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Chapter 128 Farewell
Fuling Mountain, Yunzhan Cave.

The warm afternoon sun slanted across the cave entrance, where Pigsy lay sprawled on the stone bed, legs crossed, humming a tuneless little tune. His glossy black arms were behind his head, and his thick, long nose twitched contentedly.

Life has been much more comfortable lately. During the day, I don't have to be a beast of burden for the Gao family, carrying manure and building walls. At night, I can even sneak off to Gao Village to meet Gao Cuilan in secret. This is much more comfortable than being that damned marshal in Heaven.

"Zhu Ganglie! Zhu Ganglie!"

A clear and somewhat familiar shout suddenly rang out from outside the cave.

Pigsy's entire body of fat trembled violently, and his humming abruptly stopped. He sat up abruptly, his large ears perking up alertly like two palm-leaf fans. It was the voice of the Silver Furnace Boy!
"What's this troublesome little plague god doing here again? Does he want to drag me back again?"

Zhu Ganglie's alarm bells rang loudly, and his rough, dark face was immediately filled with vigilance and impatience.

He grabbed the large rake leaning against the stone bed, strode out of the cave, and roared in a deep voice,
"What are you yelling for? It's you again? I, Old Pig, am having a great time here and I'm not going anywhere. You'd better go back, or I'll get rough with you."

He gripped the rake tightly, holding it horizontally in front of him, striking a fierce pose that kept everyone at arm's length. He hadn't forgotten the humiliation of being indiscriminately trapped in the vase by this child last time.

The Silver Furnace Boy stood alone in the open space outside the cave, clutching the jade bottle that had caused him so much trouble. The boy's face had lost its previous murderous intent, replaced by a rare honesty. Seeing Zhu Bajie's agitated state, he pursed his lips...

"Why are you shouting so loudly? Don't worry, we're not here to arrest you today."

Zhu Bajie's small eyes darted around suspiciously, and he loosened his grip on the rake slightly, but his tone remained firm, "Really? Then why are you yelling like that?"

"Really!" The Silver Furnace Boy nodded, and to show his sincerity, he even pulled the bottle he was holding down a little.

"As the ancestor said, everyone has their own ambitions. If you don't want to return to Heaven to be an official, we can't force you. That's why I'm here today..."

He paused, trying to make his voice sound relaxed and natural, "I'm saying goodbye to you. I'm planning to go back to Heaven."

"Farewell? Returning to Heaven?" Zhu Ganglie's tense muscles finally relaxed, and the fierce and menacing disguise on his face instantly disappeared, replaced by surprise, followed by a hint of barely perceptible embarrassment and relief.

It's great that the other party isn't bothering him anymore, but he did manage to trick the boy, making him run down to the mortal realm for nothing.

He scratched the back of his furry neck, his voice softening and tinged with embarrassment, "Ahem... Are you really going back? Then have a safe trip!"

He rubbed his greasy hands together, then casually asked, "So when are you leaving? I, Old Pig, will... well, see you off from afar?"

Silver Furnace Boy shook his head, and that "I have something important to do" look returned to his little face. He raised his chin slightly and said, "It'll be soon! But before I leave, I have a little errand to run to Wuzhuang Temple."

"Wuzhuang Temple?" Zhu Bajie was taken aback. The name vaguely hinted at something, and his thick brows furrowed in confusion.

"Besides that old man Zhenyuan Daxian, what else could be there? What are you going there for?" He really couldn't understand why this little kid was going to Wuzhuang Temple.

Upon seeing Zhu Bajie's puzzled expression, the Silver Incense Burner Boy immediately became beaming, his little hands unconsciously waving as he held the precious bottle, as if he were an honored guest of Wuzhuang Temple.

"What for? Hmph, of course, I'm going to take care of something important! Have you heard of the ginseng fruit tree in the back garden of Wuzhuang Temple? That's a treasure among treasures!"

The Silver Incense Burner Boy paused deliberately, keeping everyone in suspense, then extended his little finger and gestured exaggeratedly.

"It only blooms once every three thousand years, and then it takes another three thousand years to bear fruit. For the fruit to ripen, it takes another three thousand years, a full ten thousand years, to ripen only a few dozen fruits!"

He smacked his lips, his face full of lingering enjoyment, and raised his voice a little, as if afraid that Pigsy wouldn't know how rare this was.
"When I was in the Tushita Palace, I went to the Immortal Gathering at Wuzhuang Temple with the Ancestor! Tsk tsk tsk, I saw it with my own eyes and even tasted it once, that feeling..."

He smacked his lips, as if truly savoring the taste, "Sweet, refreshingly sweet, the flesh is like golden threads wrapped around nectar, one bite and the sweetness goes straight down your throat and into your very being! You wouldn't believe it, even my brother, who always has a cold face and is like a block of ice, couldn't help but smile for a long time after eating just a little bit, hahaha!"

He laughed smugly, feeling superior for having seen such a fine thing before.

This exaggerated boasting, like an invisible hook, precisely caught Pigsy's most sensitive and greedy craving.

The ginseng fruit only ripens a few dozen times every ten thousand years, and even the little boy in the Tushita Palace praises it to the heavens!

