Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

Upon hearing this, Wukong thought to himself, "What an honest little monk." He then said, "The Bodhisattva said that there is a talisman on the mountain. Go and remove it."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang was somewhat skeptical and asked again, "If I remove the talisman, you can come out?"

Sun Wukong impatiently shouted, "Just remove the talisman, you don't need to worry about anything else."

Tang Sanzang clasped his hands together, said "Amitabha," and then set off for the mountain. After walking for a while, Tang Sanzang finally arrived at the top of the mountain. Looking at the talisman pasted on the mountaintop not far away, he thought, "I've finally found it."

Tang Sanzang sighed, walked over, and only when he got closer did he see that the talisman was a Buddhist talisman with the Buddha's symbol on it. However, Tang Sanzang still put his hands together, said "Amitabha," and then peeled off the talisman.

Once the talisman was removed, Sun Wukong was no longer restrained. With only an empty mountain, there was no way to suppress him. Sun Wukong naturally realized that the talisman had been removed and was afraid of accidentally injuring Tang Sanzang, so he shouted, "Go away, go away. When I come out later, I'm afraid I'll accidentally hurt you."

Tang Sanzang, hearing this, had no choice but to do as he was told. He walked a few hundred steps away, thinking that would be enough. However, before Tang Sanzang could speak, Sun Wukong shouted again, "Further, further!"

Tang Sanzang was quite helpless upon hearing this, but he still retreated several miles. However, Sun Wukong shouted again, "Not enough, not enough, further and further! Monk, don't be so troublesome. If something happens to you, I won't be able to explain to the Bodhisattva."

Tang Sanzang had no choice but to continue walking, gradually leaving the Five Fingers Mountain. Just then, he heard Sun Wukong shout, "Monk, monk, quickly find cover, I'm about to come out."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang hurriedly hid behind a boulder. Just then, he heard the monkey laugh wildly and say, "I, the Great Sage, have been imprisoned for five hundred years, and I can finally come out!"

Immediately, Tang Sanzang saw the entire Five Finger Mountain shaking continuously, and a dirty monkey head emerged from the mountain, shaking off the dirt, and walked towards the sky.

Just as Tang Sanzang was about to leave, the monkey called out, "Monk, wait a moment, I have something to do."

Then, the monkey took a needle out of its ear, blew on it, and muttered: "Big, big, big."

In this way, the embroidery needle became a huge iron rod that even several people couldn't encircle.

This thing, of course, is the Ruyi Jingu Bang (the magic staff).

Tang Sanzang was delighted to see that the monkey possessed great abilities, thinking to himself, "With such a powerful and divine being protecting me, what worries do I have on my journey to the Western Paradise? The Bodhisattva has truly been kind to me, Xuanzang."

What this monkey wants to do is, of course, to do a good job of chores and smash the Five Finger Mountain to pieces, so as to vent his anger after being suppressed for five hundred years.

Anyway, he wasn't afraid of angering Buddha, and he figured his master, the Great Sun Dragon Bodhisattva, would protect him.

At this point, the monkey began to throw a tantrum. Wielding its golden cudgel, it smashed things wildly, first breaking all five of the monkey's fingers with a single blow, and then wreaking havoc for a while.

Finally, after almost flattening the entire Five Finger Mountain, he stopped, put the Ruyi Jingu Bang (the magic staff) into his ear, and went to find Tang Sanzang.

As for Tang Sanzang, he had never seen such a scene before and was quite frightened by Sun Wukong, but he was still not seriously injured and came out to meet Sun Wukong.

Wukong immediately bowed and said, "Master, your disciple greets you."

Tang Sanzang quickly helped him up and asked with a smile, "Monkey, do you have a name?"

Wukong will lead the way: "Disciple Sun Wukong is the one appointed by the Great Sun Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva to escort Tang Sanzang to the Western Paradise to retrieve the scriptures. The Great Sun Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva made it clear that I should take you as my master and go to the Western Paradise, and I must protect you along the way."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang was overjoyed. He had thought the journey to obtain the scriptures was fraught with peril, and he didn't know when he would reach his destination on his own.

