Journey to the West: Tang Monk Conquers Everything

"Jiang Liu, this is a handful of coarse salt. Your task tonight is to purify it into table salt. Since your dad asked you to learn cooking from me, you should start with the seasonings. I don't care how those restaurants outside attract customers. I'm telling you, only third-rate chefs use a mess of spices; first-rate top chefs use just salt..." a tall man said, dressed in a spotless chef's uniform and wearing a tall chef's hat, his expression stern.

"The process from coarse salt to table salt involves purification and filtering impurities..." In front of the boy lay items such as filter paper, beakers, and glass cups, while he held a smartphone in his hands, searching for information he needed. Just then, a voice message came through: "Brother Liu, hurry and log in. Tonight we're taking on the ultimate BOSS, Demon King Ox. We can't do it without you."

In a dimly lit internet café, three empty mineral water bottles sat on the table. The youth's eyes were bloodshot, yet he was excitedly fixated on the computer screen, watching the game's big BOSS's health bar nearly depleted, feeling incredibly thrilled.

Finally, when the BOSS fell, countless rays of light scattered in all directions. The boy's tense nerves suddenly relaxed, his vision darkened, and he lost consciousness.

...

Cock-a-doodle-doo!

Half-asleep, the faint sound of a rooster crowing reached him, and Jiang Liu slowly opened his eyes and sat up.

His gaze swept past the window, taking in the still dim scenery outside. He could vaguely make out the outlines of mountains and trees and sighed to himself: Has I been in this world for almost half a month already, still hoping to wake up back in the modern era?

Groping in the dark, he lit an oil lamp, the faint light barely dispelling the gloom in the Zen room.

By the light of the lamp, he could see everything in the Zen room was quite simple: a bed made of planks, shortened by a stone under one end, a table, and a completely unattractive stool woven from bamboo...

He picked up a light gray, worn monk's robe from the head of the bed, put it on, took some snow-white salt from a clay jar under the bed, and added it to a bamboo cup to rinse his mouth with the saltwater.

There was no helping it. In this world, there were neither toothpaste nor toothbrushes available, so he had to make do with salt water for oral hygiene.

He had been just a chef apprentice back home, dragged into a late-night gaming session at a café by a friend, and unexpectedly, after a nightlong battle, when he opened his eyes again, he found himself here.

Having been in this world for nearly half a month, although it was hard to accept at first, the days had calmed down since. Now, Jiang Liu had come to understand the world he was in.

He was in a place called Jinshan Temple, a small, rundown temple that had only a few people in total.

The temple was not popular among devotees, but fortunately, he had started a vegetable garden and a farm, which made them self-sufficient.

However, going online to play games was out of the question, for he was now in the Tang Dynasty, and the Emperor was none other than Li Shimin.

Of course, if he could live for another thousand years, perhaps he'd see the dawn of the internet era?

Shaking his head, he gargled a few times and spit out the last mouthful of saltwater. Jiang Liu collected his scattered thoughts, went to the kitchen, and took out the dough he had prepared the night before, stuffing it with chives and slowly steaming it in a pot.

Then, he painstakingly set up a stone mill and began to carefully grind the soybeans that had been soaked all night...

After his unexpected arrival at Jinshan Temple, his identity was that of a novice monk doing odd jobs, and managing the temple's meals was his duty.

Although back in the modern world he was just a chef apprentice, his cooking skills were considered excellent for this era.

For instance, the oil lamp in the Zen room was a reward from the old abbot for the recent tasty meals, something that no one else in the temple, aside from the abbot and himself, had.

Thump... thump... thump...

After a busy hour or so, the other monks in the temple had also woken up.

When the ancient bell of the temple was struck, it was fully daylight, and the distant sound of the bell carried far and wide.

The bell signaled the official start of the day's activities in the temple: morning prayers, breakfast, and then farming.

Unlike the monks depicted on television who seemed only responsible for chanting scriptures and welcoming worshippers, the monks in the temple also had to farm to support themselves, at least in this dilapidated Jinshan Temple that had been crossed over to.

At the foot of Jinshan Temple, there was a small mountain village, but Jiang Liu had never gone down to it; he could only see it from atop the mountain.

Every day when the bell rang, the village below gradually began to stir, as if the bell served as an alarm for the villagers.

Of course, the main purpose of the bell was to announce that Jinshan Temple was now open to receive worshippers.

Although, it had been a long time since any worshippers had come to the temple...

Soon, the soy milk was ready, served in five bowls, each containing one bowl of soy milk and two vegetable buns—this was everyone's breakfast.

Shortly, the monks, having finished their morning prayers, gradually gathered.

Leading them was an old monk with a white beard, who exuded a kind and gentle demeanor; he was Faming, the head of the temple.

There were also three young monks, all dressed in greyish-white robes patched here and there, plus Jiang Liu, the novice monk, making everyone at Jinshan Temple present.

"Everyone, please eat," Faming said as he sat down, took a sip of his soy milk, and then the other monks began to eat.

"Mmm, Liu'er ever since he fell into the water half a month ago, his cooking has been improving day by day. Even these steamed buns taste better than those made in the village below."

"I really wish Liu'er would stay in the temple and cook permanently."

"This soy milk is delicious too; steamed buns with soy milk are truly unmatched."

...

After they began eating, the monks were full of praise for the breakfast Jiang Liu had prepared. Though it was just a simple meal of vegetable buns with soy milk, it tasted much better than before.

To the monks of Jinshan Temple, the meals in the recent half month had given them a true concept of gourmet food, rather than just sustenance.

The so-called steamed buns were actually buns; this was how they were referred to during the Tang Dynasty.

"Buns with soy milk might be a perfect match, but fried dough sticks with soy milk are the real deal. Unfortunately, the current state of Jinshan Temple is so poor, I wouldn't dare use so much oil to fry dough sticks," Jiang Liu quietly mumbled to himself, hearing the praises of the monks nearby.

Although, fried dough sticks did not appear until the Song Dynasty.

"Enough talk, more words would lead to fatigue. Eat without speaking, sleep without talking," Abbot Faming looked at everyone, silencing them.

After leisurely finishing his breakfast, Senior Abbot Faming set down his empty bowl and turned his gaze toward Jiang Liu.

"Liu'er, you turned fifteen this year, right?".

"Yes, Abbot, I turned fifteen this year," not understanding why the Abbot suddenly mentioned his age, Jiang Liu still nodded.

"Hmm, fifteen is the age for tying the hair knot in ordinary families. According to the rules, you should participate in the Incense Offering Ceremony. In half a month, it will be the annual Incense Offering Ceremony at the Great Buddha Temple. Have Senior Brother Xuankong accompany you then."