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Chapter 102 Searching for someone
The shouts of battle from Gao Laozhuang gradually subsided, but the firelight illuminated half the sky, and the cries of women and children could still be faintly heard.

The Silver Furnace Boy pushed aside the branches obstructing his view, pointed at the chaotic scene, and jumped up and down excitedly.
"It's chaos! It's really in chaos! Haha, Mr. Chen, your method is truly effective!"

His face lit up, and for the first time, his gaze towards Chen Guangrui carried genuine admiration. Even his form of address changed unconsciously.

"Pigsy really was kicked out, I saw it clearly, he grabbed someone and ran away. Now he should obediently come back to heaven with us to be his Marshal Tianpeng, right?"

Although the Golden Furnace Boy couldn't hide his excitement, he still tried his best to maintain a "mature and composed" demeanor, puffing out his little chest.
"Of course! Zhu Bajie was driven away and humiliated by mortals like that. Wouldn't it be a thousand times better for him to be reinstated in Heaven than to suffer in the mortal world? If he had any brains, he should understand that!"

He turned to Chen Guangrui, his youthful face trying to appear serious. "Mr. Chen, there's no time to lose. Let's go to Yunzhan Cave on Fuling Mountain to find him and guide him back to his rightful place."

Chen Guangrui looked in the direction of Gao Laozhuang and nodded slightly. "It should be about time."

The task seemed to be nearing its end.

Jinlu and Yinlu were overjoyed. Without even bothering to exchange pleasantries, the two small figures suddenly soared into the air, transforming into two streaks of light and heading straight towards Fuling Mountain.

Chen Guangrui didn't go. He found an old tree and sat down on a thick branch. The night was deep and the wind was cold, but his mind was in turmoil. In fact, he had already realized that things were not so simple.

"Reinstated to his original position... and that's it?"

He muttered to himself. The whole process seemed to go smoothly, yet there was an inexplicable awkwardness about it.

Who was Laozi? He had been living in seclusion for countless years. Chen Guangrui remembered that he had whispered a few words in Laozi's ear that day, which startled him and caused him to emerge from seclusion. Laozi even went to the Jade Emperor to request a decree.

All this solemnity was just to have myself accompany two ignorant children, carrying a few powerful magical treasures, to descend to the mortal realm to perform this "herding pigs to heaven" drama.

Kui Mulang's doubts echoed in his ears again: What did you, a mere mortal, do to make Laozi make an exception for you?

Chen Guangrui felt that this matter shouldn't be taken so lightly. Was it really worth Laozi going to such lengths to drive away Zhu Bajie?

Why make such a fuss over something as simple as "reinstating one's official position"? Wouldn't it be safer for the Tushita Palace to simply send a capable protector or messenger to convey the decree? In this world, is there really anyone who doesn't give Laozi face?

Having two children, whose minds are like those of children, in charge... seems more like a pretext.

"Could it be... that these two little guys are a decoy, used to cooperate with my scheme?"

They said I was to accompany the two boys, but in reality, it was a task assigned to me?

But wasn't this task far too simple? He pondered it repeatedly, yet still couldn't see through Laozi's true intentions hidden behind the clouds.

Just as his thoughts were becoming increasingly tangled, two streaks of light flew back angrily from the distant night sky, landing with two "bangs" on the grass in front of him, stirring up a cloud of dust.

"I'm so angry, Mr. Chen!" The Silver Furnace Boy's face turned red with anger, clutching the bottle tightly in his arms, stomping his feet and shouting.

"That Pigsy is cunning, extremely cunning!"

The Golden Furnace Boy kept a straight face, but his slightly rapid breathing betrayed his anxiety. He tried hard to maintain his composure, his voice carrying suppressed anger.

"Mr. Chen, that scoundrel didn't return to Yunzhan Cave at all! The entrance is mostly blocked by spider webs, and the inside is empty, not even a single pig hair is left!"

