Journey to the West: Black Six Ears

Meanwhile, let's talk about Xuanzang's side.

Although I was very scared when I was swept up by the fierce wind.

But in reality, the wind did not cause him any harm at all; in fact, it protected him the whole time.

At this moment, Xuanzang even had the mind to think about when Wukong would come to save him.

Soon, the wind dissipated, revealing everything to Xuanzang.

"Where is this?"

Xuanzang looked around and saw nothing but yellow sand.

But this place has clearly turned into a cave, and the little demons patrolling the surroundings are all in good order.

One by one, they carried plates filled with Qingshui tree fruits and placed them on the low table in front of Xuanzang.

"Holy monk, please take a seat."

At this moment, a handsome young man appeared before Xuanzang.

He was dressed in armor and carrying a three-pronged steel fork.

Xuanzang's vision blurred, and he felt:

Golden helmet gleams in the sun, golden armor gleams. A pheasant-tail plume flutters on the helmet, a pale yellow robe covers the armor. The armor's sash is adorned with a shimmering dragon, the breastplate gleams brilliantly. Deerskin boots, dyed with locust blossoms; brocade apron, adorned with willow-leaf patterns. Holding a sharp three-pronged steel fork, he is no less imposing than the legendary sage of yesteryear.

"Who are you? Why did you capture me here? Put me down at once, or my disciple will not let you off the hook. Sooner or later, he will splatter your brains and scatter your soul."

This respectable appearance only fueled Xuanzang's anger.

He pointed at the young man in front of him and shouted at him.

However, the Yellow Wind Monster was not displeased at all by his angry shout; instead, he laughed heartily.

"Holy Monk, you may not know this, but I come from the Western Paradise, Mount Ling, and have been waiting for you here."

The Yellow Wind Monster stepped forward, pointed to the location of the Western Paradise, and introduced himself to Xuanzang.

His explanation concealed the fact that he had been punished and banished to the mortal realm for stealing the oil.

Instead, it was said that he was ordered by the Buddha of Mount Ling to wait for Xuanzang here.

"Waiting here on purpose? Then why did you have to kidnap me?"

Xuanzang looked at him and didn't think he was some kind of wild demon by the roadside, so he was starting to believe it.

Even so, it is a fact that he turned into a gust of evil wind and took her away.

Faced with Xuanzang's wariness, the Yellow Wind Monster waved his hand helplessly:

"In his previous life, the Holy Monk was Jin Chanzi, the second disciple of Buddha at Mount Ling in the Western Paradise. The reason he was punished and sent to the mortal realm was ostensibly because he was disobedient, but in reality, it was to start this great calamity of the Journey to the West. On Mount Ling, we were on very good terms."

As he spoke, the Yellow Wind Monster began to tell Xuanzang about his time on Mount Ling.

Xuanzang, who had initially been dismissive, began to listen attentively and even asked questions from time to time.

This conversation continued until the piercing sound of monkeys could be heard outside the cave:

"Monster! You'd better send my master out while I'm at it, or I'll destroy your lair and level your dwelling!"

Upon hearing this, the little monsters were terrified and ran inside trembling to report:

"Your Majesty, disaster has struck!"

The Yellow Wind Demon was sitting cross-legged in the middle, chatting with Xuanzang. Seeing the little demon's anxious look, he calmly asked:

"What is it?"

The little demon rubbed his head, not expecting his king to be so calm.

However, he still organized his thoughts and explained:

"A monk with a hairy face and a thunder god-like appearance appeared outside the cave, wielding a huge, thick iron rod, demanding his master!"

Upon hearing what the little demon said, Xuanzang's eyes lit up, and he quickly put down the fruit in his hand and said:

"It must be my eldest disciple, Sun Wukong. Your Majesty, please open the palace quickly and let him in."

Yellow Wind Monster's eyes darted around, but he simply smiled and replied:

"The holy monk has misunderstood. I still have a difficulty to overcome before I can head west."

"Huh? Is Your Majesty trying to make things difficult for me?"

Xuanzang wore a pained expression.

Since this Yellow Wind Monster comes from Mount Ling, it must be extraordinary.

It seems like neither winning nor losing is a good thing when facing such a monster.

"Alas, Holy Monk, you only need to stay in my cave for two days. This ordeal was not for you, so there is no need to worry."

Upon hearing the Yellow Wind Monster's words, Xuanzang breathed a sigh of relief:

"Then Your Majesty may do as you please."

The yellow-haired mouse glanced at Xuanzang, then stood up:

"Please, elders, speak with the holy monk. I will deal with the monkeys outside."

After saying that, the little demon led several old men to sit down next to Xuanzang and began to talk to him about the past and present.

The Yellow Wind Monster, carrying a three-pronged steel fork, looked increasingly troubled.

"This scoundrel is ignorant! I never ate his master, yet he attacked and killed my little demon! How hateful, how hateful!"

Having said that, he strode straight out the door.

