Others follow advice and imitate celebrities, but you start by pretending to be a god?

"Grand Master...Master." Lu Yan murmured to himself. It took him a while to completely accept this fact and gradually calm down.

At this moment, he suddenly knelt down, bowed three times and kowtowed nine times in the direction of Jiuji Mountain, and said loudly: "Disciple Lü Yan... Lü Dongbin, I will study hard and strive to become your disciple as soon as possible!"

After kneeling down solemnly, Lü Yan stood up. No, he was not only Lü Yan now, but also Lü Dongbin.

Lu Dongbin calmed down and returned to his home with firm steps.

Facing his family, he solemnly announced: "From today on, I will have an extra character, 'Dongbin'."

In addition, Lü Dongbin also publicized his own name. However, he did not reveal who gave him this name. But people in the surrounding area knew that there was a young man in Lüjia Village who was given a name by a "wandering Taoist priest", Dongbin.

At the same time, after passing the Lion Country, the group of people on the journey to the West, although their momentum dropped, continued to move forward. In the Lion Country, they encountered many powerful monsters and experienced many difficulties and obstacles, leaving some shadows in everyone's heart. But they held the belief of obtaining the scriptures in their hearts, and slept in the open air and cut through the thorns along the way.

After two seasons, they finally arrived at the country of monks.

The Kingdom of Bhikkhu is named after the Buddhist monks, but the Buddhist atmosphere here is not strong. When you enter the Kingdom of Bhikkhu, you will see many Taoist temples, where incense smoke curls up, Taoists in Taoist robes chant scriptures and chant mantras, which adds a Taoist atmosphere.

As the master and his four disciples traveled along the way, they accidentally heard the news that there was a "national master" in the country of monks.

"Oh, could it be that the Bhikkhu Kingdom is the same as the Chechi Kingdom, and also has a Taoist national master?" When Zhu Bajie heard this, he trembled with fear. All the thrilling things he encountered in the Chechi Kingdom instantly emerged in his mind, and he was still frightened.

However, Sun Wukong did not take it seriously and said casually: "I think the national master here is definitely not as good as Che Chi's national master." It turned out that they not only found out that there was a national master in the Bhikkhu Country, but also knew about the things that this national master did.

This imperial teacher actually searched all over the country for the child's heart, causing everyone in the country of monks who had children to be worried and anxious all day long.

Sun Wukong crossed his arms and said with disdain: "Anyone who can do such a cruel thing is definitely not from a famous and upright family. They can't be compared with Chechi Kingdom." Although Sun Wukong had many dissatisfactions and dissatisfaction with Chechi Kingdom in the past, at this moment, he had to admit that Chechi Kingdom was indeed extraordinary.

At the same time, after Sun Wukong learned about these things in the Kingdom of Bhikkhu, he respectfully bowed to Tang Sanzang and said, "Master, look, let alone Buddhism, even in Taoism, there are many people who harbor evil and are not righteous. The national teacher of the Kingdom of Bhikkhu is clearly a demon!"

In fact, the national teacher of the Bhikkhu Kingdom is not a simple person. He has another identity - the father-in-law of the king. This monster was originally a white deer spirit in the sky, and was the mount of the Nanji Xianweng. After he came to the Bhikkhu Kingdom, he colluded with the Jade-faced Fox. The Jade-faced Fox became the concubine of the Bhikkhu King by virtue of her beauty.

But this combination of man and demon is against the law of nature. The health of the Bhikkhu King was getting worse and worse. Seeing this, the White Deer Spirit came up with a perverse idea, claiming that he could refine an elixir with a child's heart as the catalyst, and eating it would restore the king's body to a strong state.

Because of this, in the country of monks, families with children lived in fear every day, fearing that their children would encounter unexpected events. The White Deer Spirit used the Taoist alchemy techniques to gain the trust of the people in the country of monks, so he got the name "National Master".

Under the leadership of Sun Wukong, Tang Sanzang and his companions saw through the White Deer Demon's conspiracy and successfully saved thousands of babies who were about to die.

Sun Wukong took this opportunity to comfort Tang Sanzang and said, "Master, there are so many filthy things in this world. Who says that there are no evil-minded people in Taoism? Isn't there a saying that Taoism has three thousand side sects? There are many evil-minded practitioners in it, and they are also a disaster to the world."

