Heaven-Defying Rebel Sage
Chapter 103: Cutting the Robe and Severing Righteousness, Slaying the Corpse of the Benevolent

Chapter 103: Chapter 103: Cutting the Robe and Severing Righteousness, Slaying the Corpse of the Benevolent

PS: [In the next few days, thanks to the recommendation from Sanjiang, there will be three updates a day. Also, I’m asking for Sanjiang votes, as we’re nearly at the bottom...]

Wukong and Yuan Hong were on their way when they suddenly saw an elderly Taoist lying on a tree, singing a song. The Taoist’s voice was ancient and carried an indescribable feeling, a captivating charm that made both Wukong and Yuan Hong feel as though they could "hear the Dao in the morning and die content in the evening."

The song went, "Primordial essence merges with the innate, through countless calamities, it’s simply nature’s way. Vastly spreading the great Dharma without effort, thus unmovable, known as the initial mystery."

Finishing the song, he shook his horsetail whisk twice and then sang, "Born from the Lotus, upon the serene dais, the profound Canon of the Three Vehicles unfolds. Exquisite relics transcend the worldly, luminous pearls without parallel in the dust."

Both could not help but stop in their tracks and listen carefully.

Yuan Hong frowned and said, "The first song praises the Taoist Sect, but the latter praises the Buddhist Sect of the West."

Wukong nodded and said, "I’m afraid it’s another case of someone betraying Taoism for Buddhism."

Although their voices were soft and they stood above the clouds, the Taoist heard them loud and clear. He said, "Your words are mistaken. The Buddha originated from the Dao; they share the same source and both can realize the boundless Primordial. The Taoist Sect has its Dao, and so does the Buddhist Sect. To speak of betrayal is incorrect!"

Yuan Hong asked, "Who are you, brother Daoist?"

Upon a closer look from Wukong, the Taoist was dressed in a blue Taoist robe, appeared middle-aged, but his hair and beard were of a snow-white color, giving him a kind and benevolent appearance.

"Master!" Yuan Hong heard Wukong shout loudly, followed by a somersault to descend, and he quickly followed.

This person was none other than Subhuti!

Subhuti stood up and was perched atop the tree. He smiled and said, "Wukong, it’s been a long time since we last saw each other."

But Wukong said, "What do you mean a long time? Didn’t I see Zen Master Wuchao whom you have cast out just a few years ago?"

Subhuti then said, "Oh! It seems you know everything already."

Wukong asked, "Who are you really?"

Subhuti laughed and said, "Am I not the Patriarch Subhuti from the Slanted Moon Three Stars Cave, on Mount Sumeru’s Spiritual Platform? Who else could I be?"

Wukong laughed coldly twice and said, "It’s been a long time since we met, shouldn’t you test your disciple’s skills, Master?"

Having said that, he already had the Buddha Beating Staff in hand, leaped up, and aimed a strike directly at Subhuti’s head! But Subhuti remained unmoved, and the gust from the swing didn’t even lift the corner of his robe or a hair on his head. Subhuti extended a single finger lightly against the staff, precisely blocking it with only his fingertip.

Wukong’s pupils shrank in shock, Subhuti’s skills were at least at the level of a Sect Founder, if not higher! Immediately, he swung another blow at his throat.

Yet, Subhuti stood as immovable as a mountain, his one finger countering Wukong’s staff. Each strike that landed made a metallic clang as if it hit solid metal. With a single strike, weighing no less than ten million catties, Subhuti stood on a tree branch, blocking with his hand, and not even the branch under his feet shook in the slightest. His ability chilled Wukong to the core.

Wukong exclaimed, "Master truly has remarkable skills!" and raised the Great Revolution Seal to hit Subhuti on the forehead.

Surprise flashed in Subhuti’s eyes, but still, he didn’t move an inch. A mysterious will emerged from him, perfectly blocking the Great Revolution Seal, making it impossible to press down.

Subhuti gave a faint smile and exclaimed, "Go!"

After saying that, he flicked his finger, and Wukong, struck as if by thunder, was sent flying backward.

Yuan Hong caught Wukong with one hand, adjusted his footing to draw a circle, and smoothly guided and caught him.

