29: Chapter 30 Baoxiang Kingdom

It is said that Tang Seng was swept away by a black wind conjured by the Yellow Robe Monster and taken directly to Boyue Cave.

Left behind in the Black Pine Forest, Ao Lie and Pigsy collapsed, filled with panic and helplessness.

Pigsy, carrying his Nine-toothed Rake, squatted on the ground sighing, his fan-sized hands slapping his thighs repeatedly, his face full of regret.

Ao Lie stood to the side, his aura calm and steady, secretly releasing his Shadow Power to probe the surroundings.

With a slight movement of his fingertips, his Shadow Power quietly spread, and in moments, he discovered Tang Seng was imprisoned in Boyue Cave.

The Yellow Robe Monster possessed deep cultivation, far beyond what he and Pigsy could easily contend with.

Yet, if he rashly summoned his Shadow Servants, he would inevitably expose his identity, attracting the scrutiny of the Heavenly Court and the Western Heaven, destroying years of endurance in an instant.

He had already taken a risk once; if he were to do it again...

"Brother Ao Lie, what are we to do! Master has been captured by that Yellow Robe Monster, and his life is in imminent danger. I, Old Pig, lack the skill and cannot defeat that demon at all. Are we just going to sit by and watch as Master gets eaten?"

Pigsy raised his head, looking at Ao Lie with teary eyes, his tone filled with despair.

Ao Lie slowly withdrew his Shadow Power and said in a deep voice.

"Pigsy, panic is useless. The Yellow Robe Monster has entrenched himself in the Black Pine Forest for years, and his Immortal Cave is heavily guarded. If the two of us rashly storm the cave, we won't save Master, but rather throw our lives away in vain. The most important thing right now is to find a place to stay and then think of a strategy."

"Strategy? What strategy could there possibly be!" Pigsy stood up abruptly and stomped his feet.

"That demon has formidable magic; I, Old Pig, can't even take a single blow from him. You may have some skill, but you are also no match for him. If Senior Brother were here, we wouldn't have ended up in this predicament! It's all Master's fault for not distinguishing right from wrong and driving Senior Brother away. Now look, our group is scattered and captured; we might as well just quit this journey to the Western Heaven!"

Ao Lie furrowed his brows and reprimanded him coldly.

"Pigsy, hold your tongue! Although Master was confused for a moment, the great task of the pilgrimage is not yet complete. How can we speak of giving up so lightly? Since we have entered Master's school, we have the responsibility to ensure his safety. Even if the road ahead is perilous, we must never give up halfway."

Pigsy was rendered speechless by Ao Lie's words, hanging his head while still muttering under his breath.

"That's easy to say, but we can't even break into that demon's Immortal Cave, let alone talk about saving Master..."

Ao Lie ignored his complaints and looked out beyond the Black Pine Forest.

In the distance, the faint outline of a city could be seen, shrouded in mist and exuding the aura of a Mortal kingdom, so he spoke immediately.

"This place is not suitable for a long stay. Follow me to the city ahead; perhaps we can find out the background of the Yellow Robe Monster and find a way to save him."

With no other choice, Pigsy had to shoulder his Nine-toothed Rake and reluctantly followed behind Ao Lie.

The two of them walked one after the other, exiting the gloomy Black Pine Forest and heading toward the city ahead.

As they traveled, the sunlight fell upon them, finally dispelling the chill of the forest.

Pigsy's pace became a bit lighter, yet he still looked miserable, fretting over Tang Seng's safety from time to time.

Ao Lie walked in front, appearing calm, but his mind had already calculated everything clearly.

"He could not use his Shadow Power to storm Boyue Cave; he had to rely on the forces of a Mortal kingdom. Or find other helpers. The only way out right now was to head to the city ahead, investigate the situation, and then make further plans."

After about half a day, the two finally arrived at the foot of the city and looked up.

Above the city gate, the three characters "Baoxiang Kingdom" were engraved; the city walls were towering, and the guards were strict.

