Chapter 741
Tang Sanzang's Sudden Enlightenment Leads to His Tricks Against Guanyin
Tang Sanzang puffed out his chest, his face radiating confidence that "I have already seen through the secrets of heaven."
"The Immortal Lord is surely testing this humble monk to see if he truly trusts his disciple, and whether he will be misled by external things, becoming suspicious of his brothers and comrades, and attempting to control or harm him with such things!"
He became more and more agitated as he spoke, and his tone became righteous and stern.
"Who is Wukong? He is the Great Sage Equal to Heaven! He is my good disciple! He may be mischievous, and he may still have some wildness, but he is by no means a treacherous person who would abandon his master! Just the other day, he even saved me from a 'demon'!"
"Such a loyal and exceptionally capable disciple—if I were to heed your dubious 'reassurance' and place this ridiculous label on him, wouldn't that break his heart? Wouldn't that make me, as his master, appear narrow-minded and utterly distrustful? If I accept this test, I will have lost! Lost completely! The Immortal Lord will be utterly disappointed in me!"
His words were forceful and logically consistent, making him appear like a "high monk" who upholds the bond between master and disciple and adheres to the bottom line of trust.
Guanyin was completely stunned. Her hands, which were holding the gold silk and the clothes and hat, froze in mid-air. Her face turned from green to black, and then from black to white. Her chest heaved violently. She felt as if a mouthful of blood was stuck in her throat, unable to be spat out or swallowed!
She was going crazy! What was wrong with Tang Sanzang's brain?! He was suspicious, insulted, and hypocritical towards me, but blindly trusted and obeyed Lin Zhu without question, even coming up with this ridiculous "test of trust" nonsense?!
She took several deep breaths before managing to squeeze out a voice through her teeth, making a final effort to emphasize the "positive" effects of this "treasure".
"Holy Monk! You misunderstand! This object is not meant to harm or control your esteemed disciple, but rather to enable you and your disciple to work together more harmoniously on your journey to the West! With it, Wukong will not leave due to momentary misbehavior or external temptations, and only then can you truly reach the Vulture Peak hand in hand!"
"Working together? Relying on that?"
Tang Sanzang glanced coldly at the flowered hat, his tone full of disdain.
“Old man, you are wrong. True master and disciple are brought together by shared dreams and beliefs, supporting each other and being loyal to one another! Not by forcibly binding each other with a magic weapon or a spell! What difference is there between that and a dog on a leash? Although I am not proficient in Buddhism, I know the principle of ‘not using those you doubt, and not doubting those you use’!”
"Wukong trusted me and saved me. If I were to give him this, I would be betraying his sincere heart! This matter must not be mentioned again! This humble monk absolutely cannot do such a despicable thing that would betray my good disciple!"
The more he spoke, the more righteous and awe-inspiring he became, his spittle almost hitting Guanyin's face. He bombarded Guanyin with one set of "grand principles" after another, leaving her dizzy and speechless for a long time.
Looking at the monk before her, who seemed to radiate "righteousness," she felt a deep sense of powerlessness and absurdity grip her.
This Tang Sanzang... it seems like he's suddenly "awakened" to something extraordinary? Although he's completely gone astray, his stubborn and principled demeanor is even more troublesome than his previous simple, violent, and reckless actions!
On the journey to the West, is there going to be another obstacle of "righteousness" that requires "outwitting and outmaneuvering"?
Just as Guanyin was being bombarded with Tang Sanzang's "righteous lecture" and was feeling dizzy and at a loss, her keen senses suddenly detected that the powerful aura belonging to Sun Wukong, which she had drawn away with her clone, was returning to her at an extremely fast speed!
Clearly, the monkey had dealt with the "demonic energy" over there and was worried about his master, so he rushed back!
"Oops!"
Guanyin was extremely anxious, and cold sweat instantly beaded on her forehead. If Sun Wukong returned and saw this scene, it would be even more difficult to trick him into wearing the golden headband! Time was of the essence!
In a flash, Guanyin steeled her heart, disregarding logic and face, she had to immediately make Tang Sanzang change his mind and accept the gift! She suddenly raised her head, forcing an exaggerated, as if "suddenly realized" smile on her face, and raised her voice several octaves, carrying a deliberate "appreciation".
"Hahaha! Hahaha! Well done! What a fine Tang Sanzang! What a heart that protects his disciple, what a soaring spirit! It was I... no, it was the Immortal Lord who underestimated the Holy Monk's ambition and magnanimity!"
Her sudden burst of laughter and change of heart startled Tang Sanzang, who was giving a passionate speech, and he looked at her in confusion.
Guanyin pressed her advantage, speaking rapidly.
"What the Holy Monk says is absolutely right! How can a true master and disciple be forcibly bound by external objects? It was something I... the Immortal Lord did not say before! This hat is not something to bind or imprison, but rather a supreme protective treasure!"
