Silence.
A long silence.
In the East Sea, great swells rolled one after another, yet they could not wash away that oppressively suffocating stillness.
Zhunti stood proudly, Buddha light shrouding him, his bearing solemn and majestic.
Yet wariness and vigilance churned in his deep eyes, impossible to conceal.
His gaze remained fixed on that swaying figure, not daring to relax for an instant.
Behind him, Sun Wukong's golden eyes were filled with bewilderment.
He did not understand why his master had suddenly become so tense. Still less did he understand just who that staggering fellow, reeking of wine, could be.
Ao Cunxin had already withdrawn to one side, standing respectfully behind Gu Changqing with her head slightly bowed.
At that moment, only one thought remained in her heart.
Master was here. She no longer had to worry about anything.
Nuwa stood beside Gu Changqing, an almost teasing smile on her exquisitely beautiful face. Her gaze wandered between Zhunti and Gu Changqing, her eyes full of anticipation for the spectacle.
At last.
Zhunti drew a deep breath and spoke.
His voice was low and heavy, carrying anger he could not suppress, along with a trace of... frustrated fury that even he refused to acknowledge.
"Gu Changqing, Nuwa, do not push me too far!"
He enunciated every word, each one seeming to squeeze through his clenched teeth.
At those words, Nuwa first froze, then could not help raising an eyebrow.
Push him too far?
Coming from Zhunti's mouth, those words sounded... laughable, no matter how she heard them.
Since arriving, neither she nor Gu Changqing had said a word or lifted a finger. Yet Zhunti had immediately drawn himself up as though facing a formidable enemy, braced for battle, and now he was accusing them of "pushing him too far"?
Just how