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Chapter 119 Wuzhuang Temple

In Guanyin Temple,
Shouts of "Fire! Fire!" rose and fell, and panicked figures darted through the thick smoke. But the fire started strangely; at first, there was only dense smoke that made people's eyes water and their heads spin, but the flames were small.

The two monks, Guangzhi and Guangmou, mingled in the crowd. While directing the other monks to bring more wet wood to deliberately create thick smoke, they secretly ordered the smoke to continue being fanned towards the guest rooms. They were planning to wait until the master and servant fainted, then seize the robes and pretend to set them on fire as if it was too late to save them.

"Hurry up! Make it thicker!" Guangmou urged in a low voice, his face revealing his anxiety and greed.

"Go check if the abbot has woken up!" a young monk shouted, wiping away tears brought on by the fumes.

"What's the panic!" Guangzhi immediately shouted, "The abbot is distracted right now, don't disturb him! Putting out the fire is the priority!"

His eyes flickered; it wasn't the right time for Elder Jinchi to step in.

However, amidst the thick smoke, someone's torch went astray, or perhaps a spark flew, and with a "whoosh," it actually ignited the dry curtains in the side room! The sparks, caught by the wind, instantly turned into flames, licking at the roof beams and leaping up!

"It's really on fire! Quick! Put out the fire!" This was no longer an act. The monks turned pale and grabbed buckets and brooms, frantically trying to put out the fire.

Seeing the situation suddenly change and the fire spiraling out of control, Guangzhi and Guangmou were greatly alarmed. Forgetting about fanning the smoke, they rushed towards the main guest room, where the fire hadn't yet fully spread, hoping to find the robe before the roof beams collapsed. The thick smoke choked them, making it impossible to open their eyes, and they could only grope their way forward.

Suddenly, with a crisp "crack", there was no big fire, but a piece of charred and smoking wood fell from above and hit Guangmou right on the head as he was rushing in front.

Guangmou didn't even utter a sound before collapsing to the ground.

Guangzhi was shocked. Just as he was about to bend down to pull his senior brother up, there was another muffled thud. A burning beam broke off and fell, grazing his back and scattering sparks.

Overwhelmed by excruciating pain, Guangzhi's vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness.

Several disciples rushed in through the thick smoke, only to find their two senior brothers lying unconscious on the ground, flames leaping all around them. Terrified, they scrambled out to report the news, leaving no one to care for their two senior brothers.

In the main hall, Elder Jinchi seemed to have aged ten years overnight. His cloudy eyes were filled with dejection and a sense of loss, and there was no trace of his former solemn and dignified appearance.

"Elder! Something terrible has happened! Senior Brothers Guangzhi and Guangmou are trapped in the fire in the guest room while trying to put it out!"

"My two senior brothers have been knocked unconscious by the falling logs! Please save them!"

Elder Jinchi jolted awake, his unfocused eyes fixed on the newcomer. His wrinkled face, drained of color, revealed an incredulous sorrow and bewilderment. "Ah? Quick...quick, save him!"

His voice trembled as he struggled to stand, but what had just happened had drained most of his strength.

"Quickly, quickly put out the fire... save people..." he repeated weakly, as if this was the only reaction he could make.

There was no other way; he had to be helped by his disciples to get to the courtyard.

The fire in the courtyard was out of control, with thick smoke billowing out. The fire was fueled by the wind and burned fiercely, with flames rolling and the scorching air making it impossible for the monks who were fighting the fire to get close to the guest rooms.

Looking at the raging fire, Jin Chi thought about the fact that Guanyin Bodhisattva would arrive in a month, and his face became even more dejected.

Just then, a deep, resonant voice pierced through the chaotic noise and rang out above the Zen temple:
"Master Jinchi, what...what are you doing?"

Elder Jinchi suddenly looked up.

A tall, imposing figure stood on the stone steps of the courtyard, his body wrapped in a large black robe, revealing a huge bear head!
It was that black bear spirit!

……

The night was slightly cool on the mountain path outside the Zen temple.

Yuan Shoucheng carefully carried a thick stack of letters, walking side by side with Chen Guangrui, his face filled with undisguised excitement and pride.

"It's done, it's done!" he said to Chen Guangrui in a low voice, his fingers rapidly tapping on the letter in his pocket.
"I counted them, a full ninety-seven! Hey! That old bald monk is really a tough guy, he's tough as nails even after being interrogated like that... But in the end, he still managed to spit them all out!"

The two walked to a secluded, deserted mountain hollow and stopped under a large tree.

"Quick, let's take a look and see what's written."

Yuan Shoucheng couldn't wait to spread the letters all over the ground. He squatted down and, by the moonlight, quickly sorted the muddy letters according to their different recipient addresses.

"Five Elements Mountain... Eagle's Sorrow Gorge... Gao Village... Flowing Sand River... Yellow Wind Ridge..."

