Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!-Chapter 683 - 682: Guanyin Investigates People

"I am speaking seriously with you right now, can you please take this more seriously?" Bodhisattva Guanyin simply couldn’t stand Maitreya’s indifferent attitude, his utter lack of propriety, nowhere close to what a Buddha should embody, "But if you won’t listen to me, there’s really nothing I can do."

"Let’s not quarrel over such matters," Bodhisattva Guanyin didn’t want to argue about this, changing the subject on her own initiative, "As for that mortal, can we confirm his identity? I want to see if he is truly just a mortal, or perhaps someone with an agenda in disguise."

"What sort of person with an agenda? Why don’t you consider that it might be a demon or ghost?" Maitreya asked.

"Do you think if it were a demon or ghost, it could escape our notice?" Bodhisattva Guanyin countered.

In her heart, she already had a suspect in mind, Chaos Residence—that person not only snatched away the real Sun Wukong but even hid Tian Peng as well.

Although she didn’t know what his endgame was, anyone who obstructed the Journey to the West should stand against Buddhism.

"What do you plan to do, Bodhisattva?" Maitreya looked at Bodhisattva Guanyin, who was staring intently at the mortal, and felt an ominous premonition, "And what if he is indeed just a mortal? What then?"

"I will first go to the Netherworld to inquire with Yama and check the mortal’s identity. If he is confirmed to be just a mortal, I will see if he has the deeds to achieve Buddhahood. He seems talented, and with my help, he could surely add great strength to Buddhism," Bodhisattva Guanyin had her plans in mind.

"But have you considered the possibility that this mortal might not wish to become a Buddha?" Maitreya asked.

Bodhisattva Guanyin was greatly surprised, "Why? Can you truly believe that someone would choose to remain a mortal over Achieving Buddhahood? Do you think that’s possible?"

"Why wouldn’t it be?" Maitreya, although still smiling, had much of his mirth fade from his eyes, "There are many in the world who wish to become Buddhas, but I believe there are also many who do not wish it. Is it not possible that some may not want to become Buddhas?"

"Impossible, how can there be anyone in this world who does not wish to become a Buddha?" Bodhisattva Guanyin countered, finding the thought utterly ludicrous—as believable as a sow climbing a tree.

"Perhaps," Maitreya’s eyes were devoid of any mirth as he looked at Bodhisattva Guanyin, so certain of her position.

Bodhisattva Guanyin had no intention of lingering here, she said to Maitreya, "You keep an eye out, I’m going to ask Yama,"

and then she left.

Once Bodhisattva Guanyin had left, Maitreya’s eyes again filled with mirth. He took another sip of Peach Blossom Wine from his flask, looking at the mortal and feeling as though he was very familiar, but where had he seen him?

Maitreya rubbed his belly, unable to recall anything as he gazed at the mortal—well, he probably saw him sometime when he was in the mortal realm.

Bodhisattva Guanyin went directly to Yama Hall, where Yama, having been informed, was already waiting. As she entered the hall, Yama approached eagerly, "Bodhisattva, what brings you to visit?"

"To be frank, I have come to inquire about the life of a mortal," Bodhisattva Guanyin spoke straightforwardly. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

As everyone comes here looking for someone, Yama spared the formalities, asking, "May I know whose life the Bodhisattva wishes to see? I will look it up for you."

"The Great General from the Northwest of Great Tang," Guanyin stated.

"Bodhisattva, please wait a moment, I will find it for you right away," Yama said, hurrying off to search the Book of Life and Death.

A few years back, Shopkeeper Chen Nuo from Chaos Residence had instructed him to alter the life records of a certain mortal.

Such things are normally unchangeable, but there was no choice, considering that the Shopkeeper’s cooking was simply too irresistible.

Yama couldn’t resist the temptation and had a huge plate of braised pork, plus he accepted four boxes of chilled rabbit.

Having accepted a meal, he could only cook the books for Shopkeeper Chen, thinking no one would come asking as long as it wasn’t a matter of great importance. Usually, no one from above would bother to check.

Only a few years had passed when Bodhisattva Guanyin came looking, with such a grave expression.

Yama flipped through the Book of Life and Death while observing Bodhisattva Guanyin’s complexion, but since the Bodhisattva had come alone, it must be a personal matter, and Yama felt there was no need for excessive worry.

After searching for a while, Yama finally found the mortal life Bodhisattva Guanyin was seeking. He turned to that page and handed it over to Guanyin.

The mortal’s life was briefly summarized in just a few lines: orphaned at a young age, raised with the help of neighbors, later became the martial arts champion in the Great Tang and was set to take office in the northwest in one month’s time, where he lived to eighty and died a natural death in the northwest.

"Is this the entire life story of that mortal?" asked Bodhisattva Guanyin kindly, facing Yama, "Please, Yama, could you also find and bring me the life stories of his parents?"

It wasn’t a particularly difficult task, and Yama quickly found the life stories of the mortal’s parents. These were not falsified, and Yama didn’t feel guilty at all as he handed them directly to Bodhisattva Guanyin for review.

Bodhisattva Guanyin carefully examined the life stories of the two individuals and, finding nothing amiss, concluded that this mortal was indeed simply a mortal, and though not rich, certainly noble.

Surviving to eighty in the harsh environment of the northwest, and maintaining the position of Great General, it seemed he truly must have had the presence to match his rank without a doubt.

However, something was strange, and Guanyin pointed to the page about offspring, "Why is this blank? If this mortal was fated for great nobility, he should have many descendants. Why is there none listed here?"

Damn, that detail had been forgotten.

But Yama, after all, was Yama. He dealt with so many life and death ledgers daily that the mere absence of offspring was something he had seen many cases of.

He coughed and said, "Bodhisattva, it’s like this, this person had a hidden ailment."

The implication of this ’hidden ailment’ was pretty clear without further explanation.

Bodhisattva Guanyin was stunned for a moment before realizing what Yama meant by the hidden ailment.

His expression turned odd, but he quickly returned to his normal composure and cleared his throat before continuing, "If he was destined for such nobility, how could he have a hidden ailment?"

"He lost his parents at a young age and wasn’t very old. Although the villagers helped, they weren’t real relatives, and often he had to fend for himself. It was because of an injury sustained during a fall in his childhood that he lost that particular function, so..."

Yama didn’t complete the latter part of his explanation, but Bodhisattva Guanyin understood his meaning and nodded, "I see."

After confirming that the mortal really was just a mortal, Bodhisattva Guanyin attributed the previous incident, which led to the disciples’ split, as truly accidental on the mortal’s part.

However, since this mortal could inadvertently cause such events, it was still necessary to observe him, to see if he had that kind of opportunity. If possible, letting him join Buddhism would indeed be a good thing.