They've all become top scholars in the imperial examinations, and you're telling me this i

Chapter 226 I'll lie down, you can do whatever you want

The meeting in the Lingxiao Palace was temporarily adjourned, and Chen Guangrui had no choice but to return to his Imperial Stables. As he traveled, the comments about his "low cultivation level" seemed to still be ringing in his ears.

As soon as I stepped into the courtyard of the Imperial Stables, I heard a commotion. There I saw the two boys, Jinlu and Yinlu, along with Tangsheng and Honghaier, the four little ones huddled together, whispering among themselves.

The boy with the sharpest eyes, upon seeing Chen Guangrui, immediately jumped over and hopped over.
"Chen Guangrui, Chen Guangrui, you're finally back!" Yinlu's voice was crisp and bright.

"I've heard about it. At the court meeting, were they going to appoint you as... Marshal Tianpeng? Did everyone say your cultivation level is too low? Is that right?"

Chen Guangrui paused, feeling a tightness in his chest. Good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels fast; what just happened in the court had already reached even the young servants in the alchemy room—the news spread faster than the wind.

"Don't ask such questions, you're just a kid," Chen Guangrui tried to brush it off.

"What do you mean 'don't ask questions'?" Yinlu persisted, her little mouth chattering, "What's wrong with low cultivation? Just take more medicine!"

As he spoke, he seemed to remember something and turned to call out to Jin Lu, "Brother, quick! Bring Chen Guangrui all the sweet beans we've been saving."

The Golden Furnace Boy, more composed, nodded upon hearing this and actually took out a small cloth bag from his robes, containing several pills that emitted a soft glow. He handed it over, his voice flat and indifferent.
"Here, this is what we usually eat. It'll give you strength and boost your energy. Why don't you give it a try?"

Chen Guangrui looked at the pills in front of him, which the attendants of the Tushita Palace regarded as snacks, and felt a mix of emotions.

Tang Sheng, who hadn't spoken a word, glanced between Chen Guangrui and the pills twice without uttering a sound.

Red Boy, who was squatting nearby poking at the ant nest with a straw, scoffed upon hearing this: "Tch, what's so special about that? My mother's..."

Before he could finish speaking, the Golden Furnace Boy seemed to suddenly remember something important, his bright black eyes fixed on Chen Guangrui as he interrupted,

"Chen Guangrui, that's not right. I remember clearly, when we came back from Gao Village, Yinlu and I gave you a lot of pills, right? The Ancestor even gave you a Nine-Turn Golden Pill! So many good things..."

He paused, then frowned in confusion, "Why haven't I seen any improvement in your cultivation level?"

As he spoke, he looked Chen Guangrui up and down, as if he were studying an unsolvable puzzle.

These words were like a needle, piercing straight to Chen Guangrui's most painful spot. Lies don't hurt, but the truth is a sharp knife. He felt as if a stone was blocking his chest, making him feel suffocated.

Upon hearing his brother's words, the Silver Furnace Boy slapped his forehead as if suddenly enlightened, "Ah! I understand!"

As if he had found the answer, he pointed at Chen Guangrui and shouted, "It must be because your constitution is too poor and your talent is too weak. The potency of those medicines wasn't enough. Look at Zhu Bajie (Pigsy), he became the majestic Marshal Tianpeng after taking just one Nine-Turn Golden Pill. You took two and didn't even have a reaction, tsk tsk tsk..."

He shook his little head, giving me a "you're hopeless" look. "We need to increase the dosage, we definitely need to increase it. If my natural talent isn't good enough, we'll make up for it with pills."

Chen Guangrui's face flushed slightly. Poor physical constitution? Weak talent? These stark truths, spoken by two innocent children, were incredibly damaging.

How could he not know? He knew best the effects of the ginseng fruit he ate at Wuzhuang Temple back then. Wasn't that enough to prove his point? He wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

Jinlu Tongzi ignored his younger brother's clamor and continued to stare at Chen Guangrui, his little face serious as he pressed for answers.
"Oh, by the way. Laozi recently refined three golden pills, which I heard are even more powerful than the Nine-Turn Golden Pill. Those three treasures... did he give them to you?"

His gaze was inquisitive, as if he wanted to see through Chen Guangrui's pockets.

coming!

Alarm bells rang in Chen Guangrui's mind. The jade bottle in his sleeve seemed to instantly become scalding hot.

Eat? He'd rather die than eat! If he doesn't eat now, it just means he "might" have poor aptitude and a low level of cultivation.

If I were to swallow those three pills, which Laozi himself said were "more precious than the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir," in front of these little devils, and then... there wouldn't be any reaction whatsoever...

Just imagining the scene made Chen Guangrui feel like all the blood in his body rushed to his face. It wasn't just shameful; it was like having the word "useless" etched onto his forehead for the entire Heavenly Court to see. How could he possibly stay in Heaven? How could he ever hold his head high again when he saw Li Jing?

"Give...to me?" Chen Guangrui immediately shook his head like a rattle drum, trying his best to make a blank and innocent expression on his face.

"What golden elixir? I've never heard of it! When did Laozi give me a golden elixir? That's not true, absolutely not!"

He vehemently denied it, his tone resolute, as if he had been utterly wronged. As long as he didn't admit it, no one could force him to eat it! He absolutely refused! Since the position of Marshal Tianpeng was a secret agreement reached between the Jade Emperor and Laozi, let those two powerful figures figure out a solution themselves.

Chen Guangrui is just going to lie low. So what if his cultivation level is low? You guys forced this position on him; you can solve the problems yourselves. He just needs to stay put and wait for the appointment.

