I just became the Pirate King, and you're telling me I also time-traveled at the same time.

Chapter 1044 Chu Yang Sunbathing

Sun Wukong sneered, "You've come, haven't you? First you pity your master, then you lament our ignorance."

Chu Yang nodded: "The trick is old, but it works best on soft-hearted people like Master."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang simply gave a wry smile and did not refute it.

Su Wanwan looked at Chu Yang: "What do you think? Pretend you didn't notice, or just tear it down?"

"Tear it down?" Sun Wukong became interested. "We could bring that abbot over right now and ask him who taught him."

"What's the point of asking?" Chu Yang said unhurriedly. "He's probably just a laborer. If we really tear off the mask, it'll only do what he wants."

"What should we do then? Just let them nag?"

Chu Yang did not answer immediately, but slowly raised his eyes and looked at the old plum tree outside the window.

As night deepened outside, the lights in the temple shone one by one, and footsteps occasionally came and went. At first glance, it sounded calm, but in fact, each step felt like walking on a layer of invisible wires.

After a while, he suddenly laughed.

"Since they want to act," he said, "we'll play along."

Sun Wukong blinked: "What mischief are you plotting now?"

Chu Yang turned his head, and a lazy smile slowly lit up in his eyes.

"They've come to divide us," he said. "Then why can't we turn the tables and divide them?"

The room fell silent for a moment.

Su Wanwan was the first to react: "You mean—"

"Since they're just a bunch of ordinary actors," Chu Yang casually picked up a green plum from the table and tossed it around, "that means they're not a monolithic group. Ordinary people, you know, some are greedy for money, some for food, some for sex, some for stability, some are afraid of trouble, and some love to stir up trouble. As long as they're not a solid rock, there are always cracks."

Sun Wukong's eyes lit up immediately: "I understand!"

"What do you know?" Su Wanwan looked at him suspiciously.

"We'll lead them astray first," Sun Wukong grinned. "Once they're distracted, they won't have time to bother us."

Chu Yang nodded: "More or less."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang's brow twitched slightly: "Benefactor Chu, please don't go too far."

"Don't worry, Master," Chu Yang said confidently. "We won't hurt anyone or use violence. At most... we'll just let them discover that in this life, besides sowing discord, there are other aspirations."

Su Wanwan hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help but ask, "For example?"

Chu Yang said slowly, "For example, eating roast chicken."

Su Wanwan: "..."

Sun Wukong had already started slamming his fist on the table and laughing wildly.

Even Tang Sanzang was speechless for a long time.

But the next moment, looking at Chu Yang's expression, which clearly showed he had already set his mind on something, he suddenly felt—

Perhaps this is indeed the most suitable solution for Chu Yang.

You set up a scheme with a group of ordinary people, and he will use the hearts of even more ordinary, mundane, and down-to-earth people to dismantle it.

No fighting, no killing, no arguing, no fuss.

It only makes those who originally came to act forget their lines.

Thinking of this, Tang Sanzang could only sigh helplessly: "This humble monk only hopes that you will not let them commit a serious mistake."

"No," Chu Yang said with a smile. "At most, they might make minor mistakes like being greedy, greedy, or fickle. They won't make any big mistakes."

Upon hearing the words "heart blossom," Su Wanwan immediately became alert: "You're not talking about using your beauty to seduce me, are you?"

Chu Yang glanced at her and raised an eyebrow: "You're dreaming."

"Chu Yang!"

"Don't worry, I don't need you." He tapped the edge of the table casually. "You're too shy, you'll easily give yourself away if you're acting. Besides, if you really do go for it, it might not be a honey trap, it could be a bomb plot."

Sun Wukong laughed so hard he almost fell over.

Su Wanwan was so angry she wanted to scratch him.

Chu Yang quickly steered the conversation back on track: "From what I've seen so far, we can divide this temple into at least a few groups. The first group is the leader, the middle-aged abbot-like man, and two others of similar age. They have steady eyes and speak calmly; they've probably been specifically chosen to keep things under control. The second group consists of several younger Taoist novices and priests, some of whom are truly composed, while others are clearly unsettled. The third group is the kitchen staff and general laborers—women, old men, those who tend the fire, those who fetch water. This group is the most diverse and the most prone to problems."

Sun Wukong, chin in hand, asked, "Which group should we start with?"

"Start with the easiest part," Chu Yang said. "Make chaos first, then move on to the kitchen."

Su Wanwan was taken aback: "The kitchen?"

"That's right." Chu Yang nodded. "Mortals have a problem: their mouths and stomachs are the easiest to bribe. Especially in these hastily put-together situations, the actors at the front may not care much, but those who do the work behind the scenes are most likely to complain if they feel that they have put in the effort but are not getting enough to eat, receive, or hear any clear instructions."

"So—" Sun Wukong's eyes darted around, "to steal chickens from their kitchen?"

