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

"Let's leave it to the eminent monks of Jinshan Temple! After all, it was your Jinshan Temple that produced such a demon, so it is your responsibility to clean up your own mess!"

His words, though seemingly reasonable, were in fact extremely ruthless!

On the one hand, they distanced themselves and the imperial court completely, playing the roles of victim and maintainer of order; on the other hand, they directly threw the hot potato back to Buddhism, forcing them to deal with this mess themselves, and incidentally see just how much power Buddhism was hiding.

"I will obey your orders!"

The well-trained royal guards and elite troops immediately sprang into action, forming a human wall to guide the panicked civilians back and barely managing to bring the chaotic scene under control.

Meanwhile, the Taoist practitioners, martial artists, and representatives of other sects who had been invited to witness the ceremony were even more delighted to be left alone. They all retreated as instructed, some standing by with their arms crossed, some whispering among themselves, and some displaying mocking expressions, all watching from the sidelines, ready to enjoy the show.

In an instant, the area beneath the once crowded platform became much emptier, with only the monks of Jinshan Temple and the Five Directions Protectors, Dharma Protectors, Vajra Arhats, and other people from the Western Paradise who were ordered to disguise themselves as mortals and secretly protect Chen Xuanzang.

At this moment, these Buddhas and Arhats from the Western Paradise looked at each other, their faces filled with bewilderment, shock, and helplessness!
They have been secretly protecting the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi for many years in accordance with the Buddha's decree. Although Chen Xuanzang is usually a bit eccentric and occasionally behaves improperly, he is always protected by the Buddha's light and his mind is usually clear. When have they ever seen him display such terrifying and pure demonic energy?

This sudden turn of events was completely beyond their expectations and comprehension!

The brocade cassock and the nine-ringed staff, clearly protective Buddhist treasures bestowed by the Buddha, somehow became like death warrants for Jin Chanzi, completely unleashing the demonic nature hidden within him!
Looking at the figure on the altar, howling in pain, radiating demonic energy, with bloodshot eyes and covered in demonic markings, where was there any trace of a reincarnated Buddha? He was clearly a world-destroying demon who had just crawled out of the deepest hell!
Some of the Jiedi and Gongcao with weaker mental fortitude were so frightened that their legs went weak and their teeth chattered.

One of the silver-headed Jiedi was deathly pale, and trembling, he pulled out a... golden alms bowl that he usually used for begging? No, judging from its material and size, it was clearly a sturdy wooden barrel!

He held the wooden bucket tightly, his eyes darting around. His posture didn't seem like he was going to subdue demons or monsters, but rather like he was ready to put it on his head at any time to protect himself from any unforeseen disasters, or... simply use it as a piece of driftwood when escaping for his life.

The entire Jinshan Temple camp was plunged into an extremely awkward, panicked, and chaotic situation. Demon subjugation?
That's the one Buddha himself appointed to retrieve the scriptures! Should we refuse? Should we just stand by and watch him turn to demonic ways, wreak havoc on the world, and completely ruin the Journey to the West? Besides, the Tang Emperor and countless other eyes are watching!
Just as the entire audience was in an uproar and the people of the Western Paradise were at a loss, Guanyin Bodhisattva, hidden in the shadows, was extremely anxious and almost went crazy!
She screamed wildly in her heart.

"What on earth is going on?! The brocade cassock is a treasure of our Buddhist sect, why is it so violently repelled by the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi?!"

Where did the demonic energy within him come from? Why has no one told me?!

Seeing that Chen Xuanzang was suffering terribly from the burning of the Buddhist treasure, and that the demonic energy was getting increasingly out of control, if it was not stopped in time, this "pilgrim" would probably be "exorcised" by the treasure bestowed by his own Buddha before he could even complete his pilgrimage!

In her desperation, Guanyin Bodhisattva disregarded everything else and had only one thought in her mind—she had to immediately strip that deadly robe off his body!
In the blink of an eye, everyone saw a ragged, scabies-covered bald monk suddenly burst out of the crowd as if he had gone mad. With an agility completely out of character for his appearance, he leaped up the high altar in just a few bounds!

"What...what are you going to do?!"

Some of the monks from Jinshan Temple who were nearby instinctively exclaimed in surprise, only to see that the leper monk had a clear target and pounced directly on Chen Xuanzang, who was struggling in pain. He stretched out his seemingly dirty hands and actually tried to tear off the splendid brocade cassock that Chen Xuanzang was wearing!
Those Jiedi and Luohan disguised as ordinary monks naturally recognized the Bodhisattva in disguise. When they saw the Bodhisattva personally going on stage to "put out the fire," although they felt that this method was rather indecent, how could they dare to speak out to stop it? They could only stare wide-eyed, hold their breath, and pray in their hearts that the Bodhisattva would quickly sort out this mess.

