Chapter 21 He's so cold.
Despite all her calculations, she hadn't anticipated that her clever concealment would reveal a flaw. Jiang Huaisu was anxiously anticipating when the fight would begin, unaware that she had already been noticed by a celestial being.
The boy had excellent eyesight and immediately spotted her lurking in the shadows. Strange, ordinary spirits and monsters, knowing the Heavenly Court was coming to conquer Flower Fruit Mountain, would have kept their distance long ago. Why would she be rushing towards it?
Once curiosity takes hold, one must find the answer. Nezha, riding his Wind Fire Wheels, swooped down, heading straight for Jiang Huaisu's location. This sudden movement startled a bird peeking from the bushes, nearly causing it to fall backward. He scooped it up, making it sway back and forth like a spring, somewhat comically.
Sun Wukong watched this side nervously. He had almost swung his staff at Nezha just now, but he couldn't sense any killing intent, which meant that Nezha didn't intend to harm Jiang Huaisu. It seemed that Nezha just had something to say.
After thinking for a while, the monkey still didn't make a move, choosing instead to stand not far from her and observe the situation.
Nezha was staring intently at Jiang Huaisu's face, looking like he was seriously thinking, as if he wanted to see right through her.
"What are you doing!" she demanded, her voice stern but her heart pounding.
Have we met before?
"?"
Jiang Huaisu never expected Nezha to ask such a question. She began to wonder if Nezha had no memories of his mortal life at all, otherwise how could he not recognize her?
But Nezha's next words shattered her guess.
"That voice sounds familiar..." he said thoughtfully. "I know. You're Jiang Huaisu?"
For the first time in a long time, I heard my own name from him again.
But it was in this kind of setting.
Jiang Huaisu raised her eyes and asked in return, "Do you still remember what happened before?"
Only after speaking did he realize that his question was somewhat redundant. The fact that he could call her by name was enough to prove that Nezha's memories of his past life had not disappeared.
"Yes. But in my memory, you don't look like this."
"...Sorry, I've had my face changed."
Jiang Huaisu almost forgot that although she had met Miaolian after changing her appearance, she had just returned to life and was using her original magpie form. Miaolian naturally had no chance to see her new face.
"Oh, that's good."
Nezha didn't think too much about it, only that she did look better now than before, without that feeling of wearing a mask. He figured her cultivation had improved, and her transformation was finally stabilizing.
Jiang Huaisu was completely bewildered by his few words. Was he going to reminisce or start a fight? Adhering to the principle of "I won't move unless the enemy moves," she decided to remain silent for now and wait for him to continue.
However, Nezha showed no intention of continuing to communicate with her, seemingly only there to confirm her identity.
The Wind Fire Wheels left a trail of golden and red flames, and in the blink of an eye, Nezha had already distanced himself from her, ghost-like, and approached Sun Wukong.
Without any pleasantries, the Demon-Slaying Sword sliced through the air, its tip trembling slightly, and in an instant, it was already pointing at Sun Wukong. The red ribbon, in accordance with its master's will, wrapped in heat waves and coiled out like a dragon.
Jiang Huaisu's plan to ambush from the shadows was disrupted, but she wasn't too panicked. After all, Sun Wukong had drawn 99% of the firepower, giving her much more freedom of movement. She could still fire arrows from the edge to provide support. She could also keep watch at the entrance to the Water Curtain Cave to prevent the confused heavenly soldiers from rushing in.
Meanwhile, Sun Wukong and Nezha had already exchanged blows for over a dozen rounds. Their weapons multiplied, and sword and spear flashes rained down like meteors. The two sides adopted a simple yet spectacular weapon-fighting style, which was surprisingly entertaining.
Jiang Huaisu, whose gaze had been drawn to the spot, took a while to come back to her senses. Amidst the deafening sound of war drums, she looked up and saw the Giant Spirit God carrying the Xuanhua Axe and Li Tianwang holding the Pagoda in his palm. They were all standing there calmly and immovably.
They just descended from the clouds, apparently just to get a closer look at the battle?
This part differs significantly from the original story. She remembered that it should have been the Giant Spirit God who came to challenge them at the beginning. Why is Nezha getting all the attention now? Is he the only one doing all the work in Heaven?
