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Chapter 184 Hidden secrets
The night was as dark as ink, pressing heavily on the desolate road thirty miles south of the city.

The rumors of monsters eating people that circulated in the restaurants during the day acted like an invisible prohibition. At this moment, there wasn't a single person on this road, and even the chirping of insects had become much quieter. Only the rustling of the wind through the withered grass conveyed an eerie stillness.

By the roadside, a half-withered old tree stood silently, its gnarled branches casting distorted shadows in the moonlight. Deep within the shadows, however, lay two pairs of eyes.

"Father..." A very low whisper came from the tree trunk, carrying obvious weariness and anxiety, "It's almost dawn, is that yellow-haired... Yellow Wind Monster, is he coming or not?"

It turned out that Tang Sheng had transformed into a tree by the roadside and had hidden Chen Guangrui inside the trunk.

Inside the tree trunk, hidden by branches and leaves, Chen Guangrui leaned against the rough heartwood, his brow furrowed. Gone was his daytime confidence; his gaze, peering through a deliberately left gap, swept across the empty fields again and again. In the distance, the sky was beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

"Wait a little longer," Chen Guangrui's voice also lowered, tinged with uncertainty.
"If he heard the news, knowing his personality... he would most likely come to find out what happened. If he didn't come, perhaps the news hasn't reached him yet."

Tang Sheng's daytime excitement had long been worn away by the long wait. He asked in a muffled voice,

"Dad, are your legs numb? If we don't get here, we'll have stayed up all night for nothing, and that would be a huge loss."

Chen Guangrui didn't answer, but just stared at the increasingly bright horizon, his expectations fading away little by little, just like the darkness of the night.

It seemed this method might not work. He took a deep breath, preparing to say that this was enough for today, and that they would think of another solution tomorrow.

In the blink of an eye, a plan took shape in his mind.

"I've got it!" Chen Guangrui's eyes narrowed, as if he had come up with a solution.

After a while, a little demon with a blue face and fangs, holding two broken axes, appeared on the road.

Chen Guangrui quickly "escaped" from the other side of the tree trunk, returning to his original appearance, but deliberately made his clothes a little messy, showing a panicked look on his face.

He stumbled and ran along the road, shouting shrilly in a distorted voice:
"Help! A monster...a monster is eating people! Help!"

The sound carried far across the silent wilderness, trembling with despair.

Nobody knows how someone could suddenly appear in this place.

It only takes a little thought to know that this is not a simple matter.

At this moment, Chen Guangrui looked back in terror, and ran even more frantically, staggering as if he were about to fall at any moment.

Tang Sheng, on the other hand, shouted excitedly and chased after the enemy with great effort, wielding his two broken axes haphazardly, yet with great momentum.

Despite the questionable timing and mediocre acting, it still managed to attract some people's attention.

"stop!"

A thunderous roar suddenly echoed through the night sky. The voice was powerful and resonant, carrying an undeniable authority and a fierce, righteous spirit.

With a shout, a yellow shadow moved as fast as lightning, tearing through the dark night. With a "boom," it landed steadily between Chen Guangrui and Xiao Yaotangsheng, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The newcomer was a burly man, dressed in a yellow robe with a belt around his waist, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, a wide mouth, and a square face. He carried a huge bundle on his back. Who else could it be but the Yellow Wind Monster?

His eyes flashed like lightning, scanning the scene intently. When he saw Chen Guangrui, who was panicked and disheveled, his thick eyebrows immediately furrowed, and anger flared in his eyes.

Looking again at the green-faced little demon who was still baring its fangs and claws, the Yellow Wind Monster's eyes instantly turned sharp as knives, ready to strike as soon as it arrived.

"You wretched creature!" Huang Feng's strange voice boomed like a bell, making everyone's eardrums ring.

"What kind of demon are you, daring to block the road and harm people in the middle of the night?"

His massive figure, like an iron tower, blocked Chen Guangrui's path, his large, fan-like finger pointing at the little demon that Tang had transformed into, filled with uncontrollable rage.

"You brat, look at you, so young and already doing such wicked things! You've run into trouble today, you're just unlucky. I'll skin you alive!"

Before he could finish speaking, he had already assumed a fighting stance, his aura surging forth with a fierce and domineering presence, clearly indicating that he was about to exorcise the demon. The little demon that Sugar had transformed into was startled by the sudden appearance of the real demon, instinctively letting out a strange "Aow!" and its short legs kicked out, actually taking a step back.

He blinked his large, round eyes, which were adorned with blue faces and fangs, as he looked at the familiar yellow-robed man before him, seemingly not quite having realized what was happening.

The previously panicked Chen Guangrui now showed no trace of fear. He straightened up, dusted off his clothes, a knowing smile playing on his lips, and spoke in a clear voice, his tone returning to its usual calm.

