Chapter 733
Master and Disciple Quit
Tang Sanzang was stunned by Sun Wukong's sudden outburst and his "quitting" remarks.
He processed Sun Wukong's words, especially the parts about "the Western Angel tripping him up," "being played with like a monkey," and "playing with a puppet," and then thought about his brother's tragic death and the strangeness of the "tiger test" just now...
A surge of anger at being deceived and used, mixed with the fear of losing his "backer," instantly welled up in his heart!
“Disciple…you are right!”
Tang Sanzang's face also darkened. He threw the tiger carcass on his shoulder to the ground with a heavy thud, and his tone became resolute.
"If the Western Paradise is truly so despicable, full of scheming and plotting, then let's not bother with obtaining these scriptures! Let's return to Chang'an!"
"Your master... your master will take you to drink and eat meat, to cultivate this true 'Mahayana Buddhism.' When we, master and disciple, are both powerful enough, we'll go together to the Western Paradise and get to the bottom of this! Why must good people suffer? Why can they be high above and arrange everything?"
Well, Tang Sanzang, who had just been armed with the "Buddhism of the Underworld" and then awakened to the "reality" by Sun Wukong, also instantly "got it" and decided to quit along with his disciple!
The master and disciple exchanged a glance and surprisingly reached a consensus—the Western Paradise? Forget about it! Let's play it safe and develop our strength first, and settle the score later!
Above the clouds, Guanyin Bodhisattva, who had just breathed a sigh of relief because Lin Zhu had "left," was struck dumb by the sudden turn of events below. Her face turned deathly pale! The glimmer of hope that had just risen was instantly shattered, replaced by boundless panic and despair!
Journey to the West... is it going to be canceled again?! And this time, is it that the pilgrims themselves don't want to continue?!
Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong, the master and disciple who had just "reached a consensus," were truly decisive and efficient. Sensing that Lin Zhu's aura, which was like a pillar of strength, had indeed moved away, the two exchanged a glance and didn't utter a single unnecessary word.
They all turned 180 degrees in unison, some carrying tiger corpses, others wielding golden cudgels, and strode back in the direction they had come from—the location of Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty in the East.
That figure stood so resolute, as if behind it lay not the bright path to the Western Paradise, but some dragon's den, a demon's lair.
Above the clouds, Guanyin Bodhisattva, who had taken in all of this, felt a surge of evil fire rush from the soles of her feet straight to her Niwan Palace, burning her vision with stars and almost causing her to lose her footing on the lotus platform.
Urgent? Of course! The Western Paradise has been planning and preparing for this great calamity of the Journey to the West for hundreds of years! How many resources have been invested? How many people have been lost? Even the main hall of the Great Thunderclap Temple on Mount Ling has collapsed halfway and is still not fully repaired!
Not to mention that in order to revive this reincarnation of Jin Chanzi, even the Nine-Turn Great Rejuvenation Pill, which he had kept hidden, was given away. He, a dignified Bodhisattva, suffered unspeakable humiliation... With great difficulty, he managed to push this broken-down vehicle back to the side of the track, and it looked like the wheels were about to touch the ground!
And what happened? These pilgrims and their protectors, just because they sensed that the plague god Lin Zhu had left, actually quit without a word? And they even said they were "responding to the call of the Prison God"? Did the Prison God call on you to go to the Western Paradise to fetch the scriptures?! He clearly came to cause trouble and watch the show! Were these two bewitched by that Lin guy, and their brains are all messed up?!
"I'm so angry!"
Guanyin roared inwardly, but her remaining rationality told her that now was not the time to lose her temper. The most urgent task was to stop these two idiots who were about to run away! The Journey to the West must not be cut short at the starting line again!
In her desperation, she didn't care about anything else, and had no intention of putting on any more tiger tests.
With a swift movement, a faint, obscure Buddhist light flashed, and she descended from the clouds, landing before the desolate official road. Where the light receded, it transformed into an elderly man with white hair and beard, deeply wrinkled, leaning on a crooked wooden cane, who appeared to have lived in this desolate wilderness for countless years.
This transformation technique is not for enlightening living beings, but purely for illusion and concealment. It uses Guanyin's holy nature and Taoist cultivation to shroud herself, making it extremely difficult to see through unless one's cultivation is far superior to hers or one possesses special powers to dispel illusions.
As Sun Wukong was walking back with his head down, pondering whether to renovate the Water Curtain Cave first or "borrow" some new weapons from the Dragon Palace of the East Sea, his fiery eyes suddenly flashed with golden light, and he keenly sensed that a "human presence" had appeared out of nowhere at the bend of the official road ahead.
