Chapter 50: with translation of title line [1] (the title)

Holy Monk 16 (the master's idol burden)

Seeing Jiang He not speak, everyone present had their hearts in their throats.

They knew the suffering of Huzi's family when they were ill, and all hoped the master could help him.

Wang Daheng spoke up for Huzi beside him: "Master, his family suffers greatly from epilepsy; Madame Wang was fine when young, but as she aged the seizures grew worse. Previously, thinking not to burden the family, she even considered suicide. Huzi is a filial son, never giving up on his mother... sigh, this whole family has been dragged down."

He also took him in to do business out of pity.

Wang Daheng silently reminded himself that next time he absolutely must not be so soft-hearted; if it weren't for Master Xuanji, not only would the team be delayed, but Huzi might even have lost his life.

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The master, feeling compassion for heaven and humanity, chanted a Buddhist invocation and said: "I, the poor monk, will write you a prescription; if your mother follows it, it can only improve, not cure. However, if the child is young, taking this medicine can make their future seizure probability extremely low. As for the benefactor, you can only maintain being seizure-free for ten years... My medical skills are limited, truly shameful."

Huzi felt as if in a dream; limited medical skills? Who is the master talking about?

Wang Daheng stared dumbfounded, while Manager Zhang's whole body of fat trembled—"This, this is called limited medical skills? This is something even the imperial physicians in the palace cannot do!"

If the master's medical skills are limited, then there is no one in the world who can heal.

Manager Zhang recalled the secret letter recently sent by his sister.

The secret letter mentioned that after the empress's unborn child reached three months, the emperor launched a great slaughter, killing and exiling a batch of jumping-up-and-down clans and noble families; it is said that within just two months, the ground at the vegetable market darkened considerably, and the smell of blood lingered.

The entire household of the Duke of Britain fell silent like cicadas in winter; his sister's in-laws privately rejoiced that their Duke of Britain had not meddled in this, and many of their affinal relatives and noble families died, some even suffering extermination of the whole clan; the surface charges were everything, but in reality everyone knew it was because they had interfered in the emperor's succession issue.

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An emperor holds the world's authority in his palm—how could he tolerate such a threat?

On Master Xuanji's journey to the capital, those clans and noble families actually sent people to assassinate him; that would have been bad enough, but the problem is that after the empress became pregnant, they still weren't resigned, wanting to abort the child in her womb; enraged, the emperor directly sent Fengming to deal with these audacious people.

Fengming was already mad, and this matter involved the safety of his blood-related sister and young nephew; in the capital he simply went on a killing spree.

Zhang's sister secretly felt pleased; among the duke's household's sisters-in-law, her family background was the lowest, and the high-born sisters-in-law always mocked her behind her back as a fox spirit who bewitched the duke's heir with just her face.

In the capital, even three degrees of separation could tie you to relations; affinal connections were like a spiderweb, you couldn't even pull out a thread—now it's good, the people in those high-born sisters-in-law's families were either third uncles or sixth grandfathers, some even from the same clan, and Fengming cut them down with a single blade.

Those sisters-in-law dared not display their family background in front of her anymore, even tucking their tails between their legs, fearing that their family's deeds would bring disaster upon the married-out women.

Because of this, even her mother-in-law's attitude toward her improved greatly.

The second son's daughter-in-law may be of humble origin, but at least she wouldn't be so audacious as to dream of cultivating some dragon-transformation technique.

Especially since Zhang's sister is now pregnant again, having already had a son before, her mother-in-law treats her even more kindly and no longer secretly slips concubines to her husband to break up their marriage.

Thinking of this, Manager Zhang's chubby eyes narrowed into slits.

Thus, his sister's position in the duke's household became more secure, and the Zhang family also benefited.

Fortunately, they weren't involved in those beheadings, and he never expected his luck to be this good, to coincidentally meet Master Xuanji here; nowadays everyone knows Master Xuanji can send sons all the way to the emperor's head. He doesn't expect outsiders to become his reliance, but as long as there is some karmic connection with incense, he can ward off many covetous gazes.

Thinking of this, Manager Zhang increased the money for the snack prescription by another ten percent.

