The story begins with the bride marrying off her daughter, and the woman, at the age of one hundred,

The wind swept through the mountains and forests, whistling as it approached.

Changshou and the monkey were taken along as usual, enjoying a unique experience of soaring through the clouds.

Although it was just riding the wind, the speed was still incredibly fast.

The surrounding scenery rushed past.

The flowers, grasses, and trees are gradually becoming sparse.

A desolate landscape came into view.

Soon, they entered a Gobi Desert.

The sand and stones stretched endlessly, and the heat and dryness were intense.

Only scattered, irregular patches of shrubs.

Occasionally, one can see scattered ponds and springs that have not yet dried up, forming a small oasis that is no more than three miles long.

Both Changshou and Ruchang are experiencing some discomfort.

They all disliked this arid environment.

The monkeys, on the other hand, were overjoyed and showed no discomfort whatsoever; in fact, they accepted it well.

After traveling a hundred miles, an oasis appeared in the desert.

Overgrown with shrubs and wild grasses, with babbling green water, it's like an emerald gem set in a golden garment.

Standing in the wind, the two immortals, the monkey, and the bird could clearly see that the gem was triangular in shape and was a triangular oasis stretching for dozens of miles.

The wind blows through the oasis, and the grass and trees sway in the breeze.

Chang Shou and his group saw many houses with earthen and wooden structures, built along the river in a strip-like pattern, surrounded by reed marshes and farmland.

Many residents work in the fields, fish by the river, hunt in the mountains, gather on the hillsides, or take care of the elderly and children. They each have their own duties, living a hard life under the scorching sun, struggling to survive in the vast desert, and finding joy in the lush oasis.

Children and the elderly are mostly naked, while only robust young men have clothes to wear. Most of them wear only an animal skin to cover their private parts, while the rest of their bodies are brownish-red or dark in the sunlight. They are tall and have prominent facial features.

The building at the center of the house is relatively tall and sturdy, shaped like a three-dimensional triangle, somewhat similar to the pyramids of Changshou's previous life, but the craftsmanship is crude and irregular.

This is probably the residence of the leader.

The men and women inside wore relatively clean white linen clothes, distinguishing them from other residents to show their class difference.

One of the tall men was holding a golden scepter.

It was poorly made, like a pile of lumps.

This must be the clan that the Xuanli protects.

[Yes! Also a follower of Xuanli.]

Chang Shou muttered to himself.

Although not many, at most a thousand people.

But it was her heartfelt intention.

Not far from this human habitat, a mountain range stretching for more than ten miles lies between the oasis and the desert, blocking the erosion of the yellow sand.

There are three prominent peaks on this mountain, arranged in a triangle, which should be the Triangle Mountain where Xuanli cultivates.

The wind swept through the mountains and forests, never ceasing.

Changshou smelled blood, saw many tanuki corpses, and also saw some surviving tanuki.

It is evident that Triangle Mountain also suffered an attack by a swarm of rats and went through a major battle.

But they didn't stay.

After crossing the mountains, we entered the desert once again.

---

This time, the desert was even more desolate.

Shrubs are scattered, and oases are hard to find.

The air is drier than before.

The sunlight was also more intense than before.

Occasionally, you can see riverbeds being swallowed by sandstorms, as well as dried tree roots or animal carcasses exposed on the dunes with obvious bite marks, indicating that they did not die a natural death.

One can imagine that this region was once prosperous.

Even if it wasn't lush with green grass, clear waters, or teeming with life, at least there was life there, unlike now where not a blade of grass grows.

The further you go, the more you need to move forward.

The environment is becoming increasingly desolate.

They soon came to see a continuous mountain range, with peaks and ridges stretching across the landscape. Life on the mountains was sparse, with only a few shrubs and grasses, as rare and fragile as three hairs on a bald man's head in the desolate mountains.

"It seems that the lair of those rat demons is here."

As always, I remain steadfast.

The wind lingered temporarily on a land marker with the three large characters "Huangfengling" written on it.

