Chaos Spirit Field

With the addition of Zhu Bajie, the journey westward gradually became complete. Zhao Shanhe lamented that his group didn't resemble a pilgrimage at all, but rather a robbery. The nearly three-meter-tall Monkey King, the flesh-mountain Zhu Bajie, and the chatterbox white horse made him feel like a hostage.

Long Shisi asked, "Master, how far are we from the Great Leiyin Temple in the Western Heaven?"

Zhao Shanhe replied, "We are still in Dongsheng Shenzhou. We still need to cross Nanzhanbuzhou and finally reach the Great Leiyin Temple in Xiniuhezhou. It's at least five million miles away. At your speed, it will take at least several decades."

Long Shisi said dissatisfiedly, "A few decades is too long. Tang Sanzang in Journey to the West only traveled for a dozen years. If we return after several decades, we may not even know whether the Zhou Dynasty is still there. We might not even be able to find the temple gate by then."

Zhao Shanhe knocked Long Shisi's head and said, "Little Shisi, obtaining the scriptures is also a form of spiritual practice. Some things can't be rushed. The journey ahead won't be peaceful. When you meet people, it's best to keep your mouth shut. Next time, I won't beg Guanyin Bodhisattva for mercy. As for whether the Great Zhou Dynasty still exists, that's none of your business. Who told you we have to return?"

Long Shisi said aggrievedly, "Master, hitting your head will make you stupid. Little Shisi is not smart to begin with. Tang Sanzang went to the West to spread Buddhism. What is your purpose in going to the West?"

"I have come to seek Buddhist scriptures to cleanse the filth of Buddhism. There is a house in front of us, so shut up."

Zhao Shanhe dismounted his white horse and went to knock on the door. Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie both hid far away. Although it was still dark, if they followed him, they would easily scare him to death.

An old woman opened the door. When she saw Zhao Shanhe, she immediately knelt on the ground and said, "The believers respectfully welcome the Buddha."

Zhao Shanhe quickly helped him up and said, "Why are you like this, benefactor? Worshiping Buddha is about the heart, not these cumbersome formalities."

The old woman said in horror, "Master Buddha, please spare my life. I only have one grandson left. Please be merciful and leave a descendant for the Ma family."

Zhao Shanhe chanted a meditation mantra, and when the old woman gradually calmed down, he asked, "Old lady, if you have any difficulties, please tell me and I will help you solve them."

Under Zhao Shanhe's psychological suggestion, the old woman slowly recounted, "Buddha, our place is called Huangni Village. It used to have hundreds of households, but now nine out of ten are empty. This is all because thirty years ago, a Maitreya Temple was built in Huangfeng Ridge. The temple keeper was a demon known as the Yellow Wind King. At first, it was all right. As long as someone in the family believed in Buddhism, the livestock would be safe, the weather would be good, and the family would prosper. But then the situation gradually changed. Families that did not believe in Buddhism began to suffer misfortune and were eaten by the Yellow Wind King's minions. Later, the situation became increasingly serious. Even if you believed in Buddhism, you would be eaten if you didn't meet their harsh conditions. My family didn't have enough gold to rebuild the Maitreya Buddha's golden body, so my son, daughter-in-law, and eldest grandson were all captured to atone for their sins. I'm afraid they have been eaten."

Zhao Shanhe looked at the tearful old woman in front of him, his heart filled with anger. He turned away with a gloomy expression. Long Shisi, who was waiting in the distance, asked curiously, "Master, doesn't that family want us to stay overnight?"

"Little Fourteen, there's a Maitreya Temple eight hundred miles southwest. The master will take you to eat some meat."

Zhao Shanhe rode on Long Shisi all the way. He saw the sparse smoke from the villages along the way and the white bones on the roadside, and the anger in his heart could hardly be suppressed.

At this time, in the Maitreya Temple in Huangfengling, a group of monsters were kneeling in front of the Maitreya Buddha statue and chanting Buddhist scriptures. There was still blood on their mouths, and it was obvious that they had just eaten a human.

When Zhao Shanhe arrived in front of the Maitreya Temple, he saw the flickering Buddha light, which made him even more furious. He shouted, "Wukong, Bajie, destroy the Maitreya Temple and let a monster go. I will hold you accountable!"

Tianpeng and Yuan Hong smiled at each other. Ever since they became Xuanzang's disciples, he had been holding a lot of anger in his heart, and now he could finally vent it.

The demons who were chanting heard the screams. The leading demon, Tiger Vanguard, saw Yuan Hong and Tian Peng rushing in and asked, "Where did you come from, demons? How dare you come to the Maitreya Temple to cause trouble? You must be tired of living."

Tianpeng took off his hat, revealing his bald head. He chuckled and said, "I, Old Pig, have come here on the orders of my master Xuanzang to clean up the scum of Buddhism. Big Brother, how about a competition?"

Yuan Hong asked, "What are you betting on?"

"One thousand RMB."

"Second Junior Brother, I, Old Sun, accept your filial offering."

"Yuan Hong, I, Old Pig, am not necessarily worse than you. If you lose, let's switch places and I'll be the eldest brother."

"My name is Sun Wukong, and I will always be the eldest brother. Don't call me the wrong monster next time, or I'll beat you up."

Zhao Shanhe stood outside the Maitreya Temple, listening to the sounds of fighting inside. His anger dissipated a lot. Just then, a person suddenly appeared beside him. To be more precise, a monster, emitting a dazzling Buddha light, was none other than the Maitreya Temple's patron saint, Huang Feng Da Wang.

King Huangfeng said, "Xuanzang, we are all disciples of Buddhism. Could you please give me some face and ask Yuan Hong and Tian Peng to stop?"

Zhao Shanhe said, "Once they have killed all the man-eating monsters, they will naturally stop. If you can't bear to see them, you can go and help them. I will not stop you. Wukong, smash the Maitreya Buddha statue."

When King Huangfeng heard this, he said angrily, "Xuanzang, don't go too far."

Zhao Shanhe scoffed, "That's too much. Maitreya Buddha allowing his disciples to eat people is not too much. He's not too much to let your men eat you to ashes within a thousand miles. If you want to be a monster, why do you use the banner of Buddhism?"

King Huangfeng said humbly, "Xuanzang, it is my fault for not keeping a strict discipline on my subordinates. This has nothing to do with Maitreya Buddha."

"Since Maitreya Buddha is worshipped, he has an unshirkable responsibility. A simple statement of lax discipline can wash away your sins. Those man-eating monsters deserve death, and you deserve it even more."

The Yellow Wind King suppressed his anger and said, "Xuanzang, you are the one appointed by the Buddhist sect to obtain the scriptures. You have killed the monsters and destroyed the temples. Now leave now while I can still suppress my anger."

Zhao Shanhe said disdainfully, "Where can I go if the chief culprit hasn't been eliminated? Where can I go if the wronged souls of thousands of miles away haven't been liberated? King Huangfeng, with great power comes great responsibility. If it weren't for your connivance, how could such a tragedy have happened? You don't understand the true meaning of Buddhism at all. You can't become a Buddha by eating vegetarian food and chanting scriptures, nor can you become a Buddha by flattering others. If you still have any conscience, commit suicide, and perhaps you will wash away your sins."

King Huangfeng took out his weapon and said, "Xuanzang, you forced me to do this."