Seeing this, Wang Daheng couldn't help but grit his teeth; he could only buy fewer prescriptions, since he didn't have that much silver, after all, unlike Manager Zhang, he couldn't just call the shots.

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The news of the mistress of the Mi family, the head of Wan Beast County, was still hot; having personally witnessed Master Xuanji's medical skills, those accompanying him now revered the master even more, treating him like a bodhisattva in a temple, almost wanting to make offerings to him.

Manager Zhang was even more generous, not sparing tea worth a fortune, and sending fine pastries in a steady stream to Jiang He.

Jiang He was not at all polite; not only that, he pointed out the pastries' flaws: "The hibiscus cake has too much sugar, a bit cloying; the date cake uses flour that isn't fine enough… Actually adding some milk would make this taste better…"

Manager Zhang nodded repeatedly; when it comes to food, he considers himself well-versed, having eaten everything under the sun, and the chefs in his mansion are all retired imperial cooks from the palace.

I didn't expect the master to be even more skilled, and his suggestions are all spot-on, extremely useful.

Wang Daheng fell into deep thought; if even the imperial cooks' skills could pick out so many flaws, Master Xuanji's background must surely exceed his imagination.

"Master, can this epilepsy prescription be passed on?" Manager Zhang rubbed his hands, "There is a noble in the capital suffering from this; master, rest assured, this noble is wealthy, with plenty of funds…"

"Amitabha." Jiang He chanted Buddha's name softly; clearly he was asking for money, yet he affected an air of transcending worldly affairs, "Thank you, benefactor."

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You wouldn't think the master is still an ambitious monk, but loving money is fine; the Zhang family has nothing much except money, which they have the most of!

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The emperor stroked his chin watching the great white snake eat; the roasted chicken and duck, steamed big goose need not be cut—the great white snake could swallow several at once in a single mouthful! However, to savor the flavor, eating the chicken and duck together adds a mixed taste, and the great snake has now learned to eat one at a mouthful, delaying its mealtime, thus satisfying its appetite even more.

"No wonder it's the Snake Immortal, eating so elegantly!" the emperor praised, while the animals in his imperial beast garden devour their food like wolves gulping down meat, their mouths full of meat scraps flying about, knowing nothing of dining etiquette.

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The great white snake's eyes narrowed, and it elegantly used its tail to push a roasted chicken toward the emperor.

The emperor felt somewhat honored and surprised: "May I eat this?"

The great white snake hissed at him: "You're welcome; I am a generous and elegant snake."

The emperor couldn't help but burst out laughing, sat down with a plop, pulled off a chicken leg and ate it, not minding that it was the great white snake's food; when he fought on the frontier to survive, he even chewed on horse fodder.

"Actually, stewed chicken is also delicious; roasted easily causes internal heat… and there's eight-treasure duck, whose glutinous rice filling is absolutely superb!"

While eating, the emperor shared culinary experiences with the great white snake, causing the already full-bellied snake to start drooling drop by drop.

This emperor really knows how to eat; the palace has so many delicacies that the snake hesitates—should it go find the master, or first eat its fill here before seeking the master?

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Your Majesty, if you and the great snake squat on the ground to eat, should the censors find out, they'll impeach you again!

In this meal, the great white snake ate five chickens, four ducks, and three geese, plus a large basket of after-meal snacks.

The emperor was astonished by the great white snake's appetite—it could really eat! Most snakes, one meal lasts them a month, but this snake eats like this every day, which is why it's grown so plump?

The great white snake is indeed a particular snake; after eating, it still rinses its mouth.

The emperor watched with relish, and the surrounding palace staff were all full of curiosity, unanimously praising that it truly deserves the title of Buddha Snake.

After the meal, one person and one snake strolled in Yuhuayuan.

People walk with two legs, striding like dragons and tigers; the snake, however, twists and turns, its tail occasionally lifting to pat the nearby butterflies; the master said that walking after meals leads to living to ninety-nine!

The wolf‑dog general whined in the distance, clutching its tail.

Its instinct told it that it was no match for this snake, but its master had been taken away—what could it do? It was the one who used to walk with its master!

