Chapter 432: Chapter 432

"Indeed, the flesh of Xuanzang must taste much better than sesame oil."

"This monk looks plump and fair-skinned; he must be delicious!"

"However, first things first, we need to be clear if this monk is really Xuanzang. If he’s just an ordinary monk, eating his flesh won’t have any effect."

"That’s easy, just ask him, and we’ll know everything, won’t we?"

So, the three demons looked at Xuanzang, and one of them blew a breath at him.

Xuanzang came to slowly.

One of the demons asked loudly, "Hey! What’s your name, monk, and where do you come from? Spill the truth quickly, or else you’ll be risking your little life."

Xuanzang was startled by the fierce appearance of the three demons, but having been captured by demons so many times, he had gotten used to it.

Seeing that Xuanzang remained silent, the three demons became irritated and shouted, "Are you a mute or a deaf, monk? We’re asking you a question, why aren’t you answering?"

Xuanzang hurriedly responded, "Please forgive me, Great Kings. I was momentarily overawed by your presence and lost my composure. I hope the Great Kings will forgive me."

If it wasn’t for the quick actions of these three demons, Xuanzang felt that he could definitely have brought them salvation by now.

For now, he could only try to buy time and wait for Sun Wukong and the others to find him.

"Hmph!" one of the demons snorted coldly and said, "Since you’re not dumb, hurry up and answer our questions truthfully."

Xuanzang quickly responded, "Yes! I am a monk from Ci Yun Temple. Today, being the Lantern Festival, I went to the Golden Lantern Bridge to see the lanterns. I was not aware of the Great Kings’ arrival and failed to avoid them in time. I pray for the Great Kings’ forgiveness."

"So you’re a monk from Ci Yun Temple, not Xuanzang," said one of the demons, sounding somewhat disappointed.

"Hmph! I think not!" another demon snorted disdainfully and said, "You monk, you’re not being honest, daring to tell lies to deceive us. Did you think we wouldn’t know?"

Xuanzang’s heart skipped a beat—he didn’t believe these three demons knew him, but why had his lie been exposed so quickly?

So he hurriedly explained, "A man of the cloth does not speak falsehoods. Every word I have said is true; not a single word is fabricated!"

"Hmph! A mouthy monk you are, still spouting nonsense. If you truly are from Ci Yun Temple, you ought to know the rules. When the wind rises, signaling the Buddha Lord’s descent, you should have quickly withdrawn. So why did you linger on the Golden Lantern Bridge?" the demon asked with a sneer.

"Well, that’s because..."

Xuanzang was at a loss for words and struggled to respond, but then an idea struck him, and he quickly explained, "The Great Kings are unaware that I did intend to withdraw. But today, our Ci Yun Temple had three ugly monks visiting, and these three looked just like demons, with a very vicious appearance. I was accompanying them to view the lanterns this evening."

"When the wind started, I told them that the Buddha Lord had descended, and everyone else should immediately withdraw. However, those three brutes, relying on their little abilities, insisted on staying to see what would happen."

"I intended to leave, but they forcefully kept me from going and insisted on having me as their guide. I had no choice but to stay; it wasn’t my intention to offend the Great Kings. I beg for your forgiveness."

As Xuanzang desperately bluffed the demons with preposterous stories, he hoped that Sun Wukong and the others would quickly find him, for he might be eaten otherwise.

As they drew nearer to Mount Meru, he noticed that his Method of Universal Salvation seemed to be less and less effective against these demons.

Could it be because these demons often listened to Buddhist chanting, that they were so resistant?

But now, clearly, was not the time to ponder such matters.

"So you’re saying that this monk is not really Xuanzang?" After hearing this, two of the demons already believed Xuanzang’s lie.

However, the third demon saw a hint of the truth in Xuanzang’s eyes.

Deciding that things were not so simple, the demon’s eyes darted about before he barked harshly, "What audacity you have, Xuanzang, what great courage, to dare deceive us . It appears you have grown tired of living."

"No, what this humble monk has said is completely true, not a single word is false!" Xuanzang said, forcibly maintaining his composure.

