While Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang believed their secrecy was top-notch.
On this New Huaguo Mountain side.
Sun Kong had already seen and heard their apparent collusion with Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, and their secret use of the latter's information, all through the "Wuhou Seven Stars Formation."
This was the first piece of good news since the Nirvana of Jin Chanzi.
It couldn't help but amuse him!
"Good heavens, truly good heavens!"
"I thought it was outrageous enough that I arranged for Jin Chanzi to reincarnate unharmed, sent my second brother Wuzhiqi to secretly protect him, and had the New Six-Eared Monkey sect send its demonic household children to claim merit."
"I didn't expect the Heavenly Court to be even more outrageous, sending not just anyone, but the two direct disciples of Taibai Jinxing, Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang?"
"I surmise these two are not the originals, but were deliberately swapped by Taibai Jinxing."
"Otherwise, based on historical records from the Blue Star era, while these two might not have been completely loyal to the Tang Empire, they certainly wouldn't be as despicable as they are now."
"Poor Li Shimin, believing he has the Heavenly Court's aid, little does he know that the Heavenly Court is not aligned with the Daoist sects, but has long been in league with Patriarch Styx, the New Six-Eared Monkey, and other high-ranking demons."
Sun Kong, the only one who saw through this, felt a strong aversion to the Heavenly Court for the first time. This aversion was different from the grievances of five hundred years ago.
It was not child's play.
Not a temporary disagreement.
It was a genuine, profound dislike for the methods of the Jade Emperor and his ilk.
To put it plainly.
The Journey to the West tribulation could involve attacks and schemes between various factions, and that was all right. However, it was only the Jade Emperor who would dare to toy with the Tang Empire, the most populous realm in the Human World.
It didn't matter if Li Shimin was wise in his eyes, as long as he was obedient.
But this operation could potentially lead to massive casualties among humans and even endanger the balance of the Great Desolation's Three Realms and Six Paths.
Yet, the Jade Emperor was reckless.
Since his collaboration with Patriarch Styx, he felt the Heavenly Court was beyond the Heavenly Dao's scrutiny and the Sages' detection, and that Sun Kong couldn't directly deduce his actions, he had become arrogant.
But he probably wouldn't think much further. He himself was a pawn, being used by the New Six-Eared Monkey. After the New Six-Eared Monkey's downfall,
He, the Jade Emperor, would be next!
Thinking of this, Sun Kong couldn't help but look forward to the subsequent developments of the Second Tribulation, wanting to see what good deeds Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang, the pawns cast aside by Taibai Jinxing, would accomplish.
At the same time.
Because he was also human in his past life, and a descendant of the Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, he empathized with the perspective of the Tang Empire in this current Human World.
Thus, he felt a degree of undeniable sympathy for Li Shimin!
"Alas, for such a great Tang Empire, due to the loss of support from the Sages and not receiving Laozi's inheritance as in the original timeline, it has to seek cooperation with these fellows from the Heavenly Court."
"But regardless, Li Shimin is indeed a good emperor, one of the few wise rulers after the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors transcended and ascended to the Huoyun Cave."
"This Journey to the West tribulation's first flashpoint is him. For this reason, should I, Old Sun, find a way to help him, would it be considered too much?"
"If nothing else, if Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang sent by the Heavenly Court succeed, and Li Shimin dies later, and they support Wu Zetian's ascension, our Spirit Mountain lineage would be in trouble."
"Who knows, in this timeline, whether the future Wu Zetian would continue to support Buddhism, or, due to the Heavenly Court's influence, lean towards the Heavenly Court and the demonic races?"
With this thought, Sun Kong did not dare to delay. He tore off a strand of his monkey hair, blew a breath of magic power, and transformed it into a monkey hair clone.
Under his command.
This time, the monkey hair clone arrived swiftly at Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Empire. Without beating around the bush, it directly sought out Guangchengzi, who was living in seclusion somewhere.
"Who goes there?"
"Speak no more, lest this Daoist be discourteous! My Fan Tian Seal and Falling Soul Bell can challenge even quasi-Sages!"
Inside the room, Guangchengzi assumed that besides himself and Yuanshi Tianzun, no one else knew his whereabouts. Hearing someone knocking at his door late at night, he immediately became nervous.
He even invoked words about challenging quasi-Sages to scare the intruder.
If it were anyone else, they would have been scared away.
However.
The visitor was Sun Kong's monkey hair clone.
Not only was it not scared away,
But it was amused by Guangchengzi's bluff!
"Fellow Daoist Guangchengzi, are you well? How is it that after only five hundred years, you have become so forgetful that you've forgotten even me, Old Sun?"
"It's a pity, really. Originally, I, Old Sun, couldn't approach you directly. I sent this monkey hair clone to inform you of the latest situation with the Heavenly Court and to be cautious."
"And to let you know that the opportunity for your cultivation recovery was indeed initially in the Tang Dynasty of the Human World, in Chang'an City, but it was later altered by the New Six-Eared Monkey through strange means and fell to the present-day Tang Empire in the Human World."
"But I, Old Sun, have not treated you poorly. Besides constantly paying attention to you, I have also brought you the latest intelligence."
"It seems you don't wish to know?"
Outside the house, Sun Kong's monkey hair clone possessed the same memories as him. Therefore, as soon as these words were spoken, Guangchengzi inside was immediately startled.
Guangchengzi did not expect that Sun Kong, who dared to shock Sages and challenge the Heavenly Dao back then, would now have advanced so rapidly in cultivation that he could even know his whereabouts.
He initially intended to refuse instinctively.
However, upon hearing that Sun Kong had brought intelligence regarding his cultivation recovery, Guangchengzi dared not ignore it. He tidied his attire, respectfully emerged, and bowed repeatedly.
Finally, he displayed a level of courtesy that satisfied Sun Kong.
Seeing this.
Sun Kong was not polite. He revealed that Taibai Jinxing had sent his two disciples, Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang, to infiltrate Li Shimin's ranks.
And based on the deductions from the "Wuhou Seven Stars Formation," he warned Guangchengzi that while others might not matter, these two were deeply connected to him.
It was highly likely they could ruin his grand plan of recovering his cultivation!
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Sun, for the warning."
"Fellow Daoist Sun, is there anything else Guangchengzi can help you with? Please do not hesitate to ask."
Guangchengzi was even more grateful to Sun Kong and proactively offered his assistance.
"Easily done, easily done. I don't have many things for you to help with. However, in Jiangzhou, there might indeed be something that requires your intervention."
Seeing Guangchengzi's sincerity, Sun Kong cut to the chase and explained his premonition that things might not go smoothly.
Guangchengzi was utterly shocked!
"Fellow Daoist Sun, are you saying there are beings more dangerous than the demonic household children?"
"That shouldn't be the case."
"Since the New Six-Eared Monkey sent people to claim merit rather than cause trouble, how could there be anyone more ruthless than him?"
Sun Kong noticed Guangchengzi's somewhat rigid thinking.
It wasn't his fault.
He then pointed out some crucial aspects!
What he meant was.
Simply that he hoped for an additional helper from the Chan Sect when Wuzhiqi rescued Chen Guangrui and his wife!