Chapter 728
Tang Sanzang Angrily Rebukes the Buddhas of the Western Paradise
She struggled for ages, but couldn't get anything out. Fight? She couldn't win. Scold? She couldn't win an argument. Report it? Even Buddha himself is in trouble now.
She felt like she was about to be driven crazy by this scoundrel!
Lin Zhu, however, remained smiling and even leaned forward, speaking in a tone that was infuriating.
"What? You don't want to? Then forget it. Anyway, I'm not the one who's in a hurry. Look, the holy monk seems about to faint again, doesn't he?"
Tang Sanzang was indeed so frightened by Sun Wukong's "unfriendly" gaze and the terrifying fragments of his own memories that he almost went into shock again. His face turned pale and his breathing became rapid.
Looking at the stalemate before her, then at the precarious holy monk, and considering the Buddha's entrustment and the grand scheme of the Journey to the West… a profound sense of powerlessness and despair gripped her. Was she… really to bow down to this demon? To utter those two words? That would be a hundred times more humiliating than making her dance ten more times! It would utterly crush her last shred of dignity!
But... Journey to the West...
Just as Guanyin was torn between heaven and man, feeling utterly ashamed and indignant, and on the verge of collapse, Lin Zhu suddenly put away his cynical smile, and his eyes became calm and profound.
He was just teasing her casually and didn't really intend to push her to that point. Seeing how she looked like she was about to explode, he figured it was about time.
"Alright, I'm not teasing you anymore."
Lin Zhu waved his hand, then his lips moved slightly, and an invisible voice transmission was sent directly into Sun Wukong's ears.
The message conveyed was simple and gentle.
"Monkey, cooperate. Do as they say, find a master to protect him on his journey west."
This might not be a bad thing for you or your master. Consider it... repaying the favor I did for you by treating you to peaches in prison?
Sun Wukong was pondering how to communicate with this timid "master" when he heard Lin Zhu's telepathic message, and his monkey face twitched.
He had mixed feelings about Lin Zhu, but at least the other party hadn't harmed him and had even "entered" him in the prison, and what he said made some sense.
More importantly, deep down, he also vaguely felt that protecting this seemingly frail monk on his journey to the West might really be what he should do after escaping his predicament.
"Hmph, I'll do it for your sake, Old Lin."
Sun Wukong muttered something, and although he did not directly respond to Lin Zhu, his attitude had already changed.
He put away his golden cudgel, and the arrogant and impatient look on his face softened considerably. He even forced what he thought was a rather "kind" smile, walked over to the trembling Tang Sanzang, and bent down to extend his hand.
"Master, do not be afraid, your disciple is here."
Sun Wukong deliberately softened his voice and reached out to help Tang Sanzang.
"It was my fault just now, Master. I startled you. You see, it was I who chased away the monster that was trying to harm you and saved you. How could I possibly hurt you?"
Tang Sanzang was supported by him, feeling the furry but strong hand. When he looked up and saw Sun Wukong's trying-to-be-sincere smile and heard his gentle words, the fear in his heart actually subsided a little.
He stared blankly at Sun Wukong.
"You...you are my disciple? You...you saved me?"
"Yup!"
Following his words, Sun Wukong began to make up a story without blushing or skipping a beat.
“Master, have you forgotten? You just peeled off the Buddhist scroll on the mountaintop, and as a result, the mountain collapsed and the earth split open. You accidentally fell off the cliff and fainted. It was I who arrived in time, drove away the monsters that took the opportunity to attack, and rescued you. See, aren't you perfectly fine now?”
Tang Sanzang listened in a daze, looked down at his unharmed body, then at the shattered rocks around him, and then thought about the terrifying images of monsters harming people that flashed through his mind when he had a headache... It seemed... it seemed... to make sense?
He already had amnesia, and his mind was like a blank sheet of paper. At this moment, he was deceived by Sun Wukong's "reasonable" explanation and "sincere" attitude, and actually believed most of it.
The fear in his eyes was gradually replaced by gratitude. He trembled as he grasped Sun Wukong's furry hand in return, his eyes slightly red.
"Oh...I see! Thank you...thank you for saving me, my disciple! I...I lost my composure just now and frightened you. From now on...from now on, we, master and disciple, must get along well and support each other!"
He spoke from the heart. Although he had no memory of it, the kindness and innocent instincts that belonged to Jin Chanzi seemed not to have been completely extinguished.
Looking at Tang Sanzang's grateful and innocent appearance, Sun Wukong's monkey face also flashed with an extremely strange expression, but he still responded.
"Master is right! Your disciple will definitely protect you well!"
Guanyin, who was standing to the side, watched as Sun Wukong not only successfully appeased Tang Sanzang, but also went along with it and directly recognized him as his master, even coming up with a flawless reason. She felt relieved at first – the ordeal was finally over!
