Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

Following Bajie's words, Kui Mulang's eyes grew brighter, and he couldn't help but clap and laugh, "What a splendid place, good brother, I'll remember your kindness in my heart."

But then, Bajie spoke with an awkward expression, "Although I know Lu Yu, the fellow is always on the move, and I have no idea where his dwelling actually is, so even if I wanted to find him now, I wouldn't be able to."

The smile on Kui Mulang's face immediately froze as he looked at Bajie.

"However, my Brother Monkey and he are from the same sect, closely related; naturally, he knows his whereabouts."

Upon hearing this, the image of that monkey wrapped in flames, swinging his iron rod in a rampage through Heavenly Palace, flashed through Kui Mulang's mind, and he shivered uncontrollably.

Back then, with the powerful ones shutting their doors, they were the main force to confront the monkey head-on, and it was on that day he came to know what unparalleled combat power was. The monkey who leapt out of the Eight Trigrams Furnace was simply unstoppable, making a group of once-condescending Star Lords retreat in defeat, leaving a deep impression on him.

"Do you know where Great Sage Equalling Heaven is?" he looked around, but the monkey was nowhere to be found.

"My eldest disciple brother, due to a conflict with the old monk a few days ago, has now gone back to Huaguo Mountain to enjoy a carefree life," Bajie said indignantly, wishing he too could have such a vacation.

Moreover, with the monkey gone, the burdensome task of scouting and alms-begging fell entirely on his shoulders, a truly painful ordeal for someone who aspired to slack off.

At this thought, a sudden inspiration flashed in Bajie's mind; what a good opportunity this was. With Kui Mulang's help, they could persuade the old monk to call the monkey back, and then he could relax.

"I have a way to call my elder disciple brother back. When the time comes, you can ask him in person. With his proud nature, he'd surely not refuse," Bajie said with a naive smile on his face.

Kui Mulang immediately became interested, "I'd like to hear the details."

Bajie hastily whispered his plan, and when he looked up, he saw two people listening intently with an expression of surprise in their eyes.

"What's the matter? Is there something wrong with my plan?"

"Nothing, it's just that... isn't it a bit inappropriate for Second Brother to do this? What if Master finds out?" Sand Monk's face showed hesitation. Golden Cicada had bestowed great kindness upon him, yet here he was, discussing how to scheme against him, which made him uncomfortable.

Bajie, however, spoke righteously, "What's there to be afraid of? He's nothing but a layman now, how would he know of our plans? Besides, Treasure Elephant Country is the very place where he's meant to suffer. We're merely going with the flow. And since the enemy is among us, there's no fear of harming him in the slightest."

Kui Mulang, looking at Bajie's face of righteousness, was secretly astounded. He finally realized how terrifying the thoughts of those who held power could be. This terror was not about strength, but wisdom.

Convinced by Bajie's persuasion, the three reached an agreement, and thus, a grand play began.

As the main character of this grand play, Tang Monk's fate was like going from hell to heaven. Not only was he secretly released by Bai Huaxiu, but he also received a letter that won the trust of the King. Everything went so smoothly; he continued westward, while the King would widely summon heroes from all over to rescue the Princess.

However, Bajie was unusually proactive, insisting he would deal with the Yellow Robe Demon for the King. This sidetracked the journey of the Tang Monk to the West, who could only watch helplessly as Bajie's receding figure disappeared into the distance, sighing with resignation.

"Wujing, do you think your elder brother can truly defeat that demon?" Tang Monk asked worriedly.

Sand Monk's face flushed with embarrassment, which was hard to notice due to his dark complexion, or he would have given himself away earlier. He stuttered in response, "Elder brother is the heavenly Marshal Canopy. In terms of strength, he is mightier than most demons in the world."

Upon hearing this, Tang Monk's mind was somewhat put at ease, thinking that since the honest Wujing said so, there shouldn't be any big trouble for Bajie.

But how could he know that Sand Monk had more to say that he kept to himself. This, of course, did not include Kui Mulang, since he was a Star Lord in the heavens.

Everything went smoothly, all according to Bajie's script. He also managed to invite Monkey from Huaguo Mountain, and finally, the three disciples gathered together with the Yellow Robe Demon in Moon Wave Cave.

The atmosphere was lively as cups were raised and toasts exchanged among them. Kui Mulang was the first to stand up, raising a cup to the three brothers, "Let me drink this cup first to honor you, and thank you for your assistance."
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They clinked cups in return. Monkey, with a smile, said, "You, this fellow, if you're really sincere, should give a proper gift. Are you going to brush me off with just a cup of wine?"

Monkey was just jesting, yet Kui Mulang was well prepared. He spat out an inner core from his mouth and said with a laugh, "Naturally, I cannot let the Great Saint work in vain. This is a Shariputra I obtained during ancient times. After years of my nurturing, it has become a quintessential inner core. I give it to the Great Saint as a token of my thanks."

Monkey intended to refuse, but then he suddenly recalled Lu Yu's words—wasn't this inner core precisely the core Lu Yu mentioned? He clapped his hands and laughed, "Truly, it's fate! I've been looking everywhere for a core item for an urgent matter right now! I shall thank the Star Lord for this."

"Hold on!" Bajie suddenly interrupted the two.

"If we give it away just like this, it wouldn't be easy to explain. We might as well put on another act to shift from secrecy to openness, making it easier to justify," Bajie said, then began to devise another plan.

Monkey was left dumbfounded. After spending so much time together, he'd never realized that his younger brother had such strategic acumen.

Once the plan was set, they resumed their previous cheerful mood. During a high point in their drinking, Bajie couldn't help but wonder aloud, "I find it curious, this supreme one has always been steady and meticulous. Why is he acting so hastily now, as if chasing after time, quite unlike his previous approach, always silently resolving things?"

Sand Monk looked around cautiously and asked, "Is this place secure for confidential talk?"

Upon hearing this, Kui Mulang immediately replied, "This is the retreat I have prepared, naturally, it is secure. But the Jade Emperor plotted against me before I descended to the mortal realm, hence he knows of it. However, whatever we discuss here shall remain a secret."

Kui Mulang came from a prestigious background, with numerous disciples in his sect and a myriad of techniques at their disposal, which is why he could confidently guarantee such privacy.

Relieved by this assurance, Sand Monk slowly said, "You all know I was banished to the mortal realm because I accidentally shattered the Glazed Lantern, but do you know why the accident happened? Being on duty in the Hall of Divine Mist for countless years, how could I have made such a blunder on such a trivial matter?"

Their interest was immediately piqued. Sand Monk was usually taciturn, only replying when questioned and was always sparing with his words. Now that he began to speak freely of the past, it was clear that he had some secret to unveil.