"Sister, look at that huge commotion over there, the Buddha's Light fills the sky..." Xiaoqing said with a trembling heart, looking toward the Golden Mountain Temple a few hundred miles away.
No sooner had her voice faded than a loud laugh resounded, and a figure swept past them, followed by a cloth bag landing in her hand.
"Inside are the hairless monks' Magical Treasures; their Divine Senses have been erased by me, you can use them with ease!" Who could it be but Wukong? He dropped the cloth bag and left without having much more to say to Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing.
"Taoist Master..."
Xiaoqing called out but soon realized that the figure had already vanished, leaving her with a heavily filled cloth bag.
"Cultivate well, until we meet again if fate allows!" Wukong transmitted his voice.
"Take care, Taoist Master!" Bai Suzhen said softly.
Xiaoqing and Bai Suzhen gently opened a corner of the cloth bag, instantly shocked by the contents—various Buddhist Magical Treasures, all stained with fresh blood, indicative of the fierce battle that had just occurred! The two sisters, having acquired so many treasures, naturally did not dare to make it known and tucked the bag into their sleeves before riding the clouds away toward Hangzhou to find Xu Xian.
Wukong had truly helped them to the utmost on this occasion; Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing were not weak in their Cultivation Levels but suffered from a lack of suitable Magical Treasures, which had almost driven them to a dead end by that bald-headed Fa Hai. Now, Wukong had decisively given them forty or fifty treasures forcibly taken from those Buddhist disciples, ensuring they no longer had to fear Fa Hai or similar figures.
Wukong was determined—if he was to help someone, he would help them thoroughly, and act with a mind set on killing his opponents decisively.
Would you call him evil?
Would you call him good?
In this world, is there really such a thing as good and evil? What is good, and what is evil? Wukong felt that acting according to his own heart was good; acting against it was evil. The demons who kill and devour humans, are simply part of the natural selection, and though humankind considers them evil, to the demons, it is but a normal affair; similarly, when humans kill animals for food, though it seems ordinary to them, to those beings, are they not evil?
So, what of the cold judgments of others? As long as one does not betray his own heart.
Wukong knew that by posing as a Taoist, killing Fa Hai, and destroying the Golden Mountain Temple, and continuously slaying twenty-three Buddhist disciples, if the Buddhist Sect realized someone else instigated these acts, they would still respond out of pride; otherwise, wouldn't they be making a mockery of the Three Realms? If Tathagata did not intervene, how would he quell the rage of the Buddhist disciples?
"Fellow Daoist, wait!"
"You'll have to catch me first!"
An old Taoist blocked Wukong, but Wukong did not pause and quickly used a transformation technique to escape.
The old Taoist said, "Fellow Daoist, by massively slaughtering today and making the Taoist Sect foes against Buddhism, what exactly is your intent?"
As Wukong moved away, he replied, "It's merely because I cannot stand the ways of Buddhism!"
The old Taoist continued, "Then, Fellow Daoist, leave your name today."
Wukong laughed and said, "I am Heaven-Defying, the very one who would kill Tang Sanzang!"
Upon saying this, the Hongmeng Purple Qi started to circulate, and Wukong displayed his spell, instantly escaping three thousand miles away, leaving no trace behind.
"Such a formidable Escape Technique!" the old Taoist exclaimed in surprise and did not chase after him, knowing it would be futile.
Once Wukong had escaped, he stopped his movement, wiped his sleeve, and changed his appearance into a swordsman in his forties.
In the Eastern Divine Region, there was no shortage of mortals lacking the Spirit Root for Immortal Cultivation, thus they learned swordsmanship and Martial Arts for self-defense. Wukong had partially traveled the Journey to the West and had seen all sorts of people along the way; disguising himself was easily manageable.
After his escape, Wukong did not delay and headed directly toward the Capital of the Great Tang, Chang'an.
With a Dharma Decree, he easily entered the Imperial Palace, heading toward Emperor Li Shimin's study.
Inside the Imperial Palace were also Buddhist and Taoist Cultivators, but their Mana was significantly weaker compared to Wukong, and thus, they could not detect his presence. However, among Li Shimin's lieutenants were a few formidable individuals, Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong, both with profound Cultivation Levels.
Li Shimin was reviewing documents at his desk.
"Who are you?" Li Shimin suddenly frowned, put down his brush, and directly spoke.
Wukong was astonished; even with his Invisibility Technique, he was visible to this mere mortal? Emperors in the Mortal World were forbidden from practicing Taoist Magic, otherwise, wouldn't the throne remain secure for eternity? Without eras of chaos, how could the various Sects compete and steal the fate of the world? Thus, since ancient times, it was decreed that those who take the throne cannot cultivate. Qin Shi Huang was an exception, practicing techniques for eternal life, only to disappear without a trace in the end.
Wukong revealed his form and asked, "Li Shimin, you can see me?"
Li Shimin said calmly, "Though Emperors are forbidden to cultivate, they wield the fate of the land and control the altars of the earth. I spend my days here in the study, reviewing state documents, naturally acquiring the Emperor's aura. If outsiders enter, I can certainly sense them."
Emperor Li Shimin had an extraordinary air; upon seeing Wukong, he still leisurely reviewed the petition as usual, when most emperors would have probably already screamed, "Assassin!"
Wukong laughed, "The Emperor of the Great Tang is indeed remarkable."
Li Shimin asked, "Who are you? From which sect's Taoist do you hail?"
Wukong walked slowly around Li Shimin's desk and said, "I am the Heaven-Defying Taoist, belonging to no sect."
