Chapter 52

Holy Monk 18 (Sea Eastern Green Express)

The guards ahead, upon hearing Manager Zhang's words, couldn't help but feel invigorated.

Killing a bandit rewards ten taels of silver? Kill ten and that's a hundred taels—enough in a small town to buy a wife; kill a few more and you'll have earned the money to purchase property.

Wang Daheng dodged the bandit's broadsword aimed at his forehead—he wasn't the wealthy and generous Manager Zhang! Fortunately, thanks to the master being with us, we suffered little loss on the road, and this time the bandits also got the master's advance warning, reducing our losses further; ten taels per bandit is nothing we can't afford.

He immediately shouted, 'Ten taels of silver for each bandit! If you want to get rich, do it now!'

At this moment, the master, worried about by Manager Zhang, had already avoided the crowd and come to the bandits' lair.

Since the bandits had all gone down the mountain to ambush and rob, no one was left to guard this place, so naturally no one stopped him.

When the master, whom the world regards as untouched by mortal affairs, arrived, he headed straight for the place where the bandits had left the silver.

After the silver vault was opened, he clicked his tongue twice, "These bandits on the trade route are truly wealthy; look at all this pure gold and silver, jewels and jade; if converted to silver, the grain they could purchase would be enough to feed an entire town."

Jiang He gathered all the bandits' silver, then patted his snow‑white, flawless monk robe.

Today's master still exuded an ethereal aura, untouched by any trace of copper stink.

He surveyed the shack, which could not be simpler, and it was clear the bandits had no intention of staying long; they were just doing a short‑term job here, robbing a few batches and then slipping away, so they hadn't even opened their luggage—consider it a cheap deal for him.

Only after the remaining bandits, seeing the situation was unfavorable, all fled did Jiang He finally appear, moving slowly.

Supervisor Zhang was instructing people to calculate this loss; when he saw him, he was very delighted and curiously asked, "Master, where did you just go?"

Because Master Xuanji's ethereal, all‑powerful image was so deeply ingrained, Supervisor Zhang and his crew never associated him with cowardice. When they found him missing, they didn't think he had fled; they assumed he had left for some reason.

Jiang He recited "Amitabha" and clasped his hands, his expression filled with compassion: "I, a humble monk, conduct rites for the dead; all beings suffer, and I only wish that they become good people in their next life."

The crowd solemnly paid respect; indeed, the master treated all people of the world equally.

If it were other monks, they might be cursing a meddlesome bald donkey in their hearts, not distinguishing friend from foe, but when facing Master Xuanji, no one would think that way; such a thought would be an insult to the master.

The surviving bandits were bound together with rope, and Wang Daxing ordered the guards to haul them to the nearby county yamen.

Although the master had warned in advance and they were prepared, the death toll was not high, yet there were countless severe injuries; medical and compensation costs amounted to a large sum, and delivering these bandits to the yamen could earn some bounty.

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Sure enough, as they expected, most of these bandits were Hu people, and many were elderly Hu.

"Last year the north suffered drought; the Hu grasslands were hit hardest. Two small tribes clashed, and the larger tribe took the opportunity to crush them… Look at their clothing; they are defeated Hu with nowhere to go. Being old and without a tribe, yet unwilling to die, why not simply turn to banditry in the mountains?"

The county magistrate sighed heavily, expressing great disgust at the Hu abandoning the elderly, "If this year they can't be contained, they'll surely strike again in the autumn wind; you merchants must be careful."

Hearing the magistrate's words, everyone felt heavy in their hearts.

Especially as they neared the steppe, the party sometimes saw bodies hidden in the grass, and upon close inspection they were all elderly.

Someone familiar with the steppe said, "The Hu are unlike the Central Plains folk; they have a tradition of abandoning the old. When food is scarce, the elders leave the tribe and find a spot deep in the steppe. They do not care about burial; if their bones fall to wolves, they consider it the will of the Eternal Heaven."

The drought affected not only people but also animals; the wolves on the steppe are fierce, and these elders, willing to die to leave hope for the young, can fill the wolves' bellies, thereby indirectly reducing competition for survival resources with the wolves.

