The Emperor Reigns Them All

Chapter 431 When Needed

Li Ye glanced at the monkey, who was eating happily. “You didn’t eat such delicious food a hundred years ago.”

The monkey raised its head and habitually tried to refute Li Ye, but he immediately closed his mouth after opening it. This twice-cooked pork was so delicious that he didn’t want to stop for a second.

Su Emei got up and gave Li Ye a bowl of rice. Li Ye was about to pick up the dishes. Before Li Ye’s chopsticks reached the plates, the monkey stretched out his arms and caught all the food in his arms. What was more, he even bent up to block most of the table so that there was no room for Li Ye to find.

Li Ye was speechless. “Great Sage, you’ve experienced a lot. Please don’t act like you’ve never seen the world for a table of dishes. And, aren’t you a vegetarian?”

The monkey hummed without a complete sentence. It seemed that he didn’t intend to take the time to respond to Li Ye.

Li Ye sighed helplessly but couldn’t do anything to the monkey. Su Emei smiled as she saw this. Although she didn’t laugh, her crescent-shaped eyes were full of schadenfreude.

Li Ye could only put down his chopsticks and say to the guard outside the door, “Tell the cook to make the dinner.”

Outside the door came a respectful reply from the guard, “Yes, Your Highness!”

Actually, the meal was hearty, far beyond the amount of food for two ordinary people, but the monkey made a clean sweep of the food in a short while. There was no soup left. The plates were all clean, and those who didn’t know would think that they had been washed.

When he ate and drank enough, the monkey felt his bulging belly with his face full of enjoyment. He was longing for more and said, “This meal is more delicious than flat peaches. I’ve eaten a lot of local food when I went to the pilgrimage for Buddhist scriptures. In retrospect, there is no place where the food is so delicious. Unfortunately, it’s not enough to satisfy my appetite.”

Li Ye laughed and said, “Do you want me to make you a meal every day?”

The monkey jumped onto the windowsill and sat against the window lattice. He took out a toothpick-like wooden stick and picked his teeth, looking very comfortable. “No, you misunderstood me.”

Before Li Ye could speak, the monkey continued, “One meal a day is not enough. I have to eat three meals a day.”

Li Ye looked at him, speechless. “Could it be that you want to guard my manor?”

The monkey sneered. “It’s impossible to guard your manor, and it will never happen in my life. But if you cook well, I can stay here for a period of time. Of course, if you treat me with hospitality so that I’m embarrassed, I won’t eat your food for nothing. If you’re really in trouble, I’ll help you.”

Su Emei began to pick up the dishes. Although the monkey rushed to eat all the food, her state of mind wasn’t affected at all, and her manner was still delicate and measured.

Li Ye asked the guard to bring a few pots of wine. Now that he had no food to eat, he had to drink some wine to satisfy his appetite first. After hearing the monkey’s words, he shook his head and said seriously, “To make you embarrassed, I’m afraid that it will be more difficult than getting Buddhist scriptures.”

“Wine?!” Smelling the wine, the monkey jumped from the windowsill and took the wine pot from Li Ye’s hand. Then, he turned around and sat on the table that had been cleaned up. After holding the wine pot and smelling it for a while, he was intoxicated with narrowed eyes. “Good wine!”

While saying this, he raised his head and took a big gulp happily. Being careless, he choked and coughed. Waving his hand toward his mouth, he stared at Li Ye. “What kind of wine is this? Why being so strong?”

Li Ye was well prepared this time, so he quickly took out the second one. “I made it myself, and it’s several times stronger than Jiannan Spirit.”

Although there were no precise instruments in this world, it didn’t need precise instruments to make strong wine. Li Ye already figured out the technique.

“Good wine, good wine!” The monkey smacked his lips and began to take a second and third sip in great delights, like drinking water. The difference was that he exhaled and waved his hand beside his mouth after each sip. Even so, he didn’t intend to drink slowly.

Li Ye sighed. “You’ve stayed on Huaguo Mountain for more than a hundred years. I’m afraid you didn’t eat a hot meal.”

The monkey didn’t care and said casually, “Don’t say this. Don’t be a wet blanket!”

After returning from taking Buddhist scriptures, the monkey had been sad for more than a hundred years on Huaguo Mountain. It wasn’t easy for him to pick himself up and walk out into the world again.

A hundred years was not long, at least for monkeys, but a hundred years was not short either. Anyone who had been alone for a hundred years would inevitably become mean. Being immersed in loneliness was mean to himself. After being mean to himself for a hundred years, he would not be generous to others.

Soon the manor was ready for dinner. Li Ye was prescient this time. He directly removed the round table and put up three food tables, lest the monkey should eat up all the food and wine again.

It proved that he made a wise decision. The monkey apparently had a good appetite and was eating happily.

After a few rounds of wine, the monkey began to stagger, and there were several empty wine pots beside him.

Li Ye asked, “Great Sage, do you come for eating and drinking for free?”

The monkey belched. Shaking his head, he stared at Li Ye and said unhappily, “What are you talking about? As the Monkey King, do I need to eat and drink for free? You should take the initiative to invite me to eat and drink.”

After eating food and drinking wine, Li Ye began to drink tea. Of course, there was tea for the monkey as well, but he was obviously too lazy to drink it.

After complaining, the monkey got down to business. “I think you have nothing to do these days. It’s time for you to take a trip to the territory of the demon clan. If you can help the demon clan remove the suppression of the Immortal Court, you will have as many magic tools and cultivators as you want. Then, you will have nothing to worry about even if you confront the Taoist soldiers of the Immortal Court.”

