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Chapter 89 Do you want to [6K]

When Chen Guangrui heard passersby mentioning "Master Yuan," a thought struck him.

Following the flow of people, I indeed saw Master Yuan surrounded by a crowd in front of an impressive fortune-telling stall.

The Yuan Shoucheng before me was a completely different person from the poor and shabby man who used to hide from people and tell fortunes in the West Market.

He sat behind a brand-new rosewood desk, dressed in a well-tailored brocade Taoist robe embroidered with dark cloud patterns that shimmered faintly in the sunlight. His hair was meticulously combed and adorned with a black jade hairpin. Although his face still bore the features etched by time, it radiated a ruddy glow.

His old, dilapidated stall was long gone; in its place stood a brand-new blue cloth banner, with a large "卜" (divination) character embroidered in gold thread. The table no longer held broken bamboo tubes, but instead a gilded divination stick container, and a small, exquisite golden toad-spitting-treasure incense burner, wisps of smoke rising from it—it was all very elegant!
The crowd surged forward, jostling and eager, their eyes filled with anticipation, calling out titles like "Master Yuan" and "Living Immortal."

"Ten strings of cash for one divination! Only ten divinations will be performed! Pay the divination fee first, then the divination will begin!"

Oh, and there's a young boy beside Master Yuan. It's this child who's loudly proclaiming, "Ten strings of cash for a divination! That's more than a hundred times the price in Chang'an!"

Chen Guangrui had learned something new. He never expected that Yuan Shoucheng was doing so well outside of Chang'an, daring to charge such high prices for divination.

Even so, people seeking divination continued to flock to the table, and a small pile of copper coins accumulated on the corner. Yuan Shoucheng, with half-closed eyes and stroking his slicked-back beard, solemnly began to interpret the fortune of the wealthy merchant at the front of the line:
"Your journey to the southeast will bring you wealth, but the travel star is in motion, so be careful when traveling by vehicle or boat..."

After finishing speaking, he took a sip of the finest tea.

It's the same old routine, full of charlatanism.

Just then, someone in the crowd asked,

"Master Yuan! You are all-powerful. Could you please tell me which river or deep pool in our area is the easiest place to catch golden carp? We have an old ox at home that wants to eat a fresh one."

At that moment, Yuan Shoucheng, who was feeling quite pleased with himself, heard the words "golden carp" and, as if stung by a scorpion, suddenly opened his eyes, his hand stroking his beard pausing. His eyes immediately searched for the source of the sound.

Immediately afterwards, his gaze swept across the crowd and precisely captured the figure of a person dressed simply but standing ramrod straight.

In that instant, Yuan Shoucheng almost burst into tears.

His lips twitched slightly, and his previously composed and aloof demeanor crumbled instantly. Clearly, he had never expected to encounter Chen Guangrui in this place, at this time, and that the other party seemed to be alive and well.

Damn it, shouldn't you be dead?

Yuan Shoucheng took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he couldn't reveal too many flaws.

He immediately cleared his throat, his face instantly plastered with that professional smile, and he bowed to the pilgrims crowding at the front.
"Ladies and gentlemen! I'm so sorry, my wife is giving birth at home. Please come another day, another day!"

After saying that, without waiting for a reply or ignoring the astonishment and complaints of the crowd, he hurriedly got up, not even bothering to count the copper coins on the corner of the table. He pushed through the crowd, grabbed Chen Guangrui's arm, and dragged him into a secluded alley.

Only the little boy from before was left bewildered in the crowd.

He turned into a deserted, deep alley, and only after confirming that no one was around did Yuan Shoucheng abruptly release his grip, turn around, his small eyes filled with scrutiny, and question him in a low, urgent voice.

"You...who are you? Isn't he dead? What's your purpose in impersonating him? Who sent you?"

Seeing Yuan Shoucheng's nervous expression, Chen Guangrui smiled and asked in a relaxed tone,

"Aren't you good at divination? Master Yuan, why don't you do the divination?"

Yuan Shoucheng was taken aback by this attitude, and his caution was ultimately overwhelmed by his intense curiosity.

He stared at Chen Guangrui, quickly pulled out a few shiny copper coins from his sleeve, muttered incantations, and began to calculate rapidly with his fingers.

