Reborn: Instead of Chasing the School Beauty, I Chased Her Mother

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"Li has quite the capacity!"

Li Meifeng and her companions were all sycophants, lacking dignity in the presence of Li Mingzhang. In front of him, their status as small-time merchants was truly trivial.

Of course, if they were influential businessmen, the situation would be reversed; many important figures would grovel for their investment to boost the GDP and rack up achievements.

That would indeed be an extreme low.

"Li, let's continue."

"Sure!"

Li Mingzhang, who was as fond of drinking as life itself.

Wang Shangyan, holding onto Li Zhiyan's hand, found this very distasteful. She leaned over to Li Zhiyan's ear and said, "Xiao Yan, try to drink less in the future. Drinking isn't good for your health, and even though you can hold your liquor, don't learn from these people."

Wang Shangyan smelled lovely. When she leaned in, Li Zhiyan had a full view of her deep cleavage.

Auntie Wang's figure was really nice, but she was just too ferocious.

"I got it, Auntie Wang."

Seeing how obedient Li Zhiyan was, Wang Shangyan happily placed his hand on her silk-stockinged legs.

On the other side, Rao Shi Yun, who was determined to keep her distance from Li Zhiyan, could no longer control her jealousy.

She also grabbed Li Zhiyan's hand and placed it on her plump and fair legs.

Feeling the two different styles of legs, Li Zhiyan's heart was brimming with pleasure.

The sensation of silk-stockinged legs was great, but Auntie Rao's plump legs felt warm and more substantial. They were his favorite kind.

Across the table, where the drinking was continuous, the two young men Rao Shi Yun had invited for their high tolerance were starting to show signs of struggle.

Seeing the two on the brink of their limit, Li Mingzhang, who had drunk a good deal, found it somewhat dull.

"If you can't handle it, I'll take my leave."

Lew Huan and Li Meifeng were both anxious, casting pleading glances at Li Zhiyan.

Though Lew Huan disliked Li Zhiyan, he hoped Li Zhiyan could lend a hand.

After all, quite a sum had already been invested in the project.

Even though he had just seen him touching his wife's leg, he decided to turn a blind eye and think of him as a child.

"Wait a moment, Li."

Li Zhiyan spoke up, causing Li Mingzhang, who was about to leave, to pause.

This young man sure could drink.

"Li, when you were drinking earlier, you kept using 'Journey to the West' as a reference. I gather you must really enjoy 'Journey to the West.' I'd like to discuss it with you," Li Zhiyan said.

Li Meifeng did not expect Li Zhiyan to talk about 'Journey to the West' instead of drinking.

'Journey to the West' is a story known to all. What's there to discuss?

It's only the stories from the television shows.

But to her surprise, Li Mingzhang gestured for Li Zhiyan to come over, clearly interested in discussing 'Journey to the West'!

"Young man, you've studied 'Journey to the West'?"

"Yes, I have read the original text of 'Journey to the West' and have organized quite a few thoughts on many of its details."

This assertion by Li Zhiyan made Li Mingzhang's eyes light up. A young person had actually read through the original text of 'Journey to the West'?

Then, they began to discuss 'Journey to the West,' and he realised how exceptionally learned the boy was!

Some perspectives on 'Journey to the West' were ones he had never considered!

"Actually, those four disciples are not as virtuous as they seem."

"The Yellow Lion Demon was actually a good demon."

"For years, it never disturbed anyone, didn't kill, didn't cause trouble."

"It fed itself by purchasing food, and earned money by farming for the peasants!"

"Just because it stole a few weapons, it was pursued and exterminated to the last by Sun Wukong. A massacre of its entire clan."

"In the end, not wishing to live alone, the Yellow Lion Demon resorted to a suicidal attack against Sun Wukong!"

"The fate of the Yellow Lion Demon shows that being a demon without backing is no easy task. Even committing a single error warrants a catastrophic fate, truly pitiful, much like society today where without connections, it's incredibly hard to get by."

Li Mingzhang was deeply moved; his own career was no less precarious.

Having transitioned from a professor in the Chinese Literature Department to a bureaucrat, he had also faced many hardships.

"Well said!"

"Brother Li, who do you think is the most unfortunate character in 'Journey to the West'?"

Li Mingzhang was tipsy and chatting lively, already treating Li Zhiyan as a brother.

"The most unfortunate, I think, is the Xingxian, who was killed by Zhu Bajie, who was just eager to earn merits."

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"In the original text, in the sixty-fourth chapter, not far from the Small Thunderclap Monastery, Tang Seng and his companions entered a temple gate where they were greeted by the local earth deity who offered them food," Li Zhiyan said.

