Journey to the West Auditor

Tang Sheng.

He is not Tang Seng, but the Jade Emperor's specially appointed "Three Realms Karma Auditor," created to balance the power of Buddhism and settle the karmic accounts of the Journey to the West. He wields the supreme treasure, the Book of Karma, which can devour karma and replicate supernatural abilities. His job is to "collect debts." The pilgrimage to the West brought immeasurable merit? No, it was a carefully planned journey to "dodge the bill."

"Your Majesty, three hundred years have passed since the Journey to the West, yet karma remains entangled among all parties, and resentment has clogged the Celestial River. I recommend creating the post of 'Three Realms Karma Auditor' to sort things out and restore peace to the world."

I, Tang Sheng, am the newly appointed "Auditor."

My first assignment is Flower-Fruit Mountain.

Once a blessed paradise, it is now a scene of utter ruin. A trembling old monkey points at the dried-up Water Curtain Cave. "Immortal, ever since the Great Sage attained Buddhahood, the spiritual spring has run dry..."

My fingertip touches the rock wall. The Book of Karma burns against my chest, revealing a line of golden text: [The leyline of Flower-Fruit Mountain was surrendered to Buddhism to build the Eight-Treasure Merit Pool.]

Behind me, a celestial general sneers. "A petty auditor dares investigate Buddhism's old accounts?"

I turn and present the Jade Emperor's imperial decree, my voice carrying across the mountains:

"I'm not here to check the books."

"I'm here to collect a debt."

"From this day on, whoever owes a debt on this road to the West, whoever has sucked the blood of others dry, will pay for it with their life, one debt at a time."

Sun Wukong was imprisoned for five hundred years. The mounts and attendants of various immortals and Buddhas descended into the mortal realm as demons, yet afterward they were not punished. Instead, they were rewarded for supposedly helping the pilgrimage team through their trials. Behind it all was a tacitly approved "transfer of karma" between Buddhism and Daoism, sacrificing demons and ordinary people to secure merit for a privileged few.