We bear people have power

Having fused with the demon dog's golden core, Zhao Guizhen was at the height of his power and influence. He defeated his previous opponents one by one, and cornered his senior brother, leaving him with no chance of a comeback.

However, in his moment of triumph, he completely forgot about Guan Bo's existence.

This barefoot boy in white robes, with a little girl perched on his shoulder, seemed utterly unremarkable for some reason. It wasn't until Guan Bo swung his giant hammer down on his head that he realized he had been overlooking the most dangerous enemy.

Guan Bo had initially admired Zhao Guizhen for taking such a risk to subdue a Golden Core stage demon dog and for going to great lengths to research methods for devouring demon cores. He had narrowly escaped death and actually succeeded. Although such a substandard Golden Core cultivator was certainly inferior to a true Golden Core cultivator, it was still a heaven-defying feat for a mortal.

But when Guan Bo heard that this guy was using people to refine pills, he had nothing more to say.

No matter how lofty your aspirations, they are not an excuse for doing evil.

If you stop at nothing to achieve your goals, then you must be prepared to suffer the consequences.

Look up and see, who can escape the wrath of Heaven?

Guan Bo's Ruyi Divine Weapon weighs ten thousand jin, only slightly less than the Golden Cudgel, and that's just the net weight. In reality, the weight of the Ruyi Divine Weapon also depends on the amount of magical power infused into it.

Otherwise, how could Monkey King, with his mere weight of ten thousand jin, possibly kill so many demon kings?

Guan Bo's magic power was sealed by ninety percent, but he only poured in one-tenth of his magic power, which was enough to increase the weight of the giant hammer transformed from the Ruyi Divine Weapon by ten times.

The weight of 100,000 jin falling on Zhao Guizhen's head would be too much for even a Golden Core cultivator like himself to bear.

Zhao Guizhen wasn't stupid; he had absolutely no intention of taking the blow head-on. He made a hand seal, and with a gust of wind in his feet, he narrowly dodged the giant hammer.

However, before his feet even touched the ground, he was sent flying by the enormous impact. Guan Bo's hammer blow created a huge crater in the center of the hall, and even the pillar, which was as thick as a person's embrace, was shaken and was on the verge of collapse.

Zhao Guizhen stared in horror at the scene before him, never expecting the hammer to be so powerful.

Guan Bo gave him no chance to regret it. His giant hammer missed its target, so he swept it across. Zhao Guizhen used the same trick again, dodging once more, while simultaneously throwing out clouds of thick mist that transformed into demonic hounds that pounced on Guan Bo.

Guan Bo ignored this minor spell, letting the demonic hounds rush to his side. Countless golden Sanskrit characters sprang from his demon core robe, shattering the hounds one by one without harming Guan Bo in the slightest.

With a swing of the giant hammer, Guan Bo unleashed a flurry of chaotic hammer blows on Zhao Guizhen.

Zhao Guizhen was caught off guard and forced against the wall. He was greatly alarmed and was about to use his magic to pass through the wall.

However, the Ruyi Divine Weapon could be extended at will. Guan Bo slightly lengthened the handle and seized the momentary opening, allowing the giant hammer to strike Zhao Guizhen squarely in the waist.

A clear, resounding sound of bones shattering rang out as Zhao Guizhen was slammed against the wall by Guan Bo's hammer, turning into a gooey mass of flesh and blood amidst the shattered bricks.

The newly promoted Golden Core cultivator was defeated by Guan Bo with a single blow.

Zhao Guizhen wasn't actually that bad; he was at least close to the Golden Core stage. Given enough distance, he could use magic to hold his own against Guan Bo, and if he couldn't win, he could always run away.

Even with Guan Bo's skill in running away, he might not be able to catch up with a Golden Core cultivator who uses magic to escape.

Unfortunately, Zhao Guizhen and Guan Bo were too close together in this grand hall. Given the characteristics of the Ruyi Divine Weapon, it could easily extend its reach and engulf the entire hall, leaving no way to avoid it.

Therefore, Zhao Guizhen seemed to be wronged, but after careful consideration, he was not.

Watching a living person turn into an indescribable, blurred mass of flesh and blood, the long-bearded, narrow-eyed Taoist priests trembled with fear. They had originally planned to join forces with the nobles of Chang'an to give this outsider a taste of his power.

Now, who dares to mention this matter, or even think about it?

Only Li Chunfeng walked to Zhao Guizhen's remains and remained silent for a long time.

Guan Bo didn't bother with what the Taoists were going to do with the pile of rotten flesh. Guided by the little black dog, he found Zhao Guizhen's treasure room inside Qingyuan Temple.

There weren't many things inside; two large chests contained mundane items like gold and silver, but they were meaningless to Guan Bo. What interested him, however, were some ancient texts. The technology itself, which allowed mortals to absorb demon cores, was extremely valuable.

Aside from Li Chunfeng, the other Taoist priests all stared longingly at Guan Bo. Seeing his lack of interest in gold and silver, their eyes lit up. They were, after all, a group of unambitious Taoist priests who only wanted to enjoy wealth and luxury in Chang'an.

If Guan Bo were interested in gold and silver, they would never dare to act recklessly. But it seems this expert regards money as nothing, so they should be able to reap considerable benefits.

After Guan Bo memorized all the scriptures, he called out to the long-bearded Taoist and the narrow-eyed Taoist, saying, "You two come here."

The two hesitated for a moment, but dared not refuse.

As they got closer, Guan Bo asked, "Do you like money?"

Such a direct question left the two of them at a loss for words. Although they were both greedy, admitting it so openly seemed rather embarrassing.

