Journey to the West: Demon Emperor: Beginning as a Little Toad

Chapter 549 The Battle Between Sun Wukong and the Buddha
"Toad, I'll be right back! I'll definitely show you the 'good stuff' in our own garden!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the golden figure, as swift as lightning, disappeared into the cave entrance with a "whoosh" and vanished in an instant.

Not long after.

From within that secluded passageway, faint rustling sounds of movement could be heard.

A moment later, Sun Wukong reappeared.

He wore a hearty smile, as if he had returned with a full load of goods. On his shoulder was a bulging cloth bag that shimmered with precious light, and in his hands were two large, deep red wine gourds that seemed to glow with spiritual energy.

It's obvious that the Monkey King went to the Peach Garden to "buy" peaches.

"Hey! Toad, come quick! Open your eyes to something amazing!"

Sun Wukong was extremely impatient and swiftly threw the bundle on his shoulder onto the desk with a "thud".

Although the bag was not opened, the extremely rich, almost solidified, celestial aura of the Nine Heavens Peach spread out like fine wine.

As soon as one inhales even a trace, one feels a slight surge of magical power throughout the body, and one's mind is refreshed, as if nourished by celestial dew.

Sun Wukong couldn't wait to untie the knot and proudly showed it to Xiao Chen:

The bag was filled to the brim with peaches. Each one was as big as a pomelo, with mysterious purple veins covering its skin, radiating a warm and precious light, surrounded by auspicious glow. These were the finest "Purple-Veined Yellow-Pit Peaches" from the peach orchard.

This peach ripens only once every nine thousand years, and is renowned throughout the three realms. Those who eat it can live as long as heaven and earth, and be as old as the sun and moon.

"Look! Toad, look at this!"

Sun Wukong, as if presenting a priceless treasure, held the two deep red gourds high and shook them vigorously near his ears.

The wine inside the gourd is thick and mellow, emitting a steady, pleasant, and spiritual "splashing" sound.

He licked his lips, a wild light flashing in his eyes, a mixture of nostalgia and craving, and exclaimed excitedly:
"I, Old Sun, have imitated the methods of those little monkeys from Flower Fruit Mountain back in the day, and used this 9,000-year-old fruit to personally brew these few jugs of 'monkey wine'!"

"It has been buried under the peach tree."

"Hehehe, that feeling..."

After speaking, he smacked his lips, his Adam's apple bobbing, as if he were already immersed in the mellow aroma of the wine:

"It's more than ten thousand times better than the ordinary wine I treated you to back in Flower Fruit Mountain!"

"Boom!"

The cloth bag and the heavy wine gourd were piled on the desk, making a dull, heavy clanging sound.

The radiant glow of the nine-thousand-year-old peach, combined with the restrained and mysterious aura of the deep red wine gourd, creates a striking and impactful scene.

These are all forbidden fruits and treasures that the Heavenly Court strictly forbids to touch, yet this lawless monkey is now taking them and indulging in them at will.

even.

Sun Wukong even brewed the giant peaches into "monkey wine".

Looking at the pile of "stolen goods" and the smug Sun Wukong in front of him, Xiao Chen felt a mix of emotions.

Time seemed to flow backward, back to that bedroom in the Kingdom of Chechi a hundred years ago.

How similar the scene before my eyes is!
Monkeys still climb through windows to enter rooms, and they still share the "hard-won" delicacies.

However, the location changed from the bedroom of a small mortal kingdom to the study of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven's mansion next to the Peach Garden in the Thirty-Three Heavens, which was under heavy guard.

Although the location has changed, the people remain the same, and their loyalty and courage are even stronger than before!
There are two or three hundred large, flat peaches here, all of excellent quality.

"Good peaches..."

Xiao Chen couldn't help but reach out and pick up a heavy, shiny purple-veined peach.

As your fingertips touch that warm, jade-like yet vibrant surface, a pure, boundless, and vast life essence rushes from your fingertips straight to your limbs and bones, making your blood and qi flow smoothly throughout your body.

