Hearing this, Wukong couldn't help but scratch his head and ears in frustration, muttering to himself, "What am I to do? What am I to do!? Big Sister isn't here, so who should I go to for help?"
Wukong was incredibly anxious. He had grown accustomed to seeking Su Qing's help out of habit... and now that Su Qing was not here, he momentarily didn't know who else to turn to.
Liu Xixi watched Wukong's frantic state but didn't rush to speak, simply pondering in her heart.
In truth, regarding Su Qing's whereabouts...
Liu Xixi wasn't completely in the dark. She knew a little; she knew that Su Qing had gone to find Guanyin Bodhisattva.
However, whether she was still with Guanyin or had gone elsewhere with her, Liu Xixi had no idea.
Nevertheless, considering that Wukong was Su Qing's younger brother after all... and seeing his desperate state, she figured it must be something truly important.
Thus, she explained, "However, if the Great Sage is truly in a hurry, you might want to check with Guanyin Bodhisattva. You might find a lead there."
Hearing this, Wukong felt as if a sudden light had dawned on him. He looked up at Liu Xixi and hurriedly thanked her.
"I understand! I'll go to Guanyin Bodhisattva's place and take a look right now!"
Seeing Wukong's intense reaction, Liu Xixi didn't say much more; after all, there wasn't much else to say. She simply nodded and saw him off.
"Safe travels, Great Sage."
Wukong gave a cheeky grin and nodded. "I'm off!"
With that, he pinched a hand seal and rode his Somersault Cloud toward the South Sea Purple Bamboo Grove.
Seeing Wukong depart so quickly, Liu Xixi let out a sigh of relief and muttered to herself, "I wonder what the Sovereign is up to now... Forget it, I should finish the work at hand first! Now that the Sovereign is gone, there's even more for me to do."
She shook her head and turned back to her duties. There was no time to idle about.
On the other side, Wukong's Somersault Cloud was exceptionally fast, and he soon arrived at the South Sea Purple Bamboo Grove.
However, upon arriving, he didn't see anyone there to receive him as usual. The entire South Sea Purple Bamboo Grove was deathly quiet.
Wukong felt a wave of doubt and hurriedly walked into the grove.
There were no restrictions in the Purple Bamboo Grove, so no one could stop him from entering. He made his way deep into the grove, but he didn't see a single soul along the way.
It wasn't until he reached the heart of the grove that he finally spotted someone. And it seemed to be a familiar face.
The Black Bear Spirit was sitting on the ground by the lotus pond, holding a honeycomb in his arms. He was scooping out handfuls of honey and stuffing them into his mouth. A few bees were buzzing around him, but the Black Bear Spirit didn't care at all, focused entirely on his honey.
Seeing this, Wukong couldn't help but scratch his head.
"You black bear, how are you stealing food again? Have you not learned your lesson?" Wukong called out.
Hearing Wukong's voice, the Black Bear Spirit jumped in surprise and hurriedly said, "I'm just eating a little, it's no big deal! Once I'm done, they'll just brew more! But what about you, monkey? Why have you run to the Purple Bamboo Grove again? Looking for the Bodhisattva? You're too late; the Bodhisattva went out a few days ago and hasn't returned yet!"
The Black Bear Spirit knew Wukong wouldn't do anything to him, so he spoke with quite a bit of confidence.
However, despite his bold words, he didn't dare to be too arrogant. He had received a sound thrashing for being too arrogant once before, and he didn't want a repeat performance.
Wukong wasn't bothered by the bear's tone, but his brow furrowed deeply at the news.
"You're saying the Bodhisattva isn't home?" he asked.
"Hmph, of course she isn't home. If the Bodhisattva were here, would I dare to steal this?" the Black Bear Spirit snorted.
Wukong felt a wave of frustration. He had missed his Big Sister, and now he had missed the Bodhisattva as well.
"What am I to do..." Wukong scratched his head, his mood becoming incredibly irritable.
He really didn't want to waste any more time. If he continued like this, by the time he brought back reinforcements, his master might already be preparing for reincarnation.
