r18novel Chapter 1000 I'll Go With You
Chapter 1000 I'll Go With You
Manjushri Bodhisattva's eyes flickered slightly as he looked at this mortal who shouldn't have been in the westward journey group, and asked calmly, "Who are you? Why are you colluding with this demon monkey?"
"Who I am is not important." Chu Yang met the Bodhisattva's gaze without backing down. "What's important is, Bodhisattva, have you lost something in the mortal realm?"
Manjushri Bodhisattva's expression stiffened slightly, though he quickly concealed it, Chu Yang still keenly noticed it.
"This humble monk has spent many years meditating and seeking enlightenment on Mount Wutai, and has never lost anything," Manjushri Bodhisattva said calmly, his hands clasped together.
"Oh? It wasn't lost?" Chu Yang's sarcasm deepened. He took out the memory stone that was shimmering with a faint blue light from his pocket, held it high, and said, "Since the Bodhisattva is so forgetful, then I'll help the Bodhisattva remember."
With a thought, Chu Yang poured the last bit of spiritual power into the recording stone.
"Buzz—"
The photo-recording stone shone brightly, projecting a huge three-dimensional image into the air.
The scene depicts the eerie and terrifying central palace of Lion Camel Ridge. The ground is littered with bones, nauseating blood, and a massive bronze cauldron simmering with boiling water, ready to be used to stew Tang Sanzang's flesh.
In the very center of the image is the hideous and terrifying face of the blue-haired lion monster.
The scene is filled with the rough and cruel laughter of the blue-haired lion monster:
"...Third Brother Dapeng, your idea is brilliant! If we stew Tang Sanzang's flesh and use the hearts and livers of the tens of thousands of mortals on the eight-hundred-mile-long Lion Camel Ridge as a starter, it will surely greatly increase our magical power! Hahahaha! All the little demons on this mountain are in for a treat today!"
Then, the sound of countless little demons cheering and jumping for joy could be heard from the scene, along with the faint, desperate cries of mortals imprisoned in iron cages in the distance.
As soon as the video was shown, the entire Qingliang Temple Square fell into a deathly silence.
The Arhats and Bhikkhus who had initially been filled with righteous indignation now stared wide-eyed at the scene in mid-air that resembled a living hell, their faces turning extremely grim. They were Buddhists, accustomed to hearing only of compassion, and had never witnessed such a bloody and brutal sight.
A barely concealed emotion finally appeared on Manjushri Bodhisattva's usually calm and composed face. The radiant halo of Buddha's light seemed to dim slightly.
After the video finished playing, Chu Yang put away the recording stone and stared coldly at Manjushri Bodhisattva: "Bodhisattva, do you recognize the blue-haired lion monster in this video? He claims to be your mount, Manjushri Bodhisattva! He's a mountain king in the lower realm's Lion Camel Ridge, devouring countless people and turning the once prosperous Lion Camel Kingdom into a demon kingdom of corpses and bloodshed. Bodhisattva, is this also what you call 'destiny'? Is this also a 'calamity' arranged by Buddha?!"
Chu Yang's last few words were shouted out with all his might. Each word struck the hearts of every Buddhist disciple like a heavy hammer.
"You...you mustn't spout nonsense!" An Arhat wielding a Buddhist knife couldn't help but step forward and rebuke, "How could the Bodhisattva's mount commit such a heinous act! It must be that demon using the Bodhisattva's name to deceive and swindle!"
"A fraud?" Sun Wukong sneered, pausing with his golden cudgel. "That nine-ringed broadsword in the hands of that green-haired lion monster, and that heaven-devouring, earth-shattering divine power—could it have been stolen? If not for guidance from a master, how could a wild demon possess such magical power?"
Sun Wukong stepped forward, shielding Chu Yang behind him, and stared directly into Manjushri Bodhisattva's eyes: "Manjushri, if you don't give me, this old man, an explanation today, and give all living beings an explanation, I, this old man, will smash up your Qingliang Temple today, and then go to the Great Thunderclap Temple to confront that old man Tathagata! I, this old man, want to ask him whether his Western Paradise is a Buddhist kingdom or a demon's lair!"
Manjushri Bodhisattva fell silent. He knew that this matter could no longer be glossed over with simple words. The irrefutable evidence from the recording stone, Sun Wukong's unreasonable arguments, and the sharp-tongued mortal before him—all of this was beyond his expectations.
This blue-haired lion monster was indeed his mount. He was sent down to the mortal realm by imperial decree to complete Tang Sanzang's eighty-one tribulations. The original plan was that when Sun Wukong couldn't defeat it and came to heaven for help, he would then step in to subdue the mount, which would both demonstrate the boundless power of Buddhism and make Tang Sanzang grateful.
