The faces of several Guardians flushed even redder.

"Monks do not tell lies; speak the truth!" Tang Sanzang pressed.

Finally, one of the Guardians, very embarrassed, spoke up, "That... after being out for so long, I went home to check on the dog."

"Went home to check on the dog? You had time to see a dog, but not to find me? I nearly starved to death on that crappy planet... Am I not even as good as a dog?" Tang Sanzang roared furiously.

The Guardians collectively looked toward the sky, pretending not to hear.

Tang Sanzang was instantly speechless, wailing in his heart, "Buddha, what kind of bizarre Guardians have you assigned me? They're going to be the death of me!"

...

Tang Sanzang was depressed, but at this moment, someone else was more depressed.

In the Heavenly Court, the Hall of Miraculous Mist.

In the Heavenly Court, the Palace of Li Jing.

Li Jing, with a face full of gloom, sat there drinking sulkily.

Next to him, Ne Zha leaned back in his chair, feet thrown on the table, swinging lazily as he said, "Father, what's happened? Why are you drinking alone?"

Li Jing put down his cup and yanked at his hair forcefully, saying, "Do you even remember you have a sister?"

Ne Zha replied, "Zhen Ying, but she's only 4 years old..."

Li Jing shook his head, "Not Zhen Ying."

Ne Zha said, "Then where did I get another sister from? Could it be, Father, that you've had another accident outside?"

Li Jing glared furiously, "What do you mean 'again'?"

"Is it just this once?" Ne Zha asked. Li Jing threw a wine bottle at Ne Zha, who caught it effortlessly and taunted, "Are you angry because you're embarrassed?"

"Get out! You're the one who had the accident!" Li Jing cursed.

Ne Zha, with a look full of grievances, said, "I'd like to, but my body won't allow it. Have you ever seen a lotus root get into an accident?"

At the mention of this, Li Jing's face turned red—it was his fault back then, after all...

Li Jing cleared his throat to shift the topic, "Do you remember the gold-nosed white-furred Mouse Spirit on Mount Ling, who stole the fragrant flowers and the precious candle, changed her name to Half Guanyin, and caused all sorts of trouble?

Later, when you and I caught her, since she hadn't done any serious harm, we pleaded with the Buddha on her behalf, and she was spared.

Back then, she knelt and took me as her father, you as her brother, and thereafter she went down to the mortal world, renamed herself Lady Earthflow, and lived in the Bottomless Cave on Trapfall Mountain."

With this reminder, Ne Zha immediately recalled and exclaimed, "Is it that ridiculously beautiful Mouse Spirit? I remember now... could she be in trouble again?

No, wait, isn't Trapfall Mountain on the journey to the West?"

Li Jing sighed, "Yes, back then, we wanted her to descend to the mortal world, act out a scene in cooperation with Mount Ling to earn some merit, and gain some benefits. But then..."

Ne Zha became anxious, "Could it be that fake baldy, he hurt my sister?"

Li Jing didn't quite know how to respond. After all, he'd always been regarded as a strict fatherly figure, and discussing matters of men and women with a child was something he didn't know how to phrase. But he still nodded, "Yes... she got somewhat hurt."

Ne Zha got angry, "Hurt in what way?"

Li Jing searched his mind for the right words, then delicately put it, "Similar to your style, she got stabbed with a spear by your sister."

"Doesn't that mean she bled?" Ne Zha pressed on.

Li Jing coughed dryly, his face beet-red as he said, "That... I wouldn't know."

Ne Zha paced in circles anxiously, "Whoever gets stabbed is bound to bleed. That baldy should just focus on the quest for scriptures; why did he have to harm my sister? Father, we must gather our troops and petition the Jade Emperor. It's time to settle accounts with that baldy!"

Li Jing massaged his forehead and said, "You didn't attend the court today, so you're unaware. The Jade Emperor himself told me about this matter."

Ne Zha said, "Could it be that the Jade Emperor doesn't want us to seek revenge, so that's why you've been frowning and drowning your sorrows in drink?"

Li Jing shook his head, "Just the opposite, he wants us to... Hey, Ne Zha, where are you going?"

Ne Zha had already strode to the door, "Since the Jade Emperor wants us to take action, of course I've gathered the troops, ready to go and fight."

Li Jing quickly grabbed hold of Ne Zha, "It's not what you're thinking."

"Then what does it mean?" Ne Zha asked.

Li Jing explained, "The Jade Emperor's intention is for us to take this opportunity to marry her off to him!"

"What?! He stabbed my sister, she bled, and not only do we not seek revenge, but we're supposed to marry her off to him? What kind of sense does that make?" Ne Zha shouted indignantly.

After shouting, Ne Zha smacked his lips, feeling that something was off.

He looked at Li Jing's bizarre expression and mumbled to himself, "Gun, stab, bleed... gun..."

Ne Zha lowered his voice and quietly extended a finger.

Li Jing took a hold of...

Ne Zha's face turned beet-red and he stammered, "This... this... this is the way he 'stabbed'?"

An embarrassed Li Jing chimed in, "Ah, what else? If he really stabbed her like that, there'd be no need for your cries – I would've had you beat him up long ago."

Ne Zha squatted on the ground, pulling out his hair just like his father, "How... how do we handle this? Dad, you don't really intend to marry my sister to that Monk, do you?"

Li Jing spoke, "I've asked, and he is not a monk."

Ne Zha argued, "But he's someone who aspires to be a monk in his heart; sooner or later he'll become one."

Li Jing countered, "You were in seclusion recently, so you're not very informed about the outside world. Let me tell you, he tricked Manjusri to death, blackmailed Bodhisattvas such as Samantabhadra and Avalokitesvara... even the cousin of Buddha was killed by him."

Ne Zha was dumbfounded, "He's that fierce?"

Li Jing added, "The Immortal Zhenyuanzi calls him a senior."

Ne Zha fiddled with his fingers, "This... Dad, it seems we won't be able to take our revenge... Hey, Dad, you just mentioned that if he really 'stabbed' my sister like that, you'd have me go down and fight him, correct?"

Li Jing coughed awkwardly, "Uh... you heard wrong."

"Heard wrong my ass, you're trying to get me killed, aren't you? Take this!" Ne Zha picked up his Fire-tipped Spear, ready for action.

Li Jing hastily produced his pagoda, "Don't move!"

Ne Zha fumed at Li Jing, "If you're brave enough, put that pagoda down!"

Li Jing chuckled, "My son, have you forgotten your father's title?"

Ne Zha glared in silence!

Li Jing said, "Alright, I know you want to stab me with a spear every day, so look... all these years, have I ever put down my left hand? That's my retribution... Now let's focus on the serious matters."

Ne Zha huffed, "That baldy is no good. My sister won't be happy marrying him. I object!"

Li Jing explained, "She was stabbed willingly, even forcefully asked to be stabbed. If not married to that baldy, whom should she marry?"

Ne Zha was left speechless...

Li Jing continued, "I don't like that baldy either, but the fact is, according to the Jade Emperor, no matter the reason, it was your sister who actively became close with Tang Sanzang. Helping her to marry him cannot be seen as forced – it's more a kindly matchmaker's deed."