Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!-Chapter 43 What is the Saint like?

"What kind of wine is this?" the young man asked curiously, for it was the first time he’d seen wine packaged this way.

The Bull Demon King placed the wine on the table with a thud and said, "Peach Blossom Brew!"

"That’s new to me," the young man chuckled and opened the bottle.

The moment he pulled out the cork, a faint scent of peach fragrance hit him, and without using a prepared cup on the table, he took the bottle and drank straight from it.

Upon tasting, it was not burning like ordinary wines but rather had a fruity sweetness, with a lingering aftertaste that was unobtrusive and comforting.

In terms of taste alone, indeed no other wine could compare—this one deserved to be first!

Nevertheless, the young man shook his head and put down the wine.

"Guest, why aren’t you drinking anymore?" The Bull Demon King touched his head, looking somewhat puzzled.

The young man looked up at Chen Nuo, "This wine is like water, too bland."

"So what if it’s bland?" retorted Chen Nuo.

"Isn’t wine meant to drown one’s sorrows? But how can it intoxicate? And without intoxication, how can it drown one’s sorrows?" the young man lamented.

Fucking hell, wait until I introduce distilled liquor and drink you to death!

Chen Nuo thought maliciously, but said aloud, "Wine can drown sorrows, but have you ever heard that ’lifting a cup to drown sorrows makes the sorrow deeper’?"

The young man shook his head, "I haven’t, but it does make some sense."

It’s right that you haven’t heard it, as it’s only the Han Dynasty now, and the author isn’t even born yet!

Chen Nuo rolled his eyes and continued, "I believe that wine is best enjoyed with friends over conversation and laughter, sharing one’s deepest feelings and joys—that’s true happiness!"

Basically, it’s about a bunch of people getting drunk together and bragging wildly!

"Friends?" The young man was stunned for a moment, then said self-mockingly, "What friends do I have now?"

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of interest flashed in Chen Nuo’s eyes. It appeared that this generous and mysterious immortal had a story.

But that was just fine— you have story, I have wine.

"May I know your esteemed name? Can I be so bold as to consider myself your friend for the moment and drink this wine with you?" Chen Nuo asked.

The young man raised his head and looked at the spirited Chen Nuo before him. It was as if he saw a reflection of his younger self and couldn’t help but laugh. Unexpectedly, someone dared to be his friend.

"Alright!"

Sitting down carefreely across him, Chen Nuo clapped his hands, "Bring me a jug of wine, too."

"Yes, Shopkeeper."

The Bull Demon King didn’t hesitate and headed toward the kitchen.

"Bring the big jar!"

"Yes!"

Sure enough, the Bull Demon King soon came back carrying a jar large enough for a person to hug.

"That’s... quite large," the young man smiled.

Chen Nuo spread his hands, "I can’t help it, who asked me to be the Shopkeeper here? I may drink as much as I desire."

"You’re pretty arrogant," the young man said, sipping carefully again.

"A man should be frivolous while he’s young!"

The young man burst into laughter, then his voice grew solemn, "Good, ’A man should be frivolous while he’s young’ is a fine saying, but even frivolity should be within limits. After all, there are Saints in the Primordial World!"

Chen Nuo shook his head lightly, "Saints? What do Saints have to do with me? What can a Saint do anyway?"

He was invincible inside the Chaos Residence, as long as he didn’t leave its bounds. Even if the Taoist Ancestor Hongjun himself were to come, he could only be beaten soundly!

The young man, however, was startled at first, then muttered, "That’s right, what use are Saints anyway? They still can’t protect what they wish to shield."

Chen Nuo raised an eyebrow; this was interesting. He himself disdained Saints, after all, he had the confidence to do so, but he hadn’t expected the young man to share this disdain.

"Young friend, since we have already started discussing Saints, why not speak freely about it?" the young man suddenly said.

He had already noticed the natural formation near the restaurant capable of shielding from heavenly secrets. The formation was extremely intricate; even he, who specialized in formations, couldn’t see through it. Even if they discussed those few, they wouldn’t be detected.

