Journey to the West: Tang Monk Conquers Everything

The Buddha had ordered him to descend to the Lower Realm to guide Master Golden Cicada\'s reincarnation onto the path of the Journey to the West for Scriptures, but he had not expected to find himself in the current situation.

If Xuanzang were truly to proceed with a wedding ceremony in broad daylight, then even if he were to embark on the Journey to the West for Scriptures later on, it would still be a huge stain on the reputation of the Buddhist Sect.

At such a time, who would bear the responsibility?

As Master Golden Cicada was Buddha\'s second disciple, should he succeed in his scripture seeking, he was sure to become a Buddha—a tremendous merit. Would he be held responsible?

In the end, wouldn\'t the responsibility still fall on his shoulders?

The development of events had completely exceeded Dragon Subduing\'s expectations; no one thought that Xuanzang, a disciple with the twelve Scar of Precepts, would go so far as to swear to the heavens his intention to take a wife.

What was even more unexpected was that when he forcefully tried to bring Xuanzang back—an internal matter of the Buddhist Sect—the Human Emperor would actually step forward to protect him.

At this moment, the heart of Dragon Subduing Arhat was utterly devoid of ideas, not knowing what to do next.

"Amitabha, Dragon Subduing, the matter at hand has already come to the attention of myself and the Buddha..." Just as Dragon Subduing was antsy as an ant on a hot pan, uncertain of what to do, suddenly, a voice reverberated from within the Zen Room as the Buddhist Light shone brilliantly.

"Bodhisattva Guanyin, Dragon Subduing is at fault and awaits your punishment..." Hearing this voice, Dragon Subduing clearly recognized who the owner of the voice was and readily admitted his error.

"Leave the handling of what follows to me, and you return to Spirit Mountain," Guanyin Bodhisattva said, without further discussion or pleasantries. As her voice faded, the Buddhist Light within the Zen Room quickly dissipated.

As for the Dragon Subduing Arhat, his expression was dejected.

He was well aware that he had botched the situation and was now being sent back to Spirit Mountain, obviously to receive his punishment, stripped of any chance to redeem himself through merit.

...

With the dawn rising in the east, the crowing rooster hailed the morning.

In a small mountain village a few hundred miles from Chang\'an City, an eerie silence pervaded. Ever since Jiang Liu and Princess Gaoyang chose to live incognito in this village, they had been attacked by bandits. Although these bandits were eventually executed, many villagers died as well.

This was naturally a heavy blow for the small mountain village with only a few dozen households.

Yet, as the departed are gone, the survivors must continue their lives, mustn\'t they?

Following the rooster\'s crow, the villagers began to awaken one by one, freshening up, and an old man in his sixtieth year, hunched over, made his way to his own farm.

Considering the time of year, the crops in the field were almost ready for harvest. It was best to check on their growth first and then decide on a harvesting date.

However, when the old man arrived at the edge of his field, he was struck as if by lightning, shocked to stillness.

The field was in ruins: swarming locusts were everywhere, devouring nearly all the crops he had planted.

Gazing into the distance, he saw swarms of locusts flying by in droves, resembling dark clouds.

"It\'s... it\'s all over... all gone," the old man murmured in a low voice as he confronted the scene, his eyes almost filled with despair at the sight of this once-in-a-century locust plague. Read exclusive chapters at empire

For the villagers, the harvest from the fields represented the basis of life for their families. Without it, they faced death.

Inside the Imperial Palace of Chang\'an City.

As much as the situation with Princess Gaoyang was distressing, Li Shimin, ruling as the sovereign of a nation, still prioritized matters concerning the state of Great Tang.

Yet today, devastating news arrived of an unprecedented and extensive locust plague sweeping across the sky and earth, with reports of the disaster emerging from every quarter, sending a grave expression across the faces of all the courtiers.

"Your Majesty, now that the locust plague has begun to rise, if we do not devise a countermeasure, the realm will be in turmoil, and the people will find no peace," cried one of the elder ministers in the main hall.

"For no apparent reason, how did this locust plague just arise? Before this, there really wasn\'t any sign at all," Li Shimin muttered to himself as he sat on the dragon throne.

