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Chapter 142 Beyond Manjushri's Reach
Zhen Yuanzi's words, "My Wuzhuang Temple also has a local deity," were spoken in a calm and unremarkable tone, yet they were like a silent thunderclap that exploded in Chen Guangrui's ears.

land!

There is a local deity in Wuzhuang Temple!
The thought became glaringly clear in an instant. Chen Guangrui's heart sank, and a strong sense of regret rose within him.

Oh right, didn't Sun Wukong ask the local earth god for the golden hammer in Journey to the West? How come I forgot about that?
It wasn't that I didn't think of it, but the situation was urgent at the time, and with the ginseng fruit in front of me, my mind was somewhat distracted, and I became careless for a moment.

However, at this moment, the concern wasn't about whether the local deity of Wuzhuang Temple would discover their affair. Zhen Yuanzi's words indicated that he was confident.

Zhen Yuanzi noticed the subtle changes on Chen Guangrui's face, and the approachable smile on his lips deepened slightly, carrying a hint of understanding.
"This matter is easy to investigate. Just ask them, and you'll find out the details."

He lightly waved his whisk, as if brushing away the last speck of dust, and said, "I have already ascertained that this disaster of the fruit trees has nothing to do with your Tushita Palace."

Having said all that, they've already given them a way out. The phrase "it's irrelevant" seems to be an attempt to exonerate the Tushita Palace, but it's actually an undeniable order to leave.

Continuing this entanglement will not be good for either of them.

Chen Guangrui's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, swallowing all his arguments. Looking into Zhen Yuanzi's deep, calm eyes, he finally cupped his hands and said...
“Since the Great Immortal has already seen through my actions, I will not bother you any further. I hope the Great Immortal will forgive this disturbance.”

He took the jade plate containing the "small gift," which was heavy, as if he were holding a red-hot branding iron.

Yuan Shoucheng quickly smiled obsequiously, bowing and scraping, "Great Immortal, you are magnanimous! Great Immortal, you are incredibly generous!"

“Jiuchen,” Zhen Yuanzi said calmly, no longer looking at Chen Guangrui and the other person, “Take good care of our distinguished guests as they descend the mountain.”

"Yes, Master," Jiu Chen replied, bowing his head.

Leaving the gate of Wuzhuang Temple, the mountain path was desolate. Chen Guangrui held the jade plate, and Yuan Shoucheng followed beside him, both silent. A gentle breeze rustled through the treetops, but it could not dispel the heaviness in their hearts.

They wanted to delay a little longer, but Zhen Yuanzi had given them both face and substance. If they didn't leave now, it would be shameless of them.

They had only walked a hundred paces when a cluster of auspicious light appeared at the bend in the mountain path. Chen Guangrui subconsciously looked up and his heart skipped a beat.

Then, the Antarctic Immortal returned riding his sika deer!
Beside him, there seemed to be another person, but they were obscured by auspicious clouds, making it impossible to see who it was for a moment.

They were heading in the direction of Wuzhuang Temple.

The immortal returned so quickly? Whom did he seek help from?

Chen Guangrui stopped in his tracks, his pupils contracting sharply.

"Quick!" he practically spat out the words, shoving the jade plate into Yuan Shoucheng's hands. "Look closely, who's that person next to the birthday celebrant?"

Yuan Shoucheng was startled when the jade plate was stuffed into his arms. He hurriedly caught it and was taken aback. He peered over, but the shadows of the trees along the mountain path swayed, and the person and the immortal had already passed by in the blink of an eye, leaving only their backs. He didn't have time to make out their features.

"I can't see clearly, it's too fast..." Yuan Shoucheng muttered, his face habitually showing his embarrassment.

"Fine, didn't you gain power after eating the ginseng fruit? Now it's fine!" Chen Guangrui's voice carried an unquestionable command.

Yuan Shoucheng shuddered. Looking at Chen Guangrui's cold face, and recalling the miraculous effects of the ginseng fruit, he felt a surge of courage. He had already eaten the ginseng fruit; surely he could figure out this little thing?
He licked his dry lips, sat cross-legged on the spot, and carefully placed the two precious magical jade plates aside. He took a deep breath, as if to smell the air, closed his eyes and concentrated, and his withered fingers trembled as he took out the few greasy copper coins.

This spell seemed different from usual. Normally, he would mutter a long string of words, filled with urgency and uncertainty. But now, with a thought, the moment the copper coin entered his hand, his palm felt slightly warm, as if a faint sense of guidance was growing within him.

There were no lengthy incantations, no strenuous deductions that left everyone sweating profusely. The copper coins clinked a few times as they fell to the dust.

Yuan Shoucheng's eyelids twitched as he leaned closer to examine the divination chart. His fingers traced patterns in the air, and the vague sensations became crystal clear, as if the truth had been revealed. "Water vapor, the northeast, no, it's the South China Sea!"

