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

Chapter 195 Words of Reassurance
The six senses came with overwhelming force, seemingly intent on wiping out the pilgrims, but the outcome was tragically bleak, with none surviving.

Tang Sanzang saw all of this clearly and truly felt the power of the Monkey King. The Great Sage Equal to Heaven truly had a great reputation.

The traveler in mid-air looked at Tang Sanzang riding a white horse, seemingly lost in thought yet somewhat frightened, and immediately shook himself back to Tang Sanzang's side.

"Master, why do you look like this? What are you thinking about?"

“I’m thinking, what a good deed you did. If these six bandits hadn’t sought revenge, they probably wouldn’t have had the chance to be killed by you. If they hadn’t been killed by you, the villagers here would definitely have been misled.”

Tang Sanzang recalled the methods of the six people earlier: "Not only were their methods extraordinary, but their words were also incredibly persuasive. If it weren't for your extraordinary methods, Wukong, you would have been bewitched as well. One person bewitches two, two bewitches three, and three bewitches all living beings. The villagers here would have all fallen into depravity. Fortunately, you were here!"

The pilgrim stared at Tang Sanzang for a long time, until Tang Sanzang's ears turned red. He couldn't help but ask, "Wukong, is there something on my face?"

"There were no flowers, but I did see a monk who doesn't indulge in excessive compassion! This disciple is somewhat lost in thought."

Hearing the pilgrim's teasing, Tang Sanzang couldn't help but shake his head: "You monkey, you're always laughing at people. It's just that I've seen too much of human nature, so I can only admire what you've done. If you were a pedantic monk, how could you have been chosen to go to the Western Paradise to seek the true scriptures!"

Tang Sanzang's words were somewhat self-praiseworthy, so the Monkey King didn't say much more. After all, he was the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi and had been possessed by Mosquito Daoist. After going through many trials and tribulations, Tang Sanzang was no longer an ordinary person.

Suddenly, the traveler narrowed his eyes, clutched his stomach, and said, "Oh dear, Master, I don't know what I ate that upset my stomach. I need to relieve myself!"

Tang Sanzang waved his hand dismissively: "Go quickly, let's get going!"

Wukong immediately vanished in a flash, while Tang Sanzang put his hands together and said, "I am as tough as copper and as indestructible as diamond, but getting a stomachache is a really good excuse!"

Sun Wukong disappeared, only to reappear on a mountain ten thousand meters away: "Uncle-Master? What brings you here?"

Lu Ya sat on the edge of the cliff with a blade of grass between his teeth, talking to himself: "I originally thought I had a chance to take in the remnant spirit of Tian Bo Xun, but I never expected that Liu Boqin would almost kill Tian Bo Xun directly. I barely managed to keep a little bit, but you killed it with one blow. I had no choice but to follow you guys since I was a bit bored."

Lu Ya Dao Ren lay on the ground, looking down at the thin Wu Kong in front of him.

Lu Ya couldn't help but laugh: "I admit he knows more about Journey to the West than I do. You're amazing, little monkey, you managed to control the six senses all by yourself! It's truly an eye-opener for me, those are the six senses of a sage."

Lu Ya kept muttering to himself, while Wukong walked over and lay down next to Lu Ya.

"Uncle-Master, I am no longer a little monkey. I am a wisp of an ancient demon god. I am a demonic ape!"

"Oh! It seems your master has put a lot of effort into the six senses, even letting you know where you came from. Very good. Do you still want to go on the journey to the West, Lord Demon Ape?"

Faced with Lu Ya's teasing, Wukong couldn't help but laugh out loud: "All my skills were given to me by my master. Since my master didn't tell me to stop, I will naturally continue, even though I don't know what my master is planning."

"That's a real pity. I thought you would be so annoyed by Tang Sanzang's teasing that you would leave and go to the Dragon Palace of the East Sea to listen to the story of the Three Offerings of Shoes at Yiqiao Bridge that I had arranged for you. It's a very good story."

"Tang Sanzang experienced a lot and was not such a pedantic monk."

"Yes, so the East Sea Dragon Palace was arranged by me, by your master!"

Wukong quickly stood up: "Master, is there any order you need me to carry out?"

Seeing Wukong's expression, Lu Ya stood up helplessly: "Don't be nervous. Xuantian just asked me to come and get something, and also to chat with you."

Wukong immediately handed the joyful object over to Lu Ya.

"Of the six roots, only he truly survived this time. The others were either devoured by me or simply vanished without a trace."

"Yes, these eyes are still very useful. After all, it's very difficult to find another opportunity to create eyes like yours. Having them provides an extra layer of protection."

Lu Ya stared at the golden eyeball in his hand for a long time. Wukong's Golden Eye of Truth was formed by Wukong through a combination of various methods. Even so, it was still made possible by Laozi's furnace.

"Guarantee? What kind of guarantee is this, Uncle-Master?"

"Of course it's your life! The journey to the West is destined to be fraught with difficulties, and don't think that just because you are a chosen one, you will have a safe journey. There are many people who want to kill you, but don't worry, your master will do everything in his power to protect you."

Lu Ya's words made Wukong smile involuntarily, but he quickly suppressed his smile and continued, "Uncle-Master, why did Master ask you to chat with me?"

Wukong didn't think Ye Xuantian would be so bored as to actually ask Lu Ya to chat with him, unless...

"Of course, you need to give the person who wants to harm you enough time!"

