Chapter 20: The Siege of Flower Fruit Mountain.
After handling Miaolian's funeral arrangements, Jiang Huaisu arrived at the former Zhen Mansion.
The courtyard still had the familiar layout, but it lacked human presence and was inevitably desolate. Miaolian's room was relatively tidy, with traces of calligraphy practice on the papers on the table, and a withered flower branch placed in front of the windowsill.
No one will live here anymore. Jiang Huaisu looked around and felt a sense of loss. She had lived here for a while before, back when she couldn't even take human form.
However, some things are best left in memories; she doesn't want to go back to that time. She felt much more comfortable living in the Water Curtain Cave than here.
It's a pity that such a big house can only be left to grow weeds. To outsiders, this place is considered haunted, as it supposedly killed a family of three, and it's impossible to sell it.
Nezha probably won't miss it, right? This house is big, but compared to the Cloud Tower Palace, it's nothing.
The places where immortals live must be much more beautiful. Right now, the Third Prince is probably waking up in his 180-square-meter bed, stretching lazily, and lamenting how boring mortal life is.
Without wasting too much time, Jiang Huaisu suppressed her emotions and got down to business.
After a flurry of activity, she found silver notes and boxes of gold and silver treasures in the cabinet. Her first reaction was relief that the boxes were not locked, and thankfully they hadn't been stolen.
Suddenly, with a creak, the door was pushed open. Then came the sound of the door crashing to the ground.
Jiang Huaisu was startled: "Who!"
The boy, dressed in coarse linen clothes, stood dumbfounded at the door: "Wait, is this door so fragile?"
“...It’s you.” Jiang Huaisu lowered her guard and glanced at the completely shattered door. “I broke this door before, and it seems like it’s never been repaired.”
She had seen Sun Wukong in human form before, so she wouldn't fail to recognize him. He would occasionally transform into this human boy's appearance when passing through crowded downtown areas.
However, its demonic features were still quite prominent: golden eyes, pointed ears, sharp canines, and its tail wasn't properly tucked in. Its medium-length brown hair was loosely tied back in a low ponytail.
His hair-tying skills were rather mediocre; many loose strands of hair still clung to his temples, making him look as messy as if he had just rolled around in the grass. But considering his strong identification with his monkey identity, the fact that he was standing here looking like this was already a concession.
She looked Sun Wukong up and down, somewhat puzzled: "Weren't you going to visit the Bull Demon King today?"
“I was going to go, but before I left, a deity came to Flower Fruit Mountain to find me, saying that he was acting on the Jade Emperor’s decree to invite me to heaven to become an official.”
"...Become an official?"
"yes."
"Who is that deity who came to invite you?"
"His name is Taibai Jinxing, and he seems like a very approachable old man."
That makes sense. Jiang Huaisu knew that once Sun Wukong ascended to heaven, he would be tricked by a group of old immortals into raising horses, earning him the new title of Bi Ma Wen (弼马温). The main plot was still progressing steadily, and according to the original story, he wouldn't hold this position for long.
"That's not right! Why didn't you go?" She suddenly realized her blind spot. Why was Sun Wukong looking for her now instead of leaving with Taibai Jinxing?
"I came to find you. You're my good sister. We share happiness together, how could I leave you behind?"
What a loyal monkey!
Jiang Huaisu was touched. She stared at Sun Wukong for a while, then reached out and took apart his messy hairstyle, retying it into a neat little braid. She needed to pay attention to her appearance since she was going to meet an important person later.
Sun Wukong let her play with his hair and asked her, "Do you want to go?"
"Forget it! They didn't invite me. Why don't you go up first? Make it big for yourself and then come pick me up."
Sun Wukong thought for a moment and said, "That's fine. But isn't Nezha in heaven? I thought you'd like to go see him."
"He's busy exorcising demons and monsters, so you might not even see him if you go."
