Chapter 133: Vile Beast, How Dare You Impersonate a Bodhisattva's Mount!

"I wonder, noble lady, if you would be willing to share a pillow and mat with me this very night?"

The Golden-Haired Lion Monster, seeing the woman approach with a basin of water, and observing her gentle demeanor and graceful figure, felt a surging wave of lust rise within his heart.

Instead of reaching out to take the stone bowl from the woman's hands, he deliberately seized the opportunity to stroke her delicate fingers.

The woman's expression changed instantly, and she hastily retreated. The stone bowl fell to the ground with a crisp crash, and just as she was about to hurl abuses, she heard the monstrous Taoist's earlier remark, the fury in her eyes almost turning into a physical blaze.

"You vile and utterly shameless Taoist! I kindly brought you water to drink, yet you harbor such malicious intent. Are you not afraid of the laws of the land? Get out of my house at once!"

With these words, Zhao Wan grabbed a shoulder-pole from the room, intending to drive the Lion Monster away.

The Lion Monster burst into loud laughter. "The laws of the mortal world cannot touch me!" Laughing recklessly, he lunged toward the woman.

"My beauty, if you serve me well, it will be your accumulated fortune. Submit to me willingly and quickly!"

Panicked by these words, Zhao Wan raised the shoulder-pole to strike the Lion Monster, but he blew a single breath and sent the pole flying through the air.

A look of astonishment crossed the Lion Monster's face. By all accounts, his breath should have blown the woman straight onto the bed, yet she remained completely unharmed.

"Protected by a spiritual artifact?" the Lion Monster could not help muttering.

Zhao Wan seemed to remember something. She looked down at her waist, where a piece of jade was glowing brightly, and then hurriedly drew a talisman from her sleeve, crafted from yellow paper and vermilion ink.

This was a wind talisman, originally drawn by Cao Kong to safeguard the commercial routes of the seven lions. The Yellow-Haired Lion, who had a penchant for beauties, had given his own wind talisman to the woman to ensure her safety.

"Get out! My husband is no ordinary mortal. If you do not leave immediately, do not blame me for being discourteous!"

The Lion Monster laughed uproariously once more. "I would like to see how you intend to be discourteous to me."

Clenching her teeth, Zhao Wan followed the incantation taught to her by the Yellow-Haired Lion and chanted, "Swiftly as the legal decree commands, let the wind arise!"

Boom!

The moment the incantation was uttered, a fierce gale suddenly surged forth. The wind manifested as a swirling vortex, which rapidly transformed into a towering, horn-shaped tempest. Its immense force ripped the entire wooden cottage up by its roots and hurtled directly toward the Lion Monster.

The Lion Monster's expression changed drastically, and he blurted out in dismay, "The Gale of Jing!"

The wind swept past, leaving a trail of absolute devastation stretching for over ten miles and kicking up a thick cloud of dust.

Fortunately, Zhao Wan was protected by the jade talisman specially bestowed upon her by the Yellow-Haired Lion, so she remained unharmed, though she had collapsed to the ground, terrified by the spectacle.

Is it all... over now?

"Very well, very well. I truly underestimated you. But this ends here. Tonight, I shall make sure to 'cherish' you properly!"

As the dust settled, the Lion Monster's figure reappeared. His robes were tattered to shreds, and his face bore an expression of humiliated rage.

***

Hearing those words, Zhao Wan felt a pang of deep sorrow, knowing that preserving her chastity today would be nearly impossible. Though gentle by nature, her character was not lacking in fierce determination as she recalled every passing moment spent with the Yellow-Haired Lion.

Gritting her teeth, she picked up a sharp splinter of wood from the ground, closed her eyes, and prepared to drive it into her own neck.

"Roar—!"

Suddenly, a lion's roar shook the mountain forest, shocking Zhao Wan's mind into a blank void. In an instant, the figure of the Yellow-Haired Lion stepped in front of her.

"What daring demon dares to harm my wife? I share an irreconcilable blood feud with you! Taste my pitchfork!"

The Lion Monster laughed wildly. "So you are also a lion beast! If you call me master and present the woman to me, I might consider sparing your life."

Enraged, the Yellow-Haired Lion raised his pitchfork and hacked at him. The Lion Monster drew the treasured blade from his waist to meet him in combat. Truly, it was a ferocious battle:

Behold the fierce Yellow Lion and the mighty Lion Lion, blades meeting pitchforks with unyielding courage.

Sparkles flew as weapons clashed, shrouding the heaven and earth in a dusky gloom.

