Chapter 438: How Could There Be So Many?

Guanyin Bodhisattva sat upright atop the lotus platform in the South Sea Purple Bamboo Forest, holding a pure bottle, with a strand of unresolvable sorrow condensed between her brows.

The sense of something being off had long lingered in her heart. And ever since, by the Heaven‑Reaching River, her "carp" exploded into a cloud of blood before everyone's eyes, leaving not even a fragment of a lingering soul, that feeling of "something's wrong" became fully realized.

Someone is scheming.

It is not aimed at her, Guanyin, but… aimed at all the "demons" on this westward pilgrimage who have stained their hands with innocent blood and incurred sinful debts.

Whether behind these demons stands a star deity or mount of the Heavenly Court, or a certain Bodhisattva, Arhat's pet, or child of the Buddhist Sect, as long as they wreak havoc on the Human World, they seem unable to escape the hidden reckoning.

Now the pilgrimage is more than halfway done; looking back carefully, none of those who have harmed others have been able to exit peacefully!

"Enough…"

Guanyin Bodhisattva let out a gentle sigh, closed her eyes and recited a Buddhist mantra: "As the cause, so the result."

Since they cannot endure solitary cultivation, gave rise to greed, anger, and delusion, committing murderous sins… then it's no wonder others step in to punish them.

"Only…"

In her mind, Yu Lin's face—always bearing a hint of lazy smile yet inscrutable—unconsciously surfaced.

Her intuition told her that nine out of ten times, this was his doing.

"If those wronged immortals and Buddhas truly dared to trouble him…"

Guanyin Bodhisattva's mouth twitched with a helpless wry smile, she gently shook her head: "Then let's say they are indeed 'skillful'. As for this matter… I am powerless, and… it is not proper for me to intervene."

She was silently pondering how, in this increasingly bizarre situation, to keep the pilgrimage's progress stable while avoiding conflict with Yu Lin.

Suddenly, a burst of fierce fighting sounds and irate shouts, from afar to near, rushed toward the South Sea!

【7】 "You fake! Dare to impersonate your grandfather Sun!"

You fake! How dare you impersonate your great-grandfather!

"Nonsense! You're the fake one! Look at the stick!"

"Good monkey! Take my stick!"

"Well timed!"

Two shafts of Golden Light tangled and collided, hurling down from the clouds; wherever they passed, wind swirled, clouds surged, and fierce gusts radiated.

It was precisely two identical "Great Sage Equal to Heaven Sun Wukong"—same attire, appearance, weapon, and divine powers!

They fought so fiercely that day and night blurred, the clash of Golden Cudgel against Golden Cudgel sounded like a string of thunderbolts, while they cursed each other nonstop, accusing the other of being an impostor demon, stealing the master, snatching luggage, and occupying the cave dwelling.

Midst the fighting and swearing, the two shafts of Golden Light suddenly split, landing together before the Purple Bamboo Forest, beneath Guanyin Bodhisattva's lotus platform.

The two Sun Wukongs simultaneously sheathed their sticks, movements perfectly synchronized, bowing to Guanyin Bodhisattva, speaking in unison, their tones of grievance and anger identical:

"Bodhisattva! The disciple has guarded Tang Seng on the westward pilgrimage, facing many perils, never once slacking!"

"Now, under this imposter's name, we have injured the master, seized the luggage, and forcibly taken my Flower‑Fruit Mountain Water Curtain Cave!"

"Even more hateful, he intends to alter the master's passage documents, to go west himself, ruining our master‑disciple relationship and disrupting the Buddhist Sect's great affairs!"

"May the Bodhisattva's boundless compassion and wisdom, eyes like torches, discern right from wrong, capture this demon, so that the disciple may return to protect Tang Seng, continue the westward pilgrimage, and return to the Eastern Tang!"

Having spoken, the two Sun Wukongs glared at each other, simultaneously "Hum" and turned their heads away.

Guanyin Bodhisattva watched the scene quietly, her heart already clear.

She gave a slight nod, turned to the standing Hui'an Walker Mu Zha beside her and ordered:

"Mu Zha, go and retrieve the 'tightening band' I gave to Tang Seng back then."

"Yes, Bodhisattva." Mu Zha took the order, turned into the depths of the bamboo forest, and soon returned holding a brocade box, inside which lay the golden‑glimmering band.

Guanyin Bodhisattva lifted the brocade box, her gaze sweeping over the two expectant monkeys below, and declared loudly:

"Sun Wukong, when you converted years ago, this 'tightening band' was placed on you by your master at my behest; therefore I can discern its authenticity and know the method to activate it."

"Later, I only need to chant the 'tightening band spell'; the true Golden Cudgel on Sun Wukong's head will automatically tighten, causing unbearable headache. The fake one will have no such reaction. Thus, truth and falsehood are instantly distinguished."

Having said so, Guanyin Bodhisattva's expression steadied, her vermilion lips slightly parting, she began to softly recite the tightening band incantation.

However, as soon as the incantation started, the two Sun Wukongs below simultaneously changed complexion, clasped their heads, grinned with clenched teeth, fell to the ground and rolled, wailing continuously:

"Ah! Bodhisattva! It hurts! It hurts, old Sun is dying!"

"Bodhisattva, stop chanting! Stop! My head hurts! My head hurts!"

"Bodhisattva, stop quickly! The disciple realizes his mistake! Stop the spell!"

The two monkeys' expressions of pain, voices, movements, even the cold sweat on their foreheads, were identical down to the last detail!

Guanyin Bodhisattva: "........"

She stopped the incantation, and for the first time her exquisitely beautiful jade‑like face showed clear astonishment and doubt.

"Hmm? Strange…" the Bodhisattva frowned slightly.

How could both feel pain? Could this fake monkey have replicated the band perfectly, even fooling the tightening band spell's detection?

She no longer relied on external objects, directly activating her Insight Eye divine power; within her eyes a clear luminous light shimmered like two deep pools, shining onto the two Sun Wukongs who had just risen.

Under the Insight Eye, all illusion has nowhere to hide.

Yet… after watching for a while, the doubt in Guanyin Bodhisattva's eyes deepened.

Under her Insight Eye's gaze, the two Sun Wukongs' breath, origin, karmic threads… were all like flowers seen through fog, hazy and indistinct!

"At first I gave three 'life‑saving hairs' to the true Sun Wukong, hidden behind his head; this is a unique mark, impossible to replicate, right?"

Guanyin Bodhisattva's mind shifted, her gaze directly fixed on the back of the two Sun Wukongs' heads.

At that glance, she was stunned, whispering to herself:

"This… how… both have three faint golden hairs at the back of their heads? Their breath, spiritual light… also identical? Strange… strange…"

She truly was at a loss now.

The tightening band spell failed, Insight Eye could not see through, even the unique life‑saving hairs appeared in duplicate…

This counterfeit is perhaps too "real"! Who behind it is the divine force pushing it?

Seeing she cannot discern, Guanyin Bodhisattva had to suppress her astonishment, restored her majestic aura, and said to the two still glaring monkeys:

"Both of you, cease the quarrel; this fighting achieves nothing."

Since I cannot tell here, you may follow me to the Lingxiao Treasure Hall to meet the Jade Emperor Great Heavenly Venerable.

Your Majesty possesses a 'Demon-Seeing Mirror' there, which is the supreme treasure of the Heavenly Court; it can reveal the true nature of all things, leaving demons and monsters nowhere to hide. Once there, right and wrong will be judged impartially.

Upon hearing this, the two Sun Wukong glared fiercely at each other, then simultaneously clasped their hands before the Guanyin Bodhisattva:

Everything is up to the Bodhisattva to decide!