Journey to the West: Building a Celestial Empire Starting from Lion Camel Ridge

It was recorded in Journey to the West.

Outside Chang'an City, on the banks of the Jing River.

There were two wise men: one was a fisherman named Zhang Shao; the other was a woodcutter named Li Ding.

These are two hermits, who were scholars who failed the imperial examinations but were literate mountain dwellers.

One day, the two men ate and drank at a tavern until they were half-drunk. Each carrying a bottle, they strolled back along the banks of the Jing River.

They started arguing along the way.

As for the reason, Chen Ping'an thought the two of them must have drunk too much.

Zhang Shao said that although he was a fisherman, he would never be able to overturn the river.

Li Ding was puzzled: "If you walk by the river often enough, how can you avoid getting your shoes wet?"

Zhang Shao, however, remained unusually calm and composed, saying, "In Chang'an City, on West Gate Street, there is a fortune teller. Every day I give him a golden carp, and he will give me a divination slip from his sleeve, which is accurate every time, depending on the direction."

Fisherman, golden carp.

Now we have them all.

The names match up.

As for cultivation level...

Chen Ping'an carefully recalled the original text and paused for a moment.

In fact, their cultivation levels were not mentioned at all!

Those who could be dragged into the turbulent waters of Journey to the West are no ordinary people!

......

Chen Ping'an glanced at the fish, which seemed to be having a great time in the jade basin.

Seemingly sensing the spiritual energy being fed back from the purification altar, several bubbles rose to the surface of the water.

People are not simple, and neither are fish.

Therefore, Zhang Shao's identity was actually a prelude arranged by the Buddhist sect long ago?

Was the conversation on the banks of the Jing River a complete conspiracy?

Was it all to lure the Jinghe Dragon King into a trap?

The Jinghe Dragon King's volatile temper can be easily discovered by those who are interested in investigating.

They deducted the amount of rain, changed the time of day, and smashed the fortune-telling stall.

One link leads to another.

When Chen Ping'an read Journey to the West, he saw this passage and had some doubts. Didn't the old Dragon King know the consequences of disobeying the imperial decree?

How could someone who has become the master of the Dragon Palace act so impulsively?

That's absurd and outrageous!

......

Chen Ping'an's mind was racing.

Zhang noticed that Chen Ping'an's expression was different, but didn't pay much attention to it.

After settling the fish, he took out a jade slip from his waist and handed it to Chen Ping'an.

"What is this?"

Chen Ping'an curiously took it; it felt warm and smooth to the touch, very comfortable.

"This is a jade slip containing the cultivation method."

Ali, who was standing to the side, lit up and whispered.

"And judging from the material, the level of the cultivation technique should be quite high."

Upon hearing this, Zhang smiled slightly and said, "The young lady has quite a good eye for quality."

He turned his head and said, "I see that you have not yet embarked on the path of cultivation. As the master of a sanctuary, it is no good if your own cultivation is too weak. Think of the emperor of my Great Tang Dynasty, who was a human emperor and reached the realm of a sage."

saint?

A saint among men, on the same level as a demon saint?

Chen Ping'an was shocked. The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty actually had cultivation, and it was even at one of the most advanced levels in the world!

Then how did your soul get taken to the underworld?

Logically speaking, such a person should not live a long life, or even be as old as heaven and earth.

Think of Zhen Yuanzi, the ancestor of earth immortals. The couplets hanging in front of his door read: "The immortal's abode of immortality, the Taoist family that lives as long as heaven!"

How domineering, how unrestrained!

This is so wrong, it doesn't make any sense at all!

"I left in a hurry and didn't bring anything good with me, so I'll give you this jade slip containing the cultivation technique."

Zhang laughed loudly.

Does it represent Western Paradise? Or the human emperor?

Chen Ping'an didn't dare to ask any more questions.

The difference in strength between the two was ridiculously large, and he dared not reveal anything in his words.

His understanding of the Journey to the West story is his current hidden advantage; but whether the story will continue to develop in the direction of the Journey to the West remains to be seen until the Water and Land Assembly, and until Tang Sanzang truly amazes the world with his Buddhist cultivation.

