"Bodhisattva..."
Tripitaka and Ao Luan opened their mouths but couldn't find the words to refuse. They had just praised Guanyin, making her feel so pleased taking it back now would feel like a slap in the face.
"So, what do you think? How's my idea?"
Guanyin posed with a proud expression, clearly delighted with her own suggestion.
"Bodhisattva truly is the Bodhisattva, with more decisiveness than Old Sun here. A Dragon-Tortoise is indeed the best choice; I'm genuinely impressed!" Monkey King said sincerely, though inwardly he was thrilled: It's still a tortoise! While the more powerful figures could tell it was a Dragon-Tortoise, ordinary people would just think it was a tortoise.
However, Guanyin seemed slightly displeased. She had expected praise from all three of them, yet only Monkey King approved, which left her unsatisfied.
"You two, do you have any objections?" Guanyin eyed Tripitaka and Ao Luan, her gaze sharp.
Tripitaka stiffened and quickly shook his head. "No objections; this is perfect—truly wise!"
As for Ao Luan, he was even more decisive, immediately transforming into a Dragon-Tortoise to demonstrate his acceptance. Objections? Hah! His father had already sent him here—what choice did he have?
"Good!" Guanyin smiled contentedly. After placing a restriction on Ao Luan, she said, "Prepare yourselves and continue on your journey west." She then rose on her lotus throne and floated away.
"Ding! Congratulations, Host, for altering the Journey to the West. You have gained +50,000 karma points!"
Tripitaka stared at the Dragon-Tortoise before him, unsure where to step, and cast an accusatory glance at Monkey King. "Wukong, you don't love me anymore!"
"Shut it! If you keep talking like that, I'll end you!"
Monkey King kicked Tripitaka onto the Dragon-Tortoise's back, glaring furiously.
Lying on the Dragon-Tortoise's back, Tripitaka tested it out and found it surprisingly spacious, much more comfortable than horseback. He quickly took a liking to it.
"Off we go!" Tripitaka commanded, setting off on the Dragon-Tortoise. Ao Luan, meanwhile, felt utterly miserable, doubting Tripitaka's reliability. But with Guanyin's restriction in place, he had no choice but to suppress his indignation and carry on, bearing Tripitaka westward.
Soon, Tripitaka noticed the difference—the Dragon-Tortoise was indeed more stable than a horse. And with its brback, he could even lie down for a nap.
"Wukong, I misjudged you. You really do care about me!" Tripitaka looked at Monkey King with tearful eyes.
"You idiot, Old Sun is going to end you!"
Monkey King immediately pulled out his golden cudgel, chasing after Tripitaka.
"Little Tortoise, faster!"
Seeing that Monkey King was genuinely angry, Tripitaka hurried Ao Luan along. Ao Luan's face turned green—he really was still a tortoise! But he hastened his pace; he was all too familiar with the weight of the golden cudgel and dreaded a swing from it.
The journey continued with endless chases and escapes, over hills and valleys, with not a single jolt. Tripitaka felt no discomfort, eventually even dozing off on Ao Luan's back. By late afternoon, hunger finally roused him. Glancing at Monkey King, he signaled, "Wukong, your master is hungry."
"There's a temple up ahead; there should be plenty of food there!"
Monkey King pointed to a monastery in the distance—the Guanyin Monastery.
Tripitaka squinted at the temple, considering it for a moment before saying, "Wukong, they're vegetarians. We're not exactly on the same page. I want meat; maybe we should bypass it?"
Ao Luan stumbled, nearly collapsing.
Tripitaka swayed from the impact. "Huh? Little Tortoise, are you tired? Very well, let's rest here for the night." He glanced at the Dragon-Tortoise, making arrangements for the night.
Monkey King was speechless. Ao Luan isn't tired—he's scared! Still, he said nothing. He knew that the Guanyin Monastery was part of the Buddhist sect's scheme, containing two tests along their journey. Skipping it would be impossible.
In the original tale, this particular trial arose from Monkey King's rivalry with the monastery's abbot, Master Jinchi, over their Buddhist relics, which sparked Master Jinchi's greed. In the dead of night, he tried to burn Tripitaka alive to steal the Brocade Cassock. But Wukong now had no interest in competing over any relics. Such trinkets held no appeal for him.
With his disinterest, however, this pair of trials might not occur. Then again, Monkey King realized, it might still happen. While the root of this calamity was his own rivalry, the cause stemmed from Master Jinchi's greed. As long as the Buddhists engineered an opportunity for Jinchi to see the Brocade Cassock, the trial would proceed.
He needed a way to remove this trial. If he could disrupt all ninety-nine tribulations, he'd love to see what the Buddhist sect would do then.
When in doubt, ask the System.
"System, if I store something in the System's space, can the Sages track it?"
Indeed, Monkey King's plan was to stash the Brocade Cassock in his System space to keep it hidden, provided that the Sages couldn't detect it.
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