There is no doubt that Sun Wukong chose the former and then became the Fighting Buddha.
As for how the word "sheng" came about, it's very simple. Not being defeated is victory!
Recalling the scenes on the journey to the West, Sun Wukong looked overwhelmed.
…
…
It is said that Tang Monk split the Five Finger Mountain with one palm and rescued the Monkey King Sun Wukong who was trapped under the mountain.
From then on, Sun Wukong was convinced and followed this unusual Tang Dynasty monk to the West to worship Buddha and obtain Buddhist scriptures.
Well, pray to Buddha and ask for scriptures...
Although the master said so, Sun Wukong felt from the way he spoke that this guy wanted to go to the West, flatten Lingshan Mountain, and grab the Tathagata's cassock to extort the true scriptures from him.
Whenever he thought about the possibility of such a scene in the future, Sun Wukong couldn't help laughing out loud.
The master and disciple said goodbye to the shocked Liu Bochin, crossed the Liangjie Mountain, and officially embarked on the journey to the west.
When they reached a picturesque valley, they suddenly heard an urgent whistle from the side of the road, and six figures rushed out, each holding a knife, gun, stick, and club, and they tried to block the road with a ferocious look.
Seeing this scene, Sun Wukong laughed out loud, raised his hand and took out a Ruyi Jingu Bang.
Just as Sun Wukong was about to step forward to fight these six ignorant robbers, a big hand suddenly stretched out from behind and firmly grasped the middle part of the iron rod, making him unable to move.
"Goku, stand down."
A calm voice came from behind.
Sun Wukong looked surprised and couldn't help but turned around and asked, "Master, what's going on?"
“Amitabha.” Nie Changchuan chanted the Buddha’s name and said with a compassionate face, “Wukong, you have just entered the monkhood, so you should cultivate your body and cultivate your character. It is better to let your master take care of this kind of sinful killing!”
"……?"
Nie Changchuan changed the subject so quickly that Sun Wukong was stunned.
The next second, Nie Changchuan, who was originally behind Sun Wukong, opened his eyes wide with anger and shouted, "Great and Mighty Heavenly Dragon!"
"roar!"
In an instant, a golden dragon surged out, pouncing forward with fangs and claws bared, frightening the six robbers so much that they screamed in terror and pissed themselves terribly.
Soon, the six robbers fled into the forest in terror and disappeared.
Seeing this scene, Sun Wukong came to his senses and realized that his master just wanted to scare them away and did not really want to kill them.
...Sure enough, monks are monks, they are kind-hearted and soft-hearted, and they don’t know what it means to cut the grass at its roots.
Sun Wukong shook his head secretly, looked at Nie Changchuan's back and said, "Master, I know that monks are compassionate, but this compassion cannot be thrown around casually!"
"How is a villain like this who robs people on the road any different from a demon?"
"If we don't eliminate it today, good people will be killed in the future."
"Master, please let me catch up and beat these evil thieves to death with a stick!"
Sun Wukong tried his best to persuade Nie Changchuan to root out the evil.
Nie Changchuan remained silent the entire time until Sun Wukong finished speaking. He then nodded and said, "I overestimated these bandits. I thought they would at least have a den of thieves. I didn't expect that there were only six of them."
Hearing this, Sun Wukong was slightly stunned.
Nie Changchuan turned around and said with a smile: "My good disciple, today I will teach you two new words, namely, fishing enforcement and playing hard to get!"
Before he finished speaking, a dragon's roar was heard from a nearby mountain stream, mixed with one or two short screams.
“…”
Sun Wukong swallowed his saliva, put away his golden cudgel, and bowed respectfully, saying, "I am grateful for your instruction, disciple!"
Nie Changchuan nodded with satisfaction, then took a step forward and said, "Let's go. I see that the village is well built, with pots, pans, and all kinds of kitchen utensils. Today, you and I, the master and disciple, can rest here!"
Sun Wukong didn't dare to refuse, and hurriedly followed with his luggage and dry food.
Before leaving, Nie Changchuan glanced at the clouds in the sky and chanted the Buddha's name softly.
Above the clouds, Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara and the Hui'an practitioner Mu Zha fell into silence.
The former glanced at the golden hoop in his hand, hesitated for a moment, and put it in his arms.
…
When they arrived at the bandits' stronghold, Nie Changchuan took the lead and headed straight for the kitchen.
Sun Wukong stood at the door, looking hesitantly at the blood and six corpses all over the village, wanting to say something but stopping himself.
In the end, he still didn't dare to say a word, but just stepped forward silently and collected the bodies of the six unfortunate guys.
Not long after, Nie Changchuan came out with bear paws that had been pickled for many days, and with a smile on his face, he invited Sun Wukong to eat with him.
Sun Wukong was stunned. After he came to his senses, he quickly declined.
Although he was a famous demon king five hundred years ago, he was born of a righteous family. He was a stone monkey born from heaven. There was a clear energy in his belly, so he only consumed various spiritual fruits and magical wines and had never eaten meat.
Seeing that his eldest disciple refused, Nie Changchuan also remembered this matter and immediately showed regret on his face. He could only eat it by himself.
During dinner, looking at the bald monk eating heartily in front of the campfire, Sun Wukong was chewing dry food beside him, holding the luggage and the Ruyi Jingu Bang, and he was a little dazed for a moment.
Above the clouds, Guanyin Bodhisattva also sighed, confessed his sins, and chanted the Buddha's name.
Mu Zha held the iron rod, his eyes wandering between the monk who ate meat and the monkey king who ate dry food. For a moment, he couldn't tell which of the two was the peerless demon king from five hundred years ago...