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To Central Plains people this seems overly cruel, yet for centuries the Hu have survived generation after generation thanks to this tradition.

Wang Daxing muttered, "No wonder most of the bandits are elderly Hu; when they can't survive, people really will do anything."

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But a month later, the capital was hit with extremely sensational news.

Several human traffickers in the capital were taken down in one swoop, and many abducted children were rescued from their lair.

The authorities took the captured traffickers to be paraded through the streets; the capital's citizens rushed out to watch, hurling rotten vegetable leaves and stinky eggs at those scoundrels.

"It's all thanks to the Great Snake Immortal!" the onlookers in the capital discussed enthusiastically. "I heard the traffickers were discovered by the Great Snake Immortal; last night it was guarding the street corner, swinging its tail, knocking down any fleeing trafficker."

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"Isn't that Aunt Guihua? She's actually a trafficker!" a citizen who recognized her shouted in shock.

Others who knew Aunt Guihua were equally stunned, "How could this be? Aunt Guihua was always so good‑natured, never quarreled with anyone; everyone praised her as a great person, and yet she would traffic children?"

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"It seems he was the one in disguise all along; how could a trafficker be a good person?"

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At this moment, the great benefactor Feng Ming and the Great White Snake were eating at a tavern.

General Wei Yuan had just cradled his newborn daughter and son last night before rushing to help; after all the traffickers were captured, he didn't concern himself with what followed, and cheerfully returned to see his twin dragon‑phoenix babies at home.

Yu, the senior clerk, could only translate for the crowd, conveying the words of the Snake Ancestor.

He was old; after a night of busyness his body could not hold up, and he is now catching up on sleep.

Parading the traffickers through the streets was Feng Ming's idea: first to see if anyone bold enough would dare to rob prisoners, and second as a warning to tell future offenders that traffickers would not meet a good end.

The Great White Snake buried its head in the food; the imperial chef's rice was delicious, and the dishes from the tavern outside had a special flavor. The meat was sliced very thin; while it lacked the texture of a whole piece, it was more flavorful, and there were many other tasty dishes.

Feng Ming took a sip, looked up and saw the Great White Snake gazing softly at the cup in his hand.

He quickly guarded his cup, "Don't even think about it; if you go berserk with wine, I can't hold you back."

The Great White Snake was still curious about the taste of the wine: Sss sss sss!

Feng Ming felt helpless; he truly didn't want to understand the Great White Snake's meaning, yet at that moment he did.

He muttered to himself, "The Great White Snake really has a Buddhist nature; when it wants people to grasp its meaning, it's surprisingly easy to understand."

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So the Great White Snake took a small sip of the wine and soon stopped making a fuss, because the wine was truly terrible; it didn't understand why these two‑legged beasts liked it.

When returning to the palace, Feng Ming finally realized how great the effect of that tiny sip was.

The Great White Snake usually walks with a twist here and there; this time, however, it had tangled itself into a knot, then twisted like a pretzel, swaying a couple of times.

The capital's citizens had just finished watching the traffickers being paraded, and now watching the Great White Snake's fancy walk, they were all engrossed.

Feng Ming wanted to cover his face, pretending not to recognize such a flamboyant… snake!

"Long Worm!" a multicolored bird swooped down, landing on the big snake's head, its tone shocked, "It's only been a short while since we last met, how did you get so fat? And what's this weird way of walking, poop‑walk?"

Feng Ming's face beamed with delight, "Tongtong, long time no see, where have you come back from?" He couldn't help but peek behind the parrot, "Has the Master also returned?"

The big white snake now fully sobered up, its tail thumped the floor: hiss hiss hiss!

Enemies meeting made their eyes burn with hatred; the parrot's appearance completely sobered the big white snake, no sobering broth needed.

The parrot danced on the big white snake's head, "The Master hasn't returned; I'm here to deliver a letter."

Feng Ming, though disappointed, heard the parrot was to deliver a letter to the Emperor; without a word he took two sprites into the palace.

