Chapter 24: Reward Settlement
However, Ao Tu left the West Sea, soaring on clouds and riding mist all the way, and soon arrived at the Black Water River.
The master of this Black Water River was his ninth brother, the Little Flood Dragon.
His father, the Dragon King of Jing River, had nine sons. The first eight sons, including him, had all been assigned positions under the arrangement of their uncle, the Dragon King of West Sea Ao Run. Only the Little Flood Dragon was young and unwilling to let go of their father’s enmity, so he was sent to the Black Water River.
Ao Tu entered the river and arrived at the Water Mansion.
Upon hearing that Ao Tu had come, the Little Flood Dragon reluctantly came out to greet him.
This was because the Little Flood Dragon thought that Ao Tu and the other seven brothers were too weak-willed, willing to abandon their father’s enmity and serve as dogs for those immortals, so he didn’t think much of them.
However, after learning from Ao Tu’s mouth that he had rebelled against Spirit Mountain, the Little Flood Dragon was immediately overjoyed and hurriedly ordered his subordinates to prepare a banquet to entertain him. He also specifically instructed them to catch a few monks on the shore and cook them to eat.
Ao Tu waved his hand and said:
“I still have matters to attend to, no need for a banquet. There will be a time in the future when you and I brothers can gather. Today, I came to ask my ninth brother to help settle these two young tigers.”
Ao Tu handed the two little tigers to the Little Flood Dragon.
The Little Flood Dragon agreed.
Ao Tu patted his shoulder and turned to leave.
Next stop, Flowing Sand River!
Soaring on clouds and riding mist all the way, he arrived at the Flowing Sand River, but the system task had not yet updated.
The progress at Yellow Wind Ridge was still increasing, already at forty-one days. It seemed that Tang Sanzang and his disciples had not yet left the range of Yellow Wind Ridge.
Ao Tu stopped his cloud and looked down.
It was indeed a great river.
Connecting to the sandy wasteland in the east and reaching the various barbarians in the west; reaching Wu Go in the south and connecting to the Tatars in the north. It spanned eight hundred miles in width and stretched tens of thousands of miles in length. The water flowed like the earth turning over, with waves rolling like mountains on their backs. Vast and boundless, misty and endless, from ten miles away one could hear the flood roaring a thousand feet high.
Ao Tu watched for a long time without seeing Sha Seng come out, so he called to the Tiger Vanguard: “Go down and scout the situation.”
Upon receiving the order, the Tiger Vanguard jumped off the cloud and dove into the water.
Although tigers are creatures of the mountains, they are also good swimmers.
Upon entering the water, the Tiger Vanguard swam downward and saw that there were no fish and shrimp in the river, only some sunken wreckage at the bottom. Going further in, suddenly a demon emerged from the riverbed, holding a Treasure Staff, extremely ugly.
Neither green nor black, a gloomy-colored face; neither long nor short, with bare feet and sinewy limbs. His eyes flickered like a pair of lamps under the stove; his mouth forked like a butcher’s fire basin. Fangs like sword blades, red hair disheveled and messy. With a shout like thunder, his two feet dashed like rolling wind.
The Tiger Vanguard said in alarm: “What kind of monster are you, daring to occupy this place!”
Sha Seng said: “You’re the monster! I am the Curtain-Rolling General descended to the mortal realm, demoted here. You tiger demon have some substance; today I’ll make you into meat sauce to eat!”
The Tiger Vanguard said: “Insolent, spouting arrogance! Eat my blade!”
The Tiger Vanguard swung his blade and chopped at Sha Seng.
Sha Seng raised his Treasure Staff to meet it.
The two fought back and forth for seven or eight rounds, but the Tiger Vanguard was no match and was struck on the shoulder with a staff, then turned and fled.
In the outer world, Ao Tu stared below. Soon, the Tiger Vanguard suddenly burst out of the water surface.
Sha Seng closely pursued him out.
Seeing this, Ao Tu took out the Treasure Fan and fanned it once.
Immediately, fire erupted and fell on Sha Seng. Sha Seng let out a miserable scream and fled back into the water.
The fire did not extinguish in the water and continued burning on Sha Seng, scorching his skin and flesh and burning away his red hair.
Sha Seng’s miserable screams came from the river bottom. Soon, his whole body ablaze, he burst out of the water surface, knelt on the ground, and begged for mercy:
“Ah! High Immortal, spare my life! Please, High Immortal, withdraw the Divine Fire!”
Ao Tu withdrew the flames, and only then was Sha Seng saved.
Ao Tu descended on his cloud and said: “You demon, how bold to wreak havoc here. Do you know who I am?”
Sha Seng said: “May I ask the High Immortal’s name?”
Ao Tu pointed at the Tiger Vanguard and said:
“He and I are the Dragon-Tiger Two Generals under Venerable Ananda of Western Spirit Mountain. Now, by the Venerable’s order, we have come here to find a Buddhist disciple named Sha Wujing. You demon, quickly confess truthfully: where is Sha Wujing? Have you eaten him?”