Pedestrians came and went in an endless stream, a scene of peace and prosperity in the Mortal world.

The guards at the city gate saw that Ao Lie and Pigsy looked strange.

One was handsome and tall, dressed in plain clothes, yet exuded an awe-inspiring aura.

The other had a pig's head and a human body, with a crude appearance, carrying a large Nine-toothed Rake.

They immediately stepped forward to block their path, brandishing spears and shouting a stern interrogation.

"Who are you? Your appearances are so strange; why are you intruding into our Baoxiang Kingdom?"

Seeing this, Pigsy was about to lose his temper, but Ao Lie quickly stepped forward, pressed his palms together, and said in a calm tone.

"Young guard, please do not misunderstand. We are monks from the Eastern Land Great Tang traveling to the Western Heaven to worship Buddha and seek scriptures, and we are passing through this place. It is just that our Master was captured by a demon in the mountains, so we came here specifically, firstly to avoid trouble, and secondly to inquire about some information."

Hearing they were high monks from the Eastern Land Great Tang, the guard's expression softened slightly, but looking at Pigsy's appearance, he remained full of suspicion and hesitated.

"Since you are high monks from the Eastern Land Great Tang, please wait here for a moment. We will report to the city lord immediately, and only after his permission can we let you pass."

Not long after, the guard hurried back and bowed to Ao Lie and Pigsy.

"High monks, please enter. My Master is already waiting in the residence."

The two followed the guard into Baoxiang Kingdom, seeing wide streets and rows of shops.

The people lived in peace and worked happily, a scene of prosperity, completely different from the gloom of the Black Pine Forest.

Along the way, the people who saw Pigsy all exclaimed and dodged, pointing and whispering, their faces full of fear.

Seeing this, Pigsy became even more annoyed and muttered.

"What are you looking at! Haven't you ever seen your Pig Grandpa before! If you look again, I, Old Pig, will gouge out your eyeballs!"

Ao Lie quickly pulled his sleeve and said in a low voice.

"Pigsy, this is a Mortal kingdom. Do not disturb the people; restrain your temper."

Pigsy curled his lip, but ultimately shut his mouth and followed Ao Lie all the way to the royal palace.

A Baoxiang Kingdom official was already waiting outside the hall and led the two into the grand hall.

Inside the hall, the King of Baoxiang Kingdom sat on the dragon throne, wearing a dragon robe, his face dignified.

Below, civil and military officials stood on both sides. Seeing Ao Lie and Pigsy walk in, all the officials were startled, their eyes falling on Pigsy, full of surprise.

Ao Lie stepped forward and bowed to the King.

"I, the humble monk Ao Lie, along with my Junior Brother Pigsy, pay respects to Your Majesty. We are disciples of the Emperor's sworn brother, Tang Seng, from the Eastern Land Great Tang, and we are tasked with protecting Master on the pilgrimage to the Western Heaven. However, while passing through the Black Pine Forest, our Master was unexpectedly captured by the Yellow Robe demon in the mountains. Having no choice, we had to intrude into your honorable kingdom, and we hope Your Majesty will be magnanimous."

Hearing this, the King quickly stood up, walked down from the dragon throne, helped Ao Lie up, and spoke in a kind tone.

"High monks, no need for such formalities. So you are holy monks from the Eastern Land Great Tang; forgive my lack of respect. I heard that your Master was captured by a demon; is this true? Is the monster in the Black Pine Forest the Yellow Robe Monster who has been entrenched there for many years?"

Ao Lie nodded.

"It is indeed that demon. That demon has formidable magic, and my Junior Brother and I were no match for him and could not save Master. I hope Your Majesty can inform us of this demon's background so that we may find a way to rescue Master."

Upon hearing this, the King's face immediately showed sorrow; he let out a long sigh, his eyes filled with pain.

The officials also lowered their heads one after another, and the atmosphere in the hall instantly became heavy.

