The Real Person rode a white deer, with the Traveler ensuring their safety, as they approached the entrance to the Ghostly Realm.
Suddenly, the Ox-Headed Ghost and the Horse-Faced Ghost jumped out to block their path.
The Traveler stepped forward and shouted, "I am Hui An, the eldest disciple of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva! This is Guangxin, a Real Person under the Bodhi Patriarch of the Western Bull Hezhou! We wish to enter the Underworld, so clear the way!"
Upon hearing their names, the surrounding Ghosts, known for their great powers, were filled with fear and trepidation.
Some ran away, some trembled, some hid, and some panicked.
How could they dare to appear and block their path?
The Ox-Headed Ghost and the Horse-Faced Ghost quickly cleared the way, saying, "Respected ones, please enter!"
Hui An, the Traveler, led the white deer into the Ghostly Realm, and no one dared to obstruct them as they headed straight for the Senluo Hall.
Inside the Senluo Hall, the Ten Kings of Hell, upon hearing that two immortals had arrived, hurriedly adjusted their attire and came out to welcome them.
The Ten Kings did not know which immortals had come.
When they stepped outside and saw the one leading the deer, holding a heavy iron staff and with a fierce appearance, they thought he was no good person.
Then they saw the one riding the deer, wearing a purple-gold crown, a purple robe adorned with sun and moon patterns, shoes on his feet, holding a jade whisk, and with a divine light in his eyes—truly a Daoist immortal.
The Ten Kings stepped forward and said, "May I ask what brings the two immortals here? Please leave your names!"
Hui An, the Traveler, shouted, "I am Hui An, the eldest disciple of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva from Nanhai Luojia Mountain!"
Jiang Yuan said, "I am Guangxin, the eldest disciple of the Bodhi Patriarch from the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain in the Western Bull Hezhou, from the Xieyue Sanxing Cave."
Upon hearing this, the Ten Kings were greatly alarmed.
What kind of names were these, as grand as the heavens, all possessing great powers!
The Ten Kings bowed and said, "We did not expect the esteemed ones and the Real Person to arrive, we apologize for not welcoming you!"
Hui An, the Traveler, replied, "This time, the Real Person has come to seek the cause and effect regarding you. I have come under the orders of my master to protect the law."
The Ten Kings asked, "Real Person, what kind of cause and effect do you refer to?"
Jiang Yuan dismounted from the white deer, his heart calm, and said, "To not hide from the Ten Kings, hundreds of years ago, I entered my master's sect to cultivate. Unexpectedly, I was sought after by the Ghosts to collect my soul, and nearly had my soul taken. Now that I have attained the Dao, I have come for the cause and effect."
The Ten Kings panicked and said, "Real Person, please do not be angry! It must have been a mistake on the part of the Ghosts; it was certainly not our intention!"
Jiang Yuan said, "What kind of mistake? Logically, since I have taken refuge under my master, I should not suffer the worries and pains of life and death, correct?"
The Ten Kings replied, "Indeed, indeed!"
Jiang Yuan continued, "Since I do not suffer the worries and pains of life and death, why did the Ghosts come to seek me? How could this be a mistake?"
The Ten Kings said, "We ask the Real Person to enter with us; we will have the Judge thoroughly investigate the Book of Life and Death to clarify the matter with the Real Person."
Jiang Yuan and the Traveler agreed and entered the Senluo Hall, taking their seats.
The Ten Kings ordered the Judge to bring out the Book of Life and Death to find Jiang Yuan's name.
...
Meanwhile, in Flower Fruit Mountain, after the Monkey King obtained the divine weapon and donned the armor from the Dragon Palace, his divine might was revealed.
With strong martial skills, he subdued the demons, who all came to pay their respects.
The Monkey King trained the demon soldiers, establishing a formidable presence in the area.
The Monkey King then entrusted various matters to the Four Elder Monkeys, roaming the seas, enjoying the mountains, befriending heroes, and seeking out talents.
Due to his exceptional abilities, he gained six brothers: the Bull Demon King, the Jiao Demon King, the Peng Demon King, the Lion-Trojan King, the Monkey King, and the Yuran King.
