Journey to the West: Tang Monk Conquers Everything-Chapter 509: Tingdi: In the Beginning

What was the purpose of his journey to the West? It was to overthrow all the heavenly gods and Buddhas, a purpose that, until now, he had hidden well.

Aside from his disciples on the same united front, the Buddhist Sect knew nothing about it.

However, had he expected that throughout the journey to the West, Tingdi was paying attention to him?

If that was indeed the case, then perhaps many secrets that should not have been known by the Buddhist Sect were already known?

At this thought, a murderous intent stirred in Jiang Liu's heart, naturally leading him to contemplate silencing others permanently.

However, no sooner had this thought arisen than Jiang Liu immediately suppressed it.

If it were true that Tingdi had been paying attention to him all along the journey, then the things he didn't want known would certainly have been known to Tingdi much earlier.

Therefore, murdering to silence now was completely meaningless.

If Tingdi had indeed spread the word, it would be too late to silence him now.

And if Tingdi hadn't widely spread the word, then there was even less need to silence him!

"How come? Your murderous intent seems to have dissipated. Don't you want to kill me to silence me?" As Jiang Liu calmed down, Tingdi looked at him and spoke.

One sentence had keenly hit the mark regarding Jiang Liu's thoughts.

"You? Do you also have telepathy? Can you know what others are thinking!?" The way Tingdi instantly pinpointed his thoughts surprised Jiang Liu as he looked at him.

"I don't have telepathy, but my innate divine ability does allow me to hear many things. Though I don't know what you're thinking, I did hear your murderous intent just now!" Tingdi shook his head slightly.

"Then, what else can you hear?" Jiang Liu pondered for a moment and asked.

"That depends on what you want to know!"

"About my matters, have you always known? Have you been listening all along the journey to the West?"

"Indeed, I have heard many things!"

"Why!? Why have you been eavesdropping all along? What exactly have you heard!?"

"Don't rush. There are only the two of us here, and we have plenty of time to talk slowly. Ask your questions one by one!"

"Then, first tell me, from when did you start eavesdropping?" After some thought, Jiang Liu asked.

"From when? From the very beginning!" Tingdi replied calmly to Jiang Liu's inquiry.

"The very beginning? Did it start when I had just embarked on the journey to Western Heaven for scriptures?" Jiang Liu felt shocked by Tingdi's answer.

"Like I said, from the very beginning!" Tingdi shook his head slightly, emphasizing his point.

"Even earlier than scripture seeking? Could it be from when I took Gaoyang to seek the Tathagata?" Thinking it over, Jiang Liu's expression became somewhat grim.

Could it be that Tingdi had been paying attention to him since that early time?

To Jiang Liu's questions, Tingdi merely smiled slightly, the corners of his mouth lifting without the intention to reply further.

After giving Jiang Liu a cryptic smile, he said, "Is this your question? Do you have any others?"

"Additionally, I want to know, what all do you know?" After pondering for a moment, Jiang Liu followed up, asking his most pressing concern.

Having been eavesdropped on all along the way, what exactly had Tingdi heard?

"What do I know? Quite a lot actually!"

As he spoke, Tingdi stretched out his fingers, counting each item.

"For instance, the purpose of your journey to Western Heaven is to overthrow all heavenly gods and Buddhas? You said this when you were under Five Elements Mountain, didn't you speak these words to Sun Wukong?"

"Right, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, and White Dragon Horse, they share this purpose too, don't they?"

"Right, and there's Flame Cloud Entertainment City. Under the Immortals and Buddhas' watchful eyes, it has grown even stronger. Jing River Water Clan, the forces of Demon King Ox and his son, and Scorpion Demon along with a whole host of demons and ghosts…"

"So, is there anything else you want to ask, or should I point them out one by one?"

"All known! He indeed knows everything!" As Tingdi pointed out each issue with his fingers, Jiang Liu's expression grew increasingly grim.

Though he had been mentally prepared, when everything became reality, Jiang Liu still found it difficult to accept.

All along the way, he had thought he had hidden well; who would have thought he had been under surveillance all this time?

"So, do the Buddha and Bodhisattvas of the Great Thunder Monastery of the Western Heaven already know the purpose of my journey to the West?" After a long silence, Jiang Liu finally asked with a deep sigh.

"No, they don't know!" However, upon hearing Jiang Liu's words, Tingdi shook his head and said.

"They don't know!?"

