Journey to the West: Tang Monk Conquers Everything

Liu Boqin, besides going up the mountain to hunt, had also cleared a small vegetable garden next to his house, where many vegetables seemed to be growing quite well.

"Elder, please rest for a while and have some water. I will go and prepare a vegetarian meal for you," Liu Boqin warmly said after inviting Jiang Liu to sit down.

"Wait, Benefactor Liu, I do have some knowledge in the Art of Kitchen, so allow me to handle it today. You just go and cleanly slaughter that wild boar," Jiang Liu interjected upon hearing Liu Boqin's words.

In the Tang Dynasty at that time, the methods of cooking were fairly simple, involving either roasting, boiling, or steaming, and there were hardly any other culinary techniques available, which Jiang Liu, accustomed to stir-fried dishes, found quite unsatisfying.

Since he was staying as a guest and was asking for help in finding Sun Wukong, Jiang Liu didn't mind showing off his cooking skills to let Liu Boqin taste his craftsmanship.

"Ah? Elder, you mean, this wild boar...?" Jiang Liu's words made Liu Boqin pause in confusion.

Monks eat vegetarian, don't they?

"Benefactor Liu, please go ahead, I do not abstain from meat," seeing Liu Boqin's astonished look, Jiang Liu said with a slight smile.

Liu Boqin went to clean up the wild boar while Jiang Liu set up a frame outside and took a wok out from his storage space.

On his long Journey to the West, since he had such a means as a storage space, he brought everything he could carry, including clothes, silver, and even pots and pans.

This wok was specially crafted by an artisan when Jiang Liu was in Chang'an City.

Soon, Liu Boqin skillfully handled the wild boar, and Jiang Liu cut out a large piece of fat.

The fat was sliced and placed in the wok to render the lard.

Naturally, oil is essential for stir-frying. Without vegetable oil, he had to extract animal fat from the pork fat.

As the fat shriveled in the wok, all of the oil from the fat was fried out, releasing a tantalizing aroma of lard that made Liu Boqin twitch his nose several times and lick his lips.

It smelled delicious.

In no time, Jiang Liu had prepared a big pot of braised wild boar with Chinese cabbage, and the rich meaty aroma was so compelling that Liu Boqin ended up eating three bowls of rice, filling his stomach to the brim.

Having had only some steamed buns at noon on Five Elements Mountain, Jiang Liu also ate heartily that evening.

A large pot of braised wild boar with Chinese cabbage was completely devoured by the two of them.

"Indeed, in life, food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, food is the most important," touching his belly, Jiang Liu nodded in satisfaction.

"Elder, you are the most unusual monk I have ever met. Your cooking is truly delicious," Liu Boqin said with a satisfied chuckle after he had eaten.

At that, pausing slightly, he added, "But Elder, why do you differ from other monks and not abstain from meat?"

"The wine and meat pass through the intestines, but the Buddha stays in the heart; my cultivation has reached such a level that I no longer need to adhere to these disciplinary rules," Jiang Liu answered, with his palms pressed together.

"Elder, your words carry the essence of Zen, but if all monks in the world used this as their excuse to eat meat, wouldn't it mean they are neither monks nor Buddhas?" Liu Boqin asked.

"Actually, there's a second part to that verse: if the common people were to copy me, it would be like falling into the Demon Path," Jiang Liu spoke up, completing the Buddhist verse.

"Elder, you mean, you're allowed to eat, but others aren't?" Jiang Liu's words made Liu Boqin look at him skeptically, obviously not fully believing him.

Even a glance at the Vidyaraja Crown on Jiang Liu's head made him doubt the monk's identity.

He didn't seem to behave like a monk at all.

Officials may start fires while common folks mustn't even light lamps—perhaps that was what Liu Boqin was thinking?

"Amitabha," seeing Liu Boqin's doubtful expression, Jiang Liu softly chanted a Buddhist mantra and removed the Vidyaraja Crown from his head.

Taking in the twelve Incense Scar Initiations visible on Jiang Liu's head made Liu Boqin's eyes widen.

"You, you are the Holy Monk Xuanzang going to the Western Heaven for scriptures!?" looking at the twelve Incense Scar Initiations on Jiang Liu's head made Liu Boqin's eyes widen even more.

