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

These words were not only addressed to Chen Xuanzang, but also to the people of the world.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuanzang felt as if he had been struck by immense happiness. He trembled with excitement and knelt down again with a "thud" as he stood up. He kowtowed three times to the Tang Emperor, his forehead covered in dust. His voice trembled but his vow was incredibly firm.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Your humble servant... Your humble servant will certainly dedicate himself to the cause until he reaches the Western Paradise! If he does not reach the Western Paradise and obtain the true scriptures, he will not dare to return to the country even in death, and will be forever condemned to the abyss of hell!"

His reaction and vow were a great show of respect to the Tang Emperor, transforming a religious act into a heroic deed of loyalty to the country and brotherhood!

Seeing Chen Xuanzang's performance, the Tang Emperor's initial resentment towards Lin Zhu for making him sworn brothers with a "demon monk" vanished instantly. Instead, he felt that Lin Zhu's move was truly far-sighted!
In this way, not only could Chen Xuanzang's mind be appeased, but the minds of the people of the world could also be appeased, and the matter of the eastward transmission of Buddhism was cleverly transformed into a demonstration of the will of the Tang Empire! Brilliant!
However, Guanyin Bodhisattva, who should have been the most gratified, looked rather grim at this moment.

Watching Chen Xuanzang kneel and kowtow to the Tang Emperor, tears streaming down his face, swearing allegiance, yet showing no extra respect to her, a Buddhist bodhisattva, or to the Buddha of the Western Paradise, a nameless anger rose within her.

Has Jin Chanzi truly lost his mind after consuming that low-grade Tai Chi pill? Has he forgotten who his true support is?!
Just as Tang Sanzang was getting emotional and swore to the heavens that he would retrieve the true scriptures for his "elder brother" and for the Tang Dynasty, a very subtle glint suddenly flashed in Lin Zhu's eyes, who had been watching coldly all along!

He keenly noticed a wisp of golden light, thinner than a hair yet incredibly pure, descending silently from the western horizon. Ignoring spatial distance, it seemed to be drawn by some invisible force, landing precisely and silently on the Niwan Palace above Tang Emperor Li Shimin's head, then vanishing in a flash, as if it had never existed!

Although this ray of golden light of merit is faint, its essence is extremely high!

The moment it entered Tang Wang's body, Lin Zhu clearly felt that Tang Wang's body, which was originally close to the limit of human lifespan due to old age and hard work in state affairs, seemed to be rejuvenated, and a powerful vitality suddenly burst forth!

His somewhat cloudy eyes instantly became clear and sharp, and the fine wrinkles on his face seemed to have been smoothed out. His overall spirit was boosted significantly!
A hundred years of lifespan! Lin Zhu immediately made this judgment in his mind.

This tiny, almost imperceptible act of merit actually added at least a hundred years to the Tang Emperor's lifespan!
He understood immediately, a meaningful smile curving his lips. So that's how it is… This wisp of merit must be one of the “prices” he had to pay to the Heavenly Dao when the Western Paradise extracted the Tang Emperor's soul and forcibly altered the Book of Life and Death, right?
However, the cost of this was cleverly intercepted by the Tang Emperor in the name of "Imperial Brother" the moment Chen Xuanzang made his grand vow! Moreover, judging from the results, it's not just a matter of recovering the cost, but rather a return of ten times the "interest"!
Lin Zhu pondered to himself.

This Tang emperor truly lives up to his reputation as the ruler who ushered in the prosperous Zhenguan era. His blessings and fortune are indeed extraordinary. My initial intention in having him address Chen Xuanzang as "Imperial Brother" was simply to have him share in the merits of the Journey to the West. I never expected him to do something so unexpected, directly cutting off the source of the merits!
Awesome, really awesome!
At this moment, the Tang Emperor, feeling his body suddenly rejuvenated, was in high spirits and raised his wine cup again to bestow it upon Tang Sanzang.

"My brother, I am very pleased that you are determined to travel west. Since you are going to obtain the scriptures, I will guide you and give you a Dharma name, according to your mission. What do you say?"

Tang Sanzang immediately bowed.

"Please, Your Majesty, bestow upon me a title!"

After a moment's thought, the Tang king spoke in a loud voice.

"Buddhist scriptures say that the Tripitaka is divided into three parts: 'Sutra, Vinaya, and Abhidharma,' collectively known as the 'Tripitaka True Scriptures.' Your journey here is to obtain these Tripitaka True Scriptures, so I bestow upon you the Dharma name 'Tripitaka'! I hope you will not forget your original aspiration and return with the Tripitaka True Scriptures!"

He laughed again.

"Since you are my younger brother, you should be proud of the name of our nation. From this day forward, you shall take 'Tang' as your surname, and together you shall be called 'Tang Sanzang'!"

"Tang Sanzang..."

Chen Xuanzang repeated it subconsciously.

