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

Chapter 150 Life and death are both flaws
"Your name is Jin Chanzi, right?"

Ye Xuantian's question left Xiangliang speechless for a long time, until finally a bitter smile appeared on Xiangliang's lips.

"I thought I had hidden it very well, but I don't know how the sage discovered it."

Upon hearing that Sagara had admitted to being Jin Chanzi, Ye Xuantian's expression became even more serious.

"Although I don't know how the Buddha did it, I know that even if I did enough during this period and the Tang Dynasty's national fortune reached an unprecedented peak, it was not enough to cause too many changes in the human race in a short period of time, especially for ordinary people."

Sagara looked at his hands: "So the sage has truly achieved perfect foresight, which is why he pays so much attention to my body?"

"That's not true."

"Huh?" Xiangliang was dumbfounded. According to what had happened, Ye Xuantian would only be able to perceive the changes in himself if he could calculate this world to the level of the Dao Ancestor or the Heavenly Dao. If not, then where did things go wrong?

"Human strength has its limits, not to mention that I am not as powerful as the Dao Ancestor and the Heavenly Dao. Therefore, ordinary people will not enter my chessboard unless even ordinary people have exceptionally strong luck and can influence the game. Otherwise, it is difficult for me to pay attention to them."

“But the Sage found my body and borrowed a treasury of gold and silver for the Tang Emperor. I thought that from the very beginning, the Sage had been suspicious of my body,” Xiang Liang said.

"If I were to say, I have no idea who Sagara is. The reason I found your body is because I wanted to be lazy," Ye Xuantian said with a wry smile.

This time, Ye Xuantian was not being modest. As he said, he was not the Heavenly Dao and could not possibly spread all the causal threads to connect this world. What he said to Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun was also true, but he wanted to accept this strand of merit under the great calamity.

As for other things, they were not within his consideration.

"However, the sage still managed to guess it."

"I have to thank this world for guiding me. Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun is paying too much attention to your body, so much so that even if I wanted to ignore it, it would be impossible. You know, Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun once tried to snatch your soul into reincarnation, so he sensed it in the darkness. The longer he stays here, the more deductions I will naturally make."

"Is it because the Celestial Venerable stayed behind that the Sage was able to guess my identity?"

"That's not it. I was just thinking, what kind of person would have so much merit in the underworld, and it's even a future deposit? In this world, to be able to bring back an emperor's soul without being affected by him, one must be a person of great fortune. To be honest, I've thought about it for a long time and can only think of the Master."

As Ye Xuantian's voice fell, the golden body behind Xiangliang began to faintly appear.

"Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot! Master, you shouldn't be so determined to die. I now possess the essence of battle and the essence of desire. Even if you mobilize the savings of your underworld, you are no match for me. Moreover, I know that the reason you agreed to join Xiangguo Temple was to take advantage of the Tang Dynasty's national fortune to turn the tide. But unfortunately, not long ago, the National Fortune Cauldron was connected with the National Fortune Golden Dragon, and now that National Fortune Golden Dragon is my mount."

Upon hearing this, Sagara let out a deep breath. Ye Xuantian had already seen through his true colors, so he withdrew his golden body.

"What does that sage want from me?"

“Hand over the original essence of Buddhism, and continue to be the abbot of Xiangguo Temple, and continue to do good deeds and accumulate merit.”

"I didn't! Since the Sage doesn't intend to kill me, I'm going back so my wife won't worry." Sagara sat down on the ground and began to meditate cross-legged. A series of Buddhist chants rang out, and the dream barrier in the area began to loosen.

"The Buddha and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva joined forces to stage a play of the true and false Jin Chanzi for me and the Styx Ancestor. Even Guanyin Bodhisattva cooperated with me to stage a play of being unable to resist and ultimately leaving with regret. Wasn't all this so that the Dharma Master could defeat the current Chen Xuanzang head-on at the Water and Land Assembly, cause his Buddhist heart to collapse, and then the Dharma Master could take his place?"

As Ye Xuantian spoke, his tone became increasingly serious: "What kind of Golden Cicada could face the fate of the nation head-on, accept the commission from the current Tang Emperor, and even prevent me from killing him, thus embarking on the journey to the west? Only a Golden Cicada imbued with the Buddhist essence of Mahayana Buddhism could do that, am I right?"

