Chapter 29

A flying sword, enveloped in a golden glow, shot from the side. The sword moved at great speed, carrying a powerful wind that whistled through the air. This was no ordinary sword, for even the strongest human could not throw a sword with such force and speed. It seemed to tear through the air, aiming straight for Tang Sen's temple.

Tang Sen had no time to dodge. Fortunately, Sun Wukong had pushed him off the bicycle in advance. The flying sword whizzed past and embedded itself in Sun Wukong's shoulder with a thud, then fell limply to the ground.

Sun Wukong's body was like a hundred-refined steel; ordinary attacks could not harm her. The last time Erlang Shen had injured her, it was because he was not an ordinary heavenly general and had caught her off guard. But this flying sword had no such power, and she didn't even bother to dodge.

Sun Wukong turned her head and shouted in the direction the arrow had come from, "Hey! Want to hurt me with a sneak attack? Not so easy! Which heavenly general is here? Come out quickly!"

"Hey!" After being pushed off the bicycle, Tang Sen tumbled onto the hard cement road. He couldn't help but think: What a joke! You just push me away and leave me to fend for myself? If I don't get killed by the flying sword, I'll be bruised and battered from the fall...

However, Tang Sen didn't get hurt. The black bear spirit suddenly flipped over, cushioning Tang Sen's fall. They both landed on the ground with a thud. The black bear spirit's body bounced up, gently lifting Tang Sen and setting him down steadily on the ground.

Tang Sen rubbed his buttocks, finding no pain. He couldn't help but laugh, "So, stuffed animals have this function too? That's great."

The black bear spirit, a bit shy, covered his face with his short, plump hands, "Don't praise me, I'll get embarrassed."

Sun Wukong cursed in the direction the flying sword had come from. There was a forest there, and it was clear that heavenly soldiers were hiding inside.

After a round of curses, a cold snort came from the forest, followed by nine men stepping out: "Tsk, trying to secretly kill Tang Sen in front of the Great Sage who caused chaos in Heaven 500 years ago is indeed a bit troublesome."

These nine men were dressed differently, some in red, some in green, some in gold... nine different colors, making them very eye-catching.

"Who are these little rascals? Ah, the Nine Star Generals," Sun Wukong laughed, "Another bunch of losers from 500 years ago. Did the Heavenly Court send you to hunt me down?"

It turned out these nine men were named: Ketu Star General, Fire Virtue Star General, Wood Virtue Star General, Taiyin Star General, Earth Virtue Star General, Luo Hou Star General, Sun Virtue Star General, Metal Virtue Star General, and Water Virtue Star General. They were officially recognized generals of the Heavenly Court, commonly known as the Nine Star Generals. 500 years ago, during the battle at Flower Fruit Mountain, five of them were responsible for attacking the Water Curtain Cave but were beaten out by Sun Wukong.

Suddenly, the Nine Star Generals parted, and an old man with a hunched back and white hair emerged, chuckling, "500 years have passed since we last met, and the Great Sage still looks as splendid as ever. Truly a cause for celebration."

"Tai Bai Jin Xing, you're here too?" Sun Wukong snorted, "Don't try to build a relationship here. I'm not in the mood. If you want to fight, just come on. Let me see how much you've improved in 500 years."

Tai Bai Jin Xing bowed and said, "Great Sage, don't be hasty. You know I'm not good at fighting. I'm here to discuss something good with you."

"Speak quickly, and get to the point."

Tai Bai Jin Xing straightened his robe and smiled, "Great Sage, the recent fights we've had were actually misunderstandings. Erlang Shen came down to Earth not to assassinate you, and Jiling Shen came to deal with someone else, not you. It was just a coincidence that you were involved, causing some unpleasantness... The Heavenly Court doesn't really want to fight you again."

Sun Wukong frowned.

Tang Sen also frowned. With his intelligence, he had already guessed what Tai Bai Jin Xing was about to say. Sure enough, the old man slowly said, "Great Sage, I have already petitioned the Jade Emperor to reinstate you as the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, to enjoy offerings in Heaven. If you stop interfering with Tang Sen's affairs, you can return to Heaven as a carefree immortal. How wonderful would that be?"