And the monkey that escaped from the Five Finger Mountain.

But... there are some questions that can be asked.

Chen Ping'an wanted to verify some of his guesses.

......

"The Mr. Shoucheng you mentioned, senior, could it be Yuan Shoucheng, the fortune teller on West Gate Street in Chang'an?"

Chen Pingan asked cautiously.

Upon hearing this, Zhang paused for a moment and began to carefully examine Chen Ping'an. The other party was only seventeen or eighteen years old, so he shouldn't be mistaken.

How could someone so far away know about Mr. Yuan?

After a moment, Zhang smiled slightly: "Yes, I didn't expect Mr. Shoucheng's reputation to be so great that it has even spread to Lion Camel City, thousands of miles away."

"How did you learn about Mr. Shoucheng?"

"The elders said that Master Shoucheng's divination is so powerful that it can communicate with the gods," Chen Ping'an said, watching Zhang Shao's expression but trying to sound as relaxed as possible. "The fishermen outside Chang'an would ask Master Shoucheng to tell their fortunes before they went fishing, and it is said that he could predict the outcome every time."

"I wonder if it's true?"

Zhang Shao's expression changed repeatedly.

The way he looked at Chen Ping'an was different from before; it was a serious scrutiny, as if he was trying his best to see through the boy in front of him.

If these words were unintentional, then let it go.

If this statement was intentional, then Chen Ping'an's background becomes rather mysterious.

"That's true."

Zhang Shao didn't detect anything unusual on Chen Ping'an's face and smiled, "The old man from White Bone Town seems to know quite a bit. Tell me, what else did we talk about?"

"That's all that's said about Mr. Shoucheng, only about fishing."

"However, the old man also said, how could it be so accurate? If this continues, wouldn't all the fish in the Jinghe River be wiped out?"

Chen Ping'an laughed heartily, and Zhang, who was opposite him, paused for a moment before bursting into laughter as well.

"You little rascal, you're really funny."

......

"Alright."

"I have other things to do, so let's call it a day."

Zhang Shao stood up and glanced at Ali beside him: "I think this little girl has good talent. She's only at the third level of Qi Refining. You two can practice this Yin Yang Five Thunder Qi Refining True Technique together."

"Nowadays, the Lingxiao Palace and the Western Paradise are thriving, exploiting the incense and faith of our human race; the demon race has already been defeated and is in complete disarray. Perhaps one day the human race will also become a complete vassal and lose all freedom."

Zhang sighed, "Throughout my journey, whether it was the Kingdom of Wuji or the Kingdom of Women, at least the country's structure was still intact; but this Kingdom of Lion Camel, the entire country has been destroyed."

He looked at Chen Ping'an with some sympathy: "Your shelter is really in a terrible state."

"These demons, ever since Sun Wukong was imprisoned under the Five Fingers Mountain, they've lost all their backbone. They neither rebel against the Jade Emperor nor dare to oppose the Buddha of the West. All they do is bully humans in the mortal realm. What kind of people are they!"

His words were filled with disdain and indignation towards the demon race.

Chen Ping'an didn't interrupt, but listened silently.

He hasn't reached the level where he can intervene.

Moreover, Zhang Shao's identity is somewhat mysterious.

If it represents the human race, why did it take that trip along the Jing River, which became the catalyst for the pilgrimage?

If he represents Buddhism, then why does he speak with such disdain for Buddhism?

This is inherently contradictory.

"Oh, by the way, that fish was sent to me by Mr. Shoucheng. As for its purpose, it will tell you itself."

fish?

tell me?

Chen Ping'an was speechless.

Just as I was about to ask something, Zhang Shao had already disappeared.

"Feed..."

Chen Ping'an's voice faded into the wind.

......

He stared in the direction Zhang Shao had disappeared, and some extremely bold ideas began to form in his mind.

"Perhaps these demon kings who occupy these areas are actually lackeys of Buddhism, sent down here to harvest another wave of faith?"

"If the Buddhist sect sends another wave of envoys, they can harvest these demons who have carved out their own territories and become kings."

"That vast and boundless power of faith, isn't it...?"