Some people may be unfamiliar with the abbot of Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain, but everyone knows about the ginseng fruit tree in his temple.

The ginseng fruit, also known as "Grass Returning Elixir," was originally a spiritual root produced when the world was in chaos and before the separation of primordial chaos. Of the four continents in the world, only the Wuzhuang Temple in Xiniu Hezhou had a ginseng fruit tree.

This ginseng fruit tree flowers once every three thousand years, bears fruit once every three thousand years, and then takes another three thousand years for the fruit to ripen and fall from the tree. If you calculate it carefully, it takes nearly ten thousand years to eat a single ginseng fruit.

In ten thousand years, only thirty fruits are produced. Each ginseng fruit is shaped like a three-day-old infant, complete with limbs and facial features. If a person smells it, they can live an extra three hundred and sixty years. If they eat one, they can live for forty-seven thousand years. Not to mention the thousand-year-old peaches planted by the Holy Mother of Yaochi, even the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir of Laozi has no such miraculous effect.

For the Chinese people who are familiar with "Journey to the West", the ginseng fruit, which is known as the "number one spiritual fruit in Journey to the West", is naturally very familiar. Not to mention that the ginseng fruit was the second item on the "procurement list" given by the Chinese government.

This demonstrates just how precious it is.

After seeing Nezha and the others off, Xu Milu sat at the stone table in the backyard, deep in thought. She had only peeled off a slice of the red tangerine in her hand, and had no appetite for it.

She knew Zhenyuan Daxian of Wuzhuang Temple. He was a capricious person who could laugh or cry at will. She had once had a chance to drink tea with Sanzang when he was still Jin Chanzi. So, before leaving, she instructed her young disciple to serve Sanzang with ginseng fruit.

However, when the monk Sanzang saw that the ginseng fruit had all the facial features and looked exactly like an infant, he couldn't bear to eat it and refused to eat it. On the other hand, Sun Wukong got into a fight with the Taoist boys in Wuzhuang Temple because he stole the ginseng fruit. In a fit of anger, he overturned the ginseng fruit tree and ran away.

When Zhen Yuanzi returned home and saw that the ginseng fruit tree was dying, he was furious. He captured the Sanzang master and his disciples and whipped them with the Seven Star Whip. He also wanted to fry Sun Wukong in oil to avenge his hatred. In order to save the Sanzang master, Sun Wukong had no choice but to go to the South Sea and ask Guanyin Bodhisattva for a drop of sweet dew from her pure bottle. Only then was the precious tree cured.

Who would have thought that this was not the end of it? When Zhen Yuanzi saw that the ginseng fruit tree had survived, he was overjoyed and became sworn brothers with Sun Wukong. He also took out ginseng fruit to entertain the four of them, which shows that he was quick to repay kindness and vengeance and that his temperament was beyond that of ordinary people.

When Xu Milu watched Journey to the West, the scene of Sun Wukong and Zhen Yuanzi becoming sworn brothers was only briefly mentioned. Chinese film and television works rarely mention this relationship between the two. So when Nezha suddenly mentioned that he could ask this senior brother to borrow the "treasure furnace", she was a little hesitant.

...

...

Chen Xiang had just returned from pruning the fruit trees in the yard when he saw Xu Milu holding an orange, looking somewhat hesitant. He didn't say anything, but put down the axe in his hand and went over to peel the orange for Xu Milu.

After Chenxiang had peeled all the oranges on the plate, and the clusters of red lantern-like oranges were neatly arranged on the stone table, Xu Milu finally came to her senses and realized that besides Chenxiang, Mo Xuan had also brought Dai Zi and sat down in front of her sometime earlier.

"My lady, you've been so worried these past few days. Have you encountered any difficulties in your cultivation? Or did someone cause trouble at the restaurant while I was away? What Wuzhuang Temple or Qizhuang Temple? If you don't lend me that furnace, just give the order, and I, this little demon, will lead my seventy-two carp demons and crab demons to wipe them all out for you—"

"Stop, stop, please shut up, I want to live a few more years."