Together with the Beautiful Monkey King, they were known as the Seven Brothers.
One day, the Monkey King invited the heroes and his six brothers to Flower Fruit Mountain for a grand banquet, creating a lively atmosphere.
During the feast, the various demons discussed literature and martial arts, passing cups and toasting, while music and dance filled the air.
Suddenly, the Bull Demon King asked, "Brother, you possess great skills, excelling in both literature and martial arts. May I ask what your esteemed position is?"
Wukong, drunk from the wine, was about to boast about his master to impress the demons when he suddenly recalled his master's words, forbidding him from mentioning that he came from the Sanxing Immortal Cave.
He sobered up somewhat and said, "To not hide from my brothers, I am self-taught. In the past, I was a stone, born from the wind, a divine being of heaven and earth. All my abilities are innate."
Upon hearing this, the demons all praised and envied him, but some were even more jealous.
The Bull Demon King said, "With such abilities, who among the Three Realms can surpass you? To remain in this mountain is a waste of talent. In my opinion, you should be called the Great Demon King, occupying the immortal mountains at sea, or perhaps hold an official position in heaven."
The Monkey King's eyes rolled, his heart stirred, and the two gods began to stir trouble, yet he was unaware.
After the feast, the demons were all drunk, and the Monkey King arranged for someone to escort his six brothers home.
Once the demons were settled, he returned to the Water Curtain Cave to rest.
The Monkey King leaned against a tree in the shade under the Iron Plank Bridge, a truly tranquil spot.
Not long after the Monkey King fell asleep, two figures appeared before him, taking out a document with the words "Sun Wukong" written on it.
They were two Ghosts.
The Ghosts said, "This is Sun Wukong! Drunk or not, it saves us trouble. Take him away!"
One of them said, "I will set the rope and take him away."
Saying this, they threw the rope and captured Sun Wukong's soul.
Although Sun Wukong had achieved the Golden Core, he had not subdued the five elements, and his sacred fetus was incomplete, so how could he resist this soul-collecting?
The Ghosts took Wukong's soul away, and Wukong, still dazed from the drink, was unaware of when he started to follow them.
When they reached the entrance of the Ghostly City, Wukong finally sobered up, raised his head, and saw the entrance to the Ghostly Realm right before him, confused.
The Monkey King said, "This is where King Yan resides; why am I here?"
The Ghosts replied, "Your lifespan has ended. We were sent to capture you; you must return to the Underworld."
The Monkey King was furious and said, "I am a divine being born of heaven, having achieved the Golden Core. How dare you capture me? Prepare to fight!"
Saying this, the Monkey King pulled out his divine weapon from his ear, shook it, and the divine weapon transformed to the size of a bowl, truly the Ruyi Jingu Bang.
He swung the staff and struck the two Ghosts, turning them into a pulp, and then freed himself from the ropes.
In the city, the Ox-Headed Ghost and the Horse-Faced Ghost saw the Monkey King displaying his ferocity, gathered their soldiers, and prepared to capture him.
The Monkey King, enraged, threw himself into the fray, swinging his staff.
The divine weapon was so powerful that anyone it touched would die, and those it brushed against would suffer injuries.
In an instant, the Underworld's soldiers fell like wheat, as the Monkey King showcased his martial skills, causing the ghosts to wail and flee.
The Ox-Headed Ghost hid to the east, while the Horse-Faced Ghost ran to the north.
The Monkey King rampaged, and no one in the Underworld could stop him.
...
Meanwhile, in the Senluo Hall, things were somewhat peaceful.
Jiang Yuan and Hui An, the Traveler, were seated when, after a short while, the Ten Kings of Hell brought the Book of Life and Death and presented it to Jiang Yuan.
The Ten Kings said, "Real Person, you belong to the human category. This Book of Life and Death has five categories: bare insects, hairy insects, feathered insects, insects, and scaly creatures. You belong to the bare insects."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan looked closely at the Book of Life and Death, which stated "Eighty-four thousand names, lifespan none."
Since he had entered under his master's sect, his lifespan should not be recorded, hence there was no lifespan noted in the Book of Life and Death.
He said, "This book does not record my lifespan; how can the Ghosts come to collect me?"