Moreover, they might not have taken their earthly experiences seriously. Miaolian is Nezha, but Nezha is not necessarily Miaolian, just as grapes are fruit, but fruit is not the same as grapes; it's a subset relationship.
In addition, there is another crucial reason... The scene of Nezha subduing the demon that day left a deep impression on her, and she felt that the deity himself would be a rather aloof type?
Sun Wukong shrugged: "Fine, whatever you say."
"When you get to heaven, remember to get along well with everyone." Jiang Huaisu's tone was just like a mother sending her child to school for the first time.
Actually, she hoped that when they eventually besieged Flower Fruit Mountain, everyone would go easy on them out of consideration for their past friendship with Sun Wukong, just to make a show of it. A more harmonious atmosphere, everyone getting along well. Even if it couldn't change the final outcome, at least the hardships along the way could be lessened, right?
"Hmph, that depends on whether they're worth befriending."
The monkey, with its hair styled, looked much more neat and tidy. It was lean and muscular, with delicate features, and could definitely be considered a handsome young man.
Without saying anything more, he waved and left.
With Sun Wukong gone, Jiang Huaisu temporarily became the acting head of Huaguo Mountain.
During this time, the Bull Demon King visited several times, bringing along several of his sworn brothers. She was overwhelmed with dealing with them, but since these men were considered part of Sun Wukong's network, she had no choice but to treat them well.
Jiang Huaisu discovered she had a real talent for drinking, having managed to calmly outdrink six demon kings each time. She used to dislike drinking much, but now she was gradually beginning to appreciate the pleasure of a small sip.
Later, the Bull Demon King stopped coming around as often. She once thought it was because she could drink too much, which made him feel inferior. Every time he was drunk and had to be carried back by his subordinates, it was somewhat embarrassing for him.
It wasn't until the Bull Demon King sent a message to Flower Fruit Mountain explaining the situation that Jiang Huaisu suddenly realized that it was because the Bull Demon King's precious son had gone through his rebellious phase and was recently making a fuss about starting his own mountain and household, causing chaos at home, and the old father simply couldn't get away from him.
The boy from the Niu family, isn't that Red Boy? He must be very mischievous, otherwise he wouldn't have kidnapped Tang Sanzang.
She could completely understand the Bull Demon King's predicament at that moment; she knew how difficult it was to deal with a naughty child.
When she was young, her parents divorced and remarried, forming new families and having new children. Neither of them wanted to take care of her, this burden. When she was in school, she wanted to earn more living expenses, so she had to go to their homes to help take care of their children, which was truly unbearable.
Oh, by the way, maybe the Bull Demon King also has a Jade-Faced Fox at home? Hehe, he'll be quite busy.
Jiang Huaisu is quite content with her current leisurely and peaceful life. No longer needing to deal with those several demon brothers, she spends her days at home on Flower Fruit Mountain, entertaining monkeys and birds, and more than ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.
That day, the monkeys rushed to the cave to find her, stammering for a long time before finally saying that their king had returned.
Her face hardened, and she rushed out of the cave, only to find Sun Wukong squatting on the ground, tearing at the grass. He had clearly returned in a huff, having plucked the grass bare.
The monkey cursed the Heavenly Court, calling it a dog for daring to use a lowly horse-breeding official to mock him.
Jiang Huaisu naturally sided with the monkey unconditionally. As she listened, her emotions were stirred up, and she joined in cursing the old immortals for being unfair and bullying the monkey.
Having vented his anger, Sun Wukong dusted himself off and stood up, the gloom in his eyes vanished, and he even had the mood to tease the little butterflies behind him with his tail.
He's a straightforward monkey after all; his temper flares up quickly and subsides just as fast. He won't dwell on this for long.
However, he was still somewhat bothered by the title of "弼马温" (a low-ranking official in charge of horses), and he was determined to avenge himself.
After some discussion, Sun Wukong adopted his subordinates' suggestion, raised a banner on Flower Fruit Mountain, declared himself king, and proclaimed himself the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. The title was certainly impressive. He felt satisfied.