However, perhaps because the demonic heart within him had not been eliminated, affecting his mental clarity, or perhaps due to some kind of interference from the unseen world, he vaguely heard the solemn "Three Treasures" as the malevolent "Three Burials"!
Three burials? Burying Heaven, burying Earth, burying all living beings?!
An incredibly domineering and destructive interpretation instantly flooded his mind!
This subtly aligns with his current lofty aspirations to "serve the country and the people" and a certain suppressed rage deep within his heart!

Far from finding anything amiss, he felt an inexplicable surge of heroic spirit rushing to the top of his head. He felt that this Dharma name was truly domineering and perfectly suited his taste! He immediately banged his head on the ground several times and responded in a loud voice.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for bestowing upon me this title! Your disciple, Tang Sanzang, will certainly live up to Your Majesty's high expectations! I will surely embark on the journey to the Western Paradise with the ambition of 'Three Burials'!"

He spoke these words with force and conviction, believing he had grasped the "profound meaning" of his elder brother.

Guanyin Bodhisattva, who was standing to the side, was intently observing Tang Sanzang's mental state, fearing that he might utter some shocking words again. She did not notice the subtle difference between "zang" and "zang" for the moment. She was only increasingly indignant at Tang Sanzang's behavior of kowtowing to the Tang Emperor to express his gratitude again, but making no special indication of the Buddhist scriptures and Dharma names.

How despicable! How hateful!
In order to save him, my Western Paradise sacrificed the two swords that guarded our sect, the Immortal-Trapping Sword and the Immortal-Slaying Sword!
Laozi (Taishang Laojun) stormed Mount Ling and berated the Buddha until he wept!

Even the Buddha was forced to relinquish countless merits, causing a significant drop in his cultivation! He paid such a terrible price to barely save his life and his qualification to travel to the West! But this monk, on the other hand, now only has eyes for his Tang Dynasty brother, the Emperor, and shows no gratitude or respect whatsoever for Buddhism!
This...this is simply outrageous!
Guanyin Bodhisattva was seething with anger, but she had to suppress it for the sake of the situation. The smile on her compassionate face was as stiff as a stone carving.

Seeing that the farewell scene was gradually becoming "strange" and "off track," especially with Guanyin Bodhisattva's face growing darker and darker, almost unable to maintain her compassionate appearance, Lin Zhu felt it was time to end this farce.

He spoke at the opportune moment, his voice carrying a hint of languor and an undeniable coldness.

"It's getting late, Tang Sanzang, it's time to set off."

His gaze casually swept over Guanyin Bodhisattva, who was standing beside Tang Sanzang, trying to make her presence as little as possible. A playful smile appeared on his lips as he teased her with a double entendre.

“And you, the one next to me… well, the one dressed like a beggar, don’t dawdle. Don’t forget, you have a ‘previous record.’ If you get ‘ridden’ on the street again, no one will be there to save you in time.”

The moment the word "rid" was uttered, it was like a spark falling into a pot of boiling oil!

Guanyin Bodhisattva froze abruptly, her face, which had been barely maintaining its composure, instantly turning bright red, then ashen!

She turned her head sharply, her beautiful eyes blazing as she stared at Lin Zhu, filled with shame, resentment, and disbelief!
How dare he! How dare he bring up that utterly shameful humiliation again in broad daylight, in front of so many people?!

"you……!"

Guanyin Bodhisattva trembled with rage, her slender fingers pointing at Lin Zhu. However, due to the unfathomable strength of the other party and the delicate situation at the moment, she swallowed back the angry curses that were about to come out of her mouth. She could only stomp her foot hard, cracking the bluestone slab under her feet. Her chest heaved violently, clearly indicating that she was extremely angry.

Although the Tang emperor was unaware of the situation, he could tell that something was amiss, so he quickly raised his wine cup to smooth things over.

"Brother, drink this cup to the brim, may you have a safe journey!"

At this moment, Tang Sanzang was full of heroic spirit. Upon hearing this, he immediately took the wine cup, did not even look at whether it was wine or water, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp. He even imitated the manner of a wealthy street urchin, showing the bottom of the cup to the Tang King and loudly proclaiming.

"Rest assured, Your Majesty! For the sake of the country and its people, your humble servant should be the first to drink!"

"..."

There was silence.

Guanyin Bodhisattva's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets! Vegetarian...vegetarian wine?!

He... he actually drank it?! And he drank it so nonchalantly, with such swagger?! Did all the precepts he cultivated through ten lifetimes go to waste?!

Tang Sanzang, however, was completely unaware of the effects of the wine. Instead, he felt a warm and comfortable sensation throughout his body as it went down his throat.

He wiped his mouth, looked at Guanyin Bodhisattva's astonished expression, and then explained in a serious tone.

"Bodhisattva need not be surprised. The blessings of family and country are heavier than Mount Tai. How can a mere abstinence from alcohol compare to the Emperor's kindness and the well-being of all people? This is breaking a minor precept for the greater good!"

His twisted and heretical arguments made Guanyin Bodhisattva's vision go black.

Fueled by the alcohol, Tang Sanzang turned to the Tang Emperor and bowed.

