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Chapter 111 The Tushita Palace Patrol Division
At the foot of Five Elements Mountain, desolation remained. The barren, massive mountain range stretched out before them like an insurmountable chasm.

Yuan Shoucheng followed closely behind Chen Guangrui, wiping non-existent cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve as he walked, his tone tinged with obvious unease.
"Are we really going to provoke the local earth god and mountain god of Five Elements Mountain? Take my advice, better safe than sorry! These two old men have been able to live peacefully in this Five Elements Mountain area for hundreds of years. The Buddhist sects, Bodhisattvas, and all sorts of envoys must have investigated them countless times and probably have a lot of backup plans up their sleeves!"

He lowered his voice even further, with a hint of mystery, "If you go directly to them now, what if they turn around and betray you..."

"Will they inform on us?" Chen Guangrui asked calmly, his gaze sweeping over the massive mountain as he continued walking. "Why don't you do a divination for me and we'll know?"

Yuan Shoucheng immediately shook his head vigorously, "No, please don't make me calculate here! This Five Elements Mountain is evil. As long as you have the thought of calculating the master under its mountain or related matters in the surrounding area, you will be punished by heaven! Being struck by lightning is the least of your worries. I reckon that the Buddhist sect has definitely done something to this place. It's not that I, Old Yuan, am a coward, I just really don't dare!"

He changed the subject, seemingly finding some confidence, and added, "However, you can rest assured. I can't calculate it, and the Buddhist sect probably can't accurately calculate the details of cause and effect here either. Nobody can calculate it! Only the deities guarding them and those two themselves know exactly what happened inside."

His small eyes darted around, staring at Chen Guangrui. "You didn't come here thinking... about doing something at Five Elements Mountain, did you? That's too risky!"

Chen Guangrui finally stopped, turned her head to look at him, and her eyes held a hint of amusement.
"Do you want to lure out Ao Lie, the third prince of the West Sea Dragon King?"

Yuan Shoucheng's breath hitched.

The image of Ao Lie's menacing figure and the approaching Guanyin Bodhisattva kept flashing through his mind.

A powerful temptation intertwined with the fear of being discovered by the Bodhisattva.

Ultimately, the desire to "find a bargain" outweighed the fear.

He slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "I'm going all in! If you can really get him out, I'll give my life for you today!"

Chen Guangrui nodded, said no more, walked to a relatively flat rocky area, his expression turned solemn, he channeled his magic power and chanted an incantation.

He did not possess the Doushuai Palace token, but the magical power fluctuations originating from the Nine Revolutions Soul-Dividing Pill and the divine position of the Fire-Burning Daoist, carrying the essence of the Supreme Daoist lineage, were undeniable.

Two soft "plop" sounds.

The local deity and the mountain god of Wuxing Mountain emerged almost simultaneously from behind a nearby rock and from the mud at their feet, clearly having been hiding nearby and observing.

The Earth God was a thin, old man, wearing a faded brown official robe, his hat askew. The Mountain God, on the other hand, was slightly more robust, wearing a worn blue robe. Both wore extremely obsequious smiles and bowed deeply in unison.

"Who is this celestial being who has graced us with their presence? We, your humble servants, are so late in welcoming you! We are guilty beyond measure!"

However, a fleeting hint of vigilance and wariness quickly crossed their lowered eyelids.

The land deity glanced at the mountain god, who then subtly moved his finger.

"Hmph." Chen Guangrui deliberately snorted coldly, maintaining his air of superiority. "We are here by order of the Supreme Dao Ancestor of the Tushita Palace to inspect the diligence and laziness of the deities of the Three Realms!"

He deliberately emphasized "Doushuai Palace" and "Taishang Daozu," his sharp gaze sweeping over the two minor deities.
"Since you have received the divine titles and regalia conferred by our Taoist sect and are ranked among the earthly deities and immortals, you naturally fall under the jurisdiction of this inspection office. How have you been performing your duties? Why don't you report back immediately!"

The smile on Tu Di's face froze for a moment, his back bent even lower, his tone more humble, yet tinged with a cautious probing.

