You Think You're Fooling Someone?

Su Qing simply nodded slightly in response.

Then, she turned and went to find Liu Xixi. Informing Liu Xixi of her departure didn't take much time at all. In less than the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, Su Qing was back.

"Alright, I've spoken with Liu Xixi. Shall we go now?" Su Qing asked, turning to look at Chen Chaoyan.

Chen Chaoyan nodded and hopped onto Su Qing's Somersault Cloud.

Seeing that Chen Chaoyan was ready, Su Qing didn't waste any more time. With a single thought, she steered the Somersault Cloud toward the South Sea Purple Bamboo Grove.

The Somersault Cloud was incredibly fast. In just a short while, they had traveled from the Northern Continent to the vicinity of the South Sea Purple Bamboo Grove.

Su Qing didn't linger. She quickly lowered the cloud and landed within the purple bamboo forest. As soon as she touched down, a familiar figure appeared before her.

"Greetings, Azure Spirit Sovereign!" Muzha said, offering a Buddhist salute. "Master has been expecting you for some time."

Su Qing nodded. "Lead the way."

Muzha nodded and led Su Qing deep into the bamboo forest to find Guanyin Bodhisattva.

On the way, Chen Chaoyan, unable to stay quiet, asked, "Senior Brother, why is it always you meeting us here? Where's the Black Bear Spirit? He's usually quite idle; why didn't he come to greet us?"

Muzha's lips twitched at the question. He let out a sigh and said, "It can't be helped. Who else is as reliable as me?"

"You? Reliable?" Chen Chaoyan curled her lip and teased. "So, what's the real story?"

"Well, Big Silly Black got beaten up. He's currently lying in bed, unable to get up!"

"Huh? What happened?"

"The Great Sage Sun came by earlier to ask Master for help. Big Silly Black was still holding a grudge against him, so he intentionally refused to lead the way. As a result, the Great Sage gave him a sound thrashing. I suspect if it weren't for the fact that Big Silly Black is Master's subordinate, the Great Sage might have actually finished him off..."

"..." Chen Chaoyan was speechless. "The name Big Silly Black really does suit him... he's so thick-headed."

"Hmph, why do you think I like calling him that?" Muzha said with a shrug. Then, he turned to Su Qing. "My apologies for the Sovereign having to hear of such nonsense."

Su Qing waved it off. "It's fine. It's actually quite amusing. That Black Bear Spirit really is a glutton for punishment..."

"He is. He never learns his lesson," Muzha grumbled. "I remember last time, he went to steal honey and got stung until his head was covered in bumps. He kept swearing he'd never do it again, but as soon as the swelling went down, he went right back to provoke the bees and got stung all over again."

Su Qing: "..."

That Black Bear Spirit really didn't have a shred of common sense! How could he be so foolish?

Su Qing even began to wonder about Guanyin's reason for keeping him as a disciple. Could it be that she just wanted someone around to provide comic relief? If it were anyone else, the possibility would be slim... but with a black-bellied person like Guanyin Bodhisattva, the possibility felt exceptionally high.

Su Qing shook her head. "To feel the pain and still not learn... that Black Bear Spirit is indeed a bit much."

Muzha and Chen Chaoyan both nodded in agreement.

As they chatted, they soon arrived at the lotus pond within the bamboo grove. Guanyin Bodhisattva was currently by the pond feeding the fish—a picture of pure, refined, and elegant divinity.

'If only she weren't so black-bellied,' Su Qing thought. She looked at the Bodhisattva and called out, "Greetings, Senior Guanyin..."

Even though Su Qing had plenty of internal complaints about her, the woman was still a senior, and basic etiquette had to be maintained.

Guanyin looked up at Su Qing. "You've arrived, Little Friend Su? You certainly got here quickly! Would you like to join me in feeding the fish?"

Guanyin looked perfectly peaceful, her expression unreadable.

Su Qing went silent for a moment before nodding. "Since Senior has invited me, how could I refuse?" She walked over to the pond.

