Siheyuan: tomb robbing? I am serious about hunting.

Chapter 1177 Great Sage

"Thank you Miss Qinghe for your trouble." The two walked out of Tingzhuxuan side by side and walked out of the city along the path outside the palace. In the early morning of Jinghua Domain, the air was particularly fresh, with the faint fragrance of flowers and grass. There were already sporadic pedestrians on the street, mostly early-rising farmers and vendors. When they saw Lin Yanzhi, they would still stop and look at him curiously, but they were more enthusiastic than yesterday. Occasionally, someone would greet him with a smile, which made Lin Yanzhi, who was originally a little nervous, gradually relax. After leaving the city gate, the scene in front of them suddenly became clear. Outside the city was a vast field, where various crops were planted, green and full of vitality. At the end of the field were continuous mountains, shrouded in a light mist, like an ink painting. The valley where Jinghua Spring is located is among the mountains. The two walked along a path through the fields. The roadside was filled with colorful wildflowers, butterflies fluttered among the blossoms, and bees gathered nectar from the flowers, creating a vibrant scene. As they walked, Qinghe introduced the plants along the roadside to Lin Yanzhi: "Young Master, look, this plant with small yellow flowers is called 'Forget-Me-Not'. Dig up its roots, dry them, and use them to make tea. It can help you forget your worries. There's also this plant with serrated leaves called 'Hemostatic Grass'. If you get injured, crush the leaves and apply them to the wound. It will quickly stop the bleeding..." Lin Yanzhi listened attentively, nodding in response. He discovered that although Qinghe was a herbalist, he had a wealth of knowledge about herbs and was familiar with the characteristics of each plant. It was obvious that he had put in a lot of hard work. Half an hour later, the two finally arrived at the entrance to the valley. At the entrance stood a huge rock with three large red characters carved into it: Mirror Flower Valley. Entering the valley, Lin Yanzhi was amazed by the sight before him—the entire boulder was engulfed in awe. Tang Sanzang stood before the boulder, clasping his hands together, closing his eyes, and silently chanting a scripture. The chanting was soft, yet carried a reverent power. As he recited, the golden light on the scroll seemed to grow brighter. After finishing, Tang Sanzang slowly opened his eyes, extended his right hand, and gently placed it on the golden scroll. His movements were so gentle, as if he were touching a precious treasure. The moment his finger touched the scroll, the Sanskrit characters on it suddenly shimmered, the golden light becoming dazzling, and the entire Five Elements Mountain trembled slightly. Then, the golden scroll slowly fell from the boulder, like a golden feather, gently landing in Tang Sanzang's hand. The instant it fell, the entire Five Elements Mountain suddenly trembled violently. The huge rock at the top cracked with a loud bang, and a golden light shot up into the sky, illuminating the entire sky and tinting even the distant clouds with a golden glow. A strong wind swept through, rustling the trees below. Li Yan and the boy hurriedly grasped the nearby tree trunks to barely maintain their balance. A powerful aura mingled with the raging wind. It belonged to Sun Wukong, carrying a touch of wildness, excitement, and the joy of regained freedom. When the wind died down and the golden light faded, Li Yan opened his eyes to see a monkey clad in golden chainmail armor, a phoenix-wing purple-gold crown, and lotus-silk cloud-walking shoes standing before Tang Sanzang. The monkey stood eight feet tall, sturdy and agile. The golden armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and the tassels of the phoenix-wing purple-gold crown fluttered in the wind. In his hand, he held a two-foot-long Ruyi Jingu Staff, a golden staff intricately engraved with patterns, emanating a powerful aura. His fiery eyes flashed with a sharp light as he scanned the surroundings, a hint of a defiant smile on his lips. It was Sun Wukong, newly freed. "Master! I, Sun Wukong, am finally free!" Sun Wukong knelt down in front of Tang Monk with a plop and kowtowed three times. He kowtowed so hard each time that the ground shook slightly. "From now on, I, Sun Wukong, will follow you! I will ensure that you will obtain the scriptures in the West and slay demons and monsters along the way. I will never let you come to any harm! If any blind monster dares to block the way, I, Sun Wukong, will hit him with a stick and make his soul fly to pieces!" Tang Monk hurried forward and helped Sun Wukong up, a relieved smile on his face: "Wukong, get up quickly. From now on, you and I are master and disciple, and we will travel west together to obtain the scriptures and save all living beings." Sun Wukong stood up and turned around excitedly on the spot. He swung the golden cudgel in his hand with great vigor, making a "whoosh" sound. The golden shadow of the cudgel flickered in the sunlight, dazzling people. The white horse nearby was startled by the noise and stepped back, paddling its hooves nervously. The boy quickly grabbed the reins and soothed the horse. "Wow! That's Sun Wukong's golden cudgel!" Li Yan stared in amazement, a mixture of envy and awe. He had only seen the golden cudgel in television dramas before, but the one before him was even more formidable. The powerful aura made him take two steps back. After Sun Wukong finished wielding the cudgel, he glanced at Li Yan with a smug look, a hint of disdain on his lips. "Mortal, have you witnessed my power? With me here, I guarantee no one will dare to bully you!" Li Yan quickly bowed and saluted. "Thank you, Great Sage!" He knew that Sun Wukong, despite his unruly appearance, was also a man who would yield to gentleness rather than force, so a few compliments were always a good idea. Just then, the sound of hurried horse hooves echoed in the distance, mixed with shouts. The voices grew closer, carrying a touch of arrogance and insolence. Sun Wukong frowned, jumped up, and leaped onto a big tree next to him like a flash of lightning. He landed steadily on a branch and looked in the direction of the sound with his fiery eyes. He narrowed his eyes, quickly jumped down, and said to Tang Seng, "Master, there is a group of bandits at the foot of the mountain, about twenty or thirty people, all riding horses, holding swords and guns, and coming this way! Judging from their direction, they should be coming for us!" Tang Seng's face changed, and he hurriedly said, "Wukong, don't take lives! Bandits are also mortals. Perhaps they are forced to take this path because of life. If they are willing to reform, I am willing to educate them and give them a chance to start a new life." Sun Wukong curled his lips and said disdainfully, "Master, you are too merciful! These bandits burned, killed, looted, and did all kinds of evil. I don't know how many people's blood is on their hands. Keeping them is a disaster! I, Sun Wukong, will go to deal with them and let them know how powerful I am. They will never dare to do evil again!" After that, Sun Wukong was about to walk down the mountain with the golden cudgel. Li Yan quickly stepped forward and stopped him, "Wait a minute, Great Sage! The elder is right. We shouldn't take anyone's life lightly. We don't know their intentions yet. Perhaps they are just passing by and aren't targeting us."