Honghuang: My understanding is beyond belief. I am the first immortal of Jiejiao.

"Thank you, Prison God Lin! Thank you, Prison God Lin!"

Lin Zhu then looked at the Ten Kings of Hell and gave them instructions.

"After you go back, make proper arrangements for the underworld according to the plan I gave you."

The underworld is too rudimentary now.

As he spoke, he handed a piece of jade containing the plan for the layout of the underworld to the Ten Kings of Hell.

The Ten Kings of Hell and Cui Gui felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They immediately took the jade, kowtowed repeatedly to Lin Zhu, and then left.

Lin Zhu watched their departing figures and sighed.

He didn't think he was that scary; he was actually very gentle.

Am I really that scary?

Lin Zhu muttered to himself.

At the same time, Guanyin Bodhisattva and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva hurriedly returned to the Western Paradise.

As soon as they entered the Great Thunder Temple, they shouted that something terrible had happened.

"Buddha! Something terrible has happened!"

The Buddha sat on a lotus throne, his face showing great weariness.

He opened his eyes and asked what had happened.

"Guanyin, Puxian, what kind of behavior is this, with you in such a panic? What has happened?"

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva spoke frankly.

"Buddha, we went to intimidate the spirit of the Dragon King of the Wei River, but we were killed by the Tang King with a brick!"

Upon hearing this, the Buddha's face showed an expression of utter despair.

He questioned.

"How is this possible? How could a mortal emperor kill a celestial being's spirit with a brick?"

Guanyin Bodhisattva then delivered even worse news.

"Buddha, it seems that the Tang Emperor consumed a divine elixir, which enabled him to kill the evil spirit with his hammer."

Upon hearing this, the Buddha immediately thought of Lao Tzu.

But then he shook his head and muttered to himself.

"Impossible. Laozi is a sage; he would not interfere in mortal affairs."

Guanyin Bodhisattva, however, said...

“Buddha, Lin Zhu was entangled with me at the time, so it couldn’t have been him who did it.”

Although the Buddha said that there could be no traitors, he actually had his doubts.

He decided to ask his teacher to hold Laozi accountable and to consider how to make amends for the incident.

"Very well, the matter is settled. I will go and ask my teacher to hold Laozi accountable. You may all leave."

Lin Zhu continued to sit on the city wall of Chang'an, gazing into the distance.

He pondered his next plan, a playful smile appearing on his face.

"Buddha, Buddha, do you think I simply wanted to help Li Shimin? Heh heh."

The Buddha looked around at everyone present and found that no one spoke up. He couldn't help but curse inwardly that these people were good for nothing and were only good at getting points.

They usually chant scriptures and meditate, appearing respectful and devout, but when trouble arises and they need to discuss things, they all pretend to be dead and dare not speak.

Finally, Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, jumped out.

he said angrily.

"Buddha, this must be the work of an anomaly! I suggest we kill him! As long as this anomaly is killed, the journey to the West will proceed without hindrance!"

Guanyin Bodhisattva mocked without any politeness.

I suggest you die!

Li Jing was furious. He pointed at Guanyin Bodhisattva, wanting to refute her, but the Buddha gave him a cold look, making him swallow his words.

"Sister Guanyin is right, I suggest you die."

Fudo Myoo coldly echoed Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva.

Li Jing immediately cowered and shrank to the side, not daring to utter a sound.

The Buddha felt a splitting headache. He cursed these people in his heart as harbingers of bad luck, infighting, cowards, and gossips, and there was also a bunch of cunning old bastards hiding on the sidelines watching the show.

He even wanted to swear, but he held back.

He took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and then gave the order.

"Guanyin, go again."

No reason needed, just drag the Tang King's soul down to hell to frighten him; the plan remains unchanged.

"What should I do if... if the underworld doesn't cooperate?"

Guanyin Bodhisattva asked a question.

“If necessary, you can ask Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva for help.”

The Buddha said helplessly.

Guanyin Bodhisattva nodded in agreement and turned to leave.

The Buddha felt helpless, realizing he had to shoulder everything.

Even after Guanyin Bodhisattva left, Li Jing was still shouting.

"Buddha, this anomaly must be Lin Zhu! It's him! He's the anomaly! He!"

The Buddha was even more furious upon hearing Li Jing's ramblings, wishing he could strangle this only son of the Burning Lamp.

However, Li Jing's ramblings inadvertently revealed the truth.

But the truth is no longer important at this moment, because Guanyin Bodhisattva has already descended to the mortal world with a decree.

In the human realm, in Jambudvipa, in the city of Chang'an.

After the Tang King woke up, he was still very unhappy, even though he had killed the Dragon King's spirit the night before.

The forbidden area of ​​the royal palace was allowed to be entered at will by evil spirits, who even attacked the bedrooms.

This made him feel that his authority had been challenged.

That day, the Tang emperor summoned his trusted ministers to discuss the matter.

