I just became the Pirate King, and you're telling me I also time-traveled at the same time.

Chapter 967 Lodging for One Night

Sun Wukong sneered, turned around, and strode forward.

"Let's go, let's go, stop dawdling!"

The team continued on their journey.

Cui'er followed Tang Seng around, occasionally handing him a handkerchief to wipe his sweat, and occasionally taking out a boiled sweet potato from her bamboo basket to stave off his hunger.

Tang Sanzang initially hesitated, but seeing her sincerity, he smiled and accepted.

Sun Wukong became increasingly irritated the more he looked at it.

During their midday rest, he finally couldn't resist and dragged Chu Yang deep into the pine forest.

"Speak! What exactly do you want?"

Chu Yang leaned against a tree trunk, broke off a pine needle, and twirled it between his fingers.

"Brother Monkey, don't you think...she's very obedient now?"

"Listen to me my ass!" Sun Wukong lowered his voice. "I saw right through her little scheme! She just wants to be close to Master so she can find an opportunity to strike!"

Chu Yang nodded.

"Yes. So we keep a close eye on her, and she has no chance."

Sun Wukong glared at him.

"Are you trying to suffocate her?"

"Pretty much." Chu Yang smiled. "Her original plan was to transform three times and appear three times, building up the tension step by step, to provoke you into killing someone, and then create a rift between you and your master. Now she's only transformed once and we've already 'taken her in.' She won't have the chance to transform into an old woman or an old man again—because she's 'one of us' now."

Sun Wukong was stunned for a long time.

"You little brat... are you trying to let her suffocate herself?"

Chu Yang broke the pine needle in two.

"The more she wanted to get closer to her master, the more she had to pretend to be a good girl. The more she pretended, the more she couldn't escape. With so many of us around, she didn't even have a chance to sneak away."

Sun Wukong was silent for a moment, then suddenly grinned.

"Alright. You're pretty cunning, kid."

Chu Yang shook his head.

"It's not cunning. It's... a strategic retreat."

We continued our journey in the afternoon.

Cui'er started acting a little strange.

She used to walk briskly, but now her steps are getting slower and slower. She keeps looking back at the road she came from, as if she is expecting something or afraid of something.

When setting up camp at night, she took the initiative to do all the work: gathering firewood, boiling water, cooking porridge, and washing dishes.

He was so busy that he was covered in sweat.

But the busier she was, the more flustered she looked.

Sun Wukong deliberately circled around her, his golden cudgel striking the ground repeatedly with a dull thud.

Cui'er's hand trembled, and she almost dropped the spoon into the pot.

Chu Yang sat by the fire, slowly whittling a wooden stick.

After he finished shaving, he handed the wooden skewer to Cui'er.

"Girl, skewer some mushrooms and grill them. It's cold in the mountains at night, grilling some hot mushrooms will warm your stomach."

Cui'er took it, her voice trembling slightly.

"...Thank you very much, Donor Chu."

She bent down to roast mushrooms, but her fingers were trembling slightly.

Late at night.

After everyone else had gone to sleep, Cui'er remained awake.

She sat wrapped in a blanket by the fire, staring at the leaping flames.

The firelight reflected on her face, revealing a fine layer of sweat.

Chu Yang suddenly turned over, his voice trembling with sleepiness.

"Girl...why aren't you asleep yet?"

Cui'er was startled and quickly said:

"I...I'm not sleepy."

Chu Yang hummed in agreement and then closed his eyes again.

But after a while, he spoke again.

"If you're scared, young lady, you can sit closer. The fire is warm."

Cui'er bit her lip and slowly moved closer.

She got closer to the fire, and closer to Tang Sanzang.

But she felt... getting colder and colder.

It was so cold that I was shivering from the very marrow of my bones.

Day three.

The group reached the edge of a cliff.

Below the cliff lies a bottomless, misty valley, where the wind blows upwards, carrying a damp chill.

Cui'er suddenly stopped.

She stood on the edge of the cliff, her skirt fluttering in the wind.

Tang Sanzang turned to look at her.

"Miss Cui'er, what's wrong?"

Cui'er's lips moved slightly.

"Master...I...I suddenly miss home."

Tang Sanzang was taken aback.

"homesick?"

"Hmm." Cui'er lowered her head, her voice very soft. "I miss my uncle. He must be feeling unwell living alone at home. I... I think I'll go back."

As she spoke, she turned to turn around.

Sun Wukong held his staff horizontally, blocking their path.

"Go back? Now?"

Cui'er was so frightened that she took a step back and almost lost her footing.

Chu Yang suddenly spoke.

"If the young lady wants to go back, that's fine too."

Sun Wukong suddenly turned around.

"What did you say?!"

Chu Yang looked at Cui'er, his voice calm.

"However... it's not safe for a young lady to go home alone. How about I give you a ride?"

Cui'er's pupils suddenly contracted.

"No...no need! I can manage on my own!"

Chu Yang smiled and took a step forward.

"I'll just take you to the village entrance. Master and the others go ahead first, we'll follow shortly."

Cui'er's face turned deathly pale instantly.

