A Core Ship From The Start
Chapter 1365 - 921: Tasting the Delicacy of Bear’s Tongue, Extinguishing All Devils with an 800-li Yellow Wind

Chapter 1365: Chapter 921: Tasting the Delicacy of Bear’s Tongue, Extinguishing All Devils with an 800-li Yellow Wind

Sun Wukong trussed up the monks after giving them a going-over. Seeing even the Black Bear Demon slain by a slap from Duanmu Huai, the monks, terrified out of their wits, huddled together and whimpered for their parents. Sun Wukong didn’t care about their cries; after tying them up, he used a gust of demonic wind to blow them straight to the nearby County Government Office, along with a letter explaining the situation in detail.

The next morning, when the County Government Office opened, they were quite shocked to find dozens of bulky, tightly bound monks whining outside. After reading the letter, they didn’t dare to dally and promptly reported it. The County Magistrate was also greatly surprised upon learning of this. For years, there had been reports of missing persons, and although the County Office had sent out search parties, they found no trace, suspecting that a demon had been eating people. But it had never crossed their minds that the souls perished under these wicked monks.

So the County Magistrate hastily dispatched people to search the Guanyin Zen Institute. Under the monks’ guidance, they unearthed over a hundred bodies from the cemetery in the backyard. Not even coffins were spared to them; simply buried in the ground, their remains were beyond recognition when exhumed. The officer in charge felt both angered and annoyed by the scene and quickly reported back to the Magistrate, who, upon hearing the news, was utterly incensed. He ordered the execution of all these evil monks and for their treasures and possessions to be confiscated, while the Demon Nest of the Zen Institute was burnt down to ashes.

Of course, that’s all a story for another time, not to mention now.

While the Guanyin Zen Institute was being purged with fire, Duanmu Huai and Sun Wukong had long since departed, now surrounding a pot of bear meat, eagerly awaiting the taste.

"You know, this bear’s paw really is delicious, not bad at all. It is indeed worth the taste."

Duanmu Huai fished out a piece of bear’s paw and chewed vigorously.

"Indeed, indeed. As the saying goes, fish and bear’s paws cannot be enjoyed at the same time, but now it seems this bear’s paw really is something special, quite fragrant."

"Master ah..."

Sun Wukong was speechless, looking at Duanmu Huai feasting without a care. The bear’s paw they were eating came, of course, from none other than the Black Bear Spirit. It may be a spiritual creature, but after all, it’s still an animal; once killed, it’s no different than any other meat. Of course, the Black Bear Spirit was not easy to cook, resulting in Duanmu Huai enlisting Sun Wukong to use his Samadhi True Fire for the stewing...

"You’re supposed to be a monk..."

"Meat and wine pass through, but Buddha stays in the heart. Besides, you’ve had your fair share of alcohol, haven’t you?"

Duanmu Huai rolled his eyes and glared at Sun Wukong, who chuckled and also began to savor a jug of wine.

"That old monk had no appreciation, hiding such good wine in the cellar. I, Old Sun, felt it was a pity to see..."

"Heh heh."

Duanmu Huai didn’t say much more and also began to indulge in eating and drinking. In fact, even before the yamen runners arrived, this master and disciple had already scoured the Zen Institute of all its valuables. Being on the road required provisions, and Duanmu had no interest in the disgraceful act of alms-seeking. Hence, he procured some gold and silver for their journey, along with some treasured tea. Sun Wukong emptied the temple’s cellar of the old bald monk’s collection of fine wines, after which the two hit the road.

"Hmm..."

While savoring the bear’s paw, Duanmu Huai began to ponder.

If he wasn’t mistaken, there were quite a few similar demons along the journey to the Western Paradise, right?

Most of them were animals-turned-spiritual, weren’t they?

Now, it seemed that all their flesh tasted rather good. He wondered if it was because of their cultivation. At any rate, for Duanmu Huai, this Black Bear Spirit’s meat was even more delectable than the signature dishes he’d had at gourmet restaurants before.

Well then... since he was on the road anyway, why not enjoy the culinary adventure?

Others faced the trials of Journey to the West, so why not craft a Gourmet Journey to the West for himself?

That didn’t sound so bad, did it?

Indeed, like with this Black Bear Spirit, there’s a saying that holds true: high-end ingredients often only require the simplest cooking methods. Look at this bear paw from the Black Bear Spirit – thick, succulent, simply boiled in natural spring water, complemented by Samadhi True Fire and seasonings, mouthwateringly delicious, richly scented, firm in texture, juice splashing with each bite – truly a rarity among worldly delicacies...

Though, this seems not so simple after all.

First of all, you’d have to kill a Black Bear Spirit.

Alright, it seems this Gourmet Journey to the West isn’t feasible. Where in the world are there enough Black Bear Spirits to become extinct just from Duanmu Huai’s casual eating?

"Sigh..."

Staring at the bone in his hand, Duanmu Huai was lost in thought, heaving a sigh. Hearing Duanmu Huai’s sigh, the monkey grew curious and edged closer.

"Master, why the sigh out of the blue?"

"Alas, now that I think of it, it’s a bit regrettable. Had I known the bear’s paw was so delicious, I shouldn’t have killed the Black Bear Spirit. I could have just chopped off a paw when I wanted to eat, let it grow back, and then we could have bear’s paw at every meal."

"........."

Hearing Duanmu Huai’s heartrending words, Sun Wukong’s face turned pale, staring at Duanmu Huai, before muttering after a long while.

"Master, as a monk, you ought to be compassionate... Even I, Old Sun, am not so cruel..."

"That’s true, eating too much of the same food loses its flair. It’s like hamburgers, they taste good if you eat them once in a few days, but eat them daily and it’s just the same old."

With that, Duanmu Huai tossed the bear’s paw aside and dusted off his hands.

"Alright, let’s pack up and continue on our journey."

"Yes, Master!"