I am submissive in Journey to the West, I strike hard at the gods

"You mean, the Bodhisattva is plotting against us behind our backs?"

Jiang Wang lowered his voice even further, with a hint of probing.

Sha Wujing nodded, his gaze steady: "I'm not sure, but the tiger's disappearance is too suspicious."

We've been searching here for three months without a single clue. Senior brother, don't you find that strange?"

Jiang Wang fell silent.

He looked down at the golden cudgel in his hand, his fingers unconsciously stroking the patterns on the cudgel.

Three months ago, Guanyin Bodhisattva said that Tang Sanzang was still in the mortal world, but now, his master seems to have vanished into thin air, and even his fiery eyes cannot find a trace of him.

He believed in the Bodhisattva, but his fellow disciples' doubts were like a thorn, deeply embedded in his heart.

"That's all."

Jiang Wang suddenly waved his hand, and the golden cudgel drew a golden light in the air. "Guessing blindly here is useless. I, Old Sun, will go to the Heavenly Court to find out the truth!"

Before he finished speaking, his figure flashed and he transformed into a golden light that shot into the sky, leaving Pigsy and Sandy looking at each other in bewilderment.

Bajie scratched his head and muttered, "This monkey still has such a short temper."

Go to Heaven? Hmph, which of those immortals and gods would even look at us? It'd be a wasted trip.

Sha Wujing didn't speak, but silently packed his bags, looking in the direction where Jiang Wang had disappeared, a complicated expression flashing in his eyes.

Outside the Heavenly Court's Lingxiao Palace, clouds and mist swirled, and cranes soared about, creating a scene of peace and tranquility.

But when Jiang Wang stood outside the South Heavenly Gate, he felt a cold and distant feeling.

He looked up at the towering archway that seemed to reach into the clouds, the plaque inscribed with "South Heaven Gate".

The three large characters appeared and disappeared in the clouds and mist, as if mocking his incompetence.

Three months ago, he angered the celestial beings of Heaven by killing Kui Mulang. Now, when he comes to ask for help again, he only receives superficial politeness.

Venus greeted him with a smile, cupping his hands in greeting, "Great Sage, what brings you here? The Jade Emperor is not in the palace today; I'm afraid you will be disappointed."

Jiang Wang snorted coldly, too lazy to waste words with him, and said directly, "My master is missing. I've been searching for him for three months without success. The Jade Emperor isn't here. Who can help me find him?"

Venus stroked his beard, his smile unchanged, but his eyes flickered: "Great Sage, this matter... this old man is truly powerless to help."

"Why don't you go to Mount Ling and ask? The Buddhist sect has great supernatural powers; they must have a solution."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang's eyes flashed with anger, and he was about to lash out when he heard a clear voice behind him: "Brother Sun, please calm down."

He turned around and saw Muzha, dressed in silver armor and holding a long spear, walking slowly towards him.

Although Muzha had resigned from his position under Guanyin and submitted to the Heavenly Court, he still retained some of his former gentleness in his expression.

He said in a low voice, "Brother Sun, I have heard about your predicament."

The Heavenly Court may be powerless to help you find that person, but I know two people who can assist you.

One is Erlang Shen's celestial hound at the mouth of the Guan River, whose sniff can reach all three realms; the other is Di Ting, the guardian spirit of Ksitigarbha in the underworld, whose hearing can encompass all three realms.

Jiang Wang's eyes lit up, and he clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Mu Zha!"

A thought struck him: this Muzha, though he had returned to the Heavenly Court, was a hundred times stronger than those hypocritical immortals and gods.

Without another word, he turned and transformed into golden light, heading straight for the mouth of the Guanjiang River.

Behind him, Venus watched Jiang Wang's departing figure, a meaningful smile flashing in his eyes. He muttered, "That monkey is quite a nuisance..."

At the mouth of the Guanjiang River, Yang Jian's residence is hidden among the mountains, surrounded by clouds and mist, like a fairyland.

