Journey to the West: Tang Monk Conquers Everything

Chapter 205 Punish me for a hundred years? What a noble!

Zhu Bajie was right; although Master Zhenyuan had captured everyone and confined them here, he was still an elder, so he couldn't let everyone go hungry, could he?

Therefore, when noon arrived, Qingfeng Taoist Boy and Mingyue Taoist Child did indeed bring over food.

After reciting an incantation, the ropes binding Jiang Liu and the others automatically loosened, and they called Jiang Liu and the rest over for the meal.

"Hey, Qingfeng lad, the food was made by you guys again, wasn't it?" Sun Wukong, although seated at the dining table, showed no intention of picking up his chopsticks. Looking at the notably undercooked rice in his bowl, he spoke up.

Currently, the only ones in Wuzhuang Temple were Master Zhenyuan, along with the two Taoist boys, Qingfeng and Mingyue. With Master Zhenyuan in a fit of anger, naturally, he was not going to cook for everyone at this time. Therefore, the task of cooking had obviously fallen upon Qingfeng and Mingyue.

"You stinky monkey, you're good at everything except recognizing the situation, and you have a foul mouth! You have food to eat—are you still picking and choosing?"

Upon hearing Sun Wukong's words, Qingfeng Taoist Boy's expression flickered with embarrassment before he spoke irritably to Sun Wukong.

"Hehehe, are you getting flustered? Then I, Old Sun, will ask you, have you eaten yourself? How much did you eat?" Sun Wukong asked, not getting angry but simply throwing the question back at Qingfeng.

"This…" Sun Wukong's counter-question left the Qingfeng Taoist Boy momentarily at a loss for words.

It was Mingyue Taoist Child who laughed and answered, "Qingfeng barely managed to eat half a bowl!"

"Mingyue, you, you're mocking me? You only gulped down three bites yourself!" Qingfeng Taoist Boy retorted irritably after being outed by Mingyue.

"I, I'm okay; I at least swallowed three bites, but our master spit it out after just one bite!" Mingyue continued to speak.

"Mingyue, do you no longer want to live? You dare to slander Master!?" Qingfeng's face changed at Mingyue's complaint, swiftly chastising him in a low voice.

Hearing Qingfeng's words, Mingyue also realized he had spoken out of turn and quickly covered his mouth, looking startled.

"Hehehe, you two boys, I see your master, Master Zhenyuan, while possessing formidable methods, seems to be a bit too petty, eh?" Watching Qingfeng and Mingyue's reactions, Sun Wukong chuckled and commented.

"Monkey, don't talk nonsense. Master has always been extremely kind to us, just... erm, we just can't speak ill of him. A fellow disciple once said something behind his back, and Master made him clean the latrines for a hundred years..." Qingfeng Taoist Boy whispered the second half of the sentence.

"This, this Master Zhenyuan, is he really such a person? His character has completely collapsed!" Jiang Liu commented from the side, his mouth twitching slightly.

"Monkey, you'd better pray for good fortune. Not only did you mock Master, but you also said his Ginseng Fruit was inferior to the Empress's Peach. I'm guessing you'll have to wait at least three to five hundred years for Master to cool down," Mingyue said sympathetically to Sun Wukong.

"Three to five hundred years?! No way! That's absolutely unacceptable!" Hearing such a lengthy period of time, Sha Wujing, who was nearby, placed his bowl down and protested urgently.

"Wujing, don't panic, stay calm…" Jiang Liu shook his head, seeing Wujing's reaction, yet he felt a secret thrill inside.

Three to five hundred years? That was impossible. Surely the Buddhist Sect would run out of patience, right?

But with Master Zhenyuan's status, if he truly wanted to keep them here, even the Tathagata would be powerless, wouldn't he?

So, perhaps they truly could delay a bit longer here?

Not three to five hundred years, but three to five decades, or even three to five years, would be quite wonderful, wouldn't it?

Cough, cough!

Just as Jiang Liu and the others were speaking and chatting with Qingfeng and Mingyue, all of a sudden, a dry cough rang out. Subsequently, they could see Master Zhenyuan, dressed in a Taoist robe, hands behind his back, stepping forward.

"Master!" Seeing Master Zhenyuan walking in, Qingfeng and Mingyue hurriedly got up, bowed their heads, and spoke, looking like they had done something wrong.

"It seems you two have plenty of free time. Just in time—the latrines haven't been cleaned for a while, so you two..."

Casting a glance at Qingfeng and Mingyue Taoist Boys, although Master Zhenyuan was aware of their cordial relationship with Sun Wukong during their time at Yuxu Palace, seeing their genial conversation now irritated him further in his current mood.

"Wait a minute, you old man, they only exchanged a few words with me, Old Sun, and for that, you would have them clean the latrines? Then what about yourself? Aren't you here to talk as well? What should you punish yourself with?"

Sun Wukong valued loyalty and, upon hearing Master Zhenyuan's words, he interrupted him before he could finish speaking.

"Oh? So you're quite loyal, aren't you, you monkey!" Master Zhenyuan, fully aware of Sun Wukong's implication, glanced at him and spoke lightly.

"Amitabha, Great Immortal, as the saying goes, 'A teacher's laxity is to blame for the student's failure;' Wukong has offended you with his words, and I, as his teacher, share the blame. I have no complaints about any punishment you deem fit," Jiang Liu joined his palms together, directing his words towards Master Zhenyuan, thus diverting his attention.