Hearing this, Sha Seng wanted to cry but had no tears:
“Two Venerable Gods, this disciple is precisely Sha Wujing, who was persuaded by Guanyin Bodhisattva to wait here for the pilgrim!”
Ao Tu was greatly shocked and hurriedly stepped forward: “You are Sha Wujing? Why do you have such a monstrous appearance?”
Sha Seng said: “I was originally the Curtain-Rolling General serving the Jade Emperor’s carriage in Lingxiao Palace. During the Immortal Peach Banquet, I accidentally broke a glass cup. The Jade Emperor had me beaten eight hundred times and demoted to the mortal realm, becoming like this.”
Ao Tu helped Sha Seng up and said:
“It was this venerable one who misunderstood you. Seeing your fierce appearance, I thought you were a water demon. I did not expect to accidentally injure you. How are your wounds?”
Sha Seng looked at the burns on his body, his face showing bitterness.
Ao Tu took out two bottles of Spiritual Pills and stuffed them into Sha Seng’s arms, saying: “I have some Spiritual Pills here as a slight apology.”
Sha Seng immediately felt much better in his heart.
Ao Tu said: “Sha Wujing, receive the decree.”
Sha Seng fully believed in the identities of Ao Tu and the others and hurriedly said:
“This disciple receives the decree!”
Ao Tu said: “Now, the Great Tang mage Tang Sanzang from the Eastern Land has traveled tens of thousands of miles to fetch the sutras from Western Heaven. Along the way, he must undergo eighty-one tribulations to achieve the right fruit. Now the number of tribulations is short one, so Buddhist disciple Sha Wujing is specially ordered to add one tribulation and obstruct the pilgrim.”
Hearing this, Sha Seng was greatly shocked and said:
“Two Venerable Gods, didn’t the Bodhisattva tell me to become the disciple of the pilgrim?”
Ao Tu laughed: “Don’t worry, it won’t delay you. Use a false name and surname, complete this tribulation, then become the disciple and follow the pilgrim to fetch the sutras from Western Heaven.”
Sha Seng felt relieved and said: “All according to the Venerable’s instructions.”
Ao Tu laughed: “Good. Now, change the stone tablet of Flowing Sand River.”
Sha Seng asked: “How to change it?”
Ao Tu said: “Change Flowing Sand River to Black Water River and engrave: Rolling ink on the ground, surging gray for a thousand miles. Near view shows no shadow, far view hard to find form.”
Hearing this, Sha Seng used his Treasure Staff to erase the words on the stone tablet and engraved the words Ao Tu said.
Ao Tu also told Sha Seng to change his name to a false one, called Sha Tuolong.
He had Sha Seng remove the nine pilgrim heads from his neck, transform into a fisherman’s appearance, fish by the riverbank, and quietly wait for the pilgrim.
Sha Seng obeyed all orders completely.
Thus, nearly a month passed in succession.
Finally, with a ding, Tang Sanzang and his disciples walked out of the eight hundred li Yellow Wind Ridge, and the system began to settle.
【Ding, rewards settling, total obstruction of sixty-four days.】
【Ding, obtained reward: Three Thousand Year Immortal Peach.】
【Ding, obtained reward: Divine Weapon · Mysterious Gold Iron Rod Spear.】
【Ding, obtained reward: Magic · Golden Light of Earthly Movement.】
【Ding, obtained reward: Ten Absolutes Formation · Red Sand Formation】
【Ding, excess days of thirty-four automatically carry over to next side quest; next side quest: Flowing Sand River Crossing Tribulation.】
Four reward items distributed.
The Three Thousand Year Immortal Peach was much smaller than the nine-thousand-year Immortal Peaches Ao Tu had eaten, without purple patterns, but still a rare Immortal Fruit.
The Divine Weapon · Mysterious Gold Iron Rod Spear was a silver-white long spear that could grow large or small, with a golden tip that could emit golden light to kill enemies, its power depending on the user’s Magic Power.
The Magic · Golden Light of Earthly Movement was directly mastered. With this magic, even if trapped in prison in the future, he could escape at any time.
As for the last Ten Absolutes Formation · Red Sand Formation, it directly gave a Formation Diagram. Simply channel Magic Power, release the diagram, and all arrangements in the formation would be set up completely. Recite the recall, and everything could be taken back into the diagram, extremely convenient.
And as the four rewards were distributed, the system’s prompt sounded again.
【Ding, entered mission area】
【Current Side Quest: Flowing Sand River Crossing Tribulation】
【Mission Requirement: Obstruct the pilgrim in the Flowing Sand River area, settle rewards based on obstruction time.】
【Mission Rewards: Three days/Three-Revolutions Soul-Returning Pill, seven days/Six-Thousand-Year Immortal Peach, half a month/Acquired Spiritual Treasure · Headache Gourd, one month/Acquired Spiritual Treasure · Dragon-Binding Rope, one season/Supernatural Power · Five-Colored Divine Light, half a year/Ancestral Dragon Essence Blood, one year/Innate Spiritual Treasure · Soul Scattering Gourd, three years/Innate Spiritual Treasure · River Diagram and Luo Book, twelve years/Chaos Bell, sixty years…】
【Current Progress: Thirty-four days】