Though disasters are terrifying, it\'s those that come without warning, pressing down like toppling mountains and collapsing pillars, that leave one utterly defenseless, and are thus even more frightful.

As the ruler of a nation, even if internally he felt caught off guard, he couldn\'t show it outwardly, and forced himself to remain calm.

Aware of the consequences the locust plague could bring, Li Shimin could only issue the corresponding orders to cope with its arrival, trying to minimize the disaster as much as possible.

However, as commands were issued one by one, and all the civil and military officials sprang into action, striving to combat the locust plague, Li Shimin\'s mind suddenly recalled the words previously spoken by the Dragon Subduing Arhat.

At that time, the Dragon Subduing Arhat said that for acting against the heavens, a disaster would surely come!

"Alright, the court is dismissed," Li Shimin declared once the orders had been given, and there were no other important matters to discuss, and he dismissed the court, urging the ministers to take swift action.

Yet, upon returning to his private quarters after the court was dismissed, Li Shimin quickly summoned Taoist Yuan Tiangang.

"Taoist Yuan..." Upon seeing Yuan Tiangang arrive, Li Shimin offered him a seat and then began to speak.

"This humble Taoist knows what Your Majesty wishes to ask."

But before Li Shimin could even voice his inquiry, Yuan Tiangang took the initiative, saying, "This particular locust plague is indeed strange. Before its arrival, I already conducted a divination, and even after praying and offering incense, I received a directive from the immortals above."

"Oh? What are the findings? What\'s the cause of this locust plague, and what guidance did the immortals provide?" Li Shimin asked urgently, upon hearing Yuan Tiangang\'s words.

"As the Dragon Subduing Arhat had said, whether it\'s my divination or the guidance from the immortals above, the conclusion is the same. Your Majesty\'s actions have defied the Heavenly Dao, thus heaven is enraged and has sent down this natural disaster as punishment.

A few days ago, when Master Xuanzang swore an oath to the heavens, there was a warning through the thunderous sound of Heavenly Dao..."

"Defying the heavens? Was it truly defying the heavens? So the words of the Dragon Subduing Arhat that day weren\'t just alarmist talk?" Hearing this, Li Shimin was left stunned.

No matter how powerful the Buddha and Bodhisattvas are, nor how great the influence of the Buddhist forces, they can\'t represent the Heavenly Dao. Therefore, Li Shimin took the words of the Dragon Subduing Arhat that day as mere alarmist talk, not taking them to heart.

But today, could it truly be a punishment from the heavens?

What mission does Master Xuanzang bear that even the heavens are so angered? To the extent of afflicting Great Tang with disaster?

"Immeasurable Heavenly Venerable, Your Majesty, now that the root cause is clear, you must make a decision, otherwise, it won\'t be just the locust plague—floods and epidemics will follow one after another," Yuan Tiangang cautioned in a low voice.

The people of Great Tang number not only in the millions; with each passing day, the damage to the entire nation grows greater.

As the ruler of a nation, once Li Shimin understood the root of the matter, he naturally had to make a decision sooner rather than later.

In Gaoyang\'s sleeping quarters, Jiang Liu looked listless, but his eyes were firmly fixed on the young girl lying on the bed.

Almost a month had passed, and the rotting on Gaoyang\'s body had only continued to spread, with an even foul stench emanating from her.

Lately, she had mostly been in a comatose state, the time she could awaken and talk to him growing ever more scarce.

During these days, Jiang Liu had tried every possible remedy.

The Guanyin Mantra and the healing potion had no effect, and they couldn\'t even slow the spread of the poison.

He had even cut himself to feed her his blood since his flesh could grant longevity, wondering if it could have some effect?

With the thought of grabbing at straws, he tried it, but still, there was no improvement. His own flesh could grant longevity, but it couldn\'t make someone immortal.

In recent days, he could often hear palace maids weeping softly, clearly distressed and saddened by Gaoyang\'s nearly wholly decayed appearance.

"It seems I can only take one final gamble?" he reflected, sighing deeply as he gazed at Gaoyang, who was almost completely rotted away, her breath weak as a thread.