A few copper coins landed, bounced a few times, and formed a strange hexagram.

Yuan Shoucheng looked at the copper coins on the ground, then suddenly looked up at Chen Guangrui's calm face. His expression changed from suspicion to horror, as if he had seen a ghost.
"You...you're not dead? Not only are you not dead, you've also ascended to the heavens in one step! The aura on your body...this is impossible! How...how did you manage to climb up to that person in the Thirty-Third Heaven?"

He was stammering as he spoke, clearly the result of his calculations far exceeded his expectations.

Chen Guangrui shrugged, repeating his previous statement, "You know how to calculate, don't you? Why don't you look at it yourself?"

Yuan Shoucheng rolled his eyes, annoyed, and waved his hand dismissively.

"Alright! Don't tease me! Who dares to easily calculate the power of that one in the Thirty-Third Heaven? Even a single thought from him sends shivers down to the mortal realm. What if he notices..."

He seemed to have imagined some terrible consequences and couldn't help but shrink back. "Wouldn't that be asking for trouble?"

He changed the subject, carefully looking Chen Guangrui up and down, rubbing his hands together. "Hehe... Top Scholar... no, I should call you Fellow Daoist Chen now? You've really struck it rich! You've risen to the top in one step!"

Chen Guangrui waved his hand, "He's just a fire starter."

"That's a fire being lit in the Thirty-Three Heavens, which is incomparable to lighting a stove in the mortal realm. It's an incredible opportunity that many people couldn't cultivate for eight lifetimes, and many immortals would love to get close to it but couldn't find a way in. You mustn't be ungrateful!"

Chen Guangrui simply replied, "It was just a coincidence."

He didn't want to elaborate on his identity as the "fire-starting Taoist," and instead asked,
"But you, Master Yuan, weren't you going to great lengths and risking your life to find the reincarnation of the Third Prince of the West Sea Dragon King? Why have you given up the search and come here to set up a stall? And you've made quite a show of it, even more so than the old Dragon King of the Jing River."

Upon hearing the mention of "the Third Prince of the West Sea Dragon King," Yuan Shoucheng's face instantly fell, deflated like a punctured sack of wood, the light in his eyes dimmed, and he let out a deep sigh.

"Sigh... Don't mention it, don't mention it! Search for him? Search for... never mind, I'd offend the Buddhist sect by using such language. Our lineage has exhausted all our efforts, and the calculations left by our patriarch have determined that the Third Prince of the West Sea Dragon King has already been punished by the Jade Emperor for 'disobedience,' his soul scattered to the winds. We're hoping to find a way to continue the great karma left by our patriarch..."

He shrugged, his face full of helplessness and resignation.
"Who...who the hell could have imagined he wasn't dead? He's still sitting peacefully in Eagle's Sorrow Gorge! He's not dead at all. Since he's alive, he's of extremely high status. How could someone like us, with our lowly skills, possibly get away with this? There's no hope. We're not waiting anymore!"

As Yuan Shoucheng spoke, his tone returned to that of a shrewd and unscrupulous old fox.
"Since I can't find any bargains, I can't let my old bones go to waste, can I? I might as well take this opportunity to make more money and make a fortune. Look at me, I'm so old, one foot in the grave, I should enjoy myself, right? This outfit, that divination banner, that golden toad... none of these things come without money?"

He glanced at Chen Guangrui, seemingly observing the other's reaction, and then asked, "Fellow Daoist Chen, why aren't you enjoying the peace and quiet of heaven? What are you doing in this remote and impoverished place?"

Seeing Chen Guangrui's look, Yuan Shoucheng waved his hand and said, "Fine, fine, I'll calculate it myself."

He once again habitually took out his copper coins and began to calculate while muttering to himself.

A moment later, he put away the copper coins, a look of extreme confusion on his face. His brows were furrowed, and he looked at Chen Guangrui with a puzzled expression.
“Strange… I’ve calculated that Laozi’s decision to send you down to the mortal realm this time is intricately connected to your visit to Laozi’s temple and the time he personally summoned you back to heaven… But…”

He paused, then asked with even greater confusion, "Since you have descended to the mortal realm, that must be the decree from the one in heaven. Why don't you do it properly? Why do you stand idly by and watch what those two boys are doing? Letting them run wild, isn't that just a waste of time?"

