I start by accepting Sun Wukong as my disciple and reshape the Journey to the West

Chapter 149 Questioning the Heart
"But husband, what about you? What are you asking for?"

The Xiang family's wife has been on tenterhooks lately. The gentry, high-ranking officials, and generals she rarely saw before have suddenly appeared in droves, and she is truly terrified.

Although they were a bit poor in the past, they lived a stable life, saving up one tael of silver at a time, living peacefully, and having something to look forward to in life.

But now it's completely different. You have to be careful not to trip over the silk when you go out, and you have to be careful not to poke yourself with gold when you turn over at night. Countless gold and silver, endless silks, and sudden wealth have come out of nowhere. It all feels like a dream, and you could wake up at any time.

Most importantly, women always think of men who are close to them, honest, reliable, and dependable. That's what Xiang Liang was like in the past, but now, Xiang's wife finds herself unable to see Xiang Liang clearly.

Now, Sagara is like a dream, shrouded in mystery. She had never realized before that Sagara had the courage to face those in high positions of power and influence. In fact, in her eyes, Sagara was an honest man who would kneel down in front of high-ranking officials.

But she realized she was terribly wrong; she had made Sagara her lifelong support, and she really wanted to know what her husband was thinking.

“I was thinking—doing good deeds is so easy, all you have to do is stand a little higher and be a little closer to others. If that’s the case, then I’ll stand in a position where I can be remembered for all time, and then I can help more people.”

The wife of the Prime Minister was stunned; she had no idea that her husband harbored such ambitions.

"Do you think His Majesty is not doing a good enough job, so you want to rebel?" The Prime Minister's wife asked, her body trembling, revealing the confusion in her heart.

"Pah! What nonsense are you spouting! Under the Emperor's rule, the land is peaceful and the rivers are calm. The court officials are working together, and the people live in peace and prosperity. Who can say that's not good?" Xiangliang quickly covered his wife's mouth.

The lady of the Xiang family brushed Xiang Liang's hand away: "Then what exactly did you mean by what you just said?"

"I want to pursue an official career, or a position, one that the courtiers will not ostracize me or fear my position. It doesn't have to be too high, but it must be able to do a lot of things. I want to do more good deeds and help more people," said Sagara.

"Do you rely on receiving gifts?" The lady of the Xiang family pointed to the chests and chests of gold and silver treasures in front of her.

"No, I'm waiting for His Majesty to appoint me as a propaganda ambassador."

"Didn't you already refuse?"

"Therefore, I will not become an official."

"then you……"

Before the lady of the Xiang family could finish speaking, they heard another round of gongs and drums outside.

Sagara got up without hesitation and straightened his clothes.

"What I want should be here soon; it's just a matter of what His Majesty will give me."

After finishing speaking, Xiangliang walked straight out, when his wife suddenly called out, "Husband!"

"Hmm?" Sagara turned around, looking puzzled, because he could hear the grievance in his wife's words.

Will you change?

“It will not change. I saw an immortal in my dream who lent gold and silver to Your Majesty. I thought it was just a dream. Now that the dream has come true, it proves that doing good deeds can educate the world. Therefore, this is my mission here. My heart has never changed.”

"And what about me?" The lady of the Xiang family covered her face and wept. Xiang Liang said that he had not changed, but this answer was enough to show that he had changed and was no longer the honest and kind man in her heart.

Sagara is still Sagara, but he is no longer the Sagara in her heart.

“You are my mentor and friend. If it weren’t for your help, how could I have continued to do good deeds? You have always been there for me.”

As Xiang Liang spoke, he bowed deeply to the Xiang family's wife, performing the proper etiquette between master and disciple.

The lady of the Xiang family had even more pearls on her cheeks. She quickly walked up to Xiang Liang and helped him up.

“My husband has lofty ambitions, but he has long lived in obscurity, his brilliance hidden until now. It is my good fortune that he is shining brightly. No matter where my husband goes next, I will buy a small house next to him and stay by his side day and night.”

With tears welling up in his eyes, Sagara sniffed, "Thank you, my lady!"

The lady of the Xiang family straightened the hem of Xiang Liang's clothes, took three steps back, and gave a curtsy: "Husband, go ahead."

Sagara touched his lips several times, but ultimately didn't utter a single word, and turned to walk outside.

At that moment, tears streamed down the face of the Prime Minister's wife, but the corners of her mouth turned up in a smile.

Outside the mansion gate, Yuchi Gong read out the imperial edict, explaining the construction of Xiangguo Temple for Xiangliang. Xiangliang accepted the edict and expressed his gratitude.

