Journey to the West: Tang Monk Conquers Everything

Chapter 55 Speaking of the Demon Clan

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Hint: Gained 2 Experience Points.

Hint: Gained 2 Experience Points.

Hint: Gained 2 Experience Points.

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Sitting cross-legged, Jiang Liu silently cultivated the second layer of the Heavenly Dragon Zen Sound technique, with system prompts continuously appearing, gaining Experience Points at a speed exactly double.

The first layer of the technique only yielded 1 Experience Point every 10 seconds.

Having reached level 13, Jiang Liu had exactly 2 Skill Points left, and he used them to learn the second layer of the Heavenly Dragon Zen Sound.

For Jiang Liu, on days he wasn't leveling up through battle, cultivating the Heavenly Dragon Zen Sound allowed him to gain roughly 700 Experience Points per hour, which he considered not bad at all.

Ever since the life-and-death crisis in the Demon-Suppressing Hall, he and Daoji, wounded, had been taken away by the Saint Monk Longhai. In the blink of an eye, three days had already passed.

As the sun rose high, Jiang Liu stopped cultivating the Heavenly Dragon Zen Sound and got up to wash and eat breakfast in the dining hall.

Along the way, countless disciples greeted Jiang Liu with a bow. None doubted his identity as a reincarnation of a Bodhisattva, with the twelve scars of a Buddhist disciple.

Entering the dining hall, Jiang Liu scanned the room and soon spotted Daoji and the Saint Monk Longhai eating together.

The master and disciple sat facing each other, seemingly engaged in conversation. Jiang Liu got himself a bowl of porridge and two vegetable buns and went over to them.

"Not bad, it looks like your injuries have mostly recovered," Jiang Liu observed Daoji's rosy cheeks, which bore no sign of injury, and nodded in approval.

"Brother, you've arrived just in time..."

After their shared ordeal in the Demon-Suppressing Hall, Daoji's bond with Jiang Liu had deepened, "Just now, Master mentioned that recently around Chang'an City, the evil spirits have become more active. He plans to arrange for us disciples from the Great Buddha Temple to go and subdue demons and eliminate evil, to save the common people."

During these three days spent cultivating the Heavenly Dragon Zen Sound in the Great Buddha Temple, hearing that he could now leave to battle and level up brightened Jiang Liu's eyes, and he turned to look at the Saint Monk Longhai.

The Saint Monk Longhai wasn't surprised by Jiang Liu's eagerness for battle and nodded slightly, "Xuanzang, your timing is perfect. Two hundred li to the west of Chang'an, there is a large river where a King of Flood Dragon stirs the waters, and three hundred li to the east lies Foutu Mountain, home to the Blood Tiger King that roars over the forests.

The friction between these two Great Demons has been escalating, causing demons to rampage widely and harming many people within several hundred li. Therefore, the Emperor of Tang has summoned cultivators from across the land for subduing demons and eliminating evil..."

Demon King!?

Upon hearing this, Jiang Liu inwardly gasped.

Even creatures of Demon General Level were difficult to handle, let alone those of Demon Marshal Level? Previously, the severely wounded Demon Marshal, the Electric Light Leopard, from the Demon-Suppressing Hall had almost led to his complete defeat.

And now there existed Demon Kings?

He had already encountered demons at Jinshan Temple, more than one, in fact.

Although Jiang Liu knew that in the primitive world of ancient times, there were many wild animals and fierce beasts, and thus, many demons as well, he hadn't expected that within the territory of Great Tang, separated by merely about five hundred li, there would be two Great Demons. Moreover, one to the east and one to the west, with Chang'an City in the middle?

"Holy Monk, are there many demons within the border of Great Tang?" Jiang Liu, amazed, realized he hadn't properly understood the situation within Great Tang and promptly asked.

"Our Great Tang is a supreme nation under Heaven. Though there are many demons, there are even more cultivators, more than enough to suppress countless demons. It is not a concern. Outside of Great Tang, those remote small countries are in a more difficult situation.

Some of them don't even have imperial families, or they are overtly or covertly controlled by demons; the common people live in extreme distress..." In response to Jiang Liu's question, the Saint Monk Longhai naturally did not hold back.

This explanation made Jiang Liu nod silently to himself.

