Chapter 79

In the glow that was vividly clear in the eyes of Sun Wukong, an ordinary person could not see it—Zhao Luzi, at this moment, was holding fresh fish in both hands, struggling to stand steady, and called out to the peacock on the shore, "Is this enough?"

He was completely unaware of the surging undercurrents behind him!

As the undercurrents were about to reach the shore, the water began to surge. Sun Wukong shouted loudly, "Be careful!" As he spoke, he leaped down the embankment, rushing toward the riverbank, waving his hands and shouting urgently, "Get up quickly!"

Seeing the look on Sun Wukong's face, Zhao Luzi was terrified, his face turning pale. He threw the fresh fish in his hands and took a step toward the shore, but the boat suddenly swung backward, instantly throwing him into the river!

The ropes had already snapped.

In the surging river, a dark, indistinct object silently approached, and then two ghostly white arms emerged, grabbing him—Sun Wukong, who had just arrived, grabbed his raised arm and pulled hard, shouting,

"Use your strength! Don't let go!" The two of them struggled, and for a moment, they were at a stalemate.

The dark shadow in the water, unknown, did not let go despite being unable to pull him down. As the water rippled, three or five more arms emerged, all grabbing Zhao Luzi!

The arms were ghostly white, as if they had been boiled, and they were icy cold, causing Zhao Luzi to lose control of his bowels and bladder. He clung to Sun Wukong with both hands, wailing, "Save me! Save me!" His voice was filled with sobs, and he was about to burst into tears...

"Bang!"

Just as the arms were about to grab him, a fireball flew from afar and struck the arms!

It was the disciple of the Dingjia Sect who had come to the rescue!

These two had rushed over when they saw Sun Wukong running toward the river. Upon reaching the river, they saw the creature and, in a moment of quick thinking, took out talismans from their pockets and cast spells, intending to force the creature to retreat. However, this attack seemed to have done little damage—the arms, in pain, quickly retracted but then grabbed Zhao Luzi even faster and more fiercely!

With one pull, both Sun Wukong and Zhao Luzi were dragged into the river!

With a splash, both were submerged in the river.

The disciple of the Dingjia Sect rushed to the riverbank, seeing the two struggling in the water. They exchanged a glance, drew out talismans, and scattered them into the river, chanting spells. Instantly, the area where the dark shadow was located exploded, sending white smoke and water flying in all directions!

The talismans were more for show, and they did little damage to the creature, but the noise startled it, and it turned to hide in the river. The disciple of the Dingjia Sect stood on the shore, shouting and cursing, but dared not enter the water to chase it.

Seeing that someone had come to subdue the creature in the river, the peacock ran down in a rage. Seeing the two climb onto the boat, she handed them a bamboo pole and called out to Sun Wukong to hold it, trying to pull the boat to the shore. Sun Wukong took the bamboo pole, suddenly wiped his face, laughed, and kicked Zhao Luzi back into the river!

Everyone was confused and stunned.

He used the bamboo pole to push the boat into the river, and it glided swiftly downstream. He laughed loudly, "I'm going to find my grandfather and won't return to the mountain—please tell Grandpa Shi for me that I, Sun Wukong, am too young and unworthy to receive the incense offerings of the Wulun and Dingjia Temples. I will go out to earn my own living, and any misfortune or disaster is my own responsibility." He waved and turned, singing a folk song.

The two disciples of the Dingjia Sect were anxious to see him leave. Seeing that there were no more boats on the shore, they could only stand and shout, urging Zhao Luzi to come and row the boat. Zhao Luzi, who had just escaped death, dared not go again, and was slowly pretending to be dead in the water, not swimming to the shore for a long time...

They were so angry they could not chase him, and stood on the shore shouting, trying to make him turn back. They said nice things, cursed, and even threatened, but Sun Wukong, laughing, did not look back and continued downstream!

When he was far away, Zhao Luzi climbed up from the other side, limping, looking injured, and shouting, "Oh, oh, my foot must have been bitten by the monster..."

The two were so angry their bellies were about to burst, but bound by the rules of their sect, they could only curse a few times. They then blamed the peacock, and she started arguing again!

Was she the type to take such a beating?

The noise and commotion continued, while Sun Wukong gradually disappeared into the horizon...

※

Sun Wukong just kept the boat heading downstream, always on guard against the Dingjia Sect disciples chasing him. After a long time, seeing no one chasing him, he realized he had indeed escaped. Thinking about how he had taken advantage of the chaos to escape, he felt quite proud and stood on the bow of the boat, humming a folk song.

The sun was high in the sky, and the river shimmered. Thinking that the creature could not catch up, Sun Wukong felt relieved and put down the bamboo pole. He took out a radish he had stolen in the morning and sat on the bow, munching away.

