Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao-Chapter 497 - 270 Conclusion

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"Do you have anything else to say?" Madam Deyong gently asked as she looked at Hong Xiu, who was kneeling beside Lao Qing's body.

With a face full of sorrow, Hong Xiu managed a tragically beautiful smile and slowly said, "I have always been using him, continuously achieving my own goals, always feeling that he would always be there, but I never anticipated that one day he would also leave me."

"I thought you would never fall in love with him," Madam Deyong sighed softly, knowing that Hong Xiu was a standard beauty-chaser, who had always had little affection for those with ugly appearances.

"I thought so too, until today I realized I am not. He wasn't supposed to die, if it weren't for me, he might have lived a carefree life alone in the mountains, and maybe become a new Demon King many years later. It was I who caused his death, he saved my life, yet doomed himself, what a joke," murmured Hong Xiu to herself.

Her eyes no longer had the previous madness and desire; she slowly cradled Lao Qing in her arms, her mind still replaying those days when she and Lao Qing depended on each other for survival. Although they lived frugally, it seemed to be much happier than now.

Bowing her head, she gently wiped the bloodstains from Lao Qing's face. Hong Xiu looked at Madam Deyong one last time with a radiant smile, then gradually fell silent; she chose to end her own life.

Purging the desires of her heart, breaking through the barriers she had set for herself, it was at this moment that Hong Xiu truly recognized her own heart, realizing that she had already missed her chance.

"The body is the Bodhi Tree, the mind like a bright mirror's stand. Always strive to clean it, let no dust alight." Madam Deyong, upon witnessing this, couldn't help but recall the verse of a high monk from Mount Ling and involuntarily recited it.

Hong Xiu, blinded by desire, failed to see the true nature of her heart, consequently losing her love. And what about herself? Was not Lao Qing's appearance a true reflection of her own? His devoted love had earned Hong Xiu's affection, but could she ever receive that man's love in return?

Empathizing with Hong Xiu, Madam Deyong felt a sense of melancholic regret. Her anger at Hong Xiu's betrayal also began to wane, feeling that all of it was tasteless, just as the Buddha Ancestor had said: "All phenomena are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow, like dew or a flash of lightning. Thus, we should regard them."

Suddenly, a desire to renounce the world emerged in her heart. She quickly shook her head to dismiss this frightening thought. She was to marry Golden Cicada and live a happy life together; how could she harbor such thoughts?

"Madam, how should these two be dealt with?" A voice pulled her from her reflections on life, and Madam Deyong looked up to see several chiefs looking at her with fawning faces, hoping for an answer.

They also knew that although they had not directly participated in the rebellion, they could not escape their involvement. If Madam Deyong lashed out at them, with the strength she had just displayed, their only choice would be to meet their deaths willingly.

Madam Deyong looked down at the two bodies below her, shook her head slightly, and with a light sigh said, "Bury them."

Hearing this, the chiefs were overjoyed. Since the madam had spoken thus, it meant that she had forgiven their crimes. Having narrowly escaped the gates of hell, how could they not be elated? They excitedly agreed and hastily carried the bodies of Lao Qing and Hong Xiu out, afraid of lingering too long in front of Madam Deyong and facing retribution.

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Madam Deyong had long since lost any desire to punish them. The deaths of Hong Xiu and Lao Qing had deeply shaken her, involuntarily bringing to mind herself and Golden Cicada, leaving her to wonder about their own eventual end.

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Thinking of the handsome Monk and the help he had once given her, a flattering blush crept over Madam Deyong's face.

"But how can I make him stay with me? That Monkey is no easy opponent, the Great Sage Equalling Heaven who caused Havoc in Heaven. The very thought of him gives me a headache." Recalling Monkey's performance that night, Madam Deyong couldn't help but shudder with fear. The intimidation and overwhelming power Monkey had displayed in a single instant remained vivid in her memory, a might far surpassing her own.

"Ah! Why did you have to die just like that, not even leaving me with a piece of advice?" Looking at the pool of blood on the ground, Madam Deyong sighed softly to herself. Hong Xiu, that crafty strategist, used to scheme on her behalf, and now, she was left to slowly ponder her own strategies.

With the deaths of Lao Qing and Hong Xiu, the rebellion within the cave had finally come to an end. The news of Madam Deyong's return, greatly publicized by a few of the commanders, quickly became common knowledge. The once bustling lair fell silent in an instant, as every Little Demon started behaving themselves, fearing for their lives. With the authoritative Hong Xiu and the mighty Lao Qing taken down so effortlessly by Madam Deyong, how could they not be afraid?

Thus, order was swiftly restored within the cave. The commanders who harbored their own deceitful intentions were now bending over backwards to impress Madam Deyong, firstly to mitigate the repercussions of their actions that day, and secondly, to vie for Hong Xiu's now-vacant position.

When two little female demons carrying spring water from the mountain entered the lair, they saw a completely transformed abode, clean and well-organized, leaving the Little Demons in disbelief, thinking they had walked into the wrong cave, until they recognized the familiar faces inside and realized they were in the right place.

"That was quick!"

"Yeah, it's like we're in a whole new place," the two Little Demons remarked, gaining a deeper respect for Madam Deyong's authority. The untamed Demons of the past had all suddenly become as docile as cats upon her return.

"You don't know, do you? Lord Hong Xiu and Chief Qing are dead," a Little Demon who was on good terms whispered to the newcomers discreetly.

"Ah, Chief Qing is dead too?" The Little Demon had a strong impression of that commander. Even though he was always cold-faced and reluctant to talk, he never bullied them, the Little Demons, despite his fearsome appearance.

"Yes, it's said that he sided with Lord Hong Xiu in rebellion, and in the end, he was killed by the madam's own hand."

"That's impossible, Chief Qing wasn't like that," the two Little Demons protested. They all knew Chief Qing was the least interested in fame and gain among the commanders, it was unlikely for him to choose rebellion.

"I'm not making this up; the whole lair is talking about it. They say Chief Qing fancied Hong Xiu and rebelled to support her, ultimately dying at Madam's hand to protect her."