Chapter 110: Great Battle With Red Boy
However, Li Tianwang and the others received the decree and descended to the mortal realm to subdue the demons.
But that demon possessed vast supernatural power, and nearly a hundred divine generals from the Tai Sui Department were no match for it; instead, more than half were captured by it.
Fortunately, Li Tianwang had anticipated the enemy and retreated to the Nine Heavens Above in advance, thus escaping.
However, if they returned now, it would harm their face.
Therefore, Li Tianwang hesitated at the entrance to the Heavenly Realm.
Wukong followed and asked, “Li Tianwang, what are you doing here?”
Li Tianwang said, “The demon is ferocious; I’m here to support you.”
Wukong said, “Old Sun just went back for a look; all the divine generals have been captured by that monster, only Jiazi Tai Sui and Day Roaming God survived.”
As he spoke, Jiazi Tai Sui flew up from below in panic, his body staggering as he crashed into the South Heaven Gate; in his haste, he didn’t notice Wukong and Li Tianwang nearby.
Inside Lingxiao Palace.
At this time, less than half a cup of tea had passed since Li Tianwang led the crowd down to the mortal realm.
The Jade Emperor was inquiring about Han Sijiuzhangren Zhenjun’s recent patrols of the Three Realms.
At that moment, Jiazi Tai Sui ran back in disarray, his face scorched black and court robe torn.
Seeing this, the Jade Emperor asked, “Jiazi Tai Sui, why are you in such a wretched state?”
Jiazi Tai Sui said, “Your Majesty, that demon is truly vicious! We divine officials followed Li Tianwang and the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven down to the mortal realm to subdue demons, each using our methods to surround that demon in mid-air. Who would have thought the demon’s body was indestructible like diamond, impervious to all spells? Its left hand emits demonic fire, its right hand sprays demonic water, a hum summons demonic thunder, a cough brings demonic lightning, and a spit unleashes nine heavens demonic wind. We divine officials were no match, suffering heavy losses!”
At this time, Li Tianwang and Wukong also walked in.
Li Tianwang knelt and pleaded guilty, saying, “Your Majesty, the demon is ferocious; I failed to win. I beg Your Majesty to forgive me.”
The Jade Emperor said, “A mere little demon has such abilities? What is the origin of this demon?”
Li Tianwang said, “In reply to Your Majesty, I only know this demon calls himself Sea of Blood Great King. I did not bring the Demon-Reflecting Mirror, so I do not know its specific origins.”
The Jade Emperor looked at Jiazi Tai Sui and said:
“Jiazi Tai Sui, you previously said the Three Realms were peaceful, yet now such a vicious demon has appeared. Do you have a plan to eliminate it?”
Jiazi Tai Sui kowtowed and said, “Your Majesty, this is my failure to investigate. To eliminate such a ferocious demon, only by summoning the divine generals of the Thunder, Dipper, Water, and Fire Departments to descend to the mortal realm can we succeed.”
Hearing this, the Jade Emperor immediately ordered the four departments’ divine generals to descend and subdue the demon, and also ordered Li Tianwang to fetch the Demon-Reflecting Mirror to check the demon’s origins, while Long Eyes and Favorable Wind Ear monitored the demon’s movements.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Ao Tu gathered the Tai Sui Department divine officials and returned to Blood Sea Cave.
Tiger Vanguard and White Bone Spirit said, “Congratulations, Great King, on your triumphant return!”
Ao Tu smiled and shook the Black Lotus, shaking out more than seventy people.
Tiger Vanguard exclaimed in surprise, “So many people!”
Ao Tu said, “These are Heavenly Court divine generals. Bind them securely and lock them in the prison cell.”
Tiger Vanguard said, “Yes, Great King. Should these people be locked in one prison cell or separated?”
Ao Tu said, “Interrogate them first. If they are together, lock them together.”
Tiger Vanguard nodded, cast a spell to bind them, and took them down for interrogation.
White Bone Spirit removed Ao Tu’s cape and poured wine to quench his thirst.
Soon after, Tiger Vanguard returned to report:
“Great King, it’s handled. Most of those divine generals are from the Tai Sui Department, with only a few under Precious Pagoda Li Tianwang; they have been locked up separately.”
Ao Tu nodded and said:
“Tiger Vanguard, go prepare a large banner for me with the six characters ‘Sea of Blood Peaceful Nether Great Sage’ written on it, and plant it on the mountain.”
