Chapter 454 – Merely Mutual Benefit
If something good can only be hoarded for oneself, and others are criticized as stingy just for wanting a share—well, that kind of reasoning simply doesn't hold up!
Ye Tian supported Tang Sanzang's participation in the Golden List precisely because he had the advantage in this area. When it came to meditation and understanding the Dao, if the reincarnated Golden Cicada didn't show up, wouldn't that be far too regrettable?
That's why, at this moment, Ye Tian's mind was made up. He felt it necessary to support Tang Sanzang, and so he said, "Tang Sanzang, don't worry about anything. With me backing you up, you just go ahead and participate."
"Ye Tian, don't push things too far!"
The Buddha looked at Ye Tian. He knew how powerful Ye Tian was, and that the two of them were evenly matched. If they were to truly fight, the outcome would be hard to call.
"All right now, I'm just supporting Tang Sanzang. How does that amount to pushing too far? Buddha, if word of today gets out, I think you'll be the one to completely lose face."
"Then do as you like. I won't meddle in your affairs anymore!"
"That's more like it. That's what you should've said from the start."
With that, Ye Tian took Tang Sanzang and left. After all, they'd already completed registration. As they departed, Ye Tian said to Tang Sanzang, "If there's anything you want to prepare in the coming days, just let me know if I can help."
"Ye Tian, why are you being so good to me? Logically speaking, that shouldn't be the case—should it?"
"Why not? As the saying goes, the Buddha saves all beings. And now, I've come to save you—shouldn't that be fitting?"
"But… you taught Wukong, and now you've come to teach me. So I really don't understand—where exactly are you from? And why are you doing all of this?"
It seemed Tang Sanzang had begun to grow suspicious. Ye Tian simply chuckled and said, "Hmm, looks like you're starting to catch on. But the truth about me is a secret, so I'm not going to tell you. What I can tell you is this: I will do everything in my power to help you!"
"Well, I do have an idea. I'm going to need to postpone the journey west for a while. I'll need some time—participating in the Meditation and Enlightenment Ranking isn't something I can do without proper preparation."
For Tang Sanzang, time was the tightest constraint. He was meant to travel west, so if he wanted to participate in the Golden List, he had to carve out space in his schedule.
"Hmm… what you're worried about is explaining things to the Buddha, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"You don't need to worry about that. If you want some time right now, then just focus on meditating and comprehending the Dao. If the Buddha tries to give you trouble, I'll stop him."
"That's wonderful!"
At that moment, Tang Sanzang felt truly moved. Truth be told, he didn't really want to travel west anymore. When he'd gone to meet the Buddha earlier, he thought he'd be met with kindness. But to his surprise, the Buddha hadn't even offered him a friendly face.
After all, he was working for the Buddha. Yet the Buddha's attitude was so cold—how could he not feel disheartened?
Soon after, Ye Tian went to find Sun Wukong and said to him, "In the days ahead, you also need to train well. Meditation and comprehending the Dao isn't your strength, so don't expect too much from yourself in that area. But your master is a different story—he excels at it. So make sure to protect him. Don't let anyone bully him, especially the Buddha. If he tries to cause trouble, stop him at once."
"But I'm not his match!"
That was exactly what Wukong was thinking. If he were a match for the Buddha, he wouldn't have been pinned under Five Elements Mountain back then. Even now, he still wasn't a match for the Buddha. So if the Buddha really made a move—what was he supposed to do?
"Don't worry about that. Here—take this talisman!"
"What's this?"
"If you really run into the Buddha, use this to deal with him. It can create a formation he won't be able to break into for a short while. I'll sense it when it's activated, and I'll come to help you."
"Wow, thank you so much!"
"No need to thank me. Everything I'm doing is just for mutual benefit."
"Really? You mean… we can actually benefit each other?"
"Of course!"
Wukong couldn't help but feel puzzled. Ye Tian said this was all for mutual benefit—but all this time, he hadn't given Ye Tian anything in return.
Just what kind of benefit had Ye Tian gotten from him?
The more he thought about it, the more he couldn't figure it out. Meanwhile, the Golden List continued to progress. So, during this period, all they could do was wait.
One month from now would be the official start of the Golden List Livestream.
So in the coming days, they had to give it their all.
On the other side, the Buddha was indeed furious. He hadn't expected Ye Tian to go against him like this. Tang Sanzang and his disciples were his subordinates—weren't they supposed to obey him?
Yet now they were all defying him. So he said, "Hmm… looks like they're thinking about betraying me. Guanyin, what do you think about all this?"
"If they really intend to betray you, then… why don't we just replace them? The Journey to the West doesn't necessarily need them, does it?"
"No, that won't do. I chose them myself back then. If I backtrack now, wouldn't that mean my original judgment was flawed? So we can't replace them. But giving them a little lesson—I think that's perfectly acceptable."
"What exactly do you have in mind? Please enlighten me, Buddha."
Guanyin couldn't quite guess what he was thinking. After all, this was the Buddha she was dealing with...
(Support me and read ahead on Patreøn: patreøn.com/craxxtranslation. Thanks for your support! Don't forget to send Power Stones—300 Power Stones = +1 bonus chapter!)