Chapter 116: Meeting Sandy Again, the Fledgling Returns to the Nest, and Zhenyuan Speaks!

"Whoosh."

A rush of wind whistled past his ears.

Gazing out at the pitch-black world around him, feeling the sharp pain in his gut, Lu Wufei, having finally snapped out of the ecstatic daze of his enlightenment, was immediately struck by the exhaustion of his long, frantic flight.

He scanned his surroundings, then banked and began to descend.

Before long, Lu Wufei leaped out from within the golden light, dispelling his "Golden Light Traversal" technique. He stepped onto a cloud and continued his descent. In such a dark night, the golden glow had been far too conspicuous. Severely wounded as he was, he had no desire to invite trouble. Thus, he rode the cloud swiftly toward the dark earth below.

It wasn't long before he spotted a scattering of faint lights in the distance. In a world like this, only towns or cities could boast such illumination at night. Lu Wufei immediately steered toward them. Before long, he arrived at a town that appeared to be of considerable size.

A look of joy crossed Lu Wufei’s face. At a time like this, a hot, delicious meal followed by a soak in a bath would be pure luxury.

Landing outside the town, Lu Wufei transformed himself into a young man, entered the town without incident, and checked into an inn. Amidst the curious stares of the onlookers, he devoured a table full of dishes. Shortly after, he returned to his room and submerged himself in a steaming, scalding tub of water.

He let out a moan that was both comfortable and painful. Lying in the tub, he stirred his divine sense, and four small, shattered pieces of a black turtle shell appeared before him.

Looking at the fragments—now devoid of spiritual energy, dull and ordinary—Lu Wufei sighed inwardly. He stirred his divine sense again, and a black dharma robe manifested before him. Seeing the dim light of the robe, he sighed once more. The turtle shell was his own to lose, but this robe had been a gift from his junior brother, Mingyue. Now, after one outing, it was in tatters, barely held together. Had he not stripped it off quickly, it would have been shattered into dust just like the shell.

But that was not all. With another flicker of his divine sense, a vibrant green leaf radiating a faint, verdant glow flew out. After circling the room, it darted straight toward the figure in the tub. Lu Wufei reached out, and the spiritual leaf came to rest on his palm, nuzzling against it. Seeing that the deep green of the leaf had faded significantly and that a hairline crack had appeared at its tip, Lu Wufei felt a pang of heartache.

Had it not been for the turtle shell, the robe from his brother, and the spiritual leaf bestowed by his teacher, Lu Wufei’s injuries would have been far worse. He had withstood several direct blows from that old demon's true form. Without the spiritual leaf, he would surely have been captured and could never have held out against such a foe for so long. At the time, he hadn't even dared to let the leaf appear in the demon's sight, lest it be snatched away.

Based on his experience, having met many of his fellow disciples and encountered the "Third King," the White-Faced Demon, he estimated that the old monster was at least at the late stage of the Demon King realm—equivalent to a late-stage Human Immortal.

"Late-stage Human Immortal..."

"Once I reach the Human Immortal realm, I will make that old demon pay in blood."

Hatred flickered in Lu Wufei’s eyes. Fortunately, there were brothers in the temple skilled in artifact forging. He would show them the leaf and the robe when he returned to see if they could be repaired.

Despite the heavy losses, the gains were equally significant. With a thought, several treasures shimmering with spiritual light materialized.

First was a long staff radiating golden light. This was his greatest harvest—a mid-grade dharma treasure staff seized from the Golden-Haired Monkey Demon. This was the first time Lu Wufei had earned a piece of equipment at the dharma treasure level on his own. Being a weapon suited to his own path, its value was immense. Although he dreamed of eventually visiting the legendary Dragon Palaces of the Four Seas to hunt for treasures like the Great Sage, for now, he had to earn his own gear. This golden staff was a timely acquisition, sparing him the embarrassment of having spiritual treasures for defense and a flying blade for stealth, while wielding a mere low-grade weapon.

After a moment's thought, Lu Wufei named it the "Golden Light Staff."

Following the staff came a long halberd emitting a faint azure glow, and a black iron rod. The halberd was a mid-grade dharma artifact, while the iron rod was low-grade. Like the Golden Light Staff, these came from the Golden-Haired Monkey Demon—a truly generous "gift-bearing boy." Lu Wufei felt quite grateful to him.

In addition to the three treasures from the monkey, there was a slightly curved mid-grade dharma staff from the first black-furred monkey he had encountered. Lu Wufei found it strange—did all monkeys love using staffs? He had encountered several that did.

Next was a sharp, cold-glinting, three-pronged steel trident. This high-grade dharma artifact had been contributed by the Leopard Demon, an late-stage Demon Commander from the Great Wilderness Mountains who had pursued him. A mid-grade spear came from the Sheep Demon, and finally, a high-grade ornate fan came from the Fox Demon. The four Demon Commanders he had killed contributed four weapons. As for defensive gear, there was nothing left; everything had been shattered in the heat of battle.

