Chapter 9

This was the reason why Ksitigarbha came over. ===== CHAPTER 17 =====

"Amitabha, this building looks simple, but it is not simple," Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva looked at the grocery shop in front of him and muttered to himself.

He used his power to try to see through the grocery shop, but to Ksitigarbha’s astonishment, he couldn't see through it.

What was in this building, what kind of people were inside—there was no trace at all.

It could be said that in this Journey to the West world, there were not many powerhouses who could block his, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s, gaze.

He, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, was a Quasi-Saint powerhouse.

Although he could not compare to powerful Quasi-Saints like Buddha Tathagata and the Lord of the Heavenly Court, Haotian, at least Ksitigarbha was a Quasi-Saint.

And now, a place that he, a Quasi-Saint, couldn't see through should at least be the territory of a Quasi-Saint, and not an ordinary Quasi-Saint at that.

It could even be said that if possible, the owner here might be a Saint.

Saints, for Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, were also somewhat out of reach.

After all, he had just started on the path of cultivation to become a Quasi-Saint.

"Which Saint is it?" Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva guessed in his heart.

Clearly, this Saint coming to Mount Huaguo should be joining the Great Calamity of the Buddhist Sect.

But according to what he knew, Saints were confined by the legendary Dao Ancestor and could not easily step into the mortal world, let alone change the Great Calamity so blatantly as they were doing now.

With doubts in his heart, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva came to the grocery shop and knocked gently.

"Bang, bang..."

Wu Feng, who was in the grocery shop, heard the knocking and was somewhat puzzled.

Could it be that Sun Wukong, who had left, had come back? Opening the door, Wu Feng saw a bald head, a bald head emitting Buddha light.

"Ksitigarbha." Immediately, Wu Feng had the answer in his heart.

He had heard from Sun Wukong that Sun Wukong had met Ksitigarbha and also talked about him.

So, the one who could come now should be Ksitigarbha; other people of the Buddhist Sect didn't know about his grocery shop.

This was still the Sun Wukong of five hundred years ago, not the Sun Wukong of five hundred years later.

Five hundred years later.

Regarding the team for fetching scriptures, the Buddhist Sect was much more concerned than now.

Now, the Buddhist Sect was still arranging the plan for the journey to the West.

"This is..." Seeing Wu Feng’s appearance, Ksitigarbha was also slightly surprised.

According to the six Saints Ksitigarbha knew.

Zhunti and Jieyin belonged to the Buddhist Sect, so they naturally wouldn't appear on Mount Huaguo.

Saint Nüwa was a woman, and the person before him was a man, so that was also ruled out.

In this way, there were only the legendary Three Pure Ones.

Among the Three Pure Ones, Laozi and Yuanshi Tianzun were an old man and a middle-aged man, respectively, and only Tongtian Jiaozhu seemed to be a young man.

Could the person before him be the legendary Tongtian Jiaozhu?

But he didn't look like it either.

Ksitigarbha was a bit confused, but he still bowed respectfully. "I am Ksitigarbha, I have seen this senior."

Regarding Wu Feng’s strength, Ksitigarbha couldn't see through it, so Ksitigarbha believed the person before him should be his senior.

"So it is Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. As one of the famous Bodhisattvas of the Buddhist Sect, being able to come here makes my place shine," Wu Feng smiled. "Please come in."

"Thank you, senior." Ksitigarbha nodded and followed Wu Feng into the grocery shop.

"Senior, are you Tongtian Jiaozhu?" Walking into the grocery shop, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva couldn't help but ask.

Tongtian Jiaozhu appearing here was truly big news.

"Tongtian Jiaozhu." Wu Feng laughed.

The imagination of this Ksitigarbha was quite good; he actually thought he was Tongtian Jiaozhu.

But truth be told, this was normal. Being able to make Ksitigarbha, a Quasi-Saint, unable to see through him, perhaps only the legendary Saint could do it.

"Ksitigarbha, I am not Tongtian Jiaozhu. You don't need to speculate too much about my identity. I am just an ordinary shopkeeper," Wu Feng shook his head with a laugh.

"An ordinary shopkeeper." Ksitigarbha was speechless.

If the person before him was ordinary, then what word could he use to describe him?

Very ordinary?

"Then Ksitigarbha, what do you intend to do by coming here this time?" Wu Feng sat down on the chair and stared at Ksitigarbha.

"Senior, do you want to intervene in this Great Calamity of the Buddhist Sect?" Ksitigarbha asked.

"Intervene in the Great Calamity?" Wu Feng shook his head. "Ksitigarbha, I have no intention of intervening in the Great Calamity. I just gave Sun Wukong a chance, a chance to transcend his destiny. Ksitigarbha, you can too."

"I..." Ksitigarbha was stunned. "Senior, I don't need to transcend destiny."

"Ksitigarbha, in my eyes, you are also bound by destiny. 'If hell is not empty, I will not become a Buddha'—do you think you can become a Buddha?" Wu Feng asked rhetorically.

"If hell is not empty, I will not become a Buddha"—that was Ksitigarbha’s original declaration.

But could this vow be completed?

No.

This was certain.

As long as living beings exist, there will be evil.

On this point, the current Ksitigarbha also understood.

"This is all for those living beings," Ksitigarbha said slowly.

"For living beings." Wu Feng smiled. "Ksitigarbha, it seems you are slightly better than the others in the Buddhist Sect. Tathagata, Guanyin, and others are extremely hypocritical."

"In my eyes, Tathagata and the others are Buddhas, but they are also demons," Wu Feng said in a deep voice.

"Demons..." Ksitigarbha’s expression changed. "Senior, please enlighten me."

"The arrangements of Tathagata and the others for the future Great Calamity are all for themselves. Guanyin and others are the same."

"It can even be said that in the eyes of Guanyin and others, human life is probably just an ant. Do you know that most of the human incense is for Guanyin, but has he ever thought of helping humans?"

"Only you, Ksitigarbha, seem to be kept in the dark. This Great Calamity has little to do with you, and Guanyin and the others will not come to see you specifically."

"In their eyes, you are just a pawn to increase the fortune of the Buddhist Sect. So, who is your so-called Buddha, and where is he?"

"Buddha Tathagata? That is Duobao, the former first disciple of the Jie Sect."

"Dipankara Buddha? That is the Vice-Leader of the Chan Sect who became a Buddha of the Buddhist Sect."

"Or perhaps Guanyin, Manjushri..."

"Then, Ksitigarbha, where is the Buddha in your heart?" Wu Feng shouted.

Yes.

When Buddha Tathagata, Dipankara, and others reveal their true faces, is there still a true Buddha?

Tathagata was originally an incarnation of the Buddha.

His status was completely above Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.