Journey to the West: Tang Monk Conquers Everything

The spicy hot pot was actually not much different from the hot pots before, the main difference was just the addition of chili as a seasoning. Because they had added Fairy Zixia and the Yellow Wind Monster to the group this time, the ingredients were prepared even more plentifully.

Of course, the pot was still the same pot, unchanged.

After all, the most unique aspect of hot pot dining is that no matter how many people you have, everyone can sit around the same pot.

And the more people there are, the better the atmosphere.

He took out some small chili peppers, roasted them until dry and ground them into powder, some of which he sprinkled directly into the pot to enhance the spiciness, and the remaining chili powder was naturally saved for future barbecues.

Moreover, he threw in more than a dozen little red chilies that floated in the pot, looking quite attractive.

A spicy hot pot, after all, really needs some chili peppers floating in it, doesn't it? Otherwise, it feels like something is missing that aesthetic touch.

Of course, since it's a spicy hot pot, you have the heat, but how could it lack fragrance?

He sprinkled in some already-fried sesame seeds,

and the broth, made from boiling bones, was rich and mixed with the aroma of sesame and the spiciness of chili, quickly spreading through the air as the soup simmered.

The peculiar aroma made Zhu Bajie's nose twitch constantly; meanwhile, his eyes gleamed as he stared at the pot of soup, licking the corners of his mouth unconsciously.

"Hehehe, Master, when can we start eating? I, Old Pig, can hardly wait. Why not let me, Old Pig, have a sip of the broth first?"

Apart from women, the thing Zhu Bajie cared about most was food. Smelling the wonderful scent wafting through the air, Zhu Bajie's impatient voice betrayed his urgency.

"Fool, stop yelling, if it really comes to starting, you definitely can't beat I, Old Sun!" Sun Wukong, naturally, was just as anxious, and upon hearing Zhu Bajie's words, even Sun Wukong was tempted and spoke up.

In the midst of their conversation, staring at the pot, they both felt their appetites surging.

The Master was right; this spicy hot pot was indeed different from all the others we'd had before.

Although we've had hot pot several times in the past, the aroma emitted this time was completely different.

With the addition of chili pepper to the seasonings, it was as if it brought the whole hot pot to life.

Sun Wukong's words caused Zhu Bajie to glance at him but left him unable to speak.

Although he didn't want to admit it, Zhu Bajie understood that if it really came down to a scramble for the hot pot broth, he truly couldn't beat the monkey.

Setting aside strength for the moment, a pig trying to beat a monkey for something? Could I match this monkey's agility?

"You guys... anyone who doesn't know better would think I've been mistreating you!" Seeing the way Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie were acting, Jiang Liu shook his head with a somewhat exasperated smile, and said.

Setting aside Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie's thoughts, as the broth started to bubble, Jiang Liu naturally began to slowly add some ingredients into the pot—meat, mushrooms, vegetables...

"Come on, everyone, take your seats!" Jiang Liu called out, addressing Fairy Zixia, the Yellow Wind Monster, and others nearby.

As he spoke, he glanced at White Dragon Horse who was eagerly watching, and said somewhat irritably: "Xiaobai, what are you standing there for? Come and join us!"

"Thank you, Master!" Hearing Jiang Liu's words, White Dragon Horse, transforming into a human, also found a stool and sat down. Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

Being White Dragon Horse, transporting everyone was his usual role; hence, normally, he stayed in his horse form, as that was the basic expectation.

If White Dragon Horse didn't have Jiang Liu's approval, he generally wouldn't transform into a human form.

"Right, that's the spirit, that's what creates the atmosphere!" Glancing at Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, White Dragon Horse, the Yellow Wind Monster, and Fairy Zixia sitting around, plus himself, the group of seven gathered around the hot pot made for really good vibes.

"Here, Bajie, have a drink..."

What's hot pot without booze? Jiang Liu took out two jars of fine wine from his storage space and offered them to Zhu Bajie.

"Thank you, Master!" Zhu Bajie, delighted at the sight of two jars of fine wine placed in front of him, grabbed a jar and prepared to pour himself a drink, his heart secretly rejoicing.

Indeed, the Master favored him the most—taking out wine and offering him the first drink.

"What are you thinking!?" Seeing Zhu Bajie getting ready to pour himself a drink, Jiang Liu irritably cuffed him on the head, saying, "I told you to blow on it to cool it down! Drinking with hot pot should mean drinking chilled wine to really savor it!"

"Oh, I misunderstood!" he scratched his head, Zhu Bajie said with an embarrassed look.

As he spoke, he blew on two jars of wine, and soon, a thin layer of frost could be seen condensing on the jars.

Having dawdled around at the Wuzhuang Temple for two months, and then traveling for so long, it was almost June by now. Although it wasn't the height of summer, the weather was quite warm. Eating hot pot could indeed become a bit hot, so it was necessary to have some chilled wine.

