mtl008 Chapter 266 World of Famous Works 55
Chapter 266 World of Famous Works 55
After packing up the scriptures, Tang Sanzang and his companions bid farewell to Buddha. Buddha boasted about his scriptures to them, told Tang Sanzang to treat them well in the future, and then sent them away.
No sooner had Tang Sanzang and his companions left Mount Ling than all the gods and Buddhas of Mount Ling gathered for a meeting.
After listening to his subordinates' report, Buddha frowned and asked, "Tang Sanzang's journey to the West should take fourteen years, a total of five thousand and forty days, to complete one set of scriptures. How come he has already reached Mount Ling in less than ten years?"
The gods and Buddhas below exchanged glances and all turned their gazes toward Guanyin, since she was the one in charge of this matter.
Guanyin broke out in a cold sweat and replied, "The reason why Tang Sanzang and his disciples could travel so fast is that Tang Sanzang changed his vehicle."
"Vehicle?" The Buddha's majestic tone revealed doubt. "What vehicle? Wasn't he riding the White Dragon Horse? But did Sun Wukong use magic to carry Tang Sanzang for a while?"
"No, it's that the land of the East has created a vehicle that is said to be able to travel a thousand miles a day."
Upon hearing this, the Buddha frowned even more deeply.
Ananda and Kasyapa stepped forward and said, “Venerable One, the vehicle that Tang Sanzang rode in is indeed very fast here now.”
Upon hearing what Ananda and Kasyapa said, the Buddha's gaze sharpened as he looked at the two and said in a deep voice, "Oh? Here with you?"
Ananda and Kasyapa dared not delay and quickly pushed the off-road vehicle to the center of the main hall, truthfully reporting that Tang Sanzang and his companions had exchanged the vehicle for scriptures.
As expected, Buddha didn't say much about them asking Tang Sanzang for benefits; he just stared intently at the SUV, seemingly lost in thought.
At this moment, the Jiedi Gongcao and others responsible for protecting Tang Sanzang came to report to Guanyin with a booklet. The booklet recorded all the hardships Tang Sanzang had endured on his journey, a total of eighty.
The Buddhist teachings say that one returns to one's true nature after ninety-nine tribulations, and there is still one tribulation missing from the eighty tribulations.
Guanyin dared not report to Tathagata, so she whispered to Jiedi Gongcao and the others, "Go and think of a solution quickly."
Jiedi Gongcao and the others flipped through the booklet with worried expressions. Where were they going to find a challenge for Tang Sanzang? Weren't they deliberately making things difficult for him?
As they flipped through the pages, they suddenly remembered something. When Tang Sanzang and his disciples passed by the Tongtian River, an old turtle led them across. The old turtle asked Tang Sanzang to ask the Buddha how much life he had left, but Tang Sanzang was so focused on obtaining the scriptures that he completely forgot about it.
If the old turtle knew that Tang Sanzang didn't take this matter to heart at all, would it...?
After discussing it for a while, the group quickly caught up with Tang Sanzang and his disciples, saying that they happened to be going to the east and they could give them a ride.
Upon reaching the vicinity of the Tongtian River, the group carefully set Tang Sanzang and his companions down, made an excuse that they had arrived at their destination, and then turned and fled as if they were escaping.
After wandering around the area for a while, Tang Sanzang and his companions realized they had arrived at the west bank of the Tongtian River. They searched the riverbank for a long time but couldn't find a boat or bridge, leaving them with no way to cross.
"Boom boom——"
Just when I was at my wit's end, a dull thud suddenly came from behind me, and the ground beneath my feet seemed to shake.
Tang Sanzang asked in alarm, "What happened? Could it be that another monster has come?"
"Woo-woo-woo" Then, a loud whistle sounded.
Tang Sanzang and his companions looked in the direction of the sound and saw a long iron dragon suddenly emerge from the high mountain behind them, with a wisp of white smoke rising from its head.
Tang Sanzang's eyes widened. "What is this?"
When Sun Wukong saw the long iron dragon, his eyes suddenly lit up. "This is a train, Master!"
I never imagined that the railway would be built from Chang'an all the way here.
He quickly turned to Tang Sanzang and said, "This should be the train of the Tang Dynasty. It must have been built from the territory of the Tang Dynasty. Master, we can take the train back to the Tang Dynasty."
Before Tang Sanzang could speak, Sun Wukong instructed Bajie and the others to keep an eye on the scriptures while he went to find where to board the carriage.
Fortunately, the station wasn't too far away, and once Sun Wukong found it, he quickly called Tang Sanzang and the others over.
People come and go near the train station. Some ride strange two-wheeled or three-wheeled vehicles, and there are even four-wheeled vehicles, but none are as luxurious as the off-road vehicle that Wukong brought out.
This scene amazed Tang Sanzang, especially when he heard the conversation of the strangers nearby.
"Are you transporting cotton to Chang'an to sell again this time?"
"No, I'm going to Jiangnan this time, but I'll be transferring in Chang'an."
"Wow, the Jiangnan region is very prosperous. You're sure to make a lot of money again. After this trip, will you be able to buy a car?"
"No, no, hahaha."
Tang Sanzang couldn't help but proudly say to his disciples, "It seems that our Great Tang Dynasty now enjoys a very harmonious and friendly relationship with the surrounding countries, with trade and commerce flowing freely, and a scene of prosperity indeed."
Upon arrival at the station, the station staff requested to see the identification documents of a citizen of the Tang Dynasty.
Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie didn't have the identities of the Tang Dynasty, but that didn't matter. They could fly with magic anyway, as long as they could get Tang Sanzang and the scriptures onto the train in Chang'an.
However, after so many years of development, the Tang Dynasty had long since updated its identity documents, and Tang Sanzang didn't have any. He had no choice but to show the station staff his travel permit.
The station staff, having apparently received instructions from above, became unusually excited after confirming Tang Sanzang's identity.
"Oh, so you're the monk who went to that remote, impoverished place to obtain scriptures? It's a pleasure to meet you. You must be tired from your journey. Why don't you and your disciple rest at the inn for the night and have something to eat?"
Tang Sanzang, who had expected to receive praise, frowned slightly upon hearing the manager's words, but still humbly replied, "This humble monk has not suffered any hardship. Obtaining the scriptures is this humble monk's lifelong wish. Being able to obtain the true scriptures for the Tang Dynasty makes everything worthwhile. Thank you for your kindness, benefactor. However, only by bringing the scriptures back to Chang'an as soon as possible can this humble monk feel at ease. Please, benefactor, arrange for me and my disciples to board the carriage."
Sun Wukong scratched his head, thinking that since the train could go directly to Chang'an, there was no rush. He said to Tang Sanzang, "Master, we have been traveling for a long time and should rest well. Besides, we have a lot of scriptures, and we need to make proper arrangements for them when we bring them on the train. Why don't we do as this young man suggests?"
Pigsy chimed in, "Yes, we've been walking for so long, I'm starving. It would be good to stay and have something to eat."
The manager enthusiastically advised, "That's right, Elder, you are a registered public official of our Great Tang Dynasty. Whether you stay in a guesthouse or take the train, you don't need to pay any money. Why don't you stay here?"
Tang Sanzang was taken aback by this question. "What do you mean by me?"