Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

Looking at Lao Qi's puzzled face, Lu Yu smiled and nodded, saying, "This is an opportunity many immortals would crack their heads over and still not be able to fight for; don't waste it. Once the deed is done, merit will surely be bestowed upon you."

Upon hearing these words, Lao Qi's eyes instantly lit up. He naturally knew the effects of merit; people of any realm would likely not disdain it. However, merit was hard to come by these days, and he had not expected that such a task could actually bring about the descent of merit.

"You must treat that monk well and not be rude; he is an old friend of mine, and as for his eldest disciple, he is a fellow sect member of mine. You must not be too presumptuous."

Lu Yu's words caused Lao Qi to be slightly startled; he knew his master's strength, so a fellow sect member's strength must not be low either.

"Hmm, that guy is impulsive; don't let a moment of anger harm you. Come forward," Lu Yu said thoughtfully.

Lao Qi stepped forward, only to see Lu Yu extend two fingers, gently brought them together, and lightly tapped them on his forehead, smiling as he said, "I have left a mark on you. He will recognize it's you when he sees it and naturally won't strike hard; go with confidence."

In the end, Lao Qi bowed and saluted, saying, "Master, your disciple will go now." After finishing his words, he mounted the clouds and left.

At the same time, Tang Monk and his disciples were also non-stop, and quickly arrived at Black Pine Forest. Tang Monk, driven by hunger and thirst, commanded Bajie to go and beg for some vegetarian meals.

Bajie had not gone far when an old man with white beard blocked his path; it turned out to be the local Earth God.

"You old fellow, blocking my way; could it be you wish to invite yours truly to dine?" Bajie's words were tinged with a smile, but his face was gloomy as if it could drip water.

The Earth God spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Marshal is joking. This old one comes out this time not of his own accord, and hopes for the Marshal's forgiveness."

"How dare I blame you—you are, after all, a Righteous God of the Heavenly Court with the sovereign's protection; not like me, just a boar demon."

However, it was as if the Earth God did not hear the sarcasm in Bajie's words, and still maintained a smile on his face as he said, "Why must the Marshal speak this way? The matter of your mistaken reincarnation was not the doing of the sovereign. Now that a great change in the Three Realms is imminent, the sovereign is only trying to protect himself, after all."

"You speak more pleasingly than singing; I know his nature. Let's talk terms," Bajie snorted, never believing in the kindness of the being sitting upon the highest throne.

"The sovereign promises that if the Marshal agrees to this matter, he will grant Gaolaozhuang village fair winds and rain, free from disease and disaster."

"What a costless bargain; ensuring peace and stability for the people should be the Heavenly Emperor's duty, shouldn't it?"

"The Heavenly Emperor is the lord of the Three Realms, not just the lord of the human race. Balancing yin and yang and safeguarding heaven and earth are his responsibilities; what you speak of is the duty of the terrestrial emperor."

"It seems I have underestimated the heroes of the world; I didn't expect there to be such individuals among the Mountain Gods and Earth Gods. The sovereign has indeed reaped the fruits of his labor after thousands of years of hard cultivation.

Tell me, what does he want me to do?" Even though displeased, Bajie was quite rational, knowing that opposing the current sovereign of the Three Realms would bring no good. It was better to seize the opportunity to bargain for benefits.
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"I must be honest, the Kui Xing descends to the mortal realm, longing for the world below. Right now, he's hiding somewhere around here. I hope the Marshal will turn a blind eye to this, as we intend to bring Elder Tang to that place," said the Earth God.

But Bajie repeatedly shook his head, "That won't do. Kui Xing is a follower of the Jie school, and offending him would surely not bear good fruit. Besides, we've been loyal servants of the same court for many years; how would we face each other after such scheming?"

"Rest assured, Marshal. As you yourself said, Kui Xing is a follower of the Jie school. We wouldn't dare to go too far. The Supreme One only wishes to use this as a pretext to exchange for some benefits, with no intention of making an enemy," the Earth God tried to reassure.

Bajie let out a sigh and said, "Well, if that's the case, then I agree. I am quite tired now; it's a good time to find a quiet place to rest."

After speaking, without paying any further attention to the Earth God, he found a secluded patch of grass and began to sleep soundly.

Once Bajie's figure vanished from his sight, a strapping man suddenly appeared beside the Earth God. It was the Mountain God of Wanzi Mountain. He smiled and said to the Earth God, "This Marshal Canopy is indeed an interesting fellow. I originally thought he would definitely not agree, but he consented so easily."

The Earth God frowned and said, "The more it goes like this, the more terrifying it becomes. The Supreme One plots against him, yet he behaves as if nothing has happened, which demonstrates his rationality. If ever he gets the chance, he will surely retaliate with all his might."

"What's there to fear? With the Supreme One's power and standing, what waves could a Tianpeng who has been banished to the mortal realm possibly make?" the Mountain God said cheerily.

"Under normal circumstances, it certainly wouldn't be possible, but now that All Saints seek transcendence and the heavens and earth are about to undergo a great change, the Three Realms are already in turmoil. Who knows which way the wind will blow?"

"Those are concerns for the high-ups to fret over, not something we minor deities can control. Old fellow, you're thinking too much," the Mountain God spoke earnestly, well aware that his friend had met his downfall precisely due to worrying too much about the nation and the people, and had been despised and ultimately killed because of it.

If it hadn't been for the Supreme One recognizing his exceptional abilities and loyal heart and granting him the Divine Position of an Earth God, he would likely have been sent to reincarnate long ago.

Upon hearing this, the Earth God nodded faintly. He also understood that, unlike mortals, the great strength of immortals gave them a completely different perspective. With their status and power, it was very difficult for them to see through the grand schemes of the powerful immortals, and thinking too much was indeed futile.

"You're right, we should focus on fulfilling the tasks given to us. Sorry, my old habit got the better of me there for a moment," the Earth God said with a slight smile, though the Mountain God could clearly see a look of melancholy on his face.

Thus, led astray by the two of them, Tang Monk, in search of Bajie, blundered into Moon Wave Cave on Wanzi Mountain and was promptly captured by the door-guarding demons.

Since hearing the report from the demons below, the yellow-robed fiend in the lair had instantly gone pale. He grabbed the demon who came with the news by the collar, growled angrily, "What did you say, you've captured a monk on his way to the Western Heaven to obtain the True Scriptures?"

Frightened by his king's violent outburst, the little demon trembled and stuttered, "Yes, this monk claims to be Tang Xuanzang from the Eastern Land of Great Tang, seeking the True Scriptures in the Western Heaven. Somehow, he stumbled to our cave's entrance by mistake."

The yellow-robed fiend slowly let go of the demon, looked up to the sky with a desolate expression, and walked slowly into the cave.

Inside, his wife and children were having a meal, laughter and joy filled the room, everything seemed so blissful. However, the yellow-robed fiend understood that such days were soon to end; the truth had eventually come out.