Chapter 60. Let's go home together.
In a daze, Jiang Huaisu sensed someone slip into the covers and lie down beside her. A cool, lotus-scented breeze followed, creeping up her skin and sending a shiver down her spine.
She opened her eyes and saw Nezha covering her with a blanket, his hand accidentally brushing against her shoulder.
"Sorry, did I wake you up?"
She shook her head, then grabbed his fingers and breathed warm air on them: "Why are they so cold?"
"I took a cold bath." Nezha pulled the blanket up a little so that the two of them were snuggled tightly in the warm blankets. "You know, plants wither when they run out of water."
Without a second thought, Jiang Huaisu quickly accepted this explanation, after all, she often saw Nezha taking baths at Lianxin Residence. However, she still reminded him, "Wouldn't hot water be more comfortable?"
"Okay, I'll use hot water next time."
He was no longer made of flesh and blood, so he wasn't very sensitive to hot and cold. On his way back, he saw a clear pond and decided to soak in it to cleanse his body of the blood.
He secretly made a mental note not to get into her bed immediately after taking a cold shower. After raising his body temperature with his magic, he pressed his face against Jiang Huaisu's back and pulled her into his arms. "I'm a little sleepy, let's sleep a little longer."
After stretching his muscles with Red Boy, nothing could be more comfortable than a good night's sleep. This time, he was serious, and the boy seemed to have some reservations, as if he intended to stop short of defeat. Nezha, however, took his concession as a sign of guilt and injustice, and would certainly not show mercy because of it.
As the fight progressed, his opponent also became enraged and stopped holding back, probably realizing that backing down and showing goodwill would only worsen his situation. Moreover, Red Boy hadn't forgotten the beating he received hundreds of years ago, and the combination of old and new grudges led him to perform exceptionally well in the battle.
Unfortunately, the Samadhi True Fire was no match for Nezha. After several rounds of fighting, Red Boy was still defeated.
Nezha pondered that after this fight, Red Boy would be seriously injured and return to the mountain, probably bedridden for at least two months, and certainly wouldn't have the strength to go find Xiao Yuan again. As for his feelings for Jiang Huaisu, he should put them aside.
"Susu," he suddenly opened his eyes and asked, "What do you think of Red Boy?"
"Hmm?" Jiang Huaisu thought for a moment, feeling that it wasn't easy to summarize; her impression of him was rather fragmented. "A few hundred years ago, he was a short-tempered child, but lately he seems to be more..."
“You’re pretty good at pretending,” Nezha said bluntly.
Jiang Huaisu put it more tactfully: "It feels like he's pretending to be mature, especially when interacting with people." But it's understandable; many people go through this phase, deliberately suppressing their emotions and concealing their true intentions in order to prove they're a well-rounded adult. But actually, considering the age of the demons, Red Boy is still a cub, so there's really no need for him to act like a seasoned veteran.
Nezha was satisfied that he didn't hear a good word about Red Boy from Jiang Huaisu. He didn't care whether the brat pretended to be familiar with him or not, as long as he didn't cause any more trouble in the future.
For a long time afterward, Nezha and Jiang Huaisu heard no more news about Red Boy. It seemed he had long since given up searching for Xiao Yuan, and had become much more low-key, no longer making any statements about finding a wife or anything like that, but simply focusing on his secluded cultivation.
Six months later, an invitation arrived at Huaguo Mountain, inviting Jiang Huaisu to a banquet at Haoshan to share the flesh of Tang Sanzang.
The plot point has finally arrived! Jiang Huaisu read it two or three times to make sure she wasn't mistaken. Tang Sanzang has been captured and taken to the Fire Cloud Cave, just waiting to be washed and cooked. As expected, Sun Wukong should be frantically trying to figure out a way to break the enemy's fire formation.
The timing of the invitation's arrival was also quite clever; whether it was intentional or not, it just so happened to coincide with Nezha's return to Heaven.
