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Chapter 197 Will take action when necessary

On the way to Lion Camel Ridge, the burly Yellow Wind Monster led the way, though his steps were heavier than usual. He suddenly stopped, turned around, and blocked Chen Guangrui's path, speaking in a gruff voice.
“Brother Chen, it’s not that Ehuangfeng is afraid of trouble. But Lion Camel Ridge is not a place for easy people.”

He counted on his thick fingers, "The blue lion from Manjushri's family, the white elephant from Samantabhadra's family—regardless of what those two bodhisattvas are like, their mounts are still quite remarkable. And then there's the third one from Lion Camel Ridge. When you told the Bull Demon King, you didn't mention the third one at all, only mentioning the first two."

He stared into Chen Guangrui's eyes, trying to find the answer within them.
"Did you already know that the third brother was the toughest nut to crack?"

Chen Guangrui remained calm and did not deny it, only giving a soft "hmm".

Yellow Wind Monster laughed and cried, which confirmed his suspicions.
"Even if we have the Banana Leaf Fan, even if I risk my life, where are we manpower? Just the three of us? You," he sized up Chen Guangrui's scholarly physique.

“And this little rascal,” he pointed to Tang Sheng, who was listening intently with his little face tilted up.
"If it really comes down to a fight, what good will it do? I'm afraid I can't even beat the little demons patrolling the cave entrance. Letting me deal with those three demons by myself is just exhausting for a fool. I, Huang Feng, am not afraid of death, but I don't want to die in vain."

Tang Sheng, standing to the side, immediately objected. He wrinkled his little nose and retorted in the tone of the Yellow Wind Monster.

"Uncle Huang Feng, you just said you weren't afraid of Buddhism. Why are you afraid of Buddhist monsters now? Your courage is so fickle, it's like you're playing around."

Yellow Wind Monster's face flushed slightly after being retorted by a little child, but being straightforward by nature, he wasn't angry; he just gave a disgruntled snort.
“What do kids know? I’m not afraid of the Buddhist sect causing me trouble, that’s called having backbone. But that’s different from knowingly barging into someone’s lair when you can’t beat them and throwing your life away. I, Huang Feng, am not stupid or lacking in common sense.”

Chen Guangrui, seeing the Yellow Wind Monster's urgency, remained unhurried.
"Old Huang, don't worry. There's always a way out. I'll step in when it matters."

"You'll make a move?" Upon hearing this, Yellow Wind Monster almost burst out laughing. He shook his messy head, his face full of disbelief.

"Brother, it's not that I'm looking down on you. With your strength and that little flame of Samadhi True Fire in your arms, you might be able to deal with a few patrolling demons, but what use would you be against those three demons? Your attack would be no different from tickling an itch. I don't want to have to worry about protecting you two."

He curled his lip and said, "Are you sure that Bull Demon King will make a move? It's been so many days, and instead of rushing to Lion Camel Ridge on a cloud, we've been walking on the ground. Are we just waiting for that Bull Demon King? But he hasn't come at all. You've probably miscalculated."

Chen Guangrui dismissed his doubts, turned his gaze toward Mount Jilei, and said in a flat tone, "I didn't say that I was definitely relying on the Bull Demon King."

These words struck at the heart of Yellow Wind Monster's doubts. He raised a thick eyebrow and his voice rose a few decibels.
"That's what I'm really wondering about. Since you know that old Niu has a family, a large fortune, is greedy and lecherous, and has entanglements with both Buddhist and Taoist sects, it's a complicated mess. He simply can't bear to give up his immense wealth, nor can he sever ties with either side. There's a 99% chance that someone like him wouldn't abandon everything to fight for us. So why did you go through all that trouble at Fire Cloud Cave, scaring and giving us pointers? What was the point?"

A faint smile played on Chen Guangrui's lips. "I said those things to Red Boy and Princess Iron Fan."

Yellow Wind Monster was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"The Bull Demon King is indecisive, unwilling to let go, and probably beyond saving. But Princess Iron Fan is different. She is a sensible person and loves her son. If I explain the pros and cons to her, and she really listens, perhaps she will do it to secure a stable future for Red Boy."

Chen Guangrui paused, looking at the Yellow Wind Monster.
“Now we can’t rely on the Bull Demon King and his group. With the connection to the Tushita Palace, Red Boy’s following us is, in his mother’s eyes, a new powerful backer. This is a good thing for her and for both of them.”

Yellow Wind Monster shook his head, finding the explanation far too convoluted and complicated.
"You're just guessing. Princess Iron Fan has a temper as explosive as a powder keg, and that brat Red Boy is even more lawless. It's questionable whether they could even think of this. Even if Red Boy really came,"

He reiterated the unavoidable reality: "He can only breathe fire, and with the wind blowing, we still don't have enough manpower. I have no confidence at all in dealing with the third brother of Lion Camel Ridge. We still don't have enough manpower."