"Reporting to the Immortal, we humble servants were mercifully borrowed by a virtuous Buddhist master six hundred years ago to be stationed at Five Elements Mountain to assist the Five Directional Guardian Deities in protecting... uh, guarding this mountain. For the past six hundred years, we have been under the command of the Buddhist sect. I wonder if the Inspection Division needs to investigate us, perhaps... perhaps we should first inform the Buddhist sect beforehand..."

"How dare you!" Chen Guangrui abruptly flicked his sleeve, his face frosty, his voice rising sharply, deliberately releasing a hint of an aura that, while not powerful, carried the majesty of an imperial family.
"Outrageous! It is only natural for the Tushita Palace Patrol Division to inspect the deities of the Three Realms! When did it become necessary to inform the Western Paradise Buddhist sect? Do you intend for the Tushita Palace Patriarch to personally descend to the mortal realm and speak with the Buddha of Mount Ling? This is absurd! Who taught you these rules!"

This was an incredibly grand claim; the phrase "the ancestor personally descended to the mortal realm" struck like a thunderbolt, terrifying the local earth god and mountain spirit. They immediately fell to their knees with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly.
"Immortal, please calm your anger! Immortal, please calm your anger! I deserve to die! I spoke nonsense! I had no such intention! I had no such intention at all! Immortal, please ask whatever you wish, and I will answer everything I know!"

Both of them had dirt on their foreheads, and their voices were distorted with fright.

Chen Guangrui's expression softened slightly, but he still kept a stern face: "Then tell me! In these past few hundred years, what have you done while you were under the patronage of Buddhism? Have you fulfilled your duties faithfully?"

The mountain god hurriedly answered, afraid that the local deity might say something wrong again: "Reporting to the immortal, we are faithful to our duties and fulfill our responsibilities! We patrol the mountain every day and night without rest, and dare not slack off in the slightest! We ensure... ensure that everything inside and outside this mountain is safe and sound."

"Being dutiful and responsible?" Chen Guangrui narrowed his eyes slightly and interrupted him directly, "Tell me, what is your so-called responsibility? Six hundred years have passed, and you still don't understand your primary responsibility?"

The land god and the mountain god were stunned, staring at him blankly.

Chen Guangrui asked clearly, word by word: "When this demon monkey was imprisoned under this mountain, what rules did the Heavenly Court and the Buddhist sect establish? What was your true, original responsibility?"

The two minor deities exchanged a glance, their faces turning deathly pale. The Earth God's lips trembled, and after a long hesitation, he finally spoke in a very low, cautious voice, "Yes...yes, it's about delivering the molten copper...and the iron pellets on time...to ensure...to ensure they don't die..."

"Not bad!" Chen Guangrui nodded slightly, his eyes flashing like lightning. "Feeding him copper molten iron pills is the main responsibility that you local deities were assigned when you imprisoned him on this mountain! As for patrolling the mountain and assisting in guarding it, those are extra duties assigned to you by the Buddhist sect!"

He looked at the two bewildered young gods, softening his tone, but every word struck a chord with them.
"This monkey is about to leave. You are immortals appointed by the Daoist sect, not private servants of the Buddhist sect! If any Buddhist guards bully you, just report it truthfully! This inspector can help you! If this inspector cannot help you, the patriarch above will protect you!"

"Remember, you only need to do your own job well and make no mistakes! As for the other tasks assigned to you..."

He deliberately emphasized the word "others".
"Doing more is pointless! In the end, all the credit might go to them, while you'll be blamed for all the mistakes. Is that worth it? Hmm?"

These words, a combination of soft and hard tactics, conveyed a wealth of information while also carrying threats and implications, leaving the land god and mountain god stunned and their expressions extremely complex.

Chen Guangrui stopped looking at them and turned to Yuan Shoucheng, who was still in a daze, saying, "The inspection is complete, let's go."

Having said that, Yuan Shoucheng, filled with shock and utter confusion, turned and left, quickly disappearing at the end of the winding path at the foot of Wuxing Mountain.

Only the land god and the mountain god remained standing there, looking at each other blankly.

After a long while, the land deity rubbed his face vigorously, looking at the mountain god with a puzzled expression.

