socalfunplaces Chapter 1052 still has the same meaning.
Chapter 1052 still has the same meaning.
So, along the way, whenever a demonic aura approached from the forest, she was the first to speak.
Some were mandrills hiding behind trees, peeking out and looking around with their eyes darting about.
Su Wanwan glanced at them and said, "Get lost, what are you looking at?"
The mandrill shrank its neck and rolled away.
Some were large snakes coiled in the grass, their scales rustling as they rubbed against the ground, their tongues sticking out extremely long.
Su Wanwan didn't stop: "If you stick your tongue out again, I'll tie it into a knot."
The giant snake glanced at Chu Yang behind her and Sun Wukong in the tree, then quietly slithered away.
Two oblivious little demons, probably having not received the message last night, actually pounced from both sides while Tang Sanzang stopped to drink water. Before Su Wanwan could even curse, Sun Wukong swept one of them away into a tree with his staff, while Chu Yang flicked his finger and nailed the other into the ground, leaving only its two legs kicking wildly outside.
Su Wanwan stood in the middle, watching the scene unfold. She opened her mouth, but finally managed to stammer out, "...Don't touch him, do you hear me?"
Sun Wukong laughed so hard he almost fell off the tree: "Wanwan, that's a bit late."
"That's better than nothing!"
By noon, the forest finally began to loosen.
The trees weren't so dense anymore, and beams of sunlight streamed down, making the moss and fallen leaves on the ground shine. The wind was no longer so damp and fishy, but carried a faint, dry scent of the sun-baked rocks outside the forest.
Not far ahead, you can even see a bright white line, as if the exit is over there.
Su Wanwan felt relieved and quickened her pace.
Just then, a very soft voice called out "Young Master Chu" came from behind.
Everyone turned around.
Then, the gray-clad man appeared again, standing a few feet away, holding something in his hand.
He looked more docile today than yesterday, even his sleeves were neatly tied up, and his expression no longer had that initial probing coldness.
"Is something the matter?" Chu Yang asked.
The man in gray took two steps closer and handed over what he was holding.
It was a palm-sized black wooden plaque with unusual wood grain, and a coiled-tailed beast was engraved on it with extremely fine silver lines.
"Forest Passage Sign," the gray-clad man said in a low voice. "After passing the exit ahead, there are several more mountain demon territories a hundred miles to the west. If you happen to pass through in the future, showing this sign will save you some trouble."
Su Wanwan was a little surprised: "You have this?"
The man in gray smiled wryly: "There are always some rules that need to be communicated. What happened yesterday has been spread quite far this morning. From now on, anyone who tries anything funny should see this sign first and know better."
Chu Yang didn't accept it immediately, but just looked at him and said, "Given away for free?"
The man in gray paused, then actually lowered his head and chuckled: "It's not a free gift. I only ask that if Young Master Chu and Sun Wukong pass by this place again in the future, they don't actually fill up the Blackwater Pool."
Sun Wukong burst out laughing: "You're quite honest."
Chu Yang then reached out and took the wooden plaque, flipping it between his fingers: "Alright. As long as you behave yourselves, this place will remain."
The man in gray seemed to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Su Wanwan looked at him, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "What about the pool master?"
The gray-clad man's face twitched slightly: "...He's still embedded in the cliff; he only came out this morning."
Sun Wukong laughed uncontrollably: "After you came out, did you take a look at yourself and see how many teeth you had left?"
"...Never."
"What a pity."
The man in gray was silent for a moment, then bowed slightly to Tang Sanzang: "I have offended you greatly before, I hope the Holy Monk will not take offense."
Tang Sanzang clasped his hands together and returned the greeting: "Since you have realized your mistake, it is already a good deed."
The man in gray listened with an even more complicated expression, and remained silent for a long time.
He probably knew that his "turning back" was nothing, just a temporary concession after being beaten into submission. But Tang Sanzang still responded to him in this way, leaving him momentarily at a loss for words.
Finally, he could only lower his head again and step aside.
The exit is just ahead.
A dozen or so steps further, the shadows of the forest suddenly vanished, and a large swath of sunlight streamed down, dazzling the eyes. Beyond lay a wide hillside, the grass a mix of green and yellow, dotted with scattered wildflowers. A breeze blew across the slope, carrying the warmth of the sun, a stark contrast to the damp, pungent smell of the forest—it was like stepping into another world.
As soon as the white dragon horse emerged from the forest, it let out a long snort and its hooves became light and nimble.
The white donkey then sprang to the side of the hill to graze on the grass.
Su Wanwan stood outside the woods and looked back.
The primeval forest still lay darkly behind, its canopy surging like an inky wave pressing down on the horizon. But looking at it now, my feelings were completely different from yesterday.
She suddenly raised her chin at the gray-clad man by the woods and said, "Got it."
