Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!-Chapter 575 - 574: In Great Spirits, Returning to the Mortal World

Chapter 575: Chapter 574: In Great Spirits, Returning to the Mortal World

"Are you enjoying the food?" Chen Nuo asked.

Marshal Tian Peng and Sun Wukong turned around and were both momentarily stunned to see Chen Nuo.

"Master, you’ve come," Sun Wukong said.

Chen Nuo nodded, then turned to Marshal Tian Peng, "How is it? Do you feel better?"

Marshal Tian Peng didn’t just feel a little better, he felt his whole body bursting with energy as if everything that had happened before could be taken as if it hadn’t happened at all. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

From then on, he would only remember the happy things, while the unhappy things would be like passing clouds.

"Shopkeeper, thanks to your food, I really do feel much better now," he said.

Marshal Tian Peng wasn’t just saying this; he truly felt full of strength, and although a sense of guilt towards the widow still lingered in his heart, it wasn’t just guilt but also gratitude.

If it hadn’t been for her, his plans might not have changed at all, but he still wanted to thank her—it was an act of kindness from an ordinary mortal.

Marshal Tian Peng decided that once he ascended to immortality, he would certainly find an opportunity to properly thank the widow. He would let her know that her kindness had not been in vain.

Seeing the color return to Marshal Tian Peng’s face, Chen Nuo nodded, "Have you come to terms with it now?"

"Shopkeeper, thank you. If it hadn’t been for you, I might still be lost. I admit that I am a weak person, and it’s all my fault for being so careless that led to these consequences. There will not be a next time for such foolishness," he said.

"As long as you understand it yourself," Chen Nuo replied.

While Marshal Tian Peng was talking with Chen Nuo, Sun Wukong took the opportunity to eat up all the remaining pizza. By the time Marshal Tian Peng turned back, Sun Wukong was sitting there drinking milk tea as if nothing had happened.

Marshal Tian Peng turned to find the food box completely empty and exclaimed in shock, "Mr. Monkey! That was mine! Weren’t there eight pieces? We were supposed to have four each, how could you eat my share?"

Wiping his mouth, Sun Wukong denied any wrongdoing, "What? I don’t know anything about it. Who said it was divided between us?"

Looking at the empty food box, Marshal Tian Peng wanted to cry without tears, "Mr. Monkey! You can’t do that. The shopkeeper made that to comfort me, how could you just eat it yourself!"

"Shopkeeper, please judge for me! This is so unfair to me!" he complained.

Since the pizza had already been eaten, Sun Wukong simply refused to accept responsibility. Spreading his hands, he said, "So what do you want to do about it? Should I throw it up for you?"

"Shopkeeper!" Marshal Tian Peng called out to Chen Nuo plaintively, "Please manage Mr. Monkey! It was supposed to be four pieces each! Isn’t that what you had in mind when you divided it? Now Mr. Monkey has eaten mine, could you please make another one for me?"

Since Chen Nuo had already made the pizza, he naturally wasn’t going to make a second one; besides, since Marshal Tian Peng’s mood had improved, he saw even less need to make another.

"You should ask the one who ate it," Chen Nuo said, "Who told you to only talk to me just now?"

"But wasn’t it you who started talking to me first?" Marshal Tian Peng replied sorrowfully, "Shopkeeper, please, could you make me another one?"

"Making one now is impossible," Chen Nuo brushed off Marshal Tian Peng’s pleading hand, "If you want to eat it, wait until you become immortal. Then, no matter how much you want to eat, I’ll make it for you."

"Really?" Marshal Tian Peng felt greatly comforted, "Then, will you charge for it?"

"Yes."

"Shopkeeper! You can’t be so heartless!"

Having stayed at Chaos Residence for one night and having enjoyed the delicious food, Marshal Tian Peng felt much happier.

He returned to the town, where dawn had already broken; he walked into the inn holding the flatbreads bought from a street stall.

"Sir, how did you sleep last night? Have something to eat first," offered the innkeeper.

The official from Kaifeng Prefecture nodded and then inquired, "Young man, didn’t you come back last night? Did you stay in your village?"

As soon as the village was mentioned, Tian Peng’s eyes dimmed, then he smiled and nodded, "In my family, there’s an heirloom left by my parents. Since I don’t plan on staying in the village anymore, I might as well take it out. From now on, I’ll carry it with me."

Given that it was an heirloom, the Kaifeng official didn’t press further. Seeing the flatbreads Tian Peng had placed on the table, he called to the soldiers, "Everyone eat first. Today we shall finish visiting all the surrounding villages; at the latest, in three days we’ll return to Chang’an."

After having breakfast, the group immediately began collecting evidence from the villages around Huang’an Town. Two days later, the evidence had been fully assembled, and the Kaifeng official, along with the evidence and the county magistrate, returned to Chang’an.

However, the county magistrate ultimately did not survive to meet the Emperor, dying shortly after arriving in Chang’an.

The coroner’s explanation was that the hardships of travel, combined with his advanced age and lack of experience with suffering—not to mention his madness—meant that making it to Chang’an was already his limit.

"To think he’d die so easily."

Tian Peng was somewhat infuriated. The commoners he had harmed had suffered untold miseries, yet the county magistrate had merely endured the hardship of travel before dying, without even facing punishment.

Though the Kaifeng official could understand Tian Peng’s indignation, the man had died and the gathered evidence had become worthless.

"While he didn’t suffer in life, upon death, he will still have to suffer in the underworld." The Kaifeng official reassured, "What’s due to him will be his. Whatever the circumstances, they won’t disappear because of some unforeseen event."

This attempt at consolation indeed provided some comfort to Tian Peng. Most mortals would say such things simply to seek psychological solace.

After all, no one really knows what happens after death, but Tian Peng did. He was once Marshal Tian Peng, how could he not be clear about such matters?

Tian Peng sighed, tugging the corner of his mouth at the Kaifeng official, "Thank you for your comforting words. I know that even if the magistrate doesn’t suffer now, Yama will not let him off after death."

Seeing how easily Tian Peng was consoled, the Kaifeng official also relaxed.

"You are able to come to terms with this, which is indeed commendable," he said.

Without responding to the Kaifeng official, Tian Peng reflected that at this point, any further words would be hollow, "I just feel that the effort we put in these past few days has turned into a joke."

"No, it is not a joke," the Kaifeng official said, "All these pieces of evidence were to be presented to His Majesty. Although the county magistrate cannot be punished, His Majesty will take this matter seriously. In future appointments, officials will be chosen carefully, and the villages will surely be well looked after by His Majesty."

"You are right." After such guidance, Tian Peng felt much better.

The Kaifeng official reported everything to the Emperor, who, upon hearing, was indeed furious.

But since the county magistrate had died on the road, the only retribution was a posthumous flogging and the decree that none of his family descendants would ever be allowed to serve in court.

However, this punishment was far from enough; no matter how severe the retribution, the people who had suffered at the county magistrate’s hands were dead and would not come back to life.

After meting out punishment to the county magistrate, the Emperor allocated thousands of taels of silver for the rejuvenation of Huang’an Town and sent several teams of personnel. Watching the bustle of people coming and going, Tian Peng felt somewhat consoled at last.

Once all matters were settled, Tian Peng prepared to leave with the Kaifeng official, but the Emperor stopped him.

"Wait a moment," called the Emperor.

Tian Peng turned, "Your Majesty, did you call for me?"

"Yes," the Emperor nodded, "Now that the affairs have been settled, perhaps you should also consider fulfilling the proposal you made earlier."