Looking up at the banners fluttering in the wind, Jiang Huaisu clapped along, saying nothing, but a hint of worry flickered in her eyes. The observant monkey noticed this fleeting change in her expression and immediately leaned over to ask:
"I have a new title, what's wrong, aren't you happy?"
"I think the Heavenly Court is going to send someone to take you away."
"If one comes, we'll take it down; if two come, we'll beat them both up. What's there to be afraid of?"
Jiang Huaisu knew perfectly well that even if she won this time, she would be punished next time. Sun Wukong could survive, but she wasn't so sure. Her fighting strength was truly insignificant compared to these powerful figures; would she die in the melee?
After expressing her worries, she solemnly added, "If I die, Sun Wukong, you must remember to find my reincarnation. Let's be best friends again in the next life."
The monkey flicked her on the forehead, thinking she was worrying unnecessarily.
"When that time comes, you just hide in the Water Curtain Cave and take care of those little monkeys for me. I'll handle the fighting."
"That would be so disloyal." At this crucial moment, she still didn't want to be a coward.
Although she usually addresses Sun Wukong by his given name and doesn't call him brother or sister, Sun Wukong truly treats her like a younger sister. How could she bear to push a monkey like him out into the world?
"Speaking of which, you stole...borrowed the old Dragon King's weapon and crossed out Yama's Book of Life and Death, which is why they both sued you in Heaven. I was there when you caused trouble, so I'm not exempt from taking responsibility."
Once her stubborn streak kicked in, she wasn't someone who could be easily persuaded. She decided to use this time to cultivate diligently so that she could help protect Flower Fruit Mountain during the great battle.
Sun Wukong didn't take it to heart, but he didn't discourage her ambition either, and even helped guide her during her cultivation. He was confident he could protect Jiang Huaisu; even if he couldn't defeat her, he would simply accept all the punishment and send her to another place to avoid trouble. Although those guys in Heaven were annoying, they wouldn't kill indiscriminately.
Sun Wukong and she are not conjoined twins; he can't look after her every moment. There will always be times when she faces danger alone.
She had long considered Flower Fruit Mountain her home; the original world was the place where she felt even less at home. Aside from her phone, computer, air conditioner, and Wi-Fi, there was nothing else she cared about.
Sooner or later, the Heavenly Court would attack Flower Fruit Mountain. On the eve of the approaching enemy, she couldn't help but imagine the worst-case scenario, and even regretted that she had been too lazy in the past. She should have cultivated day and night! Just like before an exam, she would always blame herself for not listening to the lectures carefully, which led to her having to cram at the last minute.
Noticing Jiang Huaisu's worried expression, Sun Wukong keenly sensed that she hadn't said everything she wanted to say. He took the opportunity to have a heart-to-heart talk with her and finally discovered that she had this concern.
The quick-thinking Sun Wukong immediately patted his chest and assured her that the matter was not difficult to resolve, telling her to rest assured.
His strategy was to create a physical body for her. Even if she were cut into eighteen pieces, her soul would have a place to return to.
After searching far and wide for materials, Sun Wukong actually created a replica of Jiang Huaisu, who looked exactly like her in human form, but had no soul and was just a simple vessel.
He then separated a wisp of Jiang Huaisu's consciousness and placed it in this container. In this way, her soul could fit this body more perfectly, with a 100% compatibility. Moreover, even with her soul separated from her body, she could sense the container's existence and wouldn't have to worry about getting lost.
That's like having an extra respawn point! Jiang Huaisu was overjoyed, practically ready to cling to the monkey's leg and shout, "Friends for life!" No wonder he's a childhood idol, so reliable!
Sun Wukong had considered everything carefully. Separating only a wisp of divine consciousness would not affect the integrity of Jiang Huaisu's soul, and she could continue cultivating the Longevity Technique.
As if that wasn't enough, Sun Wukong asked her again, "Do you want me to help you pluck out your love roots, so you can be pure of heart and have few desires? That will be good for your cultivation."
