Chapter 93: The Golden Cicada's Demise, the Arrival of Sha Monk, Utter Terror! [Please Subscribe, Everyone Come In]

Dressed in monk's robes, tall in stature, with delicate features, red lips, and white teeth.

As he looked not far upstream along the small creek, the monk, carrying a large basket and pack, raised his head to fetch water. In that instant, the charm and bearing in his brow and eyes were so strikingly similar to the scripture-seeker from his memories that Lu Fei’s heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but blurt out: "Tang Seng."

But as soon as the words left his lips, Lu Fei realized his blunder and immediately swallowed the rest of the word.

Lu Fei’s exclamation immediately alerted the monk, who was fetching water nearby. The man’s face broke into a smile, and he stood up, pressing his palms together in a respectful salute to Lu Fei: "Greetings, patron."

"To meet a patron in these desolate mountains and wild forests is truly a matter of fate."

Although it was only their first encounter, and such a hurried one at that, the tone of the man's voice and the gentle, scholarly air revealed in his appearance and demeanor made Lu Fei feel even more certain about his earlier impulsive thought: the handsome, tall monk before him was Tang Seng. No, not Tang Seng, but one of Tang Seng’s previous incarnations.

In his memories, Lu Fei knew that only the tenth incarnation of the scripture-seeker—a reincarnation of Golden Cicada, the second disciple of the Tathagata Buddha—was called Tang Seng. As for what the previous nine incarnations were called, Lu Fei was unsure, but he was certain that this monk, whose handsome appearance was enough to incite jealousy, whose temperament was scholarly and kind, and whose bearing commanded respect, could be no one but a reincarnation of Golden Cicada.

Moreover, they were not far from the Flowing Sand River. In Lu Fei's memory, the demon—formerly the Curtain-Lifting General, Sha Seng—had personally stated that he had eaten nine scripture-seekers; the nine skulls hanging around his neck were the previous nine incarnations of Tang Seng. Thus, it was not impossible for a previous incarnation of Tang Seng to appear near the Flowing Sand River.

However, it was quite a coincidence for him to run into one. Could it be that he was fated with the Buddha?

No, no! Lu Fei immediately cast that terrifying thought out of his mind. He had no desire to be a monk, and even less desire to be kept as a pet by the monks of Buddhism.

Without further thought, Lu Fei returned the salute: "Greetings, Master."

"It is indeed fate," Lu Fei replied. As he spoke, the pack he had previously stored in his spatial storage ability appeared on his shoulder. "To have the honor of meeting you in such a desolate wilderness is a great fortune for me."

As he spoke, Lu Fei stepped closer, observing the monk whose appearance was truly impressive. Only then did he understand why many female demons would rather share a night of passion with Tang Seng than eat his flesh, and why the Queen of the Western Liang Kingdom would give up her throne and use the wealth of her entire nation to invite Tang Seng to be her king. The man was simply too handsome, too dashing. Many believe that being handsome is useless, but that is wrong; it just means you aren't handsome enough. This also made Lu Fei believe that handsomeness is hereditary.

Because he admired the morality and character of the tenth-generation Tang Seng, the reincarnation of Golden Cicada, Lu Fei became increasingly polite to this previous incarnation.

"Likewise," the monk replied with another palms-together salute.

The distance between them had closed significantly without them realizing it. Lu Fei frowned slightly and suddenly asked: "In such a desolate wilderness, there are surely tigers and fierce beasts lurking, which is very dangerous. May I ask where you have come from, Master, and where you are headed?"

The monk finished filling his water skin, stood up, and said: "I have come from the East and am traveling to the Western Heaven to pay homage to the Buddha and seek the scriptures."

"As for tigers and fierce beasts, there is no need to fear them. Look, am I not perfectly fine?"

"Coming from the East to the Western Heaven to seek the scriptures... that must be an arduous journey, Master." Lu Fei’s face filled with surprise, and he quickly added, "I admire you, I truly do."

"I see you are alone, patron. You don't look like a woodcutter, nor a hunter." The monk suddenly asked, "May I ask where you are headed?"