"It was during the time when the four tree spirits were entertaining Tang Seng."

"The kind and gentle Xingxian appeared."

"The tree spirits asked, 'Why has Xingxian come?'"

"Xingxian replied, 'I heard there were distinguished guests here and came to pay my respects. I dare to request an audience.'"

Rao Shi Yun's heart was racing; she had not expected Li Zhiyan to understand Journey to the West so profoundly!

She had thought Journey to the West was common knowledge, but now she found herself feeling as if she understood nothing.

In front of Xiao Yan, she felt so ignorant.

The piece of watermelon in Wang Shangyan's hand froze there.

To be able to discuss so deeply with someone who was formerly a professor of Chinese literature!

And this child, he could even remember the original text of Journey to the West! What a talent.

Indeed, a young person with great potential is a genius everywhere.

Li Zhiyan continued, "That night, the five tree spirits composed poetry with Tang Seng until morning."

"Looking at the handsome Tang Seng and the beautiful Xingxian, the four of them planned to matchmake Tang Seng and Xingxian in marriage."

"Xingxian had never harmed anyone; she was naturally kind and gentle, and also quite talented."

"But at dawn,"

"Sun Wukong arrived."

"With just a shout, he scared away the tree spirits and Xingxian."

"Tang Seng told Sun Wukong and the others about everything that happened the night before. They then found next to them a large cypress tree, an old cypress, an old pine, an old bamboo, and behind the bamboo, a red maple. Looking toward the cliff, there was also an old apricot tree, two wax plum trees, and two cinnamon trees."

Li Mingzhang listened with rapt attention.

Wang Shangyan's heart couldn't calm down; Li Zhiyan could even remember the types of demons—how deeply he must have studied!

This kid, only 18 years old, how could he be so erudite?

"The original text goes like this, 'Zhu Bajie, upon hearing this, not discerning good from bad, swung his rake haphazardly. With a few long swings, combining thrust and chop, he brought down two wax plum trees, cinnamon trees, the old apricot tree, and the red maple, until blood flowed freely from their roots.

Only after raking over each one thoroughly and ensuring their demise, did they leave confidently!'"

"Zhu Bajie, I must say, is the character I dislike the most. He's entirely different from the one in the 1986 version of Journey to the West," Li Zhiyan expressed.

Li Mingzhang said excitedly, "Well said!"

"Little brother Li, come, let's have a drink together."

Li Zhiyan didn't hesitate and had a drink with Li Mingzhang.

"By the way, little brother Li, have you ever researched the issue of the celestial tribulation that occurs every five hundred years in Journey to the West?"

"There are so many people in Buddhism, how did they say they survived the five-hundred-year celestial tribulation before the events of Journey to the West?"

"Under normal circumstances, Buddhism should not have the means to withstand the celestial tribulation and should have been extinct."

"Li Mingzhang, I have indeed studied this question," Li Zhiyan replied.

"There are many methods to combat celestial tribulation in Journey to the West."

"Aside from peaches and Ginseng Fruit,"

"There are two other methods depicted in the original text."

"For instance, the Star of Longevity, he sneakily sent his mount down to the human world to steal the hearts and livers of children for consumption or for alchemy, as a method of extending life."

"Then there's Guanyin, who secretly sent the fish in her pond to the human realm to find boy and girl virgins, which likely has something to do with extending life."

Li Mingzhang slammed his hand on the table.

"Now that you mention it, I realize that there isn't a single good deity in the celestial realm!"

"That's correct. And the means by which Buddhism survived the celestial tribulations was probably by eating the flesh of Golden Cicada," Li Zhiyan stated.

"In Shutuo Kingdom, the Dapeng Bird said not to scare Tang Seng."

"Tang Seng couldn't withstand fright; if scared, his flesh would sour and become inedible."

"They could only proceed when the sky was cloudy and there was leisure time."

"Eating Tang Seng required steaming him. To take him as he was, clean and prepare him, tenderly blowing on and tenderizing his flesh before eating."

"Consuming Tang Seng involved steaming a live person."

"The Dapeng Bird spoke with such experience that it was clear he had eaten Tang Seng's flesh before."

Li Mingzhang felt a shiver run down his spine.

"Indeed, how could I have overlooked so many details before!"

"But with Buddhism having as many as eight hundred arhats, one Golden Cicada doesn't seem to be enough for all of them."

Listening to their conversation, Wang Shangyan grew increasingly restless. How could this child possess such profound knowledge?

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