Journey to the West: Tang Monk Conquers Everything-Chapter 513: The Reason Behind the Disagreement between Ksitigarbha and the Buddhist Sect

Underworld, Ksitigarbha Cave.

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The Tingdi Divine Beast, bearing wounds, had returned to the Ksitigarbha Cave.

Ksitigarbha, who had previously vanished, was now serenely seated cross-legged on his stone bed at this moment. Sensing the return of the Tingdi Divine Beast, Ksitigarbha slowly opened his eyes, his cloudy eyes showing no hint of anything remarkable.

The appearance of Ksitigarbha resembled that of an ordinary old monk, completely indistinguishable from any other.

"Bodhisattva…" the Tingdi Divine Beast approached Ksitigarbha, slightly lowering its head and spoke.

"You are injured?" Ksitigarbha rose and approached the Tingdi Divine Beast.

As he spoke, he reached out and stroked the head of the Tingdi Divine Beast a few times.

Squinting its eyes, the Tingdi Divine Beast seemed to thoroughly enjoy the gesture.

After a while, Ksitigarbha withdrew his hand, and the Tingdi Divine Beast could feel that its wounds had healed by about seventy to eighty percent. It lowered its head, "Thank you, Bodhisattva!"

"Why thank me? You were carrying out duties on my behalf; it is only natural that I should help you heal!" When faced with the Tingdi's thanks, Ksitigarbha gently shook his head with a tranquil expression.

First, Ksitigarbha helped Tingdi to reclaim some of its health before he finally asked, "So? How did it go in the Mortal World this time? Did everything go according to plan?"

"Reporting to Bodhisattva, everything proceeded just as we had planned! I captured Xuanzang, but during our fight, it seemed that Master Xuanzang had access to Law-Type methods, and I was no match for him – the Ninth Grade Merit Golden Lotus was taken by him!"

Hearing Ksitigarbha's inquiry, Tingdi had no intention of concealing anything and reported everything that happened in the Mortal World to Ksitigarbha in great detail.

"Hmm, good. Everything is within the plan!" Tingdi's report made Ksitigarbha nod slightly.

"Bodhisattva…"

However, after hesitating for a moment, Tingdi asked somewhat curiously, "This Ninth Grade Merit Golden Lotus is a Supreme Treasure. Why would you give it to Master Xuanzang? Moreover, why present it in a way meant to deceive observers? Could it be, Bodhisattva, that you truly have complete confidence in Master Xuanzang?"

"If I did not have complete confidence, why would I do all this?" Ksitigarbha looked at Tingdi, his expression calm.

"But…" Tingdi grew even more confused and said, "But even if you, Bodhisattva, wish to overturn the Buddhist Sect, it can't be done, and even if Xuanzang is a person of Destiny, favored by Heaven and Earth, it's still impossible to overturn the Buddhist Sect, right?"

"These matters, you will understand in time!" Ksitigarbha did not seem inclined to resolve Tingdi's confusion.

Alright then, I am curious and have doubts, and if the Bodhisattva wishes to explain, I should listen well.

But if the Bodhisattva does not wish to explain, Tingdi naturally cannot continue to probe.

"Tingdi, how many years have you been with me?" Although he did not respond to Tingdi's previous words, after a moment of silence, Ksitigarbha suddenly asked.

"I have been with the Bodhisattva for a thousand years!" Tingdi replied truthfully, lowering its head, although unsure why Ksitigarbha was asking this.

"Hmm, a thousand years, has it really been a thousand years already? To be more precise, has it been over sixteen hundred years?"

The response from Tingdi made Ksitigarbha show various emotions, murmuring softly to himself.

"Eh?" Ksitigarbha's emotional expression caused a hidden surprise in Tingdi's heart.

A thousand years of emotions, Tingdi could understand what that meant, but emotions about over sixteen hundred years? What was the Bodhisattva emoting about?

Tingdi quietly calculated in its mind, what happened over sixteen hundred years ago?

Wait, wasn't it about the time when the Zhou Dynasty was first established?

That period was exactly when the Shang Dynasty was overthrown and the Zhou Dynasty established. Wasn't it during the great calamity of Deification?

"Tingdi, do you know why, although I originated from the Buddhist Sect, I almost stand alone outside of it, with a delicate relationship with the Tathagata and the others?" After a moment of silence, today's Ksitigarbha seemed quite talkative and asked.

"Is it because you manage the reincarnation of deceased Immortals and Buddhas, impartially and justly, which is why the Bodhisattvas and Buddha of the Buddhist Sect are dissatisfied with you?" Hearing Ksitigarbha's question, Tingdi replied.

Upon hearing Tingdi's response, Ksitigarbha only smiled slightly, shook his head, and said, "Your answer is correct, yet it is not correct. Think about it, all the lost souls of the Immortals and Buddhas are sent by me to reincarnation. Why then does the Buddhist Sect have a greater prejudice against me than even the Heavenly Court?"

"Ah?" Ksitigarbha's words stunned Tingdi for a moment. After thinking it over carefully, that indeed seemed to be the case.

The people of the Heavenly Court regard the Bodhisattva mostly with awe, yet they do not bear much hostility.

On the other hand, why are the people of the Buddhist Sect more hostile towards the Bodhisattva? This seems quite illogical!

Could it be just because the Bodhisattva is a member of the Buddhist Sect, yet does not make concessions for Buddhist Sect people, causing hostility? But that doesn't seem to make sense, does it?

"The Deification War was a great calamity between Heaven and Earth. However, the Immortals and Buddhas, feeling superior, forcefully intervened in the rise and fall of the Human Realm!"

