Journey to the West: Begins with Tiger Vanguard

Chapter 117 Kill three birds with one stone!
"In every city and town, countless people went there in person."

When Tang Sanzang heard the middle-aged king say such words to him, not only was Tang Sanzang himself who was sitting on the throne shocked, but Qi Hu who was resting with his eyes closed was also shocked at this moment.

But it was different from Tang Sanzang's momentary surprise and regret, and his tone was too full of emotion.

Qi Hu was surprised but happy and delighted!

Tang Sanzang didn't know exactly how big Chechi Kingdom was.

He still knew a little bit. In addition to the capital of Chechi Kingdom, which was the largest, most extensive, most prosperous and bustling, there were dozens of other small towns in the entire Chechi Kingdom.

Moreover, these small towns are widely distributed throughout the entire Chechi Kingdom.

Back then, when he had just killed the former national master Benzhen and became the national master, he almost traveled all over Chechi Kingdom in order to solve the drought in Chechi Kingdom.

At that time, he did not run from city to town, but instead gave advance notice and then performed the rain-praying method in the largest of several towns that were close to each other.

Although he was already very proficient in the rain-praying technique at that time, the Chechi Kingdom was too large and the towns were too far apart, so he had no choice but to use this method.

Notifying the people in advance means asking them to prepare buckets, basins, and water tanks to collect rainwater, or any containers that can hold water.

That's it.

Qi Hu traveled all over the country in a very rough and cursory manner, but it took him more than a year.

If Tang Sanzang really did as the king said and traveled throughout the entire Chechi Kingdom to hold a ceremony to repay the sins committed by that group of monks in the past few decades, it would definitely not be accomplished without one or two years, or even two or three years.

If he could really stop Tang Sanzang's pilgrimage team in Chechi Kingdom for two years, no, one year would be enough. Even if it was only half a year, it would definitely be a great achievement.

It was far beyond his previous expectations.

Although he hinted to the king during his previous conversation with the king that he would make things difficult for the team, he never said it explicitly, let alone specifically how he would make things difficult for them.

Because he was afraid of leaving clues, Sun Wukong was too powerful.

At the same time, he also believed that the king, who had sat on the throne for decades, could clearly understand his thoughts.

really.

The king did not disappoint him.

For the first time, the pilgrim team was expelled in public without any mercy.

Now he has even used his ultimate move to stop the pilgrim team for several years.

In this case, how could Qi Hu not be happy.

If this succeeds, he will not resort to any other tricks.

Because the obstruction to the team of pilgrims has been enough, too much is as bad as too little.

On the contrary, he will send people to assist Tang Sanzang's team to help them better complete the national tour of the Dharma Assembly.

In this way, he not only perfectly completed the task assigned by Zhang Tianshi, but also could further make friends with the pilgrims team, Sun Wukong and Tang Sanzang, and even Zhu Bajie and Sha Seng; and even in the end, he could get some merit.

Yes, although this national tour Dharma Assembly is a huge project, it will be very time-consuming and energy-intensive.

But if it is completed, it will also be a great achievement for Tang Sanzang and the team.

I helped Qi Hu from behind and got some benefits.

In this way, if this matter is accomplished, it can be said to be killing three birds with one stone!

this moment.

Qi Hu, who was surprised, also opened his eyes and looked towards the center of the hall below. Tang Sanzang's expression changed slightly, and he secretly hoped, will he agree?

But then, Qi Hu understood in his heart: Tang Sanzang could not refuse.

Last time, it was Tang Sanzang himself who wasted an opportunity.

This time, if he refuses again, there will be no room for reconciliation, and the king will directly expel them from Chechi Kingdom.

And Qi Hu, as Rulai said before, will not help anymore.

Therefore, as long as Tang Sanzang is not stupid and as long as he still wants to travel west to obtain Buddhist scriptures, he cannot refuse.

For a while.

Just by looking at Tang Sanzang's slightly changing expression and rapidly rising and falling chest, you could tell that he was extremely unsettled.

But soon, Tang Sanzang bowed again and said, "Amitabha, I am sure, I hope Your Majesty will grant my approval!"

"I'm sure!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Look at Tang Sanzang to express his gratitude.

At this moment, except for the four masters and apprentices of the pilgrimage team, all the ministers, the king, and Qi Hu in the court were probably happy.

"Elder Tang is indeed very righteous."

At this time, the middle-aged king on the throne spoke again. Just by looking at the king's smiling face, you can tell how happy he is at this moment: "You are worthy of being a great monk from the Tang Dynasty in the East."

"Once the eminent monk has finished praying for the souls of the people of our country, I will definitely revoke the previous laws regarding Buddhism and no longer restrict or prohibit Buddhists from coming to our country of Chechi to preach and build temples."

"I will keep my word."

Listening to the king in front of him calling him by his name from the beginning, then to the master, then to Elder Tang, and now to the monk
And the king has now promised to lift the laws against Buddhism and no longer restrict or ban Buddhist preaching. These are exactly what he wanted to change and do when he first learned about the situation in Chechi Kingdom.

Now, there is no need for me to bring it up myself, as the king has brought it up directly.

