owlsbooks Chapter 8: The Buddhist Sect's Wrath, Six-Eared Proxy
Chapter 8: The Buddhist Sect's Wrath, Six-Eared Proxy
Western Paradise, South China Sea, Mount Putuo, Purple Bamboo Forest.
Inside the Chaoyin Cave, the white-robed Guanyin sits solemnly on a lotus platform, preaching to Huian Xingzhe (Muzha) and the Dragon Girl below her.
Suddenly, her sermon stopped.
Both Huian Xinghe and the Dragon Girl were puzzled and looked up at their master.
Guanyin Bodhisattva slowly opened her eyes, her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and after calculating with her fingers, her expression instantly turned somewhat unpleasant.
"Master, what has happened?" Huian asked.
Guanyin did not answer, but instead cast her gaze eastward, as if piercing through the endless void.
Just then, a golden light from the Heavenly Court flew into the cave and transformed into a talisman in front of Guanyin.
Guanyin raised her hand to catch it, and after scanning it with her divine sense, her expression turned completely grim.
"You bastard!"
A cold rebuke caused the temperature in the entire Chaoyin Cave to drop several degrees.
Huian Xinghe and the Dragon Girl were so frightened that they dared not breathe; they had never seen their master so angry.
"Master, what did the Jade Emperor's edict say?" Huian Xingzhe asked cautiously.
Guanyin crushed the talisman and said coldly, "Sun Wukong escaped from under the Five Elements Mountain ahead of schedule."
"What?!" Huian Xingzhe exclaimed in shock. "How is this possible! That is the six-syllable mantra decree personally set forth by the Buddha himself. Unless the pilgrim removes it after five hundred years, there is absolutely no way it can be broken!"
"It was forcibly broken open by a mysterious master." Guanyin's voice carried a hint of solemnity. "The Jade Emperor couldn't deduce that person's origins and even suffered a backlash."
"Even the Jade Emperor couldn't figure it out?" Huian Xingzhe gasped.
Guanyin's expression grew even more grim: "Not only that, after that demon monkey escaped, he was bewitched by someone and his temperament changed drastically. He actually slaughtered everyone in my Guanyin Temple in the mortal realm!"
"How dare he?!" Huian Xingzhe exclaimed angrily.
"It's not that he's afraid, but that someone is backing him up." Guanyin stood up and paced back and forth in the cave.
The journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures was a grand plan for the flourishing of Buddhism over a thousand years. It was meticulously planned by her, with each step linked to the next, and no mistakes were allowed.
Sun Wukong is the most important part of this plan; he will be the future Victorious Fighting Buddha and the first fighter on the journey to the West.
But now, this most important piece has not only left the board prematurely, but has also smashed the board itself!
"An existence that can conceal the secrets of heaven, one that even the Jade Emperor cannot fathom..."
"A madman who dared to openly provoke my Buddhist community and ordered a demon monkey to slaughter my Zen temple..."
A murderous glint flashed in Guanyin's eyes.
"Master, what should we do now? The Journey to the West plan..."
"The plan must continue," Guanyin interrupted Huian Xingzhe, her tone becoming resolute.
"Since Sun Wukong is no longer of great use and has even become an enemy of our Buddhist sect, then this pawn is useless."
She stopped, a cold glint in her eyes.
"Since he doesn't want to be the Victorious Fighting Buddha, there are plenty of others who are."
"Huian, you stay here and guard Mount Putuo. I'm going to Mount Ling to meet the Buddha."
Having said that, Guanyin Bodhisattva flashed, and a twelve-petaled golden lotus of merit sprouted beneath her feet, transforming into a stream of light and heading straight for the Western Paradise.
Lingshan, Daleiyin Temple.
The Buddha sits high on a lotus throne, below him are three thousand Buddhas, eight hundred Arhats, four Vajras, five hundred Arhats, nuns, laymen, and laywomen.
The chanting of Buddhist scriptures filled the air, and the Buddha's light shone everywhere.
The arrival of Guanyin caused the Buddha, who was preaching, to stop.
"Venerable Guanyin, why are you in such a hurry?" The Buddha's voice was grand and peaceful, as if he had everything under his control.