The few heavenly soldiers who had come down to help earlier were also recalled and focused on acting as the atmosphere-building team.
The two in the center of the battlefield were fighting so fiercely that they had lost all sense of time and space. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that the two of them together had six heads and twelve arms, along with countless weapons and flashes of light, making it a dazzling spectacle.
Jiang Huaisu put away her longbow. If she fired an arrow now, she wasn't sure who she would hit, and it wouldn't be good if she accidentally injured a teammate.
After pressing the two little monkeys who tried to peek out to watch the commotion back into the Water Curtain Cave, she crossed her arms and calmly began to observe the battle. Sigh, looking at it now, all that tension before was really unnecessary. These two were quite measured in their fighting; the spectacle looked intimidating, but they didn't accidentally harm any of the surrounding creatures.
The battle ended with Nezha being defeated and forced to retreat after being injured in the arm. The heavenly soldiers quickly withdrew and returned to the upper realm, showing no intention of engaging in a prolonged battle.
Before leaving, Nezha glanced in Jiang Huaisu's direction, his eyes seemingly probing.
"Are you going to call in even more people to gang up on me?" Sun Wukong stood in the Water Curtain Cave, throwing a punch at the air. "I'm waiting!"
"Monkey, you won!"
Jiang Huaisu cheered and rushed over. Sun Wukong caught her and spun her around a few times.
"Let's go back to the cave, drink and eat meat, and see what other tricks the Heavenly Court has up its sleeve."
Sun Wukong was angry with the Heavenly Court. But he had nothing to say about the fight he had just had with Nezha.
The fact that they were on opposing sides meant he didn't expect Nezha to switch sides with Flower Fruit Mountain based on their past relationship. However, neither side went all out during the fight, suggesting they were holding back. Does this mean that kid isn't as ruthless as he seems?
Sun Wukong scratched his head, unable to figure it out, and decided to stop thinking about it. Anyway, they'd still have to fight when they met again.
Unexpectedly, instead of being ganged up on again, he received an imperial decree from the Jade Emperor.
The benevolent-looking Venus stood atop auspicious clouds, politely stating that the Jade Emperor had granted him the title of "Great Sage Equal to Heaven" and invited him to reside in Heaven.
"Now that you've reached the highest rank, Great Sage, please calm down, shall we?" the old man said with a smile.
It wasn't that he was an unreasonable monkey. Since they had already offered him a way out, Sun Wukong felt his request had been met and accepted it. After bowing and thanking the Jade Emperor for his decree, he pointed at Jiang Huaisu and asked, "Can I take her with me?"
Venus: "Of course."
Jiang Huaisu lowered her voice and whispered to the monkey, "If I leave, who will watch over Flower Fruit Mountain for you?"
"I'm the Great Sage Equal to Heaven now, who would dare to cause trouble for Flower Fruit Mountain? Let the old monkey keep watch, you come with me to enjoy yourself. This time I'm not going to do horse-herding work... Didn't you hear what that old man said? I'm going to have my own immortal abode!"
Thinking about it, it seems to make sense. Sun Wukong was given a prestigious official title, which was a kind of protection for Flower Fruit Mountain. The possibility of the monkeys being bothered by the surrounding monsters should be very small.
Ignoring Venus's presence, the monkey excitedly invited her, "Come with me, I guarantee you'll have a comfortable stay."
Jiang Huaisu was also a little curious about life in heaven. Having lived two lifetimes, she had never been to the Heavenly Court to see the scenery.
A bright and arrogant figure flashed through her mind. She thought that if she went to the Heavenly Court, meeting Nezha would probably be unavoidable. Should she pretend not to know him then? After all, he was so indifferent when they last met, and he didn't seem to miss her life in the mortal realm.
Sun Wukong: "So, are you going?"
Jiang Huaisu snapped out of her daze, her expression slightly hesitant, but she no longer refused and replied, "Go!"
*
Nezha suddenly opened his eyes.
Is he dead?
No, it's alive.
It was like living a long dream from a first-person perspective, experiencing a boring and absurd life. The memories of the character "Miaolian" awakened within him, and those once vivid images flooded his mind like a tide.