But then, seeing Sun Wukong "gently" helping Tang Sanzang up and the two showing "deep affection" as master and disciple, and recalling the familiar tone with which Sun Wukong called Lin Zhu "Old Lin" earlier, as well as the fact that Lin Zhu could make the unruly monkey obediently cooperate with just a light whisper... her face turned as black as ink could drip from it again!
This monkey...whose apprentice is it anyway?! Why does it seem to listen to Lin Zhu more?!
Just as Guanyin was feeling a mix of emotions and frustration, Tang Sanzang, who had successfully "recognized his relatives," finally had the mood to carefully observe his surroundings with the help of Sun Wukong.
Upon seeing this, his emotions, which had just begun to calm down, were stirred up with new doubts.
"My disciple..."
Tang Sanzang pointed to the bare, charred rocks around him and the desolate landscape in the distance where there was hardly any green life, and asked hesitantly.
"Why is this place so desolate? I remember there should have been flowers, trees, birds, and beasts here before. How come it looks like it has been ravaged? Also, what kind of monster was it that we were talking about earlier, that has ruined this place like this?"
His question, though seemingly naive, hit the nail on the head. It turned out that when the Lapis Lazuli Buddha attacked Five Elements Mountain, attempting to kill Tang Sanzang and frame Lin Zhu, his Lapis Lazuli Illusionary Light had a wide-ranging effect, almost completely annihilating all life on Five Elements Mountain and the surrounding mountains!
Although Guanyin later used her great magical power to barely restore the general outline of the mountain and conceal the most obvious traces of the battle, the completely destroyed flowers, trees, birds, and beasts, as well as the lingering aura of destruction, could not be fully restored or eliminated in a short time. At this moment, in Tang Sanzang's eyes, this area truly looked as if it had experienced an apocalyptic catastrophe, completely different from his subconscious impression of "mountains and forests."
Sun Wukong was taken aback by the question, scratching his head in bewilderment. How could he know the specifics of what had happened? He only remembered that when he was being suppressed, he seemed to have felt an extremely terrifying and cold aura sweep past him, and then... then he heard that Tang Sanzang had been scared to death.
He clicked his tongue inwardly, wondering how to fabricate this. Should he say he was swept away by the aftershocks of a monster's powerful attack?
Seeing Sun Wukong speechless and his expression change, Tang Sanzang's doubts grew. He was timid to begin with, and the more he thought about it, the more frightened he became. He suddenly grabbed Sun Wukong's arm, his voice trembling.
"Disciple! This place...wasn't there...a very powerful demon here before?! Destroying everything?! That demon...could it still be nearby?! Shouldn't we...shouldn't we leave here quickly? Yes! Run! Run!" As he spoke, he actually grabbed Sun Wukong's arm, pretending to run away from the Five Elements Mountain. His face was filled with fear of the "unknown demon," and the little bit of warmth between master and disciple was instantly overwhelmed by the desire to survive.
Sun Wukong was taken aback by Tang Sanzang's sudden suggestion to "run away," his monkey face filled with big question marks.
He scratched his cheek and asked, puzzled.
"Master, weren't you going on a journey to the West to obtain the scriptures? Why are you turning back so soon after you've accepted me as your disciple? Are you abandoning the journey?"
Tang Sanzang was taken aback by the question, a hint of panic and embarrassment flashing across his face, but it was quickly overshadowed by a deeper fear.
He stammered, unsure how to explain the dramatic change in his mindset.
Guanyin Bodhisattva, who was hiding in the shadows, was so anxious when she saw this that she almost fell off the cloud! She cursed inwardly.
"Jin Chanzi! You fool! Has your reincarnation made you lose your mind?! Where is the courage and determination you had when you made your grand vow in Chang'an to travel west to obtain the true scriptures and save all living beings?! You're already deserting after encountering a few setbacks and seeing a bit of desolation?! What about me... what about the Western Paradise?!"
Instinctively, with a hint of despair and anticipation, she once again turned her gaze to the white figure she both hated and... had to rely on for the time being—Lin Zhu.
His eyes clearly said it.
Think of a solution quickly! Otherwise, Journey to the West will really be ruined!
Lin Zhu received Guanyin's extremely complex gaze, but merely grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, looking like he was watching a good show, without any immediate intention to act. It was as if he were saying...
Beg me? I told you to call me "Dad" earlier, but you wouldn't. Now you're getting anxious?
Guanyin understood his subtext and was so angry that her Buddha light became unstable again.
She gritted her teeth and roared inwardly.
'Don't even think about it! I will never be threatened by you again! For the sake of the Western Paradise, for the Buddha's trust, I... I will... I will...' She hesitated for a long time, but couldn't come up with a conclusion. She felt a deep sense of powerlessness and frustration almost overwhelm her.
