Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!-Chapter 626 - 625: Arrival in the Northwest

"Back when I was in the mortal world, I encountered so many people, and I had the identity of a commoner to boot. Being insignificant and having a light voice meant I always had to learn how to speak."

"Is that so?" Chen Nuo remained unmoved.

Tian Peng had said this to elicit some pity from Chen Nuo, hoping Chen Nuo would feel some compassion for him, but he hadn’t expected such a response.

"It’s true, Shopkeeper, you have no idea how tough life in the mortal world was for me. I couldn’t get enough food, nor could I wear nice clothes. Those officials, upon seeing me, felt compelled to buy me clothes simply because mine were so shabby," Tian Peng said in a voice full of grievance.

"Is that so, but you don’t seem to be in a state where you can’t wear nice clothes. So, do you not want to buy them, or can’t you afford them?" Chen Nuo asked back.

Actually, Tian Peng couldn’t dress well because he couldn’t be bothered to buy clothes; if he wanted to, he could afford them.

"Hehe, anyway, mortal world clothes are all the same to me. As long as I’m comfortable, that’s all that matters. Given my thick skin and flesh, any clothing feels the same on me. I just didn’t expect that people in the mortal world would care so much about attire, seeming to judge a person by their clothes," Tian Peng said.

With so many people in the mortal world, it’s impossible for everyone to know each other, and the environment is too chaotic, with good and bad people all living together.

Plus, everyone looks human, so you can’t distinguish the good from the bad just by faces alone.

And their social hierarchy is quite strict; essentially, mortals judge whether someone deserves respect based on their clothing. As long as you have money, being good or bad isn’t that important.

Chen Nuo was well aware of this truth, whether it was the world in books or the real world, where judging people’s social status based on their clothing is not uncommon.

"But it doesn’t matter now," Tian Peng said, "I’m headed to the Northwest in the mortal world, where I hear it’s extremely arduous and cold. There, you can hardly tell someone’s status by their clothes since everyone prioritizes staying warm, and with the constant warfare, there’s no need to worry about what you wear."

Though the region was cold, which made him think more about clothing than before. Previously, he only knew that clothing was to cover the body, not quite understanding the importance of warmth.

"You needn’t worry so much," Chen Nuo saw through Tian Peng’s thoughts and said.

"Why’s that?" Tian Peng didn’t understand.

"I’ve heard from other mortals that the Northwest is very cold, with people freezing to death in previous years. Clothes must be very thick, preferably made of sheepskin, as they are warmer and resistant to wind and snow."

"You’re no longer just an ordinary mortal," Chen Nuo reminded.

Reminded by Chen Nuo, Tian Peng suddenly realized this fact.

Indeed, he wasn’t just an ordinary mortal anymore. He was now somewhat part of the cultivation world, possessing the cultivation of ’Refining Void and Merging Tao.’ If he wished, he could even manage Fasting, so there was no need to fear the cold.

"You’re right, Shopkeeper!" Tian Peng said joyfully.

"Since that’s the case, then that’s great. I was worried about how to sort out the clothes. Although I need to wear specialized clothing there, my undergarments are still my own, so now I don’t need to prepare those."

"No, you still need to prepare what you should, you can’t be lazy about this," Chen Nuo said.

"Even though you’re no longer just any mortal, you can’t be careless. If you’re careless and others realize you’re not a mortal, you’ll have a hard time staying in the mortal world," Chen Nuo reminded him.

Upon hearing Chen Nuo’s reminder, Tian Peng realized the seriousness of the matter.

True, one can’t be careless about such things. If other mortals saw that he wasn’t one of them, it would indeed lead to trouble.

"Yes, Shopkeeper, you are right, it has to be you. Just look at my head, I simply couldn’t remember such a thing. If I were to go down to the mortal world, I wouldn’t have realized anything amiss, but others would have already noticed that I’m not an ordinary mortal."

Although nothing had actually happened yet, Tian Peng already felt a shiver of fear.

There was no avoiding the fear, the sheer number of people in the mortal world was overwhelming—a single spit from each of them could drown a person, let alone anything else.

"Alright, I can’t stay any longer," Tian Peng said.

He calculated the time, realizing that much time had passed since he arrived at the Xian Xian Residence. He couldn’t stay at the Xian Xian Residence any longer. If he didn’t return to the mortal world soon, the year would pass, and people might even think he died on the way there.

"Your stuff has already been prepared by your Mr. Monkey," Chen Nuo said. "When you leave later, just go and get it from him."

"What stuff?" Tian Peng didn’t immediately register what Chen Nuo was referring to.

"Clothing and items to keep out the cold. Although you don’t need them, you can’t be without them," Chen Nuo said. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"Shopkeeper, I was saying that I would prepare myself, but to think you have already done it for me, I’m truly touched," Tian Peng said with emotion, moving forward to grasp Chen Nuo’s hand, but Chen Nuo subtly dodged the gesture.

"You’d better hurry on your way," Chen Nuo said.

Tian Peng rubbed his hands and stood up; he had originally come to say goodbye, and to explain things to Chen Nuo. Now that he had done so, there was no need to wait any longer. He could wait, but the time in the mortal world wouldn’t.

"Shopkeeper, then I’ll be going," Tian Peng said.

To him, Xian Xian Residence was already like a home, and now to leave just like that, he truly felt reluctant.

But reluctance didn’t change anything; he had to remain in the Xian Xian Residence in a better state.

"Hmm," Chen Nuo nodded. "If you have any trouble, don’t just bear it alone. Your Mr. Monkey might not say it, but he’s always concerned about you. If there’s any difficulty you can’t handle by yourself, feel free to ask your Mr. Monkey for help."

"Shopkeeper, I’ll remember that," Tian Peng replied.

Tian Peng left Xian Xian Residence with the items Chen Nuo and Sun Wukong had prepared for him and arrived directly at a village near the northwest.

From there, it was still a day’s journey to the place where he was to take up his post. If he set out now and moved quickly, he could actually arrive by noon.

The horse had also been transported here using mana. Finding itself suddenly in a new place, it was initially surprised and took a while to adjust.

Tian Peng reached the Northwestern Protectorate by noon, where people were already waiting for him.

They compared him to a portrait for quite some time before they finally confirmed that he indeed matched the person in the picture, as the portrait could only approximate the appearance and not capture the real temperament of a person.

"This is my identification plaque," said Tian Peng, fearing they still didn’t believe him, as he took out his plaque.

Having seen the identification plaque, they naturally believed Tian Peng wasn’t lying.

"Ah, it really is the General! We’ve never seen one before. Even with the portrait, we still didn’t dare to confirm."