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Chapter 235

Not far from the cave entrance, in the clouds, stood a figure. The figure wore ill-fitting black iron armor and carried a bulging bundle on its back, seemingly filled with many jars and pots, appearing quite heavy. It was the Black Bear Spirit.

From afar, he could see demonic energy soaring into the sky from the direction of the Broken Child Cave, with flickering flames and the sounds of fighting. His heart skipped a beat, and he knew something was wrong.

Could this abortion spring be some kind of tough opponent? He paused in mid-air for a moment, hesitated again and again, and thought of the monk Xuanzang in the inn whose belly was already swollen and round, who was sweating profusely from the pain and was about to give birth. He had no choice but to grit his teeth and descend from the clouds.

When he finally set foot on solid ground and saw the scene before him, he was even more terrified. Lying on the ground was a Bull Demon King, his body charred black and groaning in pain, with several people standing beside him.

Sun Wukong, carrying his golden cudgel and looking on with amusement; a boy riding his Wind Fire Wheels, looking disdainful; a man dressed in a celestial official's robe, looking dignified and meticulously tidying his clothes; a bald little monk with shiny bald head and darting eyes; and finally, a scholar standing with his hands behind his back, looking calm—this was none other than Chen Guangrui.

How did Chen Guangrui end up here?
Black Bear wondered to himself, "How did he end up here?"

Several years ago, he and Chen Guangrui, whether intentionally or unintentionally, cooperated at Liangjie Mountain to release Sun Wukong, and he took this opportunity to join the pilgrimage team.

Logically speaking, since it was this scholar who let Sun Wukong escape, the Buddhist sect would certainly not let Chen Guangrui off easily. Now, several years have passed, and Chen Guangrui's situation seems to be quite good.

He couldn't understand why the Buddhist sect hadn't done anything when Chen Guangrui had been made the scapegoat.
The black bear spirit suppressed his surprise and suspicion, forcing a smile that appeared as amiable as possible. He cupped his hands in greeting to Chen Guangrui, who seemed to be in charge, his voice rough yet deliberately polite.
"Greetings, fellow Daoists. I was passing through this place when I noticed this cave filled with demonic energy, so I came to investigate. I wonder what has happened here? This Abortion Spring..."

Although these people heard the Black Bear Spirit's voice, none of them responded, as if they hadn't seen him at all.

Even Chen Guangrui didn't go to see the Black Bear Spirit, treating him as if he didn't exist.

The black bear spirit's gaze swept over the disheveled Bull Demon King on the ground, knowing that these people were not easy to deal with. He had already guessed the Bull Demon King's identity and saw how miserable he was now. He then glanced at Chen Guangrui and the others, weighing the consequences if he really fought with them.

What a joke! I'm a monk now, how can I always be thinking about these fighting and killing things?

Therefore, the black bear spirit felt that he should talk to the other person properly.

"To be honest, I am here on my master's orders to urgently retrieve this abortion spring water to save someone. Is the person guarding the spring in the cave...?"

He carefully chose his words, "If I have already been subdued by you all, would you do me the favor and allow me to fetch some spring water? I will certainly repay your life-saving grace in the future."

He adopted a humble attitude, thinking to himself that no matter who the other party was, getting the water to save Xuanzang was the priority, and he could repay the debt of gratitude later.

He didn't even bother to look closely at the others; his gaze was mainly fixed on Chen Guangrui. Seeing that Chen Guangrui ignored him and didn't take the initiative to speak, he considered that if the other party didn't speak first, he would pretend not to know her.

However, although the Black Bear Spirit adopted a humble posture, he was already wondering to himself that Chen Guangrui had escaped the Buddhist sect's control by releasing the monkey.

Now that they've found other helpers, they dare to show their faces.

At the same time, the Black Bear Spirit secretly admired himself for planning over five hundred years in advance, which led to this day. Although following Xuanzang on the westward journey was fraught with difficulties, and he also had two useless junior brothers, the Black Bear Spirit knew that once he reached Mount Ling, his contribution to the pilgrimage would be immense, and only then would his merits be complete.

After five hundred years of groundwork and more than ten years of effort, we have finally achieved our goal.

Chen Guangrui was just showing off here.

Chen Guangrui looked at the black bear spirit. Compared to when they first met at Five Elements Mountain, this black bear spirit seemed more composed. However, its ill-fitting armor and the huge bundle on its back made it appear somewhat disheveled and awkward.

"It's you." Chen Guangrui said in a calm tone.

Upon hearing the sound, the black bear spirit looked closely and stared in astonishment. He made a face as if he had suddenly recognized someone and exclaimed, "Chen Guangrui? What are you doing here?"

