I just became the Pirate King, and you're telling me I also time-traveled at the same time.

Chapter 1003 Grandpa Wukong

The Golden-Winged Roc circled twice in mid-air, not daring to land, its voice sharp yet ingratiating: "Uncle... Bodhisattva, I am a descendant of the Phoenix. Please, for the sake of the Buddha... my three brothers and I were just playing around..."

Chu Yang suddenly drew his Sword of Slaying Karma and Ignorance, a flash of seven-colored Buddhist light emanating from its blade. He casually cleaved a nearby boulder. With a "crack," the boulder silently split in two, the cut as smooth as a mirror. He pointed the sword tip at the Golden-Winged Roc: "Playing around? Roc King, when you almost split Monkey King's head open with your halberd, you didn't say you were playing around. Now that the Bodhisattvas have arrived, you're acting like a coward? Come on, repeat what you just shouted in the sky, 'Tear them to pieces!' Let the Bodhisattvas judge whether this counts as a calamity."

The Golden-Winged Roc nearly fell off its wings. It quickly landed, knelt on one knee, and said in a trembling voice, "Benefactor Chu... I... I was so angry that I lost my mind... Bodhisattva, I know my sins, I will go back to Leiyin Temple to receive my punishment..."

Finally, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva could no longer restrain himself. With a flick of his sleeve, a beam of Buddhist light struck the yellow-tusked old elephant monster on the back, tearing a gash in its hide: "You wicked beast! I have taught you the great ways of the world, yet you have committed such atrocities in the mortal realm! Today, before Wukong and Benefactor Chu, tell me yourself, how will you atone for your sins?"

The old yellow-toothed elephant groaned in pain, but dared not flinch. Its trunk curled around its ears: "Bodhisattva, I am willing to spit out all the bones of the mortals I have eaten...no, I am willing to offer all the treasures of Lion Camel Ridge to the Bodhisattva...I dare not do it again..."

Sun Wukong squatted down and poked the yellow-toothed old elephant monster's trunk with his golden cudgel: "Treasure? How much gold and silver jewelry did you three hide in the central palace, stolen from mortals? What do you say, brother?"

Chu Yang sheathed his sword and clapped his hands: "Brother Monkey, that's a good question. Bodhisattvas, these three fellows have emptied the Lion Camel Kingdom. The treasures piled up in the palace are enough to build ten temples, right? Manjushri Bodhisattva, your green-maned lion just said it would use ten-thousand-year-old ginseng to cook Tang Sanzang. Where is all that ginseng now? It's all in his stomach? Why don't you make it vomit it up now and show it to the Bodhisattvas?"

The blue-haired lion monster, cold sweat pouring down its forehead, quickly crawled to the lotus flower before Manjushri Bodhisattva: "Bodhisattva, I... I've stored all the elixirs away! I'll go get them right now! To nourish the Bodhisattva's body... no, to nourish the pilgrims on their journey!"

Manjushri Bodhisattva's face was grim. He clasped his hands together and murmured a Buddhist chant, but Chu Yang interrupted him: "Bodhisattva, don't chant the sutra yet. We've gathered enough calamities, but what about all these bones covering the mountain? What about the hundreds of thousands of wronged souls in Lion Camel Kingdom? You two Bodhisattvas can't just take your mounts away and say 'Good, good,' can you? My brother Monkey protected our master all the way here and almost lost his life. There has to be an explanation."

Sun Wukong immediately chimed in, his voice booming, "That's right! Brother is absolutely right! Manjushri Bodhisattva... you just gave my brother a Nine-Turn Golden Elixir at Mount Wutai, and now Samantabhadra Bodhisattva has given us two more magical treasures. We can't just let this go! Let the three of us tell them how we plan to compensate my master for the shock, my brother for his medical expenses, and for the lives of all the people on this mountain!"

