Deliverance in the Bhikshu Kingdom (VI)

Meanwhile, it was the birthday of the king of the Kingdom of Bhikshu.

Tang Sanzang composed a verse for the king's death anniversary and presented it to the King the Bhikshu Kingdom in front of everyone.

The courtiers were furious upon hearing this.

The Deer Spirit slammed his fist on the table and stood up, saying, "Tang Sanzang, what do you mean by this!"

Upon seeing this, Wukong drew his Golden Cudgel, kicked over the imperial table, and stood protectively in front of Tang Sanzang.

Sha Wujing raised his Precious Staff and stood protectively in front of Tang Sanzang.

Bajie stopped eating and drinking, drew his Rake, and stood guard in front of Tang Sanzang.

The officials were thrown into chaos.

Sha Wujing originally wanted to protect the Empress, but in her panic, she ran straight into the deer spirit 'Empress arms, like a lamb entering Deer Spirit, and thus he was unable to protect her.

The palace guards rushed over, armed with knives and swords, half protecting the King and the other half surrounding Tang Sanzang and his disciples.

Tang Sanzang said, "I am reciting the incantation for His Majesty!"

The Deer Spirit said, "Nonsense! Seize him!"

Upon hearing this, the imperial guards turned their swords towards Tang Sanzang and his disciples.

With a flick of his Golden Cudgel, Wukong shattered swords and blades, and the wrists of the imperial guards were broken, causing them to fall to the ground.

Tang Sanzang said, "Wukong, you mustn't harm them!"

Wukong laughed and said, "Master, don't worry, I know."

Seeing Deer Spirit spirit became angry and said, "Tang Sanzang, I kindly hosted a banquet for you because you are the Imperial Younger Brother of the Great Tang Dynasty. Yet you have repeatedly been rude, which I have forgiven. But you have gone too far, offering a memorial from the underworld to insult me. Furthermore, you have used weapons at the birthday banquet, disturbing the assembled officials. What is your punishment?"

The officials exclaimed, "Tang Dynasty monk, why don't you confess your crimes!"

Wukong shouted, "Decades ago, there was a Daoist who deceived the Monarch and concocted an elixir of immortality. Where is the Daoist now? Where is the Monarch?!"

The Deer Spirit said, "The Daoist priest spread heretical rumors and was executed by me as a warning to others. Everyone in the country knows this, so what is there to doubt?"

Wukong said, "The one executed was the Monarch, and the one who seized the Throne was the Demon Daoist Daoist Quanzhen!"

Upon hearing this, the officials were all terrified and shouted, "How dare these monks! Your Majesty! Immediately order the execution of these monks!"

Heeding Ao Tu's advice, the Deer Spirit had already prepared a large army outside, and then said, "Guards! Summon the Imperial Guards into the palace to capture the Demon Monk!"

Eunuch, so they immediately summoned him.

In a short while, thousands of soldiers rushed into the hall and surrounded Tang Sanzang and his companions.

Wukong said, "Master, this Demon was prepared. There are too many soldiers; it's difficult for me to make a move."

Tang Sanzang addressed the crowd, saying, "My words today are due to a dream from the True King, who begged me to save his State Altars. The one now in power is a false king, and there are four ways to distinguish him from a false king. Do you dare to confront me?"

Upon hearing this, the officials said, "Your Majesty, there's no need to confront him! Just seize the Demon Monk and kill him!"

Upon seeing Wukong, Wukong bared his teeth and shouted at the crowd to leave, saying, "Demon, you dare to occupy someone else's State Altars, and now you dare not confront me?"

Upon seeing this, the Deer Spirit said, "What harm is there in confronting you? Tang Sanzang, you said I have four falsehoods. Now that all the civil and military officials are here, and the Empress is also present, let us prove it!"

Tang Sanzang said, "The one who is a fake is the True King. Decades ago, he was already over seventy years old, frail and weak, his muscles and bones loose and broken. Although you have turned gray at the temples, your face is still youthful and strong. At the age of one hundred and ten, your back is still straight, without any hunchback. Aren't you Demon? There must be a portrait of the True King in the palace. Dare to bring it here for verification!"

The officials said, "No need to examine him, this is exactly what our Monarch looks like!"

Wukong said, "You are all young and do not know what the True King looks like. How can you speak so prematurely? I, your old grandson, sneaked into the palace last night and obtained the True King's portrait. We can compare it in front of everyone!"

After saying this, Wukong took out the portrait of the True King, blew a breath of Immortal Breath, and the portrait of the True King unfolded and floated in the air. Its appearance was very different from that of the Deer Spirit, and it was the appearance of the King of the Bhikshu Kingdom who appeared to Tang Sanzang in his dream.