Tiger Vanguard said, “Yes, Great King. Should we recruit some little demons to bolster our momentum?”
Ao Tu shook his head and said, “No need. Once you prepare the banner, leave directly for Black Water River.”
Tiger Vanguard said, “Yes.”
Ao Tu took the wine from White Bone Spirit and said, “You go with Tiger Vanguard.”
White Bone Spirit said, “Great King, if I leave, you’ll have no one to serve you. Let me stay a bit longer!”
Ao Tu said, “No need, go.”
White Bone Spirit had no choice but to agree.
Tiger Vanguard turned into evil wind, went outside, found a cloth shop, had someone make a two-zhang-long black-yellow banner embroidered with the six characters ‘Sea of Blood Peaceful Nether Great Sage’, and after returning, hung it on the mountaintop.
Tiger Vanguard reported, “Great King, the banner is ready. This subordinate takes his leave.”
Ao Tu nodded and let White Bone Spirit go with him.
The two prepared to leave.
Ao Tu said, “Right.”
The two stopped.
Ao Tu said, “Fix the door.”
Tiger Vanguard found a green stone, cut it open with his sharp claws, and made it into a stone door.
The two then departed.
Ao Tu sat alone on the throne in Blood Sea Cave, gazing at the empty cave mansion, feeling slightly lonely.
【Current Progress: Two Hundred and Seventy Days】
However, he was not entirely alone.
Ao Tu entered the prison cell and dragged Red Boy out.
Zhu Bajie said, “Old monster, what are you doing? Let go of my nephew!”
Ao Tu laughed, “I’m hungry today; I’ll eat him to tide me over.”
Hearing this, Ba Jie cursed nonstop, got up and rammed the prison cell door, but couldn’t budge it.
Ao Tu carried Red Boy out and said, “Red Boy, choose a way to die. Shall I boil you, roast you, or steam you?”
Red Boy, hearing this, thought he was really going to die and couldn’t help but shed tears, saying:
“Sea of Blood Great King, after you eat me, can you take a message to my parents?”
Ao Tu said, “What message?”
Red Boy tearfully said, “Please tell them: ‘Your child is unfilial. If there is a next life, I will stay by your side and be a good son.'”
Ao Tu laughed, “Child, you’ve become much more sensible now. Tell you what, I won’t eat you if you agree to one thing.”
Red Boy said, “I won’t betray Grand Master, Uncle Sun, and Second Uncle Pig.”
Ao Tu said, “No need to betray them.”
Red Boy said, “Then what do you want me to do?”
Ao Tu said, “I’ve been short of help these past few days. Stay by my side and do as I say: cook rice when I’m hungry, pour wine when I’m thirsty, massage my shoulders when they’re sore, pound my legs when they ache. Do well, and not only won’t I eat you, I’ll release Tang Sanzang and the others.”
Red Boy was overjoyed and said, “Are you serious?”
Ao Tu said, “This King always keeps his word, unlike you who keeps flip-flopping.”
Red Boy blushed and said, “I flip-flopped because…”
Ao Tu said, “Enough. Hurry and cook rice for this King. Make fish ball soup today.”
With that, he released Red Boy’s magic power.
Seeing his magic power restored, Red Boy said in surprise, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll run?”
Ao Tu sneered:
“Not afraid. If I can catch you once, I can catch you twice or thrice. If you dare run, I’ll catch you back and dismember you to eat. Arms and legs are the most fragrant and sweet, steamed; hands and feet tender with tendon, roasted; heart and liver nourishing, stewed in soup; the remaining meat shaved off the bones, minced for buns!”
Red Boy was chilled to the core.
Ao Tu continued, “Not only that, I practice collective punishment here. If you rebel, Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing will all face death.”
Hearing this, Red Boy dared not harbor any rebellious thoughts and obediently went to cook.
Ao Tu chuckled inwardly.
With Red Boy around for amusement, the days were not dull.
About twenty days passed like this. Outside the cave, divine clouds covered the sky, thunder rumbled; seeing this, Ao Tu knew Heavenly Court had sent more people.
Ao Tu called Red Boy and said:
“Red Boy, didn’t you say before you wanted to defy heaven? Today this Great King will show you how! Lend me your weapon.”
In the outer world, the divine generals of the Thunder, Dipper, Water, and Fire Departments gathered. Li Tianwang saw the banner on Ao Tu’s mountain with the words “Sea of Blood Peaceful Nether Great Sage” and angrily said:
“Audacious demon, daring to falsely claim the title of sage! Men, set fire to burn that demon banner!”
