"With your skills also being restrained here, how am I supposed to rescue you?"

"This mountain is not an issue, you just need to remove the Five-Word True Words on top, and I can naturally get out."

Xuanzang didn't say much and started climbing the mountain directly. Eventually, at the top, he saw the Five-Word True Words and instead of touching them, he sat in front of the words with his hands clasped together.

"Disciple Xuanzang is heading to the Western Heaven to worship Buddha and retrieve the True Scripture. The journey is arduous, and now Sun Wukong, enlightened by the Bodhisattva Guanyin, wishes to take me as his master and protect me on the journey west. If the Buddha agrees with this matter, please release the monkey."

The Buddhist Sect highly values sincerity, and soon the Five-Word True Words burned away, and Sun Wukong below immediately felt his Mana return.

Originally wanting to break free, he then remembered that monk.

"Master, Master, you come down first, I'm about to come out!"

Xuanzang hurriedly descended the mountain, and not long after, the ground shook and the team heading west gained another member.

"Let's go, Master, I, Old Sun, can take you to the Western Heaven in one Somersault Cloud, eighty thousand miles in a flash!"

Xuanzang's face immediately stiffened, thinking that this monkey, after hundreds of years without speaking, had forgotten how to speak human language.

He shook his head and refused: "No, I want to walk there step by step to show my sincerity."

Sun Wukong was truly scratching his head now, with Xuanzang's build, how many years would it take him to walk there?

"This..."

Seeing the monkey's reluctance, Xuanzang said: "If you are unwilling, you are free to leave."

Sun Wukong hesitated for a moment but eventually followed, for he, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, would never go back on his word.

"Oh Master, I never said I wouldn't go, let's go!"

Later, when they encountered a fierce tiger, Sun Wukong indeed showed his skills, playing around with the tiger before hitting it dead with one strike, and after he still felt a little unsatisfied.

At night, they found a place to stay, and Xuanzang used the tiger's skin and his old clothes to sew a set of clothes for Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong pretended to sleep but was actually stealing glances at Xuanzang the whole time.

The next day, Sun Wukong successfully wore a tiger skin skirt, the style and workmanship were quite ordinary, but Sun Wukong felt warm inside because it reminded him of the time an old woman sewed clothes for him, only that set of clothes had already become tattered over time.

His heart finally accepted this new master of his.

...

Meanwhile, Nezha had already returned to the stars, accompanying his wife, while watching a live broadcast. This real-time live Journey to the West was much more thrilling than watching a TV series.

Beside him, Daji was calculating something with a clack while rolling her eyes.

"What's so great about that monkey?"

Nezha lay on Daji's long legs, occasionally stuffing some Spirit Fruit into his mouth.

"See, you may not know, but that's no ordinary monkey, that's a Saint's monkey."

Daji paused upon hearing this.

"Well, that's certainly not ordinary, but still not interesting!"

Just as they were chatting, Nezha's expression moved, someone was looking for him.

"What's happening?"

"It's nothing, just an old friend looking for me, I'll head out for a bit."

Nezha disappeared with a roll, but Daji wasn't surprised. Being an old married couple, it was likely another friend inviting him for drinks.

Daji guessed accurately, the visitor was none other than Chi You's mount, the Iron-Eating Beast, Old Bear.

Both were closely tied with the Witch Clan, hence had a big, bold personality and got along quite well.

Nezha found a nebula, set up a small table, fine wine, and spirit fruit, and they started drinking right away.

"Weren't you always staying in the underworld? How did you end up here?"

Old Bear was gleefully gnawing on a piece of Purple Bamboo with both hands.

"Ah, the underworld is shrouded in Yin Qi, what proper bear likes that place? Mount Emei has too many cultivators now, I don't want to go back, so now I'm basically homeless."

"Then why not come back to work?"

Old Bear quickly shook his head, what good bear wants to work for a living?

When he served as Chi You's mount, he was quite the boss!

"Isn't there a place that's chill, relaxed, and has bamboo to eat?"

A chill and relaxed place?

Why not just become a security guard?

At this, Nezha suddenly had an idea.

"Why don't you go be a security guard in the South Sea then?"

Old Bear immediately shook his head, being a security guard still means working, right?