Golden light flickered in his eyes as he tried to see through the illusion, but the old man seemed to be shrouded in a hazy mist, both real and illusory, with no discernible cause or effect. His aura also blended subtly with the surrounding desolate mountains, making it difficult for even his fiery eyes, which could see into the Thirty-Three Heavens and the Nine Netherworlds, to fully comprehend his origins. He only felt that the old man's appearance was extremely abrupt and had an indescribable eeriness about him.
"Master, there's an old man ahead, and he's acting strangely."
Sun Wukong lowered his voice and reminded Tang Sanzang, who was focused on his journey and still chewing on the last bit of tiger jerky.
Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang raised his oily face and squinted ahead. Sure enough, a gaunt old man who looked as if a gust of wind could blow him over was standing shakily in the middle of the road, blocking his way.
If it were the Tang Sanzang of the past, he might have pondered why there was an old man living alone in the desolate mountains and wilderness. But at this moment, Tang Sanzang's mind was filled with thoughts of "scheming in the Western Paradise", "blood feud between brothers", and "losing his backer". He had just practiced "physical salvation" and "Buddhist teachings in the underworld", and his temper was agitated. Where would he have the patience to carefully distinguish?
With a furrowed brow, he strode over to the "old man" in a few steps. Without asking any questions, he stretched out his hand, which was still covered in tiger fur and bloodstains from killing the tiger, and grabbed the old man's tattered shirt, lifting the "old man" off the ground with his feet slightly off the ground!
"Hey! Where did this old codger come from? Haven't you heard the saying 'a good dog doesn't block the way'? Get out of my way right now! If you delay my disciple and me from returning to Chang'an to cultivate our divine skills and later to flatten... uh, to comprehend the supreme Dharma, can you take responsibility for that?!"
Tang Sanzang glared, spitting almost onto the "old man's" face, his tone fierce, showing no trace of the gentleness, kindness, respect, frugality, and humility expected of a monk.
Guanyin, whose clothes were being grabbed, barely suppressed the urge to immediately reveal herself and slap this scoundrel to death. Her chest heaved violently a few times before she managed to speak in a hoarse, aged voice, in accordance with her transformed identity.
"I...I live near Five Elements Mountain...no, it's now called Two Realms Mountain. I make a living by gathering herbs...This elder has quite the temper, and quite the strength..."
She deliberately referred to "Five Elements Mountain" as "Two Realms Mountain" and mentioned "herb gathering," making it seem reasonable. At the same time, she changed the subject as if recalling something and said slowly.
"Speaking of this mountain... I remember, many, many years ago, there was a remarkable divine monkey imprisoned beneath it, wasn't there? It was said to be the Great Sage Equaling Heaven who wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace? Tsk tsk, that was quite an extraordinary figure... I wonder if this hairy-faced, thunder-mouthed master has ever heard of it?"
These words were clearly a test, carrying a subtle hint, to see how Sun Wukong would react.
Sun Wukong was already wary because of the old man's strange appearance. Now, when he heard the old man mention his past of being suppressed, his brows furrowed even more, and a ferocious look flashed across his monkey face.
He released his grip on the tiger's corpse, slammed his golden cudgel on the ground, stepped forward, and looked down at the "old man" being held by Tang Sanzang, baring his teeth and speaking in a chilling tone.
"Old man, you know quite a lot, don't you? What, you watched the show back then and now you want to ask me, Old Sun, for a favor? Or do you want to see if my Golden Cudgel is still strong enough?"
The menacing aura in his words was undisguised, suggesting he was ready to fight at the slightest provocation.
Seeing Sun Wukong approach, Tang Sanzang felt even more emboldened. He impatiently shoved the "old man" aside, but his force wasn't controlled properly, causing the "old man" to stumble back several steps, almost falling to the ground. "Did you hear me? My disciple is asking you a question! Stop with the nonsense! Tell me, why are you blocking our way? Are you... are you spies sent by those bald monks from the Western Paradise?!"
Tang Sanzang, in a harsh tone, directly shouted out the words "bald donkey," causing the disguised Guanyin's eyes to twitch again.
The old man steadied himself, leaned on his cane, and took a few deep breaths, as if he was really frightened, and quickly waved his hands.
"Elder, please calm down! Disciple, please calm down! How dare I, how dare I! It's just that... it's just that the two elders seemed to be in a hurry, and it was getting dark."
She raised her hand and pointed to the sun gradually setting in the west.
"The mountains ahead are densely forested, and at night there are often jackals, tigers, and leopards, and even... I've even heard that some unclean things roam around. Although my old home is humble, it can still provide shelter from the wind and rain, and I have stored some dry food and water."
Seeing that the two elders seemed to be heading out into the night, I couldn't bear to see them suffer, so I took the liberty of blocking their path and inviting them to rest for the night in my humble abode until dawn. It would be better than spending the night in the wilderness, living in fear and trepidation.
These words sound perfectly reasonable; they are an invitation that an elderly man who has lived in the mountains for a long time and has a kind heart would make.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang's fierce expression softened somewhat. He looked back at the gradually darkening sky and glanced at the shadowy forest around him, where strange rustling sounds were beginning to rise. He felt a little uneasy.
