feng smiled and said, "It's rare that you have such a kind heart. I am not a heartless person either. Flower Fruit Mountain is vast, with many empty cave dwellings. You can bring all these children and grandchildren here, settle them properly, and look after each other."

Upon hearing this, the black bear was first taken aback, then overjoyed.

It turns out this gentleman is so understanding!

If you had known this would happen, why did you take action in the first place? Wouldn't it have been better if you had spoken politely?

Having received permission, the Black Bear Spirit descended from the clouds and returned to the valley, first searching for the Red Tassel Spear.

This spear was a divine weapon he obtained by chance a thousand years ago, and it is the most treasured magic weapon he has cultivated for thousands of years.

Unfortunately, when it was found, the tip of the gun had been melted by the high temperature, twisted and deformed, and its brilliance had dimmed.

The last wisp of golden flame on the spear tip was still flickering, as if it would devour the entire weapon. If it had been a moment later, even the spearhead would have turned into molten iron.

Fortunately, Ye Feng stopped in time and extinguished the lingering flame, thus saving the divine weapon from being melted down.

Gazing at the twisted and deformed spearhead, the Black Bear Spirit silently lowered his head, his eyes glistening with tears.

Most of the demons in Xiniu Hezhou are poor. Unless they are born into a prominent family, they would have a hard time obtaining a decent magic weapon or armor, even if they sold their entire fortune.

This black bear spirit was a typical example, with only a tattered suit of armor and a red-tasseled spear, looking extremely poor.

Even so, he dared not show the slightest resentment towards Ye Feng, and could only grit his teeth and tidy up the damaged weapon, making it barely usable.

Ye Feng took in his expression but remained expressionless.

This black bear has a clear and pure mind; its joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness are all written on its face, showing absolutely no guile.

The two then set off, heading straight for Black Wind Cave.

Although they were on the same mountain ridge, this place was vast and boundless. The aftershocks of the previous fierce battle had only grazed this area, and the cave was still there.

The hundreds of lesser demons in the cave were quite frightened, but when they saw their king return, they cheered and shouted "Your Majesty!" in unison.

Black Bear was secretly delighted, but could not hide his embarrassment. He was unwilling to admit that he had been subdued and made his subordinate. He only claimed that he had met a Taoist master on the way, and that the time was right. He had recognized him as his master and would go to Dongsheng Shenzhou to enjoy happiness in the future. He asked the little demons if they wanted to come with him.

The demons naturally followed suit, each eager to fight and vowing to stay with him to the death.

The black bear spirit then ordered them to pack their belongings, including pots, pans, and utensils. He then used his magic to create a gust of foul wind that swept up hundreds of lesser demons, and returned to report.

Ye Feng stood on the clouds and did not descend the mountain.

Upon seeing the Black Bear Spirit return, he did not question him, but simply said, "Let's go," before turning to lead the way back to Flower Fruit Mountain.

The black bear spirit was already slow in riding the clouds, and with hundreds of little demons in tow, he was filled with anxiety, fearing that Ye Feng would blame him. He kept stealing glances at Ye Feng's expression as they walked.

But Ye Feng looked relaxed, as if he were leisurely strolling through the mountains and rivers, watching the clouds and trees along the way, completely at ease, without any anger. Only then did Ye Feng feel a little relieved.

Ye Feng noticed this and chuckled inwardly.

Suddenly, a pang of pity swept through my heart—was it too much to forcibly bring such a foolish and honest bear here?

I felt a vague sense of unease.

But then I thought, although this bear has some cultivation, it is too simple-minded. In this dog-eat-dog world, it will be plotted against sooner or later.

Thinking back to "Journey to the West," he indeed faced his tribulation five hundred years later: coveting Tang Sanzang's cassock, he sneaked into Guanyin Temple to steal the treasure, and was eventually subdued by Guanyin Bodhisattva with a tight band, and taken to Mount Putuo to be a guardian deity, chanting scriptures and eating vegetarian food every day, without freedom, and even his blood offerings were cut off.

Recalling this, Ye Feng suddenly felt a sense of doubt.

I thought that story was perfectly logical, but now that I've personally gotten involved, I feel that there's something strange about it all.

That "Guanyin Zen Temple" uses the name of a Bodhisattva, but does it really have nothing to do with Guanyin?

If she already knew that the Black Bear Spirit was obsessed with treasures, and deliberately used the old Zen master to display the cassock and lure him to take it... wouldn't that have been a carefully orchestrated scheme?

The more I think about it, the more likely it seems.

It should be noted that Guanyin's actions in "Journey to the West" are not necessarily virtuous.

The Buddha bestowed upon her three golden hoops, originally intended to subdue Sun Wukong, but she secretly kept two of them, giving only one to Tang Sanzang.

The other two, one captured the Black Bear Demon and the other subdued Red Boy, both becoming her henchmen.

