LRAB Chapter 1048 Too Straightforward
Chapter 1048 Too Straightforward
"What I mean is," Chu Yang said casually, arms crossed, "that along the way, either Monkey King is making a move, or I'm handling things in front, or Master gets targeted, and Wanwan you're just watching the show from the sidelines. That's not good."
Su Wanwan glared at him: "When did I say I was just watching the show?"
"No, not at all." Chu Yang thought for a moment, "You're also responsible for scolding me."
Sun Wukong was laughing so hard his shoulders were shaking.
Su Wanwan kicked him, yelling, "What are you laughing at, Monkey King?!"
Sun Wukong flipped away and squatted on a tree branch: "I think what you said makes sense, little brother. You're usually quite tough with your words, but when it comes to actually taking a few steps forward, you start acting weak."
"When did I ever pretend to be weak?" Su Wanwan was about to explode. "Besides, this forest is filled with such strong demonic energy, who knows what kind of things are inside!"
"That's why I sent you," Chu Yang said.
"...What kind of logic is that?"
"Because this time it's not you who's going to fight," Chu Yang said, looking at her. "It's you who's going to talk to them."
Su Wanwan was taken aback.
Chu Yang gestured with his chin toward the woods: "The things in here obviously know we're in. They've been holding back the whole way, either out of fear or to keep watching. Since they're watching, it means they don't want to start a fight right away. That's perfect, let's talk to their leader first."
Sun Wukong added from the tree, "Go ahead and curse people, my brother and I will back you up."
"Why am I the one who's scolding?"
"Because you're a good fit," Chu Yang said.
"What's wrong with me?"
"You're a young lady," Chu Yang said matter-of-factly. "If you, a young lady, stand at the entrance of their demon king's cave and make it clear from the start: Tang Sanzang belongs to us, and anyone who dares to have any ulterior motives will be chopped up. That kind of attitude is more effective than me going to say it."
Su Wanwan laughed in exasperation: "What do you mean Tang Sanzang is ours? That sounds really weird."
Tang Sanzang coughed lightly, looking slightly uncomfortable: "Benefactor Chu, those words..."
"Master, don't worry about the details." Chu Yang waved his hand. "The meaning is enough."
Sun Wukong, perched in the tree, chimed in quickly, "Exactly. Anyway, your flesh is there, and you're on our side."
Tang Sanzang: "..."
Su Wanwan looked at the two of them, not knowing who to scold first.
Despite her scolding, she vaguely understood that Chu Yang wasn't teasing her this time.
He genuinely wanted her to step forward.
A gust of wind blew from the woods, ruffling a few stray strands of hair at her temples. The wind was cool and damp, as if it had emerged from the bottom of a deep pool. She stared at the dark forest for a moment, then suddenly recalled those two days at Xuanyun Temple, when she and the two women were feigning grievance and trying to extract information, and Chu Yang's smug look from behind, as if to say, "You're not incapable either."
A sense of indignation inexplicably welled up inside her.
Why is it always Chu Yang and Sun Wukong who go first, while she can only follow on the side?
She gritted her teeth, looked up at Chu Yang, and said, "I'll go."
Chu Yang raised an eyebrow: "Oh?"
"But let's make this clear first," Su Wanwan said, raising her chin. "If I really go and scold that demon king, you two have to cover for me. Don't let him swarm out as soon as I finish speaking, and you're still there commenting on whether I was right or wrong."
Chu Yang smiled and said, "Okay."
Sun Wukong patted his chest from the tree: "Don't worry. You can be as tough as you want today. If anyone dares to bare their teeth at you, I'll break their teeth first."
Su Wanwan then looked at Tang Sanzang.
Tang Sanzang paused slightly, then nodded and said gently, "Miss Su, be careful in everything. If you feel something is wrong, don't be reckless."
"Master, look," Chu Yang said, "Master knows how to speak."
"Shut up."
"Understood."
At the entrance to this forest, there is an old stone tablet half-buried in the grass. Originally, there were some words carved on the tablet, but now it is covered with layers of moss and vines, and only a few incomplete strokes can be vaguely seen.
Sun Wukong jumped down, tapped the stele with the end of his golden cudgel, listened to the echo, and said, "The ground is hollow."
Chu Yang casually added, "It seems this place has more than just nests on the ground."
"Hmm." Sun Wukong squinted. "There are things moving underground too."
Su Wanwan felt a chill run down her spine, but Chu Yang remained calm: "That's even better, take them all at once, saves us the trouble of searching back and forth."
"You make it sound so easy," she rolled her eyes at him. "Why don't you go ahead and do it yourself?"
"You're in charge today," Chu Yang said.