The Fire Department divine generals released three thousand fire crows to burn the banner.
Seeing this, Ao Tu exited the cave mansion, sacrificed the Black Lotus, and suspended it over the banner to block the divine fire.
Li Tianwang, seeing this, issued the command, “Exterminate the demon!”
As soon as the words fell, all the divinities exerted their power.
The Fire Department divine generals released thirty thousand fire crows, thirty thousand fire horses, thirty thousand fire knives, thirty thousand fire swords, thirty thousand fire rats.
Fire Virtue Star Lord hovered high in the sky, commanding the Fire Department divinities. He released a treasure, a rocket named Million Miles Cloud-Raising Smoke, which fell into Broken Arm Mountain.
Instantly, fire erupted from all directions in the mountain, black smoke billowed, red flames soared. Wind fueled the fire, flames leaping over a thousand zhang high; fire rode the wind, ashes bursting beyond the nine heavens clouds.
Red Boy saw this and didn’t dare show his face, hiding behind the door to watch.
Ao Tu stood with spear in hand outside Blood Sea Cave; myriad seas of fire could not approach him.
Water Virtue Star Lord chanted incantations in the air, and with the water gods cast spells, unleashing massive floods with thousand-zhang waves, torrential waters uprooting forests and shifting mountains, divine might rolling.
Red Boy saw this and felt even more tense.
Ao Tu stood with spear in hand outside Blood Sea Cave; the overwhelming waters could not shake him in the slightest.
The Thunder Department generals summoned divine thunder.
The Dipper Department Twenty-Eight Mansions cast down starlight.
Ao Tu stood in mid-air, relying solely on his physical body to withstand everything, standing firm unmoved.
Red Boy was shocked in his heart.
Wukong brandished his staff and struck at Ao Tu.
Ao Tu raised his spear to meet it.
The Twenty-Eight Mansions each held weapons, surrounding Ao Tu from above and below, attacking together.
Ao Tu transformed into three heads and six arms to fend them off, but as the saying goes, two fists can’t beat four hands, let alone a full twenty-eight people.
Especially since Ao Tu also had to fight Sun Wukong, he inevitably gave the other Twenty-Eight Mansions openings: one thrust a spear, another swung a staff, another slashed with a sword; Ao Tu began to sustain injuries.
Blood fell from the sky.
Red Boy watched anxiously from below. Clearly he and the Sea of Blood old demon were enemies, yet at this moment he inexplicably hoped the Sea of Blood old demon could survive.
In the sky, Li Tianwang took out the Demon-Reflecting Mirror and shone it on Sea of Blood Great King.
The mirror still showed Sea of Blood Great King’s true form: figure, appearance, clothes, shadow, all exactly the same.
Li Tianwang said in surprise, “Could it be this is not a monster, but a human who cultivated into this?”
A nearby divine general said, “Heavenly King, whether man or monster, capture him first and let His Majesty decide!”
Li Tianwang nodded. At this time Nezha was injured and recuperating in Cloud Tower Palace. The demon below was surrounded by the generals, fighting like a cornered beast.
Li Tianwang, seeing victory assured, no longer hesitated and threw down the Precious Pagoda to suppress the demon.
While fighting the crowd, Ao Tu suddenly felt his body sink as the pagoda flew toward his head.
Seeing this, Ao Tu raised his hand and took out the Soul Scattering Gourd.
Wukong saw the gourd and paled, turning to run without hesitation.
Ao Tu raised the gourd, spewing out a swath of red sand.
In an instant, heaven and earth above and below turned crimson red; the pagoda was sprayed until its spiritual light vanished, with over seven hundred holes appearing on it.
Heavenly Li Tianwang had no time to grieve the pagoda; he felt a buzz as his soul dispersed, falling from the clouds unconscious.
Water Virtue Star Lord and Fire Virtue Star Lord, being farther away, were still affected by the aftermath: their souls inverted, hands unable to move, feet unable to stand, eyes unable to breathe, noses unable to see, ears unable to speak, mouths unable to hear.
One stumbled east, the other west, staggering randomly, flying who knows how many tens of thousands of li before finally colliding and falling from the clouds.
Those farther away fared this way; those closer need not be mentioned.
The heavenly divinities fell like dumplings; if not for Ao Tu holding back, their souls would have scattered, unable even to reincarnate.
