Wukong, seeing the four celestial generals attacking the Bull Demon King and figuring the latter could hold his own, descended to confront Wei Earth Pheasant. Wei Earth Pheasant, amidst a group of lesser demons, was like a tiger amongst sheep, rampaging through with ease. His spells were unstoppable, causing the demons to scatter.
It was then Wei Earth Pheasant caught sight of a stunning woman clutching a small fox, trembling beneath a cliff, unsure of what to do. Recognizing her as a demon, he hurled a rock straight at Hu Yu's chest, aiming to kill both her and the unborn child with one shot.
Paralyzed with fear, Hu Yu, despite her cultivation, lacked the experience to evade. In that critical moment, Hu Zhi leapt from her arms, taking the rock head-on. With a crisp crack, Hu Zhi was shattered, collapsing to the ground, while the rock, losing some of its force, struck Hu Yu's left arm instead.
Ignoring her pain, Hu Yu rushed forward to embrace Hu Zhi, finding him lifeless. Overwhelmed with grief, she launched herself at Wei Earth Pheasant, screaming for her husband's life.
Wei Earth Pheasant sneered, ready to kill again, but Wukong arrived in time, forcing Wei Earth Pheasant to flee and pursue other lesser demons.
Wukong saw everything clearly. Hu Zhi's head was crushed beyond salvation, even for a celestial. Saddened and enraged by the loss of Hu Zhi and Hu Yu, who had followed him to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, Wukong couldn't pause to comfort Hu Yu and charged after the celestial soldiers.
With Wukong's return, the lesser demons regained their spirits, and under the direction of the Four Marshals, they mounted a counterattack. Despite the bravery of the celestial soldiers, they were outnumbered and quickly subdued.
Wei Earth Pheasant, seeing the tide turn, fled to the skies, joining the assault on the Bull Demon King.
Wukong followed, aiding the Bull Demon King against five opponents, quickly gaining the upper hand. Enraged, Wukong unleashed his skills with the staff, each move more ingenious than the last. Even the Bull Demon King kept his distance. In just a few rounds, Wukong's staff sent Xin Yuehu plummeting, her body splitting in two as it hit the ground, her soul fleeing.
Wukong's staff had struck Xin Yuehu directly, her body nearly severed in half. As she fell, her demon pill burst forth, landing fortuitously before Hu Yu.
Hu Yu, in the midst of her grief, noticed the golden demon pill. The temptation was irresistible. Without a moment's hesitation, she grabbed the pill, unnoticed by the battling forces above or the demons below. The pill, untainted by blood, warmed her as she held it, soothing her to her core.
She swallowed the pill without a second thought...
With Xin Yuehu's death, the remaining celestial generals realized their defeat was inevitable. They exchanged looks and fled in different directions. The Bull Demon King, having not secured a kill himself, felt slighted and took off after two fleeing generals.
Wukong, seeing the lesser demons had the situation on the ground under control, chased after Wei Earth Pheasant on his cloud.
Wei Fire Tiger, relieved to have escaped the clutches of both the Bull Demon King and Wukong, was still shaken from his confrontation. Despite his strength and formidable physique, he had never faced opponents like them before. Determined to escape and report back to the celestial court, he was caught off guard by a slim macaque blocking his path, not the same iron staff-wielding monkey from before.
Attempting to flee underground, he was caught by the macaque, who slammed him into the ground, creating a huge imprint. Despite his attempts to retaliate with his innate fire, the macaque easily avoided the attack and continued the assault until Wei Fire Tiger was on the brink of death.
The macaque then executed Wei Fire Tiger with a palm strike, also capturing his soul along with Ji Shuibu's, who had been hiding within Wei Fire Tiger.
Fang Sun Rabbit, fleeing on a cloud, was caught off-guard by an attack from behind. Before he could react, he was decapitated, his headless body a testament to the swift and brutal justice meted out by his unseen assailant.
Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King, after a considerable effort, managed to kill Bi Moon Crow and Wei Earth Pheasant, and upon their return to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, they found that Tongfeng and Yu Mo Wang had been waiting for them for a while.
The sight of the corpses of Wei Fire Tiger and Fang Sun Rabbit startled the Bull Demon King, but he then burst into laughter, exclaiming, "What a well-laid trap! Caught them all in one go, truly satisfying!"