Hearing how the king's attitude towards him had changed so much, it would be a lie for Tang Sanzang to say he was unhappy.

But
Eh.
Traveling all over Chechi Country to hold a Dharma Assembly is hard work, but it is worth it if it can change the attitude of the entire Chechi Country towards Buddhism.
For a while.

Tang Sanzang, with mixed feelings, finally put aside his other thoughts and bowed again, saying, "I would like to thank your Majesty in advance."

"It doesn't matter."

Seeing Tang Sanzang speak like this, the middle-aged king waved his hand and smiled, "I am not confused yet. The crimes committed by those scum have nothing to do with the monk. As long as the monk can help the innocent people in my country to be reborn, it will be a great achievement. I will not be stingy with the reward."

"Your Majesty, I have something to say."

At this time, behind Tang Sanzang, Sun Wukong finally spoke.

"Oh"

The middle-aged king looked at the three strange-looking disciples behind Tang Sanzang. The one with the smallest head, hairy face, thunder god mouth, and monk's robes was a little surprised. He couldn't help asking, "Who is he?"

Tang Sanzang immediately introduced: "This is my eldest disciple, Sun Wukong. It is with his help that I can get here."

"Humph"

Hearing what his master said, Zhu Bajie at the back snorted and was immediately dissatisfied. It turned out that it was all the credit of that monkey, and there was nothing he and Junior Brother Sha could do about it.
But Zhu Bajie is not a lawless person after all. He knows what kind of occasion this is and knows what to do.

If he were to go to another place, he would definitely have a good talk with his master.

But now, he just snorted lightly and said nothing more.

"So he is the elder's eldest disciple."

With Tang Sanzang's decision to go through so much trouble, the king was happy and naturally tolerant of the team. He smiled and said, "If you have anything to say, just say it."

"Thank you, Your Majesty"

Hearing the king's words, Sun Wukong immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, this country is vast, with countless people. It is really too big. If my master and I were to go to each city and town to hold a meeting, I'm afraid it would take several years to complete."

"My master was ordered to travel west to obtain Buddhist scriptures. This was not only an order from the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, but also from the Bodhisattva Guanyin."

At this point, Sun Wukong clasped his hands together and bowed towards the south, and continued, "If we delay for too long, I'm afraid it will be difficult to explain to the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty and the Bodhisattva."

Hear this.

How could the middle-aged king on the throne not hear the thoughts of the monkey-like monk in front of him? His expression quickly changed from smiling to expressionless. At this time, he asked in a calm voice: "According to what you said, do you want to take back what your master said before?"

Qi Hu, who watched all this quietly at the side and didn't say a word the whole time, couldn't help but think in his heart that it was as expected.

He guessed that Sun Wukong would definitely jump out and would not allow his master Tang Sanzang to be dragged in Chechi Kingdom for several years.

But it is not a good thing to anger the king at this time. If he is really offended, it will be really difficult unless he uses his magical powers to help his master pass the Chechi Kingdom.

And you must not use your magical powers easily, especially when your opponents are mortal humans.

Therefore, even if Sun Wukong has not spoken yet.
Qi Hu could guess what the other party was thinking. He would not refuse completely. He probably wanted to talk about the method of discount.

Just keep waiting and you will know.
Qi Hu can quickly analyze Sun Wukong's thoughts.

But Tang Sanzang was a little impatient. Seeing the king's face quickly becoming gloomy, his heart began to beat fast. He immediately stepped forward, reached out and pulled the corner of Sun Wukong's clothes, urging him to shut up.

But Sun Wukong ignored him and just turned around to give his master a reassuring look.

Seeing the look in his eldest disciple's eyes, although he was often disobedient, he was still very reliable. Tang Sanzang hesitated for a while, but finally let go of his hand. Of course, the main reason was that Tang Sanzang was afraid that it would be embarrassing to pester him now.

As for Sun Wukong, he didn't care about the king's change of expression, and just continued: "Your Majesty misunderstood, of course I didn't mean that. What I meant was, didn't Your Majesty say before that the treasury was empty and there was no way to hold a grand ceremony?"

"If Old Sun gets some money, and doesn't use a single cent from the national treasury, and holds a grand ceremony on his own, what do you think?"

Hear this.

On the throne, the middle-aged king suddenly realized, and his face suddenly brightened up. He smiled and said, "If you can get money to hold a grand ceremony, it will be a good thing. Although I can't help you, master and disciple, I will never hinder you."

"As long as you can fulfill your promise and pay off the debts owed to the monks in our country by your group of Buddhist disciples for many years, I will not care what method you use."

"I keep my word, and I hope you can return successfully soon."

"At that time, I will personally welcome you."

Hearing the king's words.

Sun Wukong chuckled and said, "That's all I have to say."

Beside the throne.

After hearing what Sun Wukong said, Qi Hu couldn't help but think to himself, as expected, he had guessed it right.

Sun Wukong did not refuse, but instead thought of a way to speed up the mission.

However, if Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing really wanted to get money, with their strength and magical powers, they could easily get a lot of it.