At that moment, Guanyin spoke to Chaoyan. "Chaoyan, you and Muzha should excuse yourselves for a moment. I have some matters to discuss with your godmother in private."

Hearing this, Chaoyan looked at the Bodhisattva with a hint of curiosity, but she didn't question it. She nodded obediently. "I understand, Master!"

Muzha also nodded. "Then Junior Sister and I shall take our leave."

Guanyin gave a light hum of acknowledgment. "Go. And keep an eye on that Black Bear Spirit. Don't let him cause any more trouble."

"Yes, Master!" With their master's orders given, Muzha and Chaoyan naturally didn't dare to linger. They nodded and left the pond.

Once they were gone, Su Qing stepped up beside Guanyin. She looked at the fish in front of the Bodhisattva and said, "The Buddha told me to assist you in arranging a tribulation. So, Senior, do you already have a plan for this trial?"

"I've had a plan for a long time... and now that you're here, it's about time we put it into motion."

"In that case, what role am I supposed to play?"

"Hmm, how about you play the villain?"

"Didn't we agree that I wouldn't have to play the villain?"

"Then you can play a village girl who seduces Zhu Bajie, and Laojun and I will play the villains..."

"Forget it, I'll stick with being the villain," Su Qing said, curling her lip. "So, what are the specifics of the plan? And Taishang Laojun is participating too?"

"Laojun is a restless soul; he wants a hand in everything. Since he insisted on joining, I let him help. We needed someone to handle the odd jobs anyway... it worked out perfectly," Guanyin said calmly, tossing a handful of food into the water to feed the fat fish in the pond.

Su Qing remained silent. That old man Laojun really did manage to get involved in everything. She truly wondered how someone in such a high position had so much time to wander around everywhere!

Without waiting for Su Qing to speak, Guanyin continued, "As for the specific plan, it's a bit long to explain. Why don't you sit down and let me tell you in detail?"

With that, Guanyin sat down on the ground. She even took off her shoes and dipped her feet into the pond water.

Su Qing looked at her, then followed suit, sitting down and extending her own fair, jade-like feet into the water. The pond water was cool and refreshing—a perfect relief in the South Sea weather. Su Qing gently wiggled her toes, sending up a few droplets of water.

She was actually a bit surprised. She had initially thought Guanyin was trying to lure her into sitting down so she could trigger some small trap to prank her. But it seemed she had overthought it; Guanyin really wasn't pranking her.

'It seems the Buddha was right. Guanyin Bodhisattva wouldn't prank someone when it comes to official business,' Su Qing thought. She turned to the Bodhisattva and asked, "Can you tell me now?"

"Of course." Guanyin nodded. She had been ready to speak; she was just waiting for Su Qing to settle in. Now that Su Qing was seated, she began to explain the details of the upcoming plan.

Guanyin went over the specifics of the tribulation thoroughly, giving Su Qing a general understanding of what was to come. Of course, a plan was just a plan; once things were in motion, many details would likely change.

"It seems you've planned everything out quite well, Bodhisattva! I thought I'd have to spend a long time discussing it with you after I arrived," Su Qing remarked after hearing the plan.

Guanyin gave her a side-eye. "If I waited until you arrived to start discussing it, it would be a waste of time! Besides, it's just a tribulation. We only need to give them a bit of a challenge; it doesn't need to be anything too elaborate."

The purpose of arranging tribulations was to make the journey difficult for Tang Sanzang—not to actually kill him. Therefore, there was no need for anything overly complex. They just needed to make the travelers feel the struggle. Regardless of how difficult the trial was, someone would always step in to help them resolve it in the end.

Su Qing nodded. "That's true... so when do we start?"

Guanyin thought for a moment. "We start today!"

"Today? So soon?" Su Qing asked, startled. She hadn't expected Guanyin to be in such a hurry.

