14: Chapter 15 Yellow Wind Ridge Part 3

"We can just take a detour. It's just a bit more walking, how could that disrupt the grand plan of the journey west? At most, our legs will be sore and our feet swollen. As long as we don't have to fight, this old Pigsy is fine with it!"

Pigsy spat out scraps of food as he spoke carelessly, completely unconcerned that the food debris had splattered onto the Monkey King's face.

Ao Lie shook his head, stopping the Monkey King from getting angry, and advised,

"That won't do. The journey west is meant to be a trial of eighty-one tribulations before we can obtain the true scriptures. This hurdle must be overcome. Moreover, leaving this monster here is a scourge. It not only ruins this land but also terrifies everyone within eight hundred li, keeping them far away!"

The Monkey King nodded, indicating that was exactly his thought.

Pigsy, on the other hand, kept fussing, feeling that this course of action was very unwise.

The Monkey King touched his face, brushed off the food scraps, and asked Ao Lie beside him,

"Ao Lie, why don't we go to the Heavenly Court and find some help? The Heavenly Court is so vast, filled with many a Divine Being. There must be plenty who are capable of subduing this Samadhi Divine Wind!"

Hearing this, Ao Lie shook his head. Listening to the thunderstorm outside, he felt heavy-hearted.

"Senior Brother, you know my abilities. They must absolutely not be known by the people of the Heavenly Court..."

The Monkey King suddenly realized and patted his head.

Although Pigsy had long been suspicious, he was surprisingly clever about this matter and didn't ask further.

The Monkey King had a headache.

"Since we aren't going to ask for help, how are we supposed to capture that Yellow Wind Monster?"

Pigsy didn't know either, and both of them cast their gazes toward Ao Lie, who was sitting calmly to the side, faintly revealing a sense of expectation.

Seeing this, Ao Lie had nothing to say. After all, it was he who forbade asking for help, so he had to come up with a solution!

Ao Lie scratched his head, then switched to pressing his temples, hoping to alleviate his anxiety.

Yet, he couldn't think of a single solution. The rain was still falling outside the window, and the atmosphere in the room began to feel heavy.

Finally, Ao Lie spoke up helplessly; he really couldn't think of a way, at least not for the moment.

"Forget it, Senior Brother, Junior Brother Pigsy, let's rest first. I will inform you both of the plan tomorrow. Sigh, let's just rest!"

The two people sitting on either side were sensible. Pigsy patted his belly and left first, and the Monkey King scratched his head, following closely behind.

Only Ao Lie was left behind, resting his arms and propping up his forehead, his eyes flickering with black, jade-green flames...

...

Midnight, on the bed in the east room.

Ao Lie rested his arms and propping up his forehead, his eyes flickering with black, jade-green flames.

After the Monkey King and Pigsy left, the room suddenly became quiet, leaving only the sound of rain outside the window and his own breathing.

He didn't move, just kept lying there in that position, his mind entirely filled with the Yellow Wind Monster's Samadhi Divine Wind.

How exactly should he deal with it?

Ao Lie muttered to himself that going to the Heavenly Court to find help was definitely out of the question.

Because his own abilities could not be known by the Heavenly Court. If he were targeted, he would certainly be executed on the spot.

Moreover, he couldn't bear to waste such a combat force.

But without asking for help, how could they, just the few of them, enter the cave and kill the monster while it was on alert?

Not to mention, the Yellow Wind Monster still had that hellish Samadhi Divine Wind.

He sighed and tossed and turned.

The rain was still falling, and occasionally a few muffled rumbles of thunder came from the roof.

Ao Lie kept his eyes open, staring at the pitch-black roof, his mind recalling the events of the day over and over again.

When the Yellow Wind Monster's wind blew, even the Monkey King's Fiery Eyes were blinded, and his own Dragon scales were scraped until they ached. A head-on fight definitely wouldn't work; he had to think of another method.

