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Chapter 157 The Demon Thief Saint
Sun Wukong, who had initially been teasing Chen Guangrui with the intention of exposing his boast, reached out to grab his wrist. The moment his monkey paw touched Chen's skin, the playful glint in his eyes froze instantly.
Without stopping, he pulled Chen Guangrui's wrist right under his nose, his deliberately mocking expression still on his face, but he did examine Chen Guangrui's wrist carefully.

"Hey!"

A short, sharp laugh escaped his lips. He released his grip, casually shoving Chen Guangrui's arm away as if shaking off something sticky, then habitually scratched the back of his head.

The monkey crossed its arms, glanced sideways at Chen Guangrui, and spoke with a mocking tone.

"I, Old Sun, have eyes that can't be fooled. Nine-Turn Golden Elixir? Ha! I know better than anyone what kind of person Laozi is. Would he really give you, a little Taoist priest who just tends the fire and stirs the furnace, the life-giving essence he pulled out of his Eight Trigrams Furnace? Do you think I'm a three-year-old?"

As he spoke, he paced around Chen Guangrui, his words still dripping with belittling and sarcastic remarks.
"You little official, you've got some nerve! You've been in the Tushita Palace for so long, and you still dare to covet that Nine-Turn Golden Elixir? Aren't you afraid the wind on the Demon-Slaying Platform will blow your head off? Tell me, did you steal the old man's elixir?"

Chen Guangrui looked at Sun Wukong's surprised yet feigned disdainful expression and shook his head with a smile. His expression remained calm and composed, without the slightest hint of panic, as he calmly asked in return...
"Great Sage, you overestimate me. What merit or ability do I, Chen Guangrui, possess to steal the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir from the Tushita Palace? If I had the ability to deceive the heavens and cross the sea, would I need to be here, watching other people's faces as a stable boy?"

These words are quite honest, revealing a clear-headed self-awareness.

Sun Wukong blinked his golden eyes, the suspicion on his face slowly fading. He tilted his head, rubbing the short hair on his chin with his monkey paw, and muttered something under his breath.
"That's right. With your abilities, you wouldn't even be able to sneak into the alchemy room without being kicked out."

When he looked at Chen Guangrui again, the disdain in his eyes had completely faded, replaced by a subtle hint of newfound respect.

"Well done, kid. This old man is really willing to give you this. I didn't know you, a Taoist priest who tends the fire, had this skill."

He couldn't help but circle around Chen Guangrui halfway again, as if examining a stone that had gotten lucky.

"It was bestowed by Laozi." Chen Guangrui did not elaborate on the source.

Sun Wukong stopped dwelling on the origin of the elixir and instead offered expert advice, but the hint of disappointment and regret in his tone was almost palpable.

"Okay, okay, it's good that you ate it! But with your health..."

He clicked his tongue, giving Chen Guangrui a look of disgust as he went up and down.
"Too weak, your foundation is as poor as paper. If you take a Nine-Turn Golden Pill, hey, six or seven tenths of the medicine's power will probably be used to patch up your broken pot body."

He seemed distressed by the wasted medicinal power, and sighed heavily.
"Consider yourself lucky. This one pill at least saves you... well, three hundred years of painstaking effort, saving you three hundred years of basic cultivation to strengthen your bones and muscles, understand?"

Upon hearing this timeline, which differed so drastically from previous assessments, Chen Guangrui's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, a genuine look of confusion appearing in his eyes.
"Great Sage, you told me before that if I had the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir, I could deal with some minor demons in ten or more years. How come now, a single Golden Elixir can only shorten the time by three hundred years? With these three hundred years less, how many years will it take me to deal with some minor demons?"

The monkey, having been exposed, showed a fleeting, almost imperceptible embarrassment. Its scratching of its ears and cheeks became more frequent and urgent, and it let out two dry chuckles.
"Well... hehe," he mumbled, "Back then, I, Old Sun, didn't quite understand your foundation... um, it's so unstable."

