After walking for a while, as the sun reached its zenith, the Mechanical Man suddenly stopped, tilted forward, and click-clack transformed back into the Mechanical Car.
Tang Sanzang emerged from the Mechanical Car, tightening his clothes as the mountain forest felt somewhat chilly in the autumn.
Sun Wukong also landed and said with a chuckle, "Little Monk, your toy is pretty neat. Let old Sun have a go at it."
Tang Sanzang earnestly explained, "This is not a toy; it’s a means of transportation given to me by Emperor Tang, and it’s not to be lent out.
Moreover, you should address me as Master, don’t forget the propriety, and show respect to your teacher."
"I got it, I got it, why all these rules? Don’t you know that ’Taoist Skill is natural, and everything follows the heart’?
Respect should be kept in the heart, come on~ let old Sun have a good talk with you..."
Tang Sanzang coughed, quickly changing the subject, "Wukong, the sun is directly overhead, and your teacher is hungry and thirsty. Could you beg some food for your teacher?"
Sun Wukong, puzzled, said, "What is begging for alms?"
Finally, something you don’t know, Tang Sanzang explained with a smile, "Monastic people travel everywhere, ask good folk for vegetarian meals as alms, and anyone who offers such alms to monks is consequently connected by fate with the Buddha Sect. Monks engage in this practice of alms begging to cultivate good connections, and that’s called begging for alms."
"Ha~ I understand now, isn’t it just begging?
When old Sun wandered around learning skills in the past, I saw people begging.
But asking old Sun to beg, I can’t do it, I can’t do it," Sun Wukong shook his head repeatedly.
"Wukong, this is not simply begging, it is begging for alms. Those who offer are bound to reap good karmic fruits."
"No matter how nicely you put it, it’s still begging. Old Sun won’t do it."
"This is begging for alms!"
"Isn’t taking without pay the same as begging?
Little Monk, have you ever heard that ’each grain of rice and each Copper Coin are connected, they are the grease of the world and the toil and sweat of farmers, which cannot be consumed without careful consideration, how can one accept without merit?’" Sun Wukong proudly recited a passage from the Taoist Scriptures; these years my copying of Scriptures wasn’t for nothing, with thousands of Scriptures in my belly, I am now a high-ranking Taoist Monkey.
Tang Sanzang hastily tried to explain, "This is called begging for alms, to forge good connections, and good fruits will come in the future."
Sun Wukong looked at Tang Sanzang with disdain and said, "Why should others who have no relation with you casually speak of ’good connections’ and then take the food that folks have worked hard to produce? How could there be such a good deal? If this isn’t begging then what is? And it’s even a bit coercive."
Tang Sanzang, now left speechless by Sun Wukong, his face blushing with shame. For thousands of years, Buddhist Disciples have been traveling around in this way; before there hadn’t been an awareness of any inappropriateness, even considering it natural for people to offer alms to monks, and those unwilling to offer were seen as troublemakers, but now with the elder disciple saying this, Tang Sanzang started to realize that it might indeed be quite inappropriate.
Tang Sanzang clasped his hands together and chanted, "Amitabha Buddha~ Since we cannot beg for alms, might you be able to find some wild fruits to sate your teacher’s hunger?"
Sun Wukong took out a sphere and chuckled, "Why eat wild fruits? Old Sun will buy you some tasty treats."
"Wukong, do you also have access to the Three Realms Mall?" Tang Sanzang asked as he also took out his own Three Realms Mall.
"Don’t think of old Sun as some naive Mountain Monster who knows nothing!" Sun Wukong pressed a button, and click-click-click~ the sphere unfolded into a purple-gold tablet.
Tang Sanzang couldn’t help but lean in to watch, curiously asking, "Wukong, how come your Three Realms Mall looks a bit different from your teacher’s?" He looked down at his own plain sphere in hand.
Sun Wukong glanced at it and boasted smugly: "The Three Realms Mall also has levels. Yours is just at the Black Iron Level, while mine is at the Purple Gold Level; there’s a big difference in price."
Tang Sanzang silently put away his sphere, really, who’s the disciple here? Sigh~ Can’t fight him, can’t outtalk him, and now even the disciple is richer, how frustrating!
"Please, Wukong, buy some dry rations for your teacher, as I’m afraid there will be no delivery service beyond the boundaries of Great Tang."
"What dry rations? Of course, we should buy cooked food. The Mall delivers across the Three Realms; just wait."
"Wukong, there are no places selling meals on the Three Realms Mall."
"Of course there aren’t any in the mortal world zone, but there are some in the Cultivator Zone."
"Ding~ Your balance is insufficient, please top up in time." Sun Wukong’s hand suddenly froze in place, he actually ran out of money.
Beside him, Tang Sanzang laughed, haha~ So I’m not the poorest one after all!
Sun Wukong quietly put away his Three Realms Mall and coughed before saying, "The Buddha asked me to lend him some money a while ago, and out of brotherly loyalty, I lent it all to him. How about you treat me this time?"
Tang Sanzang laughed and now you know the importance of Master, huh? He took out his Three Realms Mall and, upon opening it, generously said, "Your master still has some money in the mall. Tell me what you want to eat, and I’ll treat you."
Sun Wukong joyfully hopped over, took a quick look, and immediately shook his head, saying, "No, no, these are Copper Coins, they can’t be used to purchase items from the Cultivator’s page."
"But this is all the property I have."
"Do you have Magic Treasures?"
"I’m just an ordinary mortal, how would I have Magic Treasures?"
"Do you have Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures?"
"I’m just an ordinary mortal, how would I have Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures?"
"The Human Clan is the main character of Heaven and Earth, helping the Human Clan earns Merit, and so does helping Heaven and Earth."
Tang Sanzang shook his head and said, "Monastics lead an ascetic life away from worldly affairs, they do not possess Merit."
"Heh~ You’re really too poor as a monk, not having this, not having that."
Tang Sanzang whispered softly, "I have Copper Coins." Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs novel•fire.net
Sun Wukong repeatedly waved his hands and said, "Useless, useless." His eyes quickly glanced around and said, "Now there’s only one way, let’s use your name to take a loan of some Merit Coins."
Tang Sanzang wasn’t unfamiliar with the concept of loans, as some temples secretly provide loans without collateral to help the common people with their urgent needs, and later they only charge a little interest as oil money, which is also offered to the Buddha as an act of kindness.
"Wukong, why don’t you take out a loan yourself?"
Sun Wukong’s eyes twinkled, if I, old Sun, could still take out loans, would I need you now? He said gruffly, "What’s all this nonsense? Give it here, and I’ll help you apply for the loan." He snatched Tang Sanzang’s Three Realms Mall in one go.
"Wait Wukong, take out a smaller loan."
"Got it, got it, old Sun knows what to do, I’m familiar with this."
Sun Wukong expertly operated on Tang Sanzang’s Three Realms Mall.
Shortly after, the two sat in the forest, enjoying the food and drinks delivered by the Heavenly Soldiers.
Sun Wukong ate and drank heartily, saying while enjoying a large lobster, "Doesn’t it feel different to eat what you’ve bought yourself, compared to begging? Paying for your meal, that’s peace of mind."
Tang Sanzang nodded and said, "Wukong is right.
But how do we repay this loan? Your master has no Merit." His face was filled with worry.
Sun Wukong assuredly patted his chest and said, "Don’t worry, Master. When we encounter evil spirits that do harm, old Sun will suppress the demons and protect the people. That’s how Merit is earned, rest easy! The Merit will be on old Sun’s account."
Tang Sanzang was relieved, chanting, "Amitabha Buddha~ Excellent, excellent!" After eating, the two continued on their journey.