Early the next morning, the Old County Prince and his son set out with Tripitaka.
Amid the scorching heat, a carriage creaked westward across the endless Gobi Desert. Sand and stones flew all around, and behind them, a vast host of demons followed in secret—a sight both grand and terrifying.
Fortunately, the Old County Prince and his son were completely unaware.
At this moment, they were still immersed in gratitude toward Tripitaka.
The Old County Prince believed only a high monk could summon wind and rain with a gesture, and the County Heir trusted his father's words completely. The two praised Tripitaka in turns, nearly raising him to the heavens.
Perhaps only Tripitaka himself was aware of the awkwardness in all this.
Amid their praises, Tripitaka always remained silent, occasionally glancing eastward. Though journeying west, perhaps it was only now that he truly longed for the east.
In the driest place, there was a well he had dug with his own hands. It could have saved many lives, but now it would only be forgotten in a deserted corner—perhaps no one would ever use its water.
The rickety carriage creaked and groaned as it jolted along. The Old County Prince and the County Heir took turns conversing with Tripitaka, as if afraid that neglecting him for a moment would offend the Buddha himself.
Faced with such a scene, Tripitaka could only force a bitter smile.
He had no idea who the so-called 'Holy Buddha' was, but he was almost certain that the act of mercy was related to himself—though it was absolutely not because he had 'moved the Buddha to compassion,' as the Old County Prince and his son claimed.
If the Buddha could truly be swayed by emotion, then there would be no need for him to walk this Westward road at all.
Eighty-one thousand li—a distance mortals could scarcely imagine. Yet, compared to the path of attaining Dao, even that seems too far to reach.
Slowly closing his eyes, Tripitaka waited in silence for the moment he would meet the 'Holy Buddha' spoken of by the County Heir.
Without question, Tripitaka’s mood at this moment could be captured in just two words—helpless resignation.
Yet, if helplessness were to be measured, there was someone who felt it even more keenly than he did.
……
“Master, I heard from Damon Six-Ears that you promised to rescue Aiden Chen. I want to know—when will you act?” As she spoke, Clara Heart’s gaze was sharp as a blade, and her tone held a trace of hostility.
Her smile looked as bitter as a gourd.
At her words, Master Sage Subhuti merely sighed, lifted his gaze to the sky, and said nothing. Lord Lao, standing nearby, could barely suppress a smile.
This reaction confirmed Clara Heart’s initial suspicion, leaving a bitter anger lodged in her chest, making her even more restless.
“Master, are you just brushing off Damon Six-Ears?”
Master Sage Subhuti still said nothing, while Lord Lao beside him nearly burst out laughing.
Clara immediately glared at Lord Lao. “If Master Subhuti won’t help, then how about you, Master Lao?”
“Uh…” Lord Lao was caught off guard by the question and quickly said, “He’s the one who promised. Why come to me?”
“He’s your grand-disciple too!”
“Didn’t he enter Crescent Star Cave? He’s not from my Tushita Palace.”
“I’m from Crescent Star Cave too!” Clara’s anger flared. She shot to her feet, eyes blazing, and shouted, “I knew it wouldn’t be so easy! When I was trapped in Lionback Kingdom, you ignored me. Now Aiden Chen is taken, and you still do nothing! What’s the point of having two masters like you?”
Faced with her glare, Lord Lao instantly lost his temper. He glanced at the silent Subhuti, quietly waved his hand, and pulled Clara aside, whispering, “How can you talk like that? We knew you weren’t in real danger, so we didn’t intervene. Of course we’ll save Aiden Chen, but not right now.”
“Not now? Then when?”
“When? Who knows?” Lord Lao spread his hands. “Aiden was taken by the Earth-Store King. Sure, we’re both his elders, but what leverage do we have with the Buddhist Order? Besides, this is all tangled up with Tripitaka’s Westward Quest. Aiden Chen is just an unimportant child. Are you asking us to trade something crucial just to get him back?”
“I’m just an unimportant child too! What, are you going to sell me off someday as well?”
“Watch your mouth! How can you talk like that?”
“That’s exactly how I’ll talk! Listen or don’t!” Clara crossed her arms, cheeks puffed with anger, refusing to say another word.
Master Sage Subhuti simply closed his eyes, clearly unwilling to intervene. Seeing this, Lord Lao tugged Clara’s sleeve, pulled her farther aside, and whispered, “Girl, Aiden Chen is my grand-disciple, so of course I care about his safety.”
“Really?” Clara eyed Lord Lao with suspicion.
“Of course it’s true.” Lord Lao gave an awkward smile, gestured with his hands, and lowered his voice. “But he’s not in any real danger, is he? He’s just cultivating Buddhism—not like he’s losing his life. Even if he did, we could revive him. Even if his soul scattered… heh, there are ways to gather it back. It’s just a matter of time. Just a matter of time.”
