The Battle in Journey to the West
Chapter 305 - 267: Shameless and Malicious is Only Laojun

Chapter 305: Chapter 267: Shameless and Malicious is Only Laojun

The Tathagata led the Buddhas of Mount Meru to press their presence upon us, yet Chi Songzi summoned the Three Sovereigns Sword and Five Emperors’ Armor, under the endless powers of incense and wishes, the wills of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors manifested, existing in an alternative form. This also shocked the Tathagata, who had no choice but to let the matter rest.

The Ox Demon King, looking at the shattered Chi You Armor, couldn’t help but say, "What a pity, such a pity! Wearing the Chi You Armor, I didn’t manage to kill even one Buddha or Bodhisattva, truly regrettable!"

The Chi You Armor, struck by the aura of the Xuanyuan Sword, trembled continuously and was now damaged beyond repair.

It was then that Chi Songzi spoke, "Now that everything here is settled, I shall take my leave."

As soon as he had spoken, he transformed into a breeze and departed. Wukong, too, hurried after him, afraid that Chi Songzi might have left only to fall victim to the treacherous hands of the Buddhist sect. Chi Songzi practiced the orthodox mysticism of the Mystic Sect and dressed accordingly like a member of the Taoist Sect, thus he could rightly be referred to as a "poor Taoist," yet upon closer examination, he was not actually a person from Taoism.

Princess Iron Fan, retracting the Banana Leaf Fan, sighed with relief and said, "Who would have expected this incident to escalate so greatly, almost beyond containment! Senior Chi Songzi is really powerful, possessing the Three Sovereigns Sword and Five Emperors’ Armor, and even managed to manifest the wills of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to repel the Buddhas of Mount Meru."

Should the Tathagata resolve himself to do so, he could certainly eradicate the will of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors completely, but he would also suffer a tremendous backlash. Moreover, with the Ming River lurking covetously nearby and the Netherworld Blood Sea harboring many Golden Immortals of Mixed Yuan caliber, after all, they have been in hiding since ancient times, amassing unknown strengths! Should the Buddhist sect suffer damage, the Daoist would make their move, and with several Great Emperors pressing down, the Buddhist sect would surely be left severely crippled.

The flames of Flame Mountain had not yet been extinguished, and the Banana Leaf Fan had not been seized; this time, the Tathagata was thoroughly embarrassed by the sole actions of Chi Songzi!

There was no choice; the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors placed such trust in him to entrust their life’s Magical Treasures, manifesting at the crucial moment through the incense power of the human clan.

Wukong also discreetly retreated. With the flames on Flame Mountain still burning, they could only detour, and with Tang Sanzang’s pace, it would probably take more than two months to bypass Flame Mountain.

The Ox Demon King, seeing everyone gone, heaved a long sigh and said, "Though no one was killed, watching Chi Songzi go on a killing spree and beheading Maitreya was truly exhilarating! Iron Fan, let’s leave quickly before the Tathagata turns back to trouble us."

Princess Iron Fan asked, "Where shall we go?"

The Ox Demon King laughed loudly, "Naturally, we’ll go to our Ancestral Patriarch. Would the Tathagata even dare to snatch people from Doulu Palace?"

Princess Iron Fan said, "Indeed! No matter how strong the Tathagata is, he wouldn’t dare to ascend to the Thirty-Three Heavens to seize people, let’s go!"

At that moment, Laozi had already descended from the Great Pure Sky and landed in front of the Banana Leaf Cave.

"Elder has arrived!" The Ox Demon King saw him and quickly bowed down in homage.

Laozi, riding the Green Ox, waved his hand and took the Banana Leaf Fan, saying, "You two will accompany me to Mount Meru to apologize to the Tathagata."

Upon hearing this, the Ox Demon King’s face changed, "You can’t be serious? To actually go to Mount Meru and apologize to the Tathagata? Those baldies bullied us using their might; why should we apologize to them?"

Princess Iron Fan said, "Yes, we stand on the side of righteousness, why do we have to go to Mount Meru to apologize to the Tathagata?"

Yet Laozi simply smiled faintly. Although the Ox Demon King and Princess Iron Fan did not understand, if a perceptive person were to look, they would have no choice but to admire Laojun’s thick skin. After striking the Buddhist sect a hefty slap, he proceeded to apologize, which was clearly saying, I’ve hit you, and now I’ll apologize! After apologizing, the Tathagata would naturally not be able to seek retribution against the Ox Demon King and Princess Iron Fan anymore.

The one with the thick-skinned heart of darkness was none other than Laozi himself!

"I refuse to go to Mount Meru!" The Ox Demon King lost his temper.

"If you don’t go, beware that the Tathagata might come after you later! My bringing you to apologize to the Tathagata is only because he has to maintain face, and he will have to agree to it. Afterwards, it would not be proper for him to take action against you two again," Laozi said with a smile.

Princess Iron Fan clapped her hands together, "So that’s how it is!"

Laozi said, "You two can’t possibly stay in the Thirty-Three Heavens forever, right? Sooner or later you will have to descend, won’t you?"

Upon hearing this, the Ox Demon King could not help but think of Tathagata’s tactics and exclaimed, "Oh! So that’s it. The Patriarch is looking out for our best interests! Indeed, we cannot possibly stay in the Thirty-Three Heavens forever, wouldn’t that bore us to death?"

