Journey to the West: Please Call Me the White Bone Demon

It took half a month of hard work.

Outside the Zichen Palace in the Imperial City.

Tang Sanzang was finally allowed to enter the palace for an audience.

I am exhausted both physically and mentally from this journey.

After being released from the slave register for the second time, the Dharma Protector Garan and the Six Ding and Six Jia resolved that they could no longer allow him to be tormented by mortals at will, otherwise how could they obtain the scriptures?

They secretly appeared to him, first making the innkeeper recognize him as a "holy monk from the East," and then having the abbot of the city's great temple personally welcome him to stay. The vegetarian meals were clean, the monk's robes were brand new, he was given a fragrant bath, and servants waited on him, finally restoring him to some semblance of dignity.

However, getting an audience with the "King" proved to be another complicated matter.

The Kingdom of Baoxiang has long been without a king, with only Regent Yunzhao holding absolute power.

To request an audience with the Regent, one had to pass through multiple layers of official channels, including the Ministry of Rites, the Court of State Ceremonies, and the Inner Palace Attendants Bureau.

Tang Sanzang presented his visiting card, introducing himself as "the monk from the Great Tang Dynasty on his pilgrimage to the East," requesting an audience solely to report on the abduction of the princess by the monster of Wanzishan.

The officials of the Ministry of Rites interrogated him for ten days. First, they said that the regent was busy with official duties. Then they said that his identity needed to be verified. They also said that how could a monk on his pilgrimage be alone? There must be something fishy going on.

Every morning, Tang Sanzang would go to the Honglu Temple to wait, and would only return empty-handed as the sun set, his legs numb and his mind and body exhausted.

The Dharma Protector was so anxious that he kept sighing. He dared not openly display his power, so he could only secretly fan the flames: first, he had the children in the city sing "The Holy Monk from the East has come to Baoxiang," then he had the monks in the temples jointly write a letter, and finally, a retired prime minister received "Buddha's instructions" in a dream. After waking up, he submitted a memorial to protect the monk, saying that the monk had a Buddha's light between his eyebrows and was definitely not an ordinary person.

After more than twenty days of this ordeal, Tang Sanzang finally received the imperial decree—allowing him to enter the palace for an audience.

On this day, he changed into a brand-new monk's robe specially made by the temple, wore a Vairocana crown, and cloud-patterned shoes. He was led by an official from the Court of State Ceremonial and walked into the palace.

Along the way, imperial guards stood tall and the palace walls were imposing. Tang Sanzang was filled with trepidation, yet a glimmer of hope ignited within him: if he could meet the king, explain the matter of Princess Baihuaxiu, and request an army to go to Wanzishan to exterminate the demon, his two disciples would be rescued, and he himself could continue his journey westward.

Inside the Zichen Palace, everything was resplendent with gold and jade.

Yun Zhao sat high on the throne, wearing a crimson python robe, a golden crown, and a jade belt. His expression was gentle, and his demeanor was dignified.

The prince and his civil and military officials stood in two rows, each dressed impeccably, yet their eyes held scrutiny and curiosity.

Tang Sanzang was led into the hall and knelt down to pay his respects:

"This humble monk, Xuanzang, was ordered by the Emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty to travel west to India to obtain Buddhist scriptures. While passing through Wanzishan in your country, he was kidnapped by the monster Yellow Robe Monster."

Fortunately, Princess Baihuaxiu of your country rescued me, and I was able to escape.

The princess said that she was kidnapped from Baoxiang Kingdom by a monster thirteen years ago. She begged the humble monk to return to the country and report to His Majesty, requesting that troops be dispatched to exterminate the monster and rescue the princess.

This humble monk has come before Your Majesty to humbly beg for Your Majesty's grace!

After he finished speaking, the entire hall fell silent.

A moment later, someone chuckled softly, followed by a wave of laughter.

An elderly minister with gray hair and beard in the front row covered his mouth and chuckled, while a young military officer in the back row laughed so hard he almost fell over. Even the eunuchs in the corner of the hall couldn't help but lower their heads and shrug.

Tang Sanzang knelt on the ground and looked up in astonishment.

Yun Zhao, in his avatar, sat high above, a gentle smile on his face, but a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes.

He gently raised his hand, and the laughter in the hall subsided slightly, though a few soft chuckles still lingered.

"Holy monk, please rise."

Yun Zhao's voice was gentle, and he personally offered a hand to help her up, "Someone, please have a seat."

The eunuch brought over a prayer mat, and Tang Sanzang thanked the eunuch and sat down, still looking bewildered.

Yun Zhao said slowly and deliberately, "Holy Monk, you have had a long and arduous journey. I have long heard of the story of the eminent monk from the East traveling to the West and I admire him greatly. However, I have some doubts about what the Holy Monk said... Princess Baihuaxiu was abducted by a demon thirteen years ago."

He paused, then looked around at his ministers: "My esteemed ministers, do you still remember such a princess?"

Another low chuckle rippled through the hall.