However, the others in the audience had no idea about the "sacred" identity of this leper monk!

In that split second, a clear and melodious voice, tinged with an exaggerated sense of justice, boomed like thunder, reaching the ears of everyone present.

"Hey! What an audacious madman! In broad daylight, under the clear sky, before His Majesty and all the people, you vile scoundrel dare to openly disrupt the altar and sexually assault... uh, the enlightened monk who is 'cultivating enlightenment'?! Is there no law?! Is there no justice?!"

The speaker was none other than Lin Zhu, who had somehow changed into a grand master's chair, making him even more comfortable, and there was even a small tea table in front of him, complete with melon seeds and tea!

He held a teacup in one hand and pointed at the high platform with the other, his face full of "shock" and "indignation," as if he had seen something immoral and outrageous!
His shout was like pouring a ladle of cold water into a boiling oil pan!
Those Taoist practitioners, eminent monks from various places, and soldiers who were already alarmed and uncertain because of Chen Xuanzang's demonization, were instantly ignited!
"Shameless scoundrel! Release Master Xuanzang at once!"

"Where did this fiend come from, daring to blaspheme the holy monk?!"

"Protect the mage! Capture this madman!"

"All soldiers, listen to my command! Someone is plotting against the altar; seize him immediately!"

The indignant shouts rose up like a tsunami!

The Taoist priests and monks who had been watching from the sidelines just moments before now seemed to have found an outlet and an opportunity to show off. They all acted more righteous and awe-inspiring than anyone else, shouting and rushing forward, claiming that they would fight the villain who "molested the high monk" for three hundred rounds!

The royal soldiers, armed with spears and swords, were fulfilling their duty and moved at the order, surging towards the altar like a tide to capture the audacious leper monk who dared to commit violence before His Majesty!
This left the Five Directions Protectors and Arhats hidden among the monks completely dumbfounded, at a loss, and as anxious as ants on a hot pan!

They could see clearly that the woman rushing up to rip off Jin Chanzi's clothes wasn't some female hooligan, but rather the Bodhisattva Guanyin, who was there to save him from suffering!

But the Bodhisattva is disguised in this appearance at this moment, what can they do? Should they shout in public?

"Everyone, don't make a move!"

That's Guanyin Bodhisattva!

She was stripping your high monk's clothes to save him!

?

If these words were spoken aloud, the resulting chaos and doubts would probably be a hundred times worse than they are now!
Do they even care about the reputation of the Western Paradise?
Should we still carry on with our pilgrimage to the West?
Just as they were frantically trying to figure out what to do, the voice accusing the woman of "molestation" rang out again, and their eyes involuntarily followed the sound—

Not far away, Lin Zhu, the handsome and extraordinary law enforcement god of the Three Realms, dressed in white, sat upright in a magnificent armchair, his legs crossed, a few melon seeds in his hand, his eyes narrowed, and a seemingly "kind" but actually unsettling smile on his face, watching them with great interest.

Just by being swept by that gaze, these Jiedi and Luohan, who usually held some status, were instantly struck as if by lightning from the heavens, their bodies trembling violently!

"It's...it's him! Lin Zhu!"

"That jinx!" "He...wasn't he fighting tooth and nail with the World Honored One Ksitigarbha in the Underworld? How could he be here?!"

"Oh no! Did Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva not stop him? Or... did Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva also..."

"What did he just say? Female hooligan?"
Did he recognize the Bodhisattva?

He did it on purpose?!

Countless terrified thoughts gnawed at their minds like venomous snakes. Jin Tou Jie Di felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, his legs went weak, and he almost knelt down on the spot.

Only one thought remained in his mind.

Run! Get as far away from this scourge as possible!
"run!"

The Golden-Headed Jiedi could no longer care about anything else. He let out a low growl that suppressed extreme fear, turned around and used all his strength to transform into an inconspicuous golden light, frantically fleeing towards the outside of Huasheng Temple!

With a leader in charge, how could the other Jiedi and Gongcao, who were already terrified, dare to linger?
One by one, they followed suit, each using their own methods, and like startled rabbits, they swiftly fled this place of trouble with the Golden-Headed Jiedi.

The remaining Arhats, who were slower to react or held higher positions, were filled with panic. They were stuck in place, not knowing whether to leave or stay, sweating profusely, wishing they could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

On the high platform, chaos had broken out, forming an extremely bizarre "food chain".