His small hands clenched tightly. "Damn it! Where could he have run off to with that Miss Gao? Are we really supposed to search the whole world for a pig? What... what should we do next?"

Both he and Xiao Yinlu looked at Chen Guangrui in the tree, their gazes filled with dependence, but also with a sense of helplessness caused by the setback in their mission.

Chen Guangrui jumped down from the tree branch, landing silently. His gaze swept over the two angry boys. "If we can't find him, he's probably deliberately hiding from you. Perhaps the accountant from Gao Village will know."

"An accountant?" The Golden Furnace Boy frowned in thought, as he had never cared about the trivial matters of mortals.

Silver Furnace Boy's eyes lit up: "Yes, yes, yes! That slovenly old Taoist priest said there was something wrong with the accountant. He must know something!"

"We shouldn't delay, let's go check out Gao Laozhuang." Chen Guangrui made a quick decision.

Without further delay, the three rode on clouds and arrived above Gao Village in an instant. They found a secluded corner, landed on the roof of a tall house, and silently lay down.

Although the village below was no longer as chaotic as before, people were still filled with fear. Lanterns swayed, servants patrolled with sticks, and the faint sound of weeping could be heard from the backyard.

They had a direct view of the main hall of the Gao family mansion. The hall was brightly lit, and Old Master Gao was slumped in a grand chair, his face ashen, his beard and hair disheveled. He kept pounding his chest and coughing, looking as if he had been scared half to death and was so angry that his liver ached.

"...What a tragedy! What a tragedy!" Old Master Gao pounded his chest and stamped his feet, his voice hoarse and choked with sobs. "What sins did I commit in my past life! I only wanted to hire a decent laborer to help me retire, but who knew...who knew I would invite a wolf into the house, invite a damned monster to my door! My poor Cuilan...waaa..."

An old butler carefully served them, offering them tea.

Old Master Gao pushed aside his teacup, panting heavily, and pointed at the steward, as if cursing the heavens and the earth.
"I regret it so much! It's all... all that old Jia's fault for being so foolish! It's all his fault. When this Pigsy came to the village, he was the one who was stirring things up, saying that this person must have extraordinary strength because of his enormous appetite, that he was a rare 'extraordinary person,' and that keeping him would definitely be of great use! He even patted his chest and guaranteed it. Now we've ruined everything, ruined everything!"

He grew angrier as he spoke, and slammed his hand on the table. “Where is he? Go! Bring Old Jia here to me. I want to ask him where he got this jinxed monster from, who has ruined my family.”

The butler bowed with a pained expression and said cautiously,
"Please calm down, sir... Just now... just now the Third Miss was kidnapped by that monster. When the fighting started, I think... I think I saw Mr. Jia. He took advantage of the chaos... and escaped by climbing over the back wall! Now... I can't find him!"

"He ran away?" Old Master Gao was struck dumb, his body swaying, the last trace of color draining from his face. He muttered to himself, "Both my love and my fortune are gone...both my love and my fortune are gone...even he ran away...what am I going to do, what am I going to do..."

On the rooftop, the three people lying prone exchanged a glance, a sense of disappointment in their hearts.

"The accountant really did run away!" Silver Furnace Boy said in a low voice, with the excitement of discovering a secret.

The Golden Furnace Boy's face darkened: "He fled to escape punishment, which confirms his suspicion! But... this is a vast sea of ​​people, and he's not a demon, he can't ride the clouds, so he can't go far. How are we supposed to find him?" He was once again in a dilemma.

Silver Furnace Boy's eyes darted around. Just then, his gaze suddenly swept to a dark corner of the courtyard below, where a familiar figure in a tattered Taoist robe was peeking out, seemingly observing the situation on Gao Taigong's side.

"Huh?" The Silver Furnace Boy's small eyes lit up instantly. He tugged at the Golden Furnace Boy's sleeve, pointed excitedly at that corner, and whispered urgently,

"Jin Lu! Look, look! Isn't that the old fortune teller? What... what is he doing sneaking around here?!"