Upon seeing Sun Wukong wielding an iron cudgel not far away, the Yellow Wind Monster roared fiercely:

"Which one is Sun Wukong?"

The traveler, wearing the skin of a tiger monster and holding a magic staff, replied:

"Your maternal grandfather is here; see my master out!"

The monster looked closely and saw that the traveler was of lowly build, thin and frail, and less than four feet tall. He laughed and said:

"How pitiful! My dear brother said you had the ability to move mountains, and I thought you were some kind of invincible hero, but it turns out you're just a sickly skeleton!"

The traveler laughed and said, "You son, you have no sense of propriety! Although your grandfather is young, if you were to hit him on the head with a fork handle, he would grow three feet tall."

The monster, without giving a chance to explain, twirled his steel fork and aimed it at the traveler's chest.

This Great Sage was truly a master of his craft, neither busy nor skilled. He untangled his iron cudgel, used a black dragon sweeping across the ground to deflect the steel fork, and then struck at the head.

The two fought fiercely at the entrance of Yellow Wind Cave: the Demon King was enraged, and the Great Sage displayed his might. Fork came, staff blocked; staff went, fork met. One was the supreme commander of the mountain; the other was the guardian Monkey King.

At first, they were still fighting in the dust, but later they rose up in the center.

The steel fork is sharp and pointed; the Ruyi cudgel is black with a yellow band.

Those stabbed will return to the underworld, those struck will surely meet Yama, the King of Hell. It all depends on swift hands and sharp eyes, and requires strength and vigor. Both sides fight to the death, who knows who will emerge unscathed and who will be wounded!

The old demon and the Great Sage fought for thirty rounds without a clear victor.

This traveler, wanting to achieve merit, uses a method that involves an external body.

He plucked a handful of hairs, chewed them to powder, spat them upwards, and shouted, "Transform!"

Then a hundred or so pilgrims appeared, all dressed the same, each holding an iron rod, and surrounded the monster in the air.

The monster, frightened, used its usual skill: it turned around abruptly, looked towards the southeast, opened its mouth three times, and exhaled a breath. Suddenly, a yellow wind rose from the sky.

This Samadhi Divine Wind! Truly formidable!

This wind toppled Mount Putuo, and rolled up a scroll of the Guanyin Sutra. White lotuses drifted from the seashore, and the wind blew down the twelve courtyards of the Bodhisattva. Since Pangu's time, winds have been seen, but none have come with such malevolence.

With a whoosh, the heavens and earth nearly shattered, and the entire land trembled!

The monster unleashed a gust of wind, which blew the little monkey that Sun Wukong had transformed from a hair into air, making it spin wildly like a spinning wheel. It couldn't swing the stick or catch itself.

In a panic, the traveler shook his hair and pulled it back to his body. He then raised his iron rod alone and went forward to fight, only to be spewed a mouthful of yellow wind at the monster's face.

He slammed his two bright eyes shut, making it impossible for him to open them, thus hindering his ability to wield the iron rod, and was defeated.

This defeat is no small matter.

Pigsy, who was curled up on the ground in the distance with his head in his hands, looked up and saw that his senior brother, on whom he had placed high hopes, had been verbally abused to the point of being unable to stand.

The monster's wind almost blew people away.

If Pigsy hadn't held the two followers back, they probably would have ended up like the horse, spinning around in the sky for who knows where.

"Oh no, oh no, this monkey has been beaten up like this, that old monk is probably going to die soon."

Pigsy shook his head and sighed.

He knew when he was beaten that this monkey was Sun Wukong, who had caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace five hundred years ago.

So many heavenly soldiers and generals, and all sorts of gods and immortals, failed to subdue him. In the end, it was Buddha himself who took action, demonstrating his extraordinary combat power.

As a result, this Monkey King was blown about by a gust of wind and is now covering his face and unable to open his eyes.

"Bajie, Bajie."

Sun Wukong shouted.

Pigsy, intimidated by the monkey's abilities, had no choice but to bite the bullet and step forward.

"Senior brother, how can we save Master like this?"

Sun Wukong leaned against the wall, panting heavily:

"That monster blew a gust of wind at me, making my eyes sting and now they are constantly wet with tears. I'll wait and see how I save my master. I wonder if there's an ophthalmologist here who can treat my eyes?"

Pigsy said, "Brother, it's getting late in the mountains. Forget about needing an eye doctor, there's nowhere to even stay!"

At this moment, only one thought remained in his mind:

If it really doesn't work out, let's call it a day.

But Sun Wukong had a different opinion.

Having fought against the Yellow Wind King, he knew very well that it was that gust of wind from the other side that made him unable to stand.

The Yellow Wind King's actual combat ability was far inferior to his.

With a thought, Sun Wukong immediately said, "Finding a place to stay is not difficult. I reckon that demon wouldn't dare harm my master. Let's find the main road and head to the Bodhisattva's sacred site, two thousand miles to the south."

If what the old man said is true, then the only one in this place who can subdue that monster is Bodhisattva Lingji.

Pigsy said, "That's right, that's right."