Xiangliang's chanting stopped abruptly. He stood up, looked at Ye Xuantian, and asked the question that had been troubling him the most: "Why does the Sage insist on sending his own people on the journey to the West, refusing to give the Western Paradise even the slightest chance of survival?"

"During this time, Master, you have been residing in this mortal body. You probably don't understand that the Buddha has now been possessed by the Styx Ancestor. The quieter Mount Ling in the Western Paradise is, the stronger the Styx Ancestor's control over the Buddha. Even Guanyin Bodhisattva, if I hadn't intervened, would have long since become a puppet of the Desire Realm. If you truly accept the merit of your journey to the West and become the greatest chosen one, then Mount Ling will become the opening for the Asura lineage to break free of the seal again, and the Asura lineage will sweep across the Three Realms."

"With the Heavenly Dao above, I don't believe it will sit idly by!"

"But the truth is that the Golden Cicada that the Buddha had left on the surface was possessed by the Mosquito Taoist. I tried twice but failed to completely eliminate him. If I hadn't had a handle on Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva that allowed him to take action, the Mosquito Taoist would have completely merged with the Golden Cicada on the surface and confirmed his identity as the Chosen One."

"That's because Heaven knew that the Golden Cicada was an imposter, and used the hands of a sage to eliminate him!"

"As I said, even after using two methods, I still couldn't completely eliminate him."

Ye Xuantian's resounding words left Sagara stunned for a long time.

"The sage now possesses two fundamental sources, and has not been able to completely kill him."

"Didn't the monk say that he is backed by the Heavenly Dao?" Ye Xuantian rephrased Xiang Liang's previous words and returned them to him.

“And what about me?” Sagara pointed to himself: “Since the sage knows that I possess the essence of Mahayana Buddhism, why doesn’t he put me out in the open?”

"Because you have the seven emotions and six desires, you are no longer a pure Buddhist disciple, a Dharma Master with weaknesses, and can no longer bear the karma of this eon."

"This is all your imagination. I am Jin Chanzi, a disciple of Buddha. My Buddhist heart, which has undergone ten reincarnations, is indestructible." Jin Chanzi would not allow Ye Xuantian to slander his faith like this, and immediately roared.

Ye Xuantian's brow furrowed with desire, and the scene began to change. Xiang Liang awoke from his dream, and his wife immediately stepped forward: "Husband, what's wrong with you? If you're sleepy, go to sleep. Why are you dozing off at your desk?"

Xiangliang immediately took Xiang's wife's hand and looked her over carefully for a long time: "Wife, are you alright? Has no one done anything to you?"

"Is my husband having a nightmare? With so many soldiers guarding the outside and General Yuchi backing us up, who would dare to lay a hand on us at this time? They must have eaten the gall of a bear and the heart of a leopard!"

The lady of the Xiang family casually picked up a towel and began wiping the sweat from Xiang Liang's brow: "What kind of dream did you have that scared you so much?"

The lady of the Xiang family was very realistic in every move she made, and her eyes were full of love. Xiang Liang frowned slightly, also wanting to know what he had dreamed about, but no matter how much he pounded his head, he couldn't remember.

The Prime Minister's wife grabbed his hand with concern: "Husband, what are you doing? Since it's a nightmare, just stop thinking about it. Judging from your appearance earlier, did you dream that I was killed?"

These words truly awakened him from his reverie. Sagara finally remembered something, abruptly shaking off his wife's hand and saying, "Yes, I am a Buddhist disciple, I am Jin Chanzi. I should not be swayed by the seven emotions and six desires. My Buddhist heart is unwavering; no one can sway me. Stay away from me." Sagara recalled being questioned about the steadfastness of his Buddhist heart before being thrown away. Although he couldn't recall Ye Xuantian's appearance, he remembered the anger in his heart.

But the moment he uttered the last word, it felt as if a piece of his heart was missing, and he looked at the woman in front of him.

At this moment, the wife of the Xiang family was heartbroken. She had thought that her husband might change, but she never thought that Xiang Liang would become like this.

Buddhist disciple!

They have no emotions or desires.

The lady of the Xiang family remembered what she had said to Xiang Liang that day, and immediately composed herself, a smile returning to her face: "Husband, are you hungry? I'll go make you something to eat!"

After saying that, the lady of the Xiang family walked outside.

But the image of the injured lady from the Xiang family was already deeply etched in Xiang Liang's heart. He immediately rushed over and hugged her from behind.

