#xuanzang they will never get me to hate you

[royaltea000]

- Sanzang <3

[incorrectjttw]

Tripitaka: You're not my friend anymore. Golden Cicada: I was your friend?

Tripitaka: No. I hate you. Every time I meet someone at least 600 years older, they call me Golden Cicada, like they fucking expect me to remember everything, or know who you are and who they are. All these people, who tell me that we used to be friends, when really they used to be friends with you and can't accept the fact, that I'm not you! I don't care that I was you ten lifetimes ago! I'm not you, I will never be you and I don't want to be you! Being your reincarnation has gotten me nothing but trouble! Any excitement I might've had hearing that once I was a disciple of the Buddha Himself, is now gone! If my life hadn't been fucked before, it's now even more fucked because of your shadow that I can't get out of!

Tripitaka: I'M NOT GOLDEN CICADA!!! I'M CHEN XUANZANG!!!

Golden Cicada: ....... *worried cicada noises*

[cryptic-underground]

Yay somebody else who hates The monk! Seriously though the way he treated Wukong was fucked up and didn’t feel super Buddhist. It’s like hitting a child whenever they disobey instead of actually teaching them what’s wrong. Sure they’ll probably stop doing that thing but they’ll do it out of fear not understanding ( plus trauma!)

Yes!! I hate him so much omg

I totally agree with you! Though also, apparently, based on the little I've looked up— so not an expert—alot of the Buddhist teachings are based around suffering. So it falls quite closely with it.

Screenshots of what I read:

(Feel free to take your own perusal)

So, with that in mind, it kinda puts the cruelty of Wukong in a different perspective on why it may have been done that way that it did. However, that being said, I still don't agree with the monk's actions.

Whether Wukong ended up becoming enlightened in the process or not is not the crux of the problem it, at least not where i see it being. It's how Xuanzang went about it. Wukong behavior was not right, but the monk's way of trying to guide him was the wrong way about it. Anytime Sun Wukong was too much to handle or disobeyed, the two solutions were either the sutra or to disown him. Never to explain why what he did was wrong or how he could've gone about it better. It was always: "You should've done it the right way the first time." And Xuanzang wasn't actually sort of hypocritical towards his own teachings as well, which is baffling to me! He always scolds Wukong for not listening to him or the rules he put in place(which are fleemzy at best and a constructual hazard at worse) WHEN HE LITERALLY NEVER LISTENS TO WUKONG'S WARNINGS EVER!!

Okay, so, besides being bald boy's personal errands boy and punching bag. Wukong is tasked with finding the monk food, water, place to sleep, and y'know just ensuring he doesn't kill over and DEAD. The rest of the discipline don't do much in the books from what I know besides be funny or cause problems (pigsy-). And even with all that, even with knowing that countless times before that demons want to literally eat him as though he's a five course meal for magic, the monk never listens to Wukong when he says something is dangerous MOST OF THE TIME! AT LEAST 90% OF THE TIME.

Granted, a lot of it is because of stupid jttw pigsy being a dumb slab of meat, and sure Wukong's not the base at defending his judgments in some cases. But c'mon, after the first couple times of wukong consistently being right and pigsy being a dumb as you'd think this pumpkin in a robe would get some thinking in his skull.

Also, what infuriates me even more is that this so-called monk put the circlet on him without asking if theirs a way to take it off. I get that they didn't want an escape plan for Wukong and that he was the main source keeping Xuanzang alive, but c'mon. It's more than a little dumb to just take one of the most painful items in existence, then use it on someone while not fully understanding said item.

One of the virtues of Buddhism is that violence isn't allowed in any form. But apparently, if it's not done by your own hands, it's free game. It's the same issue with saying batman does kill but then have him basically do things that basically murder lite mode.

I might've gone off the rails, sorry. To put it simply, monk man icky would tie him to railway tracks.

[kaibutsushidousha]

If the v3 cast were Masters, which Servants would they summon who has the highest compatibility with them ?

Akamatsu and Amakusa

Amami and Nursery Rhyme

Iruma and Caligula

Ouma and Nightingale

Ki-bo and Kotarou

Gonta and Bedivere

Saihara and Arjuna

Shirogane and Gilgamesh (Caster)

Shinguuji and Medusa

Chabashira and Xuanzang

Toujou and Queen of Sheba

Harukawa and Jason

Hoshi and Dantes

Momota and Mandricardo

Yumeno and Nagiko

Angie and Douman

Explanations under the cut in case you're confused, because you probably are.

First off, Twitter people might be wondering why so many choices are different from what I chose for this thread. Obvious consideration for who is normally summonable aside, the main thing I kept in mind here is that compatibility summon comes in two flavors. Pattern A is a hero similar in nature to Master (Sakura and Medusa, Ryuunosuke and Gilles, etc), and Pattern B is the hero the Master needs for the personal struggles of their character arc (Pepe and Ash, Erice and Voyager, Elsa and Arash, Jinako and Karna, etc). Pattern B is always more interesting than Pattern A, so that's what I'm using for all my choices. Now let me go over them one by one.

1. I say things will be different from the thread and immediately break the promise with Akamatsu. Akamatsu relied a lot on Saihara's brain to build her plan, but their relationship was never one of mutual trust because she knew Saihara would agree to her harsher and more definitive methods. The hero Akamatsu needs is someone both competent and like-minded. Someone who shares her earnest will to save everyone and willingness to use more extreme methods for it. Amakusa is the Servant for her.

