Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!-Chapter 553 Who Knew Jiang Liuer Was By My Side
"Hmm," Chen Nuo only nodded, "Off you go. We came here to save time in the first place, so let’s not dally any longer."
Tian Peng had found a container that could be sealed to store the Shuang Huang Lian, which had originally been a pot of water but was now reduced to a bowl.
Moreover, it was Chen Nuo who had simmered it, so the Monk was bound to recover after drinking it. After packing it up, he said farewell to Chen Nuo and Sun Wukong and then prepared to leave.
By now, Chen Nuo had finished handling the afternoon’s orders, so he went to the door to see Tian Peng off.
He recalled Tian Peng saying he was heading to Chang’an. By his calculations, it seemed quite a few years had passed in the mortal world. He didn’t know where Jin Chanzi was now, but perhaps by the time Tian Peng reached Chang’an, Jin Chanzi would be at the height of his fame there.
However, the most important thing at the moment was to conceal Tian Peng’s whereabouts as much as possible and try to prevent him from encountering Jin Chanzi’s reincarnation. This could save a lot of trouble.
Just as Tian Peng was about to depart, Chen Nuo advised, "When you reach Chang’an, keep your distance from a monk named Jiang Liuer."
"Jiang Liuer?"
Tian Peng scratched his head upon hearing this unfamiliar name. He had never heard of a monk named Jiang Liuer and even if he did meet one, it wasn’t like he could just ask every monk for their name.
Despite thinking this, Tian Peng nodded, "Alright, Shopkeeper, I understand. I’ll be sure to pay extra attention after I get back."
Chen Nuo nodded, "If you encounter any trouble on the road, seek out Mr. Monkey, but only call for him if it’s something you can’t handle yourself. Don’t rely on him for everything as this would not be beneficial for your cultivation."
"Don’t worry, Shopkeeper. In the mortal world, I can solve most problems with my sheer physical strength. If something comes up later, I’ll seek out Mr. Monkey," Tian Peng replied.
Chen Nuo looked at Tian Peng’s muscular build and two-meter height, thinking that with such a physique, he could indeed bulldoze his way through the world of mortals.
And he could resolve almost any problem except for those relating to birth, aging, sickness, death, and satiating hunger, practically all issues that were solvable.
Tian Peng activated his mana and returned to the mundane world, right where he and Sun Wukong had left off.
The horse he had borrowed from the post station was still there, having filled its belly by now. Tian Peng unfastened the rope and nudged the horse’s belly to start moving.
Since he hadn’t traveled far, he quickly returned to the post station.
There were bodyguards at the entrance waiting to meet him. Seeing Tian Peng approach, they greeted him warmly, but upon looking behind him and seeing no one else, they seemed perplexed. "Weren’t you supposed to find a physician?"
Tian Peng nodded, "Yeah, what about it?"
"Where is the physician?"
"Oh, the physician didn’t come with me, but I’ve brought the medicine. The Monk can start drinking it right now, and he’ll surely recover after he takes it," Tian Peng said, shaking the container in his hand.
"Huh? Why didn’t you bring the physician over? How do you know what medicine the Master needs?" asked the bodyguard. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖
"I just described the symptoms to him, and he knew what to do. Don’t worry, trust me, this physician is very skilled," Tian Peng assured.
However, the bodyguard was still somewhat skeptical, given that the physician hadn’t come along. Nonetheless, there was no other option but to go along with it now.
They followed Tian Peng to the Monk’s room.
At that time, the official from Kaifeng Prefecture was by the Monk’s side. Having rested all morning, the Monk was now able to muster a bit of energy and was conversing with the Kaifeng official.
"The medicine is here," Tian Peng announced.
"Amitabha," the Monk joined his palms in a gesture of thanks towards Tian Peng, "It is my frailty that has inconvenienced everyone’s schedule, and now to trouble the Donor to fetch medicine for me, I am truly ashamed."
"It’s no bother. We also made a mistake, knowing full well that you cannot eat meat and fish, yet we still had you sit amongst us. This led you to feel unwell. Don’t blame yourself entirely, part of the blame lies with us," said the official from Kaifeng Prefecture.
The monk, upon hearing about cause and effect, immediately perked up, determined to argue over the matter.
Just as he was about to speak, his mouth was blocked by a bowl.
"Master, you should rest for a bit first, and after you drink the medicine, you can then argue with the adult," Tian Peng suggested, "Your health is what’s most important."
With the medicine already brought to his lips, the monk had no choice but to pick up the bowl and drink it.
Tian Peng, who had previously suffered, was eager to see someone else share his misfortune.
From the moment the monk picked up the bowl, Tian Peng watched him intently, not wanting to miss any reaction from the monk.
The monk lifted the bowl, and though the extremely bitter medicine wrinkled his brow as he drank, he soon finished it off.
"Thank you, Donor, with this medicine, I believe I will recover quite soon," he said.
Not seeing the reaction he anticipated, Tian Peng asked with a hint of disappointment, "Master, how was the taste of the medicine?"
"Where is there any medicine that isn’t bitter?" the monk replied, showing his understanding.
Disappointed for not seeing what he had hoped for, Tian Peng stood up and said, "Since the Master has already taken the medicine, rest for a while, and you should feel better soon."
The monk thanked Tian Peng with his hands pressed together in a prayer gesture. In truth, he had already felt much better right after drinking it, and after speaking for a bit, he now felt completely recovered.
Amazed internally, he wondered about this medicine that worked so quickly and who this divine physician could be, possessing such skill, truly worthy of admiration.
Tian Peng and the official from Kaifeng Prefecture stood up as both were worried about disturbing the monk’s rest, and they promptly left.
Just as they reached the doorway, Tian Peng suddenly remembered what Chen Nuo had told him about staying away from a monk called Jiang Liuer in Chang’an, and it seemed that this monk was also headed to Chang’an, though he appeared to be called Xuanzang, not Jiang Liuer.
But to be on the safe side, it was still better to ask. After all, monks might know each other, and if he knew the one called Jiang Liuer, it would be best to keep a distance from him.
"Master, are you called Xuanzang?" Tian Peng asked.
"Yes, why? Have you heard of me somewhere?"
Seeing Tian Peng asking, the monk thought he must have heard his name somewhere, which was why he asked.
"Oh, no, I heard someone else’s name," Tian Peng said, "Master, you must have met quite a few people in your travels, haven’t you?"
"Quite a few, indeed. I’m willing to discuss Buddhism with anyone who is interested," the monk replied.
"Then, like you, a master of Buddhism, you must know quite a few as well," Tian Peng continued along the lines of the monk’s response.
The monk nodded. He hadn’t been traveling for study for very long, but he had met many fellow Buddhists.
Even though they didn’t come from the same temple, their hearts were unified in their kindness and devotion to Buddhism.
"Why do you ask, Donor? Are you looking for someone? Go ahead and tell me. If I know them, I might be able to help you, and if I don’t, I may come across them in my travels someday."
Tian Peng thought about it and decided it made sense.
Whether he knew him or not wasn’t very important. Anyway, he would just avoid monks from now on.
This monk could be considered an exception since he had already started knowing about this issue when they met.
"That monk, er, his name is Jiang Liuer. Do you happen to know him?"
