It wasn't until dusk that the two old men finally woke up, staggering and groggy. Perhaps the effects of the wine hadn't worn off yet, as they leaned against the stone table, looking dazed and sleepy.
Anna Yang busied herself again, but unlike yesterday's grand hunt, she simply planned to make a few simple dishes this time.
According to the classification, those who have reached the Divine Transformation Realm, like Jade Cauldron Immortal and Ling Yunzi, already belong to the Earth Immortal tier. Earth Immortals actually don’t need to eat; eating is just a retained habit. Most of the time, they simply conjure up something to eat and call it a meal.
But conjured food never tastes as good as the real thing. The problem is, what they conjure is always exactly the same—identical in shape and flavor. After a while, it gets dull.
Usually, they don’t mind eating it themselves, but serving such food to guests would be a bit much. That’s why Anna Yang was bustling about.
Watching Anna Yang, the Monkey King couldn’t help but marvel at her diligence. Why hadn’t he seen her like this back in Crescent Star Cave?
He’d heard that when she lived with Belle, she never tidied up the house; Belle always did those chores. As for whether Anna kept her place clean after living alone, the Monkey King had never set foot in her room, so he had no idea.
When the aroma began to waft from the kitchen, faint sounds of commotion could be heard from outside the cave.
"Someone’s here?" Still a bit woozy, Jade Cauldron steadied himself and walked toward the cave entrance.
Seeing how he looked ready to collapse at any moment, the Monkey King stepped forward to give him a hand.
Exiting the long tunnel, the two quickly saw dozens of torches illuminating the clearing in front of the cave.
Looking around, dozens of Daoist disciples stood there, all wearing angry expressions and holding weapons.
Leading them was the white-robed man they had seen earlier in the forest.
"Ahem, what’s going on here?" Jade Cauldron asked, smacking his dry lips before he’d even stepped out of the cave.
The white-robed man stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said in a clear voice, "Greetings, Uncle-Master Jade Cauldron. I am Louis Wang of Rainflower Monastery. Today, a junior sister from our sect was killed in the forest. Some of my fellow disciples claim to have seen a demon monkey nearby, carrying a token and saying he was a guest of Golden Mist Cave. So we have come to investigate. Since this concerns the life of a fellow disciple, I apologize for disturbing your meditation, Uncle-Master."
Before he finished speaking, the Monkey King had already helped Jade Cauldron out of the shadows and into the open. The flickering torchlight illuminated the Monkey King's face.
Immediately, the faces of the crowd grew tense, each person staring intently at the Monkey King.
Someone in the crowd shouted, "It’s him! He’s definitely the killer!"
The Daoist disciples erupted in an uproar, brandishing their weapons.
Louis Wang was so startled he took a step back.
Now, the scene before them was bristling with cold steel. Jade Cauldron glanced sideways at the Monkey King, saw he remained unmoved and simply stared coldly at the lead disciple, then turned back to Louis Wang and said, "Nonsense! How could a guest of Golden Mist Cave do such a thing?"
Louis Wang steadied himself, bowed, and said, "Uncle-Master, this concerns a life. Besides, my junior sister’s soul still hasn’t been summoned, so she may have met a cruel end. Why not let us take him back for questioning?"
Jade Cauldron Immortal snorted coldly, turned slowly with the Monkey King's support, and said, "Even if I, Jade Cauldron, were at my worst, it's not for youngsters like you to insult me. If you want someone, have your master come to Golden Mist Cave and meet me."
With that, he flicked his sleeve and ignored them.
"You!"
All the Daoist disciples gritted their teeth but dared not act, watching as Jade Cauldron, supported by the Monkey King, slowly returned to the cave.
Once again, they entered the long tunnel. The Monkey King heard someone behind them shout, "Go, hurry and get the master!"
Halfway through, the Monkey King quietly asked, "Jade Cauldron, why didn’t you ask me whether I was the killer?"
Jade Cauldron pursed his lips and said, "Heh, I told you, Jade Cauldron has a knack for judging people. Since I already know the answer, why bother asking?"
With that, Jade Cauldron glanced at the Monkey King with a smile in his eyes.
"Jade Cauldron, do you really think so highly of me? There are plenty of rumors in Crescent Star Cave about my violent temper."
"It’s not about thinking highly of you—it's about trusting my own eyes. I’m not blind with age yet. Heh heh. Even if you have a violent temper, that doesn’t mean you’re a fool. Killing someone on Kunlun Mountain for no reason? Or did you fancy that junior sister’s beauty?" As he spoke, he gently patted the Monkey King’s supporting hand and whispered, "Let’s eat first. This is an internal matter for our sect. I’ll handle it myself later."
Inside the hall, Anna Yang and Ling Yunzi were already seated at the stone table, waiting for the two to return so they could begin the meal.
"Something happened?" Ling Yunzi asked softly, resting his chin on his hand at the table.
"It’s nothing, just a trivial matter." Jade Cauldron replied simply, sat down, moved the wine cup aside, and said with a smile, "I drank a bit too much last night. My old bones are still aching, so I won’t be joining you for drinks tonight, Ling Yunzi."
"No problem."
Anna Yang, holding her bowl, merely glanced at Jade Cauldron before lowering her head again, saying nothing.
After dinner, some time passed before another commotion could be heard outside the cave.
It was probably the head of Rainflower Monastery arriving.
Jade Cauldron led the Monkey King out of the cave together.
Outside the cave, dozens of people still gathered in the darkness—more than before. The raised torches lit up the surroundings as bright as day.
In the center of the crowd stood a Daoist nun, about fifty years old, holding a duster and dressed in gray robes. When she saw Jade Cauldron and the Monkey King come out, she hurriedly bowed, "Greetings, Uncle-Master Jade Cauldron."
Jade Cauldron nodded slightly and said, "Mei Shi, your disciples have caused quite a commotion at my cave. This is hardly proper."
"Uncle-Master Jade Cauldron, I beg your pardon. My teaching has been lacking. Today, a female disciple from Rainflower Monastery was killed in the forest, and her soul still hasn’t been summoned—she may have met a cruel fate. The culprit was ruthless! Two new disciples said they encountered a demon monkey nearby, claiming to be a guest of Golden Mist Cave and carrying its token. I had no choice but to disturb you, Uncle-Master, hoping to clarify the situation. Please forgive me."
Mei Shi was respectful in every word to Jade Cauldron, yet why did she still use the words 'demon monkey'?
Hearing this, the Monkey King felt somewhat displeased. Since arriving at Kunlun Mountain, he’d lost count of how many times he’d been called 'demon monkey' to his face.
Jade Cauldron nodded, stroked his short goatee, and said, "Wukong is right here. If you have any questions, ask them here."
Upon hearing this, Mei Shi remained calm, but the disciples couldn’t help but break into an uproar.
What could they possibly ask here?
As if to pressure Jade Cauldron, the disciples grew noisy. Mei Shi didn’t stop them, but simply straightened up and calmly watched Jade Cauldron.
Jade Cauldron let out a cold laugh, his expression shifting as he shouted, "If not here, where else do you want to question him? Are you planning to torture him? My guest is not someone you youngsters can just take away!"