txolops Chapter 144 Wuji Kingdom - Exposing Their Whereabouts
Chapter 144 Wuji Kingdom - Exposing Their Whereabouts
Li Fa was still hesitating when he heard Tang Seng suddenly burst into tears.
Pigsy chimed in from the side, "Master, what does his death have to do with you? He's not your father or grandfather, why are you crying for him!"
Tang Sanzang said, "Disciple, a monk's foundation is compassion, and his approach is expediency. How can you be so hard-hearted?"
Bajie said, "It's not that I'm heartless. My senior brother told me that he can be cured. If he couldn't be cured, I wouldn't have carried him here."
Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang exclaimed, "Wukong, if we have the means to revive this emperor, it would be a life-saving act, far better than building a seven-story pagoda. It would be far better than us worshipping Buddha at Mount Ling."
The pilgrim said, "Master, how can you believe this fool's nonsense! If a person dies, after three or five weeks, or even just seven weeks, they have completed their punishment for sins committed in the mortal world and will be reborn. Now that he has been dead for three years, how can he be saved!"
Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang said, "Fine then."
Pigsy said bitterly, "Master, don't be fooled by him. He's got some kind of mental illness. Just chant those words, and he'll give you a living life."
Then Tang Sanzang recited the Tightening-Headband Mantra, which tightened the headband so much that the monkey's eyes bulged and his head ached. The monkey pleaded, "Master, stop! Stop! Let me heal you!"
Tang Sanzang asked, "How can it be cured?"
The pilgrim said, "Wasn't the king's soul taken away by the Taoist priest? I'm just returning his soul to its rightful place, thus reviving him."
Bajie said, "Master, don't believe him. I heard that just sending the soul back to its place doesn't actually do anything. The soul has been away for years and has lost contact with the body. Even if it returns, it's just a living dead."
Tang Sanzang asked, "Why is he called a living dead?"
Bajie laughed and said, "It is true that you need someone to feed you, someone to give you water, someone to help you defecate, and someone to help you urinate. It's just that your six senses are closed off. Although your body is alive, you can't hear, see, smell, or feel anything. You have no consciousness at all."
Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang believed the evil wind and scolded Wukong, "Why are you, you monkey, trying to cure another living dead? As the saying goes, 'Help someone to the end, and see the Buddha off to the West.' If you don't save him, I'll recite the Tightening-Headband Mantra ten more times."
Pigsy said, "Yes, yes, yes! Just keep chanting! Just keep chanting!"
The pilgrim cursed, "You foolish beast, you're telling me my master is cursing me!"
Pigsy laughed so hard he almost fell over, saying, "Brother! Brother! You only know how to tease me, you don't know I can tease you too!"
The pilgrim was fearless except for this incantation. He had a plan in mind and said, "Master, you are so busy arguing with me that you don't care about life or death when you recite those words."
But we forgot about this Master Bai. Since he is the best at exorcising ghosts and possesses many supernatural powers, Old Sun is sure he has a brilliant plan. Perhaps we should ask him for help.
Tang Sanzang was also easily swayed, and when Wukong pleaded, he softened somewhat. He turned to Li Fa and said, "Daoist Master, you are all-powerful. Do you have any brilliant plan? If you can save the king, it will be a meritorious deed, and I will owe you a favor."
Li Fa had been waiting for these words, and upon hearing them, he smiled and said, "Elder, there's no need for that. I have my own way of saving him."
Upon hearing this, the Great Sage asked, "What idea do you have, Daoist Master?"
Li Fa said, "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed. Elders, please wait a moment, I will be right back."
Having said that, he mounted the tiger and soared into the sky.
Li Fa's departure was of little consequence, but it alarmed one person.
Who is it?
It was the Golden-Headed Jiedi. It turned out that this Jiedi never left Tang Sanzang's side day and night, and was hidden in mid-air to protect him.
When Li Fa was telling fortunes, Jie Di already had some doubts.
Now that he saw him riding a tiger to heaven, the Jiedi was even more determined to observe him secretly.
But when they saw Li Fa heading straight for the Tushita Palace outside the Thirty-Three Heavens, the Jiedi realized Li Fa's identity.
He hurriedly turned his auspicious cloud around and went straight to the Kingdom of Wuji to deliver the message.
Upon arriving in the city, he indeed saw Manjushri Bodhisattva, and then told him about his discovery. He then returned to Baolin Temple, and that is another story.
Meanwhile, in the capital of Wuji Kingdom, the fake king would go to the harem to rest after court at night.