The demon snorted coldly and said, "Do you think we are unaware? The monk with the furry face is Sun Wukong, the fellow with the long mouth and big ears is called Zhu Bajie, and the one with the black face is called Sha Wujing. They are all apprentices of the Scripture Seeking Monk, and earlier, I personally heard them call you ’master.’ Yet you claim you are a monk from Ci Yun Temple, if not to deceive us deliberately?"

"Perhaps the Great King misheard! Indeed, there is one monk who is the master of those three ugly monks. However, that old monk dislikes bustling festivities and has stayed inside Ci Yun Temple, not coming out to see the lanterns, so..."

Xuanzang continued to spout nonsense.

The demon snorted coldly again and said, "Even now, you refuse to tell the truth. We originally were people with good intentions, wanting to see the true face of the Scripture Seeking Monk and to hear him discuss the scriptures."

"Since you say you’re not that Scripture Seeking Monk, but just an ordinary monk from Ci Yun Temple, we have no use for keeping you."

"Boys! Take this monk to the kitchen for me, wash him clean, peel him, and steam him, to have with our drinks."

A group of little demons promptly responded in unison, and immediately rushed up to grab Xuanzang.

A few little demons immediately charged forward to carry Xuanzang away, and Xuanzang couldn’t help but feel helpless. He had never expected that even if he weren’t Xuanzang, he couldn’t escape this calamity. Thus, he quickly shouted, "Please wait, Great Kings, this humble monk is not a monk from Ci Yun Temple, but rather comes from the Great Tang of the Eastern Land, on a mission to Mount Meru to worship the Buddha and seek scriptures. That furry-faced monk is my eldest apprentice; he is the Great Sage Equalling Heaven, Sun Wukong, who caused Havoc in the Celestial Palace five hundred years ago. You’ve met them before, each possessing vast divine skills and boundless mana. If you eat me, they will certainly not spare you."

"Ha ha!" The demon laughed heartily, looking pleased with himself, and pointed at Xuanzang, "I knew this monk was lying, and sure enough, my test revealed the truth."

The other two demons, upon hearing this, were instantly enraged, and one of them stepped forward, grabbed Xuanzang by the collar, and berated him, "How dare you, a monk with boundless gall, you nearly deceived me, Great King. It seems you’ve grown tired of living!"

"Big brother, don’t scare him. If you frighten him to death, the meat won’t taste good," another demon said with a laugh.

"Dying of fright is one thing, but I’m worried he’d get scared and pee, or even worse, soil himself during the fright, making his body dirty and inedible," the third demon said, frowning.

"Since this monk truly is Xuanzang, then why are we waiting? Eating his flesh will grant us immortality," the lead demon shouted excitedly, looking as if he couldn’t wait to swallow Xuanzang whole.

"Wait, Big Brother! Eating Xuanzang is fine, but I’m afraid of his three disciples," another demon spoke up.

"Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing are not much of a concern, but Sun Wukong caused Havoc in the Celestial Palace five hundred years ago, and even a hundred thousand celestial Soldiers and Generals sent by the Jade Emperor couldn’t capture him. If we eat his master, that monkey surely won’t let things rest. If he comes knocking at our door, won’t that be troublesome?" he said.

One of the demons began to speak at this point.

"So you’re suggesting we just don’t eat Xuanzang’s flesh?" the lead demon asked, frowning.

The third demon said, "Indeed, Xuanzang is practically a self-delivering meal. We’ve never thought we could capture him before; this must be the will of Heaven, our fate! With meat that’s fallen into our laps, how can we not eat it?"

The second demon said with a frown, "This Xuanzang’s flesh should indeed be eaten, but firstly, this Xuanzang flesh is a rare delicacy, unique in the Three Realms, there isn’t a second Xuanzang to be found. Such a rare treasure, consumed carelessly, would be a waste, wouldn’t it?"

"Secondly, this Sun Wukong is not easy to deal with. We can keep Xuanzang for now, firstly waiting for him to expel his waste, so that his stomach and bowels are clean, perfect for eating."

"If after a few days Sun Wukong and the others have not come looking for him, we can then eat Xuanzang’s flesh with peace of mind," he said.