Tripitaka truly seemed to have gone mad—at least, that was the consensus among everyone in the Westward Quest party.
His former solemn expression was nowhere to be seen; in its place was a wide, carefree smile. He would sneak around outside the common folk’s doors, darting inside the moment they opened, and then exhaust every trick to persuade the family, begging them to let him chant sutras for the dead.
Even when he was a stern, proper monk, the families would refuse him; now, as a grinning, unserious monk, his fate was to be driven out with brooms.
Several times, Barry Bear wanted to step in and help, even scolding those families, but each time Monkey stopped him. In the end, Barry could only watch in frustration.
Tripitaka’s actions had completely surpassed Monkey’s understanding—it felt almost like... self-torture. Yet the smile on his face was genuine, without a trace of falsehood. In this setting, it was utterly incomprehensible.
Is universal salvation supposed to be like this? Monkey truly couldn’t understand.
At this point, aside from calling it madness, there seemed to be no other explanation.
Even Marshal Silver, usually so rational, was at a loss at this moment.
Everyone exchanged uncertain glances, and in the end, all they could do was sigh.
Strangely, every time Tripitaka was chased out, he never forgot to ask the family for food. Most of the time, he got nothing—sometimes even harsher curses—but occasionally, he actually received a few scraps. It was impossible to tell whether his door-to-door visits were for chanting sutras or simply for begging.
Why not let Barry Bear fetch food, and instead beg in this way at such a time?
It was absurd to the extreme.
Night gradually deepened.
One by one, the lamps went out, and the entire capital was swallowed by darkness. The howling wind sounded like the wailing of evil spirits.
To avoid Tripitaka’s disturbance, some families with corpses even extinguished the oil lamps that custom required to be kept burning.
On this cold, rainy night, with nowhere to go, Tripitaka wandered the empty streets like a restless ghost, doing things that defied all reason.
He would sit quietly in the rain, meditating until his robes were soaked through, then run to a corner to shiver in the cold. Once he finally warmed up, he would head back out into the rain...
He would dunk the scraps of flatbread he’d begged for into puddles by the roadside, watching with fascination; only when they were thoroughly soggy would he fish them out and savor them, as if tasting some rare delicacy...
He would tear open the scab on his wound, letting fresh blood drip from his fingertips, then watch closely until the blood congealed again...
All these actions left the Westward Quest party shaken and anxious, their faces twitching with dread.
Was this still the same Tripitaka who had been rescued from under Five Elements Mountain, so determined to attain enlightenment? Maybe this blow was too much for him, but...
Monkey truly couldn’t make sense of it. His grip on the Golden Staff tightened and loosened, loosened and tightened again.
Barry Bear asked anxiously, “Great Sage, what should we do next?”
“No one is allowed to leave,” Monkey answered without hesitation.
“We’re not talking about leaving.” Prince Adrian said languidly, “Are we just going to stand here and watch? I could believe that old Tripitaka might have attained enlightenment, but this one... If he doesn’t end up dead, we’ll be lucky. Looks like we’ve come all this way for nothing.”
“Then what do you suggest?” Monkey glared at him fiercely.
Prince Adrian, undeterred by Monkey’s scornful glare, grew even more animated. He sidled over, rolling up his sleeves: “How about we go look for Lord Lao? Madness can’t be cured in the mortal world, but maybe in Heaven. If Lord Lao or Master Sage Subhuti got involved, I bet it wouldn’t be a problem.”
Monkey stared at Prince Adrian, unblinking.
After a long moment, Prince Adrian had no choice but to pull himself together and look away, deflated.
Marshal Silver’s eyes slowly slid toward Monkey. The two exchanged a glance, but neither spoke.
Was Tripitaka truly insane? He certainly looked it, but deep down, Monkey wasn’t so sure.
At least, according to what Monkey knew, Tripitaka was sure to reach Spirit Mountain and attain enlightenment in the end. This was the biggest gamble Monkey had ever made.
All those times before, Monkey struggled with all his might, dreaming of escaping the story of Journey to the West. Yet Water Curtain Cave, Monkey King, taking a master, storming the Dragon Palace, causing havoc in the Underworld, rebelling in Heaven, being crushed under Five Elements Mountain... In the end, what did he really change?
Everything seemed like fate—inescapable, unavoidable.
If that’s the case, then why not bet everything on this? Could it really fail this time?
Monkey laughed wordlessly.
Looking at Tripitaka now, he realized just how ridiculous his original decision had been. If word got out, even the name of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven would be ruined.
But what other choice was there?
Lord Buddha was like a sword hanging over his head. As long as he remained, the events of six hundred years ago could repeat themselves at any moment. Anyone who got close to Monkey could die at Lord Buddha’s whim, and Monkey would be powerless to stop it...
Even if Lord Buddha possessed the power of the Heavenly Dao, even if Monkey could never kill him, if he couldn’t overthrow Lord Buddha, could he ever truly live in peace in this world?
This warmth is the reward that Birdie and Belle earned with two lifetimes of sacrifice.
At this moment, she suddenly realized that whether the Moon Tree blooms, whether love exists in her heart, is not as important as she once thought.
This tenderness—wasn't it precisely what she'd always sought?
In the distance, Aiden Chen sniffled by the window, his face full of confusion.
......
Casting a sound-blocking spell, Monkey quietly asked, "Do you have... any thoughts?"