The Ten Kings said, "It is the Underworld's negligence; please punish us, Real Person!"
Jiang Yuan said, "You all speak; how should I punish you?"
The Ten Kings looked at each other, unable to come up with a decision.
Just as Jiang Yuan was about to speak again, there was a commotion outside, disrupting the peace in the Senluo Hall.
A ghost soldier rushed in, trembling, and said, "Great King! Trouble, trouble!"
The Ten Kings were alarmed and asked, "What kind of trouble?"
The ghost soldier exclaimed, "There is a monkey with a hairy face and a thunderous mouth causing havoc outside!"
The Ten Kings shouted, "The Real Person and esteemed ones are here; how can you shout and disturb the tranquility? Send the soldiers to drive him away!"
The ghost soldier replied, "Great King, those soldiers were scattered by that thunderous-mouthed monkey!"
The Ten Kings were thrown into a panic upon hearing this.
Hui An, the Traveler, steadied his heavy iron staff and said, "I shall see who dares to disturb the Underworld."
Saying this, the Traveler lifted his robe and headed outside the hall.
Jiang Yuan asked, "Ten Kings, what does this mean?"
The Ten Kings replied, "It is indeed negligence, negligence!"
Jiang Yuan said, "In this case, I will not make it difficult for you. In the past, when I traveled to the Western Bull Hezhou's Wuli Kingdom, I heard that a Liu family matriarch was mistakenly collected by you. You returned her to life. Furthermore, ensure that such mistakes do not happen again in the Underworld. If you comply, I will teach you how to avoid such mistakes in the future, and I will also show you my powers."
The Ten Kings happily said, "We will not dare again, we will not dare again!"
Outside the Senluo Hall, Hui An, the Traveler, stepped out with his heavy iron staff.
He looked closely and saw a monkey with a hairy face and a thunderous mouth, brandishing a staff and causing chaos, with the city gates tightly shut and ghost soldiers running in panic.
He truly displayed an imposing presence, causing unrest in the Underworld.
Hui An stepped forward and shouted, "Who dares to cause trouble in the Underworld?"
The Monkey King stopped, turned his head to look, and asked, "I am the Beautiful Monkey King, born of heaven in Flower Fruit Mountain! This Underworld has come to collect my soul; I will surely disturb the peace here!"
Hui An said, "I am Hui An, the eldest disciple of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva! Since the Underworld has made a mistake in collecting you, come with me to the Senluo Hall to clarify this matter; why cause such a ruckus?"
The Monkey King laughed and said, "The Underworld has made a mistake and should be punished. Let me fight first, and we can talk later."
Hui An said, "There is a Real Person in the Senluo Hall; you are disturbing the peace."
The Monkey King replied, "What Real Person? What does it have to do with me? If the Real Person comes, let him extend his cane and fight me a few rounds to relieve my boredom."
Hui An, the Traveler, said, "You dare to speak like this? I will not spare you. Wait until I capture you and make you apologize before the Real Person."
Saying this, the two began to fight fiercely, with the heavy iron staff clashing against the Ruyi Jingu Bang, each displaying their powers.
One was a true immortal under the Bodhi gate, and the other was a righteous dragon under Avalokiteshvara.
In the city, a fierce battle ensued, with the two fighting in mid-air, exchanging blows, dodging, and countering.
After ten exchanges, the staff clashed with a loud bang, and the Traveler, slightly weaker than the Monkey King, began to lose momentum.
The Monkey King, fierce and relentless, pressed the attack.
Hui An struck the Monkey King back with one blow, catching his breath and saying, "Good martial arts, good martial arts!"
The Monkey King slammed his Ruyi Jingu Bang down and said, "You little one, you have some strength. Quickly retreat to avoid death."
Upon hearing this, Hui An was enraged and swung his staff to strike, aiming for the Monkey King's head, determined to capture him.
The Monkey King was unafraid, slightly raised his hand, and received the blow.
Truly, the Monkey King was born of heaven and earth, with extraordinary martial skills.
When he saw the Monkey King sweep his staff, Hui An had to hold the staff with both hands to block it.
The two fought fiercely again, their staffs clashing, making a loud sound.
