The Journey West with a Companion

"Didn't you say you were going to go to the Western Heaven to obtain the scriptures?"

"The Western Heaven Paradise is over 108,900 li away from here."

"If we set off earlier, we can cover more distance, and you will be able to reach the Western Heaven sooner and obtain the Sanzang True Scriptures from the Buddha Tathagata."

Sun Wukong was afraid that if Tang Xuanzang continued to praise him, he would really lose face, so he quickly changed the subject and distracted Tang Xuanzang.

"Right, right, I almost forgot about the important matter. Listen to you, let's hurry on our way."

When Tang Xuanzang heard from Sun Wukong that he still had to go to the Western Heaven to obtain the Sanzang True Scriptures from the Buddha Tathagata, he realized that he had fallen into his old habit of being long-winded again.

So he shook his head hard, pulling his thoughts back to the important matter at hand.

When he came to his senses, Sun Wukong had already led the White Dragon Horse, which was carrying all of Tang Monk's luggage, to Tang Xuanzang's side.

"Master, please mount your horse quickly, we'll be on our way now."

Then Tang Xuanzang heard Sun Wukong say those words.

"Good."

He readily mounted the white horse, letting Sun Wukong walk in front and lead the horse.

"Master, all I know is that you are going to the Western Heaven to obtain the true scriptures from the Buddha Tathagata."

"But Master, why are you so determined to go to the Western Heaven Paradise to obtain the true scriptures from the Buddha Tathagata? You should know how far the journey is, shouldn't you?"

"This journey will take over 108,000 li, although my Somersault Cloud can travel 108,000 li in a single somersault, which could send you straight to the Western Heaven."

"But that Buddha Tathagata would definitely not agree to me doing that. And if I asked you to walk to the Western Heaven, I have no idea how long it would take. Two or three years is a conservative estimate."

"Besides, Master, what is your purpose in going to the Western Heaven Paradise to obtain the scriptures?"

While leading Tang Xuanzang's white horse, Sun Wukong asked Tang Xuanzang why he had gone to the Western Heaven Paradise to obtain Buddhist scriptures.

That's a long story.

After hearing Sun Wukong's question, Tang Xuanzang smiled and said...

"Master, we're getting bored on this journey anyway, why don't you tell me your story?"

Upon seeing Tang Xuanzang's reaction, Sun Wukong immediately became interested and asked Tang Xuanzang to tell him the whole story.

"Since you're so eager to hear it, then I'll tell you about it right here."

"It all started on a rainy night when I was just a newborn baby."

"For some unknown reason, I was placed in a wooden basin and floated down the river, completely separated from my birth parents."

"If it had rained any harder that year, or if the old monk who rescued me and took me to the temple had arrived any later, I would very likely have drowned."

"After the monk who saved me took me back to the temple, it all began..."

When Tang Xuanzang met Sun Wukong and asked to hear his story, he actually started from his childhood.

Sun Wukong thought that Tang Xuanzang would tell him the whole story of why he went to the Western Heaven Paradise to obtain Buddhist scriptures.

But Sun Wukong never expected that Tang Xuanzang would start talking about his past.

"Master, please stop. You don't need to go into so much detail. Just tell me the important points."

Sun Wukong hurriedly interrupted Tang Xuanzang, wanting to continue recounting his life story.

"Oh, right, right, that's the important part."

However, after hearing Sun Wukong's reminder, Tang Xuanzang seemed to realize something and stopped recounting the past.

"Some time ago, Emperor Taizong of Tang of the Great Tang held a nationwide debate on Buddhism."

"It was only through my profound understanding of Buddhism that I was able to stand out from thousands of monks and reach the stage in Chang'an to preach the Dharma."

"The day after my victory, Emperor Taizong of Tang of Great Tang summoned me to the stage to give a speech to the audience about my understanding of Buddhism."

"However, just as I was explaining this to the crowd, an old monk appeared out of the crowd; he was an incarnation of Guanyin."

He immediately mocked what I was saying, saying it was Hinayana Dharma and couldn't save the dead. He claimed he had the Sanzang of Mahayana Dharma, which could not only save the dead but also have many other unexpected effects.

"After listening to his words, Emperor Taizong of Tang of the Great Tang asked him to go up on the stage and preach his Mahayana Dharma. However, after he went up on the stage, he directly revealed his original form as Bodhisattva Guanyin and preached Mahayana Dharma to the audience below."

When Tang Xuanzang got to this point, he was already gesturing wildly; he was the person closest to Bodhisattva Guanyin at the time.

When Bodhisattva Guanyin returned to her original form, he witnessed everything in its entirety.

After listening to his Mahayana Dharma, Emperor Taizong of Tang benefited greatly and inquired where he could obtain this Mahayana Dharma.

"Bodhisattva Guanyin told him that he could obtain this Mahayana Dharma from the Buddha Tathagata."

After Emperor Taizong of Tang heard Bodhisattva Guanyin's words, he asked the people present who could go to the Western Heaven to retrieve the Sanzang of Mahayana Dharma.

"Then Emperor Taizong of Tang stared intently at the crowd before him, but not a single person dared to look up and meet Emperor Taizong of Tang gaze."

They were terrified that if they even glanced at Emperor Taizong of Tang, he would send them to the Western Heaven to retrieve some kind of sacred scripture.

"They've gotten used to this comfortable and easy life."

"Therefore, they simply didn't have the courage to venture out into the world. When Emperor Taizong of Tang was about to get angry at their appearance, I stepped forward and told Emperor Taizong of Tang that I could go and bring back the Mahayana Dharma."

"Emperor Taizong of Tang was deeply moved by my courage in stepping forward, and he immediately took me to become sworn brothers. From that day on, I had another identity: Emperor Taizong of Tang's personal younger brother."

When Tang Xuanzang got to this point, his face was already beaming with excitement. To be the emperor's personal brother was a title that no one could envy.

"So, you're willing to go through all that trouble to travel thousands of miles to the Western Heaven to obtain the so-called Sanzang of Mahayana Dharma from the Buddha Tathagata, all for the sake of the current emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty?"

After listening to Tang Xuanzang's words, Sun Wukong removed many unnecessary parts and then summarized the more important points from Tang Xuanzang's words.

That's roughly the idea.