Chapter 144: Buddhist Disciple 4

In the winter forest, withered trees and remaining snow, the air was bleak and cold.

In a wind-sheltered gorge, hot springs flowed from the cracks in the black-brown stones, forming one hot spring pool after another.

This winter paradise was occupied by a group of Ape Demons who had gained spiritual intelligence. The leader was a demon ape that had already reached the Late Transformation Stage.

Not only did it claim the mountain as its own, dwelling in the hot spring ravine, but as its cultivation grew, it expanded its territory, incorporating three nearby mountain ranges into its domain.

Previously, hunters often entered the mountains, but after the demon ape ate one of them and left the bones on the mountain path, no one dared to come up again.

A village at the foot of the mountain had also been forced to relocate after the demon apes frequently descended and caused harm to the people. Now, only a few elderly and weak residents remained, with nowhere else to go.

Several young disciples from Poyue Sword Sect had just said their goodbyes to their masters and senior brothers and sisters and were preparing to return to their sect. Passing through the rundown village, they heard the villagers curse the demon apes for harming people and volunteered to eliminate the demons.

Seven people in total, the eldest was barely at the Foundation Establishment stage, and the youngest had just reached the Third Layer of Qi Refining, only seven years old.

They climbed up the Demon Ape Ridge, where white mist swirled around the ravine. On the mountain walls, groups of monkeys hung, their bodies exuding faint demonic aura, baring their teeth at the newcomers.

“Let’s attack together!”

“Be careful of their claws!”

Meanwhile, deep within the ravine, the largest hot spring pool, Wu Xin was squatting by the pool, removing the mud from the child’s hair.

Qian clung to the edge of the hot spring pool with one hand and rubbed her foot with a cloth in the other hand.

“All done.”

Wu Xin piled the damp hair on her head and lifted her out of the water. Water continued to drip from the cotton jacket she wore.

“Here’s your new clothes. Do you know how to put them on?”

“I know!” Qian took the dry cloth from her father’s hand and randomly wiped her face, neck, and head, leaving her hair looking like a messy bundle of grass.

Wu Xin followed behind her, telling her to change behind a large rock. He reminded her, “First wear this small one, then put on this little vest. Do you know how to wear the cotton jacket?”

“I know!” She emerged looking awkward, with the ties knotted into several lumps, and the buttons undone, making the clothes flare awkwardly.

Wu Xin adjusted her clothes, then squatted by the hot spring pool, washing her muddy floral cotton jacket.

While he washed, Qian, with her hair loose, ran to a large rock by the pool and crouched down to look.

“Hello!” she greeted.

She was met with a deep, angry growl in response.

Beneath the large rock lay the Demon Ape King, looking fierce, its mouth exhaling black evil air.

When Wu Xin, Venerable Master, arrived with the muddy child in his arms, the Demon Ape King suddenly lunged at them but was knocked unconscious by Wu Xin’s staff.

Qian had seen it; it was the same black staff her father always carried, and it was gently used to strike the ape.

However, when she went to bathe in the pool, she remembered that the large, dark creature was still lying unconscious on the ground. Why was it now trapped under the rock, with only its head exposed? It looked so familiar, almost like…

Qian pointed at it and suddenly shouted, “Sun Wukong!”

She then turned her gaze to her father, glanced at his bald head, and pointed at him, saying, “Tang Sanzang!”

Wu Xin: “?”

Excitedly, Qian grabbed the black staff her father had placed aside, picked it up, and dragged it to the Demon Ape King’s head to show it, “Look, the Golden Cudgel!”

The Demon Ape King roared with its bloody mouth.

Wu Xin, still holding the wet cotton jacket, walked over, took his staff from Qian’s hand, and pressed the end of the staff against the demon ape’s forehead.

With a dull “thud,” it sounded like striking a golden bell. The demon ape lowered its head in pain and fell completely silent.

“The hunter killed your two young offspring that had gained spiritual intelligence. You devoured the hunter. The karmic ties are now formed. If you commit further evil, you will fall into the realm of demons. Stay here and meditate for a hundred years, and when your malice is gone, you may come out.”

As disciples of a large sect in the cultivation world, the young disciples from Poyue Sword Sect had some confidence in their abilities. They fought off the demon ape group’s harassment and attacks along the way, slaying a few of the apes, which scared the others into fleeing, leaving only minor injuries.