Sun Wukong used the example of the "national teacher" of the Kingdom of Bhikkhu to strengthen Tang Sanzang's determination to obtain the scriptures. He continued to enlighten: "Master, places like Chechi Kingdom are only a minority after all. Chechi Kingdom may not need Mahayana Buddhism, but outside of Chechi Kingdom, everyone needs Mahayana Buddhism to save all living beings."

In fact, the reason why Sun Wukong said this was not his own sudden whim. It turned out that when Sun Wukong was sleeping, Tathagata Buddha had appeared in his dream and enlightened him. It was also because of this that Sun Wukong, who had always been warlike, rarely spoke to his master to comfort him and strengthen his belief in obtaining the scriptures.

After all these twists and turns, Tang Sanzang's original negative mood also dissipated a lot. At this time, it was not too far from Lingshan, and the four masters and apprentices packed their bags and continued on the road to the West to obtain scriptures.

The journey to the West is long and full of unknowns. Not all monsters are rampant along the way. Although you may encounter monsters occasionally, most of them are small monsters that can be easily dealt with and are not considered a "disaster" on the journey to the West.

The Journey to the West is destined to go through 81 trials and tribulations before they can obtain the true scriptures and achieve enlightenment. Often, they have to go through several seasons before they encounter another real disaster.

Under such circumstances, the Journey to the West group still moved forward firmly, and time passed quietly without anyone noticing.

Let's turn our attention to the distant Tang Dynasty in the East. Outside Chang'an City, there is a small village called Chenjia Village.

In this village, a child prodigy appeared. At the age of one, the child could speak clearly; at the age of two, he could read a thousand-word article and remember it once; at the age of three, he could recite poems and write couplets with great literary talent.

Soon, the reputation of the child prodigy spread throughout the country. People spread the word, thinking it was an auspicious sign. The news spread further and further, even reaching Chang'an City, the Imperial Palace, and finally the ears of Emperor Li Shimin.

In the feudal ancient times, people believed that strange things in the world often had special meanings. For example, some natural phenomena would be regarded as good or bad omens. The appearance of a child prodigy under the rule was undoubtedly regarded as a good omen.

When Emperor Li Shimin of Tang heard the news, he was delighted and said excitedly, "Haha, great! Recently, news of child prodigies has reached Chang'an from all over the country. This shows that the Tang Dynasty under my rule is full of talented people!"

The King of Tang believed that this was a good omen, which meant that the Tang Dynasty would become more prosperous. So he immediately ordered: "All the child prodigies found in various places should be arranged to study in schools. Their future should not be delayed. They must be allowed to thrive and become the pillars of our Tang Dynasty in the future." "Yes!" An official immediately took the order and started to arrange this matter.

After arranging the schooling for the child prodigy, Li Shimin thought of another thing and said, "According to the news from the border, the Minister Li who was sent before has returned from Chechi State. My dear ministers, do you have any suggestions on how to welcome Minister Li Chunfeng?"

Emperor Li Shimin of Tang asked other ministers for their opinions. At this time, one minister stood up and made a suggestion: "Your Majesty, in my opinion, this reception should not be publicized too much. If it is publicized, even if Li Chunfeng gets back all the sacred objects of Chechi Kingdom, the people will only yearn for Chechi Kingdom and forget your Majesty's kindness."

This minister made an ingenious suggestion from a unique perspective: "Why not welcome Li Chunfeng back in a low-key manner, and then promote the agricultural sacred objects that were brought back from Chechi State in the name of Your Majesty and the Tang Dynasty? This way, it can not only demonstrate the majesty of Your Majesty and the Tang Dynasty, but also make the people grateful."

"This..." Tang Wang Li Shimin hesitated a little and said, "It doesn't seem good..."

Although he said hesitantly, Li Shimin was actually tempted. You know, Li Chunfeng was sent to Chechi State by the Tang King. And the fundamental purpose of Tang King Li Shimin was the "magic objects" rumored in Chechi State, such as Daoshu and Linnan rice.

Now, this minister's suggestion is to promote the sacred object that Li Chunfeng asked for back in the name of the Tang Dynasty instead of the Chechi Kingdom. In this way, the people will naturally be grateful not to the Chechi Kingdom or Lin Nan, but to the Tang Dynasty and to Li Shimin, the King of Tang.

Although he said some bad things, the ministers present could all see clearly that Emperor Li Shimin of Tang was moved.

There were other ministers in the court, but most of them kept silent, because they also felt that this move was inappropriate, so they chose to remain silent.

