Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!-Chapter 547: The Grand Strategy for Tian Peng’s Future Affairs

Chapter 547: Chapter 547: The Grand Strategy for Tian Peng’s Future Affairs

Monk forced a smile and said to the official of Kaifeng Prefecture, "How could I possibly disdain you, sirs? As long as you do not disdain this poor monk, I am content."

"Mage, what are you talking about? How could we possibly disdain you?" the official of Kaifeng Prefecture said. "However, since everyone’s noodle soup has been served, we should eat quickly. The food might not taste good if we don’t eat it now."

"Right, the noodle soup has been served. Everyone should hurry up and eat," Tian Peng said with a smile.

Everyone was already starving. Now that the food had been served, naturally, they wouldn’t say anything more and quickly started eating.

Down here they call it noodle soup, but in fact, it’s just noodles.

The lamb noodle soup was made with a bone broth as the base, topped with a couple of slices of lamb and sprinkled with green onions and cilantro.

Placed upon the hot soup, the cilantro and green onions were stimulated by the steam, spreading their aroma throughout the room.

After a day’s worth of walking and eating nothing but dry food and cold water, the sight of a steaming bowl of noodles instantly whetted their appetites. They grabbed their chopsticks and began to eat.

The noodles themselves didn’t require much skill to make; it was mainly the broth that was well-prepared.

Once the noodles were dropped into boiling water, they were cooked and taken out, then sprinkled with green onions and cilantro. The lamb slices had already been boiled and sliced. They just needed to be placed on top.

The official of Kaifeng Prefecture was the first to lift his chopsticks and stir the noodles before picking some up and putting them into his mouth.

A burst of steam entered his mouth first, followed by the lively dance of lamb bone broth’s flavor on the tip of his tongue. He sincerely praised, "This noodle soup is truly good."

Tian Peng started with a sip of soup, which was piping hot, but the lamb flavor was rich.

He took a light sip and smacked his lips, finding it not to his taste.

Indeed, after having tasted Chen Nuo’s cooking, other meals, no matter how delicious or highly praised by others, just couldn’t satisfy him.

No help for it, having tasted real delicacy, any other food just felt like chewing wax.

Tian Peng sighed deeply. Since descending to the mortal world, he had never eaten a good meal on Earth. Chaos Residence had spoiled his taste.

Even if for no other reason, to be able to eat at Chaos Residence again, he needed to strive to become an immortal; otherwise, he wouldn’t even have money for food, let alone face.

The bodyguards ate quickly, their eyes locked solely on the bowls in front of them, paying no attention to anything else.

Though the official of Kaifeng Prefecture had praised the noodle soup, he ate slowly and deliberately. Hearing Tian Peng’s sigh, he turned and asked, "What’s wrong, isn’t the noodle soup to your liking?"

Even if it truly wasn’t to his taste, Tian Peng couldn’t honestly say it wasn’t, so he just smiled and shook his head, "Not at all, as I was eating, I suddenly thought of the many villagers who are unable to eat, and I couldn’t help feeling upset. It made the food taste a bit like chewing wax."

He cleverly dodged the question while elevating his own status instantaneously.

Indeed, after Tian Peng spoke these words, the official of Kaifeng Prefecture looked at him differently.

"To have such awareness is remarkable," the official of Kaifeng Prefecture said.

"Although I do not hold a high position, my concern for the common people is in no way less than that of your honor, especially since I have lived among them since childhood. Their distress is clear to me."

Tian Peng spoke his lies expressionlessly, and unless the person opposite him had the mind-reading technique, there would be no way to know that Tian Peng was thinking it was truly unappetizing.

The prefect from Kaifeng Prefecture was just an ordinary mortal, naturally unaware of what Tian Peng was truly thinking.

He held genuine admiration in his heart for this mere seventeen-year-old youth, whose broad-mindedness, indeed, should not be confined to the fields.

"You’ve grown up in the village from a young age, but have you ever been anywhere else or studied, have you read any books?" the prefect of Kaifeng asked.

Although the question seemed somewhat perplexing, Tian Peng keenly sensed what he genuinely sought to inquire about, yet he had to pretend as though he knew nothing and shook his head.

"No, the only reason I came to Bianjing is to stand up for the people of our village. Beyond that, I haven’t been anywhere else. As for books, I only recognize a few characters and haven’t really read any books."

"Is that so? What about horsemanship and archery, are you familiar with them?" the prefect of Kaifeng continued.

Tian Peng had originally only guessed what he was planning to do, but now he truly knew. This prefect from Kaifeng wanted him to embark on a path of officialdom.

In the past, he had been responsible for the security of the region surrounding the Milky Way, which was quite vast, with riding horses being an inevitability, and thus horsemanship and archery naturally came with the territory.

And it wasn’t just that he was adept at them, but he was extremely skilled—so much so that, not just on earth, but throughout the entire Heavenly Court, the only person who could rival him was Yang Jian.

But his current identity was none other than that of an ordinary mortal, skills he supposedly lacked, although he did not wish to miss this opportunity.

Seeing that the prefect of Kaifeng held him in high regard, Tian Peng thought that once he arrived in Chang’an, he might even receive an introduction.

After weighing his options internally, Tian Peng chose the most prudent and error-free approach.

"We used to have a horse back home. I would often ride it out to play when I was younger, but now I’m not sure if I still can."

"I don’t understand much about horsemanship and archery, but my aim is quite good. I’ve always been able to throw flying darts from horseback. Sir, why do you ask about this?"

The prefect of Kaifeng nodded, thinking that it made sense. After all, this youth was not born into wealth and distinction, so it was only those noble and official families’ sons who could be exposed to skills like horsemanship and archery from a young age.

However, listening to the youth’s description, if he underwent training, he could likely become quite the skilled horse archer in the future.

"Are you interested in this?" the prefect of Kaifeng inquired.

"I am interested. It’s just that the conditions aren’t right at the moment. Moreover, there are so many issues yet to be addressed in our village, so my own interests must be set aside for now. Once the situation in our village is resolved, I’ll think about those other matters."

With his statement so clearly made, Tian Peng certainly knew what the prefect was suggesting, yet those notions did not fit his persona, so he still had to put on an act.

"To possess such awareness is truly extraordinary. Young man, do you wish to serve the nation?" the prefect of Kaifeng questioned.

Serving the nation was not something in which Tian Peng was particularly interested. What he cared about was how to ascend to immortality quickly.

"To be honest, I do not." Tian Peng replied.

The prefect of Kaifeng was somewhat shocked and asked, "Why? I think that with your awareness, it’s quite rare, and considering your qualifications, you are very suitable. Why then do you not wish it?"

Acting troubled, Tian Peng said, "It’s not that I don’t want to. Mainly, it’s just that I don’t want to right now. My current focus is on how to ensure the people of our town can live in peace and happiness. I haven’t really thought of anything else, and now is not the time to consider it." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"What you’re saying is also true," the prefect of Kaifeng conceded. "However, if the issues in your town can be resolved, what do you plan to do afterward?"

Tian Peng feigned a moment of deep contemplation, then lifted his head again, his expression filled with bewilderment.