Miaole did not watch his elders bicker. Instead, he slowly walked over to Bajie.
Bajie was still covering half his face.
When the blast had pushed him out of the Diamond Ring earlier, he had crashed headfirst into the stone floor, and the swelling on his face had yet to subside.
Miaole bowed to him.
Bajie lowered the hand covering his face and hurriedly returned the bow.
"Ox Lord..."
Halfway through, Bajie stopped.
Seeing his hesitation, Miaole said gently, "You are now the Holy Monk's disciple. You may simply call me Dao Brother."
Bajie nodded at that. "Then, Dao Brother Miaole, we're all among friends here. There's no need for such ceremony."
Miaole shook his head. "All the more reason to settle our accounts properly. We cannot pretend not to remember."
Standing behind him, the Old Lord shot Yuanshi Tianzun a smug look at those words.
Yuanshi Tianzun continued watching Miaole, without so much as glancing his way.
Miaole raised his right hand, and a deep-blue drop of water condensed in his palm.
Then he flicked his finger.
The deep-blue drop flew into Bajie's chest.
A blue light spread across Bajie's chest, swiftly passing over his shoulders and back, his waist and belly, and his limbs. Upon reaching his fingertips, it flowed back along his meridians and gathered entirely in his sea of qi.
Bajie stood motionless for a long while.
Wukong waved a hand in front of his eyes.
"Idiot? What's gotten into you?"
Bajie suddenly raised a hand to his face.
He pressed his nose first, then vigorously rubbed both cheeks.
Then he bounced twice.
"Dao Brother, what kind of treasure is this?"
"Ren Water."
Miaole said, "Hai harbors Ren Jia within, making it a perfect match for you."
"From now on, so long as your vitality has