As Yuan Shoucheng sorted the goods, he muttered place names under his breath. His initial excitement gradually gave way to deep confusion.

"This...this doesn't make sense. This old monk Jinchi is just the abbot of Guanyin Temple. Why would he send people to collect so many letters from unrelated places? And judging from the envelopes, the recipients are all over the country?"

Chen Guangrui watched from the side. Although he didn't say anything, he knew in his heart that besides these five places, there should be one more, which was Black Wind Mountain, which Elder Jinchi himself was in charge of.

At this moment, Yuan Shoucheng picked up the envelope from Yingchoujian; inside was a letter. Unfolding it, he saw that the handwriting was neat and elegant:

"...The Dragon Lord of Eagle Sorrow Stream cultivates diligently every day. Although he dwells in a secluded pool, he is of pure and kind nature, guarding this land and water, and possesses a benevolent spirit..."

Yuan Shoucheng curled his lip: "Tsk, this is written... praising that hot-tempered Third Prince of the Dragon Prince like he's a flower. Diligent every day? Good character? Are you kidding me? I just met him yesterday."

Looking through the letters from Gao Laozhuang again, they are largely the same:

"...The Pig Hermit of Gao Village is diligent and hardworking, kind-hearted, and has a good reputation in the village..."

"Nonsense! Nonsense!" Yuan Shoucheng couldn't help but sneer. "That lecherous pig demon was treated like a monster and despised in Gao Village. What good could he be? This is definitely a deliberate exaggeration."

When he turned to Huang Fengling's letters, the content took a sharp turn, with a cold and scathing criticism permeating the lines:

"...The Yellow Wind Cave Master, Yellow Wind Monster, is eccentric and cruel, ruling the mountain as his own. Recently, he even used sorcery to turn all the people of an entire city in the Kingdom of Sihali into mountain rats, who toil day and night to dig an underground palace for him. His actions can be described as heinous and abhorrent to both gods and men."

Yuan Shoucheng gasped in shock and read aloud the specific charges listed below.

"Torture and slaughter of living beings, abduct innocent women, extort offerings..."

After reading it, his hand holding the letter trembled slightly, his face filled with disbelief. "How could you describe this Yellow Robe Monster in such a terrible light?"

"What are these letters for?" He looked up, his eyes filled with confusion and unease, at Chen Guangrui, who had been silently observing. He knew that with Chen Guangrui's knowledge, he might be able to figure out the secret.

Chen Guangrui's gaze swept over the letters spread out on the ground, thoughtful, his tone calm yet certain: "These letters are not for transmitting messages, but more like records."

"Records?" Yuan Shoucheng blinked.

“Yes,” Chen Guangrui squatted down, picked up an empty envelope from Wuxing Mountain and a letter of praise from Yingchoujian and compared them, “recording the words and actions of different people at different destinations.”

"Why record all this?" Yuan Shoucheng was even more confused. "Who is it for?"

Chen Guangrui did not answer immediately, his gaze falling on the remaining pile of letters. Yuan Shoucheng also lowered his head and continued to quickly sift through them.

Suddenly, with a soft "thud," a letter slipped out from a stack of letters from Gao Laozhuang and fell onto the ground.

Yuan Shoucheng picked it up casually, and was about to put it back when his eyes swept over the writing on the envelope, and he stopped in his tracks.

This envelope was newer and seemed more refined than the others. He pulled out the letter inside, unfolded it, and read only a few lines of text.
"Pigsy left the manor yesterday, and his return date is unknown. There are no problems for now. Now that this matter is settled, he will soon set off back to Wuzhuang Temple to visit his master..."

Yuan Shoucheng was even more puzzled, "Wuzhuang Temple?"

Yuan Shoucheng held the letter addressed to "Wuzhuang Temple" with a blank expression.
"Is this accountant going to Wuzhuang Temple to visit his master?"

Chen Guangrui frowned slightly. What necessary connection did this Wuzhuang Temple have with the Wuzhuang Temple in his memory?
"Scholar Chen, what's the background of this Wuzhuang Temple? You're so knowledgeable, do you know why they're involved in this?" Yuan Shoucheng subconsciously looked at Chen Guangrui, his tone filled with dependence and confusion.

Things took a much more complicated turn than he had imagined.

Chen Guangrui shook his head, his tone calm, "I'm not a fortune teller. How could I possibly know the secrets of these sacred sites out of thin air?"

Yuan Shoucheng was taken aback by his words, his chubby face turning slightly red. He then suddenly slapped his forehead, exclaiming, "Oh dear! Look at my head, I've been scared out of my wits!"

He quickly rummaged in his pocket and pulled out the old tortoise shell, the polished copper coin, and the pen he had obtained a few days ago in Gao Village. His expression became unusually solemn, and he even bit his fingertip until it bled.

"Now that we have concrete evidence and the handwriting, we must thoroughly investigate this accountant's background!"

