Meanwhile, not long earlier...
After saying goodbye to his daughter in the front courtyard, Pigsy ran into Zi Zhuer, who was being helped outside by Eldest Sister.
The moment Zi Zhuer stepped through the doorway, she froze.
The man she had been thinking about for years, the man tied to her fate, suddenly stood right in front of her.
Her breathing faltered.
Slowly, she raised a trembling hand and touched her face.
Her fingertips brushed against the deep wrinkles on her skin, and tears immediately streamed down her cheeks.
Pigsy swallowed hard at the sight and hurriedly waved both hands.
"Don't make that expression! Old Pig hates seeing women cry!"
"All that sobbing and sniffling makes my skin crawl!"
"I just escaped those noisy little girls outside, and now you're doing this too. How am I supposed to stay here peacefully?"
As he rambled, Pigsy stepped forward and pushed Eldest Sister aside.
"What are you supporting her for? She can walk on her own."
"You, junior, hurry up and go serve my Eldest Brother instead. I'll handle things here."
For once, Pigsy's tone became unusually serious.
He grabbed Zi Zhuer's frail wrist firmly and spoke with absolute certainty.
"You and your daughters have hidden in this mountain for too long."
"You don't understand how big the world outside has become."
"So listen carefully while Old Pig explains just how terrifying my Eldest Brother really is."
As he spoke, he motioned for Eldest Sister to listen closely before turning back toward Zi Zhuer.
"You old spider, you once lived in Heaven too. Don't tell me you forgot everything already?"
Zi Zhuer let out a bitter laugh.
"You idiot, you're still just as foolish as before. How could I forget?"
"Heaven was never a place fit for living."
"But judging from the way you're speaking, something major must have happened up there."
As she spoke, tears continued running down her aged face.
Her withered hand slowly slipped from Pigsy's grasp.
Pigsy had already attained immortality long ago as the Altar Cleanser. Even after all these years, he still looked vigorous and full of life.
But Zi Zhuer had lost her foundation during the Journey to the West.
Her lifespan should have stretched beyond three thousand years, yet after only seven hundred years, she had already become weak and aged like this.
How could she possibly not hate herself for it?
The more beautiful she once was, the more painful the contrast became now.
As Zi Zhuer instinctively tried to retreat, Pigsy suddenly tightened his grip and pulled her back.
Both Zi Zhuer and Eldest Sister stared at him in surprise.
Being watched like that made Pigsy uncomfortable, so he coughed awkwardly.
"Don't think too much, old woman."
"I still need you to help me save face in front of Eldest Brother."
"I even brought you a treasure this time, something I got during the Journey to the West. I'll show it to you later."
"But first, listen carefully."
"Old Pig isn't joking."
"What I'm about to say is all true."
Pigsy raised his chin proudly.
"An hour ago, Old Pig followed Eldest Brother and charged straight into Heaven."
"We fought all the way to the Hall of Supreme Harmony."
"What?!"
Zi Zhuer instantly slapped him across the face.
"I thought you were finally going to say something serious!"
"You're still talking nonsense after all these years?!"
"Why did you hit me?!"
Pigsy clutched his cheek angrily.
"If you don't believe me, then look!"
He quickly untied the pouch hanging from his waist.
"This is the race preserving bag Eldest Brother gave me!"
"This trip to Heaven wasn't just me either. Erlang Shen and the Bull Demon King from Flaming Mountain came too."
"We stormed Heavenly King Li's palace to rescue Nezha."
"After Eldest Brother took the pagoda away, Nezha personally beat Heavenly King Li to death!"
"Then we fought all the way to the Hall of Supreme Harmony itself!"
"Even the Tathagata showed up!"
"And while everyone was fighting, I used this bag to capture Samantabhadra Bodhisattva!"
As Pigsy opened the bag, brilliant golden lotus flowers instantly bloomed from within.
Dense spiritual energy flooded the room.
Deep inside the light, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva himself could be seen glaring furiously outward.
Pigsy hurriedly nudged Zi Zhuer.
"What are you standing there for?"
"Absorb the spiritual energy quickly!"
"This was the gift I prepared for you!"
"You lost too much vitality back then, so I brought you a Bodhisattva to replenish yourself!"
Slap!
Another heavy slap landed directly across Pigsy's face.
"You lunatic!"