Guanyin bowed and said, "I inform the Buddha that the grand plan to obtain scriptures from the East has encountered unexpected changes."
She recounted in detail how Sun Wukong escaped his predicament, slaughtered the Zen temple, and how a mysterious master had intervened behind the scenes.
Inside the Great Thunder Temple, an uproar ensued.
All the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas whispered among themselves, their faces filled with shock.
"quiet."
The Buddha spoke softly, and the entire Great Thunderclap Temple instantly fell silent.
He looked at Guanyin, whose enormous eyes were as still as a deep well.
"I am aware of this matter."
"That demon monkey's heart has been corrupted by the devil, and he is no longer fit to be a protector of our Buddhist sect."
"That mysterious person's origins lie outside the Heavenly Dao, beyond our comprehension. He is a major variable in this great calamity."
Guanyin felt a chill run down her spine. Even the Buddha couldn't figure this out?
"May Buddha have mercy, and may I ask how this disciple should respond?" Guanyin asked.
The Buddha slowly said, "The journey to the West concerns the fate of our Buddhist sect and cannot be stopped."
"Since that stone monkey is stubborn and unrepentant, let's just abandon it."
His gaze seemed to pierce through time and space, as if he saw another monkey that looked exactly the same.
"I know that there are four monkeys living in the world, which do not belong to any of the ten categories of animals."
"The first is the intelligent stone monkey, who understands transformations, knows the timing of the day, is familiar with the terrain, and can move stars and change constellations."
"The second is the Red-Bottomed Macaque, which understands Yin and Yang, knows human affairs, is good at entering and exiting, and can avoid death and prolong life."
"The third is the Long-Armed Ape, which can grasp the sun and moon, shrink mountains, discern good and bad fortune, and manipulate the universe."
"The fourth is the Six-Eared Macaque, who is good at listening, discerning reason, knowing the past and the future, and understanding all things."
"These four monkeys do not enter the heavens, nor reach the eyes of gods and Buddhas."
"Guanyin, do you understand now?"
Guanyin instantly understood and bowed, saying, "Disciple understands. Since the Spiritual Stone Monkey is useless, then let the Six-Eared Macaque complete this journey to the West in his place, so that our Buddhist path may be realized!"
"Good." Buddha nodded.
Just as Buddha and Guanyin devised the plan of "the real and the fake Monkey King".
Chen Fan, far away in Huaguo Mountain in Dongsheng Shenzhou, suddenly heard a system notification in his mind.
[Ding! A major plot twist in Journey to the West has been detected. The Buddhist sect has initiated the "Six-Eared Servant" plan in an attempt to set things right and continue the Journey to the West!]
[Main Quest Part 3 Unlocked: Cut Off the Fire at the Bottom!]
[Mission Description: The Buddhist sect has found a replacement for Sun Wukong—the Six-Eared Macaque. Once the Six-Eared Macaque reunites with the pilgrims, the Journey to the West will return to normal, and all of the host's previous efforts will be in vain. The host must completely destroy the foundation of the pilgrimage plan before that happens.]
[Mission Objective: Kidnap the pilgrim—Tang Sanzang!]
[Task Reward: 5000 Journey Points! Golden Immortal Scroll of the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts]
[Punishment for mission failure: Locked onto by the Buddhist destiny, and obliterated by the Heavenly Dao!]
Golden Immortal Scroll!
Chen Fan's heart skipped a beat!
Above the Celestial Immortals lies the Golden Immortal! One step into this realm grants eternal invulnerability and unparalleled freedom!
But the punishment for failure also made his scalp tingle.
This is no longer a simple annihilation, but a complete elimination of him as a "variable" from the level of the Heavenly Dao!
"The Six-Eared Macaque..."
Chen Fan's face turned extremely ugly.
He had planned everything meticulously, but he never expected the Buddhist sect to react so quickly and use such ruthless methods!
No matter how much trouble Sun Wukong causes, as long as the journey to the West continues, the merits and fortune still belong to Buddhism.
No, we have to get there before them!
Chen Fan could no longer sit still. He suddenly stood up and rushed towards the Water Curtain Cave, his voice echoing throughout the entire mountain.
"Great Sage! Something terrible has happened!"