Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!-Chapter 548: The Monk Smelled It and Actually Threw Up

Chapter 548: Chapter 548: The Monk Smelled It and Actually Threw Up

"This, I really haven’t thought it through, but even if we bring down the County Magistrate, I don’t know if the drought in our village can be resolved. Anyway, for now, the village must come first; my own affairs can wait until later," he said.

His words were not a direct refusal, but rather an expression of the relative urgency of matters.

Such insight into the weight of different issues, coupled with a sense of responsibility in a youth, was something the Kaifeng Prefecture official had never seen until now.

Moreover, his build was good; tall and strong, it was evident at a glance that he was well-suited for battle.

If a talent like him could serve the nation from now on, he would certainly be an asset to the Great Tang.

The more the Kaifeng Prefecture official watched Tian Peng, the more he admired him, wishing he could fly to Chang’an right now to have the Emperor sort this matter out, and then immediately place this lad into the military.

Seeing the Kaifeng Prefecture official fall silent, Tian Peng also lowered his head to eat his noodles.

Pretending for too long was risky; he might reveal flaws. Eating noodles was merely a way to mask his gaze and emotions. Even a slight slip could give him away if caught by others.

As Tian Peng started eating noodles, the Kaifeng Prefecture official didn’t plan to talk much either; after all, the current situation wasn’t suited for extensive discussion.

The matter was not yet fully resolved, and the youth had other concerns on his mind, unable to think too much. It would be time enough to speak to him after his issues had been addressed.

After the meal, everyone burped contentedly; the Head Escort thanked the Kaifeng Prefecture official.

"It’s the official’s generosity. In the past, when we escorted things, we would normally just eat dry food at the station; we’ve never had a proper meal there."

"Did you enjoy the meal?" asked the Kaifeng Prefecture official.

The bodyguards all nodded, "Yes, thank you, sir."

With an impassive face, the Kaifeng Prefecture official said indifferently, "It’s nothing. Once you reach Chang’an, this meal will be added to your escort fee."

"Ah?"

After observing their reaction, the Kaifeng Prefecture official continued, "Just joking."

Hearing this, the group sighed in relief. They thought such a wicked sense of humor was only something their shopkeeper possessed; to their surprise, even the Kaifeng Prefecture official could indulge in such mischief.

"Sir, please don’t make such jokes, you nearly scared us to death!" the bodyguards hurriedly said.

"It was just a small jest, I didn’t expect you to be so frightened. I thought that, as men who escort valuable goods, you feared nothing," said the Kaifeng Prefecture official, still expressionless as he made his joke.

Sweat had broken out on the Head Escort’s forehead, but Tian Peng understood them better. After all, given the high status of the Kaifeng Prefecture official, even if he really withheld their escort fee, they could do nothing about it.

"Anything can be joked about, except for money," the Head Escort said seriously.

The Kaifeng Prefecture official nodded nonchalantly, "Alright, I’ll remember that." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

But what he truly remembered was unclear, whether he would stop joking, or if he had noted their vulnerability.

The meal went well for everyone, except the single Monk.

He had never indulged in meat or fish. Surrounded by meat-eaters during the meal was bad enough, but the heavy smell of lamb, in particular, was unbearable.

He had already felt restless during the meal, and worse still, could not leave his spot; he had his own rules to uphold.

Ascetics not eating meat is their own business, but they cannot hinder the laypeople, as that is not only inappropriate but also obstructive; they must rely on endurance.

Tian Peng hadn’t noticed these things. He seemed rather indifferent, yet he was actually quite attentive, and many had praised him for that.

However, his attentiveness was only for those he cared about, he wouldn’t notice anything about those he disregarded.

Even though the monk next to him had already turned deathly pale, Tian Peng simply thought the fellow had fair skin.

When he passed by the monk, he thought to himself, "Just a monk and yet so pale, like a fussy woman."

However, the County Magistrate from Kaifeng Prefecture did notice something amiss with the monk and asked with concern, "What’s wrong, Master Xuanzang? You seem to look quite unwell, are you feeling under the weather?"

The monk shook his head, "Thank you for your concern, my lord, I am unharmed."

As the County Magistrate glanced at the scattered bowls on the table, he suddenly remembered something, "Oh, Master Xuanzang, could it be that the mutton soup noodles we were eating next to you made you uncomfortable due to its smell?"

Though that was indeed the reason, the monk was too embarrassed to admit it.

He remembered that the meal was offered by others; to speak the truth would mean to offend their hospitality, even suggesting a disdain for their kindness.

"Not at all, my lord. You worry too much. It’s just that I am not yet accustomed to the climate and the local water here," said the monk.

As he spoke, he silently chanted "Amitabha" in his heart. Although ascetics don’t lie, he hoped this benevolent falsehood would be forgiven by the Buddha Ancestor.

But no matter how much he internally begged for forgiveness from the Buddha Ancestor, there was no intention from the Buddha Ancestor to forgive him, and the monk vomited all over the floor.

Tian Peng had just reached the staircase when he heard the retching sounds and thought it was fortunate he moved quickly, fearing that if he were any slower, he might have ended up with vomit on himself.

The County Magistrate from Kaifeng Prefecture had never witnessed such a scene and was unsure how to respond.

He actually wanted to leave, but that was simply not an option now; to leave would clearly show his disgust. But to stay, the sight was truly unbearable.

Luckily for the County Magistrate, while he was still deciding, his bodyguard swiftly pulled him aside, "Perhaps my lord should step back a bit."

The County Magistrate was grateful the guard was timely, but he still wanted to be considerate and not offend anyone, "No, no, no, I’m fine. Let’s first see to Master Xuanzang’s condition."

The waiter, hearing the commotion, came over and was somewhat taken aback by the scene.

He exclaimed loudly, "Oh my, what happened here? Our kitchen is very clean; how could someone vomit?"

"No one said it was the food’s fault," Tian Peng said.

Relieved that someone had spoken up for the inn, the waiter then asked, "So what happened?"

"Mage, I told you not to overexert yourself. You, a vegetarian, insisted on sitting amidst us meat-eaters, to partake in meals with the strong smell of mutton. Didn’t I tell you that would make you uncomfortable? And now look, you really are uncomfortable," Tian Peng said.

With those words, the waiter and the others understood that it was the smell of meat that the monk could not tolerate, which had overwhelmed his stomach and prompted the vomiting.

"Ah, Mage, you really should have known better. Not to mention someone like you who abstains from meat entirely, even those who haven’t had meat for a while would find it difficult to tolerate such a smell. After all, the mutton in our establishment is genuine and of high quality, the gamey smell is much stronger than that of any imitations," he said.

As he pretended to be concerned about the monk, he also didn’t forget to boast about the lamb served in his shop.