Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong naturally dared not say another word. Tang Sanzang, as Daluo Golden Immortal, possessed enough power to intimidate him!
Even though this Spiritual Stone Monkey was naturally unruly and had extraordinary courage, that was all in the past!
Perhaps it's human nature to know more; the more we know, the deeper our fear becomes!
Now, Sun Wukong, fully aware of the terrifying power of Daluo Golden Immortal, dared not easily disobey Tang Sanzang's wishes.
He could only nod and reply, "Master, shall This Old Sun go and find some food?"
"There is a village forty miles away. Although it is sparsely populated, every household raises chickens, ducks, and geese, so you should be able to get some meat."
Tang Sanzang gazed at the flowing water in the ravine and slowly said, "The scenery here is beautiful, and with dusk approaching, it's a good time to rest for a while in Eagle Sorrow Ravine."
"My disciple, go and beg for alms. See if you can get a chicken or a duck. While you're at it, inquire if anyone in the village brews wine. My wine gourd is already empty."
After saying this, Tang Sanzang tossed the wine gourd to Sun Wukong, then took off his cassock, leaped into the clear waters of Eagle Sorrow Ravine!
Seeing this, Sun Wukong felt rather helpless, but could only nod and say, "Master, rest assured, your disciple will set off immediately!"
Before he finished speaking, he took to the air and sped towards the small village in the distance!
Along the way, he thought to himself, "This Tang Sanzang doesn't look like a monk at all! He drinks alcohol, eats meat, and is fond of women; he has violated almost every one of the five precepts of Buddhism!"
"What Tathagata is Buddha planning to do, sending such a person to the Western Paradise to retrieve the scriptures?"
Sun Wukong shook his head and sighed. Just as he was about to speed up his journey, he suddenly seemed to sense something, stopped in mid-air, and looked back towards the direction of Eagle Sorrow Ravine.
"Something's not right... Mister Su once spoke of This Old Sun future fate, and while my current situation is similar to what he described, how come this Tang Sanzang is so different from what Mister Su said?"
He shook his head repeatedly, a sense of doubt and unease rising in his heart. Clearly, Sun Wukong was unaware that the Tang Sanzang before him had already been completely reshaped by Su Yang and the others!
In the past, Golden Cicada went through ten reincarnations, each time creating merit as a virtuous person, just so that he could travel to the Western Spirit Mountain and obtain the supreme scriptures with this pure body!
Now, the vast merits accumulated over those ten lifetimes have already been quietly transformed into the Power of Origin of Golden Cicada himself!
Otherwise, how could he, as Tang Sanzang, possess such astonishing cultivation?
However, Sun Wukong did not delve into the matter. He simply sighed, leaped up again, and sped towards the village.
Meanwhile, at the banks of Eagle Sorrow Ravine, Tang Sanzang had already sunk into the water, feeling the bone-chilling coolness. He took a deep breath and floated quietly on the surface, his internal magical power slowly circulating.
At that moment, an unusual fluctuation suddenly appeared, immediately causing Tang Sanzang to frown deeply!
In an instant, the pool water surged violently, and a raging torrent shot into the sky!
Immediately afterwards, a white dragon, hundreds of feet long, suddenly rose from the abyss, breaking through the waves and soaring straight into the sky!
Upon seeing this, Tang Sanzang was slightly taken aback, then calmly said, "I never expected that a dragon would appear in such a remote place?"
"Hmm! Judging by its appearance, it is indeed a Evil Dragons. In that case, let's kill it and use it to fill our bellies!"
Tang Sanzang spoke coldly, his true essence surging within him, instantly gathering in his palm, intending to suppress the white dragon with supreme power!
Upon hearing this, Bai Long trembled involuntarily, and a tremendous fear suddenly rose in his heart!
However, Tang Sanzang's eyes were as cold as ice, showing no pity whatsoever.
An immense pressure erupted from his right palm, transforming into World-Destroying force that rushed straight towards the white dragon!
The White Dragon was terrified at the sight. Hadn't Guanyin Bodhisattva said that he only needed to wait there for the pilgrims to arrive, swallow the white horse, and then have the Bodhisattva restrain Sun Wukong so he could transform into the White Dragon Horse and escort Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West to seek Buddhist scriptures?
But this Tang Sanzang before me actually possesses the cultivation of Daluo Golden Immortal? Not only is he not afraid of me, but he also wants to capture me and even boasts about eating my dragon flesh?
"Could it be that I've mistaken you for someone else?"