He explained somewhat awkwardly, "Ordinary people with some natural talent can indeed save a lot of trouble after consuming the Golden Elixir; it's not difficult to build a foundation for dealing with minor demons over ten years. But what about you?"

He looked Chen Guangrui up and down again. "Your innate constitution is like you haven't eaten enough. It's too deficient. The medicinal power of the Golden Elixir is barely enough to fill your huge hole. Your skin and bones are strong, but your true foundation is still very weak. Ten or more years is for people with a solid foundation. You are far from that. You still have to work on it little by little."

Seeing Chen Guangrui's serious expression, he also put away his playful smile and adopted a rare serious tone of admonition, "Unless you can do what I, Old Sun, did back then, and have Laozi stuff you into his Eight Trigrams Furnace and refine you with Samadhi True Fire. He'll refine all your innate dregs clean, and I reckon you won't be able to withstand that kind of heat."

He glanced at Chen Guangrui sideways, his eyes full of mockery that said, "I doubt you have the ability."

Chen Guangrui imagined being thrown into the raging flames of the Bagua Furnace and immediately shook his head.

Just as Sun Wukong was about to take the opportunity to boast about how he had survived unscathed in the furnace, "Back in my day..."

Chen Guangrui interrupted him thoughtfully, suddenly throwing out a startling question, "Great Sage, if it were me, what about the Nine-Turn Golden Pill?"

The words landed lightly, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze instantly.

Sun Wukong suddenly froze.

The expression that suggested he was about to launch into a long speech froze on his monkey face, his mouth, which had just opened in a grin, even forgot to close. His fiery, molten gold eyes suddenly contracted.

His hand, which was scratching the back of his neck, froze in mid-air. He stared intently at Chen Guangrui, his expression one of utter disbelief. His Adam's apple bobbed, as if he had choked on his own saliva, and he managed to squeeze out a dry, sharp syllable.
"What?"

The next instant, Sun Wukong, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, leaped in front of Chen Guangrui, his monkey face almost colliding with Chen Guangrui's nose, his two hairy hands grabbing Chen Guangrui's clothes in an almost rude manner.

"That old man is usually very stingy, how could he give you two pills all at once?"

This completely overturned his perception of Laozi as "stingy." His scratching and fidgeting were so fast they almost left afterimages. Finally, he stopped abruptly, realizing what had happened.

“Alright, I understand now. That old man must be your maternal uncle, otherwise he wouldn’t treat you so well.”

He leaned closer again, his face filled with that knowing, sly smile.

"So, the old man thought it would be a waste to just use the Nine-Turn Golden Pill to fill the holes in your broken body, so he specially gave you an extra one, so that your congenital deficiencies could also be patched up? Hehe, that's not bad!"

Without further ado, he suddenly extended his right index finger, which instantly shone with golden light. Before Chen Guangrui could react, the golden finger flashed and touched his brow.

hum!
A vast and pure torrent of intent, accompanied by a warm and strange power, instantly surged into the depths of Chen Guangrui's mind and consciousness.

A new method was clearly imprinted in his consciousness. This method had a natural affinity with the transformative power of the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir, guiding him in subtle yet efficient ways to channel the medicinal power of the second Golden Elixir to fill the deepest void in his body and remedy his innate deficiencies.

Sun Wukong quickly withdrew his finger, a barely perceptible hint of fatigue flashing across his monkey face, but his eyes remained unusually bright.

"Alright, you're lucky. This will be used to take care of your remaining golden core. With this, you can slowly solidify the deficiencies you were born with. If you can fully understand this method and the medicinal power of the golden core, hey! You might even be able to cultivate a decent appearance in this life."

Chen Guangrui carefully comprehended the profound method in his mind, feeling the lingering warmth and nourishment between his brows. He felt as if he had been enlightened, exclaiming, "Great Sage, this method is like a rebirth. I am deeply grateful."

