Chapter 734
Guanyin Kneels and Begs Lin Zhu for Help
So Sun Wukong immediately dropped his arrogant and ferocious appearance, squeezed out a rather "honest" and even slightly obsequious smile, slammed his golden cudgel on the ground, cupped his hands to Guanyin, and imitated the etiquette of mortals.
"So it's Guanyin Bodhisattva! I, your disciple Sun Wukong, greet you. I didn't know it was you in disguise earlier, and I offended you. Please forgive me, Bodhisattva, for your magnanimity!"
Guanyin, suspended on her lotus platform, watched the master and disciple below perform a captivating show of changing their demeanor faster than flipping through a book. Tang Sanzang, in particular, had just been grabbing his collar and cursing "Old Man Tang Sanzang," but in the blink of an eye, he had become a gentle and devout "Tang Sanzang." The contrast was so stark that the pent-up anger in her chest almost exploded! She gritted her teeth, almost breaking them, and angrily rebuked them.
"Well... well, what a master of flexibility! What a master of changing course with the wind! How could this journey to the West have turned out like this?!"
She suppressed the urge to immediately whip the two men with her jade bottle and willow branch, her gaze coldly falling on Tang Sanzang kneeling on the ground. Her voice was like pearls falling on a jade plate, yet it carried icy shards.
"Tang Sanzang, since you have received the Emperor's decree and made a great vow to travel west to obtain the true scriptures to save all sentient beings, why have you stopped here and retreated instead? Have you forgotten what you said when you made your vow: if you dare not go west and do not obtain the true scriptures, even falling into the Avici Hell will not be enough to atone for your sins?!"
These words were extremely harsh, directly accusing him of breaking his vow and being condemned to hell.
Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang raised his head, his face full of "grievance" and "helplessness." He blinked, as if tears were about to fall.
"May the Bodhisattva bear witness! How could your disciple forget his vow? Along this journey, your disciple has endured countless calamities, and his heart set on going west is as clear as the sun and moon; he has never had the slightest thought of turning back!"
Guanyin nearly choked on her breath upon hearing this? A thousand calamities and ten thousand tribulations? How far is it from Chang'an to this Five Elements Mountain? Wasn't your greatest "calamity" just being scared unconscious by Sun Wukong once? The rest… fighting tigers? Shaking off an old man? That's what you call a thousand calamities and ten thousand tribulations?!
But Tang Sanzang continued to defend himself with great emotion.
"However... however, after much deliberation, I deeply feel that my magical power is weak and my body is but mortal, while the journey to the Western Paradise is long and rife with demons. If I were to rashly proceed in this way, I fear that I would perish in the mouths of demons before even reaching Mount Ling. Wouldn't that be a betrayal of His Majesty's trust and the Bodhisattva's expectations, and would also prevent the true scriptures from ever being transmitted to the East?"
He then changed the subject, his tone becoming "firm" and "visionary".
"Therefore, I have discussed with Wukong that this is not a retreat, but rather... a strategic withdrawal! We will first return to the Eastern Land, find a blessed land, and cultivate in seclusion to comprehend the supreme Dharma. After several hundred years, when I attain the body of an immortal and Wukong's supernatural powers have advanced further, we will then resume our journey to the West. We will surely be unstoppable, reaching the Vulture Peak and obtaining the true scriptures! This is a strategic retreat, a long-term plan for the benefit of all living beings, Bodhisattva!"
"A strategic retreat?"
Guanyin was taken aback by this new term.
Sun Wukong, standing nearby, immediately nodded vigorously, agreeing with a look of deep conviction.
"Yes, yes, yes! Master is absolutely right! That's what I think too! This is called a strategic retreat!"
"As long as the green hills remain, there's always firewood to burn! Bodhisattva, think about it, if I, Old Sun, were to protect Master, and Master were to be harmed by some ignorant little demon along the way, wouldn't the Journey to the West be over again? It's better to retreat first and plan further. Master's Buddhist teachings are profound and worth learning!"
He also took the opportunity to flatter Tang Sanzang.
Watching the master and disciple singing in harmony, Guanyin felt her temples throbbing. She suppressed the urge to storm off, took a deep breath, and tried to make her voice sound peaceful yet powerful.
"Tang Sanzang, Sun Wukong, stop talking nonsense! The journey to the West may be fraught with danger, but is that an excuse for you to run away?"
The Buddha has already made all the necessary arrangements. Along the way, you will be protected by favorable circumstances, and the tribulations will serve as trials. Even with countless dangers, as long as your will is firm and you forge ahead bravely, Mount Ling in the Western Paradise will be with you! We will surely protect you, overcome all difficulties, and ultimately help you reach the other shore!
In Guanyin's view, the promise that "the Western Paradise will be with you" carries great weight, demonstrating the importance and support the Western Paradise attaches to this matter, and should be able to keep these two restless fellows in check.