"What are you talking about stealing? We're respectable people." Chu Yang gave him a disdainful look. "We're letting them buy it themselves."

"Who is it for?"

"Buy it for us."

The room fell silent for a moment.

Then, Sun Wukong slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Amazing!"

Su Wanwan finally realized what was happening and couldn't help but widen her eyes: "You mean, instead of having them monitor us, they should come and serve us food, drink, and entertainment?"

"Pretty much," Chu Yang said with a smile. "Since they're always hanging around us, we have to find them something productive to do. Otherwise, they're just idling around anyway."

Tang Sanzang silently closed his eyes.

He suddenly felt a little worried for the people in the Taoist temple.

Chu Yang is already quite mischievous when he's not serious, but when he really gets serious and evil, it's usually not a big, sweeping evil, but rather a slow, steady, and subtle evil that goes completely astray by the time you realize it.

That very night, the plan quietly began.

Chu Yang made the first move.

At dinner, Xuanyun Temple was indeed very "thoughtful".

In front of Tang Sanzang was a table of vegetarian food, simple yet not shabby, with tofu, seasonal vegetables, wild mushrooms, and rice all included.

Chu Yang and his group had a simple home-cooked meal, not lavish, but still warm and comforting.

The middle-aged Taoist priest who welcomed the people into the temple—who called himself Abbot Xu—accompanied them personally. His words were all about how "the eminent monk had a difficult journey," "the two Dharma protectors are highly skilled, but they are young and impetuous," and "this young lady is also kind and righteous." He spoke softly and gently, without revealing his sharp edge, but every word hit the mark.

Su Wanwan initially remained composed, but when she saw that Chu Yang seemed oblivious to what was going on and even chatted with Abbot Xu about the scenery along the mountain path, she almost suspected that he had changed his mind at the last minute.

Halfway through the meal, Chu Yang suddenly picked up a piece of stir-fried bamboo shoots with his chopsticks, tasted it, and casually remarked.

"This dish is far too bland."

There was a moment of silence on the table.

Abbot Xu reacted quickly, immediately smiling and saying, "The mountain dwellings are simple, and since we cultivate the Tao here, we eat mostly plain food. I apologize for making you all suffer."

"It's not that I felt wronged." Chu Yang put down his chopsticks, his expression very sincere. "It's just that people are naturally unable to stand being treated unfairly. I traveled all day today, and I was hoping to have a good meal at the temple, but..."

He sighed with regret as he said this.

Sun Wukong immediately understood and sighed, "That's true. When I crossed the ridge during the day, I smelled the roast chicken from the town ahead, and it made me so hungry that I wanted to go back and buy two."

Su Wanwan: "..."

She lowered her head and ate her rice, afraid that she would laugh out loud.

Master Xu's smile remained unchanged: "If you gentlemen really wish to eat meat, there is a small town three miles east of the foot of the mountain, but it's probably closed for the night."

Upon hearing this, Chu Yang's eyes lit up: "Three li? That's not far."

Master Xu froze slightly.

He clearly hadn't expected Chu Yang to respond so naturally.

Chu Yang, seemingly oblivious, continued in a serious tone, "I intended to buy it myself, but I'm simply too lazy to do it today. If anyone in your establishment is available, how about paying for them to make the trip?"

As he spoke, he actually pulled out a silver ingot from his pocket and slammed it on the table.

The amount of silver wasn't much, but it was definitely enough to buy a dozen roast chickens and several jars of wine.

The silver light under the lamp flickered, and not only the young Taoist priest serving behind, but even the fire-stirring woman adding food in the corner couldn't help but have her eyes light up.

Master Xu's face twitched slightly, and he laughed, "You flatter me, benefactor. How could I let you spend so much money..."

"How can you call it spending money?" Chu Yang said sincerely. "It's a win-win situation. If you want to eat chicken, you have to go through the trouble of running errands. It's only right that you pay."

Sun Wukong immediately added insult to injury: "Still want to drink?"

Tang Sanzang coughed lightly: "Wukong."

Sun Wukong readily agreed: "Then let's not drink alcohol, let's have sweet soup."

Chu Yang nodded: "Okay, buy some more sweets."

Su Wanwan was really about to burst out.

She kept her head down, and her shoulders trembled slightly.

Xu Guan appeared amiable on the surface, but he was probably cursing in his heart.

According to their original script, this meal was supposed to be a gentle, gradual introduction of the message that "it's not easy being a holy monk, and those around him aren't considerate enough" through his soft-spoken guidance. However, Chu Yang's simple comment, "I want to eat roast chicken," directly steered the entire conversation from "Buddhist righteousness" to "extra food tonight."

But this request isn't unreasonable.

Ultimately, they were just craving it and were willing to pay for it themselves to have someone buy it for them.

If you refuse outright, it will make the temple seem stingy, and all the previous "hospitality" and "thoughtfulness" will become a joke.

