67: If you don't answer three questions, I'll kill you

Tang Ku followed behind, watching the woman enter the inn. He couldn't help but frown slightly, then chuckled, “Good, good, this way the affected area won’t be too large!”

People often say 'shrinking the ground into an inch,' and Tang Ku’s movements were similar. A hundred meters away, he strolled leisurely, pacing forward. In two or three seconds, he had already reached the entrance of the shop.

The main door was tightly shut; the woman had closed it behind her when she entered.

Outside on the street, the hawkers and porters had mostly cleared out by now. Tang Ku walked a few steps forward, gently knocked on the door knocker, and called out loudly, “Innkeeper, do you still have any upper rooms? This Poor Monk is looking for lodging.”

No one answered, but he heard hurried, chaotic footsteps inside, indicating there were quite a few people.

Immediately after, the main door swung open, and a group of people rushed out, holding knives, spears, staffs, clubs, woks, cleavers, brooms, and other items, surrounding Tang Ku.

The person leading them, judging by his attire, seemed to be the innkeeper, appearing to be in his early forties. Stroking his two-pronged mustache, he pointed at Tang Ku and shouted, “You lecherous monk, you scoundrel! You flirt with respectable women in broad daylight and even dare to commit murder and arson! Do you really think there are no hot-blooded men left in the Great Tang territory?!”

Tang Ku was momentarily stunned, then he saw the Hu woman standing in the main hall, sneering in his direction.

“Heh heh, so you want to play this game with me!”

Tang Ku narrowed his eyes slightly and said, “Alright, your 'fool the masses' policy is quite good…”

Seeing all the people around him with flushed faces, their cheeks red from agitation, Tang Ku immediately understood what the woman had done.

“Amitabha!”

Tang Ku put his palms together, narrowing his eyes, and said, “This Poor Monk is merely a traveler. How could I have committed such evil deeds as you describe? You are falsely accusing a good person. Furthermore, none of you know this Poor Monk, so how can you be sure I am a lecherous monk?”

“Hmph, that Hu woman just told us that you forced your way into her home, intending to commit indecent acts. When she refused, you murdered her parents to threaten her. If she hadn't been quick-witted and escaped while you were drunk, she would have fallen victim to your evil hands too. Do you still want to deny it, you lecherous monk?!”

The innkeeper pointed and cursed, “Everyone, tie him up! Little Six, go report to the Jinwu Guard lords patrolling the streets and have them take this scoundrel away!”

Tang Ku sneered, looking at the approaching people, “Truly stubborn and unrepentant. Namo Amitabha, you few, take a good look at who this Poor Monk is!”

Buzz!

A golden light shot straight to their spiritual cores. Amidst a lion's roar, the Buddha's voice impacted everyone's minds, instantly clearing their enchanted souls. Immediately after, the innkeeper couldn't help but shake his head, then looked at Tang Ku’s face, somewhat puzzled, “This monk, why do you look familiar?”

Tang Ku chuckled, “Innkeeper, you have a good memory. Have you forgotten Tang Xuanzang who went on the Journey to the West?”

The innkeeper was suddenly shocked, then slapped his forehead, “Oh my, it’s actually the Holy Monk! By the way, why have you come here? This is terrible, terrible! I actually mistook the Holy Monk for a lecherous thief. I deserve to die ten thousand deaths…”

How could the innkeeper not recognize him? When Tang Xuanzang preached, and Guanyin Bodhisattva enlightened him to become the scripture seeker, he was just a tea stall owner. And at that time, the old monk transformed by the Bodhisattva drank tea at his tea stall!

He had listened to Tang Sanzang’s sermons from beginning to end back then, so how could he not recognize this face? Moreover, he had already returned from his scripture-seeking journey, and almost all the citizens in the city had seen him and his disciples then.

Aphrodite was truly stunned. She hadn't expected Tang Sanzang to have such prestige in this city. But then again, it was her bad luck; of all places, she had to come to an acquaintance's shop.

Tang Ku, however, smiled and said to the innkeeper, “I am here to capture evil spirits. You all were just now enchanted by an evil spirit, so I don't blame you. Yes, your expression tells me you understand, so… why aren't you running?”

The innkeeper's face was filled with terror, then he waved his hand, and everyone's hostility turned towards the woman in the hall. The woman sneered, “Tang Sanzang, what a method! You managed to break my scheme even like this.”

“No choice, that’s the advantage of being a Holy Monk—good connections!”

Tang Ku spread his hands, then said to the innkeeper, “Go find a place to hide. If a fight breaks out, I won’t be able to look after you all!”

“How can that be? This demoness is so dangerous; we must certainly help you!” the innkeeper said indignantly.

“Alright, hurry up and go. If you encounter the Jinwu Guard, just tell them I am here subduing a demon and ask them to reassure the city's residents!”

With that, Tang Ku’s figure flashed, already bypassing everyone and rushing towards the “demoness.”

However, the moment he punched towards the woman, she vanished from her spot again. Another strand of golden hair floated down, slowly landing.

“Another substitution technique. Aren't you afraid of pulling yourself bald like me…” Touching his bald head, Tang Ku flew up, directly smashing through the roof, and soared into the air.

“Innkeeper, what should we do?”

The cook couldn't help but ask the innkeeper, “Should we still go find the Jinwu Guard?”

“Go find what?! Didn't you see it was a monster? No matter how powerful the Jinwu Guard lords are, can they fight monsters? You scoundrel! The Holy Monk truly lives up to his name; who can compare to his ability to fly and escape… Tomorrow, I’ll find someone to clean up. These tiles should be replaced with new ones anyway; they always leak…”

With that, the innkeeper flicked his sleeves and walked into the inner hall.

In mid-air, Tang Ku almost instantly blocked Aphrodite’s path, a faint smile still on his face.

“Monk, I changed my appearance three times mid-way, why can you always keep up with me?”

Aphrodite still looked confident and unconcerned. She had reverted to her original appearance, gently stroking her temple, exuding an indescribable charm.

Tang Ku smiled, “Who told you to always choose beautiful appearances? If you turned into a plump old lady, I wouldn’t bother following you!”

“Heh heh, so you still care about me?”

Aphrodite giggled, “How about this, no matter what mistake I make, can I pay with my body?”

“Two points!” Tang Ku held up two fingers, “First, I am a monk. In my eyes, there is a Buddhist verse that describes you: 'a red-faced skeleton.' Second, even if I were a layman, your golden wavy hair and voluptuous, flirtatious appearance do not conform to this Poor Monk’s aesthetic. This Poor Monk still prefers the pure and ethereal type. So… you’d best pray for yourself!”

Aphrodite’s expression darkened, “Are you really going to pursue this to the bitter end?”

“That depends on whether you cooperate or not!” Tang Ku put his palms together and said, “This Poor Monk has three questions. If you fail to answer even one, I will kill you. Is that acceptable?!”