Chapter 158 - 143 Persuasion

The Celestial River Naval Forces went their way, but Lin Fang and his companions still maintained a leisurely pace, for at that moment he truly felt as free as the birds in the sky, and the fish in the broad sea.

However, a group of little monsters began to discuss among themselves.

"So this is the legendary Celestial River Naval Forces, they really do look impressive."

"Even stronger than those from the Dragon Palace."

"What are you joking about? When the Marshal of the Celestial River Naval Forces arrives at the Dragon Palace, the Dragon King himself has to come out and receive him personally. Tell me, isn’t that formidable?"

"It looks like they’re heading towards Luzhou in the North, I guess the monsters there are going to be unlucky again."

"The Celestial River Naval Forces sweep through Luzhou in the North every once in a while, but I don’t know what the reason is." Someone perceptively noticed something amiss.

If they truly meant to pacify the insubordinate, why keep targeting a group of little monsters incessantly? Meanwhile, those Demon Kings roaring in the mountains and forests all remain unscathed.

"You think too much, none of this is for you to worry about," said someone with a sneer.

Upon hearing this, the monster also gave a wry smile and said, "Indeed, Luzhou in the North is tens of thousands of miles away from our Dragon Palace, why bother worrying about them?"

After saying this, he suddenly realized that their group seemed to be heading towards Luzhou in the North, and his eyes widened in alarm.

"Wait a minute, where are we going?" he asked in shock.

"Aren’t we going to the Dragon Palace?"

Reminded by his words, the surrounding monsters also suddenly woke up, realizing that their group was clearly heading towards Luzhou in the North.

"It seems like we’re heading to Luzhou in the North," said a monster, his lips dry.

The comfortable life they’d been enjoying recently made them forget that they were actually being abducted. Now that they suddenly remembered, they realized that the dreadful fate they had been talking about could very well befall them.

"If we go to Luzhou in the North, won’t the Celestial River Naval Forces come after us too?" Anxiety rose in the crowd.

Especially since they had just witnessed the majestic presence of the Celestial River Naval Forces, the thought of becoming their target made them tremble with fear.

"That great person also saw how formidable the Celestial River Naval Forces were. He surely wouldn’t choose this time to go to Luzhou in the North."

"Give up your fantasies. That’s someone who dares to challenge the Buddha of the Buddhist Sect. He wouldn’t be afraid of the Celestial River Naval Forces. It’s hard for them to capture someone like him; it’s us little demons who are most at risk."

Upon those words, the nearby little monsters all felt an ominous chill, and silence fell. Even the sky seemed to have become more overcast.

"Forget it, let’s leave it to fate. We can’t resist anyway."

The ship continued to head towards Luzhou in the North at a leisurely pace.

Meanwhile, almost ten thousand miles away in Mount Zhilei, King Niumo was pushed into a corner with nowhere to go, surrounded by the Buddhist Soldiers and the monkey.

With his true form revealed, King Niumo kept using his horns to charge at the crowd surrounding him, but it was hard to fight on multiple fronts, and eventually, he got captured by the Buddhist Sect.

"Amitabha Buddha, even at this point, this monster refuses to confess his guilt," declared the commanding Vajra with authority.

King Niumo, held down to his knees, lifted his head and roared, "Victors be kings and losers be villains; why bother with more words."

"Still so deluded. The Buddhist Sect has widely opened the door of convenience. As long as you sincerely convert, you will naturally obtain your Golden Body and Final Fruit."

"It’s a dream if you think I’d be your dog. No way," King Niumo’s eyes were bloodshot as he glared at the people in front of him, particularly at the shorter monkey.

The monkey felt uneasy under his gaze but didn’t say much.

"Take him to Mount Ling," Vajra waved his hand, and the nearby Buddhist Soldiers escorted him to Mount Ling.

The news of the victory at Zhilei Mountain spread like wildfire. The defiant King Niumo, who had dared to confront the Buddhist Sect, was captured and brought back to Mount Ling, and the Buddhist Sect had finally saved face.

The scheming figures hidden in the shadows of the Three Realms took heed of the strength of the Buddhist Sect and lay low once again.

Nine-headed Insect stared blankly as the large Buddhist forces marched away and heaved a long sigh.

"I didn’t expect the formidable Great Sage Pingtian to be captured and returned to Mount Ling like this; the strength of the Buddhist Sect is beyond expectation."

"Without Sun Wukong’s aid, the Buddhist Sect wouldn’t have captured him so easily," a resonant voice sounded from within the darkness.

"Is the Buddhist Treasure ready?" Nine-headed Insect asked impatiently.

"It’s likely that the Tang Monk and his company will arrive here in a few days."

"Don’t worry, everything has been handled. We’ve followed the plan to the letter. And you needn’t worry about your own safety; we’ve already prepared for that," came the reply.

Upon hearing this, Nine-headed Insect slowly nodded and said, "Let’s hope everything goes smoothly."

After saying that, he turned and entered Bibo Pond, suspecting he wouldn’t be able to stay there much longer.

Meanwhile, in the mountains behind Zhilei Mountain, two women slowly emerged from a deep cave. Clearly, they were supposed to have died in the chaos - the Jade-faced Princess and her maid.

"Miss, I can’t believe we managed to fool those people from the Buddhist Sect with our feigned deaths," the maid said incredulously.

"That long-eared monk didn’t even notice."

But the Jade-faced Princess laughed and said, "Who says he didn’t notice?"

"Then why didn’t he say anything?"

"His previous life was as Marshal Tianpeng of the Celestial River Naval Forces. His vision and strength are first-rate. Although I am skilled in Illusion Technique, it would not be easy to deceive him. However, the Marshal is now famously indolent and would hardly bother with such trivial matters," Jade-faced Princess said with confidence.

"It’s a pity that the magnificent empire my father left is now in ruins," the Jade-faced Princess looked around at the devastated Zhilei Mountain and the ruined Long-Live Fox Kingdom, her heart filled with sorrow.

"Princess, what shall we do now? Our home is gone," the maid said, equally somber. The once glorious Fox Kingdom had been ravaged by war, and the little demons that lived there had scattered in all directions. Now they were truly homeless.

"Don’t worry, we’re going to Luzhou in the North," the Jade-faced Princess said as she gazed into the distance toward the north, where they could find refuge and make a new beginning.

Lin Fang was unaware of the aftermath of the events at Zhilei Mountain. The news hadn’t reached Luzhou in the North that quickly. He continued to practice diligently on the ship, calmly drawing closer to Luzhou in the North, where he planned to start a new journey.

The Demon Leader gently knocked on his door and entered, saying, "Sir, we will soon arrive in Luzhou in the North. I have something to say, though I’m not sure if I should."

Lin Fang slowly opened his eyes and looked at the anxious Demon Leader, saying gently, "Speak."

A gleam of joy appeared on the Demon Leader’s face as he hurriedly said, "Sir, as you have seen, Luzhou in the North is in times of turmoil. The Heavenly Court’s Naval Forces have started to purge the Demon Clan. Your arrival at this time might be ill-timed."