Journey to the West: From Stealing the Teachings of Patriarch Bodhi to Becoming a Saint Through a Hu

No sooner had King Panshan left than Yuan Li followed him.

That Panshan King was also a powerful demon in the vicinity, several hundred miles away from Black Wind Mountain and Panyao Mountain.

Yuan Li sensed something was amiss.

He had just held a Buddhist robe ceremony the day before, when Sun Wukong came knocking on his door, alarming Guanyin Bodhisattva in Heaven, who then took him to Heaven.

Only one day later, the King of Panshan was going to hold another Buddhist robe gathering.

It seems they don't take yesterday's events seriously.

Yuan Li followed far behind King Panshan.

A mere few hundred miles is nothing to great demons and demon kings.

However, after following them to Panyao Mountain, they did not see any of the demons who came to participate in the Buddhist Robe Gathering.

I don't know what King Panshan's purpose was in inviting me to the Buddhist Robe Assembly.

At the entrance of the cave on Panyao Mountain, Yuan Li was greeted by a snake demon who smiled as he learned of Yuan Li's quick arrival.

"King Black Wind, I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly. Your presence alone is enough for the Buddhist robe gathering I convened today."

King Panshan scanned the area and saw that there were no other demons outside the demon cave, only a few of the demons under his command holding knives and forks, staring blankly at Yuan Li.

It has a rather strange quality.

Yuan Li couldn't figure it out either, but he felt that King Panshan's words had a hidden meaning.

He then spoke frankly and directly:

"What do you mean by this? Are you just inviting me, Old Bear, to your Buddhist robe gathering? Yesterday, my Buddhist robe gathering attracted the gods of Heaven. Aren't you afraid of following in my footsteps? Just say what you want to say, don't beat around the bush."

The King of Panshan is a coiled snake demon.

Yuan Li only learned about this snake demon from the demons under his command. It usually kept a low profile and its only interaction with Black Wind Mountain was by supplying Black Wind Mountain with spiritual herbs and immortal plants.

The snake demon rarely seeks out the black bear spirit.

At this moment, all I wanted to tell was that the Black Bear Spirit, also known as Yuan Li, was about to face a great calamity.

The serpent demon only began to explain to Yuan Li after entering the serpent demon cave.

"It was the Tiger Power Immortal, Sheep Power Immortal, and Deer Power Immortal from Chechi Kingdom who issued the Demon-Slaying Order. They want all the great demons within a thousand miles to attack you together. Black Wind King, how will you deal with this?"

The serpent demon said indifferently.

The Coiled Serpent Demon was one of the great demons summoned by the Demon-Slaying Order, but he seemed to have no intention of ignoring the order. However, doing so would result in him being punished.

Yuan Li straightened his expression.

The Demon-Slaying Order is a right that only a few demon kings or higher can possess in the hearts of many powerful demons.

Upon hearing the Demon-Slaying Order, Yuan Li instinctively showed a hint of panic, but then he thought of his extremely auspicious fortune slip. Since it was such a lucky slip, there was no reason for him to lose his life because of it; on the contrary, things would develop in a positive direction.

After calming down, Yuan Li spoke in a flat tone:

"So what are your plans? You invited me here, you don't mean you're planning to attack me directly, do you? After all, you are a powerful demon."

King Panshan laughed heartily, his laughter ringing out.

Just as the melting of ice and snow dispelled the dullness on his face.

Compared to the snake demon, the snake demon cared more about Yuan Li's life and death, and was eager to obtain the demon-slaying order.

The reason was simple: the serpent demon had taken a liking to Yuan Li's brocade cassock.

During that Buddhist robe gathering, the snake demon seemed to have fallen in love with the brocade robe, coveting it greatly.

Yuan Li probably didn't know why it happened until the serpent demon revealed his origins as a demon, at which point Yuan Li finally understood.

It turns out that this coiled snake demon was originally a mountain python. When it became a demon, its body coiled around the skeleton of a deceased monk, hence the name coiled snake demon.

The serpent demon then said:

"I cultivate Buddhism, Black Wind King. Have you ever seen any demon who cultivates Buddhism?"

Yuan Li shook his head and said:

"I've never seen you before. So, King Pan Yao, you cultivate Buddhism. Why aren't you afraid of the Demon-Slaying Order? Aren't you afraid that the demon king who issued the order will seek revenge later?"

The serpent demon said:

"My body is in the Kingdom of U-Tsang, where the Demon King can do nothing to me. If you, Black Wind King, lend me your brocade cassock, I can help you get through this Demon-Slaying Order."

Yuan Li considered it for a moment.

The serpent demon said its body was in Tibet, which must be related to the old monk who was in meditation.

As for lending the brocade cassock to the snake demon, it wasn't that he didn't want to, but that he simply couldn't afford it.

The brocade cassock was still on Tang Sanzang's body at this moment, and he did not want to provoke Monkey King.

He then suppressed the inappropriate thoughts in his mind and asked:

"That brocade robe will surely benefit your Buddhist practice. But I cannot produce it. My brocade robe can save the monk who wears it from reincarnation. It is a rare treasure. I have already returned it to the monk Tang Sanzang, who traveled from the Tang Dynasty in the East to the West to seek Buddhist scriptures. His current disciple is Sun Wukong, who caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace five hundred years ago. You can only borrow the robe from him now."

