Chapter 189: Perish for Love
Jiang Liu's words were truly heartfelt.
If the female demon Zhuzhu's feelings for him were false, and her approach was actually for some other purpose, Jiang Liu naturally hoped that Zhu Bajie would be better off separating from her.
After all, among the myriad things in this world, only love is the most hurtful. Considering Zhu Bajie's demeanor, he was the type to offer his true feelings to any woman he met.
Moreover, thinking about it the other way, even if the female demon Zhuzhu and Zhu Bajie's feelings were real, and they truly loved each other, would the gods and Buddhists in the heavens be willing to watch all this unfold?
In the short term, there might be no issue, but as time went by, if the bigwigs of Buddhism intervened, it would undoubtedly end in tragedy!
So, no matter from which angle one looked, this relationship did not bode well.
Therefore, Jiang Liu naturally advised Zhu Bajie to let go, to prevent harm to both parties!
Jiang Liu's words made sense, causing Zhu Bajie to fall silent for a moment before finally speaking, "Master, you know me, Old Pig, I'm not very interested in the Journey to the West. Zhuzhu and I truly love each other. If possible, I would rather find a place with no people and live a good life with Zhuzhu!"
"Do you think, now that you're on the journey to the West, the myriad of heavenly deities would allow you to leave?" Jiang Liu simply asked Zhu Bajie calmly.
In the original work, although Zhu Bajie often blustered about splitting the luggage and disbanding, he never actually took action. If he really did so, what would be the reaction of the myriad of heavenly deities?
"Bajie, Bajie..." Before long, a calling voice arose, it was the female demon Zhuzhu, who seemed to have finished bathing, calling for him.
"Coming!" Hearing Zhuzhu's call, Zhu Bajie's face involuntarily rippled with a smile. He loudly responded and got up to walk towards Zhuzhu.
However, having barely taken a few steps, Zhu Bajie paused slightly. With his back to Jiang Liu and without turning his head, he left behind a saying, "Master, you understand the feelings between men and women too. If you were in my position, would you just give up?"
After dropping that statement, Zhu Bajie didn't say anything more and walked straight ahead, leaving the scene.
And this remark caused Jiang Liu's heart to flinch, involuntarily thinking about his own situation.
Indeed, if he were in Zhu Bajie's shoes, what would he do? Let go?
When he was with Gaoyang in the past, hadn't he also anticipated everything about the future? Yet, in the end, wasn't he unable to let go?
The situation Zhu Bajie faced today, how similar was it to the one he had faced!
Zhu Bajie and Zhuzhu were together again, their affectionate manner made Jiang Liu fall into silence.
Observing Zhu Bajie's current state, Jiang Liu always felt as if he was looking at his former self.
"Is the situation with Zhu Bajie and Zhuzhu merely a coincidence? Or is there some arrangement? Could it be? Is this another trial designed by Guanyin, different from the original work?" Jiang Liu murmured to himself in his heart.
Thinking about it, the possibility seemed high, didn't it?
If this was indeed a trial, obviously, this trial was targeting Zhu Bajie.
During the previous trial of the four sages' hearts, didn't Guanyin lose a lot of face at Zhu Bajie's hands? Thus, everything seemed to make sense, right?
"Is Guanyin using my affair with Gaoyang as a template to replicate it once more, aiming it at Zhu Bajie?" After pondering for a moment, Jiang Liu's mood sank and, at the same time, anger flared within him.
He had been helpless in his position to resist and now they wanted to enact the same scenario a second time?
We are, after all, teacher and disciple! Since he had already anticipated all of this, he should help him get through this ordeal as much as possible!
Prompt: Triggered the mission "Love Tribulation". The mission requires helping Zhu Bajie get through this love tribulation. Success reward: 300,000 Experience Points, and 1 Epic Level Treasure Chest.
Almost simultaneously, the prompt from the game system suddenly sounded in his mind, another proactive mission.
However, upon receiving this mission, Jiang Liu felt no joy. On the contrary, his heart sank even further.
From this mission, it seemed that this love tribulation was really a setup by the Bodhisattva Guanyin targeting Zhu Bajie?
Otherwise? Why would such a high reward be offered for this mission?
Then, almost half a month passed by. During this half a month, Zhu Bajie and Zhuzhu were inseparable, their relationship warming up very fast.
Jiang Liu and the rest of the single dogs had been fed dog food for nearly half a month.
"I really don't understand, what's the point of hugging and cuddling every day? Is biting each other that fun?"
One day, as everyone stopped to rest, Sun Wukong lay on a tree branch, just in the right position to see Zhu Bajie and the female demon cuddled up close by, showing their affection for each other, and he silently curled his lips in disdain.
But Sun Wukong's vision was sharp; he didn't just notice these things. He also saw several demons approaching, clearly on patrol.
"Master, two little demons are coming over!" Lying on the tree branch, too lazy to even turn over, Sun Wukong simply spoke to Jiang Liu to warn him.
"Oh?" Hearing this, Jiang Liu's eyes lit up, and he got up to meet the direction Sun Wukong pointed out.
Sure enough, they were two giant wolf demons.
"Hehehe, what a smooth and tender monk, today ought to be a feast for us both!" As Jiang Liu actively approached, the two wolf demons spoke human language, their eyes filled with greed.
