Rebirth in Journey to the West: Sun Wukong

Chapter 277: Chapter 277 Buddhist Sect’s Plot (First Update)

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Setting up the formation was not a difficult task for Sun Wukong and the other two; Sun Wukong had some research on formations. Although Erlang God Yang Jian and Nezha were not experts in this field, the formation was only meant to stabilize their stances and didn’t pose a challenge for them. Quickly, the three of them completed the arrangement, each sat cross-legged to cultivate in meditation, and waited for the spacetime black hole to arrive after ten days.

Heavenly Court, Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

“What brings Ran Deng Buddha and Guanyin Bodhisattva here?”

The Jade Emperor looked down at Ran Deng Buddha and Guanyin Bodhisattva standing below the steps of the great hall, feeling quite puzzled in his heart. Although on the surface, the Heavenly Court and the Western Buddhist Sect seemed harmonious, in reality, they were constantly competing for the power of faith and territories of worshippers. Why would Ran Deng Buddha and Guanyin Bodhisattva come together to the Heavenly Court without any particular reason?

“Amitabha!”

Ran Deng Buddha and Guanyin Bodhisattva chanted the Buddha’s name in unison. Ran Deng Buddha gestured for Guanyin Bodhisattva to speak, but Guanyin Bodhisattva ignored him completely, looking serene as if in deep contemplation.

“Damn it!”

Ran Deng Buddha was secretly furious. However, he no longer had the Sword of Slaying Immortal, and his new Innate Spiritual Treasure was not as powerful. The Domain Power he could exert was significantly weaker than the Slaying Immortal Domain. He no longer had enough strength to suppress Guanyin Bodhisattva and could only bitterly clench his teeth in frustration.

“Your Majesty the Jade Emperor, our Buddha Tathagata has sent us to help in subduing the demon monkey Sun Wukong,” said Ran Deng Buddha as he gave a Buddhist salute to the Jade Emperor.

“Subdue the demon monkey Sun Wukong?”

The Jade Emperor raised his eyebrows, “Sun Wukong is a Naval Deputy General of our Heavenly River Navy, where does the question of subduing him arise?”

“Your Majesty, let’s not beat around the bush. Is that demon monkey Sun Wukong truly just a Naval Deputy General?”

A hint of disdainful, cold sneer appeared and disappeared at the corner of Ran Deng Buddha’s mouth, “Foreign types have different hearts. That demon monkey is one of the Demon Race, with a base at the Flower-Fruit Mountain in the East Victorious Divine Continent. He has been secretly building and amassing strength all these years. Can such a person truly be content with being a mere Naval Deputy General in the Heavenly Court? A hidden dragon lies in waiting not but for the day it soars above the nine heavens. Your Majesty, do you really have no precautions against him?”

“This…”

The Jade Emperor frowned. He wanted to rebuke Ran Deng Buddha’s words, but every sentence struck a chord with his deepest concerns. Regarding Sun Wukong, he indeed did not feel at ease!

“Your Majesty, you must have seen clearly the potential and strength of the demon monkey. Now a Daluo Golden Immortal, he can already contend with Quasi-Saints, even Half-Step Saints. If he breaks through to the Quasi-Saint Realm or attains sainthood, who within the Three Realms could subdue him? If we do not act now to nip this in the bud, I fear we will no longer have the chance later!”

Ran Deng Buddha’s words deepened the frown on the Jade Emperor’s face. He waved his hand to dismiss the immortals and gods, who all promptly left the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, leaving only the Jade Emperor, Ran Deng Buddha, and Guanyin Bodhisattva remaining.

“Did Ancestral Buddha mention how to subdue that demon monkey Sun Wukong?”

The Jade Emperor asked, and upon hearing his question, Ran Deng Buddha smiled; indeed, the Jade Emperor was quite wary of Sun Wukong. Ancestral Buddha’s judgment was spot-on!

“The Buddha said that at the Peach Banquet, where all immortals will gather, we can provoke that demon monkey into rebellion. Then Your Majesty will have every right to order the immortals to besiege him! The Buddha will also come at that time, ensuring that the demon monkey will have nowhere to escape and will be captured without fail!”

“Oh? The Buddha will also come?”

The Jade Emperor’s eyes lit up. If Tathagata Buddha participated, the capture of Sun Wukong would indeed be almost certain. However, why would the Buddha be so actively proposing his assistance to the Heavenly Court? This was out of character for him!

No matter, the current pressing issue was the demon monkey Sun Wukong, who was a thorn in his side. Once he was removed, he could finally rest easy in his supreme seat over the Heavenly Court and reign as the ruler of the Three Realms.

In the blink of an eye, the Jade Emperor made his decision. He smiled warmly at Ran Deng Buddha and Guanyin Bodhisattva and nodded in approval, “In that case, many thanks to the Buddha! You two have come from afar and must be weary. Please rest here in the Heavenly Palace. In half a year, at the Peach Banquet, I will need your help to thoroughly defeat that demon monkey Sun Wukong!”

“This is but our duty; Your Majesty need not express thanks,” Ran Deng Buddha replied.

