darknovel Chapter 25 Demon-Subduing Formation
Chapter 25 Demon-Subduing Formation
The sounds on the long street had already quieted down.
Everyone tried their best to control their movements, staring intently at the ferocious and terrifying figure of the demonic monkey, filled with fear and dread.
Some people looked back at Jinguang Temple, several miles away, with anticipation in their eyes.
Not long ago, some people rushed to invite eminent Buddhist monks.
Inside Jin Guang Temple, the gatekeeper monks responded immediately upon hearing the person's plea for help.
Upon hearing the news, a patrol of monks immediately ordered someone to lead the way.
When they saw the long street in the distance, they could already smell the stench of blood in the wind.
And at that very moment.
The wealthy merchant, his nephew, and the Taoist priest Wang—the first two of them made a complete fool of themselves.
When the nephew saw the blood-covered demon monkey approaching, he was so frightened that he turned and ran away, wetting his pants in the process.
This act of running away was a grave mistake.
The monkey glared angrily, then stomped its foot so hard that the bluestone slabs seemed to groan.
With a leap, the wind howled, and the afterimage lingered.
Its true form had already appeared behind the person, its arms brimming with power, and it raised its stick to strike.
With one blow, the wealthy businessman's nephew's head exploded like a rotten watermelon!
Red and white splattered all over the ground, and even splashed onto the door panels of the shops along the street.
The street erupted in uproar, and onlookers retreated hastily, their faces filled with horror.
Master Wang was terrified when he saw this. He made strange noises like "Eek, hoo, hoo," and was scared out of his wits. He and his men frantically released talismans, unleashing wind, fire, and thunder all at once.
In an instant, a whole bunch of street stalls, tables, chairs, and signs were blown over, which was quite impressive.
But that's not enough! After all, it's a mischievous monkey demon created by the Water and Land Cult!
The monkey's body was engulfed in flames, yet it continued its journey, resembling a fire demon!
Lightning struck the monkey's body, but it remained motionless and unshaken, like a stubborn rock!
The wind blew on the monkey's body, but instead extinguished the fire!
The monkey swallowed all the magical attacks head-on. Its fur was covered in smoke and scorch marks, which only made its eyes glow even redder and its face look even more ferocious like a demon.
Master Wang turned to flee, but it let out a strange cry and leaped into the air, its staff falling to him mid-air.
With another loud bang, the old watermelon was smashed to pieces with a stick.
Now, only one remains.
The monkey narrowed its eyes, its whole body radiating demonic energy. It was as if the last glimmer of clarity in the depths of its eyes was like a candle flickering in the wind, about to be completely corrupted by the demonic intent of damnation.
It approached, and as it spoke, beneath its raging fury and violence, which it itself was unaware of, lay a profound solemnity:
"You... are the worst!"
After the monkey finished speaking, it raised the stick high, gripped it with both hands, and was about to strike.
It felt something in its heart.
This is all that's missing!
All that's missing is smashing this rotten watermelon; then I can feel completely relaxed and at peace again.
We're about to take it!
It should have been taken!
"Brother Ren!"
The wealthy man's eyes were almost empty, and he let out a loud shout as if possessed.
The heavy stick, seemingly weighing a ton, stopped abruptly above his head, just a finger's width away.
The wind pressure pounded on his flesh and skull, causing him to tremble violently.
The wealthy man turned and ran, but then let out a scream as his massive figure collapsed to the ground like a rolling gourd.
It turned out that he twisted his ankle in the heat of the moment.
He can never escape now, howling things like "My legs."
The figure behind him, radiating an indescribable weariness, drew closer little by little.
An iron rod was lightly poked into the fat flesh of the wealthy man's body.
This poke, though not forceful,
It was enough to leave his mind blank, with only the thunderous pounding of his heart remaining.
He turned around and heard the monkey demon speak in a hoarse voice.
"You...you're lying to me...right?"
The monkey asked this question intermittently.
"No, no, no! I'm not lying to you! You're a monkey spirit, you're a monkey spirit! I'm not lying!"
The wealthy man was stunned for a moment, then trembled, and began to shout wildly without thinking.
But just then, the monkey slowly raised the stick, as if it had obtained the answer.
The raging flames deep in his eyes suddenly died down, leaving only an overwhelming weariness and a sense of self-abandonment and bewilderment.
Let's just smash it to pieces.
