The light inside this lamp had grown extremely faint.
I rushed to the land of Beiming without stopping, but by the time I arrived, the lamp was already on its last fumes.
In the end, I was saddled with this charge, and the Jade Emperor used it as an excuse to cast me out of the Heavenly Court, turning me into a demon in the Quicksand River.
Sand Monk seemed to have endless grievances, as if the treatment he had suffered back then had hurt even more than the wounds on his back.
"Amitabha. Benefactor, since you have a compassionate heart, why do you commit such cruel acts in the Quicksand River? Doesn't that go against the goodness in your heart?"
Tang Sanzang couldn't understand.
"Heh. Goodness? What use is goodness? A kind heart alone can't bring peace to this chaotic world. The people of the mortal realm yearn constantly for life in the Heavenly Court.
"Every festival, they hold sacrificial rites, hoping the Kami in the heavens will bless them with good health.
"That's exactly why they've become so spoiled. All lives are equal, yet the people of the Heavenly Court think themselves superior. They don't care at all about what happens in the mortal realm.
"I have ambitions of my own. One day, I'll overthrow the Heavenly Court's government and trample that despicable Jade Emperor underfoot!"
As he spoke, Sand Monk clenched his fist.
"But how does committing such cruel acts here have anything to do with your ambitions?"
Faced with Tang Sanzang's question, Sand Monk chuckled and pointed at the prayer beads around his neck.
"Do you know what these are?"
Tang Sanzang was puzzled.
"I've eaten countless people. They say that eating a Pilgrim's flesh can grant immortality. If I can gain that power, I'll have