"Of the Six Saints of Heaven and Earth, whom do you admire the most?"

Chen Nuo casually lifted the jug to pour himself a cup of wine and drank it in one gulp, saying, "Tongtian."

The young man’s pupils dilated, giving Chen Nuo an inscrutable look. Seeing no change in him, the young man then asked in confusion, "Why?"

"Because his heart is the purest among the Six Saints."

"How so?" The young man’s breathing suddenly quickened a bit.

Chen Nuo, unruffled, poured another cup, "Laozi claims to be pure and inactive, but what is there that he doesn’t act upon?"

"The Primordial Saint believes himself to be the true lineage of Pangu but only values his followers, regardless of their character. Little does he know, all things in this world are Pangu’s legacy; there is only a sequence to their stability, not a distinction of noble and lowly bloodlines."

"Although Nuwa created humans and mended the heavens, earning her the title of Mother of Humanity, for humans who attained Dao to become Demon Saints, she did not protect the Human Race above, nor the Demon Clan below, capricious as she was."

"As for the Two Sages of the West, they are even more unashamed; I disdain to speak of them!" Chen Nuo shook his head lightly.

These words had the Bull Demon King’s legs trembling with fear.

Shopkeeper Chen was speaking so casually of the Saints, which was a grave disrespect!

"On the other hand, Tongtian is carefree by nature, disregards aptitude—if one has the heart to pursue the Dao, he will teach his knowledge. He even entrusts his best Magical Treasures to his disciples and dares to stand up for them, even risking the world’s great censure to break Through The Primordial World!"

Chen Nuo commented methodically, "Compared to the scheming of other Saints, Tongtian is not bad."

His words brightened the young man’s eyes, but then they dimmed again, and a trace of desolation appeared on his face.

"But he is a complete failure," the young man said bitterly. "He claimed to stand up for others, yet in the end, he saved no one."

Chen Nuo was nonchalant, "That was his own doing!"

"Pureness, to put it bluntly, is foolishness. He thought his differing ideologies with Taishang and the Primordial Saint were mere squabbles. He believed that merely having his name inscribed on the Investiture of the Gods would ensure his safety. He thought the great calamity was but a squabble among the young. Did he think his brothers wouldn’t join his deadliest enemies against him?"

"He was truly laughable. Without the strength, he shouldn’t have touched it; without Spiritual Treasures capable of suppressing fate, he shouldn’t have accepted so many followers!"

"He didn’t understand the principle of ’the bigger the tree, the stronger the wind it attracts’?"

Chen Nuo’s tone was even, yet the words he spoke were incisive. He put down the wine cup and shook his head again, "It’s a pity that Tongtian, despite being a Saint, did not grasp that after reaching its peak, a decline is inevitable. Reviewing the Dragon-Han and the Shaman-Demon calamities, isn’t it always this way?"

The young man’s face turned both green and white, but he had no argument to make. The fist he unconsciously clenched was quietly released once more.

Indeed, with only the cultivation of a Saint but without the scheming, in the end, he became the biggest loser.

Due to the filth, Chen Nuo hadn’t noticed anything amiss about the young man’s state.

The Bull Demon King was at a loss for words. Were this any other time, had anyone dared to speak thus about his master, he would have erupted in anger without a second thought, perhaps even engaging in a desperate fight.

But facing Shopkeeper Chen, he simply couldn’t summon that thought.

Mr. Monkey was right; it seemed fine to watch Shopkeeper Chen when he acted normally. But the moment you attempted to measure him with your own cultivation,

you would discover you were merely an insignificant drop of water.

The Bull Demon King shrank his neck and said, "Shopkeeper Chen, I’ll go help Little Roc in the kitchen first."

With a wave of dismissal, leaning back in his chair, Chen Nuo looked at the young man before him and said indifferently, "So you see, Tongtian is someone I both admire and despise!"