Journey to the West: Tang Monk Conquers Everything

This is precisely why Jiang Liu had Sun Wukong leave before he prepared to execute Muzha.

Firstly, it was to safeguard the bond between Sun Wukong and Nezha; after all, when Sha Wujing was possessed by the demon and attempted to kill Muzha, Jiang Liu agreed in his heart—it was just that Sun Wukong intervened to stop it.

Secondly, and most importantly, he used the excuse that Muzha acted malevolently and considered him an evil demon as reason to strike down Muzha.

If Sun Wukong was here with his Fiery Eyes and Golden Gaze, how could Jiang Liu have justified his actions?

Therefore, it was only after finding an excuse to send Sun Wukong away that Jiang Liu found the pretext to act.

In Jiang Liu's view, Muzha's coming to the edge of the Black Water River was tantamount to seeking his own death.

If Muzha had simply covertly attacked Sha Wujing, perhaps a severe beating would have sufficed.

But upon discovering the soul of the Dragon King of Jing River, Muzha sealed his own fate!

...

Nezha's expression was incredibly complex, filled with sorrow, anger, and indecision.

Sorrow and anger naturally stemmed from the death of his second brother, but the conflict arose from Jiang Liu's words.

His second brother resorted to ambush from the shadows, using poison, such conduct indeed spelled his own doom.

Emotionally, Nezha was eager to seek revenge against Jiang Liu, yet rationally, he understood that the fault did not lie with Jiang Liu—it was his second brother at fault!

"Sigh..." Beside him, Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li Jing also wore an expression of helplessness and let out a long sigh.

Holy Monk Xuanzang would not lie; if Muzha truly launched a covert poisoned attack, then he brought about his own death without reason to blame others.

In fact, Li Jing owed Jiang Liu an apology instead.

"Let's go!" After a long silence, Li Jing said no more, walking to Muzha's grave with the Pagoda in his hand. With a flick, he summoned a powerful suction, drawing Muzha's corpse out and into the Pagoda before turning to Nezha.

Nezha's lips were tightly pressed, silent, not even granting Jiang Liu and the others a glance, and gave a slight nod.

Beneath his feet, the Wind-Fire Wheels spun into motion, transforming into a streak of fire as he returned to the Heavenly Court.

"Sigh..." Watching Nezha's departing figure, Jiang Liu inwardly sighed with a sense of helplessness.

Killing Muzha, Jiang Liu felt no regret, yet for this matter, it seemed he had done wrong by Nezha—feeling somewhat guilty in his heart.

After all, the Exquisite Immortal Mansion he now resided in was a gift from them.

However, as the saying goes, "great minds do not think alike," and in the matter of Muzha, Jiang Liu too was forced by circumstances. Protecting the bond between Nezha and Sun Wukong as much as possible was the best he could do.

"Amitabha Buddha..." Following the departure of Li Jing and Nezha, Guanyin softly chanted a Buddhist mantra, feeling a wave of relief wash over her.

Perhaps resentment lingered in their hearts, but at least on the surface, they had moved past this incident, and that was good enough.

"Xuanzang..."

After the soft mantra, Guanyin's gaze fell upon Jiang Liu, saying, "I have understood the full story now. This matter is not your fault; it can only be seen as the irony of fate. You have no need for self-blame, and certainly no need to speak of giving up on retrieving the Buddhist Scriptures!"

"With ninety thousand li still to go on your journey to the Western Heaven, how will you reach it and see the Buddha with a faltering resolve?"

"Cough cough, Bodhisattva, just a few days ago on Pingding Mountain, I already met the Tathagata, you know!" However, as Guanyin finished speaking, Jiang Liu couldn't help but interject.

Indeed, previously at Doushuai Palace when stealing the pill, Tathagata had even come out to converse with Jiang Liu, probably exasperated by the disaster Jiang Liu had caused.

"..." Guanyin's expression darkened upon hearing Jiang Liu's words, and found herself at a loss for words for a moment.

"Bodhisattva!"

Although Guanyin remained silent, Jiang Liu had no intention of keeping quiet, continuing, "I have already met the Tathagata before, but he didn't bring the Scriptures with him, so I must continue to trek through mountains and rivers to retrieve them. Next time you meet the Tathagata, would you be so kind as to remind him that if he wants to see me again, to remember to bring the Scriptures!?"

"Xuanzang! There is no time to delay; you and the others should continue your Journey to the West!" Gritting her teeth, a combative yet helpless Guanyin could only drop this response before turning to leave swiftly.

"Bodhisattva, wait, don't forget, please remember to pass the message to the Tathagata!" Watching Guanyin turn to leave, Jiang Liu was still persistent, calling out loudly from behind.

Yet, hearing Jiang Liu's words, Guanyin quickened her pace and vanished in a blink.

"Hehehe, safe and sound!"

Without hair to flirt with, Jiang Liu could only vainly pat the Vidyaraja Crown on his own head. At the same time, he secretly praised himself for his cunning plan and acting skills.

