The disaster of the world begins with Dongfang Bubai

Chapter 197 I've Let It Go, Why Hide It

Fifteen days later.

The young monk who lived deep in the Buddha's Temple disappeared on the black lotus of Yuanshen. In a blink of an eye, he came to a deserted wilderness. He saw a beggar in tattered clothes lying on the ground. He was covered with scars. If there were some beatings in his chest, he would be considered a dead man.

But within a few breaths, he completely lost his breath, and emitted a golden and black light.

"Tang Xuanzang, you are truly a student who is better than my teacher. You have made me so embarrassed with just one move."

Xi Mingzhang looked at the embarrassed Tathagata and laughed:

"It's not a conspiracy, I just did a little trick to make it easier for me to find you and let you deeply understand the eight sufferings of life."

"In this life, I was born weak and sickly, and my fate was unfortunate. I suffered a series of misfortunes, so that my family was broken up and I ended up living on the streets."

"The most important thing is that the protective divine light has no effect on mortals. I have really put a lot of effort into it for you, my former mentor!"

"You can attribute all this to your own good, just as you did good to me in the past. I will let you suffer the pain of being banished to the mortal world and endure many calamities."

"I never thought that I would teach you a bad disciple who has a rebellious mind." Tathagata said expressionlessly:
"If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have given you another chance to achieve success."

"Should I thank you for your kindness?" Xi Mingzhang said calmly:
"Don't worry, I am kind-hearted and I always like to repay what's in return. I will also be merciful to you. Today, I will be in charge of the destiny for another thirty-three years, and you can continue to reincarnate."

"It all depends on whether you can break the destiny in your next reincarnation."

"If you can't, in the tenth life I will let you go from Lingshan to the East and become the one who obtains the relics."

He paused, shook his head and sighed:

"I am indeed a benevolent and magnanimous monk. I am willing to repay evil with kindness, and I do not care about your deep hatred for me. I will give you a chance to turn defeat into victory."

"As kind as I am, I am truly worthy of being the Buddha."

"Can you be so kind as to give me the seventeen relics?" Tathagata's face showed a hint of sarcasm:
"Sun Wukong is a boneless relic. When you talk about magnanimity, do you mean you only plan to use the sixteen relics as bait?"

"It's better to have something than nothing. For you, obtaining sixteen relics won't increase your chances of winning?"

A hint of darkness flashed across Tathagata's eyes, and he said calmly:
“Even if the karma you have created does not disappear over hundreds and thousands of kalpas, when the cause and conditions meet, you will still have to bear the consequences. As the saying goes, you cannot take anything with you, only your karma will follow you.”

"Xuanzang, take care of yourself."

There was a flash of golden and black light, and then a rainbow light disappeared into the sky.

Xi Mingzhang used the method of shrinking the distance to make it an inch farther away. In ten or so breaths, he was near the river. From afar, he saw a big city standing on the other side of the river.

His figure appeared on the other side of the river in an illusory manner, and he saw that all the people coming in and out of the city gate were women, even the soldiers standing guard on the city wall were no exception.

"You monkey-head have been following me all the way, and you still plan to hide it?"

"Hehe, I know I can't hide it from Master." Sun Wukong descended from the sky and stood beside Xi Mingzhang, saying:

"What on earth is Tathagata thinking? Why is he always avoiding me?"

"This old monster is used to being cautious. He will never take action unless he is absolutely sure. I think he plans to get sixteen relics from me first, and then deal with you. Only then will he be sure to fight me." "Or he may find a good opportunity to refine you into a boneless relic, greatly increase his own magic power, and then get sixteen relics from me."

"Anyway, no matter what, as long as it can increase my chances of winning, there's no harm in waiting a little longer."

"For people like us, time is the least worth mentioning thing. We also understand that temporary victory is nothing. Who laughs last is the key."

After Xi Mingzhang finished speaking, Sun Wukong showed disdain and said:
"This old monk is even more despicable than I imagined."

"It's just that the strong have no taboos." Xi Mingzhang said indifferently.

Sun Wukong rolled his eyes, looked at the crowds coming and going at the city gate, and couldn't help laughing:

"I can't believe it has been hundreds of years, but the Xiliang Women's Kingdom is still around."

"The Great Tang Dynasty is gone. How can a small and mundane country enjoy good weather and good harvests till now?" Xi Mingzhang said calmly.

"Hearing what Master said, it seems that the calamity in the Kingdom of Women on the journey to the West was the greatest calamity." Sun Wukong shook his head and murmured:
"How can one achieve both in this world, not to disappoint the Tathagata and not to disappoint you? I once heard this poem by chance, and wondered if it fits Master's state of mind at that time."

Xi Mingzhang just smiled and said:

"You monkey, you don't stay in Huaguo Mountain, but come to tease your master instead."

Sun Wukong speaks the truth:
"Knowing that today is the day of the thirty-three-year destiny, how could I, Old Sun, sit still? Then I saw Master easily forcing Tathagata to reincarnate again, and I became curious as to why Master did not return to Lingshan."

"After all, you usually stay at home and rarely go out, and you never arrange any troublesome things like visiting Buddha or paying homage to him."

Xi Mingzhang stood with his hands behind his back and said:

"In the past, when I was a lay monk, the reason I went to the West to obtain the scriptures was mainly because the Tang Emperor, after his soul returned from the underworld, wanted to gather great monks to hold a 49-day water and land ceremony."

"The reason I can become the host of the Water and Land Dharma Assembly is naturally not because of my profound Buddhist knowledge, but because of my mortal background and my close relationship with the imperial court. With such good roots and high moral character, I was able to host the Water and Land Dharma Assembly smoothly."

"Later, I was given the positions of Left Sangha Leader, Right Sangha Leader, and Great Sangha Leader of the World, and even many generous treatments. At the Water and Land Assembly, Guanyin appeared and pointed out that there were scriptures that could help the dead in the Great Leiyin Temple in the West Heaven, and someone was needed to fetch them. How could I not step forward?"

A trace of reminiscence flashed across his eyes, and he continued:
"When I said goodbye at Jinshan Temple, I said these words. I have made a great vow that if I don't obtain the true scriptures, I will fall into hell forever. It is probably because of the king's favor that I have to be loyal to the country. My journey is really uncertain and it is hard to predict whether it will be good or bad."

Sun Wukong understood and realized immediately that his master did not really want to go to the West to obtain the scriptures.

Xi Mingzhang said openly:
"When I set out on the journey to the West, my determination to obtain the scriptures was strengthened by my desire to seek the Buddhist scriptures, the benefits of success, and the possible punishment for failure."

"But the disaster in the Kingdom of Women is truly heart-wrenching."

Sun Wukong touched the monkey hair on the back of his hand with a look of surprise and said:

"Master, I really didn't expect you to admit it like this. I thought you would cover it up."

"I have let it go, why should I hide it?" Xi Mingzhang said calmly:
"The Kingdom of Women still exists today, and I am only taking care of it a little at the request of that old friend."

Alas, I was delayed today, and the remaining chapter will only be updated tomorrow night.

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(End of this chapter)