He knew that Chen Guangrui had thought he was all that mattered after a few years and was now putting on airs. Since he wanted to put on airs, he would play along.

The black bear spirit was very clever and decided to satisfy Chen Guangrui's sense of superiority as soon as possible.

Before Chen Guangrui could answer, Nezha spoke first.

"Hey, big black bear, look closely. This is our newly appointed Marshal Chen Guangrui of the Heavenly Court. He was sent to the mortal realm by order of the Jade Emperor to inspect the four directions and cleanse the demonic atmosphere. This stupid ox was causing trouble at the Abortion Spring and just happened to run into the Marshal's hands, so I took care of it. Now, how did we end up here?"

"Marshal Tianpeng? A decree from the Jade Emperor?"

Ok?
The black bear spirit was stunned; he had no idea who Marshal Tianpeng was.

No, he knew what the title of Marshal Tianpeng was, but he just didn't immediately associate the name Chen Guangrui with the official title of Marshal Tianpeng.

Looking at Chen Guangrui's still calm and even somewhat refined face, a complex feeling that was hard to describe welled up in his heart.

How long has it been since that lowly civil official who infiltrated and tried to win over the mind of the Buddha by the Black Wind River, and that desperate scholar who deciphered the Buddha's six-character mantra with just a drop of blood atop the Five Elements Mountain?
How could he... how could he have transformed into Marshal Tianpeng, commanding 80,000 naval troops of the Milky Way and patrolling on behalf of Heaven? And even received an official decree from the Jade Emperor?
The black bear spirit felt as if something was squeezing his heart, making him feel suffocated.

Over the past few hundred years, from his arduous study of scriptures on Black Wind Mountain to his friendship with Jinchi and his efforts to win over the local gods and land deities, and finally his painstaking efforts to infiltrate the Buddhist-appointed pilgrimage team, he has walked each step with utmost caution and trepidation.

He thought he had embarked on a golden path, with a bright future ahead. But along the way, Pigsy's laziness and lust, Sandy's dullness and sullenness, Tang Sanzang's occasional pedantic sermons, and the endless troubles caused by demons had already worn down his spirit. He endured and persevered, hoping only to reach the Vulture Peak as soon as possible and achieve enlightenment.

But what about Chen Guangrui? He seems to never play by the rules, yet he always manages to appear at the most crucial moments and do the most unexpected things.

Now, he's risen to the top, becoming a high-ranking official in Heaven. This stark contrast instantly shattered any sense of superiority Black Bear had felt as a "protector of the pilgrims," ​​leaving only a heavy sense of loss and bewilderment. His centuries of painstaking effort seemed less rewarding than someone else's mere few years of success? This world…

He subconsciously tightened the heavy bundle on his back, which contained a change of clothes and dry food prepared for the monk Xuanzang.

He thought of himself compared to the composed and dignified Marshal Tianpeng before him…

The black bear spirit felt his face burning and his throat dry.

"So it's Marshal Chen." The black bear spirit's voice lowered, and the "politeness" he had prepared unconsciously took on a hint of strain and distance. He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.
"My apologies. This humble monk... oh no, I am acting on the orders of Guanyin Bodhisattva to protect the pilgrims on their journey to the West. Now, the Venerable Xuanzang is at the inn in the Women's Kingdom. He has mistakenly drunk the water of the Mother-Child River and is suffering from unbearable abdominal pain, on the verge of death. He has come here specifically to seek the water of the Abortion Spring to save his life. I hope... Marshal, you will grant me this favor."

He deliberately avoided words like "begging" and "favors," stating only the facts and clarifying that he was acting on the orders of the Bodhisattva, thus lowering his stance considerably. The phrase "this humble monk," which he almost blurted out, also sounded particularly jarring.

Chen Guangrui looked at the black bear spirit's eyes dimming instantly and his slightly hunched back, and understood. He had no intention of showing off, and he understood the other's situation.

He stepped aside to clear the entrance to the cave, his tone remaining calm, "The spring water is inside the cave; just take it yourself. Saving lives is the priority."

Upon hearing this, the black bear spirit felt as if he had been granted a pardon, yet also felt a sense of indescribable frustration, and said in a low voice, "Thank you, Marshal."

He stopped looking at the Bull Demon King who was still groaning on the ground, and stopped exchanging glances with Nezha, the Pleiades Star Lord, and others, as if he only wanted to escape this place as soon as possible.

He strode into the cave, deftly took out his water bag, and filled it with cool spring water. The whole process was silent and swift.

After filling his water bag, he slung his bundle back over his shoulder, bowed to Chen Guangrui outside the cave once more, and said the same thing again, "Thank you, Marshal. Farewell."