"My esteemed ministers," I said, "last night I encountered spirits and deities. This indicates that the Western Paradise has already extended its reach into my royal palace. I would like to ask you all, what wise strategies do you have to deal with the Western Paradise?"

Although some ministers found it absurd, the veteran ministers believed it without a doubt.

Because they had all seen ghosts and spirits, and knew of their existence.

However, no one had a solution, since they couldn't directly attack the Netherworld.

When the Tang emperor inquired about the plan to attack the Buddhist kingdom of India, the ministers, while in favor, also mentioned the current difficulties.

"Your Majesty, the population and military strength of Jambudvipa have become scarce after the war with the Buddhist Kingdom of India. The new generation is not enough unless someone can increase the base number of people cultivating immortality. Otherwise, attacking the Buddhist Kingdom of India will be a lose-lose situation."

An old minister said.

The Tang emperor, his ambitions unfulfilled and troubled by the disturbances in the west, was filled with anxiety.

He could only ask his ministers to continue brainstorming solutions.

That night, the Tang emperor strengthened defenses and summoned Qin Shubao and Yuchi Jingde to guard the front and back gates.

Both of them were fierce generals of the Tang Emperor, and had achieved great success in their cultivation. They followed the Tang Emperor in his campaigns in the south and north, and were even present during the battle in the Buddhist kingdom of India.

Having cultivated to the pinnacle, they stood in neat armor, wielding golden maces and axes, guarding the palace gates with imposing majesty, making it impossible for ordinary ghosts and gods to approach.

Although the Tang emperor knew that this could only ward off minor evil spirits, it was still somewhat comforting.

Guanyin Bodhisattva soon descended to the mortal realm. This time, she learned her lesson and did not go through the front gate of Chang'an City, nor did she enter hell.

At her command, Cui Gui was lifted straight up from hell.

Cui Gui knelt down in fear and looked at Guanyin Bodhisattva with reverence.

He knew he was probably in trouble this time.

"Great Bodhisattva Guanyin, what brings you to me?"

Guanyin Bodhisattva was very satisfied with Cui Gui's humility. She looked at him coldly and gave the order.

"Cui Gui, I command you to summon the soul of the Tang King to hell at midnight tonight, and force him to perform a grand Buddhist and Taoist ritual to deliver the wronged souls. Do you dare?"

Cui Gui trembled with fear, knowing that stealing the soul of the Tang King was a capital offense.

But he dared not contradict Guanyin Bodhisattva, and could only repeatedly agree. "I dare!"

"very good."

Guanyin Bodhisattva nodded in satisfaction, but warned Cui Gui not to reveal this matter.

"This matter is of utmost importance, and you must not divulge even a single word. Otherwise, I will ensure that your soul is annihilated and you are condemned to eternal damnation!"

Cui Gui was so frightened that he readily agreed.

"Yes! Yes! This humble fairy wouldn't dare!"

After Guanyin Bodhisattva left with satisfaction, Cui Gui immediately rushed to Lin Zhu's side.

He reported the whole story to him, hoping to get Lin Zhu's help.

Cui Gui decisively told Lin Zhu about Guanyin Bodhisattva's plan.

Lin Zhu nodded, a playful smile on his face.

"I understand. Don't get involved in this. Go report to the Heavenly Court."

Lin Zhu said calmly.

Cui Gui felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He respectfully saluted Lin Zhu and then turned to leave.

He knew that Lin Zhu had sent him to report to the Heavenly Court to keep him out of the mess.

He secretly vowed that this time, he would definitely stand up Guanyin Bodhisattva.

Lin Zhu watched Cui Gui's departing figure and gave a wicked smile.

He knew that the Western Paradise would not let this go easily.

Their journey to the West was their life's work, and they would do their best to make amends if problems arose.

And he was the one they were trying to make amends to.

"Heh, you're still too green to play with me."

Just then, a system notification sounded in Lin Zhu's mind.

[The system task is to stop the Western Paradise's actions at a crucial moment, primarily to satisfy the user's twisted and selfish desires.]

[Task reward: Directly advance to the Great Luo Golden Immortal Perfection Realm!]

Lin Zhu looked at the task and felt something was off.

He felt wronged that the system was asking him to do this.

Lin Zhu is a gentleman, how could he do such a perverted thing?
"System, oh system, you're insulting my dignity!"

Lin Zhu shouted in his heart.

However, a wicked smile appeared on his face.

"However, since you've put it that way, System, I'll reluctantly satisfy my 'personal desires'."

He shook his head, thinking that Guanyin Bodhisattva was actually quite good-looking, and the three great Bodhisattvas each had their own merits.

According to the original plan, only Guanyin Bodhisattva was in charge, but this time things went wrong, and the Buddha sent three great bodhisattvas, which shows how much importance the Western Paradise attached to this matter.

Guanyin Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, the three great bodhisattvas, gathered in Chang'an City.