Yuan Hong said, "Stop overestimating yourself. Your master has likely realized the Primordial Dao Fruit, achieved the status of a Primordial Limitless Daluo Golden Immortal, and is already a Heavenly Dao Saint."

Subhuti glanced at Yuan Hong and said, "Are you Yuan Hong from the Ancient Times? You do have some insight."

Yuan Hong asked, "Who are you?"

But Subhuti said, "I am who I am."

Wukong said, "I originally thought that at most you had the same level of ability as the Tathagata, but to think you are actually a Saint! If you had been willing to pass on your true skills to me back then, I might not have been defeated so miserably, so pathetically, right?"

Subhuti smiled without answering.

Wukong asked, "Are you Zhun Ti or Amitabha?"

Subhuti said, "The Buddhist Sect only has two Saints. How could they compete with Taoism? I am the third Saint of Buddhism."

Wukong could not help but spurt out a mouthful of blood, shouting, "I had a slight hope that you were simply and plainly my master. Alas, it turns out you are still one of the schemers manipulating me within your grasp! And probably the biggest schemer at that? I’m afraid this Journey to the West was all your doing!"

Subhuti chuckled and said, "Yes."

Yuan Hong frowned and bellowed, "Silence!"

Having said that, regardless of biting off more than he could chew, he employed his innate divine ability, stretching out his arms to seize Subhuti.

But Yuan Hong was merely a Taiyi Golden Immortal, who in the eyes of a Saint was akin to an ant, let alone a Taiyi Golden Immortal. Even at his peak, to a Saint, he was nothing more than a slightly larger ant! In the eyes of a Saint, all are ants, all but dust; without becoming a Saint, a lifetime of cultivation is akin to drawing cakes.

With a gentle flick of his finger, Subhuti sent a beam of light striking Yuan Hong’s arm, causing it to jerk back instantly, so painful that Yuan Hong couldn’t help but gasp.

Subhuti pressed his hands together and said with a smile, "An ant trying to shake a tree, a mantis trying to stop a chariot, overestimating one’s abilities."

He used three scornful phrases to describe Yuan Hong, who had been a dominant figure since the ancient times. Who ever dared to speak to him in such a manner? This infuriated Yuan Hong repeatedly, but he could do nothing to Subhuti. To continue attacking was simply to humiliate himself, to slap his own face.

When Wukong first sprang from the stone, he drifted across the sea, wandered everywhere, tasted the vicissitudes of life, and finally arrived at the Mount Sumeru, feeling the warmth from his master. Although Wukong already suspected that Subhuti was one of the schemers from those early days, he still harbored a glimmer of hope. After all, that was his master, who had shown him kindness, unlike Tangseng with his sanctimonious appearance, who relied on the Tightening-Crown Spell to bully others.

"Why?" Wukong roared angrily.

"Why?" Subhuti scoffed, "You are merely a pawn. The struggle between Buddhism and Taoism is inevitable, and you, having been transformed from the Sky-mending Stone left by Goddess Nuwa, with exceptional talents, naturally became part of the game."

Wukong stomped his feet furiously, the Buddha Beating Staff swung violently, breaking all the surrounding trees.

"Below the Saints, all are ants. The Supreme Elderly Lord wrote the ’Tao Te Ching,’ which says: ’Heaven and Earth are heartless, treating all beings as straw dogs; Saints are heartless, treating people as straw dogs.’ You are not a Saint; you will never understand the thoughts of Saints," said Subhuti.

Wukong said, "You mean to tell me, all that passed was under your control!"

Subhuti replied, "When I predicted your birth, I conspired with Zhun Ti and Amitabha to delegate this matter to Tathagata. Since your birth, you have been under our control. Did you think you were that lucky? That a strong wind would fortuitously blow you onto my grounds? Had I not already informed the Heavenly Immortals, which wind would have enabled you to reach there? Without notifying the Dragon Kings under the sea, you would have been drowned by the waves long ago! Even your Jingu Bang was arranged with the Dragon Palace; otherwise, with your limited capabilities, could you have entered the Dragon Palace of the Eastern Sea as if it were nothing? Without a decree signed by the Three Pure Ones, did you think you could have forced the Jade Emperor to hide under the table?"

