The villagers were instantly stunned, picked up the money from the ground, wiped it, looked at it, and bit it twice.
"Real money, it’s really my money!"
"Thank you, great lord!"
"Such compassion from the high monk!"
The villagers imdiately burst into laughter, shouting repeatedly in joy.
Tang Sanzang was as smug as a nouveau riche, dragging a cloth bag in one hand and doling out money with the other, strutting along while scattering coins and shouting, "Take it, take it, I’m in a good mood today! Wahahaha..."
People didn’t care if he was happy, as long as they got back their own money, they were happy.
Seeing that flattering the Monk led to more money being dispersed, everyone beca even more adept at it.
The brothel girls and the restaurant chefs all ca out to flatter, and Tang Sanzang was not stingy, scattering handfuls of money liberally.
Liuer, the monkey, said ruefully, "All that money I got beaten up for... just scattered away like that?"
Sha Wujing patted his shoulder and said, "Stay with the Master for a while, and you’ll understand. He’s actually not a bad guy, quite nice..."
Liuer chuckled and refused to continue the conversation, clearly disagreeing with Sha Wujing’s statent.
Bai Longma said ominously, "Old Sha is right, after all, anyone who says the Master is bad ends up being beaten to death by him."
Liuer’s forehead instantly broke out in cold sweat, and he hastily said, "The Master is really nice, extrely friendly, haha, huhuhu... I want to go ho..."
Eventually, the Funeral Procession of the West formally inducted a new mber, Liuer, and with the villagers’ warm welco, he settled into the inn. The only thing that bothered Tang Sanzang was that the brothel girls here were too ugly... he really couldn’t bring himself to do it.
...
anwhile, on the road to the West, beside the Tongtian River.
Two catfish were sitting by the river, rolling pancakes with green onions, when suddenly they heard footsteps on the water surface approaching.
The two turned their heads and saw an imnsely strong Monk, carrying a load, bare-chested, running wildly on a wave. In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of them!
Tang Sanzang imdiately spotted the two catfish demons, a gleam flashed in his eyes. He stamped his foot, leapt into the air, and landed with a thud in front of the two catfish demons, bellowing, "Hey, demons, have you co to stop from going to the West?"
The two catfish looked dumbfounded at the Monk in front of them, dropped the pancakes they were holding, knelt on the ground, and bowed their heads repeatedly, crying, "We greet the high Monk, what brings you back here? Weren’t you heading west?"
Tang Sanzang was startled, but then he understood that these two catfish demons had t the fake Tang Sanzang impersonating him.
Tang Sanzang frowned and said, "You... uh..."
"High Monk, try our new pancakes, now with added shredded potatoes, they’re tastier!" exclaid one of the catfish demons, lifting up the pancake.
Tang Sanzang looked at the pancake skeptically and asked, "Is that all you eat? Um... I an, don’t you eat... people or sothing?"
The two catfish looked disdainful and said, "Human flesh isn’t as tasty as pancakes rolled with green onions!"
Tang Sanzang: "%#￥..."
Ultimately, Tang Sanzang did take a bite, and then his eyes shone brightly before he started gobbling down everything like a whirlwind.
It couldn’t be helped; on this journey, having faced rough accommodations, either newly ford canyons or various fragnted basins, where not even a blade of grass or a single feather grew, it wasn’t just a matter of having a processed bite—sotis they wouldn’t encounter a river for half a year, making even a simple bath a strenuous endeavor.
Now that he had tasted this pancake, it turned out to be surprisingly delicious.
So, he overate...
After a while, on the westward road, Tang Sanzang, patting his round belly, tearfully waved goodbye to two catfish spirits.
The mont he turned around, he said to the invisible protector nearby, "Who would have thought, out of everyone I t on this journey, the kindest to would be two demons... Tell , they’ve fattened up several pounds, to the point where I can hardly move. Does this count as a hardship for you?"
One protector gave a wry smile and said, "Well..."
The other responded, "Let’s say it does! You don’t have any real troubles now anyway, let’s not be picky and just include this one."
Everyone: "@#￥..."
...
On the road to the Western Heaven, a four-ter-tall man holds a large block of ice, with two monkeys flying behind him. One of the monkeys slowly fans him with a large fan.
The other constantly uses his mana to prevent the ice from lting.
In front, where the cool breeze blows, a white dragon horse pulls a cart with a bald man lying on it, shirtless, with his legs crossed, eating chilled fruits, and contentedly lanting, "The younger generations degrade more with each passing era. This counts as a tribulation? What kind of tribulation is this? As for the eighty-one trials, this is nothing but a holiday, all in fun. Ah... it would be perfect only if there were girls to feed ."
Sun Wukong, Little Six, Zhu Ganglie, Sha Wujing, and others: "@#￥..."
Zhu Ganglie wiped the sweat off his forehead and said, "Eldest brother, it’s deep autumn now, why is it getting hotter instead? And the further west we go, the hotter it gets, very strange indeed. Could it be that we’ve reached the legendary Land of Sunset, the Shari?"
Legend says that it’s at the edge of the heavens where, in the hours of Shen and You, the blazing sun falls into the western sea, and the terrifying sound of the fireball quenching in the water could kill all living beings.
To protect his people, the King would have people climb the city walls, beating drums and blowing horns to counteract the sound of the boiling sea.
This sweltering earthly energy, could it be that we have arrived in Shari?"
Sun Wukong couldn’t help but laugh and said, "You fool, stop spouting nonsense. I, Old Sun, have been to the edge of the world, and we’re still far from Shari. Think about it, with our leisurely pace of eating, drinking, and having fun, and the years we’ve spent since the start, with our speed, it would take every three to five hundred years without even thinking."
Zhu Ganglie replied, "Monkey brother, if you say this isn’t the Land of Sunset, then where is this place? It’s way too hot! I, Old Pig, am almost roasted, Master... Master... can you not look at ? I’m a bit scared..."
Sha Wujing said, "It could also be that the season is out of balance due to man’s actions, and heavens are punishing them by altering the seasonal order. Little Six, isn’t your place the closest to here? What do you think?"
The six-eared macaque glanced at him and snorted, "How should I know? I ca here temporarily... But if you want to know where we are, it’s simple. Isn’t there a household up ahead? Just ask them, and we’ll know."
Everyone looked far into the distance and indeed, there was a manor in the distance.
The manor was made of red-tiled roofs, red brick walls, red lacquered doors; everything was red, which made it look even hotter.
Tang Sanzang stuffed a piece of chilled waterlon into his mouth, then sat up and said, "Let’s go have a look, and while we’re at it, ask if there are any hot local delicacies."
Everyone fell silent; in this dry, intensely hot environnt, only he would still think of having sothing hot to eat.
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