2. For Amami, I'll go with Nursery Rhyme. Much like Raikou got Nursery in the Heian Singularity's Imperial Grail War as the emotional crutch daughter figure she needed, Amami gets an emotional crutch little sister figure to help him reunite with the twelve he lost. This pair would be interesting because it'd subvert Nursery's usual MO of simply forcing others to reconnect with their inner child. The whole reason why he lost 12 sisters is that his passion for seafaring and exploration distracts him from what he's supposed to do. Her role as the villain of the Santa Nightingale event shows she can be harsh when children are being neglected, so Nursery would be the force pulling Amami back on track, but she'd have to balance that with allowing him to enjoy himself to preserve his childish love for adventure. He'd be a tough and delicate case for our Hero of Children.

3. The hero Iruma needs is... anyone who tolerates her, really. My first thought was Karna, but he's about finding value where no one else does, and Iruma has her share of undeniable value, so I think he isn't the best choice. Their pair would be a watered-down version of Jinako's pair anyway. Fate/ actually quite scarce of Servants defined by being all-tolerant because that's a trait they push more on Fujimaru, but two examples that come to mind are Romulus, the man who loved all of Rome (read: human civilization) in both its sins and achievements; and Caligula, the man who went crazy trying to do the same. Romulus is too OP to help Iruma tone down her ego, so I'll go with Caligula.

4. Ouma is a hard case. He needs someone he can absolutely trust and finding one of those is a huge challenge. The only ones Ouma has expressed full trust to were Gonta because he was unquestionably good and weak-willed enough to never stray away from Ouma's instruction without asking first; and chapter 5 Momota, who was in circumstances so complicated that he wouldn't dare to throw away the chance Ouma's script offered. Ouma is the kind of paranoid control freak who would intentionally go for a Berserker because even the ones who speak are single-minded in a way that makes them easy to plan around. The alternative would be someone so like-minded in methods and standards that he'd probably hate them but still trust as someone who thinks the same way he would, but only BB fits that bill and she's not normally summonable. With that card off the table, the only options Ouma has left are Berserker he can trust to never kill anyone ever, and the only Zerk valuing life this much is Nightingale. BB's fellow nurse, amusingly enough.

5. Ki-bo would be offended with Alaya if he summoned a robot or homunculus just because he's a robot. And he also wishes for a partner that will treat him as an equal without denying what makes him different as a robot. In short, he needs a human Servant who is used to having normal relationships with robots. But not Chen Gong or Red Hare because they're too evil, nor Orion because he's too crude. That leaves us with robot Danzou's human son, Fuuma Kotarou.

6. Gonta's wish is to become a true gentleman his human family can acknowledge, and for that, he needs the example of someone who is both well-mannered and of a noble heart. Bedivere is an easy choice.

7. As I mentioned a few times before around 2017~18, I strongly think the best thing about Saihara is his interactions with Hoshi. Saihara is a guy feeling eternally guilty because he made one "good guy" murderer pay for his crime and he tries to make up for it by forcefully validating Hoshi's mass-murdering of the mafia. Then in Fate/, we have Arjuna, an all-around excellent man who adamantly believes himself to be evil because he did one dishonorable thing once. Saihara is the stubborn validating Master Arjuna needs to make him understand that he is not the monster he believes himself to be.

8. The first thing about Shirogane is that she really doesn't like reality, especially when it concerns herself. She can't muster any interest in the boring, plain girl she is or the boring, plain world she lives in, so she makes a hobby and a job out of becoming someone else, a larger-than-life figure in a fictional world. She loves all Danganronpa characters but expresses greater adoration towards Junko and Kamukura, the most unreal the series has produced. Enter Gilgamesh, the Hero King with the comically large ego and literally all Noble Phantasm to satiate Tsumugi's craving for a break from reality. That said, Gilgamesh has the recurring hobby of playing therapist to a Master disconnected from their own self and is the franchise's greatest symbol of the willing departure from the Age of Gods into the Age of Man. As much as he fits her tastes on a surface level, he's the guy who transitioned the flashy world of fantasy she dreams of into the plain world she hates, and he'll use most of his free time to the same on a personal level for her. The Caster version is being specifically picked because Archer has childish beef with modernity, and Caster is intentionally making his arsenal more limited and unimpressive, which is self-demonstrative of the points he wants to make to Shirogane.

9. One of his Free Time Events has him explaining why Medusa is his favorite myth, and I definitely can't claim to know this shit better than him. Deep emotional attachment to a story can net you compatibility summon, as Kiara is there to show, and Shinguuji gets bonus points from how TM Medusa became a monster out of living her life for her sisters rather than for herself.

10. Cute and righteous female Buddhist mentor figure who does martial arts. What else could Chabashira ask for?

11. Toujou takes self-worth from serving big important people with utmost perfection, so she needs her Servant to be a king or similarly important leader. But she also needs it to be a support Caster so she can properly invert the Master-Servant relationship and personally fight the enemy Servant for her king. The only characters in the middle of the Venn diagram of kings and support Casters are Medea and Sheba, and Medea wants nothing to do with the royalty life anymore, so Sheba it is.