"Your Majesty, I am feeling lonely on this journey and would like to bring a childhood friend along so that we can look after each other. I wonder if Your Majesty would grant my request?"

The Tang King was in a good mood at the moment, and with a wave of his hand, he said cheerfully.

"Granted! Your Highness can decide for yourself, as long as it doesn't affect the image of a monk."

He clearly hasn't realized the seriousness of the problem.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Tang Sanzang was overjoyed and immediately shouted to the accompanying group.

"Brother Lu! Come quickly and greet His Majesty!"

"Hahaha! I'm here!"

A loud, unrestrained laugh, like muffled thunder, rang out. From the entourage, a bald, burly man, eight feet tall, with a waist ten spans wide, a face full of scars, and eyes like copper bells, pushed aside the people blocking his way and strode out with a dragon-like and tiger-like gait!

Although he was wearing a monk's robe, it was stretched so taut by his bulging muscles that it looked like it was about to burst. He also had a huge string of Buddhist prayer beads hanging around his neck, which looked more like they were for hitting people than for chanting sutras!

The burly man casually cupped his hands in greeting to the Tang Emperor, his voice booming like a bell.

"This humble servant, Lu Zhi... uh, Monk Lu, greets Your Majesty!"

Upon seeing this person, Lin Zhu, who had been calmly watching the show, spat out the mouthful of wine she had just taken a sip of!

Holy crap! It's that kid?!

Lin Zhu recognized him at a glance. Wasn't this burly man the same monk who had led the trouble at the Water and Land Assembly and even dared to point at Guanyin Bodhisattva and call her a "stinking idiot"? No wonder Tang Sanzang's hearty drinking style seemed familiar!

It turns out that Tang Sanzang's childhood friend was such a shameless and reckless scoundrel! No wonder the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi has such questionable morals; his very nature was probably crooked long ago!
Lu Heshang's appearance seemed to have flipped a switch.

Just moments ago, Tang Sanzang had been acting like a "wise and virtuous monk," but in an instant, he seemed to have become a completely different person. He put his arm around the Lu monk's shoulder and burst into laughter without any regard for his image.

"Brother Lu, it's been many years, but you're still as robust as ever!"

"Hey, Brother Sanzang, you're not bad either, you've even become the Emperor's brother! Come on, let's play a drinking game to celebrate!"

"Five champions! Six six six!"

"You lost! Drink!"

"Damn it, I'm not convinced, let's go again!"

During this solemn farewell ceremony, in front of the Tang Emperor, Lin Zhu, Guanyin Bodhisattva, numerous civil and military officials, and onlookers, the two of them unabashedly played drinking games, cursed, and drank the vegetarian wine hastily offered by their servants! The scene immediately became extremely noisy, like a bustling tavern.

Guanyin Bodhisattva's face turned completely black as she looked at the scene before her!

She trembled all over, her nails digging deep into her palms, and boundless regret and anger surged in her heart!

Twenty years! I've been monitoring this reincarnation of Jin Chanzi for twenty years! And yet... I never noticed a thing, that he was secretly befriending such a vulgar, utterly devoid of Buddhist nature brute! They even became childhood friends!
And this monk Lu!
Those who insulted me back then, how could my subordinates not report such crucial information?! That's blatant dereliction of duty! They deserve to die!
Looking at the two men in front of her, arm in arm, drinking and making merry, and then thinking of the Buddhas and Arhats who had died trying to save her... Guanyin Bodhisattva felt a surge of anger rising in her heart, and she gritted her teeth as she thought.

Those useless idiots! They deserved to die! They couldn't even keep an eye on something like this!
Just then, after a few cups of plain wine, Tang Sanzang, whose face was slightly flushed, seemed to notice Lin Zhu, who had been watching the show quietly with an extraordinary demeanor.

He shook his slightly dizzy head, leaned closer, and looked at Lin Zhu with a somewhat dazed expression, a hint of alcohol in his eyes, and began to speak.

“This… Immortal Master, this humble monk finds you… to be very familiar.”

He rubbed his temples, a look of confusion on his face.

"I don't know why, but every time I see the Immortal Master, a faint... pain always rises from the depths of my soul? It's as if... as if I've seen some unforgettable old friend?"

Lin Zhu sneered inwardly.

Old friends? Unforgettable?
That's the pain of the primordial spirit mark I casually left behind when I impeached your true spirit, Jin Chanzi! It's deeply imprinted, and you'll never forget it even after a hundred reincarnations!

However, he remained expressionless, merely looking at Tang Sanzang calmly.

Seeing that Lin Zhu remained silent, Tang Sanzang felt a strange sense of dependence and affection instead of pain. His eyes filled with tenderness, and he spoke with excitement.

“Immortal Master! The more I look at you, the more kind you seem! It's like...like seeing my father!”

Lin Zhu's lips twitched almost imperceptibly, and he scoffed inwardly.

Father? I could never have given birth to such a wicked and morally corrupt son as you! (End of Chapter)