Near noon the next day, Li Chuan and Zhang Yuanwai arrived at Chongfu Temple. Accompanied by the host, we burned incense and ate vegetarian food. Zhang Yuanwai talked with the host about Buddhist scriptures. After listening for a while, Li Chuan felt drowsy. After asking about the location of Monk Wukong, he went to find himself.
Wu Kong meditated and chanted sutras in the meditation room. After Li Chuan entered, he still had his eyes closed.
Li Chuan felt very comfortable. He moved a stool and sat down by the window. He found a Buddhist scripture and read a few pages, looked at the scenery, and turned a few more pages.
Wukong finished reciting the scripture, put down his beads, opened his eyes, and said, "Donor Li, thanks to you, the temple has become very popular in recent days, and there are almost no monks left."
"Ah?" Li Chuan was confused.
"What happened in Xiushan County? I heard that people from a village died there, and the murderer moved the entire mountain away. People from Qintian Prison went to investigate, but they also disappeared. People from several surrounding counties , Everyone is in danger!" Wu Kong smiled and described in an exaggerated way, "So, there are a lot more people coming to offer incense and pray for peace. Isn't it the business brought by Brother Li?"
Li Chuan understood, and he smiled and said, "Then you have to give me a commission."
"It's useless to talk to the host. It's useless to talk to me." After saying that, Wu Kong walked to Li Chuan and found a chair to sit down. He said, "Tell me quickly what's going on in Xiushan County." ?”
Li Chuan didn't hide anything from him, but only hid the Xin Yuan part, and then told him everything exactly.
After hearing this, Wu Kong's expression turned solemn. After a moment of silence, he said, "So that's it."
Li Chuan said: "Fortunately, the matter has been settled. Xia Linshan has reappeared. It is estimated that the rumors will end in a while."
"Yes," Wukong agreed with Li Chuan's statement. Then he suddenly remembered something and said, "Do you know the Spirit Fish King of Suliu Lake?"
"I've heard of it, what's wrong?" Li Chuan asked.
"I heard that he has gathered a group of elite soldiers and generals and is going to declare war with Gong Wuguang." Wu Kong said.
"Declaring war with Qin Tianjian? Doesn't that mean declaring war with the imperial court? Does he think he has a long life?"
"This is what he said. Gong Wuguang deliberately set up a trap to kill his brothers, King Shilong and King Black Horn, and destroyed the agreement between the imperial court and the great demon. They said that as long as the imperial court hands over Gong Wuguang, He will cease the war and ask the court to protect him, and the demons of Suliu Lake will fight to the end."
"Is the relationship between monsters so good?" Li Chuan asked suspiciously.
"I also think it's a pretense. Now Qin Tian Jian has also issued a notice to start recruiting troops. I also heard that the palace supervisor's eldest apprentice, the second apprentice, has arrived at Su Liu Lake. It is estimated that the Su Liu Lake will start soon. Slay the demon."
Gold melts in Suliu Lake?
"Is this news true?" Li Chuan asked.
"Which part are you referring to?" Wu Kong asked.
"The first apprentice and the second apprentice are at Suliu Lake."
"This is not certain." Wukong saw Li Chuan's troubled expression and asked hurriedly: "What's wrong?"
"I originally planned to go to the capital to find Jin Rong, the second disciple. If he is at Suliu Lake now..." Li Chuan said his difficulty, "It is not impossible to go to Suliu Lake by changing the route, but I am afraid of going there. , and since he’s not here, it’s just a waste of time.”
"In my opinion, it is safer for Brother Li to go to the capital first. Even if he is not in the capital and is in Suliu Lake, if there is definite news, he can just make another trip. If he rushes to Suliu Lake, if his arrangement is ruined, then It’s not beautiful anymore.” Wu Kong expressed his thoughts.
After hearing this, Li Chuan was convinced.
Wu Kong then added: "I want to go this time when the Qintian Supervisor is recruiting troops. Brother Li, can you give me a ride?"
