In the next instant, the commander reined in his white horse, pointed with his riding whip, and shouted, "Seize them!"
Immediately, over a hundred soldiers quickly fanned out, surging toward Monkey and his companions.
Monkey stood almost motionless, shielding Tripitaka behind him. The others drew their weapons, forming a protective ring around Tripitaka. In moments, the party was completely surrounded by soldiers.
“What’s going on? Did we cross the border without realizing and end up in the Kingdom of the Faith-Destroyers instead of the Dharma-Quest Kingdom?”
"Who knows?" Monkey scratched his face and let out a long sigh. "I knew it wouldn’t be that easy. Our fate is full of twists and turns."
Rows of halberds quickly parted to open a path. The commander urged his white horse forward, approaching the group and stopping before them.
He glanced down at the group with a slow, sweeping gaze. When his eyes passed over Monkey and Barry Bear, he paused, clearly surprised, but did not react further. It was as if Monkey and Barry Bear were not monsters at all—just oddly dressed.
Lifting his chin, he asked arrogantly, "You are not subjects of my Kingdom of the Faith-Destroyers. What is your purpose here? Speak!"
Tripitaka shook out his sleeves, hurried forward, pressed his palms together, and bowed. "This humble monk is called Tripitaka, from the Great Tang Empire in the East, traveling west to obtain the scriptures."
"Oh?" The commander was taken aback.
For a moment, the soldiers surrounding the group began to whisper among themselves. Monkey’s ears twitched slightly; he caught fragments like "high monk" and "holy master," which only deepened his confusion.
These soldiers were clearly here to trouble the Buddhist Order, yet from their tone, there was not a trace of hostility. In fact, there was even a hint of respect.
What is happening here?
The commander atop his tall horse seemed hesitant as he looked at Tripitaka. He quietly summoned his attendant and whispered, "Go quickly and report to His Majesty. Tell him a monk from the East has arrived, accompanied by two demons."
"Yes, sir!"
The attendant responded, turned his horse, and rode through the encirclement toward the city gate.
The commander then glanced back at Tripitaka, straightened his attire, and sat tall and unmoving on his horse. Though his posture was proud, Monkey noticed he kept stealing glances at Tripitaka, intentionally or not.
His expression was extremely odd.
Monkey tilted his head and took a small step back. The others quickly leaned in to listen. Monkey whispered, "Something’s off. These are ordinary mortals, true, but something feels wrong—like they’re acting out a play. They’re supposed to be anti-Buddhist, but compared to Cartwright Kingdom, the atmosphere is completely different. In any case, stay alert."
The group nodded silently and each returned to their defensive positions.
The two sides simply stood there, locked in a standoff.
From a distance, crowds of commoners gathered at the city gate, pointing and whispering as they watched.
Several times, Tripitaka wanted to speak, but the other side showed no interest in listening. They weren’t interested in what Tripitaka had to say, nor in attacking—just content to keep the party surrounded.
The atmosphere was as strange as could be.
Before long, the attendant galloped back, slipped through the encirclement, and whispered a few words in the commander’s ear.
"What are those two talking about?" Prince Adrian, the Little White Dragon, asked in a low voice.
Monkey replied offhandedly, "Just relaying a few words from the king. You’ll know soon enough."
As they spoke, the commander cleared his throat twice and announced, "Our king decrees: all temples throughout the realm are to be purged at once, Buddha statues smashed, monks conscripted for labor. Monk from afar, do you object?"
Tripitaka frowned. "I do not understand. What crime has the Buddhist Order committed, that Your Majesty would order this?"
"This... I’m not sure myself," the commander admitted. "That’s just the order. Only His Majesty knows the reason."
Monkey stood off to the side, leaning on his Golden Staff and idly digging at his ear, then flicked a bit of earwax directly into the commander’s open mouth.
For a moment, the commander thought an insect had flown in and sat atop his horse, spitting and coughing repeatedly. The soldiers looked at him in puzzlement.
Rolling his eyes, Monkey turned to the others and whispered, "It’s a show—let’s see how they play it."
After a long moment, the commander finally recovered, still sitting sternly on his horse.
Tripitaka bowed. "If only Your Majesty knows, might I trouble the general for an introduction, so I may ask His Majesty directly?"
"Of course," the commander replied without hesitation. He quickly backed his horse away and gestured; a carriage rolled up at once. It felt as if everything had been prepared in advance, just waiting for Tripitaka to ask.
It was an empty carriage, drawn by two horses, clean and well-kept. Judging by the fine silk decorations, such a carriage was rare in this small country—perhaps not fit for royalty, but certainly the mark of wealth, not something easily requisitioned.
The moment he saw the carriage, even Tripitaka sensed something was off. He quickly glanced back at Monkey.
Their eyes met, and Monkey gave a subtle nod, signaling that the carriage posed no danger.
With Monkey’s reassurance, Tripitaka gathered his robes and climbed aboard.