They've all become top scholars in the imperial examinations, and you're telling me this i

Chapter 200 Scaring the Monkey
The waterfall at Huaguo Mountain still roars like thunder, but the area in front of the Water Curtain Cave has become even more lively.

Mu Zha arrives every day riding on a cloud, always bringing with him some spiritual fruits and dew. The little monkeys who have just learned to hop and jump love to circle around him, eagerly eyeing the snacks he conjures from his sleeves, chattering and scrambling to grab them.

With a gentle expression, Mu Zha distributed the tasks one by one, which made the little monkeys cheer and jump for joy. They all imitated humans by bowing and shouting, "Hello, Bodhisattva Mu Zha!"

However, the older monkeys, who were further away, merely watched indifferently. Several gray-furred old apes squatted on a high rock, making low growls in their throats.

"Heh, Bodhisattva's disciple, you're quite carefree." The voice of an old ape, missing half an ear, was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for Muzha to hear.

"Instead of being a proper disciple in front of Guanyin Bodhisattva, all high and mighty, you've come to this poor mountain valley to scatter fruit and pretend to be a Bodhisattva in front of these little monkeys?"

Another old ape, blind in one eye, chimed in, his voice hoarse, "Indeed. How many years has he had monkey blood on his hands? Does he think he can fool us with a little sweetness? Back when he attacked our Flower Fruit Mountain, he didn't hold back at all. This kid has no good intentions."

"Shh, keep your voice down. He's a favorite of the Bodhisattva now. Be careful he doesn't accuse you of disrespecting the Bodhisattva and smash your skull with a gold brick."

The third old ape added a sarcastic remark, which drew suppressed snickers from the other old monkeys nearby.

The little monkeys might not understand, but the old monkeys certainly knew that Muzha had been near Flower Fruit Mountain all along, clearly spying on the king and harboring no good intentions.

The compassionate smile on Muzha's face remained unchanged, as if he hadn't heard the sarcastic remarks. After distributing the fruit, he went straight to the Water Curtain Cave. Suddenly, the steam at the cave entrance billowed, and Sun Wukong's figure parted the water curtain and emerged.

At this moment, he was looking Muzha up and down with undisguised sarcasm.

"Hey, what a rare guest! Isn't this the esteemed disciple of the Bodhisattva?" Sun Wukong crossed his arms, his golden cudgel resting casually on his shoulder.

"What's wrong? Why are you always sneaking into my Flower and Fruit Mountain? Have you taken a fancy to some of my auspicious land? Or did your God find your disciple an eyesore and send him out to beg for food?"

Mu Zha clasped his hands together, his smile unchanged, and said, "Great Sage, you jest. I am here on the orders of the Bodhisattva to lend a helping hand to Flower Fruit Mountain."

As he spoke, he took out a crimson gourd from his wide sleeves. The gourd's mouth was sealed with a jade stopper, and a faint, refreshing medicinal fragrance wafted out.

Sun Wukong's nostrils twitched slightly, and his golden eyes narrowed. "What the hell is this?"

"This is a tonifying pill personally bestowed by the Bodhisattva, consisting of eighteen pills."

Muzha held the gourd in his palm, "This pill is of great benefit to cultivation. An ordinary monkey who takes one pill can achieve the equivalent of decades of arduous cultivation, becoming stronger and more intelligent. The Bodhisattva is thinking of the fact that Flower Fruit Mountain is in dire need of reconstruction, and that this is precisely the time when the monkeys need a solid foundation..."

"Ha!" Sun Wukong scoffed, interrupting Muzha's words, his face full of disdain. "Do you think I, Old Sun, don't have these pills? Back when I went to the Tushita Palace, I ate the Nine-Turn Immortal Pill like candy. What is this? I don't even want it."

He waved his hand, looking disgusted.

Mu Zha wasn't annoyed; he continued to hold the gourd.

"Why should the Great Sage refuse the Bodhisattva's kind offer? This pill is of little use to the Great Sage, but it is a real help to these children in the mountains whose foundations are still shallow. Now that Flower Fruit Mountain has not yet recovered its vitality, this pill is just in time."

Sun Wukong's eyes darted around, glancing at the few young monkeys peeking out in the distance, but his words remained defiant.
"Don't give me that crap. I, Old Sun, know you guys too well. You're being so helpful all the time, like the Bodhisattva sent you here every day. What wicked scheme are you plotting? Just tell me!"

