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Chapter 242 Robbery
At this moment, only the monk Xuanzang and the black bear spirit remained waiting at the outer gate of the Western Liang Women's Kingdom's palace.

The palace walls were tall and silent. Xuanzang sat on a stone stool to the side, his hands unconsciously twirling prayer beads, his brows slightly furrowed.

Half an hour passed, and apart from the occasional patrolling female soldier, no one paid them any attention. Xuanzang felt a little uneasy, wondering if the conversion of the travel permit would still be completed smoothly. He worried that the Queen might change her mind, or that some other setback might arise that would hinder their journey westward.

"Master, rest assured," the black bear spirit said in a low voice, noticing Xuanzang's worry.

"The female prime minister just said that she would definitely be able to convert the travel documents properly today, and asked us to wait a little while. Since she said so, let's just wait patiently."

Xuanzang opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately remained silent. His unease hadn't completely dissipated despite the black bear spirit's words. This Kingdom of Women was strange in every way, and having just experienced the upheaval at the Mother-Child River, the Queen's attitude was subtle. He only wanted to leave this troublesome place as soon as possible and continue his journey westward to obtain the scriptures.

Just as Xuanzang's anxiety began to rise, a female official in official robes finally strode out of the palace gate. She walked straight up to Xuanzang, bowed slightly, and said, "Holy Monk, you have been waiting for a long time. The travel documents are ready. Please follow me inside to affix your seal."

Upon hearing this, Xuanzang felt a weight lift from his heart, and the worry between his brows vanished instantly, replaced by a relaxed smile. He quickly rose and returned the greeting with his palms together, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, Lady."

The two followed the female official into the palace. The hall seemed much emptier and quieter than usual, with only a few female officials on duty. The process of exchanging travel documents went exceptionally smoothly, and the female official respectfully handed over the travel document stamped with the Queen's jade seal. Xuanzang took it, carefully checked it to confirm that everything was correct, and felt greatly relieved.

The black bear spirit stood to the side, looking at the empty main seat and throne, and couldn't help but ask, "Lady, where is Her Majesty the Queen today?"

He felt something was amiss. Since the travel documents had been changed, shouldn't the Queen, as the ruler of a country, have a meeting with her?

Now, the Queen is nowhere to be seen, but the official documents have been changed; perhaps something has happened.

Xuanzang's mind was entirely focused on the official documents; he only wanted to leave as soon as possible. Upon hearing this, he said...

"Now that the official documents have been properly exchanged, what difference does it make whether we see Your Majesty or not? We are on our journey to the west to obtain the scriptures, and we dare not disturb Your Majesty's peace. We will take our leave now."

He was about to turn around as he spoke, worried that something might happen, but he was afraid that if he left too late, something might happen.

Seeing that Xuanzang was about to leave, the female official hurriedly said, "Holy Monk, please wait. Although His Majesty is not here, he has already ordered a vegetarian meal to be prepared. Holy Monk, you have had a long journey. Why not have a meal before you depart? It would be a token of our country's goodwill."

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, and for your graciousness, Lady." Xuanzang immediately declined, his tone gentle yet carrying an unyielding urgency.

"The journey is long, and we dare not delay. We must set off while it is still early. We will not trouble you with the vegetarian meal."

Seeing that Xuanzang was resolute, the female official did not insist on keeping him any longer, and said only, "In that case, I will see the holy monk off."

Following Buddhist etiquette, Xuanzang and the Black Bear Spirit bowed towards the palace, then, led by the female official, hurried out of the palace. Xuanzang's steps were much lighter than before; he only wanted to leave the palace of the Western Liang Women's Kingdom as quickly as possible and embark on his westward journey. The Black Bear Spirit followed closely behind, his massive body moving with remarkable agility.

On the banks of the Zimu River, seeing Chen Guangrui's sudden change in expression, the Queen's heart skipped a beat. She cautiously asked, "Immortal, the travel permit has been exchanged. Is there a problem?"

Chen Guangrui frowned and spoke a few steps faster.
"When I arrived, it was still early, and the Queen mentioned that she hadn't changed yet. How come she's already changed in such a short time?"

His ominous premonition grew stronger and stronger. The timeline seemed to overlap with a key point in his memory. After exchanging the documents, should Xuanzang leave the city?
The Queen looked somewhat bewildered by the question and explained, “The Immortal urged me earlier, and I dared not delay. Now that it is broad daylight, I thought that I should neither disobey the Immortal’s decree nor delay the journey of the Tang Dynasty monks to the west, so I ordered people to handle it quickly. According to the time, it should be changed by now, and the monks may have already left the palace.”

"Damn it." Chen Guangrui thought to himself, having no time to ask any further questions. He stomped his foot, and auspicious clouds suddenly rose around him. He threw down the words "Follow me!" and sped off towards the palace like an arrow, his figure instantly turning into a tiny dot on the horizon.

Sun Wukong reacted the fastest, and without saying a word, he somersaulted on his cloud to catch up. The others followed suit.