Jiang Liu's brows furrowed slightly as he looked at Tingdi in surprise and asked, "What do you mean? You know all these things, but you haven't informed the Western Spirit Mountain?"

"Of course, why should I inform Western Spirit Mountain? Moreover, we have even helped you cover it up!" Tingdi replied with a slight smile.

"Ah!?" Tingdi's words startled Jiang Liu, who looked at him in surprise. After a long silence, he said, "So, are you saying that Ksitigarbha and the Buddhist Sect have drifted this far from righteousness?"

"Do you even need to ask? Didn't you witness it yourself in the Underworld a few days ago?" Tingdi retorted.

"So, the enemy of my enemy is my friend?" After a long contemplation, Jiang Liu spoke.

"You could say that, but our relationship; no, more precisely, the relationship between our Bodhisattva and you, is not merely friendship..." Tingdi first nodded, then corrected himself.

"Not just friends?" Jiang Liu asked, raising his eyebrows slightly.

"Back when you took the soul of the Dragon King of Jing River from the Underworld, did you really think staging the ruse of the True and False Monkey King was flawless? Our Bodhisattva knew it all along, but secretly, we concealed it for you!" Tingdi revealed, eyeing Jiang Liu closely.

Jiang Liu was not too surprised by Tingdi's revelation, nodding slightly, "So that's how it was, Ksitigarbha knew about it that early?"

With that, everything that needed to be asked had been asked, and everything that needed to be known had been known.

Thus, after a lengthy silence, Jiang Liu looked seriously at Tingdi and said, "You already know my purpose, so what's your purpose then?"

"Do we even need to say? Our purpose is aligned!" Tingdi answered without hesitation upon hearing Jiang Liu's question.

"Why!?" Jiang Liu, not quite understanding, asked, "I'm overthrowing all the Immortals and Buddhas initially to save Gaoyang, and secondly for my own salvation, but what about you? What's your reason for wanting to overthrow them?"

"The reason? You will know it later!" Tingdi simply shook his head, showing no intention to explain.

Jiang Liu frowned and said, "Since you're unwilling to tell, I naturally won't force you. However, I hope you understand that without openness between us, I will never trust you!"

"I know that! I'm not expecting absolute trust from you!" Tingdi said nonchalantly, waving his hand.

Jiang Liu was even more baffled by this response.

They were secretly monitoring him, supervising his every move, and even hiding things for him, yet they didn't want his trust!

If they really wanted to fight alongside him, as comrades, trust should be the foundation, right?

"Alright, I'll ask you one last question!" After pondering for a moment, Jiang Liu became earnest.

"Ask away, I will answer what I can!" Tingdi nodded and gestured for him to proceed.

"Why me!?"

Jiang Liu's gaze fixed on Tingdi as he asked, "Why have you been paying attention to me so early on? Until now, I am still merely a mortal, unaccomplished on the Immortal Path, yet you believe so confidently that I can succeed!"

Indeed, if they didn't believe he could succeed, would they have spent so much effort watching over him?

"Why? Isn't it obvious?" Tingdi replied, acting as if it were only natural, "Don't forget, the great Journey to the West has been decreed by the Heavenly Dao as the Immeasurable Kalpa, and you are the focal point of this Immeasurable Kalpa. In other words, within this great calamity, you are the chosen one of destiny; if you can't succeed, then who can!?"

...

At an unknown cliffside, let us pause the conversation between Jiang Liu and Tingdi.

Over at Thistle Ridge Wood Immortal Hermitage, Apricot Immortal quickly woke up and noticing Jiang Liu's absence, was horrified and rushed out to wake up Sun Wukong and the others, informing them that Jiang Liu had been captured by demons.

"What!? Which evil demon dares to capture my master!?"

Upon hearing this, and realizing that his master had been captured right under his nose once again, Sun Wukong frantically scratched his head, his Jingu Bang raised in anger.

The Eighteen Disciples nearby looked a bit embarrassed.

No harm meant by the speaker but meaning drawn by the listener; hadn't they themselves taken Master Xuanzang away before?

"Where is the Local Deity!?" Stomping his foot, Sun Wukong directly used a soul-subduing technique, summoning the Local Deity.

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"Local Deity, I need to ask you, are there any powerful demons nearby?" Since they had been captured by a demon, Sun Wukong wanted to question the Local Deity first.

"Well, Great Saint, within a thousand miles, the most formidable demons are right here, the six from Wood Immortal Hermitage!" the Local Deity responded.

Sun Wukong: "..."