Chapter 313: The Golden Body of the Pagoda-Bearer is shattered, and he is dragged out to be whipped in death

Tang An originally wanted to say that she should tell the Golden-Nosed White-Haired Mouse not to kill indiscriminately. But thinking about it, if she really were that obedient and didn't know how to resist when bullied, that would be the true mistake.

In *Journey to the West*, the Golden-Nosed White-Haired Mouse did indeed seduce a monk and kill people. But if the monk hadn't first actively offered himself up out of lust, where would she have found the opportunity to kill?

In the original story, it was Tang Seng who, because of his own misguided kindness, indirectly caused the monks in the temple to lose their lives.

She, too, had almost indirectly harmed the Golden-Nosed White-Haired Mouse because of a kindness that shouldn't have been there.

"Wukong." Tang An called Sun Wukong over. "You keep watch in secret to prevent her from maliciously harming others. But if she is not the one who did wrong first, you must also prevent her from being harmed by others."

She was still not sure if Banjie Guanyin was truly as she appeared on the surface, or if she was a pawn secretly arranged by Rulai to achieve some goal.

Therefore, necessary caution was still required.

"Alright, Master, Old Sun is off." Sun Wukong transformed into a mosquito and flew out to secretly investigate Banjie Guanyin.

Tang An rested her head on her hand, bored. "Tell me, why did the Pagoda-Bearer die so early?"

"It was such a good opportunity to stir up trouble, but in the end, he died too early."

"Ah!" Tang An had a sudden inspiration. "If there's no excuse, we can just find one."

"Nezha, you go back to Great Tang and go to the temple where Li Jing is worshipped. Use the matter of the Golden-Nosed White-Haired Mouse as an excuse to shatter his Golden Body once."

Nezha had no objections, but asked, "But after it's shattered, how will the three-year term be handled?"

"Tsk, you need to broaden your thinking. We shatter it, and then we just have someone reshape it for him, won't that be it?"

Nezha was momentarily speechless; there really wasn't a single flaw in that logic.

"Then I will go and return shortly." He looked at Yang Jian. "Second Brother."

Yang Jian understood that Nezha wanted him to take good care of Tang An. "Go ahead. With me and Brother Monkey here, Master will not be in any danger."

Besides, even without the two of them, there was no one in heaven or on earth who could touch Tang An now.

Ordinary people, demons, and immortals could not break through Tang An's Seven-Treasure Wonderful Tree. If anyone above the level of a Saint were to make a move, they would be no match for Tongtian Jiaozhu and Taishang Laojun.

For those who were a bit more powerful, Tang An still had the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi; one hit and their Dharma Power would be completely drained. Plus, with the Qingping Sword hidden away, it was a guaranteed kill every time.

The ones who should be worried about their lives now were not Tang An, but the immortals, demons, and Buddhas who had offended her...

Great Tang, the temple where Li Jing was worshipped.

Nezha arrived stepping on his Wind Fire Wheels. The place was unusually cold and desolate; only at specific times would people sent by the Emperor of Great Tang come to offer incense to Li Jing.

This place was more like a prison, and the offering of incense was more like serving a meal to Li Jing in his cell.

"Who?"

Li Jing opened his eyes wide, his Primordial Spirit fleeing rapidly from his Golden Body. "It's Nezha!"

Wasn't it agreed upon for three years? Why was he here now?

He didn't want to die; he wanted to escape, to flee this hellish place, to flee this cage.

But with the blessing of the Jade Emperor's Dharma Power, how could he possibly escape?

Nezha appeared in the temple, looking at Li Jing's Golden Body with no killing intent in his eyes, only endless indifference.

He summoned his Fire-Tipped Spear and, without a word, prepared to smash Li Jing's Golden Body.

"Nezha! Nezha!"

Li Jing's Primordial Spirit flew out from behind the Golden Body. He had wanted to hide, but if the Golden Body were shattered, his hope of resurrection would be gone, and he would be reduced to a wandering ghost for eternity.

"Fa..."