"What's with this immortal? He didn't ask the monkey, didn't check the sentries, and just said all this... What does it mean? It feels like every sentence is pointing at us, but he doesn't say it explicitly. Should we... tell him about how we were frequently... cough, by the Five Directions Protectors?"

The mountain god frowned, his eyes flickering, and after pondering for a long time, he finally shook his head and said...
"Wait, brother, something's not right! I think this guy is strange! He claims to be from the Tushita Palace, but does he have any proof? Where's the plaque? When Laozi's attendants descend to the mortal realm, they're always accompanied by auspicious signs and celestial light, right? He hasn't shown anything! Besides, Buddhism is currently flourishing and its momentum is strong. Even the Heavenly Court has to give them some face. Who would dare to openly offend Buddhism?"

"Sending a patrol officer down to give us minor deities a warning? I bet it's fake! Some wild immortal or Taoist priest who popped up out of nowhere, making up some excuse to test and fool us! He even said the monkey is about to leave, but the Five Directions Protectors haven't given us a single word, and the Buddhist sect hasn't sent any information at all. What else could he be but utter nonsense?" The local deity thought about it and agreed that the mountain god's words made some sense, nodding in agreement.
“Brother, you’re right. We’ve been living peacefully for hundreds of years, and we can’t afford to make a mistake at this crucial moment. It’s better to avoid trouble. Whether it’s true or not, let’s just pretend they never came, heard nothing, and know nothing. Let’s just obediently deliver ‘food’ to Grandpa Monkey and live our lives in peace. If we actually listen to him and cause trouble, and anger the Jiedi Lords, that’s no joke. Last time, we got a beating…”

He shrank back, still feeling a lingering fear.

As the two were discussing in hushed tones, the fear of being struck in their hearts had not yet subsided when suddenly, a restraining force imbued with the majesty of Buddhism enveloped them.

The two trembled with fear and dared not resist. In a flash, the scenery before their eyes blurred, and they were transported to an even more desolate valley in the Five Elements Mountain.

Two of the Five Directions Protectors, clad in simple golden armor, stood atop the rock with indifferent and expressionless faces, looking down at the two trembling minor earth deities below.

“Listen,” a Jiedi (a local deity) spoke, his voice not loud, yet it struck the hearts of the local earth and mountain gods like a heavy hammer, carrying an undeniable sternness.
"Recently, Guanyin Bodhisattva will be visiting our Five Elements Mountain. You must all be on high alert and patrol the mountain area day and night without rest! Report any movement or disturbance in the mountain to us immediately! If there is even the slightest error..."

His gaze suddenly turned cold, like an icy blade, "I'll use you as a test of your souls!"

"Yes, yes, yes! I will obey the decree! I would never dare to make a mistake!" The local earth god and mountain god fell to the ground again, kowtowing repeatedly in agreement.

The mountain god hesitated for a moment, but ultimately couldn't withstand the shock of the "immortal's" words. With a sliver of hope, he mustered his courage, raised his head tremblingly, and asked cautiously, "May I ask, Lord Jiedi, is the Bodhisattva Guanyin about to descend, but is that monkey about to leave?"

He regretted asking the question as soon as he did, and wished he could slap himself.

The two Jiedi's eyes instantly turned extremely cold and fierce, staring at him as if he were a dead man.

"Hmm?" Another Jiedi snorted coldly.
"Don't ask what you shouldn't ask! Knowing such things will only bring you trouble, not fortune! Do your job well and patrol the mountain! Forget everything else!"

His tone was firm and decisive, carrying a strong warning and threat: "Go down! Go patrol the mountain immediately!"

The local earth and mountain gods were terrified. They scrambled to their feet in a panic and disappeared into the grass and trees. However, their expressions had changed.

Once they reached a secluded mountain hollow and confirmed that no one was around, the oppressive aura of the Five Directions Protector Deities seemed to dissipate slightly.

"call……"

The landman let out a long sigh. "Tell me, what kind of mess is this?!"