However, she never expected that these words would be like a bolt from the blue for Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong, or like a death warrant from the King of Hell!
Tang Sanzang's kneeling body trembled violently. The aggrieved and devout expression on his lowered face instantly twisted into extreme shock, anger, and gritted teeth! He cursed wildly in his heart.
"The Western Paradise is with you?! Bah! You bald monks! You've been watching all along! Always keeping an eye on me! Golden-Headed Jiedi! It's you bald monks hiding in the shadows who killed my loyal brothers!"
You stood by and watched, refusing to help! The hatred between brothers is irreconcilable! Do you still want to keep an eye on this poor monk? Do you still want to make him like a puppet, sent to his death at your behest, to bring about the demise of the next, and the next, pitiful person who follows him? Dream on! This poor monk would rather not obtain this damned scripture than live under your constant surveillance!
Meanwhile, Sun Wukong's mind was filled with alarm bells, and he cursed his bad luck.
"It's over! Those damned bald monks really are haunting us! As soon as Prison God Lin left, they couldn't wait to jump out and say 'we're here with you'? What good is this 'we're here with you'? Are they just going to watch how I, Old Sun, get played by the calamities you've arranged?"
Or are they waiting to trick me, Old Sun, at the crucial moment? If I'd known this would happen, I'd rather not have agreed in the first place, or even better... just get beaten to death! That would save me from this torture!
If Guanyin knew what the master and disciple were thinking at this moment, she would probably be so angry that her golden body would shatter on the spot.
Her promise of "being there" was meant to offer confidence and support, but it turned out to be the most terrifying threat and the most haunting nightmare for this pair of eccentric teachers and students.
Guanyin saw that Tang Sanzang below stiffened noticeably after hearing her words. Then, under her questioning gaze, when Tang Sanzang raised his head again, his face miraculously changed to an expression of utmost respect, even with a hint of longing and emotion!
"The Bodhisattva is merciful! The Bodhisattva is supremely kind!"
Tang Sanzang clasped his hands together and shouted, his voice trembling with excitement.
"What virtue or ability do I possess to receive such favor from the Buddhas of the Western Paradise, who even say that we are 'in the same place'? I have always revered Heaven and Earth, observed vegetarianism, and chanted Buddhist scriptures, yearning for such a state! However..."
His tone then shifted to "heavy" and "worried".
"But even the Bodhisattva knows that the journey to the West is fraught with peril, far beyond the ordinary. It is not that I am afraid of death, but I am worried that if I perish halfway and only a skeleton reaches the Western Paradise, wouldn't that defile the sacred Buddhist land and tarnish the true scriptures? If that were the case, it would be better for Wukong to kill me with his staff, which would be cleaner and more swift!"
He looked at Guanyin with "sincere" eyes.
"After careful consideration, I believe that only by ensuring my own safety and increasing my strength can I be qualified to undertake the important task of obtaining the scriptures and live up to the high expectations of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas. This intention is by no means a retreat, but rather a preparation for a better journey to the West! It is by no means a retreat!"
His words were earnest, and his logic seemed self-consistent, portraying him as someone who was thinking of the greater good and enduring hardship. However, Guanyin keenly noticed that after Tang Sanzang finished speaking, especially when he emphasized at the end that he was "absolutely not retreating," his buttocks seemed to... subtly shift back a tiny half-step? Although the movement was extremely subtle, it was as clear as a firefly in the dark to a powerful being like Guanyin!
That half-step back was like a bucket of ice water, mixed with despair, completely extinguishing the last glimmer of hope in Guanyin's heart.
Looking at Tang Sanzang's face, which was filled with "piety" and "grievance," and then at Sun Wukong beside him who had a look that said "Master is right" and "I think so too," she felt a deep sense of powerlessness and absurdity grip her heart.
Elegant words! Strategic retreat, considering the bigger picture, better westward journey—their actions speak louder than words! That half-step back is clearly a posture of being ready to run away at any moment! Can we believe a single word these two say?
How can I possibly get this broken-down car, with its broken steering wheel and brakes, back onto that rugged track called "Journey to the West"?
Could it be... that she really had to bow down and ask for help from that plague god, that demon, that instigator of everything—Lin Zhu? This thought slithered into Guanyin's mind like a venomous snake, making her feel a suffocating humiliation, yet also carrying a faint allure of despair at the end of her rope.
Guanyin Bodhisattva, suspended on the lotus platform, felt a tightness in her chest, unable to go up or down, making her golden body swell slightly.
She finally understood that Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong's minds were completely skewed, and they didn't take the Buddha of the Western Paradise and her, as a Bodhisattva, seriously at all. In their hearts, the plague god Lin Zhu was the only "beacon of righteousness" and the only "reliable backer."