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling Chen Guangrui's calm face.

“Don’t rush, let’s walk a little further,” he paused, his gaze seemingly piercing through the clouds, looking towards the nine heavens, “The Jade Emperor will intervene.”

The majestic Lingxiao Palace is shrouded in celestial mist, with auspicious clouds carpeting the ground. Towering dragon pillars stand tall, and the glazed tile roof reflects a soft light. Celestial officials and deities stand solemnly on both sides, some holding whisks, others holding tablets, each with a dignified and majestic appearance.

The Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Venerable, sat atop a nine-tiered cloud platform, his crown adorned with jeweled tassels that concealed his unfathomable gaze. He surveyed the assembled immortals and Buddhas below, his voice not loud, yet clearly resonating throughout every corner of the hall.
"I have heard that 100,000 heavenly soldiers and generals from the Heavenly Court have been descending to the mortal realm for some time now. I wonder how many demons they have vanquished and how much prestige they have bestowed upon the Heavenly Court? Do you have any detailed battle reports to present?"

A hush fell over the hall. Many celestial officials kept their eyes downcast, remaining silent. Xu Jingyang, the Celestial Master, adjusted his sleeves, about to step forward to speak. Beside him, Guanyin Bodhisattva of the South Sea seemed to glance at Venus, the planet Venus, almost imperceptibly.

Venus reacted extremely quickly, almost instantly taking a step forward, bowing respectfully with his usual warm smile on his face, his voice loud yet respectful.
"Your Majesty, I have just received a battle report from below. Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, has lived up to Your Majesty's grace, leading an army of 100,000 to strike directly at the demon's lair. The day before yesterday, he breached the Tiger's Mouth Cave on Leopard Head Mountain in Xiniu Hezhou, subduing the Yellow Lion Demon and his demon followers who were entrenched there. This battle has demonstrated the divine might of our Heavenly Court, deterred all villains in all directions, and yielded remarkable results."

He spoke clearly, mentioning only the Tiger's Mouth Cave on Leopard Head Mountain and the subjugation of the Yellow Lion Spirit, while omitting everything else.

The Jade Emperor nodded slightly, his face showing little joy, but rather a hint of scrutiny in his eyes.
"Yellow Lion Demon, just a minor demon? After being in the mortal realm for so long, this is all you've accomplished? Venus, send a decree to Li Jing: he must press on, finish this battle quickly, and not slacken his efforts." Venus received the decree.

After speaking, the Jade Emperor turned his gaze to Celestial Master Xu Jingyang, "Minister Xu, do you have anything to add?"

Celestial Master Xu Jingyang took a deep breath, stepped forward, and bowed. His voice was steady, but the content was like a thunderclap.
"Your Majesty, what Venus said was the battle report from the day before yesterday. However, according to the latest news I have, after subduing the Yellow Lion Spirit, Li Tianwang's army encountered an unparalleled demon at Leopard Head Mountain. This demon was extremely ferocious, and with just one roar, it broke through our heavenly army's formation. Although Li Tianwang fought hard, he was ultimately no match for its power. In this battle... we suffered heavy losses, with more than 30% of our 100,000 heavenly soldiers and generals likely lost."

"what!"

The Jade Emperor's voice suddenly rose, and an invisible pressure spread out, making the temperature in the entire Lingxiao Palace seem to drop several degrees. He looked sharply at Venus, his gaze piercing through the beaded curtain of his crown, "Venus, why did you not mention a word about such a major defeat?"

Venus bowed again, his tone still calm.
"Great Heavenly Venerable, please calm your anger. This old minister is terrified. What Heavenly Master Xu said is true; this old minister has not received any such report. It must be because after Heavenly King Li's defeat, the battle report took some time to arrive, and the journey was long, so there was a slight delay. What this old minister received was indeed the victory report from the day before yesterday. It was not an intentional concealment; I beg the Great Heavenly Venerable to investigate thoroughly."

He made the "delay in battle reports" sound perfectly reasonable, and shifted all the blame to Li Jing without batting an eye, as if the loss of 30% of the army was a trivial matter.

The Jade Emperor gave Taibai Jinxing a deep look, his gaze complex and unfathomable, which ultimately turned into a cold snort.
"What a delay! Venus, descend to the mortal realm immediately and go to Li Jing's army in person. Ask him for me if he can still hold the title of Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King. If he is not up to the task, tell him as soon as possible."

"Your old minister obeys the decree." Venus bowed and accepted the order, his posture impeccable.