The Golden-Winged Roc knelt most respectfully, its wings tucked tightly: "Grandpa Wukong, Benefactor Chu, I... I offer up all the treasures of the central palace! And the hardest golden feather from my wing, I'll pluck it and give it to Benefactor Chu to make a fan; it can even fan fire with its breeze!"

The yellow-tusked old elephant monster nodded vigorously: "I will offer up my tusks! Two tusks can be forged into two excellent weapons, specifically to subdue demons! Bodhisattva, I will also draw water from the underground river in the cave to wash away the bloodstains all over this mountain..."

The green-haired lion demon chimed in, "Bodhisattva, I offer my Nine-Ringed Greatsword to Grandpa Wukong! And all the demon cores I've saved over the years, I'll give to Benefactor Chu to nourish his body! I... I'm willing to be Tang Sanzang's mount, carrying him on his journey to the West!"

Chu Yang couldn't help but laugh as he listened. He circled the three kneeling demon kings, his feet crunching on the gravel. "My lords," he said, "you weren't so obedient when you were chasing us. Now that the Bodhisattva has arrived, you're all scrambling to offer your treasures? Fine, open the doors to the central palace first, let us in and see just how much stuff you've extracted from mortals. What do you say, Brother Monkey?"

Sun Wukong swung his golden cudgel, smashing it directly into the ground in front of the green-haired lion monster, creating a large crater: "That's right! Lead the way! The Bodhisattvas should also come and see, lest they later say that I, Old Sun, wronged you! Manjushri Bodhisattva, would you like to go first? Or should your precious mount crawl ahead?"

Manjushri Bodhisattva sighed, and the lotus flower floated forward: "You wicked creature, lead the way. I want to see just how many sins you have committed."

The blue-haired lion monster scrambled to its feet, its legs so weak it could barely stand, but it dared not slacken, quickly leading the way, its nine-ringed broadsword dragging on the ground with a grating sound. The yellow-toothed elephant monster and the golden-winged roc followed behind on either side, their heads bowed so low they almost touched the ground. The lotus throne of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva brought up the rear, its face so grim it seemed to drip water.

The group trudged through the ravaged forest path, the stench of blood growing stronger in the air. Scattered limbs and skeletal remains lay scattered on the ground. Chu Yang said as they walked, "Bodhisattva, smell this! You couldn't smell this at Mount Wutai or Mount Emei, could you? It's all the work of your two mounts. Monkey King, wouldn't you call this part of the scenery on our journey to the West?"

Sun Wukong deliberately replied loudly, "Scenery? To me, it's hell! Bodhisattvas, the Western Paradise is filled with incense offerings every day, yet these three man-eating demon kings have been raised in the mortal realm. When we get into the palace later, you'd better teach them a lesson, lest they break their chains and escape to wreak havoc again."

The Golden-Winged Roc couldn't help but mutter under its breath, "Benefactor Chu... we really didn't intend to make things this big... it's just... it's just that Tang Sanzang's flesh is too tempting..."

Chu Yang turned around abruptly, the Sword of Slaying Karma humming softly in its sheath: "Tempting? Aren't the lives of hundreds of thousands of people tempting? Great Roc King, when you were shooting at us with your golden feathers from the sky just now, you didn't find us tempting at all. Now you know to beg for mercy? Fine, hand over your Fangtian Halberd as well, and I, Brother Monkey, might spare your life."

The Golden-Winged Roc quickly threw the halberd to the ground, its voice bitter: "Offer it! Offer it all! Whatever Benefactor Chu wants, I'll give it to you..."

The old yellow-tusked elephant monster chimed in quietly, "The same goes for the little ones... take off the gold ring on their trunks too..."

They walked all the way to the central palace, where the two massive bronze doors that Sun Wukong had smashed were still leaning precariously, billowing black smoke from within, and waves of heat from the lava pool washing over them. The little demons who had been bustling about inside the palace had all fled, leaving only scalded corpses and shattered fragments of bronze cauldrons scattered on the ground.