Yes, Huangfengling.

This is the location I found as usual by following the scent of rats.

Upon hearing the familiar place name and seeing the words on the boundary marker, Chang Shou remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was seething with turmoil.

This was a trial encountered by the pilgrimage team a thousand years later. The troublesome yellow-haired weasel spirit came from Mount Ling and had cultivated a Samadhi Divine Wind power, which caused the monkey a great deal of trouble.

Finally, they had to summon the Bodhisattva Lingji to subdue him.

Huangfengling, Yellow-haired Weasel, Lingshan...

It's hard for Changshou not to think about it more.

Could the cousin that the Rat King mentioned last night be the Yellow Wind King who will leave a brilliant mark in the eighty-one tribulations of Journey to the West in the future?

With this in mind.

Chang Shou's heart sank.

But when he glanced at the monkey next to him, who was intently teasing the round-faced, chubby chicken, he felt relieved.

Even the fiercest ferret can be subdued.

The monkey is the one who laughs last.

Besides, a thousand years from now, I will—

Either you die and your spirit dissipates, or you've long since passed away.

If you cultivate to perfection, you will have no fear of the Yellow Wind.

Either be reincarnated and start anew, forgetting the past.

It's not worth wasting your energy on things that haven't even happened yet.

Chang Shou has a peaceful mindset and quickly comes to terms with things.

The mountain wind howled.

With his usual voice.

"Judging from the aura, Huangfeng Ridge must have taken its current form in the last few decades, and the earth's energy and water veins have not been completely destroyed."

If these rat demons can be eradicated and properly managed, the mountain range should be able to regain some of its vitality and spiritual energy after a hundred years.

Upon hearing this...

Chang Shou suddenly recalled a catchy and extremely addictive song from his previous life:

Huangfengling, eight hundred li

[Once a prosperous land outside the Great Wall]

A rat infestation suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

[A place shrouded in smog and devoid of human presence]

……

The wickedness of a rat infestation is evident.

It is estimated that the creatures along the way were also eaten by rats.

---

The mountain winds whipped up yellow sand.

As usual, Changshou and the monkey continued their journey.

After venturing a hundred miles into Huangfengling, they landed in front of a bottomless cave entrance.

The cave entrance was dark and deep, and the light was dim.

The winding path leads to an unknown distance deep into the mountains.

Ru Chang and Chang Shou did not launch a rash attack.

He sat cross-legged as usual, swallowed elixirs, and restored his magical power.

Chang Shou quietly adjusted his own condition and prepared for the great battle.

The monkey also put away its playful grin and gripped its iron rod used for carrying firewood tightly.

The round-faced, chubby chicken puffed out its wings and stood at the entrance of the hole, its body and head swaying left and right, as if wary, excited, or afraid.

But in Chang Shou's eyes, it was more like a relapse of an illness.

After an incense stick has burned.

As usual, he got up, commanded the gale, and flew into the cave with Changshou and the monkey, winding his way down.

A round-faced, chubby chicken flapped its wings and followed closely behind.

Even though Changshou's sense of smell wasn't as good as the monkey's, Ruchang's, or the round-faced fat chicken's, he could still smell the strong stench and the lingering smell of rats.

The gale subsided, and the two immortals and the monkey landed on the ground.

They then continued along the passage.

Soon, a large number of rats were spotted.

Densely packed, countless, they were scattered throughout the honeycomb-like cave, their eyes glowing blood-red in the darkness.

Let's have someone more timid.

Upon witnessing this horrifying scene, one would likely tremble with fear, their soul seemingly leaving their body, and scream in terror.

But they were not afraid.

Upon seeing the strange creatures intrude, the rat swarm launched a fierce attack, surging in like a flood. Vast and powerful, the earth shook.

Chang Shou and his companions were like scattered small boats, seemingly about to be submerged and swallowed by the raging waves at any moment, their boats destroyed, their lives lost, and everything shattered, leaving nothing behind.