Li Ye said, “I really want to do so, but I can’t remove the suppression of the Immortal Court on the demon clan.”

The monkey stared at Li Ye and said, “How do you know if you haven’t tried? What’s more, Duchess’ body is almost completed. One last Magic Treasure needed is the Soul-stabilizing Bead, and the lion has it. I don’t have a good relationship with him, so you have to ask him by yourself!”

“The Soul-stabilizing Bead? The Mountain-moving Sage, Lion Camel King?” Li Ye’s eyes brightened as he heard the news.

In the battle of Fengqi Mountain, Wu You’s body was destroyed, and her soul was taken away by the monkey to avoid death. Last time when Li Ye went to see the monkey, the monkey said that he would recreate Wu You’s body, which would be as good as Nezha’s, but Li Ye didn’t expect that it would be finished so soon.

The monkey lay on the ground, and he was so drunk that he could hardly keep his eyes open. “It’s that guy. He’s not easy to deal with. He doesn’t agree that the demon clan gets involved in the matters between you and the Immortal Court. Although he allows you to enter the territory of the demon clan, I can’t guarantee that he won’t make trouble for you. You have to be careful.”

Li Ye felt powerless. “He’s a Daluo Golden Immortal. How can I be careful?”

The monkey fell asleep and said the last words in a daze, “Duchess will go with you... The patronesses in Pinglu don’t look good...”

After drinking all the tea in his cup, Li Ye went out of the house alone and sat quietly on the roof.

The night breeze was cool, mixed with the fragrance of the soil. Maybe because he drank some wine with the monkey, the stars seemed within reach. Li Ye reached out his hand in front of his forehead and clearly saw the light sliding down the gaps between his fingers.

He narrowed his eyes slightly.

He couldn’t help recalling some memories of this life.

Under the old locust tree, when piling up the mud city, the young he said to the young her, who squatted beside him with dirty hands and face, “When I grow up, I will give you a city and marry you in this city.”

As time passed, he now had the entire northern part of the Tang Empire, which was to the east of the Yellow River, and he had countless cities. Even if he wanted to build a new city, he just needed to give an order, and it wouldn’t take long.

A smile gradually appeared on the corners of his mouth.

A few days later, Li Ye arranged everything well in Pinglu and went to Huaguo Mountain with the monkey. He didn’t take anyone else but You Daniao as a guide.

...

In the early morning, the dewdrops on the grass were crystal clear under the sun. Su Emei in a cloth dress rolled up her sleeves skillfully and removed weeds in the vegetable garden. But Li Ye didn’t squat by the vegetable garden and watch her this time.

Compared with ordinary fields, the weeds in the vegetable garden always grew faster and needed better care. Otherwise, manure would be absorbed by the weeds and the vegetables wouldn’t grow well.

Like on Boji Mountain, Su Emei never used her cultivation when she was busy in the vegetable garden.

In fact, she had nothing to do except for cultivation and awakening. Now that Li Ye had left, she didn’t even need to cook much for meals. When she was free, she had to do something to adjust so that she wouldn’t be lonely and bored.

About two hours later, Su Emei straightened up. Looking at the “new” vegetable garden, she smiled with satisfaction.

“Senior Sister!” With a cordial call, a fat figure landed beside the vegetable garden. Su Emei saw Wei Xiaozhuang’s fat face. He laughed so hard that the fat was piled on his face, and his nose and eyes almost couldn’t be seen. “Senior Sister, how can you still work in the vegetable garden on such a hot day?”

Su Emei wiped the sweat from her forehead and smiled. “Why are you here?”

Wei Xiaozhuang took down the towel on the branch next to him and handed it to Su Emei. “I came to tell His Highness something about the Taoist temples. His Highness is in charge of the north. I received a message from His Highness a few days ago that the Quanzhen Temple should be built in each town. I came to hear His Highness’ specific arrangements.”

Su Emei took the towel and wiped the sweat. “His Highness has gone to the territory of the demon clan.”

Wei Xiaozhuang was stunned. He left the vegetable garden and walked into the courtyard with Su Emei. “His Highness didn’t take you with him?”

Su Emei smiled bitterly. “Duchess of Li is with him this time.”

Wei Xiaozhuang suddenly understood why she was a little depressed. He immediately smiled and comforted her. “Duchess of Li and His Highness grew up together, so they should be with each other. But you don’t have to be upset. His Highness also treats you well...”

Su Emei turned to stare at him. She blushed and said, “What are you talking about?”

Wei Xiaozhuang scratched his head awkwardly. It was a little difficult for him to comfort others, so he changed the topic and said with a greedy look, “Senior Sister, I’m hungry. Do you have anything to eat?”

“Qing Prefecture is big, and you can walk freely in most places of the manor, so you surely have something to eat,” Su Emei said grumpily.

Wei Xiaozhuang said with a flattering smile, “The dishes they have made aren’t as delicious as those made by you.”

“There are no dishes, but there are some steamed patties in the kitchen.”

“Well, I’ll go and get them now!”

A while later, Wei Xiaozhuang squatted on the stone step in the corridor with steamed patties stuffed in his mouth. Looking at Su Emei practicing swordplay in the courtyard, he said sadly, “Senior Sister, His Highness has already achieved the Immortal Realm. When will we achieve the Immortal Realm?

Su Emei looked focused and replied without looking back, “When His Highness needs us.”