txolops Chapter 115 Lotus Cave: Subduing the Tiger and Fighting the Demon King
Chapter 115 Lotus Cave: Subduing the Tiger and Fighting the Demon King
Now, after the Arhat Subduing Tiger descended the mountain, he bid farewell to Paragate and, accompanied by several enlightened little demons, carrying wine and fruit baskets, traveled through the clouds and mist, and indeed arrived at the Flat-topped Mountain.
The mountain was indeed precipitous, and one could see:
The mountains are rugged and precipitous, towering and majestic. Streams flow gently from the cave, and wildflowers sway in the breeze, attracting wandering bees.
Perilous peaks pierce the heavens, towering ridges reach the sky. Layer upon layer of mountains rise and fall in disarray, deep ravines and valleys echo with a deep rumble.
The pines and cypresses are lush and verdant, and the vines and ivy are dense and layered.
As Fuhu arrived at the cave entrance, some lesser demons spotted him and blocked his way, saying, "What kind of monster are you? How dare you trespass into my Lotus Cave!"
Fu Hu said, "Quickly go and inform your king that a King Fu Hu has arrived from the west, and has come to pay his respects!"
The little demon dared not delay and dashed into the cave. When he arrived at the back cave, he saw the Golden Horn King and the Silver Horn King sitting there, discussing how to capture Tang Sanzang.
A little demon knelt and reported: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! A great king has arrived outside the cave, claiming to be the Tiger-Taming King. He has brought several little demons, carrying wine and fruit baskets, saying he has come to pay his respects!"
Upon hearing this, King Golden Horn was slightly taken aback and said, "King Subduing Tiger? Where does this come from? I've never heard of him before."
Silver Horn King said, "Brother, perhaps it is a monster from some mountain that has heard of the fame of our Lotus Cave and has come to seek refuge."
"Why not invite him in for a meeting? If he's capable, keep him as an assistant; if he's incompetent, just get rid of him."
King Golden Horn nodded and said, "Brother is right. Please come in."
The little demon obeyed the order and rushed out of the cave, saying to the Arhat Subduing Tiger, "My king invites you!"
The Arhat Subduing Tiger straightened his clothes, and led a few lesser demons, carrying wine baskets and fruit boxes, into the cave with an air of nonchalance.
The cave was indeed a hidden paradise. One could see:
Stone beds, stone benches, stone tables, and stone stools; a landscape painting hangs on the stone wall, and several scrolls of documents are laid out on the stone table. Several small demons stand on both sides, each with bared fangs, looking fierce and menacing.
In the center sat two kings: the one on the left, wearing a golden helmet and golden armor, with a face as white as powder, lips as red as cinnabar, and clear eyebrows and bright eyes, was a handsome man, and was none other than the Golden Horn King.
The one on the right, wearing a silver crown and silver armor, with a face like jade and eyes like bright stars, is none other than the Silver Horn King.
Fu Hu nodded to himself: These two children are quite handsome.
The Arhat Subduing Tiger stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Your Excellencies are above me, and I am Subduing Tiger. I have long admired your illustrious reputations and have come today to pay my respects!"
Jinjiao rose to return the greeting, saying, "I was unaware of King Fuhu's arrival; please forgive my lack of hospitality. Please sit down and have some tea!"
Fu Hu didn't stand on ceremony. He sat down casually, waved for the little demon to present the gift, and said, "This is just a small token of my respect. I hope you two kings will accept it."
Silver Horn glanced at the wine carts and fruit boxes and smiled, "King Fuhu is too kind. May I ask what brings you here?"
Upon hearing this, Fu Hu thought to himself: I can't very well say that I'm here to lie in wait for that thief who killed Silver-Headed Jiedi, can I? I need to come up with a pretext.
He then coughed lightly and said, "To be honest, I've come here for a big deal."
Golden Horn asked, "Oh? What big deal?"
Fu Hu said, "I have heard that the Tang Monk from the Great Tang Dynasty in the East will soon pass through this mountain. The Tang Monk is the incarnation of Jin Chanzi, the original body of ten lifetimes of cultivation. If someone eats a piece of his flesh, he will gain immortality."
He and his three disciples are currently on their way to the Western Paradise and will inevitably pass through your territory. If you can capture him, it will be an immense stroke of luck!
