Chapter 24

This was an extremely strange city.

The city gate was wide open, but there was no guard at the entrance.

There were only two gold-plated lions guarding each side.

It was so quiet that no one could be seen.

However, the words "Biqiu Kingdom" were written on the city gate.

It didn't look like a desolate place. It was obvious that the customs needed to be changed.

Even if Xuanzang felt that something was wrong,

He had no choice but to go in.

With three disciples who looked like they could fight and a dragon by his side, he regained his confidence.

He thought it was a dead city, but after entering the gate, he seemed to have entered another world.

There was an endless stream of horses and carriages.

Taverns and teahouses.

People were shouting.

There was an endless stream of people and it was very lively. It was no different from an ordinary city.

... as if.

Xuanzang felt flustered as soon as he stepped into the city gate. His body was also extremely uncomfortable.

He was even more surprised when he looked at the city.

There was no adult as far as the eye could see.

They were all children under the age of five!

Each of them had an expression that didn't match their age.

Their tender bodies were doing the daily lives of adults.

This was a city of children.

He heard Ba Jie's voice next to him shouting, "Master, why is your face so round?

Eldest Senior Brother.

Did you take Master to eat good food behind our backs?

Oh my God, who are you?! "

Wukong's voice was also very shocked. "Who are you?!"

Xuanzang pinched his face.

He had indeed become much fatter.

He turned his head to look at his disciples. Ba Jie Wujing was fine, but Wukong had suddenly grown taller. The first thing he saw was his legs.

Xuanzang: "!

Wukong, how did you grow taller?! "

Wukong: "… It's you who became smaller."

Ba Jie also reacted. He looked down at his hands. They were fleshy and small. They were clearly a pair of children's hands. Then he looked at Wujing and Xuanzang. They had also regressed by more than ten years.

Except for Wukong, the other three had shrunk to the appearance of four or five years old children.

The master and disciples looked at each other in dismay. The White Dragon Horse neighed, but it hadn't changed. It was so tall that the three little ones could walk under its belly.

There were four guards inside the city gate. Unlike the others, they were all adults. When they saw them, they were extremely shocked. As they spoke, they blocked them with their spears. "Outsiders, how did you get in?"

Xuanzang looked at them curiously. "I walked in."

The guard: "…"

Wukong asked, "Why are there only children here?"

"You, you are not affected!" The guards were shocked to see the tall Wukong. One of them said, "We …"

"What's the point of talking nonsense with them!"

The other one said impatiently, looking at them with hostility. "Didn't His Majesty say that all foreigners who come in have to be handed over?" As he spoke, he was about to capture them.

Wukong shouted, "Freeze!" and froze them in place. He then asked Ba Jie and Wujing, "Is your transcendence energy affected?"

The two of them took out their weapons and frowned. "A little."

Their mana seemed to be stuck by something, and it was difficult to use it.

As they spoke, a group of adult soldiers appeared out of nowhere. They looked out of place among the children and civilians. They held spears and walked towards them aggressively. Wukong grabbed Xuanzang and said to the other three, "Follow me."

He flew up, wanting to leave this strange place through the air. However, there was an invisible barrier above the city. Not only did he not leave, he was bounced back. He hurriedly protected Xuanzang in his arms and steadied himself in the crowd.

The soldiers shuttled through the bustling crowd. Just as they were about to catch up, a small head popped out from the side alley and waved at them. "Outsiders, come here!"

Wukong glanced at him and didn't think too much. He teleported with Xuanzang in the blink of an eye, and the other three followed closely behind.

The alley was a little narrow, only allowing two adults to pass through. After two or three turns, the White Dragon Horse was too big and finally couldn't squeeze through. Ba Jie urged him, "The Third Prince, change back first. I can't ride you now."

The White Dragon Horse spoke in human language and was a little anxious. "I can't change back into human form."

The few of them were stunned. Wukong said, "Wait."

The White Dragon Horse's body suddenly shrank to the size of a palm. Xuanzang hurriedly squatted down and picked him up, and continued to follow the person from before.

Finally, they entered a relatively shabby house. Xuanzang held the door and panted. After all, he usually rode slowly, and it had been a long time since he had such an exciting exercise.

The child who led the way looked at them. He was an extremely beautiful little boy, but his face was dirty and his clothes were somewhat shabby.

Wukong calmly blocked Xuanzang and asked him, "Why are you looking for us?"

The person's gaze was fixed on Wukong. After sizing him up, he said, "Outsiders, come in and talk slowly."

A few more children poked their heads out and exclaimed when they saw Wukong. Then they asked the child who led the way, "Sir, this is …"

"Outsiders," the person said.

The things in the house were all suitable for children. The others could sit around the table and drink tea. Wukong could only stand.

"My name is Cheng Yu. I am the prime minister of this country."

The child who led the way sighed. Seeing their surprised expressions, he continued, "A year ago, I angered His Majesty and was demoted to a commoner."

Xuanzang put the White Dragon Horse on the table and saluted him, "So it's the prime minister. What's strange in this city?

Even when we entered the city, we became like this. "He found that the most amazing thing was that his clothes also shrunk. Only his luggage did not change.