The Emperor in the palace learned that Master Xuanji had asked the parrot to deliver a letter to him and looked forward to it.

After reading the Master's letter, he was a bit puzzled: "Library? Let all scholars read for free, Master… truly boundless merit!"

Over there Feng Ming also praised the parrot: "You're really amazing, you can even deliver a letter!"

Look, this parrot has also gotten a bit fatter, yet can still fly that far—truly impressive!

The parrot smiled awkwardly, just as the Imperial Kitchen staff, per the parrot's request, brought over sliced raw food.

It took off and greeted the Sea Eastern Eagle hiding on the roof, "Buddy, come down and eat the delicacy!"

Feng Ming followed the voice, and when he saw the animal on the roof his eyes widened, his chest heaved with excitement: "Ah! This is a Sea Eastern Eagle! One appears per a hundred thousand divine hawks!"

This Sea Eastern Eagle bore brown spots, its tail and claws pure white; it was now pecking at raw chicken and duck, its beak and talons tearing the meat like iron hooks, making Feng Ming's eyes go wide.

"Tongtong, may I touch it?" Feng Ming asked.

He has the least resistance to such fierce beasts, especially this one that can fly—king of the skies.

The parrot flapped its fat wings, flew onto the Sea Eastern Eagle's back, "Thanks to my old buddy, I could fly back to the capital in just a few days; my old buddy carried me all the way, I promise to treat it to a feast."

Thus, its delivering the letter wasn't its own merit; being so fat, flying back alone would surely exhaust it.

Eagles and snakes are mortal enemies!

The nearby big white snake's eyes flashed with ferocity, its tail raised.

The Sea Eastern Eagle gave it a proud glance; the snake is too fat—maybe it can't win, but the big snake is helpless against it because it can fly!

The big white snake instantly roared, "Hiss hiss hiss! Come fight!"

The parrot, helpless, rose and hovered between the two predators, acting as a mediator.

She had never in her life seen such a beautiful child; unlike the kids raised on the steppe drinking milk yet still as black as coal, Ba Tu of their family seemed carved from jade, skin white and tender—truly gorgeous.

Moreover, its size is too huge, making it inconvenient to follow the Master; after all, the steppe isn't the Central Plains, the host hasn't made a name yet, and a snake that big beside him would cause the Hu people to treat the Master as a demon monk.

Sang Ya indeed had a good haul; her horse already bore four or five rabbits and two pheasants.

In the middle of speaking, the Empress, with her big belly, leaned on a courtier's hand and walked over.

As for what that meant, Feng Ming simply took it as his agreement, feeling delighted.

Because of defeat, the two biggest tribes lost prestige; the barely‑held‑together medium and small tribes began to dissolve, and now the steppe is essentially scattered into many small tribes.

If you ask Sang Ya why their family adopted that child, it's simply because the child is good‑looking!

The horseback‑riding woman shook her head, unwilling to speak with Aunt Maha.

The parrot seized the moment, "Your Majesty, Master said that in three months, heavy rain will flood Yushu County, washing everyone away; you should prepare in advance."

The parrot, confident and unabashed, called its old buddy over, "With a Sea Eastern Eagle courier, why should I use my own wings."

The parrot served as a messenger once, finally returning to Jiang He's side.

At that time they had to slaughter some livestock, but the steppe lacked salt; without salt and with winter not yet over, the meat rotted, and by spring they would starve.

The mother and daughter's attitude made the amnesiac Ba Tu, who had drifted onto the steppe, less fearful and gradually integrate into the family.

Honestly, with such hard times, Sang Ya's family still took in a Central Plains slave as an adopted son; who knows what they think? If they wanted a child, the great steppe has plenty of orphans—why take a Central Plains kid? Moreover, the child is so short, clearly unable to work.

The Empress's health is robust, and the child in her womb is even healthier; the host's paid health‑growth child‑birth package truly wasn't wasted.

The parrot shouted for Supervisor Zhang to bring a chicken over for the Sea Eastern Eagle's snack; the two chickens the Eagle had fetched from the capital were already eaten.

