Faithbreaker.
A faint breeze drifted by, causing a few fallen leaves on the surface of the pond to tremble, sending ripples outward.
More than a dozen fully armed guards marched in step along the path by the pond, passing slowly.
On the other side of the pond, atop the pavilion, Tripitaka lowered his head to sip his tea and softly asked, "Did Your Majesty understand what I just said?"
At these words, the king sitting across the round table froze for a moment, then hurriedly nodded, "Yes, yes! How could I not understand? The Buddhist truth I've pondered all my life but never grasped, Master Tripitaka has clarified in just a few words. Master Tripitaka is truly a Living Buddha. Gentlemen, don't you agree?"
With that, the king laughed heartily and glanced toward the ministers standing quietly to one side.
"His Majesty is right—Master Tripitaka is truly a Living Buddha." One minister gave Tripitaka a thumbs-up.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty, congratulations!" Another minister bowed deeply and said, "Master Tripitaka is a transcendent sage—now that Your Majesty has met him, surely the day of enlightenment is near."
Hearing this, the king laughed even more joyfully, while Tripitaka frowned slightly.
At the railing, Monkey had already grown extremely impatient, but held back his anger out of respect for Tripitaka.
The current situation was far beyond what he had expected at the outset.
He had thought it would be some kind of trap, just like their encounter in Cartwright Kingdom. But it turned out to be nothing of the sort.
This king kept declaring his intent to destroy Buddhism, calling the Buddhist Order nonsense, yet at Tripitaka’s persuasion, he agreed with every word and easily promised to treat the monks well and withdraw his anti-Buddhist edict. What’s more, he kept urging Tripitaka to preach…
Is this really someone who means to wage a life-or-death struggle against the Buddhist Order?
Others might believe it, but Monkey certainly did not.
He gave the impression of a child throwing a tantrum just to get the adults’ attention. No matter how much fuss he made, as soon as someone offered him a piece of candy, he would quiet down immediately.
Casting a cold glance at the king, who was grinning like a flower, Monkey leaned on his Golden Staff and strode over. "Enough. You've asked everything you wanted. Can we leave now?"
The king reined in his smile, looked up at Monkey, then glanced down at where Monkey’s staff touched the floor.
For a moment, everyone’s gaze followed his to the spot where the staff rested.
Monkey’s Golden Staff was extremely heavy. Though he usually kept its weight in check, it was still formidable. Even with just a few casual steps, he had inadvertently left a series of small dents in the hard floor.