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

Chapter 145 Resurrection
"Didn't the Bodhisattva hand over the chips to me from the very beginning?" Ye Xuantian said, then nodded slightly to Judge Cui before his figure completely vanished.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva recalled his first meeting with Ye Xuantian: If you see me again in the future, you must keep your mouth shut!
“Interesting. I’d like to see how you can actually kick me off the poker table.”

The journey to the West is a long and arduous one, and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva believes that there will always be a time when people come to Him seeking help.

As for the agreement with Ye Xuantian? We've met for so many years now, and nothing has happened.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva finally gathered his thoughts. He did not take Ye Xuantian's words to heart and instead focused his gaze on Judge Cui.

Judge Cui stepped forward, a hint of embarrassment on his face: "Bodhisattva, you surely understand the thoughts of a sage better than I do. You must give me the Emperor's Book of Life and Death!"

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's smile vanished, and he looked at Judge Cui: "Your Excellency Judge, you've only benefited from the saint's influence, and you haven't taken me seriously at all!"

Judge Cui bent slightly, not looking directly at Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, nor responding directly, but simply said with a smile, "Bodhisattva, I was just following orders, please be magnanimous and don't hold it against me."

snort!
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva snorted coldly and finally threw the Book of Life and Death, which belonged exclusively to Li Shimin, to Judge Cui.

“Go back and tell your master that you can betray me, after all, I am just a little monk who sits here to suppress the Styx lineage, but do not forget where your roots are, who you really belong to, and do not be blinded by the Xuan Tian Saint.”

At this point, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's tone became increasingly serious: "In the Three Realms, it's not only the mortal realm and the immortal realm that have great emperors; the Netherworld also has one. Even I am subject to His control. Do you think that by changing your ways, you can escape His punishment in the future?"

hum!
As Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva finished speaking, a powerful aura suddenly appeared in the area, and endless ghostly energy condensed above the temple.

"Namo!" Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva clasped his hands together and chanted the Buddha's name.

"I wouldn't dare!" Judge Cui immediately knelt down.

No new figures emerged from the ghostly aura, yet Judge Cui felt as if he were being scrutinized, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

After a long while, the ghostly aura finally dissipated, and Judge Cui collapsed to the ground.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's lips curled slightly, and with a flick of his sleeve, Judge Cui was instantly blown away.

"I take my leave!" Judge Cui, still filled with fear, bowed to the temple after leaving Dizang Temple and ran towards the Yama Palace.

Yes, that one has been silent for even longer than the Earth Mother, so long that people only know Yama and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and have forgotten that one's name.

Di Ting slowly raised his head and looked at the Bodhisattva: "Master, why did you arouse that person's aura just now? Didn't that person seal himself away long ago and stop caring about worldly affairs?"

“In the past, in order to safeguard the authority of the Underworld, I made a deal with that person. Unless the Underworld was in a life-or-death crisis, I myself could not appear. I would remain forever guarding the sealing array eye. Now that I have appeared, that person is naturally afraid that I have taken control of the Underworld, so he will come to check.”

Di Ting then asked, "Then, Bodhisattva, now you..."

Di Ting wanted to say, "Your true form has appeared. Won't that displease that person?" But then he seemed to understand something, lowered his head, and slowly fell asleep.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva slowly closed his eyes and entered a state of meditation.

Having gone to great lengths to break the deal with the Emperor of Fengdu, there was absolutely no way that person would want to send their true form into the eye of the formation again.

In this game, no matter how he makes his move, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is guaranteed to win. After all, the Styx Ancestor has already infiltrated Mount Ling. As long as he resolves the crisis in Buddhism, even if he doesn't enter the Great Tribulation, as long as Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva enters the world in his true form, he will surely make further progress in Buddhism in the future.

Buddha!
It's not far!
……

In the mortal realm, Ye Xuantian appeared in the imperial palace. The great cauldron of national fortune above the palace resounded, and Ye Xuantian felt the joy within it.

After all, with the imperial star gone, the true emperor belonging to mortals has awakened, and the Tang Dynasty will move towards a higher and more glorious future. The Great Cauldron of National Fortune is naturally delighted.

"If I am not here in the future, you must guard the palace well. If any villains disrupt the fate of the country, call me at any time. If you have the ability, you may kill them! Remember to protect yourself. I will be counting on you to bless the human race's fortune in the future!"

hum!
The Great Cauldron of National Fortune emitted a resounding hum, as if responding with a heavy echo.

