They've all become top scholars in the imperial examinations, and you're telling me this i

Chapter 107 You're good at calculations, aren't you?
"In truth, we minor deities can't be blamed for being snobbish. It's because a hundred years ago, not long after the Great Sage Equaling Heaven was imprisoned under the Five Elements Mountain by the Buddha, a message spread from the Western Paradise."

This time, the mountain god of Black Wind Mountain dared not hide anything anymore and began to tell everything he knew directly.
"The news said that in order to resolve the great calamity of heaven and earth and eliminate the karmic consequences of this world, the Buddha specially... planned a grand merit-making scheme!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shoucheng's eyes darted around, clearly showing his interest in the news.

The mountain god took a breath and continued, "This news is incredible. It is said that if this merit-making scheme succeeds, the demons who participate in it can attain enlightenment and become Buddhas on the spot. And Buddhism will also flourish as a result."

"Therefore, Black Wind Mountain, including the mountain gods and local deities in the vicinity, all have some ulterior motives. They're thinking of cultivating a good relationship with Abbot Jinchi of that Zen temple. On ordinary days... well, if the Zen temple has any small errands to run, like... escorting a messenger, or reminding travelers in certain dangerous areas to take a detour... we'll try to turn a blind eye, or go along with it and lend a hand."

"After all... after all, this is the sacred site of Guanyin Bodhisattva! What if the great journey to the West passes through here? What if... what if the Bodhisattva gives us a word of guidance and support? Wouldn't we, these humble folk gods from the mountains, also have a chance to benefit from it? Even if we can't become Buddhas on the spot, becoming a golden Arhat serving under the Bodhisattva, or being moved to a more prosperous place with better incense offerings and scenery, would still be better than what we are now!"

The more he spoke, the more aggrieved he felt, and his voice even trembled with a hint of tears.
"My lord! You see, this place is so remote and desolate. We are truly not rebelling against the Daoist sect! This is just a worthless thought... We really don't intend to go against the Daoist Ancestor! We just want to take advantage of our proximity... to find a side path and seek a slightly better future... Please, my lord, have mercy on us!"

After saying that, he lay prostrate on the ground again, trembling all over.

As the mountain god spoke, he felt quite uneasy. After all, they were gods under the Taoist sect, and now, in front of the "divine messenger" of the Tushita Palace, they had revealed their intentions to join the Buddhist sect. Who knew that if this matter were investigated, they would really be implicated.

At this moment, the Golden Furnace Boy was dumbfounded, his mind buzzing.

Demons and monsters have always been the targets of Taoism in its efforts to exorcise evil and protect the Tao. So how come when they come to Buddhism, following them on a journey can lead to "instant enlightenment"?
He tried hard to find a point of rebuttal, but didn't know where to begin. He could only keep a straight face, his brows furrowed into a knot, and try to digest this absurd yet seemingly powerful information.

Upon hearing the words of the Black Wind Mountain God, the Silver Furnace Boy's face instantly turned bright red, his eyebrows stood on end, and the jade bottle in his arms jingled as he pounded it.

"Outrageous! This...this is simply outrageous!"

He shouted, "It's all that damn Guanyin Temple's fault, and those old bald monks who spread heresy and deceived you all. They're trying to undermine our ancestors!"

He grew angrier as he spoke, rolled up his sleeves, grabbed the bottle, and turned to rush out. "No way, I have to go to that Guanyin Temple, settle accounts with those old bald monks, and ask them what their intentions are!"

"Stop!" Although the Golden Furnace Boy also frowned and his face was tense, he was obviously very dissatisfied with the Buddhist sect's behavior of "poaching" its members, but he was more composed than his younger brother.

He grabbed the boy by the back of his collar and pulled him back, his little face so serious it could wring water out of it. "Yinlu! Stop fooling around! Listen to what Master Chen has to say!"

He knew in his heart that this matter involved Guanyin Temple and was no small matter.

The silver furnace attendant, who had been pulled back, glared defiantly at Chen Guangrui.

“Chen Guangrui, I’ve figured out all your tricks: keep me up while I question you, ask me separately, and don’t let me sleep! I’ll go deal with that old monk Jinchi. I guarantee I’ll get something out of him too. Just you wait and see. I can learn from you too. We’ll take turns and make sure that old fox vomits everything up!”

He had clearly learned from Chen Guangrui and combined his understanding with his own, summarizing Chen Guangrui's key points in dealing with the mountain god into his own unique techniques.

With this skill, there's no need for Chen Guangrui anymore. I can go and try it out myself. If I can find out anything, how impressive would that be!
Chen Guangrui looked at the Silver Furnace Boy's eager and confident demeanor, and nodded slightly.
"Yes, it really works."

He acknowledged the effectiveness of the method. This method of exhaustion interrogation is indeed effective for people under high stress and with weak willpower.

