Chapter 383: Chapter 383

Xuanzang and his three companions did not notice anything out of the ordinary on their journey.

Let alone mountain spirits and ghosts, they did not even encounter a single large wild beast.

At most, they saw some wild hares, squirrels, hedgehogs, and long snakes, which naturally posed no threat to them.

At this time, Zhu Bajie finally let down his guard, having thought there might be demons again.

Seeing the beautiful scenery, he was in high spirits.

"Brother Monkey, it seems there won’t be any dangers here!"

Zhu Bajie said with a smile.

Sand Monk also nodded and spoke, "Elder, are you hungry?"

Upon hearing Sand Monk’s words, Xuanzang also smiled and said, "Wukong, we have traveled so far to the west, passed through countless perilous peaks and forests, yet we have never come across such a tranquil place with such extraordinary flowers and rare plants."

"It truly makes one linger and forget to return. This monk wishes to sit here for a while; firstly, to rest the horse, and secondly, I cannot bear the hunger anymore, you will have to trouble yourself to fetch some vegetarian meals."

Sun Wukong nodded, then found a clearing to stop, helped Xuanzang down from the horse’s back, and smiling, said, "Elder, Uncle, please wait here for a moment. Old Sun will go fetch some vegetarian meals."

Xuanzang sat on a large rock beside him, silently chanting Buddhist scriptures.

Sun Wukong nodded slightly, then leaped onto the clouds, shading his eyes with his hand as he looked around, glancing back over his shoulder.

Inside the Black Pine Forest, the Auspicious Clouds were misty, the auspicious aura shrouding the air, and he couldn’t help but marvel to himself in surprise.

"No wonder Elder attracts so many demons wanting to eat him. A good person who has cultivated for ten lifetimes, not a bit of Yang Essence has been lost, with such auspiciousness overhead, naturally, one would live longer if they ate him."

Sun Wukong muttered to himself.

Then he saw a village to the south hundreds of miles away, so he drove the clouds toward the south.

Soon after Sun Wukong left, a cloud of black qi suddenly rose near where Xuanzang and the others were resting in the Black Pine Forest.

It was then that Xuanzang, who was chanting nearby, suddenly opened his eyes in surprise and said, "Goodness, goodness! How can there be cries for help in these deep mountain wild forests?"

"Bajie, Wujing, did you hear that? I’m afraid that person was frightened by the wolves, insects, tigers, and leopards in the forest. Let’s go and have a look at once, and by the way, save his life."

Zhu Bajie moved his fan-like large ears and said with a smile, "Elder, could you be delirious from hunger? Where is anyone crying for help?"

"I clearly heard someone shouting for help just now! Listen, over there."

Xuanzang pointed in a direction with a serious expression on his face.

"I clearly heard someone shouting for help just now! Listen, over there."

Xuanzang pointed in a direction with a serious expression on his face.

Zhu Bajie and Sand Monk pricked up their ears to listen carefully, and indeed, they heard someone crying for help. Zhu Bajie couldn’t help but brighten up and said with a smile, "The Elder’s ears are indeed sharp, there really is someone crying for help, and by the sound of it, it should be a woman."

Xuanzang frowned and said, "Whether male or female, since they’re crying for help, they must be in danger. Let’s still go and have a look!"

At that time, Sand Monk quickly cautioned, "Elder, this is a remote and barren ridge. We have not seen a single house within a hundred miles on our journey; how could there possibly be anyone here? I’m afraid the person calling for help is mostly a demon in disguise."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Bajie also nodded and said, "Junior Brother Sand is right, in such remote wilderness, it’s mostly Demons in disguise, maybe even to eat the Elder!"

"Indeed, we cannot be careless. If it is a demon in disguise, deliberately luring us there, wouldn’t we be walking right into a trap?" Sand Monk spoke with a frown.

Sand Monk and Zhu Bajie naturally did not wish to take risks and court trouble.

However, Xuanzang slightly knitted his brows and said, "But if it’s not a demon? We cannot just ignore someone in peril, can we? Whether it’s a demon or not, only by going there can we find out."

"This monk has taken a lofty vow, hoping that all who hear of Buddha can feel the Buddhist Law, even if there is a demon, I can work for their Universal Salvation."

Having said that, Xuanzang was about to get up.

"Second Senior Brother!"

Seeing this, Sand Monk frowned and hastily called out to Zhu Bajie.

Zhu Bajie instinctively replied, "Oh, I will go. The Elder is a good man who has practiced for ten lifetimes; all along the way, demons are trying to eat him."

"Old Zhu will go. Even if there is a Demon, it won’t harm me. If it’s not a demon, I’ll save his life along the way and it will be counted as the Elder’s merit!"

Hearing Zhu Bajie’s words, Sand Monk immediately brightened and said with a smile, "I think Second Senior Brother is right, Elder, this is a good plan. Let’s let Second Senior Brother go and take a look first; we’ll wait here."

Since Sand Monk and Zhu Bajie had already said so,

Xuanzang nodded and agreed.

"In that case, I’ll trouble you to make the trip, Bajie!"

"It’s a minor matter," Zhu Bajie said as he stood up and walked into the distance.

Sand Monk and Xuanzang watched Zhu Bajie’s receding figure, with Sand Monk comforting, "Elder, let’s wait here!"

Xuanzang also nodded.

Zhu Bajie, holding the Nine-toothed Rake, proceeded toward the source of the voice.

"It couldn’t really be a demon, could it?"

Zhu Bajie offered to go this time for fear that Xuanzang might truly be abducted by a demon.

Otherwise, he figured the First Senior Brother would have words for him again.

But even if there was a demon, he was not afraid.

Sure enough, as Zhu Bajie followed the sounds, he had not gone far when he saw a young woman tied to a tree, continuously crying out for help.

Zhu Bajie took a good look, and although he did not know whether the woman was a demon, he dared not take the situation lightly: "Better to be cautious. If it really is a demon, I don’t know what kind of ploys the demon might have; it could be troublesome!"