Journey to the West: A clone sacrifices to the heavens, possessing boundless magical power.

Chapter 124 The Prince Consort

Deep within the Wave Moon Cave, a chilling wind howled.

The yellow-robed monster strode into the back cave, slamming his steel-dipped knife onto the stone table with a clang, causing pebbles to fall from the cave ceiling.

With one hand, he grabbed the tightly bound Sha Wujing and slammed him onto the hard stone slab. Then, he suddenly turned around, grabbed Princess Baihuaxiu by the collar, and lifted her up.

"I've treated you well!"

The Yellow-Robed Monster, his eyes bloodshot, threw Baihua Xiu to the ground and turned to interrogate Sha Wujing, "Sha Wujing, you two have come to my door, did this woman send a letter to her country, and did the king send you?"

Princess Baihuaxiu was just an ordinary woman who had never seen such a scene before. She was so frightened that her face turned ashen, her whole body trembled, and she couldn't even utter a complete sentence.

As Sha Wujing lay on the ground, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Seeing the demon's ferocity and the knife she was about to kill, he thought to himself, "She clearly had the book, but she saved my master. This is a great favor. If I were to speak out, she would be killed. Wouldn't that be repaying kindness with enmity?"

So be it. I, Old Sha, have followed my master all this time, yet I have not been able to repay him in any way. Now that I have been captured, I will repay my master's kindness with my life.

Sha Wujing took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging blood and qi, and shouted loudly, "Demon! How dare you be so rude!"

The Yellow-Robed Monster looked at Sha Wujing: "You're about to die, and you still dare to be stubborn?"

"We've come here to ask you for the princess, and there's a reason for that," Sha Wujing said firmly. "It's because you captured my master in your cave. My master saw the princess's face, and when we arrived in Baoxiang Kingdom, the emperor showed my master a portrait of the princess and asked if he had seen her along the way. Only then did my master mention the princess, and the emperor realized she was his daughter. That's why he sent us to capture you. This is the truth. There's no letter involved. If you want to kill someone, kill me, Sha Wujing. Don't wrongly accuse others!"

Upon hearing this, the Yellow-Robed Monster frowned and pondered for a long time.

"I see."

He let out a long breath, and the anger in his heart subsided by more than half.

He bowed to the princess and apologized, saying, "Madam, you were frightened. I misunderstood you. That Pigsy was spouting nonsense and almost ruined our marital harmony."

Baihua Xiu collapsed to the ground, clutching her chest and panting heavily. Still shaken, she could only nod in agreement and dared not say another word.

The Yellow-Robed Monster turned around and gave Sha Wujing a cold look: "Tie this unlucky-looking monk up tight and throw him into the water dungeon in the back cave!"

Several demons immediately stepped forward and dragged Sha Wujing away.

When he was the only one left in the cave, the yellow-robed monster stood with his hands behind his back, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

"The monk said that the King of Baoxiang Kingdom invited them???it seems that the old king already knows that the princess is with me."

The Yellow-Robed Monster thought to himself, "I am a divine general from the lower realm, and I am well aware of the workings of the Heavenly Dao and the entanglements of cause and effect."

If they continue to hide in this Moon Cave as monsters, their status will be illegitimate and they will eventually attract the wrath of the Heavenly Court.

"Since the old king wants his daughter, why don't I take this opportunity to go to Baoxiang Kingdom and formalize the marriage? With the identity of a royal relative in the mortal realm as a cover, I can also avoid the eyes and ears of the Heavenly Court. This is the best long-term solution."

Thinking of this, the Yellow-Robed Monster let out a cold laugh.

He silently recited the incantation, and the power of the star source within his body flowed. In a flash, he transformed, shedding his golden armor and demonic appearance with a blue face and fangs.

??????

In the blink of an eye, a handsome young man with rosy lips, white teeth, and a face like jade appeared on the spot.

Wearing a purple-gold crown to tie his hair up, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, with a jade belt around his waist, and holding a folding fan, he was indeed a handsome and dashing man.

"My men, guard the cave well. I'll be right back!"

