If you're so capable, then you go ahead and do it; this calamity is truly insurmountable.

Chapter 40: I Don't Want Any Magical Treasures or Elixirs, I'm Not Leaving! The King of Un

Don't get lost while following the book; bookmark it and read it anytime: "If you're so capable, then go for it; this tribulation is truly insurmountable."

King Puji stared at Lu Chen for a long time.

Finally, he stood up.

He didn't say anything like "you'll have to bear the consequences."

Because he couldn't say it.

The entire Lingshan team has been thoroughly defeated. Saying things like "you'll bear the consequences" will only make you look worse.

"This humble monk takes his leave."

"Take care." Lu Chen raised his hand. "Want a bowl of fish soup?"

King Puji left without looking back.

Sun Wukong clicked his tongue in disapproval.

"Did this old monk come all this way just to say this?"

"Those at Mount Ling are getting anxious," Lu Chen laughed. "The pilgrimage has been suspended for more than half a year, and the incense offerings in the Southern Continent have begun to wane. If this drags on any longer, all the things the Buddhist sect has built up in the Central Plains over the years will be rendered useless."

"What does that have to do with us?" Pigsy shouted from the vegetable garden.

"It has nothing to do with us." Lu Chen took a sip of water. "It has to do with them."

"The more anxious they are, the more people they will send."

"The more people come, the more interesting it will be."

Sun Wukong glanced at Lu Chen.

There was something in his eyes that he himself couldn't quite explain.

It's like understanding.

It also seemed like a tacit understanding.

"You," Sun Wukong shook his head, "I don't think you're an ordinary person."

"I am just a mortal."

"Mortals aren't as capable of causing trouble as you."

"That's because you haven't seen enough mortals."

…………

Lingshan Side Hall.

When King Puji returned, he looked very unwell.

He did not go directly to the main hall to report.

He first went back to his side hall and sat for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Then he summoned several duty officers and protectors for a small meeting.

"The talks have broken down," said Puji Mingwang bluntly.

The expressions of the people present simultaneously darkened.

"This person wants no magic treasures, no elixirs, no merit, nothing at all."

"He just won't leave."

"No conditions?" A clerk frowned.

"no."

"Isn't there even a single avenue for negotiation?"

"no."

The meditation room remained quiet for a long time.

A young protector suddenly spoke up.

"Your Majesty, this proves one thing even more."

King Puji looked at the Dharma protector.

"There must be someone behind this person."

Several people present looked over at the same time.

The protector stood up, his tone resolute.

"Is it reasonable for an ordinary person with no connections to block the journey to the West for over half a year, refusing to leave without asking for any benefits?"

"Is it reasonable for a mortal to defeat the Four Great Bodhisattvas, collapse the main temple, and know all the secrets of the Three Realms?"

"unreasonable."

"The only explanation is that there is a powerful being behind this person controlling everything."

"This great master did not want Buddhism to succeed in expanding eastward."

"This powerful being sent a puppet to block the way."

"All of this puppet's abilities, intelligence, and behavior were bestowed upon it by that powerful being."

"As for who that powerful being is..."

The Dharma Protector paused for a moment.

"We investigated twice before, and the Taoist sect denied it, the Heavenly Court denied it, the demon race denied it, the Dragon Palace denied it, and the Underworld denied it."

"But there is one side we did not investigate thoroughly."

King Puji frowned.

"Who?"

"Chunti."

The air in the meditation room seemed to freeze.

Master Zhunti.

One of the two founders of Western religion.

A fellow disciple of Buddha.

The most sensitive name within the Buddhist community.

Everyone on Mount Ling knew about the relationship between Cundi and the Buddha, but no one dared to discuss it openly.

The two founded the Western Religion together, which was later renamed Buddhism. Buddha took the top position, while Zhunti stepped down to the second line.

Was the retreat willing or forced?

Nobody knows about this.

"You mean... Zhunti is dissatisfied with the Buddha's monopoly on Buddhism, so he secretly sent people to cause trouble?" King Puji's voice was very low.

The protector nodded.

"Cundi has both the motivation and the ability."

"All forces in the Three Realms have denied any connection with Lu Chen. But Zhunti is originally an internal member of Buddhism, so he doesn't need to operate through external forces. He can directly grant power to a mortal and make that mortal do things that are inconvenient for him to do."

"Moreover, all the secrets that Lu Chen knew—the betrayal of the Chan Sect, the past stories of the Bodhisattvas, the internal arrangements of Mount Ling—were all known to Zhunti."

"Because Zhunti was present back then."

The fingertips of the Bodhisattva of Compassion began to feel cold.

This inference is perfectly reasonable.

It made so much sense that he dared not think further.

If it really is Zhunti...

Then this matter is no longer at the level of "adding another obstacle on the journey to the West".

This is a power struggle within Buddhism.

This is a continuation of the thousand-year-old silent war between Buddha and Cundi.

"This matter must not be made public." King Puji stood up, his tone extremely serious.

"Those of you present today, keep this matter to yourselves. You are not allowed to mention it to anyone, including the Four Great Bodhisattvas."

"I'll investigate myself."

Several people responded in unison.

After the meeting, King Puji stood alone in the side hall.

He looked at the progress book of the pilgrimage on the table.

We turned to that page again.

Flaming Mountain.

Princess Iron Fan.

Red Boy.

According to the original plan, Guanyin Bodhisattva should have personally descended to the mortal world to subdue Red Boy and take him as her disciple, Sudhana, when the journey to the West was halfway through.

This is one link in the chain of eighty-one tribulations.

But now the journey to the West has stopped, and the timeline of the eighty-one tribulations has been completely messed up.

"Some things can't wait any longer," King Puji muttered to himself.

Whether or not we embark on the journey to the West is one thing.

"The monsters that need to be subdued in the eighty-one tribulations must be subdued on time."

"Otherwise, the rest of the script will be impossible to act out."

He picked up his pen and wrote two words next to "Red Boy" in the progress book.

"in advance."

Then he closed the book and walked towards the main hall.

He was going to discuss something with Guanyin.

Wuwu Mountain Villa.

An ordinary afternoon.

Nezha was practicing his shooting in the courtyard.

The gun was carved for him by Lu Chen using stones from the valley; it was very rough, but Nezha practiced it diligently.

The gunfire whistled through the air.

Lu Chen sat on a stone stool at the entrance of the courtyard, holding a fishing rod in his hand.

The fishing line dangled in the stream by the gate of the yard.

The stream was shallow and there weren't many fish, but Lu Chen fished very diligently.

Sun Wukong leaned against a tree and dozed off, his golden cudgel lying across his lap as a pillow.

Pigsy was humming a little tune as he weeded the vegetable garden.

The Jade Rabbit sat by the flower field, hugging its knees and looking up at the sky.

Quiet.

Peaceful.

The conflicts in the Three Realms have absolutely nothing to do with this little courtyard.

Just then.

A sudden gust of wind came from the mouth of the valley.

It wasn't golden light or auspicious clouds, but a figure enveloped in an extremely dense demonic aura, rapidly approaching the manor.

Nezha was the first to notice, and pointed his spear towards the entrance of the valley.

"Someone's coming!"

Sun Wukong opened his eyes as well.

With keen eyes, he glanced into the distance.

"Demon aura."

"Not weak."