novelapdf Chapter 18 The Great Sage Who Guards the Mountain
Chapter 18 The Great Sage Who Guards the Mountain
Lu Changgeng had no idea whether he could survive the tribulation; he had absolutely no confidence in his ability to do so.
After much deliberation, one day when Teng San Niang came to soak in the spring, Lu Changgeng decided to ask this vine demon where he could find magical artifacts and elixirs.
Teng San Niang had just taken off her clothes, and her small, white feet were about to step into the spring.
Suddenly, the water surged, and Lu Changgeng, with long crimson hair, appeared beside him.
"Please wait, madam."
"What are your orders, Immortal Master?" Teng San Niang stood by the spring, her vertical pupils filled with doubt.
She didn't care about her clothes at all. Although she knew human etiquette, in this demon realm, even the most beautiful body was just a shell.
If I act coy or pretentious in front of the immortal, I'm afraid I'll displease him.
Lu Changgeng cut to the chase: "My tribulation of transformation will soon arrive. To overcome it, one needs a magical artifact for protection and spiritual medicine to prolong life. I have neither. Does Madam know where one can find these near Pansiling?"
Teng San Niang's heart skipped a beat, wondering if the immortal master had no one behind him? Otherwise, he should have given him magic weapons and pills, or there might be some other reason.
Without time to think further, she pondered for a moment and said, "Magic artifacts and spiritual medicines are hard to come by for ordinary demon cultivators. Even if they do, they are mostly crude items that cannot withstand the impact of heavenly lightning. If you want something of a higher quality, you will probably have to seek out those transformed great demons."
"A powerful demon capable of transforming into human form?" Lu Changgeng's heart skipped a beat. "Is there one around here?"
"There aren't any nearby. The closest demon to this place is the Great Sage Who Guards the Mountain..."
"The Great Sage Who Guards the Mountain?"
The Iron-Bone King appeared out of nowhere and said in a deep voice, "Is the one you're referring to, Madam, at Qilin Mountain?"
Teng San Niang nodded.
"Qilin Mountain?" Lu Changgeng searched his mind for a moment, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
Qilin Mountain, Xiezhi Cave!
Isn't that the cave of the Golden-haired Hou from Journey to the West?
The Golden-haired Hou was the mount of Guanyin Bodhisattva. It stole the Purple Gold Bell and descended to the mortal world as a demon, kidnapping the Golden Saint Palace Lady of the Zhu Zi Kingdom, which was one of the tribulations on the journey to the West.
But it's still early. The Golden-haired Hou arrived at the Xie Zhi Cave three years before the pilgrims set off, so it hasn't arrived yet.
Could it be that before the Golden-haired Hou, this Mountain-Suppressing King occupied the Xie Zhi Cave?
"What is the background of that Great Sage Who Guards the Mountain?" Lu Changgeng asked.
Iron Bone King took over and said in a gruff voice, "I saw him once. He was a mountain demon. He wasn't a local demon. I don't know where he came from. Five hundred years ago, he occupied the Xie Zhi Cave on Qilin Mountain and initially called himself the 'Great King of the Mountain.' That guy was really skilled. I didn't like him at the time and even exchanged a few moves with him, but I couldn't even last three moves."
The fact that the Iron Bone King, a cultivator at the late stage of the Condensation Realm, could not withstand more than three moves from him indicates that the mountain demon was at least at the peak of the Condensation Realm at the time. Moreover, the fact that it could occupy the Xie Zhi Cave for five hundred years shows that it was by no means an ordinary person.
"A great demon in the Transformation stage probably won't easily lend out magical artifacts and pills," Lu Changgeng said.
Teng San Niang smiled slightly: "What you say is true, Immortal Master. However, I have heard that the mountain demon was not born strong, but became so powerful because it accidentally entered the Xie Zhi Cave and was corrupted by a wisp of the fierce aura left by an ancient Xie Zhi. Most of its magical artifacts and elixirs were obtained from the cave, not refined by itself."
"The ancient Xie Zhi?"