Nezha blinked and said: "Meals and accommodation provided, beautiful scenery, abundant spiritual energy, and it's a bamboo forest."

Old Bear gasped, dropping the bamboo he was holding and showing a bear-like look of surprise.

Being a security guard for a bamboo forest, is there really such a fantastic job in the world?

With both huge bear paws, he grabbed Nezha's hand.

"Brother, I'll do it, brother, with me around, no one will lay a finger on the bamboo!"

Nezha slightly exerted force to pull his hand back and shook his head.

"Is this okay? You're an Ancient Divine Beast, Chi You's mount, wouldn't being a security guard lower your status too much?"

"Not at all."

"Those are just empty titles, having a job is a bear's life!"

Finding Old Bear's expression amusing, Nezha stopped teasing him, explained a few things, and Old Bear excitedly took off. Meanwhile, Nezha got in touch with Guanyin before heading out to find Long Ji.

...

Meanwhile, Earth Xuanzang and his apprentice didn't remain idle during this time. First, Sun Wukong was restrained with the Tightening Spell, and then they tamed the White Dragon Horse.

Third Prince Ao Lie of the West Sea Dragon King was a prime example of how learning good takes a lifetime, but learning bad only takes a day. As a child, Ao Lie was quite well-behaved, but growing up, he entered his rebellious phase and caused major trouble. Now, fulfilling his own vow, he serves as a horse for Jin Can Zi to ride.

A wicked person naturally needs another wicked person to deal with them. With his defiant nature, he naturally encountered the more defiant Sun Wukong to teach him a lesson. Initially, he might have been a bit disobedient, but Sun Wukong is a professional at horse fostering.

After some time, Ao Lie was immediately subdued under the Horses' Fortune's tiger skin skirt.

After travelling for some time, the man, monkey, and horse arrived at Guanyin Monastery.

Xuanzang, being a person of faith, worked on this journey that was organized by Guanyin, so the master and apprentice went directly to stay there. The hosting Jinchi Elder appeared to be a highly attained monk.

Wearing an exquisite kasaya, the entire Guanyin Monastery was lavish and grand, with various golden statues of Bodhisattva Guanyin that left Xuanzang, the Great Tang Imperial Brother, astounded.

It's important to know that even the most flourishing incense temples in Great Tang only coated their Buddha statues with a layer of gold, using all gold was overly extravagant.

Jinchi initially thought they were just two down-and-out monks, but upon experiencing Xuanzang's discourse, Jinchi immediately valued him. Further inquiry revealed him to be a high monk from Great Tang.

He lived for over two hundred seventy years; other matters aside, he had a bit of a pride issue, having collected countless treasures and kasayas. If not now, then when would he flaunt them?

Appearing virtuous in front of ordinary people no longer satisfied his vanity. But before him stood none other than the Great Tang's Imperial Brother, whose enhanced stature would provide Jinchi with more thrill!

Thus, he began showing off his wardrobe to Xuanzang and his apprentice. Having lived for two hundred seventy years, in an era where the average person barely lived to forty or fifty, he was considered an auspicious sign, making his name very famous, practically a living signboard.

Does he lack money?

He doesn't.

He simply loves fancy kasayas, reveling in seeing others' envious and admiring gazes as if his Buddhist Law benefited too.

If wearing a tattered kasaya, you'd think my teachings were nonsense.

If wearing an incredibly exquisite kasaya, you'd consider my teachings as heavenly truths.

It's the same words, the same teachings, what differs between the two?

The difference is in my clothing.

This can prove that a lavish kasaya can elevate my Buddhist Law.

This is why Jinchi pursued even more lavish kasayas; he showed them off to Xuanzang not to say he was wealthier, but to claim a better understanding of Buddhist Law than the Great Tang Saint Monk.

Although Xuanzang didn't excel at worldly affairs, it didn't mean he didn't understand people's hearts. Allowing Jinchi to show off, Xuanzang only responded courteously. Identity, status, or wealth did not concern him; he solely focused on going to the Western Heaven to obtain the True Scripture.

These mattered not to Xuanzang, but it was different for Sun Wukong, inherently competitive and unable to endure provocation by the old monk.

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