195: Eating hot pot on the Eight Immortals Table

"Holy crap, is this monk really an old acquaintance of yours?"

Pigsy looked utterly bewildered. "Who is this guy? I thought he was an imposter!"

Tang Ku shook his head and said, "You actually recognize him too, but it's not like your Master is as familiar with him... Let me ask you, who is the head of the Eighteen Arhats?"

Pigsy blurted out, "Speaking of the first of the Eighteen Arhats, it should be the Arhat Sitting on a Deer... Uh, no, that's not right..."

Halfway through his sentence, Pigsy suddenly remembered a legend.

Among the Eighteen Arhats, in terms of status, they should actually be equals, with no distinction. It's just that they achieved the Arhat fruit at different times, which led to the order of their positions. But to speak of the true head of the Eighteen Arhats... Buddhist Arhats take subduing demons and monsters as their duty, and in terms of combat power, only one person dares to claim the top spot.

"Could it be... could it be Arhat Jiang Long in person?"

Pigsy said in shock.

"Hahaha, Marshal Tianpeng is indeed intelligent, even if his reaction was a bit slow!"

The monk chuckled.

Pigsy rolled his eyes and said, "You're Arhat Jiang Long and you didn't say so earlier? Besides, if you had just revealed your true form, I wouldn't have kicked you, would I?"

"Although I am a Western Heaven Arhat, I cannot disturb Mortals too much. Revealing my true Arhat form is easy, but if it were to alarm the common people, that would be a great sin!"

The monk clasped his hands together and smiled.

Tang Ku, standing nearby, pouted helplessly and said, "Don't speak so grandiosely. You've already disturbed the area since you arrived. What are you still bragging about?"

Arhat Jiang Long paused, then chuckled, "Indeed, this appearance is truly your nature. Tang Sanzang's exterior, Golden Cicada's personality, and the memories of three lifetimes, the Fusion is very good!"

Tang Ku suddenly remembered something, then smiled, "If you hadn't suggested that I cast my soul into the Three Thousand Great Worlds back then, I wouldn't have the magical power I have today."

"Heh heh, I merely made a suggestion. Your success is your own good fortune..."

Arhat Jiang Long smiled, "Passing by this time, your Junior Brother wishes to ask you for a cup of wine. What do you think?"

Tang Ku smiled, "That's easy. We have plenty of wine and meat at home, and distinguished guests are always welcome..."

"...Master, he said he saved me and Sha Shidi (Junior Brother Sha)... Do you know about this?"

Pigsy suddenly interrupted while the two were chatting.

Tang Ku looked at Arhat Jiang Long, then nodded, "I was also thinking that if no one had rescued you two back then, you and Monk Sha wouldn't still be alive. Since he said it, then it's true... Alright, stop with the nonsense, let's go inside and talk... Bajie, tell the kitchen to prepare some fish sashimi, raw mutton, and some seasonal vegetables and fruits... Oh, and bring those two barrels of Western Region wine that His Majesty gave us. Call your Junior Brother and Junior Sister, we're having hotpot tonight..."

Although Pigsy didn't know what hotpot was, he thought it sounded delicious just from the name. His appetite was whetted, and he scurried off to the kitchen to tell the cooks to prepare the meal.

"Senior Brother, forgive my ignorance, but what is this 'hotpot'?" Arhat Jiang Long asked curiously.

Tang Ku chuckled, "You'll know in a moment... Hmm, I still need to go to the kitchen myself to prepare some dipping sauces. Junior Brother, please wait a moment in the main hall. I'll be right back..."

Tang Ku led Arhat Jiang Long into the main hall. Arhat Jiang Long wasn't shy; he grabbed a fruit from the table and started eating, sitting casually on the mat. He observed the Qi in the courtyard, marveling at it... Soon, a large Eight Immortals table and several square stools were set up in the main hall. At that time, these two items didn't exist, and Arhat Jiang Long had never seen such tables and stools before, so he was full of curiosity.

And when the hotpot was brought out, the monk was so hungry he was practically drooling!

It was a brass Double-boiled hot pot (Yuan-yang pot) with charcoal burning underneath, and both the red and white soup bases were bubbling. After all the ingredients were brought out, Arhat Jiang Long's saliva was already threatening to dampen his lapel!

"Heh heh, Arhat, please sit, please sit... Hmm, are you wondering where these tables, stools, and this hotpot came from? Heh heh, these were all invented by your Master, the old man. He commissioned skilled craftsmen to make them. Now, these things have already spread to the palace and the homes of some princes and ministers... Hmm, my Master also invented a kind of fireplace... And then there's underfloor heating, which is currently being experimented with. After winter arrives this year, the common people of Chang'an City will be blessed!"

It was Shi Jingmo who was introducing these novelties to Arhat Jiang Long. To be honest, this was his first time meeting a Disciple of the Western Heaven Buddha Dharma, so he was eager to consult him on Buddha Dharma, and thus was exceptionally attentive.

Over there, Tang Ku, accompanied by several Disciples and Nezha, arrived in the main hall and saw Shi Jingmo teaching the monk how to eat hotpot.

"This red soup base is made from seasonings Master brought from overseas, its name is chili. It provides a considerable stimulation to the taste buds, similar to the Cornus officinalis (zhūyú) and wasabi often found in fish sashimi, and even surpasses them in taste!"

"There are three types of dipping sauces: the first is garlic paste with sesame oil, the second is a dry dip also made from chili, and the third is this sesame peanut paste personally prepared by Master... Oh, right, Master calls this 'Erba paste,' it's Master's unique secret recipe..."

Shi Jingmo explained to Arhat Jiang Long while blanching ingredients.

However, despite being ravenously hungry, Arhat Jiang Long did not move his chopsticks. He waited until Tang Ku and the others arrived, then looked at Tang Ku and said, "Senior Brother, you went on a journey to another world, and you didn't learn anything else, only how to eat, is that right...?"

He could tell at a glance that these things absolutely could not exist in the current Great Tang. Remembering the suggestion he had given him, he instantly guessed the origin of these items.

"Heh heh, don't underestimate eating. As the saying goes, 'food is the first necessity of the people.' When people don't eat, they get hungry, and only by eating food to warm the body and stomach can one truly experience the difference between hunger and fullness, and thus understand the suffering of the common people..."

Tang Ku chuckled.

Arhat Jiang Long paused, then shook his head helplessly and smiled bitterly, "Those words are truly profound, and every sentence aligns with Buddha Dharma... I have learned much!"

By this time, Pigsy could no longer restrain himself. He practically flew to his seat and began blanching meat and fish. The others, seeing him eat happily, smiled knowingly and then joined the feast.

Cups and plates clinked, and everyone enjoyed eating and chatting with the Western Region wine. However, after a few cups of wine, Arhat Jiang Long suddenly sighed, put down his wine cup, and said regretfully, "Look at me, seeing food and drink makes me unable to move. I almost forgot about the important matter, Senior Brother, I have something to tell you!"

Tang Ku, however, handed him back the wine cup, chuckling, "Drink, drink! Whatever it is, finish this cup first, then speak!"