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Chapter 169 My gourd can hold the sky

The stone door to the alchemy room slid open silently. Chen Guangrui, carrying the heavy trust of Laozi and the promise of a single act, felt a slight sense of relief. However, this peace of mind vanished the moment he stepped out of the alchemy room.

Beside the jade steps of the corridor, Chen Guangrui saw his son, Tang Sheng, who had transformed into a celestial soldier, being tightly surrounded by two attendants, Jin Lu and Yin Lu. Tang Sheng had his back to Chen Guangrui, holding a purple-gold gourd in one hand and a jade bottle in the other, gesturing wildly at the two attendants with spittle flying everywhere. Although he had secretly cast a spell to muffle his voice, Chen Guangrui was all too familiar with his animated and exuberant manner.

"Look at this, my treasure is amazing!" Tang Sheng held the purple-gold gourd high, and with his other hand, he patted the ordinary-looking gourd at his waist with a mysterious air. "You all saw it just now, this gourd can hold the sky!"

The Golden Furnace Boy's eyes widened, staring intently at the gourd at Tang Sheng's waist. They didn't know what they had just seen, but they both exclaimed in amazement.
"Wow, they can really hold up the whole sky!"

"This is nothing!" Tang Sheng gave him a look that said, "You guys have never seen anything like this before."
"Not to mention the sky, even the sun, moon, and stars can be completely obscured by a simple incantation! They are far more powerful than your two treasures that can only hold people!"

The boy with the silver furnace blushed crimson, clearly believing him to be almost entirely, and eagerly argued,

"Our baby is amazing too! No matter what gods or monsters they are, just call their name and they'll respond, turning into pus and blood in no time!"

"Tsk," Tang Sheng shook his head with feigned disdain, "but they have to respond first. My precious thing, I just need to chant an incantation, and whoever responds or not, I can take anyone I want, even the heavens!"

He pretended to put the purple-gold gourd and the jade bottle back into his pocket, saying, "Forget it, forget it. If I trade with you, I'll still lose out. I won't trade anymore."

"No!" Jinlu and Yinlu exclaimed in unison, hurriedly grabbing Tangsheng's arms. The two boys exchanged a glance, both seeing immense longing and a hint of heartache in each other's eyes.

The Golden Furnace Boy gritted his teeth, seemingly having made a tremendous decision, and reached into his robes to pull out a gleaming golden rope.

"Add this too! This Golden Rope is powerful; it binds immortals and locks gods, making it impossible to break free. Three items in exchange for one of your heaven-containing treasures, that's the most I can offer!"

Tang Sheng's eyes lit up, and he snatched the golden rope, weighing it in his hand before reluctantly nodding. "Sigh, seeing how sincere you are, alright, alright, let's exchange it. It's just a loss, what can I do when my father is so familiar with your ancestor?"

He quickly stuffed the purple-gold gourd, the jade bottle, and the golden rope into his bosom, then took off his own large gourd that "held the heavens" and solemnly handed it to the Golden Furnace Boy.

The Golden Furnace Boy held the large gourd with great care, as if it were a priceless treasure. The Silver Furnace Boy also came over, his eyes filled with curiosity and excitement.

Just then, a large hand grabbed Tang Sheng's ear.

"Ouch!" Tang Sheng cried out in pain, and when he turned around, he saw Chen Guangrui's face, which was so dark it looked like it was about to drip water.

"You brat!" Chen Guangrui was so angry that the veins on his forehead throbbed. "I was always worried that you would be scammed, but here you are, scamming people! Who taught you these crooked tricks?"

He snatched the three magical treasures that Tang Sheng had just hidden and shoved them into the hands of the Golden Furnace Boy, his tone apologetic, "Two immortal boys, the child is young and ignorant, he was just talking nonsense to deceive you. You can't take these magical treasures, take them back quickly. That broken gourd of his is just an ordinary gourd, how could it contain anything? Pure rubbish!"

To Chen Guangrui's surprise, the golden furnace and the silver furnace were not grateful at all. Instead, they acted like protective chicks, clinging tightly to the three magical treasures that Chen Guangrui had given them back, and taking several steps back.

"Mr. Chen, you're wrong!" The Golden Furnace Boy said indignantly, clutching the purple-gold gourd tightly.
"Do you think we, the dignified attendants of the Tushita Palace, are so easily fooled? He demonstrated it to us; that gourd is truly powerful!"

"That's right!" Silver Furnace Boy chimed in, hiding the large gourd behind his back, afraid that Chen Guangrui would try to snatch it again.

"Look at him, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, he looks like an honest person. He said he would change it, and he meant it. How can you ask for it back after you've already changed it? Mr. Chen, you're being too stingy!"

Chen Guangrui was speechless, never expecting that Tang Sheng's first order after graduating would actually be at the Tushita Palace.

Tang Sheng rubbed his ear, which had been pinched red, and came over with a grin to smooth things over.
"Father, look at you, making a big fuss. I was just taking turns playing with the two fairy brothers for a few days. We all agreed that we'd switch back when we got tired of playing together, right, Brother Golden Furnace, Brother Silver Furnace?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" The two boys nodded like chicks pecking at rice, their eyes filled with trust and satisfaction as they looked at Tang Sheng. "Brother Tang Sheng is the most trustworthy!"

Looking at the three little ones in front of him, seemingly in cahoots, Chen Guangrui felt a surge of anger rising in his chest. This Tang Sheng usually seemed innocent, but how could he be so cunning and manipulative when it came to tricking people? Especially the people from the Tushita Palace! He could only wave his hand helplessly.

"Fine, fine, change it if you want, just don't come looking for me if anything goes wrong!"

