39: Chapter 40 Capturing "Zhu"

It is said that Pigsy was captured by the patrolling minor demons of Lotus Cave. The group of minor demons shoved and pushed, dragging the hog-tied Pigsy into the Immortal Cave, leading him straight before the two kings, King Gold Horn and King Silver Horn.

King Silver Horn stepped forward first, pointed at Pigsy, and laughed loudly to King Gold Horn, who was seated high on a stone chair.

"Elder Brother, look here. On my patrol this time, I was the first to capture one of Tang Seng's disciples. This fool is fat and big-eared; we should keep him for now, and he will make a good side dish for our wine later!"

King Gold Horn stood up slowly, looked down at Pigsy, frowned slightly, and waved his hand.

"Brother, you have captured the wrong one. This Pigsy is Marshal Tianpeng, banished to the mortal realm; he has brute strength but is of little use. Capturing him will only alert the enemy and make Tang Seng and his disciples wary."

Pigsy, tied up on the spot, heard the two demons discussing him and immediately shouted at the top of his lungs.

"You two monsters, don't you dare underestimate Old Pig! I am a disciple of the High Monk of the Great Tang, and my Senior Brother is the Great Sage the Equal of Heaven, Monkey King. If you know what's good for you, release me quickly; otherwise, when my Senior Brother comes knocking, he will surely raze your Lotus Cave to the ground!"

Upon hearing this, King Silver Horn sneered, stepped forward, kicked Pigsy, and scolded him sternly.

"You are at death's door and still dare to be mouthy! Even if that Monkey King has heaven-reaching skills, he cannot escape the palms of us two brothers. Don't worry, Elder Brother, I have a plan. Not only can I capture this fool, but I can also capture Tang Seng and the others, so we brothers can eat Tang Seng's meat and achieve immortality!"

King Gold Horn's eyes lit up, and he asked quickly.

"Brother, what clever plan do you have? Tell me quickly!"

"That Monkey King has Fiery Eyes and vast Divine Ability; we are certainly no match for him in a direct fight."

King Silver Horn's eyes were gloomy as he said in a deep voice.

"Tang Seng is a mortal monk with mortal eyes and a heart full of compassion; he is the easiest to deceive. I only need to transform into a person in distress, pretend to beg for help, gain Tang Seng's trust, and then plot against Monkey King; I won't have to worry about not catching Tang Seng!"

After saying this, King Silver Horn turned his head and ordered the minor demons beside him.

"Drag this Pigsy down, immerse him in the clean water pool in the back cave, strip off his pig hair, salt him, and dry him out. Keep him for wine later, and make sure he doesn't escape!"

The minor demons responded in unison and immediately dragged the incessantly cursing Pigsy toward the back cave.

Pigsy struggled all the way, cursing the monsters non-stop and crying out for his Senior Brother to save him.

But ultimately, he was outnumbered, firmly escorted away, and his voice was heard no more.

King Gold Horn looked at King Silver Horn and nodded with satisfaction.

"Brother, this plan is excellent. There is no time to lose; set off immediately and act according to the plan. You must capture Tang Seng and his disciples all at once. I will stay in the cave to hold the fort and wait for your good news!"

"Rest assured, Elder Brother, leave this matter to me!"

King Silver Horn was full of confidence; he immediately gathered fifty minor demons, left Lotus Cave together, and went searching along the mountain road.

When the group reached the middle of the mountain, King Silver Horn, with his sharp eyes, saw from afar that there was an aura of auspiciousness lingering among the clouds and mist in front. He immediately stopped and said to the group of minor demons.

"Look, the auspicious clouds are covering the front; that is Tang Seng. This person is the Reincarnation of Golden Cicada, a good man who has cultivated for ten lifetimes; there is naturally auspicious cloud protecting his head!"

The minor demons looked in the direction he pointed, but only saw a patch of clouds and mist, and shook their heads one after another.

"King, we cannot see any auspicious clouds; we only see a few travelers."

"You have mortal eyes, so naturally, you cannot see it."

King Silver Horn said in a deep voice.

"That Monkey King has great skills; we certainly cannot come at him directly. You stay here and wait; do not make any noise. I will go alone and act according to the plan. Wait for my signal, and then attack together!"