Not to mention the calamity of the Tongtian River—the carp in the pond were raised by her subjects, who descended to earth to wreak havoc, demanding young boys and girls as sacrifices every year.

After the incident failed, it was simply taken back in a bamboo basket without any punishment.

Did those children who died unjustly sacrifice themselves in vain?

Upon careful consideration, how is Guanyin's behavior any different from my own actions today?

They all used their power and influence to bully the kind-hearted and force them to serve their own purposes.

Thinking of this, Ye Feng's guilt vanished instantly.

Instead, a sense of smugness arose within him:

"Although I beat him up today and forcibly took him away, compared to falling into Guanyin's hands five hundred years later, chanting Buddhist prayers every day and losing his freedom forever, he has now saved his life and gained a way to live by following me."

Thinking about it this way, I realized that I was not a bad person at all, but rather that I had saved his life.

After a half-day flight, the outline of Flower Fruit Mountain finally came into view.

The two entered through the clouds, and a dark, ominous cloud rolled in. At first, it terrified the monkeys, who thought it was an enemy attack. They hurriedly grabbed sticks, knives, and spears and prepared for battle.

A little monkey rushed into the Water Curtain Cave to deliver the news.

It turned out that a few hours earlier, Sun Wukong had drunk too much and was fast asleep on the stone bed.

Awakened by the noise of his descendants, and hearing that a demon king had invaded the territory, he immediately grabbed his golden cudgel and rushed out of the cave.

As soon as he took a step, the monkeys cheered:

"The Great King is back!"

"What's the deal with that black bear behind the Great King? It's incredibly imposing!"

"Ouch, why is your face so swollen? Did you steal a beehive before coming here and get stung all over your head by bees?"

Upon hearing that Ye Feng had returned, Wukong felt relieved. He put away his golden cudgel and quickly went to greet him, smiling as he said, "Senior brother, I just heard from the children that you went out to travel for a few days. I didn't expect you to return so soon. And who is this bear demon?"

Ye Feng smiled and pointed to the black bear spirit beside him, saying, "This is the Black Wind King of Black Wind Mountain, whose cultivation is quite remarkable. He admired me for my great supernatural powers and extraordinary demeanor, so he brought his whole family to seek refuge with me. You can arrange a place for him to stay and settle him in properly."

The black bear spirit silently followed behind Ye Feng, watching the monkeys frolicking all over the mountains. Already somewhat reserved, it couldn't help but roll its eyes when it heard Ye Feng's shameless words.

Who admires you?

He gently touched the areas on his face that were still swollen.

That fucking hurts.

Upon hearing this, Wukong's expression turned serious. He sized up the Black Bear Spirit and, seeing his imposing figure and composed demeanor, and hearing his senior brother's praise, he deduced that this man must possess extraordinary abilities. He immediately bowed respectfully and said, "So it is the Black Wind King who has arrived! I have long admired you! Now that you have entered my Flower Fruit Mountain, we are brothers. From now on, live and work in peace here. If you encounter any trouble, just mention my name, Old Sun."

Having said that, he summoned General Beng and ordered him to choose a cave for the Black Bear Spirit to settle down.

Upon hearing these words, the black bear spirit felt a warmth in his heart, and his previously uneasy heart relaxed, giving him a sense of returning home.

Not long after, he settled in a secluded stone cave next to the Water Curtain Cave, and also made proper arrangements for all the bear demons in his clan. From then on, he settled down in Flower Fruit Mountain.

After everything was arranged, Ye Feng summoned the Black Bear Spirit to his palace and handed him a halberd.

"Your red-tasseled spear was damaged when we fought before. If you encounter another battle in the future, you will suffer a great loss if your weapon is not good enough. This halberd is a treasure of the Dragon Palace, weighing seven thousand two hundred catties. Try it and see if it is comfortable to handle."

The black bear spirit originally thought it was just a matter of giving orders, but he never expected it to be a gift of treasure, and he was stunned for a moment.

He took it with both hands, swung it a few times, and immediately felt its lightness and responsiveness, far superior to his old gun. Its superior quality shook him, and a sense of belonging welled up within him—following Ye Feng didn't seem so bad after all.

So he bowed and sincerely thanked his master, saying, "Thank you for your generous gift."

From then on, Huaguo Mountain was constantly engaged in drills.

After settling in, the Black Bear Spirit diligently continued his cultivation. Although his body was severely injured in that battle, he unexpectedly improved his physical strength during his recovery, reaching a new level.

Besides that, he quickly adapted to life there.

After all, Huaguo Mountain is a top-tier blessed land, full of spiritual energy and boundless scenic beauty. It is no less than the three immortal islands of Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou, and is worlds apart from the former Black Wind Mountain.

The black bear spirit, being kind and gentle, saw the monkeys on the mountain practicing diligently day and night without any method, so he took the initiative to go down and give them guidance. Sure enough, the results were remarkable, and the monkeys made rapid progress.