The mountain god wiped the sweat from his brow. "In the past six hundred years, when have we ever seen such a grand spectacle? First, a patrol officer, whose authenticity we don't know, came and spoke as if he were talking in riddles! Then, the Five Directions Protector Lords came down, subtly hinting at something in their words, and even mentioned... Guanyin Bodhisattva!"

The land deity's small eyes gleamed with confusion. "Why would this Bodhisattva not stay peacefully on Luojia Mountain in the South China Sea, but suddenly come to our desolate Five Elements Mountain, where he's just suppressing a mischievous monkey? Does this...does this make sense?"

The mountain god frowned, twirling his sparse beard, trying to muster his meager, sesame-seed-like cleverness. After a while, he suddenly slapped his thigh!
"Oh! I knew it!"

The mountain god's eyes lit up for a moment, but were then covered by a deeper worry.

"Besides the plague god being released from the bottom of the mountain, what other major event could be so important that it would warrant the Bodhisattva's personal visit to this desolate and treacherous place? It seems that what the immortal from the patrol office said might be true."

Upon hearing this, the local deity gasped, "He's going to be released? He's really going to go out? Six hundred years... Amitabha..."

He subconsciously uttered a Buddhist chant, but then felt that a Taoist chant would be more in line with his identity, so he quickly changed his words, "Uh, may the Taoist Ancestor bless me!"

"It definitely is!" The mountain god thought about it more and more and it made more sense.
“If the Bodhisattva doesn’t come, there’s no faith in releasing the monkey. But if the Bodhisattva does come, something will begin. If the Bodhisattva can come, it’s guaranteed that the monkey will be released.”

Having realized this, Tu Di's heart was not at ease; on the contrary, it felt as if a large stone was weighing on it.

"It's a good thing, but... but what that immortal from the Tushita Palace said when he left..."

He tried hard to recall Chen Guangrui's voice, which seemed to carry a chill: "All the credit went to them, but all the blame fell on your heads. Hearing that sent a chill down my spine."

The mountain god's face also fell. "Brother, you've hit the nail on the head. Now I'm thinking about it. What was the attitude of the Five Directions Protectors just now? They only told us that the Bodhisattva was coming and that we should be extra careful in our patrols, but they didn't mention a word about the monkey going out. When we asked one question, their eyes were like knives!"

He touched his neck with lingering fear. "Is this how you treat a partner you've worked with for six hundred years?"

"No way!" The local deity shook his head decisively, his face clouded with worry. "When have they ever considered us one of their own? They've always treated us like pawns to be sacrificed at any time! You know, when the Bodhisattva comes to unseal the monkey, this earth-shattering feat will definitely belong to Buddhism, to the Bodhisattva, and to those few Jiedi (priests). But what if something goes wrong in the mountain before or when the monkey leaves..."

He glanced at the mountain god, who was also looking at him. The two of them shivered at the same time and whispered in unison, "...The ones taking the blame are none other than us, these two little earth gods and mountain gods who are neither true confidants of Buddhism nor holding positions of deity in Taoism!"

"The Buddhist sect won't speak up for us, and as for the Taoist sect, all these years we've been doing is guarding the gate for the Buddhist sect, so we have no face to go back and ask the Taoist patriarch for protection!"

The land's voice trembled with tears, "Will it all be our fault then?"

The mountain god found the matter increasingly terrifying. He suddenly grabbed the earth god's arm, his eyes filled with a desperate urgency.

"Brother, we can't just sit here and wait to die any longer. That 'immortal' from the Tushita Palace is real. He said those words before he left and even gave us directions!"

The land deity was taken aback: "What road did you point me to?"

“He said, ‘If this inspector can’t make a decision, the higher-ups will protect you.’ He also asked us, ‘If any Buddhist guards bully you, just report it truthfully! This inspector can help you!’ Doesn’t that…give us a way out?”

The mountain god was still pondering, "Although he didn't explicitly say how to find him, he ended up heading in that direction."

He pointed in the direction Chen Guangrui and Yuan Shoucheng had gone, "Let's quickly see where they went."

“You mean…” Tu Di’s little eyes lit up, as if he had grasped at the last straw.

The mountain god nodded vigorously, "What else is there to say! Let's go find him directly!"

(End of this chapter)