The Five Directional Guardians' Panic and Fear, and the Great Sage Equal to Heaven's Broken Spirit

At the foot of Five Elements Mountain.

Tianpeng stood there, looking at Sun Wukong. Dead trees and earth buried him; the Five Directional Guardians had cleared only enough space around his head to feed him Copper-Juice Iron Pills. Anger stirred in Tianpeng's heart.

"Is this how you treat the Great Sage Equal to Heaven?"

"Who did this?"

The Five Directional Guardians sensed Marshal Tianpeng's anger.

They trembled and dared not speak.

The Four Duty Merit Officers hurried to speak up. "Marshal Tianpeng, the Five Directional Guardians did all this!"

"That's right, Marshal. We told them that whatever Sun Wukong had done, he was still the Heavenly Court's Great Sage Equal to Heaven and deserved the respect due to him. But the Five Directional Guardians said their Buddhist Sect's Buddha Patriarch had imprisoned him, so they should be the ones to discipline him here. They wouldn't let us interfere!"

"Those monks even humiliated the Great Sage Equal to Heaven and hurled abuse at him. It left a bitter taste in our mouths!"

"Exactly. Though we were ordered to guard the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, he was still an immortal of the Heavenly Court. Whatever else happened, he deserved respect. Those monks' actions made our blood boil..."

The officers hastened to add their accusations.

Marshal Tianpeng's gaze sharpened as it settled on the Five Directional Guardians.

"Bald donkeys," he said coldly, "is that true?"

"No, no! How would we dare humiliate the Great Sage Equal to Heaven? There must be some mistake!"

"Please see the truth, High Immortal. How could we do such a thing?"

"Great Immortal..."

The Five Directional Guardians saw the killing intent in Tianpeng's eyes. Shaking with fear, they cried out explanations.

But the Four Duty Merit Officers produced their recording device and the notes they had kept