“`

Ran Deng Buddha’s eyes flickered with a hint of smugness as he glanced at Guanyin Bodhisattva, noticing her still expressionless, unflappable demeanor. A cold sneer crossed his mind, “Keep pretending. I want to see how long can you keep this up? If I find out you truly have some murky connection with that Demon Monkey, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

Guanyin Bodhisattva suddenly seemed to sense something, and a rare look of surprise flitted across her normally calm face. She cast a quick glance at Ran Deng Buddha but said nothing. She was well aware that Ran Deng Buddha disliked her, but at present, her worry was Sun Wukong. Tathagata Buddha had sent her to the Heavenly Court with Ran Deng Buddha to ally with the Jade Emperor against Sun Wukong – to subdue him and then draw him back into the Buddhist Sect.

Having witnessed the Nine Dragons Gathering Stars Formation of Flower-Fruit Mountain and the various arrangements and constructions made based on it, Guanyin Bodhisattva was very clear about Sun Wukong’s grand ambitions. He would never content himself to submit to others. Tathagata Buddha’s plan would likely lead to a situation where both would lose, which wasn’t beneficial for Guanyin Bodhisattva, who had secretly formed an alliance with Flower-Fruit Mountain.

The third immeasurable calamity was approaching, and originally Guanyin Bodhisattva thought the Buddhist Sect would gain great benefits from it, lifting her along with the rising tide. However, the emergence of Sun Wukong and the rapid development of Flower-Fruit Mountain showed Guanyin Bodhisattva a different path. Perhaps it wouldn’t be the Buddhist Sect reaping benefits from this great calamity, but the Demon Clan of Flower-Fruit Mountain?

To seek wealth and fortune through peril, Guanyin Bodhisattva decisively bet on Sun Wukong and the Flower-Fruit Mountain Demon Race. How could she simply watch Sun Wukong fall into the schemes of Tathagata Buddha and the Jade Emperor?

“I must find an opportunity to inform Sun Wukong of the situation, but I’ve heard that he has now entered the Ascend to Heaven Platform. To inform him, I’ll need to patiently wait until he comes out.”

Ran Deng Buddha and Guanyin Bodhisattva were taken to rest at the Jade Pool, continuing as if their previous conversation had never happened. The Jade Emperor’s demeanor was quite normal, showing no signs of suspicion, and he discussed the preparations for the Peach Banquet with the Queen Mother as originally planned.

Because Sun Wukong and Nezha both placed in the top three in the great Heavenly Court contest, the security of the upcoming Peach Banquet was jointly entrusted to the fixed guard of the Heavenly Army and the Heavenly River Navy. The Jade Emperor’s rewards were also distributed within the Heavenly River Navy, with Marshal Tianpeng Zhu Tianpeng in charge of the allocations.

This time, Marshal Tianpeng Zhu Tianpeng knew how to handle things well. Apart from setting his own share aside, he distributed two-tenths of the rewards to all naval soldiers, and the remaining eight-tenths went to Sun Wukong’s Great Saint Corps. This made the other soldiers of the Heavenly River Navy incredibly envious, as the Great Saint Corps, having never increased its numbers and still counting less than two hundred men, divided among themselves so many cultivation resources that each man’s share was several dozen times that of any other naval soldier. How could they not be envious?

But envy was of no use, for after all, the men of the Great Saint Corps had a great leader.

Their leader, Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equalling Heaven, had come first in the Heavenly Court contest, even Real Man of Jade Cauldron, a Quasi-Saint powerhouse, had fallen to him. Following such a leader naturally promised a bright future, and it was not surprising they would enjoy good things and resources. Beyond envy, jealousy, and resentment, there was nothing else these men could feel.

“Brothers, these resources were won for us by the Great Saint!”

Inside the encampment of the Great Saint Corps, nearly two hundred soldiers gathered at the center, where Qin Feng addressed them with excitement, “The Great Saint is currently in the Ascend to Heaven Platform cultivating, and his cultivation strength is bound to reach new heights. As subjects of the Great Saint, blessed by his patronage, what should we do?”

“Loyalty to the Great Saint!”

“Loyalty to the Great Saint!”

One after another, the soldiers of the Great Saint Corps shouted with shining eyes full of fervor, their thunderous voices turning the heads of the other Heavenly River Navy soldiers in the nearby encampments.

“Very well, you all remember your gratitude and seek to repay it – like true heroes!”

Qin Feng nodded in satisfaction, then waved his hand to activate the camp’s soundproof barrier. What he was about to say was taboo in the Heavenly Court and couldn’t be let out for others to hear.

“The words I’m about to say may seem rebellious to you, but they are my truest feelings. I’m certain that many of you share these thoughts. If any brother finds my words disagreeable or cannot accept them, that’s alright. You may leave now, and neither I nor the Great Saint will blame you,” Qin Feng said, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the naval soldiers, gauging their reactions. None of the soldiers present were fools; through Qin Feng’s subtle hints over the past days, a message had been relayed: their leader, the Great Sage Equalling Heaven Sun Wukong, was not content with being a mere naval deputy general in the Heavenly Court and would eventually turn against it, but he had not yet shown his hand.

In the past, Qin Feng had been circumspect, but now it seemed he intended to lay it all out in the open today, at this moment.

“If our leader has something to say, we brothers will surely follow,” they all said.

“That’s right, we are all men of character who would never forget kindness or betray trust. Whatever our leader says today, it enters our ears alone and will not be disclosed to others!”

“Please, do speak, our leader!”

One by one, the soldiers spoke up, having waited long for this day. There were many things that felt unresolved without being spoken openly, and once everything was out in the open, they could truly consider themselves not just soldiers of the Heavenly River Navy, but subordinates of the Great Sage Equalling Heaven Sun Wukong!

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