Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong was slightly taken aback. Why were they being stopped? Besides, why should he bother with such a trivial matter?
How could he know that Tang Sanzang had not actually practiced any binding techniques?
In other words, Tang Sanzang only possessed the " Great Power Heavenly Dragon " Dharma Gate, and had no other means of attack.
For this reason, he traveled westward at the pace of an ordinary mortal. It was not that he was incapable of flying through the clouds, but rather that he intended to take this opportunity to see if he could learn some new Magic Arts from the cultivators, immortals, gods, or demons along the way.
It would also be good for him to enrich himself. After all, for Tang Sanzang, who was determined to subdue demons, relying solely on the Great Power Heavenly Dragon Technique, although its power was unparalleled, was ultimately somewhat insufficient.
Having more skills means having more confidence, so why not?
Tang Sanzang watched as Sun Wukong activated his internal energy, then shouted loudly, "Freeze!"
As soon as the words were spoken, the farmers froze on the spot like clay sculptures, unable to move. Witnessing this scene, Steward Gao and Elder Gao of Gao Village both gasped in shock!
"You still dare to say you're not a monster? If the person next to you isn't a demon, then who is?"
Steward Gao shouted sternly, "Even if you are not Zhu Bajie himself, you must be an evil spirit that Zhu Bajie sent to deceive us!"
"Look at the two people next to you! One has a face full of monkey hair and a thunder god's mouth, looking exactly like a wild monkey; the other even has a pair of deer antlers on his head!"
"He hasn't even mastered the art of transformation, yet he dares to come out and swindle people?"
Upon hearing Steward Gao's accusations, a hint of helplessness appeared in Tang Sanzang's eyes.
This was the first time he had ever been mistaken for a demon on his journey to the West.
Seeing the undisguised suspicion on the faces of the farmers of Gao Village, as well as Steward Gao and Old Elder Gao, Tang Sanzang sighed inwardly and then said, "Just now you asked me to prove my identity. Look carefully, this is Passage Document bestowed by His Majesty Emperor Li Shimin of the Great Tang Dynasty!"
As he spoke, he took out the document from his robes, held it high, and said loudly, "I wonder if this document can prove my origins?"
Upon hearing this, Steward Gao and Elder Gao immediately showed shock and surprise.
This monk... could he really be from the Great Tang Dynasty?
The document held in his hand was written in neat characters and had a clear seal, indicating that it was not a forgery. It was clearly stamped with the imperial seal of the Tang Dynasty government.
Steward Gao hesitated for a moment, for the official seal of the Tang Dynasty was extremely difficult to counterfeit, and the mark before him was undoubtedly genuine.
But why would a monk receive a travel permit personally bestowed by Emperor Li Shimin?
He had even earlier claimed to be the current emperor's younger brother!
This is why Steward Gao's suspicions deepened, and he felt that there might be other hidden stories, or even deception involved.
"May I ask, are you truly the younger brother of Emperor Li Shimin of the Emperor Tang?"
Steward Gao another deep breath, stared at Tang Sanzang, and asked solemnly.
Tang Sanzang sneered upon hearing this, and calmly replied, "Could it be false?"
Elder Gao took a slow breath, stepped forward, and said, "Elder, I once served in the Imperial Court court. May I examine your Passage Document to verify their authenticity?"
Without a word, Tang Sanzang used his magic to send the document to Elder Gao, saying calmly, "Alright, see for yourself whether it's real or fake."
Having said that, he closed his eyes and stood silently. The Passage Document bestowed by Li Shimin of the Emperor Tang, was not to be questioned.
Elder Gao steadily caught the document, carefully examined the official seal for a long time, and finally breathed a sigh of relief, solemnly announcing. "It is undoubtedly the official seal of the Great Tang Dynasty! There is absolutely no forgery!"
Upon hearing this, the surrounding farmers were all stunned, and Steward Gao changed drastically, filled with astonishment.
In other words, the pale-faced monk, the hairy-faced monk with a pointed snout, and the monk with deer antlers on his head were not actually subordinates of Zhu Bajie from Yun Zhan Cave?
Thinking of this, a look of embarrassment flashed across Steward Gao's face. He quickly waved his hand, and the surrounding farmers also put down their hoes and sickles.