The serpent demon was greatly disappointed upon hearing this.

"Although the precious cassock is gone, the favor remains. Since you, King Pan Yao, are practicing Buddhism, why not come to my Guanyin Temple and become its abbot? Rebuilding the Guanyin Temple will be a meritorious deed, and the local earth god will also receive merit and record this event, which can help you practice Buddhism and build good karma."

Yuan Li wanted to further win over the Coiled Serpent Demon. If the Coiled Serpent Demon were to become a demon king in the future, it would be even better if he could become friends with him.

The serpent demon nodded slowly.

He couldn't be loyal to both sides, so naturally he had to side with the Black Bear Spirit.

His gaze shifted, and he said solemnly:

"All I know is that the one who used the Demon-Slaying Order is the Yellow Wind Monster of Yellow Wind Ridge. The Yellow Wind Monster of Yellow Wind Ridge, which spans eight hundred miles, is coming today to attack Black Wind Mountain."

Yuan Li pondered:

"The Yellow Wind Monster of Yellow Wind Ridge actually intends to use the Demon-Slaying Order to kill the Black Bear Spirit? Even the Black Bear Spirit in his prime might not be able to defeat the Yellow Wind Monster, let alone me. What am I supposed to do?"

Suddenly, he was completely baffled. His divination clearly showed that the Tiger Power Immortal, Sheep Power Immortal, and Deer Power Immortal of Chechi Kingdom had summoned several powerful demons to attack him. How could it have turned into the Yellow Wind Monster issuing the Demon-Slaying Order and being hostile to him?

My Dao heart almost shattered.

"The best strategy is that the three great immortals will come to attack, which will actually benefit me. This divination sounds rather mystical, and now I can only ask the Nine-Headed Lion for help against the Yellow Wind Monster."

Although Yuan Li has methods to bring good fortune and ward off misfortune, he still needs to think things through before acting.

Just as he was pondering his next move, he was about to set off for Yuhua Prefecture.

At this moment, seeing that Yuan Li intended to leave, the serpent demon sighed slightly and said:

"Black Wind Demon King, you still have helpers, don't you? This time, I will still help you, Black Bear Spirit, overcome this difficulty."

"How can you help me?"

Yuan Li asked in surprise, his expression one of disbelief.

The serpent demon is just a powerful demon; what could it possibly offer to help me?

Are we going to invite the Buddha?

That's clearly unlikely.

Yuan Li couldn't quite see through this snake demon; what secrets did its body hold in the Kingdom of Ussang?

The serpent demon smiled faintly and said:

"To tell you the truth, Black Bear Spirit, the body I have in Tibet is actually my true form. I have already reached the level of a Demon King."

Yuan Li was even more surprised.

"So you're also a demon king. How many years have you been deceiving me, Old Bear? Since you've already reached the level of a demon king, why aren't you expanding your territory and strengthening the demon mountain?"

Yuan Li asked curiously.

It was truly unexpected. The Black Bear Spirit convened a Buddhist robe gathering, and the brocade cassock completely won over this hidden demon king's desire for friendship.

It was a real bargain.

Yuan Li was overjoyed and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

They also became more polite to the snake demon.

The serpent demon stroked his beard and said:

"Although we are not as powerful as the Yellow Wind Monster, as long as the Black Bear Spirit and I join forces, we will not be afraid of the Yellow Wind Monster's attack."

"Good! This way, that Yellow Wind Monster will never return. What do you say?"

Yuan Li clapped his hands and cheered, wanting nothing more than to capture the invading Yellow Wind Monster in one fell swoop.

But the cunning and treacherous serpent demon revealed a hint of kindness, as if he were a compassionate monk, and began to back down.

"There's no need to take his life. He was entrusted with this by someone else. We just need to settle this matter. I will only protect you and will not kill anyone."

Yuan Li could only helplessly say:

"Alright, but I want to eliminate the threat completely. When the Yellow Wind Monster attacks, you, King of Panshan, only need to observe from the sidelines. I will not rest until I have killed the Yellow Wind Monster."

After Yuan Li finished speaking, he excitedly left the Pan Yao Cave, circulated the Supreme Dao Scripture, and rode the clouds to Yu Hua Prefecture.

After finding his senior brother, Nine-Spirit Primordial Saint, and telling him the truth, he returned to Black Wind Mountain at Shenshi (3-5 PM) today.

Before long, a group of monsters from all directions surrounded the mountain, with the leaders being powerful demons.

The Yellow Wind Monster did indeed arrive, a magnificent and imposing sight.

The divination results of Yuan Li indicate that the Tiger Power Immortal, Sheep Power Immortal, and Deer Power Immortal will also arrive with several powerful demons.

Yuan Li was concerned about the outcome of this best-case scenario.

He only performed one divination today because he was injured and could only perform one divination.

Unlike the first hexagram, this one does not explicitly state the need to slay a particular monster; instead, it is quite subtle.

