Journey to the West: The Great Sage's Guide

Chapter 37 Roasted Demon Meat Feast

Before long, night completely enveloped the earth.

A roaring bonfire was lit in the open space in front of the mountain god temple.

The flames crackled, and sparks drifted into the night sky, startling a flock of night birds from the depths of the peach grove into flight.

The enormous corpse of the blue sheep demon was chopped into eight pieces by Feng Lisheng and the tiger demon using sharp weapons.

Lamb leg, lamb chops, tenderloin, ribs...

They were piled up on the bluestone slabs by the stream, the stench of blood mixed with the freshness of the grass, filling the entire valley.

Rabbit Xiaoyu limped out and soon returned with seven or eight white rabbit spirit relatives.

The rabbits all had long, upright ears and snow-white fur. The smaller ones had just transformed into human form, while the larger ones were already half-human. When they saw the Mountain God, they timidly hid behind Rabbit Xiaoyu, not daring to breathe.

Fox Xiaohong also summoned her fellow foxes.

Four or five red foxes emerged from the woods, their fluffy tails swaying gently in the moonlight.

One of the older female foxes, now with a human face and a fox body, and a pair of watery peach blossom eyes, immediately bowed and paid her respects to the old mountain god with his otherworldly air.

Even the tiger demon summoned several tiger cubs.

Although they are called tiger cubs, they are actually all about half a person's height, with colorful fur, and the "king" character on their foreheads is even more majestic.

But these energetic little creatures, upon hearing the tiger demon's soft roar, immediately became as docile as cats, rubbing against her feet and rolling around.

The campfire burned brighter and brighter, its sparks crackling and popping.

The tiger demon brandished his knife, slicing the lamb leg into skewers, a piece of half-cooked meat dangling from his mouth, giving indistinct commands:

"You kids, skewer the meat! Yes, skewer it like this!"

"Hey, watch it! Don't burn it!"

Several little white rabbits clumsily skewered the meat, their ears twitching.

The little foxes ran around the fire, occasionally sneezing from the smoke.

Those little tigers were the most greedy, and they were too proud to work like the little rabbits and foxes. They just squatted by the fire, staring longingly at the meat skewers, their saliva dripping onto the ground.

As a result, the tiger demon slapped him on the forehead.

"You're spineless! You'll get your food later! Go get some twigs from nearby!"

But she sent him off to do chores.

Rabbit Xiaoyu and Fox Xiaohong slumped back onto the straw mat, staring longingly at the meat skewers on the fire.

Rabbit Xiaoyu's waist was still aching, but she kept sniffing, her eyes widening at the aroma of the roasted meat and its rich essence.

Fox Little Red tugged at her: "Don't rush, we have to let the Mountain God eat first."

But as she spoke, she couldn't help but swallow.

The old mountain god smiled, reached out and touched the head of the clever fox spirit, causing the red fox's ears to twitch. Its face was flushed red by the firelight, and its gaze towards the old man gradually became filled with admiration.

Zhong Xuan felt as if he had returned to the days when he was a senior citizen on Blue Star, enjoying the company of many young children around his knees.

Before long, the first batch of nearly a thousand-year-old Qingyang demon meat skewers was grilled.

The little foxes and rabbits nearby, after only tasting some shredded meat, were already dizzy from the rich essence contained within it. They lay sprawled on the ground, as if drunk on the essence, their little bellies bulging, and they kept muttering to themselves.

"Delicious...so delicious..."

"It smells so good! It smells amazing!"

"This sheep demon has cultivated for a thousand years; its flesh is full of vital essence!"

"One bite is worth three months of arduous training!"

These little creatures can speak human language; they've refined their throat bones, so they can at least be considered intelligent little spirits. Ordinary, unintelligent mountain beasts wouldn't even be qualified to join in this fun.

Zhong Xuan glanced at the group and roughly understood the reason.

This is because fox spirits and tiger demons, having gained sentience, find it difficult to regard mindless wild beasts as their own kind.

After all, once a living being develops intelligence, it is as if there is a thick, pitiful barrier between them.

For example, when the Buddha later distinguished the six-eared macaque, he said: "You are not a monkey, and I am not a monk. The distinction between the real and the fake is not in the physical body."

