Chapter 430: My Older Brother Wants to Test You

Finally, the "Quimu Wolf" was still captured by the Heavenly Court and taken back.

It was publicly claimed that, recalling its past merits to the Heavenly Court, although this descent to the mortal world involved faults, it had already been chastised by Sun Wukong and then "subdued", so the punishment was light: it was sent to Dou Shuai Gong to guard the Dan Furnace for Tai Shang Lao Jun, adding firewood and stoking the fire, to observe its later effects.

Of course, this is merely a statement meant to mislead.

In reality, the freshly minted "Quimu Wolf" had just set its front paw into the Southern Heavenly Gate when its hind paw was promptly taken away by the long‑awaited Ziwei Great Emperor, who personally escorted it back to the Ziwei Enclosure.

The aim is to help it fully refine and stabilize the source of the constellations, to master the heavenly cycles and the divine duties of the Kui constellation, so that it may soon "restore to its original post" and truly secure a seat as one of the Twenty‑Eight Mansions.

With the Ziwei Great Emperor's personal guidance and Yu Lin's prior Dan‑pill foundation, the process should not take long.

Baoxiang Kingdom, before the Royal Palace.

Xuanzang, who had been turned by the Yellow Robe Monster's spell into a variegated Ferocious Tiger and imprisoned in an iron cage for many days, finally shed the tiger skin under Sun Wukong's intervention and regained his human form and Monk Robe.

It is unclear whether Sun Wukong's transformation art happened to break that demonic spell, or whether the hidden Guanyin Bodhisattva, seeing the matter resolved, silently withdrew the nectar that had once affected Xuanzang's mind.

In short, Xuanzang became the familiar Tang Seng again.

Restored to human form, Xuanzang looked at the ear‑scratching, grinning Sun Wukong before him.

He recalled how he had earlier believed Zhu Bajie's instigation, failed to discern right from wrong, and forcefully recited the Tightening Spell to drive Sun Wukong away, which later led him into a trap, nearly costing his life, and endless guilt and lingering fear rose in his heart.

His lips moved a few times, trying to utter apologies or thanks, yet a thousand words seemed stuck in his throat, pale and powerless.

In the end, Sun Wukong spoke first, as if nothing had happened, pointing at the sky and saying:

"Master, the sky is still early; let's set off sooner, and perhaps find a village ahead to prepare some simple meals and lodge for a night."

Zhu Bajie promptly chimed in beside him, puffing his belly, with a sincere face: "Absolutely, absolutely! Master, Monkey Brother is so right! Let's go quickly!"

Xuanzang, seeing both disciples offering him a way forward, went along with it and nodded:

"Hmm, let's go."

The pilgrimage party regrouped, packed their gear, led the White Dragon Horse, and left the eventful Baoxiang Kingdom, continuing westward on the journey.

The group walked silently for a while.

Mountain wind brushed by, forest birds chirped, yet the atmosphere was somewhat silent.

At last, Xuanzang could not help but stop and call out: "Wukong."

Sun Wukong instantly turned, his golden eyes flashing: "Master, what orders? Are you hungry again? Shall Old Sun go ahead to scout the road?"

Xuanzang shook his head, took a deep breath, faced Sun Wukong, solemnly pressed his palms together and bowed slightly:

"Wukong, I, as your master... I should not have treated you as I did before."

"I wronged you, falsely accused you, even drove you away... I, as your master, must tell you... I'm sorry."

Sun Wukong, seeing this, waved his hand and laughed: "Oh dear! Master, what are you doing? Stop it... No problem, no problem! Old Sun has long let it go!"

He scratched his head, his eyes flickering, lowered his voice with a hint of slyness: "From Old Sun's view, I can't say… it's the Bodhisattvas, the Buddha, they want to see whether master and disciple are of one mind, so they deliberately arranged this calamity, making us suffer this trial!"

"So you can… personally experience it, Master, know how hard the road is without Old Sun… Hehe, now you believe Old Sun, right?"

