Chapter 740
The Tightening Hoop Scam Was Seen Through at a Glance
Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang shook his head vigorously, giving him a look that said, "You don't understand."
"Old man, you are mistaken! My disciple Wukong is the most righteous! Although his understanding of Buddhism is not yet very profound, I can teach him slowly! How could he be the kind of person to abandon his master?"
He clearly sensed demons lurking ahead and went to clear the obstacles to protect me! This was loyalty to his master, how did you come to call it abandoning this humble monk?
The more he talked, the more suspicious he found the old woman, and his eyes became wary again, his tone turning cold.
"Old man, I can tell you're getting on in years, your eyesight isn't good, and your mind isn't pure! Why are you always picking on my disciple? Are you trying to sow discord between us? Let me tell you, don't even think about it!"
"Dare to spout nonsense again, or don't blame this nine-ringed staff of mine for being merciless and shattering your old pelvis! If you have something to say, say it; otherwise, hurry up and bring the item entrusted to me by the Immortal Lord, don't delay this humble monk's journey!"
His words were utterly impolite, even threatening, showing none of the respect he had shown to the "Immortal Lord's Messenger" just moments before.
Guanyin was so enraged by his attitude of changing his mind faster than turning the pages of a book and his vulgar threats that her vision blurred and she almost lost the ability to maintain her transformation.
She took several deep breaths to barely suppress the urge to reveal herself on the spot, knowing that trying to beat around the bush would be futile; this monk's thought process was completely off track.
Without further ado, she took out the cotton robe and gold-embroidered hat from the bamboo basket with both hands and handed them to Tang Sanzang, saying what she had prepared.
“Holy Monk, please calm your anger. This cotton robe and gold-embroidered hat were gifts from the Immortal Lord… no, they were left by my deceased son before he died. Seeing that you have endured hardship on your long journey, and having heard the Immortal Lord mention your noble character, I wish to give these items to you, firstly to fulfill the Immortal Lord's request, and secondly… to leave you with a memento.”
Her words were half true and half false. She changed the story from "gift from the immortal lord" to "a memento of her deceased son," both invoking Lin Zhu's name and trying to move Tang Sanzang with emotion so that he would not be able to refuse.
This outfit and hat may seem ordinary, but hidden within the flowery hat is a secret treasure from the Western Paradise—the golden headband! As long as she can coax Tang Sanzang into accepting it and Sun Wukong into wearing it, her plan will be more than half successful!
However, Tang Sanzang looked down at the exquisitely crafted clothes and hat, then looked up at the old woman's "miserable" face, his brows furrowed tightly, and his face showed undisguised disgust.
"The deceased child's belongings?"
Tang Sanzang waved his hands repeatedly and took a half step back, as if his clothes and hat were tainted with some bad luck.
“Old man, it’s not that I’m criticizing you, but this… this is just too unlucky! Your son died young, leaving behind these belongings, which are already imbued with sorrow. And now you want to give them to a monk? Isn’t this cursing me? I’m still on my journey to the West to obtain the scriptures, and my future is bright. How can I let them be tainted by such an ominous object? This is inappropriate, extremely inappropriate!”
He paused, then glanced at the old woman's tattered clothes and pursed his lips.
"Besides, judging from your family's circumstances, you're not exactly wealthy. Your son's early death is already a great loss, yet you're taking his belongings around and giving them away? You're a mother with a heart far too big! I can't accept these things. Take them back and keep them safe. Consider them a keepsake."
After saying that, he actually turned around and went to get his horse and leave.
Guanyin's hands, which were holding the clothes and hat, froze in mid-air, and she was completely petrified.
She never expected that her carefully prepared words and "sob story" would be seen as "unlucky" and "careless" by the monk? What kind of nonsense is this?!
Seeing that Tang Sanzang was about to slip away again and the plan was on the verge of collapse once more, Guanyin felt a surge of anger rising to her head. She could no longer care about anything else and was too lazy to make up any more stories about her deceased son.
She took a sudden step forward, raised her voice, and almost growled, her voice filled with barely suppressed anger.
"Tang Sanzang! Are you going to take it or not?!"
Tang Sanzang was startled by her suddenly raised voice and the faint sense of authority it exuded. He paused, turned around and looked at her strangely, muttering something.
"I won't take it! It's bad luck to say it! This humble monk has a strong sense of principle; if I say I won't take it, I mean it!"
Resolute attitude.
Guanyin trembled with anger, staring at Tang Sanzang's unyielding and disgusted face. She then looked at the clothes and hat in her hand that carried the last hope of the Western Paradise. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her, and she remembered the scene when she had managed to stop him by calling him "White-Robed Immortal Lord".
She gritted her teeth, steeled her resolve, and, not caring what that scoundrel Lin Zhu would think afterward, used all her strength to shout out the words she had never wanted to say, but which might be the only thing that could move this strange monk, towards Tang Sanzang's back.