Seeing this, Ao Lie was puzzled and asked.

"Why does Your Majesty look so sorrowful? Could it be that this Yellow Robe Monster has a connection to your honorable kingdom?"

The King was silent for a long time, then finally spoke, his voice carrying endless grief.

"High monks, you do not know. That Yellow Robe Monster is not only related to my Baoxiang Kingdom, but is also the enemy who caused the ruin of my country and family! Thirteen years ago, my daughter, Princess Baihuaxiu, was only sixteen and playing in the palace's back garden. Unexpectedly, a black wind blew by, and the Princess was swept away by that black wind, never to be heard from again. For many years, I sent people to inquire everywhere, only to learn that the Princess was captured by the Yellow Robe Monster of the Black Pine Forest and forced to be his wife. As the ruler of a country, I am powerless to save my daughter. Every time I think of it, my heart feels like it is being twisted by a knife!"

As his voice fell, the King was already streaming with tears, and the officials sighed one after another; the hall was filled with an aura of sorrow.

Pigsy listened with wide eyes and spoke.

"So that demon also kidnapped your daughter! In that case, that demon has been committing evil in these mountains for over ten years?"

"Exactly." The King wiped away his tears and looked at Ao Lie and Pigsy, his eyes full of anticipation.

"Since you two are holy monks from the Eastern Land Great Tang, you must have the ability to subdue demons and eliminate evil. If you can save my daughter and incidentally eliminate that Yellow Robe Monster, my Baoxiang Kingdom is willing to exhaust the power of the whole nation to reward the two high monks heavily!"

Ao Lie understood in his heart; so the Yellow Robe Monster had such a grudge with Baoxiang Kingdom. He said in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty, rest assured. Subduing demons and eliminating evil is our duty, not to mention that our Master was captured by that demon. The two of us will certainly find a way to rescue our Master and Princess Baihuaxiu, and eliminate this scourge."

Hearing this, the King was overjoyed and immediately ordered people to set up a vegetarian banquet to entertain Ao Lie and Pigsy.

During the banquet, he repeatedly urged the two to be careful of the Yellow Robe Monster's power.

After the banquet, the King took out a portrait of Princess Baihuaxiu and handed it to Ao Lie.

"High monk, this is a portrait of my daughter. If you see her, you can recognize her by this. The Yellow Robe Monster has profound magic; you must not be reckless. Safety is the priority."

Ao Lie took the portrait, carefully put it away, and bowed to the King.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I know what to do. We will rest in your honorable kingdom for one night. Tomorrow morning, my Junior Brother and I will return to the Black Pine Forest to find a way to rescue Master and the Princess."

That night, Ao Lie and Pigsy were arranged to rest in the side hall of the royal palace.

Pigsy lay on the bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. His mind was filled with the Yellow Robe Monster's power, and he began to think of retreating.

Ao Lie sat on the couch, closing his eyes and focusing his mind, secretly mobilizing his Shadow Power to probe the movements of Boyue Cave again. Confirming that Tang Seng was temporarily safe, his heart settled slightly.

He knew clearly that tomorrow, relying solely on himself and Pigsy, they would be unable to deal with the Yellow Robe Monster.

Yet he could not expose his Shadow Servants. The only way to break the deadlock right now was to persuade Pigsy to go to Flower-Fruit Mountain and bring back the Monkey King.

Meanwhile, inside Boyue Cave, Tang Seng was tied to a stone pillar, looking at the gloomy Immortal Cave before him, his face full of despair.

He recited scriptures silently, his heart filled with extreme regret, regretting that he had not listened to the Monkey King's advice and had insisted on driving him away.

Now that he had ended up in such a state, he did not know if there was still a chance to survive.

"I knew the hardships of the world early on, yet I let my spirit soar like a wild goose among the clouds. Through a journey of cold winds, my body is like catkins, drifting alone in the sea of fate!"