The man in gray was taken aback: "...What?"
"Behave yourself," Su Wanwan said. "Don't have any improper thoughts about Tang Sanzang."
The gray-clad man's lips twitched slightly, and he actually nodded in agreement: "I've got it."
Su Wanwan was finally satisfied and turned to walk down the slope.
Sun Wukong caught up in a few strides, smiling meaningfully: "Look how imposing you are."
"What, it's not working?"
"Sure, of course," Sun Wukong said. "I went to take a look and it seemed pretty convincing."
Chu Yang followed slowly behind, then suddenly said, "Wanwan."
"Um?"
"Your last sentence lacked a bit of force."
Su Wanwan immediately turned around: "What's wrong with it?"
"We should add another sentence," Chu Yang said.
"Add what?"
Chu Yang said in a serious tone, "Otherwise, kill without mercy."
Su Wanwan was taken aback, then realized that this was clearly a rehash of what she should have said yesterday. She was both annoyed and amused: "Why are you only saying this now!"
"It's not too late to say it now."
Sun Wukong clapped his hands from the side: "That's right, we'll make it up next time we meet."
Tang Sanzang shook his head helplessly: "You want there to be a next time?"
"It's best not to have any," Chu Yang said, "to save trouble."
But even as he said it was convenient, there was still a faint smile on his lips.
A clear stream flowed down the hillside, its sound carrying far and wide like shattered silver. Sun Wukong was already planning what game to catch for lunch, the white donkey buried its head in grass, and the white dragon horse swished its tail as it slowly made its way to the water's edge. Su Wanwan walked up the slope, the mountain wind billowing her sleeves, her steps surprisingly lighter than yesterday.
As she walked, she suddenly turned her head to look at Chu Yang.
"What?" Chu Yang asked.
"It's nothing," Su Wanwan said. "It's just that I suddenly felt that if I were to encounter something like this again, it wouldn't be a problem if I spoke up first."
Chu Yang looked at her and smiled: "That's more like it."
"But let's make this clear first," she added, "I can say what I want, but you and Monkey King still have to back us up."
Chu Yang nodded: "Of course."
Sun Wukong waved without turning his head, saying, "I'm going too."
Su Wanwan then let out a hum, as if she was finally satisfied.
The wind blows across the long slope, causing the grass to ripple.
The primeval forest shrouded in eerie energy behind them was slowly left behind, and ahead lay new mountain roads, new bends, and new destinations where who knows what might appear.
This time, however, Su Wanwan walked at the front and didn't feel the same way as before, where she always had to look back.
She kicked away a small pebble by the roadside, and suddenly remembered how the little demon had nervously brought her fruit last night, and couldn't help but smile.
Sun Wukong, with his sharp ears, immediately turned around: "What are you laughing at?"
"It's nothing," Su Wanwan said. "It's just that I suddenly felt that the demon king and demon generals in that forest are probably even more eager for us to leave than we are to."
Chu Yang, standing nearby, said, "That's normal."
Why?
"Because you've already learned to talk to them at their doorstep," Chu Yang said. "They'll remember this kind of thing for a long time, even if it happens only once."
Su Wanwan's eyes crinkled into a smile after hearing this.
"That's good."
"Um."
"Next time, if anyone dares to look down on Master or drool over him—"
"Go ahead and curse," Sun Wukong interjected.
"Yes, I'll go and yell at them." Su Wanwan raised her chin. "Let's reason with them first, and if that doesn't work, then we'll settle scores."
Chu Yang listened and slowly commented, "The sentence about reasoning can be removed."
"Shut up."
"it is good."
After leaving that primeval forest, the mountain road remained sunny for three consecutive days.
On the evening of the third day, they rested by a wide stream.
The terrain here is gentle, and the stream meanders down from the pebbles upstream, spreading out here as a large expanse of pale, shimmering silver. On the opposite bank stands a sparse grove of old pines; when the wind blows, the pine needles rustle against each other, producing a long, delicate sound. Looking further into the distance, the sunset is slowly sinking behind the mountains, the sky ablaze with half red and half purple, like someone has torn open a large lantern and spread it thinly across the clouds.
The white horse lowered its head to drink water by the stream, while the white donkey stood to the side, its four hooves pounding in the wet mud, its ears twitching as if it were struggling with something.
Sun Wukong squatted on a large rock, holding a tree branch in his hand, and was casually splashing water in the stream, making the water jump around.
Su Wanwan sat on a fallen log not far from the fire, took off her shoes, rolled up the edges of her socks, and carefully dipped her toes into the water.
"Hiss—" she gasped, "This water is way too cold."
Chu Yang walked over from behind, glanced at her, and said, "It's cold, why are you putting it in there?"
