Chapter 47: Holy Monk 13 (Great White Snake Enters the Capital)

Holy Monk 13 (Great White Snake Enters the Capital)

Wan Shou County, as a transportation hub leading to the lands of the Hu people, is very prosperous.

Merchants come and go, with caravans laden with heavy goods; when they reach Wan Shou County they always stop to rest and resupply, because beyond Wan Shou County lies a long mountain road where even a place to rest is hard to find.

Many years ago, Wan Shou County, as its name suggests, was a habitat for wild beasts.

When our dynasty founded the nation and unified the world, the Hu people dared not oppose it, bowing their heads to do business with Daqing; Daqing's salt, wine, tea, and porcelain were extremely popular among the Hu, border trade flourished, and merchants traveled thousands of miles to sell Daqing's goods at the frontier, causing Wan Shou County to finally become prosperous.

Wang Daxing sipped the strong liquor scented with rice, his eyes scanning all directions; though his gaze seemed hazy with drunkenness, it was actually sharp and clear.

This was not his first time trading through Wan Shou County; it is safe enough to have a snack with a little drink and then take a deep sleep—a great pleasure.

After leaving Wan Shou County, he didn't know how long it would be before he could rest properly again.

In the main hall, there was another caravan heading northwest like theirs, occupying the entire hall.

Earlier, that caravan had unfortunately encountered continuous spring rain, making the road difficult, and many fell ill with wind‑cold symptoms, so they decided to linger in Wan Shou County for a few days, and the two caravans happened to collide.

Wang Daxing invited the other party's supervisor for a drink, discussing traveling together.

The combined bodyguards of the two groups numbered nearly a hundred, which ordinary mountain bandits would not dare to challenge.

The plump supervisor, surnamed Zhang, was clearly a hearty fellow and quickly loosened up with Wang Daxing over drinks.

The two caravans sold different main goods, so there was no competition; besides, even if the goods were the same, it didn't matter, because the Hu could consume any amount of cargo.

Outside, it was raining steadily, a continuous drizzle.

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Fortunately, the rain finally stopped today, the sun came out, yet the interior still seemed very dim and damp.

"This rain is really annoying, not that it's heavy, but it has been falling for many days; if the mountain soil slides down, we wouldn't dare to go," Supervisor Zhang said, patting his big belly, "This worries me so much, I've lost ten jin of weight."

"The soil is too loose; a carriage would get stuck, which is also a trouble," Wang Daxing agreed.

The road from the capital to Wan Shou County, decades ago, Lin Shoufu oversaw its repair so it could still be traversed; the routes from Wan Shou County northward are mostly mountain paths—young people can still manage the strain, but older ones have their bones nearly shattered.

Supervisor Zhang happily gnawed on a pork knuckle: "Brother Wang, try this knuckle; it's Wan Shou County's special rock‑sugar knuckle, the meat firm, neither fatty nor tough, just right. No other place has such a tasty knuckle. I've heard it's related to the pig breed. I didn't believe it at first, but I traveled thousands of miles, endured countless hardships, and brought several pigs back home... Hey, guess what happened?"

Wang Daxing, intrigued by his words, hurriedly asked, "What happened?"

Supervisor Zhang chuckled, "When the pigs were raised elsewhere, the meat turned gamey, not even as good as the native village pigs." He took a big, hearty bite, "I pitied that I once dreamed of building a pork‑raising empire." Wang Daxing watched in awe.

After devouring both large platters of knuckles, he understood why, despite the hardships of trade, Supervisor Zhang was still so plump.

Another caravan arrived, and the innkeeper was in the back courtyard instructing a server to tidy the rooms.

The caravans brought many people; one caravan would fill half a month's business, let alone now three have arrived at once.

Just as the innkeeper stepped out of the back courtyard, he saw a monk walking into the inn.

"How did a... Master... come here?" the innkeeper stammered, noting the monk's demeanor, aura, and appearance, which resembled a Buddha‑propagated disciple.

Putting aside whether the Master's skill is great, just his appearance alone, standing there, makes one willingly call him Master.

