"You rascal! I'm your sworn elder brother, you know. What do you mean, 'ox nose'?" Old Ox didn't need to guess which fool had arrived. "Look at you, lounging around like that. Do you have even a shred of a Buddha's dignity?"
As he spoke, the Bull Demon King turned around with a broad grin. He was no simple, honest fellow, but a crafty rogue with a sharp mind beneath his rough exterior. Otherwise, how could he have built such a vast empire? Running an organization took brains, too.
"I don't give a damn about being a Buddha. Buddha, my ass! It just sounds impressive. You think I don't know? That old Tathagata figured me out. He knew I cared about my reputation, so he gave me a fancy title. This whole Buddha business... eh, forget it!" Monkey liked showing off and bragging, but that didn't mean he was stupid. He was extraordinarily gifted and clever, and naturally understood Tathagata's intentions.
Victorious Fighting Buddha sounded impressive, but it had done precious little to boost his strength. He was at the very bottom of the Buddhas. Forget the Buddhas-even after attaining Buddhahood, he was still no match for Guanyin or Ksitigarbha. How was someone called the Victorious Fighting Buddha supposed to live that down?
His situation was the exact opposite of the Four Great Bodhisattvas, including Guanyin and Ksitigarbha. Though they were Bodhisattvas, their strength surpassed that of ordinary Buddhas. Their attachments alone kept their spiritual state from advancing; their power had long since met the requirements.
Sun Wukong lacked both the strength and the spiritual state, but he certainly had the title. Though he was a Buddha, his cultivation was only on the level of an ordinary Bodhisattva. Against a formidable one, he might not even win. Ultimately, he was