Now things are much better. The Great Sun Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva considered Zhou Xiang's situation and sent him a bodyguard with great supernatural powers. He's overjoyed.

Tang Sanzang was pleased to see that Sun Wukong was so obedient and said kindly, "Very good, very good. You will come with me to the Western Paradise to obtain the scriptures. We will share both good and bad fortune. When we reach the Great Thunder Temple in the Western Paradise, you will cultivate together with me and attain enlightenment. This is the greatest favor and power you can receive."

What Sun Wukong said to Tang Sanzang was meaningless; what he wanted was freedom, no longer to be trapped under the mountain. It would be good to be free.

He wasn't fond of Tang Sanzang, nor did he find the journey to the West interesting, and he had no interest in becoming a Buddha or a patriarch. However, since they had just come out, he still wanted to show some courtesy.

Wukong nodded, agreeing with everything Tang Sanzang said, and thus pleasing him. He then took over leading the white horse, which became his job from that point on.

If no one else comes to take over, he'll probably have to lead the white horse all by himself forever.

And so, the master and his companion embarked on the journey to the West to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures, gradually moving away from...

Chapter 528 Encountering Robbers

The monk Tang Xuanzang, ever since he rescued Sun Wukong at Wuzhi Mountain, had been traveling on his own under Sun Wukong's protection.

That day, they passed a mountain peak. In the distance, there were desolate mountains and treacherous waters, with only a narrow, muddy path leading to the area.

Sun Wukong led the white horse and strode away. Suddenly, Tang Sanzang spoke up, saying, "Wukong, I have observed this place. It is a desolate and dangerous place with treacherous terrain. There are likely many bandits. We must be extra careful."

Sun Wukong was not afraid of any bandits and said, "Master, don't worry. Let alone a few bandits, even if a great immortal came, I could kill him with one blow." Sun Wukong had been spending some time with Tang Sanzang recently and found him increasingly long-winded, which made him quite annoyed.

Tang Sanzang, with the heart of a Bodhisattva, could not bear to let Sun Wukong fight and kill indiscriminately. Even though he was riding a white horse, he gave him a lecture: "You monkey, you are too unruly. It's not good to kill or even injure. Listen, if bandits come to rob you, just scare them away! Never kill indiscriminately!"

Wukong immediately grew annoyed, but dared not disobey, after all, Li Xiuyuan had given instructions beforehand. He was not afraid of angering Tang Sanzang, but he was afraid of angering Li Xiuyuan. He simply nodded and replied, "Master is right."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang shook his head helplessly. Although this monkey was highly skilled and could protect him on his journey to the West to obtain the scriptures, his temperament was simply too unruly.

Left with no other choice, they could only try to persuade him slowly. If they angered the monkey, it was entirely possible that he would kill his master with a single blow.

Thinking of this, Ruo sighed helplessly and said "Amitabha." Unexpectedly, Sun Wukong suddenly spoke up: "The shadows of the trees ahead are swaying, there are probably bandits lying in ambush. Master, be careful."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang was so frightened that he jumped off his horse and hid behind Sun Wukong, saying, "If they are just bandits, scare them away, but don't kill them."

It seems that Tang Sanzang was an extremely clever person. Although he had a horse and could ride it far, his tall and strong figure would always attract attention. If a thief shot an arrow at him, he would probably fall off his horse.

Conversely, hiding behind Sun Wukong would provide some protection. Even thieves would have to deal with Wukong first. Moreover, Tang Sanzang had witnessed Sun Wukong's strength these past few days and believed that unless they encountered a powerful demon king, Sun Wukong could handle them.