Yuchi Gong stepped forward: "His Majesty is holding a grand water and land ceremony, and I have heard that the young master dislikes being an official, has done good deeds and accumulated virtues in the past, and has Buddha in his heart. I have been asking for a long time to finally get this imperial edict for the young master."

Xiangliang thanked him repeatedly and said with a smile, "I will always remember General Yuchi's kindness. Since it was General Yuchi who obtained this decree for me, I have a request."

"Oh? I'd like to hear the details!" Yuchi Gong replied.

"If, after the construction of Xiangguo Temple, you could inscribe on it: 'Supervised by Yuchi Gong,' I would be eternally grateful. In this way, I would borrow the prestige of General Yuchi to deter the villains."

Upon hearing this, Yuchi Gong's eyes lit up, and he rubbed his hands together repeatedly, saying, "How could I accept this? How could I accept this?"

Xiang Liang looked troubled: "I know this is really difficult for the general, but I am just a commoner. If I suddenly have a temple, I'm afraid it will displease people. If General Yuchi is unwilling, I can't protect Xiangguo Temple! But if the general signs the name, then if any ill-intentioned people come in the future, they will have to consider whether their threshold is as high as the general's."

These words made Yuchi Gong feel exceptionally comfortable.

"Since the abbot has said so, this general will certainly supervise the construction personally and inscribe it. If anyone wants to cause trouble for the abbot in the future, feel free to come to me, how about that!"

Xiangliang was about to kneel down to pay his respects when Yuchi Gong quickly helped him up, saying, "Master, you are now of noble status. If you wish to do more good deeds in the future, you should be more magnanimous and never perform such a grand ceremony again."

Xiangliang replied repeatedly, "General Yuchi's teachings are correct, I will remember them."

"Alright, Master, please go back now. I will personally oversee the construction."

"Thank you, General!" Xiang Liang cupped his hands in thanks and saw Yuchi Gong off.

After leaving Sagara's residence, Yuchi Gong closed his eyes and exhaled after a long while. A guard stepped forward and asked, "General, is there any difficulty in this matter?"

Yuchi Gong shook his head slightly: "No, on the contrary, this matter is of great benefit to me. The temple inscribed my name, what a great favor!"

"If it's a good thing, why is the general sighing?"

"I sighed at the depth of Xiang Liang's mind. If he were to enter officialdom, he would surely become a high-ranking official. His words are full of flowery rhetoric. Even though I was indebted to him, he acted as if I had really helped him solve some great difficulty. This person's way of handling things is no less than that of Fang Gong."

"Is this person really so remarkable?" The guards didn't believe it. Fang Xuanling had many connections in the court and was much more popular than Wei Zheng. Even military officers had a good impression of Fang Xuanling.

What virtue or ability does this prime minister possess?

"From now on, send more people to guard Xiangguo Temple and protect the couple, as a way of repaying their kindness." At the big locust tree, Nine-Headed Lion said, "Master, this is their entire conversation."

Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun nodded: "In the dream of wealth and glory, Xiangliang has found his mission."

"So, Master, was this person actually arranged by the Sage?" Nine Spirits asked the same question that the Heavenly Venerable had just asked.

After all, even he could see that Sagara's current state of mind was extraordinary, even though he had not cultivated immortality.

Although Yuchi Gong's words were somewhat exaggerated, they were still the absolute truth.

“I don’t know either. I even used Fellow Daoist Xuantian as a base to estimate the amount this person had hidden during the Great Tribulation, but I couldn’t find out even a fraction of it. Apart from Fellow Daoist Xuantian being able to borrow a treasury of gold and silver from here to help King Tang return to life, there is nothing else.”

Almost at the same time that the Savior of Suffering finished speaking, Ye Xuantian's voice rang out.

"It is my fault that I have only sought out an ordinary mortal in the secular world to receive the merit of the Tang King's resurrection into my body, and yet the Heavenly Venerable is so confused."

At this moment, Ye Xuantian sat on the branch of the locust tree, feeling indescribably comfortable.

The Nine-Headed Lion was startled by the sudden sound. All nine heads immediately appeared and bit at the source of the sound with incredible speed, purely out of instinct.

The Heavenly Venerable of Salvation was also startled, but he eventually came to his senses. However, he did not stop the Nine-Headed Lion from taking action.

Ye Xuantian glanced coldly at Jiuling Yuansheng, and in that single glance, all the fighting spirit in Jiuling Yuansheng's eyes vanished.

All nine heads lowered, and Ye Xuantian gently stroked the main head of the Nine Spirits Primordial Saint.