"This item...this was a gift from the Immortal Lord! The Immortal Lord specifically instructed that you must accept it! Are you not even going to listen to the Immortal Lord's words?!"
The moment Guanyin Bodhisattva uttered those words, her heart was filled with a mixture of emotions: humiliation, resentment, eagerness, and trepidation, as if a spice shop had been overturned.
To her, misappropriating the name of that plague god Lin Zhu was nothing short of self-destruction and a slap in the face. But when she thought that as long as she could get Tang Sanzang to accept the headband, and then find a way to trick or induce Sun Wukong to wear it, then the unruly monkey would be completely under her control, and the broken-down Journey to the West could truly be pulled back onto track, all the sacrifices and humiliations seemed to have value.
This thought sustained her, suppressing the shame and indignation that was about to erupt.
She waited anxiously, but the expected lazy, mocking sarcasm or obstruction from Lin Zhu did not appear immediately. Above the clouds, all was silent.
As time passed, Guanyin's anxiety gradually eased, and her confidence quietly grew. 'Could it be that the rogue also thinks this matter is beneficial to the Journey to the West, or... he hasn't figured out how to cause trouble yet?' She wasn't sure, but seeing Tang Sanzang clearly hesitate and stop because of the words 'given by the Immortal Lord,' she couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.
"It was...it was specially left for the Holy Monk by that white-robed immortal!"
Guanyin seized the opportunity and emphasized it again, her voice rising slightly with urgency.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang, who had been determined to leave, completely stopped in his tracks.
He turned around abruptly, and the previous disdain and wariness on his face melted away as quickly as ice and snow under the sun, replaced by an almost fanatical excitement and joy!
"Oh dear! You should have said so earlier! Honestly, your coyness almost made this humble monk misunderstand the Immortal Lord's good intentions!"
Tang Sanzang's face lit up with a smile, and he happily jogged back, much faster than when he left.
He approached the old woman, rubbing his hands together, looking as if he couldn't wait to "communicate" with the immortal lord for instructions.
"What else did the Immortal Lord say? Did he give any special instructions? Does he want this humble monk to put it on now?"
Seeing Tang Sanzang's behavior—from arrogance to obsequiousness, a complete change of heart—Guanyin felt no joy, only a deeper sense of frustration and a discomfort as if she had slapped herself hard in the face.
She, the dignified and compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva, now has to impersonate that scoundrel to make the pilgrims obey? This is utterly disgraceful!
But the arrow was already on the bowstring, and it had to be released.
She gave a stiff, forced smile, as if responding to Tang Sanzang's "enthusiasm," and handed the cotton robe and gold-embroidered hat forward.
Without hesitation, Tang Sanzang snatched the clothes and hat, examined them closely, and grew to like them more and more, his eyes shining.
"Hmm! The material is excellent, the workmanship is exquisite, and there's even gold thread! It's clearly a celestial treasure! The Celestial Lord has indeed not forgotten this humble monk! He said before that he would 'be with you' and would bestow magical treasures to protect you, and now it has indeed come true! Hahaha, Heaven is helping me!"
He became more and more excited as he spoke, and immediately tried to put the gold-embroidered hat on his shiny bald head, as if it were a protective charm bestowed upon him by Lin Zhu, and he wanted to equip it immediately. "Wait!"
Guanyin was shocked to see this. This headband was prepared for Sun Wukong, how could she let a monk wear it? Wouldn't that cause complete chaos? She quickly reached out to stop him, and said urgently.
"Holy Monk! This item... this item is not for you to wear!"
"Ok?"
Tang Sanzang paused, looking at her suspiciously.
"Not for me? Then why did the Immortal Lord ask you to give it to me?"
Guanyin's mind raced, and she tried her best to maintain a "benevolent" smile as she explained.
"Holy Monk, do not be hasty. What the Immortal Lord means is that this is... this is a 'personal treasure' that he specially prepared for your disciple Sun Wukong. The Immortal Lord knows that Sun Wukong has great supernatural powers, but his wild nature has not been extinguished. This treasure has the wonderful effect of calming the mind and protecting oneself. You are the master, how can you take away what your disciple likes? It is only right to give it to Wukong."
As she spoke, she took out a folded piece of silk paper from her bosom, which emitted a faint sandalwood scent and golden light, carefully unfolded it, and handed it to Tang Sanzang.
"This is the 'Tranquilizing Mantra' that matches the flower hat, personally taught by the Immortal Lord. The Holy Monk must memorize it secretly and not pass it on to others. When your disciple Sun Wukong returns, you should coax him to wear this flower hat."
If he becomes disobedient, unruly, or... or leaves you without permission, silently recite this mantra. He will suffer unbearable headaches and will no longer dare to commit violence or abandon you, ensuring your safe journey westward.
