Chapter 134: An Outrageous Demand, Castrate Him!

"Young friend, I am Manjushri Bodhisattva of the West. This monster is my personal mount, who momentarily succumbed to carnal desires and clouded his mind. Might you spare his life?"

At this moment, the Yellow-Haired Lion covered his bleeding eye and said with bitter hatred, "This vile demon coveted my wife and nearly took my life. Guilty of both lust and attempted murder, he is utterly unfit to be a Bodhisattva's mount. He deserves to die!"

"Indeed, what my grandson says is right. Wrongdoing must be punished."

Hearing this calm and steady voice, Manjushri Bodhisattva turned to see that another person had suddenly appeared. The newcomer radiated an aura of grand uprightness—it was none of other than the Nine-Spirited Saint.

"Grandfather!" the Yellow-Haired Lion cried out excitedly.

Seeing this, Cao Kong felt a little more at ease.

The Nine-Spirited Saint smiled slightly, cupped his hands, and said, "I was unaware of Manjushri Bodhisattva's grand arrival and failed to welcome you from afar. Please forgive me. On behalf of the Celestial Master, I offer my greetings to the Bodhisattva."

Astonishment flashed in Manjushri's eyes. The injured lion beast actually had a connection with this formidable entity.

With a flurry of thoughts, the Bodhisattva replied, "The Nine-Spirited Saint speaks wisely; wrongdoing must be punished. However, this creature cannot die just yet, and I am willing to offer compensation on his behalf."

"The Bodhisattva is truly reasonable," the Nine-Spirited Saint remarked, before shaking his head and continuing, "Yet it is still not enough. My lion cub is heavily injured, and the woman he loves was nearly violated. Mere words of apology are far too light."

"Bodhisattva, save me! Save me!" the Lion-Spirit shrieked repeatedly, trembling all over.

Manjushri cast a stern glare at him, then turned back to the Nine-Spirited Saint. With a flick of his hand, a medicinal pill materialized.

"This pill is the Liquid Jade Refined Gold Pill, concocted from the spring water of the Dragon-Transforming Pond and the essence of the sun's spirit," the Bodhisattva said. "It can heal injuries, strengthen bones and muscles, and stabilize one's fundamental essence."

With a wave of his hand, Manjushri sent the pill flying. It transformed into a stream of golden light that poured directly into the Yellow-Haired Lion's mouth and nose.

Instantly, his injuries began to mend at an unbelievable speed, and his aura grew visibly stronger.

The Nine-Spirited Saint nodded in satisfaction. Such a pill was exceedingly rare and would greatly benefit the Yellow-Haired Lion's future path of cultivation—second only to bathing in the Dragon-Transforming Pond itself.

By producing this pill, Manjushri had shown genuine sincerity.

However, since they held the moral high ground, the Nine-Spirited Saint intended to let the Bodhisattva experience what it truly meant to make exorbitant demands.

"As for that young girl—alas, she is merely a mortal who has lived this long only thanks to the longevity herbs my grandson went through untold hardships to acquire. Terribly frightened as she is, she will undoubtedly lose several years of her lifespan. Isn't she rather pitiable?"

With a helpless sigh, Manjushri moved his hand again to retrieve a longevity herb. But catching the Nine-Spirited Saint's ambiguous, knowing smile, he froze his wrist and thought to himself:

*This is bad. Ordinary spiritual herbs will never satisfy this lion beast's appetite. To make matters worse, I am in the wrong here. Setting aside the immensely powerful figure behind this lion, the beast himself is notoriously troublesome. In the previous kalpa, he was utterly unyielding...*

With no other choice, the Bodhisattva said, "Very well. Though the girl lacks innate talent, I can enlighten her wisdom and set her upon the path of cultivation. That should serve to prolong her life."

"We shall defer to the Bodhisattva's wishes."

A faint sigh escaped Manjushri. A petal detached itself from the Precious Lotus beneath him, drifted toward the frightened Zhao Wan, and gently touched her forehead. The petal then dissolved into countless speckles of light that sank into her mind.

From that moment on, her wisdom was enlightened, and the path of cultivation lay open before her—a blessing in disguise born out of calamity.

Seeing this, the Nine-Spirited Saint pointed at Cao Kong and smiled. "He stopped that monster's vicious acts, effectively preserving the Bodhisattva's reputation. Shouldn't he be heavily rewarded as well?"

Manjushri's expression remained unchanged, though ripples stirred within his mind. He could only say, "So be it. He certainly deserves thanks."

"I found the Bodhisattva's lotus rather pleasing to the eye just now. Why not bestow another petal?" The Nine-Spirited Saint's face beamed with smiles.