She took a step back, then another.

The wind tossed her hair wildly, revealing a small patch of extremely white skin behind her ear—skin so white it was unnatural, as if it had never seen the sun.

"No... I'm not going back!" she suddenly screamed. "I want to stay with Master! I want to..."

Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly turned around and jumped off the cliff.

Sun Wukong reacted extremely quickly, and he was about to give chase in one somersault.

Chu Yang grabbed him.

"Monkey King, don't chase after him."

Sun Wukong angrily said:

"She's trying to run!"

"She can't escape," Chu Yang said softly. "She can't bear to."

really.

In mid-air, Cui'er's figure suddenly froze.

She seemed to be held in mid-air by some invisible force, unable to move.

Then, her body began to contort.

The light purple fabric skirt was torn to shreds, revealing the pale skeleton beneath.

A thin layer of spiritual energy was wrapped around the skeleton, like an inflated balloon, which was now slowly deflating.

Lady White Bone revealed her true form.

A set of crystal-clear white bones, with a faint, cold light emanating from the joints, and two points of will-o'-the-wisp-like green light embedded in the skull.

She hung on the edge of the cliff, her voice sharp and hoarse.

"You...you all knew all along?!"

Chu Yang looked up at her, his tone calm.

"Know."

Lady White Bone's green light pulsed violently.

"Then why...why did you keep me here?!"

Chu Yang smiled.

"Because... I want to see how long you can keep up this act."

Lady White Bone's joints cracked and popped, as if she were trying her best to restrain something.

"You...you're not going to kill me?"

"No rush," Chu Yang said. "You can't escape now. I sealed the earth's veins three miles away with the residual power of the Earth-Building Bead, so you can't fly out."

Lady White Bone suddenly turned her head and looked back at the way she came.

Sure enough, three miles away, there was a very faint yellowish-brown light curtain, like an inverted glass bowl, covering this mountain valley.

She was silent.

After a while, she suddenly smiled.

Laughter was squeezed out of his throat, hoarse and grating.

"Well... well planned."

She slowly descended back to the edge of the cliff, bracing herself with her bony claws, and looked up at Chu Yang.

"So what now? What do you plan to do with me?"

Chu Yang looked at Tang Sanzang.

Tang Sanzang clasped his hands together and sighed.

"Amitabha. Since you have already manifested, it means there is a karmic connection. If you, female benefactor, are willing to lay down your butcher's knife, this humble monk is willing to perform a ritual for your salvation."

Lady White Bone flashed with a green light.

"Save me? Hahaha... I'm a skeleton spirit, born dead, what do I need to save me!"

She suddenly looked up and stared at Chu Yang.

"And you? What do you want?"

Chu Yang looked at her and slowly began to speak.

"I think... you should continue to stay with us."

Lady White Bone shuddered.

"What did you say?!"

"Keep going," Chu Yang repeated. "Keep being your Cui'er. Keep serving your master. Keep... acting."

Lady White Bone's green flames leaped wildly.

"You're humiliating me?!"

"No," Chu Yang shook his head, "I'm giving you a chance."

"Chance?"

"Yes," Chu Yang said, "You want Tang Sanzang's flesh, right? Then keep pretending. Pretend until you can't tell the difference between reality and illusion. Pretend until... you don't want to leave."

Lady White Bone remained silent.

long time.

Then she suddenly chuckled softly.

"Well... well, Chu Yang."

With a flick of her bone claws, she transformed back into the appearance of a village girl.

This time, however, her lotus-colored dress was stained with mud from the cliff edge, and her hair was disheveled, making her look quite disheveled.

She walked up to Tang Sanzang and knelt down.

"Master... I was wrong. I... I shouldn't have had evil intentions."

Tang Sanzang reached out to help her up.

"Get up. Knowing you're wrong is a good thing."

Lady White Bone slowly rose, her eyes reddening again.

But this time, there was a very complex light in her eyes.

Chu Yang stood aside, watching quietly.

The wind blew up from the valley floor, lifting the hem of her skirt.

Beneath the hem of her skirt, her feet were still bare.

However, there is a very faint bone-white ring around the ankle, like a birthmark that can't be washed off.

The team continued on their journey.

Cui'er followed at the back, head down, not saying a word.

Sun Wukong occasionally turned around and glared at her.

She shrank her neck.

Pigsy whispered to Chu Yang:

"Brother... are you really planning to let her follow us forever?"

Chu Yang looked at the mountain road ahead.

"Follow along."

"What she fears most right now is not that we will kill her."

"Instead, we should drive her away."

The mountain road to Baihu Ridge gets narrower and narrower as you go.

The once wide-open official road, wide enough for three people to walk side by side, gradually narrowed into a winding path. The pine trees on both sides grew increasingly dense, their branches intertwining and dappling the sunlight overhead. A breeze seeped in through the branches, carrying the scent of pine resin and damp, decaying leaves, chilling to the bone. The roadside weeds had begun to turn a wan yellow, crunching underfoot like countless layers of dry paper.

The group moved forward in silence.