The Queen of the Women's Kingdom, her civil and military officials, and numerous guards who remained on the riverbank were all stunned by this sudden scene.

They had never seen a mortal fly through the clouds. For a moment, everyone looked up, gazing in the direction where the immortal had disappeared, lost in thought. The only sounds in the air were the flowing river and the fluttering of flags in the wind.

Finally, a female general in military uniform was the first to regain her senses. Suppressing her shock, she quickly walked to the equally stunned queen and asked in a low, urgent voice,

"Your Majesty, what should we do now that the immortals have suddenly departed?"

The Queen was startled awake by the female general's voice. She withdrew her gaze from the sky, a look of astonishment still lingering on her face.

"There must be a reason why our benefactor left in such a hurry." The Queen took a deep breath and decisively gave the order, her voice filled with unwavering resolve.
"Return to the city immediately and prepare the carriage. Our benefactor helped us break the thousand-year curse, a kindness akin to being reborn. If he needs anything now, we will do our utmost to assist him. Let's go, return to the palace immediately, and see if our benefactor still needs us."

At the Queen's command, the crowd on the riverbank immediately sprang into action, with guards surrounding the Queen's carriage, which raced towards the capital at top speed.

Along the way, Chen Guangrui mentally estimated the progress of events within the Women's Kingdom. Initially, he headed towards the palace, but later, he changed course and flew towards the west gate.

Just as they were approaching the city gate of Daughter City, Tang Sheng suddenly cried out "Ouch!" and squatted down, clutching his head with both hands. His face was deathly pale, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Master, I... I have a terrible headache, like it's going to split open, and I'm so sleepy..." Tang Sheng's voice trembled, and he almost lost his balance and nearly fell off the cloud.

Sun Wukong paused, quickly supporting him, his face full of surprise and doubt. "Tang Sheng? What's wrong with you?" He examined Tang Sheng's aura and felt a cold and chaotic power surging within him, but he couldn't understand why.

The Pleiades Star Lord also came closer to examine him. Seeing that Tang Sheng's face had turned from white to green and his breathing was disordered, he couldn't help but frown. "This seems like an evil spirit invading his body, but it's not ordinary. How strange!"

Chen Guangrui also noticed the abnormality and stopped in his tracks, not expecting Tang Sheng to have such a strong reaction.

At this moment, he suddenly remembered something and said to Sun Wukong, "Brother Monkey, things are a bit urgent in the Women's Kingdom. You take care of Tang Sheng first and don't go there. I'll go ahead."

Sun Wukong was worried about his disciple's safety, so he had to descend from the cloud and help Tang Sheng steady. The Pleiades Star Lord thought for a moment and also stopped.

Only Nezha and Chen Guangrui continued running towards the west gate of the Women's Kingdom. Meanwhile, at the outer gate of the Women's Kingdom's palace.

The Venerable Xuanzang clutched the newly acquired travel document bearing the Queen's crimson jade seal tightly, a huge weight finally lifted from his heart. The document felt warm and smooth to the touch, the seal clear and accurate. The Black Bear Spirit beside him also breathed a sigh of relief; the matter was finally settled.

"Thank you, benefactor. Please convey my gratitude to Her Majesty the Queen. My master and I are in a hurry to travel west and dare not linger any longer. We must take our leave now."

Xuanzang clasped his hands together and bowed deeply to the female official who had led them out. His tone was gentle yet carried an undeniable urgency. He wanted nothing more than to leave this place of trouble immediately and did not wish to linger for even a moment longer.

Accompanied by several palace servants, Xuanzang and his disciples quickly passed through the palace gate and headed towards the west gate of the capital.

Outside the imperial city, the Queen, accompanied by a large group of female officials, generals, and guards, was hurrying into the city. She felt that things were not yet over, and her benefactor might still need their help.

Just as they reached the vicinity of the city gate, the Queen and her entourage happened to run into Xuanzang and the Black Bear Spirit, who were about to leave the city.

Upon seeing the vast procession, especially the Queen herself, Xuanzang's heart sank. Oh no! Had they changed their minds? Were they going to forcibly detain him? He instinctively took a half-step back, his face paling slightly, and gripped his official documents and staff even tighter.

The black bear spirit tensed instantly, its massive body instinctively shielding Xuanzang. Its copper-bell-like eyes warily watched the queen and her entourage, and it spoke in a deep, gruff voice to Xuanzang.
"Master, don't panic! Judging from this commotion, they're coming for us. I, Lao Hei, will go and talk to them. If they'll let us through, then so be it; if not..."

He gripped the black-tasseled spear tightly. "There's no other way but to fight our way out!" He made up his mind. Now that the travel permits had been changed, nothing here could hold them back anymore.

The black bear spirit took a deep breath, strode forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute towards the queen, and spoke in a booming voice.
"Your Majesty, my master is a holy monk of the Tang Dynasty who is on the orders of the Tang Emperor to travel to the Western Paradise to worship Buddha and seek scriptures. His travel permit has already been exchanged. Why is Your Majesty leading a crowd to block his way? Are you going to break your promise?"

