Gou Zai Xi You Dao Chang Sheng

During the half-month period, we traveled to Cangwu in the morning and to the East Sea in the evening.

After parting ways at Qing Shi Mansion, Sun Wukong and Li Yan traveled eastward together.

Sun Wukong learned the Somersault Cloud, which allows him to travel 108,000 li in a single somersault, a journey that could normally be completed in a short time.

But Li Yan said, "Junior brother, wait a moment. It would be a pity not to see these beautiful landscapes."

Sun Wukong scratched his ear and laughed, "Senior brother wants to consult feng shui again!"

Li Yan also smiled, but did not deny it.

Sometimes, I would stand for half a day on an unnamed hill, just to find a trace of the earth's veins.

Sometimes I would sit quietly by the stream for two hours, just because at moonrise, the reflections of the stars in the water occasionally resonated with the constellation chart in the Niwan Palace.

Sometimes it was just a deserted village or ancestral hall, with simple and unadorned patterns on the eaves and roof tiles, which he would observe for a long time.

Unable to resist, Sun Wukong somersaulted away to play in the distance by himself.

When I returned to look for him at sunset, I found Li Yan still sitting in the same spot, with a newly drawn map of mountains and rivers beside him.

"Senior brother, this isn't a trip back to Flower Fruit Mountain, it's clearly a sightseeing trip!"

Li Yan collected the scroll and replied, "It is for spiritual practice."

In half a month, he traveled through three prefectures and eighteen counties, crossed two rivers, and climbed seven mountain ranges.

Wherever he went, he did not display any supernatural powers or reveal his true form.

He transformed into a gaunt middle-aged man, disguised as a wandering Taoist priest, and shared a boat with a fisherman, stopping at a teahouse for a rest.

Human life, the myriad aspects of the mortal world.

In the teahouse, a storyteller recounts the demonic disturbances at Black Wind Ridge in the north.

One night, the demonic fog dissipated, and three hundred demons were killed beneath the city walls. A new sword appeared before the statue of the Sword God in the mansion.

"I heard he's the junior brother of that True Yang Sword God from back then. He lived in seclusion in the city for eight years, then attained enlightenment overnight and slew demons and monsters!"

The tea drinkers were in an uproar, all marveling at the discovery.

Li Yan lowered his head and drank his tea without saying a word.

The gray sable on its shoulder curled up as if dozing, while the jade mouse in its arms held half a piece of tea snack, munching intently.

Outside the window, Sun Wukong squatted under the eaves, listening to the storyteller's exciting tale, grinning to reveal his white teeth, a smile that was neither a smile nor a frown.

Half a month later, as the first rays of dawn broke through the clouds, the East China Sea stretched out, and the sky and clouds merged into one.

Li Yan stood on a reef, gazing at the faint outline in the sea mist.

The grey sable on its shoulder squinted, watching the red sun leaping from the sea in the east, swallowing the lingering moonlight.

The jade mouse in her arms poked out half its head, its little nose twitching as if trying to distinguish the countless mixed scents in the wind.

The salty sea, the sweet fruit, and the dust kicked up by monkeys playing in the distance.

"Junior brother, is that Flower Fruit Mountain?"

Sun Wukong's golden eyes gleamed, and he scratched his ear, laughing, "That's right! My home!"

After speaking, he surprisingly did not immediately take to the clouds.

Instead, she stood beside Li Yan, gazing at the increasingly clear outline of the island, lost in thought.

ten years.

Huaguo Mountain remains unchanged, with its verdant peaks and cascading waterfalls.

The clouds and mist seemed to be breathing out, with a faint, ethereal light flowing through them.

Li Yan's eyes were slightly open, reflecting his inner thoughts.

The entire island is covered with winding veins like a dragon, extending from the central peak in all directions, forming a shape resembling the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams.

When the four seasons are in harmony, yin and yang are in balance, and the five elements are complete.

Even more remarkably, the ebb and flow of the tides around the island correspond to the phases of the moon, continuously channeling the essence of the moon into the mountain.

"What a blessed land!" Li Yan sighed softly.

Although this mountain is not as profound and mysterious as Fangcun Mountain, it is still a naturally formed earth vein spiritual hub.

"Your Majesty!"

"The King is back!"

At the foot of the cliff, along the stone steps, among the flowers and trees, thousands of monkey shadows swarmed out.

The old monkey, leaning on his cane, walked shakily ahead.

Young and strong monkeys climbed and leaped through the trees, while baby monkeys hung from their mothers' bellies, their dark eyes filled with both surprise and joy.

The shouts, at first scattered, then merged into a chorus, like a mountain roaring and a sea surging, or like a child calling for its parent.

Sun Wukong was surrounded.

The old monkey tugged at his clothes, the young monkey climbed onto his knees, and the strong young monkeys couldn't squeeze in, so they jumped around on the outer circle, scratching their ears and cheeks, repeatedly calling out the words "King".

