Investiture of the Gods: I am Bigan, the Master of Conspiracy

Chapter 180 Offering Sacrifices to Hongjun, Wukong Breaks into the Temple

Since Sun Wukong was bestowed the title of Great Sage Equaling Heaven, this name resounded like thunder throughout the Heavenly Court and beyond.

From then on, Sun Wukong, wearing the armor he obtained from the Dragon Palace of the East Sea, a phoenix-winged purple-gold crown, cloud-walking boots, and holding the Ruyi Jingu Bang (golden cudgel), swaggered around the Heavenly Court.

Wherever he went, the celestial officials bowed and paid their respects, and the heavenly soldiers and generals all looked at him with awe.

Sun Wukong walked freely and unrestrainedly along the corridor next to the originally solemn and majestic Lingxiao Palace.

His arrogant footprints were also left on the fairy path outside the Peach Garden.

Wherever he went, the immortals treated him with courtesy, and the repeated calls of "Great Sage Equal to Heaven" made Sun Wukong overjoyed.

Upon his arrival at the South Heavenly Gate, the celestial soldiers and generals on duty hurriedly and respectfully opened the city gate, their faces beaming with smiles, and shouted, "Welcome, Great Sage Equal to Heaven!"

On the shore of Yaochi, I happened to encounter several fairy maidens holding flower baskets, about to pick fairy flowers.

Upon seeing Sun Wukong arrive, they were terrified and bowed deeply in respect.

Sun Wukong laughed heartily and said, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, I, Old Sun, don't eat people."

Seeing their terrified expressions, Sun Wukong felt even more powerful and invincible, thinking that the people of Heaven were nothing special.

Upon arriving at the Tongming Hall, he found a group of celestial officials gathered together discussing matters. Upon seeing him, they immediately stopped talking and bowed in unison.

All of this caused Sun Wukong's confidence to swell rapidly, like an inflating balloon.

In Sun Wukong's eyes, the Heavenly Court had lost its former sacred majesty, and those immortals and gods were nothing but empty shells.

The awe I once felt for the Heavenly Court has long since vanished, replaced by an endless arrogance that has grown from the depths of my heart.

Now, Sun Wukong felt that he had surpassed all the gods and immortals. It seemed that there was nothing in the Heavenly Court that could make Sun Wukong fear. It was as if the entire world was under Sun Wukong's control.

At this moment, in Chaoge, people were discussing the matter of revising the Investiture of the Gods and the increasingly arrogant behavior of Sun Wukong in the Heavenly Court.

Yunxiao's eyes were full of curiosity as she looked at Yin Ziyu and asked softly, "Ziyu, why did Buddhism arrange Sun Wukong like this? If they let him act so recklessly, wouldn't he become a laughing stock in the Three Realms?"

The Holy Mother Jinling also asked curiously, "This Sun Wukong is only so powerful, yet he can swagger around in the Heavenly Court. If this continues, how will it end in the future?"

Yin Ziyu remained calm, his gaze piercing through layers of space as he looked towards the Heavenly Court. He said indifferently, "When Buddhism creates a lie, it needs to pave the way with countless other lies, ultimately leading to a path of no return. In their view, everything comes first in the Journey to the West. As long as the Journey to the West can be successfully completed, everything else seems to be negligible. They are willing to pay any price, and Sun Wukong is that price!"

After listening, Yunxiao nodded slightly, seemingly lost in thought, and said, "Ziyu is right. If we let Sun Wukong lose his original essence during these hundreds of years of turmoil, we must never let him know the true Three Realms. Otherwise, all our plans will be in vain."

What would happen if Sun Wukong dispersed his original essence and learned the true nature of the Three Realms?
Can Sun Wukong still be obedient? Can he still be grateful to Subhuti?
In Yin Ziyu's eyes, Sun Wukong is Truman in The Truman Show.

Everything was a performance centered around him. Sun Wukong knew nothing about the entire Three Realms. This was destined from the very beginning when Sun Wukong's original essence was scattered.

However, if he were to truly go and impart the knowledge of stabilizing the origin of the Chaos Gods and Demons, then Sun Wukong, who at that time had insight into the Three Realms, would naturally know the weight of this cause and effect, and would certainly repay this cause and effect, with no further connection.

If you were to ask him to go on the Journey to the West again, it would be as difficult as ascending to heaven, because Sun Wukong's stable origin makes him the only innate god and demon in the Three Realms, and he would not risk his promising future.

Therefore, achieving this step is the result of Zhunti's long-term deduction.

If the sage were in the Three Realms, this problem wouldn't arise. The problem is that the sage is not in the Three Realms, and the opponents in Journey to the West are so powerful.

A primordial deity or demon who is born into the Great Luo realm is absolutely beyond the control of Buddhism.

At this point, Sun Wukong must have achieved a state of mental perfection, and a mentally perfect Sun Wukong would inevitably have his own thoughts and weigh the pros and cons.

