"Can't escape, can't let go. Can't escape, can't let go. Can't escape, can't let go..."
Under the dim light and shadow, Tripitaka gripped the Heart-Hiding Stone and muttered to himself. His gaze gradually dimmed, his expression full of helplessness—and a kind of panic.
The scene carried an indescribable sense of sorrow.
For a brief moment, Monkey suddenly thought of Old White Ape, who died at Dragon's Pool... That insignificant figure who tried to bear everything on his shoulders, only to end up beheaded and torn apart...
If he didn't know Tripitaka's previous life was Golden Cicada, Monkey might have suspected that Tripitaka's former incarnation was Old White Ape.
After a long silence, Monkey gave a faint smile and said, "Once, someone told me a story about Buddhism."
Hearing this, Tripitaka lifted his eyes slightly, quietly watching Monkey.
Monkey paused briefly, then continued, "The one who told me this story was my eighth senior brother—a fellow who practiced Buddhism and then switched to Daoism, a rather strange character."
The story goes like this: Once, there was a woman, holding her month-old child, nursing him while eating. At that moment, a mosquito flew over and bit her neck, and she slapped it dead with one hand. After finishing her meal, she poured out the leftover soup. Drawn by the smell, a skinny stray dog came over, hoping to eat, but she cursed it angrily and drove it away with stones.
After finishing, Monkey quietly watched Tripitaka.
Tripitaka tilted his head slightly and softly continued, "So the Buddha pointed to the woman and told his disciples: 'This woman has no idea—the mosquito she killed was her reincarnated mother, the stray dog she drove away was her reincarnated father, and the child in her arms is actually the reincarnation of her father's murderer whom she hates to the bone.'"
"You know this story?"
"Everyone in Buddhism knows this story." Staring into empty space, Tripitaka recited in a formal tone, "The Buddha used this story to warn his disciples not to kill. It also hints that mortals, with their fleshly eyes, cannot distinguish truth from illusion. And it speaks to the suffering of the world, to the emptiness of human feelings... This is the Way that Buddhism teaches."
At this, Tripitaka gave a bitter smile and said, "Great Sage, why bring up this story all of a sudden—have you finally understood it?"
"I haven't understood it, nor do I have the leisure to try." Monkey stretched lazily. "Who has time to sit around pondering all this like you do? From the moment I was born, I had to endure hunger, fend off tigers that wanted to eat me, hunters who wanted to kill me. To seek a master and learn skills, I had to dodge the Celestial Army and figure out how to run Blossom Mountain. Seriously thinking about these things is far less useful than swinging my staff. Who knows—before you've finished pondering, you might already be dead. It was my eighth senior brother, Skylar Loft, who truly understood it."
"Oh? What did he say?"
Monkey sighed quietly. "He said, Buddhism could have prevented this, but instead it sacrificed a woman's filial piety just to prove its own supreme theory. He couldn't accept that, so he gave up Buddhism and turned to Daoism instead."
Hearing this, Tripitaka was stunned for a moment. He lowered his head and thought deeply for a long while, then sighed softly, "Skylar Loft is truly a remarkable man."
"Remarkable?" Monkey burst out laughing, baring his teeth. "Maybe. But I think you're the truly remarkable one. You both see through it, but my eighth senior brother chose to be a deserter—when the road is blocked, he picked another path. You, on the other hand, chose to stay.
"That's why... this poor monk will never become a Buddha." Tripitaka lowered his gaze to the Heart-Hiding Stone in his hands and smiled—a genuine smile from the heart.
It felt as if the road to enlightenment was no longer so lonely.
"It's not that you can't become a Buddha—it's that even if you do, you won't be able to stand by and watch. Honestly, that's a good thing." Monkey let out a long breath, baring his teeth as he spoke. "Isn't what's happening now exactly like that story? All the residents of Phoenix County have become the woman in the story—turned into chips for someone's enlightenment."
Tripitaka continued to stare intently at the Heart-Hiding Stone in his hands.