"My wife, you must understand my predicament. I came into this world with my own mission, and I am afraid that I cannot grow old with you. If there is an afterlife, I will not ask for any identity, I only wish to be with my wife forever!"

The lady of the Xiang family broke free from Xiang Liang's embrace, turned around, and grasped Xiang Liang's hand: "My husband is a man of great stature and ambition. How could he succumb to worldly desires because of me? I firmly believe every word my husband says. If my husband is a Buddhist, he should not be moved by emotions. I am willing to die for my husband!"

After saying that, the lady of the Xiang family ran out.

The words of the lady from the Xiang family were so decisive that Xiang Liang didn't react for a moment. By the time he chased after her, she had already disappeared.

A soldier stepped forward and told Sagara the direction his wife had gone, and Sagara chased after her without hesitation.

"Since you refuse to admit that you are already bound by worldly ties, then let you see for yourself how much you have succumbed to depravity."

The soldier gradually transformed into Ye Xuantian's appearance, and the source of desire between his brows shone even brighter at this moment.

On the edge of the cliff, Xiang's wife wept, her face streaked with tears. Xiang Liang caught up, panting heavily. When he saw Xiang's wife standing on the edge of the cliff, his heart leaped into his throat.

“My wife, don’t do anything foolish! Although I am a Buddhist, if I cannot even save you and instead let you commit suicide and go to the eighteenth level of hell, wouldn’t I be committing a heinous crime?”

The sincerity in Xiang Liang's words seemed genuine, and it truly touched Xiang's wife, who looked puzzled at this moment.

"If I commit suicide, will it affect my husband?"

"Of course, Buddhism teaches to guide people to enlightenment. If you can convert, it will be a meritorious deed for me. But if I lead you to your death, wouldn't that be my sin? My wife, please keep your promise as before, live a quiet life as an ordinary person, and die peacefully in your sleep. Please don't do anything foolish!"

Xiangliang's words made Xiang's wife hesitate, and a conflicted look appeared on her face: "But if I exist, it will be a test for your desires, and a weakness for you. Sins can be forgiven, but as long as the weakness exists, it will be detrimental to you, won't it?"

Sagara was stunned when he heard this. He had never imagined that his wife would have such a theory. Even though Sagara had a lot of thoughts in his mind, it was not appropriate to say them at this moment.

But sometimes, silence without an answer is also an answer.

"So, I was right. Now, my husband has become attached to me. In that case, I am his weakness. If my death is a sin to my husband, then that sin can always be forgiven. But as long as I live, my weakness means that my husband will always be able to use this weakness against him."

As the lady of the Xiang family was about to jump, Xiang Liang quickly shouted, "Wait, my lady! If you die, I will live with guilt every day. Wouldn't that be another flaw in my defense?"

Upon hearing this, the Prime Minister's wife's face showed even more conflict.

"My being alive is a flaw to my husband, and my being dead is a flaw to his mind. Am I destined to become a stumbling block on my husband's road to success?"

Forehead!
Sagara was truly speechless at this point. He felt that his wife had led him into a dead end, and for a long time he couldn't come up with a good explanation.

“My lord, if my life or death is your weakness, then I must give you a choice. If I live in guilt every day, time will eventually erase the trace of my existence in your heart. Moreover, the Buddha’s teachings are profound and there are always ways to deal with one’s state of mind. It is better than the present situation.”

After saying that, the lady of the Xiang family jumped down without any hesitation.

"No!"

Sagara let out a heart-wrenching scream and ran to the edge of the cliff to look down, but there was no trace of Sagara's wife.

The Prime Minister's wife made her own choice.

Sagara sat on the edge of the cliff, lost in thought for a long time.

He didn't understand why things had turned out this way when he woke up.

He returned home dejectedly. Yuchi Gong came to comfort him after hearing the news, but Xiangliang had no time to pay attention to Yuchi Gong.

He spent his days drinking in his room, seemingly having forgotten all about being a Buddhist disciple or having a Buddhist heart.

He would even wake up in a fright every time he fell asleep, unable to forget the image of his wife. Day after day, he lost his fighting spirit and ambition until his life came to an end.

At the same time, Guanyin Bodhisattva walked up to him and said, "Jin Chanzi, have you forgotten your mission?"

“Mission? What mission? My wife is dead, she died for my mission! To hell with mission!” he roared.

"So, you still succumbed, didn't you?" Ye Xuantian's figure slowly appeared in front of him, his eyes devoid of any emotion.

(End of this chapter)