novelkee Chapter 410 The aftermath of the treasure leads to conflict; many interesting things happen in the m
Chapter 410 The aftermath of the treasure leads to conflict; many interesting things happen in the m
The aftermath of the treasure discovery sparks controversy, and the mysterious town is full of interesting stories.
Clutching the treasures they had obtained during their adventure in the ancient castle, the group returned joyfully to the bustling town. Along the way, Pigsy, like a possessive little pig, would occasionally pull out his share of the treasure, examining it from left to right, grinning foolishly as if nothing in the world could be happier.
"Hehehe, look at these treasures! I, Old Pig, have never seen so many rare things in my life!" Pigsy held up a ruby the size of a pigeon egg to his eyes, and the colorful light reflected on his adorable face in the sunlight.
Xiaoqing saw this and couldn't help but tease, "Bajie, don't just sit there laughing like an idiot and not watch where you're going. Be careful not to fall flat on your face. If you break your precious things, let's see if you'll still be laughing then."
Upon hearing this, Pigsy hurriedly and carefully put the gem away, muttering, "Pah, pah, little green, don't curse me. I, Old Pig, am very steady now, I won't fall."
Seeing how much Zhu Bajie treasured the treasure, Liu Yu smiled and suggested, "Everyone, don't get too caught up in the joy of finding the treasure. We need to find a safe place to settle down in this town and properly plan our next steps. Also, we need to find a reliable place to store these treasures properly, so that no one else has their eyes on them."
Everyone nodded in agreement, and they found a rather quaint and grand-looking inn in town to stay in. Just as they settled their luggage, they heard a commotion coming from the street below.
"Let's go down and see what's going on." Pigsy's curiosity was instantly ignited, and he was the first to rush downstairs.
The group arrived on the street and saw a crowd gathered around a bulletin board, pointing and discussing amongst themselves. They squeezed through the crowd and found a wanted poster on the bulletin board, featuring a picture of a fierce-looking bandit leader with an astonishingly high reward.
"Hey, this bandit doesn't look like a good person. Why don't we go and capture him? We can rid the people of a scourge and earn a hefty reward. It's a good deal!" Pigsy rubbed his hands together, eager to try.
Fahai clasped his hands together and said solemnly, "This is a good deed. It can punish evildoers and also bring rewards. It's a win-win situation, very good."
Liu Yu pondered for a moment and said, "Alright, this is a good opportunity for us to stretch our muscles. However, since these bandits have such a large bounty on their heads, they must have some tricks up their sleeves. We must not let our guard down."
Just as everyone was preparing to inquire about the whereabouts of the bandits, a chubby-faced little boy suddenly ran up to Liu Yu, tugged at his clothes, and said in a clear voice, "Big brother, are you going to catch the bandits? I know where they are hiding!"
Liu Yu squatted down and asked with a smile, "Little friend, how did you know where the bandits were hiding? Don't lie to your big brother."
The child looked up with an innocent face and said earnestly, "I'm not lying to you. My home is at the foot of the mountain. Yesterday I saw a group of people sneaking into the mountains. They sounded like bandits."
"Thank you so much, little one." Liu Yu patted the child's head, then turned to the others and said, "Looks like we're in luck, we have a lead, let's go."
The group followed the child to the foot of the mountain, where the child pointed to a path hidden in the grass and said, "That's how they got up here."
Pigsy took the lead, striding forward and saying, "Let's go! I, Old Pig, want to see just how capable these bandits are, daring to commit evil deeds in this area."
As they walked up the mountain along the path, the surroundings were eerily quiet, with only the occasional bird call adding to the tense atmosphere. Suddenly, several bandits leaped out of the woods by the roadside, wielding gleaming broadswords and menacingly blocking their path.
"This road is mine, these trees are mine, if you want to pass, leave your toll!" shouted a man with a burly face who looked like a bandit leader.
Pigsy couldn't help but burst out laughing: "Hahaha, you bunch of petty thieves, don't you even know who your grandpa Pig is? You dare to ask us for tolls? If you know what's good for you, you'd better surrender now, or when grandpa Pig takes action, I won't be so polite."
Upon hearing this, the bandit leader's face turned red with rage, and he roared, "Hmph, you fat pig, you've got quite the nerve! Brothers, charge! Beat them until they beg for mercy!"
Before the words were even finished, the bandits, brandishing their broadswords, charged forward in a swarm. Pigsy, fearless, brandished his nine-toothed rake and met them head-on. With agile movements, he quickly dispatched the leading bandits, sending them staggering and crying for their mothers. Little Green, meanwhile, calmly rang her bell. The clear sound waves emanating from the bell acted like an invisible force, causing some of the bandits to become dizzy, unsteady on their feet, and fall to the ground. Fahai, with a calm expression, clasped his hands together, chanting incantations, and unleashed Buddhist light. Golden light instantly enveloped the surroundings, and the bandits, feeling a stinging pain under its glow, scattered and fled in terror. Liu Yu and Er Gou, not to be outdone, engaged the remaining bandits in fierce combat. With their agile skills and seamless teamwork, they quickly routed the bandits, forcing them to their knees and beg for mercy.
"Tell me, where is your stronghold? How many people are left?" Liu Yu asked sternly, his expression imposing.
One of the bandits was so frightened that he trembled and said, "Great...great hero, spare my life! Our stronghold is in the valley ahead, and we have twenty or thirty brothers with us."
