The Old County Prince gently knocked on Tripitaka's door and respectfully greeted him, saying, "Master Tripitaka, the time is set for noon. I wonder... is that acceptable?"
Facing the Old County Prince’s smiling, wrinkled face, Tripitaka only looked wooden and dazed. He nodded blankly, didn’t say another word, and quietly closed the door.
This scene left the people standing outside the door stunned and bewildered.
The County Heir couldn’t help but ask, "Father, is Master Tripitaka... unhappy?"
"He shouldn’t be," the Old County Prince steadied himself, gazing at Tripitaka’s tightly shut door. "The Holy Buddha instructed us to invite Master Tripitaka to perform the blessing, so inviting him must be the right thing to do. The great master beside the Buddha also stressed that, whatever means we use, we must succeed. That... can’t be wrong, can it? Aren’t we just following instructions?"
"Yes, yes, yes, listening to the Holy Buddha can’t be wrong," the elders standing around all nodded in agreement.
At that moment, they didn’t realize that inside the room, Tripitaka was quietly watching them through a crack in the window lattice.
After a long while, he spoke softly, uttering two words: "Ignorant fools."
"Hm?" Marshal Silver, standing behind, looked up at Tripitaka.
Tripitaka, expressionless, said, "That’s the definition Venerable Lingji gave them—‘ignorant.’"
Marshal Silver smiled faintly at those words. "Who isn’t ignorant? Who can truly achieve enlightenment? Sometimes I think—what difference was there between my former self and them? In the end, we’re all fixed in our positions, blinded by what’s before us, unable to see the distant landscape."
"In your previous life, Marshal, you were one of Heaven’s most loyal and distinguished generals."
"Does being loyal and distinguished mean you aren’t ignorant?" Marshal Silver glanced helplessly at Tripitaka. "Master Tripitaka, don’t comfort me. I know my own situation; I don’t need consolation. I should thank Nezha—if he hadn’t stopped me from swallowing that elixir, I’d probably be following the same old path in this life."
Tripitaka’s gaze lingered on the empty desk for a long time. He sighed softly, "But not everyone encounters fortune like yours, Marshal. That’s why the world still needs someone to ferry all beings across."
Marshal Silver nodded, but only uttered a single word: "Difficult."
......
Tripitaka’s blessing is a major event in Thunderhill County. Of course, the key point is that it was Venerable Lingji who personally gave the order.
In no time, the entire county was mobilized, bustling inside and out in a festive atmosphere. In just half a day, the tall Blessing Platform was erected. Though simple, every detail reflected the heartfelt intentions of Thunderhill’s people.
Soon enough, led by the Old County Prince, the welcoming party arrived outside Tripitaka’s door.
At this moment, Tripitaka had already washed up, donned a clean, neat kasaya, and put on the Buddha-Crested Crown. His attire was exactly as it had been when he met the Tang Emperor, though his face now bore far more wear and tear.
Fortunately, his original resolve remained unchanged.
"What about the Great Sage? Isn’t he coming with us?"
"Hard to say," Marshal Silver replied softly. "There was an incident in Thunderhill County last night, and he’s still keeping watch over the place."
"Last night?"
"Actually, it wasn’t just last night—something happened the night before too." Marshal Silver hesitated, pursing his lips. "Maybe he’ll arrive later. I’ll stay with you the whole time to ensure nothing goes wrong. Also, a dozen demon officers will come disguised as commoners, guarding as close to the Blessing Platform as possible."
Tripitaka nodded, looking a bit weary.
As Marshal Silver slipped behind the screen, the door swung open. A large crowd of townsfolk filed in. After a simple bow, they escorted Tripitaka outside.
After they left, Louis Quickpaw, also hiding behind the screen, whispered, "Marshal, you said you’d send a dozen demon officers disguised as commoners... I haven’t heard about that. Thunderhill’s residents are all originally from Phoenix County—if strangers show up, won’t that be suspicious?"
"We have ready replacements," Marshal Silver replied coolly, glancing at Louis Quickpaw. "Didn’t two demon officers die recently? We took control of a dozen informed locals and replaced them with our own."
"Oh... Oh!" Louis Quickpaw suddenly understood. "You mean them!"
"Of course it’s them—it can only be them," Marshal Silver sighed. "First, they’re perfectly suited to protect Master Tripitaka; second... they have to go, or the neighbors would get suspicious."
"Right, right! I’ll make the arrangements!" Louis Quickpaw exclaimed, immediately transforming into a flying insect and buzzing out the window. At the same time, Marshal Silver also turned into a flying insect and followed Tripitaka’s departing figure.
......
At this moment, Monkey still hovered high in the sky, monitoring Thunderclap Monastery. In the rear hall of the monastery, Venerable Lingji and Damon Six-Ears remained locked in confrontation.
"What scheme did you use?"
"A good scheme."
"What makes a scheme good?"
"A scheme that’s dangerous but effective—that’s a good scheme."
"Tell me!" Damon Six-Ears suddenly roared. "What’s the plot?"
"Can’t tell, can’t tell. If I did, it wouldn’t work anymore." Venerable Lingji replied with a broad smile. "But actually, they could see through it. It’s just that Monkey is cautious enough, but his memory... isn’t so great."
......
On the narrow street, townsfolk lined up on both sides, each with hands folded in silent anticipation.
Tripitaka walked at the very center.
Behind him, dozens of freshly tonsured monks followed closely, each carrying trays holding ritual implements borrowed from Thunderclap Monastery. Their expressions were nothing short of devout.
Soon, the procession reached an open square. At its center stood a one-zhang-high Blessing Platform, built from bamboo.
Tripitaka couldn’t help but stop.
He raised his head and saw only a stretch of gray sky. A chill wind blew by, making the bamboo at the top of the Blessing Platform tremble.
In the distance, Prince Adrian, the Little White Dragon, whispered nervously, "Why does this bamboo platform look so flimsy? Do you think they built it weak on purpose, so it could collapse and hurt Master Tripitaka?"
"Isn’t Marshal Silver with him?" Barry Bear muttered nearby. "No matter what, Marshal wouldn’t let a bamboo platform hurt Master Tripitaka. Besides, our brothers are already hidden among the crowd. Not just a falling platform—even if someone fired arrows at Master Tripitaka, he wouldn’t be harmed."
"Then what do you think Venerable Lingji set up such a grand stage for? It can’t just be for show, right?"
Barry Bear shook his head, baffled.
Tripitaka took a deep breath and stepped toward the tall platform, one step at a time.
At that moment, no one noticed the ritual implements placed at the four sides of the platform were quietly glowing.