Chapter One Old Affairs

  When I knelt before the Buddha, and removed the golden hoop at that moment, I finally remembered who I was. "Monkey, you lost, I gave you another chance, but you still groveled at my feet. Back then when you caused chaos in heaven, you said I deceived you, so I only pressed you down for 500 years. Now, aren't you the same as back then? Kneeling at my feet like a dog. Oh no, now you're not even as good as back then, now you can't even hold onto the golden hoop rod, haha."

  "What's the big deal? The staff is gone, but I still have my fists. You're just a mere clone, I'm not afraid of you. Even if I kneel before you now, what can you do? Even if you suppress me for another 500 years, what can you do? Once I've killed the three corpses, that's when your time will be up, Tathagata. You can't kill me. From birth, I've been one with the universe. Unless you destroy everything, otherwise, I'll eventually knock you down with a single staff."

  "Golden Cicada, is this your great disciple Sun Wukong? Just a mere stone monkey, how dare you be so insolent in the Great Thunder Sound Temple? It seems that this trip to the West hasn't made you any wiser."

  Before the Golden Cicada could say anything, the Tathagata thundered out a Buddha-name and said: "Monkey, you have only two roads to take now. Either you accept my decree and be appointed as the Great Victorious Fighting Buddha of the Western Heaven, and I will return your Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod to you. Or else, it is for the hundred thousand monkeys and monkey-children of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits to come to the Western Heaven. I think you know what to do."

  The raging fire in the sky was extinguished in an instant. Yes, he Sun Wukong feared neither heaven nor earth, but he still had the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits, those 100,000 monkeys who, although their names were registered on the Book of Life and Death and became indestructible beings, could still be converted by the Buddha. It was possible to make them become dull and ignorant puppets of Buddhism.

  Moreover, the present Mount Huaguo is no longer as powerful as it was when the demon coalition army made a big disturbance in Heaven. Those somewhat capable demon kings are either dead or have been captured by Bodhisattvas and gods. Mount Huaguo has become a mere empty shell of its former self.

  "Alas, Amitabha." A sigh echoed in Jin Chanzi's mouth, lingering throughout the entire Spirit Mountain.

  Every time the red sun rises, on the highest peak of Ling Mountain, there is always a figure, gazing at the sky's colorful clouds in silence.

  Every time the full moon is in the sky, on the highest tower of Ling Mountain, there will always be a figure standing with its back to the viewer, silently gazing at the bright moon that seems within reach.

  Every time it rains, in the quietest corner of Ling Mountain, there is always a figure, gazing at the heavy rain with closed eyes and deep in thought.

  Every time the monks chant sutras, every time the common people pray, and every time the Buddha preaches the Dharma, there is always one person with a slightly furrowed brow.

  There is also the diligent and conscientious Golden Arhat who has been sealed away since ancient times, as if everyone had forgotten about him.

  Buddha, Budddha, Budddha, what is a Buddha? What else is a Buddha? Is it to universally save all sentient beings? Is it to relieve suffering and difficulties? Is it for the happiness of all living things? Or is it merely to guarantee the supreme status of the Tathagata Buddha?

  Otherwise, why are those monsters, once they have cultivated their skills, either taken in by the Bodhisattvas and Arhats as mounts or taken in by various gods as mounts? And those who refuse to submit are all exterminated! Those who cannot be exterminated and do not want to become mounts, like Sun Wukong, became Buddhas and made messengers of the Arhats.

  In short, whether it's Tiān Tīng or Líng Shān, they will not allow the existence of those who are not under their control.

  But this time, they were wrong. You oppressed me for 500 years and I'm not angry. If it weren't for those 500 years, I wouldn't have gotten rid of that arrogance and pride. Thinking that there's no one in the world who can be my opponent, those cowards in Heaven made me even more disdainful. Unbeknownst to them, a tall tree will be broken by the wind. Someone like me would eventually suffer a great loss.

  But for the past five hundred years, I have been thinking day and night, why was it Old Sun who was suppressed under the mountain and not Tathagata? Why is Jade Emperor still Jade Emperor, but I, Old Sun, am not the Great Sage Equal to Heaven?

