Chaos Spirit Field

The sun and moon alternate, the seasons change, and time slips by unnoticed. Over a year had passed since that thrilling battle. Yet, since then, Nuwa had vanished from the face of the earth, never to be seen again. Zhao Shanhe pondered, calculating with his fingers, but found nothing, and couldn't help but laugh.

Tianpeng, who was standing by, witnessed this scene and hurried forward a few steps to Zhao Shanhe's side. With a broad smile on his face, he asked flatteringly, "Master, what on earth did you figure out that makes you so happy?"

Zhao Shanhe raised his lips slightly and replied casually, "Today is sunny and pleasant, and my mood is naturally happy. Time without anyone to disturb me is truly wonderful!"

Tianpeng's face immediately turned sullen when he heard these words, and he turned and left silently. He mistakenly thought that his master disliked his noisy and annoying behavior, but he didn't know that it was because Nuwa would not bother him again.

Zhao Shanhe knew that Nuwa was a restless woman, not one to remain quiet. She had endured a year-long absence, most likely due to some kind of restraint or restriction, depriving her of her freedom of movement. In the Three Realms, only saints could restrain saints.

As one of the many saints, Nuwa's power wasn't at its peak, but it was certainly not ordinary. The two Western saints couldn't possibly possess such power. It seemed the Three Pure Ones must have joined forces to confine her to the Eight Scenery Palace, otherwise the deduction technique wouldn't have failed.

Zhao Shanhe wasn't worried about the Three Pure Ones joining forces. After all, even if a sage possessed omnipotent powers, being unable to attack wouldn't cause much trouble. The real headache was Nuwa, the goddess who could attack at will. Without her as a variable, the outcome of the Journey to the West might be rewritten.

In the land of Jinyu, there lived a prominent local squire named Kou An, known as "Mr. Kou." He was a wealthy man, possessing thousands of acres of fertile land and amassing a vast fortune. Unfortunately, despite his talent, Mr. Kou fell ill with a terminal illness, and doctors diagnosed him with only two years to live. Just as he was sinking into despair, a wandering monk visited him with astonishing news: by hosting 10,000 monks, he would encounter the one who could extend his life. After over a year of tireless effort, he finally entertained 9,996 monks, just four short of completing his mission.

That day, Zhao Shanhe and his group arrived at Luye County. They were stopped at the city gate. A man dressed as a steward said, "Excuse me, esteemed monks! My master, Mr. Kou, is hosting a gathering of 10,000 monks. May I ask which temples you are from?"

Tian Peng received Zhao Shanhe's instructions and said, "We are monks from the Great Zhou Dynasty. We don't need your food. Please get out of the way."

The steward was frightened by Tianpeng's ferocious appearance. To avoid being punished by Mr. Kou, he said, "Dear monks, as the saying goes, helping others is helping yourself. The entire area within a hundred miles is my master's property. Please give me some face and help him fulfill his wish."

Zhao Shanhe said, "Tianpeng, it wouldn't hurt to take a look."

Tianpeng said, "Why don't you lead the way?"

The steward quickly said, "Senior monks, please come this way."

Zhao Shanhe and his group followed the steward to the Kou family manor. Upon hearing the news, Mr. Kou rushed over and said enthusiastically, "Kou An greets the four eminent monks. Please forgive me for any negligence."

Tianpeng said coldly: "You, the housekeeper, are so unreasonable. You dragged us here by force. This is how you treat guests."

Kou An's expression changed. He quickly said, "I have failed to discipline my subordinates. I beg the monks to forgive me. Come, take Steward Mei away and give him twenty lashes as a warning to others."

Tianpeng said with a smile: "You, a mortal, are quite knowledgeable about the True Buddha. Why don't you prepare some wine and food?"

Kou An quickly said, "I'll have someone prepare it right away. Please come this way, senior monks."

After a satisfying meal and a few drinks, Zhao Shanhe and his group went to rest. Kou An said to Manager Mei, "Mei Liangxin, do you know the names and origins of these monks?"

Steward Mei covered his butt and said, "Master, that fat monk was too fierce, so I didn't dare to ask more questions. I heard that handsome monk called the fat monk Tianpeng, which should be Zhu Bajie, the Tianpeng Marshal in Journey to the West. The monk with a face full of hair is probably Sun Wukong, and the one with a big beard should be Sha Seng. Congratulations, master, your opportunity has come."

Kou An said happily: "More than a year of hard work has finally paid off. The dead can really live again."

Mei Liangxin said, "Master, how could what the True Buddha said be false? Hasn't everything come true?"

Kou An nodded in agreement and said, "That makes sense. If anything goes wrong, I'll hold you accountable."

Mei Liangxin thought to himself that this was a good opportunity. If the real Buddha protected a wicked person like you who was rich but unkind, he would be truly blind.

On a dark, windy night, a night for murder, Mei Liangxin came to Kou An's room with a sharp knife. He looked at Kou An, who was completely drunk, and said, "Sister, I can finally avenge you. You can rest in peace in your grave."

At this moment, a voice came, saying: "Chen Xue is really a rare beauty, but unfortunately her temperament is too strong. She died before I had enough fun with her."

Mei Liangxin was horrified when she heard this and said in fear, "Kou An, why aren't you drunk? I clearly saw you drink so much."

Kou An said, "There's a kind of wine jug in this world called the Yin-Yang jug. Mei Liangxin, I should call you Chen Feng. I've earned this fortune, so how could I be so foolish as to put my life in someone else's hands? Where did you get that copy of Journey to the West? Is the information in it true?"

Chen Feng said sadly, "Kou An, although I can't kill you with my own hands, you won't live for many months."

Kou An said, "Chen Feng, you don't need to worry about when I die. Tell me the truth about where you got that Journey to the West, and you'll be spared the pain."

Chen Feng said, "It's okay to tell you. I got the copy of Journey to the West from the corpse of a wandering monk. You evil man, the real Buddha will not bless you."

Kou An smiled and said, "My illness is far more serious than you know. If it weren't for the monks' prayers, I would have died half a year ago. It seems that everything recorded in Journey to the West is true. A mere fifteen years of life is no match for this master. I want immortality."

Chen Feng shouted, "Kou An, you actually want to deal with Tang Monk, who is the reincarnation of the True Buddha."

Kou An said, "I am a kind-hearted man. How could I harm the True Buddha? If you can cut off a piece of Tang Monk's flesh, I will let you and your sister be buried together. Otherwise, I will send Chen Xue's remains to the White Bone Temple, where she will never be reborn."