However, just as Guanyin was struggling internally and almost succumbed to the boundless shame once again, Lin Zhu suddenly moved. It wasn't because of Guanyin's "unyielding loyalty," but because... he suddenly felt a bit bored, and the system mission required him to "assist in restarting the Journey to the West," so he had to do some pretense.
More importantly, Guanyin's extremely aggrieved cry of "Dad" just now made him feel... well, it could be considered that she had "voluntarily admitted defeat."
So, just as Tang Sanzang was tugging at Sun Wukong's sleeve and about to take a step to "run away," and Guanyin was about to reveal herself to forcibly intervene, Lin Zhu slowly stepped forward, and in a flash, appeared not far in front of Tang Sanzang, blocking his way.
"Elder Tang, wait a moment."
Lin Zhu's voice was gentle, and his face wore his usual enigmatic smile.
Tang Sanzang was looking down in a panic, not knowing where to go, when suddenly someone appeared in front of him. Startled, he looked up abruptly.
When he saw that the person who came was Lin Zhu, he was stunned at first. Then, some fragments of memories in his mind that had been activated by the power of the Nine-Turn Great Rejuvenation Pill but had not yet been fully integrated suddenly became clear—outside Fengxue City, the white-robed immortal lord came with his sword to punish evil spirits and save the border troops from danger; in Chang'an City, he vaguely heard that this immortal lord had a high status in the Heavenly Court, was strict in enforcing the law, and had a noble character...
"It's...it's Immortal Lord Lin!"
Tang Sanzang was like a drowning man grasping at a straw, or a believer seeing a true god. He was so excited that he trembled all over. He no longer cared about escaping and knelt down on the ground with a "plop" and thumped his head three times at Lin Zhu. His voice was filled with sobs and utmost respect.
"Disciple Tang Sanzang pays respects to the Immortal Lord! The Immortal Lord is infinitely compassionate and merciful, relieving suffering and rescuing those in distress. Disciple...disciple..."
He was rambling incoherently, as if he regarded Lin Zhu as his only reliance and savior. Seeing this, Sun Wukong blinked his monkey eyes, planted his golden cudgel on the ground, and watched with great interest. He also wanted to see what this Lin fellow was up to.
Lin Zhu accepted Tang Sanzang's bow but did not immediately help him up; instead, he asked gently.
"Elder Tang, now that you have escaped danger and gained a worthy disciple, why do you not continue your journey westward but instead turn back? Have you forgotten the grand vow you made back then?"
These words seemed to have touched the floodgates of Tang Sanzang's deepest fears.
He knelt on the ground, suddenly raised his head, tears streaming down his face, no longer hiding his inner collapse and fear, and burst into tears like a child.
"Immortal Lord! This disciple...this disciple is terrified!"
His face was covered in snot and tears, and his voice was pitiful.
"I've only been away from Chang'an for a few days, and my loyal brothers who followed me... they... they were captured by the monsters in those mountains and torn to pieces alive! Just like... just like tearing apart chicken! I... I hid behind a rock and saw it all clearly! The blood... the screams... I have nightmares about it every night!"
He became more and more agitated as he spoke, his whole body trembling.
"Ahead... ahead are still 108,000 li! Towering mountains and towering peaks, countless demons and monsters! This disciple... this disciple is just a mortal, powerless to even kill a chicken, how can I travel this distance? How can I obtain the scriptures?! This disciple... this disciple has made up my mind! I will not go for now! This disciple will return to Chang'an, find a secluded mountain forest to hide in, and cultivate diligently!"
"When I've cultivated enough power that I can smash a mountain with a single punch and kick a demon to death, then... then I'll march up to the Western Paradise and blast all those harmful demons and evil Buddhas to smithereens! Yes! That's it!"
Lin Zhu was stunned for a moment upon hearing this "ambition," then found it somewhat amusing, yet also strangely... reasonable? After losing his memory, Tang Sanzang's thoughts have become quite... violent and direct?
However, considering his previous experiences and the fact that I had indeed "guided" him to have some thoughts about "power" and "resistance," it's not surprising that he came up with the idea of "surviving first and then taking revenge later."
Lin Zhu stroked his chin, trying to steer the conversation back to the "right path," and spoke in a persuasive tone.
"Elder Tang, I understand your feelings. But the journey to the West to obtain the scriptures is a great merit and a great destiny."
Although there will be hardships along the way, we will be protected by all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and we will surely be able to…
"May the Bodhisattva protect you?!"
Tang Sanzang abruptly interrupted Lin Zhu, his face contorted with a mixture of fear, anger, and deep doubt. His voice rose sharply, almost trembling with tears. (End of Chapter)