"Of course it's cumin," a small demon answered subconsciously.
Another small demon clearly disagreed.
"I like it spicy."
After the two demons finished speaking, they suddenly realized something was amiss.
Who had just asked them a question?
The two demons swiftly turned around, and when they saw who it was, their pupils constricted.
"Who?"
They cried out in alarm and instinctively lashed out,
but Sun Wukong merely slapped casually, sending them flying to the side, dead beyond any doubt of revival.
The small monk's body was still trembling, but upon seeing this scene, he immediately became excited.
"Are you the Great Sage?"
He asked expectantly.
If it indeed was the Great Sage that his ancestors had passed down stories about, they might yet be saved.
"It is I. What are these demons all about?"
Sun Wukong admitted his identity while inquiring about the origins of these demons.
Know your enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat.
The monk's face paled, but he shook his head and said, "This monk does not know, only that there are three kings among them: a Green Lion, a White Elephant, and a Golden-Winged Roc. They arrived in our country several days ago and started devouring people. It is said that in just a few days, they have eaten half the population."
The Green Lion, the White Elephant, and the Golden-Winged Roc.
Sun Wukong smiled; he already knew who the three were.
The Green Lion is the mount of Manjusri Bodhisattva, while the White Elephant is the mount of Samantabhadra.
The Golden-Winged Roc is none other than Tathagata Buddha's proverbial uncle-in-law.
He wondered who dared to be so audacious, and it turned out to be those three beasts.
The Buddhist sect preaches compassion, yet they have not just once released these three beasts to wreak havoc upon the common people.
Sun Wukong could not help but sneer; he really wondered how much discount this so-called compassion carried.
"Please, Great Sage, save us."
The small monk knelt down and kowtowed to Sun Wukong.
Sun Wukong glanced at him and said indifferently, "Do you know the true identities of these three demons?"
The monk looked bewildered, naturally ignorant of their identities.
"The Green Lion is the mount of Manjusri Bodhisattva, the White Elephant is the mount of Samantabhadra, and as for that Golden-Winged Roc, it is the offspring of the Phoenix and the younger brother of Peacock Mahamayuri Bodhisattva, and also Buddha's uncle-in-law."
"What?"
The monk was dumbstruck, and at that moment, he felt his faith crumble.
So the demons that devoured humans were actually mounts of various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
Why would these Buddhas and Bodhisattvas release them to spread chaos in the world?
Could it be that they had done something wrong?
"Then what is the point of my following Buddha?"
The monk asked.
"You cultivate for yourself, what does it have to do with Buddha? The heart itself is Buddha."
Sun Wukong sneered, showing little regard for the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
The heart itself is Buddha?
The monk had Buddha's light emanate from him, and he suddenly understood.
Sun Wukong smiled faintly and emitted a ray of golden light that entered the monk's body.
It was as if divine wisdom had been poured into the top of his head.
When the monk woke up, he might have already achieved the rank of Arhat.
He turned away, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
Sun Wukong was ready to make his move.
It was not about any nonsense of saving the common folk; he simply disliked the other side.
Moreover, this place had some connection to him.
The Golden-Winged Roc and their ilk fed on humans here, showing no respect for him.
The Great Sage Equalling Heaven had lost face, and others would not fare well.
Just then, a thunderous roar echoed, accompanied by a sound like thunder.
"Demon Fiend, you dare harm the human world and devour the people of a whole nation; such acts deserve death."
"Mighty Heavenly Dragon, Great Luo spell, Prajna Buddhas, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, Prajna Paramita."
A powerful aura erupted, followed by the screams of demons, someone had struck before him.
Moreover, the one who acted was clearly from the Buddhist sect.
That piqued Sun Wukong's interest.
Someone from the Buddhist sect daring to strike at these three beasts was indeed rare.
His figure flashed, and he disappeared from the spot.
In the vault of heaven, a young and handsome monk stood, his eyebrows sharp like swords and his eyes bright, his presence full of valor.
He wore a solemn expression, his left hand holding a horsetail whisk, his right hand a golden bowl, slaying or capturing demons into the bowl.
Sun Wukong was secretly taken aback, having never before seen such a murderous aura in the Buddhist sect.
A burly man rose into the air, it was the Green Lion. He wielded a gleaming steel saber and shouted angrily, "Who is this wild monk, do you not recognize us?"
The murderous intent on the monk intensified, and he retorted, "I can tell at a glance that you're not human. Get inside."
The golden bowl emitted a golden light, trapping the Green Lion within it.
However, when the monk tried to capture the Green Lion, he found it difficult to do so.
The opponent stood immovable, and his golden bowl simply could not contain him.
"Using Buddha's treasure to capture Manjushri Bodhisattva's mount, you are deluded. If you know what's good for you, just leave quietly. Considering you belong to the Buddhist sect, I won't kill you. Otherwise, I would surely tear you to pieces."
The young monk's eyes widened with anger as his rage surfaced.
"Nonsense, how could Manjushri Bodhisattva's mount be involved in such deeds? Don't try to deceive me."
Just then, the Green Lion released a ray of Buddha's Light.
As Manjushri Bodhisattva's mount, having heard the Bodhisattva's Buddhist recitations day and night, he had long possessed great Buddhist attainment.
The young monk fell silent for a long time, even the Green Lion felt he might have given up.
Soon, the young monk's eyes suddenly widened, glaring furiously at the Green Lion.
"Demon, you disturb my heart-mind. Even if you truly are Manjushri Bodhisattva's mount, daring to harm the common people and devour living beings, you deserve death. After I capture you, I will confront Manjushri Bodhisattva to ask why he tolerates his mount's ferocity. If the Bodhisattva is also wicked, I will capture him as well."
The Green Lion was somewhat confused.
He suspected something might be wrong with the monk's mind.
Other monks held Manjushri Bodhisattva, one of the four Great Bodhisattvas, in utmost reverence; merely mentioning his name would deter them from acting.
This young monk, however, seemed not to care about any of that, even daring to question the Bodhisattva and even spoke of capturing him.
Sun Wukong internally gave the monk a thumbs up.
This guy was incredibly tough; he couldn't help but admire him.
If all members of the Buddhist sect were like this monk, he wouldn't hold the sect in such contempt.
The Green Lion grew agitated.
"Stubborn fool, you know not what is good for you. Since you are determined to oppose me, I will slay you today."
He wielded his steel saber, slashing at him.
Although the Green Lion was merely a mount, his Divine Skills were vast, and he was no weaker than some Bodhisattvas.
The young monk didn't dare to be negligent; he put away the golden bowl and, wielding the horsetail whisk, engaged the Green Lion in battle.
The Buddha's Light shined brightly as they both released strong mana, continuously clashing; the young monk faced the Green Lion and seemed not to be at a disadvantage at all.
Moreover, he appeared to grow more vigorous as the battle progressed.
However, Sun Wukong knew that the monk couldn't possibly win.
He had already spotted two other Demon Kings.
The Golden-Winged Roc and the White Elephant were also observing the battle.
The two Demon Kings looked at each other, seeing the astonishment in each other's eyes.
When did the Buddhist sect produce such a formidable figure, who even the eldest brother couldn't defeat?
Thanks to Mr. Beihu, and to book friend 20210427234237633 for your rewards, love you, muah!