“So you’re telling me nothing at all?”
“How is that nothing?” Lord Lao feigned confusion. “Didn’t I say everything? Look, he’s not in any danger. Over at the Buddhist Order, he’ll be well cared for—good food, good clothes. Who knows, maybe even—ow!”
Before he could finish, Clara stomped hard on Lord Lao’s shoe, making him yelp in pain.
“You’re getting more and more outrageous—ow! My beard!”
Clara gave Lord Lao’s beard a hard yank, then shot Subhuti a glare before storming off.
Behind her, Lord Lao hurriedly called out, “This concerns the Westward Quest—don’t let Damon Six-Ears find out that Master Subhuti isn’t saving Aiden Chen! If he learns, we’ll be in real trouble!”
Spinning around, Clara snatched a stone from the ground and hurled it fiercely at Lord Lao.
But Lord Lao was quick and dodged, only for the stone to smack Subhuti in the forehead behind him.
Subhuti, who had been quietly meditating, took the blow without flinching, save for a slight twitch, then fell completely silent again.
Watching Clara’s retreating figure, Lord Lao put his hands on his hips and let out a long sigh, forcing a wry smile. “Look at the trouble you’ve stirred up… Sigh… Clara Heart must truly resent me now. All these years, she’s never lost her temper at me like this. What a senseless disaster.”
After speaking, he glanced at Subhuti and said, “She’s gone. Are you still pretending?”
Only then did Subhuti open his eyes, giving Lord Lao a helpless look. He slowly said, “It’s just a young girl’s temper—it’ll pass once she vents it. There’s no explaining this; we just have to endure.”
Lord Lao rolled up his sleeves, walked back to his cushion, sat down, grabbed a pastry, and began to chew, chuckling lightly. “Why is it that my disciples never embarrass me like yours do? I used to think the ones I took in weren’t as good, that maybe you had some secret method for teaching them. But now I see—it’s all luck! All my expectations were wasted.”
Subhuti simply ignored Lord Lao’s teasing.
After a brief silence, he spoke again, a hint of worry in his voice: “Do you think she’ll tell Damon Six-Ears the truth?”
“She won’t.” Lord Lao shook his head. “We’ve spoiled Clara Heart into recklessness, but when it comes to that Monkey, she’d never take risks. If it’s tied to the Westward Quest, she won’t mess around. Of course, whether she’ll try something else… who can say? For all we know, she’s already looking for help.”
With that, Lord Lao chuckled.
Beside him, Subhuti’s expression grew slightly more solemn.
At that moment, Clara Heart, now far away, quietly drew out a Jade Tablet and hesitated.
After a long pause, she took out another slip and pressed it to her lips.
In just five days, with a carriage and plenty of water and food, Tripitaka’s party crossed the Gobi Desert, leaving tiny Phoenix County behind and arriving in a stretch of emerald-green fields.
Seeing the green land, the Old County Prince almost thought his aging eyes were failing him, blinking repeatedly in disbelief.
“What’s… what’s going on? I remember this was all desert before—how has it changed so much?”
“I don’t know either,” the County Heir replied cheerfully. “It must be the Buddha’s divine power. I was just as shocked when I first arrived.”
In the distance, Tripitaka saw houses and rising smoke scattered across the hillsides. As they drew closer, more homes were still being built, the construction sites bustling with activity.
Many people, spotting the carriage along the winding road, immediately put down their work and waved greetings from afar. The Old County Prince happily leaned out the window, waving back with enthusiasm.
Inside the carriage, Tripitaka sat quietly. Looking up, he saw the County Heir glancing at him now and then, so he nodded and returned the smile.
Seeing this, the County Heir explained, “Everyone here knows each other. After years of wandering, finally having a place to call home, they were thrilled when I said I’d fetch my father. There are still a few elders left in Phoenix County. In the coming days, the carriage will make several trips, so they can reunite with their families.”
Tripitaka pressed his palms together and said softly, “You are broad-hearted.”
The carriage continued to roll forward.
Soon, they passed a vast expanse of farmland.
These were newly divided plots—the crops hadn’t even been planted yet.
As the fields grew denser, more people lined the road. By sunset, a small town appeared ahead.
Black tiles, white walls—new and neat, yet simple. Unlike other towns, this one had five seven-story pagoda towers at its center.
At the sight of those towers, Tripitaka couldn’t help but pause in surprise.
Beside him, the County Heir softly explained, “Those are the towers of the town’s Great Thunderclap Temple. The Buddha worked a miracle—they were built in a single night.”