Once all things in this world acquire sentience, they each have their own destiny and cause and effect; how can they be recognized based on mere appearance?

The bustling activity on the other side, however, did not belong to these creatures covered in fur and scales.

They have their own way of getting along harmoniously.

Tao Yaoyao squatted on the back of the old stone toad, holding a piece of meat bigger than her face in her two little hands.

Although it is a peach spirit, it is still edible because it contains essence.

She even gnawed on it until her face was shiny with oil, smacking her lips as she ate, and every now and then she would break off a small piece and stuff it into the old stone clam's mouth.

The old stone clam opened its mouth to take it, chewing slowly, making satisfied gurgling sounds in its throat.

The two spirits, one a plant and the other a stone, naturally felt closer to each other.

Now, around the campfire, the demons are sharing and roasting meat, their laughter and chatter filling the air.

The aroma of roasted meat mingled with the smoke, filling the entire Peach Valley with the fragrance of cooking.

Soaking in this warm, cozy atmosphere of cooking, Zhong Xuan felt as if the smoke was making his bones melt.

He tasted some of it, then got up and moved a little further away, sitting on the stone steps in front of the mountain god temple.

He unfolded a scroll of Earthly Fiend Techniques on his lap.

Zhong Xuan began to study it carefully by the light of the fire, and gradually he felt happy as he read it.

In his previous life, he loved Taoism from a young age. He never felt bitter during his hundred years of arduous cultivation, only lamenting that the shackles of heaven and earth bound him.

Now that the opportunity has arrived, he cherishes every bit of the profound and wondrous Dao as if he were a child.

I have almost completely mastered the sword control technique of the Demon-Slaying Sword.

The head-regeneration technique from the Seventy-Two Transformations of the Earthly Fiends has come at just the right time.

Not far away, Li Gongcao leaned against the old stone toad's back, holding a copy of the leather scroll.

The gray-robed monkey spirit squatted beside him, occasionally peeking over, his eyes darting around as if he were plotting something.

Only the young Taoist priest Qingyang, who was tied up to one side, trembled with fear and unease.

Zhong Xuan slowly scanned the essence of the Earthly Fiend Head-Continuing Technique, verifying his previous insights one by one.

The previous insights and judgments were almost entirely correct.

There are two key aspects to this head-regeneration technique:

First, there is the skill of maintaining a continuous flow of Qi; second, there is the essential requirement for reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.

The former requires practice and talent, while the latter is a hard requirement.

To recover and heal quickly, one must possess a primordial energy that has been refined.

By refining one's essence, energy, and spirit into a breath of innate energy, one can achieve the transformation of the innate into the acquired.

The acquired body is transformed from the innate body; to restore the acquired body, one must understand the innate form.

Only in this way can the fundamental source be continuously regenerated.

Zhong Xuan, combining his previous life's cultivation theories, believed that this was similar to understanding the complete underlying rules, thus enabling him to proactively release his original backup information when his body was damaged.

Just like having the original blueprints of a house, it can be restored to its original state if it is damaged in the future.

Beyond the latter hard demand, there is also the constant flow of soft demand, which is also a topic of discussion.

This "qi" does not refer to ordinary qi, but rather to qi that is based on a breath of innate qi.

Even if one is decapitated, one's essence, energy, and spirit can remain connected, facilitating instantaneous rebirth.

Therefore, the two key elements of the Earthly Fiend Head-Continuing Technique lie in the innate Qi.

He already understands the principle, but he is still undecided about whether to try it.

His cultivation level was insufficient on the human side, and he was surrounded by powerful enemies on the other side.

After all, if something goes wrong, this headless immortal mountain god incarnation will be devoured by demons.

After thinking it through, Zhong Xuan stopped being anxious and slowly opened his eyes.

Not far away, the lively atmosphere around the campfire continued.

The tiger demon was wielding his knife, slicing the hind legs of the green sheep spirit into strips of meat, with a piece of meat still dangling from his mouth. He was also vaguely instructing the lesser demons to carefully refine the essence of the meat strips, so as not to waste it.

Rabbit Xiaoyu and Fox Xiaohong were much more powerful. They ate roasted meat with their mouths full of oil, and completely forgot about their previous back pain. They couldn't even maintain their human forms and turned back into their original rabbit and fox forms.