He's secured his position as marshal; as for how to maintain it... that's a matter for the other two to worry about.

He was determined that no matter how much Jin Lu and Yin Lu pressed him for answers, he would stick to the same three words: "I don't know."

Tang Sheng tilted his little head and stared at Chen Guangrui, his bright black eyes sparkling with a cleverness beyond his years. He looked at Chen Guangrui's guilty yet forced composure, then at Jin Lu's "Don't try to fool me" expression and Yin Lu's complete trust in his brother's judgment, and pouted, as if he understood something.

At this moment, Sun Wukong arrived before he did, and with a somersault, he landed in the courtyard of the Imperial Stables, right in front of Chen Guangrui.

"Hehe, Chen Guangrui!" Sun Wukong circled Chen Guangrui twice, his tone full of mockery.

"I heard back in Flower Fruit Mountain that you almost failed to become that damn Marshal Tianpeng in the Lingxiao Palace because your cultivation level was too low? Haha, it's true."

Chen Guangrui felt a throbbing pain in his temples and a wave of helplessness wash over him. The news had spread far too quickly; how long had it been since the Lingxiao Palace event ended, and even Sun Wukong, far away on Flower Fruit Mountain, knew about it?
He couldn't help but think to himself, "Which loose-lipped guy deserves to be taught a lesson?"

"The Great Sage is certainly well-informed," Chen Guangrui said irritably, his tone tinged with a resigned weariness.

"Of course." Sun Wukong waved his hand, looking completely matter-of-fact. "I, Old Sun, came to Heaven specifically to help you!"

He jumped onto a nearby rock and squatted down, full of enthusiasm.
"I'm thinking, it's just that your cultivation level isn't high enough. Come, come, I, Old Sun, will teach you a few of my most secret and powerful techniques. I guarantee they'll be useful! Once you show them off, who will dare say you're no good?"

Before Chen Guangrui could react, Sun Wukong had already jumped down, grabbed him, and was about to demonstrate, "Come on, watch carefully! Circulate your immortal power, first gather it in your dantian, then guide it to an inch below your left rib..."

As he spoke, he pointed to specific spots on Chen Guangrui's body with his finger.

Chen Guangrui had no choice but to bite the bullet and try his best to mobilize the pitiful amount of immortal power in his body according to Sun Wukong's instructions.

"One inch to the left! Oh, right! A little to the right! How come you can't even tell left from right?" Sun Wukong's voice quickly changed from excitement to impatience, as he scratched his ears and cheeks.

"You can't even do something as simple as position sensing? Is your immortal power a stagnant pool, without a single ripple?"

After struggling for half an hour, Chen Guangrui was sweating profusely, but his internal immortal power remained stagnant, like an old ox pulling a broken cart. He hadn't even seen a trace of the supernatural powers taught by Sun Wukong.

"Fine, fine!" Sun Wukong waved his hand in frustration, pulled his golden cudgel from his ear, and irritably slammed it into the ground, creating a small dent.

"If you can't learn supernatural powers, then I, Old Sun, will teach you a quick cultivation method, okay? These are some basic breathing techniques that can strengthen your foundation, nourish your vital energy, and increase your cultivation level."

He then began to recite an extremely esoteric breathing incantation. Chen Guangrui sat cross-legged, concentrated his mind, and tried to meditate, attempting to draw upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth according to the incantation.

Another hour passed quietly, and the anticipation on Sun Wukong's face completely disappeared. He circled Chen Guangrui, who was sitting with his eyes closed, three times, scratching his ears and cheeks faster and faster. Finally, he stomped his foot, and the golden cudgel slammed to the ground with a "clang".

“I, Old Sun…I, Old Sun, am convinced. I caused a ruckus in the Heavenly Palace back then, but I never submitted to anyone. Now, I, Old Sun, am convinced by you.”

Sun Wukong's voice carried an unprecedented sense of helplessness. He scratched the back of his head, looking at Chen Guangrui who remained unresponsive, and his tone became exceptionally sincere.
“Chen Guangrui, listen to my advice. This Marshal Tianpeng... can we just give up the position? This position clashes with you, and your foundation... sigh, I’ve seen it all, I really can’t teach you, I can’t teach you.”

Chen Guangrui slowly opened his eyes. He wasn't angry at Sun Wukong's bluntness; instead, he let out a long breath, as if releasing all the pent-up frustration in his chest. He stood up, dusted off his robes, and calmly looked at the defeated Sun Wukong.

“Great Sage,” Chen Guangrui’s voice was steady, with a hint of insightful understanding.

"You came all the way from Flower Fruit Mountain, so the news couldn't have come so quickly. You must have heard about it on your way to Heaven, or after you arrived, right? Tell me, what important business did you come to Heaven for this time? You said you were here to help me, but I guess you were just passing by?"

Chen Guangrui wasn't worried about his position as Marshal Tianpeng at all; if he didn't take it, no one else could. So he used that time to think about recent events.

A fleeting look of embarrassment crossed Sun Wukong's face. He chuckled dryly twice, his eyes darting away. He scratched his face and then his neck before finally speaking, somewhat sheepishly.
"Well... hehe, you figured it out. I, Old Sun, did come up here because... I had something else on my mind."

He paused, as if organizing his thoughts, before lowering his voice and speaking in a somewhat mysterious tone, "I had only been back in Flower Fruit Mountain for a short time when Guanyin Bodhisattva... came knocking on my door."

(End of this chapter)