As Wukong paced in agitation, he suddenly thought of someone else who could help: Taibai Jinxing!
Taibai Jinxing was always easy to talk to and very knowledgeable. Moreover, he often helped Wukong by warning him of dangers ahead. Seeking his help might just work.
With that thought, Wukong stopped wasting time with the Black Bear Spirit. He pinched a hand seal and left the Purple Bamboo Grove.
Watching Wukong depart so abruptly, the Black Bear Spirit wondered curiously, "What on earth did that monkey come here for? He seemed to be in quite a rush."
However, after a moment of thought, he gave up on understanding and went back to eating his honey.
Ever since becoming a disciple of Guanyin Bodhisattva, the Black Bear Spirit had been practicing vegetarianism and chanting scriptures every day. It was all vegetables, all the time. While the vegetables tasted decent, for a demon accustomed to eating meat, such a life made his mouth feel as bland as sawdust.
That was why he loved honey so much now. Although honey was technically vegetarian, it was far better than leafy greens. Most importantly, it tasted wonderful and sweet.
It was a thousand times better than those bland vegetables. So, how could he not love it? Even if it meant a beating or being stung by bees, it was all worth it.
Wukong had no idea what the Black Bear Spirit was thinking. Having come up empty twice, he was now anxiously riding his cloud toward the Heavenly Palace to find Taibai Jinxing.
On the way, Wukong felt a bit uneasy, hoping he wouldn't miss his target a third time.
Before long, he arrived at the Heavenly Palace. This time, his luck was quite good; he encountered Taibai Jinxing just as he reached the South Heaven Gate.
"Old Taibai! Old Taibai!" Wukong hurriedly rushed over and blocked Taibai Jinxing's path. "I've finally found you!"
Taibai Jinxing was stunned for a moment, then looked at Wukong and said, "Great Sage, I hope you have been well?"
"Well enough, well enough! But my master is in trouble again!" Wukong had no intention of making small talk and got straight to the point.
Hearing this, Taibai Jinxing wasn't surprised. He simply asked, "The Great Sage's master is in trouble again?"
"Yes! That unlucky master of mine is in trouble again! This time, I'm helpless against that demon, so I've come to seek your help," Wukong sighed.
Taibai Jinxing nodded and said, "In that case, could you tell me what kind of demon you've encountered?"
Wukong didn't hesitate and quickly detailed the entire encounter.
"You're saying the demon is highly powerful and didn't rely on any dharma treasures, but suppressed you with pure strength?" Taibai Jinxing asked with a frown.
"Yes! That demon's strength is a notch above mine. It could even be said she hasn't even used her full power," Wukong said helplessly.
Taibai Jinxing's brow remained furrowed as he searched his memory, but he couldn't think of whose mount or disciple might have escaped.
"I do not know where such a demon came from. However, if their strength is superior to yours, I'm afraid I wouldn't be of much use. I am, after all, merely a civil official."
"This... then what should I do? I went to find my Big Sister, and I went to find Guanyin Bodhisattva, but neither of them was there..."
Hearing this, Taibai Jinxing seemed to realize something. He nodded and said, "In that case... why don't you try seeking out Erlang Xiansheng Zhenjun?"
"Erlang Shen? Would he help me? We fought each other to the death back then!"
"Escorting Tang Sanzang to the West to seek scriptures is a matter of great importance. If you go and ask him with a good attitude, why wouldn't he help? Besides, as the saying goes, 'from a fight, a friendship grows.' Your situation is likely something like that," Taibai Jinxing said with a smile.
Hearing this, Wukong pondered for a moment and then nodded. He truly didn't have many people left to turn to. If seeking Erlang Shen could save his master, then why not?
Wukong cupped his hands toward Taibai Jinxing and said, "Thank you for the guidance, Old Taibai! I'll go find Erlang Shen for help right now!"
Taibai Jinxing nodded and said, "Go then, Great Sage! Don't be too late, or your master might come to harm."
Wukong didn't waste any more words. He simply nodded and rode his Somersault Cloud away without much of a farewell.