Sun Wukong kicked away the broken bronze on the ground: "Bodhisattvas, look! This is the scene of your mount's 'calamity'! That cauldron was originally prepared for my master, but now that it's broken, it saves us the trouble. Green-haired Lion, you tell me first, what was originally intended to be added to this cauldron? Thousand-year-old lingzhi? Ten-thousand-year-old ginseng? Or the hearts and livers of mortals?"

The green-haired lion monster knelt on the threshold, his voice trembling with sobs: "Grandpa Wukong... I... I was just listening to my third brother Dapeng... He said stewing is the most nourishing... I really never thought of cooking Tang Sanzang... Bodhisattva, save me!"

Manjushri Bodhisattva stood outside the hall, his Buddha light illuminating the bloodstains on the ground. His voice was calm yet oppressive: "You wicked beast, tell me every single life you've taken over the years. Let me hear how many wronged souls are waiting to be delivered from the underworld."

The blue-haired lion monster kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead thumping loudly: "Bodhisattva... I can't remember... it was probably... probably over ten thousand... no, over two hundred thousand... the entire city of Lion Camel Kingdom was wiped out... and the surrounding villages and towns too..."

With a flick of his sleeve, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva unleashed a beam of Buddhist light that struck the yellow-tusked old elephant monster on the back: "You wicked beast! You too deserve retribution!"

The old elephant with yellow teeth was in so much pain that it thrashed its trunk wildly: "Bodhisattva, I... I have less than my elder brother... only about 100,000... I eat slowly..."

The Golden-Winged Roc, its wings barely touching the ground, said, "Bodhisattva, I... I mainly flew in the sky, I didn't eat much... I just ate a few passing immortals... no, mortals..."

Chu Yang suddenly interrupted, his voice shrill: "Bodhisattvas, did you hear that? Nearly half a million lives have been lost! This isn't just a calamity, it's a massacre! Monkey King, how do you think we should settle this score? How about we have the three kings go and kowtow to those wronged souls right now? Kneel until their heads bleed?"

Sun Wukong laughed loudly: "Brother, what a great idea! Bodhisattvas, what do you say? How about I tie up the three of them and throw them into the underworld, so that King Yama can interrogate them at his leisure?"

Manjushri Bodhisattva finally spoke, his voice deep and resonant: "Wukong, Benefactor Chu, this matter was indeed my oversight. You wretched creatures, from this day forward, the three of you will return to the mountain with me and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva to meditate facing the wall for three thousand years, and you are forbidden from ever setting foot in the mortal realm again. All palaces and treasures will be confiscated and used by the westward journey team."

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva nodded: "Indeed. Yellow-tusked old elephant, offer your tusks first to help Benefactor Chu forge the sword. Green-maned lion, give your nine-ringed broadsword to Wukong. Golden-winged roc, leave your feathers and halberd behind as well."

The three demon kings were ashen-faced, but dared not disobey, and could only repeatedly agree, "Yes...yes...we obey..."

Chu Yang shook his head, stepped forward, and patted the green-haired lion monster on the shoulder: "Bodhisattvas, isn't this punishment too lenient? Three thousand years of wall-gazing? They almost killed us all just now. Brother Monkey, what do you say? How about we make them kowtow to my master and apologize now? Master is still chanting sutras in the cave in fear."

Sun Wukong immediately nodded: "Yes! Bring Master here first! Make these three beasts kowtow to Master in person! Bodhisattva, you won't object, will you?"

Manjushri Bodhisattva and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva exchanged a glance and could only nod. Sun Wukong somersaulted away, returning shortly with Tang Sanzang and the three golden-armored generals. Upon landing, Tang Sanzang saw the three demon kings kneeling in a row and nearly collapsed in fright: "Wukong… this… this is…"

Chu Yang quickly helped Tang Sanzang up, smiling as he said, "Master, don't be afraid. These three kings now know they were wrong and are preparing to kowtow to you to apologize. Kings, why don't you kowtow quickly?"

