Chapter 724
Journey to the West Restarted, Tang Sanzang Loses His Memory
"I agree!"
"but!"
Her tone suddenly shifted, her voice filled with undisguised resentment and chilling coldness.
"I will remember this humiliation! If I have the chance in the future, I will repay you tenfold! Just you wait!"
This is no longer a threat, but a curse-like oath.
Looking into her resolute yet humiliated eyes, Lin Zhu felt a faint pang of conscience stir within him.
He didn't really intend to push a renowned Buddhist master to this point; it was mainly because the system's ridiculous mission rewards were too tempting... He tried to salvage the situation one last time.
“Great Bodhisattva Guanyin, you really don’t need to force yourself like this. We can discuss it further. For example, could you change into something more conservative? Or try a different performance style? How about reciting a Buddhist scripture? Or performing something like breaking a boulder on your chest… no, I mean, demonstrating some Buddhist supernatural powers?”
"Shut up!"
Guanyin abruptly interrupted him, her eyes sharp as knives, as if she wanted to cut him into a thousand pieces.
"Stop with your wicked 'good intentions'! Today's shame is all your fault! No need for pretense! I have promised, and I will keep my word! But this 'favor' will be something I... will never forget!"
Well, it seems they've really taken it to heart, there's no room for maneuver left.
Lin Zhu shrugged helplessly, muttering to himself.
"How can you blame me? I was forced into this! System, you inhuman thing, look what you've done to a dignified and compassionate Bodhisattva! Do you know how hard it was for me to earn 100,000 merits? You've ruined my reputation as a pure boy!"
Of course, he could only say these words to himself. On the surface, he could only sigh and shrug.
"Alright, since you've made up your mind... then, please begin your performance?"
He stepped back a few paces to make room, and didn't forget to shout something to the law enforcement officers around him who were already dumbfounded.
"Pay attention, everyone! Observe and learn carefully! This is a once-in-a-lifetime... uh, artistic feast!"
Guanyin closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them again, all the emotions in her eyes seemed to have been forcibly frozen, leaving only a hollow, almost self-destructive numbness.
She picked up the jade stone, immersed her consciousness into it, and instantly read the so-called "dance tutorial." Countless rhythmic images and melodies, with large body movements and even a hint of provocation, flooded her mind, causing her frozen state of mind to shake violently once again, and veins bulged on her forehead.
But she did not hesitate. With trembling hands, she quickly used Buddhist teachings to create a hazy mist around herself, barely enough to conceal her form, and then... began to sway her body with extremely stiff movements, yet strictly following the rhythm of the instructions.
She grabbed the black "bunny girl" outfit and quickly slipped it over her solemn bodhisattva robes. Black fishnet stockings, a short, puffy skirt, a tightly fitted top, and those black rabbit ears—which she found utterly jarring and had haphazardly tucked into her hair—…
Finally, she grasped the golden cudgel that had been mistaken for a "steel pipe".
The music seemed to emanate from the jade in her hand, or perhaps Lin Zhu was secretly urging it on; a light yet strangely alluring rhythm began to echo in the open space.
Under the gaze of hundreds of eyes, in front of the main gate of the Nine-Story Heavenly Prison, against the backdrop of a bustling construction site, Guanyin Bodhisattva, dressed in strange black clothing, wearing rabbit ears, and holding a golden cudgel, stood.
They began to follow the rhythm, circling the golden cudgel with an extremely awkward, incredibly shameful, yet strangely "dedicated" posture, twisting their waists and stretching their arms, making dance moves that were sometimes charming, sometimes playful, and sometimes full of power...
"hiss--"
A collective gasp and the sound of swallowing filled the air.
Nezha stood at the front, his little face instantly turning bright red, like a ripe apple! He felt a surge of heat rush to his head, and he didn't know where to look. He wanted to look but dared not, so he subconsciously covered his eyes with his hands, but couldn't help but peek through his fingers.
The visual impact was immense! The usually dignified and compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva was now... dressed in such... such indecent clothing, dancing such... such a strange dance! He felt his worldview being challenged like never before, his heart pounding wildly, feeling both ashamed and... some indescribable excitement?
The reactions of the other nine levels of law enforcement officers were even more varied. Initially, they were extremely shocked and awestruck.
But soon, seeing that high and mighty Buddhist master now acting like a puppet, suppressing boundless shame and making actions completely contrary to his status and temperament, a strange, complex emotion mixed with the pleasure of revenge, the thrill of voyeurism, and "so even a bodhisattva is nothing more than this" quickly spread among the crowd.