He looked up at that familiar yet arrogant monkey face.

The monkey's face held a mixture of defiant arrogance, pure sincerity in sharing treasures, and heartfelt joy at a long-awaited reunion... making him feel both the deep brotherly bond and a sudden, uneasy worry.

Xiao Chen's expression hardened, and he solemnly reminded Sun Wukong:

"Monkey, monkey, your skills and methods in 'purchasing peaches from the Peach Garden' are now far more extravagant than they used to be!"

"What if one day you really empty this peach orchard, and the Queen Mother of the West's Peach Banquet is without peaches?"

"Once you alarm the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother... your carefree days as the 'Great Sage Equal to Heaven' will probably come to an end!"

"Alarmed? Hahaha!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong looked disdainful, sneered, and completely disregarded Xiao Chen's words.

He sat cross-legged on the ground, his monkey paws moving nimbly, and with a "pop," he pulled the stopper off the wine gourd.

In an instant.

A fragrance, richer and more complex than the simple scent of peaches, with distinct layers, carries a wild and natural rhythm, yet exudes the confidence of top-grade immortal ingredients, bursting forth like a surging tide!

The aroma of "monkey wine" quickly spread, instantly overpowering the original rich peach fragrance in the study, transforming this solemn and majestic celestial abode into a wild and charming paradise of Huaguo Mountain, filled with the cries of monkeys and the intoxicating aroma of wine!

"I, Old Sun, have worked hard and diligently, day and night, taking meticulous care of this peach orchard."

"When the Queen Mother of the West saw the peaches in the Peach Garden, she praised me for my excellent care, saying that the peaches were plump and full, truly a rare sight in the Three Realms, and a rare celestial delicacy!"

Sun Wukong thumped his chest, looking utterly self-righteous and assertive:

"When it comes to tending peach trees, we monkeys are natural experts, practically like our patriarchs!"

"No matter how old the tree roots are, even if they've been dead for thousands of years and seem lifeless, in my hands, I can make them sprout a few tender green buds and bring them back to life!"

"Toad, go and inquire around the garden. The harvest of this peach orchard is now 20 to 30 percent more than before Old Sun took over."

"This is a real achievement!"

"What's wrong with me eating a few fruits that I've worked hard to grow and carefully tend to?

"If I don't eat the peaches, how will I know how well they're grown? What's their quality?"

"How can you know how well you're doing with these peach trees if you don't taste the peaches yourself?"

"Wouldn't that be like doing things with your eyes closed?"

Sun Wukong looked arrogant, appearing self-righteous and without a trace of shame.

Xiao Chen understood in his heart:

Monkeys love to eat peaches; it's their nature, just like mice love to eat rice—it's an instinct ingrained in their very being.

It's virtually impossible to get a monkey to suppress its instincts and not eat a peach.
"The story of the monkey stealing peaches..."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen pondered for a moment, his gaze distant as he considered the intricate web of causes, effects, advantages, and disadvantages involved.

Actually, he had just visited the Peach Garden.

In that peach orchard, there were 3,600 peach trees, each laden with two to three hundred peaches.

So, that's eight or nine hundred thousand peaches, a staggering number.

If a monkey eats twenty peaches a day out of eight or nine hundred thousand peaches, it would take it thirty-six thousand days, almost a hundred years, to eat them continuously.

The Peach Garden is the quantity supplied to the gods and Buddhas of the Three Realms, for their enjoyment.

How many immortals would be fed the peaches in this peach orchard?
Among them are the Three Pure Ones, the Four Emperors, and the Taiyi Celestial Immortals of the Upper Eight Caves... Among them are the Jade Emperor, the Nine Layers, and the Sea and Mountain Immortals of the Middle Eight Caves... Among them are the Underworld Master and the Earthly Immortals of the Lower Eight Caves...

