Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!-Chapter 525: Falling into a Trap, Untie Tian Peng

Chapter 525: Chapter 525: Falling into a Trap, Untie Tian Peng

"I am truly sorry, my lord, we, we thought you were doing it on purpose." The officer beside him hastened to apologize.

No sooner had these words been spoken than the County Magistrate grew even angrier.

"Have I ever seen such useless trash as you? What do you think, am I a fool? Would I have nothing better to do than to deliberately singe my own beard?!"

"We, we thought you were showing the young man that the fire tongs you were holding weren’t fake, but real," said another officer.

The County Magistrate was so angry that he wished he could apply the fire tongs to the two officers himself.

Tian Peng watched this scene with an urge to laugh, but he knew it was not the time for laughter. If he laughed now, the County Magistrate might realize he was being mocked, and that would hamper the plans he had afterward.

After the County Magistrate had vented his spleen on the two officers, Tian Peng said, "County Magistrate, keeping such a crowd must be both expensive and infuriating, surely it’s exhausting?"

The County Magistrate didn’t answer him but asked directly, "What are you trying to say?"

"I’m not trying to say anything. I just want to tell you that I don’t want anything else, I won’t take a salary, but I do need to be fed well. That’s all I ask for. Besides, one of me is worth several others, and I can also serve as your military advisor. You do the math, isn’t this a valuable deal?"

The County Magistrate mulled over his offer. He was known to be as stingy as they come.

It already pained him each month to pay those lazy officers and constables, who were not just idle but also stupid.

Yet this lad did seem quite capable, and employing him might indeed be a good transaction.

Though the idea was appealing, the County Magistrate remembered the indignities he’d suffered in the past and couldn’t swallow his pride.

One way or another, he would have this lad make amends.

He stroked the part of his beard that had not been touched by the fire tongs and said, "Your proposal does seem feasible, and I am somewhat in agreement with what you said, but I can’t just leave it at that. How about the grievance I have suffered at your hands before? You have to pay me back, don’t you?"

Tian Peng sized up the County Magistrate, who seemed to be quite pleased with himself after gaining an advantage. Since the Magistrate was not charitable, he could not blame Tian Peng for being unrighteous.

Tian Peng asked, "What are your plans for me to compensate for the grievances you’ve suffered over the years?"

"Simple," said the County Magistrate, "you can kowtow loudly to me, and perform the rite of three kneelings and nine bows, then I can forgive you."

Tian Peng smiled, "Three kneelings and nine bows? That is a ceremony reserved for royalty and nobility. Let’s not discuss whether I’ll do it or not; even if I were to perform it, are you up to receiving it?"

The County Magistrate didn’t care about such proprieties; he just wanted to see Tian Peng kneeling before him and apologizing.

He lifted his chin high, saying, "Don’t worry about whether I can take it or not. I’ve already said, you kneel to me, and I’ll spare your life. As for the things you mentioned, I’ll consider them later."

"Kneel, you say?" Tian Peng chuckled, "Sure, but I’m still hanging here. Even if I wanted to kneel, I’m afraid that wouldn’t be possible, right?"

Only then did the County Magistrate recall that Tian Peng was still dangling from the beam. He turned his head and gestured to the two officers beside him, instructing them to untie Tian Peng.

Once he was down, Tian Peng still had whip marks on his body, but they seemed to be of little consequence to him. Even though his toes barely touched the ground, he showed no sign of weakness.

He stood up straight, as though the whipping had happened to someone else, not him.

Watching Tian Peng brimming with vitality, the County Magistrate couldn’t help but wonder what kind of food had made him grow so strong. After such severe punishment, the lad could still stand properly. Was this boy even human?

Tian Peng stretched his limbs, then said with a smile, "Well, it’s true. The whipping I just received seemed like a massage. I feel like my blood circulation is smoother now. Thanks for that."

The County Magistrate’s mouth twitched, not knowing what to say.

Tian Peng flexed his muscles, ready to walk outside, when the County Magistrate hastily stopped him, "Hey, wait a moment."

Tian Peng turned around, as if he really didn’t know anything, "What’s the matter?"

"What’s the matter? You’re asking me what’s the matter?" The County Magistrate was so angry his beard seemed to fly off.

"I let you down so that you could kneel and salute me. How did you forget that the moment I set you free?"

Tian Peng scratched his head, feigning a sudden realization, "Oh, oh, oh, look at my poor memory, I actually forgot about that. Now, I remember!"

The County Magistrate stood smiling, waiting for Tian Peng to pay his respects.

"Alright, I’m ready now, just waiting for you to salute me properly. You, being born without a mother’s care, probably don’t know how to salute, right?"

Tian Peng’s eyebrows twitched, suppressing his anger, he replied, "Indeed, I don’t know how to salute. Perhaps you could demonstrate for me?"

The County Magistrate thought to himself and then, coming to a realization, he said, "What, do you still want to take advantage of me at this point? If I weren’t so clever, you’d have tricked me!"

Tian Peng, with an innocent face, asked, "What’s the matter? What did I trick you with? You yourself said I was born without a mother’s care and would surely not know how to salute, so it shouldn’t be excessive for me to ask you for a demonstration, right?"

Perhaps it was Tian Peng’s too-innocent expression, but the County Magistrate was actually fooled, "Do you really not know how to salute?"

Tian Peng nodded, "Right, I truly don’t know."

The County Magistrate nudged the officer beside him, "Come here, you show him how."

The officer looked at Tian Peng, then at the County Magistrate. Although kneeling was a very humiliating act, to provide for his family, he endured it!

"Hey! Wait a moment."

The County Magistrate, seeing the officer kneeling towards Tian Peng, loudly stopped him.

The officer was confused, not understanding why the County Magistrate stopped him, "What’s the matter, my lord? Weren’t you the one who told me to demonstrate?"

"I did tell you to demonstrate, but who are you demonstrating to?!" the County Magistrate said, exasperated with the useless officer.

Still not grasping the County Magistrate’s point, the officer said, "What’s the matter, my lord? Didn’t you ask me to demonstrate? You told me to show this kid, so I showed this kid."

"You fool!" the County Magistrate exclaimed urgently, "You are demonstrating to him, what is he, some kind of nobility? So, are your knees that worthless?"

The officer, feeling aggrieved but helpless at the County Magistrate’s command, could only change direction, kneeling before the County Magistrate’s feet and proceeding with the demonstration.

Tian Peng found it hilariously absurd; having descended to be an immortal on Earth not just once or twice, he had never encountered anyone like this.

His mind was as single-tracked as could be, absolutely idiotic.

The County Magistrate was enjoying the kneeling when he suddenly caught Tian Peng laughing, and he asked, "What are you laughing at?"

Tian Peng turned his head to look at him, "What’s the matter? Can’t I laugh?"

The County Magistrate didn’t know how to respond, then thought of something and said, "Of course you can’t laugh. Kneeling is such a sacred act, how can you laugh at it?"