While Lin Zhu was around, they might still reluctantly continue their westward journey for some kind of "revenge" or "proof"; but as soon as Lin Zhu left, the two immediately revealed their true colors, retreated with a bang, and ran away faster than rabbits.
Expecting them to "figure it out" on their own and rekindle their piety towards the Buddhist teachings of the Western Paradise and their enthusiasm for the pilgrimage? Guanyin looked at the scheming that Tang Sanzang couldn't hide behind his "devout" mask, and at Sun Wukong's seemingly simple but actually unruly eyes, and felt a chill in her heart—absolutely impossible!
These two, one armed with the "Buddhism of the Underworld," and the other whose rebellious nature was stirred by five hundred years of suppression and the current "New Buddhism," are no longer the pilgrims and protectors originally designed.
Unless... unless that plague god is brought back and allowed to personally "take charge," perhaps that inexplicable "charisma" can still get the master and apprentice to move forward a few more steps.
This realization filled Guanyin with immense humiliation and frustration. The Western Paradise had poured countless efforts and even lost face, only to be reduced to needing the help of an "outsider" who had repeatedly caused trouble and extorted money to stabilize their pilgrimage project? But circumstances forced them to act against their will; the pilgrimage couldn't afford any more mishaps, Mount Ling couldn't wait, and even Buddha… perhaps couldn't bear the loss of face.
Upon thinking of this, Guanyin felt a sharp pain in her heart, the pain of her dignity being repeatedly trampled upon.
She stared intently at the master and apprentice below, who were ready to flee at any moment. She took a deep breath, as if using all her strength, and squeezed out a cold sentence through clenched teeth.
"You...wait here!"
Before she could finish speaking, she didn't even want to look at the two of them again, for fear that she would lose control and unleash her furious rage.
His figure transformed into a streak of light, carrying boundless rage and determination, instantly soaring into the sky and disappearing into the twilight. His posture didn't seem like he was going to invite someone, but rather like he was heading to some life-or-death battlefield, carrying a sense of tragic grandeur and the feeling of "the wind is howling and the Yi River is cold."
Once Guanyin's angry aura had completely disappeared from his senses, Tang Sanzang, who was kneeling on the ground, first pricked up his ears and listened carefully. Then, he cautiously raised his head and looked around like a wary groundhog, confirming that the Bodhisattva's aura that had put so much pressure on him had truly gone far away.
He then let out a long, exaggerated "whoosh," slumped to the ground, and fanned himself with his hand without any regard for his image.
"Oh my Buddha... he's finally gone!"
Tang Sanzang wiped away non-existent cold sweat from his forehead, and the pious and respectful expression on his face instantly vanished, replaced by lingering fear and a lot of complaints.
"That Bodhisattva is truly a persistent ghost! My disciple, you don't know, it was her at the Water and Land Assembly in Chang'an! She secretly tripped me up, creating a huge spectacle of demonic winds and evil spirits, almost causing me to be exorcised on the spot! Fortunately... fortunately, Immortal Lord Lin happened to pass by and righteously intervened, saving my life!"
He got angrier and angrier as he talked, slapping his thigh.
"Tell me, how can I trust a Bodhisattva like this to follow the path she has laid out? Who knows if what awaits us is an opportunity or a trap? With Immortal Lord Lin not here, if we two foolishly rush forward, we might just become fertilizer for some mountain, nourishing those demons and monsters! We're not going, absolutely not going! Without Immortal Lord Lin, there's no reason to go west!"
Sun Wukong, who had long since dropped his obsequious demeanor, squatted on a large rock, carrying his golden cudgel, and chuckled to himself as he watched his master's shrewd and cunning behavior.
He scratched his cheek, his golden eyes gleaming, and echoed.
“Master is right! That Bodhisattva is quite cunning. But…”
A sly glint appeared on his monkey-like face.
"I think she's out of options with us, that's why she stormed off. I guess she's out of ideas. Master, do you believe she'll be back soon, and most likely she'll be going to get reinforcements, or... admit defeat?"
"Admit defeat?"
Tang Sanzang's eyes lit up.
"You mean..."
“Hehe,” Sun Wukong laughed.
"Besides asking the prison god Old Lin to come back and 'keep order', who else can she turn to? Buddha? Does Buddha have time to deal with such trivial matters right now? I think we should just wait here and see, there's bound to be a good show to watch."
How we proceed on this westward journey might ultimately be up to us to decide!
"Brilliant! My disciple, you're so clever!"
Tang Sanzang slapped his thigh, his face full of approval. He immediately formed a "united front" with Sun Wukong. The two of them didn't even bother looking for a place to spend the night. Instead, they built a campfire over the half-eaten tiger carcass, roasting the fragrant tiger meat while leisurely waiting, as if they weren't stranded on the journey to the West, but rather on a picnic, waiting to see the Western Paradise make a fool of itself. (End of Chapter)