The monkey slowly tightened its grip on the iron rod.
Suddenly, the wealthy man's pupils reflected a figure approaching from not far away.
The man was dressed in a coarse cloth shirt with wide, flowing sleeves. He had an elegant and graceful demeanor, as free and unrestrained as a young immortal.
It was as if the evening moonlight, after falling, had all gathered in those eyes.
The bright light is like a mirror, reflecting people's hearts.
In an instant, the wealthy man suddenly understood.
This monkey, this monkey demon, this devilish monkey, I haven't mistaken him for someone else.
Yes, this is that man.
"Here he comes! Brother Ren!"
The wealthy man suddenly shouted.
Just as the monkey was about to finish quickly with a laugh, his movements suddenly froze.
It is born with the nature of a clever monkey and can sense people's hearts.
Suddenly I realized that this person wasn't lying.
And look at the direction reflected in those pupils, which casts a silhouette of a person approaching from afar.
Though it was far away and small, it could recognize it at a glance—it was Brother Ren, it was Brother Ren.
The monkey's hands and lips trembled violently. In an instant, an overwhelming fear gripped its heart, a fear more terrifying than death itself. It let out a strange cry, its voice filled with indescribable terror, and turned to run away.
But then a shout came from behind.
"You demon monkey, don't run!"
The three monks guarding the temple formed a battle formation, also wielding staffs. The three staffs struck simultaneously, causing the monkey's bronze head to shake and become dazed, thus forcing it to a stop.
The monkey was eager to escape and had no intention of fighting.
It was afraid that its human brother would see it in this state, but it was firmly stopped, so it became more and more impatient and disorderly, and its strength dropped greatly.
Even so, one monk carelessly engaged in a head-on collision, and his long wooden staff instantly broke in two, causing him to hesitate to fight back.
However, the leader was brave and skilled, and he used his fighting tactics to suppress the enemy.
The three used the force of the attack to neutralize the force, and their staffs glowed with golden light as they used their magical powers to support themselves.
It actually withstood the monkey's iron rod attack and held it tightly.
The monkey struggled to defend itself, and the shadow of the stick scattered.
It couldn't kill the three annoying flies buzzing around it, nor could it get away. Just as it was getting anxious, a familiar voice came from behind it. The voice was not angry; it simply said:
"Who gave you permission to bully it?"
The monkey turned its head and saw that the young man had already approached gracefully. With a flick of his toe, the blood-stained red-tasseled spear on the ground sprang up as if it were alive and fell into its palm.
With a flick of his wrist, the tip of the spear hummed and vibrated, creating a perfectly round spear flower.
Under the moonlight, the rings emanating from the tip of the spear resembled a silver mirror.
He was a mortal in his past life, a martial arts master. How could there be any falsehood in that?
Zhong Xuan didn't stop walking. He touched the ground with the tip of his spear, using the momentum to twist his body.
A red-tasseled spear, like a streak of blood-red lightning, tore through the air and pierced straight towards the three monks!
The monkey was stunned.
It simply thought that the man's move was truly brilliant!
One of the three monks guarding the temple hurriedly parried with his staff, but the force of the spear was extremely strange. Upon contact, the staff was deflected, and the formation was broken instantly.
Zhong Xuan swiftly thrust his weapon into the room.
He turned the tip of his spear and thrust it at the second monk, while simultaneously patting the monkey's head with his left hand.
The monkey had just called out "Brother Human" with great surprise,
In the blink of an eye, Zhong Xuan thrust the spear out again with his other hand.
"Great gun!"
One of the monks shouted and gritted his teeth to block, but he felt a vortex-like sticky force coming from the spear. The opponent shook the spear, causing his staff to involuntarily deflect to the other side and smash into his companion.
Another monk was shocked and quickly swung his staff to help block the attack. He crossed his staff with his companion's, gathered all his strength, and tried to block the unstoppable spear.
However, the same red-tasseled spear, when it fell into the hands of the previous caravan guards, was the same kind of thing that Monkey knocked down by the roadside with a single blow.
But now, in the boy's hands, the Crimson Cherry Spear seems to have acquired the magical power of a dragon.
The spear tip touches the point where the two sticks cross, releasing and retracting force in a single motion.
A pulling force arose, causing the two to lose their footing and stumble forward.
At the same time, the third monk behind Zhong Xuan seized the opportunity and launched a sneak attack!
