Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!-Chapter 472: Yang Chan is Jealous of Nuwa

The Yang siblings marveled at their own cleverness as they ate, fully attributing their decision to stay to the quality of Shopkeeper Chen’s cooking; without this dish, they wouldn’t have chosen to remain.

Delicious as the meal was, it was still food that, if eaten too quickly, could inevitably lead to choking. Chen Nuo considerately prepared water for them.

Yet, the siblings were so intent on eating that they didn’t stop even for a sip of water, each keeping a wary eye on the other, fearing that a moment’s delay might see their meal snatched away by others.

Taking advantage of the siblings’ focus on their food, Chen Nuo suddenly asked, "Has General Yang Jian encountered any new developments in the Heavenly Court lately?"

Preoccupied with eating, Yang Jian was unaware of the ulterior motives behind Chen Nuo’s question. As Chen Nuo was known for being disinterested and free of desires, Yang Jian didn’t guard against him.

He answered offhandedly, "Nothing much new, it’s pretty much the usual. Though recently the Jade Emperor seems quite busy; haven’t seen him around in days, and I have no idea what he’s so busy with."

"The Jade Emperor’s quite busy?"

Though the Jade Emperor manages the affairs of the Three Realms, lately, with the Three Realms being peaceful, he should have been quite at ease.

Hearing Yang Jian’s words, Chen Nuo also vaguely recalled that Haotian’s name was not on the reservation list. Still, he wondered what could be keeping him so busy.

"Right, quite busy." Yang Jian replied, "Seems like something’s going on in the mortal realm recently, and they’re arranging manpower. Also, there are several Little Immortal Officials in the Heavenly Court who are always blundering and angering the Jade Emperor. Just off the top of my head, I know of several who have been demoted to the mortal realm."

Yang Chan gave Yang Jian a glance, "That’s our uncle you’re talking about; you always refer to him so formally as the Jade Emperor."

Yang Jian’s expression darkened slightly and, without responding to his sister’s comment, lowered his head to continue eating.

Chen Nuo was aware that there was still some estrangement between Yang Jian and the Jade Emperor, but that was no longer a significant issue. After all, they were family, and should any major issues arise, the Jade Emperor and Yang Jian would still have to stand united.

"Before this, I hadn’t noticed the Jade Emperor having such a bad temper. To be demoted over such trivial matters, those officials must really have bad luck," casually remarked Chen Nuo, "Do you think the Jade Emperor might be encountering some frustrations, and those Little Immortal Officials just happened to get in his way at the wrong time, leading to their demotion?"

Of course, such coincidences were unlikely; Chen Nuo was just speaking off the cuff.

He did know exactly why those Immortal Officials had been demoted; it was nothing more than Buddhism communicating with the Jade Emperor and arranging for their own to pave the way for the Journey to the West.

Tathagata had indeed been thorough in his planning, arranging everything neatly. It looked as though he genuinely had the best interests of the Journey to the West’s candidates at heart, but in truth, he was just fortifying his own ranks; one round trip could convert the majority of mortals to followers of Buddhism.

The Jade Emperor was willing to form an alliance with Buddhism because it was a mutually beneficial situation.

In the mortal world, such distinctions were not finely drawn; in their hearts, as long as it was from heaven, it was all part of one alliance, as long as it could bless them.

In times of great crises, the mortals would still need to shoulder the burden themselves. Occasionally solving minor issues for them would make these mortals exhaust themselves in reverence, offering so much incense power. It was truly worth it.

Because they never had their guards up against Chen Nuo from the start, even though his questions were very detailed, Yang Jian and Yang Chan still didn’t notice anything.

Even if they did notice, they would act as though they didn’t, since after all, it was Chen Nuo who had used his Divine Skills to save Yao Ji. Even if they were asked to defect, it’s likely that the Yang siblings would do their utmost to assist.

"Maybe," Yang Chan nodded. "But every time I’ve met my uncle, he’s been quite nice to me. It might just be that those few Little Immortals were unlucky, happening to run into my uncle when he was in a bad mood. Ah, it’s quite pitiable."

"Isn’t that the truth," Yang Jian agreed. "But luck is also a part of their Life Patterns. If they’re demoted to the mortal world because of bad luck, it simply proves they really don’t have the strength to be gods. Or perhaps it’s an opportunity for them to be tempered. Since they could become Immortals once, they could do it a second time. It’s all in their Life Patterns."

Yang Jian’s words were quite sensible, but Chen Nuo was truly in the know.

Indeed, their Life Patterns were rather good. Once their Journey to the West was complete, they’d get a chance to ascend to immortality again, or to Become Immortals, or Achieve Buddhahood, just because of some minor reason or small opportunity. In any case, their situations would be much better than they were now.

While they were talking, the Yang siblings finished their meal. After they had eaten, Yang Chan leaned back contentedly and casually picked up the glass of water Chen Nuo had poured earlier to take a drink.

After drinking the water, Yang Chan felt as though her body had become much lighter. It was as if the food hadn’t settled in her stomach but rather made something inside her body release itself.

"It’s truly miraculous. I feel so much lighter, as if I’m not standing on the ground but on clouds," she exclaimed.

Yang Jian, on the other hand, felt the complete opposite. He felt as though his body was filled with strength, and the items he held seemed much lighter than before. He could probably lift the stone pot as easily as picking up a sheet of paper, without feeling any weight to it. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"We have to thank Shopkeeper Chen for this. Your dishes are not only delicious but they also increase our cultivation," Yang Chan praised.

Chen Nuo responded modestly, "That’s because of your own high level of cultivation. My dishes are merely a supplement; it’s mainly due to your own solid foundations."

"What are you saying, Shopkeeper Chen? Even with good conditions, we still have to cultivate on our own. But your dishes are not something that just anyone can make. I heard that even Lady Nuwa could awaken Divine Skills after eating them. Such a feat is unprecedented," Yang Jian added.

Yang Jian wasn’t aware that Nuwa also favored Chen Nuo’s cooking. The last time Nuwa dined at Chen Nuo’s place and ate the ’Buddha Jumps Over the Wall’, awakening Divine Skills, they could feel the pressure even in the Heavenly Court. Such a feat was probably something only Chen Nuo could achieve.

When Yang Chan heard the name of Nuwa, her expression stiffened. Since learning that her rival was Nuwa, her sense of crisis had deepened.

She and Nuwa were simply incomparable. Whenever anyone spoke of Lady Nuwa, their faces were filled with admiration, which only made her feel more inferior.

Unfortunately, her brother, the very straightforward Yang Jian, didn’t notice his sister’s mood and continued to heap praises on Nuwa.

While praising Nuwa’s impressive qualities and how she cared for the world, he lavished all manner of complimentary words on her.

Yang Chan’s face grew increasingly troubled until she finally couldn’t bear it any longer. She interrupted Yang Jian’s monologue to ask, "Shopkeeper Chen, I think I saw Goddess Nuwa and Xuan Feng descending to the mortal realm before. I remember that Lady Nuwa never descends without great cause. Did she come to see you?"

"Lady Nuwa came to see Shopkeeper Chen?" Yang Jian paused, puzzled about what kind of business they would have together aside from dining.

"Yes, last time..." As Chen Nuo was about to explain, he remembered that Nuwa’s reason for seeking him out was to ask whether He Xi was his illegitimate daughter.

But he couldn’t reveal the real reason to the Yang siblings, so Chen Nuo made up an excuse, "Yes, there were some matters."

"May I ask what those matters were?" Yang Chan inquired.