The Monkey King

In the thirty-third sky, a huge piece of land was suspended, passing through the clouds and mist.

There are high mountains, flowing water, and dense woods on it, planted with various rare plants, and rare spiritual beasts, but only the palaces that can be seen everywhere in heaven are missing. Some of them are just a few houses that are extremely disproportionate to this piece of land. They look like a deserted suburb in the mortal world, without any of the splendor that heaven should have.

In the small house, two old men were playing chess attentively, and the boy beside them would make them a cup of hot tea from time to time.

After a long time, Taishang Laojun picked up a black stone and placed it on the chessboard.

Subhuti's brows on the opposite side immediately frowned tightly.

Seeing this, Lao Jun took a long breath and said, "It's really dangerous. If you make one mistake, the whole game will be ruined. This is true. Fortunately, I am more skilled and can turn the tide in the end. Otherwise, all these things will be lost." The reputation of being undefeated for many years is not guaranteed."

As he said this, he cheerfully stretched out his hand to collect the chessboard, but he heard Subhuti shout: "Slow down!"

Before the old man could recover, Subhuti had already grabbed a white piece and put it on the chessboard. He stroked his long beard and said with a smile, "It's too early to say who will win and who will lose."

Hearing this, Lao Jun was slightly startled, stroking his long beard and looking at the chessboard for a while, his brows furrowed more and more.

The face of Subhuti opposite him was filled with joy.

The old man for a long time sighed and said: "It seems that I have regressed. After eighty-five moves, I still can't tell the winner."

Subhuti laughed immediately, folded his hands and said with a smile: "It's not a step back. It's a progress."

Laojun slowly raised his eyes and asked casually: "How?"

Lightly tapping the chessboard with his finger, Subhuti said meaningfully: "In the past, you had the Heavenly Way Stone, and you knew the outcome before you even played it. Who can beat you? Now, it's a real game of chess."

"You still carry the Heavenly Dao Stone?" Lao Jun shook his head helplessly and said: "I have been living in seclusion for many years, and you still carry the Heavenly Dao Stone?"

"Hey, I'm just talking, I don't mean anything else."

"It won't go down, it won't go down." Lao Jun slapped his thigh, stood up slowly, stretched, and walked away.

"Wait, wait, wait, why are you leaving again?" Subhuti also stood up and said angrily: "This game of chess has been played for more than two hundred years. It's not over yet. When are you going to play? ah?"

Lao Jun turned around and glanced at Subhuti lightly and said: "You don't mean anything else, but that is my way of heaven. Now it has been shattered into powder. You just mentioned it casually. Can I feel better? I don't feel anything at all now. Now, what else are you playing chess with?"

"Come on, let me see you. You are just afraid of losing, so you find excuses every time."

"Hey! Do you think I'm afraid of you?"

Subhuti pointed at the chessboard expressionlessly and said, "If not, just keep playing."

Lao Jun stared at the chessboard for a long time, swallowed dryly, gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, I'll finish the chessboard today for all the big things. Don't run away midway then." good."

As he spoke, he lifted up his trouser legs and sat down on his knees again.

"Did I run away in the middle?" Subhuti also sat down unsteadily and sighed: "When did I run away? With you, I am a loser. What is there to run away from? It's just the Three Realms. Everyone knows that Laojun is superb at chess. But they don’t know that Laojun’s chess quality really needs to be considered.”

After squinting at Subhuti for a while, the old gentleman said slowly: "You fool, don't talk nonsense. I will make sure you beg for mercy today and kill you without leaving a trace!"

"Okay, I'll wait." Subhuti said cheerfully.

"Okay, just wait, I will use my ten powers right now!"

That's what he said. But when he grabbed the black piece, Laojun couldn't decide where to put it. His eyes were looking at the chessboard, and at the same time, he was quietly observing Subhuti's expression from time to time. Unfortunately, Subhuti had the attitude of a dead pig who is not afraid of boiling water, and kept trying. Laughing, I didn’t see anything in the end.

As a result, Lao Jun's frown deepened, as if he was riding a tiger that was unable to get off. Faintly, my scalp was already numb.

At this moment, a boy walked in from outside the door, silently knelt down and saluted, and whispered: "Master, your Majesty has sent someone here again."

