I start by accepting Sun Wukong as my disciple and reshape the Journey to the West

Chapter 138 Merit Bridge

"Now that the Tang Emperor is in trouble, he wishes to borrow a treasury of gold and silver from you. Are you willing?"

Upon hearing this, Xiang Liang scratched his head sheepishly and said, "The Tang King is in trouble, and I will certainly help him. But you are really putting me in a difficult position, Daoist. My life savings are only a few taels of silver. Where would I find a treasury full of gold and silver?"

Sagara's words seemed genuinely sincere.

"You possess a mountain of treasures yet remain unaware; ordinary people, uneducated and ignorant, do not know their own true wealth! Now that you have thirteen treasures, are you willing to rescue the Tang Emperor?"

With a sweep of his whisk, the Heavenly Venerable Taiyi Jiuku instantly created thirteen boxes in front of Xiangliang, each gleaming with golden light.

Sagara had never seen such a sight in his entire life. He was dazzled by the golden light, and desire appeared in his eyes. But before a moment had passed, the desire in his eyes dissipated, and he returned to calm.

"I've toiled my whole life, yet now I have thirteen treasuries of gold and silver. This dream is too real. But if it's not mine, I won't take even a hair. Daoist, stop deceiving me. It's time to wake up from this dream."

Sagara gently patted his cheek: "A dream is just a dream. A broken body in this world, money is just an external thing. Wake up!"

As Sagara spoke, he slowly closed his eyes, then opened them again.

But the golden light in front of him had not dissipated, and Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun and Jiuling Yuansheng were still in front of him.

Gudong!

Even with his resolute character, Sagara couldn't help but swallow hard at this moment.

In the end, desire prevailed. His face contorted in pain as he looked bitterly at Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun: "Knowing that you, Daoist, have methods, please let me go back, or show me the way. How can I leave?"

These words made even the Great Savior of Suffering, Taiyi, burst out laughing. This Xiangliang is truly a remarkable person; no wonder Ye Xuantian sent him to find Xiangliang.

"These thirteen treasuries of gold and silver are yours. Now that the Tang King is in trouble, he needs to borrow one treasury of gold and silver from you. If you agree, you will naturally wake up. When the Tang King returns, he will repay you. Are you willing?"

Upon hearing this, Sagara lowered his shoulders slightly, then walked to the Thirteen Treasurys of Gold and Silver and carefully examined them for a long time.

"My wife must have been too good to me lately, so much so that I dared to dream of getting rich overnight, and even got involved with the Tang King."

call!
Sagara took a deep breath and then looked at Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun: "If I can make the decision, then it is a loan. Can you let me leave now, Daoist?"

As Sagara finished speaking, one treasury of gold and silver flew straight towards Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun, while the other twelve treasuries slowly dissipated.

Seeing this, Sagara's eyes showed a hint of contemplation. He was not stupid. When he didn't speak, the thirteen treasuries of gold and silver remained unmoved, but as soon as he agreed, one treasury flew away.

"Is this really mine?"

"That's right, so will you regret it?" Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun asked.

“There’s nothing to regret. My wife said that enough money is enough. Now my wife and I are living a very happy life. I am very content. If that treasury of gold and silver can really save the Tang King, it will be my blessing and the people’s blessing. After all, I can’t be the Tang King or a wise ruler. The number of people I can help is less than one ten-thousandth of the Tang King’s.”

Upon hearing this, the Nine-Headed Lion Saint lowered his head slightly to show his respect. Over the years, the Nine-Headed Lion Saint had followed the Great Sage of Salvation from Suffering to travel all over the country and had seen all living beings. He could swear on his nine heads that less than one in ten people could reach the level of Xiang Liang's mind and character.

"Alright, you may go back now! If the Tang King sends someone to return the gold and silver, you may accept it."

"it is good!"

As Sagara responded, his figure began to slowly dissipate.

Looking at the treasury of gold and silver in Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun's hand, Jiuling Yuansheng's eyes showed a hint of envy: "Master, do you need me to protect him secretly?"

"Even if one vault is taken away, he still has thirteen vaults. An ordinary person with one vault of gold and silver will have good fortune but misfortune has already departed, let alone him. If you want to see how he accumulated so much good karma, leave a trace of your thoughts here. I am actually very curious as well."

"Yes!"

“The Sage of Xuantian does not have the Book of Life and Death, yet he was able to find such a person. His power in the Underworld is probably greater than that of the Ten Kings of Hell. In that case, the Earth Mother must have reclaimed her physical body in the Immortal Realm. Otherwise, there is no reason why I could not find her in the Book of Life and Death.”

After Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun finished speaking, a look of understanding flashed in his eyes: "So, does this mean that Fellow Daoist Xuantian now has the ability to alter the Book of Life and Death? Otherwise, how could he have resurrected King Tang?"

"But the Book of Life and Death was destroyed once by the Chosen One, and didn't the Jade Emperor bless it again? No matter how powerful a sage is, he can't possibly change it, right?"

"Ever since you fought that monkey, you seem to have become much more talkative!" Taiyi Tianzun glanced at Jiuling Yuansheng with annoyance.