At that moment, a beautifully feathered parrot flew out from behind the Master.

The parrot opened its beak and squawked, "Shopkeeper, bring some tasty sunflower seeds and snacks; I'm starving to death!"

The Master's features were gentle; he seized the parrot's neck, and the parrot let out a harsh cry, twisted its head, and glared angrily at the Master.

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The Master held the parrot, smiled apologetically at the innkeeper, "Sorry, my parrot is very impolite." That smile was like spring blossoms, as if it washed away the gloom brought by the spring rain, brightening the hall considerably.

The proprietress's big rear pushed past the innkeeper, enthusiastically stepping forward, "Holy Monk, would you like a bowl of noodles? Our plain noodles are a masterpiece." She turned to the innkeeper, "Go, give the parrot some seeds and snacks."

The transcendent Master declined, then walked toward the table where Wang Daxing and Supervisor Zhang were deep in conversation.

Arriving before the two, he performed a clasped‑hands salute, "Amitabha, greetings, benefactors."

Supervisor Zhang subconsciously hid his oil‑slicked hand behind him and vigorously wiped it with his garment.

He is a Buddhist; normally when he sees a monk he feels subconsciously uneasy, probably because he loves meat so much, making him feel guilty before monks who advocate non‑killing.

Wang Daxing quickly rose and bowed, "Master, my respects."

The Master smiled radiantly, his words sounding like a charlatan, "You two benefactors are fated to meet this humble monk."

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Thus he not only freeloaded the plain mantou from Wang Daxing and Supervisor Zhang, but also freeloaded their carriage.

The parrot, munching seeds and sipping water, asked puzzled, "Host, didn't the emperor say he'd give you the fastest horse and the best carriage? Why did you refuse? Now you still have to beg people."

It wasn't saying that the emperor's horse and carriage would certainly be better than those of the merchants, but the host refused, turning down not only the carriage and horse but also the driver and guards the emperor sent to attend him.

Jiang He said brusquely, "Have you ever seen a monk traveling west with bodyguards and a fine treasure horse?"

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"Seen!" the parrot replied confidently, "Tang Sanzang! His horse is a white dragon horse! Oh, his bodyguard is his disciple, who can take on ten thousand opponents, far more impressive than ordinary guards."

Jiang He was instantly at a loss, lamenting, "But my character is Wuhua, while others are already awesome!"

He also wanted a disciple‑like rescue like Monkey, but that's not available! His own disciples still can't fight on their own.

The parrot examined the host, suddenly understanding why the dog‑host insisted on wearing a white monk robe, initially thinking he was just being frugal! Indeed, that fabricated immortal‑like demeanor actually had a few perfectly flawless aspects.

"Mainly, I'm worried that riding the carriage every day, attended by a crowd, will make me gain weight," Jiang He complained, now heavily burdened by his idol image, "Look at my handsome face—can anyone still look at it if I get fat?"

Parrot: "... " Dog host, you really are overthinking.

Jiang He continued, "Speaking of it, monks at Xiang Guo Temple eat vegetarian meals daily, and many of them are still plump! Zhu Bajie traveled west while staying vegetarian, definitely walking tens of thousands of steps each day, also slaying demons along the way, so his activity level is high—do you see him getting thin?"

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The parrot now feels it can comfortably stay on the host's shoulder; it previously feared that eating too much would make it fat, so it had to fly extra circles each time to lose weight.

Jiang He's monkly façade is top‑notch; Wang Daxing and the others were subdued by his demeanor and looks, convinced he must be a formidable high monk. How could an ordinary monk stay so clean on these continuous spring rains and muddy roads? Even the parrot on his shoulder didn't get a single drop of rain.

Looking back, they still found it unbelievable that the eminent person actually said he would travel with them in three days.

Wang Dalu said, "Master, we intend to set out tomorrow."

It had been raining for several days, and today the rain finally stopped; the sun is blazing, and tomorrow this road will surely be dry. Though their traveling merchants don't treat every moment as gold, they still understand that time is money.

Jiang He said calmly, "It will rain again tomorrow, the day after will be a rest, and only the day after that can we set out."