They continued toward the largest hot spring pool at the deepest point.

The eldest disciple, who was protecting the youngest disciple, Qu Ling, reminded the others, “Don’t be careless. There’s still a Demon Ape King in the ravine. It may have transformation-level cultivation. Once we get there, we’ll immediately form a sword formation to trap it. If we are overpowered, don’t fight but quickly retreat into the forest!”

The group raised their swords in solemnity and entered the hot spring pool surrounded by swirling white mist. However, the vicious Demon Ape King they had expected did not attack immediately.

Everything was quiet, and snowflakes slowly fell from the sky.

“Look, Senior Brother!” Suddenly, one of the disciples shouted, pointing to a large rock nearby.

The others followed his gaze and saw a pitch-black monkey head stuck under the rock, with a golden Buddhist seal on its forehead.

“Someone has been here before,” the senior brother sighed, lowering his sword.

The youngest disciple, Qu Ling, looked up and asked, “Senior Brother, can’t we kill this demon ape?”

“No need to kill it now.”

“But it ate a hunter! We should kill it!” Qu Ling didn’t understand. Killing evil beings was something Master had taught them since they were young.

The senior brother explained, “Junior, do you see the Buddhist seal on the demon ape’s forehead? That’s a seal left by a Buddhist Cultivator from the Spirit Realm, indicating it has already been punished. The Buddhist Cultivators from the Spirit Realm are able to perceive karma and evil deeds. They are the fairest.”

Although sometimes the cultivation world’s other cultivators were dissatisfied with this “fairness,” no one dared to oppose it, for there was only one reason—no one could defeat them.

Buddhist Cultivators from the Spirit Realm, no matter who they were, all came from the Martial Monk lineage!

A Buddhist Cultivator who could immediately identify someone as a Martial Monk was terrifying, but one who didn’t appear to be a Martial Monk was even more terrifying!

Unaware of the Spirit Realm’s Buddhist Cultivators, Qu Ling nodded in confusion.

The group descended the mountain and, crossing a patch of barren grassland, passed by Wu Xin.

When they returned to the sect, Sect Leader Master Yang Xiangjun happened to return hastily from outside and entered the mountain gate right after them.

“Master!” “Uncle Master!” several disciples respectfully called out.

Master Yang Xiangjun stepped down from the cloud, his feet touching the ground. His expression was grave, his brows tightly furrowed. Upon seeing his youngest disciple, Qu Ling, his frown relaxed slightly, and he nodded to the disciples.

“Recently, you should all stay inside the sect and focus on your cultivation. Don’t wander off.”

The disciples all sensed something unusual in the air. They obediently responded and immediately turned to inquire with their senior brothers and sisters about what had happened.

What they found out was nothing short of shocking—The Demon Realm had invaded the Mortal Realm once again!

In recent centuries, the Demon Realm had been in a state of turmoil, as the position of Demon Lord had constantly shifted, and no one could firmly hold that position for long.

The Heavenly Demon Clan of the Demon Realm had always been bloodthirsty and warlike. Whichever Demon Lord ascended to power would first invade the Mortal Realm and the Cultivation Realm, sparking a great war that would bring about immense suffering to all living things.

Over the past hundred years, the Demon Realm had changed Demon Lords several times, each resulting in a war between immortals and demons.

Their target was not the Mortal Realm, but the spirit-rich Cultivation Realm. The Mortal Realm was merely a “pathway” they used, but this “pathway” had become a terrifying disaster for the Mortal Realm.

Regardless of the reason, many sects in the Cultivation Realm had to find a way to push back the demon forces.

“It is said that the new Demon Lord of the Demon Realm, Tian Zhi Mo, devoured three of his own blood relatives before securing the position of Demon Lord. He has temporarily pacified the internal strife in the Demon Realm. This time, he mobilized twelve elders and over twenty demon generals. In just three days, they advanced from the boundary pass to the human city of Caofeng.”

Sect Leader Master Yang Xiangjun said, “The situation is urgent. The elders in seclusion will probably have to come out to defend the border lines.”

The Grand Elder, sitting across from him, had white hair and a frail appearance, already showing signs of aging. His eyelids were nearly closed as he slowly asked, “Did you go to the Spirit Realm to seek out Wu Xin, the Buddhist Disciple? What did he say? Is he willing to leave the mountains?”