After forty exchanges, Hui An, lacking strength, began to retreat, attempting to head towards the Senluo Hall.
The Monkey King would not let him escape, laughing and saying, "Where do you think you're going?"
Saying this, the Monkey King chanted a spell, targeting Hui An, and with a shout of "Freeze," he used a 'Body Freezing' technique to immobilize Hui An.
The Monkey King swung his staff, but fortunately, Hui An had a technique to break the freeze.
He tilted his head, allowing the staff to strike his right shoulder, narrowly escaping with his life as he rushed towards the Senluo Hall.
Hui An entered the Senluo Hall, closed the door tightly, and caught his breath.
Jiang Yuan and the Ten Kings welcomed him and asked, "What happened?"
Hui An said, "That one outside possesses great powers. I fought him for fifty exchanges but could not defeat him and had to escape. Unexpectedly, he used a freezing technique, nearly costing me my life."
The Ten Kings were alarmed and trembled, saying, "What kind of immortal is that, with such great abilities?"
Jiang Yuan said, "Open the door; I will settle this with him."
Hui An replied, "Real Person, that one is highly skilled. If we open the door, it may lead to harm."
Jiang Yuan said, "You do not know; my martial skills may be lacking, but I possess divine powers. No one without great powers can defeat me."
Hui An asked, "Can the Real Person truly contend with him?"
Jiang Yuan replied, "Indeed."
Upon hearing this, Hui An opened the door.
Outside, the Monkey King's curses could be heard, saying, "Since you have come to collect my soul, hand over the Book of Life and Death so I can clarify this matter. Otherwise, I will make your Underworld restless!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan suddenly understood and thought, "So it is this monkey. How did he end up here? Could it be that my master sent him away, causing him to run amok in the Underworld? When he was in the palace, this monkey's heart was restless, and he tried to test his powers against me, but he had restrained himself a lot. Now that he is out of the palace, he is truly unbridled."
He stepped outside to confront the monkey.
Hui An, enduring his injuries, followed with the heavy iron staff.
When the Monkey King saw the hall door open, holding his Ruyi Jingu Bang, he shouted, "Where is that old King Yan? Since you secretly control me and send Ghosts to collect me, why do you not show yourself and clarify the situation?"
"Wukong."
Suddenly, a voice called out, reaching his ears.
The Monkey King was startled and stumbled, his eyes wide open.
Upon closer inspection, he saw a Real Person walking out—it was his senior brother.
The Monkey King turned to flee, no longer daring to cause trouble.
Jiang Yuan stepped out and saw the monkey trying to escape.
He laughed and said, "Wukong, why do you run upon seeing me? Do not run, do not run!"
Saying this, Jiang Yuan used a technique of the Universe in His Sleeve, lightly extending his sleeve, and with a swoosh, he captured both the monkey and the staff, pulling them into his sleeve.
Wukong was greatly shocked and swung his staff wildly, but it was futile.
The Universe in His Sleeve was as hard as steel; no matter how the monkey struck, he could not break free.
Even with a thousand transformations and myriad abilities, they were useless this time.
Wukong was alarmed, "What kind of power is this Universe in His Sleeve? I possess the Ruyi Jingu Bang, capable of traversing heaven and sea, and even my six brothers cannot capture me. How is it that upon seeing my senior brother, I am trapped in a single sleeve, unable to move, unable to resist, unable to strike, and unable to escape? The depth of my senior brother's Dao is truly profound."
The monkey, at a loss, could only retract his Ruyi Jingu Bang, waiting for his senior brother to release him before he could regain his freedom.
...
Jiang Yuan had captured the monkey in his sleeve and returned to the Senluo Hall, reassuring the Ten Kings that the troublemaker from the Underworld had been subdued.
The Ten Kings finally felt at ease, welcoming Jiang Yuan to take a seat.
They retrieved the Book of Life and Death, resolving the matter, and allowed Liu's mother to return to life.
Hui An, who had been following along, marveled at the Real Person's powers.
Such a formidable demon was captured by a mere sleeve, unable to resist.
How could he compare to such divine powers? Truly, it was "Awe-inspiring is the Real Person's profound Dao."
(End of Chapter)