Guanyin Bodhisattva told Manjushri Bodhisattva and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva about the Buddha's plan.

"Senior brother, junior sister, tonight at midnight, Cui Gui will come to forcibly take the soul of the Tang King. The Buddha will also be closely watching everything in Chang'an. We must be careful and not make any more mistakes."

Manjushri Bodhisattva and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva were full of confidence in this. They believed that with the three great Bodhisattvas coming together, plus the remote support of the Tathagata Buddha, this operation would surely be foolproof.

"Don't worry, Senior Sister, this operation will be a complete success. We won't give Lin Zhu any more chances."

Manjushri Bodhisattva said.

"Yes, Senior Sister, with the three of us working together, plus the Buddha's support, even if Lin Zhu is powerful, he can't cause any trouble."

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva echoed this.

At the Great Thunderclap Temple, the Buddha Tathagata used his great supernatural powers to display the events within the palace grounds to the Great Thunderclap Temple, and the three thousand Buddhas also monitored the entire process.

The face of the Buddha was filled with solemnity.

He commanded coldly.

"At midnight, Cui Gui will go to collect the soul!"

He knew that Lin Zhu would definitely step forward to stop the Tang King from having his soul taken.

Therefore, he formulated a detailed battle plan.

"Three great Bodhisattvas, if Lin Zhu appears, you must stop him first. Then, I and the three thousand Buddhas will gather our power to suppress Lin Zhu. This operation must succeed; failure is not an option!"

"I will obey the Buddha's decree!"

The three monks responded in unison.

However, more than half of midnight had passed, and nothing had happened.

The Buddha and the three thousand Buddhas were all anxiously waiting.

Guanyin Bodhisattva also found it strange, why hasn't Cui Gui arrived yet?
"Could something have gone wrong?"

Guanyin Bodhisattva thought to herself.

The Buddha was furious; he suspected that Cui Gui might be trapped on his way to the underworld.

"What on earth is Cui Gui doing? Doesn't he know that this is the Buddha's will?!"

The three thousand Buddhas quickly comforted the Tathagata Buddha, urging him to calm down.

“Buddha, please be patient. Cui Gui may simply be late.”

"Yes, Buddha, although Cui Gui is a minor immortal, he dares not disobey your decree."

Even the Buddha himself felt that he might be overthinking things; Cui Gui might simply be late.

"Very well, let's wait another hour."

So everyone waited patiently.

However, an hour passed, and Cui Gui still did not appear.

Enraged, the Buddha could no longer contain himself and used his great supernatural powers to display what Cui Gui was doing in the air.

The three Bodhisattvas, who had been connected to the Western Paradise, heard the Buddha's furious and exasperated voice and hurriedly asked.

"Good heavens, what has happened? Where is Cui Gui now?"

At this moment, in the Great Thunderclap Temple, the Buddha Tathagata and three thousand Buddhas are using their supernatural vision to look at Cui Gui.

However, what they saw made their blood pressure spike.

In the scene, Cui Gui is carrying a bucket with a wicked grin, containing the Book of Life and Death and the Judge's Pen, and is running towards the Heavenly Court.

"I don't get along with the Western Paradise, I'm outta here!"

Cui Gui muttered to himself, a sweet smile appearing on his lips as he thought about his future position in the Heavenly Court.

"That black factory in the Western Paradise offers no benefits, no meals, and no wages. They expect me to work for free? Ha! Dream on!"

Excitedly, he carried the bucket and jogged towards the Heavenly Court.

However, he did not know that the Buddha and the three thousand Buddhas had heard everything he had just said.

The Buddha scratched his head, nearly driven mad with anger.

"Who the hell hired such an unreliable ghost?! He ruined my plans! He just packed up the bucket and ran away?!"

The three thousand Buddhas were also full of questions. They never expected that Cui Gui would run away because he didn't pay them.

They even suspected that Guanyin Bodhisattva might have told Cui Gui that the Western Paradise was a huge place, and if he did well, he might even become a Buddha or an ancestor.

However, Cui Gui had already fled to the Heavenly Court, so he no longer cared about the wrath of the Western Paradise.

Above the palace, the three monks were also dumbfounded when they heard about Cui Gui running away with the bucket.

"This Cui Gui is just too unreliable, isn't he?"

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva exclaimed in astonishment.

Guanyin Bodhisattva quickly distanced herself from the situation and swore an oath.

“I swear, I didn’t mistreat him! I didn’t withhold his wages! And he would never dare tell Lin Zhu about this!”

However, in the eyes of the Buddha, her vow was utterly laughable.

The Buddha transmitted his voice, feeling frustrated.

"After this, we'll settle accounts with that judge when we have the chance! It's already past midnight, we must drag that Tang King down to the underworld before dawn!"

Time was of the essence; any further delay would scorch the Tang King's soul with the dawn, rendering him unable to perform the subsequent operations. (End of Chapter)