But to his utter surprise, this monkey acted out of the ordinary, bringing a mortal with him to obtain the recording and openly confront him at his temple! If this matter were to escalate to the Great Thunderclap Temple and become known throughout the Three Realms, the reputation of Manjushri Bodhisattva, and even the reputation of the entire Buddhist community, would suffer a devastating blow.
"Amitabha..." Manjushri Bodhisattva put his hands together, uttered a long chant of the Buddha's name, and his face regained its compassionate expression.
"Wukong, Benefactor Chu, this matter was indeed my fault." Upon hearing this, the surrounding disciples gasped in disbelief. The Bodhisattva had actually admitted his mistake in public!
"That blue lion was originally a divine beast under my tutelage, listening to my teachings. But due to a moment of negligence, it broke its chains and escaped to the mortal realm, committing such a heinous crime." Manjushri Bodhisattva bowed slightly, his tone filled with self-reproach. "I intended to descend to the mortal realm soon to capture it, but I did not expect you to encounter this calamity first. Well done, well done."
"A momentary lapse? Biting through the chains?" Chu Yang sneered. He knew all too well the hypocrisy of these gods and Buddhas. "The Bodhisattva's chains are truly fragile. They broke after hundreds of years, and that break gave rise to a cannibalistic demon kingdom. Isn't the price of this 'lapse' far too high?"
Manjushri Bodhisattva ignored Chu Yang's sarcasm and looked directly at Sun Wukong: "Wukong, now that the matter has been investigated, this humble monk will accompany you to the mortal realm to Lion Camel Ridge to subdue that wicked beast and rescue Tang Xuanzang, ensuring your safe journey westward. What do you say?"
Manjushri Bodhisattva wanted to cut the Gordian knot and quickly quell this scandal.
Just as Sun Wukong was about to nod in agreement, Chu Yang grabbed his arm, stepped forward, looked directly at Manjushri Bodhisattva, and curled his lips into an even more mocking smile.
"Bodhisattva, wait!" Chu Yang's voice echoed across the square. "Subduing the demon and rescuing Tang Sanzang is only right and proper. After all, it was a mess you created yourself. But this matter cannot be left like this."
Manjushri Bodhisattva frowned slightly: "Benefactor Chu, what else do you want?"
"How are you?" Chu Yang pointed to his blood-soaked chest, then to Sun Wukong beside him. "Your good mount, along with Samantabhadra Bodhisattva's white elephant and Tathagata Buddha's roc, almost killed us brothers! My inner core is damaged, and my meridians are severed. If it weren't for rare and precious treasures, I'd be a cripple for the rest of my life!"
Chu Yang suddenly raised his voice: "And my poor master Tang Sanzang, he was terrified out of his wits by those beasts hanging him in the main hall, and he's still trembling in the cave, suffering severe psychological trauma! How do you intend to calculate his compensation for emotional distress, lost wages, and medical expenses, Bodhisattva?"
These words caused an uproar in the room.
Compensation for emotional distress? Medical expenses?
How dare this mortal come to the Bodhisattva's sacred site to extort money?!
"You audacious mortal! How dare you spout nonsense in front of the Bodhisattva and demand money!" A hot-tempered Vajra roared, brandishing his vajra and about to step forward.
"Try touching him!" Sun Wukong's eyes flashed with golden light, and he swung his golden cudgel fiercely, sending a visible, violent shockwave sweeping the Vajra away more than ten steps.
Sun Wukong turned to look at Chu Yang. Although he didn't understand what "compensation for emotional distress" meant, he knew Chu Yang was trying to extort money from them. He immediately understood and deliberately feigned a pained expression, clutching his chest and shouting:
"Ouch! That blue-maned lion slashed my chest too, and I'm still in so much pain I can't breathe! I'm a protector on the journey to the West to retrieve the scriptures. If I fall ill here, how can I get the scriptures? If Buddha asks, I'll tell him the truth!"
Watching these two act so brazenly in front of the main hall of Qingliang Temple, even the usually impassive Manjushri Bodhisattva couldn't help but twitch a couple of times. In his countless years of cultivation, he had never seen such a shameless duo.
However, looking at the photographic stone in Chu Yang's hand that could be made public at any moment, and then at Sun Wukong who seemed to have nothing to lose, he knew that if he didn't bleed a little today, these two troublemakers would definitely not let it go.
"So be it, so be it." Manjushri Bodhisattva sighed, a hint of heartache flashing in his eyes.
He slowly opened his right hand, and a soft, seven-colored Buddhist light condensed in his palm. The light dissipated, revealing a perfectly round, golden pill that emitted a rich, exotic fragrance in his hand. Tiny dragon-shaped golden lights even swirled and danced around the pill, and just smelling its fragrance, Chu Yang felt the excruciating pain in his chest lessen considerably.