Facing Su Qing's surprise, Guanyin simply shook her head with a smile. "The sooner we set it up, the sooner it's ready. That way, we can start the moment they arrive."

Su Qing nodded. "Alright, I was just surprised, not that I can't understand. But... how long until they reach the place we're setting up?"

"Three or four days at most," Guanyin said, glancing at Su Qing. "Why?"

"Nothing, I just have other things to do, so I was hoping to finish this quickly," Su Qing said honestly.

"I see! A delay of three or four days shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"As long as it doesn't take any longer than that, it's fine," Su Qing said, giving Guanyin a look.

"Good. That's settled then." Guanyin nodded. "By the way, how is the situation with the Six-Eared Macaque? Have you... 'trained' her yet?"

Su Qing blinked, then shook her head. "Who do you take me for? How could it be that easy to train someone like her?"

Guanyin didn't say much more, only nodding slightly. "It's fine. There's no need to rush such things. Just take it one step at a time."

"These things can't be rushed in the first place," Su Qing said flatly.

Guanyin chuckled. Then, she stood up and performed a quick hand seal. Before Su Qing's eyes, she changed into new clothes and transformed her appearance. Now, Guanyin Bodhisattva looked like an ordinary mortal woman. However, she was no ordinary woman—she was stunningly beautiful, a true temptress of the mortal world.

Forget Zhu Bajie; any man who saw her would have his soul stolen away. Su Qing watched her and couldn't help but clap. "As expected of Guanyin Bodhisattva, your transformation arts are truly impressive."

Guanyin didn't show any particular emotion at the praise. She simply said calmly, "That Sun Wukong has his Fiery Golden Eyes. Even though your strength exceeds his and he might not be able to see through your disguise, it's better to use a secret method for the transformation just to be safe. Lean in, and I will teach it to you."

Su Qing's transformation arts were certainly good, but Sun Wukong's Fiery Golden Eyes were specifically designed to see through disguises. Unless he encountered someone like Guanyin whose power vastly outstripped his own, there was always a chance his eyes could see through the disguise of someone stronger than him. To avoid that small possibility, Guanyin decided to let Su Qing use a secret method.

This secret method was modeled after the Six-Eared Macaque's innate divine ability—it was nearly peerless when it came to transformations. The Six-Eared Macaque was in the same realm as Wukong, yet Wukong's Fiery Golden Eyes couldn't see through his disguise, which showed how terrifying that innate ability was. With the support of this secret method, even with his Fiery Golden Eyes, Wukong would never be able to tell who Su Qing had transformed into.

"Alright, that sounds good!" Su Qing nodded and leaned in.

Guanyin didn't prank her this time. She simply taught her the secret method. Although it was called a 'secret method,' it wasn't actually that difficult to learn, especially for someone in the Heavenly Immortal realm like Su Qing. In just half an hour, Su Qing had completely mastered it. While she might not have reached absolute perfection, she was certainly proficient.

Su Qing chanted the incantation and performed the hand seals. In an instant, she transformed into the form of a demon. Now, Su Qing had horns on her head, scales on her face, stood nine feet tall, and had hair and a beard as white as snow—she looked like a true malicious spirit.

After the transformation, Su Qing looked down at her reflection in the water.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. This is way too ugly..." Su Qing shook her head, talking to herself. "But it certainly fits the image of a Great Demon... most of them look this fierce."

It was actually quite funny when she thought about it—most male demons in the world were hideous and fierce, while most female demons were incredibly beautiful. On the journey to the West, Su Qing couldn't remember a single female demon who was actually ugly. And the ones she had encountered on her own journey were the same; she had never seen an ugly one. Even if there were, it was usually because they had intentionally transformed into that state for a specific reason.

'I'll use this form for the "performance." Guanyin Bodhisattva wanted me to look a bit more frightening, and this should be scary enough,' Su Qing thought, rubbing her chin. She then performed a seal to undo the transformation and went to find Guanyin.

