Chapter 456: The Tempting Offer
What Guanyin Bodhisattva hadn't expected was that the current Sun Wukong was no longer the same as he had been back then. His strength had increased dramatically, and when he swung the Ruyi Jingu Bang in her direction, it actually forced her to retreat several steps!
"Your strength… it's actually this powerful?"
"Hmph, it's thanks to Ye Tian's help that my strength has improved so much. Guanyin Bodhisattva, I advise you to leave now. If you insist on staying here, don't blame me for being rude!"
"Wukong, how many times do I have to tell you before you're willing to believe me? Ye Tian is not a good person. His true goal is to stop the Journey to the West. That's his real intention. So don't fall for his nonsense!"
"I'm not a child you can fool with a few words. Back then, sure, I was naïve and didn't know any better—but things are different now. I see through everything much more clearly. If you think you can trick me again, forget it!"
"Heh… well, I suppose you really have gotten smarter since back then. You always looked like a clever little monkey, but you were just a fool in reality. Now, you've become more composed—and genuinely more intelligent. But even now, there are things you still don't understand. If you accompany Tang Sanzang to the West and obtain the scriptures, you'll all become Buddhas or saints. That's what's best for you. But now you're all obsessed with this Golden List for a few petty benefits. You're trading a watermelon for sesame seeds—don't you understand that?"
Sun Wukong suddenly paused at those words. That… did sound kind of reasonable!
"Uh…"
"What is it, Wukong? You think what I said makes sense, don't you? That's exactly why I came here today. Ye Tian persuaded Tang Sanzang to join the Golden List. If it were just you going, fine—you're strong, so it's a good opportunity to improve yourself. But Tang Sanzang is just a monk. How could he possibly compare to you?"
"Well… you're not entirely wrong either."
Hearing this, Tang Sanzang, who had remained quiet until now, began to feel somewhat displeased. "Just a monk"? That stung.
There are things only he could do—things they couldn't. For example, the journey to the West to retrieve the scriptures. Without him, would they have even made it this far?
Having thought this through, Tang Sanzang opened his eyes. At first, he hadn't wanted to engage with her at all—but now he spoke up:
"Bodhisattva, I used to respect you deeply. But now, to see you say such things to deceive Wukong… Wukong is still a bit immature. You think he's easy to manipulate, so you feed him vague and misleading words?"
"Tang Sanzang, you're accusing me of deception? What did I say that was false? I had no intention of deceiving him."
"The things you just said were meant to mislead him. Yes, I'm just a monk who chants scriptures and doesn't know how to fight—but I've thought long and hard about joining the Golden List. This time, it's the Meditation and Enlightenment Ranking List—that's right in my wheelhouse. If I can earn a ranking, I might even receive an unexpected reward. With improved strength, the next time a demon comes to abduct me, I might actually have the power to resist. Isn't that a good thing?"
Sun Wukong, hearing this from the side, felt that Tang Sanzang made a lot of sense too!
Both of them were speaking very reasonably, which left Sun Wukong feeling conflicted.
Why do they both make such good points? So… who should I listen to?
At that moment, Sun Wukong furrowed his brows. "Hmm… You both make valid arguments, and now I'm really torn. Who should I follow?"
"Well then, who do you think makes more sense right now?"
"I don't know! Both of you sound right. One is my master, and the other is Guanyin Bodhisattva… so no matter who I listen to, it feels wrong!"
Both sides made sense, but their positions were completely opposite. This left Sun Wukong in a tough spot.
"Wukong, you're my disciple. Naturally, you should listen to me. Think about it—when have I ever led you astray?"
At that moment, Zhu Bajie chimed in, "Master, that's not entirely true. You have made one mistake—you won't let me eat too much! You keep telling me to lose weight, but I just can't shed the pounds!"
"Bajie! Will it kill you to stay quiet for once? I told you to eat less for your own good. You're too fat—losing weight is good for your health. If you slim down, your body will thank you."
"That's right, Second Brother," Sha Wujing added. "Master's doing it for your benefit. But every time there's food, you're the first one rushing for it."
As they bickered back and forth, Guanyin Bodhisattva grew increasingly impatient. What she cared most about right now was Sun Wukong's opinion. As Tang Sanzang's chief disciple, his stance was the key.
She knew that Sun Wukong and Tang Sanzang held each other in check. They both needed one another. So, at this point, Guanyin Bodhisattva offered her trump card:
"Wukong, if you believe what I said makes sense, then you must stop your master from joining the Golden List. Tell you what—if you agree to help me, I'll release you from the Tightening-Curse Spell."
"Eh?"
That did tempt Sun Wukong. If the band could be removed, he'd no longer have to suffer under its control. That would be a huge relief.
He looked over at Tang Sanzang and said, "Master, maybe… maybe we should just forget this whole thing. Could you not join the Golden List?"
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