After saying that, the black bear spirit didn't look back. He rode a slightly dull demonic wind and sped towards the capital of the Women's Kingdom. His burly figure quickly disappeared into the twilight sky, exuding an indescribable desolation.

"Hey, they're gone already?" Nezha glanced in the direction the Black Bear Spirit had disappeared, pouted, and spun around on his Wind Fire Wheels, seemingly a little dissatisfied with the lackluster ending of this "chance encounter."

"This black bear monster looks fierce, but why does it seem so listless? It's not interesting at all."

He turned to look at Chen Guangrui.

"Everyone says that the journey to the West is to resolve some kind of great calamity, a destiny ordained by Heaven, and a meritorious deed of immeasurable value. But I see that the monks on the journey almost had a baby themselves, and the black bear spirit protecting them isn't doing so well either. They're just stumbling along the way. Can they really resolve that so-called great calamity?"

Chen Guangrui's gaze shifted from the sky where the Black Bear Spirit had vanished, settling on the blurred outline of the capital of the Western Liang Women's Kingdom in the distance. He remained silent for a moment, seemingly pondering the seemingly simple yet fundamental question of Nezha. A breeze swept across the hills, bringing a touch of coolness.

"What is a calamity? I can't explain it either," Chen Guangrui said slowly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"Perhaps the karma accumulated between heaven and earth has become unbearable, requiring a dramatic change to break the old balance and establish a new order."

He paused, his gaze becoming somewhat distant.
"Break the old balance, let all the karmic fire dissipate with the old balance, and then establish a new balance so that all living beings can benefit from the new balance."

"But now it seems that the force that broke the old balance may not have come solely from those few scrolls of scripture in the West. How the new order will be established from the ruins, and by whom, is not predetermined. This is the key to resolving the great calamity..."

He withdrew his gaze and looked at Nezha and Tang Sheng, his tone carrying a knowing calm, "I'm afraid it's no longer up to their team. The old rules are becoming ineffective, and new variables have entered the game."

Nezha seemed to understand, but not quite. He scratched his head, twirling his Fire-Tipped Spear in his hand.
"What old and new, breaking down and building... it's giving me a headache. Just tell me, where are we going to find some fun? Oh no, where are we going to exorcise demons?"

He was clearly more concerned with practical actions.

The Pleiades star official stood a little distance away, muttering to himself.
"It's not on the pilgrimage team anymore? If this gets back to Mount Ling... But what does it have to do with me? As long as I don't have to drink poisoned tea again." He made up his mind to say less and observe more.

Chen Guangrui ignored Nezha's complaints and Pleiades's ulterior motives. His gaze returned to the direction of the capital of the Women's Kingdom, where the outline of magnificent palaces could be vaguely seen.

What this new balance is, he still doesn't know. The Jade Emperor, Buddha, Laozi, Taoism, and Buddhism all originally had a certain balance, but now, it's time to reshuffle the deck, and they have to engage in some kind of struggle to establish a new balance once again.

In this struggle, some people will lose their former power, and some will lose their lives. However, the Jade Emperor, Buddha, and Laozi will only compromise after losing certain benefits. As for their status, it will not change.

And ants like him
"Go find the Queen of the Western Liang Women's Kingdom." Chen Guangrui's tone returned to its usual calmness, but carried an undeniable determination.

Upon hearing this, Tang Sheng immediately threw away the small twig he was holding and jumped up excitedly.
"I heard that the Women's Kingdom is full of beautiful women, and the Queen must be the most beautiful one!" His eyes lit up, as if he could already see countless novel toys and delicious food beckoning to him.

Upon arriving in the Western Liang Women's Kingdom, Tang Sheng felt like a wolf among sheep, completely captivated and reluctant to leave.

Moreover, the women in that country all seemed kind and understanding, so he thought that it wouldn't be a bad idea for him to cultivate here.

Although Nezha had little interest in "finding the queen," it was still better than staying in this desolate wilderness. He snorted, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Chen Guangrui said no more and took the lead in riding on a cloud. Nezha followed on his Wind Fire Wheels, while Tang Sheng was reluctantly lifted up by the back of his collar by the Pleiades Star Lord. The group soared into the air, leaving behind the desolation of Jieyang Mountain and the groans of the Bull Demon King, and flew towards that mysterious and prosperous city that belonged only to women.

Below the clouds, the capital of the Western Liang Women's Kingdom gradually came into view. Rivers flowed like ribbons, and houses stood neatly arranged, exuding a gentle beauty and vitality unlike any other place, while also concealing unknown variables. A new destination lay before them.

(End of this chapter)