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Chapter 123: Yellow Wind Great Sage
The mountain road is winding and full of strangely shaped rocks.

Chen Guangrui and Yuan Shoucheng led the way, while Hu Xianfeng, bound tightly with the golden rope, staggered behind.

"You, you just wait!"

Tiger Vanguard's tiger-like face flushed red, a mixture of shock, anger, and frustration, yet he refused to back down.

"Throughout these eight hundred li of Yellow Wind Ridge, up and down, every mountain spirit and water monster, big and small, kneels down and calls us Yellow Wind Great Sage 'Grandpa'! I'm warning you, release me right now..."

The voice has not fallen,

"Snap",
Yuan Shoucheng skillfully slapped him across the back of his hairy head with his backhand.

"Ouch! Why did you hit me again?" Tiger Vanguard cried out in pain, glaring at Yuan Shoucheng.

Yuan Shoucheng rolled his eyes and snorted, "So what if I hit you? You're making my ears hurt. Grandpa? I think you want to be my grandson!"

"You! You old fox! You just wait, once you're in front of my king, let's see if you dare lay a finger on me! Then I'll..."

Tiger Vanguard was panting with anger, but before he could finish his threat, Yuan Shoucheng delivered a solid kick to his buttocks.

"Ouch!" Tiger Vanguard writhed in pain, cursing, "You old bastard! You, you have no sense of reason? You kicked me before I even finished speaking?!"

Yuan Shoucheng stood with his hands on his hips, speaking with righteous indignation.

"Look at you, you little rascal, your eyes are darting around like that, you're definitely up to no good! What's wrong with kicking you? It'll teach you a lesson!"

Now that Tiger Vanguard is bound by the Golden Rope, even if he's fierce, he can't hurt Yuan Shoucheng in the slightest. Yuan Shoucheng has this opportunity, so why not make good use of it? He can boast to those younger fortune tellers that he once kicked the butt of a mountain demon!

After kicking her, he quickly jogged a couple of steps to Chen Guangrui's side, his earlier arrogance slightly diminished, and he said in a lowered voice,
"Scholar Chen, that Yellow Wind Monster is no match for this stupid tiger. If we just rush in like this, aren't we just offering ourselves up as food? Don't you have any preparations at all?"

Chen Guangrui stared at the rugged mountain road ahead, his steps unwavering, and said calmly, "Don't worry, I'm well prepared."

Yuan Shoucheng's eyes lit up, and he immediately perked up. "Hey, I knew it! As expected of Scholar Chen, you're incredibly resourceful and strategic. You never fight a battle you're not prepared for. So, tell me, what's our plan? A sneak attack from behind or a hidden ambush?"

Chen Guangrui turned her head and glanced at him, the corners of her mouth seeming to curve slightly.
“It’s simple, just use the same force you had when you kicked his butt. I’ll take care of the rest.”

Yuan Shoucheng was taken aback, looking at Chen Guangrui's expressionless face, and then thinking about the unpredictable road ahead in Huangfeng Cave, the flame that had just ignited in his heart was quickly extinguished, and he muttered to himself...
"Just based on sheer presence? Well, that'll do..."

He glanced furtively at Tiger Vanguard behind him, who was grimacing in pain, and thought to himself, "When we really meet the King, this aura might not be easy to control."

Tiger Vanguard was even angrier by Yuan Shoucheng's shifty eyes, and felt resentful.

A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle. I'll put up with this for now. Once we get to the cave, I'll see how my king deals with you—skinning you alive, pulling out your tendons, and boiling you in oil.

Just as he was fantasizing about getting revenge, he felt another sharp pain in his buttocks!
"Awooo!" Tiger Vanguard let out a miserable cry, enraged, and turned to roar at Yuan Shoucheng.

"Old man, I haven't even said a word, and you're still kicking me? You kick me even when I'm thinking about something?"

Yuan Shoucheng crossed his arms, raised his chin, and sneered, "Can't I even think about it? Thinking about it is a crime! Judging from your tiger-like face, you're not thinking anything good!"

Tiger Vanguard was so angry that his fur stood on end, and his teeth clenched so hard they cracked. "I'll fuck you, you damn fool..."

Tiger Vanguard, who had been beaten and kicked all the way and was not even allowed to think, was so frustrated that he almost vomited blood. Finally, a huge cave appeared deep in the mountain valley ahead.