But they were just two demons, not worth mentioning. Jiang Liu raised his hand, and a fireball blasted out, hitting one of the wolf demons and exploding on impact.
The wolf demon screamed tragically, lying on the ground charred, its health bar emptied, it was instantly killed.
Hint: Gained 105 Experience Points.
"A monk who can use spells?!" Another Wolf Demon beside him, having seen his companion instantly killed with one strike, was clearly startled and turned to run away.
However, would Jiang Liu give it a chance to escape?
The special effect of the Flashing Brilliance Shoes activated, his figure flashed, and in no time, he appeared behind the fleeing Wolf Demon, grasping its head in one hand.
"Tell me, where do you demons come from? What does your Great King look like?" Jiang Liu spoke, his tone calm.
The Wolf Demon, its head grasped by Jiang Liu, was horrified and dared not refuse to answer. It said, "I, I am a demon from Wind-Chasing Mountain. My, my Great King is the Wind-Chasing Wolf Commander. If you, you this monk dare to kill me, my Great King will surely…"
Palm Thunder!
Before the Wolf Demon could finish speaking, a burst of thunder erupted from Jiang Liu's palm, a brilliant blue lightning instantly engulfing the demon's entire body, electrocuting it on the spot.
Since these two Wolf Demons harbored ill intent and attacked proactively, naturally, their Health Bars being emptied meant they met with death.
"Disciples, let's go. Ahead lies Wind-Chasing Mountain, within it resides the Wind-Chasing Wolf Commander. Let's exterminate these extremely wicked demons!" Jiang Liu spoke, deducing from just these two patrolling demons—which attack on sight—that the Wolf Demons on Wolf Dwelling Mountain were no good. After casually dispatching the two Wolf Demons, he called out to Sun Wukong and the others.
As he spoke, he didn't wait for them and proceeded forward.
The most powerful being on Wolf Dwelling Mountain was merely a Demon Marshal. For Jiang Liu, it was an excellent place for leveling up through battle.
Taking out his Mixed Iron Rod, Jiang Liu advanced, ruthlessly smashing to death any Wolf Demon he encountered.
The Experience Points were not much, but these Wolf Demons were numerous, which compensated.
Wolves, after all, are pack animals.
Behind him, Sun Wukong, hearing Jiang Liu's call, leapt up and chased after him. Similarly, White Dragon Horse and Sha Wujing also stood up to follow.
But before they left, Sha Wujing looked back at Zhu Bajie, who was still embracing a Female Demon affectionately. This prompted Sha Wujing to shake his head discreetly.
He didn't bother with him. After all, they weren't moving fast, and his second brother would be able to catch up soon.
...
Let's leave aside the fact that Jiang Liu and the others had already left. Zhu Bajie was still holding Zhuzhu in his arms at this moment.
Although he had heard Jiang Liu's words, his mind wasn't on Jiang Liu but was captivated by Zhuzhu's words.
"Zhuzhu, what did you say?" Zhu Bajie's eyes widened in shock and delight as he stared at Zhuzhu.
Lying in Zhu Bajie's arms, Zhuzhu's face also bore an expression of happiness and joy as she said, "Bajie, I, I think I might be pregnant!"
"Really? Really? Could it be because of that night in the cave, ten days ago, when it rained?!" Zhu Bajie looked at Zhuzhu, dumbstruck, and his mind went blank with the immense surprise.
"It should be...", Zhuzhu nodded shyly, her head bowed.
"I, Zhu Bajie, am actually going to have a child? I'm really going to have a child?" Zhu Bajie muttered to himself in a daze, his face full of incredulous joy.
Gently lying in Zhu Bajie's arms, Zhuzhu initiated a kiss.
Zhu Bajie, embracing Zhuzhu in his arms, slightly closed his eyes, comfortably emitting contented snorts.
Suddenly, Zhu Bajie felt a sharp pain in his throat.
At the same time, a terrifying numbness spread rapidly from his throat throughout his body.
Instantly opening his eyes, Zhu Bajie tried to struggle but found that, at some point, his body had been completely bound by Spider Silk.
"Zhuz... Zhuzhu... what, what are you doing?" Zhu Bajie, with his throat bitten, found it extremely difficult to speak, his voice filled with disbelief.
"Bajie, I, I must eat you. We Black Widows must consume our husbands to gain enough nourishment to nurture the birth of our offspring..."
Sharp fangs emerged from Zhuzhu's mouth, piercing directly through Zhu Bajie's windpipe as she whispered tearfully.
Because she was biting Zhu Bajie's throat, Zhuzhu's speech was muffled and tearful.
Beyond the intense pain and numbness in his neck, Zhu Bajie felt a cool sensation, and he ceased struggling.
He realized that these were Zhuzhu's tears falling on him.
"Black Widow, no wonder... No wonder the first time we met, Zhuzhu said that although she wanted to eat master's meat, she wanted to eat me even more. I just thought that was sweet talk, but it actually meant this—it's a Black Widow's natural instinct. Who would have thought, that my, Old Pig's, end would be like this?"
A Taiyi True Immortal in strength, if he really struggled, how could a mere Demon King Realm Spider Demon possibly devour him?
Whether it was the spider silk or the venom, it was all fragile.
Yet, thinking of Zhuzhu's natural instinct, thinking of the child in her belly, and feeling the tears drop onto him from Zhuzhu,
Zhu Bajie, as if possessed, gave up the struggle...