Supervisor Zhang showed a doubtful expression, "Can the Master still read the heavens?"

The handsome, flawless Master folded his hands, his smile gentle, "I know a little."

Wang Daxing's sharp eyes flickered, his beaming smile offered the boss plain noodles and a few side dishes.

Rain or not, we'll know tomorrow; if that monk can read the heavens, they'll make a fortune.

Of course, what happened later made Wang Daxing and Supervisor Zhang resolve themselves.

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Qing Yuan entered the kitchen and frowned; on a row of stoves lay a massive snake, its tail sunk into the smallest pot while the largest pot held its huge head.

Hearing the commotion, Qing Wu's expression was blank; this wasn't the first time—since the Great White Snake ended its hibernation, it has often been with them.

"Surely it's just idle because they're full," Qing Yuan muttered.

Qing Wu gritted his teeth, "Junior brother, I want steamed snake meat, iron‑pot stewed big snake… I don't want to be a monk today, I just want to be a bald donkey!"

Qing Yuan nodded, "This snake is so big, it'll feed us for three months."

The Great White Snake finally lifted its head from the pot; its forked tongue hissed as it glared ferociously at the two‑legged beasts!

Its tail thumped against the pot.

Gentleman Yu rushed in sympathetically, patting the snake ancestor he had fed to a larger size, "Snake ancestor, are you hungry? We won't stay in the kitchen; let's go to the back mountain—I prepared a sheep for you as a snack!"

The Great White Snake finally averted its gaze, looking at Gentleman Yu with grievance.

Gentleman Yu skillfully patted its skin, "I know, you miss the Master! I miss him too, but the Master has his own affairs. Get up and have lunch; look how thin you've become."

Gentleman Yu felt so sorry he wanted to shove food into the snake ancestor's belly so it could grow another layer.

Qing Yuan and Qing Wu twitched the corners of their mouths as they watched.

There's a kind of skinny that makes Gentleman Yu think you're skinny! Damn, their stove is about to be crushed by this fat snake!

Gentleman Yu worried their snake ancestor might starve, sending people daily to check when it awakens; on the first day of waking he fed it dozens of chickens, ducks and geese, sighing, "Eat more, eat more, you're so thin."

"Thin what? Is it the belly that's thin?"

The two kept watch while waking Gentleman Yu.

The Great White Snake nested in the carriage—a specially enlarged one—where it could train its head and neck; its upper body lay on the carriage roof, its lower body coiled on the soft blanket inside.

Sure enough, after eating dozens of plump chickens, ducks and geese, the snake's belly swelled, and it began to cause trouble.

When the Great White Snake heard they were heading to the capital, it stopped its commotion.

The carriage was drawn by three horses, with several more carriages trailing, all carrying the Great White Snake's reserve provisions.

The big snake hissed, its tail whipping wildly—did I fear the two‑legged beasts wouldn't make it?

The Great White Snake alertly raised its upper body, straightening its knotted tail.

Gentleman Yu, well versed in the principle of going with the flow, immediately said, "You're not afraid, but if bandits block the road all the way, how long will it take to reach the capital? Don't you want to see the Master as soon as possible?"

When the driver fell, the horse was startled; the carriage rocked as if to overturn, but the snake's tail swung back and miraculously steadied the carriage.

The guards and the driver who was hurrying saw the two approaching carriages and paid them no mind.

Gentleman Yu, fearing the carriage's bumpiness, laid a thick blanket in the cargo box, allowing the Great White Snake to rest its tail comfortably.

The two senior brothers, plus Shi Tou who occasionally visited the temple, all three swept the floor daily—it drove them crazy!

These successive incidents jolted the two guards awake; they shouted, "Great White Snake, stop!"

Passersby trembled, pointing at the massive snake tail, their voices shaking absurdly.

All this happened in an instant, leaving everyone dazzled.

"Senior brother, the court officials have arrived!" he shouted joyfully to the two senior brothers.

Its way of resting the tail is to swing it wildly; even hitting the blanket, it doesn't worry about damaging the carriage.

