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Chapter 167 The Death of Kui Mulang

"Laojun is looking for him?" Chen Guangrui muttered to himself, his brows furrowed as he gazed in the direction the crane had disappeared.

These past few years I've been traveling around the Tushita Palace. Although I haven't formally become a disciple of Laozi, I've been under his protection. This is the first time I've ever met Laozi in person.

This time, why did he take the initiative to contact me?

Sun Wukong, perched on a tree branch, tossed away the peach pit, bared his teeth, and spoke with a familiar air of disgust.
"That old man is as cunning as a beehive, and he's also petty. Back in the day, I, Old Sun, only tasted a few gourds of his golden pills, and he roasted me to a crisp in that Eight Trigrams Furnace. He's looking for you? Humph, it's definitely not for anything good."

Yes, that's Laozi, why would he suddenly think of summoning a lowly stable boy like him?

"I have to go." Chen Guangrui composed himself. Regardless of the outcome, not going would be disobeying orders.

Tang Sheng, who was engrossed in chatting with someone about fairies, had very sharp ears and immediately skipped over.
"Father, take me there! I've never been to the Tushita Palace before."

Chen Guangrui shook his head without thinking.

"Nonsense. The Tushita Palace is not like Flower Fruit Mountain; it is Laozi's place of seclusion, with strict rules. How can you just bring a child there? Besides..."

He paused, then added, "It might not be safe up there."

Tang Sheng is still a child, and he doesn't want the child to be corrupted by that place in Heaven.

Tang Sheng pouted, but her dark eyes darted around mischievously. "How about this?"

Before he finished speaking, a layer of white light emanated from his body, and he swayed. When the light dissipated, a tall celestial soldier appeared in the spot, wearing the standard silver armor of the Heavenly Court and a sword at his waist. The cloud patterns on the armor, the style of the armor plates, and even the meticulous yet somewhat numb expression on the celestial soldier's face were all imitated perfectly.

"Greetings, Your Excellency!" The "heavenly soldier" saluted Chen Guangrui, his voice becoming deep and resonant, and perfectly upright.

Even though Chen Guangrui knew that Tang Sheng was exceptionally talented, he was still astonished to witness such a lifelike transformation technique firsthand.
"This has become so smooth."

It's not just the appearance that's changed; even the temperament and charm are perfectly imitated.

Tang Sheng proudly held his head high.
"That's right, seventy-two transformations, I can use them very well now!" He proudly shook the armor of the "heavenly soldier".

Even Sun Wukong on the tree branch couldn't help but grin, his smugness practically overflowing from his face.
"Of course! My skill in teaching disciples is absolutely top-notch, and you can see that this kid is only a little slower than I was back then."

After he finished speaking, he proudly raised his head.

Upon hearing this, Chen Guangrui exclaimed, "Huh? You even taught him the Somersault Cloud? No wonder people say that you, Great Sage, are the number one disciple in all of history!"

Tang Sheng seized the opportunity, immediately abandoning his imposing heavenly soldier persona, transforming back into his bald-headed form, and running to the Sun Wukong tree. He gazed at Sun Wukong with pleading eyes, his voice soft and slightly pitiful.
"Master is the best. You promised to teach me the Somersault Cloud technique when I'm more skilled..."

Sun Wukong's smug expression froze instantly. He glanced warily at Tang Sheng, scratched the golden hair on his cheek, turned his face away, and snorted.

"Here we go again. Stop trying to use that somersault cloud trick. Why are you running so fast, you little kid? What if you fall? First, master your Seventy-Two Transformations and the other skills I taught you!"

He flatly refused, leaving no room for negotiation, knowing perfectly well that the little thing and Chen Guangrui were putting on a show.

Chen Guangrui, standing nearby, sighed at just the right moment, his voice neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for the monkey to hear.
"Sigh, no matter how well you teach, if you still keep the key skills hidden, it's the same as not teaching at all! No wonder people call him a monkey..."

He deliberately became vague about what came next.