Chen Guangrui remained calm and composed, his tone completely even. "Laojun gave very clear instructions. I only need to observe from the sidelines and make sure no other forces interfere with what the two boys are doing. As for the rest, the boys Jinlu and Yinlu are in charge. Why would I, the 'fire-tender,' need to meddle?"

His tone carried a hint of self-deprecation.

Yuan Shoucheng clearly didn't believe this explanation, and curled his lip, "Hmph, easy for you to say. What do those two little kids know?"

"Do you understand? He was also a pageboy under Laozi, and he carried a treasure like a jade bottle with him."

Chen Guangrui calmly said, "I've only been in heaven for a few days. How many years have those two attendants followed Laozi? They probably get to see Laozi every day to pay their respects and give him a reply. As for me, I might not get close to him even once every few hundred years. There's really no need to clash with them over such matters."

He appeared very clear-headed and pragmatic.

Yuan Shoucheng listened, remained silent for a moment, his eyes darting around as if digesting Chen Guangrui's words. He didn't nod in agreement, but his fingers unconsciously began to calculate again, clearly wanting to peek into the secrets of heaven as was his habit.

He suddenly looked up, his small eyes gleaming, as if he had suddenly grasped the key point, and lowered his voice, saying...

"I don't think it's because you're afraid to get involved! You've already calculated... no, you've guessed that this matter won't be easy! Those two boys are unreliable and won't get it done! So you've been standing here watching coldly, waiting for them to hit a wall and come back begging for your help?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Guangrui neither confirmed nor denied it, but instead asked a meaningful question in return.

"Master Yuan, since you can calculate to this extent, then calculate the cause and effect of this matter. Even your lineage has tried so hard to see through some of it... Do you think that with Laozi's supernatural powers, he could have calculated it?"

Yuan Shoucheng was taken aback by the question. His shrewd expression froze for a moment, then turned somewhat guilty. He subconsciously puffed out his chest, but his voice unconsciously lowered a few octaves, emphasizing with a hint of bravado but underlying weakness,

"No...it's different! How can you compare? Our lineage dares to pry into these matters only at the risk of divine punishment! We're risking our lives to calculate, while they? They sit in the heavens looking down at the mortal realm, calculating with their fingers, wanting to know the past and future without losing anything? Isn't that too unfair? There's no such logic." But the more he spoke, the less confident he became, his voice growing softer and softer. Finally, he awkwardly added a sentence, as if to comfort himself and also to warn him.

"Moreover... if we're talking about the whole world, there are definitely no more than five people who can calculate everything perfectly, down to the smallest speck of dust... and no one else can do it."

Although it is speculated that there are also capable people in the heavens,
"However, he calculates others, and others calculate him; those who calculate others will always be calculated in return. As the calculations continue, things get chaotic. The secrets of heaven are shrouded in mystery, with everyone intertwined and interfering with each other. No one dares to say that their calculations are absolutely correct. Just like our lineage, we've been calculating for so long, but didn't we also miscalculate the life and death of the Third Prince of the West Sea? We almost came up empty-handed."

He seemed to have found examples to prove his theory, and his speech became increasingly fluent.

"For example, even someone as powerful as Laozi could have a chat with Dipankara Buddha, and in the blink of an eye, that monkey stole all the elixirs in the entire Tushita Palace. So, there are too many variables in the universe, and no one can absolutely control everything just because they are powerful!"

His words clearly implied an attempt to excuse his "inaccurate calculations".

He paused, glancing sideways at Chen Guangrui with a mixture of curiosity and a hint of warning.
"Speaking of which, now that you've boarded Laozi's big ship, you still dare to provoke that mischievous monkey imprisoned under the Five Elements Mountain? You're incredibly bold. Laozi doesn't like that monkey very much. Instead of helping those two attendants, you just wander around here all day. What? Do you want to..."

Before he could voice the possible answer, Chen Guangrui cut him off and posed her new question.
"Now that you know about Five Elements Mountain, you should know the situation there. Can you figure out who is guarding that monkey at Five Elements Mountain? Why didn't anyone stop me when I went into the mountain to see that monkey?"

