Tang Sanzang, also known as the tenth reincarnation of Jin Chanzi, had the Buddhist name Xuanzang.
When Xu Xiao saw him in the palace, he couldn't help but praise him, "What a handsome monk!"
Xuanzang was tall and dignified, dressed in plain monk's robes with Brocade Kasaya over them. His compassionate temperament, nurtured by Buddhism since childhood, also carried a touch of dignified nobility.
'No wonder all those female demons and queens on the journey to the Journey to the West were so infatuated with him; his appearance is only slightly inferior to mine.'
Xu Xiao stepped forward and greeted Li Shimin. This was the reincarnation of his superior Great Emperor Ziwei. Although the other party did not recognize him, he still had to show him the proper courtesy.
After some conversation and a miraculous display of divine intervention, Li Shimin agreed that Xu Xiao and his companion would escort Xuanzang on his journey to the Journey to the West to obtain Xuanzang.
On the third day, the entire Chang'an City was in an uproar as the army cleared the way and the people cheered them off.
Li Shimin personally escorted Xuanzang on his journey, stopping only thirty miles outside the city, after which Xu Xiao and another person escorted him.
Xuanzang rode a white horse, while Xu Xiao and his companion rode black horses. They were originally supposed to have servants accompany them, but Xu Xiao refused.
In the original story, these attendants were killed by mountain monsters while protecting Xuanzang outside the Great Tang Dynasty territory; there was no need for these mortals to perish as well.
As for why Xu Xiao rode a horse with the monkey, it was naturally to be on equal footing with Xuanzang.
Otherwise, given Tang Xuanzang's behavior, someone might have had to lead his horse for him.
Xu Xiao and the monkey have no master-disciple relationship this time, so it's impossible for him to indulge the monkey in everything.
Faced with this, Tang Xuanzang could only sigh helplessly, telling himself in his heart that the journey to the Journey to the West was inherently arduous, and the two were guardian deities sent by the Bodhisattva, who could not possibly lead his horse and whip him like ordinary people.
He was no ordinary little monk. Master Xuanzang had also enjoyed ample courtesy and service in the Great Tang. His meals, clothing, and even his horseback riding were all taken care of. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so naturally ordered around after they became master and disciple.
The three rode their horses along the way, traveling during the day and resting at night, and arrived at the border of the Great Tang Dynasty in just over half a month.
That night, just as the sun set, Xu Xiao and his two companions rested in a remote mountain near the border.
The mountain gods and local deities found a clean cave for Tang Sanzang to rest in, and also brought him some wild fruits and vegetables to fill his stomach.
After a long day of hard work, Tang Sanzang dismounted and prepared his own vegetarian meal. After eating, he quickly lit the Kakkō and began reciting his evening prayers while frowning.
There's no other reason than that, throughout the journey, Xu Xiao and his companion have basically ignored everything except arranging accommodations and ensuring their safety.
Poor Xuanzang, he was alright in towns, where he could stay overnight in government offices or temples with Li Shimin's token, but in the wilderness he had to do everything himself.
Keep in mind, this was ancient times. He rode a fast horse all day, had to cook three meals a day, and was constantly rushing to do his homework. This kind of hard work made the once radiant Yamato look somewhat thin.
Xu Xiao and the monkey were both fine, as they were Sage Body. The fatigue of the journey was nothing to them, and the desire for food was even less of a concern.
Xuanzang, however, was finding it difficult to cope. The scar on his buttocks healed and reopened repeatedly, leaving him feeling quite drained.
Xu Xiao had quite a few medicinal herbs, but he only secretly gave them to the three horses and didn't give any to Tang Xuanzang, deliberately watching him suffer.
"Brother, aren't we being a bit too harsh on the Yamato? He's a really nice guy. Why don't we give him two of your pills?"
Seeing Xuanzang meditating and chanting scriptures inside the cave, the monkey quietly approached Xu Xiao outside the cave to plead for mercy.
To be fair, the monkey is kind at heart. During this time, without the role of the aggrieved disciple, he has had a good chance to get to know the courteous and polite Master Xuanzang.
Tang Xuanzang was very courteous to outsiders, and he respected Xu Xiao and the other man. He not only cooked vegetarian meals for them and managed his own affairs without troubling them unless necessary, but he would also tell the monkey Buddhist scriptures and verses on a regular basis.
From the monkey's perspective, although the other person was a monk and a follower of the Western Sect, he was still a good person.
The monkey disliked the Western Sect All Buddhas who plotted against him, not the mortal disciple he was implicated in, so he felt some pity for them.
In his view, his elder brother was not like this before. It was really petty of a Heavenly Court deity to make things difficult for a mortal monk.
"What? You're going to plead for him?" Xu Xiao asked with a half-smile. This monkey is still kind-hearted.
If he had read the original Journey to the Journey to the West, where this seemingly kind Yamato tricked him into wearing the Golden Fillet, how he was incapable of distinguishing right from wrong, how he was bossy, and how he would punish him by reciting the Headband Tightening Mantra at the drop of a hat, would he still say these things?
"Brother, I know you're not a petty person, why bother arguing with mortals over such trivial matters?" The monkey scratched his head.
"Wrong, I am a petty person, extremely petty. Anyone who offends me will be eliminated completely. Have you forgotten that when we roamed the heavens together, did you ever show mercy to anyone?"
Xu Xiao smiled, while the monkey was speechless for a moment.
He had a biased view of Xu Xiao, but Xu Xiao had become much more restrained after Immortal Ascension. Although he killed many people while roaming the heavens, they were all enemies, so the monkey didn't think much of it.
Thinking about it carefully now, I still feel that my elder brother, the immortal, is indeed not a magnanimous immortal.
"Don't pity him. You only see my differential treatment of him, do you think I'm taking my anger out on him because of the Western Sect?"
The monkey nodded, then shook his head. "I don't think my brother is that bad; he's just a mortal."
"That's right, I didn't discipline him out of spite; it was entirely to temper his temper."
"This Yamato looks kind, but he's actually very stubborn. If we don't take advantage of this opportunity to temper his arrogance, he'll definitely give us a hard time when he discovers that we're not on the same side as Buddhist Sect."
"Besides, this guy is a Buddhist Sect disciple. Since he's going to the Journey to the West to retrieve the scriptures, he should take responsibility and endure the hardships. We're not babysitters who have to take care of everything for him."
"We only need to solve the problems he, as a mortal, cannot solve along the way; we won't interfere or meddle with anything else, let him handle it himself."
"It's relatively peaceful now, but once we leave the borders of the Great Tang Dynasty, we won't have much time to look after him, with all sorts of mountain demons and Celestials lurking in the shadows."
"Let him get used to it now; he might even thank us later."
Xu Xiao knew that this Yamato was not as easy to deal with as he seemed. If he didn't let him suffer a little, it would be difficult to control him later when his conflict with Buddhism escalated.
Anyway, on this journey to the Journey to the West, apart from those wild monsters, few of the tribulations are really aimed at Xuanzang. It's better to worry about yourself than him.