Chapter 836

536 Chapters, the Rosy Light Fire in the Mountain Hollow

536 Chapters, the Rosy Light Fire in the Mountain Hollow

——A red apricot branch sticking out of the wall

In the previous installment, the book said that the mountain god, land deity, and Jie Ti heard Sun Wukong's sigh from under the mountain; Jie Chief then told the Mountain Chief and Land Village Chief about Sun Wukong's identity and what he had accomplished, and these two mountain leaders were terrified.

The mountain god and land deity said: "Director Jie, we are truly blind, unable to tell good from bad. We only listened to those two demons, who said to temporarily rent our mountain land; we saw money and our eyes opened, blindly heeding their nonsense about how much they'd pay per day, and we placed the mountain on Sun Wukong's body. Who knew it was the renowned Sun Wukong. What can we do about this? Sun Wukong knows we are doing something despicable; he isn't going to skin us."

Director Jie, who has seen the world and is more sensible than these two, said: "You two, rest easy, don't be afraid; you haven't committed an unforgivable sin. I will go and plead with Sun Wukong—he is also a reasonable person, not someone who speaks nonsense unreasonably. He won't hold it against you. As long as you quickly release him from under the mountain, Sun Wukong won't skin you or take your lives."

"Thanks to the leader's concern, as long as the Great Sage doesn't skin us, we'll do whatever you ask," said the mountain god and land deity.

So these three, while talking and discussing, came to the place where Sun Wukong was pressed under the mountain, and they shouted in unison: "Great Sage Grandfather, we are local officials responsible for managing this mountain. We heard you were pressed under the great mountain, encountering difficulty, so we have come especially to help you."

Upon hearing that someone had come to help him, Sun Wukong secretly rejoiced, saying: "This truly is that one who ought not to die will eventually be saved."

But this monkey-headed one, full of ideas, thought: "I still cannot pretend to be a bear in front of these three; they are all my subordinates, and if I pretended to be a bear before them I would lose prestige, making future work difficult. Besides, even a skinny tiger still harbors ambition."

Upon thinking this, the monkey-headed one's spirit returned, and he deliberately shouted loudly: "Who out there is making a racket? Quickly report your name to me."

The village elder said: "We are local officials, coming to rescue the Great Sage. Upon learning that Great Sage Sir, you were pressed by demons, we were extremely anxious in our hearts and arrived late. Please forgive us, Great Sage. Do not demote our offices, and moreover do not strike us with the golden cudgel, nor skin us."

Sun Wukong said impatiently: "Stop nagging me. Laozi has been pressed under the mountain until now—are you blind? Quickly move the mountain off Laozi's body, rescue Laozi to go subdue demons and catch monsters, and save my master. All matters cease. If delayed, once Old Sun gets out, I will first skin you, then go on to subdue that demon."

"Yes…" the mountain god, land deity, and Director Jie replied in unison. The land deity said: "Brother, wait a moment; I'll go to the mountaintop and remove that demon's talisman." As the land deity said this, he scrambled up the mountain, rolling and crawling. Not long after, the talisman was removed by the land deity.

Seeing the talisman that the demon had used to press Sun Wukong, which the land deity had removed, the myriad mountain gods all murmured incantations, and the three mountains departed from Sun Wukong and returned to their proper places.

The monkey leapt up, let out a breath, shook off the dust on his body, took out the golden cudgel from behind his ear, and chanted: "Lengthen—lengthen—lengthen—" and the golden cudgel became very long. Sun Wukong said: "You all, come with me; each of you give Old Sun two blows, to relieve my boredom."

Seeing the Great Sage draw the golden cudgel, the land deity, mountain god, and Director Jie felt their hair stand on end; upon hearing the Great Sage summon them to come forward and give him two blows to relieve his boredom, their souls were terrified. They all knelt before the Great Sage, kowtowing like chickens pecking at grain, and pleaded: "Great Sage, spare our lives, Great Sage, spare our lives. It is not our fault; it is all the demon's wicked deeds."

The Great Sage said: "You wretched things, you only think about promotion and wealth, forgetting your duties. You can't even look after a single mountain. The demon moved the mountain to press me, saying a few pleasant words and giving you some benefits, and you listened to the demon? What use are you lot of good-for-nothings?" As the Great Sage said this, he raised the golden cudgel to strike.

The mountain god, land deity, and Director Jie first thought the Great Sage was just bluffing them, but when they saw the Great Sage was really about to act, they were terrified out of their wits. Kneeling, they begged for mercy: "Great Sage Grandfather, from now on we will never again listen to demons. We beg the Great Sage to spare our lives; you are our reborn parents. Henceforth we guarantee to conduct ourselves properly. Great Sage Grandfather, if you really beat me to death, should the demon come again, who will come to help you?"

Actually, the Great Sage was merely intending to frighten them; how could the Great Sage be unable to distinguish good from evil, right from wrong? He being pressed under the mountain was not their wrongdoing. Moreover, he still needed to go rescue his master early.

Thus the Great Sage, going along with the situation, said: "Alright, in view of your sincere intentions, this time I will spare you from death; from now on, do not be greedy for money, and do not rent the mountain to demons."

"Yes… yes… yes…"

Just as Sun Wukong was speaking with the mountain god, land deity, and Director Jie, they saw rosy light and flames bursting from the mountain hollow, and Sun Wukong said: "The rosy light and flames in that mountain hollow…"