"Hehe, that's because Master broadened my horizons again, and I unconsciously developed some ideas."

"Hmph! Open the passage and send this vault of gold and silver down!" Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun ignored Jiuling Yuansheng's witty remark.

"Yes!"

As a void rift appeared, Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun threw down the entire vault of gold and silver.

"Master, where are we going next? Are we going to Eagle's Sorrow Gorge, which the Sage Xuantian mentioned?"

"I've really gotten on his pirate ship! I, a dignified Quasi-Saint, have become his errand boy!" Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun finally couldn't help but laugh and scold.

"I think Master is quite happy!"

"You're asking for it!" Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun lightly patted the head of Jiuling Yuansheng.

"Let's go, we're no longer needed here. Let's go to Eagle's Sorrow Gorge and see if that dragon can live up to Fellow Daoist Xuantian's expectations!"

……

In the desolate underworld, the Ten Kings of Hell could see everything happening in Chang'an through the Yin-Yang Mirror. But it was precisely because of this that the Ten Kings of Hell were all panicked.

King Chujiang looked at Dongfang Shuo: "Immortal Lady Manqian, the Tang King is dead!"

"Hmm!" Dongfang Shuo composed himself and responded calmly, though in reality he was in a panic. How could his master have let the Tang King die?

Seeing Dongfang Shuo so calm, King Yama couldn't help but say, "Judge Cui, bring the Book of Life and Death and see how long the Tang Emperor will live!"

"Absolutely, absolutely! Quickly retrieve the Book of Life and Death!" Yama, the King of Hell, also spoke.

Judge Cui immediately opened his palm, revealing the Book of Life and Death of Kings of All Nations. He presented it to King Yama, who immediately opened it and swiftly located the entry for Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty in the Southern Continent. It read: "Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty in the Southern Continent is destined for the thirteenth year of the Zhenguan era!"
King Yama calculated with his fingers and sighed heavily: "It turns out that his life was already over. No wonder he still perished despite the blessing of the Tang Dynasty's national fortune. I just don't know if the Sage knows this."

Everyone looked at Dongfang Shuo, but Dongfang Shuo bowed to the void and said, "Master!"

Ye Xuantian appeared in the void, and the Ten Kings of Hell all bowed. King Chujiang stepped forward and said, "Sage, now that King Tang is dead, on whom should we bestow our blessings for this journey to the West?"

It's no wonder that King Chujiang was anxious. After all, although they all knew that the Jinghe Dragon King's lineage had died at the hands of Guanyin Bodhisattva, the other party's purpose was also very clear: to bewitch King Tang and use the nation's fortune to bless the pilgrim.

Now that the Tang emperor has passed away, even if the fate of the Tang Dynasty were to be bestowed upon the pilgrims on their journey to the West, there would still be someone to issue the order.

Logically, this task should have fallen to the current Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty. However, what they saw clearly in the Yin-Yang Mirror was that the Twenty-Four Ministers had secretly killed everyone in the palace and then created the illusion that the Tang Emperor was still alive, thus ensuring that the fate of the Tang Dynasty would not change.

It's no wonder they thought that way. Even the Ten Kings of Hell had never seen any dynasty's officials work together so unitedly to take control of the entire palace in the shortest amount of time. During this period, the Crown Prince and Empress even agreed to be placed under house arrest by the ministers.

"Who said the Tang Emperor is dead?"

Ye Xuantian's words left everyone even more bewildered. Yama stepped forward and handed the Book of Life and Death of the Kings of Myriad Kingdoms to Ye Xuantian.

“Your Majesty, the Book of Life and Death records that the Tang Emperor died today, and there is no error.”

"The Book of Life and Death also says that the chosen one died five hundred years ago."

The other Yama kings wanted to refute something, but when they thought about the blame being placed on Sun Wukong, they chose to keep quiet.

“Sage, if the fate of a nation cannot be bestowed upon the pilgrim on the journey to the West, then the great calamity of the journey to the West will not begin. This will be detrimental to your plans in every way. We urge you to make a decision as soon as possible, and we are willing to fully cooperate with you.” King Qin Guang, as the master of the First Hall, was ultimately a man of some courage and stepped forward despite the pressure.

There was a subtle hint of taking sides in their words.

"Enough, enough, I'm not teasing you anymore. The Tang emperor cannot withstand the crime of violating the heavenly laws. Guanyin Bodhisattva is in a position of righteousness in protecting the Jinghe Dragon King, and no one can resist her. Moreover, the heavenly punishment that has fallen is highly targeted, and it is bound to make the Tang emperor's soul disappear. Therefore, it is no mistake that the Tang emperor died today."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Ye Xuantian's earlier words, but his next sentence made the Ten Kings of Hell's hearts leap into their throats.

"Guanyin Bodhisattva originally intended to bewitch the Tang Emperor into completing the Western Journey Tribulation, but I thwarted her plan. As a Buddhist practitioner, she would not stand idly by, so she devised this method to transfer the emperor's fortune and use the Tang Emperor's death to deter the next emperor. This would also fulfill the purpose of the plan. Unfortunately, the Bodhisattva miscalculated; the Tang Emperor did not die at all."