"...What do you mean I'm in charge?"
"It means you're in charge of speaking today." Chu Yang raised his chin in the woods. "Go ahead, Master Su."
Hearing this address made Su Wanwan's ears burn, and she felt inexplicably awkward, but it did dispel some of her guilt.
She took a deep breath, straightened her sleeves, and then strode towards the entrance of the woods.
Seeing that she had moved, the white dragon horse also took two steps forward.
Chu Yang led the horse, following her at a leisurely pace on her left rear side.
Sun Wukong vanished in a flash, only occasionally discernible from the swaying of the branches above, as he glided through the treetops.
Tang Sanzang walked at the back, his steps still steady, twirling the prayer beads between his fingers one by one, seemingly muttering something softly. The sound was so faint it almost blended into the wind.
As soon as you step into the woods, the light suddenly dims.
It was still noon outside, but it felt like dusk inside.
A wave of moisture washed over me, cool against my face. The soil beneath my feet was a glossy black, some parts even shimmering with an oily sheen. Thick tree roots arched out of the ground, winding and intertwining like black snakes lying on the earth. Occasionally, unknown birds and beasts would dart about among the branches and leaves, emitting a few very short, sharp cries before falling completely silent.
The further you go in, the quieter it becomes.
It was so quiet it didn't feel like a mountain forest; it was as if something had deliberately suppressed the breath of the entire area.
Su Wanwan clenched her fists, then suddenly lowered her voice: "There really is something watching us."
Chu Yang was half a step behind her, his tone casual: "More than one."
How did you know?
"There are three on the tree on the left, two behind the vines on the right, and a stream of energy following us underground. There's another group further in ahead," Chu Yang said. "You've been watching for quite a while; you're quite patient."
Su Wanwan felt a chill run down her spine: "Could you please not go into such detail?"
"Isn't it better to be more detailed? You know what I mean."
"I'm even more uncertain now."
Suddenly, a low laugh came from above: "Scared?"
Su Wanwan immediately looked up: "Who's afraid!"
"If you're not afraid, then speak louder," Sun Wukong said. "Don't they like to hear? Make sure they hear clearly."
Su Wanwan understood what he meant, and immediately steeled her resolve, standing still. She turned her head and coldly said to the dark depths of the forest ahead, "Have you seen enough?"
All was quiet.
Only the wind rustling through the branches and leaves made a soft whisper.
Su Wanwan, who had been holding her breath, became even more emboldened when no one responded: "What, hiding behind trees, under mud, or among vines playing tricks? If you're so capable, come out and face the world!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a tall old tree on the left suddenly swayed.
Immediately afterwards, the dark green vines on the right front seemed to be parted by something, revealing a very narrow black slit.
But that's how it is.
No one has shown up yet.
Chu Yang added casually from behind, "I'll give you half an incense stick's time, and you'll see someone who can talk. Otherwise, we'll find them ourselves."
This sentence is like a needle, gently piercing the stillness of the forest.
The next instant, the thick fog ahead suddenly churned.
It wasn't blown away by the wind; it slowly parted from the middle to both sides, as if someone had reached out and forcibly cleared a path through the fog.
At the end of the road, a slightly flat open space appeared.
In the center of the open space stood an ancient tree with a massive canopy and drooping branches, from which hung many white, gleaming objects. Su Wanwan squinted to examine them closely and realized that they were neither fruit nor wind chimes, but strings of polished animal bones, some long, some short, some new, some old. A breeze would pass by, and they would gently collide, producing a very low, crisp sound.
A tall, thin man was standing under the tree.
He was dressed in gray, barefoot, with extremely long hair that was half-draped down his back, and skin so pale it was almost bluish. His eyes were long and narrow, with very light-colored pupils, like pale amber soaked in muddy water. His face was not unattractive, even quite handsome, but there was an indescribable coldness in that handsomeness.
Behind him stood four or five figures, men and women, dressed in different clothes, clearly not human.
The man in gray first glanced at Su Wanwan, then looked past her to Chu Yang behind her and Sun Wukong on the treetops. Finally, his gaze lingered on Tang Sanzang for a moment before he quickly looked away.
"Gentlemen passing by," he said in a soft voice, as if sliding across damp moss, "why get so angry?"
Su Wanwan looked at him and calmed herself down.
At least the other party is willing to come out.
If they're willing to come out, it means there's really something to talk about.
She took two steps forward, standing even straighter: "Are you in charge of this forest?"
The man in gray smiled slightly: "You could say that, but it's not perfect."
"That's fine as long as it's considered acceptable," Su Wanwan said. "I won't tell the people below."
The man's smile faltered slightly, as if he hadn't expected her to start with this tone.