Taibai Jinxing watched Wukong disappear into the distance, smiling as he stroked his beard.
He thought to himself, 'The Sovereign and the Bodhisattva are truly making things difficult for Wukong! To think they've both gone out personally. Hiss, could it be that the Sovereign got tired of this monkey always coming to her for help, so she wanted to use this chance to teach him a lesson? Although the Sovereign isn't petty, anyone would get a bit annoyed after a while, wouldn't they?'
Thinking this, Taibai Jinxing shook his head and stopped dwelling on it. Since he had guessed the general situation, he didn't need to worry about Tang Sanzang's safety.
After all, the Sovereign and the Bodhisattva would certainly be more restrained than other demons.
With those thoughts aside, Taibai Jinxing went back to his own business. He had plenty of work to do as well!
On the other side, Wukong quickly arrived at the Erlang Temple in Guanjiaokou and found Yang Jian.
"I wondered who it was, so it's the Great Sage Equal to Heaven Sun Wukong. My apologies for the lack of a proper welcome!" Yang Jian said with a smile upon seeing Wukong. "What business brings the Great Sage to my humble abode?"
His words sounded polite, but they were actually laced with sarcasm.
Wukong naturally felt a bit stung by the words, but since he was there to ask for a favor, he had to swallow his pride and endure his temper.
Wukong briefly explained the situation to Yang Jian.
After listening, Yang Jian instinctively mocked him for a bit, then said, "Helping you is, of course, possible. Let me go call Xiao Tian first..."
Seeing Yang Jian agree so easily, Wukong was slightly surprised.
"Erlang Shen truly intends to help me?"
"What? You came to ask me, yet you don't want me to act?"
"That's not it! I just didn't expect you to agree so simply."
"Heh, don't worry about why I'm helping you, as long as I do," Yang Jian said with a chuckle.
Wukong was stunned for a moment, then laughed and scratched his head, thanking Yang Jian. "Erlang Shen, you've changed quite a bit from the old days!"
"Hmm? Heh." Yang Jian shook his head and went to find Xiao Tian.
Before long, Erlang Shen emerged with Xiao Tian, and he now held his Three-Pointed Double-Edged Blade in his hand.
He said, "Let's go!"
Wukong nodded and said nothing. The two of them rode their respective clouds, speeding toward Black Wind Cave.
Both were incredibly fast and soon arrived at the entrance of Black Wind Cave.
By now, the main gate Wukong had smashed earlier had been repaired, and the words 'Black Wind Cave' were once again written above it. However, the repairs looked a bit haphazard.
Upon arriving, Wukong and Yang Jian didn't hesitate and immediately used the simplest method to 'knock' on the door.
Wukong brought his staff down with a crash, smashing the mountain gate to pieces once more.
Inside the cave, Su Qing heard the commotion, stood up, and let out a yawn.
"They're finally back. I wonder what kind of helper that monkey managed to find," Su Qing thought curiously as she rubbed her head.
To Su Qing, it didn't matter what kind of helper Wukong brought; she was simply a bit curious. After all, her goal here was merely to add a bit of difficulty to the journey.
She didn't dwell on it and soon made her way outside.
Waiting outside were Wukong and Yang Jian.
Seeing Yang Jian, Su Qing was a bit surprised. That monkey had actually managed to bring Yang Jian here.
She looked at Yang Jian, curious if she could defeat him... After all, Yang Jian's strength had now reached the Heavenly Immortal realm, no longer the peak of the Earthly Immortal realm he was at when he fought Wukong.
Indeed, in the past five hundred years, Yang Jian had finally reached the Heavenly Immortal realm. His arrival at this realm proved that not only was his strength formidable, but his mortal Incense Power was also exceptionally abundant. After all, both were indispensable to reach this level.
Thinking of this, Su Qing decided not to dwell on it any further and began her taunts.
Su Qing looked at Yang Jian and said with a smile, "I didn't expect you, monkey, to actually bring reinforcements. I thought you wouldn't dare to come back!"
Rate on N.U.
