20demayo Page 385
Page 385
The monkey opened its eyes sleepily, and when it saw Bai Zhi, it didn't react immediately, thinking it was hallucinating because it hadn't seen anyone for so long.
"Cang Long Zhuo Shi!"
The water lashed against the monkey's slovenly body, washing away the moss-covered head and bringing it back to its senses.
"Little White? You're finally back! It's been hundreds of years. I thought you didn't want me anymore."
The monkey looked delighted.
"It's already a miracle that I even came to see you. Do you think this is some place you can just come to anywhere?"
Bai Zhi glanced at the monkey speechlessly. There were people guarding this place. It was fine for mortals to come into contact with the monkey, but if immortals came into contact with it too much, they might report it to the authorities.
"It's been 500 years. Your punishment should be about over. The Bodhisattva should have told you about the matter of escorting the pilgrims."
"I know, I know, Little White, could this be... my master?"
The monkey hesitated for a moment before uttering the last two words.
Bai Zhi knew what the monkey was thinking. For him, the word "master" was very special. Only Bodhi Patriarch was the one he truly acknowledged.
As for Tang Sanzang, he wanted to pursue freedom, so he had no choice but to be called that.
"He is the one who will go on the pilgrimage to the West. You will be going to follow him on the pilgrimage. But before that, I will accompany you for a while."
"Xiaobai... is it okay if you come?"
The monkey asked with concern, already knowing that this was a calamity arranged by heaven. Wouldn't Bai Zhi's intervention cause any problems?
Chapter 689 Monkey: Give me a few bottles of Solomon's Chloride
"There are indeed problems, but they're not that important."
He disliked Tang Sanzang's temperament and wanted to teach him a lesson so that he would listen to the monkey's advice in the future.
This might indeed cause a slight change in the subsequent calamities, but it is still within acceptable limits.
If education is successful and people are less unable to distinguish right from wrong, at most the monster's trickery will turn into a forced abduction; what is destined to happen will still happen.
This is Tang Sanzang, not Tang Sanzang.
There are many ways to raise 81.
"Elder Tang, the rest is up to you. Let this monkey be your guard. As long as he is obedient, he will ensure your journey to the West is worry-free."
"Thank you for leading the way, Immortal."
Tang Sanzang no longer says anything about releasing the monkey and letting him do as he pleases.
Because of Bai Zhi's reputation in the Tang Dynasty, he wouldn't just ignore her words. Secondly, he was slightly shocked by the golden shaded kittens he encountered when he followed Bai Zhi to Wuzhi Mountain.
The tiger with piercing eyes and a white forehead was enormous. As soon as it appeared, it frightened his horse so much that it ran wildly, causing him to crash. He was covered in mud and broke his leg.
If Bai Zhi hadn't casually dealt with the tiger and given him some treatment, he estimated that he and his horse would probably be the tiger's dinner by now.
This monkey was praised by the renowned immortal Bai Zhi. Putting aside everything else, even if it didn't kill the tiger, it should be able to run away with her without any problem.
"Please trouble you, Master, to remove that talisman, and I will be able to leave on my own."
After Tang Sanzang removed the talisman, Bai Zhi flew to the monk's side, made a grasping motion with both hands, and carried the monk away from the spot.
“Monk, watch closely. This monkey has great power. With your mortal eyes, the best choice is to listen to his advice.”
As soon as Bai Zhi finished speaking, a loud explosion occurred on the mountaintop, and the entire Five Finger Mountain shattered instantly, with huge rocks flying everywhere.
Upon seeing this scene, Tang Sanzang was dumbfounded. Even though he had seen Bodhisattvas before, this was never the case.
"Monkey, stop running around like that, that's enough. You're supposed to be a god, after all."
Seeing the monkeys running around on the beach, Bai Zhi called out helplessly.
"Hehe, Xiaobai, I'm just excited to be free again. By the way, give me a few bottles of Solomon's Chloride. I've been craving it for ages."
The monkey flew to Bai Zhi's side, its excited smile still lingering, and then made a begging gesture.
"You think this place is your supplier?"
Despite saying that, Bai Zhi still took out a pack of Suleda and placed it on the ground.
"There are 24 bottles in total. Drink them sparingly. By the way, Elder Tang can drink them too. This stuff not only tastes good, but it can also serve as a temporary meal."
As a syrup beverage, Sulfuric acid contains a surprisingly high amount of calories; one bottle is equivalent to at least three large bowls of rice.
“Amitabha, this is a gift from the immortal... I will accept it.”
Tang Sanzang originally wanted to refuse, but unfortunately, this thing was a bit too much for his tongue, which had never experienced the ravages of modern technology.
Thinking of that sweet feeling, he couldn't bring himself to say no.
“Master, this stuff is delicious. It’s definitely worth taking with you. If all else fails, you can even exchange the bottle for travel expenses.”
The monkey took a bottle from the box of Sulphur, gulped it down in no time, and then pointed to the transparent glass bottle and said...
“This… what my disciple says is absolutely right.”
Previously, Tang Sanzang hadn't really paid much attention to this issue. After all, as a monk, he was provided with all his food and drink by the temple and spent his days studying Buddhism. He wasn't really that sensitive to money.
But now, looking closely at this Sulfa bottle, it's transparent and hard, just like it's made of fine crystal.
It is a precious work of art no matter where it is placed.
Various princes and nobles would probably be vying to take them back as decorations.
"As expected of a gift from a celestial being, it is incomparably precious."
Tang Sanzang sighed inwardly.
"Hey, monkey, not so arrogant anymore?"