The boy's long-dormant eyes finally came alive again. Like ripples appearing in a dry well, his emotions and desires returned to normal. Nezha sighed after a long time, rubbed his head, and thought that Taibai Jinxing's method was indeed useless.
Even if I were to be reborn, there's no way I could ever be loving and affectionate with my father. It would all be for nothing.
Noticing his distraction, the heavenly soldier beside him called out, "Third Prince, be careful!"
He glanced out of the corner of his eye, took two steps back, and barely dodged the tree demon's vine attack. His soul had just returned to its place, and he was already facing this tricky situation; he was somewhat irritated.
"Is this the last one?" he asked the heavenly soldier.
"There are a few smaller ones behind."
"You guys clean up the small things. I'll take care of this."
"clear."
"Let's finish this quickly." Nezha made a hand seal, and Samadhi True Fire drilled into the ground, starting from the tree roots, crackling and popping like fireworks, burning the surrounding area black.
A sickening sound came from underground, indistinguishable as the shriek of flames or the wail of a tree spirit.
Before long, the monster's true form was forced out of the ground. It was short and stout, looking just like a wooden stump with eyes.
The result of the direct confrontation was that it couldn't withstand three moves from Nezha. He dealt with it using the method of chopping wood, and a large pile of wooden stumps and corpses were neatly stacked on the ground, each piece of moderate length and uniform thickness.
There wasn't even time to say his last words, let alone receive any warm end-of-life care. All it heard was Nezha's cold, flat voice:
“Send it to the victims’ families in the nearby villages, so they can keep it for firewood.”
"clear!"
“Tell them it’s okay if it’s not stored properly. This thing shouldn’t get damp that easily, and it’s quite heat-resistant.”
After dealing with everything, Nezha sounded the retreat and returned to Yunlou Palace, finally having time to properly reminisce about his mortal life.
To be honest, it didn't move me much. Although it was my own personal experience, it felt more like reading someone else's story.
He couldn't understand it, he couldn't empathize with him. He didn't understand why he would do something so stupid—pretending to be lame just to keep a bird? And even pretending to be lame didn't keep it.
His mindset at this moment was similar to revisiting his embarrassing childhood past, and he mercilessly mocked his former self.
However, after resting at Lianxin Residence for half a month, he was bored out of his mind and began to think about whether he should go back to the mortal world.
Although there's nothing to miss, revisiting this place now might bring a different kind of enjoyment.
Before he could come up with a solution, the Heavenly Court assigned him a new task. He wanted to find an excuse to pass it on to Yang Jian, but the location of this expedition was actually Flower Fruit Mountain. He accepted the task in a daze, not understanding how that group of monkeys could have offended the Heavenly Court.
It wasn't until he learned the details that he realized the newly appointed official in charge of the Imperial Stables had rebelled and gone to Heaven because he thought his position was too low. The Jade Emperor sent people to capture him, and this task naturally fell to him and Li Jing.
And this horse-breeding official was none other than Sun Wukong, whom he had met a few times in the mortal realm.
On the way to Flower Fruit Mountain, Li Jing took the initiative to strike up a conversation with him: "How...are you feeling?"
"Hmm?" He was thinking about Sun Wukong when he glanced at his father, not understanding why he said that, since he wasn't injured. "You're in good health, don't worry, it won't interfere with the fight."
"What I mean is, even if the soul returns to its rightful place, there might be some things that make it difficult to adjust."
"No. What about you? If you die from eating poisonous mushrooms, won't there be any aftereffects?"
Li Jing's expression instantly turned sour, seemingly displeased that he had exposed his father's weakness on the spot. But he didn't have time to worry about his father's mental health; he was still thinking about how to handle the upcoming fight.
Upon arriving at Flower Fruit Mountain, the demon monkey was already waiting in front of his cave. Banners fluttered, bearing the four characters "Great Sage Equal to Heaven," displaying his arrogant demeanor without reservation.
Li Jing intended to send the Giant Spirit God ahead to probe the enemy's strength.
Unexpectedly, Nezha stopped the Giant Spirit God and volunteered to take on the task: "I'll go."
