20demayo Page 398
Page 398
"If you're not coming, then you're not coming. You old man, you promised to recruit me back then, but now that you've made it big, you're looking down on me. Fine, it just so happens that the pilgrim has arrived. I've received the decree and will set off with this high monk."
Pigsy was also very unhappy. He had worked hard and put in a lot of time and effort, only to get this result. Gao Village was a sad place.
Old Master Gao shook his head, then summoned a servant and said to everyone, "This acre of fertile land is worth two taels of silver. For 50 acres, I'll give 100 taels. Is that acceptable?"
"That's fine, give me 90 taels. Use the remaining 10 taels to help Cuilan recover."
Old Master Gao didn't say anything, but simply had a servant bring up the silver.
After accepting the silver, Pigsy sighed, turned around and cupped his hands in thanks to Bai Zhi, "In any case, thank you, True Lord. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I would have been beaten up by this monkey today and wouldn't have gotten any benefit."
"Marshal, there's no need to be so polite. We've had some connections in Heaven, so helping out is no problem at all."
Bai Zhi said with a smile.
Zhu Bajie is actually quite interesting. Although when she was very young, Bai Zhi thought he was too lazy and slippery, unlike a monkey who is straightforward and just likes to fight, so she didn't like him much.
But as I grew up, I realized that Zhu Bajie's behavior was quite in line with his identity as the naval commander. In the Heavenly Court, there were countless powerful gods, and being tactful was a must.
Moreover, it's still necessary to cultivate goodwill with this pilgrimage group so that they'll come to her when they encounter problems, which might trigger some system rewards.
"I cannot express my gratitude enough. If the True Lord needs me after we have completed our journey to the West, I will definitely come to help!"
Pigsy said seriously that he used to treat Angelica as someone of high status and use her for utilitarian purposes to communicate and build relationships.
Now, his impression of Bai Zhi is that of a friend who secured the rights and material benefits he deserves.
"No wonder that Erlang Shen Zhenjun said that Baizhi Zhenjun was righteous and kind-hearted. It's true..."
Pigsy thought to himself.
"If we ever find any rare and exotic fruits on our journey to the West, we'll definitely save a few for the True Lord to try!"
He made up his mind.
Chapter 712 The Ginseng Fruit Incident Begins
"Oh dear, monkey, I'm exhausted from all this wind and rain every day."
In a mountain forest, Pigsy walked along, constantly grumbling.
"Hey, you pig-headed idiot, this is how the journey to the West is supposed to be. Do you still think you're some kind of Marshal Tianpeng in heaven? Look at Brother Sha, he didn't say a word."
"I'm just worried about my master. We're tough and thick-skinned, but he can't take this kind of suffering. If we don't find a good place to rest, even a mortal like him might develop illnesses."
"I think you're just making excuses for being lazy."
The monkey teased Pigsy, then looked into the distance and said, "There seems to be a stele over there. Let me see... Longevity Mountain, the blessed land of Wuzhuang Temple."
"A stele? It seems there are probably people living around here. Brother Monkey, let's hurry up. It's getting dark. If we walk faster, Master can get a good rest tonight."
Upon hearing this, Pigsy immediately perked up and urged the monkey on.
“You fool, well then, let’s hurry over there. Hopefully, Wuzhuang Temple will accept us for lodging.”
Before long, the group arrived at the entrance of Wuzhuang Temple.
"Wow, the immortal abode of immortals, the Taoist family that lives as long as heaven, this Taoist temple is quite arrogant to be able to write such a couplet and paste it on the gate."
In front of the Wuzhuang Temple, several people marveled at the couplet.
"Hey, Wukong, Bajie, we've come here to visit the abbot. How can we speak ill of others so casually? Let's go knock on the door quickly."
Tang Sanzang stopped the two in time and told them to go and talk to the people of Wuzhuang Temple.
"Okay, okay, we were just saying."