The sound of the national destiny cauldron, like the morning bell and evening drum, awakened those who were fast asleep.

As if sensing Ye Xuantian's arrival, Li Shimin pushed open the door at that moment.

"Your Majesty!" Ye Xuantian nodded slightly.

"Li Shimin has met the Sage. On behalf of the people of Tang, I, Li Shimin, thank you for your kindness to the Tang Dynasty." As he spoke, Li Shimin bowed ninety degrees to Ye Xuantian.

Ye Xuantian accepted it calmly, and Li Shimin stood up again, his face showing more joy: "Your Majesty, can Liu Quan really come back to life?"

Li Shimin's curiosity seemed genuine, and Ye Xuantian nodded: "Please take me there, Your Majesty. If I'm not mistaken, he should be waking up soon."

"please!"

Li Shimin immediately led Ye Xuantian to the side hall.

Upon entering the side hall, Ye Xuantian could not hide his smile. The reason was that the twenty-four ministers in the side hall were all sleeping on the floor, one after another.

The energy rising from each of the two brows was dazzlingly golden in Ye Xuantian's eyes.

"The twenty-four ministers are all capable ministers who have served Your Majesty. They have first ascended to the heavens and then descended to the netherworld. Their own fortune is extraordinary. If Your Majesty uses it properly, the people will suffer much less."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin said, "But people's hearts are hard to fathom. Even if the twenty-four ministers are willing to help me, the forces they represent are complex and intertwined. It will still be difficult to get everyone to work together in the same direction."

"Your Majesty is a banner in the hearts of the twenty-four ministers, unlike ordinary rulers. Your Majesty's empire was won by you and them personally. As long as Your Majesty is wholeheartedly committed to the welfare of the people, they will do so willingly. If not, it means Your Majesty is too kind. Some malignant tumors are better to be treated quickly than for a long time. They will understand you."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin glanced at the twenty-four ministers and then looked at Ye Xuantian: "The clan is too large. This pain is like a heart-wrenching pain, and it may even cause the Tang Dynasty to collapse."

"That's because His Majesty needs them to raise an army. But if His Majesty were to introduce the imperial examination system, giving all the poor scholars in the land a chance to rise in rank, and gradually gather his own people, the clans could be reshuffled. Of course, whether or not to do this is entirely up to His Majesty."

Ye Xuantian only gave a casual suggestion and didn't say much more. If he explained things too clearly, it would limit Li Shimin's ability to act because of his presence.

Ye Xuantian was well aware of the immense impact the imperial examination system had on clans, but the difficulty of this matter was also extraordinary.

"Is this a plight of the poor and needy?" Li Shimin murmured.

At this moment, among the twenty-four ministers, Wei Zheng's eyelids suddenly twitched, and then he suddenly opened his eyes. The moment he saw Li Shimin, his eyes were less wary, but when his gaze fell on Ye Xuantian, he immediately sprang to his feet.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Wei Zheng's voice was full of vigor, and all twenty-four ministers finally woke up. Upon seeing the newcomer, they all bowed in greeting.

"Gentlemen, there's no need for such formalities. I've come to see Liu Quan."

Everyone quickly made way for Ye Xuantian, allowing him to approach the bedside and look at Liu Quan. The hole between Liu Quan's eyebrows was particularly noticeable at this moment, but the Nine-Ringed Staff was ultimately a weapon of causality, so the cut was not only smooth but also had a built-in hemostatic effect.

Strands of causal threads covered it, preventing Liu Quan's bodily fluids from leaking out.

Ye Xuantian covered the hole with his palm: "With a fearless heart, I took the blame on behalf of the king, and was personally saved by Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and have entered the cycle of reincarnation again."

"The soul is back!"

As Ye Xuantian finished speaking, chanting aloud filled the air. The phantom of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva appeared, glanced at Ye Xuantian, and then opened a void gate. Liu Quan's soul flew out from it, still shouting.

"I don't want to live anymore! I really don't want to live anymore!"

Liu Quan's soul returned to his body, the illusory image of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva dissipated, and Ye Xuantian also withdrew his palm.

Liu Quan's chest began to rise and fall, and gradually his breathing became heavier and heavier. Then he opened his eyes, sat up abruptly, and gasped for breath.

"I really don't want to live anymore! Sage, my wife is already dead, there's no point in me living alone, why do you insist on bringing me back to life!"