Jiang Huaisu was shocked: "This is actually possible?"
"Why not?"
"But wouldn't it be incredibly boring without emotions and desires? Besides, I don't intend to stay single forever!" If she meets a suitable young man in the future, she'd like to have a relationship for fun. With such a long lifespan, dating ten or eight wouldn't be a problem, right?
Seeing that Jiang Huaisu was seriously considering the consequences of doing so, Sun Wukong couldn't help but laugh and say, "Do you think you can sever all feelings and love and not be tempted by external things from now on?"
"Isn't that right?"
"You're so easy to fool. I'm not trying to eradicate your emotions and desires, I just want to help you release some of your excess emotions. 'Emotional roots' is an exaggeration... Okay, I was just teasing you. It's impossible to be completely devoid of desires, at most I can make you feel a little more relaxed, less easily burdened by emotional baggage, worrying about this and that."
It's still necessary to retain one's emotions and desires! That's what the monkey thinks.
"So, it can make me more... open-minded?"
"almost."
"That's great!" she immediately decided. "Let's do it."
Sun Wukong did as he was told. After it was done, he shrank Jiang Huaisu's container, picked it up, and waved it in front of her. "Shall I keep it safe?"
"No problem." Jiang Huaisu trusted that he would put the things in a safe place. She herself wasn't very good at hiding things; things like tree holes or secret passages didn't seem very reliable.
Sun Wukong nodded, reached out and wiped the thing away. "Don't worry, as long as I live, it will exist. And I live as long as heaven and earth, I will never die."
She believed that. Although Sun Wukong had caused a great disaster and was suppressed for five hundred years, and had been tormented for so long on the journey to the West, his final outcome was a complete success.
Perhaps it was because she had shed her excess emotions, but she really felt much more comfortable and relaxed. She felt like there was nothing difficult in the world and nothing to worry about.
Until the Heavenly Court dispatched troops to Flower Fruit Mountain to subdue this lawless demon king.
Facing the swarming celestial soldiers on the clouds, she still felt a slight tension. Well, it seems that being detached from worldly desires is impossible! Even with her boundless confidence, she wouldn't be so sure that she could take on this group of gods single-handedly.
She had already discussed tactics with Sun Wukong. She wasn't good at frontal attacks, so she was better suited to hiding in the shadows and waiting for the melee to begin before launching surprise attacks on the enemy.
But the heavenly soldiers did not immediately begin their attack, seemingly waiting for their commander's order.
She gazed at the striking figure before her, a figure illuminated by raging flames and draped in red silk. The young man, now manifesting as a three-headed, six-armed being, stood atop a cloud, leaning on his spear and looking down upon the mortal realm. His spirited demeanor was a far cry from his sickly appearance in the human world.
Jiang Huaisu sighed, "The gods are truly heartless." Nezha seemed completely uninterested in reminiscing, coming straight to the point of being indifferent to the past.
If he still cherished their past friendship, he should have come to Flower Fruit Mountain to find her long ago. The fact that he only went there after the Heavenly Court sent troops to conquer Flower Fruit Mountain shows that he was not affected by his human memories.
Jiang Huaisu had witnessed Nezha's demon-slaying prowess; he wouldn't soften his heart just because a minor demon begged for mercy. If he considered her a heinous monster, it wasn't impossible for him to stab her to death.
But deep down she felt he couldn't really be so heartless; he had just left her a substantial inheritance not long ago... Her thoughts were a jumbled mess, and she sighed.
Isn't it said that you become more open-minded after letting go of excess emotions? How come it's lost its effect so quickly? I've started worrying about this and that again, and my mental activity is so rich that I could write an 8,000-word essay.
Or is it that the current thoughts involved are too numerous, and even if halved, the amount is still considerable?
Okay. She quickly realized that the first meeting with an old friend was indeed nerve-wracking. She used to dress up especially for elementary school reunions.
However, this "old classmate" is a bit special.
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