Cui'er lagged behind, her pace much slower than the previous two days. The hem of her lotus-colored cloth skirt was stained with mud, and her hair was a bit messy. Her original cheerfulness as a country girl had faded without her noticing, replaced by an indescribable weariness and tension. Occasionally, someone would turn around to look at her, and she would immediately lower her head, pretending to be focused on walking.

Around 3 PM, the woods ahead suddenly began to thin out.

A corner of the eaves peeks out from the pine trees, the gray tiles covered with moss and withered vines. The temple gate stands crookedly, its two vermilion doors long faded, thick cobwebs hanging from the door knockers. The characters on the plaque are blurred, only the three characters "Ciyun Temple" can be vaguely discerned.

Tang Sanzang reined in the white dragon horse and looked up.

"There's a temple ahead." His voice carried a hint of relief. "It's getting late, why don't we go in and ask for the night's lodging, so that Miss Cui'er can rest a bit."

Cui'er suddenly stopped in her tracks.

She looked up, her face instantly turning pale.

Sun Wukong's ears twitched, and he turned around to glance at her, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"What's wrong, Miss Cui'er? Your legs go weak at the sight of a temple?"

Cui'er hurriedly shook her head, her voice trembling.

"No...no. I just...I just suddenly had a stomachache."

She clutched her lower abdomen, bent over, and fine beads of sweat quickly appeared on her forehead.

"It might be...it might be her period. Women's affairs are very dirty, I...I can't go into the temple, it would be disrespectful to Buddha."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang immediately looked troubled.

"Amitabha. In that case, young lady, please rest outside for a while. This humble monk and his disciples will go in and inquire. If the temple is quiet, we will send someone to bring out some hot water and clean clothes."

Cui'er waved her hands repeatedly.

"No need, no need! Master, you all go in first. I... I'll find a clean place to take care of it myself. I'll catch up with you when you come out."

As she spoke, she walked toward a clump of low bushes by the roadside, her steps unsteady, as if she were in real pain and could not stand steadily.

Pigsy scratched his head and whispered to Chu Yang:

"Brother, is she... trying to run away?"

Chu Yang watched Cui'er's retreating figure and softly hummed in agreement.

"Let her run."

Sun Wukong slammed his staff into the ground, his voice barely audible.

"Hey kid, what mischief are you plotting now? You finally managed to keep her by your side, and now you're letting her go?"

Chu Yang turned to look at him, his eyes calm.

"Brother Monkey, what she fears most right now isn't us killing her, but us preventing her from leaving. If she runs away, it only proves she's guilty. The less we stop her, the more insecure she'll feel."

Sun Wukong narrowed his eyes.

"Did you predict she would come back?"

Chu Yang smiled but didn't answer directly.

"Let's go. Let's go into the temple first."

Tang Sanzang, leading the white dragon horse, headed towards the mountain gate.

Cui'er's figure quickly disappeared behind the bushes, leaving only the hem of her skirt swaying for a final moment before vanishing completely.

The courtyard of Ciyun Temple was even more dilapidated than I had imagined.

The main hall's door was half-open, creaking in the wind. The courtyard was overgrown with waist-high weeds, and a few wild chrysanthemums were in full bloom, their bright yellow petals swaying in the setting sun like flickering candlelight. Several stone Arhats with broken arms lay piled under the eaves, their faces covered in moss around their eyes, looking as if they were weeping silently.

An old monk walked out of the side hall, trembling.

His hair and beard were all white, his monk's robe was patched upon patched, and he leaned on a crooked cane. When he saw the person who came, he was first taken aback, and then his face lit up with surprise.

"Amitabha! And who are you, esteemed benefactors...?"

Tang Sanzang put his hands together in prayer.

"This humble monk, Xuanzang, is traveling west with his disciples to obtain Buddhist scriptures. We are passing by this temple, and it is getting late. We would like to ask for lodging for the night."

The old monk nodded quickly.

"Of course, of course! Although the temple is dilapidated, there are still a few clean monks' cells. Please follow this old monk."

He led the way with his cane, his steps so slow it felt like he was walking on cotton.

Next to the main hall were three side rooms, the doors and windows of which were still relatively intact. Inside, there were only the most basic wooden beds and cushions, and an oil lamp lit in the corner, its wick flickering and casting shadows that jumped up and down on the walls.

As soon as Pigsy entered the room, he lay down on the couch.

"Phew...at least I can finally get a good night's sleep."

Sun Wukong did not sit down.

He walked to the window, pushed it open a crack, and looked outside.

Dusk had completely fallen, and only a few fireflies remained flying in the valley. The direction where Cui'er had disappeared was pitch black; nothing could be seen.

"Kid," he asked in a low voice, "aren't you afraid she'll just run away and never come back?"

Chu Yang sat on the threshold, took out a piece of dry food and chewed it slowly.

"She's back."

"On what grounds?"

"Because..." Chu Yang swallowed the dry food in his mouth, "she couldn't bear to part with it."

Sun Wukong was stunned for a moment, then sneered.

"Reluctant to part with it? Reluctant to part with my old Sun's golden cudgel?" (End of Chapter)