Man in the heavens, wins by lying down to prove the truth

Chapter 353 The Great Sage of Compassion and Mercy, His Journey West Finally Reaches India

"You thieving bird, trying to run away."

Sun Wukong used his double pupils technique, his gaze illuminating all realms and worlds, and he naturally discovered the thief bird.

That thieving bird possessed a great escape technique; in the blink of an eye, it fled the Three Realms and hid in a lower realm, huddled deep in the mountains, not daring to show its face. Yet, it was still found by Wukong.

However, this Roc is also quite capable. Although it has flaws in its character, it is just like Wukong before, falsely holding the Hunyuan Fruit position.

The moment Wukong's gaze fell upon the thief bird, the bird immediately sensed something.

"Oh no, this monkey is incredibly powerful... Yes, we must go to Mount Ling! Only by going to Mount Ling can we save our lives!"

The roc's mind was faster than lightning. After making a decision, it immediately used its great supernatural power and disappeared from the spot.

Almost the instant the roc disappeared, a single staff separated the three realms and countless worlds. The majestic river where the thief bird had just been was instantly reduced to ashes without a trace, as if it had been completely erased and never existed.

"This thieving bird... actually escaped to the sacred mountain."

Wukong frowned slightly. That thieving bird had some kinship with Tathagata, which was a problem.

"Hmph, let's go ask that old Buddha about his failure to discipline his children properly."

After thinking for a moment, Wukong leaped onto a cloud and headed straight for Mount Ling.

……

Wukong arrived at the foot of Vulture Peak in the blink of an eye. Before he could even climb the mountain, the Four Heavenly Kings approached him.

"Where is the Great Sage going?"

The Four Vajras stopped Wukong from going up the mountain to enter the Thunderclap Temple.

Wukong narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at the four of them: "I'm going to question the Buddha about his crimes. Do you all want to come with me?"

Upon hearing this, the four warriors were stunned.

This road is neither right nor wrong to move aside.

Why do you have to be so sarcastic? Just pretend you don't see the monkey.

At this moment, the Buddha was sitting on the nine-tiered lotus platform, preaching to the eighteen Arhats who had been reincarnated. Seemingly aware of this, he looked around and smiled, saying, "Sun Wukong has come to question my crimes. You should go and greet him."

All the Arhats were startled upon hearing this, but seeing the Buddha's smiling face, they immediately obeyed the order.

In a short while, two banners and canopies appeared outside the Thunder Sound Temple and landed outside the Vulture Peak Mountain Gate. They said, "Great Sage Sun, the Buddha has summoned you."

Immediately afterwards, Wukong followed the others into the Thunderclap Temple to pay homage to the Buddha.

After the ceremony, Wukong said, "I respectfully request the Buddha to inform you that on this journey to the West, while escorting Tang Sanzang, we passed through the Lion Camel Kingdom and witnessed three demons devouring the people of the kingdom, an unforgivable crime. We have now subdued two of the demons, but one powerful demon has escaped into the Spirit Mountain. I hope the Buddha will issue an edict to capture and bring that demon to justice."

Wukong said he came to question the Buddha, but he didn't directly accuse him. He only said that there were demons doing evil and he needed the Buddha's help.

The Buddha then said, “I am already aware of what has happened here, and I have given an order to the Buddha Mother, the Peacock Bodhisattva, to capture the demon and hand him over to Wukong for disposal.”

As soon as the Buddha finished speaking, five-colored divine light suddenly swept across the sky and landed directly in the Great Buddha Hall.

The Peacock Bodhisattva revealed his true form, holding a golden demon-binding rope in his hand, which was some kind of rare treasure. The other end of the rope bound the Roc, preventing it from using any of its supernatural powers.

"Sister, why are you doing this? We are family, why are you treating me like this?"

The roc was still calling out, but the Peacock Bodhisattva ignored him completely, and only looked at the Buddha to report the decree: "By order of the Buddha, the demon is hereby arrested and brought to justice."

"Thank you for your help, Mother Buddha."

Buddha put his hands together in thanks, then looked at Wukong and said, "Wukong, this demon is yours to deal with as you see fit."

"Then I'll have to kill him with one blow!"

Wukong pulled the golden cudgel out of his ear and waved it in front of the roc's head.

The roc immediately cried out, "Buddha, I am your own maternal uncle! How can you stand by and watch me die?"

The Buddha ignored the Garuda and looked directly at the Peacock Bodhisattva, asking, "Buddha Mother, your brother has devoured countless living beings. What punishment do you think he deserves?"

Upon hearing this, the Peacock Bodhisattva sighed.

Since the Buddha asked her this question in front of so many people, the answer was obvious.

"A life for a life, it's only right and proper. Thank you... Great Sage!"

After speaking, the Peacock Bodhisattva put his hands together in prayer and recited a Buddhist mantra.

Upon hearing this, Wukong channeled his divine power and immediately brought his staff down.

The roc instantly turned to ashes and vanished, completely erased from history, leaving no trace, and could never be brought back to life.

"Amitabha! The Peacock Mother's selflessness in sacrificing her own family is admirable, I admire her greatly."

Wukong killed the roc first, and then spoke these words to the Buddha Mother.

