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

His past and his identity in the Heavenly Court are not widely known in the Three Realms. How could a city lord of a demon city in the mortal realm know so much about them?

Unless... he's also a celestial being descended to earth!

Pigsy was overjoyed, feeling that there was a chance for things to turn around.

If they were old acquaintances from Heaven, or also immortals who had descended to Earth, wouldn't they know the origins of their pilgrimage? Would they know that this was a momentous matter personally discussed by the Buddha and the Great Heavenly Venerable? Would they know that they were ordained by Heaven and that the pilgrims could not be delayed here?

Thinking of this, Pigsy immediately perked up.

Ignoring the ropes binding him, he forced a fawning smile onto his pig-like face, arched his back slightly, and spoke in a tentative, affectionate tone:

"Hehe, sir... no, immortal! How do you know about my old Pig's past? Could it be that you also came from Heaven? Which deity are you? Back in the day, I, Old Pig, commanded 800,000 naval troops in the Milky Way, and I've seen quite a few deities!"

"We might even have crossed paths before! You see, this journey to the West is a major undertaking that both Buddha and the Great Heavenly Venerable have approved. We can talk things over, we can talk things over..."

As he spoke, his pig-like eyes darted around, trying to glean some clue from Yun Zhao's face.

Upon hearing this, the people in the hall erupted in another uproar.

"Marshal Tianpeng? How could he be a pig demon?"

"Don't even think about getting close to me, you dead pig!"

Ah Niu, with his neck stiff, shouted, "So what if they're heavenly generals? If they kill someone, they should pay with their lives!"

Unfortunately, Pigsy miscalculated. This was a pure demon king, not some deity descended to earth.

Yun Zhao completely ignored him.

He merely glanced at Zhu Bajie as if he were an insignificant ant, then turned his gaze to Tang Sanzang.

From the moment he entered the hall, this fellow kept his head down, muttering some unintelligible scripture.

Perhaps it was the Rebirth Mantra, or perhaps the Diamond Sutra; the voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, yet it carried a mechanical persistence, as if only in this way could one barely maintain peace of mind.

When Ke Yunzhao's gaze fell on him, the chanting paused slightly.

Yun Zhao spoke, his voice gentle, yet carrying a sharp edge that pierced the heart:

"Tang Sanzang, I recognize you."

"You are a famous high monk of the Tang Dynasty. Because the Tang Emperor held a grand Buddhist and Buddhist ceremony, you were appointed as the Grand Master of the Monks of the realm. You were ordered by the Tang Emperor to travel to the Western Paradise to worship Buddha and seek scriptures, is that right?"

Upon hearing this, the hall immediately fell silent.

In the past, this would have been an honor that Tang Sanzang was proud of.

He was personally appointed by the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty as the Grand Master of the Monks of the Realm!

When he set off from Chang'an, countless people knelt to see him off, and countless people praised him.

That was his glory, his mission, his grand ambition.

But now?

Now he is bound hand and foot, and in the main hall of the demon city, he is regarded as an accomplice to murder.

Reciting this "honor" in front of so many people, in front of a mixed crowd of humans and demons, felt like a knife stabbing deep into his heart.

It tarnished the reputation of the Tang Dynasty.

It tarnishes the reputation of the great monks of the world.

How could a "high monk" who allowed his disciples to commit murder be worthy of these things?

Tang Sanzang's lips trembled slightly, and he mumbled incoherently, wanting to deny it but unable to.

Under Yun Zhao's watchful gaze, he finally nodded slowly.

The voice was so low it was almost inaudible.

"Yes...this humble monk...is indeed."

Yun Zhao continued, his voice neither hurried nor slow, yet each word was like a hammer blow:

"I have heard that Buddhism teaches that there is no effect without a cause, nor a cause without an effect."

"That is why Bai Ling offered you flowers."

"But why did he suffer the terrible consequence of being beaten to death?"

"Or are you saying that your Buddhist followers are just a bunch of people who spout lofty Buddhist doctrines but engage in petty theft and deceit?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang's expression changed.

He looked up abruptly, his face drained of color, his lips trembling, and hurriedly retorted:

"My lord... you may speak ill of this humble monk, but you cannot insult Buddhism!"

"This matter...this matter only represents my own opinion. As a master, I have failed to properly discipline my disciple and have condoned his violent acts. I am guilty!"

"But Buddhism is vast, compassionate, and dedicated to saving all sentient beings. How can the transgression of this humble monk be used to condemn the entire Buddhist community?"

His voice was urgent, resentful, and even tinged with anger.

Buddhism is his most devout faith.

He can confess, he can be punished, and he can doubt himself.

But we cannot tolerate anyone insulting Buddhism!

Yun Zhao sneered and interrupted him:

"That's enough!"

This rebuke was like a thunderclap, carrying boundless pressure, making his heart tremble.

Pigsy and Sandy lowered their heads and dared not utter a word.

Yun Zhao's gaze was like a knife, piercing straight into Tang Sanzang's heart:

"That makes perfect sense!"

"They keep talking about compassion and universal salvation."

"What can be done is the work of bandits!"

"You allowed your disciples to beat and kill innocent people, and tacitly allowed them to beat a woman who had no grudge against you to death with a single blow, just because you suspected her of being a demon, and set fire to people's houses."

"Someone like you dares to go on a pilgrimage to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures?"

"How dare they talk about saving the common people? I really don't know how the Emperor of Tang could be so blind to talent, ha~"

That contemptuous sneer was like the last straw, instantly shattering Tang Sanzang's Buddhist heart.

His face turned deathly pale, his body swayed, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

The ropes were digging into his skin, causing him excruciating pain, but he couldn't feel it.

It exploded in my mind.

Helping the common people...

Seeking the true scriptures...

His grand ambitions, which he often spoke of, suddenly seemed so ridiculous.

Yun Zhao belittled them as worthless, trampling them in the mud and ruthlessly crushing them.

Is he really on his way to obtain the true scriptures?

What they obtained was the true scripture to save all living beings?

Or is the bustling world of fame and fortune the earnest gaze of the Tang emperor, the appreciative look of the Bodhisattva, and the reverent voice of the millions of common people?

Yun Zhao's words were like knives, piercing the most vulnerable part of his heart.

He began to have doubts.

I doubt my perseverance over the years.

Doubting whether one's own compassion is genuine.

I doubt my own Buddhist heart; has it already strayed from its true path?

He doubted himself, wondering if he was still qualified to go to the Western Paradise to obtain the scriptures.

Inside the hall, there was a deathly silence.

As people looked at Tang Sanzang, who had fallen to the ground, some felt pity, some sneered, and some sighed.

Ah Niu stood aside, his eyes red. As expected of the city lord, his scolding was much more satisfying than that of ordinary people like them.

Looking at Tang Sanzang's appearance, he felt a sense of joy.

After saying this, Yun Zhao did not continue the pursuit.

Just watch Tang Sanzang quietly, speaking only three parts of what he means and leaving the rest for Tang Sanzang to think and understand on his own.

but.

He looked at the other person with great interest, and seemed to hear a shattering sound.

Tang Sanzang collapsed to the ground, his hands clasped together, but he couldn't bring them together.