It turned out there was a mistake. Steward Gao face full of apologies, smiled apologetically and said, "I'm truly sorry, elders, please come inside."
Normally, the people of Gao Village always treated monks with great respect, and they had never seen a monk as handsome and fair-skinned as Tang Sanzang before!
However, this is not a problem. Now that it has been confirmed that the three are not subordinates of Zhu Bajie from Yun Zhan Cave, there is no need to worry.
The group was led into the main hall of the Gao residence. Steward Gao respectfully invited Tang Sanzang, Sun Wukong, and the Little White Dragon to take their seats, then served them fragrant tea. He then cupped his hands and said:
"I just mistook the three elders for the followers of Zhu Bajie, the pig Zhu Bajie from Yun Zhan Cave, and thought they were here to abduct my daughter. I beg your forgiveness."
Steward Gao an awkward smile, picked up the teacup beside him, raised it high, and said to Tang Sanzang, Sun Wukong, and the Little White Dragon, "Three elders, I will offer you this tea instead of wine as an apology."
"Tea instead of wine? That won't do! My master loves to drink, why don't you fetch some wine, Steward Gao?"
Sun Wukong immediately objected. Upon hearing this, Steward Gao, who was about to drink his tea, paused slightly, his gaze shifting between the three of them with suspicion.
" Amitabha Buddha, as the saying goes, 'Wine and meat pass through the intestines, but Buddha remains in the heart.' To show my sincerity towards the Dharma, this humble monk, following the example of the sages, drinks wine and eats meat. It is harmless, harmless."
Tang Sanzang smiled calmly, made up an excuse on the spot, and then took out a wine gourd from his bosom and handed it to Steward Gao.
Steward Gao took the gourd with a belly full of suspicion, only to hear Tang Sanzang slowly say, "If Steward Gao can fill this gourd with fine wine, perhaps my disciple will be willing to help your family solve the problem of the pig Zhu Bajie in Yun Zhan Cave."
Before he finished speaking, Steward Gao's expression immediately turned to joy. He hurriedly summoned his servants and ordered them to quickly take the wine gourd to the wine cellar and fill it with the finest wine!
It has to be the best!
Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang smiled slightly and quietly activated a burst of magical power. In an instant, the space inside the wine gourd was expanded dozens of times!
Originally it could only hold twenty or thirty catties of wine, but now, thanks to Tang Sanzang's magic, it can hold at least five or four hundred catties!
However, neither the servants nor Steward Gao knew these secrets.
If they knew, they would probably faint from heartache on the spot!
The fine wine brewed in Gao Village is famous far and wide, and its market price is as high as five taels of silver per catty!
Five hundred catties is more than two thousand taels!
Such a huge sum of money is by no means a small amount, even for the wealthy Gao family!
After a long while, the servants still hadn't returned, and Steward Gao's brows furrowed involuntarily.
If the wine doesn't arrive soon, how can he possibly ask Tang Sanzang for help in exorcising the demon?
As a businessman, Steward Gao was well-versed in the ways of trade, and now he wanted to apply his business acumen to his conversation with the high monk.
It is crucial to understand that taking the initiative during negotiations is of paramount importance!
He hasn't offered Tang Sanzang any benefits yet, so if he rashly asks for help, he'll definitely be at a disadvantage!
Conversely, once Tang Sanzang accepts the generous gift, one can gain the upper hand in the conversation.
Once the other party has gained something tangible, the subsequent negotiations can naturally be dominated.
Little did they know that some people cannot be dealt with using the tactics of a merchant.
It wasn't until much later that the School of Names hurriedly returned.
Surprisingly, the seemingly small wine gourd was carried back by three strong men on a wooden frame!
Seeing the servants' exaggerated behavior, Steward Gao immediately showed his displeasure and demanded, "What are you doing? It's just an ordinary wine gourd, at most it can hold twenty or thirty catties of fine wine."
"My Gao family has always treated you well, providing you with plenty of food and clothing. Could it be that you can't even carry a mere twenty or thirty catties of wine, requiring three people to lift it together?"
Before he could finish speaking, Steward Gao still felt displeased and was about to reprimand him further.
Unexpectedly, the servant hurriedly knelt down and protested, "Master, master, you have truly wronged us!"
"My lord, it's not that we're Sloth or incapable, it's just that this wine gourd is too strange!"