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Not to mention other things, just looking at the situation in "Journey to the West", the three demons of tiger, deer, and sheep became state preceptors, the Yellow-Robed Monster kidnapped a princess of a nation, some kings were pushed into wells and demons took their thrones, and the Lion Camel Kingdom was a gathering of countless demons, truly a demon-infested realm…

In these countries, even emperors struggled to protect themselves from the rampant demons, as one can see.

"Since the cultivators within the borders of Great Tang are sufficient to suppress demons, why not exterminate them completely and create a peaceful and just world for the common people?" With doubts in his mind, Jiang Liu followed up with a question.

"Dayu controlled the waters not by blocking but by channeling. Xuanzang, where do you think these demons come from?" With a low utterance of a Buddhist chant, Saint Monk Longhai countered with a question.

"Mountain spirits, wild monsters, plants, and even jade and refined iron, after absorbing the essence of the sun and moon, transform into demons, right?" After some thought, Jiang Liu gained some enlightenment and replied.

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"Indeed, everything under heaven and earth can become a demon, whether it be animals in the mountains or trees. Tell me, how could one possibly exterminate them all?"

"Could it be that all trees must be cut down, all animals slaughtered?"

Saint Monk Longhai shook his head slightly and explained, "When these demon creatures are just born, if not restrained, they cause greater harm to the common people."

"So, the Emperor of Tang intentionally left certain great demons alive, allowing these demons to control their lesser kind, thereby secretly managing the Demon Clan?" Daoji, upon hearing this, couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice.

For him, the existence of demons throughout the world being intentionally preserved by the Emperor of Tang was indeed a shocking truth.

"Correct. Everything under heaven can become a demon. If these demons are born without control, they cause greater harm to the common people.

Since the Demon Clan cannot be completely eradicated, to some extent, using demons to govern demons is indeed the best method," Jiang Liu said, but compared to Daoji's shock, coming from a modern society of information overload, Jiang Liu could understand this approach much better.

"Indeed, rare is it for you, Xuanzang, to have such insight. As long as we can control the Demon Kings of the ten directions, and they, in turn, control their respective hordes of demons, these demons won't be able to stir up much trouble."

"However, the recent strife between the King of Flood Dragons and the Tiger King has intensified, causing great harm to the common people. Therefore, the Emperor of Tang decreed a campaign to subdue demons and eliminate evil," said Saint Monk Longhai, nodding with satisfaction as Jiang Liu quickly grasped the true nature of the situation.

Jiang Liu also indicated his understanding with a silent nod.

To put it simply, the Emperor of Tang could allow the existence of the Demon Clan within Great Tang's territory since they could not be eradicated. So long as boundaries were set and the Demon Kings could control their underlings without causing excessive harm to the people, that would suffice.

However, the conflict between the two great Demon Kings had now crossed the Emperor's line, hence the initiative to subdue demons and eliminate evil.

When Jiang Liu had previously asked Saint Monk Longhai to take him to the Imperial Palace to see Princess Gaoyang and meet Emperor Li Shimin, Saint Monk Longhai had broached the topic of the friction between the King of Flood Dragons and the Tiger King, wanting to discuss countermeasures with the Emperor.

Jiang Liu had thought it was merely a pretext for him to enter the palace, but now it seemed the issue was real.

With a slight hint, Jiang Liu could grasp the truth behind this issue, and Saint Monk Longhai nodded to himself. Such wisdom was difficult for ordinary people to reach.

Only, observing Daoji next to him, with a face full of shock, clearly startled by this truth, Saint Monk Longhai felt somewhat disappointed.

But perhaps this was the reaction normal people should have?

To an ordinary disciple, such truths would not be discussed openly, but Jiang Liu and Daoji, who were bound to become leaders of the Buddhist Sect, would inevitably come into contact with these matters sooner or later.

"Alright, you two get ready. Tomorrow, the disciples of the Great Buddha Temple will be led by Brother Fanhai on a mission to subdue demons and eliminate evil..."

This shocking truth was something Daoji had to digest and comprehend on his own time. Having more or less explained everything necessary, Saint Monk Longhai gave a final reminder and left.

Meanwhile, in the Great Tang Imperial Palace.

Dressed as a heroine, the spirited Princess Gaoyang came before Li Shimin.

"Father, with demons causing chaos, as a member of the imperial family, your daughter wishes to be the vanguard in subduing demons and eliminating evil, to save the people from peril," she stated.

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