Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao-Chapter 674 - 337: Changes

At that moment, the Taoist appeared exceptionally disheveled, dripping wet all over. He looked at Senior Brother Cheng and asked harshly, "What happened? I asked you to keep an eye on the basin of water. Who knocked it over? I was at sea when suddenly the boat capsized. Had I not known the water avoidance art, I wouldn't have made it back today."

Senior Brother Cheng was about to speak when Chen Xiang interjected, "I had just seen Honored Master returned drenched, so I came back with him."

Hearing this, Senior Brother Cheng didn't dare shift the blame to Chen Xiang, as he wasn't quite sure what Chen Xiang had told their master. He could only feign embarrassment and said, "It's all my fault for not being careful. For some reason, the junior sister rushed in and knocked over the basin. I am willing to accept punishment."

"Old man, the pig has escaped!" A woman's voice came from outside. The Taoist's face changed dramatically, and he rushed out immediately, only to see the pigsty empty, without a trace of the fat pig.

Upon closer inspection, he found the wall of the pigsty had collapsed at some unknown time, and he exclaimed in astonishment, "How could it have collapsed!"

The wall of the pigsty wasn't ordinary at all; it had been fortified by a spell from the Taoist. It seemed impossible for a pig to break the formation, and among those present, the only one knowledgeable about formations was his oldest disciple who had been with him for quite some time. Thinking of this, he cast a meaningful glance at Senior Brother Cheng, who felt a chill run down his spine.

"Chen Xiang, go and search for the pig in the woods. I have urgent matters to attend to and must leave first. We will settle these matters another day," the Taoist said coldly, then vanished with a flash, disappearing from everyone's sight.

Senior Brother Cheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief, exchanged a look with the Mistress, and both could see the relief in the other's eyes. Once Chen Xiang had left, the woman punched Senior Brother Cheng reproachfully and said, "You almost got me killed. My heart is still pounding non-stop."

As she spoke, she covered her chest with both hands, her fair skin faintly visible. Fire seemed to flare up in Senior Brother Cheng's eyes. Having been frightened earlier, he desperately needed to vent. Thus, he embraced the woman before him and carried her into the room inside amid her giggly laughter.

Meanwhile, Chen Xiang aimlessly wandered alone in the vast mountains, his expression serene. The task of finding the pig had long slipped his mind. They had initially planned to return to the Taoist Temple to check on the situation but were fearful that the Taoist had left some tricks behind, so he pretended to look for the long-gone fat pig.

Just then, a rustling noise came from the tall weed up to his waist, and upon looking closely, it turned out to be the escaped fat pig, staring back at him.

"After helping you escape, now what do you want?"

Naturally, the fat pig couldn't speak; it only turned its head then took off running. For some reason, Chen Xiang seemed to understand its gaze, so he followed behind.

They soon arrived at the base of a cliff. The fat pig, with a hopeful look, stared at a shimmering medicinal herb on the cliff, its eyes full of longing.

"Do you want me to pick that herb for you?" Chen Xiang asked, puzzled.

Surprisingly, the pig seemed to understand Chen Xiang's words and started nodding frantically, which stunned Chen Xiang. He muttered to himself, "Could this pig be about to become a demon? It's too clever!"

He looked up at the herb, a plant he had never seen before, shimmering with a faint white light, its pale blue flowers swaying elegantly in the wind.

Nameless had exerted the nameless technique, and a tremendous force emitted throughout his body. He forcefully leaped into the air as if soaring through the sky and effortlessly plucked the herb with one hand. The pig below seemed stunned by the scene, foolishly staring with wide-open eyes.

When he regained his senses, he saw Nameless smiling, handing over the herb and saying, "Here, the thing you wanted."

Excitement flashed in the pig's eyes. It opened its mouth and swallowed the herb. Soon after, a miraculous scene unfolded; the pig painfully rolled on the ground, and in a short while, it transformed into a man with a somewhat pale face.

"This pig has really turned into a spirit!" Nameless murmured to himself, filled with incredulity. Was it so easy for demons to shape-shift?

"Junior Brother Liu should not misunderstand, I am genuinely human," the man transformed from the pig suddenly spoke. Although his speech was somewhat labored, it was very articulate, not at all like a demon that had just shape-shifted.

"Who are you exactly?" Nameless asked cautiously.

"My name is Cui Heming. I wonder if Junior Brother Liu has ever heard of me?" the man struggled to prop himself on the ground, a wry smile on his face.

"Senior Brother Cui? You, you had descended the mountain, hadn't you?" Nameless suddenly remembered that Brother Cheng had introduced him before, that before him, two senior brothers had descended the mountain, one of them being Senior Brother Cui Heming.

"Descended the mountain... I used to think those senior brothers couldn't stand the loneliness of the mountains and went back to their homes. But who would have imagined that they all ended up in the belly of a demon sorcery, the delicacies displayed on the dining table were them."

Nameless suddenly understood. No wonder he had felt incredibly sick at the time; it turned out that the pork was really transformed humans, and Brother Cheng must have known these secrets.

"That demon had gotten a technique from somewhere, using herbs to feed people, and later eating their flesh would extend life and increase strength. Thus, he continuously deceived the unsuspected by recruiting disciples under the guise of training them until their bodies emitted a fragrant scent, signaling the day of slaughter. To deceive others, however, he would use sorcery to transform humans into fat pigs before killing them."

Cui Heming narrated these dark and cruel events one by one, leaving Nameless astounded. The evil in human hearts was laid bare at this moment, chilling to the core.

"I inadvertently saw a book about these spells in his study, which mentioned this herb that could break the illusion technique; otherwise, I would have had to live my life as a pig. I owe you my gratitude for your help," Cui Heming said with a smile, thanking Nameless.

Nameless could sense that Senior Brother Cui's family background must be impressive; his demeanor carried an innate nobility. It was unfathomable how such a person could have ended up here.

"Nameless, let's leave this place of strife quickly. Once that demon returns, escape will become impossible. Do not harbor any illusions, unless you want to follow in Brother Cheng's footsteps and become corrupted. Otherwise, it's a dead end sooner or later. He himself uses such evil technique to cling desperately to life, let alone teach us the way to longevity," Cui Heming, out of good intentions and considering the life-saving grace of Nameless, earnestly persuaded him to escape with him.

Unexpectedly, Nameless shook his head and said, "Senior Brother Cui, you're thinking too simply. Have you ever considered that he might not have gone out at all?"