Journey to the West: The roadblock!

Chapter 62, Encountering Demons in the Black Pine Forest (Part 6)
But said the other side.

After Pigsy and Sandy left the palace, Tang Sanzang also prepared to go out for a walk.

Having stayed in the palace for a long time and been bedridden for half a month due to headaches, Tang Sanzang was inevitably feeling somewhat depressed. Now that he had just recovered from his illness, he thought of going out for a walk to relieve his boredom.

Tang Sanzang walked out of the palace and onto the street. He saw that the streets of Baoxiang Kingdom were bustling with people, with vendors selling goods, performing acrobatics, and fortune telling. Business was booming.

As Tang Sanzang walked through the room, he felt a sense of calm and relaxation.

Suddenly, the sound of chasing could be heard.

A teenage monk was seen darting through the crowd, pursued by several fierce-looking soldiers.

"Get out of the way, get out of the way!"

"Stop right there, you little thing!"

"If you run again, I'll kill you!"

Hearing the soldiers' shouts and curses, the crowd dared not obstruct them and quickly parted to the sides.

With nowhere to hide, the little monk saw Tang Sanzang and quickly hid behind him, pitifully pleading, "Master, Master, please save me!"

Tang Sanzang felt pity for the little monk.

The soldiers then walked over and said:
"Monk, this is none of your business, get out of here!"

Tang Sanzang, protecting the young monk, said, "Officers, what wrong has this child committed that has caused you to make such a fuss?"

Upon hearing this, the leading soldier shoved Tang Sanzang, causing him to stumble, and said, "Damn it, you monk, mind your own business! We're acting on the king's orders, understand?"

Seeing that things were not going well, the young monk quickly ran away.

Upon seeing this, the soldiers immediately wanted to give chase, but Tang Sanzang stopped them, saying:

“This humble monk comes from the Great Tang Dynasty in the East, and is on his way to the Western Paradise to worship Buddha and seek scriptures. I am also acquainted with your king. How dare you act in broad daylight?”

When the soldiers heard that Tang Sanzang knew the king, they became somewhat frightened.

One of them said nervously, "Boss, he said he knows His Majesty the King, is that true?!"

Another person said, "I heard that recently several monks from the Tang Dynasty helped His Majesty reclaim the throne, and His Majesty trusts them greatly. This monk's attire is different from ours; could it be..."

The leader swallowed hard, forcing himself to speak:
"What's there to be afraid of? We're just following orders."

That's what they said, but the group was still somewhat afraid, and their attitude towards Tang Sanzang changed instantly. The leader fawned over him, saying:
“Holy Monk, we brothers were only following orders and were unaware of your identity. We have offended you greatly and beg your forgiveness!”

Tang Sanzang didn't care, but asked instead, "You said you were acting on orders, but that little monk was only fifteen or sixteen years old. What wrong did he do to warrant your arrest?"

The officers and soldiers replied respectfully:

"Your Holiness, the young monk was originally the son of a family in the south of the city. Half a year ago, he killed two people from his neighbor's family, robbed them of their money to gamble, and after the incident, he went to Guoen Temple to become a monk. Because the temple is a secluded place, he has not been arrested until recently. His Majesty recently ordered the investigation of wanted criminals from previous years, so we are now pursuing him."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang stood there stunned.

Remembering Ao Tu's words, he remained silent for a long time before bowing his head and saying, "Amitabha, this is the fault of this humble monk!"

The officers and soldiers hurriedly replied, "No, no, if the Holy Monk has no other instructions, we will continue our pursuit."

Tang Sanzang said, "This humble monk was ignorant of right and wrong and let the criminal escape. So let this humble monk go with him so that I can atone for my sins."

The officers and soldiers asked in surprise, "Holy Monk, are you going to chase after them with us too?"

Tang Sanzang didn't speak, but simply tightened his robe, tied up his sleeves, chanted the six-syllable mantra, and swiftly chased after him.

The officers and soldiers were dumbfounded when they saw this.

