24: Chapter 25 Corpse Demon II

Pigsy, standing to the side, was already dissatisfied because he hadn't eaten any vegetarian food.

Jealous of the Monkey King's great abilities, he immediately fanned the flames and said to Tang Seng:

"Master, don't believe the Monkey King! He is just trying to cover up his crime of killing an innocent person by transforming these things to deceive you!"

"You fool, stop spouting nonsense! When has your Old Sun ever deceived anyone!"

The Monkey King was so angry that he bellowed at Pigsy.

Tang Seng, having only Mortal eyes, was easily swayed by Pigsy's instigation and became deeply convinced that the Monkey King had killed a Mortal.

At that moment, he pressed his palms together, closed his eyes to chant scriptures, his face full of rage.

"Wukong, say no more! I see that you are wild and untamable, killing without cause. On this journey to the West, I cannot keep such a vicious person as you!"

"Master, I truly did not kill anyone! This really is a demon!" The Monkey King tried to explain in every way, but Tang Seng would not listen.

Ao Lie stood by, watching coldly, his heart already clear.

The White Bone Demon was extremely cunning, having used a cicada sloughing its skin to escape, leaving behind a fake corpse to frame the Monkey King for murder and sow discord between Master and disciple.

He knew that even if he spoke up to testify now, Tang Seng was blinded by obsession and might not believe him, instead inviting suspicion.

He only needed to remain secretly vigilant to prevent the White Bone Demon from ambushing them again.

At the same time, he secretly channeled his Shadow Power, locking onto the White Bone Demon's location; as long as she dared to appear again, he could summon his Shadow Servants to capture her at any moment.

Seeing his Master's stubborn disbelief, the Monkey King remembered the warnings of Guanyin Bodhisattva.

He needed to protect Tang Seng on his journey to the West, so with no other choice, he had to plead bitterly.

"Master, when I was pressed under the Five Elements Mountain, you were the one who saved me, and I promised to protect you on your journey to the West. If I had truly killed a Mortal, I would accept my punishment, but this is truly a demon. Please, believe me just this once!"

Seeing the Monkey King's desperate plea, Tang Seng's heart softened, and he sighed, saying coldly:

"Fine, I will believe you this once. If there is a next time, I will not hesitate to recite the Tight-Fillet Spell and banish you back to Flower-Fruit Mountain!"

"Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!" The Monkey King thanked him immediately, his heart filled with frustration, yet he was helpless.

The storm temporarily subsided, and the four disciples continued on their journey, but a rift had already formed in Tang Seng's heart toward the Monkey King.

Pigsy also chimed in with snide remarks from time to time, making the relationship between Master and disciple increasingly tense.

Ao Lie followed silently in the group, secretly remaining vigilant for the White Bone Demon's movements.

He knew clearly that the White Bone Demon would not give up; she would definitely come again, disguised to deceive, and by then, the conflict between Master and disciple would only deepen.

Sure enough, they had only walked a few miles when a sound of weeping came from the forest ahead—an old, sorrowful voice that stirred pity in anyone who heard it.

As they looked up, they saw an elderly woman with white hair, leaning on a cane, walking with difficulty, crying as she moved, calling out incessantly:

"My daughter! My daughter! Where are you!"

Pigsy saw this and exclaimed in shock:

"Oh no! Master, this must be the mother of that female Bodhisattva from before, come to look for her daughter! Monkey King, you've caused a huge disaster this time!"

Hearing this, Tang Seng's face turned even uglier, and his gaze toward the Monkey King was filled with reproach.

The Monkey King scanned with his Fiery Eyes and instantly saw through it; this old woman was still the White Bone Demon in disguise.

Anger surged in his heart instantly, and without explaining, he raised his Golden Cudgel and rushed forward again.

"You wicked demon, you dare come back to deceive my Master? See if I don't beat you to death!"

The White Bone Demon used the same trick, leaving behind another fake corpse while her true form turned into Demonic Qi and fled in a panic.

The old woman fell to the ground and ceased to breathe.

At this, Tang Seng was completely enraged. He pointed at the Monkey King, trembling with anger.

Unable to say a word, he immediately closed his eyes and began to recite the Tight-Fillet Spell.

"Ah—! Master, stop! Stop!"

