Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao-Chapter 316 - 92: The Truth

Monkey and his companions had left the Kingdom of Tarrycat and continued on their way, unaware that the deaths of the Three Immortals had nearly sparked a great war between Buddhism and Taoism.

However, they found that the people of the Kingdom of Tarrycat were not friendly towards them, each passing citizen glared at them with hatred.

The eerie atmosphere baffled the four disciples, whereas the monks seemed elated.

"Brother Monkey, something doesn’t feel right, why do these people look at us as if they bear a deep grudge?" Bajie whispered into Monkey’s ear.

Monkey also frowned, though he did not care about the stares from the crowd, this kind of hatred stemming from the heart made him very uncomfortable.

Therefore, he did not answer Bajie’s query but instead continued westward with a cold face, completely ignoring the gazes of people around him, though the anger in his heart burned intensely, a pressing atmosphere lingering among the four of them.

Once they had left the city gates of the Kingdom of Tarrycat and reached a deserted area, Monkey suddenly lifted his Golden Hoop and furiously smashed it into the ground, attempting to vent all the frustration inside him.

The Golden Hoop struck the earth, emitting a tremendous booming sound, and a large pit appeared before the four of them.

The other three looked at the furious Monkey in astonishment, speechless, when suddenly an old man with all white hair and beard emerged from the ground, wearing an official’s hat, and holding a peach wood staff—it was the Earth God of this Kingdom of Tarrycat.

No sooner had the old man appeared than he shouted, "Great Saint, calm your anger! What commands do you have for this humble god?"

Monkey approached the Earth God, his gaze icy as he spoke, "I must ask you, what exactly is the matter with the citizens of the Kingdom of Tarrycat? Why do they all have such hostility towards us?"

Upon hearing this, the Earth God’s face showed a troubled expression, and he remained silent for a long while.

Monkey grew impatient and picked up the Golden Hoop threateningly, "Speak quickly, or else my iron rod is not so discerning of where it strikes."

The Earth God glanced at the Golden Hoop in Monkey’s hand, his face instantly turning pale, having heard of its formidable power, a mere brush would injure, a direct hit would kill, how could his feeble body withstand such a blow.

"Great Saint, what you do not know is that the Kingdom of Tarrycat is a notoriously arid land, previously suffering droughts for nine years out of ten, therefore rendering the lives of its people extremely difficult, causing many young folks to flee, leaving this place even more desolate."

"Later, three Great Immortals from Zhongnan Mountain, proficient in rain summoning, arrived; they periodically cast spells to cause the heavens to pour, instantly transforming the living conditions here."

"Over these few years, because of these Three Immortals, the citizens of the Kingdom of Tarrycat finally led better lives, and although these three Great Immortals indulged themselves, they neither exploited nor schemed for power but wholly dedicated themselves to promoting the Taoist Laws."

"For the common people, who they believe in is not important, as long as they can live a prosperous life; thus, the Three Immortals were greatly cherished here."

"You, Great Saint, fought a magical combat with the Three Immortals, causing their untimely deaths, leaving the citizens of the Kingdom of Tarrycat without protection, soon to face droughts again, how could they show you a friendly face?"

Upon these words from the Earth God, the faces of all four disciples changed, for they had fought the Three Immortals in magical combat, always believing they were demons causing chaos throughout the world, never imagining that these were the protectors who safeguarded the land and ensured the well-being of its people.

"But, this is completely different from what those monks said!" Tang Monk exclaimed in confusion. His face had turned pale, and he already had an ominous suspicion.

"The Holy Monk does not know that the monks of the Kingdom of Tarrycat have never been involved in production and have always lived on the offerings from believers. However, the arrival of the Three Immortals caused most of the people here to convert to Taoism. Without offerings, their lives naturally became difficult, and the harder their lives, the more devoted they became."

The words of the Earth God made it difficult for Tang Monk to accept this; he could not believe that there were such people in Buddhism.

He said incredulously, "Could it be that everything these monks have said is false?"

"The persecution is real; the proposal by the Three Immortals, however, is false. It’s because they could not bring rain and did not produce anything, only demanding offerings from believers. As such, they were already disliked by the king and officials. When the Three Immortals proposed to build a Taoist Temple, those idle monks immediately came to mind, thus the scene the Holy Monk witnessed."

"What a bunch of liars these monks are, they truly disgrace the reputation of Buddhism, and here we are, wrongly playing the villains," Monkey complained angrily.

Tang Monk, however, softly chanted a Buddhist mantra, his tone grave as he said, "Talking about this now is of no help. However, because of this the Kingdom of Tarrycat has been hit by one disaster after another, leaving the people unable to sustain themselves — this is my fault."

Saying this, he stopped walking and turned his head back toward the Kingdom of Tarrycat.

Panic-stricken, Bajie quickly grabbed him and asked urgently, "Master, where are you going? The road to the west is this way."

Tang Monk spoke with firm resolve, "I’m not going any further. Having harmed the people of a whole country, how can I have the face to proceed to Mount Ling and face the Buddha Ancestor? I vowed to obtain the True Scriptures solely to save all beings. Now that countless lives are in crisis because of me, how can I just ignore it? Therefore, I have decided to go back to the Kingdom of Tarrycat until I can resolve this issue, and then I will set out again."

Bajie looked at Tang Monk’s resolute face in surprise, seeing him in a new light for the first time. Compared to those high and mighty immortals and Buddhas who disregard human life and death, Tang Monk’s compassionate heart seemed particularly precious.

But he also knew that Tang Monk had a significant responsibility, and the gods and Buddhas in the heavens would not allow him to turn back.

"Master, wait," Monkey interrupted. "As a mere mortal, even if you return to the Kingdom of Tarrycat, what can you change? You’ll just be another person suffering there. It would be better to continue westward, obtain the True Scriptures, and save those suffering in hardship."

"I prefer suffering with all beings to standing idly by and watching them suffer," Tang Monk said resolutely. This situation was caused by him, and he had made up his mind; he would not proceed westward until it was resolved.

"Master, don’t be hasty, let Old Monkey finish talking,"

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"You are a mortal, but I am not. You all go ahead first. Wait for Old Monkey for a few days, and I will surely make the Kingdom of Tarrycat prosper again. Besides, I travel fast and will catch up with you once things are settled," Monkey explained his plan, which made Tang Monk’s eyes light up.

He was well aware of his eldest disciple’s abilities, and given Monkey’s extensive connections, he trusted Monkey’s promise.

Thus, he nodded gently and said, "Wukong makes a good point. Since this issue arose because of us, it is naturally up to us to resolve it. Your sense of responsibility and compassionate heart do not put our master-disciple relationship to shame."

Having dissuaded Tang Monk from returning, Monkey then called Bajie and Sand Monk to his side and said, "I will stay here for a few days; you must take good care of the master. I will catch up with you soon."