"What should be done? Is there really no other way? If I can only ask for help, wouldn't that be a pity? It might even affect my Middle Stage development!"

Ao Lie turned over, then turned back, unable to sleep no matter what.

So he simply sat up, leaned against the headboard, and continued to think.

The Yellow Wind Monster's current subordinates, the ones patrolling the mountains and guarding the gates, had all been incorporated into his own Shadow Legion. Now, the monster was a loner, guarding the Yellow Wind Cave with no one to use.

"He clearly has no subordinates left and is now all alone. It should have been easy to kill him, yet it has come to this. If I had known, I wouldn't have been so cocky back then! Damn it!"

"No one to use...?"

A thought stirred in Ao Lie's heart.

"Wait, no one to use! Does that mean he lacks helpers? If someone proactively offered to join him, would he accept?"

"That's right! I can defect to him and pretend to be his subordinate! Hahahaha, heaven has gifted me with talent for a reason!"

Ao Lie lay back down, closed his eyes, and began to calculate in his mind, his eyes flashing with sinister intent again.

"It's best if I do this myself. That monkey head, the Monkey King, is too overbearing, and that pig head, Pigsy, is too dim-witted..."

"I will transform into the appearance of a minor demon, sneak into the Yellow Wind Cave, and pretend to defect to him. But the Yellow Wind Monster isn't stupid; why would he trust a minor demon who suddenly appeared? I need something that can convince him."

Ao Lie thought about it, and his mood was no longer so depressed.

"What the Yellow Wind Monster wants most right now must be something that can help him increase his strength and something that can help him block the Monkey King and the others."

Something to increase strength... A thought suddenly flashed through Ao Lie's mind.

Then he smiled, a very cunning and confident smile.

With a thought, he looked out the window; the rain hadn't stopped, and the sky was still dark.

He rubbed his eyes, got up, and slipped out of the room quietly. With a flip, he rode the clouds toward the Heavenly Court.

Upon arriving at the Heavenly Court, he went straight to find Nezha. Nezha was sitting in the hall meditating and was somewhat surprised to see him running over in the middle of the night.

Ao Lie didn't beat around the bush and directly said he had encountered a monster and wanted to borrow his Universe Ring to use, promising to return it afterward.

Thinking of the important matters of the Western Heaven, Nezha didn't think too much about it. He threw it with his right hand, and the golden ring fell into Ao Lie's hands.

"Remember to return it..."

Holding the Universe Ring, Ao Lie nodded, then quietly slipped back down to the mortal world and returned to his lodging.

The Monkey King and Pigsy were sleeping soundly, and Tang Seng was also quiet in the next room. Everything was proceeding according to plan.

...

Early the next morning, the rain stopped, and as soon as the sky brightened, the Monkey King and Pigsy gathered around and stared at him.

"Ao Lie, you said yesterday there was a way, what way?" The Monkey King asked first.

Ao Lie sat up, his eyes filled with joy, and said in a low voice, "I've thought of a method; I will disguise myself as a minor demon and go to defect to the Yellow Wind Monster."

The Monkey King frowned: "You go to defect? That monster is very fierce; if you are found out, your life will be in danger."

"He has no subordinates left now and is desperate for people, so he won't easily suspect me," Ao Lie said. "I will bring something with me and claim it is an ancestral necklace that can increase strength; he will definitely be tempted."

"What thing?" Pigsy leaned in to ask.

Ao Lie took the Universe Ring out of his bosom and handed it to them to look at: "Nezha's Universe Ring. I went to the Heavenly Court to borrow it from him last night."

Both the Monkey King and Pigsy were stunned for a moment. The Monkey King rubbed his chin: "How do you intend to use it?"

"I will pretend to defect to him, say that this thing can help him increase his magic power, and ask him to put it on his neck to try," Ao Lie said. "As soon as he puts it on, I can activate the ring, tighten it around his neck, and then he won't be able to move."

Pigsy clapped his hands: "This method is good! That monster is very greedy; once he hears it can increase his strength, he will definitely fall for it."

