Goto Ichiri whispered, "It's probably because of moral values... Because he monopolized the water source and then summoned the dragon, he thought it was his fault, so he didn't resist."

Kita Ikuyo suddenly realized: "Is that so? Pochi-chan is really smart."

Goto Ichiri's cheeks turned slightly red and he chuckled.

Although Sanzang possesses immense abilities, the Knights of Justice continue to come in endlessly. It's as if an endless supply of them is draining Sanzang's magic power, and a look of fatigue gradually appears on Sanzang's face.

Agguiwen said coldly, "No matter what happens, you are all doomed to be annihilated here. My personal intervention means just that. It's nothing more than an early death. The Holy Lance will soon enter its final phase. As such, this era will be without exception... This is it!"

[Suddenly, Aguguiwen's expression changed and he quickly retreated.]

[Seeing this, the Knight of Uprightness asked in surprise, "Lord Agguiwen? Why are you retreating alone? Ugh, guh, guh!?"]

[Before he finished speaking, the Knight of Uprightness's legs gave way and he fell to the ground.]

[The Knight of Respect lies on the ground, in disbelief: "What happened? My limbs... are numb and I can't breathe..."]

[One after another, the Upright Knights fell to the ground, unable to move.]

Mashu also revealed a look of surprise. She couldn't help but walk towards the fallen Knights of Justice: "The Knights of Justice are falling one by one...! What on earth is going on..."

At this moment, Hassan's voice rang out from the shadowy corner nearby: "...Please wait a moment. If you go any further, you'll also be poisoned."

[The beauty, like a black pearl, walked to the front of the crowd with graceful dance steps. She stretched out her arms gracefully and twisted her waist. Her beautiful dance was amazing.]

Chapter 226 EX-level Charm

Hassan Silent explained, "I am Hassan Sabbah of Silent, a poison flower that blooms in the darkness. My dance allows poison to ride the wind, allowing me to assassinate my enemies. It's supposed to be used from an upwind position, but using it in a confined underground facility has resulted in this... hehe. Thanks to everyone for stopping the Knights of Uprightness, which allowed me to use this tactic. Thank you very much."

Hassan said this while walking towards Fujimaru Ritsuka.

Hassan's body rested against Fujimaru Ritsuka's back, his cheeks flushed slightly. He asked shyly and expectantly, "...Also, sorry for the wait, Master Fujimaru. Have I... been of any use...?"

[Fujimaru Ritsuka nodded stiffly: "Ah...yeah, of course!"]

Mashu said with a stern face, "Anyway... Anyway, thanks to Miss Serenity, the crisis was finally resolved... And you, Senpai, you were too close. Miss Serenity was right behind you."

Hassan of the Cursed Arm quickly apologized: "Oh, my apologies. My apologies, Mash-sama. I was as blind as a skeleton and didn't notice. Hey, Serenity, stay away. I understand it's unusual for you to encounter a human who won't die even if you touch him, but this person is our guest and benefactor. Please don't cause trouble for him."

Hassan moved a little further away, but not far enough. She looked at Fujimaru Ritsuka with a longing gaze: "...Of course, I will take good care of you."

Himesaka Noai said in surprise: "Could it be that Sister Jingmi has fallen in love with Hinata?"

Hoshino Hinata raised her hands and said loudly, "I want to be friends with Sister Jingmi!"

Hoshino Miyako said awkwardly, "Ah, Hinata has always been great at making friends."

Shirasaki Hana and Himesaka Noa were both new friends, but Hinata naturally made them happy by simply doing what she wanted to do. This ability to improve other people's favorability was something she couldn't do.

However, it seems that the kind in the Akashic Records is more than just making friends, right?

Miyako Hoshino shuddered. She couldn't help but think of the nympho who had been following her. In her opinion, Quiet Hassan seemed to have that kind of potential, and even had a little bit of yandere potential.

After successfully completing the mission to rescue Serene Hassan, they left the fortress and reunited with Hassan the Hundred Faces. They returned to West Village and held a banquet using Tawarota's Noble Phantasm, the Endless Bag of Rice, celebrating their victory with great enthusiasm.

[The day after the banquet, Hassan, who recognized Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others, took the initiative to mention the plan to capture the Holy City to Fujimaru Ritsuka.]

Hassan the Hundred Faces said, "Fujimaru, our goal is to defeat the Lion King, and your goal is to see him. They are almost the same. The Lion King will not leave the Holy City, and to enter the Holy City, we must defeat the Holy City's knights and pass through the main gate. We will soon launch an attack on the Holy City. We are a coalition of those who have lost their holy land and their families. When that happens, we hope you can help us. Please lend us a hand."