The green-haired lion monster was the first to kowtow to the ground: "Elder Tang, I know my crime... I shouldn't have captured you... I'm willing to be your slave..."

The yellow-toothed elephant monster and the golden-winged roc also kowtowed, their heads pounding the ground with a thud: "Elder Tang, spare our lives... We will never dare to do it again..."

Tang Sanzang clasped his hands together, chanting Amitabha Buddha, but tears streamed down his face: "Amitabha Buddha... I'm so sorry... Bodhisattvas, please have mercy..."

Sun Wukong, hands on his hips, laughed loudly: "Master, do you see clearly now? So this is what the Bodhisattvas' mounts are all about! Brother, what do you think we should make them do next?"

Chu Yang smiled, his eyes narrowing. "Brother Monkey, first have them bring out all the treasures from the palace and show them to the Bodhisattvas one by one. Then, have them wash away all the bloodstains from Lion Camel Ridge, and pile up the bones into a tower to pray for the souls of those wronged spirits. What do you Bodhisattvas think?"

Manjushri Bodhisattva sighed softly, "Let us do as Benefactor Chu says."

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva nodded: "You wicked creature, did you hear me? Hurry up and do it!"

The three demon kings scrambled to their feet, covered in dust and grime, and ran towards the palace, muttering complaints as they went. Sun Wukong smacked them on the back with his staff: "What are you complaining about? Hurry up! I'm watching you!"

Chu Yang leaned against the palace door, watching the three busy demon kings. The wind blew, carrying the smell of blood from the ground. He whispered to Sun Wukong, "Brother Monkey, how does it feel to be a fox borrowing the tiger's power this time?"

Sun Wukong grinned: "That was awesome! Even more awesome than the havoc in Heaven! Brother, next time we encounter a monster, let's do it again!"

The sound of a golden-winged roc carrying boxes came from inside the hall: "Benefactor Chu, these boxes are full of luminous pearls... They're all for you..."

The yellow-toothed old elephant monster dragged a large cauldron: "Bodhisattva, there are still spiritual medicines in this cauldron... I offer them all..."

The blue-haired lion monster, carrying a pile of weapons, said, "Grandpa Wukong, you can choose from these swords and spears..."

Tang Sanzang stood to one side, chanting sutras. The lotus platforms of the Bodhisattvas floated silently, and the Buddha's light illuminated the mess on the ground. The mountain wind howled, and the luminous pearl of Lion Camel Ridge shimmered overhead, but the eeriness of the past was gone. Only the echoes of the three demon kings kowtowing and begging for mercy drifted through the valley.

Sun Wukong suddenly leaned close to Chu Yang's ear: "Brother, after we've finished counting the treasures, shall we make those three serve Master tea and water, and even carry him out of the mountain ourselves? It'll infuriate them!"

Chu Yang nodded, his eyes gleaming: "Great idea. Brother Monkey, do you think they dare to refuse? The Bodhisattvas are all watching."

The Golden-Winged Roc was just dragging out a box of gold and silver when it heard this. It trembled and almost dropped the box: "I dare not... I am willing... I will personally carry Elder Tang..."

The yellow-toothed old elephant monster quickly chimed in, "The smaller one is stronger and can carry you steadily..."

The blue-haired lion monster also crawled over: "Little one... little one will lead the way..."

Manjushri Bodhisattva and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva exchanged a glance, a hint of helplessness flashing across their faces, yet they could only acquiesce. Sun Wukong burst into laughter, his voice shaking the dust from the temple roof: "Hahaha! This is the proper journey to the West! Bodhisattvas, don't you agree?"

Chu Yang patted his newly acquired Sword of Slaying Karma and added with a smile, "Bodhisattvas, remember the hardships of this journey to the West. If any of our mounts run away again, my brother and I will have to trouble you two to deal with them personally. Don't find it troublesome." (End of Chapter)