"This is the 'Nine-Turn Great Rejuvenation Pill,' which I, this humble monk, collected water from the Eight Treasures Merit Pool of the Western Paradise and refined with ten-thousand-year-old Bodhi seeds. Even if the physical body is completely destroyed, as long as the soul remains, consuming this pill can instantly reshape the true body and greatly increase one's cultivation."
Manjushri Bodhisattva looked at Chu Yang, his tone tinged with reluctance: "Benefactor Chu, this golden pill is my compensation for your injuries, and also to atone for the wrongs committed by that beast. As for Tang Xuanzang, I have my own way of appeasing him. Are you satisfied now?"
"Satisfied! Extremely satisfied!" Sun Wukong snatched the Nine-Turn Great Rejuvenating Pill as if afraid the Bodhisattva would change her mind. He could feel the terrifying vitality contained within the pill; it was definitely the most supreme healing medicine in the world.
"Brother, open your mouth!" Without saying a word, Sun Wukong stuffed the golden pill into Chu Yang's mouth.
The golden elixir melted upon entering his mouth, transforming into a scalding and powerful heat that surged down Chu Yang's throat and into his entire body.
"boom!"
Chu Yang felt a muffled thud within his body. Under the nourishment of this heat, the previously severed meridians reconnected and healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. What shocked him even more was that this Buddhist power was extremely pure. It not only repaired his physical injuries but also continuously cleansed his bone marrow and expanded his meridians.
In just a few breaths, the horrific wound on Chu Yang's chest had completely healed, leaving not even a scar. His originally pale face became incredibly rosy, and his entire body radiated a faint golden light. The spiritual energy within his body was even several times more abundant and pure than before he was injured.
Chu Yang exhaled a long breath, feeling his entire body brimming with power. He stretched his limbs, sensing the surging vitality within him, and his gaze towards Manjushri Bodhisattva finally softened.
"As expected of the Bodhisattva, you are compassionate and generous." Chu Yang smiled and cupped his hands in greeting. "Since the Bodhisattva is so sincere, let's call it even for now. As long as the Bodhisattva keeps his promise and comes with us to subdue that green-haired lion monster, I will never show this recording stone to any outsider."
Manjushri Bodhisattva looked at Chu Yang's sudden burst of energy and felt a pang of heartache in his lips, but he maintained his solemn demeanor: "A monk's word is his bond. This humble monk will accompany you on this journey."
After saying this, the seven-colored lotus flower beneath Manjushri Bodhisattva slowly rose into the air, transforming into a peaceful ray of Buddhist light, and flew towards the western horizon.
Seeing this, Sun Wukong grinned and patted Chu Yang on the shoulder: "Brother, you're really something! This old monk is usually so stingy, but today you actually managed to extort a Nine-Turn Golden Elixir from him! Your skill in extorting money is even better than when I, Old Sun, stole Laozi's alchemy furnace during my rampage in the Heavenly Palace!"
Chu Yang watched the departing Buddha's light in mid-air and sneered, "Brother Monkey, what kind of extortion is this? Compared to the countless lives they've allowed their mounts to devour in the mortal realm, this golden pill isn't even interest. Let's go. We've dealt with Manjushri Bodhisattva, and there's Samantabhadra Bodhisattva waiting for us on Mount Emei. This time, we'll make him bleed profusely!"
"Hahaha! Alright! Today, I, Old Sun, will do a big job with you!" Sun Wukong laughed loudly, grabbed Chu Yang's arm, and his somersault cloud soared into the air once again.
The somersault cloud tore apart the ever-present peaceful Buddhist light surrounding Mount Wutai and plunged headlong into the howling gales in the high sky.
Standing at the forefront of the clouds, feeling the fierce wind blowing in his face, Sun Wukong couldn't help but burst into a hearty laugh: "That's exhilarating! Truly exhilarating! In all these five hundred years, I've never seen that old man Manjushri look so miserable! His face was as purple as an eggplant, and he still had to obediently pull out his golden elixir! Brother, your verbal skills are a hundred times more powerful than my golden cudgel!"
Chu Yang sat cross-legged behind the Somersault Cloud, his eyes closed as he digested the remaining medicinal power of the Nine-Turn Great Rejuvenating Pill within his body. Hearing Sun Wukong's praise, he slowly opened his eyes, a faint golden Buddhist light flashing in his deep pupils. The pill had not only healed his fatal wound but had also greatly increased his spiritual power.
"Brother Monkey, this is nothing." Chu Yang stood up, walked to Sun Wukong's side, and looked down at the magnificent landscape rushing past below. A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips. "Manjushri Bodhisattva cultivates 'Great Wisdom,' he's a clever man. Clever men know how to weigh the pros and cons, and once they understand the situation, they'll obediently admit defeat. But the master at our next stop might not be so easy to talk to." (End of Chapter)