Journey to the West: Upon seeing the Yellow-Eyebrowed Demon, why not pay homage?

"Big brother, is this okay?"

At the mountaintop, Mahagateri looked down at the scene below and couldn't help but ask.

"Anything not prohibited by law is permissible. Did the Buddha or the Heavenly Court say that Sun Wukong was not allowed to eat anything else?" the Golden-Headed Jiedi retorted.

Mahagater: "..."

Not that.

At that time, Buddha only asked them to work with a local earth god to guard Sun Wukong, and to provide him with iron pellets when he was hungry and molten copper when he was thirsty.

As for other details, nothing was explained.

However, in order to prevent the Buddhist plan from being ruined, they also did not allow others to easily approach Sun Wukong.

This meant that many people who came to reminisce, to mock, or to visit couldn't get close to the monkey at all...

at the foot of the mountain.

Sun Wukong picked up his wine cup, drank it all in one gulp, and said to himself with a self-deprecating smile:

"I have been trapped under the mountain for months, each day feeling like a year, and not a single friend has come to see me. But I never expected that you would come, and even bring wine."

What does it mean when people leave and the tea cools down?

He truly understands it now.

Back when he was the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, he was friends with the Nine Luminaries, the Five Generals, the Twenty-Eight Constellations, the Four Heavenly Kings, the Twelve Zodiac Stars, the Five Elders of the Five Directions, all the celestial beings, and the gods of the Milky Way.

He travels east today and west tomorrow, thinking he has a wide network of connections. But now that something has happened, he can't even see half of his old acquaintances. How can he not feel disheartened?

Huang Mei said softly, "Even the gods in heaven are all judged by their performance and want promotions. When it comes to their own future, brotherhood is secondary."

Besides, are your acquaintances merely fair-weather friends, or are they truly loyal and devoted friends?

If it's the former, then it's fine if they don't come; there's no need to be sad.

Sun Wukong took a deep breath and smiled as he accepted the wine glass Su Su offered him: "You're right, there's no need to be sad for them!"

Huang Mei clinked glasses with him: "I came in a hurry this time and didn't prepare any dishes. Next time I come, I'll bring more dishes."

A sudden surge of anticipation welled up within Sun Wukong, and he asked with sparkling eyes, "When...will you come next time?"

"About two weeks later," Huang Mei said gently.

Sun Wukong nodded slightly: "Alright, I'll wait for you!"

"Cheers!" Huang Mei said, raising his cup.

After a long while.

The night was dark.

Seeing the monkey already drunk, Huang Mei slowly got up, cast a spell to summon the Earth God of Five Elements Mountain, and asked in a deep voice:

"I heard from Wukong that you fed him iron pellets and molten copper for his two meals a day?"

The Earth God, leaning on his cane, bowed and replied, "Reporting to the Immortal Master, this is the compassionate intention of the Buddha."

Right in front of him, Huang Mei casually took out the pit of the three-thousand-year-old peach and personally planted it in the soil in front of Sun Wukong, using magic to hasten its growth:

"These are the peach seeds that my master, the Buddha Donglai, brought back when he attended the Peach Banquet."

Today I will plant the peach seed and use magic to make it grow. When the peach tree bears fruit in the future, Sun Wukong will eat one, and you will be able to eat one too.

Watching the peach seed quickly take root, sprout, and grow into a peach tree, the Earth God silently swallowed, then hesitated and said, "Immortal Master, Sun Wukong is being punished..."

"I know, that's why I didn't ask you to stop feeding him iron pellets and copper juice, nor did I intend to rescue him," Huang Mei said with a smile.

The Earth God said in a low voice, "What I mean is, if others find out, it might cause controversy."

Huang Mei said, enunciating each word clearly, "My master is the Buddha from the East!"

The Earth God: "..."

Huang Mei added, "If anyone has a problem with this, let him complain to my master."