Muzha bowed slightly, his tone still calm and respectful, "Great Sage, you are wise. Demons are currently wreaking havoc in the mortal realm, disturbing the heavens and earth. The Buddhist disciples are overwhelmed. The Bodhisattva has urgent business and wishes to request your assistance in subduing some of the most wicked demons. Great Sage, your divine powers are unparalleled; if you could lend a hand…"

"I'm not going!" Sun Wukong said decisively, cutting off the conversation. "Don't flatter me! I'm just a monkey king guarding Flower Fruit Mountain. What does it matter to me if the sky falls or the earth collapses outside? I'm not going, I'm not going."

Mu Zha's smile faded slightly, but his voice became even more earnest.
“This humble monk understands that the Great Sage is concerned about the safety of everyone on Flower Fruit Mountain and has concerns in his heart. This shows that the Great Sage values ​​loyalty and righteousness. The Bodhisattva also knows this deeply.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the monkeys covering the mountains and fields, and slowly said,

“If the Great Sage is willing to descend the mountain to subdue the demon, I will personally guard Flower Fruit Mountain. As long as I am here, I will ensure that the children in the mountain are safe and sound, and will not be disturbed in the slightest.”

These words sounded like a promise, but to Sun Wukong, they were like a red-hot iron, instantly enraging him.

"Alright, now I know why you've been putting on an act these past few days!"

Sun Wukong leaped up, his golden cudgel slamming into the ground with a loud thud, sending pebbles flying. He pointed at Muzha's nose and launched into a tirade, his voice booming like thunder through the valley.

"So this is where you were waiting for me, Old Sun! What kind of bullshit care? You're threatening me, Old Sun! You're using the lives of all the monkeys on Flower Fruit Mountain as bargaining chips! Let me tell you, Mu Zha, don't try to intimidate me with your Buddhist tricks. If you harm even a hair on the head of my monkeys on Flower Fruit Mountain, I'll first destroy the South Sea, then kill Mount Ling, and let your Buddhist sect experience what it was like when I wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace."

He grew angrier with each curse, his eyes flashing with golden light. "You dare to use me, your monkey grandson, to threaten you? Do you think my golden cudgel is just for show?"

Forced to take a slight step back by the barrage of angry words and overwhelming aura, Mu Zha's smile vanished completely. However, he remained unperturbed, simply clasping his hands together and bowing deeply.
"Great Sage, please calm your anger. I had no intention of threatening you; every word I spoke was a promise. If you truly do not wish to, I... will take my leave." Having said this, he gently placed the crimson gourd on a clean stone at his feet, said no more, turned, and rode away on a cloud. His figure quickly disappeared into the clouds, leaving only the gourd on the stone, emitting a faint medicinal fragrance.

Sun Wukong stood alone at the cave entrance, his chest heaving violently, his golden hair standing on end, clearly still furious.

A mountain breeze blew by, carrying the familiar scents of grass and trees from Flower Fruit Mountain, along with the mist from the waterfall. He leaned on his cane and slowly turned around.

On the open ground in front of the Water Curtain Cave, monkeys of all sizes stopped playing, and hundreds of pairs of eyes stared at him.

In those eyes, there was fear from the roar just now, curiosity about the gourd-shaped elixir, and undisguised trust in him. Several little monkeys who had just received the Muzha fruit, still clutching the half-eaten immortal fruit in their hands, looked blankly at their king, seemingly not understanding why their king was so angry.

An old, gray-white monkey shuffled over, trying to offer some words of comfort, "Your Majesty, you..."

Sun Wukong waved his hand, stopping him from continuing. He dragged his golden cudgel and slowly walked to the edge of the cliff. Below him were the continuous peaks of Flower Fruit Mountain, the familiar mountain streams, the peach groves where he had played with his monkeys, and the collapsed and painstakingly rebuilt shacks... Everything was laid out before him.

The wind ruffled the golden hairs on his forehead. He gazed silently at his mountain, his home.

The group left the Flaming Mountain and entered the territory of the Kingdom of Jisa. The market in the kingdom was quite lively, with vendors and laborers coming and going, and the air was filled with the scent of spices and dust.

Red Boy trotted after Chen Guangrui, his little face full of impatience. Finally, he couldn't help but shout loudly.

"Hey! Chen Guangrui, Lion Camel Ridge is just ahead. Why aren't you going there? What are you doing in this godforsaken place? Are you trying to play games with me?"

He grew angrier the more he thought about it. Seeing Tang Sheng happily licking a string of bright red candied hawthorns next to him, he reached out and snatched it, saying, "Little bald guy, let me have a taste."

