Sun Wukong was scratching his ears and cheeks, watching with great interest, when he suddenly became the focus of the entire scene.
He froze for a moment, then grinned, waving to the crowd: "Look! Keep looking! Why are you all looking at Old Sun? Old Sun doesn't have flowers growing on his Face!"
Though he spoke nonchalantly, a murmur rose in his heart.
Those five hundred years under the Five Elements Mountain were the darkest time of his life.
He never willingly brought up that memory.
Bringing him food?
He recalled carefully; in those five hundred years, besides the Mountain Gods and Earth Deities sent by Guanyin's decree to guard him, there was only a shepherd boy who once picked some peaches for him.
He had met that shepherd boy again on his journey to the Western Heaven, but the boy had long since undergone Reincarnation and could absolutely not be this Lu Fan.
This family...
Could it be that Yama's Karma Water Mirror was mistaken?
He harbored doubts in his heart but did not voice them.
After all, being suppressed for five hundred years was not a glorious matter; shouting it out for everyone to know would only make him a laughingstock.
Pure Thought Bodhisattva's Face maintained its benevolent expression.
The Western Religion was well aware of Sun Wukong's situation under the mountain.
He was very certain that there was no record in history of such a farming family successfully delivering food.
Presumably, this family merely had the thought, or gave up halfway due to fear.
Furthermore, even if they had truly delivered it.
What could a single meal's kindness amount to?
The current Sun Wukong was the Victorious Fighting Buddha, a member of the Western Buddhist Sect; would he really turn against the entire Buddhist Sect for a Mortal's meal?
Impossible.
He sat firmly, signaling Yama to continue.
Within the light screen, the scene continued.
Young Lu Fan's brows furrowed tightly after hearing his parents' words.
He pointed to the half-empty rice jar, then to his parents' chapped lips: "Father, Mother. We ourselves are almost out of food. Do we really still need to share our grain with a monkey we don't know?"
His words were realistic and cruel.
In the Face of survival, kindness was a luxury.
Lu Fan's father fell silent; he looked at his son's delicate and earnest Face and sighed deeply.
He placed his rough hand on Lu Fan's head and slowly said, "Fan'er, I know you are sensible."
"But, my child, we may be poor, but our hearts cannot be poor. If our eyes see others suffering, and we are clearly able to help, but turn away because we're afraid of losing something, what's the difference between that and a beast? If a person lives without even a bit of warmth in their heart, that's worse than starving to death."
Lu Fan's mother also came over, stroking her son's cheek, and said softly, "Yes, child. Helping someone isn't about seeking repayment; it's about being able to live with yourself. That monkey, whether he's a Spirit Monster or not, if he cries of hunger, we cannot pretend not to hear."
In the simple farmhouse courtyard, the parents taught the youth the most profound principles using the most unadorned language.
The Immortals present, especially those who had Cultivated step by step from Mortals, or the Divine Generals who had participated in the War of Investiture and personally experienced human suffering, felt the deepest impact.
In the Mortal world, where Mortal lives were like grass, a portion of grain was a life.
The willingness to save life-sustaining grain from their own mouths to help a Spirit Monster they didn't know—this kindness was so pure it was moving.
"Lu Fan's parents are truly good and kind people," an old Immortal Official with white hair and beard exclaimed.
"Indeed, it's not easy to maintain such a pure heart in troubled times," another Heavenly General echoed, recalling his Mortal mother, who, in the same way, would rather go hungry herself than not stuff the last steamed bun into his arms.
Discussions rose and fell, all praising Lu Fan's parents.
This made the atmosphere on the Western Religion's side even colder.
Pure Thought Bodhisattva's Face darkened, his mask of compassion almost slipping.
He let out a heavy snort, and a burst of Buddhist light suppressed all the discussions.
"Precisely because of this, it further proves that this fiend's crime is unforgivable!"
The Immortals were stunned, all looking at him.
Pure Thought Bodhisattva's gaze swept over the crowd, and he said coldly, "With such simple and kind parents, who taught by example, Lu Fan still grew up to be a madman who destroyed temples, eradicated Buddhas, and opposed our Buddhist Sect! What does this show?"
"This shows that his nature is inherently stubborn and unyielding, and in his bones, he is a poisonous weed incapable of goodness! No matter how fertile the soil, no matter how abundant the rain and dew, it cannot change his evil essence! Such innate evil, if not eradicated, will surely become a great disaster!"
The Heavenly Immortal Officials fell silent.
No one refuted him.
Everyone knew in their hearts that standing here today was merely the Jade Emperor using a pretext to make the Western Religion look bad.
Watching the show was fine, but no one wanted to truly offend the now prosperous Buddhist Sect for an irrelevant Loose Immortal.
The scene once again fell into a subtle silence.
Just then, there was a commotion at the back of the crowd; a round, plump figure squeezed gruntingly through the gaps between the Divine Generals, like a rolling ball of flesh, quietly approaching Sun Wukong from behind.
The person who arrived was none other than Zhu Bajie.
He was now the Altar Cleanser, fat and prosperous, with an oily, shiny Face, his kasaya stretched taut over his body.
"Brother Monkey, Brother Monkey." Zhu Bajie lowered his voice, speaking in his characteristic fawning tone, "This... do you really recognize the people in this Karma Water Mirror?"
Sun Wukong was staring blankly at the light screen, interrupted by the voice. He turned around and saw Zhu Bajie's large Face close by. He immediately reached out ill-temperedly and grabbed his fleshy ear.
"Why is it you, you idiot! Instead of enjoying your leisure, what are you doing here joining the fun!"
"Ow! It hurts, it hurts!" Zhu Bajie immediately squealed like a pig being slaughtered, "Brother Monkey, my good brother! Let go quickly! Gently, gently! In front of so many Immortal friends, give Old Pig some Face! I'm at least an Altar Cleanser Bodhisattva now; I can't make such a fool of myself!"
His outcry immediately drew the attention of everyone around him.
Everyone was already curious about the relationship between Sun Wukong and Lu Fan, their hearts itching with curiosity, but out of fear of Sun Wukong's reputation and temper, no one dared to approach and speak.
Now, seeing Zhu Bajie, who had no regard for his life, rush forward, everyone immediately perked up their ears, their eyes darting around, pretending to look at the Execution Platform, but in reality, fully focused on eavesdropping on the commotion here.
Nezha also watched the scene with interest, a smile curving his lips upward.
Sun Wukong snorted at the sight, released his hand, and wiped it on Zhu Bajie's greasy kasaya, a look of disdain on his Face.
Zhu Bajie rubbed his reddened ear, then leaned in again and asked in a low voice, "Brother, seriously, have you ever met this family?"
Sun Wukong glanced at him, then swept his gaze over the surrounding Immortals who were pretending to admire the scenery but whose ears were practically at his mouth, and spoke ill-temperedly.
"I don't recognize them."
His answer was crisp and direct.
"Old Sun was suppressed under the mountain for five hundred years; besides the Mountain Gods and Earth Deities sent by Guanyin Bodhisattva to guard me, only a shepherd boy ever picked a few peaches for me. As for this Lu Fan and his parents, Old Sun has never even heard of them, let alone seen them."
As soon as these words came out, the eavesdropping Immortals all felt a wave of disappointment, and at the same time, grew even more curious.
Since the Great Sage didn't recognize them, what was being shown in this Karma Water Mirror?
Could it be that this family had the thought but ultimately didn't make it?