A Tale of Encounters with Immortals: A Peach Blossom Temple in the Martial World

"Snapped!"

A golden hoop was slammed onto the table.

Consumption is just that—consumption. Zhang Zhengdao has plenty of money; he can make money anytime.

"Real gold!"

Zhang Zhengdao said.

The female shopkeeper was absolutely certain it was real gold, but this thing looked like a Buddha's headband. Could she really accept it?

In this world, there are some people you shouldn't provoke, especially when you get closer to Xiniu Hezhou. Although the strength of various factions here is relatively weak, it is still adjacent to the Buddha's territory.

"Master, five taels of silver is enough. You don't need that much."

Although the female shopkeeper is very capable and has a certain reputation, it's best to be cautious about things that are clearly Buddhist, as Buddhism has a powerful influence.

"I have no money, only this!" Zhang Zhengdao spread his hands.

The female shopkeeper said, "You can buy on credit."

Zhang Zhengdao asked in surprise, "Aren't you afraid I won't pay you back?"

The female shopkeeper said, "Those who don't repay the money are bound by fate. Those who repay the money are bound by kindness."

These words made Zhang Zhengdao even less willing to owe money.

He took the golden hoop in his hand, casually shaped it into a gold ingot, and placed it back on the table, laughing, "What you care about is just the form of this golden hoop. Whether it's a golden hoop or a gold ingot, it's still gold. So people care about the psychological feelings that external things bring, but often ignore their essential meaning."

The female shopkeeper picked up the gold and looked at Zhang Zhengdao.

What is the essential meaning of gold?

Zhang Zhengdao: "Money!"

The female shopkeeper was taken aback and repeated, "Money?"

He then burst into laughter and said to Zhang Zhengdao, "Daoist Master, if you weren't a monk, I would have started to like you. You're quite interesting."

Zhang Zhengdao said in a serious tone: "Female lay Buddhist, even those who cultivate the Tao can get married."

The female shopkeeper suddenly blushed and spat lightly, "Pah, so he's just an improper Taoist priest."

He then took a gold ingot, weighed it at the counter, and said, "It's a full thirty taels. How much change do I need? Let me calculate it again."

Guanyin Bodhisattva is really generous.

A gold hoop costs thirty taels, which is equivalent to wearing three or four pounds of gold on one's head.

Sun Wukong has something weighing three or four pounds dangling on his head every day; no wonder he's uncomfortable and his cultivation has declined. What disciple would wear something so heavy on their head?

After calculating rapidly for a long time, the female shopkeeper finally figured it out.

"I should give you two hundred and thirty-five taels of silver in change!"

After saying that, she actually gathered some large silver ingots and some loose silver coins from the counter, counted them again, and then handed them to Zhang Zhengdao.

Zhang Zhengdao didn't even look at it; he simply swept his sleeve over and the large pile of silver on the table disappeared.

"Let's go, boss lady, the wine in your shop is really bad."

Zhang Zhengdao reached the door and said something.

The proprietress laughed in exasperation.

"How dare you say that in front of people? Aren't you afraid of getting beaten up?"

Zhang Zhengdao: "Who dares to hit me? With the Emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty in power, my might shakes the four seas and eight directions..."

The female shopkeeper covered her mouth with one hand, laughing so hard she almost fell over.

Yes, it is indeed a funny joke.

Here, the Tang Dynasty's power is now reduced to a mere title.

The true golden age of the Tang Dynasty, with its vast territory, had not yet truly arrived.

Zhang Zhengdao walked out the door, then came back and said to the female shopkeeper, "The food is really not good. I'll come again next time!" After saying that, he leisurely left the shop.

The female shopkeeper covered her mouth, laughing so hard she bent over.

A truly capable person can make anything they say sound humorous. A person with limited ability, like the Desert Golden Knife King, can make people feel disgusted with their words. That's the difference.

The fighting outside has stopped.

Corpses littered the ground, with one enormous body lying right in the middle of the street. It was none other than the arrogant Desert Golden Saber King. Who would have thought that after dominating the desert for over twenty years, he would finally die at the hands of the Sunset Warrior.

The Sunset Warriors don't seem to be doing too well either.

He sat leaning against the earthen wall by the street, his chest heaving rapidly, his breathing loud.

Zhang Zhengdao walked over, squatted down, looked at him, and said, "Do you know that a girl has been looking for you?"

The Sunset Warrior smiled, his smile as warm as the setting sun.

It doesn't have a dazzling golden light that makes it hard to open your eyes, nor does it have a scorching heat that makes it hard to breathe. Even in the sweltering heat of the desert, this warmth is enough to make you feel at ease.

"I know!"

"So you plan to die by the roadside and then have her collect your body?"

"No, I plan to live, to hold on until she comes here. I want to see her with my own eyes. That way I can die in peace." The Sunset Warrior said this with a sense of relief.

"But you won't be able to hold out until she arrives."

"Life and death are predestined!"

Zhang Zhengdao said, "I'll give you a pill that can save your life and even restore your injuries to their original state. Do you want it?"

Sunset Warrior: "What are your demands?"

