"Daoist priest, stop trying. I can sense that this last fragment is not anywhere else, it is with the Mother of Humanity, Empress Nuwa, whom our race worships the most."
"Legend says Empress Nuwa is not in the mortal realm, nor in the Immortal Realm, but in the ethereal Wa Imperial Palace, thirty-three heavens away."
"It's a pity that, since ancient times, absolutely no one has been able to find her. As for you, although I see you are distinguished and extraordinary, I imagine you are like other cultivators."
"You have magical power, but you are definitely not a true immortal. Otherwise, why would you come to ask a mortal like me? Couldn't you deduce it yourself?"
It must be said that Zhu Yishi, after reincarnation, lost most of his memories, but his intelligence was completely intact.
Not only did he recall, with the help of the memories Sun Wukong pried open from his past life, that the last fragment was with Nuwa.
He could also, based on his own experience, smugly discern that although Sun Wukong possessed some magical power, he was definitely not an immortal, and certainly could not find the Wa Imperial Palace.
"Zhu offers his gratitude to the Daoist priest for his guidance. What I just said was out of emotion and was unpleasant to hear. I beg Master not to hold it against me."
"If the Daoist priest truly wishes to help me escape this sea of suffering, then please take me in. Zhu Yishi will forever remember your grace."
"I would never be ungrateful!"
After saying this.
Zhu Yishi once again kowtowed to become a disciple.
Along with it, he returned the eighty fragments that originally belonged to him to Sun Wukong.
Unlike before, when he was simply trying to understand the karma of his past and present lives, this time, it was more about winning him over and seeking his guidance.
Even, taking advantage of Cui Lan's absence, so as not to frighten her by discussing other matters, he now told Sun Wukong something that caused Zhu Yishi extreme distress and terror!
"Master may not know, but I don't know when it started, but our Zhu Family Village seems to have offended some demons or monsters, and strange occurrences have been happening constantly."
"The most terrifying among them, even more so than my fiancée being almost taken away by the Huai River demon, is a monster who calls himself the Old Demon Gao, who frequently steals and eats the infants in the village."
"To this day, for the twenty years since I was born, he has eaten almost all the children in our village. Those with abilities have long since fled."
"Those without abilities, or like us who are unwilling to leave our homeland, are forced to stay, living in constant fear. "
"The most bizarre thing is that we pray to heaven every day, hoping for a divine being to rescue us, but every time it has no effect. Instead, it's as if the divine beings are impatient with our pleas and strike us through the statues."
"Therefore, apart from Master, I absolutely do not believe in any cultivators. I implore your elder self to have mercy and eliminate that Old Demon Gao for us!"
At this point, in order to forcefully win Sun Wukong over as a disciple and beg him to stay to subdue the demons, Zhu Yishi did something even more surprising.
As Sun Wukong listened in astonishment, recalling that the Old Demon Gao was very likely the Gao Taigong from "Journey to the West,"
Zhu Yishi turned around, found a nine-toothed rake from his own courtyard, and without regard for the fact that this rake was his own innate spiritual treasure.
He actually offered it with both hands.
Begging Sun Wukong to accept it as a discipleship gift!
"What is Zhu Benefactor doing?"
"This humble Taoist priest is not someone who covets wealth or treasures. This nine-toothed rake is clearly not an ordinary item, and perhaps it will be of great use to you in the future."
"Please keep it. As for eliminating Old Demon Gao, that is within this humble priest's duty, and requires no reward."
"If you insist on repaying my kindness, I can temporarily accept you as a registered disciple. When I have need in the future, you can repay me with a favor, and rest assured, my favors carry significant weight, enough for you to handle."
Sun Wukong had come with a heart full of ruthlessness, but now, seeing that Zhu Yishi was by no means as shameless and lacking in character as his future incarnation, Zhu Bajie, but rather treated him well.
He couldn't help but be moved.
Since both of them were chess pieces manipulated by the Heavenly Dao and exploited by the Buddhas of Spirit Mountain and the Immortals of the Heavenly Court, why should they fight amongst themselves?
It would be better to give this Zhu Yishi some leeway. In the future, whether it was to have his second brother Wu Zhiqi replace him, or in other situations.
Perhaps they could seek peace and avoid conflict, rather than having to resist tens of thousands of people from Spirit Mountain and the Heavenly Court alone, as he had in the last instance.
However.
Sun Wukong's "kindness" was something Zhu Yishi could not understand, and even his past life's Zhu Jiuchong probably couldn't.
In Zhu Yishi's eyes, Sun Wukong's behavior either meant he disliked the nine-toothed rake, or he still didn't want to take him as a disciple and was making excuses.
Seeing this.
Zhu Yishi became even more anxious. He actually revealed the location of the drop of his life essence blood, which had reincarnated with him within the nine-toothed rake, in front of Sun Wukong.
This clearly meant he wanted Sun Wukong to act, to sever his karma with the nine-toothed rake, thereby allowing him to obtain the spiritual treasure as a discipleship gift, and allowing himself to escape the troubles of his past life and continue living with Cui Lan!
Buzz buzz buzz!
After a clear and resonant sound, and with Sun Wukong's "helpless" action of erasing this drop of Zhu Jiuchong's life essence blood.
The nine-toothed rake, which had been easily held by Zhu Yishi just a moment ago, instantly returned to its original weight of five thousand and forty-eight catties.
That is, the so-called number of one 'cang'.
Then.
Zhu Yishi naturally could not lift it, and could only put it down, looking content and relieved.
He showed no remorse or regret for losing an innate spiritual treasure.
On Sun Wukong's side, after obtaining the nine-toothed rake, he clearly felt something different about himself. The will of the Heavenly Dao he had perceived earlier.
With the change of ownership of the nine-toothed rake, it finally disappeared.
He didn't know the specifics of what was happening.
However, from Sun Wukong's perspective, this seemed to indicate that the Heavenly Dao was no longer fixated on the future Zhu Bajie being Zhu Jiuchong's reincarnation. As long as the next person could subdue the nine-toothed rake, it would be considered him.
And this person, if nothing unexpected happened, would be Sun Wukong's second brother, Wu Zhiqi!
[Ding! The host's sincerity has moved Zhu Yishi, the first reincarnation of Zhu Jiuchong. He has severed his karma with the following seven lives and the ninth life, Zhu Bajie, thus causing new changes in the karma of the Journey to the West.]
[Reward: Zhu Yishi's 100% disciple heart.]
[Note: As Zhu Yishi's past life was the famous Marshal Tianpeng of the Heavenly Court, Zhu Jiuchong, who was always serious and meticulous, the host will gain absolute loyalty by obtaining his disciple heart.]
This reward, stemming from Zhu Yishi's shock, was not too surprising.
However.
The next reward made even Sun Wukong a little restless!
[Ding! The host erased the life essence blood belonging to the future Zhu Bajie within the nine-toothed rake, indirectly shocking the Great Sage of Taiqing, Laozi. Laozi intends to send the Great Master Xuandu to investigate the matter with the host.]
[Reward: The cave mansion of the Great Master Xuandu, and a pass to Mount Xuandu!]