There was nothing to panic about. Holding the script, Jiang Huaisu knew that Red Boy was destined to miss out on this opportunity.
Given his cleverness, he should have known very well that messing with Tang Sanzang would inevitably lead to him being punished by Sun Wukong. Why then did he do it? Was it because his demonic nature had awakened, and he felt he couldn't let this delicious piece of Tang Sanzang's flesh pass by his doorstep unscathed?
However, she suddenly remembered that when they last met, Red Boy had said, "We will hold a banquet soon... Could he be referring to today? If that's the case, doesn't it mean that he has been preparing to capture Tang Sanzang for a long time?"
Does Red Boy really believe that the benefits of eating Tang Sanzang outweigh the corresponding risks? He's willing to use any means necessary to further his cultivation and become stronger. And now, having temporarily repelled Sun Wukong, his confidence has inflated to an unprecedented level?
To her, the invitation was more like a provocation. He knew perfectly well about her relationship with Sun Wukong, so how could she possibly feel at ease going to eat Tang Sanzang's flesh?
Regardless, it's best to go check on the situation. Nezha should receive the news soon, since they need to borrow Li Tianwang's Heavenly Gang Blade for this ordeal.
Within the territory of Haoshan, she first met up with Sun Wukong and learned that he had invited the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas to put out the fire, but unfortunately, the effect was minimal.
"Rain cannot overcome fire. I'm just about to go to the South Sea to ask the Bodhisattva for help." Sun Wukong rubbed his eyes. Ever since he came out of the Eight Trigrams Furnace, his eyes couldn't stand wind and smoke, and he was forced back by Red Boy's fire.
I don't know how the Niu family raised their children. They act so boldly that they even dared to eat their uncle's master.
After complaining about his ignorant nephew, Sun Wukong turned his gaze to Jiang Huaisu, wondering why she was so well-informed. Her master had only been captured for a short time, and she had rushed to Haoshan upon hearing the news. He wondered who had informed her.
"Did the Dragon King tell you that?"
"It was Red Boy who sent the invitation," Jiang Huaisu said with a smirk. "He invited me to the Flaming Cloud Cave to share Tang Sanzang's flesh..."
"..." Sun Wukong's expression became indescribable; this nephew must have lost his mind.
To prevent his master from actually being boiled into soup, he rushed to the South China Sea to fetch reinforcements, leaving Jiang Huaisu to observe the situation at Haoshan.
Bajie had already set up a small pot over there, stirring the wild vegetables that had turned into a paste, and enthusiastically invited Jiang Huaisu to come and eat with him. After living in the open for so long, he had at least mastered some survival skills, but unfortunately, the food didn't look appetizing. Jiang Huaisu only glanced at it before waving her hand and refusing to be fed.
As dusk settled, Sha Wujing and Zhu Bajie dozed off against a tree trunk. They had experienced the monster's fire firsthand and dared not rush in. They agreed that it would be better to wait for Monkey King to return before taking any action.
With nothing to do, Jiang Huaisu went to feed the horses. The little white horse raised its head and glanced at her, ignoring the fodder in her hand, while letting out a short snort, seemingly expressing its disdain.
I almost forgot that this horse's predecessor was Ao Lie. The proud little dragon disliked the hay that had been over-sun-dried and turned yellow, finding it unpalatable and refusing to eat it.
She stroked the white horse's mane and said gently, "I left in a hurry and forgot to bring you some provisions. We won't be able to find fresh fodder for a while, so you'll go hungry if you don't eat. Or would you like to try the wild vegetable soup that Pigsy makes?"
Ao Lie shook his head.
Alright. Since that's the case, she put down the hay, gave up feeding the animals, and prepared to go to the stream to drink some water herself.
Unexpectedly, a gust of wind and smoke suddenly arose, blurring the view and making the surrounding air murky and hot.