12. The role of the hero Harukawa needs is already properly fulfilled by Momota in the story, so I'll go with Jason because he shares all of Momota's strengths and flaws. He's someone who'll force her to be part of a team, relentlessly encourage her to break out of her shell, and have a shitty personality she can never fully respect, making the relationship balanced. And things would go even smoother with Jason because his summon comes with Atalante, who is someone Harukawa can easily relate to.

13. Hoshi needs someone who would assure him of his choices and make him comfortably reconnect with his past like he did with Saihara in his Free Time Events. As practically the face of the Avenger Class, Dantes defines himself as an ally and guardian to the ones who were wronged and lashed out in less than virtuous ways, so he's a perfect fit.

14. Momota is too aware of himself as the protagonist of his own story to want a hero. He would instead want a loyal sidekick or a like-minded rival. Voyager is a good sidekick option due to his fit with Momota's wish for greater adventure further beyond and is a Servant Momota mentions in his Free Time Events, so there's the emotional connection to his story there. For a rival, a big-name adventurer like Drake or Odysseus could work, and so could a wandering warrior like Musashi. But there's one option that fits both roles: Mandricardo. Rica has the adventurer experience necessary to eventually compete with Momota, but also Saihara's level of self-esteem, allowing him to start on the sidekick role until Momota pulls him out of it and shapes him into a proper rival.

15. Like with Harukawa, the role of hero Yumeno needs is already fulfilled by Chabashira in canon, so we know what she needs is someone with high energy and a deep understanding of emotions. And Fate/'s biggest connoisseur of human emotion is none other than our Kiyohara no Nagiko.

16. Angie is a complicated case because she doesn't react well to being disobeyed. My first idea for someone with a functioning partnership with her is a knight, but knights generally work on the premise that their king is selfless and righteous, which Angie isn't. There are people like Lan Ling, Liangyu, the ninjas, Mori, or Okita, who submit their lives to anyone's authority, but for that same reason, they wouldn't help Angie improve. What she really needs is someone good at feigning humility, like Limbo. He wouldn't have good intentions for her Master, but by manipulating situations out of her control without letting her feel like her divine words are being challenged, he can force some level of change in her mindset. It's better than nothing.

[avani008]

For the historical make me choose: Talk about 3. and 4. and 8. please

A historical theory, trope, or misconception you HATE

Hahaha anon, I love how you've correctly predicted that my hate for dumb historical misconceptions is a never-ending wellspring of rage. Anyway, to even things out: let's talk about the bizarro concept of Chanakya creating the theory of "Akhand [unified] Bharat". Don't get me wrong, it's often tied into the invasion of Alexander the Great's forces, which is a cool reminder that history never happens in a vacuum, but if this was so very important to him, wouldn't he have included it into the Arthashastra, which he's supposed to have written? Weirdly, he is supposed to have passed this on to his student Chandragupta Maurya, as a reaction against and....guys, I can find zero contemperory evidence. Plus--these were absolutist monarchists; sure, they'd be cool with the idea of a unified India, under their absolutist rule. In fairness, this happens in Western media, too, Braveheart being the most egregious example. For some reason, heroes in historicla media always have to be attributed anachronistic ideas like freedom and democracy, where, in almost all cases, motives were probably closer to money and power. So there's...that.

A historical event you wish you’d been a fly on the wall for

So many, assuming I could be guaranteed my personal safety and the ability to safely return to the present: what was going on with the Indus Valley Civilization, and what their script/culture/religion actually means; whatever actually happened to Razia Sultana; etc. etc.

A favourite random historical anecdote or fact

This is another category I have lots of favorites for, but inspired by @allegoriesinmediasres' "brothers who loved their sisters to the ends of their lives" tag, the true story of the three children of Prabhakarvardhan, king of Thanesar: Rajyavardhan, Harshavardan, and their sister Rajyashri (At least by the way of the Harshacharitra, a distinctly biased source written by the BFF of its hero).

Rajyavardhan, the eldest son was in line for the throne of Thanesar, while Rajyashri was married off to the neighboring King Grahavarman. Harsha, the baby of the family, was expected to serve as lieutenant/second in command to his brother, and did so, even after their dad unexpectedly died, leaving Rajyavardhan King. Around the same time, Grahavarman wound up killed in battle by the his rival monarch, Devagupta of Malwa. (Devagupta, as it turns out, was secretly allied with Shashank, a ruler of Gauda/Bengal) Devagupta took over her kingdom, and now widowed, Rajyashri was imprisoned--

At least until Rajyavardhan heard what had happened. He charged over with his army, determined to kill Devagupta and free his sister, and did....until Shashank, pretending to be on Rajyavardhan's side, got him alone and killed him. (Important note: Shashank is a beloved ruler and important historical figure in Bengal. The Harshacharita is nothing but biased). Which left Harsha, all of 16, now in charge of the kingdom, and Rajyashri still in the hands of the enemy.

As far as they knew, because in the meantime, Rajyashri--apparently a much more resourceful woman than anyone gave her credit for--had managed to escape from Malwa's dungeons all by herself. Unfortunately this left her stranded into the nearby mountains, with minimal wilderness survival skills, and the knowledge that her father, husband, and brother were all dead (with good chances her other brother would be, too). She despaired, and supposedly tried to take her own life, when Harsha, who'd found her missing and desperately searched the nearby villages and forests, came upon her in the nick of time and saved her. The siblings returned to Thanesar, determined to revenge themselves on Shashank. This didn't work so well: while Harsha spent most of the early part of his reign fighting Shashank, he was never able to defeat him until Shashank died and was suceeded by his son. (This took nineteen years. Harsha and Rajyashri could apparently hold a grudge.) Following that, Harsha conquered Gauda and a fair bit of India, Rajyashri reported to stay at his side. Some reports state she became a Buddhist nun, others aren't clear; but the version of the story I heard had her as chief influence throughout his life. While Harsha was Shaivite, he was notoriously accepting of Buddhists, and most attribute this to his sister.

