Journey to the West: Building a Celestial Empire Starting from Lion Camel Ridge

Chapter 35 Clarification

Chen Ping'an cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.

Yuan Shoucheng stroked his beard and chuckled, then sat down at the table and gestured with his hand.

"Please sit down."

Chen Ping'an nodded, not at all restrained, and sat down at the table.

On the table between the two.

The Duanxi inkstone, with its golden ink, complements the large, frosty brush.

Huozhulin, Guo Pushu, respectfully addresses the new political and economic situation in Taiwan.

Chen Ping'an looked down and saw that his body was transparent, so it shouldn't be his real body, but he could see wisps of green smoke and smell the fragrance, which made him feel calmer.

Did the golden carp draw a wisp of its divine consciousness here?

Although separated by thousands of miles, it felt as if we were talking face to face.

That's truly divine skill!

Chen Ping'an composed himself and looked at the old man opposite him, whose temples were slightly gray and whose eyes were deep, but he did not speak first.

He had so many questions to ask, but now he didn't know where to begin.

Yuan Shoucheng didn't urge him. He picked up the teacup beside him, blew on it gently, and waited.

......

a long time.

Chen Ping'an finally asked his first question: "Is the journey to the West about to begin?"

Without much beating around the bush, he got straight to what he wanted to know.

Yuan Shoucheng did not consult the oracle, but nodded: "It will be in the next few days. The one who will go to the Western Paradise to obtain the scriptures is the Emperor's younger brother, the holy monk Sanzang."

Chen Ping'an remained silent. Yes.

The monk's Buddhist name was Xuanzang, and he was also known as Sanzang. The Tang emperor bestowed upon him the surname Tang Sanzang.

"Our Holy Emperor has returned from the underworld this time, and his temperament is quite different from before. He said that he witnessed the suffering of the ghosts in the underworld. Now, with the Emperor's boundless grace, he is holding a grand water and land ceremony to help countless souls be reborn in the afterlife."

"Now, the Tripitaka monk has been dispatched to the Western Paradise to worship Buddha and seek the true scriptures."

Yuan Shoucheng sighed: "I have pondered this matter for a long time, but I still cannot fathom even a fraction of the reason."

"Perhaps this was destined to be a tribulation."

"Nowadays, the Tang Dynasty has seen a surge in the propagation of Buddhism. If the pilgrimage to the West were to return successfully, then the faith of all the people of the Tang Dynasty would truly become nourishment for Buddhism."

Yuan Shoucheng didn't hide anything.

Is this my role as the one blocking the way in Journey to the West?

The matter of the pilgrimage to the West is already a done deal; further discussion is pointless.

Chen Ping'an promptly posed the second question.

"What do they think of me in Heaven—am I alive or dead?"

"Of course, it's alive."

Yuan Shoucheng added, "The reports from the soul-collecting messengers and judges in the underworld will all show that Chen Ping'an's soul has never entered the underworld."

"Which judge?"

"Cui Jue".

Chen Ping'an pondered, recalling that according to Journey to the West, this person was a famous minister of the Tang Dynasty who, after his death, became a judge of the Underworld Law Division (the head of the Four Judges), responsible for reviewing the souls of the dead, the Book of Life and Death, and redressing wrongful convictions.

"Has a lifespan been added to the Book of Life and Death?"

Chen Ping'an asked in a deep voice, "The Book of Life and Death is in Cui Jue's hands. It was Cui Jue who added twenty years to the Tang King's lifespan, which allowed the Tang King to be resurrected and continue the Tang Dynasty."

"Yes, twenty years."

Well, I've become the second mortal to enjoy this kind of treatment.

At this moment, he also understood that, through the behind-the-scenes manipulation of these bigwigs, Chen Ping'an, who was originally supposed to be dead, not only did not die, but instead gained twenty more years of lifespan.

This means that one can live openly and honestly.

"I still need to go to the local temple."