The Immortal Lord once said that the journey to the West is fraught with danger, surrounded by demons. Even the mighty Wukong is not immune to moments of carelessness. Wearing this treasure will not only not affect his supernatural powers, but will also automatically protect him in critical moments, resisting demonic attacks and stabilizing his mind. It is truly a rare and invaluable defensive treasure!
The immortal lord gifted this treasure to Wukong out of kindness, hoping he could better protect the holy monk and support his journey to the West!
In her quick thinking, she completely discarded the "punishment" attribute of the headband and transformed it into an "automatic protector" and a "defense treasure." In any case, she just wanted to give the hat to Tang Sanzang first!
Sure enough, upon hearing the words "protective treasure," "automatic protection of its master," and "the immortal lord's loving care," Tang Sanzang's coldness and disdain instantly melted away, and his eyes lit up again!
"I see!"
Tang Sanzang slapped his thigh, a smile of excitement spreading across his face, as if to say, "Just as I thought!" and "I have passed the test!"
"As expected of an immortal lord! Your thoughts and considerations far surpass those of mortals! This treasure is actually used to protect Wukong? Yes, yes! Although Wukong is powerful, he is ultimately a simple-minded person and is inevitably vulnerable to being ambushed. Having this treasure to protect him is the icing on the cake, allowing him to protect this humble monk with greater peace of mind! This humble monk almost misunderstood the immortal lord's good intentions just now!"
The more he listened, the more reasonable it seemed, and he completely accepted this "new setting".
Immediately, a subtle, cunning smile, a mixture of smugness and scheming, flashed across his face, as if he had come up with some "brilliant plan."
"Oh dear, Immortal Lord, you have truly gone to great lengths!"
Tang Sanzang's smile grew even brighter, as if he had gotten a great deal. He rubbed his hands together, looked at the gold-embroidered hat, then at Guanyin, and his tone suddenly became somewhat "polite".
"Um... old man, since this treasure was bestowed by the Immortal Lord, may this humble monk... may this humble monk dispose of it as he sees fit? For example... may he first study the wondrous uses of this 'automatic protection'?"
His question carried a subtle hint of probing and a hidden possessiveness.
Guanyin had no time to argue with him about such trivial matters. Sun Wukong's aura was getting closer and closer, and she could almost feel that familiar, violent demonic wind! Alarm bells rang in her mind. She suddenly raised her head, her face darkened, and she didn't even bother to pretend anymore. Her tone was urgent and stern.
"What old man! I've given you this, just keep it safe! Remember! You absolutely must... you absolutely must trick your disciple into wearing this! This concerns the success or failure of the journey to the West, and also the Immortal Lord's expectations of you! Remember! Remember!" She practically shouted the last two sentences, then, without even looking at Tang Sanzang's reaction, as if a ferocious beast was chasing her, she carried the empty basket and, with seemingly unsteady but actually swift steps, disappeared into the depths of the dense forest beside the road. In a few breaths, she vanished into the shadows of the trees and the grass, leaving only a faint, slightly disordered sandalwood scent in the air, belonging to Guanyin herself, due to extreme frustration and urgency.
Tang Sanzang was taken aback by her sudden sternness and hasty departure. He stood there, clutching his clothes and hat, full of doubt.
"This old man... he's got quite a temper? Why did he suddenly run away? And why did he insist on 'tricking' his disciple into wearing it? A celestial being bestows a treasure openly and honestly, why would he need to trick someone? It's really strange..."
Although he had doubts, looking at the exquisitely crafted clothes and hat in his arms that faintly shimmered with precious light, and considering that this might be a "protective treasure" bestowed by Immortal Lord Lin, his doubts were immediately dispelled by immense joy and satisfaction.
"Who cares! Anyway, I got two magic treasures, bestowed upon me by a Celestial Lord! This trip wasn't a loss!"
Tang Sanzang held the gold-embroidered hat carefully in his hands, admiring it more and more each time he looked at it. He also carefully folded the cotton robe and, together with the gold silk inscribed with the "True Words of Calming the Mind," tucked it close to his body. After doing all this, he felt much more confident, and even the desolate mountains and wilderness seemed much more pleasing to the eye.
Just as he was secretly gloating, a golden light streaked across the sky, accompanied by a sharp whooshing sound, and crashed down in front of him, kicking up a cloud of dust. When the golden light dissipated, it revealed Sun Wukong's furry face, full of irritation and displeasure.
"Master! Are you alright?"
After Sun Wukong landed, he slammed his golden cudgel into the ground and used his fiery eyes to scan Tang Sanzang from head to toe to make sure he was unharmed before he breathed a sigh of relief. But then his brows furrowed and his tone was filled with obvious dissatisfaction and anger.