Before Li Jing could finish his sentence, the Fire-Tipped Spear shot straight toward his Primordial Spirit.

"Hmm?"

Li Jing was terrified and hurriedly dodged, hastily explaining, "You and I, after all..."

"Li Jing." Nezha looked at him and suddenly felt it was somewhat laughable. "When will you ever wake up from your self-deluded dream of patriarchal authority?"

"You have never fulfilled even half a fraction of a father's responsibility toward me; how do you have the face to remain immersed in your dream of patriarchal authority?"

"Yes, yes." Li Jing knelt before Nezha. "I was wrong, I deserve to die." He struck his own face. "Please spare me, I can kneel to you, I can repent, but please, do not shatter my Golden Body."

Nezha looked at Li Jing kneeling on the ground and, in a trance, saw that year when he and his mother, Lady Yin, had knelt before Li Jing just like this, begging him not to shatter his Golden Body.

Times had changed, and the positions of those kneeling and standing had actually swapped.

It was truly something that made one sigh and find it laughable.

"Nezha, Nezha."

"We agreed on three years. A gentleman keeps his word; you cannot go back on your promise."

Nezha lowered his gaze to look at Li Jing, remembering Tang An's instructions to use the Golden-Nosed White-Haired Mouse as an excuse to shatter Li Jing's Golden Body.

But thinking about it now, why would he, Nezha, need an excuse to shatter Li Jing's Golden Body?

"Li Jing, watch closely."

Nezha grabbed his Primordial Spirit and forced him to look at his own Golden Body.

"Back then, you did the exact same thing, ignoring the pleas of me and my mother, and insisted on smashing my Golden Body."

"Today, the same situation, I return it to you."

Li Jing was agitated, wanting to struggle, wanting to resist.

"No! You can't, you can't!" But as he was only a Primordial Spirit, how could he escape from Nezha's grasp?

Nezha summoned the Universe Ring, a triumphant smile rising at the corners of his mouth.

He threw the Universe Ring from his hand, and before Li Jing's eyes, it smashed into the Golden Body.

"No!"

"No!!!"

"Bang!!!"

Under Li Jing's desperate, shrill cries, his Golden Body was shattered by Nezha in a single blow.

"No, no..." Li Jing's Primordial Spirit knelt as he crawled to the side of the shattered Golden Body statue, wanting to touch the broken pieces.

Yet because his Golden Body was shattered, his Primordial Spirit was so weak it was infinitely close to transparent, and he simply could not pick up the fragments of his Golden Body.

Nezha swung his Universe Ring, striking with great delight.

"Rest assured, your Primordial Spirit will not be extinguished."

"Soon someone will come again to reshape your Golden Body, and once the Journey to the West ends, this deity will come to smash you again."

"I wonder if, next time, there will still be anyone to reshape your Golden Body for you."

After saying this, Nezha turned and left.

Li Jing's Primordial Spirit sat on the ground, his heart as dead as ashes.

This feeling of having one's hope ground into dust was enough to destroy a person's will.

He now had no desire to survive, yet because of the magic array the Jade Emperor had set up here, his Primordial Spirit could not dissipate.

"Ah—"

"Ah!!!!!"

He screamed toward the sky, his voice hoarse, filled with endless sorrow, pain, resentment, and unwillingness...

On the Journey to the West, inside a temple.

Nezha had returned, and the sky outside had turned dark.

Tang An had already gone to sleep early, and Yang Jian was drinking tea in the meditation courtyard.

He observed the situation in the temple while waiting for Nezha to return.

Sun Wukong flew over and revealed himself, then took Yang Jian's cup and drank from it.

"Old Sun has been watching for half a day, and it is truly dull. That monster has no ill intent and has already gone to sleep."

"I truly do not know what Master meant when he said the monk in the temple was about to die."

In the meditation room of the Golden-Nosed White-Haired Rat.

A monk carrying a tea set knocked on the door.

"Female benefactor?"

"Has the female benefactor gone to sleep yet?"