Journey to the West: Tang Monk Conquers Everything

Since Master started asking questions, Sun Wukong naturally wouldn't hide anything.

So he began to speak, explaining how he entered the dungeon of the Eastern Temple, mentioning the many demonic creatures imprisoned there. He also shared how he met his senior brother from the Sanxing Cave and had a thorough conversation with him, recounting everything to Jiang Liu in great detail.

"I, Old Sun, always thought that causing havoc in the Heavenly Palace was worth boasting about, but according to my senior brother's analysis, it seems that the incident was planned by the Jade Emperor all along?"

Sun Wukong's gaze turned towards Jiang Liu, "Master, all these years, I, Old Sun, have been feeling quite proud. But thinking about it now, it's truly shameful!"

"Master, do you think my senior brother's analysis is correct?" Sun Wukong asked Jiang Liu, full of shame.

Sun Wukong had great trust in his master's wisdom.

Even though he found his senior brother's words reasonable, he still wanted to hear his master's opinion.

"Your senior brother's analysis is indeed correct..." Jiang Liu nodded, looking into Sun Wukong's questioning eyes.

"So it's true!?"

Though Sun Wukong had already agreed with his senior brother's words in his heart, hearing his master's agreement confirmed it was true.

It turns out that my causing havoc in the Heavenly Palace was all part of the Jade Emperor's scheme?

How proud I had been all this time.

Seeing Sun Wukong's expression, Jiang Liu could roughly understand his thoughts.

After all, the thing he was most proud of was considered a joke by others. That feeling really makes one want to dig a hole and hide.

But Jiang Liu pondered for a moment and then spoke, "Actually, Wukong, apart from this matter, there is another issue that I find even more puzzling!"

"Oh? What is it?" Sun Wukong's curiosity was piqued by Jiang Liu's words.

"Your senior brother Wumiao said he was imprisoned for breaking Ancestor Bodhi's most beloved teapot, right?" Jiang Liu asked Sun Wukong.

"That's correct!" Sun Wukong nodded.

"Don't you find this a bit strange?" Jiang Liu responded, sighing inwardly at Sun Wukong's obliviousness.

Sun Wukong really was quite careless.

"Strange? What's so strange about it?" Sun Wukong looked at Jiang Liu in confusion.

Then, seeming to understand something, he said, "You mean my ancestor's stinginess? That's not strange at all!"

"I, Old Sun, was also expelled from the sect by his anger just for showing off my seventy-two transformations in front of my senior brothers!"

At this, Sun Wukong withheld some words unspoken.

That his master always said Ancestor Bodhi was a bit stingy, seemed now to be quite true.

"No, that's not what I meant!" Jiang Liu shook his head upon hearing Sun Wukong's words.

"Don't you find it strange? Ancestor Bodhi's teachings are supposed to belong to the Taoist Sect, right? So why would his disciple be imprisoned in Maitreya Buddha's dungeon?"

"Maitreya Buddha is from the Buddhist Sect and was once one of the Three-World Buddhists!"

"Huh!?"

Jiang Liu's reminder made Sun Wukong pause, then his face changed as he nodded, "Master, you're right! If Senior Brother Wumiao committed a mistake, he should be punished, but why is he imprisoned in Maitreya Buddha's dungeon!?"

Sun Wukong frowned and pondered, yet he couldn't figure it out.

Ancestor Bodhi's appearance and his teachings are indeed of the Taoist Sect, which should have no relation to the Buddhist Sect.

Why would his disciple be imprisoned under a prominent figure of the Buddhist Sect?

"Master? Do you have any guesses?" After thinking for a long time, Sun Wukong asked Jiang Liu.

"Well..." Jiang Liu hesitated at Sun Wukong's question, unsure how to respond.

He recalled a theory that Ancestor Bodhi might actually be one of the three incarnations of the Buddhist Sect's Saint.

Initially, Jiang Liu didn't believe this theory, but now, thinking it over, it seemed plausible.

Sun Wukong claimed to have come from Flower Fruit Mountain in Eastern Shengshen State when he reached the Moon Three-Star Cave.