The struggle between Buddhism and Taoism was already fierce in ancient times. Later, when Wukong was born, the Saints plotted, using him to undertake the Journey to the West, gambling in the course of the journey. Thus, regardless of victory or defeat, the Saints did not lose face and did not have to openly fight.

Subhuti’s words made Wukong so angry that he spurted a mouthful of blood, his eyes bloodshot, wishing he could eat his flesh, sleep on his skin, gnaw on his bones, torture his sinews! It was truly a case of the Three Corpses in his brain leaping in fury, the Five Qi careening in his chest, and the Samadhi charging into his throat.

Yuan Hong shouted, "Be careful, Wukong! This cunning fellow is trying to destabilize your Taoist heart. Do not fall for his trickery!"

At this point, Wukong could no longer hear Yuan Hong’s voice; his mind only echoed with Subhuti’s words.

"Had I not communicated with the Heavenly Immortals, how could I have reached the Cave of the Three Stars? Had I not made agreements with the Dragon Palace, how could I have crossed the East Sea? Had I not made deals with the Dragon King, how could I have obtained the Jingu Bang? Had it not been for the consensus reached with the Three Pure Ones and their decrees issued, how could I have pressured the Jade Emperor to hide under a desk?" The more Wukong thought, the more vexed he became, "So from the moment I was born, I have been calculated against—neither the sun nor the moon care for me, heaven and earth do not love me!"

With these thoughts, another mouthful of blood sprayed forth, and with the Buddha Beating Staff point towards the sky, he shouted, "This infuriates me! This infuriates me! Subhuti, you old wretch, you have deceived me too far, too far!"

"Oh no, his inner demon has called forth the Demon God’s Primordial Spirit from the Demon Abyss of the Northern Region..."

Seeing Wukong’s inner demon erupt, Yuan Hong watched as a wisp of black cloud approached from the north, darkening the sky, within which the Demon God’s Primordial Spirit was hidden, aiming to lead Wukong into the fall in the Demon Abyss of the Northern Region.

The Heaven-Defying Taoist leaped out from Wukong’s body, raised his head to roar at the sky: "I’ve already slain the evil corpse, and penetrated my true heart in the cycle of reincarnation, understanding the mind and seeing the nature. How dare you, Demon God, come and make noise!"

After saying this, he cast the Great Revolution Seal into the sky, and with a peal of thunder, the Demon God’s Primordial Spirit was crushed along with the black cloud.

At this moment, Wukong bled from his seven orifices, his Taoist heart in disarray, nearly shattered, and the Heaven-Defying Taoist was pale as a ghost.

If Wukong’s Taoist heart were shattered, his cultivation level would be lost. Although the Heaven-Defying Taoist would not suffer the same fate, his future cultivation would also be severely hindered. To say they were one and the same was not entirely true, yet saying they were separate was also not accurate. The matter of Slaying the Three Corpses was indeed mysterious.

Subhuti said, "Lay down the butcher’s knife and you will become a Buddha on the spot. If you wish, I can let you undertake the Journey to the West once more."

This was nothing short of adding fuel to the fire!

With an enraged shout, Wukong leaped into the air, cursing, "Subhuti, do you really take me for a fool to be played with at your whim!"

After cursing, he spat out blood repeatedly, howling madly.

"Today I sever ties with you, and tomorrow, I will take your head!" Wukong grabbed his robe and tore it apart, then threw it aside.

The Hongmeng Purple Qi within him whirling madly, Wukong started to laugh coldly, a wretched sound squeezed through clenched teeth, and slowly he said, "Thank you, Master, for helping me slay the benevolent corpse... Sun Wukong, won’t you emerge, if not now, then when?!"

A thunderous boom erupted from thin air, and Subhuti’s expression changed.

Then, from within Wukong burst forth a monkey, golden fur gleaming, his waist wrapped in a tiger-skin skirt, dressed in a yellow Buddhist robe, with a face like the God of Thunder and a mere four feet in height, eyes ablaze with raging fire—Fiery Eyes with Golden Vision!

If this was not the Wukong who travelled to the West in years past, who else could it be?

A later poem testifies to this, with the verse: "Along the Westward Journey, all effort was but painted cakes; escaping from the grip of fate comes from Creation itself. Now with Subhuti disturbing the mind of Tao, severing the robes and will shows true heroism."