As he spoke, he quickly stood up, straightened his clothes, and kneeled down in front of Jiang Liu.

"Benefactor Liu, what are you doing?" Seeing Liu Boqin's vehement reaction, Jiang Liu quickly pulled him up.

"Holy Monk Xuanzang, forgive me for not recognizing a great man when I see one. His Majesty once said that seeing you is like seeing His Majesty himself, so naturally, I should kneel," Liu Boqin said urgently.

"It's all right, there are no outsiders here, no need for such formalities," Jiang Liu said, shaking his head as he helped Liu Boqin up from the ground.

Perhaps because he had traveled from modern society, Jiang Liu actually quite disliked this sort of impulsive kneeling.

It wasn't just kneeling before others he found distasteful; similarly, he didn't quite enjoy others kneeling before him.

"By the way, as my journey is long and the mountains far, could I buy the wild boar you hunted today?" Not wanting to linger on the issue of status, Jiang Liu opened his mouth to change the subject.

"What are you saying, Holy Monk? Being able to taste your cooking today is already a tremendous fortune. How could I dare accept your silver for just some meat? You're being too kind," Liu Boqin quickly waved his hands, firmly refusing to take any money.

"Then I thank you greatly, Benefactor," since Liu Boqin firmly refused to accept, Jiang Liu naturally did not insist further.

After eating his fill, Jiang Liu stowed away all the prepared wild boar meat and went back to bed to rest.

Sitting cross-legged, he silently practiced the Cultivation Technique of Heavenly Dragon Zen Sound, gradually increasing his experience points.

The night passed without incident, and after cultivating for the entire evening, he had gained several thousand experience points.

The next day, Jiang Liu rose early, washed up, and then placed two silver coins under the mattress before pulling Liu Boqin along to head for Five Elements Mountain early in the morning.

Regardless, as a mountain hunter living a modest life, a wild boar weighing several tens of pounds and his overnight lodging demanded he leave some money, lest he be ill at ease.

Although it seemed to be an unwritten rule for monks to beg and receive free food and shelter, Jiang Liu himself could not bring himself to do it.

Ever since leaving Chang'an, he had never freeloaded. Money matters were trivial; at least, having a clear conscience was what truly mattered.

The journey towards Five Elements Mountain was not far, and early in the morning, he and Liu Boqin made good time.

It was evident that Liu Boqin was very familiar with the surroundings and also knew exactly where Sun Wukong was imprisoned, purposefully leading the way straight there.

Actually, Jiang Liu was very puzzled. Logically, Guanyin should have already informed Sun Wukong to wait for his rescue, so why hadn't Sun Wukong shouted for help yesterday when he searched the mountainside? Hadn't he seen a single monkey hair?

Something was definitely off. Or could it be that this Journey to the West he had traveled to was different from the original?

Or was it the so-called butterfly effect?

Lost in numerous thoughts and following behind Liu Boqin, they soon arrived at the base of Five Elements Mountain.

"Elder, do you see that peach tree? The Divine Monkey is pressed right beside it," Liu Boqin said, pointing to a peach tree near a mountainside not far away.

Jiang Liu had seen this peach tree yesterday too, but had noticed nothing around it.

However, a pile of dry leaves at the base of the cliff caught Jiang Liu's attention.

Could it be...

A thought struck Jiang Liu, and he quickly strode over, parting a pile of inconspicuous dry leaves.

Indeed, a monkey, half its body crushed under the mountain, and the other half buried in the dry leaves.

"You can't see me, you can't see me..." As the leaves were parted, Jiang Liu could hear the monkey muttering quietly.

"Is this monkey always this crafty?" Jiang Liu's lips twitched slightly as he listened to Sun Wukong's murmuring. Enjoy exclusive content from empire

No wonder he hadn't found him yesterday; he had intentionally buried himself under the dry leaves to hide.

"Ahem, Sun Wukong, right? I..." Clearing his throat with a cough, Jiang Liu began to speak.

But as soon as Jiang Liu started speaking, Sun Wukong's voice resolutely cut him off.

"I'm not going!"