I Ate Three Ginseng Fruits, and Became Immortal

Inside the dining hall, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood, and the exquisite round table made of rosewood was already laden with a dazzling array of vegetarian dishes.

The Crystal goose is exquisitely carved, the jade tofu is lustrous and translucent, and the various mountain delicacies and seasonal vegetables are tempting in color and have an aroma that goes straight to your nose.

Zhu Bajie shoved his cheeks wide, devouring all sorts of dishes like a whirlwind, his face glistening with oil, his cheeks bulging as if they were stuffed with two steamed buns. He mumbled indistinctly, "Good! Good! This Wuzhuang Temple truly lives up to its reputation as a great sect! This vegetarian food... burp... is even more exquisite than the grand feast Old Pig had in Gao Family Village! Delicious! Damn, so delicious!"

Although Tang Sanzang tried to maintain some composure, he ate with remarkable speed, even displaying a bit of Zhu Bajie's eagerness.

Fang Yu's "meticulous feeding" over the past few months has yielded remarkable results. The once slender Holy Monk now has a noticeably fuller waist and abdomen, and his appetite is exceptionally strong when faced with this delicious and visually appealing vegetarian feast.

Sun Wukong squatted on the armrest of the armchair beside him, munching on a peach in one hand and resting his chin on the other. His golden eyes swept over the two people eating like starving ghosts, and he couldn't help but sigh heavily. He shrieked, "Hey! Look at you two! In my Old Sun, the Wuzhuang Temple is being so hospitable because of our junior brother! If it weren't for him, we ugly little devils would probably have to find our own water from a mountain spring!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Bajie swallowed a long string of chrysanthemum greens with difficulty, slammed his greasy hand on the table, and snorted with his neck stiff, "Brother Monkey, don't try to boost others' morale! Old Pig, was once Marshal Tianpeng, commanding 80,000 naval troops of the Heavenly River! When the Nine Luminaries and the Ten Yama Kings saw me, who wouldn't treat me with respect and give me some face?"

He then pointed at Sha Wujing, who was silently eating, and said, "Old Sand! The Curtain-Rolling General! He's a figure of great importance to the Jade Emperor!"

Finally, looking at Tang Sanzang was engrossed in his meal, he exclaimed, "Master is the reincarnation of Golden Cicada, a virtuous man who has cultivated for ten lifetimes!" He became more and more excited as he spoke, his large ears flapping with excitement. "Brother Monkey, you are even more remarkable! The title of Great Sage Equal to Heaven Equaling Heaven is no joke! Our team is renowned throughout the Three Realms! What's wrong with eating a few vegetarian meals from Zhen Yuanzi?"

Sun Wukong rolled his eyes, tossed the peach pit aside, and jumped off the chair. "Alright, alright, go back to your bragging! Old Sun, am too lazy to listen to your nonsense. Go, go, go see what Junior Brother is busy with." Before he finished speaking, his furry figure had already darted out of the dining hall.

Following the strange fragrance that filled the air, Goku leaped a few times and arrived at a quiet courtyard.

The moment you step inside, you feel a surge of spiritual energy that soothes your soul.

In the garden, a strange tree stood tall, its branches and leaves lush and exuding a warm, jade-like luster.

What's even more amazing are the hanging fruits—each one shaped like a newborn baby, complete with limbs and facial features, swaying gently in the wind, exuding an indescribable fragrance and charm.

Sun Wukong's golden eyes widened instantly, he gasped, and exclaimed in a low voice, "Wow! This... this must be the 'Ginseng Fruit Tree' that Junior Brother specifically instructed me to grow!"

It subconsciously swallowed, remembering Fang Yu's warning, and quickly took two steps back, suppressing its mischievous curiosity and restlessness. Scratching its ears and cheeks, it muttered, "Go away, go away! I promised that kid I wouldn't mess with him. Old Sun, always keep my word. I can't be reckless."

Just as he was about to turn and leave, his sharp ears caught a familiar voice coming from a room not far away.

The youthful voices of Qingfeng and Mingyue were chattering away, but the content of their chatter made Sun Wukong's brows furrow instantly.

Qingfeng said with disdain, "I think that Monkey with the hairy face and thunderous mouth, that idiot with the pig's head and big ears, and that bald guy with nine skulls and a fierce look on his face, with their appearance and temperament, can they really Journey to the West? I doubt it! They probably won't even be able to leave Longevity Mountain!"

Mingyue scoffed and chimed in, "Pfft! Exactly! And that so-called Holy Monk of the Eastern Land, he looks all clean-cut and like a high-ranking monk, but look at the way he ate just now, tsk, he's practically a carbon copy of that pig demon next to him! He devoured everything like a whirlwind, without the slightest bit of decorum! With their abilities, they dare to seek the true scriptures? I think they'd be more likely to embarrass themselves in the Western Heaven!"

Outside the room, Sun Wukong gritted his teeth, Golden Flames flickering in his eyes, and his anger flared up instantly.

Just as it was about to kick the door open to argue, Fang Yu's deep and serious voice rang out from inside, instantly drowning out Qingfeng and Mingyue's playful laughter:

"My two senior brothers!"

Fang Yu's voice carried an undeniable chill, and the atmosphere in the room seemed to freeze instantly. "I'll say it again, no matter how you see them, they are Fang Yu companions on this journey westward, people I acknowledge! It's not appropriate to slander my fellow travelers to my face, is it?"

Outside, Sun Wukong, who was about to smash the door, suddenly stopped.