She and Ao Lie realized almost simultaneously that something was wrong; the smoke and dust were too eerie and clearly not a natural phenomenon.
However, just as she assumed a defensive stance, she felt her body lighten, as if enveloped by a gust of wind, and uncontrollably lifted off the ground. The white horse neighed and transformed into a dragon, attempting to pull her back with its tail, but was blocked by a wall of fire that rose out of nowhere.
Samadhi True Fire?!
Jiang Huaisu immediately realized who was behind this. They probably used the same method when they kidnapped Tang Sanzang, making it impossible to guard against. The gust of wind that had enveloped her drifted purposefully in a certain direction. She struggled to open her eyes and caught a glimpse of the stone plaque of the Fire Cloud Cave below.
After entering the cave and walking swiftly along the stone path for a while, the smoke and dust finally dissipated, and she fell straight down. Knowing she would surely fall flat on her face if she continued like this, she quickly adjusted her position, used the stone wall for leverage, and leaped down, landing lightly.
Then, a pair of warm hands touched her shoulders. Looking up, she saw a red-haired, gray-eyed fairy watching her with a smile.
"Auntie, I'm so glad you've come to the banquet."
"Do you know what you're doing?" She brushed the hand off her shoulder, anger rising within her, and frowned. "Tang Sanzang is Sun Wukong's master. Do you want to die by capturing him?"
“I know, he’s a big shot. Eating a bite of his flesh is worth years of cultivation. You’re a demon too, little aunt, don’t you have any interest in Tang Sanzang’s flesh?” Red Boy seemed a little aggrieved. “I even specially reserved a portion for you.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Huaisu was so shocked she almost stammered, "My...my share? You mean you've already divided...divided Tang Sanzang..."
"Not yet. Killing it too early would make the meat stale and affect the taste."
Jiang Huaisu breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, the plot hadn't gone awry.
“But now that you’re here,” Red Boy narrowed his eyes, “just order him to be slaughtered immediately. Which part do you prefer? Leg meat? Neck meat? If you can’t decide, that’s fine, you can try them all.”
"I think beef might taste better than human flesh..."
"Really? Then I'll have someone catch a few cows to use as side dishes."
"Just kidding, I prefer vegetarian food." Jiang Huaisu felt like she had punched a cotton ball. Saying she wanted to eat beef in front of a cow was indeed a provocation, but the other party didn't take the bait at all.
Soon, a little demon came to report that the White Dragon Horse, Pigsy, and Sandy had attacked. Red Boy's expression hardened, and he told the little demon to take Jiang Huaisu back to her room first, while he went out to meet those people.
Red Boy moved swiftly; in the blink of an eye, only his retreating figure remained. Jiang Huaisu hoped that the White Dragon and the others could put in some effort to buy them more time, ideally until Sun Wukong arrived with reinforcements. Otherwise, leaving her alone in the cave to face Red Boy, she had no confidence in her ability to handle him.
After turning left and right in the passage, the little demon led her to a spacious room, and then hurriedly left, perhaps to help her king.
As she entered, a quick glance revealed that Tang Sanzang was also there, sitting at the table sighing and stroking his bald head. Seeing her, the young monk's eyes lit up with obvious surprise: "Miss Jiang?"
Jiang Huaisu sighed and sat down beside him. What was this all about? Was he bringing her here to conduct a food safety inspection?
"Elder Tang." She looked him over, not finding any injuries on him yet, "Are you alright?"
"No, the demon king said he would fatten me up before killing me." Tang Sanzang put his hands together and said thankfully, "Luckily, I am thin and weak, otherwise I would probably be dead."
"Have you tried to escape?" Jiang Huaisu noticed that there wasn't even a guard at the door, indicating that Tang Seng had more freedom of movement than she had imagined.
"I'm ashamed to say that I tried twice, but I got lost both times. In the end, I was led back to my room by the demon king's subordinates."