"You've learned it already?" Guanyin seemed a bit surprised. She knew Su Qing would learn quickly, but she hadn't expected her to master it in just half an hour.

"Of course. It wasn't that difficult..." Su Qing said, spreading her hands. "I am in the Heavenly Immortal realm, after all. Learning a secret method isn't exactly a challenge!"

Hearing this, Guanyin's lip gave a tiny, imperceptible twitch. This girl clearly had no idea how long it took others to learn this... she had already set a very fast expectation for Su Qing, yet Su Qing had still exceeded it by a wide margin.

However, Guanyin didn't intend to tell Su Qing that. Instead, she said, "Hmm, not bad. You learned quickly indeed. Since you're ready, I'll notify Taishang Laojun to come over. Once he arrives, we'll set off!"

Su Qing had no objections. She nodded and said, "Then I'll go chat with Chaoyan for a bit while you're busy, Bodhisattva!"

Without waiting for a response, Su Qing turned and went to find Chen Chaoyan. As she watched her go, Guanyin's brow furrowed slightly. If it weren't for the fact that arranging the tribulation was the priority, she would have certainly stopped Su Qing. But she had other things to attend to.

'She's my disciple's godmother... she's my disciple's godmother... she wouldn't develop feelings for her own goddaughter, she wouldn't make a move on her!' Guanyin comforted herself internally before going to contact Taishang Laojun.

Time ticked by. Before long, Taishang Laojun arrived in the bamboo grove on his cloud.

"Aha! You finally called for me! I've been waiting for ages; it's finally time for my debut!" Taishang Laojun said with a grin as he approached Guanyin. "By the way, where's Su Qing?"

Seeing that Su Qing wasn't by Guanyin's side, he asked curiously. After all, he remembered that Su Qing was supposed to be part of the performance this time. Since Guanyin had called for him, it meant Su Qing should be ready as well.

"Su Qing is over there having a lively chat with Chaoyan!" Guanyin said.

Taishang Laojun stroked his beard and asked with a chuckle, "You're actually letting them be alone together? What, has your attitude changed? You're not being so protective of your 'calf' anymore?"

"When was I ever protective?" Guanyin asked, giving him a look. "Besides, they are godmother and goddaughter. There's no harm in them being together."

Taishang Laojun couldn't help but chuckle at that. He asked with a hint of curiosity, "Do you really believe that? Do you, as her master, really have no idea what your own disciple is thinking? Even I, an outsider, have managed to guess it!"

"..." Guanyin Bodhisattva didn't really want to talk to him. She just felt that Taishang Laojun was incredibly annoying and deserved a thrashing. She finally understood why Li Shan Lao Mu always liked to mess with him—because he really could be infuriating sometimes.

"Hmph, enough. Since you're here, it's time for us to depart." Guanyin didn't want to continue the previous topic, so she changed the subject.

Seeing Guanyin avoid the topic, Taishang Laojun just laughed and didn't press further. Although he enjoyed being a bit of a nuisance, he knew when to stop to avoid getting hit. And this time, he managed to restrain himself.

On the other side, Su Qing and Chaoyan were deep in conversation about the past. Suddenly, Taishang Laojun and Guanyin both approached, startling Su Qing and Chaoyan alike. However, seeing the two of them arrive, Su Qing understood that it was time to leave.

She ended her chat with Chaoyan and stood up. "Laojun, you've arrived! Since you're here, I suppose it's time for us to go?"

"We came to get you," Taishang Laojun said, stroking his beard with a smile.

Su Qing nodded. "In that case, let's set off!"

Nearby, Chen Chaoyan was a bit confused. "Godmother, Master, Laojun... where are you all going?"

"We have important business to attend to. As for what it is, you don't need to know. Just stay here in the bamboo grove; I'll be back in a while," Guanyin said to her disciple in a flat tone.

Su Qing added with a smile, "We're off then."