The Jade Emperor, still furious, glanced at the court and suddenly remembered someone. "By the way, what about that...that deputy commander? I remember he left the camp alone a long time ago and is acting on his own. What has he accomplished?"

Celestial Master Xu Jingyang immediately responded, his voice loud and clear.

"Reporting to the Great Heavenly Venerable, Vice Commander Chen Guangrui, single-handedly, has penetrated deep into the heart of Xiniu Hezhou. It has now been ascertained that he not only successfully dispersed the demonic forces entrenched in the Banana Cave of Cuiyun Mountain and the Fire Cloud Cave of Hao Mountain, but also forced the long-established demon, the Mighty Bull Demon King, to abandon his cave dwelling, which he had cultivated for many years, and flee in disarray. Wherever his army marched, from the Fire Cloud Cave of Hao Mountain to the Moyun Cave of Jilei Mountain, all the demons were subdued and routed. This battle has already demonstrated the formidable power of our Heavenly Court!"

Master Xu's words were powerful and resounding, creating a stark contrast between Chen Guangrui's "lone wolf" and Li Jing's "100,000 defeated soldiers".

"Oh?" The gloom on the Jade Emperor's face immediately dissipated, and his eyes revealed genuine approval. "Good! Very good! He has indeed lived up to Laozi's recommendation and is truly a capable person! The Tushita Palace has truly a discerning eye."

The immortals and Buddhas in the hall had different expressions, and all the immortals praised Laozi for his discerning eye in recognizing talent.

Venus still wore a compassionate smile, but his eyes flickered slightly as he turned his gaze to Guanyin Bodhisattva. Though he did not speak, his meaning was clear.

Guanyin Bodhisattva understood immediately and offered her advice with a beaming smile.

"Great Heavenly Venerable is wise, and Vice Commander Chen is indeed a man of extraordinary talent. Right now, Heavenly King Li is leading his army to Jindu Mountain to eliminate the Rhinoceros King who is entrenched there, and to ensure the pilgrims can safely cross this perilous pass. In my humble opinion, why not send Vice Commander Chen to Jindu Mountain to assist him? Firstly, he can help Heavenly King Li subdue the demons and eliminate this threat as soon as possible. Secondly, he can clear obstacles for the pilgrims' westward journey. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation?"

Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor stroked his beard and pondered, finding the words reasonable. He was about to agree when he felt something was amiss and asked Master Xu, "Do you know where Chen Guangrui is now?"

Celestial Master Xu Jingyang spoke again, “Great Celestial Venerable, please allow me to report. Just now, I did not yet explain the whereabouts of Deputy Commander Chen. At this moment, Chen Guangrui has already headed straight for Lion Camel Ridge. It is said that his intention is to wipe out the three major demons entrenched in Lion Camel Ridge.”

Lion Camel Ridge?

A sharp light flashed in the Jade Emperor's eyes.
"Those demons have been entrenched in that land for a long time, their arrogance is overwhelming, and they are a major threat to my Heavenly Court. Good! Good indeed, Chen Guangrui, you dare to venture into this dragon's den and tiger's lair all by yourself. Your courage is extraordinary and you have won my heart."

The Jade Emperor was overjoyed. After a moment's thought, he slammed his hand on the imperial desk, his voice echoing throughout the palace: "I think the one who should be helping is not Chen Guangrui, but Li Jing! His 100,000 troops should be divided and sent to Lion Camel Ridge to lend Chen Guangrui a hand."

His gaze swept over Guanyin Bodhisattva's calm and composed face, and he changed the subject slightly, "However, protecting the pilgrims at Jindu Mountain is also a major matter. Since Li Jing has already gone there, the pilgrimage should take precedence."

The Jade Emperor paused briefly, then decisively ordered: "Venus, issue an edict to Li Jing, instructing him to ensure the safe passage of the pilgrims across the perilous Jindu Mountain. At the same time, issue my decree ordering the Great God Nezha of the Three Altars and Seas to immediately gather his troops and descend to the mortal realm to Lion Camel Ridge, awaiting the command of Deputy Commander Chen Guangrui. He must do everything in his power to assist in the extermination of the demons of Lion Camel Ridge. If he is unable to do so, I will also send the Twenty-Eight Constellations. This time, we must uproot and completely eradicate those scourges that plague this region!"

Upon receiving the decree, a solemn atmosphere filled the Lingxiao Palace. Venus and Celestial Master Xu Jingyang bowed simultaneously to accept the order, saying, "Your subjects obey!"

Taibai Jinxing glanced at Guanyin out of the corner of his eye and saw that she still had a smile on her face, neither happy nor angry. He sighed inwardly and returned to the train. It seemed that this time, not only had he failed to cover for Li Jing, but he had also lost Nezha.

(End of this chapter)