The pent-up frustration and anger previously suppressed by Guanyin's imposing presence now seemed to find an outlet. With Guanyin's stiff and "effortless" dance, these feelings were gradually released, transforming into an almost morbid joy and excitement. Many people wore suppressed, strange smiles, their eyes burning as they watched intently. For them, this was not merely visual stimulation, but a tremendous psychological satisfaction—look, even Guanyin Bodhisattva has to dance obediently before our boss!
Of course, there were exceptions. For example, some straightforward and rough-around-the-edges demon enforcers from Beiju Luzhou glanced at it a few times, found it boring, and muttered under their breath.
"Tch, what kind of shoddy jumping is that? It's so weak, it's not even as good as the monkeys fighting in the mountains!"
"Exactly! All that twisting and turning isn't as enjoyable as drinking and eating meat!"
"Boss's hobby... is really strange. But that outfit certainly uses very little fabric..."
In the arena, Lin Zhu appeared to have chosen the best viewing angle and was "appreciating" the scene with great interest, but in reality, his thoughts had already drifted far away.
Looking at this absurd scene before him, fragments of memories from his past life involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
At that time, he was still a mortal, filled with awe for gods and Buddhas, believing them to be high above, untouched by worldly affairs, representing ultimate goodness, truth, and eternity. The golden statues in the temples, the solemn images on the murals, and the compassionate rescues in the stories all inspired his longing and piety.
However, since transmigrating here and unexpectedly taking charge of the laws of the three realms, becoming the prison god of this nine-layered heavenly prison, everything he has seen and experienced has completely overturned his worldview from his previous life.
He had seen among the three thousand Buddhas that some betrayed their religion and turned to demons because of personal grudges, some wantonly slaughtered living beings for their own selfish interests, and some who appeared virtuous but secretly protected evil and did despicable things... The Western Paradise was less a pure land of bliss and more a huge bureaucratic institution with strict hierarchy, intertwined interests, and full of all kinds of calculations and compromises.
The so-called karmic cycle of "good deeds bring good rewards, and evil deeds bring evil consequences" seems to be discounted here. The kind and devout may become the victims, while those in high positions and holding power can find scapegoats even if they make mistakes.
The number of "gods and Buddhas" he had personally dealt with and ended was countless. Before their deaths, they were either terrified, resentful, pleading, or numb... their behavior was not fundamentally different from that of ordinary people in the face of life and death.
It turns out that even gods and Buddhas are made by "humans." Perhaps our reverence stems only from distance.
When you stand high enough and see clearly enough, that mysterious and radiant veil will fall away, revealing the equally complex, and perhaps even more naked, humanity and desires beneath.
So, what is the meaning of the existence of gods and Buddhas? Are they merely beings with greater power? Or are they the embodiment of some kind of rule or belief? Is maintaining the order of the Three Realms upholding the Heavenly Way, or is it protecting the interests of one or more beings? And what kind of thing am I doing now?
These questions have no answers, and perhaps they don't need answers.
Lin Zhu shook his head, gathering his chaotic thoughts. At least, he knew what he should do now—complete the system tasks, obtain the rewards, and then continue to live in this complex Three Realms in his own way, making sure he lived well and was strong enough.
The song ended.
The lighthearted music abruptly stopped. Guanyin's movements also abruptly ceased, frozen in her final, somewhat comical pose.
The aura surrounding her, meant to conceal her presence, had long since dissipated due to the turmoil of her emotions during the dance. Now, she was clearly exposed to everyone.
Strange black clothing, crooked rabbit ears, cheeks flushed an abnormal red from strenuous exercise, and empty eyes burning with raging fury.
A deathly silence descended once more. Only the faint sounds of labor could be heard from the distant construction site.
"I'm...I'm done jumping!"
Guanyin's voice was hoarse and dry, with a trembling sound that was almost like she was about to collapse. She suddenly ripped off the rabbit ears on her head and threw them hard on the ground. She then frantically tried to tear off the clothes on her body that made her feel extremely ashamed, but the more she tried, the more chaotic it became.
"Give me Sun Wukong...!!!"
She practically screamed those words, her voice piercing and shrill.
Looking at her, Lin Zhu didn't say anything provocative this time. His goal had been achieved; the system notification of mission completion and the warm flow of 100,000 merit points had already appeared in his mind.