"Your Majesty, you are so relieved!"

"Why did you take so long?"

"Leave us all here, hoping you will be as hungry and thirsty as I am!"

Sun Wukong grinned, wanting to laugh, but he couldn't muster the carefree smile he usually had.

He looked down at a small monkey clinging to his leg.

The monkey was not even a year old, a fluffy ball of fur with clear, golden eyes.

Just like when he first burst out of the stone embryo and opened his eyes to see the world for the first time.

He suddenly remembered that he had no parents.

The monkeys that fill the mountain are his relatives.

This mountain covered with vegetation is his homeland.

"I'm back," Sun Wukong said softly.

The clamor of the monkeys subsided for a moment at that sound.

Immediately, the little monkey let out a sharp cry and climbed up the monkey king's arm.

It climbed straight up to my shoulder, squatted down, and wagged its tail proudly.

The monkeys then cheered again, some laughing, some crying, and pulled the monkey king toward the Water Curtain Cave.

Li Yan stood outside the crowd.

He still had the appearance of a lean middle-aged man in his forties, his aura as restrained as a stone.

A gray sable perched on my shoulder, its amber eyes gazing quietly at the mountain full of monkeys.

The jade rat poked its head out from its bosom, its little eyes blinking with curiosity.

Nobody paid any attention to him.

He doesn't care either.

He simply gazed at the cave behind the waterfall, and in his mind's eye, the geomantic principles of the earth's veins were slowly unfolding.

Beautiful mountains.

Good water.

A good foundation.

Just then, the commotion at the cave entrance suddenly stopped.

The old monkey knelt down tremblingly, his voice choked with sobs:

"Your Majesty...that scoundrel...that scoundrel is trying to seize our Water Curtain Cave..."

Sun Wukong's golden eyes suddenly narrowed.

Within a radius of three zhang, the grass and trees bowed low, and the wind stopped and all sound was silent.

Li Yan raised his eyes.

Within the mirror of the mind, a wisp of dark gray vapor was faintly rising from the north of Flower Fruit Mountain.

The turbid air condensed and did not disperse, like leeches clinging to bones, already showing signs of impending doom.

"What kind of demon dares to be so insolent!"

These words sent a chill down the spines of all the monkeys on the mountain.

The old monkey kowtowed and recounted in detail the bullying he had endured over the past two years.

How did a demonic wind suddenly appear, how did it seize the cave, how did it steal the family's treasures, and how did it abduct the children and nephews?

The monkeys chimed in with their own opinions, becoming increasingly sorrowful and indignant as they spoke.

Sun Wukong listened.

He didn't fly into a rage, nor did he immediately soar into the clouds.

He remained silent for a moment.

Then, he turned around and looked at Li Yan, who had been standing quietly outside the crowd.

Li Yan met his gaze.

No words are needed.

One is a naturally born stone monkey who fights against heaven and earth.

One was a cunning Taoist cultivator.

But on this matter, the two were surprisingly in agreement.

This demon must be slain.

And they must be wiped out completely, thoroughly, so that all the monkeys on the mountain can witness it.

The master of Flower and Fruit Mountain has returned.

"Senior brother, please wait here for a moment. I'll be right back."

The gentleness that had been there just moments before was gone from Sun Wukong's golden eyes.

Li Yan replied, "Wait."

He took something out of his sleeve and handed it to Sun Wukong.

It was a jade talisman, clear and pure, with a mysterious yellow aura sealed inside.

"This talisman is called the [Earth Vein Demon-Locking Talisman], which I modified from the remnants of the Kun position command flag."

"When junior brother fights that demon, he only needs to strike this talisman into the earth vein three zhang below its feet."

"From here, I can use the terrain of Flower Fruit Mountain to block their retreat and cut off their escape techniques."

Sun Wukong took the jade talisman, examined it briefly, and grinned, saying:

"Is your senior brother afraid he'll run away?"

Li Yan shook his head:

"Junior brother, you're a half-step Golden Immortal. One strike from your staff would break even the bones and tendons of a Grandmaster who has reached the Five Elements Origin. How could you possibly defeat a mere Demon King?"

"I simply do not wish for the blood of this demon to taint the landscape of Flower Fruit Mountain."

Sun Wukong's golden eyes gleamed slightly.

He liked hearing that reason.

"Then I'll go."

He tucked the jade talisman into his waistband, stomped his foot, and soared into the sky.

A flash of golden light appeared in mid-air.

The golden light did not use its full power in the Somersault Cloud; it was just a normal cloud-riding motion, yet it was so fast that it dazzled the monkeys.

"Your Majesty is truly majestic!"

"Your Majesty must beat that scoundrel into a pulp!"

The monkeys cheered.

Li Yan found a flat rock and sat down cross-legged.

The sable leaped off my shoulder and crouched beside my knees, its amber eyes gazing due north.

The jade rat poked its head out from its bosom and squeaked softly.