The Monkey King nodded: "Then when do you plan to go?"

"Right now," Ao Lie said. "I will transform, and you wait outside the cave. When you hear movement inside, rush in."

After speaking, Ao Lie cast a spell, transformed into a disheveled minor demon, hid the Universe Ring in his bosom, gave the Monkey King a few instructions, and headed toward the Yellow Wind Cave.

The gate of the Yellow Wind Cave was still as imposing as in the past, but now it was much more deserted; there wasn't even a minor demon at the entrance.

Ao Lie walked to the entrance of the cave and shouted inside: "Great King! Great King! I have come to defect to you!"

After shouting several times, the Yellow Wind Monster finally walked out of the cave. He was wearing his usual armor and holding a steel fork in his hand.

Then he looked Ao Lie up and down, frowned, and said sternly: "Who are you? Where did you come from?"

"I am a minor demon from down the mountain. I heard that you, Great King, have claimed this mountain as your own, so I came specifically to defect," Ao Lie said with his head lowered, pretending to be afraid.

"I heard that you, Great King, have recently been fighting with Tang Seng's disciples, and I want to follow you, Great King, to make a living."

The Yellow Wind Monster snorted: "My minor demons have all been killed, yet you dare to come and defect?"

Ao Lie hurriedly said: "Great King, although I don't have much ability, I have an ancestral treasure that can increase magic power. After putting it on, one becomes invulnerable to blades and spears, and it can also enhance Demonic Qi!"

The Yellow Wind Monster's eyes lit up, and he leaned forward: "What treasure? Take it out and let me see."

Ao Lie took the Universe Ring out of his bosom and handed it over: "It's this necklace. It's an ancestral heirloom of my family. After putting it on, your magic power can increase by twofold!"

The Yellow Wind Monster took the Universe Ring and looked at it; the ring emitted a faint golden light. He was somewhat suspicious: "Just this little ring, can it have such great use?"

"If you don't believe me, Great King, you can try it," Ao Lie said. "Put it around your neck and feel it; isn't your magic power much stronger than usual?"

The Yellow Wind Monster hesitated for a moment. He was indeed feeling powerless right now, and having something that could increase his strength was better than having nothing.

He threw the steel fork aside, dragged Ao Lie into the Immortal Cave, and then picked up the Universe Ring and put it around his own neck.

As soon as the ring touched his neck, Ao Lie secretly activated his magic power.

The Universe Ring tightened instantly, choking the Yellow Wind Monster's neck tightly.

The Yellow Wind Monster's face changed, and he reached out to pull at the ring, but he couldn't move it at all, and it choked him until he couldn't breathe. He glared at Ao Lie, his eyes filled with fierce light: "You... you tricked me!"

Ao Lie sneered and stopped pretending, reverting to his original appearance: "Yellow Wind Monster, this is a victory of wit, this is great wisdom, this is because I am too smart, and you... are too stupid! Hahahahaha!"

The Yellow Wind Monster wanted to shout but couldn't; his neck was being choked tightly, and his face turned bright red.

He struggled a few times, his Demonic Qi flared wildly, and finally, unable to hold on, he revealed his true form—a yellow marten, quite large in size, pinned to the ground by the Universe Ring, unable to move.

Ao Lie looked at the yellow marten on the ground and didn't speak. He raised his Dragon claw and slammed it down. The marten didn't even make a sound before it turned into a puddle of flesh.

At this moment, the Monkey King and Pigsy, following Ao Lie's signal, arrived belatedly.

The group exchanged a few pleasantries and decided to demolish the Immortal Cave, and Ao Lie carried the corpse outside.

The Monkey King beside them, after Pigsy and Ao Lie exited the cave, swung his Golden Cudgel.

He smashed wildly at the walls and ceiling of the Yellow Wind Cave, and in an instant, his magic staff, as thick as a pillar, smashed the Immortal Cave to smithereens!