"This twelfth trial is faster than expected."
"So be it, Old Sun will finish it clean with one strike!"
"Let you fellows from the Heavenly Court know what happens when a tiger doesn't show its might, and don't take Old Sun for a sick cat to bully!"
After hearing the matters from Taibai Jinxing and others, Sun Kong felt no anger, only disdain.
Just like before, when the Primordial Heavenly Dao and Patriarch Hongjun rewarded him with these two books, their intention was to trick him and enhance his desire for sainthood, which was also manipulated.
But unexpectedly, Sun Kong used them as tools to deal with them in the future.
And now, Taibai Jinxing and others, thinking they had captured his second brother Wu Zhiqi and recreated Gao Laozhuang, forcing the first round of Journey to the West in the Immortal Realm to retrace the original plot, believed they could make Sun Kong compromise and back down.
They never imagined.
With the report from the monkey hair clone just now, Sun Kong had only one thing on his mind.
To send Taibai Jinxing and these jumping clowns flying with one strike!
Sun Kong acted as he spoke.
Without waiting for Jin Chanzi to understand what was happening, he used a Chaos Somersault Cloud and entered Gao Laozhuang. While Taibai Jinxing and dozens of other Heavenly Court deities were still busy, he swung his Chaos Golden Cudgel!
"Oh, damn, this Monkey King is playing dirty."
"Not good, our meticulously planned setup was to bargain with him, and we didn't expect this Monkey King to refuse to listen and insist on a direct approach."
"Lord Taibai Jinxing, our Heavenly Court deities have miscalculated again. To be honest, we should pack up and leave. What's the point of this hostage situation?"
"Other people's hostages are easy to deal with."
"But Wu Zhiqi is Sun Monkey's second brother, and he personally arranged him in this twelfth trial. Why did we believe your nonsense and think that literary men could accomplish things?"
As one person after another from Gao Laozhuang, who were in fact disguised Heavenly Court deities seeking merit rewards, were driven out by Sun Kong.
Even if not killed on the spot.
It was enough to make these people realize their predicament in an instant.
Before Sun Kong could continue his plan to rescue his second brother Wu Zhiqi with one strike and resolutely refuse to give any merit rewards to outsiders, the other deities remaining in the manor fled in all directions. Even Xuan Du Da Fa Shi, who had originally planned to step in after Taibai Jinxing, was instantly shocked by Sun Kong's rare temper!
"Good heavens, even such a compromising move by the Heavenly Court is not recognized by Sun Monkey?"
"No wonder my master reminded me before leaving not to underestimate Sun Monkey's intelligence, nor to overestimate the brains of the Jade Emperor's subordinates."
"At the time, I thought my master was being too harsh."
"Now it seems to be true. Taibai Jinxing, once the brother of my master's evil corpse Li Er, and the foremost civil official under the Jade Emperor, how could he have completely failed to consider that Sun Monkey might know the truth in advance?"
"Alas, this trip has been in vain, and I have been tricked by these overconfident Heavenly Court deities."
"But fortunately, I have always felt this method was unreliable. This time, I haven't been discovered by Sun Monkey yet, and there will be other opportunities in the future."
After saying a few words.
Seeing that Sun Kong alone, without wasting any effort, had driven away all the Heavenly Court deities with a single strike, it could be considered his most "civilized" action since the first round of Journey to the West in the Immortal Realm began.
Xuan Du Da Fa Shi dared not linger any longer.
Therefore, before Sun Kong truly lost his temper and became serious, Xuan Du Da Fa Shi decisively chose the most cost-effective and safest option.
To flee!
"I, Xuan Du, was incidentally passing by Fuling Mountain and did not wish to see the Heavenly Court deities acting so inhumanely. While seeking merit is understandable, kidnapping the second brother of Grand Sage Sun is truly unbearable to witness."
"I implore Grand Sage Sun to see clearly and not to vent his anger on the innocent. However, for such disgusting behavior from the Heavenly Court deities, please retaliate as you see fit."
"I, representing the Grand Pure lineage, have no objections."
"Finally, I wish Grand Sage Sun success in his Journey to the West and continuous progress!"
With these words, he had effectively sold out Taibai Jinxing and the others.
Not to mention Taibai Jinxing and the others flying into a rage upon hearing this and preparing to settle accounts with Xuan Du Da Fa Shi.
After the manor was emptied and Wu Zhiqi broke free from his restraints, he came out to meet Jin Chanzi, became his disciple, and then met his elder brother Sun Kong.
The master and disciples, three in total, completed the twelfth trial without any detours. Naturally, they had already made up their minds about Taibai Jinxing and Xuan Du Da Fa Shi.
Without them scrambling to beg for mercy, Sun Kong had already raised a towering cudgel to resolve this karma!
"Thank you, Daoist Xuan Du, for your guidance."
"And thank you, Daoist Taibai Jinxing, for personally orchestrating this trip. It's a pity, alas, your tricks were simply drawing a snake and adding feet."
"Old Sun already understood the cause and effect of this twelfth trial long ago. No one else needed to be involved. It would have been fine if you had just earned some merit; it's human nature, and I wouldn't have blamed you."
"However, you dared to plan to kidnap my second brother and demand more from me, which is simply too much."
"But considering that after the last time, your Heavenly Court lineage and others behaved themselves and did not forcibly intervene when it had little to do with them, this will be a warning."
"Do not do this again."
"If you dare to do so again, Old Sun's cudgel will not hesitate to pierce the heavens and strike the Jade Emperor directly, making him explain!"
Perhaps because he had recently received two important rewards.
Or perhaps, because his second brother Wu Zhiqi suffered no losses this time, Sun Kong's tone was remarkably gentle, rarely seen in five hundred years.
It was also the first time he hadn't truly hit or cursed anyone.
Seeing this, Jin Chanzi, Wu Zhiqi, and the others all laughed in unison, praising Sun Kong's increasing cultivation of his temperament.
As for Taibai Jinxing and the others, they were filled with shame and awkwardness, but they did not dare to turn back and argue. They could only take advantage of Sun Kong's good mood to speed up their departure.
Thus, the twelfth trial of Sun Kong was completed, even more smoothly than anticipated. This was also because he had now become a formidable opponent in the eyes of various powerful figures.
Unless they encountered situations like the eighth trial, where they had to compete for opportunities, even the Jade Emperor, the Demon Sage, and the Sages of the Heavens were unwilling to intervene excessively.
The night passed uneventfully.
The people within a radius of a million miles were grateful for Wu Zhiqi's departure.
Furthermore, Sun Kong met the long-lost Zhu Yishi and his wife here. After they personally acknowledged Wu Zhiqi as Zhu Bajie, the entire matter concluded.
The next morning.
Led by Jin Chanzi, with Nezha as the White Dragon Horse, Sun Kong as the Monkey King, and Wu Zhiqi as Zhu Bajie, the pilgrimage team continued on their journey.
And their next trial was none other than the thirteenth trial.
It was related to the Yellow Wind Monster, who was rumored to have some connection with the Buddhas of Spirit Mountain!