"Let's go and meet them!" Pigsy shouted, leading several bandits towards the bandits' lair in the valley.
The group arrived at the valley and saw several dilapidated wooden huts, with loot piled up haphazardly around them. Upon seeing intruders, the bandits panicked, grabbing their weapons and preparing to fight back.
"Stop it, all of you!" Pigsy roared like a bell. "You're surrounded! Surrender now, or don't blame me for being impolite and showing you the power of my Nine-Toothed Rake!"
However, the bandits seemed unwilling to surrender easily, and a fierce melee ensued. After a grueling battle, the group, relying on their exceptional skills and close teamwork, finally subdued all the bandits.
"Haha, we've succeeded!" Pigsy laughed triumphantly, his face beaming with the joy of victory.
The group, escorting the bandits and carrying the loot they had seized from their lair, returned to town in a grand procession and handed the bandits over to the authorities. The officials were full of praise for their bravery, not only paying the reward on the spot but also hosting a banquet to express their gratitude.
At the banquet, everyone was enjoying their meal and laughter when they suddenly overheard a group at the next table vividly discussing a mysterious town. It was said that the town was hidden deep within a misty forest, its inhabitants were skilled in all sorts of strange magic, and that the town possessed a magical spring that could restore youth, prolong life, and even grant extraordinary abilities to those who drank from it.
"Wow, such a magical place exists? I, Old Pig, must go and see it. Maybe if I drink that spring water, I can become younger and more handsome, and charm countless young ladies!" Pigsy said excitedly, his eyes wide open.
Xiaoqing couldn't help but giggle and teased, "You think you're young and handsome? Stop daydreaming. But that town does sound very interesting, full of mystery. We can go explore it; maybe we'll experience some amazing things."
Liu Yu nodded in agreement, saying, "Well, in that case, let's go check out this mysterious town. We might have some unexpected discoveries, and isn't the whole adventure about seeing more strange and wonderful things?"
After replenishing their supplies in town, the group set off towards the Misty Forest with great anticipation. Upon entering the Misty Forest, they were instantly enveloped in a thick fog, visibility was extremely low, as if the entire world had been swallowed up by the white mist. They could only cautiously grope their way forward.
"This fog is so thick, I can't see anything. What if we get lost?" Er Gou said worriedly, feeling a little panicked.
Liu Yu quickly reassured him, "Don't be afraid. If we keep walking in this general direction, we should be able to find the town. Everyone stay close together and don't get separated. If you do, it will be hard to find you in this vast fog."
As they walked, suddenly, a melodious and gentle flute tune drifted over. The flute music echoed faintly in the mist, as if possessing a mysterious magic that drew everyone's hearts in.
"Where is this flute music coming from? It sounds so beautiful, like someone is gently telling a story in your ear," Xiaoqing said, her face filled with delight.
"Who cares? Let's just follow the sound and see what's going on," Pigsy said, and eagerly headed towards the direction from which the flute music was coming.
Following the sound of the flute, the group groped their way forward through the mist, and soon came to an open meadow. There, they saw a boy dressed in white sitting on the grass, intently playing his flute. Around him were some adorable little animals, including lively rabbits and clever squirrels, all seemingly captivated by the beautiful music, quietly surrounding the boy and listening to the enchanting melody.
"Excuse me, do you know where that mysterious town is?" Liu Yu stepped forward and asked politely.
The boy slowly stopped playing, raised his head, and revealed a gentle smile. He said, "You mean Misty Town? I'm from there. What are you doing in the town?"
Upon hearing this, Pigsy immediately stepped forward and said eagerly, "We've heard that there's a magical spring in the town that can restore youth and prolong life if you drink it, so we want to go and see for ourselves. Maybe we can even experience the magical effects of that spring."
Upon hearing this, the boy smiled and gently shook his head, saying, "The spring water does indeed have magical effects, but it's not something anyone can easily drink. Only by passing the tests set up by the town and gaining the mayor's approval can one be qualified to drink the spring water."
"What kind of test? Tell us in detail!" Pigsy asked eagerly, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.
The boy patiently explained, "There are three trials in the town. The first trial is to find the exit in the magic maze in the town center. This maze is no ordinary one; it changes its path according to one's inner thoughts. If you have too many distracting thoughts, it's easy to get trapped inside and lose your way. The second trial is to have a magic contest with the town's magic guardian. This requires not only demonstrating your strength but also using your wisdom to cope. The final trial is to solve a mysterious riddle posed by the mayor. If you can answer it correctly, you will gain the mayor's approval and be qualified to drink from the spring."
"That sounds pretty interesting. I, Old Pig, love taking on these kinds of exciting challenges the most," Pigsy said confidently, patting his chest.
“Alright then, I’ll take you to the town.” The boy stood up, shook off the grass clippings from his clothes, and led the group toward the town.
Before long, the group arrived at Misty Town. The town wasn't large, but it was permeated with a mysterious and unique atmosphere. The houses lining the streets were decorated with wondrous magical runes, shimmering with various dazzling lights, as if each house was telling a mysterious story.
"Alright, this is Misty Town. Good luck." With that, the boy turned and left.
The group arrived at the town center, where a huge and mysterious magic labyrinth came into view. At the entrance of the labyrinth, an elderly man with white hair but a vigorous spirit sat quietly.
"You're here to take the test, right? Go in, and I hope you can find the exit smoothly. But be careful, this maze is no easy feat," the old man said with a smile, a hint of encouragement in his eyes.