Gentleman Yu whispered, "Ancestor, please bear with me; I'm worried some dim‑witted people might plot against you, claiming to act for Heaven…"

A cold bead of sweat rolled down Gentleman Yu's forehead.

"Yu, wake up!"

"Snake ancestor!" Gentleman Yu hugged the Great White Snake, tears of joy, "The Emperor has summoned you; our family finally brings glory to the ancestors."

Gentleman Yu finally understood; the snake ancestor blames the two‑legged beasts for being useless, pretends not to hear, but when his own snake ancestor scolds his grandson, he has to endure it!

Gentleman Yu is wealthy; their master is particular—the temple floor is a fresh light color, and when this dead snake rolls, it gets as dirty as it wants!

The Great White Snake can now understand human speech, and immediately glared at Gentleman Yu with displeasure.

"Ah—ah—ah…"

That day, after people and the snake ate their fill, they set off again toward the capital.

Gentleman Yu slept soundly in the carriage while the Great White Snake flicked its tail on and off for amusement.

Before cultivation, it was nearsighted and deaf‑mute; after cultivating, it used spiritual energy to reinforce its inner ear and eyes, and now it is the hexagonal warrior the Master described—perfect!

The two guards actually found the journey comfortable; they had arrived on swift horses eating dry rations, but now several carriages carried the Great White Snake's reserve food, and whenever it was mealtime, Gentleman Yu would take some out to grill, stir‑fry, or boil, making them a bit plumper.

"The Emperor summoned our snake ancestor?" he was overjoyed; he had always said his snake ancestor would one day become famous throughout the world, and he never expected the day to arrive so soon.

The Great White Snake didn't care, rolling around on the floor.

The two guards wore expressionless faces.

"Whu—whu—whu…" Suddenly, a whimpering sob rose in the wind, as if something were blocked.

Gentleman Yu sighed, "These aren't enough, but the journey is hard; the chickens, ducks and geese are getting stale. When we pass a city, we'll buy the snake ancestor some fresh food."

The snake ancestor can see at night, but being old its eyesight is poor; at night the two guards become blind as they open their eyes, fearing they'll drive the carriage into a ditch.

After hearing the guards' words, Gentleman Yu was instantly delighted.

Could it be too much? No wonder this snake is so fat from eating—look at its belly, it seems it never digested.

It guiltily drew in its tail; if it weren't to see the Grand Master, it would never have suffered this much in its life—Heaven knows it originally wanted to stretch its head out to catch a breeze, but now only its tail can stretch out to catch a breeze, it truly feels wronged.

To be honest, before they came they never imagined it would be such a huge animal; even if it looked simple-minded, they were still afraid—if this big snake flared up, they couldn't guarantee they could subdue it.

The Great White Snake looked resentfully at Yu Yuanwai, hissing: "I said I'd walk myself at night—it's very slippery!"

This is a habit it recently developed: its head chases its tail, tying its long body into a few knots, then slowly untying them—quite amusing.

It really misses the Grand Master; after winter finally passed and spring came, summer will follow closely—its body is so cool, the Grand Master would surely enjoy holding it while sleeping.

Not only is he delighted, he thinks his two senior fellow disciples must be even more delighted—they can barely tolerate this big snake.

The Great White Snake doesn't care about that; mainly, whenever the cart has a little extra space, Yu Yuanwai immediately goes to replenish supplies—being generous as it is, it doesn't quarrel with two‑legged beasts.

"Old brother, your cart…… cart……"

Since ancient times, white giant beasts have been considered auspicious omens; this Great White Snake is surely an auspicious omen—no wonder the Emperor wants to see it.

But the Great White Snake simply won't listen to them; the guards are frantic—if the Great White Snake hurts someone on the road, once they reach the capital the Emperor will surely blame them.

At this moment they only have one thought: so particular, can the Emperor afford to keep the Yu family's snake ancestor?

Hmph, dead parrot, get lost!

Yu Yuanwai had a specially large and tall carriage made; the great white snake crawled in and found it quite spacious, needing only to coil into two loops instead of coiling like mosquito incense, and immediately felt very satisfied.

