Wukong's Acting Fooled Tang Sanzang

The instant his fingers touched the weeds—

Those Fiery Golden Eyes, half-lidded like dust-covered gemstones, suddenly flew open!

There was no grogginess of awakening, only a nearly tangible savagery, fury, and ferocious air of disdain for heaven and earth, seemingly accumulated over five hundred years. Like two cold swords, they stabbed straight into Tang Sanzang's mind!

"!!!"

Tang Sanzang shuddered from head to toe, nearly collapsing onto the ground, and jerked his hand back.

The monkey stared fixedly at Tang Sanzang, baring his teeth in a vicious grin filled with endless repression and longing. His voice was hoarse and dry, yet every word was clear as he asked,

"Are you... the monk sent by the emperor of Great Tang in the Eastern Lands to worship Buddha and seek scriptures in Western Heaven?"

That blunt question, paired with those terrifying eyes and that smile, sent Tang Sanzang's heart racing again.

His first instinct was to turn and run, but the moment he moved his foot, he remembered Liu Boqin's words—he couldn't get out! Buddha Ancestor was holding him down! What was there to fear!

With that thought, some of his courage returned.

He steadied himself, puffed out his chest, and tried to make his voice sound calm and forceful, carrying the authority of a "Holy Monk," as he answered,

"That is indeed this humble monk! You... what divine being are you? Why have you been imprisoned here?"

Upon hearing his confirmation, joy erupted in Sun Wukong's heart like a volcano! He had come! He had finally come! The Scripture Seeker Lin Zhu had spoken of! His hope of escaping!

At the same time, his spiritual awareness, sharpened rather than dulled by five hundred years of imprisonment, clearly sensed two familiar auras "watching" from high above.

One carried Vast Righteousness, along with