"Many thanks, Great Emperor. Next ti I have the chance, I will co to disturb you again..."
Having learned that Third Prince Nezha had descended to the Mortal World, Bodhisattva also knew he must have gone to trouble Xuanzang. Seeing that the matters she arranged were almost settled and the chess ga was over, Bodhisattva stood up without intending to stay longer, said farewell, and left.
After leaving the palace of Empress Qinghua, Bodhisattva's Lotus Platform was suspended high, and she headed west.
At the sa ti, she flipped her palm and took out the Calamity Book of the Journey to the West.
If nothing unexpected happened, with Third Prince Nezha personally going to create trouble, this team on the Journey to the West for Scriptures should experience another calamity again, right?
Indeed, as the Calamity Book was opened, Bodhisattva saw that a new calamity had been added.
Twentieth calamity: The Disaster of Financial Loss.
"Eh? The Disaster of Financial Loss?" Looking at the na of this calamity, Bodhisattva's eyebrows slightly raised, feeling sowhat surprised.
The nas of the calamities generally relate to the experiences of Xuanzang and his team.
Just like the last calamity, Blood Sea Demon Infant, which referred to the calamity where the Demon Infant was captured by Ancestor Minghe in the Netherworld Blood Sea.
But this ti, financial loss? What does that an?
"Sothing seems a bit off!" From the na of this calamity, Bodhisattva felt sothing was amiss and muttered to herself in thought.
Thinking it over, she decided to see what exactly was happening with Xuanzang and his group.
Just as Bodhisattva was about to descend to the Mortal World, suddenly, she saw a burst of flas approaching her direction.
It was none other than Nezha, riding on a pair of Wind-Fire Wheels.
Logically, upon encountering Bodhisattva, Nezha should have stopped to greet her since his older brother Muzha was an Emissary under Bodhisattva's command.
However, today, Nezha seed preoccupied and appeared not to notice Bodhisattva, continuing forward, head lowered and flying on.
"Third Prince..." It was still Bodhisattva who took the initiative to greet Nezha.
"Oh, it's Bodhisattva. Bodhisattva, my respects!" Hearing Bodhisattva's greeting, Nezha ca back to his senses and spoke.
"Seeing the Third Prince so preoccupied, could it be about the Fire Tip Spear? I just happened to hear that the Third Prince's Fire Tip Spear was stolen. Have you found the mastermind behind this?"
Bodhisattva asked out of curiosity, naturally wanting to clear up what had just happened in the Mortal World between him and the group following Xuanzang.
"I haven't found them, and I don't know who the mastermind is!" However, hearing Bodhisattva's inquiry, Nezha looked troubled and shook his head as he spoke.
"Ah? Not found!? Didn't you see in the Mortal World the Fire Tip Spear in Xuanzang's hands? But that's not right either. If that were the case, why then would a new calamity be added to the book?"
Hearing Nezha's response, Bodhisattva was internally more surprised and found it even more incomprehensible.
After greeting Nezha, not only did she not understand more about the situation she wanted to clarify, but her doubts had also deepened. However, it wasn't appropriate to directly ask what had just occurred.
After pondering for a mont, Bodhisattva then hinted from the side, "Third Prince, where have you co from just now?"
"I just ca from the Mortal World, went to see Holy Monk Xuanzang and their group..." Hearing Bodhisattva's inquiry, Nezha didn't think too much and honestly replied.
"Went to the Mortal World, eh? Saw Xuanzang and his group?"
Upon hearing this, Bodhisattva feigned a curious deanor, "I heard that the Third Prince's Fire Tip Spear was stolen, and you were searching everywhere for the mastermind. Why then did you make a trip to the Mortal World? Could it be? Was it them who stole your Fire Tip Spear?"
Upon saying this, Bodhisattva then purposefully speculated further, "Could it be? Was it Sun Wukong, that Rascal Monkey, who stole your Fire Tip Spear? He once stole Peaches and Golden Cores, couldn't he resist again?"
"Bodhisattva, you are mistaken!"
At this mont, Nezha's mind seed entangled, and he shook his head, responding, "My Fire Tip Spear was not stolen by Sun Wukong, and moreover, this theft has nothing to do with the team on the Journey to the West for Scriptures. Rest assured, Bodhisattva!"
After saying this, Nezha didn't intend to say more to Bodhisattva and bade her farewell before quickly leaving on his Wind-Fire Wheels.
"Uh..." Watching Nezha's departing figure, Bodhisattva paused slightly.
Wanting to keep Nezha to talk a little more, but seeing he was already far away, the words she wanted to call out stayed unspoken.
What exactly was the situation!?
He had stolen Nezha's Fire Tip Spear, and Nezha also knew about the Fire Tip Spear in Xuanzang's hands. He even went there himself; why then did he say the theft of the Fire Tip Spear had nothing to do with Xuanzang?
Could it be? Could Xuanzang genuinely prove that the Fire Tip Spear in his possession wasn't Nezha's?
But if he truly had a way to prove it, why then did the Calamity Book add another calamity?
After thinking for a long ti, Bodhisattva internally shook her head, feeling completely unable to understand.