At this point, Master Yang Xiangjun’s expression grew even more troubled, and he sighed heavily, “Wu Xin, the Buddhist Disciple, left the Spirit Realm not long ago because of some personal matters. Now, no one knows his whereabouts. Even those at Bodhi Mountain cannot find him, let alone me.”

Although the Buddhist Cultivators from the Spirit Realm did not always intervene every time the Demon Realm invaded the Mortal Realm, whenever they did, they were able to drive the demon forces back much more quickly.

Buddhist Cultivators could create barriers and protective formations in the path of the Demon Realm’s advancing army, hindering their progress and providing the cultivators of the Cultivation Realm with a safe battleground. The demons feared Buddhist Cultivators more than anyone.

Especially Wu Xin, the Buddhist Disciple, who, over a hundred years ago, during the most perilous time, had killed Demon Lord Tian Tu with a single strike from his staff, completely scattering the overwhelming demon army.

Unfortunately, after that event, Wu Xin had appeared less and less in public. When the demons invaded again and they sought him out, he seldom responded, which sparked some criticism.

Wu Xin gazed at the dark clouds on the horizon. The gray-black sky was filled with snowflakes, turning from light snow to thick flakes drifting down gracefully.

Qian sat in his arms, extending her hand to catch the snowflakes. Soon, her hands turned red from the cold.

The two of them were walking outside a small town when a group of people stopped them.

The group, dressed in thin, light green robes despite the heavy snow, looked ethereal, almost like immortals. Compared to them, Wu Xin, dressed in plain cloth and wearing a straw hat, looked as ordinary as dirt, especially with the child wrapped in a floral cotton jacket in his arms, making him seem even more rustic.

Thus, when the elderly figure surrounded by the green-clad individuals shouted, “Wu Xin, the Buddhist Disciple,” the young disciples accompanying the elder—who had only heard rumors of the Buddhist Disciple and never seen him—couldn’t help but cast doubtful glances at the seemingly ordinary monk.

Is this really the legendary Wu Xin, the Buddhist Disciple?

“I am Wu Xihong of the Bishui Yuntian Sect. I wonder if Wu Xin, the Buddhist Disciple, still remembers me? I never expected to meet you here. It seems this is fate!” the elder sighed deeply.

“The Buddhist Disciple probably doesn’t know that the demons have once again invaded the Mortal Realm. Now, disciples from all the major sects have gone to the border to resist the demon army. Alas, as an old man, my time is limited. After giving some instructions, I had to rush to the border.”

Had it been anyone else, perhaps they would have been moved by his sorrowful demeanor, but Wu Xin merely glanced at him and knew that the elder still had quite a bit of life left. After a little more time, he might even father two more sons, so his expression remained calm.

“Would you, Buddhist Disciple, consider joining us in going to Caofeng City? The sects are undoubtedly eagerly awaiting your help. If you can come, even these young disciples might have a better chance of survival and avoid perishing in the coming war with the Demon Realm.”

Wu Xin nodded and suddenly turned to ask the child in his arms.

“Qian, do you think I should go?”

“Where?” Qian didn’t quite understand the elder’s roundabout words.

“To Caofeng City, where the Demon Lord is gathering all the demon forces.”

Demon Lord? Demons?

The child’s mind suddenly recalled the image of a red-haired father and she immediately became alert.

“Go!”

Wu Xin clearly saw the wheel of karma slowly turn once again within her.

“Alright, then let’s go,” he smiled.
——————

Sun Wukong (孙悟空):
The Monkey King, a powerful and mischievous immortal born from a stone. He has immense strength, magical abilities like shapeshifting and cloud-somersaulting, and was imprisoned by Buddha for his rebellion against Heaven. Later, he becomes a disciple of Tang Sanzang and protects him on the journey to the West.

Tang Sanzang (唐三藏):
Also known as Xuanzang or Tripitaka, he is a devout Buddhist monk chosen to retrieve sacred scriptures from India. Pure-hearted and compassionate, he is the leader of the pilgrimage and often relies on his disciples—like Sun Wukong—for protection.

Golden Cudgel (金箍棒, Jīn Gū Bàng):
A magical staff wielded by Sun Wukong. It can change size, multiply, and weighs over 13,000 pounds. Originally a pillar used to measure the sea, it shrinks to needle size to be carried behind his ear. It’s his primary weapon in battle.