Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

"Is that Lu Zhang from Yuzhou on the shore?" Suddenly, a slightly hoarse voice reached Lu Zhang's ears, and upon careful listening, he realized that the voice was actually coming from Jinjiang River.

"Who's speaking!" The guards by his side immediately gripped their weapons tighter. Someone had inconceivably managed to infiltrate close to Lu Zhang. At this moment, all the guards were on high alert; their negligence could have dire consequences if the speaker was an assassin.

"If I come out, I hope the master will not be alarmed," the voice came from the river again, yet still no figure could be seen.

"Please come out, elder. I, Lu Zhang, am not one to be scared by appearances; there is no need for concern," Lu Zhang thought to himself that perhaps this person possessed strange techniques, to hide so effectively in the river and not be ordinary human. He had also heard of those with strange techniques having grotesque appearances—could it be that they feared being judged for their looks?

"You all retreat; I am coming out." With that statement, a gigantic shadow appeared on the surface of the river, causing the surrounding guards to hustle Lu Zhang backward in a panic.

The shadow grew larger and soon, a massive turtle emerged on the river surface, its huge body resembling a small island, with a fearsome head.

"Lao Gui has seen the master!" The turtle's mouth opened and closed, emitting an aged voice. Only then did Lu Zhang and the others realize that the voice speaking to them was not human at all, but this ancient giant turtle.

After the initial shock, Lu Zhang regained his composure; after all, he had already encountered many demons, so the fear of the unknown that such creatures used to provoke in him had disappeared.

"I wonder what business the Demon King has with me?" Lu Zhang asked calmly and collectedly.

Lao Gui nodded inwardly at this sight, thinking that Lu Zhang truly had the presence of a master. Just this disposition alone was quite remarkable.

"May I ask what is your relationship with Mr. Lu Yu?"

"Lu Yu is my uncle. Where did the Demon King hear of this name?" Lu Zhang was curious as to how Lao Gui knew of his uncle's name. Could it be that they had past dealings?

"I am but a minor demon; how dare I claim the title of Demon King. You are Mr. Lu's kin, I dare not have you demean yourself, just call me Lao Gui," it said.

Although Lao Gui's expression was not visible, one could still discern from its tone that it seemed to be in high spirits.

"Could it be that you have a past with my uncle?" Lu Zhang had never heard Lu Yu mention anything about a giant turtle, so he was very curious and asked.

"Mr. Lu once preached nearby, teaching all without discrimination. We, the Aquatic Tribes, have received his great teachings; but Mr. Lu is such an esteemed person that we never found the opportunity to repay his kindness. Since you are his kin and wish to cross north with your army, we are willing to help ferry your troops across the river to honor Mr. Lu's benevolence."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhang was overjoyed, thinking that when all seemed lost, an unexpected path had appeared. He had been preparing to retreat his troops due to the difficulty of crossing the river but with Lao Gui's help, they would surely take Lingshui Pass by surprise.

"Then I must trouble Lao Gui for this, and I will be sure to make my uncle aware of your aid," Lu Zhang responded.

Lao Gui was delighted to hear this, exclaiming, "Haha, it's a minor matter. I hope Mr. Lu won't blame us for meddling. Brothers, come out now—it's time for us to repay our debt!"

As Lao Gui called out into the river, numerous dark figures surfaced in front of all eyes, each a member of the Aquatic Tribes, accomplished in their cultivation and vast in size.

Lu Zhang issued an order, and the large army quietly advanced toward Lingshui Pass, stepping over numerous silenced Spiritual Beasts.

At this time, Lingshui Pass remained oblivious. Since they had confiscated all the boats, they felt secure and worry-free, hardly concerned that Lu Zhang's army could cross the Jinjiang River. Even their routine patrols had become lax.

A group of soldiers was patrolling the city wall; one of them yawned and said, "Ah! It's so exhausting to patrol this late at night!"

"Stop grumbling. How about we play a few rounds after patrol?" the squad leader suggested with a smile. His proposal was met with cheers, as gambling was one of the few diversions available to them.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"I say we start now. Why bother patrolling? We've scoured all the ships in the area clean. How can the Yuzhou Army cross the river? Unless they can sprout wings and fly over," another chimed in.

Egged on by the others, the squad leader led them into the gatehouse, and soon after, lively shouts and cries could be heard from within, as they seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the game.

After playing for a while, one of them had lost several rounds in a row and stood up, saying, "Today is just bad luck. Let me go to the bathroom to change my fortune before I take you all on again."

"Lao Wang is scared, isn't he? Afraid he'll lose everything and be chased down by the tigress at home," the others jeered. Since Lao Wang's wife was known to be fierce, they knew losing money to gambling would lead to domestic turmoil. Despite the teasing, they stepped aside to let Lao Wang through.

Lao Wang stepped out of the gatehouse and found a corner to relieve himself. The chilly night breeze made him shudder involuntarily. As he was about to finish and head back inside, he unexpectedly noticed what seemed to be an approaching army not far from the city gate.

Rubbing his eyes, thinking he might be seeing things because he lost too much, he finally confirmed there indeed was an army that had silently advanced to the city gates under the night's moonlight.

"Enemy attack!" Without bothering to fasten his belt, Lao Wang ran back inside, yelling at the top of his lungs.

The people inside hadn't grasped the situation when they saw Lao Wang charging in from outside, with his belt still dangling.

The squad leader asked with a frown, "What's the matter, Lao Wang? Enemy attack? You're not delusional from losing too much, are you?"

"Outside, a troop of cavalry has appeared from nowhere and is already at the gates. Hurry up!" Lao Wang panted heavily as he spoke.

Realizing the urgency, the squad leader immediately ordered the alarm drum to be beaten and sent someone to notify the General's Mansion, before heading out to investigate.

Glancing over the city wall, his heart sank. Though it was dark and hard to see clearly, the vast shadows indicated that this was definitely the main force of a large army. He could only feel the absurdity, not knowing where this army had sprung out from.

The deep sound of the alarm drum stirred everyone in Lingshui Pass from their sleep, leaving them confused and looking at each other, wondering what on earth had happened.

The soldiers on the city walls began frantically equipping themselves, preparing to face the unknown enemy.

But Lu Zhang wasn't willing to give them time to prepare. At his command, Liu Qingyun led his Vanguard Camp at the forefront. Before the enemy could react, they were already at the city gates. Liu Qingyun, with a Long Spear in hand, let out a great shout, and the starlight shone upon his weapon.