However, Sun Wukong was an incredibly clever monkey, and he immediately saw through Tang Sanzang's thoughts, secretly cursing in his heart: What a shameless monk! If it weren't for my Great Sun Dragon Bodhisattva's instructions, I would have abandoned you long ago.

Sure enough, a commotion arose, and seven or eight bandits came running over. The three in the lead rode on horseback, carrying knives. Behind them were four henchmen, all carrying large knives and long spears, shouting as they ran.

Soon, the bandits surrounded Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong. The leader of the bandits looked at the two and sneered, "Where did this monk come from? Going out to beg for alms with a monkey in tow?"

Tang Sanzang, hiding behind Sun Wukong, peeked out and said, "Your Majesty, this monkey is my disciple, and he possesses great supernatural powers. To save you from bloodshed, you should leave quickly."

Tang Sanzang grew up in a Buddhist temple in the Tang Dynasty. In the prosperous Tang Dynasty, there were hardly any thieves, and even petty thieves were rare.

Seeing the bandits' fierce faces, Tang Sanzang dared not meet their gaze and hid his head behind Sun Wukong. Seeing Tang Sanzang's cowardice, Sun Wukong was instantly filled with nameless rage.

Sun Wukong must have thought that the benevolent corpse of Li Xiuyuan, the Great Sun Dragon Bodhisattva, possessed boundless magical power, something even the Buddha would revere. But unexpectedly, this second master turned out to be such a coward.

All day long, he only knows how to hide behind himself, and when there's nothing to do, he just says "Amitabha".

Although the monkey was in a fit of rage, the thief laughed when he heard Tang Sanzang's words, saying, "Ha, this monkey is indeed powerful? Come, perform a Hou dance for this great king. If this great king is pleased, I will only kill the monk and not you."

"Let's take you back to the mountain and keep you as a dog. You can guard the house and provide some entertainment when things are quiet. What do you guys think?"

When the bandit leader shouted this, the henchmen around him joined in the commotion, laughing and jeering at Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong.

Tang Sanzang knew, of course, that this would anger Sun Wukong. If the monkey got angry and killed them all, it would be another sin. After thinking it over carefully, Tang Sanzang stuck his head out again and sighed, "Amitabha, benefactor, please do not speak recklessly."

The bandits wouldn't listen to him and continued to jeer. The bandit leader got excited and took out his whip, laughing and cursing, "I want to see what this monkey is capable of. Let me teach him a lesson and show him what a monkey is."

After the bandit leader finished speaking, he immediately swung his long whip at Sun Wukong. Sun Wukong was burning with rage and wished he could devour these bandits who had humiliated him. He was not about to stand still and let him hit him.

Just as the whip was about to strike Sun Wukong, he grabbed it and, with a powerful pull, dragged the bandit leader off his horse.

The bandit leader had no idea what was going on and was about to stand up, but the unruly monkey was not about to let him go. It immediately took out its golden cudgel and swung it at the bandit leader's head.

This time, brains splattered everywhere, and the skull was torn apart, a truly gruesome sight. Tang Sanzang had never seen anything like it before. He immediately grabbed his prayer beads and kept chanting, "Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me, Amitabha, Amitabha."

This startled the bandits quite a bit, but they weren't afraid of Sun Wukong, as they had a significant advantage in numbers.

They immediately brandished their broadswords and spears, ready to tear Sun Wukong to pieces and avenge their king.

Sun Wukong was not afraid of these petty thieves. He grabbed his golden cudgel and attacked. Tang Sanzang saw this and shouted, "Wukong, don't kill anyone again!"

Chapter 529 Master and Disciple Part Ways

Although Tang Sanzang tried to dissuade him, he couldn't persuade Sun Wukong. At this moment, Sun Wukong was filled with murderous intent and wanted to kill all the bandits with a few blows.

The two sides were at odds, but they were not on the same level. Sun Wukong was also cruel and unwilling to finish them off directly. He insisted on hitting them with his staff one by one.

Tang Sanzang, standing to the side, shouted, "You monkey, stop! Don't talk about killing! Don't talk about killing!"

