Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao-Chapter 238 - 17 Huaguo Mountain

The starving tiger had not realized the gravity of the situation; in its eyes, Lu Yu was merely a meal delivered to its mouth. It crouched low, circled around Lu Yu for a better angle, and with a roar, it charged, opening its mouth wide to reveal ferocious fangs and a crimson tongue adorned with white barbs that looked utterly terrifying.

Lu Yu simply dodged with a slight sidestep, avoiding the tiger’s pounce. He reached out and pressed on the tiger’s head, pinning it to the ground, making it struggle helplessly, digging two large holes in the ground before long.

With a gentle toss, Lu Yu sent the tiger spinning through the air, and the prey on the ground suddenly seemed smaller. It was then that the tiger realized it had been thrown skyward and immediately let out a cry of fear.

Falling from a height, the tiger shook its head, emerging from the dizzying sensation of vertigo. It suddenly spotted a person standing ahead—more specifically, a Monk—and its eyes brightened with joy, thinking the Monk looked quite appetizing.

At that moment, Tang Monk, under the intense gaze of the tiger’s fierce eyes, was so frightened his legs became wobbly. But he was not alone; Monkey was by his side. Experience tales at novelbuddy

Upon seeing the tiger, Monkey laughed and said, "Master, fear him not; he’s merely delivering me some clothes."

No sooner had he finished speaking than he pulled the Golden Hoop from his ear and grasped it in his hand, weighing it carefully with a sigh, "Old friend, I haven’t used you in five hundred years; today, let’s fashion some apparel from him."

The Monkey’s aura surged; he was the Demon King, the Great Sage Equalling Heaven who had once made havoc in the heavens. How could a mere tiger withstand such an imposing presence? Frightened, it lay prostrate on the ground, daring not to move and was simply smashed to death by Monkey’s staff.

That was not all; Monkey did not spare even the tiger’s corpse. He plucked its hair to fashion a butchering knife and skillfully skinned it. While doing so, he muttered to himself, "There’s enough here to make several sets. I’ll make do before borrowing some thread to properly sew them later." He then pulled some vines to cover himself.

Lu Yu heard the tiger’s mournful roar from afar and knew that Monkey had received his gift. He then turned to leave, needing to first go to Huaguo Mountain to share the good news with the little monkeys and prepare them for their Great King’s emerging from trouble.

Huaguo Mountain was perennially springlike, and over the years the East Sea Dragon King had taken special care of it. With favorable weather conditions, it had long regained its natural beauty. Furthermore, when Lu Yu had previously restored Huaguo Mountain, he had planned the cultivation of its crops.

As a result, the mountain blossomed with flowers, teeming with lush vegetation and various Spirit Fruits planted in a specific order.

Now was the time for harvest, with various Spirit Fruits dangling from the branches, swaying in the breeze and adding a unique charm to Huaguo Mountain.

The little monkeys were busy in the woods. Mr. Lu had taught them that once the Spirit Fruits ripened they must be picked promptly; otherwise, they would rot. The fruits they couldn’t eat could be brewed into Monkey Wine, which not only provided for their consumption but also could be exchanged with goods from the East Sea Dragon Palace.

Thus, when Lu Yu arrived, he saw a lively scene at Huaguo Mountain.

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The moment Lu Yu descended from the clouds, a watchful monkey quickly reported his arrival—a practice also taught by Lu Yu, mainly to prevent disturbances from unwelcome demons or people in his absence, allowing for timely action.

However, Lu Yu had underestimated the power of the East Sea Dragon Palace; those capable of threatening the Huaguo Mountain monkeys had already been driven off by the Dragon Palace’s forces and could not even reach its boundaries.

Soon afterwards, Marshal Ma and Marshal Liu, Generals Beng and Ba, along with the four valiant generals, had already come out to greet him, bowing and saying in unison, "Mr. Lu has arrived!"

Lu Yu, seeing Huaguo Mountain being managed so well by these monkeys, nodded and praised, "My efforts teaching you were not in vain, you’ve done well."

The monkeys’ faces showed expressions of joy, and they humbly said, "It’s all thanks to your teachings, Mr. Lu. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have such skills."

Their words were heartfelt, truly believing that Mr. Lu was a capable man. Unlike the monkeys, Lu Yu, after all, had memories of his past life. Thus, when he planned for Huaguo Mountain, he introduced many management concepts from his previous life, undoubtedly a qualitative leap for the ragtag assembly at Huaguo Mountain.

These monkeys were indeed cunning, not lacking in wisdom, but they had never been taught before, and, therefore, their wild nature was hard to tame. After receiving teachings from Lu Yu, they underwent a transformation. If they could return to their rebellious days, they would surely have better strategies.

Lu Yu didn’t care about the monkeys’ flattery. He smiled and waved his hand, saying, "I came here to tell you good news. Your Great King has broken free from his bonds and should be visiting Huaguo Mountain soon."

At these words from Lu Yu, the monkey troop exploded into excitement. After five hundred years of longing and anticipation, their Great King, who brought them endless glory, was finally returning. The monkeys were the soul of Huaguo Mountain, and only with his presence would Huaguo Mountain regain its fearsome reputation across the three realms.

All the monkeys were jumping for joy, bouncing around and hugging each other. Joy filled the entire Huaguo Mountain, startling numerous birds into flight from the trees.

Meanwhile, in the East Sea, a patrolling Yaksha noticed the commotion at Huaguo Mountain and wondered, "What’s the celebration at Huaguo Mountain about? It’s quite lively."

The Shrimp General next to him said, "Judging by the looks of it, it must be some really good news. We need to report this to the Dragon King."

The patrolling Yaksha nodded his head as they hadn’t forgotten that two unparalleled warriors stood behind Huaguo Mountain.

In the Dragon Palace of the East Sea, the East Sea Dragon King, Ao Guang, listened carefully to the Yaksha’s description. A delighted expression flashed across his eyes as he stroked his beard and laughed heartily, "If my guess is correct, it must be that the Great Sage Equalling Heaven has been freed. That’s why the monkeys of Huaguo Mountain are so overjoyed."

He also felt secretly pleased with himself, thinking about how beneficial guarding Huaguo Mountain for five hundred years had been in earning the favor of two distinguished individuals—an opportunity not often found in the world.

The Yaksha and the surrounding shrimp soldiers and crab generals recalled the scene from five hundred years ago upon hearing these words, thinking to themselves, "So he has been freed. The three realms might be stirred into chaos again."

After the initial excitement, the monkeys of Huaguo Mountain began cleaning and tidying up, determined to present a completely revitalized Huaguo Mountain to their returning Great King. The monkeys were filled with vigor, eager for the return of their undefeatable king.

Watching the bustling Huaguo Mountain, Lu Yu couldn’t help but remark emotionally, "No wonder the Monkey has always had Huaguo Mountain and its monkeys on his mind. This kind of affection is indeed different."