Chapter 120: Encountering The Black Water River On The Road
However, Ao Tu and Wukong made a bet.
Ba Jie smiled and said to Sha Seng:
“This little River God truly knows nothing. Senior Brother’s body is impervious to weapons. Back then in the Eight Trigrams Furnace, he was refined for forty-nine days and remained unscathed. Not to mention being hit by three strikes from him—even three hundred or thirty thousand strikes would be fine!”
Sha Seng said: “Yes! Yes!”
The Imperial Envoy wiped the sweat from his face and said:
“Dragon God, Elder Sun, you two should not quarrel over the bet. Betting divides win or lose, and win or lose harms harmony, benefiting no one. It’s better to first let this official store the silver in the treasury.”
Ao Tu said: “No need to store it in the treasury. Pull it directly to the riverbank for counting.”
The Imperial Envoy said in alarm: “Absolutely not!”
Ao Tu smiled and said: “Why not?”
The Imperial Envoy hurriedly thought and replied: “Because… Silver exposed in the wilderness, this official fears it may be lost.”
Ao Tu said: “I will protect it with divine strength, ensuring not a single bit or coin is damaged.”
The Imperial Envoy said again: “This… Silver placed on the riverbank would be inconvenient to convert.”
Ao Tu said: “Why convert it?”
The Imperial Envoy said: “Convert the silver to purchase bridge-building materials as needed.”
Ao Tu said: “Purchase what materials?”
The Imperial Envoy said: “Axes, saws, hammers, chisels—all need to be purchased.”
Ao Tu said: “I have divine strength. I can turn grass into axes and saws, stones into hammers and chisels. No need to purchase.”
The Imperial Envoy said: “Even so, wood and stone still need to be purchased.”
Ao Tu said: “Purchase what wood and stone?”
The Imperial Envoy said: “In our country, there are few mountains and much land. Timber and mountain stones all have owners, hence the need to purchase.”
Ao Tu said: “I have divine strength. I can create forests from grass, gather earth into stones. Does the grass and earth in your country have owners?”
The Imperial Envoy gave an embarrassed smile and said: “No, no.”
Ao Tu said: “In that case, quickly send the silver to the riverbank for counting.”
The Imperial Envoy said: “Wait!”
Ao Tu said: “What else?”
The Imperial Envoy, with his back wet, said: “Dragon God, since you do not need to purchase wood, stone, or tools, what do you need all this silver money for?”
Ao Tu said: “I order you to recruit twenty thousand laborers for a full hundred-day construction period. Surely that requires silver money?”
The Imperial Envoy said: “What do those hard laborers need silver money for?”
Ao Tu said: “They are not hard laborers, but laborers.”
The Imperial Envoy said: “Dragon God, you do not need to recruit laborers. Simply conscript the same number of hard laborers, and this official has already arranged it for you.”
Ao Tu smiled and said: “You are quite clever. Very well, you go command these hard laborers to build the great bridge within a hundred days.”
The Imperial Envoy said softly: “I go command… then what about you?”
Ao Tu said: “I return to the river to sleep, waiting for you to build the great bridge.”
Upon hearing this, the Imperial Envoy knelt on the ground with a thud and said:
“Dragon God, this official deserves death! A sixty-li river surface—even if you nail this official into the river, no bridge could be built! Begging you, please do not be angry. This official will surely follow your lead!”
Ao Tu said: “In that case, quickly send the silver carts to the riverbank and recruit twenty thousand laborers.”
The Imperial Envoy said: “Yes.”
Soon after, the silver carts were pulled to the riverbank and counted publicly.
However, the officials responsible for transporting the silver faced this scene without any panic.
Box after box of silver was carried out and weighed one by one.
Officials were responsible for counting.
Wukong, Ao Tu, Tang Sanzang, Ba Jie, Sha Seng, the Imperial Envoy, and many soldiers and common people were all watching nearby.
The officials counted for a good while, and the silver had already piled into a small mountain.
Finally, the total amount was determined.
An official reported: “The count yields a total of two hundred thousand, one hundred twenty-four taels, seven qian, and five fen.”
Wukong asked: “Why is there over a hundred taels extra?”
The silver-transporting official explained: “That is because during transport, silver inevitably gets bumped and worn. To prevent shortages, extra silver for loss is always added when loading.”
Wukong understood upon hearing this, then smiled at Ao Tu and said:
“You lost. Quickly stick out your leg and let me hit it!”
Ao Tu smiled and said: “I did not lose. Great Sage lost.”
Wukong said: “You vile dragon are cheating! The silver is not short by a single bit, and there’s even over a hundred taels extra. How did I lose?”