Hearing the monk’s inquiry, Lu Fei laughed: "Me? I’m just an idle wanderer, unable to sit still, just walking around to see the sights." As he said this, he crouched down, baring his back, and cupped his hands to drink the clear water from the stream.

Hearing Lu Fei’s words, the monk fell silent for a moment, staring at the man crouching to drink. Suddenly, he spoke again: "Since you know that this wilderness is full of tigers and fierce beasts, and it is so dangerous, shouldn't you be avoiding such places?"

"Squeak, squeak, squeak!" At that moment, the long-nosed little white mouse poked its head out of Lu Fei's collar and began to shriek ferociously at the monk behind its master.

Startled, the monk withdrew his intense gaze and, noticing something, asked in surprise: "Patron, where did you catch this mouse? Its flesh is so white and tender; it must taste excellent."

As soon as the words were out, the monk seemed to realize his mistake. He immediately pressed his palms together and chided himself: "I have allowed greed to arise. A sin, a sin."

"Squeak, squeak, squeak!" The little one continued to shriek at the monk.

Lu Fei’s heart settled. Having had his fill of water, he stood up and tapped the black iron rod he used as a walking stick: "I have some martial arts skills, so I do not fear those tigers and beasts."

"As for my little one here, it is not a mouse, nor is it livestock or poultry, so pray do not entertain the thought of eating it." Lu Fei reached out to stroke the little one's head to soothe it, then looked at the monk and said: "Master, it was just an unintentional remark; there is no need to blame yourself."

"Since you are going to the Western Heaven, Master," Lu Fei suggested, "and I happen to have nothing to do, why don't I accompany you for a stretch to relieve your boredom?"

The monk’s face brightened: "That would be wonderful."

"Let us go, patron. The day is still young; we should pick up our pace."

Watching the impatient look on the monk's face, Lu Fei laughed: "Of course. Let us travel far while the weather is good, so as not to waste this beautiful spring scenery."

"Indeed, let us go." The monk smiled, immediately stepping forward to lead the way. Lu Fei followed behind. He noticed they were heading toward Evil Cloud Ridge. He said nothing and kept a distance, chatting casually with the monk.

Lu Fei: "Do you have any family left, Master?"
Monk: "This... this... no, there is only me left."
Lu Fei: "Ah, my apologies. So you are an orphan, Master."
Monk: "An orphan? Yes, yes, I am an orphan. It is good to be an orphan."
Lu Fei asked again: "Have you met any other monks, Master?"
Monk: "I have, of course. He was a true master, but unfortunately, he would not listen to my advice and ended up dying by the Flowing Sand River."
Lu Fei: "What? I didn't hear you clearly. Could you repeat that, Master?"
Monk: "You didn't hear? That is even better. It is nothing, nothing at all. Little brother—no, patron—to come to such a dangerous wilderness so recklessly, does your family not worry about you?"
Lu Fei: "I have three brothers who worry about me, but I do not like being tied down."
Monk: "Three brothers? That is quite a few. If you were to encounter danger in the wild, would they come to find you?"
Lu Fei: "They would certainly want to, but they probably couldn't find me. After all, I am already too far from home."

"Is that so?" The monk walking in front suddenly stopped and said: "That means if I keep you, no one else will come looking for you?"

Lu Fei stopped as well, looking puzzled: "What do you mean, Master?"

*BOOM!*

Suddenly, a thunderclap rang out in the clear sky. Immediately after, gusts of sinister wind began to howl.

"What do I mean...?" The monk’s previously fair and handsome face instantly turned hideous. He stared at Lu Fei behind him and snarled: "If your brothers won't come looking for you, then what use are you? You annoying, meddlesome, chatty little fool! Go ask the King of Hell what I mean after you die!"

As he spoke, the fair, handsome skin on the monk’s face began to peel away in patches. Black, bone-like tentacles sprouted from beneath the skin, followed by a dark carapace, two huge, pitch-black eyeballs, and a mouthpart filled with messy, sharp fangs.

In just a few breaths, the handsome monk transformed into a hideous, terrifying monster. He extended his sharp, elongated claws, intending to snatch the young man before him. What he found strange, however, was that the human, who had seen his terrifying transformation, did not show the fear or cowardice he expected. Instead, the young man remained calm.

