Sun Wukong Learns the Real Deal, Flower-Fruit Mountain's Monkeys Have No Memories

Rulai pondered for a moment, then replied, "This is simple. Maitreya, just do it yourself and erase the memories the little monkeys have formed during this time. That will settle it."

Maitreya was utterly dumbfounded. "Buddha Ancestor, are you kidding me? Erase the memories of every monkey on that entire mountain? That'll incur karmic consequences..."

Hearing this, Rulai thought, Isn't that obvious? If I didn't know the karmic consequences were severe, would I have sent you? ...Well, the karma affects Maitreya, not little old me...

With that thought, Rulai said to Maitreya, "Future Buddha, this concerns the great undertaking of our Buddhist Sect. Urgent matters call for expediency. It is unavoidable that you will incur some karma, so stop thinking so much about it..."

Maitreya let out a long sigh. Then, atop Flower-Fruit Mountain, the sound of Buddhist chanting slowly rose.

In the Guardian God Hall on Yingzhou Island in the Eastern Sea, Yun Ting rubbed his hands together and muttered, "Good grief, that Maitreya really has too much time on his hands. Going to Flower-Fruit Mountain to chant sutras—how annoying..."

Yuan Hong asked in confusion, "Jingwei and I have both returned. What's he chanting sutras over there for?"

Yun Ting chuckled. "Oh, for peace of mind. After all, using such immense power to erase the memories the monkeys of Flower-Fruit Mountain have formed during this time will bring him no small amount of karma... Mm, Maitreya is one of the rare few in the Western Region who truly has some compassion for living beings. He feels bad about erasing their memories, so he's reciting some scriptures for them to strengthen their bodies."

Jingwei curled her lip. "Holy Envoy, I don't think that means he has compassion. He just doesn't want to incur karma. I'd guess that if he could