Chapter 441: Not Worshiping a Fake Buddha

"Hey! Master! Take a look at that mountain!"

Zhu Bajie, puffing out his belly, stretched his short, stubby fingers toward a towering, steep, cloud‑wreathed mountain not far away, turned his head to Xuanzang and exclaimed in amazement, "On the summit, within the clouds, it looks like… looks like something is hidden! Shimmering Golden Light!"

Xuanzang, riding his Dragon Horse, looked in the direction Zhu Bajie pointed, only to see the mountain's sheer cliffs shrouded in mist; a mortal's eyes could not see it clearly.

He shook his head helplessly: "Bajie, you yourself possess the divine powers to ride clouds and see a thousand miles, yet you still cannot see clearly. I, a mere mortal with ordinary eyes, could see what?"

Zhu Bajie chuckled at the words, scratched his big ears and said, "Hehe… indeed, indeed! This old pig is so muddled, muddled!"

He changed tack, a glint in his small eyes, "But Master, the outline looks like a… temple! Shall we hasten our horses and go take a look? If it's a sacred monastery housing a true Buddha, we could light incense and rest our feet!"

Sun Wukong, who had been carrying the Golden Cudgel at the front, suddenly halted, his fiery eyes blazing as he stared at the mountain, brow furrowed, and said:

"Master, in my opinion, that mountaintop… is probably not a good place. Within the auspicious light there is a faint ominous aura; the grandeur is there, but the foundation is hollow. How about we take a detour and find another route?"

Xuanzang shook his head: "Wukong, I have sworn that when I see a temple I will worship, and when I encounter a Buddha I will pay respect."

"Since a temple appears ahead, regardless of omen, we should go take a look and pay our respects."

"And also see which deity is enshrined there, and what kind of temple it is."

Sun Wukong, hearing this, showed a hint of surprise on his monkey face, then broke into a grin, golden light flashing in his eyes:

"Alright! Since Master wants to go, let's set out! Old Sun will lead the way, you two,"

he turned back to Zhu Bajie and Sha Seng, lifting his chin, "Take good care of Master, don't slack off!"

Having said that, he twirled the Golden Cudgel in his hand like a flower and strode ahead at a gallop.

Though the iron Sea‑Stabilizing Needle remained unmoved, the imposing aura of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven and the might of the Demon King on Sun Wukong formed an invisible shield that spread as he advanced.

Along the way, the mountain spirits and wild monsters lurking in the shadows, the ghoul‑like demons, were startled by this aura, their souls fleeing, retreating deep into their lairs, not daring even a breath, let alone a step forward.

The master and his disciples proceeded smoothly, climbing the mountain, crossing the ridge, and arriving at a gently sloping plain facing west.

The scene before them changed abruptly!

Ahead, the view opened bright, auspicious clouds and radiant mists, with myriad shafts of rosy light!

Layers upon layers of towers and corridors, faintly revealing golden tiles covering the roofs, and doors studded with shining jeweled bolts.

Moreover, the melodious sound of bells and chimes drifted softly, bearing a solemn Buddhist resonance.

Looking out, it was about seventy‑to‑eighty percent similar to the grandeur of the Great Thunder Sound Temple on Ling Shan that Sun Wukong remembered from the Western Heaven.

Yet Sun Wukong's fiery eyes saw clearly: beneath the dazzling auspicious light, threads of ominous aura slithered like poisonous snakes, clashing with the solemn Buddhist tone.

The spectacle was grand indeed, yet always tinged with a fleeting, eerie emptiness.

"Master!" Sun Wukong instantly turned, pointing at the "sacred monastery", his tone solemn:

"Look at that temple, its impressive aura, it even resembles the Thunder Sound Temple I once visited in the Western Heaven!"

"But… this place is certainly not Ling Shan, yet it has such scenery—most bizarre! Moreover, the ominous aura within the auspicious light suggests hidden disaster. If we truly enter, it might be…"

He did not finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.

He simply stared at Xuanzang, wanting to gauge Xuanzang's attitude at that moment.

Xuanzang halted his horse, gazing at the golden‑and‑jade brilliance of the "Thunder Sound Splendid Scene" that concealed danger, his face showing no fear or hesitation, only calm:

"Then we go."

"The ominous aura comes in waves; it could not harm the brocade kasaya bestowed upon me by Guanyin Bodhisattva."

Speaking, he gently squeezed the horse's belly, urging the Dragon Horse straight toward the "temple" direction.

Zhu Bajie, seeing the Master so composed and hearing of the protective kasaya, perked up instantly, nodding repeatedly: "Indeed, indeed! This kasaya is a treasure of the Buddhist Sect; how could ordinary demons even approach?"

"Brother Monkey, you're overthinking! Let's go, maybe there's a high monk inside, and we can get a good vegetarian meal!"

He hoisted his spade‑like rake and bounded after them.

Sha Seng remained taciturn, silently shouldering the luggage and walking steadily beside the Master.

Sun Wukong watched the three of them's backs, especially Xuanzang's, and scratched his head, a flicker of confusion in his golden eyes, muttering:

"Strange… why does it always seem Master has seen through something?"

He shook his head, suppressing the thoughts: "Never mind, since he insists on going, with my abilities I'll protect him fully! Let's see which imposter deity dares here to masquerade as a Buddha!"

Without further hesitation, Sun Wukong leapt forward, reaching the front of the group, still serving as the Forerunner.

The party trekked through forest and slope, arriving straight before the grand "temple" mountain gate.

The mountain gate towered, its vermilion doors shut, flanked by two fierce Vajra Warrior stone statues.

Looking up, above the lintel hung a massive golden plaque, its bold characters engraved:

Little Thunder Sound Temple

Inside, the scene was even more astonishing.

One saw tier after tier of halls and corridors, three eaves and four tiers, a myriad of splendid architecture, indescribably majestic.

Among them, the Grand Hall shone with countless beams of Golden Light and myriad auspicious vapors.

Outside the hall, beneath the treasure platform, stood five hundred Arhats, three thousand Jieti, four Vajras, eight Bodhisattvas, nuns, lay followers, countless holy monks and Taoists—a truly fragrant, radiant scene of the Western Heaven Buddhist Kingdom!

Zhu Bajie, already dazzled, clasped his hands to his chest, about to bow, muttering, "Buddha… truly Buddha… old pig offers his respects…"

Sha Seng also wore a devout expression, set down his load, and prepared to bow.

Only Sun Wukong, his fiery eyes blazing, had already seen through the layers of illusion to the demonic aura beneath.

He sneered, yet did not immediately expose it, instead holding the Golden Cudgel horizontally before him, scanning the surrounding "Arhats" and "Bodhisattvas" warily.

"Monks below, having seen the Tathagata, why do you not bow?"

Xuanzang dismounted, chanting, "Amitabha."

"I, a humble monk from the Great Tang of the Eastern Lands, come with sincere reverence, yet…"

"I will not worship a false Buddha."