They were not Saints and could not achieve the serenity of doing nothing, as Saints do. If they were to live in the Thirty-Three Heavens for a few years, or even more than a decade, they would probably develop all sorts of problems. Only then did the couple realize Laozi’s intention: they were to go and apologize to Tathagata, so they could continue their activities in the Four Great Continents without being ambushed by the Buddhist sect later on. After all, the Buddhist sect had many powerful masters; offending them would mean no more good days ahead.

The Ox Demon King immediately burst into raucous laughter and said, "Let’s go, our dear Patriarch, please take us to Mount Meru to apologize to Tathagata!"

Laozi, who was unusually thick-skinned and scheming, had calculated Tathagata, even accounting for the death of a Future Buddha. Now, he led his disciples to Mount Meru to apologize to Tathagata, with the aim of settling the matter once and for all.

Laozi rode the Green Ox, and the Ox Demon King, along with Princess Iron Fan, followed at his sides. Together, they rode the clouds towards Mount Meru.

Upon Laozi’s arrival, bells on Mount Meru began to toll loudly. Laozi, being of the rank of a Celestial Venerable, warranted the tolling of bells eighty-one times. If the visitor had been the Great Emperor of the Heavenly Court, the number would have been ninety-five, with different protocols for each rank.

"Buddha Ancestor, outside is Taqing Moral Heavenly Venerable!" A Vajra informed Tathagata of Laozi’s arrival at Mount Meru, "Following him are the Ox Demon King and his wife, Princess Iron Fan."

Tathagata’s expression darkened with anger, but he soon composed himself and said, "Please, invite them in!"

Laozi, along with the Ox Demon King and Princess Iron Fan, entered the Great Hall. Tathagata ordered meditation cushions for the three to sit on, while the Vajra led Laozi’s Green Ox to a side palace.

Tathagata said, "As the saying goes, ’No one comes to the Hall of the Three Treasures without a reason.’ Although this is not the Hall of the Three Treasures, I would like to know what advice Laozi has for us?"

Laozi lamented with profound grief, "Alas! This Ox Demon King and Rakshasa Woman were oblivious to reason and caused great trouble for the Buddhist sect, which deeply upsets me!"

Tathagata’s expression shifted slightly, but he remained silent.

Laozi was extremely angry as he said, "That Sun Wukong was designated by the Buddha Ancestor as the Scripture Seeker. When he came to borrow the Banana Leaf Fan, you should have given it to him; why bother fighting him? When Lingji Bodhisattva arrived, you could have spoken kindly, why harm him? Now that the situation has blown out of proportion, the harmony between Buddhism and Daoism has been damaged, and it infuriates me greatly!"

The Ox Demon King’s body trembled uncontrollably, not out of fear, but because he wanted to laugh. Their Patriarch was indeed shameless and crafty, speaking such words in the Great Hall of Mount Meru!

In this ordeal at Flame Mountain, Laozi had taken all the advantage, weakening the Buddhist sect’s Primordial Qi. A Quasi-Saint was killed by Chi Songzi, and a Bodhisattva who had the potential to become a creator or even a Quasi-Saint was slain by one seeking the Enlightenment Dao, even regressing in spirit, severely damaging the prestige of the Buddhist sect.

Now, as he came to apologize to Tathagata, it was a matter of taking an advantage and acting coy, not only seeking a favor but also intending to disgust Tathagata further.

Seeing Laozi’s feigned anger, Tathagata knew it was a pretense, but for the sake of face, he still had to offer some courteous words, saying, "Laozi, do not be angry. The children acted rashly, not knowing any better; there’s some justification for their actions."

Laozi stomped his foot and exclaimed, "Alas! When will you two develop a heart as broad as the Buddha Ancestor, always intent on reckless bravery and ferocity? What kind of example does this set?"

Laozi’s words were venomous. On the surface, he was scolding the Ox Demon King and Princess Iron Fan, but he was also subtly mocking the Buddhist sect. The various Bodhisattvas and Buddhas present exhibited a range of expressions.

Laozi sighed and said, "I have a good friendship with Venerable Maitreya, as we have debated the dharma together. Unexpectedly, Venerable Maitreya has met his fate due to this matter, tragic indeed, how pitiful! I shall recite a scroll of Lingbao Junior Brother’s ’Sutra for Crossing Sentient Beings’ to wish for Venerable Maitreya’s rebirth in the Ultimate Bliss."

Upon hearing this, Tathagata hastily said, "No need!"

If Laozi were to recite the Daoist scriptures on Mount Meru, the Buddhist sect would have even less dignity. It was then that Tathagata hurriedly interrupted Laozi.

The Ox Demon King and Princess Iron Fan shook uncontrollably, struggling to contain themselves; it was just too funny. However, they dared not laugh out loud to avoid bringing disaster upon themselves. This was a time when laughter was absolutely forbidden; since they had come to offer an apology, they needed to maintain seriousness.

Before all the Buddhas of Mount Meru, Laozi pointed at the couple, the Ox Demon King and Princess Iron Fan, and scolded them mercilessly.

To find out what happens next, please wait for the next installment. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Starting Point (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and Monthly Tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)