However, there were always some ministers who were "considerate of the emperor's will" and stood up to persuade him: "Your Majesty, this move can not only show the majesty of our Tang Dynasty, but also make the people grateful. It is indeed a good idea!"

Under the persuasion of his ministers, Emperor Taizong of Tang Li Shimin "reluctantly" agreed and decided to follow this suggestion.

On the other side, Li Chunfeng was on his way, exhausted, looking at the familiar territory of the Tang Dynasty ahead, with a lot of emotion in his heart. He looked back, and couldn't help but feel more emotional.

When he went to Chechi Kingdom, the team was huge, and there were many Taoists with him. But when he came back, he was the only Taoist left, along with some guards who had roots in the Tang Dynasty and whose clans and relatives were still in the Tang Dynasty. As for those who did not come back, they naturally stayed in Chechi Kingdom.

"It's no exaggeration to say that Chechi Country is a paradise on earth. It's simply a Taoist temple on earth." Li Chunfeng sighed slightly and thought to himself, "What a pity. If I didn't have responsibilities to fulfill, I would really like to stay in Chechi Country."

Li Chunfeng was thinking while looking forward. But after looking around, he didn't see anyone coming to greet him.

He frowned slightly, wondering, "The news should have reached Chang'an a long time ago, why didn't His Majesty the King of Tang send anyone to greet me?"

At this moment, a eunuch came up outside the palace gate and said, "Master Li, His Majesty is waiting in the palace, and many other masters are also waiting."

Li Chunfeng and the guards behind him had been traveling a long way, and seeing this scene, he felt mixed emotions. He looked towards the palace, his eyes revealing a hint of complex emotions.

Li Chunfeng never imagined that after going through untold hardships and traveling thousands of miles to successfully return from Chechi Kingdom, there was not even a decent welcoming ceremony, only a eunuch came to greet him.

However, as a cultivator, Li Chunfeng could look down on these things and didn't care too much. But now Li Chunfeng was not only a cultivator, he was also a "leader" with many mortal guards behind him. They followed him all the way and suffered a lot.

Compared to Li Chunfeng, who was a monk, the mortal guards behind him had a harder journey. Li Chunfeng had a clear understanding of the plight of the soldiers and guards who accompanied him. In his opinion, these loyal and brave men had gone through hardships and protected their country, and they should have received more honorable treatment, rather than just such a bland treatment.

With such thoughts and doubts, Li Chunfeng stepped into the palace. The palace had strict hierarchy and many rules. Only Li Chunfeng, with his status and achievements, was able to enter the Golden Palace and meet the emperor. The soldiers and guards who came with him, however, were not of high enough rank, so they had no choice but to stay outside the palace, waiting quietly under the scorching sun.

Seeing this scene, Li Chunfeng did not say anything, but his heart was filled with strange waves. He knew the hardships and dedication of these soldiers and guards, but now they could only wait silently under the scorching sun, and he couldn't help feeling a little unfair.

Li Chunfeng slowly walked into the Golden Palace. The palace was solemn and dignified. Emperor Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty sat on the dragon throne, and a group of ministers were standing on both sides. He subconsciously bowed his hands to salute, but at the moment of saluting, he noticed something strange. Several ministers around him frowned slightly, as if they were dissatisfied, and some even had the urge to stand up and accuse him.

It turned out that when Li Chunfeng met the Tang Emperor, he did not kneel down and bow, which was considered disrespectful in court etiquette.

Just as everyone's eyes were focused and the atmosphere was a little tense, Emperor Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty burst into a hearty laugh: "Hahaha! It seems that Lord Li has been traveling outside for so long that he has forgotten the court etiquette."

As he spoke, the Tang Emperor waved his hand, with a look of tolerance: "Forget it, forget it. Li Aiqing is a meritorious official of our Tang Dynasty, and a person who transcends the secular world. Even if you do not bow to me, it is not a big deal."

Although the Emperor of Tang said so, Li Chunfeng felt that there seemed to be other thoughts hidden behind this "pretending to be magnanimous".

For Li Chunfeng, he had been in Chechi before and had long been accustomed to the atmosphere there. In Chechi, there was no such cumbersome and strict kneeling etiquette, but the concept of "everyone is equal, the world is united" was upheld. Regardless of whether they were rich or poor, noble or humble, and regardless of their positions, people were equal in "personality", and there was no distinction between high and low. (End of this chapter)