White Tiger City.
When Jiang Ming and his disciples arrived, night had already fallen. The night was dark and the wind howled, while the streets lay cold and deserted. This city did not even have anyone guarding its gates. Desolation stretched as far as the eye could see.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What on earth happened here? Why does this place look like a dead city, without a breath of life?"
Zhu Bajie froze for a moment after entering the city, then spoke.
"Bajie, what nonsense are you talking about? It's the middle of the night. Everyone has gone to sleep, so of course it's quiet."
Jiang Ming offered that nonsense explanation, pretending he had only ordinary mortal eyes.
"Master, there's something you don't know. Even at night, our arrival would set the dogs people keep in this city barking. In these times, demons run rampant, so plenty of people keep a watchdog. It's especially common beyond our borders. Hunting dogs can guard the house at night, and during the day, people can take them out to hunt rabbits and help make ends meet."
Zhu Bajie immediately launched into a well-reasoned explanation. Clearly, he knew the subject well.
"Look! There's an inn up ahead that hasn't closed yet. Its lights are still on. Wonderful!"
Just then, Yan Ling'er, travel-worn from following the scripture-seeking party, spoke happily.
She had been full of excitement before setting out, but once she truly experienced the hardships of the journey, her enthusiasm had begun to fade.
At Jiang Ming's request, she had now transformed into a young monk and traveled with the party in that guise, keeping others from gossiping.
The scripture-seeking party was a group of men, after all. A delicate woman would hardly fit in among them.
Jiang Ming's decision had already sparked considerable