As the river flowed downstream, the scenery changed, with vast skies and surging waters, grand and magnificent. Looking far into the distance, the river canyon seemed like a celestial river flowing eastward, with the vast river surface rippling with the shadows of mountains and trees. Sun Wukong felt his heart broaden, and the anger and frustration he had felt gradually dissipated.

After finishing the radish, Sun Wukong began to think about his next move. He thought, "The people I know are just a few uncles and aunts. Ordinary people can't take me in. Who should I find now?" He thought about everyone in the Ghost Market, except for the missing Fox Lady, Old Liu, and August Elder, the rest seemed to have little ability, and he began to mutter to himself.

Suddenly, a thought popped into Sun Wukong's mind:

"...Hey, a ghost master of the Wulun Sect, August Elder, an elder of the Hundred Ghost Market, and a great thief who has killed a thousand people..."

These words were spoken by the Red Lotus Celestial Master that day, seemingly referring to his grandfather, Wu Magu, and Cheng San. At the time, he did not understand what it meant, but after hearing the disciples talk on Wangmang Peak, he had a rough idea. Regardless of the rest, the Hundred Ghost Market was indeed interesting.

The Hundred Ghost Market was not a market name like a city temple, but a business. This business operated throughout the country, mainly dealing in various kinds of ritual objects, magical items, antiques, and alchemical materials. It seemed no different from ordinary antique dealers, but the inner workings were quite unique.

They usually set up markets in various cities, with specific dates each month for the market to open. Anyone who could pay the entry fee could enter. Whether you bought or sold from the Hundred Ghost Market or traded privately, it was up to you. They could also act as witnesses when needed. In short, it was a market for all practitioners of the occult.

In short, green wax welcomes guests, black blood lights the lamps!

Remembering this, Sun Wukong decided to find the Hundred Ghost Market. He could first find Wu Magu and ask him to help him stay in the market for a while. If he found a skilled master, he could pester him to take him in—"Well, as long as I am sincere, those great masters will understand my intentions, right?"

Sun Wukong thought this was not difficult, but he was still thinking like a child.

Feeling that his plan was sound, he no longer hesitated, and continued to row the boat downstream. Although he was not very strong and not very skilled at rowing, he had played in the Sparrow River a few times, and the current was not strong, so he could manage to keep the boat steady without capsizing.

After a few hours, Sun Wukong's stomach began to rumble. He realized he had not eaten anything that day, and a single radish was not enough to sustain him for several days. He stood up and looked around, trying to find a place to stop the boat and find some food.

At this moment, he realized he had reached a canyon, with steep cliffs on both sides, as if they had been split in the middle, smooth and straight, without any soil, reaching hundreds of meters into the clouds. The boat was slowly moving between the two cliffs, with no place to land.

There were some trees growing haphazardly on the cliff tops, with lush branches casting deep shadows on the river, making everything look dark and gloomy. Sun Wukong probed the water with the bamboo pole, but even when it reached its full length, it did not touch the bottom, making him a bit worried.

He focused on the boat as it slowly entered the canyon, fearing that the current would capsize it or that it would spin. His heart was in his throat, and he did not dare to blink. Fortunately, the river was calm, and it safely carried him to the middle of the canyon. Sun Wukong let out a long breath, muttering to himself,

"Thank goodness, the current here is not fast, it's really—"

Just as he said this, the boat suddenly jolted, almost throwing him out. Sun Wukong quickly grabbed the side of the boat to steady himself!

Still shaken, he suddenly thought, "Is there a reef under the water? Oh no, this is bad. I am not familiar with the waterways. If the boat hits a rock and capsizes, what will I do?"

Thinking there was a reef under the water, he quickly went to the bow of the boat and took out the bamboo pole to probe the bottom...

Just as he stood up, he saw a long, dark shadow in the water, wriggling and weaving under the boat, about ten feet long and three feet wide, looking like a fish or a dragon. Occasionally, its tail would flick, and it would dart out, incredibly fast, and—this thing seemed to be circling the boat, not leaving at all!

Sun Wukong took a deep breath, because he had already recognized it as the creature in the river at the Stone Gate Ferry, which he thought would not leave the area!

But... why did it follow him all the way here?

PS: Recommended by Liu Yun, a good book to check out: "The Supreme True God" In the depths of the chaotic starry sky, there is a starry dome, where 128,600 strange stars revolve, giving birth to seven source stars. The divine way has retreated, and time and space are in chaos. What secrets lie between the starry dome and the true world of the stars? Read "The Supreme True God"!

[bookid=3052320, bookname=《The Supreme True God》]

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