Tang Sheng was prepared and moved as fast as an eel. Red Boy grabbed at it, but only managed to catch a bare bamboo skewer. Tang Sheng then grinned and pulled his hand out from behind his back, revealing a whole string of candied hawthorns. He deliberately waved it at Red Boy, saying, "Holy Infant King, if you want some, go buy some yourself."

Red Boy looked at the bamboo skewer in his hand, then at Tang Sheng's smug smile, and jumped up and down in anger.

Chen Guangrui didn't stop walking, but only glanced at Hong Haier indifferently, "If you find it boring to follow along, you can still go home and find your mother now. You yourself patted your chest and promised to be obedient back then."

"I..." Red Boy choked, remembering Princess Iron Fan's stern gaze, he swallowed the harsh words that were on the tip of his tongue, his little face turning red, and he could only glare fiercely at Tang Sheng. Tang Sheng didn't care at all and took another bite of a hawthorn.

Chen Guangrui ignored the antics of the two children behind him. He sat down at a reasonably clean teahouse, his gaze sweeping across the somewhat desolate street. This place wasn't far from Lion Camel Ridge, making it a good spot to gather information. He took out a gold leaf and handed it to a gaunt old man who had been waiting for them.

When the old man saw the gold leaf, his cloudy eyes lit up, and he quickly walked over and sat down, his body hunched over.

He carefully put away the gold leaf, lowering his voice: "You can't go to Lion Camel Ridge. Some people in Jisa Kingdom escaped from Lion Camel Kingdom back then, and their fates were truly tragic..."

His voice trembled, "Lion Camel Kingdom was once the most powerful nation in this area, with a population of millions. It was incredibly prosperous. Even the Tang Dynasty didn't know about Jisa Kingdom, but everyone knew about Lion Camel Kingdom. Alas, then a great demon came, and overnight... such a large country was gone, wiped off the face of the earth! Now it's the only way to India. Want to take a detour? There's no road to the north. Go south? You'll have to travel more than 5,000 li of unnecessary travel!"

The old man swallowed hard, his face filled with fear.

"I've heard that there are now 100,000 demons entrenched there. No matter who goes there, they never come back, not even a bone fragment remains! It's a man-eating demon's lair. I heard the piles of bones are so thick you can see them from far away..."

He spoke for about two hours, recounting everything he knew.

Red Boy, who had been angrily kicking pebbles to the side, abruptly stopped upon hearing the words "ten thousand demons." His little face tightened, and his arrogant demeanor deflated instantly like a punctured balloon. So many demons? He had just said he would kill them all. Good heavens, for the first time, he felt that this might be... a bit tiring?
Yellow Wind Monster's thick eyebrows were furrowed, his burly body leaned slightly forward, and his voice was deep.

“Brother Chen, there’s no use in gathering more information now. The core problem is a lack of manpower. I’ll risk my life, plus this little kid’s success,”

He pointed to the dejected Red Boy, "He might still be able to manage against the eldest and second eldest of Lion Camel Ridge. But that third eldest..."

Huang Fengguai shook his head, his face grave: "No one can handle that third brother. If the four of us go alone, we'll be throwing our lives away. If we really don't have any help, I... I can go find some."

A hint of surprise flashed in Chen Guangrui's eyes. He hadn't expected Huang Fengguai to have hidden accomplices. He asked with interest, "Oh? Old Huang, you have accomplices? Who are they?"

Yellow Wind Monster glanced at Chen Guangrui, his eyes filled with wariness, and said in a gruff voice:
“I won’t tell you. You’re too cunning. If I tell you who it is, who knows what you’ll do next. If it’s just the four of us going to attack Lion Camel Ridge, we need to plan carefully and not be rash.”

Huang Feng had clearly assessed the strength of both sides and concluded that they didn't have enough helpers, so they couldn't cause trouble for Lion Camel Ridge. Otherwise, they wouldn't even have anyone to collect the bodies.

Chen Guangrui was about to ask again, wanting to find out from Huang Feng who Qinglai's helper was,
Suddenly, from the crowd not far behind them, a voice, tinged with a hint of grumbling and helplessness, rang out.
“I’m telling you, Third Prince, I’ve figured it out. Chen Guangrui is about to arrive at Lion Camel Ridge. Take my advice and stay away from him. Getting involved with him will only bring trouble. This place is not safe to stay in. Let’s leave now.”

The sound wasn't loud, but it clearly reached Chen Guangrui and the others' ears.
(End of this chapter)