Including the three treasures from the Golden-Haired Monkey, Lu Wufei had earned seven items in total, all weapons: one mid-grade dharma treasure, two high-grade dharma artifacts, three mid-grade dharma artifacts, and one low-grade dharma artifact. It was a massive haul.

***

After taking inventory, Lu Wufei’s mood improved. With a thought, a thumb-sized raspberry, pulsating with an enticing fruity fragrance, appeared. He swallowed it, chewed, and gulped it down. Feeling the rich spiritual energy flowing within him, he adjusted his posture and began to meditate right there in the tub. Immediately, rings of azure light began to swirl around him.

Time passed slowly. When the night watchman’s gong sounded from the streets outside, Lu Wufei emerged from his meditation. Feeling that his condition had improved, he stood up from the cold water, changed into a fresh robe, and prepared to leave. But reaching the door, he realized there would be no breakfast at this hour, so he returned to the bed to continue his cultivation.

The next day, as dawn broke, Lu Wufei woke on time. He restocked his supplies and liquor at the inn and enjoyed a hearty breakfast at a roadside stall. After draining the last of his sweet tofu pudding, he left the town and took to the sky.

A month later, soaring high above, Lu Wufei saw the sky-filling mist and heard the thunderous roar of waves in the distance. He knew he had reached the Flowing Sands River. Thinking of Sha Wujing, who had once pointed him in the right direction, he descended.

Before long, Lu Wufei stood by the turbulent, mist-shrouded banks of the Flowing Sands River.

"Sha Wujing!"

No sooner had he spoken than a towering monster with red hair, a blue face, fangs, and a necklace of skulls appeared atop the raging waves. It was none other than Sha Wujing.

As soon as he surfaced, the monster stepped across the waves to stand before Lu Wufei, his expression fierce. "What demon are you? How do you know my name?"

Before he could finish, Sha Wujing looked at Lu Wufei—now with silver hair and a completely different appearance—and hesitated. "I feel as though I’ve seen you, but I cannot recall who you are."

"General, have no fear." Lu Wufei smiled, his face shifting into the likeness of a young man with thick eyebrows. "Take another look."

Hearing the "General" title, Sha Wujing was even more perplexed. Few knew his true identity. Just as he was about to speak, he watched the young demon's face change. In an instant, he remembered: wasn't this the little demon who had treated him to dog meat and asked about the location of the Great Immortal Zhenyuan’s temple not long ago?

"So it is you, little demon!" Sha Wujing’s expression softened, and a smile appeared. "Did you find Wuzhuang Temple? Mount Longevity is easy to find, but the temple is not easy to enter."

He paused, sensing the aura of the young demon, and corrected himself: "It seems you did." He asked tentatively, "Did you become a disciple of the Great Immortal Zhenyuan?"

Lu Wufei reverted to his silver-haired appearance and nodded with a smile. "Thanks to your guidance, General, I have been accepted into the master's fold. My Taoist name is Lu Wufei."

"Accepted as a disciple..." Hearing the confirmation, a rare look of envy crossed Sha Wujing’s face. Had he possessed such status back then, he would never have been banished to the Flowing Sands River to suffer the torture of the flying swords piercing his chest.

***

Not long after, they sat by the edge of the same mountain forest as before. Between them, a large pot bubbled over a roaring campfire. Lu Wufei filled Sha Wujing’s bowl and raised his own. "Thank you for your guidance, General. Only then could I have become a disciple."

"No," Sha Wujing shook his head at the toast. "Fellow Daoist Lu, you were fated to be with the Great Immortal. Even if you hadn't met me, you would have eventually joined him. I cannot take credit. Also, my name is Sha Wujing. Though I was once the Curtain-Lifting General of the Heavenly Palace, you are a disciple of the Great Immortal now. This wine should be me toasting you. Since we met when we were both lowly, let us speak as equals."

"However," Sha Wujing laughed as he raised his cup, "I did point you in the right direction. In that sense, I shall accept this drink. I congratulate you on finding a renowned teacher and shedding your status as a wild demon. It is a joyous occasion!"

Hearing Sha Wujing speak of their ranks and realizing his own status might actually be higher than the former general's, Lu Wufei felt a complex mix of emotions. He realized he had severely underestimated the weight of his master's name. It was his own fault for wandering off into the desolate, backwater wilderness. If he had known, he wouldn't have had to suffer such trials. But pain aside, the rewards were immense—a blessing in disguise.

"Come, Fellow Daoist Sha!"

"Cheers!"

Lu Wufei clinked his bowl against Sha Wujing’s and drained it. That single bowl of wine bridged the gap between them. To Sha Wujing, Lu Wufei had once been a lowly wild demon he could have crushed with a flick of his finger. Now, he was a disciple of the Great Immortal Zhenyuan. Though he didn't need to grovel, making friends with him, especially since the Flowing Sands River was not far from Mount Longevity, could only be beneficial. For Lu Wufei, this meeting was about both gratitude and a sense of wonder, as these figures from the legends were part of his own childhood imagination.

