Ch 27: The Malevolent Monster Just Wants To Farm

When the round lid on the dish was lifted, a rich, fragrant aroma immediately filled the air.

Li Mao was skilled at making mock meats—not just in terms of texture but also in shaping them to resemble various birds and beasts. However, Jiang Lin suspected that even such realistic mock meats might not be acceptable to Tang Sanzang, so he instructed Li Mao to keep it simple, focusing on bringing out the natural flavors of the ingredients rather than trying to mimic the taste of meat.

Each guest had eight small dishes before them, all exquisitely crafted and flawless in both presentation and taste. While there might be chefs in the human world with skills comparable to Li Mao’s, none of them would have access to the fruits and vegetables grown in a place as rich in spiritual energy as White Tiger Ridge.

Sun Wukong, being straightforward, praised Jiang Lin while eating, “Indeed, this is no less than what the royal chefs can do—perhaps even better.”

Just then, another little demon came by, holding an exquisite vessel made of white jade. They placed it on the table and poured a clear, fragrant liquid into each guest’s cup.

Tang Sanzang quickly set down his chopsticks and declined politely, “Amitabha, as a monk, I must not drink alcohol.”

Zhu Pajie, who had been eagerly reaching for his cup, awkwardly retracted his hand upon hearing this.

Jiang Lin smiled and reassured them, “Knowing that the holy monk follows the Buddhist precepts, how could I dare offer alcohol? Rest assured, this is not wine, but fruit juice made from freshly pressed fruits.”

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang took a sip from his jade cup and found the “fruit juice” to be fresh, sweet, and fragrant, with no trace of alcohol whatsoever.

Sun Wukong enjoyed the taste so much that he downed several cups in quick succession. Then, with a curious look at Jiang Lin, he asked, “With such great power, are you really content to confine yourself to this small place, spending your days preparing food and drink?”

“Wukong!” Tang Sanzang gently scolded his disciple, reminding him that it was impolite to speak so bluntly to their host.

Jiang Lin, however, was not offended at all. He laughed heartily and asked, “And what, Great Sage, do you think is the most important thing for a demon in this world?”

Sun Wukong replied, “Naturally, it’s mastering supreme divine powers and making a name for oneself across the world.”

Jiang Lin nodded, “Then I assume the Great Sage has already achieved that.”

Sun Wukong was taken aback.

Jiang Lin then picked up his cup of fruit tea, took a slow sip, and closed his eyes, savoring the taste. “But in my view, eating well, drinking well, and living happily is better than anything else.”

Sun Wukong was silent for a moment, then raised his cup to Jiang Lin and said, “You have truly figured it out.”

While they were chatting, Zhu Pajie had been focused solely on eating. During their journey to obtain the scriptures, they mostly traveled through desolate mountains and wilderness, relying on offerings from nearby villagers—dry rations to fill their stomachs. How could those compare to the exquisite dishes before him?

As Zhu Pajie ate, he noticed the demon called Zong Yu sitting across from him, absentmindedly stirring the food in front of him with a spoon, seemingly uninterested in eating. Puzzled, Zhu Pajie asked, “Why are you acting like this? Do these dishes not meet your standards?”

Zong Yu lazily lifted his eyes to glance at him and replied, “That’s right, I have no appetite.”

Zhu Pajie was shocked, “No appetite for this? Then what do you usually eat?”

In his previous life, Zhu Pajie had been a general in Heaven and had tasted the true food of the immortals. He thought the delicacies of White Tiger Ridge were on par with those of Heaven. What kind of extraordinary food could surpass this?

Zhu Pajie stared intently at Zong Yu.

Zhu Pajie was shocked and looked at Jiang Lin in disbelief, “The King has such a unique talent?”

Jiang Lin sighed, “My cooking skills are average; it’s just that this child has a peculiar taste and insists that what I make is the best.”

Zong Yu stubbornly emphasized, “It really is the best!”

Tang Sanzang smiled warmly as he observed the interaction, “It seems that Master Jiang Lin and Master Zong Yu share a deep bond.”

Jiang Lin thought to himself, It’s more like he’s deeply attached to the food I make.

By the time they finished their meal, it was already afternoon. The sun set quickly in White Tiger Ridge, so Jiang Lin warmly invited them to stay the night and continue their journey at dawn the next day. Tang Sanzang hesitated, but with his disciples enthusiastically encouraging him, he finally agreed.

Jiang Lin then arranged for them to stay in a courtyard, prepared hot water for bathing, and ensured they could wash away the dust from their journey and rest well for the night.

As night fell, White Tiger Ridge was lit by bright bonfires, and the demons gathered happily around them. Since his earlier conversation with Jiang Lin, Sun Wukong had been preoccupied with his thoughts. He wandered around White Tiger Ridge, taking in the sights.

He saw children dancing in circles around the bonfire, eagerly watching the older demons roasting food over the fire. A rabbit demon was grilling a plump pheasant, while a powerful wolf demon obediently handed him seasoning. Meanwhile, a crow and an eagle were arguing loudly. Although both were demons, the difference in their strength was vast, yet the eagle refrained from using force and instead engaged in a verbal spat.

Suddenly, Sun Wukong paused and looked down. Standing before him was a small monkey.

The little monkey hadn’t fully transformed yet, with a ring of fine golden fur around his cheeks and big, bright eyes filled with curiosity as he looked at Sun Wukong.

“Uncle, you don’t seem to be a demon from White Tiger Ridge,” the little monkey said.

Sun Wukong smiled, squatting down and playfully scooping the little monkey into his arms. He pretended to be fierce, saying, “That’s right, I’m a bad demon, here to steal little demons to eat!”

He watched with interest to see how the little monkey would react.

But the little monkey just blinked and said seriously, “Then you’ll be in big trouble.”

“Oh?” Sun Wukong responded.

The little monkey pointed not far away and solemnly explained, “Look, my parents, uncles, aunts, and all the others are there. If you try to grab me, they’ll beat you up!”

Sun Wukong, in a good mood, continued teasing him, “But they can’t beat me.”

“Then…” The little monkey thought for a moment, and his eyes lit up. “Then there’s the King! Our King is the strongest! You definitely can’t beat him!”

When he mentioned the King, the bright bonfire reflected in his eyes, lighting them up with a brilliant glow.

Sun Wukong’s heart softened. With a thought, golden fur appeared on his cheeks as well.

“Wow!” the little monkey exclaimed in amazement. “Are you a monkey too?”

He suddenly realized, “My mom said that a very important guest came to White Tiger Ridge today, and one of them is from our monkey clan, someone really, really powerful called the Great Sage Equal to Heaven!”

He looked at Sun Wukong with sparkling eyes.

Sun Wukong laughed, and with a flip, he carried the little monkey up into the sky on a somersault cloud.

Half an hour later, Sun Wukong returned the little monkey, whose cheeks were now flushed with excitement. Surprisingly, his carefree parents hadn’t even noticed that their child had been missing for so long.

Sun Wukong glanced at the lively bonfire in the distance, letting go of any lingering doubts.

Looking down, he found a large, ripe peach in his palm.

It was a gift from the little monkey.

“Uncle, this is the biggest and best-looking peach from my family’s tree,” the little monkey had said, a bit reluctant. “It’s definitely really sweet.”

“I’m giving it to you.”