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

"Namo—!!"

A deep, resounding Buddhist chant, seemingly capable of suppressing the three thousand worlds, echoed throughout the universe!
Behind the image of Acala, the Venerable Ananda, a Great Immortal of the Golden Realm, stood solemnly, staff in hand; the Five Directional Protectors looked tense, each holding their implements; eight hundred Arhats formed a battle array, their Buddhist light stretching as far as the eye could see, and the sound of chanting resounded through the heavens; further behind, indistinctly, were countless Buddhist soldiers, clad in sharp armor, their radiant light reaching the sky! Banners fluttered, and a murderous aura filled the air!
This terrifying force, originally prepared to ensure Sun Wukong's smooth "return" and to deter any potential accidents, has now been unleashed in full force, instantly sealing off the entire Five Elements Mountain area like an iron barrel! The vast Buddhist power intertwined with the killing intent of war, forming a terrifying pressure that would suffocate even a Great Luo Golden Immortal!
Lin Zhu looked at the suddenly appearing, incredibly luxurious lineup and couldn't help but feel a hint of amazement.

"Good heavens... The Immovable King, who is half a quasi-saint, personally led the team, along with Ananda, a great golden immortal, the Five Directions Protectors, eight hundred Arhats, and hundreds of millions of Buddhist soldiers... The Western Paradise is really willing to spend money for this monkey."

He thought to himself.

"It seems that either the monkey's behavior just now was too ferocious, exceeding their expectations; or... they are wary of me to the core."

Just as he was pondering, deep within his consciousness, the familiar system notification sound rang out one after another, carrying an unprecedentedly passionate rhythm.

[Ding! Detected that the physical body of the key plot character 'Tang Sanzang, the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi' has been completely destroyed by Sun Wukong. The Journey to the West has suffered a major setback, and the predetermined course of Heaven has been severely disrupted!]

[Congratulations, host! You have successfully altered a key celestial node! You have significantly disrupted the Western Paradise's plan to showcase Buddhism and accumulate merit through the Journey to the West!]

[Rewards received: 200,000 Merit Points! Special Item: 1 Heavenly Magic Stone!]

[Ding! Detected that the host has completed the core requirement of the hidden main quest 'Protect Sun Wukong'—ensuring his successful escape and initial liberation from the absolute control of the Western Paradise.]

[Task Evaluation: Perfect.]

[Quest reward obtained. The third part of the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation Diagram! 200,000 Merit Points!]

Two hundred thousand plus another two hundred thousand, that's another four hundred thousand merit points! Adding to all the previous gains, Lin Zhu's merit points have now reached an astonishing number! Not to mention the extraordinary-sounding "Heavenly Origin Demon Stone" and the third fragment of the "Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation Diagram"!
Feeling the surging growth of merit within his body, and the strange fluctuations emanating from the "Heavenly Origin Demon Stone," which felt cold to the touch but seemed to contain the primordial demonic nature of the beginning of chaos, a glint flashed in Lin Zhu's eyes.

With this magic stone, one of his trump cards that was slightly lacking for some reason might be able to be completed... At that time, the half-step quasi-saint realm will no longer be a distant dream, but within reach!

He looked up at Sun Wukong, who was surrounded by the Buddhist army but still held the golden cudgel, baring his teeth and glaring angrily, showing no fear. He also looked at Guanyin, whose face was ashen and who was furious, and at the huge Mingwang Dharma image that dominated the heavens and the earth.

A clear idea arose in his mind.

We absolutely cannot let them take this monkey away like this today! Otherwise, wouldn't all the previous "investment" and "guidance" be wasted? What's the point of this grand Journey to the West drama without this lawless protagonist?
At this moment, the voice of Fudo Myo-o, like muffled thunder, resounded throughout the heavens and earth.

"You demon monkey! How dare you commit such atrocities, killing the holy monk on his pilgrimage! You should immediately submit to the law and return with us to Mount Ling to face your punishment!!"

Guanyin also caught her breath. With the support of the army, she felt much more confident. She pointed at Sun Wukong, her voice icy cold.

"Sun Wukong! You have committed heinous crimes of premeditated revenge and massacred the pilgrims! Today, we will capture you and bring you back to the Western Paradise to be judged by the Buddha!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong was not afraid at all. Instead, he looked up at the sky and let out an even more arrogant and unrestrained laugh, which shook the surrounding area.

"Hahahaha!! Sin? Punishment? Guanyin! Stop talking nonsense! Didn't you all tell me, Old Sun, to 'send him to the Western Paradise'? Didn't I do as you said? I sent him clean with one blow, straight to the Western Paradise! What? You're not satisfied with my job?!"

He suddenly slammed his golden cudgel into the air, creating ripples, and the murderous aura in his eyes almost materialized.