Xu Milu quickly stuffed a piece of orange into his mouth, finally silencing the rascal.

Just kidding. Zhen Yuanzi is the ancestor of earth immortals, who only respects heaven and earth. His Taoist name is "Yi Shi Tong" (meaning "to be with the world"). In the past, when he went to the Western Paradise, Buddha's disciple Jin Chanzi served him tea. He was also invited by Yuanshi Tianzun to go to the Mi Luo Heaven Palace to listen to the lecture on the Hunyuan Dao Fruit. He was able to subdue Sun Wukong with a move called "Sleeve Universe". How could he be someone to be trifled with?

Zhen Yuanzi was a low-key person who rarely set foot in the mortal world, so it was normal for Mo Xuan not to know his origins. However, if he were to utter any arrogant words, he would not even know how he died.

Otherwise, why would so many demons and monsters know that Wuzhuang Temple has a spiritual root left over from the chaotic era, yet no one tries to steal it?

Is it that you don't want to?

Don't you remember how many demons and monsters, big and small, rushed to their deaths for a single bite of Tang Sanzang's flesh? Not to mention the spiritual fruit that could grant one 47,000 years of life with just one bite.

...

After Xu Milu finished explaining the intricacies of the situation, Mo Xuan's face turned green. He dared not utter any more harsh words about "flattening Wuzhuang Temple," and could only eat oranges with a sheepish smile. Chen Xiang, however, thought for a moment and said:

"Senior Sister, didn't we say that this True Immortal and Master have become sworn brothers? So all past grievances should be wiped clean. If you feel that it's inappropriate for us juniors to come and ask to borrow that treasure furnace, why don't you ask Master to step in and explain things?"

"No, this important matter must not be known to Master. I will explain it to you in detail after this matter is over."

Xu Milu sighed.

She just didn't want Sun Wukong to know about this.

She reforged the Vermilion Bird Yin-Yang Blade in order to go to the apocalyptic world and kill Lavinia, this scourge. Previously, Sun Wukong was unaware of the life-or-death relationship between the two and only thought that the two phoenixes had just bumped into each other by chance.

That day, the Monkey King's earth-shattering blow, though merely a warning to Lavinia, severely injured her, giving Xu Milu the opportunity to sever one of her wings.

Lavinia wanted to devour her flesh and blood to be reborn, and Xu Milu also wanted to kill her to eliminate future troubles. One of them was bound to die.

If Sun Wukong knew that Lavinia coveted his disciple's life essence, he would probably kill her with his staff. However, Xu Milu neither wanted to break the Monkey King's vow of not killing, nor did she want to put him in a difficult position.

The phoenix bloodline in this plane is already dwindling, and Buddhism reveres the phoenix and peacock. Many have already taken notice of Sun Wukong's last move; if he were to truly kill Lavinia, I fear…

—If Xu Milu killed Lavinia using her own power, it would at most be considered an internal clan dispute, and no matter what others say, it would not involve Sun Wukong.

Although Xu Milu cherishes her life, she is not afraid of death. The Monkey King is like a father and brother to her, so she wants to avoid him in this matter and preferably keep it from him until after she kills Lavinia.

"No, I still have to visit Wuzhuang Temple in person."

Thinking this through, she slowly made up her mind, looked up and settled Chenxiang, saying:

"This matter is somewhat tricky, and I need to handle it alone. I will be away from Chang'an for a while."

Just pretend you don't know about Chenxiang.

Master has been invited by Laozi to go to the Heavenly Palace to taste the elixir. It will probably be quite some time before he returns to Flower Fruit Mountain. During this time, please do as I have done before: offer a vegetarian meal to Master and my fellow disciples on the first and fifteenth of each month. If Sister Yin asks, just say that I have gone home to visit my family.

Mo Xuan will continue along the road from Chang'an to Kunlun. In the summer months, he will go to Kunlun Mountain to plant tomatoes, and in the winter months, he will follow Hu Silang to plant them in and around Chang'an. Don't underestimate this; experiencing the mortal world will be extremely beneficial to your cultivation, and you will be able to continue being the Dragon King of Dongting Lake in the future.”