Journey to the West: Tang Monk Conquers Everything

Zhu Bajie's actual strength had always been a mystery to Jiang Liu.

Ordinarily, perhaps because he was born a pig and naturally indolent, or perhaps because he had once been the Great Marshal Tianpeng, Zhu Bajie simply did not hold Scripture Seeking in high regard. Indeed, he did everything he could to conserve energy and lazily shirk his duties whenever possible.

How strong must Zhu Bajie be when truly enraged and fighting with all his might?

Jiang Liu had now seen it!

When enraged, Zhu Bajie could even send Sun Wukong flying, and even Bodhisattva didn't intend to withstand his attacks directly, which showed just how powerful Zhu Bajie was.

Of course, his life-threatening state probably also made people hesitant to approach him.

Though shocked by Zhu Bajie's rampage, Jiang Liu merely looked on briefly before turning his gaze elsewhere.

He didn't see Zhuzhu anywhere, only the large black body of a spider demon lying nearby.

This slightly sank Jiang Liu's heart, and seeing this, he could generally understand what had happened.

"This situation, something's off, right? Is Bodhisattva really so direct?" Upon seeing Zhuzhu's body, Jiang Liu felt even more puzzled.

Was the situation of Zhuzhu and Zhu Bajie orchestrated by Bodhisattva? Jiang Liu felt the probability was over eighty percent.

And Zhu Bajie bringing a wife along on the Journey to the West, the Buddhist Sect would certainly not approve, so it wasn't surprising that they intervened.

However, even with intervention, would Bodhisattva really kill Zhuzhu right in front of Zhu Bajie?

Wasn't Bodhisattva always one to devise strategies, utilizing indirect means to achieve her goals?

Just because she didn't want Zhu Bajie and Zhuzhu together, just to revenge herself on Zhu Bajie, would she step forward and say he can't be involved with a female demon and then kill her directly?

This was completely out of character for Bodhisattva!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

As the saying goes, a burst of effort wanes and then exhausts after three attempts!

Although Zhu Bajie in his frenzy possessed terrifying strength under the Divine Skills like Law of Heaven and Earth, truly with the might of splitting heaven and earth, after dodging for a moment and as Zhu Bajie's frenzy slightly subsided, Bodhisattva frowned slightly, took the willow branch from the Jade Clean Bottle, and gently swept it towards Zhu Bajie.

In an instant, as if countless branches and vines appeared, they agilely bound Zhu Bajie's body, greatly restricting his movements.

Although Zhu Bajie struggled mightily, snapping branch after branch, the dense willow branches entangling him meant that fully breaking free was not a matter of a moment.

Seeing Zhu Bajie now under her control, Bodhisattva's eyes turned slightly cold.

After being forced back so much, now it was time to strike him hard and give him a chance to cool down, otherwise where would she put her own face as a Bodhisattva?

"Master? What do we do!?" Sun Wukong, who had been sent flying by Zhu Bajie, came to Jiang Liu's side, not alarmed but delighted, and asked, eager to give it a try.

If he were to act against Bodhisattva, Sun Wukong saw this as an opportunity. With the support of his master's Divine Skills, he and Zhu Bajie together might truly be able to take down Bodhisattva.

They didn't need to wait to get to Western Heaven, they could act right now.

"Don't you act recklessly!" Seeing Sun Wukong's expression, Jiang Liu could almost guess what was on his mind and promptly cautioned him.

Now was not the time to completely sever ties with the Buddhist Sect.

But likewise, Sun Wukong couldn't attack Zhu Bajie either, or wouldn't that hurt his feelings?

After all, they were all part of the same team, if he were to start a fight, wouldn't Sun Wukong essentially be helping Bodhisattva attack his own teammate? What would Zhu Bajie think?

After Bodhisattva had restrained Zhu Bajie, she swept her willow branch again, sending a streak towards Zhu Bajie.

Vajra Mantra!

Watching the spell attack about to fall on Zhu Bajie, Jiang Liu hesitated for a moment. This was the perfect opportunity to win people's hearts. He cast the Vajra Mantra directly at Zhu Bajie, golden radiance flickering on his body.

Bodhisattva's attack fell on Zhu Bajie.

Jiang Liu could see that the health bar above Zhu Bajie's head suddenly dropped by about 10%!

"With 80% damage mitigated, was the attack still that powerful? If it hadn't been mitigated, wouldn't that hit have reduced Zhu Bajie to just half his health left? How ruthless!"

Seeing this, Jiang Liu was inwardly shocked.

"Hmm?" Seeing her attack land on Zhu Bajie and realizing that the damage was far lower than she had expected, Bodhisattva's brow furrowed slightly.

Hooves kicking up clouds, the White Dragon Horse soared through the sky, carrying Jiang Liu directly into midair, facing away from Zhu Bajie, who was in his Law of Heaven and Earth form, looking towards Guanyin in the sky.

"Amitabha, Xuanzang, I hadn't expected you to possess such divine skills!" Watching Jiang Liu blocking in front of Zhu Bajie, Bodhisattva Guanyin softly chanted a Buddha's name and spoke.

"Master, she, she killed Zhuzhu, I, I want to..."

Although Zhu Bajie, standing behind him, had eyes completely red, he hadn't lost his rationality; he also knew that it was Jiang Liu who had just made a move to help him. Looking at Jiang Liu, who seemed as tiny as a fly in front of him, he spoke.

