Chapter 53: That Man Has Returned, He Comes Carrying His Book of Life and Death!

The dark clouds over Chang'an City cleared.

Sunlight poured down again, shining on the scarred streets.

The surviving townsfolk peeked out from their hiding places, looking at the figure hovering in Mid‑Air, their gazes complex.

There was Fear Heart Demon, there was awe, and also a vague, indefinable dependence.

Sun Wukong slowly descended, standing before the Great Sage Temple that had been half‑collapsed by a blast.

He said nothing.

He simply extended his hand toward the ruins and gave a gentle wave.

Time seemed to flow backward.

The shattered bricks and tiles automatically fell back into place, the collapsed beams and pillars rose again, and the blood‑stained ground returned to its original state.

The lives lost in the disaster, whether the old man who sold candy or the little girl with a sky‑piercing braid, their bodies reassembled from points of light.

Bewildered, confused.

The little girl lowered her head to look at herself, then at the intact candy‑painting in her hand.

"I… I wasn't just now…"

All the resurrected people were immersed in tremendous shock.

"The demons have been eliminated."

Sun Wukong's voice rang in everyone's ears.

"All that has happened before was the work of a heart‑demon, disturbing you all; I, Old Sun, am here to make amends."

After speaking, he bowed slightly toward the direction of Chang'an City.

One bow.

Just one bow.

The crowd below, however, erupted completely.

"Immortal! A true immortal!"

"Great Sage! The Great Sage has manifested!"

"I'm not dead! I'm really not dead!"

Countless people fell to their knees, crazily kowtowing toward Sun Wukong.

That heartfelt gratitude and worship coalesced into incense‑filled wish‑power a hundred times purer than ever before, surging into Sun Wukong's body.

He could feel his Dao Fruit, nourished by this wish‑power, solidify a fraction more.

"So this is the human heart Master spoke of…"

Sun Wukong muttered to himself.

So protection, it seems, is stronger than destruction.

After doing all this, he did not linger in Chang'an.

A holy decree issued from Mount Huaguo, announcing to the Three Realms.

Revealing the truth of the rogue corpse to the public.

In an instant, the Three Realms trembled.

Those great beings who had been watching, even secretly mocking the demon court, shut their mouths completely.

To be able to slay a Saint-level corpse and then retrieve it.

This monkey's strength had already exceeded their imagination.

"From today onward, Old Sun will patrol the Three Realms."

Sun Wukong's voice, through the demon court's Qi‑circulating golden dragon, spread to every corner of the primordial wilderness.

"If there is any injustice, call my name."

"If there are evildoers, clean their throats."

As the words fell, he took Kong Xuan with him and began a true "Heavenly Tour."

First stop, the Eastern Sea.

The Dragon Palace remained resplendent in gold and jade, yet the fishing villages along the Eastern Sea's shore were littered with starving corpses.

Sun Wukong stood at the village entrance, watching an old fisherman kneel before the Dragon King Temple, offering his last drop of blood to pray that the Dragon King calm the storms so they could set sail.

Inside the Dragon King Temple, a yaksha draped in the Dragon King's skin lazily yawned.

"We've been pleading for centuries, are you annoyed?"

Sun Wukong said nothing.

He simply drew the Golden Cudgel and gave the Dragon King Temple a gentle thrust.

"Boom."

The golden‑jade palace, together with the fake Dragon King inside, turned into dust.

The Eastern Sea Dragon King Ao Guang, terrified, rolled and crawled out of the Dragon Palace, kneeling before Sun Wukong.

"Great Sage, spare me! The little dragon doesn't know which short‑sighted one…"

"From today onward, the Eastern Sea's winds and waves are under your direct command. If I ever see a fisherman starve again, I will have your entire clan buried with him."

Sun Wukong tossed out a line, didn't even glance at him, and turned away.

Second stop, Xiniu Hezhou.

A mortal kingdom where the ruler practiced Buddhism but allowed officials to extort and oppress, leaving the people in destitution.

Sun Wukong descended directly onto the Golden Luan Hall.

He looked at the fat‑brained national master, who was pointing at a counterfeit Buddhist scripture, scheming to persuade the ruler to raise taxes to build some "Ten Thousand Buddhas Pilgrimage Tower."

"Which Buddha wrote this scripture?"

Sun Wukong's voice rang out.

The National Teacher turned around, saw a monkey with a hairy face and Lei Gong's mouth, and immediately shouted:

"Bold demon monkey! How dare you barge in..."

He hadn't finished speaking.

Sun Wukong lightly blew a breath at him.