Until a huge snake tail stretched out and slapped the carriage driver who was coming toward them.

Then this dead snake actually slipped out to the outside of the hall; outside, spring rain drizzled continuously and there were many puddles on the ground. It rolled in the mud, turned into a mud snake, and then slipped back into the temple, rolling around everywhere.

It's no wonder the snake was loaded in the front carriage, for every part of a snake is treasure—its skin, flesh, gall, and venom. Even the capital's officials and nobles, who crave dragon liver and phoenix gall, want to taste it, not to mention the snake meat itself.

No matter how fast Yu Yuanwai was, preparing all those things still took ten days.

The two guards invited Yu Yuanwai to go to the capital together.

At first the two guards had objections, but when they saw how the great white snake ate, they fell silent at once—with such an appetite, even if they hunted all day, twelve shichen a day, they couldn't fill it.

Since this great white snake is his family's ancestor, it will surely give him face, so there won't be so much fuss on the road.

His family's snake ancestor is well-fed and portly; the carriage, heavy-laden, cannot go fast, and even if it did, the jolting would be unbearable, so the party can only walk slowly.

The brown horse was so frightened its legs went limp, unable to move, its two legs trembling, and it soon collapsed on the ground to show submission to the giant snake.

That's fine; just treat it as a rag, since the floor needs wiping anyway.

The two guard brothers lounged on horseback; it was noon, and after eating they felt a bit drowsy.

Just as the two brothers were about to stew the great snake in an iron pot, Shitou brought two guards from the Huangong up the mountain.

On such a wide official road, carriages, ox carts, and people coming and going are commonplace.

Upon hearing that reason, the great white snake hissed for most of the day.

The two exchanged a glance, once again firm in their resolve: they must invite Yu Yuanwai to join them, for they cannot understand this hissing snake language.

Yu Yuanwai's voice was not loud, but the two guards had been trained, with sharp ears and clear eyes.

"Our master is not here; he has gone to the capital." Qingwu said calmly, "If you keep causing trouble, there's nothing we can do."

The two guards looked at the great white snake and had to admit that, if not for its huge size, it would actually seem rather simple-minded.

They hesitated and asked, "Is all this what it eats?"

The great white snake inside the carriage did not know humans' dirty thoughts, nor did it realize it was being regarded as food.

He wore an apologetic expression toward the snake ancestor for feeding it stale, low-quality food, making the two guards' mouths twitch.

Yu Yuanwai naturally agreed wholeheartedly, hurriedly saying, "Sirs, our snake ancestor eats plenty; I need to prepare! Moreover, with its huge size, we can't just twist along the road—it would frighten passersby. Better I remodel a huge carriage for it; it can coil and fit inside…"

But this caused the carriage to shake violently; those unaware would think something improper was happening inside, until—whoosh—a snake tail shot out.

Passersby saw the chickens, ducks, and geese in the cages and suddenly realized, "Ah, they're all ingredients."

The great snake's head suddenly flopped down with a 'plop,' wanting to see the great master as soon as possible.

The great white snake contemptuously flicked its tail at Yu Yuanwai—it doesn't bear the surname Yu; if it had a surname, it would be Jiang!

However, such a huge tail shows the snake's body must have plenty of meat; he suggested they could have a feast of one snake, many dishes!

The driver of the rear carriage, seeing this, screamed, "Ahhh! Giant snake! Monster!"

Yu Yuanwai skillfully entered the carriage to coax it, "Ancestor, please endure a little longer; in ten days you'll be able to see the great master."

The two guards gulped, drew their knives, furious inside, thinking, "Beasts are beasts; all that talk about receiving the Buddha's baptism and understanding human nature is nonsense!"

The two guards sighed, pulled back the rear carriage's curtain, and said vaguely, "Oh, this? We're just transporting animals…"

The great white snake had already darted out of the carriage; with a 'slap,' it struck the burly carriage driver who had fallen to the ground and quickly leapt up, sending his nose blood spraying and knocking out his front teeth.

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