Chen Guangrui stared intently at Yuan Shoucheng.
Upon hearing the keywords "guardian of Five Elements Mountain" and "Buddhist sect," Yuan Shoucheng's previously eloquent face immediately tightened, and he shook his head vigorously.

"Hehehe, Fellow Daoist Chen, this won't do, this absolutely won't do! You're just getting me into trouble! It involves Buddhism and that monkey's affairs—that's a murky mess! Unfathomable! These things can't be settled casually! It'll shorten your lifespan! No, no, how much will you pay this time... uh, how much?"

Upon hearing Yuan Shoucheng's words, Chen Guangrui smiled, a smile that made Yuan Shoucheng feel uneasy.

"Master Yuan, the Third Prince of the West Sea Dragon King that you've been longing for... is his name Ao Lie?"

Chen Guangrui said unhurriedly, "The one that's buried at the bottom of Eagle's Sorrow Gorge? Back then, you said you couldn't find any clues about the dragon's whereabouts and insisted on begging me. Now... I think you'll have to beg me again to get it out."

Yuan Shoucheng's small eyes widened in surprise. He instinctively glanced around, afraid of being overheard, then stared intently at Chen Guangrui, his face filled with deep suspicion.

"You little brat...you're kidding me, aren't you? You can't expect a free lunch! You were just asking about the monkey guards, and now you've got a way to release the Dragon King's third son? Do you think I'm a three-year-old?"

Chen Guangrui's smile faded slightly, tinged with a hint of mockery.
"Lies to you? Put your hands on your heart and think about it. How did you manage to hide in this Xiniu Hezhou region from Chang'an? If I hadn't pointed out the word 'west' to you, you'd still be wandering around Liangjie Mountain like a headless fly! When have I, Chen Guangrui, ever spoken without reason?"

These words struck a nerve with Yuan Shoucheng. He had indeed been guided by Chen Guangrui's suggestion to "go west," and with the vague direction of "Liangjie Mountain," he had slowly made his way here. He had indeed found more clues nearby pointing to the Third Prince of the West Sea Dragon King in Yingchou Gorge.

He was immediately speechless, the shrewdness on his face fading considerably. He looked Chen Guangrui up and down again, his eyes filled with a strange light, and he muttered something under his breath.

"Why does this feel the same as last time?"

“…Fine! I…I’ll trust you this once!” With no other option, Yuan Shoucheng licked his dry lips, ultimately unable to resist the words “Third Prince of the West Sea Dragon King.”

Thinking of the Third Prince's allure, she lowered her voice and said decisively.

"You went into the mountains to see that monkey, and no deities stopped you? I know about that! None of the Five Directions Protectors, the Earth God, or the Mountain God who were guarding him came out, right?"

Chen Guangrui nodded; this was exactly what he wanted to ask.

Yuan Shoucheng took a step closer, lowering his voice even further, with a hint of schadenfreude.
"Hey, what kind of strict rules and people are there in the immortal realm? Those are the people sent by Buddhism to watch over the monkeys. Over time, hundreds of years have passed, who wouldn't make a mistake? Even immortals are the same!"

He had that "you know what I mean" look on his face.
"I can't calculate the exact cause and effect, but I know the general idea. Just a few days ago, the Five Directions Protectors, for some reason, gave that unlucky local earth god and the local mountain god a good beating. Maybe they were not guarding properly? Or maybe they were just taking out their temper on them? Anyway, those two are now cowering and don't dare to show their faces."

"Why do you think the Five Directions Protectors stopped caring about that monkey?"

袁守诚啧啧摇头，“他们打完了人，大概是觉得气顺了，也想着歇歇。又觉得反正有土地山神在下面看着猴子呢，就……偷懒去了，而那俩被揍的心里有气，又不敢对五方揭谛发作，也跟着摆烂，根本没去管猴子。”

He shrugged. "Hey, that's funny. Everyone thinks everyone else is working, but nobody's doing anything! So when you go, hey, you've got the perfect timing—nothing gets in the way. Want to find out who's guarding them, or how to contact them? Don't bother!"

Chen Guangrui thought for a moment, "It seems that the only way is to find the local earth god near Wuxing Mountain first."