Zhu Bajie also vigorously nodded beside him, with a look of sudden enlightenment: "Absolutely! Monkey Brother is so reasonable!"

"Old Pig's illustrious reputation this life, being so muddled before, must have been because I fell for the Bodhisattva's trick! It made my exceptionally clever mind a bit dull, and that's why... that's why..."

He glanced at Sun Wukong, chuckling weakly, "Hehe... that's why Monkey Brother was wronged and left the group."

"For this matter, Old Pig takes half the blame! The other half must be on the Bodhisattva! She tested us too... too fiercely!"

"But I promise, from now on whatever Monkey Brother says is what it is! If he tells me to eat, I will never drink water; if he tells me to drink water, I'll finish the water before eating!"

"Stop spouting nonsense and slandering the Bodhisattva!" Upon hearing this, Xuanzang immediately whispered a rebuke to Zhu Bajie.

Yet the rebuke was a rebuke; in his heart he couldn't help but ponder silently: Sun Wukong's words, though joking, upon deeper thought might not be entirely false.

On the westward road, calamities abound; many seemingly accidental setbacks may truly be tests and deeper meanings from the Buddha and Bodhisattvas.

Having been so easily shaken before, losing trust in Sun Wukong, perhaps... truly a sign of insufficient cultivation, clinging to appearances, being blinded?

He did not voice these thoughts, but simply pressed his palms together and, facing west, devoutly uttered a Buddha's name:

"Amitabha."

The turmoil temporarily calmed, the master and disciples each harbored their thoughts, and continued onward.

Yet between them, that gap seemed to have lessened considerably.

Pingding Mountain.

This mountain rose like a screen, steep and perilous, yet shrouded in clouds and mist, faintly exuding celestial aura, unlike the demon‑infested barren peaks elsewhere.

Exotic flowers and strange herbs dotted the cliffs, clear springs sang through deep ravines, truly a blessed land of refined spirit, though within that elegance lingered a barely perceptible restlessness.

Yu Lin stood at the foot of the mountain, sensed briefly, and captured two familiar auras within the mountain—Jin Jiao and Yin Jiao.

These two child attendants of Dou Shuai Gong, bearing Lao Jun's belongings to the mortal realm as demons, had indeed chosen a good spot.

Tu Shan Zhi, perched on his shoulder, suddenly twitched her nose; her narrow fox eyes did not look toward Pingding Mountain but turned elsewhere, speaking softly:

"Master, over there... there's the aura of a nine‑tailed fox."

She was pointing toward the direction of Yalong Mountain, where the "Yalong Immortal"—whom Jin Jiao and Yin Jiao regarded as a foster mother—resided.

Yu Lin raised an eyebrow slightly: "What? Both are nine‑tailed; do you want to rescue her?"

Tu Shan Zhi shook her head: "No. Her lifespan is ending, her qi and blood withered, the source is fading."

"Even without the destined calamity that should befall her, she won't live much longer."

"The same species dwindles, nine‑tailed foxes become rarer, just a bit lamentable."

Though she is a Cauldron Spirit, she is ultimately a nine‑tailed fox, and regarding the fate of her kind, she cannot help feeling a trace of sorrow for her species.

"Hmm," Yu Lin replied, offering no further comment.

Birth, aging, illness, death, and karmic cycles are the natural order of heaven and earth.

He set foot forward, no longer lingering, heading straight toward where the two familiar child auras reside within Pingding Mountain.

Yet he had not yet entered the mountain.

Inside Lotus Flower Cave, the golden and silver child attendants simultaneously lifted their heads and glanced at each other:

Big brother, why do I feel a familiar person has arrived? Who do you think it is?

Hey, your big brother, I also can't sense it; let's go out and take a look!

Alright, let's go........... Hey, big brother, it's Brother Yu!

Little brother, you stay here and hold the fort for a while; I suddenly remembered the Wash clothes weren't sun‑dried, I'm leaving first...........

Brother Yu, Brother Yu! Over here! My big brother said he wants to use a magical treasure to spar with you!

".............."