The monkey chuckled and dragged Pigsy along to knock on the door.
A short while later, the two boys opened the gate.
Before the monkey and pig could speak, they said:
"Is it the holy monk from the Great Tang Dynasty in the East and his two disciples?"
"Indeed, why do you know this humble monk, benefactor?"
Tang Sanzang came out, looking somewhat puzzled.
"Haha, we naturally don't know the Holy Monk, but my master, the Great Immortal Zhen Yuanzi, said that you are an old friend of his, and he also foresaw that the Holy Monk would come today, so he asked us to come and receive you."
The two children, Qingfeng and Mingyue, explained the situation with smiles on their faces.
"I see. Esteemed benefactors, may this humble monk meet with the great immortal in person to express my gratitude?"
"If Master knew about the Holy Monk's actions, he would surely be pleased. However, today our Master, the Great Immortal Zhen Yuanzi, has been invited by the Primordial Heavenly Venerable to the Shangqing Heaven's Mi Luo Palace to listen to the Venerable preach about the Hunyuan Dao Fruit, so he cannot meet the Holy Monk in person."
Tang Sanzang nodded in understanding, "I see. Then I'll trouble you two benefactors."
"No trouble at all, Holy Monk and the three of you, please follow me. Guest rooms have been arranged, and vegetarian meals will be served tonight."
Two boys led the way.
"Hehe, I didn't expect you to have so much influence, Master."
The monkey made a joke.
"Wukong, that's all in the past. I don't know why the Great Immortal knows me anymore, but it's a blessing to have received such help from the Great Immortal."
"I know, I know. It's a good thing. I, Old Sun, think that Wuzhuang Temple has a lot of pure energy and excellent feng shui. It doesn't seem like a place of demons. You can have a good rest now."
……
"Holy monk, my master instructed me to fetch this ginseng fruit for you. Please try it."
In the afternoon, Qingfeng and Mingyue carried two ginseng fruits into Tang Sanzang's room.
"This... thank you very much, Master."
Tang Sanzang declined for a moment, but thinking it was just some fruit, he lifted the red cloth at the insistence of the two boys. Unexpectedly, the fruit inside resembled a baby, which made him immediately close his eyes and silently recite scriptures.
“Esteemed benefactors, the appearance of this fruit is truly… I am a monk and I fear I am not worthy to enjoy it.”
"what?"
The two boys were a little confused; it was the first time they had ever seen someone refuse to eat ginseng fruit for such a reason.
This thing is very precious. Even when the Great Immortal Zhen Yuanzi went to heaven to discuss the Dao with the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, he only brought two with him. Now, he is giving it to this monk, and he is still complaining about it.
"Are you sure you don't want it? Actually, this ginseng fruit only looks similar."
"Esteemed benefactors, please forgive this humble monk for being unable to accept this honor."
Tang Sanzang clasped his hands together and silently recited the scriptures.
The two boys scratched their heads, muttering to themselves that wild boars couldn't stomach fine food, and walked away speechlessly.
"What should we do with these two fruits?"
Qingfeng looked at the fruit on the plate, feeling a little regretful.
"What else can we do? Let's each have one and eat them."
Mingyue replied without hesitation.
"Is it really okay?"
“Hey, that monk himself doesn’t eat it. It’s not that we didn’t do our job properly. Besides, this ginseng fruit is so precious. We’ve been practicing under our master for over a thousand years and we’ve never eaten it before.”
“That’s right. That monk knows nothing and is wasting such a good thing. Let’s eat it together.”
After the two boys reached an agreement, they immediately burst into laughter and began to feast.
Little did they know, Pigsy had seen all of this, and he quickly urged the Monkey King to tell him about it.
"Monkey, that ginseng fruit that the boy is talking about is so miraculous, why don't we go and get a couple too?"
“This isn’t good… those couplets, and what the boy said earlier, make Zhen Yuanzi sound like someone not to be trifled with.”