"I know." Lao Jun said without looking back: "Just tell them that I am in retreat as a master."

"But... they said that if they can't see the master, they won't leave."

"If you don't want to leave, then don't leave." Raising his head slightly, Laojun added: "First explain to them that this Tushita Palace is not the previous Tushita Palace. There are not so many rooms for them to live in, and there are no preparations. So much food. If you want to hang around, I won’t let you go, but once you use it, prepare it yourself.”

The boy was silent for a moment, then he leaned over and kowtowed: "Disciple, I obey."

After that, he stood up and exited the door.

Subhuti stroked his long beard and said leisurely: "You said that you, a Supreme Master, are so stingy? After all, I am an imperial envoy with an order, and you have to ask others to provide their own expenses?"

"Hey, you are standing and talking without pain in your back." Laojun rolled his eyes at Subhuti and said, "Do you think this is still the former Tushita Palace with three layers of deep and shallow walls? To put it bluntly, this is a slightly bigger palace. It's just a farm. They are just staying here. It's troublesome for me to take care of those flowers and plants. I shouldn't have listened to you in the first place. You are playing the role of a hermit. Now you are really a hermit. You can't even get out. Hum. "

"That's not the case." Subhuti chuckled and said, "Look, why don't they rely on me?"

"I told them that I am in retreat, but you tell them that you are traveling far away. Can it be the same?"

"You can also travel far away." Subhuti spread his hands and said, "If you go out of Nantianmen, maybe Li Jing can still find you."

This statement immediately caused Lao Jun to roll his eyes.

After a moment of silence, Laojun held the black man tightly and said, "By the way, do you really not care about the monkey? After all, he is still your disciple."

"How do you care?" Subhuti asked.

"Why do you care?" Laojun raised his eyes and glanced at Subhuti and said, "You have the nerve to say this? After all, wasn't it your intention to lead him astray in the first place? Now that the trouble has become like this, you are planning to let go?" "

"Master introduces the door, and cultivation depends on the individual. How he cultivates and what results he achieves are all his own fate." He said. Subhuti winked in the direction of the courtyard and said, "Besides, what he cares about most is, haven't I, the master, helped him get it back? Just for this, I have been working as an ox and a horse for Heaven for hundreds of years. ah."

Laojun immediately laughed out loud, looked at Subhuti and said with a half-smile but not a smile: "That's it, you have no share in the chaos in the three realms? You are atoneing for your sins, and you deserve it."

Subhuti sniffed and said, "Anyway, as a master, I have done everything I should do. For the rest, just let nature take its course."

Rubbing the sunspots in his hands, Lao Jun sighed: "You are not the best. You have done so much to break my 'inaction' and weaken the intervention of heaven, just to forcefully open a gap for Jin Chanzi. I just hope , it’s best that he doesn’t live up to your kindness.”

Hear the words. Subhuti laughed heartily and said softly: "It doesn't matter whether you live up to it or not. What matters is that you do what you have to do with all your heart. It's like playing chess and winning every game. What's the point of divination?" Right?"

Lao Jun was stunned for a moment, straightened up and looked out the window silently. After a long time, he sighed leisurely: "That's true."

…

at this time. In the courtyard of Tushita Palace, two women were sitting quietly, enjoying the gentle wind from the thirty-third heaven.

Que'er, who has grown into a woman of seventeen or eighteen years old, is wearing an apricot-yellow dress. Her long black hair is tied up in a simple pattern on her head and shawl down. Her brows are picturesque and extremely beautiful. But the eyes looking at the clouds and mist on the horizon were still full of confusion.

The other woman next to her was wearing a beige dress. She has a delicate face, her waist-length hair is simply tied back, and her eyes that should be so charming look more helpless at this moment.

Slowly looking back at the room where Laojun and Subhuti were, the woman in a beige dress held her chin and sighed helplessly: "They are playing chess again, and I don't know how long it will last."

"What's the matter?" Que'er asked softly.

"I told Master Subhuti that I wanted to go wandering, but he refused to agree. Just for this reason, I came to the 33rd heaven, thinking that Master Laojun would be easier to talk to, but he followed me again... saying he wanted to hide. The special envoy of the Jade Emperor. Isn't there one here? Why hide here? This old fox." The woman in beige said angrily.

