The Rotting Buddhas of Journey to the West - chapter 10

Shaking my head a few times, I tried to forget the name I had just come up with. The supreme figure of the Creation of Heaven and Earth could never be associated with that bizarre monster.

Now, it was time to search for the next location. Each time I found it, I would get an answer. I guessed that perhaps, in the end, I would learn a secret that no one had ever known.

I arrived at the old site of Lion Camel Ridge. This had once been the bloodiest and most terrifying place on the Journey to the West, and the three demon kings here were the most troublesome enemies.

But now, all the big and small monsters had scattered, leaving only the black wasteland stained by dried blood.

Gu had never appeared here; my thoughts had strayed a bit. Lion Camel Ridge was once terrifying, but that didn’t necessarily mean it was bizarre.

Stepping on white clouds, I searched everywhere along the Journey to the West.

We had traveled this road through wind and rain for ten years, but for immortals, it would take less than a day to fly back and forth.

White Bone Demon, just a minor demon, not here.

Green Bull Monster, a proper Heavenly Court celestial beast, not here either.

The ghost of the king beneath the well in Crow Rooster Kingdom-not him.

Black Bear Spirit, Rhinoceros Monster, Seven Extremes Ridge, and so on-I found nothing in any of these places.

Perhaps I didn’t need to focus only on monsters. Then, besides monsters, who else could it be?

Five Manors Temple was shrouded in immortal energy. In the courtyard, a young Daoist boy, having finished his lessons, sat idly under the Ginseng Fruit Tree, gazing at the sky.

I bypassed the Daoist boy and went straight to the main hall in the center of the temple.

“Greetings, Great Immortal Zhenyuan.” I bowed deeply and respectfully, for this was not someone to be trifled with.

“Such poor manners, not even announcing yourself!”

Great Immortal Zhenyuan wore a yellow Daoist robe, held a floating dust whisk, and looked displeased.

“Forgive me for disturbing you, Immortal. I have come today with an important question.”

“Speak first, then I’ll decide whether to answer you.”

I mustered my courage and asked, “May I ask, Immortal, about the origin of the Ginseng Fruit Tree?”

After hearing my question, the Immortal frowned but did not get angry. He answered, “This is a primordial spiritual root from the birth of Heaven and Earth. It bears one fruit every nine thousand years, and eating it grants forty-seven thousand years of life.”

At this, he looked a bit proud, then his face turned stern as he said:

“Didn’t you and your Master and brothers all learn this when you passed by here?”

Actually, this wasn’t what I wanted to ask. What I was about to ask next might make him angry.

“May I ask, Immortal, who told you that eating Ginseng Fruit grants immortality?”

“How dare you!”

The Immortal looked furious; clearly, this was a question that shouldn’t be asked.

I slowly straightened my back and walked toward him step by step.

“Back then, my Master and brothers were placed in rooms to rest by you, but I was just a horse at the time, and no one paid attention to me. So I stayed outside alone and saw something interesting.”

He looked flustered, “You… what did you see?”

With my hands behind my back, I continued pressing forward, “I saw a White Deer come at midnight, bringing several little children. Then you carried them into the room, and soon after, those children turned into fruits.”

“You… you’re… talking nonsense!” The Immortal was truly panicked, his words stumbling.

“Now let me tell you the most interesting part. I discovered that you might not be the real Great Immortal Zhenyuan, because at that time, you were bowing respectfully to another person-someone no one would ever expect.”

“Don’t! Don’t say it!” Sweat was already beading on his forehead, afraid I would speak the next sentence.

Just then, faint footsteps came from outside the door, followed by a childish voice:

“Little Loach, since you’ve already guessed, don’t trouble my Daoist boy anymore.”

With the voice, a handsome young boy walked into the hall-it was the same Daoist boy from earlier in the temple!

“I knew it, you’re the real master. This Great Immortal Zhenyuan is just your subordinate.”

The handsome Daoist boy smiled slightly and asked me:

“I suppose you’ve already asked at the God of Longevity’s White Deer, haven’t you?”

I ignored the so-called Great Immortal Zhenyuan and spoke to the Daoist boy-Gu:

“That’s right. When I passed through Bhikshu Kingdom, I thought of a question: the White Deer’s method of using a child’s heart and liver for immortality was for himself, so it should be real. But who told him this method? Perhaps there’s someone behind the White Deer.”

“Why don’t you suspect the God of Longevity?” Gu asked with interest.

“I went to the God of Longevity and asked the White Deer. He said a Daoist boy told him the method. I asked for details about that Daoist boy, and combined with what I saw years ago, I came here-and sure enough.”

Gu gently clapped his hands to show his approval, then waved his sleeve and swept the so-called Great Immortal Zhenyuan into it.

“So, what do you want to tell me this time?”

I waited for his answer. Gu came over, used his finger to guide my gaze outside the door, and pointed at the Ginseng Fruit Tree:

“Every so-called Ginseng Fruit requires countless children as medicinal guides, then they are refined into humanoid pills, and finally become Ginseng Fruits.”

“Eating Ginseng Fruit does grant immortality, but who cares that it is made from the sacrifice of countless lives? This is what I want to tell you: to extend a life, perhaps countless beings must be sacrificed.”

“Is this another hint?” I asked.

“Yes.”

His words always left me only half-understanding, and I suddenly felt a bit weary.

I picked up a fresh fruit from the table with my right hand and ate it in big bites, mumbling to Gu:

“I don’t want to continue on the Journey to the West anymore. As for me, kill or torture me as you wish.”

Gu narrowed his eyes and asked, “Don’t you want to save your brothers?”

I didn’t answer him, patiently eating the fruit in my hand. When I finished the whole fruit, I wiped my mouth.

“It’s meaningless. Now I finally understand: the Three Realms are just toys in your hands. Why bother to amuse me? Like you said before, I have no choice in anything, so do whatever you want…”

I picked up a pot of tea, gulped it down, and after eating and drinking my fill, I lounged sideways on the main chair, waiting for his next words.