As for Tang Seng and his disciples, they were obstructed within the region of Gao Village and unable to continue west.
Several days passed, and the progress of Ao Tu’s system quickly increased from twelve days to fifteen.
If the rewards were settled now, Ao Tu could obtain three rewards: a Three-Turn Golden Pill, True Dragon Essence Blood, and a Purple-veined Immortal Peach.
Ao Tu’s current cultivation was at the mid-stage of the Profound Immortal realm, close to the late stage. There was still some medicinal power from the Six-Turn Golden Pill in his body that had yet to be fully refined. If he could take another Three-Turn Golden Pill, then though it would not increase his cultivation as much as the Six-Turn Golden Pill, it would still be enough for him to break through to the late-stage Profound Immortal realm.
After that, if he refined the True Dragon Essence Blood and the Purple-veined Immortal Peach together, there was a very high chance he could break through to the Golden Immortal realm.
An undying Golden Immortal, placed upon this road to the west, could also be considered a true expert.
Moreover, the system’s progress was still continuing to increase.
As long as he could hold out for another half a month, he would be able to obtain an extremely powerful acquired spiritual treasure—the Five-Fire Divine Flame Fan!
With this treasure, even Sun Wukong would not be his match. If Ananda came again, he would give Ananda a surprise!
At that time, within Gao Village, Bajie had worked for several days in a row, but he merely showed up without putting in any real effort, and no results could be seen at all.
The villagers were not fools either. At this rate, even if another ten years passed, they still would not receive their land. Thus, they once again went to Tang Seng, holding the deed Ao Tu had signed, and demanded that Tang Seng hand over the fields.
The villagers were all worked up with indignation. Tang Seng had no solution and could only lower his head to chant sutras, reciting Amitabha Buddha.
After the crowd had finally dispersed with great difficulty, Tang Seng questioned Bajie, asking why he did not put effort into his work.
Bajie also had his reasons and cried out bitterly:
“Master, it’s not that this old pig of yours won’t put in effort. This old pig is only one person, and there are several thousand mu of land here. Even oxen would be worked to death by the herd. How could I possibly manage it all by myself?”
When Tang Seng heard this, he felt it made sense.
But Sun Wukong said from the side:
“Master, don’t listen to this idiot’s nonsense. He was Marshal Tianpeng descended to the mortal world. When he mistook you for a demon before, he took my golden-banded staff head-on and toppled seven great mountains in one go. How is it that he has no strength now? In my view, he’s just asking for a beating!”
Bajie hurriedly hid behind Tang Seng and said:
“Master, this old pig did do wrong before, but I was also deceived by that demon. Though it seemed I wanted to beat you, in my heart I was thinking of protecting you. As the saying goes, monks do not hold on to old grudges. For the Bodhisattva’s sake, spare me!”
Tang Seng sighed and said:
“Sparing you is easy, but now, in this Gao Village, how are we master and disciples to get through?”
Bajie said:
“Master, that is easy. Senior Brother used to be in charge of farming and animal husbandry in the Heavenly Court, and his official rank was extremely high. Leave this matter to him. It is what he is best at.”
When Sun Wukong heard this, he moved to strike Bajie.
“Idiot, what nonsense are you spouting? Looking for a beating!”
Bajie dodged around Tang Seng and said:
“How am I spouting nonsense? Back then, when you guarded the Immortal Peach Garden, those tree-hoeing strongmen, water-carrying strongmen, peach-tending strongmen, and sweeping strongmen—which one of them wasn’t under your command? As they say, even when a man leaves, the tea does not immediately go cold. Go up to Heaven and call a few of them down. Would you still fear this land cannot be cultivated?”
After Sun Wukong heard this, he could not help but recall the past, and his hand stopped.
Seeing this, Tang Seng advised him, “Disciple, if you truly have such ability, then make the trip and settle the matter of Gao Village. Then we master and disciples can continue west to fetch the scriptures.”
Hearing this, Sun Wukong sighed and said:
“Master, there is something you do not know. Back then, this old Sun stole peaches and pills and committed many wrongs. I fear the local gods and strongmen in that garden were all implicated because of me. Now, I’m afraid it will be hard to meet old acquaintances.”
Tang Seng said, “Disciple! Have you not heard that knowing one’s faults and being able to change is the greatest good? The Buddha’s words say: All the evil karma created in the past was born of beginningless greed, hatred, and delusion; arising from body, speech, and mind, I now repent it all!”
