Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!-Chapter 598 - 597: Departure, Encounter with a Foreigner at the Post Station

Chapter 598: Chapter 597: Departure, Encounter with a Foreigner at the Post Station

But still, I must offer a word of advice," he said, "You’re quite bold to say such things in front of the palace attendants. Aren’t you afraid they’ll go back and gossip?"

Only then did Chai Wei notice those few palace attendants, adopting an indifferent attitude, "Let them talk, I haven’t said anything bad anyway. I’m just saying you deserve better."

"There’s no question of deserving or not," Tian Peng responded, "Since I’ve already decided, everything before this has merely served as a foundation. It’s been a bit long, but it hasn’t been a matter of worth."

"Zhu, you truly are..." Chai Wei didn’t know what to say.

Zhu Ganglie was a figure comparable to the Immortals in his heart, powerful and magnanimous. Smiling, he voiced his true feelings, "It’s a pity you’re not an Immortal, or I would surely be your most loyal follower."

Tian Peng was taken aback for a moment, but then he also laughed, "Who knows whether I’m Immortal or not."

From Chang’an to the Northwestern Protectorate on the frontier, even a fast horse would take three months to travel.

If one were to travel by horse-drawn carriage, it would only take longer. Tian Peng didn’t take a silver note but brought some silver instead, along with a few changes of clothes and some dry provisions.

In Chang’an, he didn’t know anyone else. The servants assigned to him by the Emperor were left in his mansion, and he did not even bring the personal servant who was close to him. Holding his waist token, he set out on his journey.

Before this, the Emperor had already sent out letters about his assignment to the Northwestern Protectorate. These letters were dispatched a month ahead of him, and by the time he reached the northwest, the letters would have already been there for a month.

Tian Peng glanced at the route map in his hand—it was quite easy to recognize. He tucked the map into his chest and then set off with his belongings.

Being alone was much more relaxing, at least for him.

In front of ordinary people, he had to maintain a disguise, but alone, it was much easier as there was no need for pretense.

The horse he rode was the finest Thousand-Mile Horse in all of Chang’an City. The horse moved swiftly, covering the distance of two stations in just one day.

Although he wanted to continue traveling, the horse couldn’t take it. Tian Peng had no choice but to find an inn to rest and let the horse eat and drink its fill before going back on the road.

The inns near Chang’an were in pleasant surroundings because of the many people coming to the city, so business at those inns was exceptionally good.

Chang’an was most famous for its noodles, and the variety of noodles available at the inns was also quite extensive. After settling into his room, Tian Peng went downstairs to eat.

"Waiter, bring me a bowl of biangbiang noodles, and a pot of Hua Diao wine," he ordered.

Biangbiang noodles were simple to make and tasted great, making them the most famous noodle dish in Chang’an.

Even the inns tried to bask in the glory of Chang’an by mimicking the local preparation of biangbiang noodles.

The well-rested dough was divided into several portions, then pulled into wide, belt-like noodles, which were cooked in boiling water and scooped out once done.

Next, the cooked noodles were placed in a bowl, topped with some seasonal greens and a blend of chili powder, Sichuan pepper, and various spices for seasoning. A splash of hot oil completed the bowl of biangbiang noodles.

Not only were they delicious, but they were also filling, which suited Tian Peng with his hearty appetite and particular tastes perfectly.

The waiter brought the noodles to Tian Peng’s table, placing the wine pot beside it, "Your noodles and wine, sir. Please enjoy."

Tian Peng nodded, mixing the noodles with his chopsticks. He took a sip of wine to cleanse his palate before lifting a mouthful of noodles to his lips.

The chili oil for the biangbiang noodles was crafted with care—it couldn’t be all heat without flavor, nor all fragrance without spice.

Usually, a mix of two types of chili peppers was used, along with Sichuan peppers that added a robust blend of spicy, fragrant, and numbing sensations to the mouth. Even just the noodles alone could whet one’s appetite and get the taste buds dancing.