“Oh, right.” Jiang Huaisu remembered, “His cave is filled with a maze of stones, so it’s not easy to escape.”
But this time is different. With her there, the chances of a successful escape are much higher. Last time, when Xiao Yuan led her out of the maze, she tried to memorize the route while she was at leisure. She wouldn't say she remembered everything, but she still had some recollection of the locations of the key points at certain forks in the path.
Tang Sanzang naturally agreed to her suggestion wholeheartedly. Although there was food and drink in this place, he felt uneasy at all. Being kept here as reserve food, he didn't know when he would be taken away and cooked.
The two wandered through the stone path, dodging patrolling demon soldiers while searching for an exit. Tang Sanzang followed behind Jiang Huaisu, aimlessly traversing the maze-like route. The confusing route made him dizzy, his heart pounding with anxiety, fearing that a demon might appear around any corner at any moment.
"This humble monk has a persistent, ominous premonition..."
The little monk was filled with remorse, blaming himself for his jinxed mouth!
"How did you end up here? I've been looking for you everywhere." With his sharp teeth concealed, Red Boy put on a well-behaved smile again.
Jiang Huaisu was certain he had done it on purpose, maliciously trying to scare people, and had even deliberately controlled his fangs to grow longer. The only victim, Tang Seng, was so frightened he almost lost his footing, and she quickly supported him to prevent the dignified holy monk from losing face at this moment.
“I fought them off.” He approached Jiang Huaisu. “No one will bother us for now. It’s time to eat… What do you think?”
As he spoke, he reached out to pull Tang Sanzang.
How could Jiang Huaisu stand by and watch him go and eat someone? She immediately reached out to stop him.
"Aunt?"
Jiang Huaisu was heartbroken: "I don't have a nephew like you!"
Inside the narrow cave, the bird and the cow started fighting at the drop of a hat. Tang Sanzang, at Jiang Huaisu's prompting, quickly found a place to hide to avoid being hit by the falling rocks.
"You can't beat me." Red Boy teased as he leaned close to her ear, "Even Sun Wukong is no match for me."
"That was just a lucky accident; you caught my weakness with your sharp eyes."
"Why are you still speaking up for him? Don't you like Nezha? Nezha has been defeated by Sun Wukong."
"What does this have to do with Nezha?"
“Nezha suffered at Sun Wukong's hands, but Sun Wukong has now been forced to retreat by me. It's as if I've helped Nezha vent his anger. Shouldn't you be happy?”
Jiang Huaisu immediately sensed his unspoken meaning: "You mean Nezha is inferior to you, right?" This blatant horizontal comparison was hard not to make one think.
Without answering yes or no, Red Boy sneered and significantly increased the force of his attack, making her arm go numb.
“I didn’t say that, I was just stating facts.”
"...Have you ever played rock-paper-scissors? Rock has won against scissors, and scissors has won against paper, but that doesn't mean rock can win against paper." Although she knew it was better to go along with him in this situation, she couldn't help but speak up for Nezha when the moment came.
Are you saying I'll never be as good as Nezha?
“I didn’t say that, I was just stating facts,” Jiang Huaisu retorted.
Anger flashed across Red Boy's face as he forced her back several feet with a single palm strike. Jiang Huaisu caught her breath and looked up to see his fiery red hair, which inexplicably made her hallucinate a fiery chili pepper, as if it were about to breathe fire.
However, after staring at her for a long time, his anger suddenly vanished, and he instead curled his lips into a smile and said, "Nothing has changed, little aunt."
"What?"
“You’re still as sharp-tongued as you were hundreds of years ago.” Red Boy tilted his head. “You’re clearly afraid of me, so why won’t you say something nice?”
He took a few steps closer, seemingly wanting to say something more, when suddenly the ground shook violently, and Sun Wukong's shouts came from outside. Even through the layers of rocks, every word was clearly audible, essentially telling him to quickly hand over Tang Sanzang and then accept his punishment.