Sure enough, before Master Xu could figure out how to smooth things over, a young Taoist boy with tender skin couldn't help but secretly look up, clearly having fallen for him.

Chu Yang caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye and immediately understood.

Indeed, not everyone in this temple is so composed.

In the end, Abbot Xu managed a smile: "If you really want to eat it, I will have someone go and check later. If it is still sold in town, I will bring some back for you."

"That's wonderful!" Chu Yang immediately beamed, and casually pushed the silver ingot forward again. "Buy more. Monkey King has a big appetite."

Sun Wukong grinned: "I can eat three."

"You can only manage two and a half at most."

"We've been traveling a lot today, so there are three of them."

"Okay, three."

The two immediately began to seriously discuss "how many roast chickens to buy," as if the subtle provocations at the dinner table had never existed.

Xu Guanzhu, sandwiched in the middle, felt a twitch in his forehead.

The meal ultimately veered off course, revolving around the question of whether to buy honey-glazed roast chicken or soy-sauce roast chicken for dinner.

After the meal, everyone went back to their rooms.

Not long after, a person and a car quietly left the backyard.

Su Wanwan leaned against the window, watching the small cart silently slip out the back door, utterly dumbfounded.

"He actually sent someone?"

Chu Yang lay on the couch, one hand behind his head, and said lazily, "Why not go? The money's all there."

"But they didn't come here—"

"Here to stir up trouble," Chu Yang chimed in with a smile. "But stirring up trouble is one thing, it doesn't stop me from making some extra money on the side. For ordinary people, living is living, and money is money; they're two different things."

Sun Wukong, who was squatting on the windowsill, chuckled upon hearing this: "I'm already looking forward to the roast chicken."

Looking at the two of them, Su Wanwan felt that the situation was so absurd that it was beyond her imagination.

But what's even more absurd is yet to come.

That night, the roast chicken really did come back.

In addition to roast chicken, there were two packets of braised beef, a jar of sweet rice wine, several kinds of candied fruits, and even a box of vegetarian snacks for Tang Sanzang.

Clearly, the people who went to buy it also made their own decisions.

Chu Yang inspected the goods and was very satisfied. He immediately tore off a chicken leg and handed it to the errand boy: "Thank you for your hard work, this is a reward for you."

The young Taoist took the chicken leg, paused for a moment, then his eyes lit up, and he waved his hands repeatedly, saying he dared not.

Chu Yang said, "Take it. It's windy running errands at night. The abbot may not care about you, but he does."

Sun Wukong almost spat out his wine.

The young Taoist priest's ears turned red. Holding the chicken leg, he was caught in a dilemma: whether to retreat or not.

Finally, Chu Yang added with a smile, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

The young Taoist priest, as if he had stolen a great bargain, quickly stuffed the chicken leg away.

Seeing this scene, Su Wanwan finally understood what Chu Yang meant by "make chaos in the kitchen first, then cook in the kitchen".

It's not a major upheaval.

Instead, it starts with the smallest, most relaxed and unguarded places.

A chicken leg, a little delivery fee, and a simple "I love you."

That was enough to make the first crack in the heart of a young Taoist disciple who should have been standing on the opposite side.

The crack was even more noticeable the next morning.

Xuanyun Temple continued its theatrical performances as usual.

When Tang Sanzang was chanting sutras in the early morning, someone "unintentionally" passed by and whispered that the holy monk was truly sincere, and that it would be great if everyone around him could be as self-disciplined as him.

When Su Wanwan was washing her hands by the well, the woman in gray came to talk to her privately, sighing that she had suffered hardships along the way and must have often been wronged.

Logically speaking, if these words accumulate over time, they will eventually cause a thorn in someone's side.

The problem is, before these thorns could take hold, something went wrong in the kitchen.

The young Taoist priest who went out to buy roast chicken last night obviously didn't wipe his mouth clean when he came back.

This morning, another young Taoist priest, who was responsible for sweeping the courtyard, couldn't help but ask him while sweeping, "Were there really chickens for sale in town last night?"

The young Taoist priest nodded mysteriously: "Not only chicken, but also braised beef."

"real?"

"Really. That Benefactor Chu was very generous; he didn't even ask for a refund for the remaining silver, saying it was for his hard work running errands."

Just then, the old woman who was tending the fire in the kitchen overheard this.

The old woman, with her sharp ears and quick reflexes, immediately poked her head out and asked, "How much is your hard-earned money?"

The young Taoist stammered for a moment.

The old woman's eyes narrowed immediately: "You little rascal, you didn't keep it for yourself, did you?"

"How could I dare!" the young Taoist priest hurriedly protested, "He really didn't want it!"

"You actually put what you didn't want in your pocket?"

"What else can we do...?"

"You silly child," the old woman scolded, but her eyes clearly showed envy.

All of this was observed by Chu Yang, who was sitting under the eaves basking in the sun. (End of Chapter)