Ancestor Bodhi said he was lying since there was a vast sea and a whole South Zhanbu State in between, implying that the Moon Three-Star Cave was located in West Niuhe State!

And who governs the West Niuhe State? Isn't it the Buddhist Sect?

If Ancestor Bodhi were truly from the Taoist Sect, would the Buddhist Sect allow a prominent figure of the Taoist Sect to thrive in their territory?

Moreover, the name Spirit Platform from Square Inch Mountain, "Spirit Platform" is a term commonly used in the Buddhist Sect.

For instance, the phrase "The body is the Bodhi Temple, the mind is the Mingjing Platform…"

And crucially, if you abbreviate Spirit Platform and Square Inch Mountain, what do you get?

Spirit Mountain?!

Reflecting on the original work and his observations, Jiang Liu increasingly believed that the theory of Ancestor Bodhi being a Buddhist Saint's incarnation was the most plausible.

Otherwise, there wouldn't be a Taoist quasi-saint level figure in the Buddhist Sect's territory for no reason.

This would also explain why Wumiao was imprisoned in Maitreya Buddha's dungeon after committing a mistake.

"Master? Master? Do you have any guesses?" Sun Wukong's impatience grew as Jiang Liu sunk into thought.

"Well, Wukong, I'm not entirely sure either…" After some hesitation, Jiang Liu shook his head, not revealing the truth.

Knowing that causing havoc in the Heavenly Palace was all part of the Jade Emperor's scheme was already a huge blow to Sun Wukong, making him want to hide from shame.

If Jiang Liu also told him that Ancestor Bodhi was from the Buddhist Sect and he had been a pawn all along, Sun Wukong probably couldn't handle it.

The importance of Ancestor Bodhi to Sun Wukong was immense.

Could Sun Wukong bear this additional blow, Jiang Liu wasn't confident.

Though his Vajra Indestructible Body gave him immense physical defense, it couldn't protect his heart.

"Oh, even you, Master, don't know?" Sun Wukong didn't doubt Jiang Liu's words.

"Alright, Wukong, regardless of everything, our mission was successful this time. Let's head back quickly!" Not wanting to linger on the matter, Jiang Liu said.

With that, Jiang Liu and Sun Wukong flew towards the place where Zhu Bajie and the others were waiting.

"Master, Monkey Brother, you're back!" Zhu Bajie and the others, who had been resting and waiting, quickly stood up upon seeing Jiang Liu and Sun Wukong.

"How did it go, Master? Was everything smooth?" Zhu Bajie asked eagerly as Jiang Liu and Sun Wukong landed.

"Hehehe, Bajie, with I, Old Sun, and Master on the task, how could it not be smooth?" Sun Wukong responded with a grin.

"So we succeeded? That's great!" Zhu Bajie shouted in joy at Sun Wukong's response.

Soon after, Zhu Bajie, eager as a monkey, approached Jiang Liu, "Master, where's the Calamity Book? Let me take a look!"

"Why do you want to see it?"

Jiang Liu wasn't surprised that Zhu Bajie wanted to see it, but his urgency piqued his curiosity.

"I, Old Pig, want to see how many more trials we have!" Zhu Bajie explained.

"Eighty-one tribulations, after surviving them all, we should be facing the final battles against the immortals and Buddhas. I want to be mentally prepared!" Zhu Bajie said confidently.

"Hmm, that makes sense!" Jiang Liu agreed.

"We've covered about half the journey, so the number of tribulations should be about halfway too!" Jiang Liu took out the Calamity Book from his pack as he spoke.

"So, we're halfway through our Journey to the West for the scriptures?" Sha Wujing asked as he approached.

Zhu Bajie opened the Calamity Book, starting from the first tribulation.

Golden Cicada's banishment – First Tribulation.

Birth's near-death – Second Tribulation.

...

"Master, it starts from when you were the Golden Cicada being banished. So, your banishment was part of the Buddhist Sect's plan?" Zhu Bajie said in astonishment.

"Hmph, it's not surprising that the Buddhist Sect would scheme against their own," Sun Wukong snorted.

Sun Wukong paused for a moment before continuing.

"I may not know the next forty tribulations, but I do know the eighty-first one…"