There are also Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats from the Western Paradise; the Northern and Northern Xuanling... the Southern Guanyin... the Eastern Chongen Holy Emperor; the Immortals of the Ten Continents and Three Islands... the Five Dipper Star Lords of the Heavenly Court...

In the celestial realm, on Mount Ling... all the great and small deities of every palace and hall gathered together for the Peach Banquet to eat the peaches of immortality.

Think about it: if so many gods were given so much food, how could a single monkey possibly finish it all?

Therefore, the crux of the matter is not about how many peaches the monkey ate.

Moreover, according to Sun Wukong, he also took meticulous care of the peaches, ensuring their superior quality and significantly increasing the peach tree's yield, which was a remarkable achievement.

The Queen Mother of the West is the owner of the Peach Garden.

The Peach Garden is not far from the Jade Pool, and the Queen Mother of the West was aware of the "monkey eating peaches" incident, so she must have had her own reasons for it.

Therefore, it seems that Sun Wukong eating some peaches was not a big deal and nothing serious.

This is quite reasonable, just like things in the mortal world:
"I worked for the company and improved their performance, so it's only right that I get a commission from that performance..."

In fact, in the original "Journey to the West", if Sun Wukong had only eaten the peaches of immortality, it might not have been considered a heinous crime.

However, Sun Wukong first stole the peaches of immortality, and then falsely claimed to have received an imperial edict from the Jade Emperor, wantonly stealing food from the Queen Mother's Peach Banquet and causing chaos at the banquet.

Then, Sun Wukong broke into Laozi's palace to steal the elixir of immortality, disrupting the Pill Refining Assembly. Afterward, he rebelled against Heaven, raised his banner as a demon, and became even more audacious, storming the Heavenly Palace, attempting to seize the throne of the Heavenly Emperor...

Add to that Sun Wukong's raid on the Dragon Palace of the East Sea, where he stole weapons and caused chaos; and his forced removal from the Book of Life and Death in the Underworld, which led to confusion between the mortal and spiritual realms...

All these crimes were committed by him.

It can be said that he offended all kinds of gods, from the Jade Emperor and Laozi to the Queen Mother of the West, Yama, and the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas.

Peaches of Immortality, Laozi's Golden Elixir, the Book of Life and Death... all of these were attributed to Sun Wukong, making him the target of public criticism.

But Sun Wukong didn't die in the end; he was still alive and kicking.

On one hand, it may be because Sun Wukong possesses great supernatural powers, having reached a state of invulnerability to swords and spears, and impervious to water and fire, making it impossible to kill him by ordinary means.

On the other hand, it's possible that Sun Wukong still has someone protecting him.

Who exactly is protecting Sun Wukong?
That depends on who needs Sun Wukong. The answer is actually as clear as a trump card.

"The Buddha of the West..."

Xiao Chen thought of the Western Buddha Tathagata's desire to travel to the East to spread Buddhist teachings.

Before the journey to the West began, the Buddha took out three hoops and handed them to Guanyin Bodhisattva, saying:
"This treasure is called the 'Tightening Hoop'... If you encounter a powerful demon on the road... put this hoop on his head, and it will naturally take root in his flesh... Recite the incantation, and his eyes will bulge, his head will ache, and his forehead will crack. He will be forced to join my sect and obey my orders."

This "tightening headband" was practically something that the Buddha himself prepared specifically for Sun Wukong.

At the foot of the Five Elements Mountain, Guanyin Bodhisattva made a deal with Sun Wukong, ordering him to protect Jin Chanzi on his journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures, and together they embarked on that arduous and perilous path.

Jin Chanzi released Sun Wukong from under the Five Elements Mountain as promised.

From then on, Sun Wukong was "deeply grateful to Jin Chanzi" and "became Jin Chanzi his master." The two then traveled together to the Western Paradise.

It is clear that Western Buddhism needs Sun Wukong.

After suppressing Sun Wukong, the Buddha Tathagata took his leave of the Jade Emperor and the other gods.