"What do you know?" Su Wanwan lowered her head and swayed the water. "After walking all day, a soak will make you feel good."
"You're grimacing even though it feels good."
"It was just chilly when you first went down there, it'll feel better after a while."
Chu Yang hummed in agreement, but didn't continue to undermine her. He simply tossed a few wild fruits he had just washed to her side: "Here you go."
Su Wanwan reached out and caught it, then picked up one and took a bite. Juice immediately overflowed, sweet and sour with a hint of fragrance.
She squinted her eyes: "This is quite delicious."
"From the woods over there," Chu Yang said. "Brother Monkey just picked them."
Sun Wukong, without turning his head, said from the rock, "I also thought it was sweet, that's why I didn't eat it all."
"Thank you for your kindness, Brother Monkey," Su Wanwan said in a drawn-out tone.
"Don't mention it," Sun Wukong said. "You helped me block that mountain ape's roar at noon today, so I'll return the favor with a few fruits. We're even now."
Tang Sanzang was sitting by the fire, sorting through the remaining dry rations in his bundle by the daylight. Hearing this, he looked up and asked, "So, it was Miss Wanwan who first spotted that mountain ape at noon?"
"Yes." Sun Wukong turned around and smiled at him, "Master, didn't you see? Her eyesight is sharper than before. She spotted a shadow darting through the grass in the blink of an eye."
While munching on some fruit, Su Wanwan said, "It's not that I have sharp eyesight, it's just that the mountain ape didn't retract its tail properly."
"Look, he's even looking at his own tail now," Sun Wukong said jokingly. "In a few more days, he might actually be able to pick out a few of those clueless little demons himself."
Su Wanwan was initially quite pleased with herself, but when she turned her head, she found Chu Yang standing there with his arms crossed, not saying a word, just looking at her thoughtfully.
A thought struck her, and she immediately became alert: "What kind of look is that?"
Chu Yang said, "I'm thinking about something."
"What are you thinking about?"
"How can I make you more useful?"
Su Wanwan almost choked on the fruit in her mouth.
"...What did you say?"
Sun Wukong burst out laughing on the rock, and the tree branch fell into the water.
Tang Sanzang also paused, looked up at Chu Yang, and his expression was quite subtle.
Chu Yang remained calm, as if he didn't think there was anything wrong with what he said: "I said, how do you want to make you more useful?"
Su Wanwan glared at him for a long while, then burst out laughing in anger: "Chu Yang, you're not even pretending anymore, are you?"
"What are you pretending to be?"
"Be a little more subtle!" Su Wanwan put down the half-eaten fruit in her hand, stopped soaking her feet, and stepped back onto the grass, her feet still wet. "What do you mean by 'make me more useful'? What's the difference between that and saying I'm useless right now?"
"It's not entirely useless," Chu Yang thought for a moment, "it's somewhat useful."
"You actually answered!"
Sun Wukong laughed so hard he slapped his thigh on the rock: "Wanwan, why are you arguing with your brother like this? When has that mouth of his ever shown any mercy?"
Su Wanwan angrily grabbed a cloth from the side to wipe her feet: "You can't say that!"
"Then how should I say it?" Chu Yang actually asked.
"At least, at least I have to say..." Su Wanwan choked for a moment, unable to think of a decent word for a long time, and finally managed to squeeze out a sentence, "At least I have to say that I still have a lot of room for improvement."
"Isn't that the same thing?"
"That's different!"
Chu Yang looked at her, and finally couldn't help but smile.
When Su Wanwan saw him smile, she became even angrier: "You're still smiling!"
"I'm not laughing at you." Chu Yang took a few steps closer, sat down on the other side of the fire, picked up a twig to stir the flames, and said, "I just think it's good that you're starting to panic now."
"When have I ever stopped being in a hurry?"
"You used to be anxious too, but it was mostly just talk." Chu Yang glanced at her. "These past two days have been different. Once you're in the forest, you should have realized it yourself. When you really encounter something powerful, being quick-witted and fast-talking is only enough to get you out the first sentence. When it comes to actually fighting back, you're still lacking something."
The fire crackled once.
As darkness fell, a gentle evening breeze blew from the stream, causing the firelight to flicker to one side.
Su Wanwan's lips moved, she originally wanted to say something back, but the words were on the tip of her tongue and she slowly swallowed them back.
Because she knew that Chu Yang was telling the truth.
In that primeval forest, she was able to stand out at first because someone was supporting her. But if she were to encounter something like the Blackwater Pool on her own, she might be able to say a few words, but if it really came down to a fight, she might not be able to hold out for long.
She is not unaware of her own shortcomings.
However, this shortcoming is usually not so conspicuous because it is protected by a group of people.
Now that Chu Yang has pointed it out so bluntly, it's inevitable that it stung. (End of Chapter)