The gazes of the Ten Kings of Hell all fell on the Book of Life and Death in the hand of King Yama, the meaning of which was clear: King Tang was dead beyond any doubt.

Ye Xuantian didn't say much, and the Taiji Diagram appeared in his hand: "In the past, Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, led twenty-four ministers to break the Yin-Yang Formation and save the Jade Emperor from fire and water. The three realms were grateful for his merit and granted the Yin-Yang Diagram to each contain ten years of life. Now that Emperor Taizong's lifespan in the mortal world has ended, I specially request the Taiji Diagram to reshape Emperor Taizong's soul and grant the Tang Dynasty another twenty years of prosperity."

Within the Tai Chi diagram, the power of Yin and Yang gathered at an extremely rapid speed, and soon condensed into the divine soul of the Tang King.

"Didn't I die?" King Tang asked in disbelief.

"The sage's methods are unfathomable. He actually laid a plan five hundred years ago and really hid the soul of the Tang King? In that case, all we need to do is bring the Tang King back to life!" The worry on King Biancheng's face disappeared, and his joy was hard to hide.

"Sage, you wouldn't have casually created a soul to occupy the Tang King's body, just to complete the mission of the westward journey, would you?" King Taishan asked with suspicion.

After all, this is too shocking. Could it be that Ye Xuantian really has the ability to predict that the Tang King would die under divine punishment today, five hundred years ago?
This seriously shattered the King of Taishan's understanding.

"Fifth Brother! What's with that expression?" Emperor Song asked, looking at the shocked King Yama.

"It's King Tang! It really is King Tang!" King Yama held up the Book of Life and Death for everyone to see, and the thirteen years in the Book of Life and Death had become thirty-three years.

Ever since Sun Wukong wreaked havoc in the underworld, the Book of Life and Death has been reinforced with the power of heavenly laws by the Jade Emperor. Now, even the Ten Kings of Hell cannot tamper with or destroy the Book of Life and Death.

As for the power of destiny? The Jade Emperor specially sent the Queen Mother to bless the rules of heaven and earth and the net of heaven and earth. If the power of destiny were to destroy the Book of Life and Death again, then these books of life and death would appear directly in front of the Jade Emperor.

In other words, nowadays, apart from the Jade Emperor, it's extremely difficult for anyone else to change the Book of Life and Death.

But Yama could see clearly that when Ye Xuantian finished speaking, the change from thirteen to thirty-three was very natural, without any external force appearing.

It's as if the Book of Life and Death originally said thirty-three, but a great secret had concealed it just now. Now, with Ye Xuantian speaking, the secret has been revealed.

Seeing this scene, the Ten Kings of Hell immediately bowed to Ye Xuantian and exclaimed, "You are a sage of immeasurable virtue!"

Such methods fully justify the title of a saint. Even though Ye Xuantian is only at the peak of the Quasi-Saint realm, nowadays, apart from the top people who are unwilling to lower their status, everyone usually calls Ye Xuantian a saint when they see him.

As the Ten Kings of Hell, they knew all too well what Ye Xuantian's methods meant; they were unfathomable, and his ability to defeat even the most powerful forces was nothing more than this.

Even a sage could not have arranged things so naturally.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Although he only heard a few words, the Tang King was so intelligent that he immediately guessed that Ye Xuantian had used his methods to bring him back to life.

"Your Majesty, there is no need for such formalities. The composure Your Majesty displayed today when facing the Bodhisattva and the divine punishment is worthy of my plan to preserve Your Majesty's future for five hundred years." Ye Xuantian said solemnly.

Ye Xuantian had witnessed Li Shimin's performance just now. He asked himself if he had ever seen such courage and determination, even if he were in Li Shimin's position during this journey to the west.

But Li Shimin did it. In Ye Xuantian's mind, the title of Heavenly Khan for Li Shimin became clearer and clearer. Li Shimin was indeed worthy of it.

“Sage, although the soul of the Tang King has been reshaped and his lifespan has been increased, I just observed the reincarnation channel and found that it does not have a channel for the Tang King to return to his body.”

King Yama's words startled the other Yama Kings.

That's right, the Tang King came down in his physical body, but now that his body has returned, his soul has no way of coming back. If the Tang King is forcibly brought back to life, he might become an idiot in the mortal world.

In that case, it would be better to let the twenty-four ministers inherit the fate of the nation.

“What are you Yama Kings worried about? Have you forgotten that there is a Bridge of Merit to guide you back to the mortal realm? Once the Bridge of Merit is built, King Tang can naturally return,” Dongfang Shuo stepped forward and said.

“King Tang’s soul had previously been scattered, but now it has been reborn. His soul body does not possess any merit!” King Yama said.

The divine punishment was too tyrannical, and had already destroyed all the merits accumulated by the Tang Emperor.

At that moment, a crack appeared in the void, and a beam of golden light fell down.

(End of this chapter)