Curious, the monster asked in a sinister voice: "Boy, are you not afraid of me? Are you not afraid of monsters?"

As if reminded, Lu Fei’s face immediately showed fear, and he nodded repeatedly: "Afraid! Of course, I'm afraid!"

Looking at the exaggerated expression on the human youth, the monster felt increasingly irritated and disgusted, just as he had been annoyed by the boy’s endless questions. He felt no sense of accomplishment in terrorizing this human and, lacking the vocabulary for more menacing threats, could only say: "Damn boy, I will eat you alive, piece by piece, and see if you can still keep that annoying expression and say such annoying things!"

With a low roar, the monster lunged at Lu Fei.

Lu Fei immediately pivoted, dodging the lunge, and swung his iron rod down.

*BANG!*

The monster was struck with such force that it was slammed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

In that moment, Lu Fei did not immediately attack again but retreated. Sure enough, a beam of black light shot out from the fallen monster, missing him entirely. Had Lu Fei rushed in, he would have been struck by that light.

"Cough, cough..." The monster quickly scrambled to its feet, glaring at Lu Fei: "You are definitely not human! Who are you?"

Facing the question, Lu Fei grinned: "Don't worry about who I am!"

"I was bored on the road and wanted to chat with you, but you insisted on trying to eat me."

"As it happens, I want to eat you now." Lu Fei scrutinized the monster from head to toe and asked: "Hey, are you a Golden Cicada demon? I’ve never tasted a Golden Cicada demon before."

The monster was enraged: "I don't care what you are, but you won't be eating me! I will kill you today!" The monster roared and rushed forward, wielding a short, black, bone-like weapon.

Lu Fei’s expression shifted slightly. Regardless of what kind of monster it was, any demon capable of reaching the rank of Demon General had its unique traits. Just as he prepared to engage with his iron rod, the monster suddenly turned and fled.

"Damn it!"

"Trying to run after acting tough!" Lu Fei was furious and chased after him with his rod.

***

After chasing for less than two miles, Lu Fei realized the monster's speed and immediately activated his ability.

"Swift Step!"

Lu Fei’s speed, already closing the gap, surged instantly. The monster ahead quickly noticed and flashed with black light, its own speed increasing. However, it was still no match for the "Swift Step" ability, which Lu Fei had mastered to a high level.

Seeing the distance closing, the monster suddenly leaped into the air, about to take flight.

"Oh no!" Lu Fei was startled. Without waiting, he willed his ability: "Inch-Shift!"

The "Inch-Shift," mastered to a high level, was faster and covered more distance than the entry-level version. Combined with the "Swift Step," Lu Fei flashed twice and caught up to the monster, which was now hovering a meter and a half off the ground.

Lu Fei flashed again, this time appearing in mid-air. He raised his iron rod high and slammed it down onto the back of the shocked and terrified monster.

*THUD!*

With a bone-chilling thud, the monster fell like a bird with broken wings, its wings snapping instantly as it plummeted to the ground.

*CRASH!*

The ground shook, and dust filled the air. The monster lay in a crater, its wings broken and its hard carapace caved inward.

This time, Lu Fei did not retreat. He lunged forward and brought his iron rod down on the monster's head.

*CRACK!*

With another muffled sound, the head of the monster—which would have given anyone nightmares—exploded, spraying black shell fragments, brains, and fluids in all directions. Lu Fei was too close and was splattered, unable to avoid it.

"Pah!" Lu Fei licked a drop of fluid from the corner of his mouth, found it bitter, and spat it out.

Then, he watched as the headless monster transformed into its true form: a Golden Cicada nearly two meters long.

"I thought you were a reincarnation of Golden Cicada, but you're just a real cicada," Lu Fei muttered.

Initially, because the monster had appeared tall, handsome, and scholarly, wearing robes and carrying a pack near the Flowing Sand River, Lu Fei had truly believed it was the reincarnation of the Buddha’s disciple. But after a few sentences, he realized the monster lacked the essence of a high monk.