If not, allowing Sun Wukong and Master Zhenyuan to continue their exchange was sure to escalate matters further.

"Oh? Leave the punishment to me without complaints?"

Indeed, by comparison, Jiang Liu seemed to carry more weight, as he was the core member of the "Journey to the West for Scriptures" team. When Master Zhenyuan's gaze fell on Jiang Liu, he spoke, "What if I were to confine you here in Wuzhuang Temple for a hundred years, for you to contemplate your wrongdoings?"

"That would be fantastic..." Hearing this, Jiang Liu's eyes shone brightly, his face unable to conceal the look of sheer joy.

"Amitabha, if that is the punishment the Great Immortal deems fit, this humble monk has no complaints!" Unable to suppress the joyful expression on his face, Jiang Liu hurriedly bowed his head, not wanting to let them see his true feelings.

Although Jiang Liu tried his best to control his facial expressions, the changes in his demeanor were clearly visible to Master Zhenyuan.

Seeing the joy that he could not restrain spilling out from his eyes, Master Zhenyuan's face stiffened somewhat.

What is happening? When I am punishing him, confining him in Wuzhuang Temple for a century, shouldn't he be pleading for mercy?

What is the meaning of this inability to hide his eagerness and joy?

"Great Immortal, you can't do this. If you lock us up for a hundred years, wouldn't we..." Hearing this, Sha Wujing, who was standing beside him, couldn't help but cry out loud. Discover exclusive tales on empire

"Wujing, stop your nonsense! I have already said it, whatever punishment the Great Immortal imposes, I am willing to bear it. Do not be troublesome!" However, even before Sha Wujing could finish his words, Jiang Liu chided him and cut him off abruptly.

The urgency of his reaction was as if he feared Sha Wujing might ruin his good fortune.

"This, something isn't right here. Wait, I need to go back and think this through, get the story straight before I act!" Realizing something was amiss with Jiang Liu's behavior, Master Zhenyuan murmured to himself.

"Since you aren't hungry, then you shouldn't eat. Continue to sit here and reflect on your misdeeds!" Not wishing to stay any longer, Master Zhenyuan glanced at the untouched meals on the table, showing no surprise, but spoke indifferently.

With a lift of his hand, the ropes that had been loosened were once again binding Jiang Liu and the others, leaving them unable to move; even the power within their bodies felt stagnant, impossible to summon.

"Great Immortal, wait..." However, after being bound by the ropes again, Jiang Liu spoke up.

"What? Do you wish to beg for mercy now?" Master Zhenyuan glanced at Jiang Liu and asked.

"Amitabha, Great Immortal, I have said it before, I am willing to accept whatever punishment you see fit. But, is it necessary to bind me with these ropes? Do you not trust me, Master? Moreover, with your mighty power, Great Immortal, if you really wanted to keep us here in Wuzhuang Temple, we wouldn't be able to leave even with our freedom, right?"

Jiang Liu spoke, naturally trying to secure his freedom to properly cultivate in Wuzhuang Temple, so his words were a mix of flattering and earnest appeal to Master Zhenyuan.

"Hmm, your words do show some insight!"

Just as he didn't like others speaking ill of him behind his back, conversely, Master Zhenyuan evidently enjoyed hearing compliments. Jiang Liu's flattering words made Master Zhenyuan's mood improve significantly, and he found logic in them as well.

If I didn't want them to leave, could they even manage to escape?

"Moreover, I do know a thing or two about the Art of Kitchen. Since we are carrying the guilt, we naturally dare not ask you to cook for us. This monk is capable of fending for himself!" After a slight pause, Jiang Liu added.

"Right, Master, the food prepared by Master Xuanzang is delicious!" Upon hearing Jiang Liu's words, the Qingfeng Taoist Boy's eyes lit up, and he nodded in agreement with Jiang Liu to Master Zhenyuan.

This reminded Master Zhenyuan of a scene he had witnessed earlier, where the two Taoist boys were snatching food back and forth with Jiang Liu and his companions, appearing to eat with relish.

Seeing Qingfeng's look, Master Zhenyuan shot him an annoyed glance before nodding and saying, "Well then, I won't bind you. I hope you're smart enough not to think about escaping!"

As he spoke, Master Zhenyuan raised his hand and released Jiang Liu from his bonds!

"Phew, that's great!" As the ropes around him unraveled, Jiang Liu inwardly let out a sigh of relief and thought with glee.

His cultivation level once again became active and movable. Was Master Zhenyuan really planning to keep him here for a hundred years? He really ought to thank his benefactor's eight generations of ancestors.

Not only did he get to eat the Ginseng Fruit, but now he was given the chance to cultivate here—he truly was the most significant benefactor on his Journey to the West!

"Alright, disciples, let's start cooking our meal!" Clapping his hands, Jiang Liu spoke.

"Master, what are we having for lunch today?" Hearing Jiang Liu's words, Zhu Bajie innocently asked.

"How about hot pot?" Jiang Liu proposed.

"Eating again!?" Hearing Jiang Liu's suggestion, a few Local Deities looked somewhat bemused.

While hot pot was delicious, it seemed like the Master would typically have it to celebrate happy occasions, right? For instance, on New Year's Eve or after consuming treasures like the Ginseng Fruit.

But now, they had all been punished by Master Zhenyuan and were confined in Wuzhuang Temple—what was there to celebrate?