All Heavens: Sharing Talents with Countless Mes

“Follow the official road westward, and after passing two or three more towns, there’s a place called Luoyanpo ahead.” Chu Yang raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun. “I’ve heard that things haven’t been peaceful there lately, with people disappearing at night. It’s either bandits or evil spirits. We’ll see when we get there.”

Sun Wukong grinned: "If they're bandits, I'll stretch my muscles; if they're monsters, that'll be even better, so I won't be bored on the way."

Tang Sanzang glanced at him: "Wukong, why are you more excited about the mention of demons than about vegetarian meals these days?"

“Master, you’re wronging me.” Sun Wukong twirled his golden cudgel and lowered his voice. “We can eat vegetarian food every day, but we can’t encounter monsters every day. Besides, some monsters are even more appetizing than vegetarian food.”

Chu Yang laughed when he heard this: "Brother Monkey, if you say that out loud, you might anger all the monsters in the mountains."

"It's good that they're alive now, so I, Old Sun, won't have to search for them one by one."

The three people, along with a horse and a donkey, walked along the mountain path for half a day. The sun gradually rose higher, and the cicadas chirped more in the forest. On both sides of the official road were undulating hillsides, overgrown with miscellaneous trees, their shade dappled. Occasionally, a squirrel would dart across the branches, shaking down a shower of fine pine needles.

As noon approached, we rounded a bend ahead and suddenly a dilapidated pavilion appeared by the roadside.

The pavilion's roof tiles were mostly missing, its pillars were mottled, and old cobwebs still clung to the corners. Beside the pavilion, an old locust tree stood with lush branches and leaves, casting a large patch of shade. But the most striking thing was not the pavilion, nor the tree, but a woman standing leaning against the railing inside.

She wore a pale pink silk dress, the hem of which swayed gently in the breeze, revealing her slender waist and graceful figure. Her jet-black hair cascaded down her back, loosely held up with a white jade hairpin, a few stray strands falling beside her cheeks. Her face was exceptionally beautiful, with eyebrows like distant mountains, eyes like autumn waters, and skin as white as a freshly peeled lychee, though the corners of her eyes were slightly red, as if she had just been crying.

She leaned against a pavilion pillar with one hand and pressed the other to her chest, her expression one of sorrow. Startled at first by the arrival of someone, she then rushed out of the pavilion as if grasping at a lifeline.

"Masters...Young masters, save me..."

Her voice was soft, with a slight tremor in her nose, like a strand of silk damp with dew, gently brushing against one's heart.

Tang Sanzang immediately stopped in his tracks, put his palms together and said, "Amitabha, female benefactor, please don't be in a hurry, speak slowly."

Sun Wukong also stopped, his fiery eyes sweeping across the woman's face. His eyebrows immediately twitched, and then a strange smile slowly spread across his lips.

Chu Yang remained seated on the donkey, only squinting at the woman for a couple of moments. His gaze fell on the tips of her shoes, then on the jade hairpin in her hair, before finally speaking slowly, "What's wrong with you?"

The woman's eyes reddened, and tears welled up and rolled down her cheeks. "My name is Su Wanwan, and I'm originally from Qingliu Town. Yesterday, I went out to visit relatives with my brother, but we encountered bandits on the way. My brother risked his life to draw them away to protect me... I... I escaped here, and after walking all night, I'm too exhausted to go any further..."

As she spoke, her legs suddenly went weak, as if she couldn't stand steadily, and her body leaned forward, heading straight for Chu Yang's donkey.

But Chu Yang was faster than her.

He kicked the donkey's belly, and the white donkey swerved to the side by half a foot. The woman missed her target, stumbled a couple of steps, and almost fell to the ground.

Sun Wukong couldn't help but burst out laughing, then quickly covered his mouth.

The woman, her hands resting on her knees, almost couldn't hold back her delicate expression, but when she looked up, her eyes were still brimming with tears: "Young Master..."

"Oh, sorry." Chu Yang didn't seem apologetic at all. "My donkey is wary of strangers, especially the smell of face powder. Your scent is too strong, it'll go crazy."

The woman's expression stiffened slightly: "This humble woman...didn't apply face powder."

“That’s a natural body fragrance.” Chu Yang nodded thoughtfully. “It’s quite rare.”

Tang Sanzang looked at the woman, then at Chu Yang, and hesitated before saying, "Benefactor Chu, this woman is all alone, and it is indeed dangerous for her to be here. Why don't we take her with us to the town ahead?"

"Send it to the town?" Chu Yang stroked his chin. "It's not impossible."

Sun Wukong took two steps closer, carrying his staff, and glanced at the woman sideways: "It's really not safe for a young woman to be out in this desolate wilderness. I just don't know whether she's afraid of the bandits or the bandits are afraid of her."