"King Yellow Wind, how have you been? It's been years, and your temper is still as fiery as ever. You truly are a man who roars when injustice is seen on the road."

Just as the Yellow Wind Monster was about to pounce on the "little demon," it suddenly froze upon hearing this, its burly body abruptly stopping.

He turned around in astonishment, his copper bell-like eyes fixed on Chen Guangrui's smiling face. After taking a closer look at the calm and composed demeanor in that smile, he recognized the person.

……

Inside the dilapidated mountain temple, the campfire crackled, illuminating three distinctly different faces.

Yellow Wind Monster picked up the chipped earthenware bowl, downed the murky wine in one gulp, and wiped his mouth. The firelight danced on his rugged face, the imposing aura that had once dominated Yellow Wind Ridge years ago now gone, replaced by a sharp yet restrained, solitary air.

"That's great!" He clicked his tongue, and when he looked at Chen Guangrui, the flame of excitement ignited in his eyes by the reunion with an old friend hadn't died down, but it had only grown brighter; there was no further passionate action.
"It's been just a few years, Brother Chen... It's really fate that we meet again in this desolate wilderness."

He intended to address him by his official title, but changed his mind before he could finish, clearly showing that he no longer respected the Heavenly Court's system.

"Indeed, it's fate." Chen Guangrui replied calmly, his gaze sweeping over the slightly worn leather armor on the Yellow Wind Monster's body and the still chilling three-pronged steel fork at his waist.

"However, I never expected that Brother Huang Feng would become a lone traveler."

"A lone traveler? Heh heh, that's a good title!"

Yellow Wind Monster grinned, revealing a set of white teeth. His smile carried a hint of self-mockery, but more so, it was a direct expression of his joy.
"After what happened to that bald monk Lingji, I knew that none of those Bodhisattvas and Arhats in the Western Paradise who wear gold and silver are good people, and they will never let me off easily. They won't let me go, but I'm too lazy to pay attention to their fake compassion. We're on different paths, so we can't work together!"

He paused, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, as if he had remembered something infuriating, and his fists clenched unconsciously.

"Over the years, I've traveled all the way from Huangfengling to this mountainous region, keeping a close eye on those bald monks who wear the guise of Buddhist temples but engage in filthy deeds. I deal with them one by one. Those who use the Buddha's name to prey on the villagers, forcibly seize women, and drive people to their deaths through usury—I don't recognize them as some kind of high monk! They deserve to be beaten, crippled, and punished without mercy!"

His voice was not loud, but every word was as firm as iron. The campfire danced in his eyes, as if reflecting the wretched state of the evil monks he had punished.

"So, Brother Huang Feng is acting on behalf of Heaven, specifically targeting the scoundrels of Buddhism."

Chen Guangrui nodded in understanding. Tang Sheng, sitting cross-legged beside him, rested his chin on his hands, his big eyes darting between Huang Fengguai and Chen Guangrui, his little face full of interest in listening to the story, occasionally nodding seriously as if he greatly approved of Huang Fengguai's work.

"Exactly!" Yellow Wind Monster slapped his thigh.
"In my life, I only believe in one principle: to act uprightly and sit honestly! I can't stand those despicable things that are all talk and no action!"

Chen Guangrui changed the subject, a hint of perfectly timed doubt in his eyes, as he looked at the dark outline of Haoshan Mountain outside the temple.

"Since Brother Huang Feng's path is to make things difficult for those corrupt Buddhist monks, why have you been locked in a stalemate with the Holy Infant King Red Boy for more than half a year on Mount Hao? As far as I know, Red Boy is not some little monk, is he?"

Mentioning Red Boy and then the little monk, the Yellow Wind Monster's gaze lingered on Tang Sheng's head. Only when Tang Sheng protested did he smile.
Then, he poured himself a full bowl. The murky liquid swayed in the bowl, reflecting his complex and unreadable expression. He picked up the bowl, but didn't drink it immediately. Instead, he stared at the swaying surface of the liquid and let out a long, heavy sigh.

Chen Guangrui frowned. "Could there be some other hidden story here, or is Red Boy's Samadhi True Fire just too powerful...?"

"Impressive?" Yellow Wind Monster shook his head, his voice lowering, carrying an indescribable weariness.
"That kid is quite skilled; his Samadhi True Fire is indeed powerful. If we really fought, I wouldn't be afraid of him. But..."

Yellow Wind Monster sighed heavily again, and this time he finally poured the wine in the bowl down, as if trying to use the wine to suppress the frustration in his heart.

"Brother Chen, about this matter..."

He put down the empty bowl, his rough fingers unconsciously tracing the chipped rim, his gaze growing deep.

"It's not as simple as you think. The fact that I'm stuck with him at Haoshan is actually because there are other hidden stories behind this."

(End of this chapter)