"Wow, it's so spicy!" Sun Wukong, always the most nimble, grabbed a piece of meat with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth, only to find an intensely spicy and savory flavor exploding in his mouth. Having never eaten anything too spicy before, the spiciness made Sun Wukong exclaim loudly, but he couldn't bear to spit it out.

After chewing a few times and swallowing, Sun Wukong felt it was too spicy to handle, yet it was also extremely delicious.

"Mmm, so spicy, so good!" Zhu Bajie also ate with great gusto, nodding continuously.

This spicy hot pot was a terrifying experience for Sun Wukong and the others who had not suffered the onslaught of spices before, but at the same time, it was an unforgettable experience.

It was unbearably spicy, yet they couldn't help but exclaim how addictive it was, as if there was some kind of magic power in it.

Compared to Sun Wukong and the others, Jiang Liu found the taste just right. Satisfied, he nodded, took a sip of the chilled rice wine, and a bite of the hot and spicy hot pot. This life made Jiang Liu's eyes squint; this was the ultimate enjoyment.

Of course, in Jiang Liu's opinion, this spicy hot pot had a slight flaw: the color of the soup base was milky white, the color of stock made from big bones.

Actually, if there was chili oil poured into it, turning the soup base a fiery red color, then it would be a perfect combination of color, aroma, taste, and presentation.

"It seems that sometimes I have to make some bean paste sauce to cook the buttery red soup!" Looking at the somewhat light-colored hot pot soup base, Jiang Liu murmured to himself.

"Master is indeed amazing!" Having thoroughly enjoyed the spiciness, Sun Wukong and the others naturally saw Jiang Liu eating calmly and even contemplating other things, which they greatly admired.

No matter what, this spicy hot pot meal was so satisfying that even Fairy Zixia felt sweaty.

Until the end, the remaining half pot of soup was fully consumed by Zhu Bajie. Everyone had their fill and lay on the grass to rest, feeling life couldn't be better.

After resting for a while, Jiang Liu spoke up and asked the Yellow Wind Monster and Fairy Zixia, who were beside him, "How do you feel about eating spicy hot pot for the first time?"

"Delicious, Holy Monk, you truly are the grand master of cuisine in all the realms! After eating this once, I will never forget it!" Hearing Jiang Liu's question, the Yellow Wind Monster raised his thumb and praised Jiang Liu.

Clearly, the spicy hot pot had completely conquered him.

"It's tasty indeed, but just a bit too spicy. If there could be a milder flavor, that would be even better!" Upon hearing this, Fairy Zixia thought for a moment and offered her opinion.

"Heh heh heh, we've had lighter-flavored hot pots a few times before, but in my opinion, they're nowhere near as satisfying as this spicy one!" Hearing Fairy Zixia's suggestion, Sun Wukong chuckled and retorted.

"Well, it seems that I'll need to find a chance to make the Hot-Clear Pot. After all, people have different tastes; some like it spicy, others prefer it milder!" Hearing Fairy Zixia's suggestion, Jiang Liu spoke up.

"Hot-Clear Pot? What's that?" Curious about Jiang Liu's words, Zhu Bajie asked.

Just the name sounded extraordinary; could there be other kinds of pots?

"Yes, that's a pot specifically for eating hot pot!" Jiang Liu nodded and spoke earnestly.

"A pot just for hot pot!? What does it look like!? I'm so curious!" Hearing that there were special pots for hot pot, Zhu Bajie and the others were eagerly asking.

"Alright, it's getting late. Wukong, you should hurry up and take Fairy Zixia back!" Not explaining too much on this topic, Jiang Liu simply turned to Sun Wukong and instructed.

"Okay, got it, Master!" Hearing Jiang Liu's command, Sun Wukong nodded, stood up, and took Zixia with him to leave.

"Fairy Zixia, when I make the Hot-Clear Pot, I'll invite you over for hot pot again. I guarantee you'll like it!" As Sun Wukong pulled Zixia away, Jiang Liu, after some thought, spoke up.

He couldn't help it; Sun Wukong, being such a hopeless case, didn't understand the concept of a follow-up invitation, so as his master, he had to do it on his behalf.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Great Master!" Hearing Jiang Liu's words, Zixia, who also found the hot pot delectable, nodded with a smile on her face.

As the conversation ended, Zixia took Sun Wukong's hand, and with a leap, they used the Somersault Cloud, turning into a streak of light and heading straight toward the South Heavenly Gate.

"Indeed..." Watching Sun Wukong's vanishing figure, Jiang Liu silently shook his head.

Sending Fairy Zixia back, he was really in haste to escort her, without lingering on the road to seize some alone time with her.

Over by the South Heavenly Gate, Muzha walked out, and suddenly, sensing something, he happened to see Sun Wukong holding Fairy Zixia's hand, approaching the South Heavenly Gate.