Tang Sanzang chased after him relentlessly. He had eaten the ginseng fruit and knew the six-syllable mantra, so how could that little monk possibly outrun him?

Before long, they were caught up with and captured by Tang Sanzang. At this time, they arrived in front of a temple called "Guo'en Temple".

The young monk cried out, "Brother, Master, help me!"

A group of monks came out of Guoen Temple and surrounded Tang Sanzang with unfriendly expressions.

The soldiers behind them arrived at this time. Seeing the situation, they stepped forward and said, "How dare you, monks of Guoen Temple! What are you doing? This is a high-ranking monk from the Great Tang Dynasty. How dare you be so insolent!"

Upon hearing this, the abbot of Guoen Temple came out and said:
"Are you the monk from the Tang Dynasty?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang replied, "This humble monk comes from the Great Tang Dynasty in the East."

The abbot asked, "Why are you holding Huiren?"

Tang Sanzang then learned that the young monk's Buddhist name was Huiren.

Tang Sanzang asked, "Did he kill anyone?"

The abbot sighed, "That is indeed true."

Tang Sanzang said, "Since that's the case, we should submit to the law."

The abbot said, “Hui Ren has already entered the Buddhist order and has the teachings of the Buddha. Why should he be punished by the secular world?”

Tang Sanzang lowered his eyes and said, "The Vinaya Pitaka clearly states that 'If a monk commits murder, theft, adultery, or lying, he shall not live with him.' The Buddhist path is broad and compassionate, yet it does not harbor the seeds of evil."

The abbot said, "Amitabha, Huiren has been kind and gentle since entering the temple, and has repented of his past mistakes. Is he not allowed to repent and must be driven to extinction?"

The soldiers behind him said, "Old monk, what nonsense are you spouting? This is a decree issued by His Majesty. Are you going to disobey the imperial edict?"

Upon hearing this, the abbot fell silent.

The officers twisted Hui Ren's arms on the left and right and escorted him to the yamen.

Tang Sanzang bowed and was about to take his leave.

The abbot said, "Wait a moment."

Tang Sanzang asked, "Is there anything else, Abbot?"

The abbot said, “This old monk is a person outside the secular world and has no fear of the law. Therefore, I dare to ask: Why do you, a foreign monk, help others usurp the throne of my Baoxiang Kingdom? Aren’t you afraid of Buddha’s wrath?”

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang said, "Old Abbot, you may not know this. Thirteen years ago, during the Mid-Autumn Festival when we were admiring the moon, demons caused chaos, kidnapped the princess, and usurped the throne, bringing disaster to the country. The previous emperor was a demon in disguise, but the current emperor is the rightful ruler."

The abbot asked, "How do you know that the previous emperor was a demon in disguise?"

Tang Sanzang said, "Your Highness has witnessed it with your own eyes. Under the rule of demons, the people have lost all their relatives and are living in misery."

The abbot said, “In the past thirty years, no prince has been born in our Baoxiang Kingdom. Everyone knows this. Under the previous king, although the people may not have all praised him, they were at least living in peace and prosperity. How could it be that he lost all his relatives and the people were suffering?”

Tang Sanzang was somewhat shocked upon hearing this.

The abbot then asked, "Is what you know based on only one side of the story?"

Tang Sanzang's expression changed drastically. Recalling all the past events, he vaguely heard the sound of a chime in his mind, as if everything was connected together.

He hurriedly took his leave and personally visited the common people to inquire about matters concerning the Kingdom of Baoxiang.

He first inquired about Ao Tu, and after asking several people, he learned that Baoxiang Kingdom had only three princesses from beginning to end, and no princes.

Tang Sanzang's face turned pale. He then inquired about the matter of human bones soaked in wine that the old woman had mentioned earlier, but still no one knew anything about it.

Everyone says that although the previous kings of Baoxiang Kingdom were not particularly diligent and caring towards their people, they were at least not cruel.

Tang Sanzang looked at the palace in alarm and hurriedly rushed there.

(End of this chapter)