The monkey frowned. Although he was also very tempted by the ginseng fruit, the words Bai Zhi had taught him echoed in his mind.
There are always people more capable than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding.
What if the owner of this place holds me accountable if I eat that fruit?
"Hey, what are you afraid of? At worst, we'll just eat and run. I see there are plenty of fruits on those trees over there. If we pick a few, we won't be easily noticed."
"Even if we find out in the end, we'll be far away. Can Zhen Yuanzi really catch up with us and beat us up?"
"Hey, that's true..."
Upon hearing this, the monkeys realized it was indeed true. If they couldn't afford to mess with them, couldn't they at least run away?
I must try some of this ginseng fruit.
So he stood up, and together with Pigsy, they charmed two boys and began to go and get the ginseng fruit.
Meanwhile, in the Shangqing Heavenly Palace, Bai Zhi was feeling drowsy. In front of her, Zhen Yuanzi and Yuanshi Tianzun were discussing the Great Dao of Hunyuan.
She was brought here by Laozi (the Supreme Lord Lao), who said that listening to his teachings would be beneficial to her.
Ok……
To be fair, it does have some advantages, namely that she can hear system notifications from time to time:
[Advanced units impart relevant experience; Dog Charm unlock points +1]
Besides, this so-called Primordial Dao is indeed a bit obscure and difficult to understand; it's all very mysterious and profound.
Sitting here, I feel like a college student watching two academicians discuss their latest research theories. Although the opportunity is precious, the boredom is inevitable.
Chapter 713 Monkey, go find Bai Zhi!
"Little one, wake up."
In a daze, Bai Zhi felt herself being patted.
When I opened my eyes, I saw the kind face of Laozi.
"Master, cough cough... I was just deep in thought, I did not fall asleep."
Bai Zhi immediately retorted.
Laozi shook his head. "It's normal if you don't understand. This Primordial Dao leads to immortality, and it's not something a little kid like you can comprehend."
"But precisely because you don't understand, you should listen more. Eat this fruit to refresh yourself, and then I will preach to you again."
As he spoke, Laozi handed a ginseng fruit to Baizhi.
“This was given to your uncle by Zhen Yuanzi, but he doesn’t need it. You can have the last one.”
"what?"
Bai Zhi glanced around and noticed that Yuanshi Tianzun and Zhen Yuanzi were no longer there, presumably having finished their discussion.
“Master, how about... I can eat the fruit, but let's talk about the sermon later?”
Bai Zhi asked tentatively.
To put it simply, Lao Tzu's teachings were of a very high academic level, but his ability to mentor disciples... is debatable.
Her alchemy skills would have been much harder to improve so rapidly without the enhancement from her divine nature.
Moreover, what if it's about Zhen Yuanzi that's happening right now?
If you get dragged to a class and miss completing the system task, you'll be missing out big time.
Laozi shook his head. “You child, as my disciple, you have not only failed to master the Dao of Yin-Yang balance, but the aura of your bounty to all living beings is also growing stronger. If this continues, people may not know that you are my disciple, or even the disciple of the Western Medicine Buddha.”
"I must tell you something. Don't be afraid. Your master has prepared a little magic weapon for you. A moment outside is equivalent to 15 days inside. It won't delay you from doing anything."
Seemingly sensing Bai Zhi's hesitation, Laozi took out a magical artifact that was filled with yin and yang energies.
"what??"
Bai Zhi stood up in fear, immediately wanting to run away. She didn't want to listen to Laozi talk to her for ten or fifteen days.
Unlike ordinary deities who undergo trials of the Three Calamities every few hundred years, she is immortal.
Listening to lectures for so long will make your brain explode.
But then Laozi revealed his true power, taking out the Immortal Binding Rope and binding Baizhi in one go.
“My disciple, if it were someone else, I would probably be unwilling to teach, but your talent makes it difficult for your teacher to let you go unchecked. Please come with me.”