Pressing his lips together, Monkey casually slung the Golden Staff over his shoulder and said leisurely, "Alright, I'm heading out. You figure it out yourself. If he dares to lay a hand on you, I'll beat him until he's picking his teeth off the ground. But if he comes at you with words instead of force, you'll have to handle it yourself."
Tripitaka joined his palms and bowed deeply. "Tripitaka thanks the Great Sage on behalf of the people of Phoenix County."
......
When Monkey stepped outside, he saw Marshal Silver sitting quietly under a small tree in the courtyard, watching him.
Monkey was slightly taken aback and asked offhandedly, "What are you doing?"
"There are good people among the Buddhas too."
"What do you mean by that? Were you eavesdropping on us?"
"You didn't even bother to cast a silencing spell. At this distance, I couldn't help hearing even if I wanted to avoid it—so it's not really eavesdropping." After a brief pause, Marshal Silver said softly, "I've come to realize that every group has all kinds of people. Among demons, there are evil ones and good ones. Among gods, there are evil gods and good gods. Among humans, there are bad people and good people. It's the same with Buddhas."
"Buddhas are different." Monkey walked over and slumped down beside him, gazing toward Tripitaka's room. "Buddhas aren't people. Those who become Buddhas all have the same face, as if stamped from the same mold. So there aren't good Buddhas or evil Buddhas. Tripitaka will never become a Buddha—unless... we lose."
Time passed, minute by minute, from the moon rising to the morning star appearing in the east.
All night long, Tripitaka locked himself in his room, murmuring to the Heart-Hiding Stone. Monkey and Marshal Silver kept watch outside the door. As for the other demons, they silently spread throughout all of Thunderhill County.
Like casting a wide net, they tried to probe every corner of Thunderhill County, determined not to let a single accident slip by.
Yet, in the end, an accident did occur.
......
By dawn, a dozen demon generals had gathered in the courtyard of a household in Thunderhill County—even King Bullhorn and Louis Quickpaw were among them.
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Soon, Monkey arrived as well.
Pushing through the crowd of demons, Monkey quickly spotted the two shriveled corpses of demon generals lying in the center of the courtyard.
"Great Sage, they were already like this when we arrived," King Bullhorn said quietly. "This household discovered it first—the mistress screamed early in the morning. Luckily, we got here in time and rounded everyone up, then split up and disguised ourselves as them to keep the neighbors from noticing anything unusual."
Turning around, Monkey glanced at the dozen people, bound tightly and stacked neatly in the main hall like bundles of straw.
"Did you question them all?"
"We did, but learned nothing." King Bullhorn replied cautiously. "They said they saw a shadow, but it moved too fast and it was too dark to see what it was."
"Keep them all tied up—give them food and drink, treat them well, and release them after we leave."
"Understood!"
Soon, Louis Quickpaw walked over to Monkey, bowed, and reported, "Great Sage, there are almost no signs of a struggle. Both died instantly, without a chance to fight back. Their blood and essence were drained—this method looks like the work of the Six-Eared Macaque."
Monkey's eyes narrowed to slits. "I see," he said quietly.
......
At that moment, in the rear hall of Little Thunderclap Abbey, Aiden Chen sat frowning, carefully copying Buddhist scriptures with a brush. From time to time, he glanced up at Venerable Lingji, who sat upright in front of him.
"Mr. Baldy, when... when can I go see my master?"
Venerable Lingji pointed at the rice paper under Aiden Chen's brush. "That character has an extra stroke. Rewrite it."
Fanning himself, Venerable Lingji continued, "Why do you want to see your master? Anything your master can teach you, I can teach you too. And what's this 'Mr. Baldy'? I am Venerable Lingji Buddha. As a new disciple, you should address me as Venerable Lingji."
"But I don't want to shave my head."
"Plenty of people wish they could shave their heads and join the Buddhist order but never get the chance. Don't take your blessings for granted."
As they spoke, a tall, thin monk hurried in from outside and bowed deeply.
"Venerable, two demons died in Thunderhill County last night."
"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Venerable Lingji's lips curled into a faint smile. "Now things are about to get interesting."