Chapter 13: Reward Settlement
However, Tang Sanzang and his disciples were obstructed in the Gao Lao Village area and unable to proceed on the Westward Journey.
Several days passed, and the Ao Tu System’s progress quickly increased from twelve days to fifteen days.
If settled at this point, Ao Tu could obtain Three-Revolving Golden Elixir, True Dragon Essence Blood, and Purple-Veined Flat Peach as three rewards.
Currently, Ao Tu’s cultivation was at Mysterious Immortal Mid Stage, approaching Mysterious Immortal Late Stage, and there was still some medicinal power from the Six-Revolving Golden Elixir in his body that had not been fully refined. If he could take another Three-Revolving Golden Elixir, although it would not increase his cultivation as much as the Six-Revolving Golden Elixir, it would still be enough to break him through to Mysterious Immortal Late Stage.
After that, if he refined the True Dragon Essence Blood and Purple-Veined Flat Peach together, there was a high chance of breaking through to Golden Immortal realm.
An Indestructible Golden Immortal would also be considered a powerhouse on this Journey to the West.
Moreover, the system progress was still continuously increasing at this time.
As long as he could hold out for another half a month, he could obtain an extremely powerful Acquired Spiritual Treasure, the Five-Fire Divine Flame Fan!
With this treasure, even Sun Wukong would not be his opponent; if Ananda came again, he would give Ananda a surprise!
At that time, inside Gao Lao Village. Ba Jie had been working continuously for several days, but he put in effort without results, showing no effect at all.
The common people were not fools; at this rate of work, even in another ten years, they would not get the land. So they found Tang Sanzang again, holding the voucher signed by Ao Tu, demanding that Tang Sanzang hand over the land.
The common people were all worked up one by one, and Tang Sanzang had no choice but to bow his head and chant sutras, murmuring Amitabha Buddha.
Once the crowd finally dispersed with difficulty, Tang Sanzang questioned Ba Jie as to why he was not working hard.
Ba Jie had his reasons and complained:
“Master, it’s not that this old pig didn’t put in effort; this old pig alone, with several thousand mu of land, even oxen would tire to death several heads. How could I handle it alone?”
Tang Sanzang realized upon hearing this that it made sense.
Sun Wukong, however, said from the side:
“Master, don’t listen to this idiot’s nonsense. He is Marshal Tian Peng who descended to the mortal realm. When he previously mistook you for a monster, he hardily withstood Old Sun’s Golden Cudgel and successively toppled seven great mountains. How is it that he has no strength now? I think he’s just asking for a beating!”
Ba Jie hurriedly hid behind Tang Sanzang and said:
“Master, this old pig did have some mistakes before, but I was also deceived by that monster. Although it was to beat you, in my heart I was thinking of protecting you. As the saying goes: Monks do not hold old grudges. For the Bodhisattva’s sake, please forgive me!”
Tang Sanzang sighed and said:
“Forgiving you is easy, but now in this Gao Lao Village, how are we master and disciples to pass through?”
Ba Jie said:
“Master, this is easy. Senior Brother was in charge of agriculture and animal husbandry in the Heavenly Court back then, with an extremely high official rank. Entrust this matter to him; it’s right up his alley.”
Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong wanted to hit Ba Jie.
“Idiot, what nonsense are you spouting? You’re asking for a beating!”
Ba Jie dodged around Tang Sanzang and said:
“How am I spouting nonsense? Back then when you guarded the Peach Garden, that group of tree-trimming strongmen, water-carrying strongmen, peach-repairing strongmen, and cleaning strongmen—which of them did not report to you? As the saying goes: When a person leaves, the tea cools. You go to heaven and call a few down; are you still afraid this land won’t be plowed?”
After hearing this, Sun Wukong involuntarily recalled past events and stopped his hand.
Seeing this, Tang Sanzang advised: “Disciple, if you truly have such ability, then make a trip, settle the matter of Gao Lao Village, and we master and disciples can proceed west to fetch the sutras.”
Sun Wukong sighed upon hearing this:
“Master, you do not know that back then Old Sun stole peaches and pilfered elixirs, committing many misdeeds. I’m afraid those Earth Gods in the garden and the crowd of strongmen were all implicated. Nowadays, it will be hard to see old acquaintances!”
Tang Sanzang said: “Disciple! Have you not heard: To know one’s errors and correct them is the greatest good? The Buddha said: All the evil karma created in the past, all from beginningless greed, hatred, and delusion, born from body, speech, and mind—everything I now repent!”
Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong was finally moved.
“Alright, Master. Old Sun will make a trip to the Heavenly Court. But there’s one thing: Old Sun never does unnamed deeds. After I leave, Ba Jie, you must explain the reason of the matter clearly to the common people: the one helping them is the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, not that monster.”
Ba Jie said upon hearing this:
“Senior Brother, rest assured. The great household head Gao Tai Gong of Gao Lao Village was originally my father-in-law. I’ll go find him and have him explain the matter clearly to everyone.”
Sun Wukong smiled at Ba Jie and said:
“Idiot, who would have thought you’re still a hearth-dwelling monk!”
Ba Jie said:
“Senior Brother, how are you jesting wildly? It’s commonly said that Taoists who reside at home and cultivate without abandoning worldly affairs are called hearth-dwelling Taoist priests; where is there any talk of hearth-dwelling monks?”
Sun Wukong said: “You still have a father-in-law in this place; aren’t you a hearth-dwelling monk?”
Ba Jie said: “Those are all old stories from years ago.”
Smiling, Sun Wukong went outside and somersaulted up to the South Heaven Gate.
Before the South Heaven Gate, Pang, Liu, Gou, and Bi bowed, while Ma, Zhao, Wen, and Guan arched their backs.
Sun Wukong waved his hand and said: “Gentlemen, no need for formalities. Please trouble to announce: Old Sun wishes to see the Jade Emperor.”
This was truly a strange matter; the monkey who caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace back then now understood etiquette.
After some time, the Jade Emperor issued a decree, allowing Sun Wukong to enter.
Arriving at the Lingxiao Hall, Sun Wukong gave a grand salute and stated his request.
The Jade Heavenly Venerable heard the report and decreed: “As Wukong has petitioned, the Earth God and strongmen of the Peach Garden are to be at Wukong’s disposal.”
Sun Wukong thanked and departed, clouding to the Peach Garden.
On this trip, things had indeed changed; those Earth Gods, strongmen, and immortal officials he had once seen were now less than one in ten remaining.
Only because the Great Sage had ravaged the Peach Garden back then, and the Queen Mother imposed punishment, these people were either demoted to the mortal realm or stripped of their immortal registry—their lifetime of bitter cultivation scattered in a single morning…
Recalling the past, Sun Wukong could not help but feel sorrowful.
As the saying goes: One day in Heaven is one year underground.
Since Tang Sanzang was not captured by a monster, Sun Wukong was not in a hurry. By the time he assembled the strongmen and descended to the mortal realm, over ten days had already passed in Gao Lao Village.
Sun Wukong brought a crowd of Heavenly Palace strongmen and descended to the mortal realm.
The strongmen swung hoes, the earth turned over, and acre after acre of wasteland was reclaimed into fields in the blink of an eye.
Other strongmen sprinkled Immortal Spring, instantly turning ordinary land into prime fields.
The common people of Gao Lao Village all knelt on the ground to thank them, shouting that immortals had descended to the mortal world.
Those Heavenly Palace strongmen returned to the Heavenly Palace after finishing the work, not to mention.
On Tang Sanzang’s side, they originally intended to leave that day, but since it was already late and the common people urged them to stay with a vegetarian meal banquet, they stayed another day in Gao Lao Village.
The next day, Tang Sanzang and his disciples began to leave Gao Lao Village.
Meanwhile, on Ao Tu’s side, the system’s progress had just reached thirty days.
This made him inwardly delighted, thinking his luck was good.
However, what he did not expect was that the system’s progress did not stop calculating. Tang Sanzang and his disciples walked another three days until crossing Fuling Mountain, before the system finally began to settle.
The progress at this time was already thirty-three days.
It turned out that the system’s determined Gao Lao Village area included not only Gao Lao Village but also the large area of Fuling Mountain, all counted within the Gao Lao Village area.
【Ding, rewards settling, total obstruction of thirty-three days.】
【Ding, obtained reward Three-Revolving Golden Elixir.】
【Ding, obtained reward True Dragon Essence Blood.】
【Ding, obtained reward Purple-Veined Flat Peach.】
【Ding, obtained reward Acquired Spiritual Treasure · Five-Fire Divine Flame Fan】
【Ding, excess three days automatically carried over to next Side Quest; next Side Quest: Wind Rises at Dusk.】