Red Boy's eyes turned cold, and he said to Jiang Huaisu, "Stay here and wait for me to come back."
With a flash of his clothes, he disappeared around the corner, his back view exuding a murderous aura.
Jiang Huaisu breathed a sigh of relief and quickly helped Tang Seng, who was hiding behind the stone wall, up to check if he had any injuries.
Fortunately, the little monk was quite clever; he remained crouched in a blind spot and wasn't affected by their fight at all. However, his face looked rather pale, as if he wanted to cry but dared not, probably because he felt it would be too shameful to shed tears in front of others. He quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeve before turning back to Jiang Huaisu and saying:
"Thank you for saving me, Miss Jiang. I have nothing to repay you with, but if you wish to eat me, I can let you have a little. Just do it quietly, without telling Wukong."
There's no need for such a generous thank you.
She waved her hands repeatedly in refusal, indicating that she had absolutely no interest in cannibalism and didn't like it.
"Don't worry, Elder, there's no more danger," she comforted you. "Wukong has come to save you, and this time the Bodhisattva is here too."
That being said, staying here and waiting idly wasn't an option; their situation was far too passive. After resting for a while, Jiang Huaisu rallied her spirits and continued to lead Tang Sanzang to find an exit.
Judging from the location where Sun Wukong made his voice earlier, this place should be very close to the exit.
Even so, the maze of stones still led her astray, and it was half an hour later when she finally stepped out of the cave.
Upon seeing the sunlight, she squinted, momentarily blinded.
"Jiang Huaisu!"
"Master!"
Two voices rang out at the same time. Nezha and Sun Wukong flew to the cave entrance. One picked up Jiang Huaisu, and the other carried Tang Sanzang, taking them to a safe open space below.
Jiang Huaisu then saw that the entrance to Huoyun Cave was a scene of utter devastation. There were scorch marks everywhere, flowers, trees and shrubs were hacked to pieces, and dark red bloodstains were visible everywhere. Clearly, a fierce battle had just taken place here.
"Where is Red Boy?" Jiang Huaisu looked around.
“Over there,” Nezha pointed upwards.
Jiang Huaisu looked up and saw Guanyin Bodhisattva sitting serenely on a cloud, with Red Boy, covered in blood, beside her. He was kneeling on one knee, struggling to stand up, his face still showing signs of resentment. The bloody holes in his body were likely caused by the Heavenly Gang Blade; more than a dozen holes were bleeding profusely, making for a rather gruesome scene.
“What was he thinking, capturing Tang Sanzang?” Nezha leaned against Jiang Huaisu with a lighthearted tone. “If he wanted to prove his strength, why didn’t he just go and challenge his father to a duel? Why did he have to make such a big fuss? Now look what’s happened, he’s been captured by the Bodhisattva and taken back to the South Sea. He’s going to suffer a lot, having to listen to Buddhist scriptures every day until his ears are calloused.”
Red Boy coughed up a mouthful of blood and fell from the clouds. The Bodhisattva lowered her brows and sprinkled sweet dew, which immediately relieved his injuries and stopped bleeding. However, the wound caused by the Heavenly Gang Blade was still there and would take some time to heal.
Having regained some strength, Red Boy took a breath and slowly stood up.
Seeing his swaying figure, Jiang Huaisu thought he was about to fall again, but unexpectedly, Hong Haier pushed off with his feet and suddenly charged towards her. He reached out his hand, as if trying to grab her.
Then, just as his fingertips brushed against Jiang Huaisu's clothes, Nezha grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back. At the same time, the Bodhisattva threw out five golden rings, which firmly bound Red Boy's wrists, ankles, and head. Now he was completely immobilized and unable to resist.
Jiang Huaisu was puzzled. Had Red Boy tried to take her hostage? Didn't he even consider their positions? Nezha and Sun Wukong were both right beside him; his chances of success were negligible. Was he out of his mind, acting so impulsively?