He swung the stick around from behind and smashed it hard into the back of the boy's head!
"Die, you demon!"
The monk shouted to bolster his courage.
But Zhong Xuan seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, and his right leg swung backward like a scorpion's tail.
He precisely picked up the iron bar that the monkey had propped up on the ground.
The monkey never doubted its brother, and readily took the opportunity to pick up the stick.
Snap!
The iron rod whistled upwards, striking the falling blow precisely.
The impact struck the sheet metal covering the tip of the stick, sending sparks flying.
Two martial monks in front of Zhong Xuan quickly stood still and began striking with their staffs to the left and right again.
"Stop your arrogance!"
"Golden Scissors Subdue the Dragon!"
The two monks each exhaled and roared, their voices alone enough to terrify ordinary mortals, causing them to drop their weapons in fear.
"Oh."
To everyone's surprise, the boy simply chuckled softly, without any malice.
He simply smiled, then extended his right hand, which resembled a python coiling around a spear.
Using the skillful force of the spear, the two monks were drawn out of their own wits. They felt a strange force coming from their sticks again, which pulled them to smash their sticks straight at each other!
Startled, one person quickly released the stick, while the other, having lost his strength, stumbled backward.
The monk behind him had his staff blocked, and in his astonishment, he tried to attack again.
Zhong Xuan twisted his waist and turned around, retracting his spear in the process.
He loosened his grip and then tightened it again, handing the gun to his back.
The spear tip, like a monstrous python emerging from its cave, suddenly thrust backward!
A clean and swift spear thrust landed squarely on the monk's chest!
A dull thud made him scream in pain.
"What a vicious gun!"
The leader of the monastery collapsed to the ground, curled up like a shrimp, and couldn't get up for a long time.
The monkey's eyes widened in disbelief; it was completely stunned.
I only learned today that you, Brother Ren, possess such amazing martial arts skills.
I've never seen this before!
Behind him, the Rakshasa woman also quietly mingled in the crowd of onlookers.
This was the first time she had seen the young man's composed demeanor and extraordinary martial arts skills.
Beneath the veil, a pair of beautiful eyes sparkled with a captivating light.
The Rakshasa woman was moved, thinking to herself: So, he also has such martial arts skills?
Zhong Xuan smiled and sheathed his spear, then said to the two monks, "The killing is about to begin; it would be better to stop. Please, both of you, cease your fighting and allow me to speak with Monkey for a few moments, shall we?"
The two monks noticed his extraordinary demeanor, his exceptional martial arts skills, and his polite manner—despite their previous harshness in attacking him.
Now, captivated by a pair of gentle, clear eyes, the two couldn't help but exchange a glance.
"Don't even think about running away!"
"Go quickly and inform them to close the city gates!"
The two monks were clever enough to immediately call out to the nearby neighbors.
Zhong Xuan ignored him and turned to look at Brother Monkey.
At this moment, the monkey timidly called out "Brother Human."
Its voice was full of apprehension and trepidation, yet its eyes couldn't hide its joy and dependence.
Just like a child who has done something wrong, waiting for the adults to judge.
Its eyes darted furtively towards the wealthy businessman who had been stabbed to death, now lying on the ground, unable to rise.
The monkey, however, is extremely clever and quick-witted; it can discern changes in people's hearts from these details.
Zhong Xuan hummed in response, his expression remaining unchanged.
The monkey's heart sank, and he lowered his voice, sounding almost pleading.
It called out again, "Brother... I was wrong."
Zhong Xuan frowned slightly and gave a soft hum.
The Rakshasa woman approached and, seeing the man and the monkey communicating in this way, her eyes flashed with surprise, puzzled.
Because of this response, the monkey was not angry at all.
It paused for a moment, then was overjoyed, its third "brother" filled with happiness and pride.
She suddenly pounced on the boy and hugged his waist, grinning, before letting go.
At this moment, the monkey was overjoyed and kept shouting: Brother, you're not angry! You're not angry!
Zhong Xuan pushed the gleeful monkey away, saying irritably, "I let you go far away, and you're already causing trouble! With this kind of wildness, when will you ever achieve immortality?"
Just as the monkey was about to speak, it suddenly paused, turned its head, and looked around.
"Hello!"
Suddenly, the Rakshasa woman beside them spoke up, and both the man and the monkey looked over.