Jiang Wang landed in front of the mansion gate and looked up to see a towering ancient pine tree. Under the pine tree stood a man in white robes, with a three-pointed double-edged sword diagonally inserted beside him. The vertical eye between his eyebrows was tightly closed. It was none other than Erlang Shen Yang Jian.

When Yang Jian saw Jiang Wang arrive, he raised an eyebrow slightly and said in a calm tone, "Sun Wukong, why aren't you causing trouble on the journey to the West? What are you doing here?"

Jiang Wang didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "Yang Jian, my master is missing. We've been searching for him for three months without success."

I've heard your celestial dog has a keen nose, capable of smelling everything in the three realms. May I borrow it?

Upon hearing this, Yang Jian's gaze darkened slightly, as if he were weighing Jiang Wang's sincerity.

A moment later, he sneered, "Borrowing the Celestial Hound? Sun Wukong, you have quite the nerve."

Jiang Wang was not annoyed. He chuckled, leaned closer, and whispered, "Yang Jian, I know you also disapprove of the hypocrisy of the Buddhist sect."

"This golden headband on my head is a constraint imposed by Buddhism, it's so stifling! Besides, didn't your celestial dog also die and reincarnate because of Buddhism? We're both in the same boat, both victims of Buddhism's mistreatment, why not lend me a hand?"

His words were half true and half false, yet they struck a chord with Yang Jian.

Yang Jian remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded and shouted in a low voice, "Xiaotian!"

A large, jet-black dog darted out of the mansion, wagging its tail and circling around Yang Jian.

Jiang Wang took out an old cassock from Tang Sanzang and handed it to Xiaotian Dog's nose: "Smell this and find out where my master is."

The Celestial Hound lowered its head to sniff, a glint of inspiration flashing in its eyes, and then turned and galloped off in the southeast direction.

Jiang Wang was overjoyed and called for Bajie and Sha Wujing to follow. Yang Jian also took his sword and went along. The four of them and their dog swept across the mountains and rivers like the wind, heading straight for the southeast.

Halfway there, Pigsy suddenly grinned, slapped his thigh, and said, "Hey, Monkey King, this isn't the right direction! It looks like we're heading towards Mount Luojia in the South China Sea!"

Jiang Wang frowned and glared at him: "Nonsense! How could Master be on the Bodhisattva's territory?"

Bajie pouted: "That's hard to say. Didn't the Bodhisattva act all secretive last time? Maybe she really did hide Master!"

Jiang Wang was too lazy to argue with him, and only urged Xiaotian Dog to speed up.

Half a day later, the group arrived at the South China Sea. In the distance, a sacred mountain was hidden in the clouds and mist; it was Luojia Mountain.

The Celestial Hound stopped, looked up at the mountain peak, and barked softly, as if confirming something.

Jiang Wang was startled and murmured, "Is it really here?"

The group climbed Luojia Mountain, but were stopped by several monks: "The Bodhisattva is away and does not receive outsiders!"

Bajie sneered, "Going out? You're probably hiding from us! Tell me, have you hidden my master?"

Jialan's expression froze, and just as she was about to speak, Jiang Wang impatiently pushed them aside and walked straight up the mountain.

Bajie and Yang Jian followed closely behind, while Xiaotianquan sniffed the air, leading the group straight to the Purple Bamboo Forest.

In the bamboo grove, the wind whistles and the bamboo leaves rustle.

As soon as Jiang Wang and the others stepped into the forest, they saw a large, striped tiger with its head down, picking at bamboo shoots and chewing them with relish.

The Celestial Hound suddenly stopped, barked softly, and pointed its tail at the large tiger. Upon seeing this, Pigsy laughed heartily: "Brother Monkey, look! I told you long ago, this is Master!"

Jiang Wang frowned, his sharp eyes fixed on the tiger, but no matter how he looked at it, he could only see an ordinary tiger, without any trace of Tang Sanzang's aura.

He snorted coldly and turned to look at the Celestial Hound: "Is your nose broken? My master is a human, how could he be this beast?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Jian's expression darkened, and his vertical eye between his brows suddenly opened, shooting out a beam of golden light that swept directly at the large tiger.