Other bonus cool things about Harsha: he was a Sanskrit poet, who composed three classic Sanskrit plays himself, and apparently nerded out with his court poet Bana (the guy who wrote the Harshacharita over literature). Also: for those who know the Journey to the West from Chinese literature! It's thought to be based on the wanderings of the monk Xuanzang, which ended in Harsha's court (so the "India" Xuanzang described and which inspired JttW was Harsha's own court! Which is so neat!) But mostly deep down, he was a dude who really loved his sister, and mourned his brother, and did his damnedest to avenge them both.

[earl-of-221b]

驱魔录 Qū mó lù 3

(Part 3 translations of the comic. Final 2016 chapters.) Chapters 20-28

True and False Monkey King

—

Chapter 20

(The Buddha, surrounded by his many disciples.)

Disciple, upper right bubble: “Lord Buddha, I’ve heard that that demon monkey went to cause trouble in the Heavenly Kingdom again.”

“The seal you put over him, is it really…..”

Buddha: “That is not possible. Judging by that demon monkey’s ways, he doesn’t have the power to have broken the seal I placed upon him. But…”

(Buddhists sitting on lotus seats, hovering.)

Buddha: “My follower’s previous incarnation, ‘Jingchanzi’s’ memories are still sealed away. In addition to that demon’s uncanny creation by the sky and the earth.”

Buddha, looming over Jiang Liu’er: “It is true that the seal is becoming weaker and weaker. When the time comes, I fear that it will be very hard to control him again…”

(The Buddha reaches out a giant, gilded hand.)

Disciple: “Lord Buddha, then should we not…right now…?”

Buddha: “No. Unless it gets to the dire point where there are no more options, we cannot act so crudely.”

Buddha: “This present demon is similar to that demon monkey, in that they share the same roots…”

(A demon, haunched over and brutishly shackled down with rods in his back.)

Buddha: “If the day comes that that control cannot be implemented, the consequences will be catastrophic.”

(Rods stuck into the back of the demon, sparking.)

Buddha: “To keep that demon under control…the buddhist seal must not waver…”

(Another monkey demon bares his teeth, with six visible ears.)

Six Eared Macaque: “I…”

“I…am…Six-Ears.”

“Not…am not…”

“Sun…”

“Wu…”

“Kong…”

(Either Six-Eared Macaque is freed from his bonds, or he imagines staring at the back of — or standing in the shadow of — the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.)

Author notes: Looks like I dug myself into this hole. (At the start I said I was only doing quick one-shots of daily life.)

Translator notes: This is a spin on the existing 真假猴王 ‘True and False Monkey King’ story. In the original, Sun Wukong goes away and is replaced by a hostile and aggressive version of him who hurts Tang Monk. The fake has the exact same power-set and strength as real Wukong. When two Wukong’s show up, the crew has to figure out who is the real one and get rid of the fake, Six-ears. In the end the Buddha helps reveal the fake and Wukong kills him with his staff.

‘Jingchanzi’ is the name of Jiang Liu’er/ Tang Monk’s previous reincarnation, who was Buddha’s important second disciple. There are different interpretations of why the Buddha sent Jingchanzi back to the mortal world to get the scriptures, especially since the journey west is kind of a giant redemption arc for the demon disciples. The most popular one goes like this: during one of Buddha’s sermons, Jingchanzi fell asleep like a rebel. Thus, Buddha sent Jingchanzi back down to earth so he could appreciate his teachings better. The end.

‘Jiang Liu’er’ was the childhood name of Tang Monk/ Xuanzang/ Tang Sanzang/ Tang Seng (wow he has a lot of names I didn’t even realise…). It means ‘child who flowed down the river,’ referring to how he was found by the monks as a baby.

—

Chapter 21

(Wukong, perched on a ledge, his eyes glowing.)

(Jiang Liu’er reaches out his hand doing something uneasy.)

(He’s picking lots - a little game to make decisions. Whoever picks the straw with the mark on it is ‘it.’)

Jiang Liu’er: “Hoo…it’s not me.”

“Who’s turn is it to get food this time la….”

(The straw with the red mark says “food.”)

White Dragon, Xiao Bai, to Sa Yatou: “Told you not to play with them already…”

Zhu Bajie: “Sa Yatou, looks like you’re it.”

Sha Yatou: “It’s ok, I wanna go.”

Sha Wujing, crouched to see Sa Yatou, right bubble: “You have to be very careful going by yourself, alright, safety first…Remember when you cross the road you need to…”

Sa Yatou: “Uhuh. I know already.”

Zhu Bajie, right bubble: “Do your best and get heaps of meat back here. *Cough.* …Because you’re still in the growing phase….”

Sa Yatou, snickering: “Ok, Pig Uncle.”

Xiao Bai: “If anybody dares pick on you then you tell Xiao Bai immediately, you hear that? We’ll…”

Sa Yatou: “Uhuh, yeah.”