"Hehe, it's good to know that it's good. Wouldn't it be a waste not to fully utilize those two golden pills?" The monkey raised his chin, very proud of himself.

But Chen Guangrui pressed further, "If one cultivates in this way and consumes the second golden pill, thus perfecting the method, will the foundation be fully replenished? What if it is still insufficient?"

Upon hearing this question, Sun Wukong's smugness vanished instantly, replaced by impatience. He waved his hand dismissively, giving him a look that said, "You're never satisfied."

"Oh dear, is your body a bottomless pit? There's no magic solution. If it truly can't be filled, even I, Old Sun, am helpless. Are you planning to steal another ten or eight grains from the Tushita Palace to eat as candy? Or go and beg Laozi to put you in his furnace for forty-nine days to refine you? But, well,"

His monkey-like face instantly switched to one that seemed to enjoy watching the drama unfold, and he winked and made faces at Chen Guangrui.
"Heh heh, do you even have the guts to steal from an old man? With your meager arms and legs, you're just a lowly stable boy." Clearly, he didn't think Chen Guangrui had the courage or ability. Finally seizing the opportunity to boast about his past glories, the monkey immediately puffed out his chest, his tail held high with pride, and was about to speak...
"Back in the day, I, Old Sun, could take things from nothingness."

Chen Guangrui interrupted him with a smile just as he began, his tone calm yet subtly challenging.

“The Great Sage’s abilities are such that he can fight against heaven and earth and overturn rivers and seas. He is naturally the most powerful demon king in the world. Guangrui is convinced of his abilities.”

"Oh?" Sun Wukong felt pleased by the praise and raised his head a little higher.

Chen Guangrui then changed the subject, looking calmly at Sun Wukong.
"But if the Great Sage were to claim that he is the most skilled in the world at taking things from nothingness..."

He deliberately dragged out his words, successfully freezing the smug look on Sun Wukong's face and revealing obvious resentment. Chen Guangrui then continued slowly...

"That's a different story. Great Sage, have you ever heard of a place called the Bottomless Cave in Xiniu Hezhou? The cave's master is a rat spirit, and I've heard that her ability to take things without anyone noticing is truly extraordinary. What do you think, Great Sage?"

"A rat demon, a bottomless pit?"

Sun Wukong's high spirits were instantly shattered, especially when he heard Chen Guangrui dare to compare himself to a mere rat in a contest of "taking things out of thin air." His monkey face darkened, and he glared at Chen Guangrui with hostility, baring his teeth.

"You, Chen Guangrui, you've just gotten a little something and you're already showing off in front of me, Old Sun? You dare compare a rat to the Great Sage Equaling Heaven? You're itching for a beating, aren't you?"

With his temperament, Monkey King couldn't stand anyone being better than him; if he heard of someone being better, he would definitely want to have a competition.
"Back in the day, I, Old Sun, caused chaos in the Peach Garden and stole the elixir of immortality. I boldly and openly entered the Tushita Heaven and the Jade Pool. Who in heaven and on earth doesn't know me? Who doesn't know me?"

He patted his chest, quite pleased with himself, "How can a lowly rat, who only does underhanded things, compare to me, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven?"

Chen Guangrui calmly peeled off a small piece of beef and handed it to Tang Sheng, saying slowly,

"The Great Sage's abilities are extraordinary and beyond compare. However, this rat spirit has also accomplished quite a few feats. I've heard that she once sneaked into the Heavenly Court and stole the incense, flowers, and candles offered in the Holy Temple, and then she slipped into the Buddhist land of Mount Ling and stole the lamp oil that burned eternally in front of the eight hundred Arhats."

He glanced up at Sun Wukong, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry.

"Her bottomless pit is said to be unfathomably deep, leaving no trace when it enters the ground, and its escape methods are unpredictable. She boasts that there is nothing in the Three Realms that she cannot steal and no place that she cannot enter... Her skills are widely known in the demon realm and are almost as famous as Sun Wukong's somersault cloud and seventy-two transformations."