The yellow-robed monster leaped into the air, transforming into a golden light, and headed straight for Baoxiang Kingdom, a hundred miles away.

The next day, in the Golden Palace of Baoxiang Kingdom.

The atmosphere in the imperial court was solemn.

Tang Sanzang, wearing a brocade cassock and holding a nine-ringed staff, stood below the palace, recounting to the king with a sorrowful expression the ordeal of his eldest disciple being expelled.

The King of Baoxiang sat upright on the dragon throne, his face majestic, but a subtle, unseen glint lurked deep in his eyes.

Just last night, General Lei Zhen entered the palace to meet the Emperor.

Lei Zhen had been bedridden for many days due to a serious illness, but under the skillful hands of the Immortal Master Yun Zhongzi, not only was his long-standing ailment cured without treatment, but he also heard a prophecy that sent chills down his spine.

"The strange movement of the Eastern Star indicates that a powerful demon has taken human form and is approaching the capital. This demon possesses extraordinary magical power and cannot be defeated by force. Your Majesty must not expose it directly. You must feign compliance, appease it with a generous reward, and then send someone to its cave under the pretext of delivering the dowry. My master has a brilliant plan to ensure the princess's safe return."

Lei Zhen's words from last night still echo in my ears.

Just as the king was deep in thought, a palace eunuch announced loudly from outside the palace: "Your Majesty! There is a handsome young man outside the palace who claims to be from Boyue Village on Wanzishan Mountain, and also Your Majesty's third son-in-law, who has come to claim kinship!"

These words shocked the entire court.

Tang Sanzang was terrified, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

"Summon them!" The king suppressed the shock in his heart and said in a deep voice.

Before long, the yellow-robed monster, transformed into a handsome young man, swaggered into the Golden Palace.

He walked straight to the front of the hall without looking to the side, and bowed slightly with his hands clasped, his attitude neither humble nor arrogant.

"This humble subject greets Your Majesty."

The king sized up the young man before him. If Lei Zhen hadn't pointed it out to him last night, he would never have believed that this handsome man was actually a monster who ate people without spitting out the bones.

"You claim to be my third son-in-law, what proof do you have?" The king probed subtly, as planned.

The man in the yellow robe smiled slightly and calmly replied, "Your Majesty, please allow me to say that I am a hunter from Boyue Manor on Wanzishan Mountain. Thirteen years ago, while hunting in the mountains, I happened to rescue a woman being chased by a tiger. The woman claimed to be Princess Baihuaxiu, the third princess of Baoxiang Kingdom. Seeing that she was all alone and helpless, I took her in at the manor. Over time, we fell in love and became husband and wife. For the past thirteen years, the princess has often missed her parents, but because the mountains are high and the roads are far, and I have no official rank, I dare not easily come to acknowledge my relatives."

At this point, the Yellow-Robed Monster paused, glanced at the assembled officials, and continued, "The princess has a red plum-shaped birthmark the size of a fingernail on her left wrist, and a cinnabar mole on the back of her neck. If Your Majesty does not believe me, you may check the records of the Imperial Clan Court."

Upon hearing this, the courtiers whispered amongst themselves, for these private characteristics could not possibly be known to anyone other than close confidants.

The king feigned great joy and abruptly stood up: "Indeed, it is my Baihuaxiu! You have not only saved the princess but also married her; you are the benefactor of my Baoxiang Kingdom! Guards, bring her a seat! Prepare a banquet!"

The Yellow-Robed Monster thanked the Emperor and took his seat.

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

The Yellow Robe Monster's gaze slowly fell on Tang Sanzang opposite him.

His reason for coming to claim kinship was not only to deceive others, but more importantly, to completely extinguish the pilgrims' hopes and nail them to the pillar of shame.

"Your Majesty," the yellow-robed monster put down his wine cup, pointed at Tang Sanzang, and said, "This humble subject has a question: why is this monk here?"

The king replied, "This is a holy monk from the Great Tang Dynasty in the East. He is passing through our country and has come specifically to exchange the travel documents."