But after a moment, he frowned and said in a low voice, "That's strange, I only saw one tiger too."

Pigsy, however, wouldn't let it go, patting his chest and saying, "You two are blind! I, Old Pig, believe this dog's nose! This tiger must be Master!"

Jiang Wang felt irritated, glared at Bajie, and then looked at the big tiger.

Da Hu seemed to notice everyone's gaze, raised his head, lazily yawned, and a hint of human-like mockery flashed in his eyes.

Jiang Wang was startled, vaguely sensing that things were far more complicated than he had imagined.

The wind in the bamboo forest gradually picked up, and bamboo leaves fell like rain, obscuring the figure of the large tiger.

Jiang Wang gripped the golden cudgel tightly, muttering to himself, "Master, where are you?"

Jiang Wang stood on the ancient yellow sand road outside Baoxiang City. The wind swirled up fine sand grains, which pattered against his golden hair, making a soft rustling sound.

As the sun set and the afterglow on the horizon turned blood red, his fiery eyes blazed even brighter, as if they could burn through all the illusions in the world.

He frowned, his gaze fixed intently on the distant city and the "treasure elephant" atop its gates.

The two characters were blurred in the twilight, like some kind of mockery.

A huge weight was pressing on his heart. Tang Sanzang had been missing for seven days, and there was still no clue. But today, a new twist had occurred.

Beside him, Yang Jian, clad in silver armor, had his third eye between his brows tightly closed, giving him a cold and aloof appearance.

The celestial hound lay at his feet, its glossy black fur trembling slightly in the wind, its nose stubbornly sniffing towards a certain spot in the city, a low whimper escaping its throat.

Bajie stood to one side, leaning on his nine-toothed rake. His plump body cast a long shadow in the setting sun, but his face showed a sullen expression.

"Yang Erlang, is your so-called Heavenly Eye just for show?"

Pigsy finally couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up in a gruff voice, "I, Old Pig, don't trust your mortal eyes. Even Howling Celestial Dog could smell that the vegetarian tiger is my master! Are you lying through your teeth, or are you deliberately trying to make trouble for us fellow disciples?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Jian raised an eyebrow, coldly glancing at Bajie, his tone carrying a hint of disdain: "Pig Bajie, your brain must be clogged with grease."

Although the Celestial Hound has a keen sense of smell, it is not always foolproof.

I saw it with my own eyes; that white tiger was nothing more than an ordinary beast, bearing no resemblance whatsoever to your master. If you don't believe me, you can go and see for yourself.”

Upon hearing this, Pigsy's fat face trembled with rage. He slammed his rake into the ground, sending sand flying everywhere: "You, Yang Jian! My master is missing, and not only do you not help, but you also have the audacity to make sarcastic remarks! If it weren't for the Celestial Hound smelling my master's scent, would you have bothered to come to this godforsaken place? Humph, I think you're just jealous of my master's radiant Buddha-like light and are pretending to be blind!"

"shut up!"

Jiang Wang turned his head sharply, a flash of anger in his fiery eyes, his voice low but carrying an undeniable authority, "Bajie, how dare you! Yang Jian came to help out of kindness, yet you repeatedly speak rudely. Have you forgotten your own limitations?"

Bajie was immediately deflated by Jiang Wang's shout. He forced a sheepish smile onto his fat face and scratched the back of his head: "Big...Big Brother, that's not what I meant."

I'm in a hurry to find my master, afraid that Yang Erlang might have misjudged him..."

"Misjudgment?"

Jiang Wang snorted coldly, his gaze sweeping over Bajie like a knife. "I can see clearly with my fiery eyes that the plain tiger is just an ordinary beast. Guanyin Bodhisattva also personally investigated and found that its soul is that of a real tiger. Where is there even the slightest trace of our master? Yang Jian traveled thousands of miles to help us find our master with the help of the Howling Celestial Dog, but you're just making trouble here, driving away our helpers. What kind of behavior is this?"

