Tang Xuan is Tang Sanzang's twin brother, a transmigrator who takes his brother's place on the journey.
His policy is clear: this journey isn't about cultivation. It's about settling scores.
Good demons with no powerful backers become his disciples;
Evil demons with powerful backers get shaken down and sent back to their original owners;
Those who truly eat people are slain on the spot, no questions asked.
At Five Elements Mountain, he beats up the Handsome Monkey King. At Gao Village, he helps Zhu Bajie lash out at the Celestial Court for its unlawful demotion. At Flowing Sand River, he defeats Sha Wujing and offers him words of comfort.
Guanyin watches the whole operation fall apart and breaks down: “Tang Xuan! How am I supposed to submit my report on the trials now?”
Tang Xuan: “You can't submit it because there shouldn't have been any trials in the first place. The Celestial Court wants to save face, and the Western Heaven wants incense offerings. I, Tang Xuan, have just one thing to say: nobody gets to call the shots but me.”
In the golden hall of Lingshan, Tang Xuan stands alone with his monk's staff, spreading his hands before the Tathagata and the Jade Emperor: “I'll take the scriptures. The heavens will be rearranged, the earth redrawn, and I'll be the one running this game.”