After catching his breath, Liu Quancai poured out his grievances to Ye Xuantian beside him.

"What nonsense are you spouting? The sage granted you a second chance at life—what an incredible favor! So many people would kill for this, and yet you are so ungrateful!"

Even Li Shimin couldn't stand Liu Quan's words and immediately shouted.

Liu Quan stood up and bowed to Li Shimin: "Your Majesty, if I truly wished to live, why would I die in your place!"

Liu Quan truly lived up to his reputation as a fearless warrior. Others would probably be terrified at the sight of the current emperor, but he showed no fear whatsoever. Having just faced death, he became even more reckless in his actions.

The way Wei Zheng was stubbornly retorting to Li Shimin at this moment made everyone look at him.

"Your Majesty, I am already dead, why do you insist on bringing me back to life? These ministers would not dare to kill me in front of His Majesty. You are all-powerful, why don't you do what that Mosquito Taoist did and kill me? Then I can go and reunite with my wife."

Ye Xuantian smiled and said, "You are not afraid of death, and I need someone like you by my side, so I brought you back to life to become my servant."

"You should say this to these ministers; they would be eager to join your ranks!" Liu Quan said, pointing to the twenty-four ministers.

"They are the pillars of the nation, not as insignificant as you. If you become my disciple, you can help me with any dirty work in the future. I need you!"

“Such a thing does not exist in this world. I can only serve you and I will not get any benefit in return. It would be better to go to my wife.”

"What if I brought your wife back to life too?"

“Sage, I know your methods are unpredictable, but such words are nonsense. The reason I was able to return to life is because my body had not decayed. But now my wife’s body has long since decayed and entered the earth. There is no reason for her to return to life.”

"You only need to answer me: what would you do if I brought your wife back to life?"

Liu Quan immediately knelt before Ye Xuantian: "If the Sage has such methods, I am willing to serve you like a slave."

"Okay! It's a deal!"

"What about my wife? I'm afraid the sage doesn't even know my wife's surname or name."

Just then, a eunuch rushed in from outside the door: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Princess Yuying has died suddenly."

"What?" Li Shimin immediately tried to run outside.

"Her fate is sealed; there is no way to change it. Your Majesty, please do not go."

Ye Xuantian's words made Li Shimin stop in his tracks. He glanced at Ye Xuantian with resentment, then looked at Liu Quan with anger.

Liu Quan remained silent, only lowering his head. He knew, of course, what Li Shimin's gaze meant.

He himself was begging for death but could not, while the current emperor's sister was announced dead by Ye Xuantian. The world is truly unfair.

"Your Majesty, please accept our condolences!" the twenty-four ministers offered their words of comfort.

"Give the order to prepare for her funeral!" Li Shimin waved his hand helplessly. Just then, another palace maid rushed over.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Princess Cuilian has come back to life!"

"You bastards! How dare you spread such rumors about the princess's death? Is she alive or dead?!" Changsun Wuji stepped forward and angrily shouted.

The palace maid was so frightened that she immediately knelt down: "Your Majesty, the princess did indeed die suddenly just now, but she came back to life shortly afterward. However, the princess has now gone mad."

"Call her here! Your Majesty, it is true that your sister is dead, but Liu Quan's wife has been resurrected in another's body. This is their fate!"

Ye Xuantian's words stunned everyone present, even Liu Quan was completely dumbfounded.

"My? Wife? Has she been resurrected in another's body?"

Liu Quan looked at Ye Xuantian and after a long while, he finally managed to utter this sentence.

“That’s right! Your Majesty!” Ye Xuantian exclaimed.

"Invite Princess Yuying over. I want to see what's going on."

Li Shimin had truly seen many grand occasions by now, and at this moment he had calmed down.

The eunuchs and palace maids immediately obeyed and left, returning shortly with a woman who appeared to be insane.

All you could hear was her muttering to herself, "I'm not a princess, my name is Li Cuilian! This isn't my home, you've really mistaken me for someone else."

"Cuilian?" Liu Quan rushed out and saw a beautiful woman struggling to break free from the restraints of the palace servants.

The woman was stunned when she saw Liu Quan, and then her face lit up with joy.

"Husband, is that you? Is it really you? Are you dead too? How could you be so foolish!" Li Cuilian threw herself into Liu Quan's arms, crying out.

"This isn't our home. Can we go back? I want to go back to our own home, not here."

(End of this chapter)