Pigsy's throat bobbed uncontrollably, making a loud "gulp" sound as he swallowed. He felt an uncontrollable surge of saliva rising within him. His small eyes widened instantly, staring intently at the Silver Furnace Boy's opening and closing mouth, filled with longing, his craving impossible to conceal.

He subconsciously licked his thick lips, wiggled his plump body, and took a small step closer to the Silver Furnace Boy.

A smile, which he thought was the most genuine and heartwarming, was forced onto the pig-like face. He rubbed his large hands together, his voice unconsciously lowering, tinged with a hint of probing and ingratiation.

"Hehe... Wuzhuang Temple, that's the Daoist temple of the ancestor of earth immortals, I, Old Pig, have long admired its name. And that... Little Immortal Silver Furnace..."

He tried to build rapport, "Look, although we had a small misunderstanding at the beginning, we've known each other for so long, it's like we're destined to meet, right? You're about to return to Heaven, the mountains are high and the road is long..."

He paused, his voice lower, tinged with a hint of ulterior motive, "Shall I see you off? It's as a way of showing you mercy last time, and I can also broaden my horizons. What do you say?"

Upon hearing that he also wanted to go, the Silver Furnace Boy's face immediately fell, and he shook his head vigorously, his tone decisive and disdainful.

"What are you going to deliver? It's too much trouble. I can just ride a little cloud and get there in a flash! You'll just be causing trouble, no thanks!"

"Oh dear, no trouble at all! Really, no trouble at all!" Upon hearing the rejection, Pigsy became even more anxious, waving his greasy hands frantically, his tone becoming incredibly sincere, even pleading.

"Look how hard you've been traveling. I, Old Pig, may not have any other skills, but I do have a lot of brute strength. I can help you carry your bags or loads on the way, or when we get to Wuzhuang Temple, I can help you with some chores, serve you tea, and clean the courtyard. I'll take care of all the heavy, tiring, and dirty work! I promise to make sure you're comfortable and well taken care of. So, take me with you!"

To make his argument more convincing, he suddenly raised his rake and slapped his thick chest with his strong hands, making his fat body tremble and spittle fly out. "I, Old Pig, keep my word!"

The Silver Furnace Boy was at his wits' end by the boy's eagerness, and his hands unconsciously began to gently rotate the bottle. His little face scrutinized the large figure before him. Although he felt the boy was a burden and worried he might embarrass him or cause trouble…

But his strength is real. Having a free laborer along wouldn't be bad, would it? Anyway, he can't beat his own Aquarius right now.

The boy had already figured it out in his mind, but on the surface he still pretended to be extremely unwilling and reluctant. He frowned, nodded very perfunctorily, and mumbled something.

"Alright, alright, you seem so eager to offer this. Come along then. But let's get this straight! When we get to Wuzhuang Temple, you better watch your step. Keep your mouth shut, and do what you're supposed to do! That's Zhenyuan Daxian's territory, the rules are strict! Especially when you see..."

He seemed to realize he had almost let something slip, and quickly corrected himself, "When you meet Zhenyuan Daxian in person, you must follow the rules. You are not allowed to look, touch, or talk randomly. If you cause trouble or offend him... Hmph, I won't care about you. You'll be in deep trouble!"

"Don't worry! I guarantee you'll be satisfied. I, Old Pig, know exactly what I'm doing!"

Upon hearing that Silver Furnace Boy had relented, Pigsy grinned from ear to ear, his face beaming as if the incredibly sweet ginseng fruit was already beckoning to him. He hurriedly nodded and bowed in agreement, deftly slung the rake over his shoulder, and followed Silver Furnace Boy with a smug gait.

Driven by pride and cravings, his stomach rumbled twice at an inopportune moment. The allure of the ginseng fruit had completely whetted his appetite, and he could only look forward to setting off as soon as possible.

Yellow Wind Ridge.

The mountain wind howled across the bare stone walls of Huangfeng Ridge. Inside Huangfeng Cave, the light from the oil lamp flickered on Huangfeng Monster's pensive face. His rough fingers tapped unconsciously on the cold stone chair armrest.

A series of hurried, heavy footsteps echoed from the cave entrance, and Tiger Vanguard appeared in the dim light, his face filled with excitement and certainty.

"My lord! I'm back!" Tiger Vanguard rushed forward, not even bothering to catch his breath, and lowered his voice.
"Your Majesty guessed correctly! I saw that guy clearly. He came out from the direction of Mount Sumeru just these past two days! The way he walked, the way he dressed, he was the son of that black devil from Black Wind Mountain. I forgot his name, but I would recognize him even if he were ashes! He was definitely wandering around in the territory of Bodhisattva Lingji!"

The Yellow Wind Monster's fingers, which were tapping the stone chair, suddenly stopped. He slowly raised his eyes, and his usually bright, even somewhat bold, golden eyes narrowed unusually slowly.

His imposing figure leaned slightly forward from the stone chair, exuding a calm yet extremely imposing aura of power. "It really was him..."

"Go!" The Yellow Wind Monster didn't hesitate for a moment longer, pointing decisively to the cave entrance. "Give me a few clever ones to follow me. Lead the way!"

Without uttering a single superfluous word, he directly issued the order.

Tiger Vanguard sensed the dormant yet about-to-explode power emanating from the Great King, and his spirits lifted. Without hesitation, he replied, "Yes, Your Majesty!"

He turned and ran out of the cave to gather people.

(End of this chapter)