The emperor saw the wolf general and beckoned it over, saying, "General, come here!"

After the wolf general lumbered over, the emperor introduced the two animals to each other, saying, "The wolf general has military merit; it once saved me and also killed barbarians."

The wolf general's head instantly lifted high, and it looked proudly at the great white snake.

It was no ordinary wolf‑dog; it had a title!

The great white snake unhappily flicked its tail; it also wanted the medal on the wolf general's neck, shining gold—how splendid.

"Even the Snake Immortal wants this?" the emperor stroked the wolf‑dog's medal; he was a fair and good emperor, for this medal symbolized the wolf‑dog's military merit. "What can you do?"

The emperor was a bit troubled, mainly because the realm was now at peace and there would be no warfare for a while, making military merit hard to earn.

The great white snake immediately hissed: "Catch the human traffickers!"

The emperor's eyes lit up at once—just because people don't know something doesn't mean animals don't.

The fact that the little lion had been abducted by traffickers made both him and the princess furious; he had smashed the biggest trafficker den in the capital, but that didn't mean the traffickers had vanished—they had merely gone deeper underground.

"Done!" the emperor said cheerfully, "However many traffickers you catch, I will record the merit for you; if it is enough, I will also grant you a title!"

The great white snake's tail rose up, and it hissed: "There's also a reward! I can support myself—I won't freeload off your household!"

It remembered well that the little lion's family was poor; he constantly muttered about studying hard to earn money to buy it snacks, and as a dignified Snake Immortal it could not be so shameless as to expect a child to support it.

Whether person or beast, the emperor greatly admired those who supported themselves; "Fine," he said, "I have one more request: I worry someone may harm the empress; if you can guard her, I will give you a monthly stipend."

The great white snake happily flicked its tail, making the floor go "slap‑slap".

It can sleep on the empress's roof at night; if an enemy appears, it will dart out to scare them to death—let's see who dares to lay a hand on the empress and her unborn child!

Wutong County.

The two monks of Stone Orchid Temple were unaware that the great white snake was expanding its serpentine enterprise in the capital; Mr. Yu, worried about his family's serpent ancestor, had taken up temporary residence there and had not yet returned, so naturally this news had not spread quickly.

They had traveled back and forth on this road countless times, yet they had no idea there was such a huge cave here; if not for the master bringing them, they would surely never have found it.

After two years of study, he went from a dark, skinny boy to a fair‑looking young scholar; his whole demeanor changed greatly.

The monk who was watching the fried little pork bits first thought that fried scorpions must be delicious.

Yet his grandparents kept praising him, saying, "Your teacher said you only wanted to experience the exam atmosphere; he never expected you to pass, and he originally said you wouldn't be ready until next year."

Heh, the parrot's dead‑fish eyes—the weather forecast is a built‑in feature of the system mall; the dog host has contributed nothing at all!

Jiang He put on a profoundly mysterious, god‑like expression, though his words had nothing to do with being a charlatan: "It's just that my ears are more sensitive; I can hear faint sounds."

"Master, how did you know it was going to rain?" Wang Dahang asked; he considered himself well‑versed and thought he could read the weather, yet this rain showed no signs—not just him, the veteran hands in the team also missed it.

Nowadays, whenever Shi Tou appears in the village, everyone who sees him praises him; his home is constantly busy with visitors, and the looming tree always stares at him gloomily, which is irritating, so he simply went straight to the mountains to visit his two senior brothers.

Shi Tou scratched his head and hesitantly said, "Last place, the very bottom."

Everyone again admired him deeply; the master is truly humble.

Immortals don't eat mortal food—what meat would they eat, what wine would they drink? He wouldn't do something that ruins his image like that; otherwise who knows how many would have their illusions shattered.

Someone tentatively sought out the master's disciple for treatment and found that Qingwu's medical skill was equally excellent; after Master Xuanji's departure had caused the incense at Stone Orchid Temple to wane, it began to flourish again.

The system once again muttered that the dog host, dying to save face, would even fantasize a wild vegetable mushroom soup into crucian carp tofu soup.

