You said a man in black had snatched the item, but you had no idea who he was. Who were you trying to fool, a ghost? No wonder Ji Meng had flown into a rage. The people in the Three Realms capable of stealing something from Buddhism could be counted on one hand. Just name whoever took it! Instead, you had conjured up some man in black.
It would be a miracle if anyone believed that excuse, and this was precisely what troubled Tathagata. The sudden appearance of a man in black left him with no way to explain matters to outsiders.
Tathagata drew a deep breath and said, "The ten thousand Buddhas of our Buddhism must search thoroughly for traces of this man in black. We must find him, and we must obtain those Great Dao Laws as well. The great rise of Buddhism is upon us. If this object falls into the hands of our enemies, it will leave endless calamity in its wake. Besides, if we fail to find it, we will have to keep carrying the blame until the Journey to the West ends!"
Only after the Journey to the West Calamity, when the Heavenly Secrets became clear, would people learn that Buddhism had not taken the item.
But this was the Journey to the West period. The Heavenly Secrets were obscured, and Buddhism had no way to prove any of it.
Guanyin said helplessly, "Wukong acted rashly and brought such a terrible disaster upon our Buddhism. Alas!"
Tathagata sighed. "Forget it. It has already happened, and saying more is useless. Let us handle it as best we can!"
Randeng suddenly snorted. "This matter began circulating in Spirit Vine City, where all the various powers gather. I suspect that fellow Lin Tian is behind it!"
Tathagata