Journey to the West: Tang Monk Conquers Everything-Chapter 494: Ninth Grade Merit Golden Lotus

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"May I ask why Bodhisattva Guanyin has come here today?" After exchanging greetings and pleasantries, Ksitigarbha did not waste any time beating around the bush and straightforwardly inquired about the purpose of Bodhisattva Guanyin’s visit.

"Amitabha, Ksitigarbha should already be aware!"

However, seeing that Ksitigarbha feigned ignorance, a smile may have been on the face of Guanyin, but inwardly she chastised him for pretending and said, "Recently, the Little White Dragon Aolie from the Scripture Seeking Team perished. He was once Crown Prince Aolie of the Western Sea Dragon Palace and had been enrolled among the Immortals. Surely, his lost soul should have come into the care of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha!"

"Indeed, he is with me!" On hearing the words of Guanyin, Ksitigarbha nodded slightly, showing no intention of denial.

"Just as I thought! Do all the lost souls of deceased Immortals and Buddhas fall into Ksitigarbha’s hands? Such power must be immense, perhaps even rivaling that of Tathagata!" Jiang Liu silently marveled at Ksitigarbha’s admission.

Though merely a Bodhisattva by rank, the authority he wielded was truly alarming.

"Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha must also be aware of the great significance of the Journey to the West for the Buddhist Sect. Therefore, I sincerely hope Bodhisattva will show mercy beyond the law, and return Aolie’s soul to us, allowing his revival so he may continue the grand endeavor of the westward journey for scriptures!" After Ksitigarbha acknowledged this, Guanyin revealed her purpose for coming.

However, upon Guanyin’s words, there was silence from Ksitigarbha.

Seeing Ksitigarbha remain silent, Guanyin’s expression darkened.

Although she had been prepared for this response, it was still difficult to accept. Had he really refused?

"Bodhisattva Guanyin, you know that returning the soul of Little White Dragon to you would be an act of grace beyond the law. As it is beyond the law, how could it possibly happen?" After a brief silence, Ksitigarbha spoke, refusing the request.

"Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha!"

Hearing the refusal from Ksitigarbha, Guanyin’s expression grew anxious, and she said, "The grand mission of the westward journey for scriptures is predestined by the Heavenly Dao, and Little White Dragon was one of the destined members of the scripture-seeking team. Although he has perished, if Bodhisattva were to return his lost soul to us, it would not be contrary to Heaven’s will!"

"If that is so, why not let the soul of the Little White Dragon be reincarnated and return to the Dragon Clan? In the future, he could once again transform into a white horse and head westward. Would that not be a solution that brings joy to all?" Ksitigarbha shook his head in response to Guanyin’s words, unwavering in his refusal.

The reincarnation of deceased Immortals and Buddhas into the care of Ksitigarbha is a matter decreed by the Heavenly Dao, and not even Ksitigarbha himself can bend the rules.

That’s why Guanyin pleaded with Ksitigarbha based on the Heavenly Dao-determined mission to retrieve the scriptures, hoping for some leniency.

However, the reasoning of Ksitigarbha seemed more sound. If Little White Dragon were to reincarnate and once again transform into a white horse, this would not only conform to the Heavenly Dao-determined mission, but he would also avoid showing partiality – isn’t this the perfect solution?

Though Ksitigarbha’s words made sense, the look on Guanyin’s face was strained as she said, "You know as well as I do, the gestation and transformation of the Dragon Clan takes thousands, if not tens of thousands of years. If that were the case, wouldn’t the Journey to the West be delayed by at least thousands of years, or even tens of thousands?"

While a delay of a few years in the Journey to the West isn’t of great concern for the Buddhist Sect, a delay spanning thousands, or tens of thousands of years, is unacceptable.

If it really came to that, wouldn’t her role as chief planner of this westward scripture-seeking expedition be considered a failure?

"A span of thousands of years is but the flick of a finger in time," Ksitigarbha responded, shaking his head, still showing no intention of yielding.

"Hiss, truly impartial indeed. Being part of the Buddhist Sect, he gives no face to Bodhisattva Guanyin! The relationship between the two is downright hostile, isn’t it?" Jiang Liu was internally shocked witnessing the verbal battle between Ksitigarbha and Guanyin.

Guanyin had argued the urgency of the Journey to the West, yet Ksitigarbha smoothly countered every point.

You say Little White Dragon Aolie is one of the predestined scripture seekers? Very well, I’m not stopping that – let him be reborn and then he can embark on the journey!

You say the mission to retrieve the scriptures is a grand affair decreed by the Heavenly Dao? I’m not obstructing it – it’s just that the matter will be postponed for eons!

As Jiang Liu watched the dialogue between the two Bodhisattvas, he felt entirely unable to interject. But from their exchange, it was evident that Ksitigarbha, although part of the Buddhist Sect, had a very strained relationship with its members!

After a long while, seeing that Ksitigarbha remained resolute, Guanyin’s expression grew increasingly somber as she too fell into silence.

"Amitabha, I wonder, what would it take for Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha to agree to return the soul of Little White Dragon? I understand the difficulty this poses for Bodhisattva, which is why I am willing to offer compensation," Guanyin said, her face stormy as she began referring to herself as "this humble one."

Merely asking would not suffice to reclaim the soul of Little White Dragon. Guanyin had no choice but to grit her teeth and offer compensation.