Upon hearing this, the woman's face immediately showed a hint of panic, and tears streamed down her face like a broken string of pearls: "Master, you... what are you saying? Although I am a weak woman, I still know shame, how could I..."

"Alright, stop crying." Chu Yang waved his hand. "Your crying is giving me a headache. You can come along, but I have a bad temper and a lot of rules."

The woman raised her tearful eyes, a fleeting hint of joy flashing across them: "I am deeply grateful that you would take me with you, sir. I would be willing to serve you like a slave, let alone follow the rules."

"You said it yourself." Chu Yang smiled. "Then let's start now. Brother Monkey, hand her my bundle."

Sun Wukong blinked and immediately understood. He grinned and tossed a heavy bundle over, saying, "Come on, Miss Su, catch this."

The bundle contained a pot, seasonings, a change of clothes, and several pieces of ironware bought along the way; it was incredibly heavy. Caught off guard, the woman's arm lurched as it hit her, and she nearly fell over again.

"This...this is..."

"Didn't you say you'd do anything for me?" Chu Yang said matter-of-factly. "Then let's start by carrying your luggage. Don't worry, it's not free; you'll get a meal when we get to town."

The woman's lips twitched, and she forced a gentle smile: "Thank you, young master."

She reached out and took the bundle. Her usually soft, boneless fingers stiffened noticeably when they touched the rough cloth knots. But she dared not show it, so she lowered her head and followed beside him, her steps light and slow, her skirt sweeping through the dust. In her heart, she had already cursed the boy in black eight hundred times.

She had been hiding on the mountaintop and had been keeping an eye on this strange group for a long time.

A monk, a martial arts master with a monkey-like air, a young man with a strange aura and excessively handsome appearance, plus a white horse and a white donkey.

She first recognized the Buddhist aura emanating from the monk and was secretly delighted, thinking she had stumbled upon a golden opportunity. But upon closer inspection, she was so frightened by Sun Wukong's overwhelming and ferocious aura that she almost revealed her true form. So she only dared to follow from afar. After pondering for a long time, she finally set her sights on Chu Yang.

This young man was full of vigor, yet he also possessed an inexplicable sharpness. He seemed most like an ordinary person, and also most like a breakthrough point. As long as I could charm him first, and then use him to get close to the monk, things would be much easier.

But to her utter surprise, she suffered a setback right from the very first step.

This man showed no tenderness or compassion whatsoever; he didn't even have the normal reaction a man would have when he looked at her. He immediately told her to carry his burden.

The woman lowered her head, her pearly teeth clenched tightly.

Do it, be patient.

Not urgent.

She's been in human form for quite some time now, and patience is her greatest asset when dealing with men. Once night falls, under a dark and windy sky, with a warm campfire, she'll cast a few illusions and give him a flirtatious wink; she's sure to hook him.

Thinking of this, she barely suppressed her frustration and her voice became even softer: "Young master, may I ask how I should address you?"

"Chu Yang".

"Young Master Chu," the woman smiled, pursing her lips, "where are your two masters?"

Chu Yang pointed and said, "The most handsome monk is my master, Tang Sanzang. The one with the pointed mouth and monkey-like face, who doesn't look like a good person at all, is my Monkey King."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong immediately exploded: "What do you mean by 'doesn't look like a good person'? I, Old Sun, clearly have an upright appearance!"

"Yes, demonic energy is still energy."

"Chu Yang, are you looking for a fight?"

"Come on, hit me." "..."

The woman had wanted to take the opportunity to talk to Tang Sanzang, but Chu Yang had already urged the donkey forward: "Stop trying to get close to me, let's hurry on our way. If we don't reach Luoyan Slope before dark, we won't have anywhere to rest tonight."

She had no choice but to continue carrying her bundle, stepping on the fine pebbles. She hadn't walked for even the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before her feet began to go numb. Although she could transform, her favorite pastime was lounging on a soft couch, munching on fruit; she had never done such rough work before. Her long skirt was caught on a bush every few steps, tearing a gash in it.

The woman felt a pang of pain in her heart, looked down at the crack, and her eyes almost welled up with tears.

This dress was painstakingly created by her using illusion magic, mimicking human silk. Although it wasn't worth real silver, it was undeniably beautiful to wear. Now that the seam has come undone, she'll have to expend her magic power to repair it later.

"Young Master Chu..." she called softly.

"what?"

"Could I... take a break? I'm a little too tired to walk any further."

Chu Yang didn't even turn his head: "If you can't walk anymore, walk faster. If you walk fast, you'll get there soon."

The woman was taken aback and almost couldn't reply.

Sun Wukong, standing in front, shrugged his shoulders, struggling to suppress his laughter. Tang Sanzang looked at the woman, then at Chu Yang, and finally couldn't bear it any longer: "Benefactor Chu, why don't you let her sit for a while? After all, she is a woman."