That National Teacher, together with the several corrupt officials beside him, like a sand‑stacked human figure, scattered when the wind blew.

Body and spirit destroyed.

The monarch on the dragon throne was so frightened he collapsed straight away.

"Great Sage… Great Sage, spare my life…"

"From today on, reduce taxes, open granaries, release grain."

"Within three years, if anyone in the country starves to death again, your fate will be the same as his."

Having said that, he left again.

Walking all the way, killing all the way.

Killing until gods and buddhas trembled with fear, killing until celestial officials shuddered.

The whole Three Realms, in just these few months, had its atmosphere cleared.

No mountain god or earth spirit dared to collect the people's "tribute" anymore.

No river god or dragon king dared to stir up wind and waves for no reason.

The prestige of the Demon Court reached its peak.

However, water that is too clear has no fish.

The Heavenly Court, a temporary traveling palace.

Taibai Jinxing was so worried his whiskers were about to be pulled out.

He looked at the newly appointed Heavenly Court Supervisor before him—that is, Nezha—with a face full of bitterness.

"Third Prince, go persuade the Great Sage."

"If we keep going like this, the Three Realms will become pure and bright, but those immortals will have no way to survive."

Nezha was gnawing a peach; hearing this, he rolled his eyes.

"No way to survive? When they used to throw their weight around, why didn't they think of leaving a path for mortals?"

"My Monkey Brother calls this killing to stop killing, to quell chaos and restore order!"

"That's how it's said..."

Taibai Jinxing sighed, "But the Heavenly Dao turns according to its own law. Yin and yang balance, purity and turbidity coexist."

"The Great Sage's actions, though a swift sword cutting through tangles, also sever many karma; if this continues, I fear it will harm the foundation of the Three Realms."

"Heavenly Dao? Heavenly Dao is worthless!"

Nezha snorted disdainfully.

"Back when I was forced to commit suicide, where was the Heavenly Dao? When my Monkey Brother was crushed under Five Elements Mountain, where was the Heavenly Dao?"

"Now my Monkey Brother enforces the Heavenly Dao, and he comes out to lecture about rules?"

Taibai Jinxing was choked speechless.

Their conversation, word for word, reached Sun Wukong's ears.

That day, Sun Wukong happened to be patrolling near the Heavenly Court.

He directly grabbed Taibai Jinxing and brought him to the bank of a great river in the mortal realm.

The river water was clear to the bottom; even the sand and stones at the riverbed could be seen distinctly.

"Old man, look."

Sun Wukong pointed at the river water.

"Is there no fish in this water?"

Taibai Jinxing nodded: "Great Sage, that is exactly what I meant. Water that is too clear has no fish..."

"So what?"

Sun Wukong interrupted him.

"No fish, so we can't catch fish?"

Taibai Jinxing blinked: "How… how can you catch fish if there are none?"

Sun Wukong laughed.

He reached out, stirred the clear river water violently.

The river water instantly turned turbid, mud and sand surging.

Then he plunged his hand into the murky water.

After a moment, he pulled out a large, fat fish leaping and jumping.

"Look."

Sun Wukong threw the fish into Taibai Jinxing's arms.

"Isn't this now there?"

Taibai Jinxing held the still‑flopping fish, utterly dumbfounded.

"If clear water has no fish, then I'll stir the water to make it murky."

"If the rules are dead, then I'll smash the rules and set up new ones."

Sun Wukong patted his shoulder, his tone calm.

"Go tell the Jade Emperor, and that bunch of old fogies."

"My rules are the rules of the Three Realms."

"Whoever doesn't accept it, let him come find me."

Having said that, Sun Wukong shot up into the sky and continued his patrol.

Only the Venus Star remained, holding a fish, disheveled in the wind.

Overbearing.

Direct.

Irrational.

Yet it leaves people unable to refute.

This is the present Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

Not long after Sun Wukong left.

Above Jiǔtiān, beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens.

A massive meteorite burning with Chaos Realm fire, dragging a long tail of flame, suddenly tore through the primordial sky.

Its target was not Mount Huaguo, where the demon court resides, nor the Heavenly Court where the Jade Emperor clings to life.

But rather the Saint's dao field, which, after the Investiture of the Gods, has lain eternally silent.

Mount Kunlun, Jade Void Palace.

Ps: Life is like Journey to the West, demons abound, inner demons hard to dispel,

One must use the heart's eye to view the world, cultivate the inner self!

I wish everyone in life to let go of all bad things, and enjoy more happiness!

Family members, if you think it's still good, if you have time, you can leave a positive review; that way I'll really enjoy it. Thanks!