Although I possess some skill, I am but one hand cannot clap. Therefore, I have come to cooperate with you two great kings to capture Tang Sanzang and divide him among ourselves!
Upon hearing this, Golden Horn and Silver Horn exchanged a glance and burst into laughter.
Silver Horn laughed, "So King Fuhu also came for Tang Sanzang's flesh. But... this is a deal not everyone can make."
Fu Hu frowned and said, "What do you mean by that?"
Silver Horn said, "Since Your Majesty has come to cooperate, you must have some skills. I wonder what abilities Your Majesty possesses that make you dare to do this business with my brothers?"
The Arhat Subduing Tiger said, "Although I am not talented, I do have some skills. I know some fist and foot techniques, and can wield a few swords and spears; I also have some knowledge of transformation and can change the appearance of some people. If you two kings do not believe me, you can try me."
King Golden Horn laughed and said, "In that case, show me your skills."
The Arhat Subduing Tiger stood up, walked to the center of the cave, and with a shake of his body, instantly grew to twelve feet tall and three-quarters broad-shouldered; his face was blue, his fangs were sharp, and his eyes shone with golden light. He truly looked like a ferocious demon!
King Golden Horn nodded repeatedly after reading it, saying, "Good! Good! You do have some skill!"
King Silver Horn laughed and said, "This change is much better than the little demons in my cave, but it's still not enough."
Upon hearing this, Fu Hu asked, "What do you mean it's not enough?"
Silver Horn said, "Although my brother and I also intend to capture Tang Sanzang, as far as I know, Tang Sanzang did not come here alone."
He has three other disciples, all of whom are quite capable. With your current magical abilities alone, you probably won't be able to subdue him.
Upon hearing this, Fu Hu was somewhat annoyed, cursing inwardly, "What an arrogant brat! He has no idea what his grandfather is capable of!"
But he remained outwardly calm, patted his chest, and said, "My two kings don't know, but my abilities are far greater!"
Golden Horn said, "What other skills do you have? Tell me in detail."
Fu Hu said, "I have cultivated the Dao since childhood, practicing diligently and refining my innate nature through consuming the essence of the heavens and absorbing the vital energy. I cultivate both body and spirit, like the dragon and the tiger, uniting my spirit and energy to achieve yin and yang harmony. My supernatural powers and transformations are extensive, and my martial arts skills are unparalleled throughout history."
Subduing dragons and tigers is a given; overturning rivers and seas, what is there to fear? I can seize the sun and moon from the heavens above, and slay the scales of dragons in the five oceans. A fist can conquer a copper-headed, iron-brained man; even a Vajra Arhat will be rendered unconscious.
Born with divine bones, growing into a demonic soul. Fearless of calamities and tribulations, obliterating desires and emotions. Commanding wind and thunder, startling the heavens, roaming the celestial realm with disdain for immortals. All gods bow before me, all demons submit to me.
"I will roam freely across the universe, and from this day forward, heaven and earth will be renewed!"
Golden Horn and Silver Horn listened to his flowery words, but they were not surprised. They just looked at each other and smiled.
Silver Horn stood up and said, "Since you have such skill, why don't we have a contest?"
If you are truly powerful, my brother is willing to let you sit in the top seat of Lotus Cave.
If all else fails, hehe, there's no such thing as freeloading in this Lotus Cave.
Upon hearing this, Fu Hu was overjoyed and shouted, "Let's compete! Do you think I'm afraid of you?"
The two then walked out of the cave and came to an open space.
Silver Horn drew his Seven Star Sword, while Tiger Subduer took out a large iron cudgel. It turned out that he was afraid that using his own monk's staff would be too obvious, so he borrowed an iron cudgel from the gatekeeper Arhat.
The two drew their weapons and began to fight.
This was a good fight:
One iron rod whistles through the air, another wields a Seven Star Sword, its blade flashing. Rod comes, sword goes, rod meets, sparks fly, dazzling the eyes, thunder roars, chilling the heart.
This is exactly:
The Arhat lurks in disguise, a demon in disguise; his precious staff flies across the sky, its killing intent soaring.
The celestial boy wields his sword with might, while two heroes clash, displaying their prowess.
The sword flashes with a cold light as it flies through the snow; the staff shakes, casting a dark shadow as it rolls like a raging tide.
It's not about different kinds competing for superiority; it's unknown who will lead the way.
To find out how this battle will unfold, stay tuned for the next installment.