Zi Zhuer frantically sealed the bag shut, cutting off the Buddhist chants leaking from inside.
"That's Samantabhadra Bodhisattva!"
"One of the Four Great Bodhisattvas of the Western Heaven!"
"And he's still alive!"
"How dare you capture him?!"
"This is a disaster waiting to happen!"
Pigsy stood there dumbfounded while Zi Zhuer tightly held the bag against her chest.
Her heart was in complete chaos.
At first, she thought he was exaggerating again.
But a Bodhisattva could not be faked.
How could she fail to recognize a figure of that level?
The more she realized how serious the situation was, the more complicated her emotions became.
Moved.
Terrified.
Heartbroken.
What had she ever done to deserve this reckless fool risking his life for her?
As she nervously secured the bag, Zi Zhuer spoke quickly.
"You cursed idiot."
"Heaven will never let you go after this."
"I don't know how long this mountain can protect us anymore."
"If we have to die, then we'll die together."
"But my daughters must survive."
"You said your Eldest Brother is powerful. Then ask him to send them somewhere safe."
"You and I can hide here together for now."
"I can already feel terrifying spiritual pressure gathering in the skies."
"If the end is coming, then let's make one final mess together."
"Why are you hitting me again, you old spider?!"
Pigsy suddenly grabbed her wrist tightly, his eyes growing red.
"Women really are short sighted!"
"I stole a living Bodhisattva right under Tathagata's nose, and you still dare underestimate my Eldest Brother?"
"To tell you the truth, Eldest Brother is far stronger than Tathagata."
"Tathagata got beaten so badly he ran away!"
"He only survived because he has too many escape methods."
"Otherwise, Eldest Brother would've killed him on the spot already!"
Pigsy then turned toward Eldest Sister, who was still standing there completely stunned.
"Why are you still standing around?"
"Go entertain my Eldest Brother properly."
"If he's happy, he might casually hand your sisters all the treasures of the East Sea Dragon Palace just to play with."
"Your mother and I need to discuss serious matters."
"When adults are talking, children shouldn't interrupt."
"Hurry up and go."
Eldest Sister looked toward Zi Zhuer nervously.
Zi Zhuer took a deep breath before gripping her daughter's hand tightly.
"Go."
"The Bodhisattva in his bag cannot be fake."
"And anyone capable of doing something like this must be an existence standing at the peak of the Three Realms."
"Tell your sisters to be careful not to offend him."
Then, after hesitating briefly, she added softly:
"I'll speak with your... godfather for a while."
Pigsy immediately grinned.
"So they're really adopted?"
"I thought they were our daughters this whole time."
"Although now that I think about it, one of those girls really does look dumb enough to be Old Pig's biological daughter."
Slap!
Another loud smack echoed through the room.
Pigsy nearly jumped from the impact.
"Why are you hitting me again?!"
"You shameless brute!"
Zi Zhuer glared at him furiously.
"How can a father insult his own daughter like that?!"
"Calling her dumb?"
"You're the dumb one!"
"The dumbest of them all!"
Still scolding him nonstop, Zi Zhuer dragged Pigsy deeper into the house.
Just before shutting the door, she gave Eldest Sister one final serious look.
Eldest Sister immediately understood and nodded heavily before hurrying back toward the front courtyard to entertain Axel properly.
The moment the door closed, Zi Zhuer immediately asked:
"Pigsy... what exactly is your Eldest Brother's origin?"
Pigsy snorted proudly.
"I knew you'd ask that."
"My Eldest Brother exists beyond the Three Realms and outside the Five Elements."
"Even the Jade Emperor and the Supreme Lord have no choice but to flatter him."
"But enough talking for now."
Pigsy pushed the sealed bag back into her hands.
"Quickly absorb some of the Bodhisattva's spiritual essence and recover yourself."
"I also have a Youth Restoring Pearl I got during the Journey to the West."
"I'll give it to you too."
"If Eldest Brother sees you looking this old, he'll laugh at Old Pig's terrible taste in women."
"You need to help me preserve my reputation a little."
"You idiot..."
Zi Zhuer finally could not hold back anymore and threw herself into Pigsy's arms.
In the next moment, her body transformed into a massive spider while Pigsy became a gigantic wild boar.
The two crashed through the house together and rolled wildly toward the tunnels leading into Silk Web Cave, especially the passage connected to the Filth Cleansing Spring.