"This..." Que'er covered her mouth and smiled and said, "Where does sister Qingxin want to travel?"

Looking up at the sky, Qingxin said with a confused look: "Since we are traveling in the clouds, we must go for a walk everywhere. Sister Que'er, haven't you thought about going for a walk? This Tusita Palace is so boring."

"Going for a walk?" Que'er tilted her head and thought for a while, then said softly: "Where to go? I haven't thought about it."

"Why don't we go together then so we can have company?"

Que'er thought for a moment, shook his head and said, "Forget it, I think it's pretty good here."

Hearing this, Qingxin frowned so much that she could squeeze out water.

After lying on the stone table for a while, she asked softly: "By the way, has Sister Que'er seen my senior brothers?"

"Your senior brother? No."

"You haven't seen my tenth senior brother?" Qingxin glanced at Que'er suspiciously and said, "I heard people say that he was on the 33rd level at that time. Sister Que'er should have been on the third level at that time. Thirteenth Heaven, right? Isn’t it just because he appeared again recently that the people in Heaven are so nervous?”

"Really?" Que'er blinked a few times and laughed softly: "I don't really ask about these things, and no one told me. It's not surprising if I don't know."

"Really?" Qingxin became more and more curious, her eyes still locked on Que'er, which made Que'er's face turn slightly red.

After sitting for a while, Queer stood up and said, "Suddenly I remembered something. Sister Qingxin, please sit here for a while. I will be back in a moment."

With that said, he turned around and left.

Looking at Que'er's back, Qingxin became more and more confused. She cupped her chin and muttered to herself, "Are they hiding something from me?"

Thinking about it, she looked back at the room where Subhuti and Taishang Laojun were, and said leisurely: "Forget it, let's think about how to travel in the clouds."

…

In the room, Lao Jun asked softly: "Have you told Qingxin all those things?"

Subhuti picked up a son. It landed on the chessboard with a "clack" and replied: "No."

"Aren't you ready to talk?"

Subhuti shook his head and said, "I'm not going to say it anymore. Because... there's no need to talk about this kind of thing."

Lao Jun nodded silently and sighed: "Well, if there is a destiny, there will be a good ending even if you don't say it. If there is no destiny, it will be useless even if you say it. Let it be. Let us two old men do it. Just do what a good teacher should do.”

…

Mortal world.

A bright moon passed through the clouds, and the north wind blew loudly in the mountains. The sound was extremely sad and shrill.

In the deserted mountain forest, all kinds of birds and beasts seemed to have sensed that an extremely dangerous person was here, and they all disappeared, so that there was only the sound of wind whistling in the mountain forest. Only the "cracking" sound caused by the burning bonfire was left.

By the campfire. Xuanzang sat cross-legged, reading the scriptures he had received with him by the light of the fire, closing his eyes and thinking from time to time. The monkey sat on the other side of the bonfire holding a golden hoop, stirring the fire with a wooden stick from time to time. The little white dragon came and went collecting firewood, looking very attentive.

It wasn't until he had prepared enough firewood to burn until dawn that the little white dragon walked towards the monkey.

"Well, the Great Sage. Do you have any other instructions?"

The monkey looked up at him, reached out and patted the rock beside him: "Sit down and talk, don't be so formal."

"Thank you, Great Sage." Xiao Bailong bowed and nodded with a silly smile, and carefully sat down, but he still didn't dare to straighten his waist.

After a while, Xiao Bailong asked in a low voice: "Great Sage, many people have been looking for you these years, but they haven't found you. Where are you?"

Using the wooden stick in his hand, he picked up the wood in the fire and caused a burst of sparks. The monkey sighed leisurely: "In these years, I have been staying in a place where birds don't poop. In other words, trapped."

"Then... Great Sage, have you just come out?"

"Yes, what's wrong?"

"But Great Sage, why did you just follow..." Xiao Bailong winked at Xuanzang who was opposite him, swallowed dryly and whispered, "Why did you just come together with him?"

Looking at the bonfire, the monkey took a deep breath and said, "Do I need to explain to you?"

Xiao Bailong was startled, and quickly shook his head and waved his hands: "Don't dare! How dare Ao Lie interfere with the Great Sage's affairs... But, isn't this Buddhism not on good terms with you, the Great Sage?"