“...That works too.” Li Jing nodded.
However, the rebellious son did not act immediately. He stood on the cloud, his eyes focused on a certain spot below, seemingly looking at something.
Li Jing had barely begun his question when he saw the trail of flame from the Wind-Fire Wheels flash past him. His son had completely ignored their intended target, rushing straight down into the bushes and pulling out... a little girl?
"Were they the helpers of that demon monkey?" the Giant Spirit God said gruffly. "They must have been hiding in the shadows trying to launch a sneak attack, but were caught by the Third Prince."
But the heavenly soldiers saw clearly that Nezha didn't attack the girl; instead, they chatted harmoniously. With the situation unclear, the heavenly soldiers could only continue to observe, daring not to make any rash moves.
The Third Prince's actions were always so unpredictable. Just when everyone thought he was going to abandon the direct attack and try to persuade Sun Wukong to surrender, he launched an attack on Sun Wukong without warning.
Rocks crumbled and giant waves roared. The aftershocks of their battle shattered the sea surface. Poor Dragon King of the East Sea, his Crystal Palace must be shaking again.
Li Jing observed the situation below with some tension. Nezha seemed to be at a disadvantage; should he send the Giant Spirit God to reinforce him?
In the chaos, Nezha was injured in one arm, and his turning and retreating action marked the end of the battle. In this round, Sun Wukong won.
As the war drums subsided, Li Jing realized the dire situation and was about to send someone to replace the vanguard and continue the battle when Nezha reached out and dissuaded him:
"If I can't even beat them, wouldn't it be a waste of everyone else's time to go?"
That makes sense, but after making such a large-scale mobilization, are we really going to back down and report back to the Jade Emperor? Li Jing was somewhat troubled: "...It's hard to explain to the Jade Emperor."
"What's there to be ashamed of? That monkey said, 'Let him be the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, and all will be well.'"
"you mean?"
“If the Heavenly Court issues a decree of amnesty, wouldn’t everyone be happy?” Nezha calmly suggested. “Sun Wukong is very strong and can be of great use. With another capable general, the Jade Emperor will not lose out.”
"......"
Ultimately, Li Jing adopted this seemingly feasible plan. The group arrived in a grand spectacle and departed just as grandly. Sun Wukong was left alone in front of the Water Curtain Cave, raising his fist at the departing heavenly army.
Upon returning to the Lingxiao Palace, Nezha truthfully relayed to the Jade Emperor what Sun Wukong had said during the battle, concluding succinctly:
“If we don’t bestow upon him the title of Great Sage Equaling Heaven, he will storm the Heavenly Palace.”
Li Jing: "That's right. What Nezha said is true. That monkey demon is really arrogant. He only wants this official position and nothing else."
Venus immediately chimed in: "Your Majesty, that demon monkey has cultivated since childhood and has never committed any serious crimes. Why not grant him this official position? Even if it's an empty title without any real reward, as long as he doesn't act arrogantly, we can keep him in peace. In this way, we won't have to go through the trouble of mobilizing the masses."
The old man always advocated for peace and harmony, and it would be best to avoid violence if possible.
After a moment's thought, the Jade Emperor uttered a single word: "Approved."
He immediately issued an imperial edict, ordering Venus to go to Flower Fruit Mountain to deliver the edict and invite people.
Li Jing and Nezha then took their leave and exited the palace together.
"You seem to have a good liking for that monkey."
Nezha looked over, puzzled. "What are you talking about?"
He had only met Sun Wukong a few times and barely exchanged a few words with him, so how could it be about whether he liked him or not? It was simply a practical matter; he felt that offering him amnesty was more worthwhile than subduing him.
But... if that happens, Flower Fruit Mountain will be leaderless again.
Will Jiang Huaisu stay there, or will she go to heaven with Sun Wukong?
Suddenly I felt a bit agitated. Why think about her at a time like this?
Whether she goes to heaven or not is none of his business.
Miao Lian's life is over; there's absolutely no way she can expect him to treat her the same way he used to.
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Author's Note: Tomorrow is a Sunday, so the update time will be postponed to 11 PM. [Let me see...]
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