Marshal Silver glanced back at Tripitaka, who was huddled under the eaves, tightly wrapped in his blanket and shivering, then slowly shook his head.
Monkey cleared his throat and said in a low voice, "What Prince Adrian just suggested—I actually considered it. Lord Lao is out of the question; meddling with souls is dangerous, and if entrusted to the wrong person... maybe seeking out my master isn't a bad idea. At least, on the matter of the Westward Quest, we're united in purpose. He shouldn't play any tricks."
Marshal Silver gazed quietly at Monkey.
Monkey sniffed twice and continued, "But after thinking it over, I felt it wasn't right."
"Why not?"
"Clara is in Crescent Star Cave, and Damon Six-Ears has already appeared. If Master Subhuti leaves the cave, I'm afraid she'll be in danger. There can't be any more accidents..."
Marshal Silver tilted his head, thought for a moment, then nodded in understanding. "That's true. If your other soul is at full strength, even Master Subhuti without the mountain's protective formation might not be a match for him. And as for your junior sister, she might not even survive a single blow."
Marshal Silver glanced again at Tripitaka, sighed softly, and said, "After all... Tripitaka hasn't done anything truly outrageous. Calling him mad is just our own speculation. Attaining the Dao isn't something we can judge from outside. Let's just take it one step at a time."
Monkey nodded silently.
Just then, at the street corner, several Avalon Mountain cultivators passed by together, one of them glancing—deliberately or not—toward where Tripitaka was huddled.
......
Late at night, on Avalon Mountain, within Goldlight Cave.
A Kunlun disciple hurried into the hall, dropped to his knees, and reported, "Master, honored uncles and elders, urgent news from the Dharma-Quest Kingdom—Tripitaka has gone mad!"
"Mad?"
For a moment, the hall was in an uproar among the Golden Immortals.
"Is this true?"
Master Taiyi sprang to his feet but nearly lost his balance; only the Jade Cauldron Immortal beside him managed to steady him.
There were eight Golden Immortals present in all; besides the seven who had ambushed Monkey, Jade Cauldron Immortal was also there.
"It's absolutely true." The disciple quickly produced a secret dispatch from his sleeve and presented it with both hands.
"Quick! Let me see!" Master Taiyi's hands trembled with excitement as he received the dispatch. The other elders all widened their eyes, but only Jade Cauldron Immortal frowned, clearly skeptical.
"Hahaha! Cough, cough..." Master Taiyi clutched his chest, coughing violently but still wanting to laugh. He handed the dispatch to Master Golden Dragon, who then passed it to Guang Chengzi.
Each person who read the dispatch broke into a broad smile.
"Well now! Who would've thought Tripitaka would be so easily broken!"
"A gentle nudge, and the whole weight shifts! Brilliant!"
"Master's strategy is truly marvelous—just one simple move, and Tripitaka is driven mad! Now let's see how that demon monkey is supposed to complete his quest!"
"Indeed, Master is farsighted—nothing escapes his calculations!"
Meanwhile, Jade Cauldron Immortal was sweating with anxiety, reaching for the dispatch but careful not to make his concern too obvious.
At last, the dispatch landed in Jade Cauldron Immortal's hands.
......
About the time it takes to burn an incense stick later, Jade Cauldron Immortal found an excuse to leave the hall, his face full of worry.
"Uncle Jade Cauldron."
The disciple standing guard at the door bowed respectfully, but Jade Cauldron Immortal had no time to respond.
He quickly left Master Taiyi's range of perception, nearly running out of Goldlight Cave before leaping into the air and speeding straight toward Mount Hua.
He flew with such urgency that, after centuries of leisure, Jade Cauldron Immortal was now sprinting at full speed. In the blink of an eye, he arrived at Mount Hua.
As he landed hastily in the courtyard, General Warren Wu, the centipede demon, hurried over to greet him.
"General Warren Wu reporting to Immortal Jade Cauldron!"
"That's enough!" Jade Cauldron Immortal brushed past Warren Wu and strode quickly toward the cave where Anna Yang was imprisoned. After a few steps, he paused and whispered, "Why is the door open?"
"Second Lord just came by."
"Erik is here too?"
"Yes." Warren Wu scratched his head. "What's special about today? It's so lively. Mount Hua hasn't been this busy in ages."
With that, he and the two soldiers beside him burst out laughing.
"If only it really were a good day..." Jade Cauldron Immortal muttered under his breath, ducking his head and hurrying into the cave.
Soon, a glow of violet light greeted him.
Inside the cave, Anna Yang sat quietly on a stone chair, locked eyes with Erik Yang through the barrier.
Anna Yang seemed calm, but Erik Yang was clearly agitated, his face tense and his hands clenched tightly at his sides.
Jade Cauldron Immortal cleared his throat, announcing his arrival.
Anna Yang glanced up, her gaze steady as ever.
Erik Yang turned abruptly, his voice trembling: "Uncle Jade Cauldron, what's happening outside?"
Jade Cauldron Immortal hesitated, then replied, "Tripitaka has gone mad."
Erik Yang was stunned, unable to speak for a long moment.
Anna Yang's eyes flickered, but she said nothing.
Jade Cauldron Immortal didn't want to linger; he turned and left quickly.
After a moment, Erik Yang finally found his voice. "Uncle Jade Cauldron, is there any way to help Tripitaka?"
Jade Cauldron Immortal paused, then replied, "I'm afraid not."
He left the cave, his heart heavy with worry.
......