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Chapter 220 What do you want?

Upon returning to Heaven, Nezha naturally went home. Chen Guangrui settled Red Boy in briefly, then took Tang Sheng and headed straight for the Tushita Palace, located beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens.

A mystical aura swirled before the Tushita Palace, carrying the faint scent of elixirs. The gatekeeper recognized Chen Guangrui and gestured for him to wait. Chen Guangrui waited quietly with Tang Sheng.

Before long, heavy hoofbeats echoed from inside the palace gates. The Green Ox Demon swaggered out from within.

It has regained its original appearance, with a robust physique, glossy fur, and an undisguised air of pride in its expression. Even its nostrils are slightly turned upwards, and it seems to walk with a breeze.

The blue ox spotted Chen Guangrui and his son outside the palace gates at a glance. Its eyes lit up, and it strode over in a few steps, its voice booming with warmth.

"Hey, Vice Commander Chen? You're up here so quickly too. Finished your business?"

He specifically referred to Chen Guangrui by his official title, clearly indicating that he hadn't yet shaken off his fascination with acting in the lower realms.

Chen Guangrui nodded calmly.
"Hmm, just got back. Fellow Daoist Qingniu, how come you're up here so quickly?" He noticed Qingniu's smug look.

This question struck a chord with the blue ox. It immediately perked up, its massive head bobbing proudly, its voice rising several octaves in a mocking tone.
"Hehe, don't even mention it, you didn't see how cowardly Li Jing was!"

The green ox mimicked Li Jing's possible expression, winking and making faces, "He led a mighty army of heavenly soldiers and generals, some of whom were of the water element and others of the fire element, and he even invited down those eighteen bald-headed Arhats from the Western Paradise. And what happened? He was wiped out by my old ox with a single peck, completely wiped out!"

It paused deliberately, enjoying Chen Guangrui's reaction, before continuing its vivid description.

"Li Jing's face turned as green as the base of his pagoda. He was just clutching the bare base in his hand, looking utterly pathetic. I, Old Niu, said to him, 'Li Jing, if you have the guts, come down and have a go at me! Be careful, or I might impulsively take that half of the base from you too. How will you face your third son, who rides on wheels of wind and fire? Tsk tsk tsk…'"

The green ox mimicked the mocking tone of the time with remarkable skill.

"And guess what? That mighty Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King didn't dare utter a single word. Clutching his precious pagoda base, he turned and fled with his remaining troops without a peep! They ran incredibly fast, like rats running for their lives, hahahaha!"

The green ox laughed so hard its body trembled, as if it had returned to the arrogant moment when it uttered wild words on Golden Gourd Mountain.

"You didn't see it, but when he ran away, the group on their pilgrimage below were completely dumbfounded. The monk turned pale, and that pig-headed guy was yelling about breaking up the group, and they even started dividing up their luggage. Sha Wujing was also sighing and complaining, and even the horse started kicking up its tail! In the end, the people from the Western Paradise got impatient and sent someone back to compensate me, the old ox, with a full eighteen golden sand pills and said countless kind words before they finally settled the matter and let the group continue on their journey."

The blue ox was beaming with pride, clearly pleased with itself for having handled the matter brilliantly, not only gaining prestige but also reaping substantial benefits. It proudly brandished the diamond-encrusted bangle on its horns, as if the eighteen golden pills were dancing within it.

"How was it, Vice Commander Chen? Did Old Niu handle this mission smoothly?"

The blue ox glanced sideways at Chen Guangrui, waiting to hear his flattery.

Tang Sheng listened with amusement, his little eyes darting around. Taking advantage of the ox shaking its head, he secretly poked its shiny fur with his little finger, then quickly withdrew it, pretending nothing had happened.

Chen Guangrui's face remained calm. After listening to Qingniu's "glorious deeds," he simply nodded and said, "Yes, indeed impressive. My task is complete."

"Oh?" The blue ox became interested, its huge head moving closer as it asked curiously.
"How's Lion Camel Ridge going? Those three demons are not to be trifled with. I heard Zhenwu and the Old Dragon of the West Sea both went there. It must be troublesome, right?"

Chen Guangrui's tone remained calm, as if he were talking about an ordinary little thing, "There were some twists and turns. But in the end, it was all resolved."