"Hmm, it seems that the opportunity from last time has been almost digested. To be able to unleash such ferocity just by instinct is truly remarkable."

“Sage, Jiu Ling has no intention of offending you.”

“I know that if it weren’t for this, you would have lost your head today.”

Whoosh!
Upon hearing this, Nine-Headed Lion immediately retracted its head.

Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun narrowed his eyes slightly: "Fellow Daoist's methods are becoming more and more exquisite. The origin of battle! I haven't seen this kind of power for many years."

"It's just a small gain, nothing much. The seeds planted over so many years have only sprouted little by little, and a few fruits have been harvested." Ye Xuantian withdrew his gaze and continued to look at Xiangliang's residence, swinging his legs casually.

Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun sat beside Ye Xuantian without speaking for a long time until Ye Xuantian stopped shaking his legs. Only then did Jiuku Tianzun speak: "This person has encountered a change in circumstances, hasn't he?"

Ye Xuantian laughed and said, "What does the Heavenly Venerable think?"

“Something must have changed. If this person was truly only there to help King Tang return to his body, as Fellow Daoist Xuantian said, then you wouldn’t have come here in person, much less wander through the river of time to search for information about this person’s evolution.”

Ye Xuantian looked at Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun: "The human race is the greatest variable in the world. This has been a consensus since the emergence of the human race in ancient times. Now, under the great calamity, it is only natural that the human race has accumulated some fortune."

"But this person has clearly surpassed Fellow Daoist Xuantian's level of evolution, right? Could you tell me about it?"

"Very well, I have always believed in the Heavenly Venerable's methods. This person should not have discovered his mission, nor should he have accepted any gifts from the Tang King, not even the Xiangguo Temple." Ye Xuantian had just strolled through the River of Time and had already obtained some answers, but he also wanted to see how the Heavenly Venerable before him would provide an explanation.

"Oh? Is Xiangguo Temple in your predictions?"

"Of course!"

"So the problem lies solely with Sagara's response? In other words, in your deduction, all the final results are correct, but Sagara alone is the one who is flawed?"

"Hit the nail on the head!"

"Could it be that the Heavenly Dao is wrestling with you, fellow Daoist? For example, it may become the key to your victory or defeat during the Great Tribulation."

"He is just a simple human, unable to achieve such an effect. Moreover, he is not under the watchful eye of the Great Tribulation. On this chessboard, he should just be a piece that can be discarded after use." Ye Xuantian's answer was exceptionally clear.

Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun remained silent. Of course, he understood Ye Xuantian's meaning. If the Heavenly Dao were to cultivate Xiangliang from scratch, the cost would be too great and not worth it at all.

Ye Xuantian stood up, his figure flickered slightly, and then disappeared.

Meanwhile, Sagara drifted off to sleep. When he opened his eyes again, all he saw was white. A smile appeared on Sagara's lips.

"Immortal, you've come to my dream again!"

Ye Xuantian slowly appeared in front of Xiangliang, and the smile on Xiangliang's face disappeared: "Aren't you the immortal who asked me to borrow a treasury of gold and silver?"

“Yes, I am the one behind Him,” Ye Xuantian replied. “You seem to have lost all fear and shock towards such matters of ghosts and gods.”

“Once you’ve been through it, you’ll get used to it, and once you’re used to it, you won’t be afraid anymore. All of humanity’s fears come from the unknown, don’t they? Is the reason you’re here in person this time because I did something that affected you? If so, I can change my actions at any time,” Sagara said with a smile.

"You seem to know what outrageous thing you've done."

"A country bumpkin suddenly moving among high-ranking officials and gentry with ease is bound to cause some gossip. Even I myself have been thinking lately about whether I have really changed too much." Sagara scratched his head, seemingly quite embarrassed.

"Since you know you're acting out of line, why don't you change?"

"Why should I change? Now that I'm in a higher position, I can influence more people to do good deeds. Isn't that a good thing?"

"very good!"

"Has this matter caused any trouble for the immortal?" Sagara seemed to have grasped the core issue and immediately asked.

"A tiny bit!"

"I'm really sorry, but I'm very happy that things have come to this point, so can I not change my mind?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Xuantian remained silent for a while before saying, "Okay, but you need to answer one question for me. You must answer carefully, cautiously, and without hiding anything."

"Ask me, Immortal! I will answer to the best of my knowledge!"

"What's your name?" Ye Xuantian suddenly asked.

"I……"

Sagara remained silent for a long time, seemingly having truly forgotten his own name.

"Your name is Jin Chanzi, right?"

(End of this chapter)