Upon returning to the West, the Buddha Tathagata chanted incantations and summoned a local deity from the Five Elements Mountain to reside on the mountain and oversee the Five Directions Protectors.

The Buddha himself gave the instructions:
"But when he is hungry, he will be given iron pellets to eat; when he is thirsty, he will be given molten copper to drink. 'When his punishment is over, someone will rescue him from his predicament!'"

Who will rescue Sun Wukong from his predicament?
That was naturally because Buddhist monks rescued Sun Wukong from his predicament, showing him kindness and making him deeply grateful.

It is just like the saying: "First slap Sun Wukong, then give him a sweet date."

Give both grace and power.

It was the Buddha himself who suppressed Sun Wukong, imprisoning him under the Five Elements Mountain and subjecting him to endless suffering...

It was the Buddha who bestowed the golden headband to restrain Sun Wukong, preventing him from acting recklessly...

It was also at the right time that the Buddha released Sun Wukong, intending for him to embark on the journey to the West...

From this perspective...

Perhaps when Sun Wukong wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, the Buddha of the West had already foreseen his extraordinary abilities and decided in his heart that Sun Wukong was the one to go on the pilgrimage. Therefore, he always sent people to guard Sun Wukong under the Five Elements Mountain and torment him to make him submit... waiting for the right time.

Poems as proof:

"The daring monkey rebelled against the Heavenly Palace, but was subdued by the Buddha. He drank molten copper to 'endure the years,' and suffered from natural disasters and hardships... If a hero can rise again to fight back, he will 'serve the Buddha' and ascend to the Western Paradise in the future."

However, there is no Sun Wukong causing havoc in the Heavenly Palace right now.

Only the Eastern Emperor rebelled against Heaven, only "The Eastern Emperor wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace".

"The Buddha Tathagata suppressed the Eastern Emperor," not Sun Wukong.

The situation has changed.

How will things unfold from here...? And who can truly predict it?

The root of the problem in the suppression of Sun Wukong was not that he stole a few peaches from his own garden.

The key point is that the Buddha needed Sun Wukong to retrieve the scriptures.

Xiao Chen stared intently at Sun Wukong with a mixture of concern and inquiry in his eyes, and asked:
"Monkey, you also attended the Heavenly Peace Assembly held by the Heavenly Court. Did you notice the Buddha of the West?"

"That big fat monk?"

Sun Wukong scratched his head, a hint of unruliness and casualness on his face, and grinned:

"Hehehe, at the An Tian Assembly, the big fat monk, the Buddha of the West, sat right next to me, Old Sun, in a very casual manner."

"I also heard that it was this fat monk who suppressed the little brother Donghua Dijun. It seems he has some skills and should not be underestimated."

"At that grand gathering in Antian, this fat monk even came up to me with a fake smile on his face, wanting to chat with me."

"They said that I, Old Sun, have a special connection with the Western Paradise, and sincerely invited me to visit that paradise..."

"Humph!"

Sun Wukong snorted coldly, his expression arrogant:
Confucius said: "Those who follow different paths cannot make plans together."

"We are from the Taiyi Xuanmen sect, how could we possibly know that monk!"

"Therefore, I spoke coldly and directly rejected him, not giving him a friendly look."

"So, it seems that Sun Wukong has already met with the Buddha..."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen was startled, his brows furrowing instantly. After a moment's thought, he solemnly reminded him:

"Monkey, tell me, just how powerful is the Buddha?"

Recalling the time of the An Tian Grand Gathering, Xiao Chen was just a minor heavenly soldier who could only catch a glimpse of the Buddha from afar and was not clear about the Buddha's strength.

However, Sun Wukong possessed the "Golden Eyes of Truth" and had personally encountered the Buddha, so he naturally saw the Buddha's power more clearly.

"The Buddha and Sun Wukong..."

Xiao Chen had a vague sense of foreboding. Judging from the current signs, it was highly likely that the Buddha of the West had already set his sights on Sun Wukong.

The Buddha had already kept the unruly monkey firmly in his sight.