"Equally famous?"

There was a "bang" sound,
Sun Wukong slammed his fist on the stone table beside him, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the hard rock. His face contorted with rage.

"I'm furious! How dare a rat that can't even see the light of day brag like this? No matter how deep her hole is, is it deeper than my old Sun's golden cudgel? If I, old Sun, pierce that bottomless pit with my cudgel, how will she cope?"

He suddenly stood up, his golden eyes blazing with murderous intent.
"No way, I, Old Sun, have to go and see which fearless tyrant is backing her up, allowing her to act so lawlessly and dare to step on my head!"

Just then, Tang Sheng, who was licking the sauce off his fingers, raised his little bald head and asked curiously,

"Father, who is Uncle Sun going to arrest?"

Sun Wukong was already furious, but upon hearing this, he looked down and saw Tang Sheng's bewildered little face. He suppressed his anger, bent down, poked Tang Sheng's bulging little belly, and deliberately asked,

"Baby, did you enjoy the beef you just ate?"

"It smells good!" Tang Sheng answered loudly, his big eyes narrowing into slits with satisfaction.

"Hehe," Sun Wukong finally managed a smile.

"Uncle has some errands to run; there's an annoying fellow he needs to teach a lesson. You stay here obediently, practice the methods Uncle taught you, and eat vegetarian food for a few more days..."

He then changed the subject, adding a tempting tone, "When your uncle comes back, he'll bring you even more delicious meat."

Upon hearing that there would be more meat, Tang Sheng immediately nodded vigorously, her little face shining, "Okay, Uncle, come back quickly!"

After arranging things for Tang Sheng, Sun Wukong turned to Chen Guangrui and said,

"I'm going to make a trip to that damn bottomless pit, so that no rat can act all high and mighty in front of me. I'll also find out who's backing her up, and see who's so blind as to protect her like this!"

Chen Guangrui pondered and said, "This is a good matter. However, Great Sage, you must be very careful when you go to investigate. If it is true, as the rumors suggest, that there is a powerful backer protecting them, and that the Heavenly Court and Mount Ling are turning a blind eye to their actions, there must be a reason for this."

"Hmph, whatever the bullshit reason, I'm not under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Court or Mount Ling,"

Sun Wukong waved his hand dismissively, "I, Old Sun, only recognize reason. He may have powerful backing, but can he be more powerful than my golden cudgel? I want to see which deity raised such a cunning rat."

Seeing that Tang Sheng was about to reach out and tug at Chen Guangrui's clothes again, Chen Guangrui gently squatted down and patted his little bald head:
"Sweetie, your uncle is going to investigate something, and your father has to go on duty and practice the magic the Great Sage taught me, so I can't take you with me all the time. Flower Fruit Mountain is the safest place, and there are monkeys all over the mountain to play with you. You stay here for now and focus on practicing your skills, okay?"

Tang Sheng pouted, her eyes quickly welling up with tears again. "Is Daddy going to leave Tang Sheng here again?"

But when he saw Chen Guangrui and Sun Wukong looking at him, and remembering his earlier promise, he clenched his little fists, fought back his tears, and whispered,
"Then Tangsheng, practice hard. Father must keep his word and come back to see me soon."

"Good child," Chen Guangrui nodded approvingly, comforting him.

"Father keeps his word. If you make progress in your cultivation next time you come, Father will bring you some good things to boost your strength."

"Awesome?" Tang Sheng was intrigued by the new word, his big eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation.

"What is something that generates power?"

Chen Guangrui smiled and deliberately kept everyone in suspense: "You'll know when you've developed some skills."

Seeing this, Sun Wukong didn't delay any longer and nodded to Chen Guangrui.

"I'm gone!" Before the words were even finished, he transformed into a golden light, piercing the sky above Flower Fruit Mountain and disappearing into the western horizon in the blink of an eye.

(End of this chapter)