Yuan Shoucheng muttered incantations as he respectfully shook the tortoise shell with both hands. The sound of copper coins striking the inner wall of the tortoise shell was crisp and mysterious, exceptionally clear in the silent mountain forest.

The clattering sound lasted for several breaths before he held his breath, poured the copper coins into his palm, and carefully examined their scattered positions and orientations under the moonlight. He made indistinct calculations on the divination symbols with his fingers, rapidly reciting divination texts that others couldn't understand, his brows sometimes furrowing and sometimes relaxing.

After a long while, he finally let out a long breath, his small eyes shining with determination.
"I've figured it out! This accountant... didn't go there after Zhu Bajie descended to the mortal realm! He had already taken root in Gao Village long before Tianpeng was banished to the mortal world. It was he who facilitated Zhu Bajie's introduction to the village!"

Yuan Shoucheng picked up the copper coins and tortoise shell, attempting to deduce the intentions behind Wuzhuang Temple's actions. However, after a moment, he put down his tools with a dejected expression.

"No, no! Wuzhuang Temple is no ordinary place; its aura is primordial and ancient, obscuring the secrets of heaven. With my limited cultivation, without a single blade of grass, a single tree, or a single piece of paper from that temple as a guide, trying to divine what they are after from afar is as difficult as ascending to heaven!"

He leaned back against the tree trunk, dejected.

Chen Guangrui's gaze shifted from the letters on the ground to the dark night sky in the distance, and fragments of information about Zhu Bajie and Wuzhuang Temple flashed through his mind.

Ginseng fruit... seems to be the only connection that pig has with Wuzhuang Temple.

With that thought in mind, he suddenly spoke, his tone as calm as if he were suggesting what to have for breakfast the next day, "Wuzhuang Temple... I remember there's a ginseng fruit tree there? That Pigsy is famous for his love of it, maybe we can help him. Let's take him to Wuzhuang Temple to taste the ginseng fruit."

Yuan Shoucheng was scratching his head in deep thought when he heard this. He was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up. He realized the unspoken meaning in Chen Guangrui's words and looked at Chen Guangrui with a look of understanding and admiration.

……

A cool mountain breeze blew. Chen Guangrui and Yuan Shoucheng returned to their agreed meeting point on the outskirts of Black Wind Mountain.

Under the moonlight, only the Silver Incense Burner Boy could be seen pacing back and forth, holding his precious jade bottle.

The Golden Furnace Boy has vanished without a trace.

Chen Guangrui's heart sank, and he quickly stepped forward, "Where's the golden furnace?"

Upon seeing them, the Silver Furnace Boy immediately rushed over, his face showing a hint of panic. "Mr. Chen! Old Yuan! Something terrible has happened! A big, fierce monk suddenly appeared, accusing us of robbing his family and saying he's going to take us back to be punished!"

The boy with the silver furnace waved his little hands and gestured, trying his best to describe it clearly, but due to his limited knowledge, he couldn't say anything about the monk's specific origins.

"My senior brother was furious and was about to argue with him when the monk attacked him without saying a word!"

The silver furnace boy spoke urgently, with a hint of lingering fear from being frightened.
"Of course we weren't afraid of him, and we were just about to unleash our magic weapon to deal with him when we realized that the monk's broken stick was so evil!"

He pointed with lingering fear to an open space nearby, "Look, right there, he slammed his broken staff on the ground, and with a flash of golden light, it turned into a living, flying golden dragon! Its claws were bigger than millstones! The two of us... we didn't even have time to react. He ambushed us! Otherwise, we wouldn't have been unable to defeat him. I hadn't even used my bottle yet."

Silver Furnace Boy stamped his foot in frustration and said bitterly, "That golden dragon suddenly pounced down, and with a swift swipe of its claws, it grabbed my senior brother and held him firmly in its claws! Then, with a flick of its tail, the golden dragon carried my senior brother into the clouds and disappeared in a flash! I wanted to chase after it, but that dragon flew too fast..."

His voice was filled with frustration and confusion, not yet understanding what a formidable opponent this represented.

Who exactly is capable of capturing the Golden Furnace Boy?

Chen Guangrui thought for a moment, "Since he said you stole his things, it's easy to guess. Let me ask you, last time when you two were getting that precious cassock, you stole his precious pearl. What happened to the monsters of Black Wind Mountain?"

The Silver Incense Burner Boy said, "Of course we released it. We wanted the treasure, so he gave it to us. Naturally, we didn't make things difficult for him."

At this point, Yuan Shoucheng understood what was going on.

Chen Guangrui said directly, "In that case, let's go to Yalong Mountain first."

"Huh? Go to Yalong Mountain? Why are you looking for your godmother?" Silver Furnace Boy asked, puzzled.

Chen Guangrui said, "That great monk is the Bodhisattva Lingji. If he wants to save your brother, he must first know where he is, right?"

Having said that, let's not worry about Wuzhuang Temple for now; let's go and rescue the Golden Furnace Boy first.

(End of this chapter)