"..." Chen Chaoyan was silent for a moment. Her master was as cryptic as ever, never telling her anything. But she didn't plan to ask too much; her master and the others were incredibly powerful, and there was nowhere in the world they couldn't go. There was no need for her to worry needlessly. She simply nodded and watched them leave the South Sea Purple Bamboo Grove.

On the way to Aparagodaniya, Guanyin glanced at Taishang Laojun and asked thoughtfully, "Can you... be reliable?"

Taishang Laojun's eyes widened, and his beard bristled. "Who do you think you're talking to? I've always been famous for being reliable!"

"Isn't it the opposite?" Guanyin countered with a light huff.

"..."

This conversation was going nowhere.

"As long as you can manage to be reliable..."

Guanyin didn't continue, lest she actually drive the man away. If he left, she and Su Qing would have to perform the whole play themselves. Since it was a relatively large-scale performance, missing one person would cause quite a few problems. So, even though she was worried about his reliability, she couldn't afford to offend him too much.

Su Qing didn't get involved in the bickering between the two seniors. She simply stood to the side, admiring the beautiful mountains and rivers along the way.

Guanyin Bodhisattva's auspicious cloud was very fast. In a short while, they had arrived at a point on the path that the Tang monk and his disciples were destined to pass.

"This is the place... let me set things up a bit." After arriving at their destination, Laojun took a look around and spoke.

Su Qing stepped back to give him room to work. Once she had moved, Laojun performed a hand seal and whispered an incantation. In an instant, a magnificent manor rose from the ground. Everything within the manor was perfectly prepared—except for the people.

"Laojun, your magic is truly impressive—to create such a manor in an instant," Su Qing couldn't help but praise.

Laojun didn't seem to mind the compliment. He chuckled and stroked his beard. "It's just a minor spell. If you're interested, I can teach it to you later."

Su Qing was essentially a half-disciple to Laojun. Although she had never officially become his student, Laojun had been teaching her all sorts of things. So, while they didn't have the formal title of master and disciple, the reality was there. And Laojun was someone who had always doted on his disciples. Since Su Qing was a half-disciple, he naturally pampered her. If there was something she wanted to learn, she only had to ask, and Laojun would teach her. Even if it was something he didn't know himself, he would use his connections to find someone who could teach her. It was clear how much he favored her.

Beside them, Guanyin Bodhisattva gave a light chuckle. "You really will teach her anything!"

"If she wants to learn, I will teach her," Laojun said with a smile. "While I may be casual in other things, I have never been casual when it comes to teaching a disciple."

Guanyin was momentarily speechless. She wanted to point out that they weren't officially master and disciple, so why was he pampering her so much? But then she remembered his close relationship with Patriarch Bodhi... even if it were just for Patriarch Bodhi's sake, he would likely still dote on her. Helessly, Guanyin decided not to say anything more.

"Enough chatting, you two!" Guanyin, who had already transformed into a mortal woman, turned to Su Qing and Laojun. "We need to get inside and finish the arrangements here, then set things up along the path so they don't wander off somewhere else."

Su Qing had no objections. She looked at Laojun and said, "Laojun, I want to learn that!"

She was, of course, referring to the spell he had just used. It was the perfect spell for traveling. After all, who wouldn't want to carry a house with them?

"Alright! Once this is over, I'll teach you," Laojun said with a hearty laugh, seemingly quite pleased. He didn't find teaching Su Qing to be a chore because her talent was so high. She always learned everything quickly, so teaching her was more of a joy than a burden. Any teacher would love to have a student like her. When faced with such a student, what teacher wouldn't teach them everything they knew? Of course, Laojun's ultimate secret techniques were beyond what he could teach her—the level was simply too high—but he certainly wouldn't be stingy with the standard ones he could teach.

"Stop your chatting!" Guanyin called out again.

Su Qing gave a graceful smile and followed her. The priority was indeed to get the Eighty-One Tribulations sorted out.

