They've all become top scholars in the imperial examinations, and you're telling me this i

Chapter 136 Pushing the Tree
Pigsy's heart pounded and his scalp tingled at the sudden impact of the golden mallet. The cold touch of the mallet was crystal clear in the darkness, like a red-hot iron branding his heart.

"Oh no! Oh no!" He clutched his head, only one thought remaining in his mind.
"Someone's watching me! I can't stay here!"

Fear, like a cold tide, instantly extinguished the flames of his greed.

He didn't dare look at the tempting fruit on the tree anymore. He picked up his rake and, like a frightened wild boar, turned to flee out of the garden.

He ran a few steps, stumbling along, but his pace slowed down in the shadow of the courtyard wall, and finally he came to a complete stop.

Cold sweat trickled down his thick back. Like a thief, he looked around warily, listening intently for any sound. In the quiet backyard, only the rustling of leaves and his own heavy breathing could be heard.

"What the hell? Is there really no one here?" Zhu Ganglie's fat face scrunched up, his heart pounding with anxiety.

He turned his head, his gaze passing over the dense grass and branches, landing on the towering ancient tree that exuded a pure and refreshing aura. On its branches, the warm and jade-like human-shaped fruits shimmered faintly in the moonlight.

The greed that had just been scared away clung to them like vines, tightening its grip.

"It's over, I'm really in deep trouble now," Pigsy thought, his heart sinking, tears welling up in his eyes.
"If I just pack up and run away now, and people find out the fruit is gone, and that brat Qingfeng saw me with his own eyes, won't he pin this whole mess on my head? I'll be speechless!"

Frustrated, he poked the ground with his rake, sending clods of dirt flying.

“But if I really stole it now…” His eyes darted around, his mind in turmoil. “That little bastard Qingfeng saw me loitering around nearby, didn’t he? Didn’t he catch me red-handed anyway? I can’t escape either way…”

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he felt. A surge of anger and a "what's the use of trying" mentality suddenly welled up inside him. He spat out a mouthful of phlegm.
"Damn it! I went through all that trouble to climb this tree, I can't just take this stigma for nothing and get no benefit at all, can I?"

Greed and despair ultimately prevailed. Without further hesitation, he darted back to the tree, bent down, and scooped up the cold, golden fruit from the ground. His gaze greedily swept over the nearest fruit, shaped like an infant, exuding an irresistible, exotic fragrance.

He raised the golden mallet and clumsily and nervously tapped the baby fruit lightly.

With a soft "plop," like a dewdrop falling to the ground, the ginseng fruit fell to the ground and he caught it in a fluster. It felt warm and cool to the touch.

Like a starving ghost reincarnated, Pigsy didn't care about tasting it. He opened his mouth wide and swallowed the human-shaped fruit whole with a "crunch".

The fruit melted in his mouth, a sweet aroma bursting on his tongue before sliding down his throat. He smacked his lips, unable to taste anything.

"Huh?" He looked bewildered. "Why does it taste like water? What's that? Isn't this fairy fruit supposed to make you feel alive just by smelling it? Why does it taste so bland?"

Undeterred, he stood on tiptoe and knocked on another one, swallowing it whole in one gulp.

"This is weird!" he muttered, his appetite and anger rising. The fear in his heart was temporarily put aside. He looked up at the tree full of fruit, his eyes burning with desire again.

"One or two of them had no flavor; I must have eaten them too fast." This time, he slowed down, carefully knocked down another one, and slowly put it in his mouth, savoring it.

He finally tasted a faint, almost imperceptible sweetness, but it vanished in an instant, far from the exquisite flavor of legend. This only fueled his appetite and dissatisfaction.

"Again!" he shouted fiercely. For a moment, he forgot to count, feeling that it would be a waste not to eat more of these rare delicacies that only come once every ten thousand years.

A figure moved in the tree, and several more knocking and swallowing sounds were particularly clear in the quiet night.

He didn't know whether he had eaten four, five, six, or seven, but his greedy thoughts were finally forcibly pulled back by a sliver of reason.

Looking at the noticeably thinner canopy, a chill suddenly shot up his spine, instantly extinguishing the flames of greed.

"I can't eat anymore, let's go!" Pigsy let out a burp. Although he hadn't tasted anything particularly delicious, his stomach was full. He frantically dropped the golden mallet, the magical artifact clattering onto the soft earth.

As if chased by a ghost, he shouldered his rake and plunged into the darkness without looking back, his bulky figure quickly disappearing behind the artificial hill and stone path.

Just as Zhu Ganglie's hurried figure disappeared around the corner, Chen Guangrui appeared silently from behind an ancient tree like a ghost.

Immediately afterwards, Yuan Shoucheng and the Silver Furnace Boy also cautiously emerged from the shadows of the artificial hill.

Yuan Shoucheng's face, bathed in moonlight, held a mixture of relief at surviving a calamity and lingering fear, while the Silver Furnace Boy clutched his chest, his face flushed with tension.

The three gathered under the tree. Yuan Shoucheng looked at the golden cudgel that Zhu Ganglie had thrown on the ground, then glanced at the ginseng fruit tree. Moonlight filtered through the branches and leaves, clearly illuminating the empty spaces on the tree where several fruits had disappeared.

He rubbed his hands together and asked in a low voice, "Scholar Chen, that idiot has run away, should we hurry up and leave too?"

Chen Guangrui bent down to pick up the golden berries from the ground, the cool touch entering his palm. He looked up at the remaining twenty or so fruits on the tree canopy, shaped like babies, radiating a soft glow and fragrance, his gaze calm and undisturbed.