Only Wukong was not affected.

Cheng Yu sank into his memories: "This matter, we have to start from a year ago."

It turned out that Biqiu used to be normal. The people lived and worked in peace, and the king was also a wise ruler. However, a year ago, the king gradually became tired. He was often dizzy and unwell. He asked the imperial physician to treat him, but it did not work. Instead, it became more and more serious. He hesitated and often pulled Cheng Yu to ask if he was old.

The king was not even forty years old and was in the prime of his life. Cheng Yu advised him that it was because he was too tired. He should take some time off from court affairs and relax more.

However, it did not work. Instead, the king became weaker and weaker day by day. In the end, he fell sick. The imperial physician could not find the reason, so he could only seek treatment. Finally, an Old Taoist with white hair and beard came to Biqiu. He claimed that he had a way to cure the king's illness and was given the opportunity to meet him.

The Old Taoist was quite capable. Three days later, the bedridden king was in high spirits. He was full of vitality, as if he was ten years younger. He heavily rewarded the Old Taoist and gave him the position of Imperial Tutor. He accompanied the king every day and did not leave him.

However, the Old Taoist said that the king's illness was only temporarily cured. If he wanted to completely cure it, he needed a treasure.

This treasure was hidden under the city. It was a special kind of soil called "Living Soil".

When the king heard this, he immediately obeyed the Old Taoist's instructions and ordered people to dig a hole in the imperial garden. The Old Taoist set up a magic array, saying that it was to prevent the Living Soil from escaping. He personally followed and dug for three days and three nights before he was finally stopped.

Ordinary people could not tell the difference, but the Old Taoist's usually calm face shone with extraordinary splendor. He lay on the ground and breathed deeply, as if he had smelled the most beautiful flower in the world.

"This is the soil," he said to the king.

The Living Soil was only a small piece. There was nothing special about it, but it was inexhaustible. The Old Taoist asked the king if he had any other wishes. The king said that he wished to become young, to live forever, to be free from illness and disasters, and to rule the country forever.

That day, the Old Taoist performed a great ritual. The entire city walls were covered with Living Soil, and the palace was separated by a layer.

Overnight, the age of all the people in the city rapidly regressed. They were no more than five years old, and everyone in the palace was given a small piece of Living Soil. They maintained the appearance of an adult and would never change.

The king returned to his early twenties. His youth was just right.

The Old Taoist said that the Living Soil had this effect. It could preserve people's youth. Since the king wanted to rule the country forever, what could be easier than having all the people be children?

After all, no matter how strong the children were, they could not win against the adults.

As the prime minister, Cheng Yu could not stand it anymore. He painstakingly advised the king, "Your Majesty is already a wise king and is loved by the people. Why do you have to do this?

The Old Taoist does not seem like a good person. Your Majesty, please reconsider! "

The king, however, seemed to have been brainwashed. He only listened to the Old Taoist. At first, he still cared about the relationship between the king and his minister, and tried to reason with him. Gradually, he turned a blind eye to him. Finally, he was furious and demoted him to a commoner.

Because of the Living Soil, the city was isolated from the rest of the world. People from the outside could not enter, and people from the inside could not leave. Even if there were a few outsiders, they would immediately be turned into children and brought into the palace. Their fate was unknown.

Xuanzang touched the miniature version of the White Dragon Horse and frowned, "This kind of thing is unheard of. It sounds like the Old Taoist is strange." He looked at Wukong, "Why is Wukong not affected?"

Before Wukong could answer, Ba Jie laughed and said, "He is a stone, but he is related to the soil. Who can move him?"

Wukong shot him a glare. He coughed and said, "Regarding the Living Soil, I have heard a little about it. It is a treasure left behind from ancient times. Like Eldest Senior Brother, it is a product of heaven and earth. I am afraid that it is because they mutually restrain each other that he is not affected."

Wukong said, "This must be because of the Old Taoist. I will go to the palace to take a look."

Cheng Yu said, "Don't go out. You have broken the rules of this city. His Majesty must be searching the entire city for you."

Xuanzang said worriedly, "Then won't we implicate you?"

Cheng Yu smiled bleakly, "No, because His Majesty said that he will not see me again in this life."

Xuanzang, "= 0 = …" Why does it feel a little strange?

"This master must have great supernatural powers."

Cheng Yu bowed to Wukong, "On behalf of the whole Country of Pichu, I beg you to save me from this disaster."

Wukong said, "My Master and Junior Brother have also suffered. I will go even if you don't need me."

Cheng Yu said, "The guards will be less guarded at night. Master, why don't you leave at night?"

After talking for a while about the rotation of the guards in the city, he ordered someone to prepare a vegetarian meal and serve them well.

Xuanzang checked his luggage in his room. Wukong helped him carry it. He took out the kasaya given by the Bodhisattva. Seeing that it did not change, he was relieved.

Wukong looked at him and smiled. He squatted down and pinched his white and tender face, "So this is what you looked like when you were young."

Xuanzang awkwardly avoided him, "Who doesn't have a childhood?

Were you like a little monkey when you were young? "He gestured with his hands," You might not even be as big as my head. "

Wukong said, "I did not have a childhood."