Sun Wukong was also deeply impressed by the combat prowess of Tongfeng and Yu Mo Wang, noting their presence indicated they had returned some time ago.
Unbeknownst to him, the Bull Demon King was secretly alarmed, realizing that once one achieved the cultivation of a celestial being, their cloud-riding and escape techniques should not be underestimated. Defeating them was easy, but killing them was difficult.
The fact that six celestial generals were defeated this time indicated the significant strength of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit.
Without pausing, Sun Wukong ordered his minions to clean up the mountaintop and summoned the seventy-two demon kings and the four great marshals for a stern reprimand.
He knew well that in this world, strength was the ultimate truth. Having stirred up trouble this time, a battle with the Heavenly Court was inevitable. If his troops lost their morale at the first sign of combat, defeat was certain.
He randomly selected a few military training methods he knew from his past life and instructed the demon kings and marshals to train rigorously.
Standing atop a high place, Sun Wukong shouted, "The Heavenly Court regards us demons as mere straws dogs, to be killed and oppressed at will. Now that I am the master of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, it is my duty to protect our kind.The bond among us is stronger than that of brothers. If you dodge away from the enemy, you are turning your back on your brothers. Do you understand? From today onwards, anyone who shows cowardice in battle, fails to train diligently, disobeys military orders, or... will be executed without mercy!"
Sun Wukong's harsh proclamation, introducing seven prohibitions and thirteen forms of execution, left the demons trembling with fear, a stark contrast to their previously carefree, idyllic lives.
Sun Wukong added, "Do not think me heartless. If you want to survive, do as I say!" Seeing the confusion among the lesser demons, he did not bother to explain further, simply enforcing the orders. Sometimes, gentle reminders and warnings only work on the wise.
After supervising the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit for more than half a month, Sun Wukong, seeing that affairs were in order, entrusted the Bull Demon King with staying behind to guard the mountain, advising him not to venture out.
The Bull Demon King laughed and reassured him, "You worry too much. A day in heaven is a year on earth. No one was left alive to tell the tale, so even if the Heavenly Court sends someone to investigate, it will take at least two or three years for them to get any news. You can go; you'll be safe for at least two years."
Assured, Sun Wukong prepared to leave. The Bull Demon King did not ask where he was going. Despite feeling a bit guilty, Sun Wukong remembered Tongfeng's words that no one in the world could be trusted and thus refrained from further discussion. He left with Tongfeng and Yu Mo on a cloud.
Anxious to alleviate the suffering of Wu Zhiqi, they arrived at the land of Beiju Luzhou in half a day. Sun Wukong stopped upon seeing a mountain peak that had collapsed, the place where he had hidden years ago. Reminiscing about the past felt like a lifetime ago.
Continuing on, he soon saw the Great Sage Zen Temple from afar. "This matter is of great importance; let's not stir up too much trouble. Any plans?" he asked. Tongfeng suggested a diversion, to lure away the Bodhisattva while they rescue Wu Zhiqi. Sun Wukong agreed, noting that with their abilities, escape would be easy if necessary.
Yu Mo transformed into a large white rhinoceros, a disguise to approach the temple without arousing suspicion.
Sun Wukong, amused, advised against using familiar forms that could be easily recognized.
Reflecting on his preference for human form, Sun Wukong acknowledged it as an innate tendency from his past life as a human, a difficult habit to break, unlike Tongfeng and Yu Mo, for whom transforming into animals was natural. "All beings are equal, yet achieving such equality is challenging," he mused.
Annotations:
Bi Moon Crow and Wei Earth Pheasant: Mythological characters representing celestial beings defeated by Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King. Their defeat signifies the formidable strength of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit.
Tongfeng and Yu Mo Wang: Powerful allies of Sun Wukong, showcasing the unity and strength among the inhabitants of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit.
Seventy-two Demon Kings and Four Great Marshals: Refer to the leaders of the demons under Sun Wukong's command, indicating a well-organized and hierarchical military structure within his domain.
Heavenly Court: Represents the celestial bureaucracy in Chinese mythology, often at odds with Sun Wukong and his allies. The conflict between the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit and the Heavenly Court is a recurring theme in mythology, symbolizing the struggle between order and chaos, as well as the assertion of independence against oppressive authority.
Wu Zhiqi: A mythical character Sun Wukong and his allies seek to rescue, highlighting themes of loyalty and the rescue of comrades-in-arms within the narrative.