"Don't try that on me! My life is as high as the heavens! I'm not a pawn that you bald monks, spouting righteousness and righteousness but scheming behind the scenes, can manipulate at will! Five hundred years of suppression, this debt isn't settled yet! You want to arrest me? Fine! Come and fight!!"

He unleashed his full demonic power without reservation, with dark gold and blood-red energy intertwining and swirling around him. His aura was even able to rival the countless Buddhist soldiers in the sky! His arrogance and unyielding spirit, and the frenzied fighting spirit that had been suppressed for five hundred years, caused many of the Arhats and Buddhist soldiers present to change color!

Guanyin was so angry that she trembled all over and pointed her jade finger at the distance.

"Stubborn fool! Today I will show you the boundless power of Buddhism! Arhats, form the battle formation! Capture this fiend!"

"Wait a minute!"

Just as the formation of the eight hundred Arhats was about to move, a clear and calm voice, which seemed to possess some strange magic and could penetrate the chanting and killing intent in the sky, suddenly rang out.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that Lin Zhu, who had been watching from the sidelines, had stepped forward and stood between Guanyin and Sun Wukong below.

He remained calm, as if the tense, imminent scene before him was merely a gentle breeze.

Guanyin's pupils contracted, and she said sternly.

"Lin Zhu! Are you trying to stop our Buddhist sect from capturing the criminal?!"

Lin Zhu didn't even glance at her. His gaze swept over the spirited Sun Wukong below, then over the majestic image of Fudo Myo-o and the vast Buddhist army, before finally slowly turning back to Guanyin, his face showing a seemingly innocent but actually infuriatingly puzzled expression.

"A criminal? What makes you say that, Bodhisattva? I observe this monkey standing here, not attacking anyone or damaging public property. How can you call him a criminal? You Buddhist sect... you must have an explanation for arresting people, right? You can't just smear someone's innocence without a reason."

"you!"

Guanyin nearly choked on her words, pointing sharply at the still-warm mass of Tang Sanzang's flesh below.

"Tang Sanzang was beaten to death on the spot! His body is barely cold! Isn't this the murderer?! Lin Zhu, stop making trouble here!"

Sun Wukong was also taken aback for a moment, looking at Lin Zhu with a hint of surprise and gratitude in his eyes.

He knew Lin Zhu was formidable, but he never expected that the other party would stand up at this moment and speak for him in such a... almost shameless way.

His fighting spirit burned even brighter, but he also gained more confidence, and he raised his head and said.

"Lin...the God of Hell is right! I, Old Sun, am standing right here. What have I done wrong?!"

Lin Zhu gave Sun Wukong a "calm down" look, then turned to Guanyin, his "righteous and awe-inspiring" expression becoming even more pronounced. He cleared his throat and asked in a serious tone, as if discussing the fundamental laws of the Three Realms.

"Bodhisattva, you are mistaken. The death of Tang Sanzang is indeed regrettable. But please recall, who was it that five hundred years ago imprisoned this monkey under the Five Elements Mountain, forcing him to eat iron pellets and drink molten copper, enduring endless torment?" "And who was it that, not long ago, came to this mountain and told the monkey that if he converted to Buddhism, took the pilgrim as his master, and escorted him on his journey to the West, he could be freed and even attain enlightenment?"

"Finally," Lin Zhu's tone suddenly became more serious, his gaze piercing straight at Guanyin.

"Who was it that, just now down the mountain, when this monkey said he was going to 'send him to the Western Paradise,' didn't correct him, didn't clearly tell him the true meaning, but instead tacitly approved of it, or even... urged it on to some extent?"

He paused, then, seeing Guanyin's increasingly grim expression, he summarized, word by word.

"In my opinion, the case is clear. The Buddhist sect has a history of illegally detaining and abusing living beings; then, it used 'escape' and 'enlightenment' as bait to coerce them into agreeing to escort the pilgrims; finally, it failed to fulfill its obligation to clearly inform the victims when key instructions were unclear and ambiguous, leading to misunderstandings and the tragedy."

Lin Zhu spread her hands, making a helpless and heartbroken expression.

"What is this? This is clearly 'murder under duress'! The real 'perpetrator' is probably not this clueless monkey following instructions, but... someone behind the scenes who sets the rules but doesn't articulate them clearly and uses coercion!"

His words were well-reasoned and logically sound. He also directly seized upon the ambiguity of the instruction to "send him to the Western Paradise" and the Buddhist sect's previous suppression and enticement of Sun Wukong, cleverly shifting the responsibility for "murder" to the Buddhist sect itself!
Sun Wukong was dumbfounded. Although he was arrogant, when it came to this kind of "reasoning," he was far inferior to Lin Zhu. His admiration for Lin Zhu was like a surging river…

Guanyin Bodhisattva was so angry that her vision went black, her whole body was filled with violent fluctuations of Buddhist light, and her finger was trembling as she pointed at Lin Zhu.