Sun Wukong frowned, not yet answering, but Tang Sen interrupted, "Hey, old man Tai Bai Jin Xing, does the Heavenly Court really want to kill me, Tang Sen?" He laughed, "I didn't know I was so charming that the Heavenly Court would keep trying to kill me."

Tai Bai Jin Xing turned to Tang Sen, his face showing a harmonious smile, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes. He chuckled, "Mr. Tang, you really know how to joke. Your ability to feign ignorance is truly remarkable. In fact, you know better than I do why the Heavenly Court wants your life, don't you?"

"Because I'm going to marry Rula?" Tang Sen sneered.

"See, you know very well," Tai Bai Jin Xing said calmly, "Of course, this reason is known to heaven and earth, to you and me, to the Heavenly Court, and to the Great Thunderclap Temple. But... knowing is one thing; in formal settings, no one will admit it. I'm promising you now, but I'll forget it in a moment."

"What, you're going to marry Rula?" Sun Wukong was shocked, "Didn't you say you weren't marrying a relative? If... if you really go to marry that stinky Buddha who imprisoned me for 500 years, I... I..."

She hesitated, not knowing what to say. A few days ago, she would have said, "I'll beat you with one blow," but after spending time with Tang Sen, she had come to consider him a friend and couldn't bring herself to say such a thing.

"Don't worry, I'm not marrying a relative," Tang Sen said seriously, "The Heavenly Court just thinks I am, so they want to kill me."

Tai Bai Jin Xing laughed, "Great Sage, don't be fooled by him. Men are not reliable. He might say he won't marry Rula today, but when he sees her beauty at the Great Thunderclap Temple, he might change his mind. Then, he could team up with Rula to imprison you under the Five-Finger Mountain again while he gets the girl... tsk tsk... and the Great Sage will be in trouble..."

Sun Wukong's forehead was sweating; these words clearly made her waver.

Tai Bai Jin Xing continued, "Great Sage, 500 years ago, I spoke up for you, helping you get two positions in the Heavenly Court. Now, I'm here again to build a relationship with you. If you stand aside, the Nine Star Generals will take care of Tang Sen and Bai Long Ma. You won't have to lift a finger to be the Great Sage Equal to Heaven again..."

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" Sun Wukong suddenly burst into laughter, "Ha ha ha ha ha! You want me to be the Great Sage Equal to Heaven again? Then at the Peach Blossom Banquet, will my name be on the guest list again?"

"No, no, no... This time, the Great Sage will definitely be invited to the Peach Blossom Banquet," Tai Bai Jin Xing said solemnly, "I promise, no lies."

"Stop lying," Sun Wukong said angrily, "Do you want me to betray my friend for some empty promises?"

Tai Bai Jin Xing, as if he had expected this, smiled, "Great Sage, you consider him a friend, but he may not consider you one. He even kept the fact that he's going to marry Rula a secret from you. Is that what friends do?"

Sun Wukong turned to look at Tang Sen, who was calm.

Their eyes met, and Sun Wukong couldn't help but ask, "Are you really going to marry Rula?"

Tang Sen said calmly, "No!"

"Even if you weren't originally, would you marry her if you found her beautiful, as Tai Bai Jin Xing said?"

Tang Sen laughed, "The matters of love are hard to predict. I can't be sure if I'll like her when I see her, but I can tell you one thing for sure: I'm not marrying a relative now."

"Ha ha ha ha! Not now? That's enough! Don't worry, you won't like her. I'll beat her with one blow before you do," Sun Wukong suddenly turned, extended her hand, and the golden cudgel flew out of her ear, growing to the size of a bowl. She swung it at the ground in front of Tai Bai Jin Xing, causing sand and stones to fly, creating a large pit. Tai Bai Jin Xing and the Nine Star Generals were so frightened that they took a step back.

Sun Wukong placed the golden cudgel on her shoulder, looking arrogant, serious, and wild, "Get lost!"

Page break for AD start

Page break for AD end