In the end, the Great Sage broke the rules.

That day, the master and his disciples were walking along, chatting and laughing, when suddenly a wide and swift-flowing river appeared in front of them, blocking their path.

Everyone stopped to watch, only to see the river surging and the opposite bank nowhere in sight.

Standing by the river, he looked up and saw a huge stone tablet with three striking characters engraved on it—Tongtian River.

When his eyes fell on the name, Chen Yi was instantly stunned, his mouth agape for a long time.

"What the hell? The Tongtian River?" he muttered incredulously, his heart filled with doubt and shock.

According to the familiar plot development, the calamity of Tongtian River should have been over long ago!

During this period of time, they have experienced countless hardships and dangers, but they have never encountered the legendary river.

He gradually came to believe that perhaps this calamity did not exist in his journey to the west at all.

However, the sight of the Tongtian River right before his eyes made him realize that his previous thoughts were completely wrong.

It was truly beyond his expectations that the missed calamity could be made up for.

What unsettled him even more was that if the order of calamities could be changed at will, what use were the plots he knew?

Is everything uncertain, and all predictions just empty talk?

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel flustered, and beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

Sun Wukong, who was standing nearby, noticed his unusual behavior and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Did you notice something amiss?"

Chen Yi quickly shook his head, trying to appear calm, and replied, "It's nothing, it's nothing. I just think the name of this river sounds nice."

In reality, he was in a complete panic.

Pigsy: "Master, there's no village in sight, no shop in sight, no bridge to cross, and no boatman to ferry us across. How are we going to cross the river?"

Sha Wujing: "Master, look how wide this river is. Even if we had a boat, it would probably take several months to reach the other side."

Chen Yi: "It's getting late. Let's find a place to stay first. We can discuss crossing the river tomorrow."

Afterwards, the group found a manor nearby to stay overnight.

The male owner of the manor was a middle-aged man named Chen Cheng, and he had a younger brother named Chen Qing.

After the Chen brothers explained, the three disciples, who were unaware of the situation, finally understood that a religious ceremony was being held at home for their eight-year-old daughter, Yichengjin, and their seven-year-old son, Chen Guanbao.

Pigsy asked with a face full of curiosity, "What exactly caused the deaths of the two little bodhisattvas?"

The Chen brothers looked at each other, hesitant to speak, but did not answer. Instead, they led the group to the guest rooms and settled them in.

……

In the guest room.

After lying down, Pigsy suddenly sat up and said to Chen Yi, "Master, I feel that those two brothers are not right."

Sha Wujing chimed in, "I think so too."

Because of the cold, Chen Yi snuggled closer to Sun Wukong, yawned, and said, "Something's definitely not right. You'll find out tomorrow."

Sun Wukong was pleased with Chen Yi's initiative and turned to his two junior brothers, saying, "You two stop talking nonsense and go to sleep."

Pigsy and Sandy: "..."

Okay, it's quiet now.

In the stillness of the night.

Pigsy felt something scratching his face, like a mischievous kitten. He brushed it off a few times, but soon after he fell asleep, the "kitten" came back.

Finally, he could no longer bear it and opened his eyes with a "whoosh," only to see two blue-faced, fanged children, like evil spirits from the underworld.

Pigsy's hair stood on end, and cold sweat poured out like a burst dam. He yelled at the top of his lungs, "Master! There's a ghost!"

This shout was like a bolt from the blue, waking everyone nearby from their sleep.

They lit the candles, but there was nothing there.

Pigsy's voice trembled like a leaf in the wind as he stammered, "It's true! I saw it, it was two children, it must be the dead Chen siblings!"

After saying that, he looked at Sun Wukong with pitiful eyes, like an abandoned puppy, and pleaded, "Senior Brother, can I sleep with you?"

Sun Wukong's lips twitched slightly, and he replied expressionlessly, "No!"

Pigsy: "...Brother, you're too cruel."

"Brother Sha..."

Sha Wujing looked helpless, like a wilted eggplant, and said weakly, "Second Brother, come here."

As if he had received a pardon, Pigsy instantly climbed onto Sandy's bed, snatched the blanket from Sandy with lightning speed, and lay down in bed contentedly.

Looking at Zhu Bajie, who not only occupied his bed but also clung to his blankets like an octopus, Sha Wujing suddenly felt a pang of regret.

Pigsy patted the person beside him, a smile like that of Maitreya Buddha on his face, and said cheerfully, "Brother Sha, go to sleep quickly."

Chen Yi couldn't stand it any longer and said irritably, "Bajie, why don't you make some room for your junior brother? Otherwise, how is he supposed to sleep?"

Pigsy grunted an "oh," reluctantly shifting to the side, and Sandy finally breathed a sigh of relief and went to bed.

Unfortunately, their good fortune didn't last long. Not long after, they were awakened from their sleep by Pigsy's pig-like screams.

Sun Wukong's face was so dark it seemed like it could drip water. He said viciously, "You fat pig! You dare to make a sound again!"

Pigsy: "..."

He was truly helpless; after all, he had discovered that those two little devils had appeared like ghosts again.

“Master… those two children are here again, and I’m scared.”

Hearing Pigsy's words, Chen Yi sighed helplessly and lowered his voice, saying, "Great Sage, in my opinion, it's probably those two children playing tricks on Pigsy. See if you can capture them."

Sun Wukong did not immediately agree, but stared intently at Chen Yi with burning eyes.

Chen Yi: ...Goodness, he's trying to get something from me again.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Yi said through gritted teeth, "I'll knit you a scarf tomorrow."

Sun Wukong: "Add a pair of gloves as well."

Chen was stunned for a moment: "Can't you still wear the pair I knitted for you before?"

Sun Wukong: "Those are too ugly. This Great Sage wants to get a new one."

Actually, that's not the case. Those gloves were the first gift the little monk gave him, and he treasured them like precious gems, afraid of damaging them, and only wanted to keep them safe and sound.

Chen Yi: “…”

"Alright, alright! I'll add another pair of gloves!"

Sun Wukong then nodded in agreement and grabbed the two children.