Li Shimin's eyebrows rose, slightly annoyed, and said, "I claim myself as the Son of Heaven, yet you dare to call yourself Heaven-Defying!"
Wukong sneered, "Son of Heaven? I see you as a Buddha's child!"
Li Shimin slammed the table and shouted, "Audacious demon, how dare you run wild in the Imperial Palace!"
Wukong mocked, "In heaven and on earth, there is yet no place where I cannot go; how trivial is your palace?"
Li Shimin, furious to the point of laughter, said, "Very well, very well! What a demon indeed!"
Wukong said, "You are the Emperor, commanding the Eastern Divine Region's fortunes, yet I will not trouble you too much, lest I break the rules and stir public outrage. I only ask you, why have you stooped to be a lapdog of the Buddhist Sect, supporting the construction of temples everywhere without opposition?"
Cultivators should not interfere in the human affairs of the state, as it would bring calamities; Wukong of course understood and dared not coerce the Emperor of Great Tang.
Facing Wukong's question, Li Shimin was left speechless.
Wukong continued, "After entering the Buddhist Sect, they are exempt from paying taxes, and the lands under the Buddhist Sect also are exempt. Do you not fear these bald monks dragging your splendid realm into the ground?"
Li Shimin coldly responded, "There's no need for your reminder. The people in the Buddhist Sect are compassionate; doing these good deeds…" He suddenly stopped talking. Wukong, sensing an opportunity, suspected that the Buddhist Sect must have promised benefits to the emperor, otherwise, he wouldn't behave this way!
"So, doing these good deeds, you accumulate merit, hoping to enter the Western Heaven and become a Buddha after death. Heh, Golden Cicada is truly capable, brainwashing a hero of an era like you in just a few words, turning you into a lapdog of Buddhism." Wukong took over the conversation, his mind clear as a mirror.
At that moment, Wukong's Primordial Spirit emerged, directly entering the center of Li Shimin's brow.
The scene inside the Emperor of Tang's Divine Sense was mostly of armies clashing fiercely, but deep within he found a seed, which upon closer inspection turned out to be a Bodhi Seed from the Buddhist Sect! He immediately understood that by bewitching Li Shimin, the Buddhist Sect got him to issue a decree for the monk to Journey to the West to retrieve the scriptures, thus aiding Buddhism to compete in the Eastern Divine Region with Taoism for Incense Willpower. No wonder Li Shimin was acting in favor of Buddhism.
He then held the Bodhi Seed in his palm, mana surging wildly, crushed it into powder.
After Wukong's Primordial Spirit withdrew from Li Shimin's Divine Sense, Li Shimin finally regained clarity.
"I… nearly destroyed the Great Tang in an instant!" Li Shimin broke out in a cold sweat, having understood the sequence of events.
That Bodhi Seed was planted in his mind by the monk, who lectured him day and night, promoting the benefits of the Buddhist Sect. Being the reincarnation of Golden Cicada with no mana, the monk didn't fear any calamities and was destined to become a Buddha upon reaching Western Heaven. The calculations of the Buddhist Sect were indeed impressive!
Wukong said, "Emperor of the Great Tang, may I speak my mind?"
Li Shimin folded his hands and said, "Had it not been for the Taoist Master's help, I might have continued down a dark path. Please, Taoist Master, speak freely."
Wukong nodded and continued, "Although you control the human affairs and governance of the Eastern Divine Region as the Emperor of the Great Tang, the long-standing dispute between Buddhism and Taoism is not something you should meddle with. Had I not come to you today, it would only be a matter of days before someone from the Taoist Sect came. Having their schemes thwarted, they are now brazenly expanding through you… From this day forth, you should decree that the people of the Buddhist Sect be treated just the same as common folk, not exempting them from taxes, nor should you facilitate their matters. Let those immortals and Buddhas resolve the dispute between Buddhism and Taoism themselves."
Li Shimin agreed, "It should indeed be so. Thank you, Taoist Master, for your guidance."
Wukong stated, "Please, no need for thanks. This mistake isn't your fault; it's simply that the Buddhist Sect's scheming is too cunning."
Since birth, Wukong had been regarded as a crucial pawn in the struggle between Buddhism and Taoism. During his journey to the West, Wukong harbored rebellious thoughts, which were perceived by Tathagata, thus resulting in the real and fake Monkey King ordeal. The schemes of the Buddhist Sect were deep-rooted, and they had started brainwashing the Emperor of Tang before sending the monk on the Journey to the West... Now, Buddhism brazenly invades the Eastern Lands.
Wukong was unaware of any agreement reached between the high echelons of Buddhism and the leaders of Taoism to allow such excesses while Taoism continued to tolerate it, but what he was determined to do was thoroughly smash the schemes of Buddhism. You Tathagata want the Incense Willpower of the billions in the Divine Land? I will do everything in my power to thwart it!
After further discussion with Li Shimin, Wukong stood up to leave. Li Shimin tried to persuade him to stay, but Wukong was resolute in his departure.
After Wukong left, Li Shimin sighed softly, seemingly making a significant resolution, and immediately summoned a eunuch to issue a decree appointing Li Zhi as the Crown Prince of the Great Tang!
He decided to give up his throne and sever worldly ties to pursue Immortal Cultivation!
Why?
Because he felt furious that, as the Son of Heaven, he had been deceived by the monk and exploited by Buddhism. No matter how noble an emperor is, he is but a mere mortal; to truly be free and unrestrained, he must become an immortal!