Sa Yatou: “Big Brother Monk, you want anything in particular?”

Jiang Liu’er, glancing back: “Nothing really……it’s just that…”

“Never mind. I’ll come with you, we’ll go together.”

Sa Yatou, left bubble: “But…this time I got picked…”

(The straw lot disappears out of Sa Yatou’s hand.)

Sun Wukong: “Getting some food isn’t complicated enough for you guys to chit-chat and push-pull over. With that amount of energy, I’d already be there and back.”

(Sun Wukong takes off, leaving wisps of cloud in his wake.)

Sa Yatou: “The Great Sage….is he angry…?”

Jiang Liu’er, bottom bubble in black background: “No. He’s currently happy in that heart of his.”

—

Chapter 22

(Flight trails streaked through the air.)

(Someone descends and lands.)

(The golden band sparks.)

Either Bajie or Wujing: “Head Brother, back so fast?”

Sun Wukong, suspicious: “…”

Zhu Bajie: “This time it’s not all peaches again is it?”

Jiang Liu’er, silhouette: “Hahah, who told you guys to leave it to him and not go yourselves. As long as we have something to eat, there’s nothing to complain.”

“Right, Great Sage?”

Sun Wukong: “Jingchangzi…”

Voice, middle bubble: “You….you’re not the Great Sage…”

“!”

(It’s Sa Yatou. She hides behind Jiang Liu’er.)

Jiang Liu’er, faded into the background as Sun Wukong grips his weapon: “What’s wrong? Sa Yatou? If he’s not the Great Sage who else would he be?”

Sa Yatou, beside him: “It’s just — not him.”

—

Chapter 23

(Sun Wukong raises his weapon, striking.)

(The rest of the pilgrims are startled.)

(The strike narrowly misses Jiang Liu’er.)

Zhu Bajie, bottom left bubble: “Dammit! Bimawen, Stable-boy — you’re crazy!”

Sha Wujing, right bubble: “Head…Head Brother.”

(It’s quite clear that this is the six eared macaque, not Sun Wukong.)

Six-ears: “Oh?”

(White dragon horse, Xiao Bai.)

Xiao Bai: “You — where did a imposter demon like you crawl out from? You dare masquerade as the Great Sage?”

Six-ears: “Heh, heh. Imposter?”

“Even if I’m an imposter, what can the likes of you do?”

(Bajie attacks.)

Zhu Bajie: “Old Sha…”

Sha Wujing: “Hm.”

(Jiang Liu’er and Sa yatou shield themselves from the impact.)

Zhu Bajie: “That damned monkey turns out to be an imposter?”

(The golden band seems to be sparking amidst the dust.)

(He attacks.)

Six-ears, right: “Little girl. How did you recognise me?”

Sa Yatou: “People you’re close with…the feelings you get around family.”

“You won’t understand.”

Six-ears, raising his weapon: “Maybe I really can’t understand it.”

“But…”

“You’re wrong.”

“I am him.”

(Translator note: It seems that Six-ears wears the golden band, but real Sun Wukong does not.)

(In canon, the golden band controls Sun Wukong’s behaviour by causing excruciating pain when one recites the ‘band-tightening’ mantra.)

—

Chapter 24

(The Jingou Bang, poised before Sa Yatou.)

Six-ears: “Little girl. You’re not afraid?”

Sa Yatou: “No. I trust the Great Sage. He’ll come to save us…”

Six-ears, bottom right bubble: “Heheh. Your precious Great Sage isn’t coming back. From now on I am…”

“Sun…”

“Wu…”

“Kong…”

“He can’t even save himself right now…..”

“Close your eyes. I won’t let it hurt.”

(Sa Yatou closes her eyes.)

(A huge blast of power, of gods descending, turns Six-ear’s attention.)

The god: “I’ve always hated owing people favours…”

“Since you’re not that monkey, looks like I can use this chance to return it.”

Six-ears: “Nezha. I’d advise you not to butt-in on my business. Not that you’re able…”

Nezha: “This business — is mine to butt-in.”

Six-ears: “You really think I don’t have the guts to take you?”

“Five hundred years ago you couldn’t win me, today, you can’t win all the same.”

(Image of the crew behind Nezha.) 

Six-ears: “Even if all of you come at me at once.”

“Take my word for it. As if the few of you have a chance…”

A Voice: “Shouldn’t make your word so final, don’t you think?”

“I’d advise that you hand the monkey back over to us…”

(The Howling Sky Dog, Xiao Tian Quan.)

“I couldn’t care less about other people’s business. But he has to at least give me back my post money.”

(Upon the god’s forehead is his closed third eye, the truth-seeing “Sky-Eye.”)

(Erlang Shen has landed in the mortal world.)

Translator notes: Erlang Shen was the god that did win Sun Wukong in an uneven match and apprehended him back to Heaven. (Uneven because Sun Wukong was fighting Erlang Shen one-on-one when his powerful dog and Laozi got the jump on him.)

Erlang Shen is referring back to Chapter 14 last chapter of first translation at the end of the White Bone Demon arc. Sun Wukong posts him bones labelled as ‘dog food’ but I guess he didn’t pay beforehand so Erlang Shen had to pay on his end. He’s here for his money back!

—

Chapter 25

(Heaven’s True General, Erlang Shen and the Marshal of the Central Altar, Li Nezha.)