Tao Yaoyao had already finished one piece, and then shakily took the third piece. Her little belly was bulging, but she still looked on longingly, wanting to eat more. On the other hand, Lao Shiha ate slowly and steadily, with a truly large appetite.

A smile appeared on Zhong Xuan's lips. This was finally an interesting mountain god.

He immediately got up and walked towards the young Taoist boy, Qingyang, who was tied to the tree.

When the young Taoist priest saw him approaching, he froze, curled up into a ball, and trembled like a leaf.

The firelight illuminated the young man's face, revealing a deathly pale complexion filled with terror.

Before Zhong Xuan could speak, he cried out in a voice trembling with emotion:

"Master, spare me! I'll confess everything! I'll confess everything!"

"No rush, speak slowly." Zhong Xuan squatted down, looking at him with gentle eyes.

The young Taoist swallowed hard, then poured out everything he knew, like beans spilling from a bamboo tube.

His master, Qingyang Zhenren, was originally a Qingyang spirit with eight hundred years of cultivation. He had survived a lightning tribulation and would face the test of the Yin Fire Tribulation in another hundred years.

In his youth, the Green Sheep Immortal relied on his powerful demonic body and attracted several formidable enemies. When he had nowhere else to turn, he hid in the Green Sheep Temple in the eastern suburbs of Jisa Kingdom and sought refuge under the Celestial Master's Mansion on Mount Longhu.

The Celestial Master's Mansion promised him a peaceful life, so he took care of the Taoist temple for the Celestial Master's Mansion and did some errands on a daily basis.

"My master doesn't know many supernatural abilities, just two Earthly Fiend Techniques—the Head Regeneration Technique and the Beast Gathering Technique—and a few minor, insignificant spells..."

The young Taoist glanced at Zhong Xuan's expression and, seeing that he showed no anger, grew bolder.

"I only know some rudimentary spells like manipulating objects and controlling the wind, which my master taught me casually. They're really nothing to brag about..."

He spoke with a shifty expression, clearly not telling the truth.

Zhong Xuan saw all of this, and under the reflection of his mind, he could clearly see the Daoist boy's thoughts, which were obviously hiding something.

"Beast Gathering Technique? I didn't find it on the corpse." Zhong Xuan asked casually.

The young Taoist's expression changed slightly, and he quickly lowered his head, replying, "Yes, yes... Master's Beast Gathering Technique can summon wild beasts from the mountains to obey his commands..."

He paused, then quickly added, "However, Master said that the Beast Gathering Technique is only at the beginner level. He doesn't know the truly powerful, advanced technique that can forcefully summon demonic beasts to aid in battle... That Beast Gathering Technique should be hidden in Master's room at Qingyang Temple."

Zhong Xuan nodded and did not ask any further questions.

This beast-gathering technique is quite an interesting supernatural ability.

As for the Celestial Master's Mansion of Longhu Mountain, its influence has indeed extended to the vicinity of this sacred mountain.

Because Cuiyun Mountain is not far from Lingshan Mountain.

Using Qingyang Temple as a front, they planted spies everywhere; it was truly a grand scheme.

This Qingyang Zhenren is nothing more than a small pawn they planted here.

If he really offends someone to death, his real formidable enemy is yet to come.

Zhong Xuan looked up and gazed in the direction of the Kingdom of Jisa.

The night was deep, and not a single star could be seen.

That Master Zhang Chengming probably already doubts the relationship between human beings and mountain gods.

He clearly told Rakshasa to take Monkey Brother and run away first, but Zhang Chengtian intercepted them just as if by divine intervention.

Rakshasa was probably suffering from an imbalance of the five elements, so she dared not act rashly.

Therefore, one's life is suddenly in danger, and one is completely powerless to control it.

This situation is putting us in a very passive position.

Although he could sense the situation on the other side of the body, he could not directly intervene to help.

Right now, he needs to stabilize the situation on Cuiyun Mountain and also find an opportunity to support Ren Shen.

"The Mountain God?"

Suddenly, a sound came from behind me.

Zhong Xuan turned around and saw that the gray-robed monkey spirit had somehow gotten close to him.

Its monkey eyes were bright and sparkling, its face was plastered with a fawning smile, and it was holding a roll of yellowed animal skin in its hand.

"You seem quite interested in supernatural powers and magic, Mountain God?"