These words revealed the true intentions behind the headband, clearly explaining its effects and usage, only changing "personally bestowed by Buddha" to "personally granted by an immortal." In Guanyin's view, as long as Tang Sanzang memorized the incantation and accepted the flower hat, it shouldn't be difficult to trick Sun Wukong into wearing it once he returned, given their seemingly "harmonious" relationship.
Once you put it on, everything will be settled!
Lin Zhu, who had been watching the "fraud and anti-fraud" drama unfolding below with great interest from above, had a slight twitch in his ear when Guanyin took out the golden silk and uttered the four words "Tranquility Mantra".
His extraordinary spiritual sense acted like the most precise scanner, instantly imprinting every single word of the densely packed golden mantras containing supreme Buddhist power on the silk paper deep into his mind.
"Tsk tsk, is this the legendary headband? Oh, now it's called the Mantra of Tranquility?"
A playful smile curved Lin Zhu's lips.
"The treasure personally refined by the old Buddha is indeed extraordinary. The power of this incantation is connected to the laws of heaven and earth, and it is specifically designed to counter the spirit and demonic nature. Any demon below the Great Luo Golden Immortal level that comes into contact with it will suffer unbearable pain."
It's easy to put on, but taking it off? Unless Buddha himself intervenes, or that monkey truly 'converts' to Buddha and his nature is completely transformed... Hey, to put it bluntly, it's a permanent mental shackle.
If this thing fell into the hands of a mortal, wouldn't it be able to control a powerful demon king's henchman? The Western Paradise is really willing to invest heavily in this Journey to the West.
He had just finished his reflection when the system's notification suddenly sounded in his mind, carrying a cold, mechanical feel, yet revealing content that piqued his interest.
[Ding! Detected that the important plot character 'Guanyin Bodhisattva' is impersonating the host to swindle and deceive, a serious offense, and intends to illegally imprison the key plot character 'Sun Wukong'.]
[A chain of side quests has been triggered. The Boundary of Restriction.]
[Mission Objective: Prevent Sun Wukong from wearing the headband provided by Guanyin.]
[Quest Rewards: One special item 'Tightening Band', 50,000 Merit Water.]
[Mission Notes. The existence of an uncontrollable 'golden hoop' in the world could cause trouble. Please handle this appropriately.]
"Impersonating a state employee? The crime determined by this system is quite unique."
Lin Zhu was taken aback at first, then chuckled. Prevent Sun Wukong from wearing the golden headband? That perfectly aligned with his own penchant for watching a good show. As for the reward… the special item "golden headband"? And 50,000 merit points?
His brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes.
"The system rewarded me with a replica of the 'tightening headband'? If this thing were to fall into the wrong hands, wouldn't it cause even more trouble? With another restrictive magic weapon that can control powerful monsters, the Three Realms would probably be even more turbulent."
He didn't believe the system would give him something that could disrupt the Three Realms for no reason.
But then, a bold, even insane, idea suddenly burst forth in his mind like a spark ignited in the darkness! His eyes shifted from doubt to sharpness, and then from sharpness to a mixture of wicked amusement and eager excitement. The corners of his mouth uncontrollably turned upwards, forming a smile that could only be described as a "sneer".
"Interesting...so interesting! I stopped Sun Wukong from wearing the headband, but the system rewarded me with a replica...is this implying that I can...'replace' it? Or...play something even bigger?"
Lin Zhu's mind instantly became active, and countless possibilities churned in his head.
"To pull off a special feat in this grand Journey to the West drama? That seems... quite promising!"
He looked down at Tang Sanzang, who was still unaware of the impending disaster, and Guanyin, who was still trying to "promote" her work, and his eyes became deep and playful.
Below, Guanyin handed the silk paper with the "Mantra of Calming the Mind" to Tang Sanzang, hoping that he would accept it as a precious treasure and remember it well.
However, Tang Sanzang's reaction once again made her experience what it meant to be "unexpected yet reasonable" to be in a state of collapse.
Instead of reaching out to take the golden silk, Tang Sanzang suddenly raised his head. His face showed no gratitude or respect, but rather a cold smile that was a mixture of insight, disdain, and a hint of smugness!
"Ah!"
Tang Sanzang chuckled, his gaze sharp as lightning as he swept over the clothes, hat, and golden silk in Guanyin's hands, his tone resolute.
"Old man, no, perhaps I should call you... 'the tester'? Put away your tricks! This humble monk has already seen through everything!"
"See...see through what?"
Guanyin felt a sudden jolt in her heart, a bad premonition.
"This is not some magical treasure bestowed upon Wukong by a celestial lord at all! This is clearly yet another test from the celestial lord for this humble monk!" (End of Chapter)