"No need for further words!" However, Jiang Liu turned his head to look at Zhu Bajie behind him in his Law of Heaven and Earth form and spoke.

Immediately thereafter, Jiang Liu, sitting on the back of the White Dragon Horse and hovering in midair, joined his hands in a salute toward Guanyin and said, "Bodhisattva, no matter what, Bajie is still my disciple. If he has erred, as his master, I am bound by duty to intervene, but could you tell me exactly what happened here?"

"I simply meant well!"

Facing Jiang Liu's inquiry, Bodhisattva Guanyin naturally felt she was in the right, no longer intent on continuing the fight, she explained, "I just happened to pass by this place and saw a Spider Demon biting Bajie, looking as if she were about to eat him. Having seen it, how could I stand idly by?

I helped him by eliminating the Spider Demon, yet unexpectedly, he seemed determined to fight me to the death!"

"Zhuzhu was about to eat Bajie? Could she have been mistaken about something? Pretending it was a misunderstanding, a fatal error?"

Listening to Bodhisattva Guanyin's words, Jiang Liu secretly wondered if she had seen Zhu Bajie and Zhuzhu being intimate, thus finding an excuse to intervene.

"Bodhisattva, I was willingly eaten by Zhuzhu! What does this have to do with you!?" Before Jiang Liu could ask Zhu Bajie for the truth, Zhu Bajie, however, vociferously shouted out, addressing Guanyin with a totally unreasonable demeanor.

"Bajie, you mean? Zhuzhu really wanted to eat you!?" Zhu Bajie's shouting startled Jiang Liu into widening his eyes.

"Yes, it is so. But Zhuzhu's true form is a Black Widow, that is her nature. Moreover, eating me would have been better for the baby in her belly. I... I would rather she had eaten me..." Zhu Bajie nodded, not denying that Zhuzhu had attempted to eat him.

"I see, so that's how it is!" At this moment, realization dawned in Jiang Liu's heart.

Bodhisattva Guanyin's strategy was transparent; indeed, from a neutral standpoint, although she killed Zhuzhu, her reasoning was sound and unassailable.

It was only because Zhu Bajie couldn't let go of his lost love.

"Xuanzang, as Bajie's master, tell me, have I done wrong?" After telling Jiang Liu the whole story, Bodhisattva Guanyin asked.

Jiang Liu clearly understood the meaning behind her words, yet he had to admit that her reasoning indeed held water; if one didn't reveal all her calculated motives, everything Bodhisattva Guanyin did was not only blameless but also a favor to Zhu Bajie since she saved his life.

Zhu Bajie bowed his head, remaining silent. Being restrained for that while had calmed his emotions somewhat, and he also realized that Bodhisattva Guanyin had done nothing wrong.

However, the death of Zhuzhu and even their unborn child within her was a heavy blow to Zhu Bajie.

"Alright, Bajie, restrain your grief and move on. You should prioritize the grand endeavor of the Journey to the West and not dwell on personal affections anymore. I'll not take today's incident to heart, Amitabha..."

Although things had developed unexpectedly for Guanyin, by this point, her plan had come to a successful conclusion. Bodhisattva Guanyin, displaying extensive magnanimity without dwelling on Zhu Bajie's returned kindness with ingratitude, patiently and painstakingly counseled Zhu Bajie.

As her words fell, Bodhisattva Guanyin did not say much more, merely sitting on the Lotus Platform, and soon transformed into an escape light and disappeared.

Naturally, as she left, the branches entwined around Zhu Bajie also dispersed.

Zhu Bajie dispelled his Law of Heaven and Earth divine skills and without a word, walked over to Zhuzhu's corpse.

Being inherently unattractive himself, Zhu Bajie harbored no disdain for Zhuzhu, who was merely an ugly spider. He picked up her corpse and walked away into the distance.

"Monkey, let him be alone for a while," Jiang Liu called out to Sun Wukong as he seemed to want to console Zhu Bajie.

"Alright!" Although Sun Wukong scoffed at the so-called affections between men and women, he understood that Zhu Bajie must be deeply grieved at that moment, nodded, and did not say anything further.

"Who would have thought, his actions were so quick? Even had a child involved? Even more unexpected, how ruthless Guanyin turned out to be!" Watching the heartbroken Zhu Bajie, Jiang Liu muttered quietly to himself.

Walking the road of the Journey to the West until now, Jiang Liu had a deeper understanding that the followers of Buddhism, as Sun Wukong once said, were most capable of manipulations, even harshly so toward their own followers.

If it were merely for adding an ordeal, why go to such lengths? For revenge, Guanyin indeed struck fiercely, managing still to remain beyond reproach!

Zhu Bajie buried Zhuzhu's corpse in the ground and then stood desolately in front of the grave for an entire day, not showing any intention of leaving even by midnight.

Jiang Liu and the others were not in a hurry, merely waiting quietly by the side.

However, at midnight, when all was silent, after Jiang Liu had circulated his Heavenly Dragon Zen Sound through ninety-nine complete cycles, he slowly opened his eyes and gazed at Zhu Bajie, who stood like a statue in front of the grave, thought for a moment, and walked toward Zhu Bajie.

"Master, do you remember you said your nickname was Holmes?"

With his back to Jiang Liu, Zhu Bajie's voice was unprecedentedly serious, yet somewhat hoarse.

"Can you help me figure out what exactly is going on? I, Old Pig, have always felt something isn't right, but I can't seem to understand it."