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Chapter 132 Asking for a Few Ginseng Fruits to Try
Inside the gate of Wuzhuang Temple, several young Taoist priests were laughing and joking around their ninth senior brother.

A round-faced Taoist priest grinned and said, "Ninth Senior Brother, how long do you think it will take Qingfeng and Mingyue to drive away those people of unknown origin? I'll bet an incense stick's time."

Another tall Taoist priest rubbed his hands together, "I think it'll only last half an incense stick's time! With Mingyue's mouth, he could curse even the little devils in the King of Hell's palace to reincarnation, let alone..."

As they were talking, another skinny Taoist priest joined in the fun, "I'll bet half an incense stick too! Qingfeng's foul mouth is even more insidious than Mingyue's when he curses people."

The steward Taoist, addressed as Ninth Senior Brother, stroked his sparse beard, a relaxed smile of anticipation on his chubby face. "Have you all placed your bets? If you have, then we can go to the front hall for our midday prayers in peace. Let Qingfeng and Mingyue have their fun; once they've driven them away, we'll have some peace and quiet..."

He didn't finish his sentence.

"Crench!"

Without warning, the two heavy wooden doors of Wuzhuang Temple were pushed open forcefully.

Sunlight suddenly flooded in, illuminating several faces inside the door that were caught off guard and instantly froze.

The smiles of the Taoist priests froze on their faces, and their playful chatter seemed to have been abruptly cut off. The round-faced Taoist priest stared wide-eyed, his mouth slightly agape.

The tall Taoist priest froze in his hand-rubbing motion, as if his entire body was frozen. The thin Taoist priest seemed to have seen something extremely terrifying, letting out a short, sharp gasp and instinctively shrinking back. Even the more mature Ninth Senior Brother's relaxed smile vanished instantly, his chubby face tightening, his small eyes filled with astonishment and bewilderment.

Standing outside the door were Chen Guangrui and his group, whom they thought should have been scolded away long ago.

The Silver Furnace Boy, carrying a bottle and a gourd, wore a smug look on his face, as if he had just dealt with someone. Pigsy, carrying a rake, flapped his big ears and curiously peered inside.

Yuan Shoucheng followed beside Chen Guangrui, his small eyes quickly scanning the people and scenery inside the temple. Chen Guangrui, on the other hand, stepped forward, calmly observing the group of dumbfounded Taoist priests inside.

"Where's Junior Brother Qingfeng?" Ninth Senior Brother was the first to recover. He suppressed his immense unease and frantically searched behind the newcomers, but not seeing the two familiar figures, his voice rose uncontrollably, filled with disbelief.
"Where is Mingyue? What did you do to them?" He stared intently at the two unremarkable treasures in the Silver Furnace Boy's hands.

Upon hearing this, the Silver Furnace Boy immediately perked up. He deliberately puffed out his chest, took a step forward with his short legs, and raised his chin, looking quite smug. He vigorously shook the white jade-like bottle in his right hand, the bottles gently clinking together to produce a crisp sound.

"That guy with the foul mouth named Qingfeng is inside,"

The Silver Furnace Boy spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, then raised the gourd in his left hand, which gleamed with a warm, purplish-gold luster, "The one with the even fouler mouth, named Mingyue, is in here."

He seemed very satisfied with his victory, his little face beaming with "I'm awesome, aren't I?"

The ninth senior brother and the other Taoists' gazes immediately focused on the bottle and gourd. Their warm, jade-like luster and the flowing, shimmering purple-gold brilliance indicated they were no ordinary objects.

A terrifying name instantly exploded in the minds of several Taoist priests who had read the classics.

"A... a jade bottle made of mutton fat?"

"A purple...purple-gold-red gourd?"

"Heavens! Is this really Laozi's magic weapon?" Several exclamations rang out almost simultaneously, filled with terror and lingering fear. The Taoist priests' faces instantly turned as white as paper. They knew very well what these two treasures meant, and they also knew what fate awaited those who were trapped inside.

The round-faced Taoist priest was so frightened that his legs went weak and he almost collapsed to the ground, his voice trembling with fear.

"It will turn into pus! Qingfeng and Mingyue..." The tall Taoist priest suddenly turned to his ninth senior brother, grabbed his sleeve, his voice trembling and incoherent.
"Ninth Senior Brother, what should we do? Think of something quickly. If we really kill Junior Brother, when Master comes back, we won't be able to get away with it either. If Master finds out, he will definitely beat us to death."

The thin Taoist priest hid behind someone, only revealing half of his terrified face. The other Taoist priests all surrounded the Ninth Senior Brother, their previous playful ease gone, replaced by fear and pleading.

Ninth Senior Brother's chubby face was covered in a fine layer of cold sweat. He knew that the seriousness of the matter far exceeded his expectations.

A celestial boy from the Tushita Palace barged in with a great treasure and even captured the gatekeeper.

At first glance, it seems that the Tushita Palace is in the wrong, but if you investigate the matter carefully, you'll find that even their own master is in the wrong.

If this is not handled properly, the consequences will be unimaginable. He took a deep breath, trying to suppress the shock in his heart, and forced out the most gentle, even humble, smile possible. He bowed deeply to the Silver Furnace Boy.

"Little fairy, please calm down! Please calm down!" Ninth Senior Brother's voice was urgent.