Kneeling on the ground, Red Boy glanced up at Jiang Huaisu, then quickly lowered his eyelashes again. In that instant, she caught a complex emotion in his eyes that she had never seen before—stubborn, crazed. So unfamiliar it startled her.
She unconsciously took a half step back, wondering if she had misread it.
Just as they were about to take a closer look, Red Boy had already turned around and knelt down before the Bodhisattva. He admitted defeat when he couldn't win, and finally stopped being stubborn. He expressed his willingness to follow the Bodhisattva's advice, return to Mount Luojia, receive the precepts, and enter the Dharma.
That's like a prudent calf; if you can't win, don't fight head-on. If you surrender early, you might avoid getting a couple more holes in your body.
Red Boy was already at his limit, and he kept his forehead pressed against the ground. Jiang Huaisu thought he was kowtowing to the Bodhisattva with great devotion, but after a while she realized that he had actually lost consciousness and fainted.
Thus, having been granted the title of Sudhana by the Buddhist order, he could only be carried back to the South China Sea by the Bodhisattva on a cloud, to recover from his injuries before discussing anything else.
Sun Wukong continued his journey to the West, and wanted to invite Jiang Huaisu to accompany them for a few days. None of the master and disciples objected; after all, they had received many treats from Jiang Huaisu along the way, and even the White Dragon Horse had a high regard for her. Tang Sanzang, needless to say, was deeply moved by Jiang Huaisu's refusal of Red Boy's invitation in the Fire Cloud Cave, as few demons could resist the temptation of Tang Sanzang's flesh.
Jiang Huaisu's joining them on their pilgrimage was like getting Nezha as a bonus, instantly expanding the group and doubling their alms-begging efficiency. The group leisurely traversed mountains and valleys, displaying a relaxed, tourist-like demeanor.
She had only wanted something new and planned to return to Flower Fruit Mountain in a few days, but she didn't expect the next ordeal to come so quickly.
When crossing the Blackwater River, the little alligator dragon transformed into a boatman on the river, attempting to abduct Tang Sanzang into the water. According to the original story, the little alligator dragon was the nephew of the West Sea Dragon King, and this ordeal should have been handled by Prince Moang, sent by Ao Run. However, the current situation was quite different from the book. Before Tang Sanzang even fell into the water, he was lifted up by Nezha and Sun Wukong, one on each side, without even getting his sleeves wet.
The little alligator dragon tried to escape into the water, but Nezha grabbed its tail and pulled it back. With practiced ease, Nezha raised his fire-tipped spear and slashed across the dragon's back, its scales falling off in a flash, exposing its exposed flesh to the air. A chill ran down the little alligator dragon's spine, and it cried out in panic, "Third Prince, no! I know I was wrong, I know I was wrong!"
Sun Wukong gloated from the side: "Whose little demon are you, trying to eat my master too?"
Knowing that being stubborn wouldn't get him anywhere, the little alligator dragon honestly introduced himself, saying that he had lost both his parents when he was young and was sent to the Blackwater River by his uncle, the Dragon King of the West Sea, to cultivate his character and seek mercy.
All eyes turned to Ao Lie. The latter shook his mane irritably: "Why are you looking at me? I don't recognize this cousin. He's so audacious that he dared to eat my master. It's all Ao Run's fault for not disciplining him properly."
It seems that the White Dragon still harbors deep resentment towards his father for filing a complaint with the emperor back then, and has not let it go to this day. He calls his father by his given name directly, as if he does not want to have anything to do with the Dragon King of the West Sea.
Jiang Huaisu's attention was focused on something else, and she looked at the little white dragon in shock: "You can talk?"
“I never said I was mute.” Ao Lie flicked his tail, wanting to headbutt her, but gave up regretfully because Nezha was in front of him.
"Didn't Pigsy say that you can't speak human language when you transform into a horse...?"