Fang Yu's resolute defense was like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing most of the anger in his heart.

Inside the room, Mingyue seemed startled by Fang Yu's unusually stern tone. She stuck out her tongue and her voice softened. "Junior brother, don't be angry. We... we just feel that Wuzhuang Temple is peaceful and comfortable, much better than the fighting and sleeping in the open on the journey to the Journey to the West."

Qingfeng quickly tried to smooth things over, his voice carrying a hint of flattery and a desire to change the subject. "Yes, yes, yes! Don't be angry, junior brother! Look, this is a candied hawthorn that your senior brother specially came down the mountain to buy for you today! It's so sweet! Try it!"

Outside, Sun Wukong remained silent for a moment, then simply snorted disdainfully and turned to leave.

He never bothered with other people's gossip. Since Fang Yu was willing to protect him, this Monkey was too lazy to argue over a few idle words and make things difficult for his junior brother.

With a few leaps, he silently returned to the dining hall.

Not long after, Fang Yu walked in with Qingfeng and Mingyue.

Qingfeng and Mingyue each carried a tray. As soon as they entered, an indescribable fragrance filled the air, instantly overpowering the aroma of the vegetarian dishes on the table.

Zhu Bajie, with his keen nose, jumped up, drool dripping onto the ground, and eagerly asked, "Oh my! What kind of treasure is this? It smells so wonderful! Old Pig, have never smelled such a fragrance even in heaven!"

With a hint of barely perceptible arrogance on his face, Qingfeng carefully placed a jade plate covered with a brocade handkerchief on the tray in the center of the table and said with a smile, "Greetings, elders. This is a rare and precious fruit unique to our Wuzhuang Temple — the Ginseng Fruit! My master specially instructed me to pick it to entertain our distinguished guests."

He lifted the brocade handkerchief, revealing three lifelike baby-shaped fruits on the plate, and continued to introduce them, "These Ginseng Fruit bloom once every three thousand years, bear fruit once every three thousand years, and take another three thousand years to ripen. Just smelling them will make you live for three hundred and sixty years, and eating one will make you live forty-seven thousand years! There is only one of its kind in the world, and even ordinary immortals rarely see it!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong, holding his Golden Cudgel, sneered and turned his head away, looking disdainful as if to say, "What haven't I seen, Old Sun?"

Zhu Bajie was already completely captivated by the aroma, and upon hearing how magical it was, how could he possibly resist?

His Mung Bean, beady eyes gleamed, and he grinned widely, drooling. "Ginseng Fruit?! Old Pig, have heard a few mentions of immortal treasures in the Heavenly River Water Palace, but this is the first time I've ever seen one in person! Haha, one for each of us? Then Old Pig, won't be polite!" Before he finished speaking, his fan-like hand shot out with lightning speed, grabbed a Ginseng Fruit, and shoved it into his gaping maw!

There was a loud "thud"!

Before Zhu Bajie could even taste it, he swallowed the "priceless" Ginseng Fruit whole!

He clicked his tongue, looking bewildered and regretful. "Huh? That's it? Old Pig, haven't even tasted it yet! This is such a loss!"

Although Tang Sanzang had been fed a good appetite by Fang Yu, his face turned deathly pale when he saw the fruit on the plate that looked exactly like an infant. The huge psychological barrier made it impossible for him to take a bite.

He clasped his hands together and said in a trembling voice, "Amitabha Buddha! Forgive me! This thing is shaped like an infant. This humble monk... this humble monk dares not eat it, cannot eat it!"

Sun Wukong crossed his arms and said arrogantly, "Tch! What precious fruit? What kind of Immortal Peach and spiritual fruits doesn't my Old Sun Flower-Fruit Mountain have? I don't care!"

Upon hearing that neither of them wanted the food, Zhu Bajie was overjoyed. His face lit up with a smile, and he reached out to grab the remaining two. "Hehehe! You don't want them? Perfect! They're all Old Pig!"

"Banshō Ten'in!"

Before he could finish speaking, a red light flashed in Fang Yu's eyes, and an invisible, powerful suction force appeared out of nowhere! Monkey King, Tang Sanzang, and his own Ginseng Fruit instantly transformed into three streams of Flowing Light, which were sucked into his hand with a "whoosh whoosh whoosh".

Fang Yu didn't hesitate and took a bite!

"Snap!"

The crisp sound echoed, and the sweet aroma rushed straight to my head!

Fang Yu swore he had never eaten anything so delicious in his life!

Even when I first ate human flesh after becoming Ghoul, it didn't taste like this!

How can I describe it?

It's like four people from Jincheng who stayed up all night, starving, went out to a breakfast stall, ordered a bowl of meatball instant noodles with a poached egg, and the first bite magnified their taste buds a thousand times!

Fragrant!

It smells so damn good!

Looking at all 52 episodes of MasterChef, not a single dish can compare to the taste of the Ginseng Fruit!

Fang Yu opened and closed his mouth quickly a few times, and without even chewing properly, he swallowed the three Ginseng Fruits with two "gulps" just like Zhu Bajie had done earlier!

The movements were fluid and crisp!

Zhu Bajie's hand remained frozen in mid-air, staring dumbfounded at the empty jade plate. Then he glanced at Fang Yu's slightly puffed cheeks, and the ecstasy on his face instantly froze, turning into a pitiful wail. "My—fruit—ah—!!!"

Fang Yu, however, calmly began to calculate.

A single Ginseng Fruit can live for 47,000 years.

Those are three.

I.

Has he achieved "immortality"?