Meanwhile, Tang Sanzang was sitting by the roadside packing his luggage when suddenly an elderly woman approached from a distance, carrying a cotton-padded coat with a flowered hat on it. Tang Sanzang stopped his prayer beads and quickly stood up when he saw the old woman getting closer.

"Where do you come from, elder? Why are you sitting here all alone?" Tang Sanzang replied, "This disciple is from the Great Tang Dynasty in the East, who has been ordered by the Emperor to travel to the Western Paradise to worship the Living Buddha and seek the true scriptures."

The old mother said, "The Western Buddha is located at the Great Thunder Temple in the border of India. It's a distance of 108,000 li. How can you go all alone?"

Tang Sanzang's gaze was fixed on the clothes and hat in his mother's hands: "I recently took on a disciple, who caught a chill in the cold and went to relieve himself."

The old woman stared at Tang Sanzang, then wiped away non-existent tears from the corners of her eyes: "It is indeed cold today. I do have a set of cotton clothes and a hat inlaid with gold flowers. They were originally used by my son. He only served as a monk for three days before he unfortunately died young. That's why I went to his temple to cry and asked for his clothes as a memento."

“Since the elder’s disciple caught a chill because of the cold weather, if my son saw this, he would surely feel compassion and take care of him. I’m only taking this set of clothes back as a souvenir, but if I give it to your disciple, it will keep him warm.”

“My disciple is quite skilled. If these clothes are only for keeping warm, they are probably not very useful,” Tang Sanzang said respectfully, his hands clasped together.

“It is indeed fate that we met. The master in the temple once passed on to me a set of incantations called the Mind-Stabilizing Mantra, also known as the Tightening Hoop Mantra. Give this robe and hat to your disciple. If he is disobedient, silently recite this mantra, and he will be obedient and compassionate.”

Tang Sanzang's eyes lit up. He firmly remembered the calming words his mother had taught him and bowed his head in gratitude.

The old mother, holding a seal with one hand, transformed into the form of Guanyin Bodhisattva: "Tang Sanzang, that Sun Wukong is the Great Sage Equal to Heaven who wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace five hundred years ago. He is unruly and may find it difficult to obtain the true scriptures. Although you are a mortal, you are devoted to Buddhism. You should teach Sun Wukong well and make sure he develops a compassionate heart."

"This disciple will humbly obey the Bodhisattva's decree!"

Tang Sanzang watched as the Bodhisattva transformed into golden light and vanished, then looked at the set of clothes and hat, and couldn't help but shake his head, thinking to himself, "The mantra for calming the mind, it's a pity that my Buddhist chess is one step behind."

Without a thought in his mind, Tang Sanzang closed his eyes and began to count the prayer beads again.

……

On the cliff, Lu Ya said, "The Bodhisattva should have left behind everything that should be left behind. When you go back, be careful not to wear it. If you really wear it, you will be a prisoner under the Buddhist sect, unable to become a Buddha and unable to remove your shackles."

Wukong's eyes were filled with ruthlessness: "You're full of false compassion, yet you dare to think you can bind me with a golden headband. You're underestimating me too much."

"That golden headband is no ordinary artifact; it was personally crafted by the Styx Ancestor. You must be extremely careful not to ruin your master's grand plan." Lu Ya was worried that Wukong might impulsively put it on, which would be disastrous.

Wukong suddenly held a golden headband: "Uncle-Master doesn't seem to know yet, but Master already told me and gave me a spare one. I definitely won't wear that headband."

Looking at the golden headband on Wukong's hand, Lu Ya finally realized that this headband was an extremely powerful force in Journey to the West and the greatest constraint on Wukong. Given Ye Xuantian's style of doing things, how could he really sit idly by?

Lu Ya: "What about the headband?"

“My master said that as long as I watch him chant the mantra, I should pretend to roll around like that.”

Lu Ya couldn't help but facepalm: "Your master is quite the liar, but what if Tang Sanzang doesn't cooperate? You wouldn't..."

Lu Ya stopped halfway through his sentence because he suddenly remembered that the story of Huang Shigong that he had arranged in the East Sea Dragon Palace had not been used.

"So Tang Sanzang has really changed, and he'll be willing to cooperate with you?"

“My master said that Tang Sanzang would give me a heads-up before reciting the Tightening-Headband Mantra, and wouldn’t shoot me in the dark for no reason. Also, I just told him that I have an upset stomach.”

Lu Ya waved his hand: "Alright, as long as he has arrangements, you can go."

"Yes!"

Wukong left, and Lu Ya looked in the direction where Wukong disappeared: "Xuantian, how many years and energy will it take you to make such connections and schemes? I don't know if you can break the predicament of the Journey to the West in the end, or where you can lead the human race to the heavens."

Lu Ya looked at the golden eyeball in his hand: "If Wukong is really the Chaos Demon Ape, then Liu Er is destined to be abandoned. So, is that why you have been distant from Liu Er from beginning to end?"

……

"Oh my, Master, where did you get these cotton-padded clothes and hat? They look really nice!"

Tang Sanzang watched as Wukong fiddled with the clothes and hat, a smile playing on his lips. He then asked with a grin, "Wukong, do you like it? Would you like to wear it?"

Tang Sanzang's question seemed casual, as if the cotton-padded clothes and golden hat were just ordinary clothes.

Upon hearing the question, Wukong stopped what he was doing, turned to Tang Sanzang, and asked, "Master, in your opinion, should I wear these clothes or not?"

(End of this chapter)