Yuan Shoucheng suddenly looked up, his small eyes wide open. His face was no longer the habitually slick and ingratiating expression, but genuine horror. His voice even changed tone.

"It's Guanyin Bodhisattva, Guanyin Bodhisattva of the South Sea! Why did she arrive so quickly? Why did the God of Longevity invite her back?"

Chen Guangrui felt a chill run down his spine and straight to the top of his head.

Guanyin! It was Guanyin herself who came! Wasn't it supposed to be a month before she could come?
Zhen Yuanzi had just returned to deal with his "family affairs" when the Antarctic Immortal arrived with Guanyin? When did they become so deeply connected?

In a flash, a thought that had been previously ignored uncontrollably entered Chen Guangrui's mind.

"Land?" he murmured, his voice tinged with self-mockery.

"That's right, Wuzhuang Temple has a local deity. When the ginseng fruit tree fell, even if those Taoist priests were fast asleep, could the local deity have also fallen asleep? Impossible! Local deities and mountain gods are the most vigilant; they can't hide even the slightest disturbance, unless..."

Unless that "slight disturbance" is covered up by an even more powerful force!
"You say," Chen Guangrui suddenly turned his head and stared at Yuan Shoucheng, his eyes sharp as knives.
"With such a commotion last night, why was no one in Wuzhuang Temple, including the local earth god, aware of it? Was it because I didn't think of that, or did you, the so-called cunning old fox, also fall for my trick?"

Yuan Shoucheng tensed up under the stare, his shock still lingering on his face. He was stunned by what he heard, because he hadn't thought about the land at all.

"That's right!" Yuan Shoucheng slapped his thigh suddenly, almost knocking over the jade plate beside him. Ignoring the pain, he grabbed his sparse goatee in frustration.
"How could I have been so bewitched yesterday? I was so focused on encouraging that fool to steal, so focused on scheming for the fruit, that I completely forgot about this huge flaw. This shouldn't be happening..."

The more he thought about it, the more something seemed wrong. How could he have been so bewitched back then?
Chen Guangrui's tone grew increasingly cold, "Could it also be Guanyin? Could it be that he secretly cast a spell? Last night, all was quiet, and the entire Wuzhuang Temple was fast asleep. Perhaps it wasn't a coincidence at all! Could it be that he used his great magic to deceive the disciples of Wuzhuang Temple and us?"

Yuan Shoucheng gasped, cold sweat instantly soaking his back. He subconsciously touched the hand he had just used for divination, only to find that his palm was still slightly warm, a strange sensation brought about by the ginseng fruit.

A chill ran through them. Neither of them were fools; connecting the dots, a more terrifying hypothesis emerged in their minds.

"The Antarctic Immortal, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Zhenyuan Daxian, the ginseng fruit tree has been knocked down..."

Yuan Shoucheng's voice was extremely dry, "If that's really the case, then our previous thoughts were probably a bit reversed."

He looked at Chen Guangrui with a fearful gaze, tinged with a bitter, absurd expression.

"Perhaps it's not that Emperor Donghua and Zhenyuan Daxian are in a hurry to pledge allegiance to Buddhism. On the contrary, it's Buddhism, especially Guanyin Bodhisattva, that's been scheming to win over Penglai and Wuzhuang Temple. It's just that these two haven't made up their minds yet, and our commotion has knocked down the ginseng fruit tree, forcing Emperor Donghua to make a decision."

As he said this, his chubby face was filled with bitterness and helplessness, as if he had swallowed a bitter gall.

"This is tantamount to giving the two big shots who were still hesitant a reason to join forces, and it has also strengthened their resolve. This mudslinging has been put on Zhu Ganglie's head, and Penglai has no choice but to accept it, and Wuzhuang Temple has no choice but to seek out Penglai. Now look what's happened, we've risked our lives to make things happen, and we've actually accelerated this matter for the sake of Buddhism and Guanyin, pushing them all together!"

They've worked so hard, all for others. If Guanyin (the Goddess of Mercy) had seen them just now, she probably would have thanked them too.

These words revealed the most helpless yet most likely truth. Chen Guangrui listened in silence. The mountain wind blew, making the rustling of the leaves even more desolate.

He looked at his hands, covered in grass clippings and mud, then at Yuan Shoucheng's face, a mixture of surprise and regret. He had thought he was investigating secrets, but unknowingly, he had built a more solid bridge for cooperation with the other party.

Perhaps, during the two days they stayed at Wuzhuang Temple, Guanyin Bodhisattva had already calmed down all the troubles outside.
Although I'm reluctant to accept this situation, it's also the most likely scenario to occur.

Despite all precautions, an oversight still occurred.

In the end, Chen Guangrui could only say helplessly, "This Guanyin Bodhisattva's methods are extraordinary, far surpassing those of Manjushri Bodhisattva in Chang'an."

(End of this chapter)