Upon hearing Chen Guangrui's affirmation, the Silver Furnace Boy was overjoyed, as if he had received an imperial edict, and excitedly jumped up and down on the spot.
"Exactly! Let me go. I'll definitely find out the answer, and I'll give that old monk a good beating while I'm at it!"

He was already eagerly figuring out how to get Elder Jinchi to "have tea" (a euphemism for a meal).

Jinlu Tongzi still had some doubts. He looked at Chen Guangrui and asked, "Mr. Chen, will you... come with us?"

“You are acting on behalf of Laozi, which is perfectly legitimate,” Chen Guangrui said calmly. “I will be watching from the shadows. If you fail to get any answers or encounter any difficulties, I will reveal myself.”

"Alright! Chen Guangrui, just you wait and see! You definitely won't need to show up!" The Silver Furnace Boy patted his chest vigorously, brimming with confidence. Chen Guangrui nodded, then seemed to remember something and asked, "By the way, your spirit-binding incantation..."

“Hey, I didn’t learn your trick for nothing!” Silver Furnace Boy readily replied, “Isn’t it just a way to summon the local earth gods and mountain spirits? Simple! I’ll tell you…”

He rattled off the key points of the incantation to summon the earth spirit, fearing that Chen Guangrui might change his mind and prevent them from going.

Seeing this, Jinlu Tongzi stopped trying to stop him. Since the Daoist sect's "corner" had been undermined, and Chen Guangrui was secretly overseeing things, plus Yinlu had indeed learned some "tricks," he himself wanted to go and meet that "bewitching" Jinchi.

The two brothers exchanged a glance, and without further delay, two streaks of light shot up from the ground, piercing the night sky and heading straight for the Guanyin Temple not far below the mountain.

Watching the children depart, Chen Guangrui turned to the mountain gods and local deities still kneeling on the ground. His voice was not loud, but it carried an air of authority: "Except for the Black Wind Mountain God, all others, disperse and return to your posts to guard the earth's veins. Heaven will know what happened today."

The local deities, as if granted a pardon, kowtowed repeatedly in gratitude, hastily transforming into various streams of light and wisps of smoke, merging into the ground or disappearing into the mountains and forests, vanishing in an instant. Only the short, stout mountain god of Black Wind Mountain remained, standing anxiously in place.

Chen Guangrui walked up to him and asked, "Where does the Earth God of Five Elements Mountain reside?"

The mountain god dared not conceal anything and hurriedly stammered out what he knew about the approximate location of the Five Elements Mountain and some other details. After listening, Chen Guangrui nodded and let him leave.

Only Chen Guangrui and Yuan Shoucheng, who had just "slowly woken up," remained in the mountain valley.

Old Master Yuan had been listening intently the whole time, and as soon as the boy left, he "opportunely" sat up, rubbing his head and groaning.

"Oh dear... you've already sent those two little devils away?"

Yuan Shoucheng dusted off his Taoist robe, leaned closer to Chen Guangrui, his small eyes darting around, his chubby face full of shrewd cunning and undisguised suspicion.
"Sir Chen, are you really that confident? The two of them? Going to storm someone's Zen temple and deal with that old fox Jin Chi? What kind of answer could you possibly get from that?"

He clicked his tongue twice, clearly not optimistic at all.

Chen Guangrui looked in the direction of the Zen temple, where dim lights shone in the night. His voice remained calm as he said, "Aren't you good at divination? Do you think those two will be alright this time?"

Yuan Shoucheng choked, rubbing his hands together, and said...

"Hey! Do you even need to calculate this? Isn't it obvious? Even if that old monk was so scared he wet his pants and spouted nonsense, would those two kids understand him or be able to tell the truth from the lies?"

He shook his head, as if to say, "You're still too young."

Chen Guangrui said slowly, "These days, the news that people from the Tushita Palace are coming to investigate has been known to the people around here for a long time, and they have made preparations. They went to investigate in a hurry, openly showing their identity tokens. After the investigation, the tension will always ease. Only when they relax will it be easier to reveal the real things."

Yuan Shoucheng's smile faded slightly. He stroked his yellowish-brown beard, pondered the words carefully, and nodded.

"Hmm... so that makes sense. Startle the snake by beating the grass, and once the snake is no longer startled, it's time to show its tail? You're something else, Scholar Chen."

He then habitually pressed on, "So... you believed everything those mountain gods said? You believed them all? I don't think those mountain gods are normal."

Chen Guangrui turned his head and calmly looked into Yuan Shoucheng's bright, piercing eyes. He still didn't answer his question, and uttered those five words again: "Don't you know how to calculate?"

Yuan Shoucheng pursed his lips, "Then where are we going?"

"Go to Five Elements Mountain,"

(End of this chapter)