Truth be told, the Yellow-Haired Lion's martial prowess was nothing short of exquisite. After exchanging a dozen blows with the Lion Monster, he found an opening in his opponent's defense, bringing his pitchfork down upon the monster's back and causing him to howl in pain.

Just as the Yellow-Haired Lion sought to press his advantage, the Lion Monster channeled his mystical powers, stirring up a flurry of wind and sand. When the Yellow-Haired Lion recovered his senses, two Zhao Wans stood before him.

The Yellow-Haired Lion was dumbfounded, utterly unable to tell them apart.

One of them ran toward him in tears, crying, "Husband, I am the real one!"

Before the Yellow-Haired Lion could respond, a flash of cold light appeared in this Zhao Wan's eyes. In the blink of an eye, she transformed into a fierce eagle, her talons lunging with lightning speed to gouge out the Yellow-Haired Lion's eyes.

The Yellow-Haired Lion's pupils constricted sharply, and he twisted his body to the side, but it was too late. A bloody gash, deep enough to expose the bone, appeared beside his eye.

Refusing to let up, the Lion Monster continuously shifted his form, supplementing his attacks with sorcery—summoning howling winds and raging fires—pushing the Yellow-Haired Lion back step by step and inflicting numerous wounds upon his body.

"Hah! With merely this bit of skill, you dare to cross me? Kneel, kowtow, and call me grandfather, and I might consider leaving both of your corpses intact."

"Whose corpse are you planning to leave intact?"

A voice, so calm it bordered on indifference, rang out right beside the Lion Monster's ear, causing a shiver to run down his entire spine.

Just as he attempted to employ a transformation technique to put some distance between them, he realized his crown had already been seized.

A terrifying aura permeated the air, pressing down on the Lion Monster with suffocating pressure.

"I am Man...!"

Before he could finish, the Lion Monster felt an overwhelming, boundless force surge down from the crown of his head.

Accompanied by a sharp snap came a cry of agony: "Ah—!"

***

Although Cao Kong had shattered the skull with his bare hand, not a single drop of blood stained his palm, as a gentle current of wind circulated to isolate the inside from the outside.

Casually tossing the Lion-Monster's body aside, he looked at the injuries on the Yellow-Haired Lion and said, "I sensed the mother-and-child induction talisman breaking and hurried over immediately, but I was still a bit late."

Having fallen victim to the Lion Monster's underhanded tricks, the Yellow-Haired Lion was covered in fresh blood with his white bones exposed, yet he managed to say, "Not late at all, not late at all. Rather, it is I who owe Brother Cao another life—no, two lives."

"Hmm?" Cao Kong suddenly frowned. Then he saw a brand-new head regrowing from the shattered skull of the Lion Monster, which bolted away like a madman toward the distance.

This was... the Seventy-Two Earthly Transformations.

The Seventy-Two Earthly Transformations were techniques for prolonging life and evading death. During Sun Wukong's contest with the three immortals of Chetil Kingdom, when his head was severed and held down by the local earth deity so it could not reattach, he used this very method to regenerate a new head.

After the Bull Demon King was captured by Nezha, he had his head chopped off a dozen times before finally learning fear.

Cao Kong frowned slightly. Linking this to the single word the Lion Monster had blurted out earlier, he had already guessed the creature's true identity.

Gazing in the direction of the fleeing Lion Monster, he formed a thought, and the wind arrived—none other than the Eight Winds of Heaven and Earth.

Though the Eight Winds had reached a minor stage of mastery decades ago, and the seed of divine power had yet to blossom into intermediate mastery, its might was nonetheless formidable.

Despite struggling with all his might and even reverting to his true form, the Lion Monster was frozen mid-air by the Eight Winds.

"Spare my life! Spare my life! I had no intention of causing offense! I am the lion mount under the seat of Manjushri Bodhisattva. Spare me this once!"

Hearing this, Cao Kong showed no reaction. Instead, he sneered coldly, "What kind of wicked beast dares to impersonate a Bodhisattva's mount and commit acts of violence and disaster? You deserve to die!"

With these words, a golden sword issued from his mouth. Radiating killing intent, the sword slashed toward the Lion Monster. With every head it severed, another immediately grew out from the monster's neck.

Before long, over a dozen lion heads lay scattered upon the ground.

Terror overwhelmed the Lion Monster's eyes as he wailed in agony, "My life is over!"

"Young friend, hold your hand."

Suddenly, in the western sky, a brilliant light of Buddha illuminated the firmament, freezing Cao Kong's golden sword in mid-air.

Looking closer, upon the colorful clouds stood a Bodhisattva with five tufts of hair gathered on his crown. Though devoid of overt majesty, he seemed to exist as one with heaven and earth.