Judging from their appearance, the group should be close to Huangfeng Cave.

Chen Guangrui looked around and indeed saw a place that resembled Huangfeng Cave.

The cave entrance, nestled beneath a precipitous cliff, resembled the gaping maw of a colossal beast. On either side of the entrance, jagged rocks jutted out like menacing fangs. Three large, crooked, eerie characters were carved into the cave ceiling: "Yellow Wind Cave."

Several piles of white animal bones were scattered on the open ground outside the cave, emitting a pungent stench. Several deer-like monsters dressed in tattered leather skirts and wielding steel forks and stone hammers were guarding the area. Upon seeing Tiger Vanguard, who was bound by golden ropes and looked disheveled, and then seeing the two calm and collected humans behind him, they were immediately terrified.

"Tiger Vanguard, oh my god!" a little demon shrieked.

Tiger Vanguard's pent-up anger and grievances from the journey suddenly erupted. He opened his throat and roared at the cave entrance with all his might.

"Help! Help! Grab your weapons! Someone's causing trouble! Your Majesty! Your Majesty, save me!" The roar echoed through the valley, causing rocks to fall in a rustling sound.

The little demons guarding the gate had never seen their vanguard captured like this before. Terrified, they scrambled and stumbled back into the cave, shouting as they ran.

"Oh no! Someone has broken into the mountain! Tiger Vanguard has been captured! Report to the King immediately!" Yuan Shoucheng was startled by this commotion and secretly swallowed.

But remembering Chen Guangrui's words, he forced himself to calm down, straightened his slightly trembling back, took a deep breath, and mentally encouraged himself to muster his strength and show some spirit.
A series of urgent horn-like sounds suddenly rang out inside the cave, accompanied by a cacophony of footsteps and the clanging of weapons.

Immediately afterwards, a large group of demon soldiers and generals poured out of the cave entrance! They were of all shapes and sizes, some with rat-like heads, others with jackals and tigers, probably numbering over a hundred!

These monsters, each with a ferocious appearance, shouted and yelled, their swords, spears, halberds, axes, hooks, and forks gleaming coldly. In an instant, they surrounded the open space in front of the cave, filling the air with a foul, fishy stench.

Surrounded by a horde of demons, a general slowly walked out of the cave.

This monster was indeed imposing; his golden helmet shone brightly, obscuring the cold stars, and his iron armor gleamed, covered in golden scales. His cloud-patterned shoes were embroidered with brocade, and his jeweled belt was exquisitely decorated. His round eyes shone with piercing light, and his two yellow eyebrows were like inverted steel needles.

He was as tall and imposing as a mountain, holding a three-pronged steel fork. As he stood at the cave entrance, a powerful and fierce demonic wind swept over him, making his clothes flutter and chilling him to the bone.

It was none other than the master of the eight-hundred-mile-long Yellow Wind Ridge, the Great Sage Yellow Wind!

Yellow Wind Monster's golden eyes slowly swept across the entire scene, his gaze lingering for a moment on the golden rope that tightly bound Tiger Vanguard, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Immediately, he fixed his icy gaze on Yuan Shoucheng and Chen Guangrui, lingering particularly on Chen Guangrui. His voice, booming like thunder, carried an undeniable authority that echoed through the valley.
"Hey! Where did these filthy scoundrels come from? You've got some nerve! Daring to run wild on my territory and tie up my vanguard? Do you think my Yellow Wind Cave is made of dough? Tell me! Do you want to be turned into minced meat for drinking, or do you want to be blown to smithereens by the divine wind?"

His words immediately boosted the morale of the surrounding demons, who cheered and waved flags, becoming extremely excited.

Yuan Shoucheng was intimidated by this imposing manner, and his newly formed "momentum" immediately deflated by more than half. His calves started to cramp, and he subconsciously wanted to shrink behind Chen Guangrui.

Huang Fengguai, with his keen eyesight, naturally noticed Yuan Shoucheng's subtle movements. He coldly snorted, his three-pronged steel fork pointing directly at Chen Guangrui, the chilling killing intent almost tangible.
"Boy, are you the one who tied me up? State your name and give me a straight answer, or next year this day will be your death anniversary!"

Stared at by countless fierce eyes, Chen Guangrui showed no sign of panic. He met the Yellow Wind Monster's imposing gaze with a step forward, his voice clear and steady, piercing through the clamor outside the cave.
"Does the Buddhist and Taoist Joint Inspection Division need to explain itself to you when it comes to handling affairs?"