Setting everything up was quite time-consuming. Even though the three of them were immortals, they spent a good deal of time arranging the manor and the path to ensure everything went smoothly. Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, two days had gone by.

On the pilgrimage route, Tang Sanzang and his three disciples were making their way toward the Western Heaven as usual. They had left the main road and were now traveling along a small path through the mountains. Fortunately, they hadn't encountered any demons or bandits along the way, so their journey had been relatively smooth.

On this day, as the sun reached its zenith, the gluttonous one's stomach began to growl again.

"Eldest Senior Brother, Eldest Senior Brother, haven't we seen anyone yet? Old Pig is starving to death!" Zhu Bajie said, clutching his large belly with a look of 'grievance.' "I feel like I've lost several pounds from hunger!"

Wukong, hearing Bajie's constant complaining, was a bit fed up. He let out a cold snort and said, "You idiot, all you think about is eating! If you've lost weight, then you've lost weight. What, are you planning to fatten yourself up and hang yourself at a butcher's stall to fetch a good price? Hmph, with all that fat on you, I'm sure you'd actually fetch quite a bit."

Bajie grunted a couple of times but didn't say anything. He just put on the look of a mistreated little wife, his resentful gaze enough to make anyone's skin crawl.

Seeing this, Tang Sanzang looked into the distance and said helplessly, "Wukong, why don't you go and beg for some food?"

"Master... in this wilderness, where am I supposed to find food?"

"Don't you have that Somersault Cloud? Just hop on it and go," Zhu Bajie chimed in before his master could even respond.

Hearing this, Wukong grabbed Bajie by the nose. "I have the Somersault Cloud, and I can travel a hundred and eight thousand miles in a single leap, but if I go, and only you and Wujing are left to guard Master, something is bound to happen! How could I dare to leave and go so far for food?"

"There aren't any demons around here! There aren't even any bandits, let alone demons!" Bajie said, his voice muffled as his nose was being pulled.

Wukong snorted. "Whether there are demons nearby, do you think an idiot like you could tell?"

"Alright, Wukong, stop bullying your second junior brother," Tang Sanzang sighed helplessly. "How about this: Bajie, you go and beg for food? Let your eldest senior brother stay by my side to protect me?"

Bajie grunted a few times before saying, "I'll go, I'll go! Hmph, if we wait for Eldest Senior Brother to go, we'll all be dead of hunger before he even moves."

Wukong was displeased by the remark. He grabbed Bajie's ear. "What did you say?"

"I said Eldest Senior Brother should stay here to protect Master while I go and beg for food!" Bajie cried out, his ear hurting from the pull as he quickly surrendered.

Seeing this, Sha Wujing also spoke up. "Eldest Senior Brother, let Second Senior Brother go... he's already given in."

Seeing his third junior brother intervene, Wukong let go of Bajie's ear and said, "Bajie, you'd better be back soon. If you're not back within the hour, watch out, or Old Sun will give you a taste of his staff!"

Bajie grumbled, "Always threatening me! Just watch, I won't bring back your portion!"

Wukong made a move as if to strike, but before his hand could even rise, Bajie hurriedly took to his cloud and fled.

Bajie wasn't actually stupid; seeing that Wukong was truly getting angry, he made a quick exit. If he stayed to bicker any longer, he really would get a beating. It was better to run fast.

Once Bajie was gone, Wukong stopped their journey. He had Junior Brother Sha clear a space for them to rest for a while. Wukong stayed by his master's side while Junior Brother Sha went ahead to scout the path.

As for Bajie, he flew low on his cloud, searching for any sign of a household. It didn't take long for him to spot a large estate nestled in a nearby mountain valley. Smoke was rising from the manor—it seemed they were preparing lunch.

Seeing this, Bajie hurriedly flew toward it. Halfway there, he realized that the household was actually at the foot of the very mountain they were on.

"I didn't think it would be so close!" Bajie grunted a few times before lowering his cloud and landing outside the manor gates.

He knocked on the door. After a moment, an old man came out from the house.