Six-ears: “This…can’t be possible.”

“You two can’t possibly be this powerful……..”

(Erlang Shen looks at Six-ears through his truth-seeing eye.)

Erlang Shen: “It’s not us that has become more powerful, but you who’s become weaker……It seems I can’t discern what is off but…”

“You are not Sun Wukong. Or shall I say, you are not ‘that’ time’s Great Sage Equal to Heaven.”

(‘Great Sage Equal to Heaven is in red. Referring to the Havoc in Heaven.)

Nezha: “Elder Brother, what does that mean? Even the Sky-Eye can’t see through it?”

Erlang Shen: “Hm. Can’t see it. But — I can confirm he’s a fake.”

Six-ears: “IMPOSSIBLE! THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE…”

(Six-eared Macaque flies away, the crew and gods brace in his wake.)

Zhu Bajie: “Ran…he ran away…”

Erlang Shen, pinky in his ear: “I…can’t catch up. If you want to chase, you chase.”

“Tch…”

Zhu Bajie: “Heh! Erlang! Why’d you let that demon get away?!”

Jiang Liu’er, silhouetted behind Bajie: “Wuneng, curb your rudeness.”

“Esteemed god, if you are able, I ask that you please help the Great Sage.”

Nezha: “Elder Brother. Think of some ideas. Because that monkey….”

Erlang Shen: “Even if I want to help him I’m all out of ideas. Don’t even know when that shitty monkey dropped off the face of the earth.”

Sa Yatou, leftmost bubble: “Just then — the Great Sage went to find food. He was gone for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.” (About an hour.)

“When he got back it was the fake one.”

Erlang Shen, right: “Oh? Like that…”

(Erlang Shen commands Xiao Tian Quan to follow the trail.)

“Then that’s something to go on.”

“You can’t have eaten all those dog treats for nothing, right, Xiao Tian?”

(Translator notes: Nezha refers to Erlang Shen as ‘cousin’ in the comic but they’re not...cousins. And they’re not related. So I opted to put ‘elder brother’ to show seniority etc.)

—

Chapter 26

(On the cliff of a mountain, Xiao Tian takes Erlang Shen and Jiang Liu’er to the find the real Great Sage.)

Erlang Shen: “Xiao Tian. The monkey’s here, is he?”

Xiao Tian: *Barks.*

Jiang Liu’er, probably: “This…this is a buddhist seal.”

(Probably Jiang Liu’er reading the mountainside seal.)

“Six words true from the heart…”

“To undo the buddhist seal.”

Erlang Shen: “Little Master. Looks like we really can’t do anything else. We’ve got our hands tied for this matter.”

Nezha: “What’s so high and mighty about it? Let’s break our way in and then talk…”

“Someone able to take down the monkey within the time of an incense stick burning to its end — I really do want see them.”

Jiang Liu’er: “Third Prince, please refrain.”

Jiang Liu’er, hands held together in prayer form: “For you two to escort this humble monk here, I am already grateful to no end. Since this business is from my own sect, and since your identities in Heaven are…”

“I simply cannot trouble you for this affair. Please forgive this humble monk’s discrepancies. I’ll go in alone…”

Nezha, right bubble: “Monk, but we…”

White Dragon, Xiao Bai: “Monk, you’re insane! You’re not doing anything but looking for death going in alone! We’ll go in with you….”

Jiang Liu’er’s silhouette: “I said…”

“Alone.”

Xiao Bai: “……..”

Zhu Bajie, right: “The little Monk’s a little different today.”

Sha Wujing, left: “A little…scary.”

The seals in red: ‘Oṃ’

‘Maṇi’

‘Padme’

‘Hūṃ’

(Image of a chained monkey’s hand.)

Sun Wukong: “Heheh. Buddha, you imprisoned this Old Sun for five hundred years…why this again?”

Buddha, black bubbles: “Sun Wukong, your demonic nature has yet to be cured. How are you to protect the pilgrim who goes to collect the sutras?

Sun Wukong, white bubble, left: “I don’t protect him because he happens to be the pilgrim.”

Buddha: “These affairs are no longer any of your concern. The Buddha has decided…”

(The real Sun Wukong, strung up upon a giant buddhist seal.)

Jiang Liu’er: “Da Seng!”

(‘Great Sage.’)

Sun Wukong: “Jiang…You, why are you….”

Jiang Liu’er: “Don’t you worry, I’m going up there to get you down right now.”

Sun Wukong: “Monk, just go. This time the seal isn’t so easy…”

Buddha: “Jingchanzi…”

“You have a great responsibility upon your hands. Do not be brash. The Buddha has already commanded the other half of this demon to aid you upon your travels…”

“Those who become one with the greater good enlightens oneself, but they cannot adhere to the rhythm and whims of the small, this is how the Mahayana doctrine comes to be…”

(i.e One must detach themselves from personal loyalty and individuals in order to serve a greater purpose.)

Jiang Liu’er: “I do not understand. What do you mean by his ‘other half…?’”

Buddha, left: “The day I subdued the demon beneath Five Elements Mountain, I split his spirit from one into two. The first half remains the demon you see before you. The second is ‘Six-ears.’

“And now the opportunity has come to command his use. He will help you finish your buddhist journey….”

“Even if you cannot fathom this, based upon the power you have, if you try to release the seal your own spirit will…”

Buddha, in red: “Smother like smoke and disappear.”