The schadenfreude on Yuan Shoucheng's face was immediately replaced by caution.
"Contact the local earth gods and mountain spirits? Forget about it. You're lucky to have stumbled upon this today; your ancestors must have been blessed with good fortune."

"You need to understand that the Five Elements Mountain is the most crucial link in Buddhism's control over the monkeys! This loophole today will be patched up tomorrow. If you're foolish enough to contact them, they're all from Buddhism,"

"If you go to them, isn't that just blatantly telling Buddhism, 'Hey, I know your guards have a loophole, I've slipped through!' Isn't that just courting death? Buddhism will immediately know that someone is eyeing that monkey, and you'll be the first one they target!"

Chen Guangrui frowned slightly after hearing this, then relaxed. Indeed, it was incredibly lucky that they weren't stopped on their first trip into the mountains, but there couldn't be a second chance. Forcing the issue would only bring trouble.

“In that case,” Chen Guangrui said calmly, “this path is not feasible for the time being. We can only wait for an opportunity.”

"Waiting for an opportunity?" Yuan Shoucheng asked curiously, "Where are you going to wait for an opportunity?"

"Where to?" Chen Guangrui straightened his robes and gave a confident smile.

"Of course, I'm going back to Grand Marshal Li Jing's camp. Don't forget, I'm now a Tang Dynasty official holding the position of Military Secretary. My 'real business' is in the military camp."

He deliberately emphasized the words "serious business".

Upon hearing the words "Li Jing" and "military expedition," Yuan Shoucheng's fortune-telling intuition immediately kicked in. He counted on his fingers, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper, muttering to himself...
"Something's not right...something's not right...Li Jing's army..."

He suddenly looked up at Chen Guangrui.
"Hey kid, stop looking at the sky and take a look at your feet too. I may not be able to see through the murky waters of Buddhism, but I'm pretty good at predicting things like military campaigns and the karmic consequences of the mortal world. If you follow Li Jing, you might be in danger."

Chen Guangrui raised an eyebrow. "Danger? I can't say for sure about other things, but Li Jing will definitely win this campaign."

"Li Jing's military strategy is indeed brilliant! Logically speaking, if we had continued with a steady and methodical approach, the Turkic army's defeat would have been a foregone conclusion!"

Yuan Shoucheng's small eyes flashed with worry, "But damn it, the problem lies precisely in this abnormality! I've calculated that the Turks are probably... tainted by monsters."

"A monster?" Chen Guangrui's eyes narrowed.

"Yes! It's shrouded in black mist!" Yuan Shoucheng nodded vigorously, pointing to the distant, undulating, and somewhat ominous black mountain range.

"If I'm not mistaken, Li Jing will probably take the Black Wind Mountain route."

His face was plastered with an expression that said, "Don't go to your death," and his tone was urgent.

"Black Wind Mountain! That's no ordinary mountain. There are monsters in those mountains. No matter how elite Li Jing's army is, they are still just mortals. What if the Turkic soldiers collude with the monsters in the mountains and launch a coordinated attack from within or without... Hehe, that would be quite a show! Even the most brilliant general can be caught off guard by the unreasonable methods of monsters! Don't disbelieve me, this old Taoist's intuition is very accurate!"

Yuan Shoucheng looked at Chen Guangrui, and his meaning was crystal clear.

Li Jing's army is now a sitting duck; if you go there, you might just be throwing your life away.

Then, Yuan Shoucheng seemed to realize he had said too much, so he stopped talking and instead chuckled and moved closer to Chen Guangrui.

"Um, didn't you just say you had a way to release the Third Prince of the West Sea Dragon King? What was that all about?"

"The Third Prince of the West Sea Dragon King? Ah! Yes, that's what I said."

Chen Guangrui was an upright person who never went back on his word.

"Um..." Yuan Shoucheng tried to keep a good attitude, "Why don't you tell me how the Dragon Prince was released first?"

"Ah! You mean this!"

"Ah! Yes, yes! This is it." Yuan Shoucheng's eyes were filled with hope.

To everyone's surprise, Chen Guangrui waved his hand and said, "We'll talk about this later."

"Hey kid! Are you trying to fish me out of my water again?"

(End of this chapter)