Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

Not long after, Tathagata, seated at the Great Thunderclap Monastery atop Mount Ling in Xiniu Hezhou, also opened his eyes, looked up, and seemed to gaze through spatial barriers, seeing the greatest crisis on the path to Transcendence. He brought his hands together and said, "Amitabha, well done, Well done!"

At the same time, Lu Yu had already arrived at Mount Xieyang. The mountain was lush with vegetation, winding streams, and it was springtime with flowers blooming all around and the sounds of deer calling in the woods, truly a wonderful mountain.

There were well-laid stone steps on the mountain, extending as far as the eye could see. The steps, which had been there for years, had gaps filled with tenacious little green grass, poking their heads out, declaring their existence to the world, showcasing the resilience of life at this moment.

Lu Yu climbed the steps, and the scenery changed accordingly. Due to the temperature differences between the heights and the foot of the mountain, each view was unique, as they say: In the mortal realm all the flowers of April have faded, yet the peach blossoms of the mountain temple are just beginning to bloom.

After a while, a Taoist Temple came into view, clearly recently constructed with its green tiles and blue bricks still looking new, without a speck of dust. Surrounded by pines and cypresses, lush and verdant, under the sunlight casting dappled tree shadows, it was quite a picturesque setting.

In the center hung a wooden plaque with the characters for "Gathering Immortals' Retreat" written in a vigorous and lively script, full of force, the writer unknown.

However, the gates of the Taoist Temple were tightly shut, not a single person in sight.

Inside, there were quite a few Taoists, each drooping their heads, speaking and acting cautiously, not daring to speak loudly. Even their walking was deliberately slowed, fearful any sound might displease their master.

It was because a few days ago, a monk with a beard like that of Thunder Lord came asking for water. Unfortunately, he had an old grudge with the old master, and the two fought fiercely. Unexpectedly, the monk was formidable, leaving the old master no chance to fight back. The monk then used the tactic of luring the tiger away from the mountain, and the water was lost; therefore, the master was extremely despondent, taking out his anger on his disciples, and many suffered because of it.

Everyone, terrified of the old master, was now sitting in his room, staring at the Ruyi Hook broken into four pieces, inwardly devastated.

This weapon had been with him for many years, quite handy, and he had refined it into a Magical Treasure, inseparable from him. Now, it had been destroyed by that detestable Monkey, his anger enough to burn everything around him.

In such a quiet environment, a sudden knock on the door startled the Taoists guarding outside, their hearts leaping to their throats.

The first one was an Old Taoist who hurried to the entrance, opened the door, and saw a scholarly Scholar in a green robe standing outside with a smiling face.

"Is this the location of the Abortion Spring?" the Scholar in the green robe asked with a smile.

The Old Taoist sized up the somewhat frail Scholar, felt an inexplicable awe rising within him, and said respectfully, "This is the Gathering Immortals' Retreat, the Abortion Spring is indeed here. Why have you come here?"

The Old Taoist asked suspiciously, aware that this Scholar was inside the boundary of the Kingdom of Women, they themselves could not have entered without their master's lead.

"Lu would like to obtain some water from the Abortion Spring," the Scholar expressed with a gentle smile on his face.

On hearing this, the Old Taoist frowned slightly and said, "The water from this spring in our temple is not easily given away. You must bring suitable gifts and prepare wine before you can obtain it."

Lu Yu, however, smiled and said, "I also possess some rare items here. You could inform the temple master, and if he is willing to trade with me, all would be well and happy."

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However, what Lu Yu did not say was, if the other party was unwilling to trade, then they would have to settle it by confrontation.

The Old Taoist's face showed difficulty, unnoticed by others. As the leading disciple of the Ruyi True Immortal, how could he not know that his Honored Master was actually a demon? Normally, a little tribute would suffice to appease him, but now he was enraged, and if he met the Scholar, he might kill him if in a bad mood.

Therefore, he spoke earnestly, "Under normal circumstances, I would pass your message along, but my Honored Master is currently enraged. Brashly disturbing him might not end as you wish."

The Old Taoist was indeed well-intentioned, fearing that Lu Yu, at such a young age, might perish there, thus he spoke out to advise him.

However, another, younger Taoist arrived in the courtyard. He was stalwart, with a deep scar on his face and a malevolent aura that clashed with the Taoist robe he wore.

Upon seeing him, the Old Taoist furrowed his brows and asked, "Junior brother, why have you come here?"

Actually, he deeply disliked this junior brother, for the man was a desperado, heart devoid of any mercy, only taking up discipleship under the Ruyi True Immortal after being relentlessly pursued for his numerous murders.

His nature was cruel, and he often sneaked out to slaughter the innocent; nonetheless, since the Ruyi True Immortal was a demon by origin, he paid no mind to such matters, which allowed this junior to thrive here like a fish in water.

The Old Taoist disliked his cruelty, and he disliked the Old Taoist's kindness. The two were mutually disdainful, usually ignoring each other.@@novelbin@@

"The Honored Master heard some noise at the gate, and wants this visitor to enter. Maybe he intends to fulfill his wish," said the young Taoist with a hypocritical smile, yet his eyes were as cold as the harsh winter wind.

Hearing this, the Old Taoist felt a chill in his heart, knowing that if the Scholar were allowed inside at this time, it would likely be a life-and-death situation. Yet he dared not speak out to stop it, well aware of his Honored Master's temper. Despite his usual sage-like demeanor, his inherent unruliness as a demon was undeniable, and he likely cared little for the so-called master-disciple affection, especially with a malicious junior brother nearby, leaving him helpless.

Therefore, he could only sigh deeply and said to the Scholar who seemed very refined, "Since the Honored Master has invited you, you should go inside."

After saying this, he did not linger at the gate but turned and left, unwilling to witness a possible tragedy unfold.

"This visitor, please!" The young Taoist, with a terrifying smile on his face, stretched out his hand, leading Lu Yu inside, his scar looking particularly ferocious.

Lu Yu followed inside and found the interior beautifully maintained, with corridors, rockeries, pools, and gardens, all arranged with taste, evidently the result of considerable effort.

The young Taoist, however, focused on Lu Yu's slightly frail body, his inner brutality nearly uncontrollable, for he most enjoyed tormenting Scholars like Lu Yu.

Passing through the garden and finishing the corridor, a very imposing house appeared before them. The young Taoist pointed to the door, "Here we are, you will meet our Honored Master once you enter."