The minor demons dared not disobey and stopped where they were, hiding in the dense forest.

King Silver Horn turned and walked to the side of the road, shook his body, and transformed into an elderly Daoist priest.

He wore a star-crowned hat, had messy white hair, his feather garment was covered in dust, and he had fake blood on his leg. He lay in the grass, groaning incessantly, and kept shouting.

"Help! Kind people passing by, save this old Daoist!"

Meanwhile, at the foot of the mountain, Monkey King learned that Pigsy had been captured. He was angry and anxious, but still remained calm.

He comforted Tang Seng, who was full of fear.

"Master, do not be afraid. That Pigsy is lazy by nature; being captured by minor demons is purely his own fault. With Old Sun here, I will surely protect you safely. Crossing this Pingding Mountain, I will never let the demons harm you in the slightest."

Tang Seng put his hands together, his face pale, his voice trembling.

"Monkey King, Pigsy has already been captured; it is evident that the demons in this mountain are extremely powerful. Let us take a detour; do not risk going forward anymore."

"Master, the pilgrimage to the Western Heaven is full of calamities; there is no avoiding them."

Monkey King said in a deep voice, "If we keep avoiding them, when will we ever obtain the true scriptures? Since the demon has set its sights on us, even if we take a detour, we will be caught up with. It is better to face them head-on; I will definitely be able to subdue the demon and rescue Pigsy."

Ao Lie stood to the side, secretly spreading his Shadow Power to probe the surrounding Demonic Qi.

He had already sensed King Silver Horn's Demonic Qi approaching and thought to himself.

"This King Silver Horn has strong cultivation and carries a Magic Treasure; this must be a plot to deceive Master. From now on, we must be extra vigilant to protect Master's safety."

Tang Seng was persuaded by Monkey King and eventually let go of the idea of taking a detour. He nodded, mounted the white horse, and continued to move forward, following Monkey King and Ao Lie.

Not long after, the three of them heard cries for help coming from the grass by the side of the road. Tang Seng, kind-hearted, immediately reined in his horse and spoke.

"Listen, someone is calling for help. It must be someone in distress; let us go and see."

Monkey King swept his Fiery Eyes and had already seen through that the old Daoist in the grass was a transformation of King Silver Horn. He sneered inwardly but did not expose it; he wanted to see what tricks this demon was playing.

Tang Seng dismounted, walked quickly to the edge of the grass, saw the injured old Daoist lying on the ground, and hurriedly stepped forward to help him, asking with a face full of concern.

"Daoist, why are you here alone? How did you get so badly injured?"

King Silver Horn pretended to be extremely weak, lay on the ground, kowtowed repeatedly to Tang Seng, and said with a choked voice.

"Master, save me! I am a Daoist from a nearby Daoist temple. Yesterday, I went up the mountain and encountered a fierce tiger. My disciple was carried away by the tiger, and in my panic, I broke my leg. I am trapped here and cannot move an inch. Fortunately, I met you, Master. I beg you to show mercy and save my life!"

Upon hearing this, Tang Seng felt even more pity and said quickly.

"Daoist, do not panic. Monks are compassionate; I will certainly save you. It is just that your leg injury is severe, and you cannot walk. What should we do?"

King Silver Horn was secretly delighted, but his words remained weak.

"My legs are inconvenient, and I really cannot travel. If someone could carry me for a ride and send me back to the Daoist temple, I would be extremely grateful."

Tang Seng immediately turned his head and said to Ao Lie beside him: "Ao Lie, you carry this Daoist and let us travel together."

Ao Lie was just about to agree, but King Silver Horn shook his head quickly, looked at Monkey King, and feigned pleading.

"Master, I have been scared out of my wits by the fierce tiger. This Master has horns on his head, and I am afraid in my heart; I dare not let him carry me. This monkey Master looks kind; why not let him carry me for a ride?"

Monkey King understood; this demon was deliberately targeting him, wanting to take the opportunity to strike. He immediately smiled and agreed.

"Easy, easy, Old Sun will carry you."

Tang Seng saw this and praised Monkey King repeatedly for his kind heart, not knowing that the old one and the young one already had their own agendas.

This was a support on the surface, but a contest in the dark.

Ao Lie followed closely behind, his eyes cold and stern.