When Sun Wukong heard this, he was finally moved.
“Very well, Master. This old Sun will make a trip to the Heavenly Court. But there is one thing: this old Sun never does anything without proper credit. After I leave, Bajie, you must explain the cause of this matter clearly to the villagers. The one helping them is the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, not that demon.”
When Bajie heard this, he said:
“Senior Brother, just rest assured. That great household in Gao Village, Old Master Gao, was originally my father-in-law. I’ll go find him and have him explain everything clearly to everyone.”
Sun Wukong smiled at Bajie and said:
“Idiot, I didn’t expect that you were a householder monk!”
Bajie said:
“Senior Brother, why are you making fun of me like that? People often say there are Daoists who cultivate at home without abandoning worldly affairs, and they are called householder Daoists. But where is there any saying of a householder monk?”
Sun Wukong said, “You still have a father-in-law in this place. If that isn’t a householder monk, then what is?”
Bajie said, “Those are all old matters from years ago.”
Sun Wukong laughed and walked outside. With one somersault, he flew up to the Southern Heavenly Gate.
Before the Southern Heavenly Gate, Pang, Liu, Gou, and Bi bowed at the waist, while Ma, Zhao, Wen, and Guan cupped their hands with bent backs.
Sun Wukong waved his hand and said, “Everyone, dispense with the courtesies. Please trouble yourselves to report that this old Sun wishes to see the Jade Emperor.”
This was truly a strange thing. The monkey who had once caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace now understood etiquette as well.
After some time, the Jade Emperor issued a decree summoning Sun Wukong inside.
When he arrived in the Lingxiao Hall, Sun Wukong gave a grand salute and stated what he sought.
The Jade Emperor, Heavenly Venerable, heard the report and issued a decree: “Since it is as Wukong has reported, the local gods and strongmen of the Immortal Peach Garden are hereby ordered to be at Wukong’s disposal.”
Sun Wukong gave thanks and, without further mention, rode the clouds to the Immortal Peach Garden.
On this journey, things had truly remained while people had changed. Of the local gods, strongmen, and immortal officials he had once seen, not even one in ten remained.
Because the Great Sage had wreaked havoc in the Peach Garden back then, the Queen Mother had punished them. Some had been demoted to the mortal world, while others had been stripped of their immortal registers. A lifetime of bitter cultivation had scattered in a single morning...
Sun Wukong recalled the past and could not help feeling sorrowful.
As the saying goes, one day in Heaven is one year on earth.
Because Tang Seng had not been captured by a demon, Sun Wukong was not in a hurry. By the time he had gathered enough strongmen and descended to the mortal world, more than ten days had already passed on Gao Village’s side.
Sun Wukong brought a group of strongmen from the immortal palace and descended to the lower realm.
The strongmen swung their hoes, the earth turned over, and mu after mu of wasteland was reclaimed into fields in the blink of an eye.
Other strongmen sprinkled immortal spring water, and ordinary land instantly became top-grade fertile fields.
All the villagers and common folk of Gao Village knelt to offer thanks, crying out that immortals had descended to earth.
After those immortal palace strongmen finished their work, they naturally returned to the Heavenly Palace, which need not be mentioned further.
On Tang Seng’s side, he originally wished to leave that very day, but as the sky had already grown late, and the common folk urged them to stay and entertained them with a vegetarian feast, they stayed in Gao Village for one more day.
The next day, Tang Seng and his disciples began to leave Gao Village.
As for Ao Tu’s side, the system’s progress happened to reach the thirtieth day.
This made him rejoice inwardly, thinking to himself that his luck was not bad.
However, what he had not expected was that the system’s progress did not stop calculating. Tang Seng and his disciples walked for another three days, and only after crossing Fuling Mountain did the system finally begin settlement.
At this time, the progress had already reached thirty-three days.
It turned out that the Gao Village region as determined by the system did not only include Gao Village itself, but also the large area of Fuling Mountain. All of it counted as part of the Gao Village region.
【Ding, rewards are being settled. Total interception time: thirty-three days.】
【Ding, reward obtained: Three-Turn Golden Pill.】
【Ding, reward obtained: True Dragon Essence Blood.】
【Ding, reward obtained: Purple-veined Immortal Peach.】
【Ding, reward obtained: acquired spiritual treasure · Five-Fire Divine Flame Fan.】
【Ding, the excess three days have been automatically transferred to the next side mission. The next side mission is: Wind Rises at Dusk.】