In the following days, Nie Changchuan used his absolute strength to tear apart the scripts of Buddhism and the immortals.
In the Eagle Valley of Shepan Mountain, Xiaobailong, the third prince of the Dragon King of the West Sea, was punished to be sent here for setting fire to the palace.
The Bodhisattva Guanyin enlightened him and wanted him to transform into a dragon horse to serve as a helper for the monk who was going to the West to seek Buddhist scriptures. However, this dragon was born rebellious and unruly, and he even intended to make things difficult for the monk who was going to the West.
So, on that day, when Nie Changchuan and his apprentice were passing by Yingchoujian, the little white dragon suddenly flew out, stirring up waves that wet Nie Changchuan's cassock and the luggage carried by Sun Wukong.
Nie Changchuan was furious. He immediately waved his hand and, in front of Xiao Bailong's confused gaze, he slapped out a huge golden palm print. He grabbed Xiao Bailong's neck and beat him up beside Yingchoujian.
Sun Wukong was watching from the sidelines. He was gloating at first, but soon he showed pity and hurriedly stepped forward to stop Nie Changchuan.
"Master, stop, stop, if you keep hitting me, I'm going to kill this little dragon!"
After hearing Sun Wukong's dissuasion, Nie Changchuan stopped and stared at Little White Dragon's bruised face, asking viciously, "Tell me, are you going to the West or not?"
"Go, go!"
Xiaobailong nodded repeatedly and agreed with a look of horror.
Nie Changchuan's expression eased slightly, and he turned to look at Sun Wukong and said unhappily, "Tell me, why didn't you stop me earlier?"
Didn't I stop you?
Sun Wukong felt very aggrieved, but he dared not speak out.
He exchanged a glance with the little white dragon that had silently transformed into a dragon horse, and everything was said without words.
After that, Nie Changchuan had a mount, and Sun Wukong, in addition to carrying the luggage, also had the job of holding the horse and the stirrups.
The master and the disciple continued on their journey and passed by a wide river.
The local river god originally transformed himself into a fisherman, ready to carry the master and disciple to the other side of the river according to the script. However, he never expected that the great Tang monk only glanced at him, which frightened him so much that cold sweat broke out on his forehead and he dared not step forward.
Nie Changchuan waited for a while, but saw that the fisherman was still hesitating and unwilling to come over, so he became impatient and threw the Zen stick in his hand, which instantly split the river apart, revealing a wide riverbed passage.
Seeing this, the fisherman transformed by the river god was frightened and was glad that he did not go forward.
Sun Wukong was not surprised at all. He immediately led the white dragon horse and crossed the river leisurely.
Afterwards, on the journey westward, Nie Changchuan dug rivers wherever he encountered them and moved mountains wherever he encountered them, forming an extremely convenient passage wherever he passed.
At that time, Sun Wukong just thought that his master was too lazy to take a detour, but he never imagined that thousands of years later, this road of the holy monk would become the most important hub connecting the Central Plains and the Western Regions.
The merits and virtues generated from this are countless.
After crossing Luojia Mountain, Nie Changchuan sat on the white dragon horse, thanked the mountain god and land god of Luojia Mountain for the hospitality, and then told his disciples to continue forward.
Behind him, in the Luojia Mountain, a group of mountain gods and local gods all smiled and respectfully saw the holy monk off.
Not until each other's backs disappeared from their sight did they breathe a sigh of relief, look at each other, and couldn't help but express the same emotion.
——Compared with the holy monk, it turns out that the Great Sage is kind-hearted!
After that, they walked for several hundred miles and could vaguely see the shadows of towers and palaces in the valley ahead.
Nie Changchuan's eyes sparkled with golden light. He glanced forward and immediately said with interest: "Guanyin Temple..."
Sun Wukong's eyes lit up, and he said with a smile, "So this is the territory of Guanyin Bodhisattva. Master, since we are old acquaintances, why don't you give her some face and stay here for a night to rest your feet."
Hearing the words of the eldest brother, White Dragon Horse nodded repeatedly.
His true form is a white dragon. After transforming into a dragon-horse, he always felt very awkward when walking, sitting or lying down.
In addition, Nie Changchuan had been traveling day and night these days without having to rest. Even if the White Dragon Horse was not physically tired, it was already quite exhausted mentally and wanted to find an opportunity to have a good rest.
Nie Changchuan noticed the intentions of his two disciples, so he nodded and said, "Then let's do as you two say and rest here for a night!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Sun Wukong smiled immediately and did three somersaults in excitement.
The white dragon horse also perked up, neighed, and then spread out its four hooves and ran forward.
Seeing this, Nie Changchuan couldn't help but reveal a kind smile on his face.
Soon, a man, a monkey and a horse stopped in front of a black mountain filled with evil spirit.
Sun Wukong held the reins of the horse and looked blankly at the Black Mountain in front of him, then at the Guanyin Temple twenty miles behind him. Finally, he couldn't help but ask, "Master, have we passed it yet?"
Nie Changchuan gave him a strange look and said frankly, "I haven't been there!"
Sun Wukong said in a numb tone: "But this mountain doesn't look like a Guanyin Temple, does it?"
"Who said that the master was going to Guanyin Temple?"
Nie Changchuan asked back, looking at the demon-filled Black Wind Mountain in front of him, and said excitedly: "What's the point of a Zen temple? This Black Wind Mountain is full of demonic energy. It looks like a big demon's cave. Isn't it more interesting than Guanyin Zen Temple... much more suitable?"