"Damn it! I've been fooled! There's no decent monster in that place at all! There are only a few wisps of residual demonic energy, some scoundrel deliberately released! I made a wasted trip!"
He got angrier and angrier as he talked, scratching his ears and cheeks.
"Master, is everything alright here? Has anything inconsiderate come to bother you while I'm away? If so, I'll go and drag them out right now and twist them into a pretzel! By the way, you weren't kidnapped and torn apart by hand, were you?"
He recalled Tang Sanzang's previous nightmare and casually made a sarcastic remark.
Tang Sanzang was immersed in the joy of obtaining the "magic weapon" when he heard this. He quickly waved his hand and forced a "I'm fine" smile on his face.
"Disciple, don't talk nonsense! Your master is perfectly fine, isn't he? Be civilized, watch your language! What do you mean by tearing it apart... cough cough, a monk should be refined!"
"Refined my foot!"
Sun Wukong was in a bad mood and retorted irritably.
"This whole journey has been nothing but cunning tricks! A tiger suddenly appears out of nowhere, an old man blocks the road, bandits are sent to their deaths, and now this trick of luring the tiger away from the mountain! Do they really think I, Old Sun, am some kind of monkey to be played with?!"
He was naturally intelligent, but his thinking had been misled by the "Buddhist teachings of the underworld" and his master's "bravery." Now, after being repeatedly tricked, the arrogance and shrewdness that belonged to the Great Sage Equaling Heaven had returned.
After a brief exchange, Sun Wukong, clearly having been tricked, flew into a rage. He picked up his golden cudgel, paced around a couple of times in agitation, his eyes flashing with ferocity, and gritted his teeth as he spoke.
"No need to guess! It must be those bald monks from the Western Paradise who are up to their tricks! Only they would resort to such underhanded tactics, calling them 'tests' and 'trials'!"
He suddenly recalled the few words Lin Zhu had casually mentioned during their conversation in the Nine-Story Heavenly Prison: "Journey to the West is nothing more than a show for the Three Realms," "Buddha needs an example, someone who once wreaked havoc in Heaven but eventually converted to Buddhism and cleansed himself of his evil," "You are all actors on the stage; the script has already been written"...
At the time, he thought it was just Lin Zhu talking nonsense, but now, combined with his experiences over the past two days—the tiger, the strange old man, the six bandits, and the obvious diversionary tactic just now—doesn't all of this prove Lin Zhu's words?
The so-called journey to the West, the so-called merits, the so-called salvation of all beings... are nothing but a carefully orchestrated drama! And Sun Wukong is the most important "star" in this play—a "cage monkey" who needs to be tamed, displayed, and molded into a model of "repentance"! Every step he takes, his joys and sorrows, his "growth" are probably all within the calculations and control of some being!
This realization was like a poisonous fire, instantly igniting the untamed and rebellious spirit that had never truly been extinguished deep within Sun Wukong's heart! Five hundred years of suppression had failed to dull his edge; could this seemingly "free" journey to the West actually be another, more elaborate cage? He hated this feeling of being arranged, manipulated, and having all his actions like those of a puppet on strings!
This resentment was even more intense than when he wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, because he felt a deeper level of manipulation and deception targeting his soul and destiny!
"Damn bald monk..."
Sun Wukong let out a low growl through his teeth, and a dark red light emanated from his golden cudgel, a light that represented boiling demonic power and rage.
Just then, Tang Sanzang, who had been carefully observing his expression, felt that the time was about right.
He took a deep breath, put on a gentle smile, and took out the cotton robe and the gold-embroidered hat from his pocket. He held them in both hands and handed them to Sun Wukong.
"Um... Wukong," Tang Sanzang said softly, with a hint of reassurance.
"Calm down first, don't be so irritable. Look, I've acquired two good things, and I was just thinking of giving them to you."
Sun Wukong, filled with rage, glanced coldly at the clothes and hat in Tang Sanzang's hands upon hearing this, and spoke in an extremely impolite tone.
"What is that? Where did it come from?"
Although he had agreed to protect the Dharma and travel west, the turmoil and scheming of the past few days, as well as the "truth" he had just realized, had already filled him with impatience and resistance towards this so-called "Journey to the West." Consequently, he had also lost some of his initial politeness towards the "master" in front of him, who was sometimes timid, sometimes violent, and sometimes strange.
According to the original plan of the Western Paradise, Sun Wukong should be in a state of being unruly and undisciplined, lacking respect for his master, and easily angered by external things. This is the best time for Tang Sanzang to take out the headband and trick or force him to wear it for the purpose of "discipline" and "self-protection".
However, due to the intervention of Lin Zhu, a huge variable, Tang Sanzang's personality and behavior patterns underwent strange changes, and Sun Wukong's mentality became far more complex and rebellious than expected, making this "treasure-giving" segment full of uncertain tension. (End of Chapter)