Journey to the West: Tang Monk Conquers Everything

By the shores of the Liusha River, Jiang Liu and Gaoyang sat on the grassy bank, undisturbed.

No matter what, being able to meet Gaoyang again and finally confirm that she was indeed alright and living well naturally put Jiang Liu in a good mood.

The two of them held hands, leaning on the grass and whispering to each other.

Gaoyang naturally told of her life in the past six months. After being saved by the Tathagata, she had been following Guanyin in cultivation, and with the Bodhisattva's personal guidance, her cultivation level had improved rapidly.

In just half a year, she had advanced from the Meridian Unblocking Realm to the Controlling-Law Realm.

"Jiang Liu, let me tell you, I'm quite formidable now. Back at Jinshan Temple, we were almost killed by that Three-Eyed Crow, triggering the Young Dragon Talisman. If I encounter that Demon General of the Three-Eyed Crow again today, I won't be afraid of it anymore!" Gaoyang spoke of her cultivation progress in the past six months.

"Hm, impressive, very impressive!" Jiang Liu nodded and praised upon hearing Gaoyang's words.

Although he himself could now handle the Three-Eyed Crow on his own, he had the system's help, fighting monsters, leveling up, and cultivating for so long to have such strength.

Gaoyang, however, had also improved so much. It had to be said that following Guanyin in cultivation indeed led to rapid growth.

"By the way, that monkey and that Pig Demon are...!?" After chatting for a while, Gaoyang curiously asked.

"Oh, they are both my disciples!" Jiang Liu naturally did not hide the truth and candidly replied.

"Disciples?! Your disciples are that powerful?!"

Initially feeling somewhat proud boasting to Jiang Liu about her current cultivation level, Gaoyang was a bit dumbfounded upon learning that Sun Wukong was his disciple.

"It's just in name. That monkey's magic supernatural power is not something I could have taught him!" Seeing the astonished look on Gaoyang's face, Jiang Liu clearly understood what she was thinking and explained with a slight smile.

"Oh, I see!" Gaoyang nodded in sudden realization upon hearing the explanation.

...

Leaving aside Gaoyang and Jiang Liu, who were meeting again after half a year apart and had many things they wanted to say, sharing their love and emotions, the White Dragon Horse naturally did not stay by their side and instead walked off to a distance on his own.

In the middle of Liusha River, General Juanlian, severely injured, had not left but was quietly waiting.

Seeing that the White Dragon Horse was also by the river, General Juanlian thought for a moment and approached him.

"Hello, are you master's mount? Where are you from?" General Juanlian approached and struck up a conversation with the White Dragon Horse.

"Little Dragon has seen General Juanlian. I was originally the Third Crown Prince from the Western Sea Dragon Palace. After receiving enlightenment from Guanyin, I transformed into a white horse, carrying my master on the Journey to the West!" Seeing General Juanlian come over and initiate a conversation, the White Dragon Horse answered.

"Oh, so you are the Third Crown Prince of the Western Sea Dragon King, my apologies for any disrespect."

While for General Juanlian, the mere Crown Prince of a Dragon King was not considered a particularly impressive status, he still complimented him politely as he wanted to glean some information about the Scripture Seeker from him.

"General Juanlian flatters me too much!" the White Dragon Horse responded, bowing its head slightly.

Of course, the White Dragon Horse understood the implications behind his words.

When his master firmly refused to take him in, hadn't he also engaged in circuitous conversations with his eldest brother, complimenting him, hoping to learn something about his master from him?

How similar it was to the current situation with General Juanlian!?

"By the way, how did you end up following the Scripture Seeker?" After exchanging a few pleasantries with the White Dragon Horse, General Juanlian curiously asked.
Discover hidden content at empire

"Ah, my situation was not much different from yours!" Hearing General Juanlian's question, the White Dragon Horse seemed to recall the desperate way he had clung to the Scripture Seeker, and he sighed helplessly.

Immediately after, he recounted to General Juanlian all the events that had happened to him from the beginning.

"So it is, everyone has their difficulties, huh? Alas, no pain, no gain…" Hearing that the White Dragon Horse had also been staunchly rejected by Jiang Liu at first, General Juanlian felt a bit more balanced in his heart.

"Right, where is Marshal Tianpeng then?" Understand that he was not the only one being rejected, General Juanlian felt cheered up and casually inquired about Zhu Bajie's situation.

"My second brother? His situation was a bit special. At first, my master wanted to take him, but he seemed reluctant to join. Who knew, after a night in the Yunzhai Cave, things reversed, and my second brother desperately wanted to follow master!" The White Dragon Horse thought for a moment and recounted Zhu Bajie's circumstances.

"What happened in Yunzhai Cave that night? You don't know?" Hearing such a turn of events, General Juanlian was astounded.

"I don't know; I was just waiting outside the cave at the time!" The White Dragon Horse shook his head.

"Okay then, what about the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong? How did he join?" After pondering for a while, General Juanlian continued to inquire.

"That, my eldest brother's situation is even more special!" The White Dragon Horse hesitated, seeming reluctant to discuss it.

When he had asked about his eldest brother's circumstances, knowing the truth had deeply shocked him. General Juanlian's situation was strikingly similar to his own back then.

"What kind of special? Come on, tell me!" General Juanlian grew more curious upon hearing that Sun Wukong was an even more exceptional case.

"This... I think you'd rather not know. Perhaps it's better that way?" Hesitant, the White Dragon Horse did not really want to say.

"What's there to hide, come on, spill it!" The more secretive the White Dragon Horse acted, the more curious General Juanlian became, urging him to speak.

