The Monkey King

In the quiet night, the patter of rain covered almost everything.

The rainwater dripping down the eaves is like a string of bead curtains, hitting the standing water in front of me, splashing a cold breath.

Under the eaves, Xuanzang huddled up in his wet clothes, and his eyes looking around were filled with confusion. The monkey on the side squatted quietly with a golden hoop.

"Perhaps, the poor monk shouldn't have dragged you along in the first place. The poor monk should... finish the journey to the west by himself."

When he heard this sentence, Monkey's face suddenly twitched slightly.

How many years has it been since Huaguo Mountain? Now, why should I go on my own in the first place?

Just to put this into perspective, if the other party had not been Xuanzang, the monkey might have already taken action. Still fighting to death.

After finally suppressing the anger in his heart, the monkey reached out and took out his ears, bared his teeth, and pretended to be a little careless and replied: "It's okay, people, there are always times when I'm confused. Sometimes I'm hit too hard and I can't figure it out. Some things, some wrong words were said. But...some words, it's best not to say them randomly before you think them through."

As he said that, the monkey winked at where Tianpeng and the others were, and said: "It doesn't matter if I heard it. If others heard it... maybe there would be trouble. Then people's hearts will not be united. This journey How else to leave?”

"No." Xuanzang shook his head and whispered: "The poor monk has thought it through."

"What have you thought clearly?" The monkey snorted coldly, looked at Xuanzang in disbelief, stretched out his hand to touch his wet shoulder, and gritted his teeth and said: "Wearing such a shabby clothes and being wet all over, in this situation In this damn weather, and in this damn place, do you want to tell me to give up?"

Before he finished speaking, the monkey had already grabbed Xuanzang's collar heavily and pulled him in front of him, his eyes widening. He lowered his voice and said viciously: "I'm here to bring down the Tathagata with my fucking fingers! You have to go to Xitian even if you go, and you have to go if you don't! If you dare to say what you just said again, I will kill you!"

Xuanzang's eyes widened and he was stunned for a while.

Everyone in the distance looked a little confused.

Xiao Bailong carefully touched Tianpeng's arm. Asked in a low voice: "He... what happened to them just now? What did they say? Why do they look like they are about to fight?"

Everyone around them frowned and stared blankly, but no one answered.

Just now, before Xuanzang could finish what he said, the monkey had already casually dropped a forbidden sound. Without preparation. Even lip-reading cannot be done at such a distance, not to mention that monkeys are already prepared for this.

After a long time, the monkey gently let go of his hand, turned his head and stared at the splashing water in front of him and said: "I pretended not to hear what you just said. Anyway... you have to remember what you said to me at the foot of Five Elements Mountain. , I will escort you to safety all the way. If you want to succeed in attaining enlightenment, help me to overthrow Tathagata. I succeeded. You can say whatever you want. Otherwise... I am not a good man or woman."

Xuanzang blinked and stared blankly at the monkey's profile.

After a while, Xuanzang retreated back to his original corner, closed his eyes and curled up. He sighed softly: "The Great Sage misunderstood. The poor monk didn't mean that."

"what does that mean?"

"What the poor monk means is that the direction of the poor monk's enlightenment is wrong again." As he spoke, Xuanzang blinked his eyes and raised his head slightly.

On rainy nights, almost every house had its doors and windows closed. On the street, I happened to see a few slightly cracked windows. There must be a pair of eyes secretly watching Xuanzang.

Yes, everyone is looking at him, but he is so depressed. Shouldn’t those who lead people to do good should stand on a high platform and be admired by thousands of people?

If even Xuanzang himself did not end well. How can he persuade others to do good?

Think about it, a whole seven days of lectures on "doing good" turned out to be nothing more than a joke.

Lowering his head, Xuanzang hugged his legs tightly and said, "Actually, all living beings are really simple. So simple that they can be summarized in one word."

"What word?"

Xuanzang pursed his lips and chuckled: "Seek advantages and avoid disadvantages."

The monkey thought for a while and nodded: "That's the truth. It's not just the people, it's the same for everything."

Xuanzang took a deep breath and sighed softly: "Lingshan is getting closer and closer. Every day and night, the poor monk is thinking about how to achieve universal salvation. I want all living beings to be like me, doing good deeds regardless of everything. It is impossible to do good and promote good. Because no matter how noble the principle is, once it goes against the four words of "seeking benefits and avoiding harm", it will only lead to death. Therefore, those who do good must be allowed to benefit. Those who do evil will suffer. In this way, over time, universal salvation will be achieved."

When he said this, Xuanzang turned his face slightly, glanced at the monkey, smiled self-deprecatingly, and said: "It is human nature to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, and it cannot be transcended. If you want to force changes, it is like a mantis. The arm blocks the car. So, we can only go with the flow. Go with the flow... Doesn't that become Laojun's way of doing nothing?"

