The Battle in Journey to the West
Chapter 274 - 243: Rushing to Mount Meru Seeking a Method_2

Chapter 274: Chapter 243: Rushing to Mount Meru Seeking a Method_2

Zhen Yuanzi said, "Of course, even if I lacked grace, I wouldn’t harm Tang Sanzang’s life for no reason. Sun Wukong, you may go now!"

Wukong nodded his head. He trusted Zhen Yuanzi quite a bit, as the trouble at Wuzhuang Temple was purely orchestrated by the Three Pure Ones.

In his previous life, Zhen Yuanzi had gone to Mira Palace to attend a lecture, leaving behind two sharp-tongued children. Naturally, they provoked the fearless Monkey King, who flew into a rage and pushed over his pepino fruit tree. Then Zhen Yuanzi returned to Wuzhuang Temple just in time and captured the master and disciples with a single move, Universe in the Sleeve.

Wukong thought to himself, "Should I go seek out Guanyin, or should I head straight to Tathagata?"

He still went first to the South Sea to find Guanyin and landed on Mount Luojia, entering right into Guanyin’s practice grounds.

"Wukong, you’ve come here. Have you encountered some trouble?" Guanyin asked as she dismissed everyone around her.

"Haha! Great news! The Three Pure Ones set a trap at Wuzhuang Temple. Zhen Yuanzi and Yin Xi joined forces and fought Buddha of Immeasurable Light, Buddha of Immeasurable Life, and Peacock Great Ming King Bodhisattva. Tathagata couldn’t sit still anymore and personally intervened, but ended up disgraced and nearly got killed himself! He fled back to Mount Meru looking utterly defeated," laughed Wukong. He harbored a deep hatred for Tathagata, so seeing him beaten to such a state was a joy he could hardly contain.

Upon hearing this, Guanyin also couldn’t help rejoicing. She had seen the true Siddhartha Gautama Buddha Ancestor in the South Sea Ruins and knew that the one on Mount Meru was just a false Buddha Ancestor who had usurped the throne. Hence, she was unable to hide her joy upon hearing such news and excitedly asked, "How exactly did this happen? Tell me everything."

"Ha, Zhen Yuanzi toppled his own pepino fruit tree but blamed it on me, Old Sun. Knowing this was a trap set by the Three Pure Ones, I naturally took the blame. Seeing that the Scripture Seeker was detained by Zhen Yuanzi, the Ancestral Earth Immortal, Tathagata sent his disciples, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, to Wuzhuang Temple to retrieve them. But Zhen Yuanzi’s mana is immense, and with the help of his Daoist friend Yin Xi, the two of them together could even outmatch a Semi-Saint! Just as they were about to capture all three, Tathagata couldn’t sit by and sent Acala from the Esoteric Sect..."

Wukong conveyed the incident and its details to Guanyin, who nodded continually and wondered aloud, "Why didn’t the Three Pure Ones directly help and use the sword to kill Tathagata?"

"Both Buddhism and Daoism signed an agreement for the Journey to the West. If the Three Pure Ones took action, it would violate their own vows, contaminating them with the karma of the Heavenly Dao, and besides, who knows what trump cards Tathagata holds? If he isn’t killed, what then? Buddhism and Daoism would erupt into open conflict. Tathagata, facing threat to his life, would certainly destroy both sides. This goes against the Three Pure Ones’ strategy for restoration and recuperation, so it’s not feasible. The Three Pure Ones stayed their hand, considering the greater situation. And that mysterious person hiding in the shadows, his mana is incredibly intimidating; if even he can’t kill Tathagata, there’s nothing to be done."

Tathagata has hidden too deeply. Although the incident at Wuzhuang Temple provided an excellent chance to kill Tathagata, if the attempt failed and Tathagata felt his life threatened, he would surely bring down West Cow He State’s madmen along with the Three Pure Ones. If this generation’s masters were crippled, how would they face the next great calamity? It’s far more economical to gamble with the small cost of the Journey to the West.

The Dao of Immortals values life, and so naturally does Buddhism. After achieving Buddhahood, one has endless lifespan and enjoys infinite incense offerings—who would choose death? Tathagata, too, cherishes his life, hence he engages with the Three Pure Ones in the wager of the Journey to the West; otherwise, a direct confrontation would gravely damage the Four Great Continents, and the Various Heavens would have an even greater chance of victory upon their descent.

Tathagata initially might have come with a mindset ready for a decisive battle with the Three Pure Ones, but after becoming the Respectful Ruler of the World, he found the position wondrous. The people of West Cow He State paid homage to him, Three Thousand Buddhas heeded his command, and Infinite Bodhisattvas knelt before him, giving him a feeling like never before, which made him waver. Now he even began to value his life extremely.

Guanyin said, "Although I have never eaten the pepino, I know it’s a rare treasure. The pepino fruit tree is said to have transformed from a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root; if it’s knocked over and withers away, I truly don’t know how it could be revived!"

Wukong laughed, "Bodhisattva, it’s best if you have no solution, so we’ll just have to trouble Tathagata with this issue!"

Unable to help herself, Guanyin also laughed and said, "Indeed, we must trouble Tathagata. Let’s go to Mount Meru together and inform Tathagata of this matter, and see if he has any method to revive the pepino fruit tree."

Wukong chuckled inside himself, "Alright, alright, let’s go find Tathagata then!"

He had been manipulated and played by Tathagata, but now it was his turn, and leaving Tathagata disgraced brought him immense satisfaction.

With Tathagata’s setback, Wukong was in an excellent mood, feeling as if he had finally vented the malice that had pressed down on him for five hundred years.

Guanyin and Wukong rode the clouds straight toward Mount Meru, to ask Tathagata for a solution to revive the pepino fruit tree.

Upon arriving at Mount Meru and entering Da Xiong Palace, where Buddha chants reverberated and the sound of bells rose and fell, Buddhas were seated on lotus platforms, countless Bodhisattvas also sat nearby, and there were endless numbers of Vajras, Bhikkhunis, and Arhats.

Seeing Tathagata sitting on the highest lotus platform, Wukong prostrated himself and exclaimed, "Tathagata, Tathagata! Old Sun has come to pay you a visit!"