Knowing that Yin Ziyu had a powerful reputation, they naturally wouldn't take the risk easily. Even if they were to reluctantly go on the journey to the West, what price would Buddhism have to pay?
This is the essence: for Sun Wukong to achieve perfect enlightenment, Buddhism must offer an immense amount of fortune and merit. There is no doubt that this is inevitable.

Even if it's to repay the karmic debt and give up some benefits, it won't be much, because the birth of the stone monkey shook the three realms. If you don't teach him, someone else will.

If you stop others and teach them yourself, then even if there is any cause and effect, it will be very little.

Therefore, using the fully-formed Sun Wukong to retrieve the scriptures was a price that Buddhism could not afford. Thus, after the original essence was dispersed, this great cause and effect was generated again. So, in order not to make Sun Wukong hold a grudge, the only option was to continue to maintain the relationship with lies.

As for the possibility that Yin Ziyu might expose them, the Buddhist sect, the Chan sect, and the Ren sect naturally have a series of preparations in place.

They were well aware that disrupting Sun Wukong's journey to the West would hinder the general trend of Heaven's will, and Yin Ziyu would absolutely not take such a risk!
In the game of the Three Realms Calamity, everyone knows Yin Ziyu's divine schemes and exposes Sun Wukong's deeds, and everyone knows that Yin Ziyu would never do such a thing.

If they did it, fundamentally destroying Journey to the West, then they could use it to get rid of Yin Ziyu.

It can be said that this flaw is also a trap. These are all sages. How could they not know such an obvious flaw?

The countless beings in the Three Realms are vast in some ways, but in reality, there are very few at the very top of the pyramid. If Yin Ziyu doesn't expose them, no one else will expose Sun Wukong's Truman Show.

Upon hearing Yunxiao's words, Yin Ziyu's eyes flashed with pity as he said, "That's right. Creating a false spiritual core for Sun Wukong may seem glorious, but in reality, it traps him in an illusory dream. In the end, he's nothing more than a pitiful person."

Yin Ziyu will not expose Sun Wukong's true nature in The Truman Show, but he has prepared a foundation for Sun Wukong. Whether he can see through it or not depends on Sun Wukong himself.

On Mount Ling, auspicious light and mist intertwined, and chanting echoed. Yet, at this moment, the faces of all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas were shrouded in a look of hidden worry.

This was all because Sun Wukong was becoming increasingly arrogant and unruly in the Heavenly Court. Although all of this was arranged by the Buddhist sect, the fact that it went so smoothly made all the Buddhas of Mount Ling frown.

The Buddhist sect did indeed make a series of arrangements for Sun Wukong, basically elevating him and giving him a false sense of authority.
The Buddha sat high on a twelve-petaled golden lotus, his gaze deep and solemn, and slowly spoke: "Wukong has been indulging himself recklessly in the Heavenly Court, and Haotian and Yaochi have simply turned a blind eye. As a result, some of the methods that I had carefully prepared beforehand have become useless. Not to mention that Haotian and Yaochi just witnessed the Dao Ancestor revising the Investiture of the Gods, and now they are so indulgent towards Wukong. I really can't fathom what their plans are."

As for Haotian Yaochi, whose cultivation is equal to that of Tathagata, it is impossible for Tathagata to deduce the two of them. Guanyin Bodhisattva put her hands together and said softly, "Amitabha, I would like to report to the Buddha. In my humble opinion, the Great Heavenly Venerable Haotian knows that Wukong is the one destined to face the tribulation in the Journey to the West. With his supernatural powers, if he were to be forcibly restrained, he would probably be entangled in karma, which would have endless consequences. Therefore, he chose to stay out of it as much as possible and not be involved in any karma. This may be the reason why he indulges Wukong."

After hearing this, the Buddha said in a deep voice, "This humble monk originally intended to use Wukong's havoc in the Heavenly Palace to achieve a certain goal. However, Haotian, Yaochi, and Bigan formed an alliance, so this humble monk did not discuss this matter with Haotian. But now it seems that Haotian's actions are actually helping this humble monk to achieve his goal, which is truly unbelievable."

After all, when it came to the plan to wreak havoc in the Heavenly Palace, Buddha was merely considering whether or not to do it, not whether or not to do it. Now, without even consulting Haotian, he has directly assisted him.

At this moment, Dipankara Buddha slowly opened his eyes and said, "Buddha, Bi Gan recently went to the Heavenly Court to help Emperor Xin out of his predicament. He may have discussed things with Haotian during that time. Now it seems that Haotian's actions are a scheme to use against us. He wants to use Wukong to undermine the Heavenly Court's prestige and then find an opportunity to plot against the Chan Sect. After all, the two Great Heavenly Venerables just asked the Dao Ancestor to revise the Investiture of the Gods, which may be related to this matter. If that is the case, it will not be a big problem for our Buddhist sect."

The Buddha naturally understood the deeper meaning behind this "playing along" strategy, and nodded slightly, saying, "If that were all, it would be fine. However, I fear that Bigan has even more unfathomable schemes. Now that the great calamity has arrived, the secrets of heaven are heavily shrouded, and even with the cultivation levels of Bigan, Haotian, and myself, we are unable to deduce their whereabouts. At this very moment, the sages are all discussing the important matter of revising the Investiture of the Gods in Zixiao Palace, so we must be extremely cautious."

