Ming Dynasty: Gain one supernatural power every day

Niu Lai clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, then turned and strode away.

But not long after, Niu returned, this time with even more hurried steps, his forehead covered in sweat: "Your Majesty, the Imperial Guards are mostly ready, let's go!"

"Hahaha, good! I knew there was always a way out! Once I escape, I'll reward you with higher rank and titles. Let's go!" Jian Ding was overjoyed, grabbed his sword, and headed outside.

"Your Majesty!" Another scout rushed in, stumbling and scrambling, his voice trembling.

"We can't leave through the south gate! A huge crowd has gathered outside, completely blocking the south gate, and the blockade is getting tighter and tighter!"

"What? Why is the South Gate so fast! Didn't the Ming army come from the north?!" Jian Ding's eyes widened.

"The people at the south gate aren't Ming soldiers, they're all Annamite civilians, and border guards from several nearby city gates..." The scout was already filled with despair. He should have run away instead of coming back.

"What are they doing surrounding the south gate? Never mind, as long as they're on our side, it'll be easier. We'll go through the south gate!"

"Your Majesty, those people and border guards... seem to be here to besiege us. They are chanting, 'Following the Bodhisattva's will, eliminate the Demon King.'"

"What? They're all rebelling?! What demon king? Who's the demon king?"

"This... Demon King, the Demon King is..." the spy stammered, not daring to continue.

"Tell me! Who exactly is the Demon King?!" Jian Ding grabbed his collar.

"It is...it is Your Majesty."

The man in the Ming army who emitted a Buddha-like light said that the Great King was a reincarnation of a demon king, who descended to the mortal realm to wreak havoc. He said that whoever helped capture the demon king would be granted a great opportunity and would be guided to Buddhahood in their next life.

Now the entire city believes it, and they're converging on the palace from several directions!

"Fake! It's all fake! There's no Buddha here! It's all sorcery from the Ming Dynasty!" Jian Ding roared in fury, veins bulging on his forehead.

He had been hoping to escape, but now even his last escape route was blocked.

"Then quickly go to the other city gates and see which one we can pass through!"

"Your Majesty, we can't leave." The scout was almost in tears.

"The other gates are the same; they're all surrounded by civilians and city defense troops. Now the entire city is blocked."

"Ah—!" Jian Ding roared to the sky, looking like a madman.

"Is this truly fate? Are there really Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in this world?"

He staggered a few steps, leaned against a pillar, panting heavily. His eyes were no longer drunk, only filled with madness and fear.

Soon, the people and rebels poured into the four gates of the imperial city like a tidal wave.

The four palace gates were completely blocked off. The guards initially refused to open the gates, but when they saw the dense crowd outside and looked up to see Zhu Gaochi, Zhu Di, and Zhu Bajie riding on clouds in mid-air, with a golden Buddha phantom hanging behind Zhu Gaochi, they immediately backed down.

Several Annamese soldiers who had surrendered among the people stepped forward to negotiate, repeating their words: "The Buddha and Bodhisattvas have come to save us; it is clearly a demon king; capturing the demon king will bring blessings from the Bodhisattvas."

Upon hearing this, the guards hesitated for a moment, then laid down their weapons, picked up their swords and spears, and joined the encirclement, shouting slogans to defeat the demon king.

The four gates were breached almost without any fighting.

Angry citizens, defecting city guards, and Annamese spies mixed in with the crowd all surged toward the depths of the palace.

Jian Ding knew he couldn't escape, but he still wanted to fight one last time. This man was known for his ruthlessness, and in this desperate situation, his ferocity was aroused. He led the remaining imperial guards towards the south gate.

They hadn't gone far when they heard deafening shouts outside—"Down with the Demon King Jian Ding!" The voices grew clearer and clearer, crashing over them like giant waves.

As a result, love came around the corner, only to be met with a surge of civilians and city defense troops.

But when the people saw the swords and knives in the hands of the Imperial Guards, they instinctively stopped in their tracks.

Upon seeing this, the Annamese city guards, who were mixed among the civilians, immediately drew their swords and stepped forward to protect the civilians behind them.

Jian Ding, forcing himself to remain calm, roared at the approaching city guards, "You bunch of traitors, are you planning a rebellion? I have always treated you well, yet you dare to collude with outsiders to besiege me? Get out of my way at once!"