Although he was a castrated lion and could not engage in sexual relations, he had learned some manners of a ruler during his three years as king in the mortal realm.
Every day after court, he would go to the inner palace to rest, partly to put on a show for others, and partly to pretend to be affectionate with the queen.
Tonight, as usual, he strolled into the bedchamber, only to find the king sitting on the phoenix couch, holding a scroll of scriptures, silently reciting them with his eyes lowered, showing no intention of getting up to greet him.
The Green Lion Spirit frowned, coughed, and said, "Your Majesty, I have arrived."
The queen didn't even lift her eyelids, and said indifferently, "Your Majesty, please do as you please."
The green lion spirit was taken aback, and displeasure arose in its heart.
He walked a few steps to the bedside, sat down heavily, and said, "I have been sitting in court for a long time today, and my shoulders and back are sore. Please massage them for me."
The queen remained unmoved, saying only, "If Your Majesty is tired, you should rest early."
The green lion spirit jumped to his feet, angrily shouting, "You woman, what's gotten into you today? I told you to massage my back, and you dare to refuse? Have I been too lenient with you all this time?"
Upon hearing this, the queen put down her scripture and raised her head.
A flash of light appeared on his face, and in an instant, his appearance changed. He looked like this:
He wore a five-Buddha crown and a brocade kasaya; his face was like a full moon, and his eyes were like blue lotuses; his body was surrounded by a thousand auspicious wisps, and his head was radiated with ten thousand rays of auspicious light.
It is indeed Manjushri Bodhisattva!
The green lion spirit was terrified and fell to his knees with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly: "Bodhisattva...Bodhisattva! This disciple was unaware of your arrival and has offended you greatly. I deserve to die! I deserve to die!"
Manjushri Bodhisattva remained seated and said calmly, "Stand up and speak."
The Green Lion Spirit dared not rise, but remained lying on the ground.
The Bodhisattva didn't mind and said, "You've been king here for three years, enjoying enough wealth and luxury. But don't forget, you descended to the mortal realm as a demon to fulfill the Buddha's decree. Now that your tribulation is about to end, Tang Sanzang and his disciples will soon enter the city, and you must act according to plan."
The Green Lion Spirit kowtowed repeatedly: "This disciple will obey your command! Why has the Bodhisattva come in person? Has something unexpected happened?"
Manjushri said, "There is now a Taoist priest by Tang Sanzang's side who calls himself Bai Yunhe. In reality, he is a demonic Taoist named Dengli who has repeatedly disrupted my journey to the West. This man is extremely powerful and has killed my Buddhist disciples. His crimes are unforgivable. I have come here to capture him."
Upon hearing this, the Green Lion Spirit was startled and said, "There is such a fierce man! How can the Bodhisattva expect his disciple to help?"
Manjushri said, "Tomorrow morning, gather five hundred elite soldiers, place them under the command of the Crown Prince, and head to Baolin Temple to capture that Taoist priest!"
The Green Lion Spirit looked troubled and said, "Bodhisattva, you may not know this, but that prince... for the past three years, although he has called me father, he has always been somewhat suspicious, keeping a distance from me, not very close. If I were to order him to lead the troops, I'm afraid he might not be willing to obey..."
Manjushri smiled and said, "Don't worry about that. That prince is no longer the same prince he used to be."
The green lion spirit was taken aback: "Does the Bodhisattva mean...?"
Manjushri said, "The original crown prince has been replaced by me. The current crown prince is Jinzha in disguise. You just need to send troops, and he will obey orders."
Upon hearing this, the Green Lion Spirit suddenly understood and repeatedly kowtowed, saying, "Bodhisattva's calculations are brilliant! This disciple obeys!"
Manjushri then said, "Tomorrow, just send out your troops. Once Jinzha forces that Taoist out, I will capture him myself. As for you—once Sun Wukong sees through your true nature, you can retire gracefully and return to my seat."
The Green Lion Spirit was relieved and repeatedly kowtowed, saying, "Disciple obeys! Disciple obeys!"
Manjushri nodded and said, "That Plasma Physician is cunning and treacherous. When you send troops tomorrow, you must instruct Jinzha to only surround him and not to advance rashly. Only if I take action personally can we be absolutely certain of success."
The Green Lion Spirit said, "Bodhisattva, rest assured, this disciple understands."
Manjushri then transformed back into the Queen and said, "Go and rest now. Tomorrow morning, proceed as planned."
The Green Lion Spirit respectfully kowtowed three times, then rose and left the bedchamber, going to rest in a side hall.