A Journey to the West Where Looks Mattered

The official road through Seven Absolutes Mountain was built straight and broad. Its base was laid with large stones, followed by gravel and compacted earth, with lime used to stabilize the soil at the end. Drainage ditches ran along both sides, planted with evergreen pines. The ground was as hard as stone slabs, and even on rainy, overcast days, it was rarely muddy.

White Dragon Horse walked steadily along the official road. It was Tang Monk's first time encountering such a mountain road, and he felt it was hardly any worse than the roads of Chang'an City.

Suddenly, a clamor of voices rose ahead. The master and disciples went forward to see what was happening and found a group of lesser demons enthusiastically compacting the road. Not everyone in the crew was a demon; there were also several humans doing hard labor. They ate from the same pot and drank from the same bowl, leaving all four staring in astonishment.

"Amitabha. Buddha said all living beings are equal. Only today did this humble monk truly understand the meaning of those words." Tang Monk was deeply moved, and his admiration grew even stronger. Though the lord of Seven Absolutes City was a demon, he had to be a great sage of this age.

Zhu Bajie shook his head repeatedly. "Amazing, amazing. This old pig has seen plenty, but I've never seen anything this lively!"

After watching the spectacle, the master and disciples continued along the official road. The path was straight and level, so they traveled quickly. Before long, Tang Monk grew hungry. Monkey went to beg for alms, and when the innkeeper by the roadside saw Tang Monk's dignified appearance, he invited him inside for a vegetarian meal. White Dragon Horse was also led into the inn and fed well.