The Minister of Personnel stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, the late King did indeed have three princesses. The eldest princess married into the northern border, the second princess died young, and the third princess… it is said that she drowned while boating on a lake thirteen years ago. The late King was devastated, and the entire nation wore mourning clothes for three months. This matter is known to everyone in the court and among the people. How can there be any claim that she was abducted by a monster?"

The Vice Minister of Rites continued, "Moreover, the late king has been dead for several years, and the affairs of state are all in the hands of the regent. The holy monk entered the country alone, without any documents to prove his identity, and he also spoke of a demon princess. I'm afraid he has believed rumors from the streets, or... he may have ulterior motives."

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the hall immediately turned cold.

Tang Sanzang was struck dumb, his face turning deathly pale: "My lords, you misunderstand! Every word I have spoken is true. Princess Baihua Xiu herself said that she was captured by the Yellow Robe Monster for thirteen years..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by an even louder burst of laughter.

A young scholar couldn't help but exclaim, "Holy Monk, you have quite the imagination! Thirteen years ago, the princess drowned, and her body was never found. Yet you claim she was abducted by a demon to be his wife? You dare to bring such a story from a folktale to the imperial palace?"

"Hahaha, perhaps that demon saw how handsome the holy monk was and wanted to trick him into entering the cave to marry him?"

The hall was filled with laughter, with civil and military officials laughing so hard they were almost falling over, some even slapping their thighs and laughing until tears streamed down their faces.

Tang Sanzang knelt on the prayer mat, feeling his blood rush to his head and his mind buzzing. He had spent his life studying the classics, worshipping Buddha, and doing good deeds, and was respected wherever he went. He had never suffered such humiliation. The laughter that filled the hall cut into his heart like a knife.

His voice trembled as he said, "Gentlemen... every word I've spoken is gold. The princess also said that her father..."

Yun Zhao's avatar finally spoke, his voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable authority: "Enough."

The hall fell silent instantly.

Yun Zhao looked at Tang Sanzang and said, "Holy Monk, I believe you are not a member of the demon faction."

But you entered the country alone, without any documentation, and you are making such absurd claims. It is possible that you were frightened during your journey, lost your mind, or were bewitched by a monster.

"I cannot bear to see the holy monk's journey to the West thwarted, but the laws of the land cannot be disregarded."

He turned to a Jinyiwei official on his left: "Imperial Attendants Bureau, listen to my orders. Temporarily house the Holy Monk and keep him under close guard. Do not neglect him. Send someone to the Tang Dynasty to verify his identity. If he is indeed a high-ranking monk from the East, he shall be escorted with the highest honors. If he speaks falsely... he shall be punished for disrupting the court."

The eunuch obeyed, and several guards stepped forward: "Holy Monk, please?"

His words were gentle, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.

Tang Sanzang was helpless, knowing that at this point it would be very difficult to convince the other party.

Yet he still refused to give up: "Regent! Every word I have spoken is true! I beg you, Regent, to investigate thoroughly! The princess is still suffering in the demon's cave, and my two disciples have also been kidnapped..."

The sound faded into the distance; the person had been ushered out of the hall.

Laughter rang out again inside the Zichen Palace.

"The Regent is wise! This monk must be insane!"

"A princess from the previous dynasty? Haha, what does a princess from the previous dynasty have to do with my current dynasty!"

Yun Zhao smiled slightly and raised his hand to quell the commotion: "Court adjourned."

The officials shouted "Long live the Emperor!" and filed out.

"Tang Sanzang, you sought troops to rescue the princess, but little did you know that this Baoxiang Kingdom was already under my rule, Yun Zhao's."

"Baihua Xiu? This is an old story from thirteen years ago, and it involves the former king. It's a sensitive matter these days; who dares to ask too many questions?"

Yun Zhao felt relaxed and happy. This simulation had already kept Tang Sanzang occupied for almost two months, and it might be able to drag it out for another month or so. Who knew how generous the rewards would be then?

Tang Sanzang was taken to a quiet courtyard.

Although he was not mistreated, he was heavily guarded by soldiers, and it was clear that he would not be allowed to leave easily.

At this moment, his mind was filled with the bursts of laughter from the hall.

"They...don't they believe me at all?"

"Regarding the princess, the court and the public alike believe she drowned..."

"Now that we're imprisoned here, we don't even know what's become of Bajie and Wujing. How are we supposed to retrieve the scriptures?"

Tang Sanzang was filled with bitterness, and tears silently streamed down his face.

The celestial guardians, Garan and the Six Ding and Six Jia, watched all this from the clouds, each sighing in dismay.

"What should we do about this calamity?"

"Without that mischievous monkey, Tang Sanzang would be unable to move an inch."

"The Buddha decreed that the pilgrim must endure eighty-one tribulations. Perhaps we shouldn't interfere too much?"

"No, we need to wait another half month. If there's still no movement, we might have to get involved ourselves. We can't waste time here!"

Deep within the clouds, these deities each spoke their own minds, but they were all determined that if Tang Sanzang was not released within half a month, they would have to resort to other means.