Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!-Chapter 682 - 681: The Two Spectators

"I don’t see you as someone who can achieve Buddhahood, getting angry at the slightest provocation by others; you are still far from the path to becoming a Buddha," Xuanzang said indifferently.

"No! Bodhisattva Guanyin said that as long as I follow you to the Western Heaven for Scriptures, I can achieve Buddhahood upon our return. No matter what, I am determined to become a Buddha; not even you can stop me!"

The Six-Eared Macaque stepped forward and grabbed Xuanzang, his eyes filled with emotions that he had hidden for a long time: greed and madness, which frightened Xuanzang.

Xuanzang was somewhat afraid of this Six-Eared Macaque. He tried to pry open the Macaque’s hands, but the Macaque was very strong, absolutely beyond Xuanzang’s ability to struggle free. His fierce and wild gaze was like that of a man-eating demon.

"You, you wicked disciple! Let go of me immediately. If Bodhisattva Guanyin asked you to accompany me to the Western Heaven for Scriptures, there must be a reason from the Bodhisattva. I cannot discipline you anymore, and if you truly wish to achieve Buddhahood, then go find the Bodhisattva yourself. I have a long journey ahead of me, do not hinder me!" Xuanzang struggled and said.

"Since the Bodhisattva told me to come and find you, I must follow Master. I will not go looking for anyone else," the Six-Eared Macaque said. "I promise you, Master, that if you let me stay, I will listen to you from now on and will no longer have conflicts with others."

Seeing that he seemed to have the intention of repentance, Xuanzang softened his attitude towards the Six-Eared Macaque a little, "Well then, you go now and bring the Great General back, apologize to him, and I shall forgive you this time."

However, the Six-Eared Macaque hesitated. He had initially thought about getting Xuanzang’s forgiveness, but if the prerequisite for forgiveness was to apologize to that mortal who said he was not fit to become a Buddha, he truly did not want to.

"What, are you unwilling?" Xuanzang perceived the Six-Eared Macaque’s hesitation and asked aloud.

He had apologized to Xuanzang so sincerely just now, but when asked to change the object of his apology to that mortal, the Six-Eared Macaque was reluctant.

Xuanzang also saw that he truly did not want to apologize, and pushed away the Six-Eared Macaque’s hands, "I see that you are not sincerely coming to apologize. Well, if you don’t want to apologize, I won’t force you. Then you should leave."

"Don’t, Master! I can apologize to you, but asking me to apologize to that mortal, absolutely impossible."

Speaking of that mortal, the Six-Eared Macaque’s eyes showed hatred. "I have made so much effort in order to achieve Buddhahood, to become that person. What does that mortal know to say I am not worthy? What right does he have to declare I am not worthy!"

Xuanzang had already started to feel disappointed in the Six-Eared Macaque; he had truly believed the Macaque sincerely wished to repent. Now it seemed, the Macaque was just going through the motions. Since he was unwilling to apologize to the Great General, then this master-disciple bond could also be severed here.

"If you won’t apologize, then so be it." Xuanzang took the reins and walked forward, "Let’s part ways here, I hope you take good care of yourself."

"Master!" the Six-Eared Macaque called out from behind Xuanzang, "Do you truly no longer want me?"

"Stop calling me Master. Since I see no sign of repentance in you, let’s leave it at that. You don’t bother me, and I won’t bother you, that’s it." Xuanzang didn’t look back as he spoke.

The Six-Eared Macaque also felt profound grief.

Persisting to follow Xuanzang now was utterly useless; he couldn’t harm Xuanzang.

In fact, the current situation was easy to resolve, only if he would apologize to that mortal, then the matter could be easily settled, just an apology.

The Six-Eared Macaque bowed his head, his fists clenched so tightly that his fingernails were deeply embedded in his flesh, but he seemed to feel no pain at all.

No, he must have felt the pain, perhaps he wanted to use such pain to clear his mind a bit.

After all, it was just a matter of apologizing, why was he so unwilling to do it?

Was it because of that person, or because of the words he said, or both reasons? The Six-Eared Macaque could no longer distinguish clearly.

Xuanzang rode ahead on his horse. Without his disciple, he had to find his own way, determine which paths were passable and which were not, seek water when thirsty, and eat dry food or beg for alms when hungry.

It seemed he had lived like this before he met his disciple, so why did doing these things without his disciple now seem to go against his wishes?

But no matter what, he was still adamant about this matter in his heart. If his disciple couldn’t realize where he was wrong, then perhaps he had truly misjudged when taking on a disciple.

The three of them thus went their separate ways, each following their own chosen path.

In Buddhism, Guanyin Bodhisattva silently observed all this and asked Maitreya beside him, "What do you think about this situation?"

"What do I think?" Maitreya touched his belly and said with a smile, "I stand and watch, of course."

Bodhisattva Guanyin didn’t respond to Maitreya’s jest but peered through the Cauldron of Guan Shi at the actions of the three, "Leaving aside who is right or wrong in this matter, don’t you find this mortal somewhat strange?"

"What’s strange about that?" Maitreya, sipping on Peach Blossom Wine, asked with a chuckle.

Bodhisattva Guanyin, about to speak, caught the smell of wine on Maitreya and held back, ultimately not voicing his thoughts, but instead commented on Chen Nuo riding the horse, "His appearance seems not to have been arranged by us."

"Of course, it wasn’t arranged by us, wasn’t it arranged by the Emperor of Tang?" Maitreya said.

"Yes, it was arranged by the Emperor of Tang," Bodhisattva Guanyin continued with his speculation, "But I always feel that his emergence seems a bit off, and his appearance really doesn’t resemble that of a mortal. This breakup between the master and disciple, Xuanzang and Sun Wukong, was not in our calculations, it’s like it was deliberately instigated by this mortal."

"How did he instigate it? Wasn’t it the Six-Eared Macaque, cough," Maitreya said, coughing then correcting himself, "This Sun Wukong, wasn’t he the one deliberately causing trouble?"

"Sun Wukong did make some mistakes, but I feel that according to a mortal’s normal reaction, he shouldn’t have taken such actions but should have been guilt-stricken by Sun Wukong’s words and then left."

"He should never have disrupted Sun Wukong’s plans in such a way, causing the master and disciple to split. This also scattered our plans for the two. Later on, we’ll have to find a way to reconcile the master and disciple," Bodhisattva Guanyin stated.

Maitreya took another sip of wine, his face reflecting a tipsy glow, and waved his hand with a smile, "But this can’t all be blamed on the mortal. It’s the seeds that Sun Wukong sowed; thus, he reaps such fruits. If he alone had let this mortal lead them all the way to the northwest to find the Curtain Lifting General, perhaps none of this would have happened."

"That’s not possible," Bodhisattva Guanyin said gravely, "Serpent Coiling Mountain, Eagle Sorrow Stream, and the Third Prince have not yet been subdued. The route this mortal is leading doesn’t even pass through there, our plans would not be achievable."

"So what?" Maitreya shrugged, "Plans cannot keep up with changes, so they will have to figure it out on their own, otherwise see if there’s a chance of enlightening the white horse beneath Xuanzang, see if it’s possible to give it spiritual sense."