Chu Yang then reined in the donkey and looked her up and down.

“Okay.” He nodded. “Then go fetch some water from the stream ahead, and we can rest for a while.”

"I...I'll go fetch water?"

"What, you can carry the bundle but can't fetch water?" Chu Yang tossed the bamboo tube from his waist over. "Go ahead."

The woman instinctively caught the bamboo tube, her hands trembling with clumsiness. She looked at the stream not far away, then at Chu Yang's matter-of-fact expression, her chest tightening, yet she still had to softly reply, "Okay."

She lifted her skirt to fetch water from the stream, and as soon as she squatted down, she heard Sun Wukong's barely suppressed laughter behind her.

"Brother, aren't you afraid she'll get so angry she'll turn into her true form?"

"It would be better if the anger was released in its original form, which would save trouble."

"You figured it out a long time ago?"

"Nonsense." Chu Yang curled his lips. "How can an ordinary person walk without getting their feet dirty and not even panting? And that stench on her, I could smell it from three feet away."

Tang Sanzang was startled and lowered his voice: "Benefactor Chu, are you saying... she is a demon?"

"A fox demon," Chu Yang said casually. "It hasn't been around for long, and its cultivation is just so-so. It's probably after you."

Tang Sanzang tightened his grip on his staff, his expression complex: "Then why keep her around? What if she truly harbors ill intentions..."

"Master, don't worry." Chu Yang tossed the willow branch into the air and caught it again. "She can't get close to you. We've been traveling for a long time and we're short of someone to do things for us. Isn't this a perfect opportunity delivered right to our doorstep?"

Sun Wukong laughed so hard he almost squatted down: "Great! This is great! I'll go see how well she's done fetching water."

"Don't scare her." Chu Yang glanced at him. "If you scare her away, who's going to wash the dishes for us?"

"I'll go take a look too, but I won't expose them."

Tang Sanzang opened his mouth, intending to say that this might not be appropriate, but looking at the slender figure by the stream and thinking of the demons who had been watching him along the way, he somehow swallowed his words.

The woman spent a long time fetching water before she finally filled the bamboo tube. When she returned, a thin layer of sweat had appeared on her forehead, and her breathing was a little erratic. Chu Yang took the bamboo tube, took a sip, and frowned, saying, "It's too shallow; the bottom is all sand. Fetch it again."

The woman's smile nearly froze: "Young Master Chu, this stream is naturally..."

"I'll do it again if I tell you to."

"……it is good."

She had to go back, this time being more careful. She first cleared away the top layer of water before carefully scooping it up. After two trips, by the time she finally got the water clearer, the sun was already setting.

The group resumed their journey.

This time, the woman dared not complain of being tired and silently followed, clutching her bundle. She walked beside Chu Yang, occasionally leaning slightly against him, taking advantage of the rugged terrain. But each time, either Chu Yang would suddenly spur the donkey forward, or the white donkey would swish its rump as if it had eyes, almost knocking her off balance.

Later, she simply changed her approach, speaking softly and gently to start a conversation.

"Young Master Chu, are you heading west?"

"Ah."

"I've heard that the journey westward is 108,000 li, and the road is fraught with danger."

"Ah."

"Young master, you are so young, yet you have such courage. It is truly admirable."

"Oh."

"..."

The woman nearly crushed her back molars.

She had never met such a difficult man to talk to. If she called him cold, he would smile from time to time; if she called him lecherous, he barely glanced at her; if she called him not lecherous, he kept her by his side and wouldn't let her go. After thinking it over, she concluded that this man was most likely utterly wicked.

As evening approached, the group finally found a flat spot to rest on Luoyan Slope.

Not far from the official road, there's a small maple grove nearby, behind which flows a shallow river. The sunset casts its glow on the river, reflecting shimmering golden light. A breeze rustles the maple leaves, and the grove is filled with the chirping of insects and birds, creating a peaceful atmosphere.

Chu Yang dismounted from the donkey and gave commands with remarkable ease: "Brother Monkey, go gather firewood. Master, please lay out the straw mat. Miss Su—"

The woman's heart skipped a beat, thinking that it was finally time for some easy work, and she immediately replied softly, "Young Master Chu, please give your orders."

"Go wash the pot and rinse the rice. Oh, and take that piece of salted meat out of my bag and slice it thinly. Thick slices will get stuck in your teeth."

The woman's eyes widened: "I...I can't cook."

"I don't know how to learn," Chu Yang said with a puzzled look. "You've grown up and you've never even cooked a meal? How did you survive before? Did you live on dew?"

Tang Sanzang coughed lightly, seemingly finding the question somewhat odd. (End of Chapter)