"It's all our fault for being blind to the true face of the Immortal Palace. Those two ignorant children, Qingfeng and Mingyue, were blind and offended the little immortal boy. They deserve to die. We are to beg the immortal boy to have mercy on them and release them in their youth and ignorance. If we delay any longer, it may be too late!" As he spoke, he looked nervously at the magic weapon in the Silver Furnace Boy's hand, and then at Chen Guangrui, who seemed to be in charge, with a face full of pleading and anxiety.

This was the first time that Silver Furnace Boy had been surrounded by a group of adults pleading for him like this, and he felt even more smug.

However, he had no idea what to do, and habitually turned to look at Chen Guangrui, "Mr. Chen, should we let it go or not?"

After all, it was Mr. Chen who asked him to take the person in.

Chen Guangrui stood aside, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over the young Taoists with different expressions surrounding Ninth Senior Brother.

He tilted his head slightly and asked in a very low voice that only Yuan Shoucheng beside him could hear, "Master Yuan, among these people, are there any whose auras are particularly disordered or strange? Can you figure it out?"

He was being vague, but Yuan Shoucheng understood that he was asking about the "accountant".

Yuan Shoucheng had been listening intently for a while, and when Chen Guangrui asked him, his face immediately scrunched up as if he had swallowed a bitter pill. He nervously rubbed the few copper coins in his sleeve, his mind in turmoil.

His reputation for accurate predictions has been tarnished by the Huang Fengling incident. If he were to make another prediction now, and it turned out to be inaccurate again, wouldn't he become a complete laughingstock?

He gritted his teeth, with a great deal of hesitation and guilt, and shook his head rapidly with very small movements at Chen Guangrui, his eyes filled with the bitterness of "not being sure and not daring to calculate".

Seeing Yuan Shoucheng's reaction, Chen Guangrui immediately understood. He stopped asking questions and instead nodded to his ninth senior brother, who was staring expectantly in their direction, in a calm tone.

"Since it was a misunderstanding and the person has already been taught a lesson, Yinlu, please release them."

"Oh." The Silver Furnace Boy obeyed Chen Guangrui's words without question. Without saying a word, he unscrewed the stopper of the jade bottle and gently poured it onto the ground.

With a "splash," a stream of clear water gushed out, accompanied by a disheveled figure.

A gentle breeze was poured out.

As soon as he came out, he coughed violently a few times, his whole body trembling, whether from the cold or from fright, it was hard to tell. His clothes clung to his body, and his hair was disheveled and stuck to his cheeks; where was the trace of his previous meanness and shrewishness?
He lay on the ground for several breaths before he could barely lift his head. Looking at the Silver Furnace Boy, his eyes were filled with deep fear and lingering dread. His lips trembled, and he dared not utter a single word.

Next, the Silver Furnace Boy uncorked the purple-gold gourd. This time, instead of water, a cloud of smoke with a strange smell poured out.

As the smoke dissipated, Mingyue's figure appeared. He collapsed to the ground as soon as he emerged, as if he had no bones. His face was deathly pale with an eerie bluish-yellow tinge, his lips were purplish-black, and he made painful "hoarse" sounds from his throat. His body trembled uncontrollably, looking even more miserable than Qingfeng.

He huddled on the ground, his eyes unfocused. When he saw the gourd in the Silver Furnace Boy's hand, he covered his face in terror and dared not look at it a second time.

Zhu Bajie stood to the side, looking at the disheveled Qingfeng Mingyue on the ground, and clicked his tongue in empathy, sighing gruffly.
"Hey, I, Old Pig, know. It's really not pleasant inside. It's not that I'm thick-skinned and can withstand it; I couldn't even stand it when I was in the Pure Bottle!"

Upon hearing this, Qingfeng and Mingyue on the ground trembled even more violently. Ninth Senior Brother and the other Taoists turned pale, their gazes towards the Silver Furnace Boy filled with even greater awe; this child was truly not joking.

"Quick! Help our two junior brothers to the back room to change and rest!"

The Ninth Senior Brother hurriedly instructed the Taoists behind him, his tone unusually polite and even obsequious, before turning to Chen Guangrui and his group, "I have offended you greatly today, and I am truly ashamed. Distinguished guests, please come in, please come in. I will serve you some fine tea to atone for my neglect!"

This time, no one dared to stop them. Ninth Senior Brother personally led the way, and the remaining Taoists also stepped aside, respectfully welcoming Chen Guangrui and his party into the guest hall next to the main hall of the temple. Tea was quickly served; it was truly top-grade spiritual tea, its aroma refreshing and invigorating, clearly an extraordinary product.

Ninth Senior Brother, his face beaming with smiles, carefully sat down beside him. He stole a glance at Chen Guangrui, who sat calmly at the head of the table, his expression ever composed. Then he looked at the Silver Stove Boy beside him, who was curiously examining the teacup, and at Pigsy standing behind the Silver Stove, his eyes fixed on the tea tray, swallowing hard. After careful consideration, Ninth Senior Brother asked with a forced smile,

"We are honored by the presence of these esteemed immortals. We are appreciating the purpose of your visit. If you have any requests, we will certainly do our utmost to serve you."

He adopted an extremely humble posture, fearing that he might cause even the slightest displeasure.

The silver-furnace boy, simple-minded as ever, seeing that the other party had finally softened and become polite, immediately revealed his purpose for coming. He put down his teacup, his small face displaying an expression of taking it for granted, his voice clear and loud.

"Simple! We'd like to ask you for a few ginseng fruits to try!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the guest hall fell silent. The smile on Ninth Senior Brother's face froze instantly.

(End of this chapter)