Guanyin Bodhisattva bowed slightly and asked, "Amitabha, how about this humble monk makes a trip to the Heavenly Court? If the other side truly has any schemes, this humble monk can make timely adjustments. What does the Buddha think?"

The Buddha nodded slightly, his eyes showing approval, and said, "Very well, then I will trouble you, Venerable Guanyin. On your journey, you must be careful and discerning, and keep a close eye on all the movements of the Heavenly Court."

In the Peach Garden, wisps of celestial mist rise, and the peaches gleam with an alluring, tempting light that makes one's mouth water.

After enjoying a hearty meal, Sun Wukong casually found a lush peach tree, leaned against its trunk, and took a nap.

His body lay diagonally on the tree trunk, one leg bent and the other straight, with his Ruyi Jingu Bang (magic staff) casually placed beside him. The snoring sound was deafening, startling the celestial birds in the surrounding trees into flapping their wings and taking flight.

Just then, a burst of silvery laughter and cheerful voices came from afar, breaking the tranquility of the Peach Garden.

The seven fairies moved with light, graceful steps, their figures as elegant as seven colorful clouds drifting in.

The seven fairies, dressed in colorful robes that fluttered in the breeze, each carrying an exquisite flower basket, chatted as they walked, praising the ripe peaches that filled the garden.

"Look, these peaches are ripe again, each one plump and full."

"Yes, the Queen Mother of the West will be delighted; these peaches are all carefully cultivated."

"What's this? The most precious ones are the Ren Water Peaches of Immortality. Compared to them, these peaches aren't even worth a single peach fuzz."

As the seven fairies spoke, they arrived at a secluded spot in the Peach Garden.

This place seems no different from other places, yet it exudes a mysterious aura.

The leading fairy took out the Queen Mother's golden hairpin and began chanting incantations.

The golden hairpin shone brightly, like a key, slowly unlocking the entrance to a secret realm that was invisible to the naked eye.

In an instant, light shone everywhere, and a dreamlike scene was faintly revealed in the secret realm, with a strange fragrance wafting out.

This sudden turn of events instantly woke Sun Wukong from his afternoon nap.

Sun Wukong sat up with a start, rubbing his sleepy eyes, his fiery eyes full of curiosity.

"There's such a hidden place in this Peach Garden, what are they going in there for?"

Unable to contain his curiosity, Sun Wukong flipped over and silently followed, ready to find out what was going on.

Sun Wukong rushed toward the secret realm with great anxiety, but as soon as he got close, the entrance to the secret realm closed as if it were a fleeting moment, leaving him scratching his head in frustration.

Sun Wukong circled the seemingly ordinary place several times, wishing he could use his golden cudgel to pry open the space and see what secrets were hidden inside.

Just as Sun Wukong was filled with resentment, as if by miracle, the closed secret realm reopened without warning.

The figures of the seven fairies emerged from within, one of their flower baskets now containing two peaches of unbelievable color and fragrance, and their bodies were surrounded by wisps of mysterious aura.

These are peaches that Sun Wukong has never seen or smelled before. Don't underestimate the allure of peaches to monkeys.

Upon seeing this, Sun Wukong immediately used a spell to freeze the person in place without saying a word.

In an instant, an invisible force, like a surging undercurrent, swept towards the seven fairies.

However, just as it was about to touch the Seven Fairies, the Queen Mother's golden hairpin suddenly emitted a dazzling light, like an indestructible shield, forcefully blocking the immobilization spell. The backlash even made Sun Wukong's arm go slightly numb.

The seven fairies turned pale instantly and exclaimed in unison, "Oh no! We have to go!"

After saying this, the seven fairies flashed and transformed into seven dazzling rays of light, disappearing as swiftly as shooting stars.

But Sun Wukong was not about to give up. He was deeply attracted by the fragrance of the peaches of the Renshui River wafting from the Seven Fairy Maidens' flower basket. The exotic fragrance made Sun Wukong's heart itch unbearably, and his curiosity was aroused to the extreme.

Sun Wukong couldn't help but wonder to himself, "What kind of peach is this? Why does the Peach Garden have such a magical thing? Compared to this, the peaches from the Peach Garden that are nine thousand years old are nothing more than ordinary peaches."

Without further hesitation, they followed the Seven Fairy Maidens closely, determined to get to the bottom of the matter.

Before long, the seven fairies arrived at a temple.

The temple is ancient and weathered, exuding a mysterious and timeless atmosphere. Above the temple gate, three large characters are prominently displayed: Hongjun Temple.

The seven fairies did not stop at all and walked straight into the temple.

Sun Wukong didn't know who Hongjun was. No matter who he was, he was not as great as the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. He instantly transformed into a mosquito and flew in to see what the two peaches were and why they didn't let him, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, know.

(End of this chapter)