For the Buddha, the journey to the Western Paradise to obtain Buddhist scriptures was like a meticulously planned and intricately interlocking game of chess.

This is a momentous undertaking concerning the great prosperity of the West, and the Buddha is determined to succeed and will not allow it to fail.

To achieve this goal, the Buddha might have used gentle persuasion and enticement with benefits to persuade Sun Wukong, or he might have used forceful means to coerce him into submission.

At the end of the game.

It seems inevitable that a fierce and earth-shattering battle will take place between the Buddha of the Western Paradise and Sun Wukong.

At present, at the Antiyam Conference.

Sun Wukong resolutely declined the Buddha's kind invitation.

If gentle persuasion fails, then forceful measures will naturally follow.

To force Sun Wukong to embark on the journey to the West, the Buddha might ruthlessly suppress him under the Five Elements Mountain.

The weight of the mountains and the length of time will wear down its indomitable will and force it to submit obediently.

Sun Wukong's pride and rebellious spirit were gradually worn away over the long and endless years.

This matter concerns the grand plan of obtaining Buddhist scriptures.

There must be a battle between the Buddha and Sun Wukong!
Moreover, we are getting closer and closer to the timeline of Journey to the West.

The day of the final battle between Buddha and Sun Wukong is not too far away.

Currently, the Buddha Tathagata has fought with the Eastern Emperor and suffered injuries, so he has probably not fully recovered yet.

The day when the Buddha recovers from his injuries may be the day when the Buddha and Sun Wukong face off.

"The battle between Buddha and Sun Wukong..."

Xiao Chen pondered to himself that he had such a good relationship with Sun Wukong, and Sun Wukong had helped him a lot.

If Sun Wukong resolutely refused to embark on the journey to the West.

At that time, King Golden Horn will also go to lend a hand.

Now, many years have passed, and King Golden Horn is no longer the ignorant man he once was.

Behind him was a vast power, with countless demon kings gathered around him, including the Spider Demon, the Scorpion Demon, the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord, the Yellow Wind Sage, the Bull Demon King, the Macaque King, the Water Ape Sage, the Black Bear Demon, the Yu Rong King, the Lion Camel King, and many more.

These demon kings, each with extraordinary strength, pride, and ambition, gathered around King Golden Horn, forming a force not to be underestimated.

He, the Golden Horned King, was no longer the small fry who could only stand by and cheer for Sun Wukong during the "Battle of Flower Fruit Mountain".

Whether they can defeat the Buddha is still unknown.

After all, the Buddha is the supreme being of the Western Paradise, possessing boundless magical power and great supernatural abilities, and his fame shakes the Three Realms.

But to flee without a fight and hide in fear is definitely not the style of King Golden Horn.

There's a saying from a past life:

"Even when facing a powerful opponent and knowing we are no match, we must still resolutely 'draw our swords,' and even if we fall, we must become a mountain, a ridge!"

How bold and magnificent those words are!
Failure is not terrible; what is terrible is not having the courage to face your opponent.

If we say that the Buddha is the biggest mountain in the Journey to the West world at this point in time.

Then King Golden Horn will be the one who dares to climb this mountain.

How can you know it's impossible if you don't try?
How can you change your predetermined fate if you don't try?
Just as Subhuti had earnestly taught him in the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars:

"A fixed number is not fixed."

"To follow the will of Heaven is not to follow it, nor is to defy it."

"We who cultivate immortality and attain the Dao are meant to transcend fate, to contend with destiny, to find that sliver of hope within predetermined fate, to follow the great trend of heaven and earth, and to change our own destiny..."

A storm is brewing, the wind is howling, dark clouds are pressing down on the city, and the city seems about to crumble.

Regardless of whether the journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures is the general trend of heaven and earth, if war is to be fought, then war shall be fought.

If, in the near future, Sun Wukong and the Buddha were to have a battle, King Golden Horn would certainly go!

(End of this chapter)