He nodded and gave instructions to Nezha, who was still peeking through his eyes while covering his face, looking like a boiled shrimp.
"Nezha, go and bring Sun Wukong out and hand him over to Guanyin Bodhisattva."
Nezha awakens as if from a dream.
"Huh? Oh! Okay... okay, boss!"
He responded, but his face was still flushed and his eyes were unfocused. He seemed to have not yet recovered from the shocking scene just now and did not hear Lin Zhu's subsequent addition.
"Oh, and tell him that the psychological counseling is over. After he goes down there, he should protect Tang Sanzang well, and not try to kill him at the drop of a hat. He should be civilized and set a good example..."
Lin Zhu looked at Nezha's absent-minded appearance, shook his head helplessly, walked over and patted him on the shoulder, and said earnestly.
"Nezha, do you see this? This is the Three Realms, this is reality. You must learn to grow, learn to face all kinds of... well, challenges. From now on, the heavy burden of the Nine-Layered Heavenly Prison will need your shoulders."
We must learn to resist temptation, learn to handle complex situations, and even more importantly, learn to... uphold the 'justice' in our hearts when necessary, even if the methods seem less 'orthodox.' Understand?
Nezha was startled by the slap. Looking at Lin Zhu's "profound" eyes, he seemed to understand but not quite. He felt that his boss's words contained endless philosophy and expectations. He nodded vigorously, his little face full of solemnity.
"Boss, I...I understand! I will work hard to improve!"
But what exactly he understood in his heart, even he himself probably couldn't say for sure. The impact of what he saw today on his relatively simple worldview would likely take him a long time to process.
Soon, Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, who had been imprisoned for some time, was brought out. The monkey seemed to be in good spirits, but there was something in his eyes that he hadn't seen before... a look of bewilderment and contemplation? When he saw Lin Zhu, he bared his teeth, but didn't attack or shout as he had before.
Lin Zhu pulled the golden cudgel from the ground and casually tossed it back to Sun Wukong.
"Here, take your stick. Go down and protect your master well, fulfill your mission. Remember what I told you."
Sun Wukong took the golden cudgel, scratched his head, looked at Lin Zhu, then at Guanyin Bodhisattva beside him, whose face was flushed and green, filled with shame and indignation, wishing she could disappear immediately. A very strange expression appeared on the monkey's face, and he muttered something.
"This Bodhisattva... how did it become like this? It looks so strange."
But he didn't ask any more questions. It seemed that the "psychological counseling" had been effective. Carrying the golden cudgel, he somersaulted down to the lower realm.
Seeing that Sun Wukong had finally left and the mission was barely completed, Guanyin could no longer stay here even for a moment longer!
She didn't even have time to change out of the clothes that made her feel extremely ashamed. She glared at Lin Zhu fiercely, filled with endless resentment, as if she wanted to etch his image into the deepest part of her soul. Then, without saying a word, she transformed into a slightly flustered and disheveled streak of light and sped away without looking back, disappearing into the horizon in an instant.
Lin Zhu gazed in the direction she had disappeared, stroking his chin. In Guanyin's last venomous glance, he seemed to... vaguely catch a trace of something extremely subtle, something even she herself might not have noticed... a sense of relief? Or perhaps a twisted pleasure? After all, after extreme repression and shame, the mission was completed, and there was temporary relief; perhaps such feelings would arise?
"Sigh, this world, even the mindset of a Bodhisattva is so complicated."
Lin Zhu shook his head inwardly, withdrew his gaze, and turned to look at his own law enforcement officers who were still immersed in the afterglow of shock and excitement.
Today's events not only overturned Nezha's worldview, but also, to some extent, refreshed his understanding of this so-called "divine" world. His sense of awe had vanished; all that remained was a clearer understanding, and... the interest to continue playing this complex game.
In the backyard of the Nine-Story Heavenly Prison, Sun Wukong stretched and spat out the last peach pit, which hit the ground with a dull thud.
He scratched his slightly itchy neck, his golden cudgel resting on his shoulder. The monkey face no longer had the unruly irritability it had when it first arrived; instead, it showed a hint of tranquility and bewilderment after being "psychologically counseled."
"Tsk, that guy surnamed Lin, he talks a bit strangely, but it seems... he makes some sense?"
The monkey muttered to himself, recalling Lin Zhu's twisted theories about "freedom and responsibility," "strength and restraint," and "acting and true self." Although they sounded awkward, they inexplicably pried open a crack in his otherwise stony heart. (End of Chapter)