The Scripture Seeker Is Dead?

Not only were the Buddhas of Western Heaven watching Tang Yu and his group, but even the Jade Emperor of the Heavenly Court, and even some Sages, were keeping an eye on them.

Yet each harbored their own schemes. Some hoped the Journey to the West Tribulation would be completed as soon as possible, while others hoped it would fail entirely.

In other words, this was a conspiracy—a conspiracy born of conflict between Buddhism and Daoism.

There were even Sages playing their game behind the scenes.

Deep within the Primordial Era, Tongtian laughed heartily. "This Tang Sanzang is rather interesting." His gaze was sharp as a sword.

His fingers moved as he began calculating, but no matter how he calculated, he could find nothing.

Naturally, he also knew that an unexpected variable had appeared in the Journey to the West.

It seemed that someone else was very likely interfering in this Journey to the West Tribulation as well.

Since the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation, when the Jie Sect was defeated and countless disciples under his command were killed or wounded, Tongtian had flown into a rage and laid down the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation, facing four Sages alone.

Unfortunately, Hongjun had intervened in the end, leading to his defeat. Hongjun had also warned him never to leave the Primordial Era again.

As for those disciples under him, most had been converted by Buddhism.

Even the present Tathagata Buddha had once been his foremost disciple.

Duobao!

If there was any Sage who most wished to see the Buddhist Sect wiped out, it was undoubtedly Tongtian.

Unfortunately, he could not leave the Primordial Era. Otherwise, he would certainly have helped Tang Yu.

Guanyin Bodhisattva descended toward the mortal realm, pondering how to keep the Buddhist Robe Ceremony going.

Tang Yu's outrageous stunt had completely thrown them for a loop.

She truly wanted to beat Tang Yu to death, but she knew that was nothing more than a passing thought.

Anyone could die now—except Tang Sanzang.

No one had paid attention to or cared about his previous nine lives.

That was why Tang Sanzang had been beaten to death by Sha Wujing as soon as he reached the Flowing Sand River, then eaten.

Even his skulls had been strung into a necklace and hung around Sha Wujing's neck.

All their plans and calculations rested on this life.

If Tang Sanzang died, all their efforts would be wasted.

Upon arriving at the Black Bear Spirit's cave, Guanyin Bodhisattva hesitated slightly before transforming into a snake demon.

This snake demon was on good terms with the Black Bear Spirit, and the two even addressed each other as brothers.

"Brother Black Bear, this little brother has come to visit unannounced."

Before long, a guileless laugh came from within the cave. "Little brother, your arrival brings honor to my humble dwelling. This old brother is deeply honored."

Guanyin Monastery.

Tang Yu had already started eating and drinking, and he even poured Sun Wukong a cup of Erguotou.

After one sip, Sun Wukong's monkey face turned crimson. He stuck out his tongue and cried, "Hiss! Ha!"

"Wukong, you just don't understand this stuff yet. This is good stuff." Tang Yu took a sip and narrowed his eyes in enjoyment. "Drink. Drink enough, and you won't miss home. Come, Wukong, your master offers you a toast."

"Master, this old Sun really can't get used to this stuff." Sun Wukong casually asked, "Master, you are the Holy Monk from the Great Tang, and you bear the great mission of obtaining scriptures. How can you eat and drink like this?"

He had long noticed that something was off, but he had never had a chance to ask.

With a wave of Tang Yu's hand, the Heavenly Secrets Concealment Formation sealed off the area.

"Wukong, tell me, what is a Buddha?"

Tang Yu decided to use this opportunity to have an honest conversation with Sun Wukong.

This monkey still had no idea that he had already stepped onto the chessboard.

People always said monkeys were clever. How had he failed to see it?

Not far away, there was another fool waiting for him in Gao Family Village.

There was also a third fool at the Flowing Sand River.

Wukong.

Second Fool.

Third Fool.

This was a bit too hard to carry.

Not even a king could carry three bronzes.

Sun Wukong scratched his head. "Master, this old Sun doesn't understand such things."

"True enough. You're just a burden." Tang Yu muttered before asking, "Then let me ask you this: back when you had no magic power at all, how did you cross the Eastern Sea and reach Mount Fangcun to find Patriarch Bodhi?"

Sun Wukong became confused. He clearly remembered that when he had still been a little monkey, he crossed the Eastern Sea and had thought several times that he was surely going to die.

Yet every time, he had not died. It was as if fate itself had arranged for him to reach Mount Fangcun, find the Three Stars Cave, and take Patriarch Bodhi as his master.

"And when you caused Havoc in Heaven, did you truly think the Jade Emperor had no way to deal with you?" Tang Yu continued. "Among all the elixirs you stole and ate from Taishang Laojun, how many were truly top-grade?"

After Tang Yu said that, Sun Wukong also found it strange.

Those elixirs had seemed as if they had been prepared for him to eat.

As for superior elixirs like the Nine Revolutions Soul Returning Golden Elixir and the Limitless Creation Pill, there had been none at all.

Seeing the thoughtful look on Sun Wukong's face, Tang Yu secretly smiled.

It would be no good to say too much. Let Sun Wukong think it over himself and come to understand it gradually.

"And this. This is called the Golden Fillet."

Tang Yu took out the Golden Fillet. "The Bodhisattva told me to put this on you. Once the Golden Fillet enters your flesh and takes root, you will never be able to remove it for the rest of your life. If the incantation is recited, your head will feel like it is splitting apart. You will wish you were dead."

Sun Wukong looked toward the Golden Fillet. "Master, this old Sun doesn't quite understand."

"You will understand later." Tang Yu lifted his cup. "Drink, drink. Drink enough, and you won't miss home."

Sun Wukong raised his cup in confusion and drank with him, unknowingly finishing a cup.

Suddenly, Sun Wukong let out a howl, and the aura around his entire body turned violent.

His monkey face was flushed red, his eyes unfocused, yet they seemed to carry a trace of madness.

The Golden Cudgel appeared in his hand.

Under his overwhelming might, the Guanyin Monastery collapsed with a thunderous crash, becoming nothing but ruins.

Fortunately, the monks of Guanyin Monastery were far away, tending to matters in the main hall. Since they were some distance away, they managed to flee.

"What happened?"

"How did this happen?"

"Was it an earthquake?"

Elder Jin Chi had been trying on the cassock in his meditation chamber. That thunderous crash buried him directly beneath the rubble.

When the disciples noticed, they hurried over to rescue him.

By the time they dug him out of the ruins, he was barely clinging to life.

His eyes rolled upward as he coughed incessantly, looking as though he could enter nirvana at any moment.

As for Tang Yu, he bore the brunt of it.

"Wukong, f— you..." Before he could finish, Tang Yu was buried beneath the debris.

This monkey had gotten drunk. His alcohol tolerance was terrible.

How could he have known that the liquor of the Great Tang was only a few degrees strong, weaker even than modern beer?

But Red Star Erguotou Baijiu was fifty-two percent alcohol.

Western Heaven.

All the Buddhas stared wide-eyed at the scene before them, unable to believe what they were seeing.

Only after a long while did they seem to snap out of it.

"My heavens, what did I just see?"

"The scripture seeker is dead?"

All the Buddhas looked toward Tathagata, who was still dumbfounded himself.

In the Thirty-third Heaven.

Taishang Laojun smacked his lips. "He played a little too hard. He even got himself killed."

But he knew that the Buddhist Sect would never allow Tang Yu to die. They would certainly come to him for elixirs.

It seemed he could extort a tidy sum from the Buddhist Sect.