"You actually believed that?" The little white dragon gave her a disdainful look.
Seeing that the group's attention had shifted away from him, the little dragon tried to escape, but found that Nezha was holding onto his tail very tightly and he couldn't break free at all.
Noticing that the little alligator dragon was acting rather erratically, Nezha turned his head to look at it: "Don't worry, I'll take you back to the West Sea later."
"...Third Prince, I haven't lived in the Western Sea for a long time." The little dragon felt it was best not to disturb his uncle, otherwise his comfortable days would soon be over.
Jiang Huaisu also stepped forward: "Speaking of which, you were able to cause trouble here because you seized the Blackwater River God's residence, right? It's not appropriate for you to stay any longer. Sending you back to the West Sea is the right thing to do."
Little Alligator Dragon: "!"
How did this woman know it had occupied the Water God's Palace? It hadn't originally intended to reveal this!
“Perfect timing, Jiang Huaisu and I should leave too.” Nezha didn’t care about its inner thoughts. With a flick of his Hun Tian Ling, he immediately bound the little alligator dragon tightly and tossed it onto the cloud. Turning to Sun Wukong, he said coldly, “After all, I’m not the one who retrieved these scriptures. Master, you can protect them yourself. I won’t interfere any further.”
Jiang Huaisu also jumped onto the cloud and waved vigorously at Sun Wukong: "See you another day!"
Sun Wukong: "...Won't you stay a little longer?"
Jiang Huaisu shook her head: "Next time. Next time I come, I'll bring you something delicious."
She was worried that if she and Nezha interfered too much, it would disrupt Sun Wukong's progress through the dungeons. The next level seemed to be Chechi Kingdom? She wouldn't go to fight them; she figured she could handle Monkey King and his fellow disciples on her own.
After sending the little dragon back to the West Sea to receive its punishment and giving the old Dragon King a dressing down, Nezha considered his task done and left the Dragon Palace with Jiang Huaisu in a good mood.
On their way back to Flower Fruit Mountain, as they flew over the South China Sea, the two of them, on a whim, decided to check on Red Boy. Nezha thought that now that he had been disciplined by the Bodhisattva, he would definitely be much more obedient.
Entering the Bodhisattva's fold is an opportunity. As long as he sincerely repents, the Bodhisattva won't keep him there forever. Given time, he will surely regain his freedom. As for whether he continues to be Sudhana or returns to Mount Hao to become the Lord of the Fire Cloud Cave, that depends on his own choice.
When Nezha met Red Boy at Mount Luojia, just as he had expected, the little bull's arrogance had completely vanished. He was dressed in a simple, loose robe, and although he hadn't shaved his head, he had changed it to a very understated black. The effects of his days of copying scriptures and chanting Buddhist prayers were truly remarkable. He sat cross-legged in the purple bamboo forest, looking as if he had lost all worldly desires, whether he was numb or had come to terms with it was unclear.
Of course, Nezha's visit to Mount Luojia wasn't just to see Red Boy make a fool of himself; he also wanted to visit his second brother, since it was on the way anyway.
Although Muzha and Nezha didn't have much to talk about, it was mostly the same few sentences, the gist of which was that Nezha should remember to send his regards to his parents after returning to Heaven. Nezha didn't show any impatience, and as he had done countless times before, he calmly agreed.
While Nezha and Muzha were having their brotherly conversation, Jiang Huaisu stayed in the Purple Bamboo Forest to enjoy the scenery and feel the breeze. The forest was quiet and serene, with a faint fragrance of incense in the air. The scenery was also excellent, a different type from Flower Fruit Mountain. It was quite pleasant to spend some time there occasionally.
She casually found a place to sit down, tilting her head slightly and staring intently at Red Boy, who was sitting cross-legged in front of her. Perhaps her probing gaze was too obvious, for Red Boy finally couldn't ignore it and looked in her direction, asking in confusion, "Is there something on my face?"