Ao Tu smiled and said: “Great Sage has been bewitched by that strange rat’s magic treasure without realizing it.”
Wukong said: “Where is the magic treasure?”
Ao Tu smiled and stepped forward. From the pile of gold and silver before him, he broke off a small piece of broken silver and said: “Whoever has scales, lend them for use. Use this silver as payment.”
As soon as Ao Tu spoke, someone immediately said: “My family has scales. Wait while I fetch them.”
Soon, that person brought the scales over.
Ao Tu had someone weigh it again.
The weighing official, drenched in sweat, tremblingly picked up a piece of silver, placed it on the scales, and the number he got made him say in terror:
“Dragon King Grandfather, th-this scale is inaccurate!”
Ao Tu said: “You weigh it. Just report the number. The amount has nothing to do with you. But if you dare lie or falsify, beware—this king’s divine eyes see all, and divine thunder will strike you into charred remains.”
The weighing official, upon hearing this, nodded his head like pounding garlic.
After a long while, as dusk fell, the amount was finally determined.
“Ten… one hundred twenty-eight thousand, seventy-nine taels, eight qian, and four fen.”
That silver-transporting official plopped down on the ground and said: “This scale is wrong, this scale is wrong!”
Wukong’s face had grown even darker than Ao Tu’s.
Tang Sanzang shook his head, chanting Amitabha Buddha.
Ao Tu smiled and said: “This scale is indeed wrong. Whose scale is this?”
Someone in the crowd said: “This is Landlord Wang’s scale. When Landlord Wang lends out grain, he uses this scale when others repay—one jin of grain only weighs eight taels.”
Ao Tu shook his head with a light laugh. He summoned the original Black Water River God, had him carry the silver on his back, and asked: “How much does it weigh?”
The Black Water River God said: “One hundred sixty-six thousand, seven hundred seventy taels, six qian, two fen, five li, and three hao.”
Ao Tu smiled and said: “Great Sage, do you still need to verify?”
Wukong, with a dark face, slowly stepped forward and fiercely thrust his Golden Cudgel into the ground with a boom, shaking the earth and mountains.
The common people fled in panic.
Tang Sanzang said in alarm: “Wukong, do not hurt anyone!”
Wukong walked to the silver-transporting official, who was so frightened he had lost control of his bladder, lifted him up with one hand, and asked: “Speak—who stole the silver?”
The silver-transporting official dared not conceal and tremblingly said: “All the great nobles and officials have taken some.”
Wukong said: “How did you fools deceive old Sun and steal the silver?”
The silver-transporting official said: “I dare not hide from Grandfather. When the silver was loaded, the share was already short. Th-this is still…”
Wukong said: “Speak!”
The silver-transporting official said: “This is still because the lords saw divine spirits manifesting and felt awe, so they held back greatly. Normally, by the time the silver leaves the city, it has already lost forty to fifty percent.”
Wukong said: “This enrages me!”
Wukong leaped up and in an instant arrived at the Huoluo Kingdom capital city.
By now dusk had fallen, and in the city revelry and debauchery filled the air.
Wukong made his Golden Cudgel dozens of zhang thick. Seeing the street outside the palace empty, he thrust it down fiercely.
With a deafening roar, divine might shook the world. The ground was pierced into a massive deep pit, alarming merchants, farmers, artisans, and officials throughout the city, filling them with fear and unrest.
Wukong stood in the sky, his voice like thunder:
“I, your bunch of treacherous evil officials, dare to embezzle old Sun’s silver taels. How did you think to deceive me? My two ears can hear up to the Thirty-three Heavens and down to the Underworld. Whoever stole the silver taels, within three quarters of an hour, bring them to me without error. Otherwise, old Sun will stuff your entire families old and young into the pit and crush them into meat paste!”
Not long after, at the Black Water River.
Wukong flew back carrying a large bundle on his back, placed the bundle atop the silver pile, and said: “The remaining silver taels have all been made whole.”
With that, he walked to Ao Tu and said:
“Old Sun honors the bet. Hit me.”
Ao Tu smiled and said: “Great Sage need not do this. Little Dragon’s earlier words were mere jest. How dare I truly strike at Great Sage?”
Wukong said: “Old Sun keeps his word and never reneges. Quickly strike, or if word spreads, it will be said that I went back on my word.”
Ao Tu said: “I truly dare not. How about this: record these three strikes for now, to be delivered later.”
Wukong said: “I’m afraid you won’t be able to land them later.”
Ao Tu smiled and said: “Great Sage need not worry about this matter.”
