Journey to the West: Tang Monk Conquers Everything-Chapter 541: Wutian: I Am a Good Person

"I have a question..."

At this moment, the always quiet and reserved Wujing suddenly spoke, "Aren't you afraid that we'll tell the Tathagata and let him prepare in advance?"

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"Heavenly Dao is destined; how could Tathagata reverse it?" Wutian Buddha glanced at Wujing and replied calmly.

"But aren't you afraid that the Tathagata will find a way to disrupt your arrangements? Although I am not clever, if I were to tell the Tathagata about this, with so many wise Buddhas in the Buddhist Sect, surely they could find a way to resolve it, couldn't they?" Wujing followed up.

"The great catastrophe between Immortals and Demons is a predestined event. I know this, as do Tathagata and the Jade Emperor. There's no need for secrecy!"

"As for my arrangements? Under this great momentum, conflicts are unavoidable. Even if they know, it would merely lead to an earlier conflict. What do I have to fear?" His expression remained calm, not showing excessive confidence, but rather a serene articulation as if discussing something very simple.

As soon as his words fell, Wutian's gaze returned to Jiang Liu, his eyes twinkling slightly—clearly, Jiang Liu held the most interest for him among the Scripture Seeking Team.

"Xuanzang, what are your thoughts on my plan?"

"I don't have specific thoughts, mostly just doubts!"

Without showing support or resistance, Jiang Liu looked directly at Wutian's gaze and said, "The great rise of the Demon Path during a catastrophic time will lead to consequences. You must know what those are. Is this truly your purpose—to turn the Three Realms and Six Paths into something akin to the Demon Realm?"

At this point, he paused briefly and then asked, "Or, do you want to experience what it feels like to control the Three Realms and Six Paths, to indulge in that thrill?"

"Xuanzang, you underestimate me too much!"

Shaking his head at Jiang Liu's words, Wutian seemed quite willing to converse with him, "I have a wish, that within these Three Realms and Six Paths, there shall no longer be any distinction between high and low, noble and common. Whether they are humans, deities, immortals, Buddhas, demons, or devils—it is all the same. As for your talk of controlling the Three Realms? That's merely a means to achieve this wish..."

"Heh..."

Hearing Wutian's words, Sun Wukong couldn't help but snicker derisively, "According to you, are you, the Demon Head, now the greatest benefactor in these Three Realms and Six Paths?"

"Being the supreme being of the Demon Realm, can't I be a good person? Don't you, this Monkey, understand the saying, 'extremes meet, and calamity turns to fortune'?"

Glancing at Sun Wukong, Wutian continued, "Or perhaps, according to your words, Monkey, those within Immortals and Buddhas, like the Jade Emperor and the Tathagata, should all be good people, and you respect them a lot?"

Sun Wukong: "..."

For Sun Wukong to say that the Tathagata and others are good people—Sun Wukong naturally would never say such a thing!

And this was exactly Wutian's point.

If, in your eyes, Tathagata among the Immortals and Buddhas is a bad person, then why can't I, Wutian, be a good person?

"It's truly laughable. According to him, he's still a good person!" Zhu Bajie and Wujing shook their heads.

Although they held grievances against individuals like the Tathagata and the Great Jade Emperor,

to say Wutian is a good person? They didn't believe it.

It's like in a country, although people may be dissatisfied with their own Emperor, if another country's Emperor comes to overthrow their Emperor claiming to rescue the citizens out of goodwill,

the citizens of that country wouldn't believe it!

"The distinction between good and evil is inherently blurred, no need for justification..." Hearing Sun Wukong and others debating the difference between good and evil with Wutian, Jiang Liu spoke.

Interrupting their conversation, he continued questioning Wutian, "Though the Heavenly Dao has decreed that three hundred years later, there will be a great calamity and the rise of the Demon Path, there's a saying that goes well, 'Fortunes rotate; the Heavenly Dao wouldn't let the Demon Path prosper forever, right?'"

"Indeed, Xuanzang, although you can't fully grasp the secrets of heaven, having such insight is truly extraordinary!" Jiang Liu's comment made Wutian nod in approval, his eyes showing even greater admiration.

He then candidly disclosed, "Heavenly Dao has decreed, three hundred years later in the great calamity, my Demon Path will rise, and the force of Immortals and Buddhas will weaken—this is destined for thirty-three years!"

"All said and done, it's only thirty-three years, which to Immortals and Buddhas is but a flick of a finger..." Hearing Wutian's remark, Sun Wukong and others secretly rolled their eyes.

They had thought that it would truly be the Demon Realm controlling the Three Realms and Six Paths for an age lasting millions of years.

Turns out, it's only for thirty-three years...

"Since you know it's only thirty-three years and once the time is over, everything will return to normal, why do you still act this way? Isn't this a futile effort?" Jiang Liu asked, puzzled.

Given the timeframe of thirty-three years, Jiang Liu didn't doubt it, after all, according to the later developments in Journey to the West, it was just so.

But nothing would change and it was only thirty-three years, yet Wutian still went to such lengths? This puzzled Jiang Liu even more.

"Xuanzang, do you know what is the most unfathomable thing between heaven and earth? The secrets of heaven?"