"Hey! You surnamed Chen!" Sun Wukong couldn't stand this taunting, and jumped up angrily, pointing at Chen Guangrui.
"Stop being sarcastic! If you keep talking nonsense, believe me, I, Old Sun, will stuff you into the Peach Garden as fertilizer." He said this, but didn't actually lay a hand on her. Instead, he jumped next to Chen Guangrui and impatiently urged him on.
"Stop nagging. Go quickly and come back sooner rather than later, so that the old man won't get impatient and cause any more trouble."

As they spoke, they ushered Chen Guangrui out.

On the cloud path, Chen Guangrui led the way, followed closely by the tall and imposing "Heavenly Soldier" Tang Sheng, who held a token and looked solemn, just like a low-ranking heavenly soldier on guard duty. This token was an old relic from his time at the Imperial Horse Stables, and it had come in handy now.

Stepping into the gates of the Tushita Palace, an unusual sense of oppression washed over him. Normally, though quiet, there was never a feeling of oppression, but this time, Chen Guangrui felt breathless as soon as he entered.

The Taoist priests responsible for adding fuel to the alchemy furnace and carrying clean water all looked tense and worked diligently.

They seemed somewhat surprised to see Chen Guangrui enter with a celestial soldier, but no one dared to speak. They merely nodded stiffly before quickly averting their gaze, as if even a glance might bring trouble.

This heavy silence was anything but ordinary. The slight sense of ease that Chen Guangrui had felt from the monkeys playing vanished instantly, replaced by a growing sense of foreboding.

He led Tang Sheng, familiar with the layout of the halls and corridors, heading straight for the important alchemy room. He did not see the familiar figure of Qing Niu.

Finally, by the jade steps outside the alchemy room, they saw the two boys, Jinlu and Yinlu.

The two boys were unusually silent today. Jinlu frowned and stood under the corridor, gazing at the distant sea of ​​clouds in a daze, while Yinlu squatted by the steps, unconsciously poking at the cracks in the jade bricks on the ground with a jade hairpin.

"Two celestial children, it's been a long time." Chen Guangrui stepped forward to greet them. "Do you know why Laozi summoned me? The atmosphere in the palace today seems a bit off."

Yinlu looked up and saw Chen Guangrui. The worry on his face did not dissipate, but instead deepened. He glanced at the "heavenly soldiers" standing straight behind Chen Guangrui, and hesitated to speak.

Jin Lu turned his gaze back, cupped his hands to Chen Guangrui, and said nothing. He simply winked at the inner hall alchemy room next to him, indicating that Lao Jun should wait for him inside. His expression was complex and indescribable.

Seeing Jinlu's actions, Yinlu seemed unable to contain himself any longer. He suddenly stood up, leaned close to Chen Guangrui, and whispered with a hint of grief, "Brother Kui Mulang is dead."

"What?" Chen Guangrui's heart sank. He never expected that Kui Mulang, whom he hadn't seen for some time, would be in trouble.

Yinlu nodded vigorously, his voice quick and low.
"Yes, he secretly descended to the mortal realm, claiming he was going to find the fairy who had come down to earth. However, he encountered the pilgrimage team heading west and was tricked by that old black bear spirit."

"I said back then that this old black bear was no good, but I never expected him to be so vicious."

Chen Guangrui stood there, feeling a chill rise from the soles of his feet.

He was not only surprised by Kui Mulang's death, but also by the fact that in this version of Journey to the West, Kui Mulang had actually been outmaneuvered by the Black Bear Demon. Normally, the Black Bear Demon would have been quite prudent; his attack on Kui Mulang must have had some unknown reason behind it.

At the same time, he was even more surprised by Laozi's reaction.

This celestial being, who has remained quiet and indifferent to worldly affairs for so many years, is now enraged by the death of Kui Mulang?
Was Kui Mulang's identity unusual? Chen Guangrui didn't think so. Over the years, he had come to understand that Kui Mulang was just a minor figure under the influence of Laozi, and his death was not enough to elicit such a strong reaction from Laozi.

What would that be?

A heavy feeling of impending storm pressed down on his shoulders.

He looked into the alchemy room of the Tushita Palace and knew that Laozi was inside.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Guangrui took a step forward.

(End of this chapter)