"It's over? How so?" Qingniu pressed. Chen Guangrui glanced at Qingniu and clearly uttered a few words, "They're all killed."

"Chop...chopped to death?" The green ox's eyes widened instantly, wondering if he had misheard. "Who was chopped to death? The green lion, the white elephant, or that golden-winged roc? They...chopped to death?"

"Mm," Chen Guangrui replied affirmatively, without saying anything more.

The atmosphere in front of the Tushita Palace fell silent for a moment. The smug, domineering air that the Green Ox had just exuded deflated like a punctured balloon.

It originally thought that its achievements in forcing Li Jing to retreat at Jindu Mountain, collecting all the magical treasures, causing the pilgrimage group to disband, and finally receiving an apology from the Buddhist sect were already enormous, enough to make it look good in front of Laozi. But it never expected that Chen Guangrui's side would be even more ruthless.

He not only went to the demonic lair of Lion Camel Ridge, but also faced three even more ferocious old demons, and actually... he actually killed all three of them outright. How could he talk about something so serious so easily?

An indescribable sense of defeat welled up in the heart of the green ox. It had originally wanted to show off its "eighteen golden sand pills" in front of Chen Guangrui, but now it felt that those things were a bit insignificant compared to the achievement of "killing three demons".

He had only caused Li Jing to lose face and temporarily interrupted the pilgrimage, but Chen Guangrui had directly eliminated Li Jing's "general".

The blue ox lowered its head unconsciously, its proud spirit when it first came in completely gone, and it even scratched its hooves somewhat uneasily.

It leaned closer to Chen Guangrui, its voice low and laced with a hint of warning, a stark contrast to its earlier arrogance.
"Chen Guangrui, Lao Jun is inside. Go find him. He seems to be in a pretty good mood today."

After saying that, it didn't wait for Chen Guangrui's response. It lowered its head, sullenly and somewhat dejectedly walked away quickly, not daring to look at Chen Guangrui again, as if afraid of being outshone by the other's indifferent gaze.

Tang Sheng secretly chuckled as she watched the green ox's suddenly dejected back. Chen Guangrui straightened his robes, took Tang Sheng's hand, and calmly looked at the slowly opening gates of the Tushita Palace.

Inside the Tushita Palace, the fragrance of elixir lingers, concealing the profound mysteries of the Great Dao. A massive Bagua furnace stands in the center, its fire not blazing or raging, but rather exhibiting a gentle, restrained interplay of light and shadow, as if breathing. Each flicker reflects the wondrous spectacle of the myriad things within the furnace, their evolution and decay.

Two young Taoist disciples, Jinlu and Yinlu, stood by the furnace, their eyes fixed on their noses, their movements precise as if measured with a ruler, meticulously controlling the fire and adding medicine. Even when Chen Guangrui brought Tang Sheng in, their gazes did not waver in the slightest, as if the two people who had entered this place were nothing more than two wisps of breeze.

Laozi sat cross-legged on a futon, his white hair and youthful face blending seamlessly with the entire Tushita Palace. Kui Mulang stood respectfully beside him, his figure solid and his aura steady, though a hint of indescribable complexity lingered between his brows, clearly indicating that he had only recently been resurrected and his mind was still turbulent.

"You're back." Laozi's voice was calm and gentle, like the fragrance of elixir emanating from a furnace, devoid of emotion, yet naturally carrying the power to soothe the mind.

His gaze fell on Chen Guangrui, as if piercing through layers of space, already knowing everything that had happened in the lower realm. "The matter at Lion Camel Ridge was handled well."

Kui Mulang's gaze also fell on Chen Guangrui, filled with scrutiny and a hint of barely perceptible gratitude.

Chen Guangrui bowed slightly in greeting, "I have not failed in my mission."

Tang Sheng hid behind Chen Guangrui's legs, peeking out with his little head. His dark eyes curiously surveyed the Tushita Palace, especially lingering on the huge Bagua furnace for a while before quickly scanning over the standing children. Finally, his eyes landed on Kui Mulang, and he wrinkled his little nose, seemingly lost in thought.

Lao Jun nodded slightly, no longer mentioning Lion Camel Ridge, and seemingly unaware of Tang Sheng. He changed the subject, his gaze calmly fixed on Chen Guangrui, like an elder inquiring of a junior, "You've had a hard time this time. What do you want?"

(End of this chapter)