The Peacock Bodhisattva did not respond, but bowed to the Tathagata on the lotus platform to take his leave, and then turned and left.

"Wukong, is everything satisfactory?"

As soon as the Buddha finished speaking, Wukong laughed and said, "Buddha, that Roc is related to you, isn't this a crime of not disciplining him properly?"

Upon hearing this, the Buddha simply smiled and said, "I suppose so. I will just say that I will personally recite the Rebirth Sutra to pray for the beings who died in the mouth of the Garuda, and teach them to be reborn in the heavenly realm, as a small way to make amends. Is that acceptable?"

"The World-Honored One acts justly, and his disciples are enlightened and have learned much from him."

Wukong bowed and then bid farewell to the Buddha, saying that he would protect Tang Sanzang as he continued his journey to the West.

After the monkey left, the old Buddha pointed at the monkey and said, "Great Compassionate Sage!"

After speaking, the Buddha entered into meditation and remained silent.

Upon hearing this, the bodhisattvas and arhats immediately echoed and praised the Great Sage.

……

A moment later, not far from Lion Camel Mountain, Tang Sanzang and his companions were meditating.

Wukong appeared above the clouds, and just as he was about to descend, he saw Tang Sanzang making incense out of dirt and praying.

"I pray to all the immortals of the clouds and mists, the Six Ding and Six Jia, and all the heavens. May they protect my virtuous disciple, Sun Wukong, so that his supernatural powers may be vast and his Dharma boundless."

The monkey, with its exceptional hearing, clearly heard Tang Sanzang's prayer and felt a warmth in its heart.

"After such a difficult journey, this monk has indeed improved his character and is no longer cold-hearted and ungrateful. It has not been in vain for me, Old Sun, to have put in so much effort all this way."

Swish!
With a leap, Wukong appeared directly in front of Tang Sanzang: "Master, I, Old Sun, am back."

Tang Sanzang breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Wukong had returned safely: "It's good that my worthy disciple is alright, it's good that he is alright."

"Haha, Master, you don't need to worry. Those three demons were indeed extraordinary, but they have now been killed."

Wukong recounted the whole story, only saying that he had entered a dangerous situation, but was fortunate to have the supernatural powers of Master Boyang, which allowed him to escape.

Of the three demons, two were killed by him, and the remaining one, possessing great supernatural powers, escaped and could not be found. It was only through the Buddha's great power that he was subdued. Wukong did not mention any relationship between the Roc and the Buddha, only saying that they were able to pass the test thanks to the Buddha's efforts.

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing immediately bowed towards the west, deeply thanking the Buddha for his personal intervention.

……

Continuing westward from Lion Camel Mountain, they first killed the longevity deer that used human hearts and livers to make medicine, then suppressed the golden-nosed white-haired rat spirit. After passing Fengxian County, they prayed for rain and continued westward.

After leaving Fengxian County, Tang Sanzang said to Wukong, "My good disciple, this time you have obtained sweet rain, saving countless lives. You deserve my bow."

Upon hearing this, Wukong refused Tang Sanzang's formalities, saying, "This is my duty, Master, there's no need to say anything more."

Sha Wujing chimed in, "The Kingdom of Bhikkhu only saved a little over a thousand children. How could this torrential rain, which soaked them all, save countless lives? We can only say that our eldest brother's magical power is boundless and his compassion is all-encompassing."

Bajie complained, "Brother, you have done me a favor and shown me kindness. This time, Fengxian County has bestowed its grace upon countless people. You should stay for half a year and have a few more full meals. Wouldn't that be more comfortable?"

Tang Sanzang couldn't help but scold, "You fool! You eat so much food in one meal! If you were allowed to eat to your heart's content, the whole county would starve! Stop talking nonsense and hurry on your way!"

After being reprimanded by Tang Sanzang, Bajie dared not say another word, and the group hurried on their way.

Time flies, and it is now late autumn. After overcoming countless hardships, the pilgrims finally saw a city in the distance.

"Wukong, I trouble you to use your profound magic to observe that city. Is there any evil or malevolent aura about it?"

Tang Sanzang has learned his lesson now; whenever they arrive at a new place, he instructs Wukong to observe and observe first.

Wukong glanced at it and then laughed, "Xianghe is a popular place, a good place to rest here."

Bajie was overjoyed upon hearing this and laughed loudly, "Good, good, good! This time I will definitely find a wealthy and devout family and let this old pig have a good meal."

Pigsy knew he had a big appetite, so he wanted to find a wealthy and luxurious family.

However, on this journey to the west, I did not see many luxurious houses.

Tang Sanzang did not scold Bajie, but only smiled and said, "In that case, let's hurry up and enter the city today to exchange the travel documents."

After a while, the pilgrims entered the city and sought out the believers to inquire about the location of the place.

An elderly believer, upon seeing the monks, bowed and explained the situation.

"I want to inform all the elders that this place is a county in the Kingdom of Tianzhu, named Yuhua County. The royal family once enfeoffed a wise and virtuous prince here, hence it is also known as the Kingdom of Yuhua."