In the shadows beneath the tree, Yuan Shoucheng's chubby, round face was looking towards the hall of Gao Taigong, completely unaware that he had been discovered.

He was engrossed in reading when he suddenly felt a light tap on his shoulder.

"Whoa!" Yuan Shoucheng's hair stood on end, and he was so frightened that he stumbled and almost ran away on the spot.

He turned around abruptly, still shaken, but when he saw who it was, the fear on his face instantly turned into a smile.

"Mr. Yuan, you're in quite a mood, eavesdropping so late at night?"

Chen Guangrui joked, but his tone was cautious. His gaze swept across the quiet woods around him.

Silver Furnace Boy grinned, about to say something loud, when Gold Furnace Boy immediately nudged him with his elbow and whispered, "Shh, keep your voice down!"

Chen Guangrui nodded. "This isn't the place to talk. Let's leave first."

The Golden Furnace Boy and the Silver Furnace Boy immediately nodded, each taking one of Yuan Shoucheng's arms, who was still stunned. "Hey, wait, I can do it myself..."

Before Yuan Shoucheng could finish speaking, he felt his feet lighten and the wind whistling past his ears. He was lifted off the ground by the two boys!

The clouds rushed in, and the trees and houses on the ground quickly shrank in size. This was the first time in Yuan Shoucheng's life that he had "ridden the clouds." He felt his internal organs sway, followed by an indescribable sense of exhilaration and...dizziness.

He instinctively tried to grab something to steady himself, feeling like a kite being billowed by the wind, and couldn't help but yell "Wow!" a few times, "Slow down, slow down, it feels...it feels like I'm flying!"

The two boys ignored him, and soon, a desolate and deserted valley appeared below.

The clouds and mist settled and dissipated.

Only then did Yuan Shoucheng, with his feet firmly on the ground, pat his chest and let out a long sigh of relief.
"My goodness, this cloud-riding is much more mentally taxing than fortune-telling!"

The moment his feet touched the ground, the Silver Furnace Boy couldn't wait any longer. He leaped in front of Yuan Shoucheng, his big eyes gleaming, and asked bluntly,
"Hey, fortune teller, do you know where that Pigsy is hiding? Tell me now!"

He looked so anxious, as if he was about to rush out and grab someone at any moment.

Yuan Shoucheng steadied himself, glanced at the anxious Silver Furnace Boy, then at the frowning Gold Furnace Boy and the composed Chen Guangrui, and chuckled, a sly glint in his usually mercenary face.
"Of course I know! There aren't many things in this world that can't be hidden from my eyes. But..."

He deliberately dragged out his words.

"But what? Stop keeping me in suspense!" The Silver Furnace Boy was so anxious he jumped up and down.

"However, you two immortals," Yuan Shoucheng stroked his beard and chuckled twice more,

"If you just rush over there now, hehe, I guarantee that even if Pigsy twists his head off and kicks it like a ball, he'd rather die than go with you!"

"Huh?" The Silver Furnace Boy and the Little Golden Furnace Boy were both stunned, their faces full of surprise and confusion.

"What do you mean by that?" The Golden Furnace Boy frowned even more deeply.

Yuan Shoucheng just chuckled without explaining, his eyes gleaming with shrewdness, as if to say that things were very complicated here.

Just as the two boys were completely baffled, Chen Guangrui, who had been silently observing, spoke up, his voice steady.
"Mr. Yuan, let's put aside Zhu Bajie for now. Let's talk about that 'accountant.' You found him, but who is he? And...where did he go later?"

Upon hearing this, the Silver Furnace Boy and the Golden Furnace Boy immediately understood.

It turns out that Chen Guangrui had already instructed Yuan Shoucheng to investigate the mysteriously disappeared accountant.

The two immediately perked up, turning to look at Yuan Shoucheng with expectant eyes.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shoucheng's sly smile vanished, replaced by a hint of frustration.
"Don't even mention it! I rushed as fast as I could, but I was still too late! When I finally found Gao Laozhuang, the accountant was nowhere to be found. He had already packed up and run away. The gate was locked tight, and not even Gao Taigong's dog was disturbed."