"May I ask... ah! A demon! A demon!" The old man was terrified by Bajie's appearance and immediately slammed the door shut.

Bajie realized he had been in such a hurry that he had forgotten to hide his pig-like features. He quickly called out, "Don't be afraid, benefactor! Don't be afraid! Old Pig isn't a demon! I'm a monk, a monk come to beg for food!"

"Nonsense! With a face like that, you're a demon no matter how I look at it!"

"If I were a demon, would you still be standing there talking? I really am a monk begging for food. I eat vegetarian; I don't eat people!" Zhu Bajie went to great lengths to explain himself to the old man, all for the sake of a bite to eat.

But the old man still didn't believe him and argued back a few more times. Just as Bajie was about to explain further, he suddenly heard a woman's voice coming from inside.

The woman's voice was exceptionally soft and alluring. Just hearing it made one feel as if their strength was being drained away, their bones turning soft. Even without seeing her, one could imagine she was a beautiful celestial. Bajie couldn't help but swallow hard at the sound.

"Uncle Liu, who is outside?" the woman asked.

"A pig-headed demon claiming to be a monk!" Uncle Liu panted, clearly still shaken. "Miss, whatever you do, don't come over. If that demon gets in, it will be a disaster."

Hearing this, Bajie quickly called out, "Miss, Old Pig isn't a demon, I really am a monk! I've only come to beg for food. Please, Miss, open the door and let Old Pig have a bite."

After speaking, Bajie strained his ears to listen to the movement inside. It seemed the woman inside actually believed him.

She said, "Uncle Liu, what demons would there be in these mountains? Don't be fooled by those strange tales. The person outside is likely just a monk who happens to be a bit ugly."

"But the man has a pig's head; he's hideous..."

"Don't judge a person by their appearance. Since he says he's here to beg for food, let him in and give him something to eat. Our lunch is just ready anyway; there's no harm in sharing some with him."

"The lady has a kind heart! Such a kind heart!" Bajie was overjoyed at the woman's words. He quickly said, "Old man, your lady said I'm not a demon. Hurry and open the door!"

Uncle Liu hesitated, finally asking his mistress again, "Do you really want to let that monk in?"

"Open the door," the woman said.

With no choice, the old man did as he was told and opened the gates. Bajie, listening to the movement from outside, broke into a wide grin when he heard the lady tell the old man to open the door. However, to avoid scaring her, he tried to hide his features a bit. He stood at the door, clutching his alms bowl, watching expectantly as the large gates slowly swung open.

As the gates opened, Bajie finally saw what the woman inside looked like. With just one glance, he was completely smitten, a foolish expression appearing on his face.

The lady saw Bajie and didn't seem frightened by his strange appearance. Instead, she covered her mouth and gave a light laugh. "You certainly look strange... but you still look human enough. I suppose you really aren't a demon!"

Bajie snapped out of it and gave a silly grin. "Of course I'm not a demon. I'm a monk from the Eastern Land of Great Tang, going to the Western Heaven to seek scriptures... I've only come to your manor to beg for some food."

"Oh? The Eastern Land of Great Tang? What kind of place is that?" At the mention of the Great Tang, the lady's eyes lit up, and she asked eagerly, "Uncle Liu, go and fill his alms bowl!"

Uncle Liu nodded and carefully took the bowl from Bajie's hand. He turned to the lady and said, "Be careful, Miss..." Then, he turned and left to get food for Bajie.

Once Uncle Liu was gone, the lady began to pepper Bajie with questions about the Great Tang. But what did Bajie know about the place? He wasn't actually from there, and he had never even been... so he didn't know much at all. However, he didn't want to waste such a good opportunity to talk to a beautiful woman, so he could only recall the things his master had said and then make up some nonsense to fool her. Fortunately, even though most of what he said was fabricated, the lady seemed very easy to fool. Whatever he said, she believed, and she even responded with looks of genuine surprise!