"The Central Plains emperor is not easy to deal with," another tall Hu woman sighed, "This emperor is different from the past weaklings; I've heard he can fight while mounted and govern while on foot. Why aren't such heroes from our steppe?"

The parrot flew over, its voice crisp: "Your Majesty, blessings."

Aunt Maha was about to refuse, but the young woman had already mounted and left.

Why is living so hard?

The party stared from afar at the Sea Eastern Eagle, unwilling to approach; its claws like iron hooks—one swipe could gouge out an eyeball.

When poisoned once, the surrounding people hadn't reacted yet, and the big white snake flicked its tail, flipping the palace maid holding the poisonous fruit tea.

She untied a rabbit, tossed it at Aunt Maha, "The rabbit's plump; tonight I'll add a dish for Xiao Bu and them! No need to be polite; this is a return gift for the lamb you gave us last time."

Now the Empress's belly is swollen, her pregnancy evident.

Master Jiang He instantly saw through Supervisor Zhang's scheme; having a Sea Eastern Eagle meant that on the steppe there was nowhere one couldn't go, and that one could become an honored Hu guest without spending a single coin.

Mother Sang Ya, being cheap, bought the child, hoping to have a laborer at home; at the time the child's face was covered in grime, and they couldn't see what he looked like.

"This year's grass isn't as lush as before," a woman in Hu attire with small braids said, looking at the vast steppe, worry on her face, "Last year the steppe was drought‑stricken, most of the grass withered, and many cattle and sheep starved."

"Why is it still so fat?" the monk grumbled, pinching the parrot's wings, both as plump as chicken wings, "Never used these wings before?"

Seeing it, everyone was startled; Wang Daxing even doubted it had truly returned to the capital, for in such a short span, a parrot couldn't possibly make the round trip at its speed.

The Sea Eastern Eagle, carrying the plump parrot, held two chickens in its claws, and the scheming Feng Ming warmly invited the Eagle, "Whenever you have time, come to my residence; I'll treat you to chicken, duck, and goose!"

The steppe was dotted with tents; from afar it looked like dark flowers blooming on a yellow‑green meadow.

The parrot then regaled them with tales of the northern journey, such as how the Master rescued the Mi family's matriarch, and was hailed as a deity for his precise weather predictions, among other stories.

A woman born of a small tribe showed worry on her face.

Earlier he fled, got beaten, and finally smashed his head, causing him to forget his identity.

The parrot answered each question, while covertly scanning the Empress's body.

Last year there was no food; they went to Da Qing to chase the autumn wind, and many died; tribes of all sizes lost lives.

This year's grass isn't as abundant as before; herders dare not let their cattle and sheep graze freely, and experienced elders estimate that the steppe now supports four or five ten‑thousand fewer livestock than in previous years.

The Emperor and Empress are very interested in everything the Master has done along the way.

Because of the child's appearance, the mother and daughter racked their brains and gave him a steppe name: Ba Tu.

For this, the Empress already owes the Great White Snake a reward of ten thousand chickens, ducks, and geese.

The mother and daughter both feel they've struck gold; those traders surely didn't know the child was so good‑looking, otherwise they couldn't have sold him so cheaply.

"Amitabha." The Master clasped his hands together. "The Sea‑East Blue belongs to the sky."

"Master…" Supervisor Zhang's eyes rolled. "Will you raise this Sea‑East Blue in the future?"

The parrot took on the role of water‑serving Master, no longer daring the cryptic attitude of before; if the dead snake gets discouraged and runs to the border, what then? It's so plump that the Hu surely wouldn't mind eating snake meat.

After the Empress became pregnant, she was attacked by an assassin once; before the assassin could strike, the Great White Snake lying on the roof frightened him, causing him to fall off the roof and shatter the bones in both legs.

That child wasn't even raised on the steppe, so tending cattle and feeding horses is naturally no match for Shang Ji, but in every other respect, not even ten Shang Jis could compare.

The parrot stayed in the palace for one night, and the next day left together with the Sea‑East Blue.

