"Great Thunderclap Temple?" When Tripitaka heard this name, he was slightly surprised.
However, the one who was even more shocked was Monkey.
When Monkey heard this name, his entire expression changed.
Off to the side, Prince Adrian was still muttering to himself: "This is Great Thunderclap Temple? That's ridiculous. I haven't actually been to the real Great Thunderclap Temple, but at least build it on a mountain. How can you call it Great Thunderclap Temple without Spirit Mountain?"
"Looks like a trap. No way, we can't let Master Tripitaka go in."
"A trap is a trap, but this isn't a covert scheme—it's an open one."
Marshal Silver's casual remark instantly woke everyone up. All eyes turned to him at once.
"An open scheme, that's for sure." Monkey's face looked even worse. He took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and said slowly, "This is a Great Thunderclap Temple before the real one—it's openly toying with us. Search every corner of this town, leave no stone unturned. Not even a single fly gets past!"
"Yes, sir!" came the reply, and all the demons immediately scattered, melting into the moonlit night.
In an instant, only Monkey, Prince Adrian, the Black Bear Demon, Marshal Silver, and Curtain-Lifter—the original five of the Westward party—were left standing.
Monkey shot Prince Adrian a sidelong glance and said, "You go too. Reach out to anyone you can. Find out if the Buddhist Order has someone called the Buddha from the East, and whether he has a subordinate named Old Ancestor Yellow-Brows."
"O-okay... okay." Prince Adrian nodded hurriedly, clearly startled.
...
By now, the carriage had already entered the small town.
Children chased after the carriage along the street, laughing and shouting, drawing everyone's attention. The whole scene was lively and festive.
"Is that the County Heir's carriage? The Old County Prince is here! The Old County Prince has arrived!"
With all the commotion, the people gathered in front of the county prince's manor immediately craned their necks, eager for a glimpse.
As soon as the carriage arrived, it was surrounded by a crowd.
Getting out of the carriage, the Old County Prince began greeting the enthusiastic townsfolk and catching up on old times. After years apart, the old man could barely recognize who was who, yet he was so moved that tears streamed down his face and he couldn't stop crying.
Tripitaka, meanwhile, was left off to the side, with only the County Heir for company.
"Master Tripitaka, please don't take offense. Right now everyone is waiting for my father to arrive, so nobody's really in the mood to listen to anything else. Tomorrow I'll formally introduce you to everyone. You've had a long journey—please rest for the night."
"Thank you for your arrangements, County Heir." Tripitaka replied respectfully with a bow.
Amid the lively atmosphere, Tripitaka simply watched in silence. Occasionally, a sharp-eyed villager would notice him and try to greet him, but the County Heir would politely intercept each one.
Before long, the crowd surged like a tide, escorting the Old County Prince inside.
Just before entering the manor, Tripitaka quietly asked, "Earlier, you mentioned there's a Buddhist temple in town called Great Thunderclap Temple. I was wondering..."
"Oh, I almost forgot." The County Heir snapped out of his excitement and quickly apologized, "That's the temple built by the Holy Buddha. He's currently living there as well. Now that my father is back, tomorrow morning I need to offer incense and fulfill my vow. I hope you'll come with me then, Master Tripitaka, so you can meet the Holy Buddha too."
"Thank you, County Heir." Tripitaka bowed respectfully again.
...
Soon, the demons sent out to investigate began to return with all sorts of news.
"This place is called Thunderhill County. Apparently, it's named after the town's temple, Great Thunderclap Temple. There are a lot of odd things about it."
“All the buildings in Thunderhill County are new, just recently completed. Many more are still under construction.”
Just a few months ago, this place was nothing but barren desert. In only a few months, it has become a land of fish and rice, with a new town built up. All the people here are originally from Phoenix County. Inside and out, there are several thousand residents.
The Great Thunderclap Temple appeared overnight, raised without any help from the townsfolk. The monks in the temple are all outsiders; none are from Phoenix County. Even when some grateful residents tried to become monks here, they were all politely refused. The reason is still unknown.
That so-called 'Holy Buddha'—actually Venerable Lucas Ling in mortal guise—has always lived in the temple, rarely seen and keeping to himself. It's said he radiates golden light—probably Buddha's light. He must be a genuine Buddha.
Aside from the Great Thunderclap Temple, nothing else in town seems unusual. For now, we haven't found any cultivators. That's about all there is.
After hearing his subordinates' reports, Monkey couldn't help but stroke his chin, his eyes slowly turning to Prince Adrian (the Little White Dragon). "And you?"
"Never heard of the Buddha from the East, and Old Ancestor Yellow-Brows doesn't ring a bell either."
"You're sure?"
"I'm sure." Prince Adrian nodded emphatically. "I've asked everyone I could—except... except my father, the Dragon King."
The Bull Demon King clasped his hands and said, "Great Sage, what should we do next?"