Six-ears, right bubble: “Smother and disappear? Sounds so scary.”

“The thing I want to know — If I originally was half of him, then how am I supposed to smother and disappear?”

Jiang Liu’er: “You….”

Six-ears, eyes glowing red behind Jiang Liu’er: “Step out of the way, little monk. Saving him is not up to you.”

(Six-ears, hearing the truth, leaps to save his original self.)

(The seal shatters.)

Sun Wukong: “…Spirit fragment…”

(Jiang Liu’er is now in possession of the part-spirit of Sun Wukong.)

Buddha, left black bubble: “Jingchanzi. His split spirit must not be returned into the hands of the original body…”

“It cannot be allowed for the Demonic King to return to the height of the power, to the days of…”

“The Great Sage Equal to Heaven.”

Jiang Liu’er, left: “Lord Buddha. Your enlightened ways and exalted words are wasted upon me. I cannot yet understand your greatness….”

“The greater good is of course of the highest importance. But doing smaller acts of good cannot be neglected. Human nature is spilt into potential for good and evil. I would rather live this life of good and evil.” (I think.)

(Image of Jiang Liu’er close up, under the straw hat.)

Jiang Liu’er, right bubble: “And one more point. Lord Buddha, my name is Jiang Liu’er. I’m a humble, simple monk…..”

“—Not your pilgrim, Jingchanzi.”

Sun Wukong: “Jiang Liu’er…”

(Jiang Liu’er returns Sun Wukong’s other half back to him.)

(Sun Wukong regains the body and soul of his heyday.)

—

Chapter 27

(Outside the mountain, the crew is startled by a shockwave.)

Zhu Bajie: “This is…”

Nezha: “So much demonic aura…!”

(Sun Wukong reclaims his Ruyi Jingou Bang staff, now exactly as he was when he took heaven five hundred years ago.)

Buddha: “Jingchanzi. Do you understand — the demon monkey has regained his vitality from the days where a sky filled with heavenly gods, and buddhist celestials, stood as his opponent?”

“Should he rise up and take the Heavenly Kingdom again, should he shake the Palace of the Underworld, can you shoulder this degree of sin?”

Buddha, lower black bubble:  “Make haste, crown him with the golden band, curtail calamity.”

(Sun Wukong lashes out, swiping the Jingou Bang staff above Jiang Liu’er.)

(The gargantuan image of Buddha is wiped away.)

Buddha: “The golden band is the only thing left in this world that can control his demonic nature….”

(Sun Wukong faces Jiang Liu’er.)

(Suddenly, Sun Wukong falls to his knees.)

Sun Wukong, bowing over the headband: “Should I become a buddhist, the world will see no monsters; should I become a monster, what now can buddhists do to me?”

“To be monster or to be buddha; it is your will by reciting the words.”

Jiang Liu’er: “Da…Seng…”

Sun Wukong, top bubble: “Okay la, okay la. Let’s go, stop crying your nose off…”

Jiang Liu’er: “Who said I was crying — I am not.”

Sun Wukong: “Look at you. Your snot is all getting onto my Jingou Bang staff…”

End.

Author notes: The art style and background looks I’ve now definitely got down. But I can’t promise that it won’t change.

Translator notes: The seals in chapter 27 show the band-tightening mantra ‘Oṃ maṇi padme hūṃ.’ Sun Wukong trusts Jiang Liu’er so much he accepts the golden band and hands him the key to keep him in check.

Big thanks to @dorkshadows​ for translating the part about the Mahayana doctrine.  :D

—

Final Chapter, Chapter 28

(No dialogue until end.)

(A small village under a blood red moon.)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Erlang Shen: “Still want to play, Xiao Tian Quan?”

Xiao Tian Quan: “Uhuh <3”

End.

Author Notes: Now I can sigh out loud at the end. I can’t believe I stuck with it and drew so much. Of course my motivation comes from all of you readers and your support. It’s still that same line from me — as long as you like it, I’ll keep on drawing~~~

Translator notes: Xiao Tian is Erlang Shen’s loyal, deified dog. Thank you for reading and please support DENGANG on weibo. I’ll continue translating the 2017 chapters after a short break. Also, disclaimer: I have no affiliation with the author and this is not my work. I only do the english fan translations. 

Check out DENGANG’s shop and prints  x

[osakaso5]

Iori Izumi Chinese Zodiac Rabbit Chat Part 4: Who Is More Mature? 

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 5

Iori: Err... I was instructed to say this to you here, Nanase-san, so I'll just announce it now. 

Iori: I apologize for today. I will dance with you at the Aitoriri: ~Dance Of The Zodiacs~ event. Let us succeed together. 

Riku: Okay! Got it. Thank you, Iori! Let's do our best! 

Riku: 

Tsumugi: Iori-san and Riku-san, good work with your rehearsal today! 

Tsumugi: An announcement! Did you two talk? 

Riku: Yeah, Iori came to my room and apologized. 

Riku: When he said I'd be better off with Tamaki, I felt a little sad. It's true that we're good friends, but I'm friends with everyone, y'know? I told him my relationship with Tamaki isn't special or anything! 

Iori: With everything that happened with the kotatsu, I think I may have gotten a bit too worked up... I'm terribly sorry that I even ended up getting you involved, manager. 