"What rebellion? We are following the will of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas to eliminate you, you demon king!" A centurion of the city defense army stepped forward with his sword drawn, his face showing a hint of fanaticism.

"Yes! Jian Ding, you devil! Ever since you rebelled and declared yourself king, we Annamite people haven't had a single good day! You conscript men, steal grain, and demolish houses, leaving countless people without a way to survive!" another villager shouted boldly.

"Down with the Demon King! Down with the Demon King!" the people behind shouted in unison, the sound almost knocking them over.

The guards around Jian Ding wanted to protect him as he charged forward, but the city defense troops on the other side had already drawn their swords and were coming to meet him.

The two sides were locked in a fierce battle within the palace.

Although the Imperial Guards were elite, they were no match for the enemy's superior numbers, and most of them fell in no time.

In the end, only five or six people remained, protecting Jian Ding in the middle. Everyone was covered in wounds, and blood was flowing down from their nail seams. Even Jian Ding's yellow silk shirt was splattered with blood.

Just then, Zhu Gaoxi, Zhu Di, Zhu Gaoxu, and Zhu Bajie rode on clouds and drifted over from the north.

Zhu Gaoxi lay half-reclined on the cloud chair, behind him a majestic golden Buddha statue as tall as a person, its halo slowly rotating, bathing the entire alley in a golden glow.

Zhu Di rode a tiger, his four hooves treading on clouds, exuding an imposing aura without anger.

Zhu Gaoxu, also clad in black armor, rode atop another fierce tiger king, grinning as he looked at Jian Ding as if he were looking at a dead dog.

Pigsy rode a lion, carried a nine-toothed rake, and wore a gleaming golden armor. His entire body seemed to scream: "Money makes you awesome."

"Greetings, Bodhisattva!" Upon seeing this, the civilians and city guards who were confronting the imperial guards knelt down in unison, clasped their hands together, and chanted Buddhist mantras.

Jian Ding turned around upon hearing the sound and froze when he saw the group of people riding on clouds in the sky.

He rubbed his eyes hard, then rubbed them again, but the image of the Buddha was still there. He trembled violently, muttering, "Buddha... Bodhisattva... it's really real..."

"No! Sorcery! It's all sorcery! Sorcery from the Ming Dynasty! It's fake! It's all fake!" Jian Ding shouted hoarsely, shaking his head like a teddy bear.

"How dare you! My fourth brother is here, why don't you surrender immediately!" Zhu Gaoxu shouted from the tiger's back.

"You audacious demon! How dare you disrespect the Buddha and Bodhisattvas!" someone in the crowd shouted angrily.

"Judging from his appearance, he must be the reincarnation of the Demon King!"

"Buddha, this demon king tried to escape but we intercepted him here. What should we do now? Please enlighten us, Buddha!" ​​a city defense general said, clasping his hands in prayer.

Zhu Gaoxi glanced down and saw that the city defense soldiers had indeed done a great job; many were wounded and their uniforms were stained with blood. He nodded slightly: "You did well; you deserve a reward."

Having said that, he raised his hand and waved it, and the power of creation transformed into a soft white rain of light that fell from the sky.

The wounded city defenders were drenched in the light rain, and their wounds healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. The bleeding stopped, the pain subsided, and even some old injuries and ailments that had lasted for years disappeared in that instant.

The white light continued to spread backward, enveloping even the people behind it.

"My wounds are healed! The bleeding has stopped! This is the power of Buddha and Bodhisattva! Thank you, Buddha and Bodhisattva!" A soldier looked at his healed wounds and trembled with excitement.

"My back doesn't hurt anymore! It really doesn't hurt anymore! It's been a problem for so many years! It's a miracle from Buddha and Bodhisattva!" An old man cried out, kowtowing as he held his back.

"My eyes are clear now, I can see everything clearly! I bow to the Buddha and Bodhisattva!" An old woman knelt on the ground, tears streaming down her face.

"The Buddha and Bodhisattvas have shown their power! Our illnesses are all cured! Thank you, Buddha and Bodhisattvas, for your great compassion!"

The city's garrison soldiers and civilians who had been cured all clasped their hands together and bowed deeply to Zhu Gaoxi.

Some were moved to tears, while others prostrated themselves, their foreheads pounding against the flagstones. Had they ever witnessed such a miracle? If this wasn't a Bodhisattva, who else could it be?