Now, Ao Tu and Wukong had made a wager.
Bajie laughed and said to Sha Wujing:
"This little river god really knows nothing. Our eldest brother's body is impervious to blades and spears. Even forty-nine days of refining in the Eight Trigrams Furnace couldn't harm him. Never mind three blows from this fellow-even three hundred or thirty thousand would do no harm!"
Sha Wujing said, "Indeed! Indeed!"
The imperial commissioner wiped the sweat from his face and said:
"Lord Dragon God, Elder Sun, please stop arguing over this wager. A wager means a winner and a loser, and winning and losing damage harmony. It benefits no one. Please let this humble official put the silver into the treasury first."
Ao Tu said, "No need to put it into the treasury. Haul it straight to the riverbank to be counted."
The imperial commissioner exclaimed, "Absolutely not!"
Ao Tu smiled. "Why not?"
The imperial commissioner thought frantically and answered, "Because... with the silver exposed in the wilderness, this humble official fears some might go missing."
Ao Tu said, "I will protect it with divine power. Not a fraction of a coin will be lost."
The imperial commissioner added, "Well... leaving the silver on the riverbank would make converting it inconvenient."
Ao Tu said, "Why does it need converting?"
The imperial commissioner said, "Once the silver is converted, we can purchase the tools needed to build the bridge."
Ao Tu said, "What tools?"
The imperial commissioner said, "Axes and Saws, hammers, and chisels all need to be purchased."
Ao Tu said, "I have divine power. I can turn grass into axes and saws, and stones into hammers and chisels. There is no need to purchase them."
The imperial commissioner said, "Even so, timber and stone must still be purchased."
Ao Tu said, "What