Yuan Li has the Nine-Headed Lion Spirit by his side.

Watching as the Yellow Wind Monster's Samadhi Wind blew down the little demons on his mountain like wheat being harvested, they were all blown down.

Yuan Li immediately looked at the Nine-Spirit Yuan Sheng beside him.

Nine-Headed Primordial Saint used the Nine-Headed Capture Technique, shaking his head to easily hold the Yellow Wind Monster in his mouth with his eight lion heads.

With a single strike from the Nine-Headed Lion, who could also control celestial phenomena, Black Wind Mountain instantly calmed down.

Upon seeing this, the many powerful demons stopped in their tracks, not daring to act rashly.

The trident in Huang Feng Guai's hand failed to harm Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng in the slightest, and he was captured by Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng within a few breaths.

Nine-Headed Lion Saint said in a loud voice:

"You are the Yellow Wind Demon of Yellow Wind Ridge, why do you use the Demon-Slaying Order to kill my junior brother?"

The Yellow Wind Monster said neither humbly nor arrogantly:

"So what if it is?"

"Why aren't you rescinding the Demon-Slaying Order yet?"

Nine-Headed Lion Saint's gaze was like a knife.

Although the Yellow Wind Monster was fearless, he obediently abolished the Demon-Slaying Order, causing all the great demons to disperse.

Nine-Headed Lion then swallowed the Yellow Wind Monster whole.

Meanwhile, King Panshan was watching the fire from afar in a corner of Black Wind Mountain.

After returning to Yuan Li's side, Nine Spirits Primordial Saint handed the Yellow Wind Monster's trident to Yuan Li.

Since Yuan Li said he would leave no way out, the Nine-Headed Lion had no choice but to eat the Yellow Wind Monster.

But after doing all this, Nine-Headed Lion Saint said with some disappointment:

"Junior brother, in the future in Yuhua Prefecture, please do not bother me again. We can drink and make merry, but please do not ask me to commit any more killings. The trident is yours to keep."

Yuan Li took the trident and said helplessly:

"Thank you, senior brother."

Yuan Li said no more, only showing some guilt and apology to Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng.

Such a troubled expression flashed across Nine Spirits' face for a few seconds.

Nine-Headed Lion quickly laughed heartily:

"Don't worry about it. Your senior brother doesn't mean to blame you. But you are too bloodthirsty. Even if the Yellow Wind Monster uses the Demon-Slaying Order to kill you, you don't have to kill him first. Let him wait until later, and then you can use the same method to openly and fairly attack Yellow Wind Ridge. This will also show your character."

Yuan Li nodded in agreement.

Only then did he sigh in admiration, truly worthy of being called the Nine-Headed Lion, who could capture Sun Wukong in an instant.

It is also said that later, Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing joined forces, along with three princes, but none of them could defeat the Nine-Headed Lion in a single blow.

These were all materials he had found online in his previous life, and what he had seen with his own eyes. They were indeed the Nine-Headed Primordial Saint, whose voice could reach the Three Saints above and penetrate the Nine Netherworlds below.

He didn't pay attention to the actions of the Nine-Headed Lion.

He turned his head and looked around, searching for the figures of Tiger Power Immortal, Sheep Power Immortal, and Deer Power Immortal.

Those three guys have arrived.

But after seeing that Nine-Headed Lion had swallowed the Yellow Wind Monster, the three of them did not retreat like the other great demons. Instead, when Yuan Li's gaze fell on them, they all cupped their hands and bowed to Yuan Li.

He shouted loudly from seventy or eighty feet away from Black Wind Cave.

"Congratulations to the Black Wind Demon King for abolishing the Demon-Slaying Order!!"

Tiger Power Immortal, Sheep Power Immortal, and Deer Power Immortal originally came to attack Black Wind Mountain.

At this moment, Immortal Yang Li stood up and, relying on his status as Yuan Li's brother-in-law, confidently flattered him, saying:

"Black Wind King, I am the elder brother of Lady Antelope in your Black Wind Cave. I came here today to help you after hearing that my brother-in-law is in trouble. Black Wind King, you are truly remarkable to have the Nine-Spirited Ape Saint by your side."

Yuan Li didn't believe that these three people had come to help him.

Since the divination did not mention killing these three people, he temporarily decided not to kill them.

He only cared about how to increase the innate energy within his body.

Even so, Yuan Li had already escaped danger and turned the tide.

He felt that he had not yet fully experienced the power of the method to turn misfortune into good fortune; he could only refine the innate energy within his body.

It requires gradual comprehension. Although the technique has been mastered, the innate energy within the body is too thin to unleash the power of the method to bring good fortune and eliminate misfortune.

"Junior brother, please look."

"Nine Spirits Primordial Saint said softly."

Yuan Li looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the Nine-Headed Lion had taken a yellow-haired weasel from its mouth and placed it in its palm.

Yuan Li was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed in surprise:

"Could this be the true form of the Yellow Wind Monster?"

Nine Spirits Primordial Saint nodded slightly.

"This Yellow Wind Monster has lost its mind and its magical powers have faded, so it can only maintain the appearance of a yellow-haired weasel."