Feng Lisheng chuckled and quickly said, "How about we make a deal?"

"I have a technique for invisibility. Although it is not as mysterious as the Seventy-Two Transformations of the Earthly Fiends, it is more practical! It can be used for escaping, stealth, or gathering information."

"I can just listen to your head-regeneration technique from the sidelines—it's a good deal, isn't it? And it doesn't mean I'm incurring your karmic debt, does it?"

It shook the animal hide in its hand, revealing its cunning and cleverness.

Zhong Xuan looked at the clever monkey and suddenly laughed.

"You little rascal, you're quite the schemer," he teased.

Feng Lisheng didn't deny it, he just kept blinking, eagerly waiting for a nod of agreement.

Zhong Xuan extended his hand and said calmly, "I grant your request. Let me see the invisibility technique first, and then you can listen in from the sidelines."

Feng Lisheng was overjoyed and quickly handed over the animal hide with both hands.

Zhong Xuan took the animal hide and slowly unfolded it by the firelight.

The animal hide was covered with tiny characters written in demonic script, along with several hastily drawn diagrams of internal energy cultivation.

Zhong Xuan glanced at it briefly and then made up his mind.

This invisibility technique is likely genuine. Although it is not as sophisticated as the Earthly Fiend Technique, it is a unique approach.

He used his immortal body to experiment slightly, and as his magical power slowly circulated, the light and shadow around him began to distort slightly.

It is indeed feasible, but it has not yet penetrated to the point of affecting changes in Qi.

Further research is needed; the potential of invisibility extends far beyond mere changes in light and shadow.

—This is what Zhong Xuan was thinking.

But Feng Lisheng, standing beside him, was desperately trying to suppress the look of surprise in his eyes.

This mountain god has terrifyingly high level of understanding!

You can grasp the basic skills with just a quick glance?

"Go ahead." Zhong Xuan put away the animal hide and gestured with his chin toward the campfire.

He instructed, "Let's smoke the mutton first, then find some way to preserve it and slow down the loss of vital essence, since we can't finish it tonight... You can listen to the lecture later."

The gray-robed monkey grinned and scurried off towards the campfire.

Zhong Xuan put the invisibility scroll into his sleeve and strode after him.

The lively scene around the campfire has quieted down.

The tiger demon was holding a sizzling, oily lamb chop and devouring it with gusto.

Rabbit Xiaoyu and Fox Xiaohong were already stuffed and were lying on the straw mat, groaning softly.

Tao Yaoyao, clutching the half-eaten bone, was fast asleep, her lips glistening with oil.

He instructed the tiger demon and the gray-robed monkey spirit on how to prepare the smoked mutton.

Then the three of them discussed it together and gradually confirmed the method of digging a cellar for storage.

With him, the incarnation of a mountain god, manipulating the changes in the earth's veins, and with the old stone toad's innate supernatural power, they could store this thousand-year-old demon flesh for a long time, making the most of it and not wasting it.

After finally finishing the work and refilling the soil,

The tiger demon was so tired that it quickly went to gnaw on the remaining large pieces of lamb chops.

But she was exhausted.

Zhong Xuan led Feng Lisheng a little further away, then suddenly spoke:

"I have another deal to discuss with you, Fellow Daoist Feng Lisheng."

As he spoke, he slowly took out a pair of exceptionally fine blue ram horn maces. The maces, crafted from demon horns, gleamed with a dark blue-green light in the firelight.

These maces were originally made from the life-bound horns of the Azure Goat Spirit, formed from a thousand years of cultivation. They are harder than fine steel, contain demonic nature, and have been repeatedly refined, making them excellent demonic weapons.

Upon seeing this, Feng Lisheng's eyes lit up instantly.

Feng Lisheng swallowed hard, his voice filled with surprise.

"This...this is...Sir, what would you like to exchange it for?"

"It's not that we need to replace it, but rather send it to a place that urgently needs it. Go to the Kingdom of Jisa on my behalf."

Zhong Xuan looked at it, his gaze still gentle, and slowly spoke.

The fighting has already broken out in the Kingdom of Jisa. The real man's armor is dazzlingly golden, making it very difficult to break through his defenses.

Perhaps the opportunity lies here; any external assistance could disrupt the balance.