Guan Bo didn't care about all that and pointed to the two large boxes of gold and silver, saying, "If you like them, pick them up."

Upon hearing this, the long-bearded and narrow-eyed men no longer cared about saving face; each grabbed a box of gold and silver and held it up.

Even these Foundation Establishment cultivators struggled to lift thousands of pounds of gold and silver using only their physical strength. However, the two used their last bit of mana to cast spells that granted them immense strength, and managed to lift the gold and silver with all their might.

Guan Bo nodded to the two of them, then said, "Come with me."

The long-bearded, narrow-eyed man was confused, but he had no choice but to follow behind Guan Bo.

Using a clever ruse, Guan Bo led the two Taoist priests back to the oxcart, had them put the two boxes of gold and silver into the carriage, and then grabbed a few gold ingots from inside and threw them to the two priests.

The two stared wide-eyed, feeling utterly deceived.

"This... didn't you say that the gold and silver were for us?" the long-bearded Taoist asked in surprise.

“I said if you like it, pick it up, because I’m taking this gold and silver away, and you won’t have a chance to touch it again,” Guan Bo said ruthlessly.

The two Taoist priests were left dumbfounded, and the oxcart started moving again, swaying precariously.

Having outmaneuvered the two men, Guan Bo was secretly pleased. Guan Bo wasn't stupid; he naturally knew that the obstruction of the oxcart earlier was a trick these two had conspired to pull. Saving their lives and then playing them for a fool was a small punishment.

This lazy panda has never been a particularly generous person.

The wheels kept turning, and Suzaku Avenue was almost at its end.

In the car, Guan Bo asked the little black dog, "What are your plans now?"

The little black dog had lost its inner core and could only rely on the Myriad Wonders Longevity Cloth to prolong its life. It said weakly, "I will follow the instructions of the immortal. I only ask to live."

Guan Bo was an unorthodox practitioner. Although he had become a disciple of the Bodhi Patriarch of Fangcun Mountain, he hadn't spent much time listening to lectures. His own cultivation was rather chaotic, and he was powerless to help the little black dog with its problems.

“Well, you should stay with us for now. When I have some free time, I’ll go back to Fangcun Mountain and ask the patriarch if there’s any hope for your condition,” Guan Bo advised.

The little black dog's lips twitched. Even if there's no hope, couldn't you at least say something nicer? Being so direct is really hurtful, okay?

However, he had no right to object at that moment and could only nod in agreement.

Lingxiu, being a child at heart, was quite happy to have such a puppy as a pet and had already started thinking about what name to give it.

The Vermilion Bird Gate is not far ahead. Beyond the Vermilion Bird Gate lies the imperial city, and one cannot trespass without a pass. In other words, Guan Bo's oxcart will reach its end at the Vermilion Bird Gate.

Although the matter of the magical duel at Qingyuan Temple was still unknown to anyone, Guan Bo's oxcart had already made his presence known to those who were interested. He originally planned to get off the cart at Zhuque Gate, then swagger over to find an inn to stay in and wait for those important people to come and seek an audience.

This is the kind of behavior often associated with so-called reclusive masters.

But before they had gone the whole way, they saw a Taoist priest in purple robes blocking the way for the oxcart.

"I am Li Chunfeng, and I have something to ask of the fellow Daoist in the carriage."

Guan Bo was puzzled. Why was Li Chunfeng stopping him? Could it be that he wanted to avenge his junior brother who deserved to go to hell?

Guan Bo left Lingxiu and the little black dog in the car, then lifted the curtain and said to Li Chunfeng, "What's wrong? Want to fight?"

Li Chunfeng was stunned. In all his decades of life, he had never seen anyone so direct and impolite.

"No, no, it's just that you helped me clean up my own house, so I should thank you," Li Chunfeng said politely.

"Oh, do you want money?" Guan Bo asked.

"..."

Li Chunfeng found himself unable to communicate with this young cultivator. How could he have no manners whatsoever as a cultivator?

"How can you thank me if you have no money? Just a few words?" Guan Bo said disdainfully.

Guan Bo was unaware of the love-hate relationship between the two disciples, but his impression of Li Chunfeng was rather lukewarm. As the senior disciple, Li Chunfeng seemed to possess a cultivation level even higher than Zhao Guizhen's before he absorbed the Golden Core. Moreover, both of them had sects and more powerful masters and elders. Knowing full well that Zhao Guizhen was using living people to refine pills, they waited until now to intervene. If he hadn't been involved, none of these Taoists would likely have survived.

In short, it's like this: Why didn't you do this sooner?

"Actually, it is my master who wishes to invite you for a chat, and he will surely reward you handsomely," Li Chunfeng said.

"Who is your master?" Guan Bo asked curiously.

“My master is Yuan Shoucheng,” Li Chunfeng replied.

Guan Bo almost choked on his food when he heard the name.

The renowned Yuan Shoucheng is the most famous fortune teller in Journey to the West. He once told a fisherman's fortune and nearly wiped out all the fish in the Jing River. Later, the Jing River Dragon King made a bet with Yuan Shoucheng, who accurately predicted the amount of rainfall bestowed by the Heavenly Emperor.

Strictly speaking, the death of the Jinghe Dragon King was closely related to Yuan Shoucheng.

In other words, without Yuan Shoucheng's fatal divination, the Jinghe Dragon King would not have died, nor would he have sought revenge on Li Shimin, and the story of Journey to the West might not have unfolded in this way.

Guan Bo was quite happy to meet this legendary figure, but he was also a little wary. What if this guy got itchy and gave him a very bad omen? Should he grab a weapon and beat him up, or beat him up, or beat him up?