I'm Dreaming of a Journey to the West

Chapter 217: Go to Aolai Country to rescue the real Ma Hongji.

"Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox, Fairy Jade Rabbit, I'm counting on you! Before that, I'm here to buy you some time!"

Li Chen conveyed his thoughts to the Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox and the Jade Rabbit Fairy who had already arrived in Aolai Country. This was his last hope!

"Master, don't worry! This slave and I will definitely rescue the real Ma Hongji!"

The Nine-Tailed Fox responded loudly, her voice filled with determination. Then, she and the Jade Rabbit Fairy stepped into the Aolai Kingdom without hesitation.

When they entered Aolai, they were shocked by the sight. The land was in ruins, the once prosperous city now utterly devastated. The land was littered with people and animals killed by the whirlwinds unleashed by the Wind Witch. Their bodies lay scattered everywhere, their bones shattered.

The buildings and residences along the street also suffered severe damage, some completely shattered, others teetering on the brink of collapse. Apparently, the Wind Witch had blown these buildings high into the sky, only to have them crash heavily to the ground. The people living in these buildings were all swept up by the storm, only to fall to their deaths along with their homes.

The Nine-Tailed Fox and the Jade Rabbit Fairy watched the devastating scene unfold, their hearts filled with anger and sorrow. They knew time was running out; they had to find the real Ma Hongji and rescue him. So, they quickened their pace and headed towards the city center.

The two of them used their keen sense of smell and sensing ability to search for living creatures nearby. They explored here together because they knew that Ma Hongji was still alive, but they didn't know where he was imprisoned!

Finally, they came across a magnificent and luxurious palace. This palace was where the royal family of Aolai State lived. Although it looked extravagant, it was in a state of disrepair inside.

As they walked, they looked at the dilapidated scenery around them. This place was originally the residence of the king and royal family of Aolai Kingdom. Ever since the invasion of the Wind Ancestral Witch, he used the power of wind to destroy Aolai Kingdom into ruins!

The Nine-Tailed Fox and the Fairy Rabbit walked cautiously into the palace, their hearts filled with vigilance. Suddenly, a strong wind swept over, blinding them. When the wind died down, they found themselves in a luxurious palace.

"How dare you! Who are you to trespass into the palace of my Lord Tianwu, the ancestor of the wind!"

An angry roar was heard, and the Nine-tailed Sky Fox and the Jade Rabbit Fairy looked up, only to see a demon soldier leader holding a sword and wearing armor walking towards them with a group of little demons.

The Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox and the Jade Rabbit Fairy looked at each other and decided not to reveal their identities for the time being and wait and see what these demon soldiers were going to do.

"We are just passing by here and have no ill intentions." The Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox said calmly.

"Hmph, passing by? Who would believe your nonsense! You don't look like good people. You must want to sneak into the palace!" The leader of the demon soldiers sneered.

"We really have no ill intentions. We just want to find a place to rest." The Jade Rabbit Fairy also hurriedly explained. In this situation, it is better to avoid fighting if possible. No one knows whether these demon soldiers or the palace have any special mechanisms or hidden weapons.

"Stop talking nonsense! Catch them for me!" The leader of the demon soldiers waved the sword in his hand, and the demon soldiers immediately pounced on the Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox and the Jade Rabbit Fairy.

Seeing this, the Nine-Tailed Fox and the Jade Rabbit Fairy had no choice but to defend themselves. They dodged the demon soldiers' attacks with a flash of their bodies, then quickly counterattacked. The Nine-Tailed Fox unleashed the power of its nine tails, waving them like whips, knocking the demon soldiers to the ground.

The Jade Rabbit Fairy used the Star-Shifting Moon Shadow, and her figure was as ghostly as a ghost, making it impossible for the demon soldiers to capture her figure. Then, two cold lights flashed in the Jade Rabbit Fairy's hands, and all the demon soldiers fell to the ground, with large pools of blood flowing from their necks!

Seeing the situation was not good, the demon leader personally took action and engaged in a fierce battle with the Nine-tailed Sky Fox. His swordsmanship was extremely sharp, and each strike contained a powerful force. The Nine-tailed Sky Fox was actually a little overwhelmed for a while.

At this moment, the Jade Rabbit Fairy seized the opportunity, performed the Moon Shadow Dance, and instantly appeared behind the demon leader, kicking him in the back. The demon leader was caught off guard and was kicked out and fell to the ground.

The Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox took the opportunity to launch an attack. The power of the nine tails surged towards the demon soldier leader like a torrent and defeated him completely. The Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox then threw the glass bead in his hand. The glass bead instantly burned, and then caused a strong explosion that killed all the demon soldiers.

The Nine-tailed Fox and the Jade Rabbit Fairy did not pursue them, but continued to search the palace for Ma Hongji's whereabouts. However, they searched the entire palace but still could not find any trace of Ma Hongji.

"Isn't he in the palace?" The Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox frowned and asked in confusion.

"Maybe, but we can't give up. Maybe he is hidden somewhere secret." said the Jade Rabbit Fairy.

So, the Nine-tailed Fox and the Jade Rabbit Fairy decided to expand their search area. They continued their search. They had previously searched the palace's hall, bedrooms, and kitchen. Then, they expanded their search area to the palace, with the only place they had not searched being the back garden.

"Nine-tailed Fox, come quickly! There seems to be a tunnel here!"

The Jade Rabbit Fairy used her nose to search carefully in the back garden, and finally, she found a place that was different from the others.

"Great! Found it!"

The Nine-Tailed Fox cheered excitedly. The two women stepped forward and lifted the stone slab covering the ground. As the stone slab was lifted, a row of neat steps came into view. They walked down together and found that there was an extremely unpleasant fishy smell coming from inside.

"Hmph, you just have to promise to help us manage those villagers! You will definitely get all the benefits!" A voice with a hint of ferocity and brutality sounded, echoing in the dungeon.

"You damned demons! You've killed so many of our brothers! Even if I die, I won't work for you!" another voice replied, somewhat weak but still resolute. Then, from the dungeon came a piercing cry, accompanied by the sizzling sound of a branding iron scorching skin.

Upon hearing this, the Nine-Tailed Fox and the Jade Rabbit Fairy were filled with rage. They cautiously descended the dungeon and discovered it was actually an interrogation dungeon. They saw Ma Hongji, the King of Aolai, and many others imprisoned there, suffering inhuman torture. Their bodies were so emaciated that they were practically skin and bones, covered in scars, and clearly had been subjected to prolonged abuse.

The Nine-Tailed Fox and the Jade Rabbit Fairy exchanged a glance, their eyes flashing with anger and determination. They moved in unison, striking with ghostly swiftness. With lightning speed, they slew all the demon soldiers guarding the dungeon one by one. In an instant, blood dyed the dungeon red, and the air was thick with the smell of blood.

After successfully rescuing Ma Hongji and the other people who were suffering, the two quickly told Ma Hongji everything they had experienced. Ma Hongji's face changed drastically after learning the situation, and he immediately realized the seriousness of the matter.

So, the three of them quickened their pace without hesitation and rushed towards the direction where Li Chen was. However, they did not know that Li Chen was already in a desperate situation and could no longer wait for their support.