"Two old schemer Buddhas!"
"This is truly devious!"
"But don't think only you can play the long game, using Six-Eared Macaque to provoke and force me into obedience, compelling me to go to Jin'ao Island and Biyou Palace for training."
"I understand the art of the long game too."
"It's just Six-Eared Macaque. I knew he'd figure out my plan, that he wouldn't obey willingly, but I'm not afraid of him escaping my Gatling gun."
"If one clip of bullets can't take care of him, then another clip will be fed to Six-Eared Macaque!"
"I refuse to believe that with a Journey to the West Gatling gun in one hand and the 'Marquis Wu's Seven-Star Formation' in the other, I would lose to this fake Sun Wukong?"
Seizing the moment when no one was around, and absent the schemer Buddhas Tathagata and Dipankara who loved to play the long game, Sun Kong slipped away to find a quiet spot.
He once again performed the 'Marquis Wu's Seven-Star Formation'.
He had thought that since this formation could deduce the presence of two Buddhas, it would certainly not miss anything about Six-Eared Macaque and would not disappoint him.
Unexpectedly.
After an hour, the formation had not yielded any information related to Six-Eared Macaque, nor did it even know where he had gone.
The smile on Sun Kong's face vanished.
It was replaced by a rare solemnity!
"Although Six-Eared Macaque is counted among the four mixed-world monkeys along with us, and he is skilled in deduction, he absolutely cannot surpass this formation."
"How did he manage to shield himself from the formation's calculations?"
"Could it be, as Little Lai Lai said, that this fellow deduced that if he participated in the real and fake Sun Wukong scenario, he would very likely be killed by me, and therefore defected to that damned demon race?"
Sun Kong, driven by his excitement and his own ability to outmaneuver even two Buddhas, had become overconfident. But as he calmed down, more clues began to surface in his mind.
Gradually.
He began to connect keywords like the demon race, Demon Ancestor Luohu, Six-Eared Macaque, the real and fake Sun Wukong, and others, forming a network of information that was not complete but reasonably clear.
"Demon race? Demon race? This sounds a bit familiar?"
"Could it be that they are truly descendants of Demon Ancestor Luohu?"
"It is said that after the Dragon-Phoenix Tribulation, there was a struggle between Taoism and the Demon race. In the end, Ancestor Hongjun of Taoism won, merged the Heavenly Dao, and governed the fate of all beings in the Great Desolation for forty-nine generations."
"Only a sliver of hope was intercepted by the Great Dao, taken back to prevent Ancestor Hongjun from monopolizing it."
"And Demon Ancestor Luohu, who should have perished, left behind three subordinates, hiding in an unknown place, waiting for their resurgence."
"Now, countless kalpas and billions of years have passed. His three subordinates are even harder to find. But Six-Eared Macaque's actions, aren't they a hint that they are making a comeback and stirring up trouble?"
"If that's the case, then perhaps this Journey to the West will not be peaceful, nor will it merely exceed the control of Spirit Mountain and the Heavenly Court, nor will it simply have an outsider like me."
"It's possible that this true schemer will unleash more incredible, immeasurable new stratagems."
"Good heavens, I originally thought Dipankara Buddha was on the second level, Tathagata on the third, and I on the fifth. I never expected Six-Eared Macaque, whose cultivation is not much but whose scheming is extremely terrifying..."
"He's actually above us all, possibly on the sixth level, the satellite layer!"
After his analysis.
Sun Kong felt no sense of relief. Instead, for the first time, he felt that if Six-Eared Macaque were allowed to continue his mischief, he might cause even greater trouble.
That is, assuming Tathagata hadn't lied just to play the long game and provoke him.
Otherwise.
If Six-Eared Macaque dared to confront Tathagata Buddha on the Buddhist holy ground, the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, yesterday.
And treat him as nothing.
Then tomorrow, Six-Eared Macaque might truly dare to do something even more defiant, more suicidal, more insane, and more shocking to all in the Great Desolation than even Sun Kong himself!
"Entrusting this matter to my four great generals of New Huaguo Mountain, Marshals Ma and Liu, Generals Beng and Ba, is clearly insufficient."
"I can only dispatch my second brother, Wuzhiqi. Only a Crimson-tailed Macaque like him can investigate Six-Eared Macaque's situation without falling into his schemes."
"Even if he finds no results, he can still return safely."
With this thought, Sun Kong shed his usual casual demeanor.
He adopted a seriousness and rigor comparable to facing a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers.
Without further ado.
He returned to New Huaguo Mountain, found his second brother, Wuzhiqi, who was training his million monkey subordinates, and after repeatedly emphasizing his instructions to him.
He then lent Wuzhiqi the previous reward, a Dinghai Pearl personally bestowed by Grandmaster Dipankara, for timely communication.
"Do not be careless!"
"Dinghai Pearl?"
"My heavens, Brother Sun, you are too good to me! This item is one of Dipankara Buddha's most treasured possessions, how could you give it to me?"
"I feel like I can't possibly bear it."
Wuzhiqi didn't overthink it. Instead, the Dinghai Pearl made him even more loyal and grateful to Sun Kong. He hesitated to even reach out and take it, fearing he would be unworthy.
He was afraid of disappointing Sun Kong's good intentions!
Seeing this, Sun Kong was moved. He thought to himself that he was merely a selfish traverser wanting to bind himself to Spirit Mountain early and avoid the hardships of the Journey to the West.
What virtue had he earned to be valued so highly by his second and third brothers?
This camaraderie, which made the always proud of his recklessness and his shocking deeds Sun Kong, stir some genuine emotion.
He did not hide it from him.
Nor did he try to trick him.
As Wuzhiqi looked on with gratitude, Sun Kong entrusted him with Tathagata Buddha's second command, the investigation into Six-Eared Macaque, and urged him to be extremely careful!
"Second brother, that Six-Eared Macaque could escape my calculations, which is highly unusual. When you go, do not underestimate him. Even if you have no news, you must bring yourself back."
"Understand?"
Sun Kong spoke his most sincere words.
However.
Because he was usually flippant and not serious, Wuzhiqi heard this as another minor prank by Sun Kong.
Thus.
Wuzhiqi did not listen at all. While he responded dutifully, the moment he stepped out, he forgot all about it.
"A mere Six-Eared Macaque, rumored to have only the cultivation of the peak Golden Immortal, how could he trouble Brother Sun so much?"
"Brother Sun underestimates me too much with these trivial tricks. Well, let me, Wuzhiqi, give him an unexpected grand contribution."
With the most misplaced sense of underestimation, Wuzhiqi began his investigation from Six-Eared Macaque's homeland in the far north of the Heavenly Realm, and as he searched, he moved closer and closer.
He was gradually nearing the thirteenth demon territory!
...
Meanwhile.
After dispatching the second major task, Sun Kong, realizing that the Journey to the West was becoming increasingly unusual, immediately rode the Chaos Somesault Cloud.
He swiftly arrived outside Biyou Palace on Jin'ao Island.
Before the registered disciples of the Jie School guarding the area could surround him.
He spoke first.
"Fellow Daoists, do not be alarmed."
"I am Sun the Monkey. My Buddha has sent me here as a reciprocal gesture. Please announce my arrival quickly!"
As soon as he finished speaking.
Sect Master Tongtian was slightly shocked!