A union of Buddhism and Taoism?

These four words made Yellow Wind Monster raise an eyebrow, almost laughing in anger.
"Hahahaha, what a load of bull! When I was listening to sutras at the Great Thunderclap Temple on Mount Ling, I never heard of these two families working together. What kind of scoundrel dares to use such lies to fool your grandpa? You're asking for death!"

He brandished his steel fork, causing the demonic wind to intensify, clearly indicating his genuine rage. The surrounding demon soldiers also raised their voices in unison, their weapons flashing, ready to pounce.

Yuan Shoucheng was sweating profusely. He had just told himself to put on a show of power, but when he actually saw a demon king-level being, he felt somewhat apprehensive and uncertain.

Scholar Chen tricked me! It's not easy to maintain this momentum!

Chen Guangrui, however, seemed oblivious to the chilling murderous aura and the clamor of the surrounding demon soldiers. His gaze was fixed intently on the Yellow Wind Monster, and he suddenly launched into a series of pointed questions.
"Still so smug? You have a lot on your plate. Do you really think your affairs are just as simple as ruling a mountain? Or is Bodhisattva Lingji really blind and unable to control you? You slipped out of the Lesser Sumeru Mountain that he was guarding. Do you really think he didn't know?"

He didn't stop breathing, staring intently at the Yellow Wind Monster, whose expression had slightly changed.
"Now that you've taken over Yellow Wind Ridge and become its king, with all these demon soldiers, do you think you can build a formidable reputation just by relying on your demonic wind? Or do you think that just because you're known as the Great Sage Yellow Wind, you can do whatever you want here?"

"Not to mention anything else, your Tiger Vanguard, relying on your name, disguises himself as an old man at the foot of the mountain to trick passersby into carrying him, and then drags him to a secluded place to feast on him. Are you really unaware of such despicable deeds? Or do you think that since the mountains are high and the emperor is far away, Heaven won't hold a grudge if you eat a few mortals?"

Upon hearing this, Tiger Vanguard hurriedly shook his head. He had pretended to be an old man, but he only noticed suspicious-looking people and then arrested them for questioning.

However, Chen Guangrui didn't even bother to see Tiger Vanguard's reaction, as if the tiger didn't exist at all. Instead, he stared at the Yellow Wind Great Sage, his aura growing even stronger.

"And then there's the Kingdom of Nashari. You turned all the people of that city into mountain rats, digging underground palaces for you day and night. Such horrifying evil deeds are clear from heaven. Do you really think no one knows about them? Bodhisattva Lingji is nearby. Did he do anything about it? Was he unable to do anything about it, or did he tacitly approve of it? Do you really think our Buddhist and Taoist Joint Inspection Division doesn't know?"

Yuan Shoucheng stood aside, admiring Chen Zhuangyuan in his heart. If he hadn't had a grudge against Buddhism, he could have lived a life of ease as a fortune teller. His lies were so convincing that no one could see through them.

Every question Chen Guangrui posed was like a heavy hammer, striking Huang Fengguai's heart hard.

The phrase "the kingdom of Shalli has turned into mountain rats" in particular drained the color from his face, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

Chen Guangrui stepped forward, his voice suddenly rising, carrying a chilling righteousness and the air of final judgment, drowning out the sound of the mountain wind and the clamor of the demon soldiers:
"You have harmed living beings, tortured and killed innocent people, occupied the mountains as kings, and evaded capture. The evidence is conclusive. Yellow Wind Monster, do you know your crimes?"

The last four words, like a thunderclap, resounded before Huangfeng Cave.

The valley was deathly silent. All the monsters stared dumbfounded at their king, who had been so powerful just a moment ago, now frozen in place by a series of pointed questions, his expression shifting, seemingly unable to utter a word.

Yuan Shoucheng stared wide-eyed at Chen Guangrui's retreating figure, as if he were seeing him for the first time.

Tiger Vanguard was completely dumbfounded, forgetting even the excruciating pain in his body; only his tiger eyes were filled with disbelief.

Yellow Wind Monster's burly body swayed slightly, and the heavy steel fork in his hand seemed to become difficult to hold. He looked at Chen Guangrui, his piercing golden eyes filled with shock and rage.
"Don't think I'm scared just because you've said a few bluffs. Tell me! Who exactly are you!"

(End of this chapter)