"What kind of meat is this?" Sha Wujing asked, surprised by the texture after a single bite.

"Leopard," Lu Wufei replied, pouring more wine.

The Golden Core stage Leopard Demon wasn't exactly rare, but it was a decent meal. He had four such demon carcasses in his storage space—enough to last a while, and he could bring some back for Qingfeng, Mingyue, and his brothers. He remembered he owed Mingyue a treat.

They drank until the next morning. Knowing of the cold, miserable life Sha Wujing suffered in the river, Lu Wufei had come prepared with ample supplies, allowing the monster to eat and drink his fill.

At dawn, Sha Wujing finished the last of the meat and wine. He stood up and bowed to Lu Wufei. "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Lu. I have been banished here for years, suffering in hunger and cold. You are the only one who remembered me. Please, accept my bow."

Lu Wufei quickly reached out to stop him. Though he was a disciple of Wuzhuang Temple, Sha Wujing was still a Celestial-level cultivator. Lu Wufei couldn't possibly accept a bow just for a meal. "Fellow Daoist Sha, we met as equals. Without your directions, I would never have succeeded. You must not do this, or I shall be too ashamed to visit again."

Seeing Lu Wufei's sincerity, Sha Wujing laughed heartily. "That won't do! I’m counting on your visits." He paused, his expression shifting. "I sense your aura is uneven. Are you still suffering from lingering injuries?"

Lu Wufei smiled. "Your eyes are sharp, Daoist. I came from the far southern wilderness, encountered some demons, and due to my lack of skill, suffered some wounds."

"The audacity!" Sha Wujing’s voice turned angry. "If only I could leave this river, I would slaughter those blind fools for you!"

Hearing the genuine rage in his friend's voice, Lu Wufei shook his head with a smile. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I will settle those grudges myself in time. The hour is late, and I must return to face my master's reprimand. Farewell."

He raised his hands in a parting gesture. "I will come to see you again."

Sha Wujing nodded, returning the gesture. "I wish you a safe journey. I shall wait for your return."

"Take care, Daoist."

"You as well."

With that, Lu Wufei stepped onto a cloud and soared away. Sha Wujing watched the spot where Lu Wufei had vanished for a long time, sighed, and then took a single step, disappearing from the bank.

***

Half a month later, Lu Wufei appeared once more before Mount Longevity. Looking up at the massive, heaven-piercing mountain, his heart surged with a thousand thoughts. After a long while, he calmed himself, descended, and walked step by step toward the familiar white stone stairs.

On Mount Longevity, in the main hall of Wuzhuang Temple, incense smoke curled in the air. As Zhenyuanzi was teaching, he suddenly fell silent. "Qingfeng, Mingyue."

The two disciples in green and pink robes stepped forward respectfully. "Master, we are here!"

"Go open the gate," Zhenyuanzi said. "Your junior brother has returned."

"Junior brother is back?" The two were stunned for a second, then erupted in joy. "Junior brother is finally back!" Realizing they had spoken out of turn, they covered their mouths and bowed. "Yes, Master! We go to open the gate at once!"

They turned and raced toward the entrance.

"Hey, Junior Brother is a liar!"

"He said he'd be back in three or five years, and he’s only just returned."

"He didn't lie, it’s only been three years."

"Ah, I miscounted. I must have missed him too much."

"It’s his fault for leaving us bored."

"Indeed. But we must tell him that to his face."

"Let's go! We must have him tell us all about the world outside."

"And he promised to bring me something delicious!"

Chattering, they reached the gate and threw it open to find Lu Wufei waiting, weary from his travels.

"Junior Brother!"

"You're finally back!" Mingyue cheered, and Qingfeng smiled broadly.

"Brothers," Lu Wufei greeted them with a bow.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Mingyue looked around. "Junior Brother, what are you looking for?" Lu Wufei asked.

"I’m looking for Xiaobai! Did you not bring her back with you?"

At this, Lu Wufei’s expression darkened. He forced a smile. "I was in too much of a hurry. I will bring her to visit you next time."

"Then why..." Mingyue had missed the little spirit mouse and started to ask, but Qingfeng caught his eye and interrupted. "Next time is fine. Junior Brother, come in quickly; Master is still waiting."

Lu Wufei nodded and stepped inside. As they closed the gate, Mingyue whispered to Qingfeng, asking what that look was for. Qingfeng replied, "Junior Brother's aura is wrong; something must have happened. You will know soon enough, so do not ask."

"Oh," Mingyue replied, obediently staying silent.

As they walked to the hall, Lu Wufei’s memories of the past three years flooded back—the pain, the humiliation, and the fear he had endured. His nose stung, and he fell to his knees in the main hall, his voice choked with regret, relief, and sorrow: "Master!"

High on his seat, Zhenyuanzi looked down at his disciple, who had endured so much, and said with a gentle smile, "It is good that you have returned. It is good to be home."