Journey to the West: Tang Monk Conquers Everything

After having knocked Zhu Bajie unconscious, a considerable number of good items naturally burst forth, including several potions, which Jiang Liu glanced over without paying much attention.

The main loot was a few pieces of decent equipment, including a stick, a beautifully crafted belt, and two skill books.

Mixed Iron Rod (Legendary Level): Requires level 25, Attack +820, with special effect: Armor Penetration Attack, ignores 30% of the target's defense, durability 25/40.

This legendary weapon was, naturally, a much-needed treasure for Jiang Liu. His previous Green Lotus Staff only added 180 attack points, which, for the current Jiang Liu, had become rather weak.

An additional 800+ attack power and a 30% defense-ignoring effect made this weapon precisely what Jiang Liu was running short of.

More than a month ago, Jiang Liu had taken his second Spirit Elixir, boosting his level to 24. Having traveled to Gao Family Village for over a month, Jiang Liu had also amassed more than 400,000 experience points, so his level had just risen to 25 a few days ago.

For Jiang Liu, this piece of equipment was just what he needed now.

Xuanyu Belt (Perfect Level): Requires level 25, Defense +220, durability 13/20.

The other belt was a Xuanyu Belt of Perfect Level quality, which was also quite good, adding 220 defense, obviously much better than the level 15 Common Level silk belt.

After all, the silk belt only added 35 defense points.

With the two pieces of equipment worn, Jiang Liu's attack and defense attributes naturally both increased significantly, especially with the fourth legendary equipment, the Mixed Iron Rod, greatly boosting Jiang Liu's current attack power.

After scanning the properties of the two equipment pieces, Jiang Liu's gaze then fell on the two skill books, one of which was the skill book he currently lacked.

Compassionate Bodhisattva's Level 25 Skill Book — Strengthening Demon-Subduing Mantra.

The other was the Palm Thunder skill for the Heavenly Master after the Taoist switched professions.

It must be said, the loot that burst out was all very impressive. After silently nodding to himself, Jiang Liu's gaze landed on Zhu Bajie, his eyes flashing.

Looking at Sun Wukong's demeanor, it seemed he hadn't had enough fun yet? Should he encourage him to strike a few more times?

Second round? Third round? Fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth round?

Nevermind what Jiang Liu was scheming, after a little while, the heavily injured Zhu Bajie slowly came around, his spirit so frail it seemed a mere breeze could knock him over.

Guanyin Mantra.

Jiang Liu didn't waste words. Extending his finger towards Zhu Bajie, he activated the Guanyin Mantra's skill, restoring 20% health, which promptly healed some of Zhu Bajie's injuries.

Feeling the change in his body, Zhu Bajie looked at Jiang Liu in surprise.

"Stable Attendant, I, Old Pig, am not convinced. If he hadn't unfairly helped you just now, it wouldn't have been so easy for you to defeat me," Zhu Bajie said, both shocked and wary, after a glance at Jiang Liu, then he loudly called out to Sun Wukong.

Jiang Liu's Guanyin Mantra made Zhu Bajie marvel, while skills like Silencing Zen and Sheep Transformation Technique made him feel apprehensive.

"Hehehe, I, Old Sun, was thinking the same. Come on, let's fight another round, Master, this time you better not interfere!"

Hearing Zhu Bajie's shouting, Sun Wukong came over with the Jingu Bang in his hand. Of course, the latter part of his sentence was addressed to Jiang Liu.

"Are you guys going to fight? Then hurry it up," Jiang Liu said hurriedly, nodding while urging them on.

Why heal Zhu Bajie? Isn't it in the hope of a second or third round?

Although the experience points gained were not much, he could burst forth with good items.

Grinding him seven or eight times would surely deck him out in legendary-level equipment, wouldn't it?

If he was lucky, maybe one or two Epic Level pieces of equipment could burst forth?

"Err, no, I won't fight, I, Old Pig, am not fighting anymore..." However, just as he saw Sun Wukong readying the Jingu Bang to strike, Zhu Bajie immediately chickened out and quickly waved his hands.

"What? Weren't you unsatisfied? Then just fight another round," Sun Wukong said, seeing Zhu Bajie waving his hands.

"I, Old Pig, am unsatisfied, but I don't want to fight anymore. You're a monkey, competitive by nature, but I'm just a pig, meant to be lazy and gluttonous. What's the point of fighting without benefits?" Zhu Bajie responded to Sun Wukong's provocation, still unwilling to fight again.

Indeed, if it hadn't been for being pressured by Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie wouldn't have fought in the first place. Now that the fight had stopped, he naturally didn't want to fight anymore.

"You…" Seeing Zhu Bajie with the demeanor of a rogue meatball, unsatisfied but unwilling to fight, Sun Wukong was both frustrated and helpless.

But he had to admit, did what this Pig Demon say sort of make sense?

As a pig, shouldn't he indeed be lazy and gluttonous?

"Hey, master, I was just jumping out to make a joke with you guys; no need to fight to the death, right?" With no intention to fight, Zhu Bajie instead turned and looked at Jiang Liu, speaking up.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"You say it was a joke? But that appearance just now didn't seem like a joke at all. If our power had been a bit weaker, wouldn't we all have ended up in your belly?" Jiang Liu's gaze fell on Zhu Bajie, and he spoke with annoyance.

No matter how one looked at it, naturally they couldn't just let him leave.