Manjushri shook his head repeatedly. "No more, no more. Cultivating the petal of enlightenment on my lotus is exceedingly difficult. How about this—I will grant him a lotus seed instead."

"If properly nurtured, this lotus seed will surpass the petal by far. It can enhance spiritual affinity, aid cultivation, and quiet the Daoist heart."

The Nine-Spirited Saint laughed heartily. "That will do. That will do."

And with that, another lotus seed flew through the air and landed before Cao Kong.

Just as Manjushri turned to depart, the Nine-Spirited Saint's voice rang out once more.

"Bodhisattva, wrongdoing must be punished, but where is the punishment here? That monster is overflowing with desires and harbors a root of lust. Why not castrate him? It will save the Bodhisattva trouble in the future."

Hearing this, the Lion-Spirit turned pale with fright. "Bodhisattva, I was wrong! Do not geld me! Please, do not geld me!"

To those consumed by carnal desires, their root was of the utmost importance. To lose it entirely would be no different from death itself.

Manjushri simply said, "What you say is entirely correct."

The Lion-Spirit's face turned ashen, his eyes hollow and dead.

The Nine-Spirited Saint laughed uproariously. "Since that is the case, such filthy work need not trouble the Bodhisattva. Yellow-Haired grandson, take this blade and geld him."

Cao Kong felt a quiet surge of admiration. His senior brother was truly seasoned—not only did he extract treasures, but he also provided an outlet for the Yellow-Haired Lion to vent his anger.

A gleaming little dagger was tossed into the Yellow-Haired Lion's lap.

Gripping the hilt, the Yellow-Haired Lion walked silently toward the Lion-Spirit.

"No—stop! Spare me!"

The next instant, a flash of blade-light cut through the air, followed by a miserable scream. From that moment on, the root of lust was eradicated.

A thoughtful look crossed Cao Kong's eyes. *Could this very Lion-Spirit be the one who later usurps the throne of the Kingdom of Uji?*

He wondered just how many green lions Manjushri actually kept. If memory served him right, another one would eventually cause havoc at the Lion-Camel Ridge.

Sighing, Manjushri said, "My Buddha is merciful. You have reaped the bitter fruit of your own evil deeds; this is your karmic trial. Return with me now, sit in meditation, and listen to the Dharma to wash away your sins."

With a wave of his magic power, the Bodhisattva gathered up the collapsed Lion-Spirit, preparing to return to his Daoist domain.

"Bodhisattva—" The Nine-Spirited Saint spoke up once more.

On the auspicious cloud, Manjushri's figure stiffened for a fraction of a second before accelerating violently, transforming into a rainbow that vanished into the distance.

The Nine-Spirited Saint stroked his chin. "Why did he leave in such a hurry? I still wanted to ask if the Bodhisattva would like to come to the mountain as a guest."

With a wave of his hand, Cao Kong and the others felt the scenery before their eyes blur, and suddenly they were back inside the Nine-Curve Winding Cave on Mount Zhujie.

The Nine-Spirited Saint looked at the Yellow-Haired Lion.

"Grandson, since Manjushri Bodhisattva has personally intervened, it would not do to completely disregard his face. Besides, that monster's destiny is not yet spent. For now, we have stripped him of his root; there will be a day of reckoning in the future."

Though lingering resentment remained in his heart, the Yellow-Haired Lion knew this was the best possible outcome. His gaze shifted to Zhao Wan, comforted by the thought that his wife had been enlightened by the Bodhisattva, granting her the chance of cultivation and the prospect of longevity.

"Thank you, Grandfather. Grandson understands," the Yellow-Haired Lion bowed and said, adding fiercely, "When the time comes, I will take that monster's life with my own hands."

The Nine-Spirited Saint laughed heartily. "That's the spirit! Practice diligently the techniques I have taught you."

The Yellow-Haired Lion nodded heavily; he was far from lacking in backbone.

Seeing this, Cao Kong said, "Senior Brother, since matters are settled, I shall not disturb your family reunion any longer."

Taken aback, the Yellow-Haired Lion wondered: *Why does my own sworn brother call my grandfather 'Senior Brother'?*

Then he saw the Nine-Spirited Saint smiling and nodding in confirmation.

For a moment, the Yellow-Haired Lion's brain failed to process the logic, and he blurted out, "Wait, Grandfather... does that mean I should call Brother Cao my Grand-Uncle, or should I call you brothers?"

Hearing this, the corner of the Nine-Spirited Saint's mouth twitched.

Cao Kong could not help but chuckle.

A moment later, a deafening roar of a lion echoed through the deep cave:

"Go face the wall and reflect on yourself!"

"..."