Zhang Zhengdao said, "Yes, if one day... you find that you really love Fairy Lin Hua, then promise me, marry her, and don't let either of you have any regrets."

Sunset Warrior: "Do you know Fairy Lin Hua?"

Zhang Zhengdao: "No, I'm just a good person. I can't bear to see lovers unable to be together."

After he finished speaking, he stood up and walked towards the desert.

The direction he went was the Moyun Cave on Mount Jilei, the westward route of the Bull Demon King.

It is said that the Bull Demon King is getting married.

If the plot is accurate, the woman the Bull Demon King is supposed to marry should be Fairy Zixia. Five hundred years after Sun Wukong's escape, it seems there aren't many people left who can save Zixia.

The wedding day is still two weeks away.

Zhang Zhengdao wasn't in a hurry and walked slowly.

This world is indeed different from other worlds.

A dubious interpretation of Journey to the West.

As Zhang Zhengdao passed through a grove of poplar trees, he encountered a woman. If he hadn't looked closely, he might have mistaken her for Fairy Zixia.

But she is not Zixia Fairy, because this woman likes to wear white dresses.

"The Fairy of the Forest Flowers?"

While Zhang Zhengdao was resting on the ground, he looked at the woman who was approaching and asked her a question.

The woman in the white dress was taken aback and looked at Zhang Zhengdao: "I don't know you."

Zhang Zhengdao: "I know you. You're from the city, right? Are you going to see someone?"

Fairy Lin Hua laughed and said, "Taoist, your methods of flirting with girls are very old-fashioned and lack originality. These days, who is traveling the world either looking for someone or on their way to look for someone?"

Zhang Zhengdao: "No, I'm looking for someone because I have someone in my heart. Someone like me who has no one in my heart just wants to find things to do. Life is long, and if there are no interesting things to do, wouldn't it be hard to get through?"

Fairy Lin Hua: "What you said makes a lot of sense."

Zhang Zhengdao: "In the small town ahead, there's a sunset warrior waiting for you."

Upon hearing this, Fairy Lin Hua's eyes lit up, and her emotions immediately surged.

"goodbye!"

The figure moved swiftly, already three or four zhang away.

After watching Lin Hua Fairy disappear, Zhang Zhengdao said to the poplar forest, "You've been watching for so long, come out now. I knew you'd be hiding here."

As a result, the three of them, Tang Sanzang and his disciples, came out leading a white horse.

Tang Sanzang put his hands together and said, "Daoist Master, we meet again."

Zhang Zhengdao nodded: "I see you again, monk. You didn't go to Moyun Cave on Mount Jilei to freeload after hearing about the Bull Demon King's wedding, did you?"

Tang Sanzang immediately blushed and retorted, "This humble monk is on his way to the Western Paradise to obtain the scriptures, and we will be passing through there. We are just passing by and will beg for a meal along the way."

Pigsy: "Master, we deliberately took a detour to beg for alms over there. It's not shameful to say it out loud."

Sha Wujing nodded, "Master, I'm hungry!"

Tang Sanzang: "I'm hungry too."

Pigsy: "Brother Sandy, I'm hungry."

Zhang Zhengdao: ...

So you're all hungry? Why are you staring at me like that? Trying to beg for food from me?

Zhang Zhengdao picked up the gourd, took a swig of wine, and sighed, "I'm so hungry I can only drink. It's a pity... you monks don't drink, what a pity!"

Pigsy: "It's okay for a monk to drink alcohol once in a while."

Tang Sanzang looked at Zhu Bajie: "Bajie, do you know why we named you this? It's because we hoped you would not kill, steal, indulge in lust, lie, drink alcohol, sleep on luxurious beds, dress up, watch or listen to singing and dancing, or eat food out of season... But you, now you want to drink alcohol."

Pigsy interrupted, "Master, on our journey together, I, Pigsy, have long since broken the precepts. It's wrong not to eat at inappropriate times; sometimes I'm starving, sometimes I'm full. If I eat in the morning, I might not eat at night, and if I eat at night, I might not eat in the morning... Last time you heard those willow spirits singing and dancing..."

Tang Sanzang said, "Does breaking one precept mean breaking two more? Three more? Or should we just abandon all precepts altogether? What kind of monk are we then? What kind of pilgrimage are we going to do? Why don't we divide the luggage right now, everyone disperse, and I won't be your master anymore..."

Pigsy: "Master... no, Tang Dynasty monk, is what you said true?"

Sha Wujing quickly said, "Master means..."

Pigsy: "Shut up! Do you understand what Master means? If you understand, why aren't you Master?"

Tang Sanzang: "Amitabha, when Guanyin Bodhisattva entrusted you to me, it was because she saw a glimmer of Buddha-nature in your hearts. She believed that with a little sacrifice, you could achieve enlightenment. Why give up halfway? Was I wrong? Was Guanyin Bodhisattva wrong? If I was wrong, I can apologize to you. If Guanyin Bodhisattva was wrong, if I were to encounter her, I would also ask her to apologize to you..."

Pigsy's face turned black.

You want Guanyin Bodhisattva to apologize to me? You want me dead!