At the very core is Chen Xuanzang, who is surging with demonic energy and struggling in agony.

The outermost layer is Guanyin Bodhisattva, anxiously and desperately trying to tear off the "death-bringing" kasaya from Chen Xuanzang's body.

On the outermost layer were the indignant Taoist practitioners, monks, and loyal soldiers, who frantically pulled at Guanyin Bodhisattva's tattered robes, trying to subdue and drag away this "madman who disrespected the high monk."

And so, the scene became...

Guanyin Bodhisattva was stripping Chen Xuanzang of his clothes, while a large group of people were stripping Guanyin Bodhisattva of her clothes!
"Let go! You bunch of idiots! Let me go!"

Guanyin Bodhisattva was so angry that she almost vomited blood. She had to suppress her cultivation so as not to really hurt these mortals, deal with the countless hands pulling at her, and find a way to remove the cassock that seemed to be attached to Chen Xuanzang's body. She was completely overwhelmed and in a sorry state!
The already tattered monk's robe ripped even more as the crowd pulled at it, and it looked like it was about to expose his private parts.

"Protect the monk! Seize this lecherous monk!"

"Don't let him succeed! Grab him!"

"Ouch! Who pulled down my pants?!"

"Don't push! Don't push! The mage is going to fall!"

Shouts, curses, screams, and pulling sounds mingled together, creating a chaotic scene that was even more appalling than a street brawl.

Sitting upright in the armchair, Lin Zhu watched the unprecedented farce unfolding on the high platform, especially the embarrassed and helpless look on Guanyin Bodhisattva's face. He couldn't help but let a wicked smile creep onto his lips.

"That's right, now it's more lively!"

He contentedly cracked open a sunflower seed, feeling quite pleased with himself.

"As a professional bystander, you not only need to know how to watch the show, but also how to stir up trouble, turn black into white, and make the waters even muddier at crucial moments!"

Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, who was standing to the side, had taken in Lin Zhu’s “righteous roar” and his leisurely attitude as he watched the show. He was even more impressed and secretly gave him a thumbs up.

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! The big boss doesn't make a move unless he's absolutely sure of it, but when he does, he stirs up the waters, making the people of the Western Paradise fight each other, and they're left speechless and suffering in silence! Brilliant!"

He felt he had grasped the essence of the matter, so he quickly signaled the eunuch to bring him a small stool, which he carefully placed next to Lin Zhu's armchair. Then, with a fawning smile, he sat down and, together with Lin Zhu, enjoyed watching the unprecedented "stripping melee" on the high platform.

At this moment, Chen Xuanzang was enduring a dual torment of soul and body. The struggle between his cassock and the demonic energy was like being repeatedly roasted and frozen between raging fire and freezing ice, with every inch of his skin and every strand of his soul emitting painful cries.

In the midst of this extreme pain, a filthy, scabies-covered "madwoman" rushed onto the stage and, in front of all the eminent monks, fellow practitioners, and countless elders and folks of Chang'an, began to grope him and frantically tear at his clothes!

What a shame!
This is an unprecedented and utterly humiliating disgrace!
He, Chen Xuanzang, the great Buddhist leader of the world, the future leader of Buddhism, had never suffered such humiliation!

This is more painful for him than killing him!

Just as he was filled with shame and indignation and was about to lose his mind completely, the voice of the Tang King, filled with obvious displeasure and doubt, came from the high platform like a cold knife, adding fuel to the fire.

"Hmph! How absurd! I remember now, isn't this robe and staff the so-called 'Buddhist treasure' forcibly left behind by that crazy, incoherent female beggar... or rather, madwoman, in the palace? At the time, I felt that this person's behavior was strange and her origins were unknown. Now it seems... Hmph, could there really be some hidden story behind this?"

The Tang emperor's words, seemingly expressing his dissatisfaction and suspicion, actually planted the seed of a conspiracy theory in the hearts of Chen Xuanzang and everyone present with unparalleled precision!

"The madwoman... the Buddhist artifact she forcibly left behind... the hidden story..."

These keywords, like a spell, instantly formed a clear "path" in Chen Xuanzang's chaotic and painful mind!
Yes! That must be it!

That madwoman first "gave" the cassock and staff with the power to exorcise demons to the Tang Emperor in some way! Then, she calculated that at the moment when everyone was watching the Water and Land Assembly, the Tang Emperor would definitely bestow this treasure upon her, the host of the assembly!
And once he puts on this tampered robe, he will be like this now, his demonic energy erupting, displaying his ugly side, suffering endless torment, losing all face in front of the world, and becoming utterly disgraced! (End of Chapter)