Wukong laughed and said, "Anything else to say?"

The Deer Spirit asked, "Gentlemen, is this portrait of me?"

The officials exclaimed, "It is His Majesty!"

Wukong's smile froze.

Bajie couldn't help but say, "This isn't a Bhikshu Kingdom, it's a country of the blind."

Sha Wujing asked, "Second Senior Brother, what do you mean?"

Bajie said, "Everyone here has developed an eye disease. They can't even recognize a portrait right in front of them, let alone say it's the same person. Aren't they blind?"

Sha Wujing said, "That's right! That's right!"

The Deer Spirit said, "I was quite old then, but I'm younger now! Your Empress, do you recognize this portrait?"

The Empress said, "I recognize him! The person in the painting is none other than His Majesty!"

Wukong said, "Why is the Empress speaking up for that Demon?"

Sha Wujing said, "The Empress is afraid of that Demon, that's why she said that!"

Seeing this, Tang Sanzang said to the Old Chancellor, "Chancellor, you are of high moral character and prestige, you must have seen the True King, so it can be said to be genuine!"

The Old Chancellor said, "His Majesty has achieved great success in cultivating Daoism, hence he looks younger; this portrait is insufficient evidence."

Tang Sanzang could only say, "There's a second fake."

The Deer Spirit asked, "What's fake?"

Tang Sanzang said, "True King wears a dragon robe, a false king wears Daoist Robe."

The Deer Spirit said, "At sixty, one's ears are attuned to the truth; at seventy, one can follow one's heart's desires without transgressing the rules. After I turned seventy, I delighted in cultivating the Tao, so I no longer wear dragon robes but Daoist Daoist Robe. What's wrong with that?"

The officials exclaimed, "This is a joyous occasion for His Majesty!"

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang saw that all the ministers sided with the false king, realizing that it was highly unlikely they could defeat the Demon. However, there was no turning back now, so he could only say, "There is a third false king. The True King is diligent in his duties and loves his people, while the false king cultivates the Tao and seeks immortality."

The Deer Spirit said, "I have many loyal ministers to assist me, and I entrust all state affairs to them. For decades, the country has been peaceful and prosperous, and there has never been any chaos. What's wrong with cultivating the Tao and nourishing one's nature?"

The officials exclaimed, "Your Majesty is wise!"

Tang Sanzang had no choice but to take out the last piece of evidence and said:

"This is the Hereditary National Treasure Seal, bestowed upon you by the True King in a dream; the false king has no such seal."

Upon seeing this, the Deer Spirit turned around, took a piece of glutinous rice cake, secretly transformed it into the shape of Precious Seal, and said, "Mine is the real one; the monk's is a fake."

Upon seeing this, all the officials echoed the sentiment, saying that Tang Sanzang was a fake.

Wukong, with his Golden Eyes, could see clearly that the Deer Spirit's seal was actually a sugar cake, so he said, "Master, don't be afraid, watch me break his Illusion Spell!"

After saying this, Wukong blew a breath of Immortal Breath onto the seal of the Deer Spirit, and the seal immediately reverted to its Original Form, a half-eaten sugar cake.

Wukong laughed and said, "Can you all see clearly now which is real and which is fake?"

The officials looked at the sugar cake and said, "His Majesty's seal is genuine, the monk's is fake!"

Wukong's smile froze.

Sha Wujing said, "Have you all seen it clearly? My master's Precious Seal is smooth and flawless, engraved with dragon patterns; that Demon's seal even has half a date on it!"

The officials said, "It's clear. The one with the date on it is the genuine imperial seal, while the one with the dragon design is a fake seal made by a monk."

The Deer Spirit said, "Why haven't you captured the Demon Monk yet!"

The soldiers stepped forward and captured Tang Sanzang and his disciples.

Although Wukong was furious, he was helpless. He couldn't really swing his Golden Cudgel and kill everyone, so he could only be captured by the soldiers.

Tang Sanzang said urgently, "Old Chancellor, it is precisely because that false king usurped the throne that the Empress has become weak and haggard, unable to bear children. If the false king is not identified, the Empress will suffer even more!"

The Old Chancellor had served the King of the Bhikshu Kingdom for many years and knew perfectly well what was true and what was false, but he was unwilling to make a statement at this moment.

Because the King of the Bhikshu Kingdom is heartless and lustful, having abolished his harem, how could he possibly accuse him now?

Therefore, the Old Chancellor remained silent.

The soldiers then captured Tang Sanzang and his disciples and imprisoned them in jail.