He was afraid that if he continued talking, he would be driven crazy by these three clowns.

Seeing that the atmosphere had eased, Yinlu Tongzi remembered the important matter. He leaned closer to Chen Guangrui, lowered his voice, and asked with a hint of concern and curiosity, "Mr. Chen, the Ancestor is looking for you... is it because of Brother Kui Mulang? Are we going to go down to the mortal realm to avenge him?"

Chen Guangrui's expression turned solemn, and he nodded. "Yes, Laozi means that the Buddhist sect has gone too far this time and broken the rules."

He pondered Laozi's words, "Mount Ling has overstepped its bounds." The various factions within the Heavenly Court were locked in fierce power struggles, but even at their most ruthless, they maintained a semblance of decorum. No matter how much Kui Mulang descended to the mortal realm, he was still a star deity appointed by the Heavenly Court. The Buddhist sect's direct killing of him was tantamount to tearing off the mask of civility. Laozi's fury and subsequent retaliation were understandable. However, Laozi's methods were always subtle and understated; his swift and decisive strike would undoubtedly be concealed beneath the surface. As for avenging Kui Mulang, that was indeed the case.
"Then..." Silver Furnace Boy's eyes brightened with anticipation, "Did the Ancestor say whether he would take us two brothers down to the mortal realm this time? The last matter was handled very well, so he should take us this time too, right?"

Chen Guangrui gave him an annoyed look. "The ancestor said that the alchemy room is a sensitive place and cannot be left unattended every time. This time, I will go down by myself."

The Silver Furnace Boy's face instantly fell, and he muttered something.

“That’s not what he told us. He said it was too dangerous this time and he didn’t want us to go…”

His tone was full of disappointment and resentment.

Upon hearing this, Chen Guangrui almost laughed in anger.
"Ha, so you were allowed to go to Wuzhuang Temple last time because it wasn't dangerous and you even got credit. But now that you know it's dangerous, you're not allowed to go? You two really are the Ancestor's...disciples."

The Golden Furnace Boy, being rather composed, frowned upon hearing this and said...
“Mr. Chen, this time is indeed different. The Buddhist sect knows that we are serious about fighting back, and they will not sit idly by and wait to be killed. You are going down alone, and you are going to be Li Tianwang’s deputy... I’m afraid you will be hindered at every turn. If we really start fighting, we can’t do without help.”

Tang Sheng immediately puffed out her little chest: "What are you afraid of? I'm here. I'll protect my dad. From now on, if my dad can't beat someone, I will. If my dad can't do something, I will!"

Looking at her son's "I'm so awesome" expression, and then at Jin Luyinlu's "You can't beat anyone" look, Chen Guangrui felt her forehead throbbing again.

"What? Do you think I'm that weak?"

The Golden Furnace Boy sighed, shook his head, and remained silent.

Silver Furnace Boy, however, was a man of action. He exchanged a glance with Golden Furnace Boy, and the two of them suddenly attacked at the same time. One grabbed his arm, and the other tripped his leg. Their movements were as fast as lightning, and their coordination was perfect.

"Ouch!" Before Tang Sheng could react, he felt his arms tighten and his feet slip. He was firmly supported by the golden and silver furnaces on either side, his feet off the ground, unable to struggle at all. His little tricks and cleverness were as fragile as child's play in the face of the true strength of the Tushita Palace attendant.

The Golden Furnace Boy looked at Tang Sheng, who was still struggling and was being restrained, then at Chen Guangrui, who was speechless, and spoke seriously.

“Mr. Chen, you see, even with Tang Sheng included, it might not be enough. The Ancestor won't let us go, and other forces close to the Tushita Palace might not openly help you this time. As for Li Tianwang, he's definitely not on your side. So…”

He put down the candy and said earnestly, "You really need to think of a way to get help yourself."

Chen Guangrui fell silent. Jin Lu's words hit the nail on the head. Li Jing as commander-in-chief? He'd be lucky if Li Jing didn't cause him trouble.

To rely on his heavenly soldiers and generals was wishful thinking. This mission required him to be the main force, and he needed to find sufficiently powerful external assistance. His mind raced; the man from Flower Fruit Mountain might be an option, but he didn't know how to get him to help.

"Understood, thank you both for reminding me."

Chen Guangrui stopped talking nonsense, grabbed Tang Sheng who was still glaring angrily at Jin Lu and Yin Lu, and said, "Goodbye."

"Take care, Mr. Chen!" Jinlu Boy bowed.

"Brother Tangsheng, come visit us next time!" Silver Furnace Boy waved with a smile.

Chen Guangrui's face darkened. He thought to himself, "If I play with you two a few more times, all the good stuff in the Tushita Palace will be taken to Flower Fruit Mountain." So he grabbed his son and flew straight towards Flower Fruit Mountain on a cloud.

Inside the alchemy room of the Tushita Palace, a gentle and continuous flow of Daoist energy emanates.

Laozi did not sit quietly in front of the furnace, but stood beside a jade table. On the table, there was the unremarkable "Heaven-Containing" gourd that the Golden Furnace Boy had just carefully carried in.

Lao Jun stretched out two fingers, gently picked up the gourd, and his deep, ancient eyes fell on it, as if trying to penetrate the rough gourd skin.

The Silver Furnace Boy stood respectfully to the side, not daring to breathe loudly, but he couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Ancestor, this...this gourd can really hold the sky..."

Upon hearing this, Laozi slowly raised his eyelids and looked down at the expectant and determined little face of the Silver Furnace Boy.

That serene and unchanging countenance, which had remained calm for millennia, darkened almost imperceptibly.

(End of this chapter)