"No rush." ​​Chen Guangrui's voice was exceptionally clear in the tranquil garden. He weighed the golden mallet in his hand, his tone calm and matter-of-fact.
"Since we're here, and this ginseng fruit is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, we can't leave empty-handed. Have some before you go."

"Eat fruit?" Yuan Shoucheng's eyes widened instantly, as if he had heard something unbelievable. He was both surprised and delighted, and his breathing became rapid. He asked repeatedly to confirm, "Us? Can we really eat it?" "These are all our own fruit, why wouldn't we eat them?" Chen Guangrui's answer was concise and powerful, without any hesitation.

The Silver Furnace Boy immediately jumped up excitedly, the tension on his little face vanishing instantly. He clapped his hands and whispered,

"Great! I only got to taste a tiny bit at the banquet last time! I can finally eat it again!"

Although he was excited, he was also very careful to keep his voice down.

"So many!" Yuan Shoucheng rubbed his hands excitedly, his face flushed, greedily counting, "One, two... Goodness, there are still twenty-four left! We..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but his gaze darted eagerly back and forth between Chen Guangrui and the fruit.

“Eight for each person, that’s enough to fill you up,” Chen Guangrui interrupted him calmly. He raised the golden mallet in his hand unhurriedly, striking it again and again with steady and accurate movements.

With a crisp tapping sound, one after another, crystal-clear ginseng fruits fell to the ground.

Yuan Shoucheng and the Silver Furnace Boy scrambled to catch the fruit under the tree. Yuan Shoucheng muttered to himself, counting, "Eight...hehe, that's enough, that's enough. With so many fruits, won't we be able to fly after we finish them?"

His face beamed with a shrewd and satisfied smile, as if he had gotten a great deal and had long since forgotten his earlier worries.

The three of them sat down on the ground in the quiet back garden and began a lavish feast of the treasures of heaven and earth.

Yuan Shoucheng carefully held his own fruit, taking small bites, his eyes comfortably squinting into slits, and making satisfied smacking sounds.

With each swallow, he felt a warm and refreshing breath flow down his throat, nourishing his limbs and bones, as if all the fatigue accumulated over the years had been swept away, and even the turbid air in his bones had been washed away, leaving only an indescribable sense of comfort and ease.

He felt a warm, comforting sensation coursing through his body. Besides satisfaction, his face also showed a hint of blissful daze, as if he had become ten years younger.

The Silver Furnace Boy wasn't so particular. He held the human-shaped fruit and took a big bite of its chubby cheek, chewing vigorously with his little mouth bulging, making a crisp "crunch" sound.

The fruit was juicy and incredibly sweet, far more delicious than the small piece he remembered tasting at the banquet in the Tushita Palace!
He ate with great gusto, his big eyes curving into crescents, and as he chewed, he mumbled an indistinct exclamation, "Mmm...so sweet! A hundred times better than last time!"

The pure immortal energy flowed into his body, making him feel as if his immortal essence had been cleansed and refined, becoming purer and more vibrant. He felt so comfortable that he couldn't help but rub his little feet gently against the ground.

Chen Guangrui's movements remained the most deliberate. He held his own ginseng fruit and slowly put it into his mouth.

The fruit melted in the mouth, its sweet juice bursting with rich, innate spiritual energy, rushing down the throat.

This powerful yet gentle energy, like an invisible warm current, spread rapidly and irresistibly to his limbs, internal organs, and even every meridian and acupoint.

He could even clearly "see" the blockages or subtle, impurities in his body, which disintegrated and dissolved under the cleansing force of this abundant vitality.

It was as if a warm sun had been cast into his body, and every cell was stretching comfortably, becoming more resilient and condensed.

As the last bit of fruit transformed into a warm current, an indescribable sense of harmony and clarity spread throughout his body. He closed his eyes, gently exhaled, and the breath carried a faint, refreshing fragrance, like the essence of herbs, before dissipating into the night breeze.

Scattered on the ground were the remains of fruits that had been completely devoured, not intact peels and pits, but rather strange, indescribable empty shells left after all the essence had been extracted.

Yuan Shoucheng wiped his mouth with lingering satisfaction, touched his stomach which seemed to have flattened a bit more, his face glowing with the rosy hue of a hearty meal and a hint of weariness from contentment.

"Oh my, it's so beautiful! This trip was definitely worthwhile."

He let out a long sigh, propped himself up on his knees, and stood up, feeling light and refreshed. He looked at Chen Guangrui.
"Scholar Chen, we've eaten the fruit and are full. Before those two little Taoist priests wake up, let's make a quick getaway!"

The Silver Furnace Boy patted his slightly bulging belly contentedly, let out a small burp, and nodded, "Hmm, Master Yuan is right, it's time to go."

Chen Guangrui had already stopped, still holding the golden mallet in his hand. His gaze remained fixed on the towering ancient tree, the moonlight casting dappled patterns on its trunk.

“Almost there,” he said calmly, his words surprising.

Yuan Shoucheng's satisfied and relaxed expression froze instantly, and he asked in confusion, "What's missing?"

Chen Guangrui's gaze slowly swept across the huge tree canopy, landed on the strange fruit shells on the ground, and finally settled on the golden mallet in his hand.

He shook his head slightly, as if stating a trivial matter, his voice echoing clearly in the quiet garden.
"The tree is still there, we have to knock it down."

(End of this chapter)