This was the first time Wutian didn't answer Jiang Liu's question directly but instead replied with another question.

Assuming the role of both questioner and respondent, without waiting for Jiang Liu to answer, Wutian Buddha shook his head and said, "No, you are wrong. While the secrets of heaven are elusive, the human heart is even more inscrutable by a thousandfold!"

As he spoke, Wutian's expression grew more intense, and his tone gradually elevated.

"This destiny decreed by the Heavenly Dao is indeed correct, but Immortals and Buddhas, themselves upholders of the Dao, seek personal gains, elevating the status of Immortals and Buddhas, making worldly people worship them—this is the greatest lie between heaven and earth..."

"Humans ought to be the protagonists of this world, yet Immortals and Buddhas, under the guise of the Deification Calamity, annihilated the Human Emperor, making the human race bow and worship Immortals and Buddhas!"

"Demons who do not submit are considered great enemies, and the Immortals and Buddhas, naming it evil, desire to extinguish them..."

"Heavenly Dao operates, with countless clans standing tall—how can there be high and low, noble and humble? Why should the Immortals and Buddhas reign supreme? What right do they have to act on behalf of Heaven?"

"Deification calamity? Journey to the West calamity? These are great calamities of the heavens and earth, predestined by the heavens; but on what basis do the Immortals and Buddhas plan everything?"

"Exterminate demons to protect the Dao? Such righteous words, yet they are merely a guise for eliminating those who are different..."

"If I were in charge of the Three Realms, I would surely make all clans equal, without distinctions of high or low, noble or humble! At that time, even if it is only for thirty-three years, I would plant a seed of freedom in everyone's heart, a seed that one need not bow down or pay homage to others..."

"So, your so-called point is just about planting such a seed in the hearts of all beings in the Three Realms and Six Paths?"

Seeing Wutian Buddha's impassioned words, Jiang Liu was silent for a long time before he spoke.

"Exactly, just for this seed! It seems simple, but to plant such a seed in the hearts of all beings in the world, a seed powerful enough to overturn the mountains within, is not easy!" Nodding his head, Wutian Buddha replied, his voice returning to calm.

"Great ambition!" Wutian's words made Jiang Liu nod in agreement internally.

When he first learned of his intentions, Jiang Liu was quite impressed.

But as he came to understand the ultimate truth behind it, Jiang Liu felt even greater admiration.

Perhaps Little White Dragon, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing are all from Heavenly Court, so they do not believe in Wutian's words.

Even Sun Wukong does not believe him.

However, as someone who had crossed over, Jiang Liu believed Wutian's words.

As the supreme ruler of the Demon Realm, but viewing his actions and their purpose from the perspective of the Three Realms and Six Paths, he could indeed be considered a good person!

This, in his eyes, was like someone in the Mortal World preparing to end the monarchical feudal system!

Having lived for decades in a modern society, then to return to a feudal system and bow down? That was what he wanted to plant in people's hearts, right?

"Why do you tell me all this!?"

Although he had been pleased to learn a lot from his long conversation with Wutian, Jiang Liu was puzzled.

Suddenly, why did Wutian specifically tell him all these things?

"Why, indeed?"

Wutian, with a calm demeanor, as if casually speaking, "Perhaps because I admire you, I ended up talking so much unintentionally, or maybe it's because I admire Ksitigarbha who almost had a fallout with the Buddhist Sect, that today I also admire you, and decided that you too might eventually have a fallout with the Demon Realm?"

"Wutian..."

As Wutian Buddha's words ended, just then, a voice echoed between heaven and earth, directly calling Wutian's name.

And with the sound of this voice, even Sun Wukong's eyes flashed with a hint of hatred.

"Is it Tathagata Buddha who has come!?" Hearing this voice, Jiang Liu was also shocked, not expecting Tathagata Buddha to personally come.

However, considering the significance of the Journey to the West for the Buddhist Sect, it was not surprising that Tathagata Buddha would come in person.

"Nonsense!"

Though his mind was stirred, Jiang Liu reacted quickly, directly scolding Wutian, "You are the supreme ruler of the Demon Realm; do you really think these words can shake my Zen heart?"

In response to Xuanzang's scolding, Wutian looked at him deeply, not getting angry, but his lips subtly curling up instead.

"Buddha..."

Just then, a figure in a black robe, with a panicked expression, ran into the hall, shouting at Wutian, "That, that Tathagata, he has personally come to the Demon Realm!"

"It's just Tathagata, why panic!?" Waving his hand, Wutian spoke nonchalantly.

Tathagata Buddha personally coming was evidently within Wutian's expectations.

As he spoke, Wutian led the way out of the great hall.

"Master, what about us?" Watching Wutian step out of the hall, Zhu Bajie and the others inquired.

"Since he hasn't restricted our movements, let's also go out and see," considering Zhu Bajie's question, Jiang Liu replied and said.

As his words fell, the Journey to the West Team, led by Jiang Liu, also started walking out of the great hall.

The people in black robes nearby intended to stop them, but thinking twice, they did not make a move.

What would follow was the main event between Wutian Buddha and Tathagata Buddha; whether they could leave the Demon Realm was mainly dependent on the outcome between them.

Whether the Journey to the West Team left the great hall or not didn't determine anything.