"Sigh, let it be. If I cannot understand, then let it be. There's no need to dig deeper!" After much thought, Bodhisattva shook her head internally and did not pursue it further.
Although she did not know what exactly happened at that ti, she only needed to know one thing, that a new calamity had been added to the Calamity Book.
Her calculation this ti can, to a certain extent, be said to have been perfectly fulfilled.
"That's enough!"
Shaking her head, a thought flickered through Guanyin's mind. Now that her goal had been achieved, perhaps it was ti to return the Fire Tip Spear to Nezha?
Otherwise, stealing Nezha's Fire Tip Spear would leave a karmic debt, which was not sothing desirable.
With that in mind, after waiting a mont, Guanyin quietly approached the Palace of the Heavenly King.
Stealing the Fire Tip Spear had not been easy, but returning it would be much simpler.
She just needed to find a mont when no one was around, toss the Fire Tip Spear inside, and quickly leave. It was very simple.
…
After Nezha returned to the Palace of the Heavenly King, he sat alone in the grand hall and took out the Fire Tip Spear to closely examine it.
Indeed, the Fire Tip Spear was a Dharma Treasure he had used for thousands of years and was extrely familiar with. This spear looked exactly like his own, without the slightest difference.
Yet, it was not his own, which left Nezha feeling very astonished.
"What on earth is going on? How could Master Xuanzang have two, or even eight or ten Fire Tip Spears? What is happening here?"
"And who is the person who stole my Fire Tip Spear? Anyone who could take the Fire Tip Spear from my ho must be no ordinary person!"
"Ah, this ti, I truly owe Holy Monk Xuanzang a favor, don't I? This is really embarrassing!"
Thinking that Holy Monk Xuanzang had not stolen his Fire Tip Spear, yet he had accused him, and Holy Monk Xuanzang had repaid his anger with kindness by not only forgiving him but even giving him a brand-new Fire Tip Spear.
Thinking about all this, Nezha felt full of sha, so much so that he wished he could find a hole to crawl into.
"Eh? My child, did you find your Fire Tip Spear? I heard it was stolen by Master Xuanzang? So it was true!" At that mont, Heavenly King Li Jing walked into the palace and, seeing the Fire Tip Spear in Nezha's hands, spoke in surprise.
"Father, I do have a Fire Tip Spear again, but this one isn't the one I had before, and my Fire Tip Spear wasn't stolen by Master Xuanzang!"
Listening to Li Jing's words, Nezha shook his head and recounted everything that had just happened to Li Jing in detail.
"What? Master Xuanzang can casually produce eight or ten Fire Tip Spears? How is that possible?" Li Jing murmured to himself, his face showing surprise.
"I find it impossible too, father, but I saw it all with my own eyes!" Nezha said, a distressed look on his face as he shook his head.
"If that is truly the case, then there's sothing very wrong going on behind the scenes!" After pondering for a mont, Li Jing spoke with a grave expression.
Nezha didn't say anything, just looked at Li Jing intently, waiting for his explanation.
"Zha'er, think about it. Soone surreptitiously stole your Fire Tip Spear; they must have a plan! The chances of soone wanting to simply steal your Fire Tip Spear are quite small!"
"Although I don't know their purpose, they definitely aim to manipulate this situation!"
"So, we should not react as they expect us to!"
"Since you now have a new Fire Tip Spear, and it looks exactly the sa, why not declare publicly that your Fire Tip Spear has been found and taken back?"
"That way, whoever is behind this will be confused! And their plot will surely fail!"
"Then we can change from overt to covert investigation! Perhaps we will discover sothing!"
"Yes, father, you make a good point!" Hearing Li Jing's words, Nezha thought it over and nodded in agreent, feeling that his father's words made sense.
After father and son had finished discussing, Nezha asked soone to notify the people searching for the Fire Tip Spear to suspend their search, saying that his own had been found.
Even more so, Nezha carried the Fire Tip Spear and boldly walked outside for a round.
Guanyin Bodhisattva cautiously approached the Palace of the Heavenly King, preparing to toss the Fire Tip Spear into the palace and end the matter.
However, at that mont, she heard that Nezha's Fire Tip Spear had been found and even saw Nezha himself carrying it as he walked past.
"This, this ..." Seeing the Fire Tip Spear in Nezha's hands, Guanyin Bodhisattva was dumbfounded.
Suddenly, she realized, so Master Xuanzang had given his own Fire Tip Spear to Nezha?
No wonder the Calamity Book recently listed a new calamity of financial loss. So that's what it was about...
"Darn it, what do I do now?" Seeing Nezha holding the Fire Tip Spear, panic flared in Guanyin Bodhisattva's heart.
Now that Nezha believed the spear in his hand was his original one, this matter, aside from Master Xuanzang who might still have doubts, should be completely resolved.
But if she were to throw out another Fire Tip Spear now, wouldn't that just lead Nezha to continue investigating? And wouldn't that possibly lead back to her eventually?
At this thought, Guanyin Bodhisattva felt rather stuck.
Throwing it out now would be asking for trouble.
Not throwing it out ant she still owed Nezha a karmic debt.
Have I trapped myself and gotten stuck on this tiger's back?
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