"That's right. Legend has it that the Xie Zhi Cave was once the lair of the ancient divine beast Xie Zhi. After Xie Zhi died, a wisp of malevolent energy remained in the cave. The mountain demon stumbled in by mistake, was corrupted by the malevolent energy, and its cultivation level soared, but its temperament also changed drastically, becoming violent and cruel."
Lu Changgeng seemed to be deep in thought.
In the original story, the owner of the Xiezhi Cave is the Golden-haired Hou, who is Guanyin's mount and stole the Purple Gold Bell to descend to the mortal world.
As for the origin of the Xiezhi Cave, the original work does not explain it in detail, but the legend told by Teng San Niang fills in the gap.
"After that mountain demon occupied the Xie Zhi Cave, it proclaimed itself the Great King of the Mountain. Not long after, it transformed into human form and called itself the 'Great Sage of the Mountain.' Demon cultivators within hundreds of miles had to come and pay tribute. Tie Gu went there once and came back to tell me that the cave was filled with dazzling light, and he didn't know how many treasures it contained." Teng San Niang looked at Lu Chang Geng, "If you, Immortal Master, wish to borrow magical artifacts and elixirs, perhaps you can find a way through him."
"The Great Sage Who Guards the Mountain." Lu Changgeng read the title aloud, a slight smile playing on his lips. "This name does bear some resemblance to that monkey."
"Monkey?" Tie Gu looked bewildered.
"It's nothing." Lu Changgeng's smile faded, and he said seriously, "This humble Taoist wishes to meet this Great Sage Who Guards the Mountain. Would you like to accompany me, Madam?"
Teng San Niang paused slightly, then said, "I dare not disobey the Immortal's command. However, that mountain demon is violent by nature, and if we disagree..."
"I know what I'm doing and will protect you," Lu Changgeng said. "Tiegu, you've met that mountain demon once. Do you know what his likes and dislikes are?"
The Iron Bone King scratched his head, thought for a long time, and said, "When I went to pay tribute, he had his men bring out a pile of clothes and armor of all kinds, all collected from the human world. He had his servants and little demons pick one to wear and then imitate the identity of the person wearing the clothes."
If the imitation satisfies him, he will reward him with wine; if it displeases him, he will chop off the little demon's head on the spot, rip out the brain and marrow, and use the skull as a wine cup..."
Lu Changgeng felt a chill run down his spine. This mandrill was so strange and cruel, and it was quite playful, even doing cosplay.
"Iron Bone, did that demon ever make you act out amusement?" Lu Changgeng asked gossipingly.
Iron Bone immediately snorted, "Never, never... I was at least a Nascent Soul Great Demon back then, how could I be insulted like this?"
"If I were to let you play the role, what would you say?" Lu Changgeng flicked his sleeve, a faint aura of authority spreading out.
Tie Gu was stunned, then immediately put on a bitter face and looked at Teng San Niang.
The latter pretended not to see it, keeping their eyes down and their minds focused.
"Your servant... will obey." Tiegu said, feeling wronged.
"Alright, alright. Seeing that you're unwilling, I'm not the kind of person to force people." Lu Changgeng stopped teasing him and looked at Teng Sanniang. "If Madam is willing to come along, we'll set off together early in three days."
Could Teng San Niang possibly refuse? She bowed and said, "This concubine is willing to go."
"I'll go too!" Ironbone King stepped forward. "I've met that mountain demon once, so I can at least exchange a few words with him..."
"You stay here. If we all leave, who will take care of my junior sisters? Who will guard this spring?"
Tiegu opened his mouth, but swallowed the words that were about to come out.
"If there are no objections, then it's settled. We'll set off in three days. I still need to make some preparations in the next few days, such as preparing a gift for the Great Sage of the Mountain... Madam Teng, you'll need to come with me to the human market."
Teng San Niang didn't know what Lu Chang Geng was doing in the mortal world. Upon hearing the order, she sighed inwardly, thinking that she wouldn't be able to soak in the spring today.
-
Three days later, the sky began to lighten.
Teng San Niang had been waiting by the Cleansing Spring for a long time when a handsome young man with long, crimson hair quietly appeared beside her.