"Immortals and Buddhas may stand above, but they should not overly interfere in mortal affairs. Yet, by using the great calamity of Deification as an excuse, they did interfere, leading to the Great Zhou declaring the Son of Heaven and toppling King Zhou of Shang!"

"After that, the Human Emperor merely existed in name and did not truly exist, and the emperors in the Mortal World regarded themselves as the Son of Heaven!"

"During the Battle of Deification, thousands of Immortals fought until the sky dimmed and the earth darkened, because even if these great wielders of divine skills died, they could still devise ways to resurrect!"

"For instance, Nezha, after his death, his master, Taiyi True Man, could reassemble his lost soul and allow him to be reborn through a lotus! Without the fear of life and death, naturally, these Immortals and Buddhas were not afraid to fight!"

"My philosophy greatly differs from that of the Buddhist Sect, my goal is to enable all beings across the three realms and six paths, regardless of their status. Hence, after that battle of deification, I descended into Hell and made a great vow: 'Unless Hell is empty, I shall not achieve Buddhahood!'"

"Perhaps because my great vow was in accordance with the Heavenly Dao, I then became the one responsible for the reincarnation of all deceased Immortals and Buddhas!"

"The grand Battle of Deification of those days nearly swept through all three Sects, completely annihilating the Sect of Intercepting! Yet, during this calamity of the Journey to the West, how many of the Immortals and Buddhas dare involve themselves in it? None other than these Immortals and Buddhas who simply cherish their own lives!"

"So it is!" Upon hearing Ksitigarbha recount these matters, Tingdi suddenly came to a realization.

By hijacking the Battle of Deification, the Immortals and Buddhas usurped the Human Emperor, causing succeeding rulers to declare themselves as the Son of Heaven, and moreover, countless Immortals from the three doctrines descended to fight, clearly influencing the Heavenly Dao.

To prevent such periods from reoccurring, the Heavenly Dao precisely chose Ksitigarbha, who had made a great vow, to specifically manage the reincarnation of Immortals and Buddhas, and eliminate the possibility of their resurrection through divine skills after death!

At that moment, Tingdi's heart suddenly understood, realizing why people in the Heavenly Court only revered Ksitigarbha but did not oppose him.

Because Ksitigarbha, though stern and impartial, ultimately represents the will of the Heavenly Dao!

And why do people within the Buddhist Sect oppose Ksitigarbha?

That is because, prior to this, Ksitigarbha's philosophy was different from theirs!

"The Bodhisattva has great compassion! It is truly admirable!" Understanding the whole story, Tingdi then spoke out, praising Ksitigarbha.

"Amitabha, although I am deeply involved in the Buddhist Sect, what my heart truly venerates is not Buddha nor any person, but merely the teachings of the Buddhist Sect! This is the greatest difference between me and the others in the Buddhist Sect," Ksitigarbha murmured softly after chanting a brief Buddhist chant.

It's like a country with strict laws, where a person within the country is not loyal to the Emperor or anyone else, but solely to the laws!

Ksitigarbha was such that he only respected the teachings of the Buddhist Sect, not even Buddha or the two saints of the Buddhist Sect!

"What luck indeed!"

Fully understanding the roots of Ksitigarbha's differences with the Buddhist Sect, Tingdi remarked somewhat emotionally.

"Luck? Are you saying my luck is good?" Ksitigarbha asked with a smile, hearing his Divine Beast's emotional comment.

"It is both the Bodhisattva's luck and the Heavenly Dao's luck!"

"Without the Heavenly Dao's favor, the Bodhisattva would certainly not be tolerated in the Buddhist Sect, and similarly, if the Heavenly Dao did not have the Bodhisattva, this task of managing the reincarnation of Immortals and Buddhas would surely be difficult for others to handle fairly and impartially!"

With a slight smile, at Tingdi's words, Ksitigarbha shook his head and said, "In this universe, there is no such thing as luck; myriad beings, the sun rising and the moon setting, the four seasons, the phenomena of wind, flowers, snow, and rain, the swimming of creatures, soaring of birds, everything, is all but the functioning of the Heavenly Dao, predestined by the unseen forces!"

As his words fell, Ksitigarbha seemed to have exhausted his interest in the discussion, fell silent, and closed his eyes.

Seeing Ksitigarbha entering into meditation, Tingdi naturally did not dare to disturb him, lightened his footsteps, and turned to leave.

Yet, having understood these matters about Ksitigarbha, Tingdi's heart grew ever more amazed.

Why does Ksitigarbha regard Xuanzang so highly, even believing that he could certainly overturn the Western Spirit Mountain?

And why him?

Could it be that Master Xuanzang shares the same conviction as the Bodhisattva, believing that everyone in this world is equal, regardless of their status?

Upon careful reflection, it seemed that Master Xuanzang indeed never fawned over those of high status nor dominated those of lower status along the way?

Even managing to live in peace with Demon Creatures!?

Could it be?

Is this why Ksitigarbha values Master Xuanzang so much, even willing to unreservedly support him?

...

In the Underworld, the conversation between Ksitigarbha and Tingdi was naturally unknown to Jiang Liu.

Having a clear road cut through the hundreds of miles of Thistle Ridge, Jiang Liu and his companions only took a mere ten days to traverse it, which made Jiang Liu privately sigh.

If the thorns had been dense, could they have delayed the journey for at least another ten days or even a month?

The six demons of Wood Immortal Hermitage truly meant well but had done a disservice!

Jiang Liu felt that he had unspeakable woes!