"Master, can you calculate with your fingers, figuring out where the scorpion is hiding?"

Jiang He again put on an inscrutable, profound expression: "It's just that my legs aren't great; I have a bit of rheumatism, so I feel sore before rain."

No one dared to make the master do work.

"Hurry, hurry, the master said the rain is coming right away," Zhang the supervisor and Wang Dahang urged the group.

After the master left, it was this senior brother who took charge of the lay disciple's studies; he secretly felt ashamed, and no matter how busy he was, he ought not to forget his junior brother's exam situation.

After Jiang He left, Qingyuan and Qingwu were swamped.

The caravan people were busy as bees, none daring to slack off.

Nowadays, no one doubts Master Xuanji's words anymore.

Although it hasn't rained yet, Master Xuanji said a heavy rain would come soon, and that will surely happen.

The rain poured down pattering, growing heavier and heavier.

He said reverently, "Master, you must have figured it out, right?"

While ostensibly striking the wooden fish and chanting sutras, a certain master was actually gulping down saliva while watching "XX on the Tip of the Tongue," and he declared righteously, "Furthermore, doing manual labor doesn't match my persona."

The heavy rain arrived as scheduled.

Back then his grandmother cried bitterly, feeling both joy and regret, saying outright that if she had known earlier she should have sent him to study sooner; he felt especially embarrassed to admit he was last place, though it was just a coincidence.

Qingyuan had originally been the observing senior brother, busy as a spinning top, while he himself leisurely ate snacks and drank tea; but because the snacks were so delicious, wealthy ladies and young ladies who tried them were amazed, turning Stone Orchid Temple into a tourist spot, coming whenever they had free time to worship the Buddha and eat snacks, and when they couldn't come, they'd send servants to buy snacks.

Jiang He's hand stopped striking the wooden fish, and he ordered, "There's a little creature over there—be careful, don't kill it."

Qingwu gazed at the orchids outside the temple and sighed, "I fear this will go on for a very long time."

The tree watched his performance and also clamored to go.

The parrot couldn't stand it any longer; obviously everyone was swamped, but only this bald donkey pretended to chant sutras while actually slacking off—"Aren't you going to help?"

Zhang the supervisor came over holding a bowl of soup, saying, "Master, I made mushroom soup—please try it."

As a system, it's only natural for it to be lazy; it found such a huge cave—what a merit!

The caravan people carefully inspected.

Only he knew that the master had gone to the Hu lands to look for his son, and he was keeping it from these two youngsters.

Nowadays, Jiang He, burdened by the weight of idolhood, feels somewhat gloomy.

The master, missed by his three disciples, was on the road to the Hu lands, having just finished cosplaying as a charlatan.

Wang Dahang held a torch, used a stick to flip open the slightly damp stone, and a scorpion darted out swiftly.

"Seeing my senior brothers, my heart is at ease."

He is a holy monk, after all—who would ever see a holy monk doing rough work?

As a result, it was a bolt from the blue; he was ashamed to death. Had he known, he would have been better off not entering the competition, yet he ended up forming a stark contrast with his cousin.

They also learned from their master, Master Xuanji: after five days of busyness, they close the mountain gate for two days to study and rest fully, otherwise they would really collapse from exhaustion.

"I also have merit—look, I forecast the weather for them." Jiang He said thick-skinned, "A heavy rain is coming soon; if they get caught in it on the road, how many will fall ill?"

In the cave, everyone gathered around the fire chatting; the pot hanging over the fire bubbled, slices of cured meat and wild vegetables floating inside, sending out a tempting aroma.

The spacious cave was packed with people and supplies; Wang Dahang and Manager Zhang gave orderly orders to their subordinates to tether horses, gather firewood, burn mugwort, and sprinkle anti‑insect and snake powder.

His merit is huge.

The parrot gave another dead‑fish stare: "Host, I suggest you take the route of wine and meat passing through the intestines, with the Buddha residing in your heart—eat whatever you want, drink alcohol and eat meat without interfering with your monkhood..."