His questioning carried a barely perceptible tension, his entire body flexing as if ready to spring into action.

The Queen was taken aback by the question. Her purpose in coming here was to find Chen Guangrui, who might be returning to the city, not to see Xuanzang. Suddenly being stopped and questioned by the Black Bear Demon, she really didn't know how to answer.

Just as the Queen hesitated, the Black Bear Spirit waited intently for her reply, and most of the guards' attention was drawn to the Black Bear Spirit's imposing figure,

Changes occur suddenly.

A chilling, pungent wind suddenly swept up from behind Xuanzang, instantly turning the area into a yellowish, misty mess. This wind was eerily swift and powerful, far surpassing any ordinary malevolent wind, and the light inside the city gate suddenly dimmed.

As the sandstorm blinded them, the seemingly submissive female official who had been leading the way suddenly curled her lips into a sinister and eerie smile.

She moved with ghostly speed, her five fingers forming claws, carrying a chilling, bone-chilling force, and lightning-fast grabbed at Xuanzang's right arm holding the staff. The cold, slippery, snake-like touch instantly coiled around Xuanzang's wrist.

"Holy Monk Brother, don't be in such a hurry to leave. Come with me and have some fun!"

The female official let out a charming yet venomous laugh, and a dizzyingly sweet and pungent fragrance wafted towards Xuanzang's face as she spoke!

"Demon!" The black bear demon's roar was like a thunderclap from a clear sky. He never expected the attack to come from his side and rear, and he never expected that this seemingly harmless female official would suddenly launch an attack.

By the time he sensed the soaring demonic aura and chilling killing intent, he turned around in horror, but it was too late. He saw that the female official's face was distorted, her eyes flashing with purple light, and she no longer had any of the demeanor of a palace servant.

His eyes were bloodshot, and his black-tasseled spear, with a piercing whistle that tore through the air and the force of a thunderbolt, stabbed straight for the female official's back. This spear was fired in anger, determined to pierce through this evil spirit.

How dare you touch Xuanzang? That's like threatening the very foundation of my old Xiong! Monster, prepare to die!
Without turning her head, the female official's clothes ripped apart behind her with a "rip." A massive, chillingly dark purple scorpion tail suddenly appeared behind her.

Its entire body was covered in dark, purplish-black hard armor, shimmering with a cold, metallic luster. At the end was a huge, hook-shaped poison needle, emitting a strange, blue glow that sent shivers down one's spine.

The moment the terrifying scorpion tail phantom appeared, a sense of fear originating from the depths of his bloodline overwhelmed the nearest black bear spirit like an icy tide.

The poisonous aura rushed straight to his soul, as if countless cold, poisonous needles were piercing his mind. The black bear demon's thrusting spear was involuntarily slowed down by half a point due to this invisible, terrifying pressure.

It was that fleeting pause.

The female demon, who was actually a scorpion spirit, grabbed Xuanzang's arm and pulled hard. At the same time, she flicked her sleeve and instantly swallowed both of them whole.

The demoness seized the opportunity to grab the unconscious Xuanzang and hoist him under her arm, letting out a sharp, triumphant laugh.
"Hahaha, wonderful! The pilgrim has returned to me. Minions, let's return to the palace."

Before her laughter subsided, she lightly touched the ground with her feet, transforming into a gust of stench carrying Xuanzang, easily smashing through several female soldiers who were trying to stop her but were already swaying from the poison. With a "whoosh," she crashed straight through the loose encirclement of the city gate guards and sped away towards the desolate mountains and wilderness further out of the city.

"Master!" The black bear spirit roared as he watched his master disappear into the poisonous mist and demonic wind.

"Chase!" Chen Guangrui and Nezha crashed down at the city gate like meteors, just in time to see the rapidly shrinking trail of the demonic wind and the black bear spirit chasing after them like a black meteor.

Without pausing, Chen Guangrui and Nezha transformed into two dazzling streaks of light, one golden and one red, tearing through the sky and chasing after them. Their speed was so great that they left only two lingering afterimages in the air.

At the city gate, a deathly silence and chaos instantly descended. The pungent, sweet-smelling poisonous fog had not yet dissipated, rolling and spreading low on the ground.

Seven or eight female guards lay unconscious on the ground, foaming at the mouth and convulsing uncontrollably, their painful groans coming in fits and starts. The other female officials and guards who hadn't been affected were all pale-faced, still in shock, some had dropped their weapons, some were slumped on the ground, and some were supporting each other, trembling in a chaotic mess.

Supported by her maids, the Queen struggled to her feet. The beads on her phoenix crown clattered against each other as she trembled violently. She had never imagined that such a terrifying person existed within her palace. And when the immortal had questioned her earlier, she had known nothing at all.

It's laughable to think that as the queen of a country, she was completely unaware that such a wicked person existed in her palace. Looking at the chaotic scene, the queen didn't know what to do.

(End of this chapter)