"Master's wisdom is truly admirable—I throw myself to the ground in respect!" Following Bodhisattva Guanyin's departure, Zhu Bajie spoke up, loudly admiring Jiang Liu and looking at him with unparalleled respect. Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire

As the number one lackey, Zhu Bajie naturally had to be the first to cheer with an enthusiastic "Awesome!"

What was the true cause of Muzha's death? Zhu Bajie and the others naturally knew. But who could have expected that Master would pass the test so easily?

Not only did Li Jing and his son Nezha not pursue the matter further, but even Bodhisattva Guanyin had turned around to comfort their Master?

"Master, Second Brother is right!" Feeling his own eloquence was lacking, Sha Wujing, unable to muster any fancy words, could only stand by Zhu Bajie's side to express his agreement.

"Ahem, it's not only due to my efforts. Your acting was also quite good. We can consider it a result of our concerted effort as master and disciples!" Jiang Liu coughed dryly, clearly not intending to take all the credit for himself.

After all, during their recent charade, when he loudly confessed to their crimes, both Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing had performed admirably as well.

"Furthermore, I must say we've reaped quite a harvest this time!"

Aside from safely getting through the trial, Jiang Liu considered his personal gains to be very significant.

In the midst of saying this, he lifted his hand, and a hat with swirling golden light appeared in Jiang Liu's grasp.

Defeating monsters, leveling up, and looting equipment—or so the process goes. Although he didn't get Contribution Points or system loot for killing Muzha, the treasures Muzha possessed were also a form of gain, weren't they?

The Wugou Sword, Jiang Liu did not keep for himself, burying it with Muzha. Even the Poison Needle that was used for the sneak attack wasn't taken; he allowed Li Jing to take it away along with the body, serving as evidence of Muzha's underhanded methods.

But this Golden Haze Crown, Jiang Liu unapologetically claimed for himself.

Looking at the Golden Haze Crown in his hand, Jiang Liu's face was filled with joy; the more he looked, the more he liked it, and the corresponding attribute information naturally appeared before him.

Golden Haze Crown (Epic Level): Requires level 60, Defense +88000, Special Effect 1: Can summon three thousand Fire Dragon Soldiers to fight, each Fire Dragon Soldier possessing cultivation level 40. Special Effect 2: Invisibility effect, upon wearing it, one can activate the ability to become invisible, evading most detection methods, never wears out.

Gazing at the information on the Golden Haze Crown, a smile covered Jiang Liu's face.

An Epic Level equipment for level 60 really is extraordinary.

Even though this equipment requires level 60 or the Returning Void Realm Peak, with the Black Jade Prayer Beads, I can reduce the level requirement by five levels for all equipment. Considering that I'm almost reaching level 53, it's probably just a matter of waiting a bit longer, right?

The Vidyaraja Crown was a treasure given to him by the Saint Monk Longhai back when he was in the Great Buddha Temple to convince him to stay. As his cultivation level rose, the defense power of the Vidyaraja Crown could even reach as high as 100,000 points.

However, for the current Jiang Liu, the effect of this piece of equipment seemed to be less compared to the Golden Haze Crown. In a few days, it could indeed be retired.

Meanwhile, because of what Jiang Liu said, Bodhisattva Guanyin, reminded to bring Buddhist Scriptures next time to see him, couldn't wait to leave and flew swiftly towards South Sea's Mount Luojia.

But just as she arrived over the South Sea, Bodhisattva Guanyin's figure hesitated slightly.

I really must have been muddled, to have come back just like this. I haven't taken back the Golden Haze Crown yet.

"Sigh, the catastrophe is indeed terrifying!" Realizing she had forgotten to reclaim the Golden Haze Crown, Guanyin could not help but silently lament.

Even when she was beside Xuanzang and the others, there were times when her mind seemed to be clouded, making it difficult to maintain mental clarity, let alone for others.

It seems I must be more cautious. This catastrophic event is not to be taken lightly—I can't afford to lose myself too…

Shaking her head silently, Bodhisattva Guanyin did not dwell on it any longer.

Muzha indeed took the Golden Haze Crown to seek revenge and met his fate. Now, it seemed, Guanyin would have to carefully select another Emissary to serve her…

Leaving aside Bodhisattva Guanyin's thoughts for the moment, back in the Heavenly Court, Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li and his son Nezha walked through the court in silence.

Upon returning to their Palace of the Heavenly King, they properly settled Muzha's body and collected his Dharma treasures and weapons.

For instance, the Bin Iron Cudgel, and the Twin Swords named Wugou.

And that Poison Needle.

"Sigh…" While sorting Muzha's remains and looking at the last, small, spiral-shaped Poison Needle, Li Jing let out a long sigh.

"As expected!" Nezha felt helpless by his side.

He could certainly tell that the aura wrapped around this Poison Needle was Muzha's; obviously, it had been carried around for many years after being refined by his second brother.