Chang'an City!
Great Ci'en Temple!
Great Hero Hall!
Inside the hall:
Incense and candles curled through the air! Buddhist chants rang out in waves!
The golden Buddha statue! Solemn and majestic!
Eight Legions of Heavenly Dragons! Guardian Devas!
Bhikshus and samis! Gathered in great numbers!
Along with countless faithful men and women!
A sea of heads surged! Shoulder pressed against shoulder!
All had come to catch a glimpse of the newly ascended Sandalwood Merit Buddha!
The Holy Monk of the Great Tang!
Master Xuanzang!
In person!
Upon the high platform:
Xuanzang wore a brand-new Brocade Kasaya!
A Vairocana Hat rested atop his head!
A Buddha Seal glimmered faintly between his brows! (The cuttlefish ink had finally washed off!)
His skin was fair! His features handsome and refined!
He was truly:
Bathed in Buddha's light! Solemn and majestic!
Fourteen years of hardship washed away!
The Eighty-One Tribulations had finally borne fruit!
At that moment!
He sat properly upon a lotus throne (temporarily moved over)!
A gentle smile on his face!
Holding a purple-gold wolf-hair brush!
He signed autographs for the fanatical fans below the stage (mostly female demons in disguise)!
His signature went...
Onto the title pages of freshly printed, deluxe limited editions of the Mahayana Sutras!
(Ananda and Kasyapa: Please settle the copyright fees?)
"Holy Monk! Holy Monk! Sign one for me!"
"Sandalwood Merit Buddha! Over here! Look over here!"
"Brother Xuanzang! Sign my face!!" screamed a female demon with rabbit ears!
"Master! Sign my kasaya! I'll take it home and worship it!" A tiger-headed humanoid demon struggled to squeeze forward!
"This humble monk... this humble monk..." Xuanzang struggled to maintain the composure of an eminent Buddhist monk, though sweat faintly beaded on his brow. "Benefactors! Do not rush! Do not rush! Form a line! Mind your manners! This is