282: Sun Simiao

Tianshan, located in modern-day Xinjiang, is a remote place covered in snow all year round!

On Tianshan, there is a treasure known to everyone called the tianshan snow lotus!

However, the tianshan snow lotus in the world of Journey to the West is fundamentally different from the snow lotus we usually talk about; at the very least, the Spiritual Qi contained within it is thousands of times stronger than the snow lotus we are familiar with.

On Tianshan, there is a peculiar animal that feeds on the seeds and even the petals of this snow lotus.

An old man with a medicine chest on his back traversed the mountains and ridges as if walking on flat ground, tracking a small white animal.

With white feathers and a white crest, its tail feathers were as beautiful as a Phoenix, swaying in the wind amidst the snow, looking truly delightful.

This creature is called a Snow Chicken; it feeds specifically on the petals and seeds of the snow lotus, and thus it has become imbued with Spiritual Qi, making it extremely difficult to catch.

However, the old man was not here to capture the Snow Chicken, but rather for the food in its mouth.

It is true that the Snow Chicken is a highly vigilant animal, but finding something to eat is not easy for it; sometimes it goes without sleep for days and nights just to search for the tianshan snow lotus on the cliffs.

And as long as one follows a scurrying Snow Chicken, there is a ninety-nine percent chance of finding the legendary tianshan snow lotus.

The old man followed behind it, and seeing the creature leap up towards the steep cliff, he couldn't help but smile slightly.

Having traveled this far and crossed several mountain peaks, the creature finally flew up the cliff, which meant that there was a high probability of a tianshan snow lotus existing on this cliff wall.

Sure enough, the Snow Chicken flew up to the cliff, stopped at a rock crevice, and poked its head inside.

The old man smiled slightly, his white robes billowing as he soared upward like an eagle, grabbing the Snow Chicken in his hand. At the same time, he reached into the rock crevice and, sure enough, pulled out a tianshan snow lotus.

The old man laughed heartily and, in a few leaps, landed on the mountaintop.

The Snow Chicken's eyes rolled around, revealing a hint of helplessness and anger. It shrieked at the old man, as if screaming: 'Let me go, you old rascal, are you ever going to stop?'

The old man curled his lip and said: 'Alright, alright, I only took two Tianshan Snow Lotuses from you; I'll give you some compensation in a moment, that will suffice...'

The Snow Chicken continued to shriek; one could believe that if it could speak, it would be cursing quite viciously right now.

'Enough, enough. It is already a mercy that I haven't taken your life. Don't forget that the tianshan snow lotus seeds in your crop are also good things. Be careful or I'll boil you and eat you!'

The old man threatened, glaring.

The Snow Chicken suddenly stopped, no longer screeching, but its body couldn't help but tremble.

The old man smiled with satisfaction, then took a porcelain bottle from his bosom, poured out a Medicinal Pill, and fed it to the Snow Chicken, saying: 'This Blood-Returning Pill should compensate for twenty years of your hard cultivation. If you have the chance to become a spirit in the future, consider this a good karmic connection...'

Watching the Snow Chicken eat the Medicinal Pill, the old man loosened his grip. He saw the Snow Chicken nod at him, as if in gratitude, and then it vanished into the wind and snow, leaving no trace.

The old man smiled, quickly stowed the tianshan snow lotus into the medicine chest on his back, and revealed a look of satisfaction.

However, the old man's smile quickly froze on his face. A black shadow suddenly appeared before him, wearing a cloak, its face invisible. A thick, dark aura swirled around the creature, and its entire being emitted an aura that made one's hair stand on end, feeling utterly terrifying.

The old man's expression darkened, and he said in a deep voice: 'Your Excellency... who are you?'

The other party did not answer him but laughed sinisterly: 'Are you Sun Simiao?'

The old man stroked his beard and pondered: 'I am indeed he. May I ask what advice you have?'

The other party's voice was hoarse as it slowly drifted toward the old man, saying coldly: 'As long as you are Sun Simiao, that is fine. I have come to kill you!'

Sun Simiao chuckled: 'I have always been kind to others and have never formed any grudges. Your Excellency, this joke is not funny at all!'

'You are a strange old man. With your cultivation, can you not see the Killing Intent on me?'

The person chuckled and extended a sharp claw from within their wide sleeves, swiping at the old man.

The old man smiled slightly, his figure flashing, and he disappeared without a trace.

'Hmm? Is this the illusion technique of the Si Tian Jian? Heh, but it cannot stump me!'

The person suddenly raised their nose to sniff, turned around abruptly, and darted in one direction like an arrow shot from a bow. In an instant, they reached a rock covered in snow and slammed their right hand—or rather, their right claw—toward the rock.

'Damn it...'

A figure instantly appeared in front of the large rock, revealing Sun Simiao's panicked expression. However, the old man was quite agile after all, and at the very last moment, he narrowly dodged the claw. But the giant rock behind him was not so lucky; it exploded into shards of rock filling the sky with a loud boom.

'What kind of thing is this guy? Why does he want to kill me? Besides, even if it's a demon or a monster, I have never offended one!'

Sun Simiao's agility was quite good, but everything he had Cultivated was various evasion techniques, and his trump cards for self-preservation were endless. However, when it came to fighting others... the old man dared not do so at all.

The strange person, having missed the strike, was not flustered. Smoke suddenly billowed from within their wide robes, and with a wave of their hand, a violent gust of wind suddenly swirled toward him.

'Oh no, my life is at an end...'

Just as Sun Simiao was pondering how to save his life, he suddenly saw this move and panicked. While fleeing, he tripped on a rock and fell to the ground. As he watched the black, violent wind about to engulf him, the clouds in the sky were suddenly torn apart by a tremendous force. Immediately following, a polished zen staff descended from the sky, slamming firmly into the ground, blocking the path of the violent wind.

The violent wind suddenly dissipated. The black-robed person was terrified. Before he could react, a burly man with a thick beard descended from the sky, his large foot slamming directly onto the person's head, crushing him into the ground.

The black-robed person's entire head was stomped into the cold, hard soil, and he was left whimpering, unable to speak.

However, the burly man behind him showed no sign of relaxing; instead, he pressed down even harder while looking up and asking: 'Who is Sun Simiao?'

The old man over there hurriedly raised his hand and said: 'I am he... uh, Your Excellency is...'

'I am the Golden Arhat Sha Wujing, sent by my master to save you!' The Sha Monk put his hands together in a salute toward the old man, 'Old gentleman, please come with me!'

The old man didn't answer, but instead pointed at the ground and said: 'Hey... he ran away, he ran away!'

Sha Wujing instantly felt the ground beneath his feet go empty; a hole the size of a palm suddenly appeared in the ground. He couldn't help but be slightly surprised, then chuckled: 'Rest assured, he cannot escape!'

As he was speaking, the ground suddenly exploded, as if several tons of explosives had gone off with a boom. Immediately afterward, a figure in white monk robes, holding the guy in the black robe, appeared before them.