Bajie was so scolded that he couldn't even lift his head. He mumbled in a low voice, "I...I was wrong, brother."

I was so anxious that I lost my mind..."

He stole a glance at Yang Jian and saw that the other had already turned around and, with Xiaotianquan, transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the distance. His back was as cold and proud as a lone peak in the sky. Bajie's heart skipped a beat, knowing that he had really angered someone this time.

Jiang Wang watched Yang Jian's departing figure, but felt no relief whatsoever.

The disappearance of Tang Sanzang was already suspicious. Although the Celestial Hound had a keen sense of smell, it contradicted the findings of the Fiery Eyes of Truth and Guanyin's investigation, which made him uneasy.

He turned to look at Bajie, his tone softening slightly: "Bajie, go back to Baoxiang City and guard it. I'll go to the underworld and use the power of Di Ting to find out where Master is again."

Pigsy was taken aback and hurriedly asked, "Brother, the underworld? That netherworld is no fun place. You're going there alone..."

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Wang transformed into a golden ray of light and vanished into the horizon in the blink of an eye, leaving only an echo: "Don't say anything more, just guard the city!"

In the underworld, a chilling wind howled, and the low wails of ghosts echoed along the banks of the River of Oblivion.

Jiang Wang stepped onto the Bridge of Helplessness, the black stones beneath his feet gleaming with a cold, eerie light. The faint aroma of Meng Po's soup wafted from the bridge, stirring a strange restlessness within him.

He looked up and saw the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha's sacred site hidden in the thick fog in the distance, its golden light faintly visible, seemingly the only light in this dark place.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva sits serenely on a lotus throne, draped in a kasaya, his face compassionate yet solemn.

Di Ting lay prostrate beside him, its golden ears trembling slightly, as if it could hear every sound within the Three Realms.

Jiang Wang bowed respectfully, his tone both courteous and decisive: "Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, your disciple Sun Wukong has come specifically to inquire about the disappearance of my master Tang Sanzang."

The Celestial Dog once sensed that the vegetarian tiger in Baoxiang City seemed to have the aura of its master, but my Fiery Eyes and Guanyin Bodhisattva both confirmed that it was a real tiger, with no difference in soul or spirit.

"Now I beseech the Bodhisattva to lend me the power of listening attentively, to help me investigate this matter thoroughly."

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva nodded slightly, his gaze gentle: "Wukong, I have already heard about your master's affairs."

With its unparalleled hearing and ability to perceive all three realms, let it investigate for you.

He looked down at Di Ting and gently waved his hand: "Go."

Di Ting rose to his feet, his massive body remaining motionless in the yin wind, his ears pressed to the ground, golden light swirling in his eyes, as if listening to the most subtle sounds in the world.

Jiang Wang stood aside, holding his breath and focusing his sharp eyes on Di Ting's every move.

After a long while, Di Ting raised his head, his voice deep yet clear: "Tang Sanzang is in the Guanyin Purple Bamboo Grove on Luojia Mountain in the South China Sea."

Although it takes the form of a tiger, it harbors good intentions and has a deep-rooted Buddhist heart; it is a pure white tiger devoted to Buddhism.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang was startled, and his brows furrowed even more tightly: "Di Ting, are you sure? Guanyin Bodhisattva personally investigated and found that the white tiger's soul in the Purple Bamboo Forest was a real tiger and had nothing to do with my master."

"With my discerning eyes and Yang Jian's divine eye, I saw nothing unusual about it. Why are you so certain?"

Di Ting's eyes flashed with golden light, as if he hesitated slightly, but his tone remained firm: "My hearing is all-knowing, and I am absolutely certain of my words."

Tang Sanzang was indeed in the Purple Bamboo Grove; though his spirit manifested as a tiger, his Buddhist heart remained unchanged.

Upon hearing this, Ksitigarbha frowned slightly, his gaze shifting between Jiang Wang and Di Ting: "Wukong, Di Ting's words have never been false."

However, what you said is also reasonable and well-founded. (End of Chapter)