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墨書 Inktalez
A group of travelers had no idea how long they had been walking, only that five cycles of sunrise and sunset had passed.
However, during these five days, aside from a few clueless tigers and venomous snakes, they encountered no danger at all. This left Li Hong, who was full of mischief, feeling quite frustrated.
As they continued on their journey, the sky gradually darkened, prompting them to seek shelter for the night.
Instead of finding a house, they stumbled upon a temple. The temple was named Guanyin Temple; it was somewhat spacious but only housed a single Bodhisattva, the Great Compassionate Avalokiteshvara.
Thinking they were all on the same side, Golden Cicada did not hesitate and knocked on the door with a series of firm taps.
"Who is it?"
With a creak, the temple door swung open, revealing an old monk wrapped in robes, his face kind and gentle.
Golden Cicada smiled slightly and said, "I apologize for the disturbance, Elder. I am Empress Golden Cicada of the Tang Dynasty, traveling west to visit my father. We passed by this blessed place and, seeing that it was getting dark, hoped to find lodging for the night."
"Oh my, an Empress? Please come in!" The old monk's murky eyes brightened with joy as he welcomed them into the temple.
After serving tea, they gathered in the meditation hall.
The old monk fiddled with his prayer beads and looked at Golden Cicada with a half-smile. "Your journey truly reflects the grandeur of noble families."
Golden Cicada was puzzled and asked, "What do you mean by that, Elder?"
"Well, look at you! Traveling with pets and bringing so many along; only an Empress of the Tang Dynasty could afford such extravagance."
Only then did Golden Cicada realize that the old monk was referring to Sun Wukong and his companions.
With this understanding, Golden Cicada began to vent her frustrations to the old monk. "Speaking of this, I almost regret it. Traveling with these fellows means we can't take planes or trains; we can only walk westward. It's driving me crazy."
Old Monk's eyes widened in surprise. "An airplane? A train?"
"Dare I ask, Empress, what are these airplanes and trains? Why are they not allowed for your use?"
Golden Cicada smiled sweetly and explained, "Elder, it seems you haven't been out in a long time; you don't even know about airplanes and trains."
"Indeed, it's been quite a few years since I've ventured out," Old Monk replied awkwardly.
"This airplane is a type of transportation treasure crafted by Supreme, allowing travel through the nine heavens. The journey from Chang'an to the Western Regions takes only a few hours. The train is a long whip made by Supreme, slender in form, capable of carrying thousands. Its speed is astonishing; traveling a thousand miles in a day is no exaggeration."
"Supreme truly is a remarkable being," Old Monk marveled.
After this discussion, the group began to chat about everyday matters.
Old Monk proudly took out a set of purple clay tea utensils, fiddling with the teacups as he said, "What you may not know is that this set of tea utensils was produced by Great Meng Wanli. It's genuine purple clay, worth its weight in gold. Not long ago, an old friend of mine wanted to trade me a hundred-square-meter villa in Chang'an for these utensils, but I politely declined."
"What the hell! What on earth is Great Meng Wanli?" Li Hong was the first to notice something amiss.
Wasn't Great Meng Wanli from the Tang Dynasty?
Old Monk stroked his chin and asked curiously, "You don't know Great Meng Wanli? He is our Tang Dynasty's foremost artisan. Anything with his name engraved on it is worth a fortune."
"Exactly," Golden Cicada nodded in agreement with Old Monk.
Li Hong finally breathed a sigh of relief; he thought some future dynasty had intruded but realized it was just the name of an artisan.
Though the name was quite laughable, as long as it wasn't Great Meng Dynasty crashing into their timeline, he was fine with it.
"Rich Gamer, seeking sponsorship!" Upon hearing that this tea set could be exchanged for a villa in Chang'an, Peng's eyes sparkled with envy.
The Old Monk flaunted a bit, seizing the opportunity to say, "Well, well, it seems that the Empress has become the subject of a joke. As the Empress of the Great Tang, I assume you possess many rare treasures. I wonder if you could let this humble monk have a glimpse?"
Golden Cicada quickly waved his hands in denial, saying, "I don't have any rare treasures; those are just ordinary items."
"Empress, that's not fair. Aren't you carrying that Chiffon Waist-Defined Dress gifted by His Majesty?" Sun Wukong exposed Golden Cicada's false modesty.
Everyone had seen that dress. Not to mention its incredibly precious material and fabric, just the numerous gems embedded in the hem made it a true rarity.
"Oh, you have such a treasure? Empress, may I take a look?"
Considering he was staying at someone else's place, Golden Cicada felt it inappropriate to directly refuse the Old Monk's request and could only nod in agreement.
As the bag opened, Sun Wukong took out Golden Cicada's stunning dress.
The Old Monk's eyes glazed over, filled with pink bubbles.
Oh my, my youthful heart is bursting!
Indeed, a pink dress easily evokes memories of one's own youth.
"May I touch it?" The Old Monk asked with barely concealed excitement, his voice trembling.
Sun Wukong looked at Golden Cicada, and after receiving a nod from him, handed the dress to the Old Monk.
Receiving the dress, the Old Monk's expression turned solemn, as if he had just taken on the position of Buddha.
Fiddling with the chiffon hem and listening to the tinkling sound of gems clinking together, the Old Monk seemed entranced.
"He wants to indulge!" 404 stated confidently.
Li Hong nodded; it was obvious to everyone that something was up. The question was, when would he make his move?
As time was running out, Sun Wukong took the dress from the reluctant Old Monk and stuffed it back into the suitcase.
"It's getting late; Elder, you should rest early," Golden Cicada said as he bid farewell and led a few others back to their rooms.
"He's going to steal the dress!" Li Hong said to the others in the room.
Sun Wukong chuckled but did not deny it.
Golden Cicada furrowed his brow and asked Li Hong, "No way, I don’t think that elder is that kind of person."
"Knowing someone’s face but not their heart!" Pangmen chimed in.
Golden Cicada smiled wryly and said, "But that doesn’t mean he would steal a dress, right? This is women's clothing; what use would he have for it?"
"To wear it!" Li Hong replied naturally.
It wasn't until he saw the surprised expressions on Sun Wukong and the others that Li Hong realized how that sounded. He quickly explained with an awkward smile, "No, let me explain! I don’t like this kind of thing..."
Sun Wukong pointed at Li Hong and said to Golden Cicada, "Empress, do you have any extra clothes? Get this brother a set."
"If you want to wear it, I can buy you a set, but don’t do anything foolish. After all, you represent my father's reputation," Golden Cicada reminded him.
Li Hong opened his mouth but didn’t know how to explain himself.
"Forget about those women's clothes; I don’t like them!"
The monster yawned while 404 remained silent, pretending not to hear Li Hong's remark.
Anyway, this guy has been acting crazy more than once or twice, and both of them have gotten used to it. If Li Hong really put on a dress, they wouldn't find it strange.
At that moment, the usually low-key Sha Wujing spoke up, "Empress, what if he really comes to steal a skirt? What should we do?"
"We'll take him down together!" Sun Wukong said fiercely.
"Right!"
Golden Cicada shook her head, not denying Sun Wukong's suggestion. For some reason, she felt a strong aversion to the name Guanyin Temple.
Moreover, she inexplicably disliked the two characters of Guanyin.
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