The Monkey King felt as if his head were being crushed, rolling on the ground in pain, howling heart-wrenchingly, clutching his head in agony.

Ao Lie, seeing this, stepped forward to intervene.

"Master, calm your anger! There must be something strange about this. Senior Brother has Fiery Eyes and would never be mistaken. Please stop the Tight-Fillet Spell and let's talk this through!"

"White Dragon, do not defend him! This monkey has injured two human lives in a row; he is devoid of conscience, and today I must severely punish him!"

Tang Seng's mind was made up; he recited the spell faster and faster, showing no intention of stopping.

The Monkey King was in excruciating pain, on the verge of passing out, before Tang Seng finally stopped the incantation.

The Monkey King slumped on the ground, gasping for air, his head feeling as if it were splitting open.

The look he gave Tang Seng was full of grievance and confusion.

Tang Seng looked at the fallen old woman and then at the Monkey King rolling on the ground, unable to suppress his hatred.

He concluded that the Monkey King was an incorrigible villain and had no intention of listening to any explanations.

"Wukong, you have killed the innocent twice. I intended to give you another chance, but your nature is hard to change. If I keep you by my side, you will sooner or later cause a monstrous disaster.

You need not follow this journey to the West anymore. Go back to your Flower-Fruit Mountain and be your Monkey King. From now on, our relationship as Master and disciple is severed!"

Tang Seng's tone was cold, and his words, like ice, pierced the Monkey King's heart.

"Master! I truly did not kill anyone! They were both demons, here to capture and eat you!"

The Monkey King struggled to stand up, tears streaming down his face, pleading bitterly, "Master, please believe me this last time. I have protected you all the way, through thousands of hardships and dangers, and have never had a divided heart. Please, do not drive me away!"

"Monkey King, just admit it. You've killed two people in a row; how could Master keep you? You should just go back to Flower-Fruit Mountain!"

Pigsy, standing to the side, fanned the flames again, eager for the Monkey King to leave immediately.

The Monkey King was so angry he wanted to strike Pigsy, but his head was splitting with pain, and looking at Tang Seng's resolute expression, he felt utter despair.

"Pitiful Master! Pitiful Junior Brother! And that Pitiful Bodhisattva!"

...

Ao Lie stepped forward, bowed to Tang Seng again, and said in a deep voice:

"Master, this must not happen! Senior Brother has been subduing demons and eliminating monsters all along, loyal and devoted; he is by no means one who kills the innocent.

These two were indeed transformed by demons, but the demon is skilled at disguise, which is what caused this misunderstanding.

You must not drive Senior Brother away; this journey to the West cannot proceed without him!"

His tone was sincere, every word genuine, pointing out both the Monkey King's loyalty and reminding Tang Seng of the dangers ahead. But at this moment, Tang Seng was already blinded by obsession and anger, unable to hear any persuasion.

"White Dragon, you need not persuade me any further! My mind is made up; I must drive this monkey away!"

Tang Seng waved his hand, his face resolute, and turned away, refusing to look at the Monkey King.

Just as the Master and disciples were arguing, the White Bone Demon struck again!

This time, she learned from the previous two lessons and did not transform into a young woman or an old woman.

Instead, she transformed into a white-haired old man, holding Buddhist prayer beads, pretending to be a devout practitioner, and walked slowly toward the four.

He was chanting Buddhist scriptures, looking like an immortal with a refined air, without the slightest trace of Demonic Qi.

She hid her Demonic Qi perfectly; even Ao Lie could only vaguely perceive a faint, elusive hint of evil, let alone ordinary people.

The old man walked up close, looked at Tang Seng and the others, pressed his palms together, and spoke:

"Elders, have you seen my wife and daughter? They left early this morning and have not returned; I am very worried."

Tang Seng looked at this old man, who appeared like an immortal with a kind face, and thought of the old woman and the village girl who had fallen earlier.

He immediately concluded that they were a family, all killed by the Monkey King, and his anger toward the Monkey King reached its peak.

The Monkey King, upon seeing this old man, saw through him instantly with his Fiery Eyes; it was that White Bone Demon in disguise again. He was immediately enraged and thought to himself:

"You wicked demon, you have deceived my Master time and time again, sowing discord between us. If I don't kill you today, Master will surely drive me away."