  After all, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven is a failure, a thorough failure. Not only was he suppressed under the Five Elements Mountain, but even those monkeys and monkey grandchildren couldn't be kept safe.

  So after five hundred years, I learned to endure. I knew that with my own strength alone, I could do nothing. The heavenly court was too big, and the spiritual mountain was also too big, so big that it could destroy me in an instant. So I followed Tang Monk on his journey to retrieve scriptures from the west. As a result, my magical powers greatly decreased, and I diligently and conscientiously headed west with all my heart. Eighty thousand miles were just a trivial matter, even if I walked there, it would only take several decades at most. As long as I could get out, none of these things mattered.

  I said, I'm not angry that the Tathagata is suppressing me, what I'm angry about is that the Tathagata actually secretly placed 3,000 Buddhas on Mount Wutai, day and night reciting scriptures, attempting to convert me, making me surrender. Surrender? Ha!

  Now that I think about it carefully, this clumsy farce was full of loopholes from the very beginning. It's just that Lao Sun has been in this world for too short a time, only a few hundred years, and is far inferior to others in terms of cunning and strategy, which is why he ended up in such a miserable state.

  It all started when I made a bet with Lü Bu.

  Everyone says that monks don't speak deceitfully, which means that monks won't deceive people. But the Tathagata, as the founder of Buddhism, how did he do it? First, he made a bet with me, saying that if I couldn't fly out of his palm, then I would lose, and I would have to go down to the mortal world and continue being a demon, and then cultivate for several hundred more years before coming back to discuss again. But what was the result? I admitted defeat, but at the moment I admitted defeat, the Tathagata didn't say anything and stretched out his hand to press me down. Is this letting me go down to the mortal world as a demon? Is this letting me continue cultivating?

  Let's talk about this gambling match, can't fly out of the palm? If I, old Sun, use all my strength to fly away but still stay in his palm, then I'll admit defeat and not think about it anymore. But how did Tathagata do it? He changed his palm into a heavenly pillar that holds up the sky, deceiving me into thinking I had flown to the edge of the sky with no place to go, before turning back. Isn't this cheating?

  Never mind, I've long known about the Western Heaven's attitude. Even Guanyin Bodhisattva, who is supposed to be all merciful and compassionate, is also like this!

  Later, no one knew about the Great Sage Equal to Heaven Sun Wukong. Some only knew of the Victorious Fighting Buddha. It was as if the majestic heavenly giant ape that once dominated the world had vanished into thin air. The Great Sage Equal to Heaven who once led the millions-strong army of demons from the three realms now became a Buddha under the Tathagata's seat. And the seven demon saints who once dominated the winds and clouds also dispersed, with no one knowing how many survived.

  The Tianpeng Marshal who secretly pierced the Heavenly River to let the defeated Youzu Allied Forces escape, has now become a stupid pig demon, although he was ordained by the Tathagata as the Joyful Buddha.

  The heavenly general who opened the door of Lingxiao Treasure Hall for the Great Sage Equaling Heaven was beaten down to the mortal world by the Queen Mother and could only be a demon for his entire life, with the excuse being that he broke the crystal bowl. Although he was conferred as the Golden Body Arhat by the Tathagata, he still couldn't dispel the demonic aura surrounding Sha Wujing.

  It seems that everything has come to an end like this, and there are no more demons in the world.

  However, nobody knew that the monkey had already beheaded a corpse and was one step closer to the main road.

  The Buddha deceived me, using the Five Elements Mountain to suppress me for 500 years. Guanyin also deceived me, tricking me into wearing the Golden Hoop and tormenting me so much that I, Old Sun, would rather die than live. However, I endured it all.

  Many people don't know, that golden hoop, isn't as simple as it seems. Guanyin, when you were still a Taoist nun, your methods weren't so ruthless. Let's talk about this golden hoop again. Everyone knows that whenever my master recites the Tightening Hoop Spell, I get a headache, but who knows why I get a headache? It's because every time my master recites the Tightening Hoop Spell, the golden hoop splits off a strand of divine thought to invade my spiritual sea, trying to devour my spiritual essence. Otherwise, how could this humble golden hoop possibly control my indestructible body?