He looked as if he had missed out on a great deal.

"Aren't you good at divination?" Chen Guangrui pressed. "Now let's find out where he is and get to the bottom of this."

"Oh dear, my lord Chen, what do you take this for?" Yuan Shoucheng waved his hands repeatedly.

"Even if I figure out which rat hole he's hiding in right now, what good will it do us if we find him? With his airtight manner, do you think he's the type to talk easily? If he refuses to talk, or just makes up some lie, there's nothing we can do!"

He glanced at the eager-looking Silver Furnace Boy and asked, "Could it be that you actually managed to melt him down?"

Silver Furnace Boy's eyes lit up, "If he doesn't tell the truth, then..."

"Shut up!" The Golden Furnace Boy quickly covered the Silver Furnace Boy's mouth, glared at him fiercely, and turned to Chen Guangrui and Yuan Shoucheng: "Sir is right, finding the person may not be of any use."

He himself felt that the matter was a bit tricky.

Chen Guangrui remained silent, pondering Yuan Shoucheng's words, which indeed made sense.

The accountant was a meticulous man; approaching him rashly might alert him or yield nothing. After a moment, he looked up and asked Yuan Shoucheng, "Then, in your opinion, what should we do?"

Yuan Shoucheng had been waiting for these words. He narrowed his eyes and said, "Although I didn't manage to catch anyone, my trip wasn't in vain!"

He rubbed his hands together smugly. "I took a 'scan' at the accountant's room and hey! I found something interesting."

"What is it?" Silver Furnace Boy broke free from Golden Furnace Boy's hand and asked again.

“A brush!” Yuan Shoucheng gestured. “A wolf-hair brush, placed on the table, the tip still dipped in ink, jet black, clearly just recently used.”

His eyes gleamed. "What does this mean? It means that he wrote something before he disappeared. The ink on this freshly written piece is still wet, and the handwriting is still fresh. These are all clues! Following this pen, we might be able to deduce where his last piece of writing went, and even get a glimpse of its contents!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Silver Furnace Boy shouted impatiently, "Calculate! Calculate it quickly!"

This time, even Jinlu Tongzi and Chen Guangrui nodded, their eyes fixed intently on Yuan Shoucheng.

Yuan Shoucheng dropped his playful expression, straightened his slightly disheveled robes, and his face became unusually serious. He then took out an old tortoise shell and three polished copper coins from his pocket, muttering incantations.

A gentle breeze swept through the valley, carrying a faint fragrance of grass and trees.

Yuan Shoucheng held his breath and focused intently, quickly and reverently placing the copper coins into the tortoise shell. He closed his eyes, and the incantations he uttered grew increasingly dense and deep. He then closed the tortoise shell with both hands and began to shake it in a peculiar rhythm.

Wow... Wow...

The copper coins clanged against the inner wall of the tortoise shell, producing a crisp sound that seemed to contain some kind of divine secret.

The shaking stopped.

Yuan Shoucheng slowly opened his eyes, carefully poured the copper coins from the tortoise shell into his palm, and looked down to examine the scattered copper coins and their orientation.

His face, usually so accustomed to the ways of the marketplace, now held a mysterious glint. His brow furrowed and relaxed intermittently, his finger hovering over the copper coin as he rapidly murmured divination phrases incomprehensible to others.

Time passed little by little.

Suddenly, Yuan Shoucheng raised his head sharply, a strange light flashing in his eyes!

"Strange! This is really strange!"

His voice trembled with shock and lingering fear.

"You figured it out?!" Silver Furnace Boy jumped up excitedly.

Yuan Shoucheng's expression changed repeatedly, as if he had seen something utterly unbelievable. He stared intently at the divination symbols on the ground, then suddenly looked up at Chen Guangrui, his voice somewhat hoarse:
"I did calculate it, but the results are a bit strange."

(End of this chapter)