"All right, since you want to know, I'll tell you!"

Seeing the look on General Juanlian's face, the White Dragon Horse shook his head with resignation and said, "I heard that our eldest brother didn't want to set out on the Journey to the West at first, but our master stayed under the Five Elements Mountain for a few days, persuasively pleading and even personally cooked for him.

It was only after being so moved that he decided to depart for the Journey to the West!"

General Juanlian: "..."

Thinking of the difference in treatment between himself and Sun Wukong, General Juanlian's feelings were self-evident.

However, considering how he had just grappled with the five Great Demon Kings for so long, and Sun Wukong effortlessly resolved the situation, General Juanlian could only helplessly shake his head.

No way around it, that was the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, the very one who dared to wreak Havoc in Heaven five hundred years ago. Incomparable, indeed.

For Jiang Liu and Gaoyang, reunited after a long time, there were endless topics to cover. Although their conversation lacked sweet nothings, being merely about mundane quirks of their lives, it seemed these plain exchanges contained deep and pure emotions.

Meanwhile, the White Dragon Horse and General Juanlian were also having a chat on the side.

Time passed like this for half a Chinese Hour before a dragon shadow appeared on the horizon and descended at the Liusha River, transforming into a human form—it was the Pearl Holding Dragon Maiden who served beside Bodhisattva.

"Sister Dragon Lady, you're back!" Seeing the descending Pearl Holding Dragon Maiden, Gaoyang spoke up.

"Gaoyang, it's so good to see you're all right!" The Pearl Holding Dragon Maiden, seeing Gaoyang looking vigorous and fully recovered, also breathed a sigh of relief as she spoke.

It was evident she had also heard about the recent battle here.

"Dragon Lady, the Bodhisattva's Lotus Seed has been recovered!" With the arrival of the Pearl Holding Dragon Maiden, General Juanlian stood up from the river, took out the Lotus Seed, and spoke.

"Thank you, General Juanlian!" Without any formality, the Pearl Holding Dragon Maiden took the Lotus Seed from his hand and thanked him.

With the Lotus Seed in hand, their mission could be considered complete. The Pearl Holding Dragon Maiden looked at Gaoyang and said, "It's getting late, let's return to the Bodhisattva to report back!"

"Jiang Liu, I'm leaving. We'll meet again if there's a chance!"

Though his heart was filled with reluctance, Gaoyang understood the situation. Turning around, he bid farewell to Jiang Liu!

"Hmm, go ahead. There will be plenty of chances to meet in the future!" Jiang Liu's heart also held reluctance, but overall, seeing Gaoyang unharmed today gave him much peace of mind. He nodded slightly and spoke.

"Master, after being enlightened by Bodhisattva, I want to become your disciple. As we set out on the Journey to the West, I will devote myself to protect you with all my heart!" Having returned the Lotus Seed to the Pearl Holding Dragon Maiden, General Juanlian begged Jiang Liu earnestly.

With General Juanlian's words, the Pearl Holding Dragon Maiden and Gaoyang didn't rush to leave but watched from the side.

Looking at General Juanlian before him, Jiang Liu remained silently contemplative, seemingly deep in thought.

General Juanlian waited quietly, not daring to speak, his heart full of trepidation.

In fact, Jiang Liu wasn't foolish. He had long understood what the Journey to the West plot was about, so regarding the Lotus Seed theft, Gaoyang's injury while pursuing it, and General Juanlian's subsequent rescue, he could roughly infer that this was yet another drama orchestrated by Bodhisattva.

The aim was to see General Juanlian saving Gaoyang and with that favor, make it difficult for Jiang Liu to refuse.

In his heart, such manipulations left Jiang Liu feeling displeased, naturally making him dislike General Juanlian even more.

Yet, rationally, Jiang Liu was clear that he had always been ignorant of the manipulations behind the Journey to the West.

Now that General Juanlian had indeed saved Gaoyang, both emotionally and logically, it seemed unfair for Jiang Liu to continue to refuse, right?

Otherwise, he really wouldn't be able to justify his actions.

Moreover, the main point was, as Sun Wukong said, the Buddhist Sect was too ruthless in manipulating people, whether it was others or their own.

This time they used Gaoyang's injury to facilitate Jiang Liu's acceptance of General Juanlian. If he were to refuse again, who knows what other scenarios Bodhisattva might direct next.

"Amitabha, first and foremost, I must thank you, General Juanlian, for stepping in to rescue Gaoyang in such a dire moment!" After a moment of silence, Jiang Liu intoned a Buddhist chant and expressed his gratitude.

With that said, Jiang Liu continued, "Furthermore, since you have been enlightened by Bodhisattva, I shall, therefore, accept you. The journey West spans a hundred thousand li, and I hope you can endure the hardship that comes with it!"

"Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!" Hearing Jiang Liu's words, General Juanlian replied with great joy.

Looking at General Juanlian in front of him, Jiang Liu's expression was calm, but deep in his eyes, there was a hint of disdain.

Caught in such a farce, Jiang Liu had accepted him, but his heart harbored even greater disdain for General Juanlian.

He even felt like he had taken in a spy and informer by his side.

"On the Journey to the West, spanning a hundred thousand li, it seems I must find a way to extricate him from the scripture-seeking team," Jiang Liu muttered to himself.

"Alert: Mission 'Expel from the Sect' triggered. Mission requirement: Successfully expel General Juanlian from the Journey to the West scripture-seeking team. Reward for completion: 80,000,000 Experience Points and 1 Divine Level Treasure Chest."

As Jiang Liu's thoughts unfolded, the mission alert suddenly appeared, presenting him with an optional task without a failure penalty.