Under the clear moonlight, her figure was graceful and voluptuous, and her simple dress could not conceal her stunning beauty.
Beyond the veil, a pair of bright eyes, like a pool of autumn water, were clear and alluring, while her phoenix eyebrows were slightly raised at the ends, revealing a blend of gentleness and strength, and a hint of heroic spirit.
Beneath the veil, her pink lips seemed to be smiling but not quite.
The monkey shuffled to the side and quietly approached its human brother.
The Rakshasa woman, with a hint of hostility and suspicion, asked, "You impudent monkey, weren't you going to the Water and Land Assembly to collect incense offerings for your mountain god? Why were you just now wreaking havoc?"
This question enraged the golden monkey.
Just as the monkey was about to speak, it quickly turned its head to glance at Zhong Xuan.
Zhong Xuan didn't look at it.
The monkey, feeling both anxious and guilty, hurriedly protested, "I didn't kill a human!"
These words came out of its mouth so easily that even it was taken aback.
Zhong Xuan turned around.
The Rakshasa woman also stared intently at it.
The monkey, grasping at a straw, cried out urgently, "They lied to me! They said the human brother was injured! No! Bad people! Inhuman! They don't count!"
The words came out one after another, and the meaning became clear.
The Rakshasa woman stopped looking at the ignorant and ferocious monkey and focused only on the boy, her gaze and expression serious: "Since you are its elder brother, and it shows no remorse this time, even believing it has done nothing wrong, what do you intend to do?"
Zhong Xuan turned to look at Brother Monkey, then turned back to look at the woman in front of him.
This time, the Rakshasa woman did not avoid eye contact; her gaze was like a sword, piercing straight back.
Zhong Xuan then recalled the incantation used by the Mountain God when he transformed into a demon to kill the Green Sheep Spirit, and his gaze softened.
"Yunniang, what you said makes sense."
As soon as he finished speaking, the monkey became frightened.
"Let me make this clear first: everything has a cause and an effect. The three who died all had their reasons. In any case, I am willing to believe Brother Monkey first—they had all sorts of bad deeds before they reaped the bad consequences of tonight."
Upon hearing Zhong Xuan's words, the monkey was so overjoyed that it almost cried out.
The Rakshasa woman frowned, her temper flaring up, but she managed to restrain herself for a moment.
Listen to one more sentence!
She thought to herself, and sure enough, she heard it.
"However, even if the three of them are reaping what they sowed, Brother Monkey's current rampage is not addressing the root cause. If he continues like this, it will likely be the source of his own death and annihilation in the future."
The monkey was stunned.
It looked down at its own hands, then at Zhong Xuan.
"Death and the annihilation of one's cultivation?" it asked, its voice trembling slightly.
"Am I...am I going to die too?"
The monkey, who trusted its human brother the most, was truly terrified at this moment.
The Rakshasa woman scoffed first, saying, "How would I know about the sins you've committed? Don't you have your brothers?"
Zhong Xuan nodded instead: "I'm grateful for his address as brother, so I'll take half the blame. I'll ask Yunniang to take my monkey brother away first, and I'll handle the rest on my own; that way, I'll be more flexible."
The Rakshasa woman's heart was in turmoil at the summons, but she was interrupted by the monkey's shouts.
The monkey cried out, "I won't leave! I want to fight alongside my human brother!"
The Rakshasa woman choked for a moment, then turned her head and said coldly, "Aren't you afraid of death?"
The monkey stiffened its neck, glared back, and said fiercely, "I'm not afraid! I'm not afraid of heaven, I'm not afraid of earth! With you, brother, I'm not afraid of anything!"
The Rakshasa woman ignored it and said, "I'm not afraid. Your brother still owes me half a Taoist scripture. I won't let you cause any more trouble."
Zhong Xuan gently pushed the monkey brother over: "Go quickly!"
The monkey looked back every few steps, reluctant to leave, and dejectedly dared not disobey again. He felt that he had been too naughty and that he would eventually have to drag his brother out to deal with him.
But when her reluctant gaze met those warm eyes again...
Zhong Xuan smiled, not even glancing at him, and casually thrust his spear forward.
The wealthy man, who had just been helped up, was stabbed from his back to his heart. Before he could even scream, he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
The monkey saw the human brother nod gently with a smile.
For a moment, it was overjoyed, its eyes shining brightly.