With a suspicion forming, he had intentionally asked questions, and the "fake" had revealed cracks in its story. When the monster claimed to be coming from the East to seek scriptures, Lu Fei remembered what Sha Seng, the demon of the Flowing Sand River, had said about eating nine scripture-seekers.

Why were they eaten? Because they had to cross the Flowing Sand River. If a real scripture-seeker were to appear, they would have to be on the other side of the river, not standing here in the Western Continent!

When the monster later remarked on how "white and tender" the little white mouse looked, Lu Fei knew for certain it was a demon. He had played along to gather information. Through the monster's slip-ups, he realized this demon had indeed encountered a scripture-seeker—a previous one who had already died by the river.

"Squeak, squeak!" The little white mouse emerged from the distance, saw the fight was over, and scurried back to Lu Fei’s feet.

Lu Fei walked to the cicada demon's body and tucked it away. Such a large specimen would surely taste good. He also found a gray pouch and a short black bone spike. The pouch was a storage bag, which he opened to find woodcutting knives, hunting bows, human clothing, a raw medicinal herb, and a complete, hardened cicada husk—the most valuable item in the bag.

He evaluated the demon as a "poor monster" with mediocre strength. Compared to the battle-hardened demons of the Great Desolate Mountains, this local predator was weak.

After cleaning the battlefield, Lu Fei returned to the path. He had strayed. Back at the foot of the hill, he found a grove of trees under which lay a pile of human bones—the demon's dining area. Lu Fei smashed the tree with his rod and collapsed the slope, burying the remains.

***

After twenty days of smooth travel, Lu Fei heard a distant, rumbling roar. A day later, he saw a vast, white mist on the horizon. He could hear the crashing of water—the Flowing Sand River.

He reached the edge, still miles away, yet he could feel the river's terrifying, violent nature. This was no river for a mortal to cross.

He tucked his pack away, tightened his belt, and signaled for the little one to hide. He approached slowly, not to cross, but to see. He needed to find Mount Wanshou, and he might need to capture a demon or ghost along the way for information.

As for Sha Wujing, the demon of the Flowing Sand River, Lu Fei had no intention of meeting him. He knew that the demon had occupied the river long before Sun Wukong’s arrival. The cicada demon he had killed proved that Sha Wujing was already active there. He was a ruthless monster who had eaten nine incarnations of the scripture-seeker.

Ironically, Lu Fei realized, in the eyes of the immortals, no matter how much slaughter or sin one committed in the mortal world, if one was willing to submit, it was all forgiven. Whether it was Sha Wujing, the three demons of Lion Camel Ridge, or the Golden-Winged Great Peng, it didn't matter. To the gods, mortal lives were as cheap as ants.

As Lu Fei neared the river, the roaring sound became deafening. The river was not muddy as described in some books, but a clear, dark, raging torrent. Waves crashed ten meters high, ceaselessly. It was a sight that confirmed the legends: "Eight hundred miles of flowing sand, three thousand deep in weak water; a goose feather cannot float, even a reed sinks to the bottom."

Standing two hundred meters away, Lu Fei decided not to go any closer. If he attracted Sha Wujing, he wouldn't even be able to escape.

He turned back and headed into a mountain forest to find a demon to interrogate.

Meanwhile, in the churning waves of the Flowing Sand River, a massive, terrifying head with blue skin, fangs, red hair, and eyes like lanterns surfaced. It glanced in the direction Lu Fei had left, then sank back into the water.

Lu Fei, unaware that he had just skirted death, walked into the mountain. By noon, he reached a creek, set up a fire, and began to cook a hotpot with the remains of a yellow dog demon he had killed two months prior.

He deliberately chose a spot where the wind would carry the scent of the dog meat deep into the mountains, hoping to lure other demons to him. He was not going to waste time searching for them.

He poured a bowl of wine, took out his chopsticks, and waited.

Suddenly, a voice rang out: "Give me a bowl of wine, too."

Lu Fei was stunned. He looked up to see a tall, powerful demon with a blue face, fangs, red hair, and a crescent moon spade in his hand, with human skulls hanging from his neck, standing right before him.

Lu Fei’s eyes widened in horror: "Sha Seng!!!"