"Actually, it doesn't matter. In the face of the great righteousness of Pudu, why should we care about the opinions of the sect? In that case, let's borrow our strength. If we can borrow our strength, it would be great if we can create a paradise world. But... the poor monk was wrong. . Only when the old gentleman has no distractions can he practice the way of inaction, but the poor monk is obsessed with it. It is precisely because of this that it finally led to the current result. The situation in this world... the lack of people's hearts is like a snake swallowing an elephant."

The monkey said leisurely: "If you can't figure it out, you can think slowly. I'm not forcing you? If it doesn't work, let's walk slower."

Xuanzang remained silent, staring at the splashing water in the distance.

"So what are you going to do now?"

"have no idea."

The monkey slowly turned his head, looked at Xuanzang and said: "I'm not asking about enlightenment, I'm asking about what you are doing now. Chanting sutras, fasting, working hard, and braving the rain... what are your plans? what?"

Xuanzang shook his head again: "I don't know either."

"Are you okay?" The monkey laughed again, stretched out his hand to touch Xuanzang's forehead, and said somewhat speechlessly: "I didn't know you were still playing like this? What do you mean?"

Xuanzang still shook his head. He raised his palm and looked carefully at the wound bitten by the child and the newly formed scar through the dim light coming from the room behind him.

After a long time, Xuanzang sighed softly: "The poor monk is feeling the suffering of all living beings. But a mere bite is already a heart-piercing pain. How should the victims in the war feel? It's just a day and night. The hard work, hardship, and fasting day and night are already exhausting... How do people in this vast world feel? Is it because the poor monk did what he did before, or because he does not understand the suffering of all living beings... "

As he said this, Xuanzang actually laughed. This time, it was a real smile, not a self-deprecating or bitter smile, but a smile from the heart. The monkeys laughed so hard that they became speechless.

At this moment, Monkey suddenly felt that the Xuanzang in front of him was a madman, completely crazy.

"Pu Du... is definitely not something a normal person can do."

After so many detours, you still have to make yourself less human and less like a ghost... Cultivating Taoism or cultivating Buddhism, which one is not better than cultivating Pudu? Just like this, can I really get a disciple in the future?

When he turned around again, the monkey saw Xuanzang taking out the "heart-hiding stone" given by Nuwa from his arms, taking a careful breath on it and wiping it with his sleeve.

"What are you doing?"

"This is the heart-hiding stone given by Empress Nuwa."

"I know, I was asking you what are you doing?"

"Record." Xuanzang chuckled and said, "Hide your heart in it and remember the mood at this moment forever."

Saying that, Xuanzang carefully wrapped the heart-hiding stone and held it against his chest.

Looking at his appearance, Monkey frowned.

With this look, even if he is not crazy, he is not far from madness. Thinking about it, Monkey could only comfort himself secretly: "You can't live without being crazy. Maybe if you are really crazy, you will be. Anyway, those Buddhists don't look like normal people."

In the blink of an eye, Xuanzang suddenly stood up and ran out in the rain.

"Follow up."

As soon as the monkey waved his hand, the black bear spirit and the little white dragon hurriedly followed without hesitation. Even the Macaque King limped along.

Canopy and roller blinds slowly walked to the monkey and squatted down.

"What did you talk about?"

"I...I can't tell." Monkey frowned and said, "He seems to have figured it out, but he doesn't seem to have it. He seems to be on the verge of enlightenment, and he seems to be going crazy. In short...I can't tell."

As he spoke, the monkey pursed his lips and looked back and forth between the canopy and the roller blind. The two of them were also confused and looked at each other.

Not long after, Xuanzang ran back in the rain with his luggage on his back. Behind him were the black bear spirit and the little white dragon.

After jogging all the way to the monkey, Xuanzang put down his luggage and panted heavily.

Soon, he opened his bag and took out a bamboo kettle. He raised his head and began to catch the rainwater leaking from the eaves.

"Master Xuanzang, what are you..."

The black bear spirit wanted to speak, but the monkey raised his hand to stop him.

Several people just watched Xuanzang quietly, watching him frantically fill the kettle with water, and then drink it all in one gulp.

Immediately afterwards, everyone watched him take out two pieces of pancakes from his luggage, then squatted under the corner and chewed them carefully. From time to time he blinked and looked around.

That image was completely opposite to the previous Xuanzang, as if... a different person.

While chewing the pancake, he said: "There are quite a lot of people now. Let's plan the way from here to Lingshan."

Hearing this, everyone looked at each other in shock.

"How do you want to go?" asked the monkey.

"In this way, you all can go back..."

"No!" Before he finished speaking, the monkey stood up suddenly.

For a moment, all eyes were focused on the monkey.

Xuanzang hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly changed his words: "If you don't want to leave, you can stay. But we each go our own way."

"Are we protecting you secretly?" Tianpeng asked in a low voice.

"No. The poor monk does not need protection. The poor monk can just go his own way." After saying that, Xuanzang looked at the monkey again and said solemnly: "What the poor monk promised will be fulfilled. Please ask the Great Sage for this." Don’t worry.”

Hearing this, Monkey's frown deepened.

Could it be... really crazy? (~^~)