Honghuang: Creation of the Green Lotus, the beginning of the Three Pure Ones

Tang Sanzang recognized him at a glance; it was none other than Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, who had wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, deep in his memory.

Sun Wukong blew on his little finger, which he used to clean his ear, and said to Tang Sanzang, "You must be the monk on the pilgrimage."

"This is how the Buddhist sect arranged our appearance, just to make our encounter less casual. That's why they brought out this monkey demon from who-knows-where, which is not worthy of being presented to the public."

"According to the agreement, all I had to do was drive him away, and then he could go back to Mount Ling and ask Buddha for credit."

"It's a pity that this guy is just too much for me to look at. He even dares to call himself 'Old Sun' all the time. There's nothing I can do but send him on his way."

Sun Wukong's words were naturally heard clearly by countless humans through the Kunlun Mirror.

Recalling what had just happened, countless humans were laughing so hard they couldn't stand up straight. Some even spoke up directly.

"It's all for nothing that I worried about the Tripitaka Master for so long, only to find out that it was something the Buddhist community itself created."

"That's right. If he doesn't want to give the Tripitaka scriptures to our Tang Dynasty, our Tang Dynasty doesn't care either. If all else fails, let the Tripitaka Master come back."

Those who already disliked Buddhism finally had their chance to kick someone when they were down. Naturally, they didn't hold back and started making fun of them.

Those human believers who had been misled by Buddhism also showed a conflicted expression. They wanted to say something to exonerate Buddhism, but they didn't know what to say.

Meanwhile, in the Ganlu Hall, Li Shimin was laughing so hard he was nestled in Empress Zhangsun's arms. This left Empress Zhangsun with a look of utter helplessness.

"Is it that funny? That monkey is naturally mischievous. It's perfectly reasonable for it to do something like that."

Seeing that Empress Zhangsun didn't join him in laughing so hard, Li Shimin looked helpless. "I'm only happy because I see Buddhism getting humiliated."

“I even have some regrets. Why did I have to be reincarnated as the emperor? If I were with them, I might have been so happy along the way.”

Empress Zhangsun glared at Li Shimin and said, "You're still not satisfied with being made emperor, and you even want to be someone else's mount."

"If you like being ridden so much, then lie down properly. Today, I'll let you ride me properly to fulfill your wish of being a mount."

The next moment, the palace gates of Ganlu Hall were tactfully closed by the eunuchs.

……

At the Great Thunderclap Temple on Mount Ling in the Western Paradise, countless Buddhas and Bodhisattvas wore expressions of anger. The face of the Tathagata Buddha was particularly gloomy.

The Buddha turned his gaze to Manjushri Bodhisattva and said in a cold voice, "Is this the solution you came up with?"

Manjushri Bodhisattva immediately lowered his head, knowing that his method had brought shame upon Buddhism. How could he dare to argue with the Buddha?
At this moment, the Bodhisattva Akasagarbha spoke up directly, saying, "Back then, the Venerable Guanyin said that there was no need for these fancy things."

“Manjushri Bodhisattva said that this would weaken the reputation of Buddhism. Now it seems that Manjushri Bodhisattva’s method has made Buddhism even more despised.”

The Bodhisattva Akasagarbha was originally a disciple of the Western Sect. Now that he had found an opportunity to suppress the power of the Chan Sect, he naturally stepped forward without hesitation.

At this moment, Guanyin Bodhisattva also chimed in, "Buddha, it is not that this humble monk is stingy. However, Manjushri Bodhisattva has offered advice time and time again, which has caused our Buddhist sect to lose face time and time again."

"If the Buddha does not punish them, it will make our Buddhist sect seem undisciplined and become a laughing stock in the Three Realms."

After hearing this, the Buddha nodded and said, "Venerable Guanyin is right. Then let Manjushri Bodhisattva personally set up a challenge on the journey to the West." Upon hearing that he was to be sent to set up a challenge on the journey to the West, Manjushri Bodhisattva inwardly cried out in alarm.

After all, the journey to the West these days is no longer under the control of Buddhism. A slight misstep could result in serious injury.

But the Buddha had already spoken, and it wasn't to discuss things with him, but rather to punish him. How could he dare to refuse?

He immediately received the Buddha's decree and returned to his own temple to arrange how to create difficulties for the pilgrims.

……

At the same time, Tang Sanzang couldn't help but secretly give Sun Wukong a thumbs up. He thought to himself, "This monkey is really useful; when it comes to criticizing Buddhism, he's absolutely ruthless."

He immediately put his hands together and said, "Amitabha. I was in great danger just now. Thank you, Great Sage, for saving me from this perilous situation."

Sun Wukong chuckled and abruptly straightened up from his golden cudgel. With a gentle lift, the Ruyi Jingu Bang, which was deeply embedded in the ground, was pulled out of his grasp as if it were nothing.

With a flick of the wrist, the staff hummed, and the bloodstains and rubble on it instantly turned into ashes and scattered.

“Little monk, you don’t need to thank me. Didn’t I tell you? This is just an arrangement of the Buddhist sect. Even if I didn’t intervene, that demon monkey wouldn’t dare to hurt you.”

"So stop with the formalities and let's get going. After all, there are still many trials arranged by Buddhism ahead for us to experience."

Tang Sanzang nodded, and then asked Sun Wukong to find the white horse that had run away in fright.

Sun Wukong did not follow the original plan to become Tang Sanzang's disciple. Tang Sanzang also did not propose to take Sun Wukong as his apprentice.

After all, Tang Sanzang knew that Sun Wukong's master was the Jade Cauldron Immortal of the Daoist sect. That was a true Hunyuan Golden Immortal.

If possible, Tang Sanzang would be more than happy to accept Sun Wukong as his disciple, let alone have him become a disciple of the Jade Cauldron Immortal.

Of course, Tang Sanzang was unaware that his master had already been arranged by Chen Xuan. That was, he would become a disciple of the Styx Ancestor in the future.

So, it wouldn't be unreasonable for Sun Wukong to call Tang Sanzang "Master." After all, according to the seniority system on Qinglian Island, Sun Wukong should address him as "Uncle-Master."

Before they knew it, the master and disciple had been traveling for several more days. One day, they suddenly heard the sound of water ahead, and Sun Wukong knew that they had arrived at Eagle's Sorrow Gorge.

Not long ago, Nezha and Ao Bing came to see Sun Wukong. They told him everything that had happened in the West Sea, word for word.

Therefore, Sun Wukong knew at this moment that the one waiting at Eagle's Sorrow Gorge was the Nine-Headed Insect, not the White Dragon as originally planned.

At the same time, Ao Bing also told Sun Wukong that Chen Xuan hoped the Journey to the West would become more lively, allowing Sun Wukong to make the most of his abilities.

So at this moment, Sun Wukong directly shouted towards the direction of Eagle Sorrow Gorge: "You demon dragon in the gorge, why don't you come out and be a mount for this monk? Do you expect me to come and invite you?"

As soon as Sun Wukong finished speaking, a column of water shot into the sky and transformed into a white dragon in mid-air.

With a roar, the white dragon flew to Sun Wukong and Tang Sanzang, transforming into a white horse.

This prompted Guanyin Bodhisattva, who was already waiting in the shadows, to shake her head helplessly. She even muttered to herself, "That monkey, he's ruined another perfectly good ordeal." (End of Chapter)