Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao-Chapter 444 217 Interlude

As everyone watched, a black figure rapidly dashed by, and the crowd hurriedly pursued it, only to find that the figure was extremely fast and disappeared from their sight in no time.

"Wow, that was really fast!" many exclaimed in amazement.

"Don't let this bastard get away," another voice echoed, sounding much like the one before.

The crowd continued to advance, vowing to catch this scoundrel.

The black figure flashed by and disappeared, as the crowd pressed on, everyone except the man who had shouted, who stood still, continuously yelling, "Don't let him get away!"

The voice was loud and joyful, attracting the attention of many who curiously sized him up, discovering he was just an average-looking middle-aged man, then turned their heads back and kept chasing forward.

The black figure darted out of the city, and then disappeared under the watchful eyes of the public.

"Damn, it's a deceptive technique," someone recognized that the previous black shadow was not real, but just the Scabby Taoist's trick.

Meanwhile, the middle-aged man who had been shouting in the crowd, seeing the street started to clear, suddenly revealed a smug smile.

He turned and walked back into the city center, still shouting occasionally to boost his presence, but the expression on his face was particularly irritating.

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Once he entered an alley in the city, he looked around to make sure no one was around, then removed his disguise, revealing his true face—it was indeed the Scabby Taoist.

"You think you can catch me? You're still too green," the Scabby Taoist's face showed a disdainful smile, his sleazy face full of joy.

"You all keep looking for me, but I won't keep you company," the Scabby Taoist gently swiped his face, instantly changing his appearance to an old Taoist. He pulled out a banner from his bag with the words "Flawless Strategy" written on it, transforming into a wandering fortune-telling master.

He looked over his new outfit with satisfaction and a happy smile spread across his face.

This thrill of fooling everyone made him genuinely happy and excited, which was precisely why he never tired of risking his neck.

"See, I told you he was that sleazy old Taoist. You didn't believe me, now hand over that string of candied gourds," a childish voice suddenly called out from the rooftop.

The Scabby Taoist was shocked; he thought he had been flawless, yet someone had still seen through him.

Looking up, he realized it was two delicately featured young boys sitting on the roof ridge, their legs dangling high above.

"Can I eat one more piece?" the younger boy asked pitifully.

"Okay, but you're only allowed one more piece!"

The young boy carefully ate another candied gourd, reluctantly handing the rest to his brother.

Then, looking at the utterly surprised Scabby Taoist, he complained, "It's all your fault I lost a string of candied gourds."

The Scabby Taoist laughed and asked, "Which family's kids are you, not going home and wandering around here instead?"

"Of course, we're here for the fun, elder brother has scarcely given us a day off." The little one said with a smile.

But the Scabby Taoist was increasingly delighted, noticing that the two rascals had extraordinary bones and were bursting with spiritual energy, clearly people of exceptional talents.

The idea of taking disciples suddenly sprang to the Scabby Taoist's mind, With such disciples, he could certainly pass on his mantle, and someone would remember him even after his life ended.

Thinking this, a benign smile piled up on his face, which quite contradicted his sleazy appearance.

"Lucky little kiddos, today the Old Taoist feels whimsical, considering taking two disciples to carry on his mantle. Would you like that, I can buy a houseful of candied gourds for you." The Scabby Taoist tempted the kids as if he were a creepy uncle preparing to lead small girls astray.

"That won't do, we already have a master, we can't take another one."

"How does your master compare with me, the Old Taoist am well-versed in various Taoist Laws, regarded as a person of great virtue in the Cultivation Realm, being favored by me is the fortune accumulated over several lifetimes." The Scabby Taoist fervently promoted himself, hoping to change the youngsters' minds.

"The elder brother said, you're just a con artist, none of the words you say can be trusted."

Upon hearing this, the Scabby Taoist became frantic, "Nonsense, I, the Old Taoist, have always been fair and upright, well-known for his integrity within the Cultivation Realm, where is your elder brother, I must discuss this matter with him, how can he slander my reputation so groundlessly?"

"Maybe you shouldn't, elder brother will beat you to death." The two little guys shook their heads vigorously, like two little rattle-drums.

"Humph! Who am I? Lead the way, and see how I teach your elder brother a lesson. Then you'll understand what a true master is like, and how fortunate you are to be my disciples." The Scabby Taoist said, waving his hand with a grand gesture.

The two little ones gave each other a look, seeing the mischief hidden in each other's eyes.

"Alright then, if you defeat elder brother we'll come with you." The two little ones said, nodding their heads.

"Good, lead the way, I want to see what kind of person your elder brother really is." The Scabby Taoist's expression grew stern as he adopted the demeanor of a sage.

The two little fellows led the way, hopping and jumping, with the Scabby Taoist majestically following behind, trying his best to appear calm and composed despite his appearance, which hardly seemed that of a greatly talented monk.

Passing through numerous alleys, their vision grew increasingly open, but the Scabby Taoist gradually noticed something amiss; they seemed to be on the road to the Imperial Palace.

He took another thorough look at the two little fellows, secretly guessing that they might be unfavored princes of the Imperial Palace.

When they reached the Imperial Palace, under the lead of the two little fellows, they entered through a small, inconspicuous side door that was unguarded, allowing them easy entry.

This scene left the Scabby Taoist somewhat dumbstruck; after all, the Imperial Palace was reputed to be heavily fortified, and he was quite disappointed that they had gotten in so easily, which spoiled his plans to show off his skills.

Walking through a narrow corridor, they slowly made their way to a nondescript corner of the Imperial Palace, where the surroundings became increasingly desolate.

The Scabby Taoist gradually abandoned his previous conclusion; such surroundings couldn't possibly belong to a prince. Curious, he studied the two little fellows hopping in front of him, filled with doubt about their true identities.

"However, this might be for the best, had they really been princes, I might have needed to use some measures to take them away, but if their identities need to stay hidden, it's actually better this way, I could sneak them out without anyone being able to question it." The Scabby Taoist pondered privately.