"You...you're just spouting nonsense! You're turning black into white! The evidence against Sun Wukong for murder is irrefutable! How dare you try to argue like this?!"

Lin Zhu, however, maintained his "messenger of justice" expression, tilted his head slightly, and asked in return.

"Oh? Ironclad evidence? Where's the evidence? Who saw him 'kill without cause'? What everyone saw was clearly a victim who had been oppressed for five hundred years, had just gained limited freedom, and was eager to complete his 'escort mission,' but due to a misunderstanding of the mission instructions, it resulted in... a regrettable work error!"

"Bodhisattva, shouldn't your Buddhist sect first reflect on its task assignment mechanisms and communication methods? How can you push all the responsibility onto a 'temporary worker'?"

Lin Zhu's sophistry of "coercion to kill" and "the responsibility lies with Buddhism" rained down on Guanyin like a machine gun, leaving the newly promoted half-step quasi-saint bodhisattva speechless and her Buddhist heart turbulent.

She opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but found that although the other person's words were fallacious and heretical, they had grasped some seemingly reasonable points of entry, making it difficult for her to find a perfect flaw immediately.

Taking a deep breath, Guanyin forced herself to calm down, staring coldly at Lin Zhu, deciding to stop getting bogged down in sophistry and return to the most basic "facts".

"Lin Zhu! No matter how eloquent you are, you cannot change the fact that Tang Sanzang did indeed die under Sun Wukong's golden cudgel!"

Can you deny this? Even if, as you say, there was some misunderstanding, murder is murder! Sun Wukong must take responsibility for this. He must return with us to Mount Ling to see the Buddha, explain the situation, and await his judgment! This is a universal principle of the Three Realms and a Buddhist precept!

She is trying to regain the moral and legal high ground.

Below, Sun Wukong scoffed upon hearing this, twirling his golden cudgel in a flourish, his demonic aura surging once more, as he arrogantly declared.

"Take responsibility? Await your fate? Bah! If you want war, then let's fight! Enough with the nonsense! You want me, Old Sun, to go back to that sacred mountain and be at your mercy again? Dream on!"

Just as Sun Wukong was about to make another move, Lin Zhu raised his hand again, gesturing for him to calm down.

He looked at Guanyin, his "reasoning" expression unchanged, even more "sincere".

“Bodhisattva, let’s go over the ‘facts’ you’ve mentioned a little more.”

Lin Zhu said slowly and deliberately.

"First of all, let me ask you, did the Western Paradise, or rather, you representing Buddhism, ever give Sun Wukong the task or instruction to 'escort the pilgrim Tang Sanzang to the Western Paradise'?"

Guanyin frowned, knowing this question was a trap, but she couldn't deny it, so she could only nod coldly.

"That is indeed true. But the original intention of 'sending them to the Western Paradise' was to escort them to the Western Paradise, to worship Buddha and seek scriptures, and to achieve enlightenment! It was absolutely not..."

"it is good!"

Lin Zhu interrupted her explanation and turned to Sun Wukong.

"Great Sage, did the Bodhisattva or the Buddhist monks at that time clearly, unambiguously, tell you what you were specifically required to do for the so-called 'escorting him to the Western Paradise'? Was it to protect him step by step as he walked? Or to fight monsters when they encountered them? To cross rivers when they encountered them? To climb mountains when they encountered them? Was there a detailed 'escort operation manual'?"

Sun Wukong scratched his ear, thought for a moment, and then shook his head decisively.

"No! Guanyin only said that I should become her disciple and escort the pilgrim to the Western Paradise, then I could escape my predicament and attain enlightenment. She didn't explain in detail how to escort him! My understanding is that it's just to get him to that place in the Western Paradise and that's it! The fastest and most direct way is to just send him there with a stick, right? That would save time and effort!"

"You...you're just making excuses! Even a three-year-old understands the meaning of escorting someone! How could you interpret it like that!"

Guanyin was so angry that her chest heaved.

Lin Zhu waved his hand, giving her a "I told you so" look.

“Bodhisattva, this is the problem. You see, even someone as ‘simple-minded’ and ‘straightforward’ as the Great Sage… uh, a cultivator, can have such a serious misunderstanding of your instructions.”

What does this mean? It means there are major flaws in your task assignment! The wording is unclear, and the requirements are ambiguous!

He paused, then spoke in a tone as if explaining common sense.

"For example, if I ask you to 'fetch water' from the river, and you jump into the river, drag out the river god, beat him up, and then carry the whole river back, would that count as completing your task? Obviously not! Because normal 'fetching water' refers to using a container to hold an appropriate amount of river water."

But if you've never seen anyone else fetch water before, and no one has told you the specific standards and methods for 'fetching water,' and you do it according to your own understanding, even if the result is absurd, who bears the main responsibility? The person who gave the vague instructions, or the one who carried them out? (End of Chapter)