Tripitaka let out a sigh of relief. As long as Monkey King could handle it, he felt there was no harm in going along.
"Well then, please lead the way," Tripitaka gestured.
"Heh..."Golden-Headed Guardian Deity offered an awkward chuckle. Since they already knew he was an impostor, what was the point in leading them?
Without further ado, Golden-Headed Guardian Deity merely pointed in the direction of Gao Village and hastily made his exit.
"Hah, amateur. And he thought he could fool me," Tripitaka scoffed with a hint of disdain.
Monkey King glanced at Tripitaka in a peculiar way. If it hadn't been for his warning, Tripitaka might have been led around like a fool, counting blessings for a trap set against him.
"Let's go, Wukong. Destination: Gao Village. It's time to vanquish evil and uphold justice!" declared Tripitaka, grasping his nine-ringed staff, exuding a righteous aura.
Without waiting for Monkey King's response, Tripitaka jabbed the dragon tortoise on its back, urging, "Let's speed up, little turtle! When we reach Gao Village, I'll treat you to some meat!"
"Thud!"
Auguang (the dragon tortoise) lost balance, buckling to his knees, and flinging Tripitaka onto the ground.
"Master, for the sake of your safety, perhaps refrain from actions like that. I'm afraid you'll end up hurting yourself," Monkey King said, lifting Tripitaka back onto his feet.
Tripitaka, too embarrassed to respond, shot a glare at the dragon tortoise before climbing back onto its back.
What a disgrace—no opportunity to showcase his authority!
Meanwhile, high above, the remaining four Guardians observed Golden-Headed Guardian Deity's swift departure with curiosity.
"Golden-Head, what happened? Weren't you supposed to guide Tripitaka to Gao Village? Why are you back so soon?" Silver-Headed Guardian Deity asked, puzzled.
The other three Guardians leaned in to listen.
"Don't ask... I got exposed!"Golden-Headed Guardian Deity replied, looking disheartened and blaming Guanyin inwardly. After all, the previous arrangement was to have a swift dragon horse. Now, with a slow dragon tortoise, their plan was skewed.
The original scheme was to have Tripitaka's pace slowed so the pig demon predicament at Gao Village could properly unfold. But now, due to the faster journey on the tortoise, he was ahead of schedule, leaving Golden-Headed Guardian Deity to pose as Gao's steward prematurely, only to be immediately discovered.
The other four Guardians exchanged worried glances but were relieved that Tripitaka still seemed on course to Gao Village.
"Silver-Head, go to Gao Village and quietly ensure Gao Cai stays out of the way. Until Tripitaka departs, don't let him return,"Golden-Headed Guardian Deity instructed.
"Is that really necessary? Gao Cai's just a mortal—he's no threat to our plan," Silver-Headed Guardian Deity replied, doubtful.
"Don't underestimate this. Tripitaka's quite peculiar. Who knows what unexpected outcomes he might trigger? Let's play it safe,"Golden-Headed Guardian Deity cautioned. "Remember, despite all our meticulous planning, unexpected complications keep arising. Why overlook this glaring vulnerability?"
Understanding the severity, Silver-Headed Guardian Deity replied, "I'm on it!" He sped off toward Gao Village to manage the potential exposure.
"I just hope this time nothing goes wrong,"Golden-Headed Guardian Deity Guardian murmured.
Unbeknownst to them, however, things had already started to derail.
After traveling the entire day, Tripitaka and his companions finally reached Gao Village. Though the village still displayed remnants of celebratory decorations, the atmosphere was noticeably somber.
"Duang, duang, duang," Monkey King, disguised as a refined gentleman, knocked on the door.
Tripitaka, by now, was accustomed to Monkey King's unmonk-like disguises. He simply accepted it—after all, it provided him cover for his, uh, dietary flexibility.
A wizened elder opened the door and looked at Monkey King with curiosity. "Who are you looking for?"
"Hello, good sir. My master and I are monks from the Tang Dynasty in the East, passing by your esteemed village. We heard there's a demon causing trouble here, so we came to subdue it."
"A... monk?"
The elder looked baffled, staring at Monkey King in disbelief.
"Why are you still at the door, Wukong?" Tripitaka called out, sounding slightly impatient.
The elder peeked out further, his gaze falling on the enormous dragon tortoise and the Brocade Cassockd monk perched on top. His eyes widened, and he shouted, "Ahhh! A monster! A monster is here!"
With that, he dashed inside in a frenzy.
"Uh... who was he calling a monster?" Tripitaka looked bewildered.
"Master, what do you think?" Monkey King replied, leaving the question open.
Tripitaka gave the dragon tortoise a puzzled look. "Little turtle, you don't even look like a monster. Why are they so frightened of you?"
Auguang remained silent, casting a resentful glance at Monkey King. If he could express his true feelings, he surely would, but in his current form, he held his tongue.
The commotion at the gate quickly caught the attention of Elder Gao, who cautiously approached with some attendants. The moment he saw the massive dragon tortoise, he nearly choked on his own breath.
"What curse is upon me? Why is there yet another monster here? Oh, my poor old life!" Elder Gao lamented, overcome with grief.
"Father, don't worry. These two don't seem like monsters," Gao Cuilan quickly reassured him, glancing at Tripitaka and Monkey King. The young man before her, so dashing and elegant, seemed worlds apart from the pig demon they'd encountered.
But... his eyes were slightly unnerving. He seemed to be staring right at her as if he wanted to consume her whole!
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。