Sun Wukong swiftly picked up the bandits' knives and killed two more. He then swung his staff several more times, beating seven or eight bandits until their bodies were in pieces, none of them even having a complete corpse.

At this moment, Tang Sanzang silently recited Buddhist scriptures, not daring to open his eyes to look at the horrific scene before him. For a moment, he felt dizzy and cold, and could only keep reciting the scriptures for rebirth.

Sun Wukong, however, felt nothing was amiss. He reached out and took the white horse's reins, saying, "Master, get on the horse, let's continue. If any demons or thieves dare to have ill intentions towards you on the road, I'll make sure they suffer a terrible death."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang flew into a rage, stopped chanting scriptures, and pointed at Sun Wukong with two fingers, cursing, "You wicked beast! You truly are a wicked beast! I told you not to kill, just scare them away, but you still killed them, taking so many lives. You have committed countless sins!"

Hearing Tang Sanzang call him "beast" repeatedly, Sun Wukong became even more enraged and shouted, "If I don't kill them, they'll kill you! I scared them away, but what if they come back while I'm not around?"

Tang Sanzang, also with a long face, wouldn't listen to Sun Wukong's words at all. He turned around and said, "He's really not a human being. I tried to teach him a lesson, but he still argued back. I'm so angry! Bodhisattva, why did you send me such a naughty monkey? What am I supposed to do?"

At this moment, Tang Sanzang was also intimidated by Sun Wukong's fierce power and dared not look directly at him, so he simply turned his face away. However, Sun Wukong was furious and was not about to give up.

After circling around, he came back to Tang Sanzang and said, "What wrong have I done? These bandits have robbed countless innocent people. You have no idea how many people were killed by them before you and me."

I did this for the benefit of the people. How could you treat me like this?

Tang Sanzang wouldn't listen, nor did he dare look at Sun Wukong. He simply turned his head away and muttered to himself, "Soliciting nonsense. This is truly sophistry. This wretched disciple is unforgivable."

Although Tang Sanzang said this aloud, he was inwardly terrified: This monkey is naturally unruly and prone to throwing tantrums. If those bandits angered him today, and I were to offend him one day, he might just beat me to death with a stick.

If I am killed, how will we obtain the scriptures? How will we obtain the scriptures? If I die, someone will naturally go to the Western Paradise to obtain the scriptures.

But if I die, then I will truly be dead. This wicked disciple cannot be kept around any longer; let him leave quickly.

"As long as I ignore him, this monkey is extremely clever and will naturally realize the situation and leave on its own."

Having thought this through, Tang Sanzang made up his mind to ignore Sun Wukong no matter how much he pleaded.

Sun Wukong also felt that he couldn't just leave. If he left, he wouldn't be able to explain it to his true master. So he sighed and didn't argue with Tang Sanzang.

Seeing that there was no movement, Tang Sanzang looked over and saw Sun Wukong going to sign the horse and then walking over again.

Tang Sanzang continued to carry Sun Wukong on his back, ignoring him. Sun Wukong, leading the white horse, said, "Master, Master, the journey to the west is long. Let's get on the horse and go."

To his surprise, Tang Sanzang still ignored him and refused to mount the horse. This angered Sun Wukong, who immediately burst into a tirade: "You shameless scoundrel! You're so arrogant and rude! You're just a scoundrel! You're so rude and rude! You're so arrogant and rude! You're so rude and rude! You're so rude and rude! You're so rude and rude! You're so rude and rude! You're so rude and rude!"

Tang Sanzang was afraid when he heard that Sun Wukong was truly angry. However, Sun Wukong kept calling him a bald donkey, which annoyed him greatly, but he dared not retaliate against Sun Wukong.

At this moment, Tang Sanzang suddenly spoke up: "Wukong, you and I, master and disciple, are not compatible. If we stay together, this journey to the West will probably not last long. You should go."