"No, I was just thinking..."
"What?"
Do you still want to eat Tang Sanzang's flesh?
Red Boy twitched his lips, not really wanting to deal with the question. But seeing her serious expression, it didn't seem like she was deliberately provoking him.
"I don't want to think about it anymore. I was blinded by greed back then, only thinking about proving myself." Red Boy readily admitted his mistake, then paused and asked, "After I captured Tang Sanzang, did your opinion of me change? For example, did you think I was exceptionally capable and became a reliable adult?"
Before she could answer, he continued, "No, right? In the end, I neither proved myself nor got to eat Tang Sanzang's flesh. It was all for nothing, and I regret it now."
In Jiang Huaisu's opinion, while Tang Sanzang possessed exceptional abilities, reliability was questionable. A truly mature demon wouldn't do something so foolish as to try and capture him just to prove himself. But then she thought, there were plenty of foolish demons on the journey to the West, so she could only attribute it to some kind of bewitching charm on Tang Sanzang's flesh, causing passing demons to lose their minds and risk everything to obtain this delicious little monk.
Jiang Huaisu lowered her eyes, her expression changing several times. After a moment, as if she had made up her mind, she looked up at Hong Haier again, cleared her throat and said, "Actually, there's another question I want to ask you."
"Hmm." Red Boy didn't even look at her, his tone indifferent. "Ask away."
"...Do you like me a little?"
Jiang Huaisu felt embarrassed as soon as she asked the question.
But this was a question she had pondered for many days, and she wanted to understand it no matter what.
She couldn't be blamed; some of Red Boy's actions were indeed hard not to overthink, especially the look in his eyes before he was taken away by the Bodhisattva at Mount Hao, which made her uneasy. If Red Boy really had those kinds of thoughts, she felt she had better nip his budding desires in the bud as soon as possible.
Red Boy lowered his head, his pupils trembling. But his long hair, hanging down, concealed the change in his expression. When he looked up again, he had a mocking smile on his face: "You really dare to dream."
"......"
“You’re my aunt.” His tone was impeccable, yet subtly laced with sarcasm. “How could I possibly fall in love with my own aunt?”
"Okay, that's for the best." Jiang Huaisu nodded, feigning composure, but regretted it so much she wanted to go back a few minutes and sew her mouth shut. Why did she ask such a silly question! Now she couldn't enjoy the scenery in peace anymore; she was so embarrassed she just wanted to disappear into the ground. She hoped her nephew would forget about it immediately and act as if nothing had happened.
He had miscalculated; he had assumed that given her slow-wittedness, she would never discover such a thing before he confessed. However, it wasn't a big problem; once he gave a negative answer, Jiang Huaisu would immediately believe him.
The two remained silent for a long while when Nezha's voice suddenly came from afar: "Susu?"
Jiang Huaisu scrambled to her feet, not glancing back at Red Boy once more, and fled the Purple Bamboo Forest as if escaping, following the sound to reunite with Nezha.
"Have you finished talking with your second brother?" She couldn't wait to leave.
"We're done talking."
"Then let's go back to Flower Fruit Mountain."
"Why don't you stay in the South China Sea a little longer? The scenery here is quite nice."
Jiang Huaisu's tone was firm: "No, I want to go home."
Although he wanted to wander around the neighborhood, seeing Jiang Huaisu's hurried expression, Nezha figured she was probably in a rush to get back to the mountain to rest. She hadn't had a proper meal in the past few days on the road; she must be exhausted. He decided he would never accompany the monkey on his pilgrimage again; the food was terrible.
“Alright, let’s go back to Flower Fruit Mountain.” He took Jiang Huaisu’s hand and walked out with her. “I recently learned a few new dishes. I’ll try making them when we get back. They shouldn’t be bad.”
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Author's Note: The End in the Next Chapter
[Lop-eared rabbit head]
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