"The master must be joking, how could that be," seeing that Jiang Liu was clearly not that easily fooled, Zhu Bajie awkwardly laughed.

"Hey, where exactly do you come from, pig? There aren't many demon creatures in the Three Realms and Six Paths who know I, Old Sun, and can exchange a few moves with me."

Sun Wukong came over, looked at Zhu Bajie's chubby and big-eared appearance, and unceremoniously grabbed Zhu Bajie's ear, baring his teeth in a fierce and malevolent manner as he interrogated him.

"I, Old Pig? Just a common pig that cultivated into a demon, where else could I be from? I have no old grudge nor recent grievance with you. Just let me go," under the pressure of Sun Wukong's questioning about his identity, Zhu Bajie spoke in a pleading tone.

"A pig demon? Can a common pig demon cultivate to this extent?" Sun Wukong eyed him doubtfully, clearly not quite believing Zhu Bajie's words.

But he had to admit, during his own time rampaging through the Three Realms, he had heard quite a bit about major demon supernaturals; indeed, he had never heard of such a powerful pig demon.

Could it be? A new leading figure among the demon clan that emerged during these five hundred years he had been suppressed?

Regardless of what was going through Sun Wukong's mind, hearing Zhu Bajie's explanation caused Jiang Liu to slightly raise his eyebrows.

Throughout the journey to the West, Sun Wukong always liked to mention his title, Great Sage Equalling Heaven, and Havoc in Heaven was his most pridefully recounted event.

Similarly, Zhu Bajie almost always told people he was the reincarnation of Marshal Tianpeng, commanding eighty thousand soldiers of the Heavenly River.

But now when Sun Wukong asked him about his identity, he only claimed to be a common pig demon?

"Could it be? Has he already figured out my identity, and is that why he's saying this?" Jiang Liu thought for a moment before a thought suddenly popped into his mind.

Could it be that Zhu Bajie also doesn't want to go to seek scriptures in the West? After recognizing Jiang Liu's identity, had he reflexively wanted to avoid the quest?

Unable to escape and defeated, he also hadn't revealed his identity, simply intent on leaving?

"Ahem..." Having formulated a conjecture, Jiang Liu cleared his throat and tentatively said to Zhu Bajie, "I see some cultivation in you, pig demon. How might I address you? I am a monk called Xuanzang, embarking under the decree of the Emperor of Tang to worship Buddha and seek scriptures in the Western Heaven."

"Oh, Master, nice to meet you. I am Zhu Ganglie. Monks should be compassionate; Master, please let me go. I promise that once I leave, I will eat vegetarian and recite Buddha daily," hearing Jiang Liu's introduction, Zhu Bajie didn't show any particular reaction, still just pleading and eager to leave the place.

"Indeed..." Zhu Bajie's response made Jiang Liu think, feeling that indeed it was so.

Although he had embarked on the journey to the West quite a few years before the original tale in Journey to the West, regardless, since Guanyin Bodhisattva had sent him on this journey, the arrangements along the way must clearly be in place, right?

Just like Sun Wukong, although he was reluctant to go on the journey to the West, Guanyin Bodhisattva had still found him and settled it.

It wouldn't make sense if it was all set with Sun Wukong but Zhu Bajie had been forgotten, right?

So, the only possibility was that Zhu Bajie, like Sun Wukong, also did not want to go on the journey to the West. Hence, even after Jiang Liu revealed his identity as a scripture seeker, Zhu acted like he didn't understand and just focused on leaving.

Sun Wukong was reluctant to go to the West because he had been deceived by Tathagata, holding resentment for five hundred long years.

So, what was the reason for Zhu Bajie's reluctance?

After pondering for a moment, based on Zhu Bajie's life experience, Jiang Liu had some guesses, but whether these guesses were true needed his verification.

Regardless of why Zhu Bajie didn't want to go on the journey to the West, it demonstrated his non-obedient attitude towards Buddhist orders.

Bearing this in mind, Jiang Liu felt he should even more pull him into the group heading West.

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From the current situation, although Zhu Bajie might not necessarily become an ally in overthrowing all deities, at least he wouldn't become an enemy in the future, right?

Zhu Bajie's reluctance worked perfectly for Jiang Liu; in fact, he wanted him even more now.

If Zhu Bajie had eagerly rushed to go on the journey Westward like White Dragon Horse initially did, Jiang Liu might have thought of ways to refuse him.

A guy who could match Sun Wukong when he got serious, if he were loyal to Buddhism, wouldn't it be trouble for Jiang Liu to have him along?

"Master, this pig demon, should we let him go or kill and eat him?"

While Jiang Liu was privately contemplating, Sun Wukong still thought he was considering whether to release Zhu Bajie and asked.

"Hey, master, you are joking, right? You're a monk, how can you eat my flesh?" Sun Wukong's words made Zhu Bajie shiver, crying out in fright.

After glancing at Zhu Bajie, Jiang Liu solemnly said, "We monks never joke."

As his words fell, he then turned to look at Sun Wukong, seriously adding, "Wukong, since this pig demon has deceived us and won't reveal his true identity, let's just kill and eat him. Today, I'll prepare you a pair of pig ears to stew. That taste..."

(PS: Rolling on the floor begging for monthly tickets, even if it's a failure, it has to be a failure with dreams and efforts, crying pathetically...)