Tian Peng slurped down a few bites of noodles and then took a sip of wine. The Hua Diao wine had a strong aroma and wasn’t overly spicy, leading him to mimic the words of the people of Chang’an, "Delicious indeed!"

Unbeknownst to him, he had grown accustomed to the life of ordinary mortals. In truth, aside from the dark hearts of some mortals, life among them could be quite comfortable.

Find a place where the sky is high and the Emperor is far, live however you want with no one to interfere; such a life really can’t be compared to the one back at the Heavenly Court.

As Tian Peng was eating, someone patted his shoulder from behind, "Brother, where are you from?"

Tian Peng lifted his head to look at the man; this person had a face full of beard, deep set eyes, and a high nose bridge, looking like a barbarian, not a person from the Central Plains.

"I’ve come from Chang’an," Tian Peng replied, "And you are?"

"I’m from Tibet. Life there is too hard, so I decided to come out and make a living," the man said.

"So, what shall I call you?"

"Oh, us barbarians are relatively taller and bigger compared to the people of the Central Plains. When I came in earlier, I saw your silhouette and even thought it was more robust than ours; I assumed you were a barbarian too and thought to myself ’townsfolk meeting townsfolk,’ we could reminisce about our hometown. It turns out you are not, sorry," the barbarian said with a smile.

He seemed quite the extrovert; even though he was apologizing, his demeanor didn’t show much regret, seemingly keen on striking up a conversation.

"Oh, is that so," Tian Peng smiled back. "Chang’an is pretty prosperous indeed, and many people from different places yearn to come to Chang’an. You coming to Chang’an will surely find your kinsmen; no need to rush."

"Indeed," the man sat down, glanced at the noodles in Tian Peng’s bowl, and found them very appetizing. He leaned in and took a strong sniff, "Wow, your meal smells so good, what is it called? I want to order one too."

"Biangbiang noodles," Tian Peng said, waving to call the waiter over, "Waiter, please bring this gentleman a bowl of biangbiang noodles."

"How could I impose such a burden on you? I will pay you," the man sat down and then began to introduce himself, "My name is Li Mutuo, and although you are not one of our barbarians, I’m still very pleased to meet you."

The man didn’t speak the official language very fluently and had a heavy accent from his homeland.

Tian Peng had to listen carefully to understand what he was saying, "My name is Zhu Ganglie. Meeting is fate, and I’m also very pleased to know you."

The biangbiang noodles were served quickly; the two men had just finished introducing themselves, and the waiter was already bringing the bowl over.

"Honored guest, here are the biangbiang noodles you requested."

Li Mutuo thanked the waiter, then picked up his chopsticks, about to eat, when Tian Peng stopped him.

"Wait a moment."

Li Mutuo was puzzled at first, then brought to realization, immediately reaching into his pocket to give Tian Peng the money, "Look at my poor memory, I completely forgot to pay you. I’ll give you the money right now."

"No need, no need," Tian Peng stopped him, "You need to stir the noodles well before eating. If you don’t mix it properly, the seasoning won’t be evenly distributed and it will be too salty."

Li Mutuo had an epiphany, "I see, that’s how it is. Thank you very much, Brother Zhu Ganglie."

Tian Peng waved it off and continued eating his noodles.

Li Mutuo took a bite of the noodles, his eyes widened, and he eagerly stuffed a couple more mouthfuls, then exclaimed in praise, "These noodles are really delicious, the food of the Central Plains indeed tastes amazing."

"They are good," Tian Peng nodded in agreement and then asked, "You’re from Tibet, how long did it take you to get here?"

"Three months," Li Mutuo said, "I brought a lot of things to Chang’an, planning to set up a business here."

"That’s good, starting a business," Tian Peng nodded.

"Brother Zhu Ganglie, you’re from Chang’an, where are you planning to go?"

"Chang’an is such a great place, why would you want to leave it?"