Li Chuan was a little surprised when he heard this. In his memory, Wu Kong was not much braver than him. He only dared to fight the country monsters and did not dare to face the Xuanshui Mountain monster.
"Suliu Lake... there may be many powerful demon cultivators... So" Li Chuan told Wu Kong what he heard in Tianju Mountain, "Those demon cultivators I saw, although they said I won’t go, but there are a few who are obviously moved... those are demon cultivators who are protected by the Four Gods Palace."
Then Li Chuan expressed his doubts, "What benefits did King Lingyu give them, so that these demon cultivators in Xuanmen have to take a trip into this muddy water?"
The same goes for those big demons. If they don't cultivate themselves well, why would they come to the human world to occupy territory?
Wu Kong replied: "I don't know either. But... I just thought that the last time I suppressed the monsters in Xuanshui Mountain, I finally got a bad breath. If this time because of the unfavorable war, the imperial court abandoned the palace eunuch and surrendered again, those monsters I don’t know how arrogant he will become.”
He said: "I didn't want to go at first... A few days ago, a friend of mine invited me to go to Beijing with him, but I refused. He said something to me before he left, and this sentence has been going over and over in my heart these days. Yes. So today you are here and you are going to the capital. I think this is Buddha telling me that I should go to the capital."
"What are the words?" Li Chuan asked.
"Only mortals are worth saving if they are not afraid of death."
Li Chuan disagreed, "We defended Yunqiao Township and hunted monsters in winter. We saved not a thousand lives, but hundreds. How can we say that not going to the capital is just fear of death and it is useless?"
"I also want to visit the capital. I think my practice has reached a bottleneck recently. I might be able to break through by going out for a walk." After saying that, Wu Kong smiled and asked Li Chuan, "Brother Li, when the time comes, you have to help me." I can arrange a casual job where I can get money and be safe, such as letting a few experts protect me while reciting sutras."
Li Chuan knew that he could no longer persuade him, so he said, "I will set off after lunch the day after tomorrow. Let's meet under the big tree in front of the village then?"
"Okay, it just so happens that I still have some things to arrange."
"What's the matter?" Li Chuan asked casually.
"I can't tell you clearly. If Brother Li is interested, why don't you come with me for a walk now?"
"Okay." Li Chuan agreed immediately.
Zhang Yuanwai wanted to stay in the temple for one night. After Li Chuan told him, he followed Wu Kong and left Chongfu Temple.
Wukong carried a bamboo basket on his back and led him on a small path. He zigzagged to many houses and collected a lot of medicinal materials, all of which were common, such as Codonopsis, Angelica, Poria and the like.
Some of these families have orphans and widowers, and some only have two siblings. They are all poor families.
Judging from Wu Kong’s conversations with these people, it’s obvious that this behavior has been going on for a long time. Every time he collected a family, he would tell them that he would be going out in the near future and his return date was uncertain, and he would ask them to go to the market to sell them later without waiting for him.
The price for no-empty acquisitions is not high.
Li Chuan calculated that it should be about the same as the normal market price, and he would lower the price when he saw something of poor quality. But if these people sell them piecemeal, they probably won't be able to sell them at the market price.
When we finished collecting the last household, it was already dark. Wu Kong took Li Chuan back.
Li Chuan asked him: "How long have you been doing this?"
Wu Kong replied: "About five or six years ago, starting when I came to Chongfu Temple... I taught them how to identify herbal medicines, and then sold them to me, and I then sold them to a herb shop I know well."
After sleeping one night at Chongfu Temple and resting for another day at home, Li Chuan set off. When I was waiting for Monk Wukong under the big tree at the entrance of the village, I found that Wukong had brought someone with him. He was a man in his thirties, with a burly build, carrying a large hammer behind his back, and several hammers of different sizes hanging around his waist.
Wu Kong introduced: "You can just call him Blacksmith Cen. He... is considered a half-baked weapon refiner. He made my wooden stick and Brother Tong's bow and arrows. From now on, if you need a kitchen knife or something like that, he can do it." Looking for him. When he heard that I decided to go to the capital, he came to look for me and wanted to go with me."
(End of chapter)