Although he was capable of fighting tigers, he still retained the instinctive fear of ordinary people towards the unknown and potentially existing "unclean things".
Besides, even if there's plenty of tiger meat on its shoulder, it's not like you can just sleep in the wilderness and eat raw meat, is it?
"So that's how it is..."
Tang Sanzang muttered something to himself, his guard down considerably, but he still wouldn't let it go, continuing to grumble and curse.
"You old codger, you still have some sense! But don't suddenly pop up like that next time, acting all sneaky. Anyone who didn't know better would think you're a bandit from the mountains, scouting the area before robbing people!"
As he spoke, he waved his hand impatiently, as if shooing away flies.
"Alright, alright, I know! Get out of the way and don't block the way! My master and I have our own plans, you don't need to worry about it!"
After saying this, he ignored the dumbfounded "old man" and called out to Sun Wukong.
"Disciple, come on! Let's find a sheltered, dry place, and your master will roast tiger meat for you! It's much more comfortable than living in this old, dilapidated hut!"
The master and apprentice bypassed the "old man" who stood frozen in place, and continued walking eastward, leaving the "old man" alone in the rising evening breeze, his clothes fluttering and his appearance disheveled.
Guanyin could hardly believe her eyes and ears! This reincarnation of Jin Chanzi was so rude, disrespectful, and tyrannical towards outsiders! It was one thing to shout and kill at a fierce tiger just now, but now he was grabbing the collar, shoving, and insulting an "old man" who was "kindly reminding" him, and finally telling him to "get out of the way" like a beggar?
"This...this Tang Sanzang, has he truly restrained his fierce aura, or does he only restrain it depending on the person he's with?"
As Guanyin watched the two figures leave without hesitation, her heart turned cold, feeling that this reality was far too surreal.
"He might be able to feign some respect when he sees Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. But when he sees ordinary people, he reveals his true colors and scolds them like pigs and dogs... What kind of Buddhism is he practicing? What kind of compassion is he practicing?"
The first time she transformed into a test, she was treated as part of a play arranged by Lin Zhu and almost had her "physically exorcised." The second time, when she transformed into a person to persuade someone to stay, she was treated as a bandit and an inconvenient old man, and was subjected to insults and shoving. Guanyin felt an unprecedented sense of frustration and powerlessness welling up in her heart, and at the same time, the suppressed anger burned brighter and brighter.
"No! We can't let them just leave like that!"
Guanyin gritted her teeth, knowing that this ordinary way of persuading the master and disciple to stay was completely ineffective and even had the opposite effect.
As the two figures were about to disappear into the twilight at the end of the mountain path, she steeled her resolve.
A gentle breeze swept across the mountain path, carrying the delicate fragrance of lotus flowers. In an instant, it reached Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong, swirling around them and blocking their path with a gentle yet irresistible force.
As the breeze dissipated, a dignified and holy figure was revealed, shrouded in a hazy Buddhist light and auspicious clouds—wearing a jeweled crown, draped in celestial robes, holding a pure vase and willow branch, and standing on a lotus platform. Who else could it be but Guanyin Bodhisattva?
This time, she made no attempt to conceal herself and appeared before the pilgrims in her true form.
Tang Sanzang was pondering whether to roast or boil the tiger meat for dinner when he suddenly saw a burst of light appear before him, followed by the majestic and ethereal Dharma body of Guanyin Bodhisattva. He was struck dumb, frozen in place.
The fierceness, impatience, and scheming on his face receded like the tide, and in the blink of an eye, an expression of utmost piety, reverence, and even a touch of fear appeared on his face.
"Ah! It is...it is the compassionate Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara!"
Tang Sanzang exclaimed in surprise, reacting with astonishing speed. Almost reflexively, he knelt down with a "plop," clasped his hands together, and prostrated himself in worship, his voice incredibly respectful and submissive.
"Disciple Tang Sanzang was unaware of the Bodhisattva's arrival and failed to greet you properly. My words just now were quite offensive, and I beg the Bodhisattva's forgiveness! Forgive me!"
Sun Wukong, with his fiery eyes, saw through the old man's true nature the moment Guanyin's true form appeared. He cursed inwardly that the Bodhisattva was indeed persistent and played such tricks.
But seeing Tang Sanzang's face change instantly and his kneeling down so decisively, his monkey brain immediately remembered the "essence of Buddhism" that his master had just taught him—to be flexible and adaptable, to be arrogant but to know when to back down when the situation is stronger than one's own!
Moreover, he had just promised the Bodhisattva that he would protect his master on his journey to the West. Now that the God of Hell was gone, if he lost his temper again, wouldn't that give the Western Paradise an excuse to punish him? (End of Chapter)