Bai Zhi made a joke.
500 years ago, this monkey wouldn't have paid any attention to such things; back then, all he cared about was fighting and saving face.
After being suppressed for 500 years, she is now surprisingly insightful and able to think of such small details; that's not easy.
"Little Bai, please stop making fun of me. 500 years ago, I should have listened to you, read more books, and understood that there are always people more capable than you and that there is always something beyond your understanding."
The monkey scratched its head and chuckled sheepishly.
“Over the years, although I have been suppressed, I have not been idle. I have been recalling the principles you taught me back then, just like this Suleda. You once told me that you should observe things carefully and make the most of them.”
"Nothing is completely useless; there are only treasures in the wrong place."
"Not bad, you've finally made some progress. It wasn't in vain that I agreed to that person's request."
Bai Zhi crossed her arms over her chest, looking quite pleased.
This monkey was, after all, my childhood idol. I used to be angry at it for not living up to its potential, but now it's much better.
"Sigh... Xiaobai, don't mention that. I'm sorry to him. He once said that I only knew how to show off after learning the skills. I didn't understand it before, but now I understand completely."
When Bai Zhi mentioned Bodhi Patriarch, the monkey's face turned slightly red, out of shame.
Fortunately, when his master expelled him from the sect, he told him not to mention his name.
Otherwise, he wouldn't pose any threat to his master in terms of strength, but he might be able to ruin his master's reputation in the education field.
If that scenario were to actually occur, he would probably be so ashamed that he would commit suicide.
"To err is human, to forgive divine. The best time to remedy a mistake is before it happens, and the best time is now."
"I understand, I understand, Xiaobai, stop with the grand principles."
"Tsk, you think just anyone can make me preach? Forget it, it's getting late, why don't you take this Elder Tang and find a place to stay?"
"Is it really necessary? I, Old Sun, will conjure up a mansion right away, and I guarantee Master will sleep comfortably tonight."
Bai Zhi rolled her eyes. "If you want to do it this way, I have no objection. You can even use your supernatural powers to get more food."
With a monkey's supernatural powers, turning a rock into a mansion would be an easy task, so why wasn't that done in the original story?
That's because this is a real ordeal, not some kind of vacation or leisure trip.
"Ahem, Xiaobai, don't get excited. I was just kidding. How could I not know what's going on?"
The monkey chuckled and quickly offered an explanation.
He just wanted to tease Bai Zhi.
Chapter 690: Give others mercy and forgive them
"Wukong, wait a minute, don't frighten them."
In front of a farmhouse in the mountains, Tang Sanzang called out to the monkey who was about to go and call for help.
"Hey, Master, don't be afraid. I know this family very well. Old man, open the door."
A short while later, an old man was helped out by his grandson.
"How many are there?"
The old man's eyesight was a bit blurry, and when he got closer, he was startled by the monkey's hairy face and thunderous mouth.
"Ouch, monster!!"
"grandfather."
The old man's grandson quickly helped him up.
"Monkey, look at you, you scared me!"
Bai Zhi smiled.
"Tch, you old man, you don't know what's good for you. I, Old Sun, am the famous Monkey King, and you even saw me when you were a kid."
When someone questioned its appearance, the monkey immediately shouted indignantly.
"Wukong, don't worry."
Tang Sanzang interrupted the monkey's attempt to continue, and turned to the old man, saying, "Old benefactor, this humble monk comes from the Great Tang Dynasty in the East, and is on his way to the Western Paradise to worship Buddha and seek scriptures."
"And this one is my apprentice, as for this one..."
Tang Sanzang hesitated, unsure how to introduce Bai Zhi. He couldn't just casually tell the old man that it was a deity.
"I'm friends with this monkey, so I just came along."
“That’s right, old man, we’re here to stay.”
The monkey added a sentence.
"Oh, so you all come from the Great Tang Dynasty in the East."
The old man's expression changed immediately. "Elder, please come in."
As they walked, the old man said, "Elder, you seem to be a Tang person, but this one is..."
When Bai Zhi heard the old man say that Tang Sanzang looked like a Tang Dynasty person, she almost couldn't hold back her laughter.
It can only be said that different eras have given this word different meanings.
"You old man, you have no sense of propriety. I, Old Sun, caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace five hundred years ago and was imprisoned under the mountain. I even saw you when you were a child, chopping wood on the mountain."
Upon seeing the monkey's familiar face, the old man's hazy memories gradually became clearer.
“Ah, I remember now. You are the divine monkey who was trapped underneath. I heard my great-grandfather say that hundreds of years ago, a sacred mountain fell from the sky and trapped a divine monkey.”
"It is truly a cause for celebration that you have now been able to escape this predicament."
This title made the monkey very happy. For a long time, people have called him either "mischievous monkey" or "弼马温" (a low-ranking official in charge of horses), and calling him "齐天大圣" (Great Sage Equal to Heaven) has never been a genuine title.
Unlike this old man, who seemed completely genuine.
As the old man spoke, Bai Zhi looked with great interest at a place in the distance.
A one-eyed man holding a knife was staring at them with gleaming eyes.
"Hey, I didn't expect to have such a haul. Judging from that monk's attire, he's probably from the Tang Dynasty. I'll intercept and kill him... Hehe, I'm sure I'll have a very good haul."
After saying that, he immediately went to find his accomplices, and after discussing it, they decided to launch a night raid.
Soon, at midnight, while Tang Sanzang was sewing a tiger-skin skirt for the monkey, a shout of battle rang out.
"Brothers, charge!"