Upon hearing that this place was India, Tang Sanzang was overjoyed and wept with joy: "I have been on this journey for more than ten years, and I have finally arrived in India. The sacred mountain is in sight!"

"Master, the journey of a hundred miles is only half complete at ninety. Today we are about to reach Mount Ling, so we must not be careless!"

Upon hearing Wukong's admonition, Tang Sanzang composed himself and said, "My worthy disciple is right. I am deeply grateful for your help. If there are any evil spirits, eliminate them all. I only wish for the people to be healthy and the country to be peaceful and prosperous."

"Master, your cultivation has been accomplished; you shall be called a Great Master!"

Seeing that Tang Sanzang's mind and nature were becoming more and more perfect, Wukong offered his congratulations.

Tang Sanzang waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "I wouldn't dare."

Immediately, the group of master and disciples found an official in the city and explained their identities and origins.

The official was immediately taken aback, bowed repeatedly, and was even led to meet the Crown Prince of Yuhua.

When the prince learned that a highly accomplished person from the Eastern Lands had traveled tens of thousands of miles to visit Mount Ling and seek Buddhist scriptures, he was not only surprised but also deeply respectful. He ordered a banquet to be held to entertain the pilgrims.

At the banquet, the prince said to Tang Sanzang, "Holy monk, you are indeed worthy of coming from the Celestial Empire. It is truly a blessed land to have someone like you."

"Holy monk, you must have encountered many hardships on your journey of traveling 100,000 li westward," the prince asked curiously.

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang said, "Your Majesty is wise. This journey to the West is fraught with demons. If it weren't for my three disciples' great supernatural powers and their protection, I would never have been able to reach this place."

"Oh, so these three elders also possess great supernatural powers?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang agreed.

The crown prince had no doubt that he must be capable, otherwise he would never have been able to get to this place.

The prince said, "Holy Monk, three elders, to be honest, I have three sons, all of whom are fond of martial arts and supernatural powers and wish to learn from a master, but unfortunately there is no truly skilled master among them, I do not know..."

"This..." Tang Sanzang hesitated. His three disciples were not only disciples, but also guardian deities. Each had their own lineage and origin, and he could not make decisions for them.

Pigsy then laughed and said, "What a stroke of luck! You just said you'd take me, Old Pig, as your master, so I, Old Pig, will teach you."

Upon hearing this, Sha Wujing laughed and said, "I ascended to heaven from the earth to become a heavenly general, and then descended to the human world to follow my master to worship Buddha and seek scriptures. I have never taken on any disciples in the past, but today, due to the karmic circumstances, it is time for me to take on a worthy disciple."

Wukong laughed and said, "I dare not make the decision. I will only report to the Patriarch and then a decision can be made."

After Wukong finished speaking, he only said that he had taken a bowl and said, "Master, I wish to take on a disciple today. If this is possible, then this bowl will not break when it falls to the ground."

After saying this, the monkey threw the porcelain bowl straight up into the sky, hundreds of feet high. By the time it landed on the ground, three quarters of an hour had passed.

"Clang!"

With a clang, the porcelain bowl flew an unknown distance before landing back on the ground. It bounced several times before finally settling steadily in front of Wukong's table, rim up, as if it had never been thrown.

This change left the Crown Prince of Yuhua Kingdom dumbfounded.

"Hahaha, since the Patriarch agrees, I, Old Sun, will also be a master today!" Wukong was overjoyed, realizing that in the Patriarch's eyes, he was now someone who could be a master.

The crown prince was overjoyed and immediately ordered his men to summon his three grandsons.

A moment later, three princes entered the hall.

The eldest prince, who was in the lead, wielded a staff that reached his eyebrows. The second prince carried a nine-toothed rake, while the third prince used a black, lacquered staff.

It was a perfect match, a natural outcome, that perfectly suited the weapons wielded by the three brothers.

The eldest grandson bowed and kowtowed to the crown prince, saying, "I have heard that my father has found a good teacher for me. I wonder who it is? I want to give it a try. If they are not capable, I will definitely not become their student."

The Crown Prince laughed heartily and pointed to the three travelers: "These are the excellent teachers I have found for you, they are extremely capable."

Immediately, the three princes looked them over suspiciously and said, "In that case, let these three fight with us and see if they have any skills."

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince's expression changed slightly. Just as he was about to reprimand him, he saw Pigsy suddenly stand up.

"You want to fight me?"

Pigsy laughed loudly, stretched out his right hand, and his nine-toothed rake appeared. He said that ten thousand rays of light were born and auspicious clouds fell.

"Okay."

The old pig waved his rake and then slammed it into the ground, causing the earth to shake violently and nearly collapsing the palace.

Seeing Pigsy showing off, Sandy said that when he displayed his precious staff, it was filled with divine light, and with a slight wave it was like a hurricane howling.

Such a commotion startled the crown prince and his three grandsons, who immediately changed their expressions and called him a divine master.

Seeing this, Wukong felt that letting his disciple know his abilities wasn't intentionally showing off, so he pulled out a golden needle from his ear, which transformed into the Golden Cudgel.

The golden cudgel spoke in a human voice: "Great Sage, what are you doing to me, you demons and gods?"

(End of this chapter)