Tsumugi: I see. I'm glad I'll get to see your wonderful dance at the event! 

Riku: I wonder what Tamaki would say if he knew about this? I feel like he'd look all smug and go "Iorin, you got jealous because of me?" lol

Iori: I wasn't exactly jealous, but I really was acting like a fool. We must never let Yotsuba-san find out about this... 

Riku: It's better if Mitsuki doesn't find out, either! lol

Iori: R-right. If Nii-san were to find out, he might treat me like a child even more than usual. 

Riku: Do you hate being treated like a kid by him that much? 

Iori: Of course I do. You don't like it when Kujo-san treats you like a child either, do you? 

Riku: I don't! I hate it when he talks to me like I'm a small kid! 

Tsumugi: Since you've both got older brothers, you must have a lot in common! 

Iori: We don't. I don't know why you'd try to put such a positive spin on this. 

Riku: You're not being very convincing, Iori! 

Iori: Quiet! Not another word, Nanase-san! *angry* *angry*

Choices/outcomes:

1. Let's do our best at the event!

Iori: Yes. Nanase-san and I will most likely be together every day until the event, so we shall give it our all. 

2. I'm glad you're back to being friends.

Iori: There you go again... Please don't call this something as embarrassing as friendship. Let's change the subject. 

3. I can't wait to see you in your tiger and monkey costumes!

Iori: Based on my costume's design, it seems to be difficult to move in, but I'll try to keep up with Nanase-san's dancing the best I can. I might need to practice together with Nii-san. 

Iori: Nanase-san, I'm sure your monkey costume will suit you well. 

Riku: Seriously? Are you complimenting me right now? 

Iori: I am. You'll look like that main character from Journey to the West (1). 

Riku: Iori's actually complimenting me! Is everything okay? Maybe it'll even snow tomorrow? 

Iori: According to the weather report, tomorrow will be a clear day with only a 10% chance of precipitation! *angry*

Riku: I was kidding! lol The fact that you went out of your way to check the weather report is such an Iori thing to do! 

Iori: I was just thinking of making some warm milk for you, but now I no longer feel like it. 

Riku: Waah~~~ Iori! I'm sorry! Make some warm milk with honey. For my sake. 

Iori: It's too late to change your tone now, Nanase-san. 

Tsumugi: A-are you fighting again..? 

Iori: No, manager. This is not a fight. I've gone to the kitchen for Nanase-san. As you can see, we're good friends. 

Iori: Therefore, you don't need to have another private talk with me. Please calm down. 

Tsumugi: That's  good..! It would be a  big problem if there some sort of strife  among any of you. 

Riku: I-Iori, what did she tell you when you talked in private..? 

Iori: Nothing. Instead of worrying over that, you should just keep watching TRIGGER's DVDs while drinking your warm milk. 

Riku: How did you know I was watching their DVDs!? 

Iori: I just did. 

Tsumugi: 

Riku: 

Translator’s notes..? 

1) journey to the west is a chinese literary classic about the pilgimage of a monk named xuanzang and his companions, one of whom is a monkey king

[ofmiischicf-blog]

kinda put up a little compilation of what wukong’s voice lines would be if he was in the game. 

Summoned 1: “Everyone can relax; the Monkey King has arrived.” Summoned 2: “I've outwitted gods. Taking back a cup should be no problem.” Summoned 3: “Don't look so surprised, human. My arrival was foretold.”  [ i put up three since why not]

Level Up: “You thought I was trouble before?” Battle Start 1: “These guys aren't gonna know what hit them.” Battle Start 2: “Hope they put up a decent fight.”

Noble Phantasm (Wukong’s Command): “ Leave it me. Lots and lots of me.” Noble Phantasm (Jingu Mastery): “Should've run while you had the chance.”

Battle Finish 1: “Come back again when you’ve had some practice!” Battle Finish 2: “Aw come on, you're dead already?” Battle Finish 3: “Oh, next time, try not to die.”

Bond Lvl 1: “This story's as good as written, and you’re gonna be in it.”   Bond Lvl 2: “Hands off the staff, human. Come back when you’ve earned its trust.” Bond Lvl 3: “I'll fight anyone that gets in my way.  And well.. Maybe protect you along the way.” Bond Lvl 4: “These times spent with you have been a blast, human. You have my thanks.” Bond Lvl 5: “I’ve never met anyone else that was worthy to be considered a master next to Xuanzang. So lets do our best together with the others -- Master.”

Dialogue 1: “What's the opposite of regicide?” Dialogue 2: “It's cloudy with a high chance of bloodshed.” Dialogue 3: “Earning the money is fun, but spending it is even better.”

Something you like: “I don’t know if you’ve already noticed. But I do like a good fight every now and then. If not, then maybe a little bit of down time is more than enough for me.”

Something you hate: “Hate is a pretty strong word, but I do dislike the thought of killing or hurting innocents.”

About the Holy Grail: “The Holy Grail? Eh, the other masters or yourself can keep it. I’ve done my accomplishments long before it even existed. Just fighting the other servants is more than enough of a reward for me.”

Ascension 1: “Some of the tales you hear about me are truer than others”. Ascension 2: “ Some legends burn out. I tend to flare up and leave the place in shambles.” Ascension 3: “It wasn't my name alone purged from the underworld's ledger. My army will outlive you all” Ascension 4: “My enemies thought the flames would consume me; they made me stronger!”