Shitou gazed at the familiar grass and trees on the mountain, recalling how he had studied day and night for the past two years, recalling how his master taught him to read, the roasted eggplant his master had personally made for him, the mountain breeze, and the orchids in the mist.

Shitou sat by the stove feeding the fire, yet still felt as if everything were a dream.

"I really miss Master; I don't know when he'll return." Shitou said wistfully.

He had originally wanted to go out and give it a try, never expecting to actually pass; these days he felt his mind wandering wildly, especially when contrasted with the big tree.

Jiang He spat back, "My face is this handsome; I look even better when I'm not pretending to be a mystic, and putting on that mystic act shows how humble I am!" He held his bowl, impatiently saying, "All right, no more nonsense—quickly give me that XX on the tip of my tongue; this vegetarian soup is too hard to swallow."

The Grand Master is truly amazing!

The cave is spacious enough to hold people and horses with room to spare; they unhitched the horses and wagons, let the horses rest, and everyone couldn't help but look at the monk who did nothing but sit by the fire tapping a wooden fish.

The system chuckled again, so this is what they call "saving face while suffering for it"?

His nostrils twitched slightly as he smelled the aroma rising from the pot, satisfied—truly worthy of him, even a plain soup made this excellently.

It was a day off; upon seeing Shitou after a long absence, the two senior brothers finally realized they had been overworking and had actually forgotten that their junior brother Shitou needed to take the exam.

The guards who knew martial arts and were quick‑footed threw him outside the cave, and a group of people once again gazed upon the seated master with admiring reverence.

Ahhh, this braised pork looks fatty but not greasy—surely delicious! Jiang He, forced to be vegetarian, now especially loves watching food channels and mukbang.

"Huh, Shitou passed the county exam?"

Ever since the goose‑feather brush and ink business run jointly by the Second Branch and Mr. Yu's household brought the Second Branch considerable wealth, Shitou no longer lacked exam fees, which is why he dared to give it a try.

"Host, basically safe." the parrot, constantly scanning the surroundings, reminded, "There's a scorpion ten meters to your left."

Thus, Shilan Temple began limiting pilgrims again.

The parrot was playing a video in the host's mental space, because the dog‑host said chanting sutras was boring and wanted to watch a video.

All of this made him feel so familiar and at ease.

Everyone once again looked up in reverence, feeling that the Grand Master had become even more humble.

"What place?" Qingwu hurriedly asked.

He felt both joy and shame; his senior brother Qingwu was a recommended man, and admitting his own rank felt a bit embarrassing.

Qingyuan was vexed to death by this; he could only limit the pastry portions, thinking it would reduce the number of pilgrims coming for the snacks, yet his pastries ended up being praised even more by the world.

He didn't know the Grand Master had gone to the Northern Lands, thinking he was still in the capital, sitting in the temple; his restless anxiety vanished, and he only wanted to study hard and reach the capital soon to find his master.

Only the system chuckled inwardly, "These are all tricks! Besides, when you say these things, can't you keep a less mystic expression?"

Under the master's influence, whenever anything good happens, they must make a feast to celebrate, everyone joining in the revelry.

Even the parrot does nothing—of course that's just the surface; in fact, this cave is what it found.

Jiang He wore a vexed handsome face that even gods and men would resent, saying, "Isn't this mismatched with my character design? Look at this immortal‑brother face of mine…"

"Last place, huh—that still counts as passing." Qingyuan was delighted for him, immediately standing and heading to the kitchen, "Senior brother, I'll go cook a feast now so we can celebrate properly."

If Jiang He were here, he would surely tell him, the more limited the quota, the more people praise it—nothing else, unattainability is best; modern merchants have played this trick to perfection.

Jiang He couldn't help but complain, "Since becoming a monk I haven't eaten a bite of meat—just vegetables and tofu every day. Wasn't this world supposed to be a vacation? Wasn't I supposed to just lie back and win with salted fish?"

The big tree had studied three years more than him, now five years total, and after two attempts had passed nothing, whereas he had only studied two years and yet passed the county exam.

"Sprinkle the powder more carefully." the accompanying doctor instructed, also checking every corner for fear a poisonous snake might slip out at night.

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