But the key point now is that they are now on the journey to the West with their master, and they cannot use their magic power easily.

Not to mention being used to directly help them get through the difficult times.

Therefore, it is not easy for Sun Wukong and the team to make money without violating any rules.

Just when Qi Hu was surprised by Sun Wukong's move and was secretly analyzing it.

Then he saw the monkey turn its head and look at him, and even winked at him.

For an instant.

Qi Hu immediately realized that this guy was targeting him again.

Only then did he remember that he was the state master of Chechi State and had close ties with them. It didn't seem to be against the rules to take money from him to hold a meeting.

Sun Wukong is indeed a smart guy, with a very flexible and useful brain.

However, his Jinshan Temple has never been engaged in production and relies entirely on funding from the imperial palace. Normal expenses are fine, but it is naturally impossible to get large sums of money.

The Imperial Master's Mansion does have some assets, which were all given to it by powerful people in the country or by those who used their connections to curry favor with them.

But it’s not much.

Since Sun Wukong came to him, it would be no problem to give him some financial support. After all, he knew how long it would take and how difficult it would be to travel through the entire Chechi Kingdom.

Even if they provide some funding to Sun Wukong, it will still take a long time for the pilgrim team to complete the entire Chechi Kingdom's memorial service.

They are tired enough.

It's just right, and it can also bring me closer to the team that's seeking the scriptures.

Thinking of this.

So Qi Hu also gave Sun Wukong a reassuring look in return.

"That's it"

At this time, the middle-aged king said, "Then Elder Tang, you should go down and prepare. This matter is important and cannot be sloppy."

"Yes"

"I'm leaving now"

Hearing the king's urging, Tang Sanzang immediately saluted and was about to go out with his three disciples.

The king suddenly thought of something and said immediately, "Wait, I heard that you are still living in the Imperial Master's Temple. It's not good to disturb the Imperial Master. I will arrange a place for you to live."

But he didn't finish his words.

Zhu Bajie immediately said in a hurry: "Thank you, Your Majesty, but it is not necessary. We live very well in the Jinshan Temple!"

Isn’t it comfortable?

The room is big, the food is good, the sleep is good, and he doesn't have to cook by himself. How could he not like it?

Zhu Bajie just finished speaking in a hurry.

Sun Wukong also said immediately: "Don't bother your Majesty, we will stay at the Jinshan Temple."

I heard Tang Sanzang's two disciples speak.

The king was obviously very clear-headed. He didn't say anything, but just looked at the imperial teacher who was sitting on the throne beside him.

See the king.

Qi Hu said calmly: "Your Majesty, don't worry about this matter. Just let them live in my temple."

Hearing what the imperial teacher said, the king nodded and said nothing more.

soon.

Tang Sanzang then walked out of the court hall with his three disciples.

Walk towards the location of the carriage.

We arrived at the carriage we took when we came here.

Zhu Bajie muttered, "It's already time for dinner, and the king hasn't even arranged a meal for us." He walked forward to open the door of the carriage, and urged his master to go in and return to the temple for an early vegetarian meal.

Unexpectedly, Tang Sanzang just shook his head and said, "Wuneng, be patient, we will wait for Taoist Qi."

Zhu Bajie, who suddenly felt hungry, was immediately dissatisfied, but he could not change anything and could only walk aside and complain.

aside.

Sun Wukong came forward and stood beside Tang Sanzang and said, "Master, this is a serious matter. I'm afraid we will have to stay in Chechi Kingdom for a year or so."

"Ugh"

Hearing what his eldest disciple said, Tang Sanzang immediately sighed and said, "Master, I know this, but there is nothing I can do. Those bad apples have caused trouble and implicated you and me, master and disciple. They are really unkind."

When I heard the master's words, I immediately started complaining.

Sun Wukong didn't say anything either, he already knew what kind of person his master was.

Complained for a long time.

Tang Sanzang stopped talking until his mouth was dry. He sighed and said, "It doesn't matter if it takes a while. It can be regarded as atonement for our fellow disciples. It's a good thing. Although it's a little slow, I think the Bodhisattva and Buddha will know and understand us."

Inside the imperial palace.

Sitting on the throne, the middle-aged king looked at the courtiers and said, "Anything else?"

"If there is something to report, report it. If there is nothing to report, leave the court."

Your Majesty has just dealt with the matter of the Eastern monk and is feeling unusually happy.

The ministers did not want to spoil His Majesty's mood at this time, so they put down the memorials in their sleeves and remained silent.

"That's it"

Seeing that all the ministers were silent, the middle-aged king said, "Then let's adjourn the court."

talking.

The king immediately looked at Qi Hu who was standing beside him and said, "Master, please stay. I have something else to ask you."

Hear the king's words.

All the ministers were not surprised and left the palace one after another.

Qi Hu followed the king all the way to the imperial study.

The lady-in-waiting quickly began to make tea.

Soon, the entire imperial study was filled with the aroma of tea.

The middle-aged king declined the maid's service, reached out to pick up the teapot and poured two cups, then handed one to Qi Hu at the table opposite and said with a smile: "Master, please have some tea."

(End of this chapter)