A woman in red behind him couldn't hold back any longer, her brows furrowing sharply: "You little brat—"
Before he could finish speaking, the canopy above his head suddenly snapped with a "crack," as if something had been forcibly broken off.
The woman in red suddenly looked up.
Sun Wukong was squatting on a thick branch above, casually holding a piece of twig he had just broken off, and said with a grin, "Talk is talk, but don't glare at her. It makes me uncomfortable."
The woman in red's expression changed slightly, but she swallowed the rest of her sentence.
The man in gray twitched, raised his hand to stop the person behind him, and then looked at Su Wanwan again: "Since you want to talk, young lady, why don't you state your name?"
"Su Wanwan".
"So you're Miss Su." The man in gray nodded slightly. "I am..."
"I don't care what your name is," Su Wanwan interrupted directly. "Anyway, I'm not here to make friends with you."
Chu Yang listened behind her, and he couldn't help but smile.
Sun Wukong almost burst out laughing from the tree.
Tang Sanzang stood at the back, silently lowering his eyes, as if trying to pretend that he hadn't heard anything.
The man in gray fell silent for a moment this time.
The figures behind him all looked rather unpleasant. Clearly, they were used to bullying others in this forest and had never encountered anyone who showed such disrespect from the start.
Su Wanwan, however, felt that since she had already stood up, she might as well go all the way.
She raised her chin and said bluntly, "We need to cross the woods, to put it bluntly, we're asking to pass. If you know what's good for you, just let us through quietly, put away your random thoughts, and stop staring at the wrong people."
The man in gray's eyes flickered slightly: "Whom shouldn't I be staring at?"
Su Wanwan sneered, "What do you think?"
She turned to the side and pointed behind her.
Tang Sanzang stood a few steps away, his monk's robes simple and clean, his features serene. Bathed in the dim light of the forest, he appeared almost radiant with cleanliness. His aura, so out of place in this setting, was like a lamp in the night, making it impossible not to be noticed.
The man in gray glanced at Tang Sanzang, the faint smile on his face still lingering, and said, "Miss Su's words are interesting. In the mountains and forests, all kinds of creatures live together. If you see a living person and take a second look, is that considered an improper thought?"
"Whether it counts or not, you know the answer in your heart." Su Wanwan stared at him. "I'm too lazy to beat around the bush with you. This forest of yours is so full of demonic energy, I don't know how many passersby it has eaten, or how many wicked schemes it has plotted. I don't care about others, we're here today, so I'll make things clear to you."
She paused, her voice growing colder.
"You mustn't touch Tang Sanzang."
The smile on Sun Wukong's face on the tree slowly faded, but a glimmer of light appeared in his eyes.
Chu Yang also looked up ahead, his expression still casual, but the relaxed, almost joking tone from before was gone.
The wind in the woods suddenly picked up.
The animal bones hanging on the ancient tree clattered against each other, making a few ringing sounds that only served to emphasize the stillness of the surroundings.
The man in gray looked at Su Wanwan closely and said, "Girl, you're so assertive, you must have something to rely on."
"Nonsense," Su Wanwan said, "Otherwise, would I come all this way to your doorstep to tell you this? Would I have a death wish?"
She spoke so bluntly that even the man in gray was momentarily speechless.
Chu Yang finally chuckled softly from behind.
Hearing the laughter, the man in gray's eyes darkened slightly, as if he was finally unsure of these people's intentions. Logically speaking, in this kind of situation, the person who spoke first should be more reserved and composed. However, Su Wanwan spoke bluntly and directly, while the two behind her acted as if to say, "You're right, go on." It didn't seem like they were there to negotiate; it looked more like they were there to issue a notice.
He hesitated for a moment before slowly saying, "What if I told you that I can't make all the decisions about what happens in this forest?"
"Then call out everyone who can make decisions," Su Wanwan said. "Don't make me repeat myself three times."
The woman in red finally couldn't hold back any longer: "You really think you're something—"
Her voice abruptly stopped.
Because the moment she opened her mouth, Chu Yang suddenly raised his hand.
No one saw how he moved.
A thin streak of white light flashed past his fingertips, as fast as a flash in the wind. The next moment, a bone hairpin in the red-clad woman's hair snapped in two with a "crack," the break as clean as if it had been carved with a knife. The shards grazed her ear, fell into the mud, and trembled slightly.
The woman in red turned pale instantly.
She stood frozen in place, not daring to move for a long time.
Chu Yang withdrew his hand, his tone flat: "Let her finish what she has to say."
There was a deathly silence all around.
Even the bone beads hanging from the tree stopped wobbling. (End of Chapter)