Tathagata didn't say a word. He merely half-opened his eyes and quietly looked toward the entrance of Great Thunderclap Monastery.
A moment later, Golden-Headed Guardian Deity rushed into the Great Hall, shouting urgently, "Tathagata… Tathagata, something terrible has happened! Golden Cicada Spirit has been killed by Monkey King!"
This single statement set off waves of shock.
"What?"
"How could this happen?"
"How could the pilgrim possibly die?"
"And it was Monkey King who killed him?"
"Am I dreaming?"
The pilgrim was the key to Buddhism's rise and was protected by divine guardians at all times. How could he possibly be killed—especially by his appointed disciple?
"What exactly happened?" demanded Tathagata, his face dark with anger. Unable to discern the situation through his own calculations, he hoped that Golden-Headed Guardian Deity could shed some light on the matter.
"It's like this…" Golden-Headed Guardian Deity recounted the events in detail.
Tathagata and the assembled Tathagatas were left dumbfounded.
Just moments before, Monkey King had pledged to escort Tripitaka to the Western Paradise. Then, without warning, he had smashed him dead with a single blow. The audacity of it was shocking.
"Could it be that the monkey's wild nature is unrestrained?" Bodhisattva Guanyin muttered to herself, doubting what she was seeing. She activated her Clairvoyance to view the events directly.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for altering the course of the Journey to the West. Karma Points +1,000,000!"
A million Karma Points! Monkey King could do big things in the system's shop now. However, he didn't have time to explore his options. With Tripitaka dead, he was certain many eyes were now fixed on this spot, so he figured it was best to play it safe for the moment.
"Master, did you reach the Western Paradise yet? Let me know when you finish retrieving the scriptures, and I'll come pick you up!" Monkey King crouched beside Tripitaka's remains, calling out with genuine sentiment.
Unable to remain hidden, the Four Heavenly Guardians appeared beside him.
"Monkey King, do you even know who he is?" asked Silver-Headed Guardian Deity solemnly.
"Of course! Isn't he the pilgrim you arranged for the journey?" Monkey King replied nonchalantly.
"Then why did you kill him? He was your master!"
"Bodhisattva told me to send him to the Western Paradise, didn't she? A single blow should've sent him there instantly. Did he not arrive?" Monkey King asked in apparent confusion, scratching his head.
"Bodhisattva meant for you to escort the pilgrim to retrieve the scriptures!" Maha Deva exclaimed, exasperated.
"Yes, and I've sent him to the Western Paradise already. Just hand him the scriptures, and it's done. Easy as that!" Monkey King replied without a hint of concern.
The devas exchanged silent looks: What he said… made so much sense, they were left speechless.
Watching the entire exchange through Clairvoyance, Bodhisattva Guanyin nearly spat out blood.
So, he kills the pilgrim and expects her to take the blame? This monkey was impossible to reason with!
Gnashing her teeth in anger, Bodhisattva Guanyin sensed that even the other Tathagatas were casting her strange looks. After all, she had played a significant role in arranging the Eighty-One Trials and had persuaded both Golden Cicada Spirit and Monkey King into their respective roles. If she had truly wanted the pilgrim dead, all it would take was a few words.
And not even Tathagata could divine the anomaly in this situation.
It made sense.
It was plausible.
It matched the circumstances.
The more the Tathagatas thought about it, the more they found the reasoning convincing.
"Tathagata, I—" Bodhisattva Guanyin began, trying to explain herself.
"No need to say more. I know this matter has nothing to do with you," Tathagata replied, a mysterious expression on his face as if he already understood everything.
"Merciful Tathagata!" Bodhisattva Guanyin bowed in gratitude, relieved that Tathagata didn't suspect her. At the same time, she vowed to make Monkey King pay. the Band-tightening Spellwould be arriving soon for Tripitaka, and she planned to chant its mantra frequently for some personal satisfaction.
"Tathagata, Tripitaka's mission is of great importance. We must revive him without delay," said Lantern-Carrier Ancient Tathagata.
Tathagata frowned. Of course, he knew they needed to revive Tripitaka quickly. But due to Tripitaka's unique spiritual status, reviving him would require a Nine-Revolutions Resurrection Golden Pill.
This pill wasn't merely valuable—it was priceless—and they would need to obtain it from The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord. Tathagata doubted The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord would simply hand it over to resurrect Tripitaka.
"Sigh! Bodhisattva Guanyin, take ten Tathagata Relic Pearls and journey to Tusita Palace," Tathagata instructed, resigned to the cost.
These Tathagata Relic Pearls were the crystallized essence left by Da Luo Golden Immortals after attaining nirvana and were exceedingly rare even in Buddhism. Yet now they had to offer ten of them to exchange for a single pill to revive a mortal.
Blue in the face with grief, Tathagata could only endure.
"By Tathagata's decree!" Bodhisattva Guanyin bowed deeply and left.
She retrieved the ten Tathagata Relic Pearls from the Buddhist treasury and set off for Tusita Palace in Lihen Tian.
"Well done! Merciful Tathagata!" the assembled Tathagatas praised Tathagata, though they too felt the sting of the loss.
After Bodhisattva Guanyin's departure, Tathagata did not resume his sermon. Instead, he left Great Thunderclap Monastery himself.
He needed to report the current situation to the Two Saints in the Land of Ultimate Bliss beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens.
Since he was convinced that this incident was not Bodhisattva Guanyin's doing, it was clear that a hidden conspiracy lay behind it. Only the actions of a saint could be hidden even from Tathagata's calculations.
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