The Earth God opened his mouth, but remained silent, a bitter feeling hidden deep within his heart.

Having connections is really impressive!

Ordinary people are not qualified to play the game of "anything not prohibited by law is permissible". Even the great demons and demon kings of the Earthly Immortal Realm cannot pass the test of the Five Directions Exorcist, let alone plant peach trees on the Five Elements Mountain.

As he stood there in a daze, Huang Mei gazed at the peach tree that had already taken shape before him and said softly:

"I'm sure you can see that I'm not a stingy person. If you stay within the rules and make things convenient for me, I certainly won't treat you unfairly."

A peach tree that grew from a peach pit certainly doesn't have the same effects as a peach from a 3,000-year-old peach, but it's still considered a top-quality peach compared to ordinary peaches.

Before the peach tree, the Earth God took a deep breath and bowed, saying, "This humble immortal understands and is willing to follow the immortal's arrangements..."

"You have a bright future ahead of you. It's a real shame you're just a local deity." Huang Mei smiled slightly, then drifted away with his maid Su Su.

The Earth God watched their departing figures and murmured, "Is this what it feels like to be valued?"

The next day.

The morning light awakened the hungover Monkey King. As his golden eyes slowly opened, a solitary but lush peach tree suddenly came into view, causing him to pause in surprise.

After a long while, he suddenly shouted, "Land God! Land God!"

Suddenly, a plume of white smoke rose from the ground, and the Earth God, with his white hair and beard and holding a wooden staff, appeared with a smile: "What are your orders, Great Sage?"

"What's going on with this peach tree?" Sun Wukong asked, both delighted and surprised.

Suddenly, a peach tree appeared in the barren landscape ahead, like an oasis in the desert. No one could be more overjoyed than him, who was trapped in the "desert".

"It was left by the Yellow-Eyebrowed King. He said that if the peaches grow in the future, the Great Sage can eat one, and I can eat one too," the Earth God said happily.

Sun Wukong could hardly believe his ears: "He actually managed to plant trees on this mountain?!"

By now, he had come to understand the terrifying nature of the Buddha and Buddhism, and was therefore quite shocked by Huang Mei's actions.

The Earth God said with no small amount of envy, "What's so special about that? It's good to have a big tree to lean on. The tree behind King Yellow Eyebrows is big and strong, and it's well-known in the Three Realms."

"What kind of tree?" Sun Wukong asked curiously.

"Buddha from the East, Maitreya!" the Earth God said with a face full of reverence.

The three lineages of Buddhism: past, present, and future.

Nowadays, although the current lineage is the most prominent, no one dares to underestimate the other two lineages, just as no one dares to underestimate the Buddha of the East!

After all, you can tell what Buddha means from this title, he is the patriarch of a lineage!

Sun Wukong seemed to be deep in thought.

He suddenly understood why Huang Mei had come to visit him.

It's not just because the other party is not bound by heavenly rules, but more importantly, he is a Buddhist disciple with a powerful background!

"Greetings, Bodhisattva."

At the same time, the Silver-Headed Jiedi slowly stepped into the Purple Bamboo Forest of the South China Sea and bowed in worship.

Within the bamboo grove, the ethereal and otherworldly Guanyin Bodhisattva, seated on her lotus throne, raised her hand and said, "Rise... Jiedi, what brings you here?"

Silver-Headed Jiedi immediately recounted all of Yellow Eyebrows' deeds, even repeating all his conversations with Sun Wukong.

Guanyin slowly narrowed her beautiful eyes, lost in thought.

In the end, she only ordered the Silver-Headed Jiedi to go back and continue listening, without giving any other orders.

The reason is simple: the entire Buddhist community knows that Huang Mei stole several treasures from the Buddha of the East, but who has ever seen the Buddha of the East anxiously chasing after him?

A mere yellow-browed child is nothing, but she is an envoy who carries out the will of the Buddha who came from the East. Even she cannot be dealt with arbitrarily!