Even for a Bodhisattva noted for skimming off the top, Guanyin’s willingness to offer reparation indicated her profound distress.

"Bodhisattva Guanyin, you are also aware…"

Despite his steadfast refusal up to this point, the mention of compensation prompted Ksitigarbha to speak, "In this world, there are four lotuses. I hold the Ninth Grade Karmic Fire Red Lotus, consumed by boundless karmic fire. Despite my efforts over myriad years to purify it, the results have been minimal. Hence, if I could obtain the Ninth Grade Merit Golden Lotus to counterbalance the boundless karmic force with the power of merit, then perhaps I would no longer be troubled by the entanglement of boundless karmic fire…"

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"You want the Ninth Grade Merit Golden Lotus! Impossible!" Ksitigarbha’s blunt words caused Guanyin’s complexion to change drastically, and she looked at him in disbelief, exclaiming in shock.

The Ninth Grade Merit Golden Lotus, that’s one of the most supreme treasures within the Buddhist Sect.

"Amitabha Buddha..." However, in response to Guanyin’s exclamation, Ksitigarbha did not speak further; he merely chanted a Buddha’s name softly and then fell into silence.

Clearly, his stance was laid out here: either offer the Ninth Grade Merit Golden Lotus as compensation, or simply let Little White Dragon be reincarnated, and the Buddhist Sect could wait another ten thousand years to continue the Journey to the West for Scriptures.

Seeing Ksitigarbha in silence, Guanyin understood his implication, her face extremely gloomy.

Although Tathagata had long ago assured her free access to the entire treasure trove of the Buddhist Sect, a decision concerning the Ninth Grade Merit Golden Lotus was not one that Guanyin could easily make.

After a moment of silence, Guanyin bid Ksitigarbha farewell, and immediately, she took Jiang Liu and swiftly departed from Ksitigarbha’s Buddha Cave.

Ksitigarbha closed his eyes, seemingly entering meditation, and did not obstruct Guanyin’s departure.

"Unbelievable..." Jiang Liu, who had merely been an onlooker without interjecting, was inwardly astonished after witnessing the conflict between Guanyin and Ksitigarbha.

To the unaware, they might think their relationship was that of enemies, not of fellow sect members!

"Even though Ksitigarbha’s status is that of a Buddhist Bodhisattva, in reality, it’s probably in name only," Jiang Liu murmured to himself, having witnessed the confrontation between Ksitigarbha and Guanyin.

"Xuanzang, do you see? Trying to reclaim Little White Dragon’s lost soul from Ksitigarbha is too difficult. Although he is a Bodhisattva of our Buddhist Sect, his character... Well, it causes much of the sect, high and low, to have strong opinions about him," Guanyin mused silently, while walking away with Jiang Liu, also saying to him.

Hearing Guanyin speak ill of Ksitigarbha in front of him, Jiang Liu felt a subtle shift in his heart.

"So, did Guanyin bring me here today on purpose to see Ksitigarbha’s true colors, in hopes that it would create animosity within me toward him?" As he reflected on his role as an observer during the visit to the Underworld, and now with Guanyin’s intentional comments, Jiang Liu understood her intention.

"Bodhisattva, so we’re not going to reclaim Little White Dragon’s soul?" Despite his myriad of thoughts and personal ponderings, Jiang Liu masked them well, urgently looking at Guanyin as he asked.

"This is not a decision I can make; we must leave it to Buddha to judge!" Bringing Jiang Liu out of the Underworld and ascending to the Mortal World, Guanyin, with a sigh and a shake of her head, spoke.

After arriving in the Mortal World, Guanyin parted ways with Jiang Liu, seated herself upon the Lotus Platform, and flew off toward the Great Thunder Monastery of the Western Heaven.

Watching Guanyin’s departing figure, Jiang Liu’s eyes twinkled.

Guanyin knew that a confrontation with Ksitigarbha was inevitable and yet deliberately invited him to come along, with the intent of fostering ill will in him toward Ksitigarbha!

And Ksitigarbha, having already met with him before, seemed to have acknowledged the incident with the Dragon King of Jing River, and even offered him a few blessings—was that to give him a favorable first impression?

Considering this, could it be that Ksitigarbha had also been making early calculations?

Then, why were Guanyin and Ksitigarbha so concerned about his personal opinion of them?

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Because he is the core member of the Journey to the West Pilgrimage Team?

Yes, even Master Zhenyuan, a Quasi-Saint whose status should be above that of Tathagata, had sworn brotherhood with him, binding himself to the disciple of Tathagata?

"It seems that my value as the core member of the Journey to the West Pilgrimage Team is far greater than I imagined," Jiang Liu murmured to himself, considering these thoughts.

The Journey to the West is a great calamity, yet it is also associated with great merit!

...

Western Spirit Mountain, Great Thunder Monastery!

Putting aside Jiang Liu’s thoughts, at this point, Guanyin arrived at the Thunder Monastery and recounted everything that had happened to Tathagata.

With a slight bow, Guanyin felt uneasy in her heart.

She also knew that she had botched this mission.

(PS: Tonight is the eve of the New Year, and I want to remind everyone of a terrifying thing: at 23:59 tonight, by no means should you go to the bathroom, because if you do, you’ll be stuck there until next year...)