The parrot said, "The Master misses you too; he says what you're doing now is right."

The Emperor's expression instantly grew solemn: "The Master mentioned this in his letter; rest assured, the cement has already been produced, and I will immediately order the dam to be repaired."

"Little White has been a great help to my palace," the Empress said softly. "Now it is especially uneasy about me; as long as it is in the palace, it basically stays near me."

Later, he instructed Sang Ya on barbecuing; the aroma made shepherds within ten miles drool.

Raising the Sea‑East Blue is enough.

Who could have imagined that the steppe harbors plant sap that makes grilled meat so delicious?

People living on the steppe worship the Eternal Heaven, and the Sea‑East Blue is regarded as a divine messenger.

Aunt Maha couldn't help but slap her thigh; how could Sang Ya run so fast? She still wanted to tell her about her brother.

She also didn't know how many would starve then; having no other choice, she had to go to the Central Plains to chase the autumn wind.

When the Master was mentioned, the Great White Snake finally stopped glaring at the Sea‑East Blue and hissed at the parrot.

The Empress wore a look of affection, had someone bring out sunflower seeds, and chatted with the parrot, asking, "Is the Master still well?"

"Maha, give up! The Sang Ya family will never take your son." A woman passing by on horseback scoffed.

Who would have thought that after being washed clean, the mother and daughter of Sang Ya stared with wide eyes, thinking the child was perhaps too good‑looking.

"What's wrong with my son? He's even filial!" Aunt Maha complained, "My Shang Ji can do everything, unlike that little slave—just ten years old, yet still not as quick as an eight‑year‑old Shang Ji at work."

"Sang Ya." Aunt Maha smiled and greeted the girl on horseback, "Oh, you've had a good harvest today; look how plump those rabbits are."

Everyone's eyes nearly popped out, "Isn't that the steppe's divine messenger, the Sea‑East Blue?"

The shepherds who ate this kind of barbecue felt both blissful and pained, thinking the cattle and sheep of the past had been wasted.

If you can't work and can only live off freebies, what good is that?

A crisp sound rang out as a thirteen‑fourteen‑year‑old steppe girl rode by on a horse; her slightly dark skin, bright sparkling eyes, and a smile that resembled the blazing sun in the sky.

The Sea‑East Blue gave him a glance and let out a call.

Ba Tu was sold to the steppe by traffickers two and a half years ago.

How could they not know Aunt Maha's intention to have her son marry Sang Ya? Thus she strongly opposed the Sang Ya family adopting a Central Plains slave as an adopted son, believing that the adopted son would burden the Sang Ya household.

Supervisor Zhang felt a bit uneasy, his eyes gleaming at the Sea‑East Blue, and decided that after returning he would buy a trained eagle for fun.

"Chang Chong, you should extend some host generosity; the old companion has helped me greatly, and we'll be leaving soon! Without it, I can't fly back, and the Master is still waiting for me."

The Master is an immortal; the parrot he raises is an extraordinary bird, so are its friends also steppe deities?

A monk like him has no interest in keeping a carnivorous raptor; the Great White Snake is an exception—it is kept by the wealthy outsider, so the monk doesn't have to provide meat for it.

Ba Tu also taught them to grind overly sour wild fruits into a paste and spread it on the barbecue, making it tastier and cutting the greasiness.

"Aunt Maha, what are you thinking?"

Many people have died, and the cattle and sheep barely suffice for food.

If this year's grain is insufficient, war will inevitably be launched; these small tribes must join or die, yet even if they join, they will die in the war.

Although Ba Tu is clumsy, Sang Ya doesn't mind at all; just looking at his face makes Sang Ya happy, and she doesn't mind doing a bit more work herself.

Between the yellow and green lie white sheep and brown cattle; sturdy Hu women wield whips to herd the sheep and cattle, shouting as they go, while shepherd dogs race across the steppe, helping round up stray sheep back into the flock.

They also encountered a gardener planting poisonous plants outside her palace; the beautiful‑flowering plants were also struck dead by the Great White Snake.

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