Little White Dragon's heart skipped a beat. As the colossal hand that blotted out the sky pressed down on him, he felt a pang of pain rising in his internal organs.
Could it be that we were tricked by Guanyin Bodhisattva?
He's merely a Golden Immortal; how could he possibly contend with a high-ranking monk at the Daluo Golden Immortal level?
Just when he thought he was about to die, a serene and solemn chant suddenly emanated from the sky, resounding throughout heaven and earth, which startled his soul!
"Sanzang! Stop immediately!"
The voice of Guanyin Bodhisattva came from the clouds, instantly attracting Tang Sanzang's attention.
At this moment, Tang Sanzang was only wearing a plain white undergarment, looking up at the void with his eyebrows slightly raised.
"Oh? The Bodhisattva has come in person to save this Evil Dragons?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Guanyin Bodhisattva couldn't help but shake her head with a wry smile. Looking at Tang Sanzang in this state, she felt no emotion whatsoever. She could only slowly open her lips and say, "Sanzang, you may not know this, but this dragon is not an evil creature. It is the third son of the Third Prince of the West Sea Dragon King."
"He descended upon Eagle Sorrow Ravine today, only to await your arrival. He is willing to transform into a white dragon steed, carrying you westward all the way to the sacred Spirit Mountain, to seek the supreme true scriptures."
Having said that, Guanyin Bodhisattva gave a slight bow and clasped her hands together. Tang Sanzang frowned slightly upon hearing this, his gaze sweeping over the Little White Dragon, and coldly said, " White Dragon Horse? Since you are a dragon, why transform into a horse?"
Upon hearing this, Guanyin Bodhisattva was speechless for a moment before explaining, "Sanzang, the reason you had him transform into a horse was to avoid being seen by others along the way, so that you could travel discreetly."
Tang Sanzang sneered upon hearing this, slowly raising his hand as his magical power surged forth once more. "No need."
Suddenly, a gigantic hand appeared in the void, instantly capturing the Little White Dragon!
Then, Tang Sanzang calmly spoke:
"Since I can ride a dragon, why should I stoop to riding a horse? This humble monk is already extremely low-key; if I were to ride a horse as well, wouldn't I be even more reserved?"
"This matter is settled. The Little White Dragon will remain in its original form and serve as this humble monk's mount."
Guanyin Bodhisattva fell silent for a moment, a sense of helplessness rising in her heart. She had to admit that the Tang Sanzang before her was no longer the kind and benevolent Ten Generations of Goodness; his words and actions were unfathomable.
Just as she was about to offer further advice, something even more troublesome happened!
A golden light suddenly appeared in the distance, piercing the sky, and the Spiritual Stone Monkey Sun Wukong arrived swiftly on his somersault Somersault Cloud!
He carried a rooster and a fat goose in his hands, with a wine bag hanging at his waist; he was travel-worn but his face was full of joy.
"Master! I've brought you the roast chicken and braised goose you ordered!"
Sun Wukong called out loudly, respectfully placing the delicacies in his hands in front of Tang Sanzang, and then handing over his wine gourd.
Tang Sanzang took the wine pouch, tilted his head back, and drank a large gulp. The strong liquor rolled down his throat, and he exclaimed with delight, "That's great!"
He exhaled a deep breath, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, revealing boundless pride.
When Guanyin Bodhisattva witnessed this scene, her expression grew even more solemn, and a trace of worry appeared between her brows.
Their original plan was that Golden Cicada, through ten lifetimes of accumulating merit, would complete the pilgrimage to the West after enduring hardships, thus spreading Buddhism in the Eastern Land and allowing Golden Cicada to achieve perfect merit and attain Buddha.
But now... is this still the same pilgrim who upheld the precepts and followed the rules?
But now, as Guanyin Bodhisattva looked at Tang Sanzang, she became increasingly clear that it was nothing but a pipe dream to make this Tang Sanzang attain the position of Buddha in Buddhism!
This Tang Sanzang has no aversion to even wine and meat!
Witnessing this scene, Guanyin Bodhisattva felt nothing but sighs.
Fortunately, the pursuit of scriptures and the propagation of Buddha's Teachings Eastward did not demand that the seekers be of perfect character. Even if it was just the loss of a future Buddha, it was not an unbearable loss.
However, seeing Tang Sanzang's behavior, Guanyin Bodhisattva eventually had doubts.
Does this Tang Sanzang still deserve the title of "pilgrim"?
I'm afraid this journey westward will only completely ruin what little dignity Buddhism has left!