Yuan Shoucheng nodded: "The Heavenly Court believed the report, but some gods still have doubts. If you show yourself, their doubts will naturally dissipate. Don't worry, you won't give yourself away."

"Is there really an informant from Heaven at the Earth God Temple?"

"Of course," Yuan Shoucheng said calmly, "Mortals rely on the power of incense offerings to protect themselves, and gods use the eyes of mortals to observe the world. It's a matter of mutual consent and natural law. With the rampant spread of demons, it's too difficult for mortals to survive, so naturally some people would love to have a god reside in them."

Chen Ping'an nodded.

"What about the Buddhist temples? The monastery collapsed, and even the statues are gone."

Yuan Shoucheng chuckled lightly: "It's quite interesting. The three demons didn't want any Buddhist spies, so they sent people to demolish the temple; but the Buddhists acted even earlier, having their followers move the statues away long before the demon soldiers arrived."

Ok.

There's actually such a thing.

"Are the three demons entrenched in Lion Camel Ridge really looking for something?"

Yuan Shoucheng nodded: "The divination indicates that they have searched for it, but they haven't made any major moves in recent years, so they should have found it; or they found one that is not what they wanted, but it's usable."

"Found it?"

Chen Ping'an was startled.

They actually found what they were looking for at that level, which is hardly a good thing for the human race.

"Hard to say."

Yuan Shoucheng casually cast another divination: "The Yellow-haired Lion swallowed 100,000 heavenly soldiers and clashed head-on with the Lingxiao Palace. It suffered serious injuries and is still recuperating."

"Later, the Roc devoured all the living beings in Lion Camel City and completely destroyed all the Heavenly Court's eyes and ears there."

"As a result, there was some discord between Buddhism and Heaven, and the two demons became much more peaceful; as for the Yellow-Toothed Elephant, he was alone and could only hide in the Lion Camel Cave and not come out."

"So even if they find it, they won't dare to use it."

"But once it is used, it could be a catastrophe for humanity."

"Therefore, this period of calm is an excellent opportunity for you."

Chen Ping'an pondered for a moment and asked, "Can I expand the shelter without any worries?"

Yuan Shoucheng nodded: "No one dares to make any rash moves in this area of Lion Camel Ridge now. If they cross the line and something like what happened with Sun Wukong happens again, neither Buddhism nor Heaven will be in a good position."

Row.

Then I'm relieved.

Chen Pingan let out a breath, finally freeing himself from the biggest burden in his heart.

He was initially worried that continuing to expand the barrier's range would provoke the three demons to launch a new massacre, but now it seems that these three are too busy taking care of themselves to have any chance to cause him any trouble.

"Was Patriarch Bodhi truly not angry at all about Sun Wukong being imprisoned under the Five Elements Mountain?"

Chen Ping'an asked the question that had always been on his mind, a question that had lingered in his mind ever since he first read Journey to the West.

The person who can teach such a disciple must be a great master. How could he swallow this insult?

Besides, with so many fellow disciples on Fangcun Mountain watching, wouldn't they feel disheartened?

How could I not be angry?

Yuan Shoucheng laughed and said, "These big shots naturally can't take action themselves; but in recent years, there have been many more Fangcun Mountain disciples traveling outside, so you'll see them eventually."

"What is their attitude towards the rise of humanity?"

Chen Ping'an was very curious.

"What kind of attitude is that?"

Yuan Shoucheng laughed loudly, "The chief of Fangcun Mountain is a human, so what kind of attitude do you have?"

Row.

I've been waiting for you to say that.

Chen Ping'an felt more confident.

With these powerful figures backing him up, the Buddhist sect and the Heavenly Court certainly won't openly attack him.

All I need to do is upgrade diligently.

Until the day I can tear the three demons of Lion Camel Ridge apart with my bare hands.

"Oh, right, there's one more question."

"Ah Li, is she from Heaven?"