"Since you said you don't want to worry about it, just don't ask." After saying that, Monkey glanced at Ao Lie lightly.

Xiao Bailong quickly lowered his head and said with a dry smile: "Yes, yes, since you don't care, don't ask. The Great Sage is right."

This time, Ao Lie didn't dare to ask anything anymore, and just kept sitting quietly next to the monkey. After a long time, the eyelids started to fight, but they still held on.

Xuanzang was simple. He read Buddhist scriptures until late at night, so he spread out the quilt and fell asleep. The monkey still sat motionless.

In the blink of an eye, it was already the third watch, and the monkey suddenly asked: "Have your third sister and your brother-in-law gotten back together?"

Xiao Bailong suddenly woke up with a start, blinked his eyes and hesitated for a long time before shrinking his body and saying hesitantly: "Not yet, we haven't gotten back together yet."

"So, how is your brother-in-law doing now?"

"Brother-in-law is very good. Although he did not participate in that battle, after the war, his Guanjiangkou Legion was the only well-preserved unit among the Heavenly Army. At that time, although Huaguo Mountain...even though it was nothing, all the demon kings were He is still quite powerful, so Heavenly Court naturally has to rely on my brother-in-law. In addition, the Jade Emperor has been replaced, and the old grudges have been wiped out. Now life is much better than before. It is because of my brother-in-law that Heavenly Court did not send anyone to arrest me. Although The old heaven has been completely destroyed, but there is still no one who should be captured by the new heaven." Xiao Bailong yawned for a long time, and then said: "However, brother-in-law, he doesn't want to make military exploits or anything like that now, unless the Jade Emperor comes down Otherwise, the Guanjiangkou Corps will basically only guard Guanjiangkou and Huashan, and will not go anywhere. In fact, even if the order is given, he may not go, just the same. Hahahaha."

Having said this, Xiao Bailong seemed to realize something, and turned his face slightly to look at the monkey.

"Then...that side of Huashan..."

"Sister Yang Chan is okay. Third sister has visited her a few times. She has been trapped under Mount Hua for more than six hundred years and has never come out. But other than that, everything is fine."

"As long as it's safe." Looking at the fire, the monkey nodded silently.

Reaching out to rub his eyes, Xiao Bailong pursed his lips and whispered softly: "After all, he is his biological brother, so there is no way he could wrong her. Besides, Heaven wants to find her, and the demon kings also want to find her... She is not like us. You little bastard, the majestic Lady of the Monkey King, the legitimate mother of the country of Huaguo Mountain, it is better to stay in Huashan for safety."

"If you go to Huashan now, can you see her?" Monkey suddenly asked.

"Me?" Xiao Bailong was stunned, quickly shook his head and said, "Probably not. If you want to see her, just go there by yourself."

"I can't go to see her now." Monkey sighed deeply and said, "There are still some unfinished business matters. I will go to see her when everything is done. I hope she will still be willing to see me then."

"Touwei?" Xiao Bailong quietly glanced at Xuanzang who was sleeping far away. He seemed to realize something and nodded silently.

The two of them stayed in silence until the sky became gray and bright, and two golden lights suddenly flew over the bonfire from the north and fell into the woods not far away on the other side.

The monkey stood up slowly on his knees. Xuanzang was also awakened.

Not long after, Li Jing slowly walked out of the woods, cupped his hands and said: "Li Jing from Nantianmen, please see the Great Sage. The Great Sage is well."

The monkey's eyes slowly fell not far behind Li Jing.

There, Erlang Shen was walking slowly with a three-pointed two-edged sword.

Ignoring Li Jing, the monkey quickly bowed and cupped his hands and said, "Wukong, see you, second brother."

Xuanzang also clasped his hands and said, "The poor monk Xuanzang has seen two heavenly generals."

Staring at the monkey coldly, Yang Jian slapped his three-pointed two-edged sword hard, and said leisurely: "Don't call me so close, who is your second brother?" (To be continued ~^~)

PS: I have received the threats from some readers...well, the updates are interrupted for 48 hours. I'm really sorry. Sorry, readers. Big update today~ I hope everyone can forgive me. Please give me a monthly pass. Please give me a monthly pass. Please give me a monthly pass. Please give me a monthly pass~