[Fujimaru Ritsuka offered a way out: "We still hope you can help."]

Sanzang nodded. "Yes, that's exactly what happened. One person alone can't pass through the gates of the Holy City."

Bedivere hesitated for a moment, then said, "...That's right. From the very beginning, this wasn't something I could accomplish on my own."

Roman sighed, "...has this escalated into a battle to capture the Holy City? I've experienced all-out war in the United States, but this is my first time capturing such a massive city. Will it go smoothly? How many troops have you prepared to capture the Holy City? A simple attack will only lead to counterattack, right?"

Hassan the Hundred Faces said, "...How bold of you to say that! Indeed, our military strength is worrying. Currently, only about half of the villages support the attack, and only about 7,000 soldiers can be deployed to the front lines. While the Holy City soldiers are less than 10,000, they are fundamentally different from us. They are very difficult to deal with. Facing one Holy City soldier, we cannot win without three men. Furthermore, if the Knights of the Round Table join the battle, ordinary soldiers will be unable to cope... Even so, we can't wait any longer, because we are the exhausted party."

Roman said, "...I see. Sorry to dampen your spirits. I understand that we're still at a disadvantage in terms of numbers."

Tawaratouta said, "Well, we have the advantage in terms of Servants. After the battle with the Crusaders, only five Knights of the Round Table remain alive: Lancelot, Gawain, Tristan, Mordred, and Aggiven. On the other hand, we have eight: Mash, Bedivere, Arash, Hassan the Cursed, Hassan the Hundred Faces, Hassan the Serenity, myself, and Sanzang. No, Sanzang is useless on the battlefield, so there should be seven. Even so, one man and one rider can still fight. In that case, can we just capture the Holy City with just the few of us?"

Alpine Gothic grumbled, "So the Crusaders did some good things this time?"

Although it wasn't for Chaldea, but reducing the number of Knights of the Round Table to five was a really great job this time, wasn't it?

Arash retorted, "That's not right, Master Touta. This is a battle to reclaim the Holy Land, not just to overthrow the Round Table. Besides, the one-on-three situation you mentioned earlier applies to us as well. We've seen how Mordred fights before... The Knights of the Round Table are protected by a mysterious power. Given that situation, it's uncertain whether three combined forces can defeat even one."

Tawaratouta nodded thoughtfully. "...Hmm. Lord Arash actually said that. It seems this isn't the time to be celebrating encountering a powerful enemy."

[Bedivere showed a silent and sad expression.]

Hassan the Hundred Faces said, "...Of course, regarding the troops, we will recruit until the last minute. It would be best if we could defeat the Round Table one by one. The problem is Gawain. As long as he's at the main gate, we have no chance of victory."

Mashu said, "Lord Gawain is invincible during the day... Normally, we can only fight him at night, but..."

Roman said seriously, "Well, he no longer has that weakness. Because of the Lion King's blessing, as long as he is on the battlefield, night will not come."

Bedivere nodded, his tone grave. "...Yes, I'm repeating what I said just now, but Gawain during the day is the strongest knight of the Round Table. Without Sir Lancelot's sword and a Noble Phantasm with the same characteristics as Arondette, we wouldn't even be able to conduct a defensive battle."

Chapter 227: The Temple of the Valley

Sanzang suddenly said, "Ah, I've got an idea! How about making Lancelot our companion and our rival?"

Tawaratouta raised his sword and knocked Sanzang on the forehead: "Idiot, how are you going to start a fight between your companions? You're the only one who can be persuaded to surrender by a rice ball!"

Sanzang whimpered, "Ah, that hurts!? ...Hmm, I think Lancelot should be able to explain it..."

Hikigaya Hachiman complained, "Is this a question of whether Lancelot can be justified? Lancelot just killed his companions before, how could he treat Lancelot as a companion so quickly?"

Yukinoshita Yukino raised the corner of her mouth: "If I really am so rational, I can only admit that Chaldea is right."

Hikigaya Hachiman rubbed his forehead and said, "Reason that is not shaken by emotion is truly terrifying."

Roman said, "Well, sorry, I'm against attacking the Holy City under these circumstances. We have no means of capturing Lord Gao Wenqing. Furthermore, while our goal is to meet the Lion King, there are other enemies out there."

[Fujimaru Ritsuka reacts: "There's another king..."]

[Cursed-Arm Hassan said: "...Yes. That man is also a very formidable enemy to us..."]

Roman said, "Indeed, we haven't figured out Osmandis's true intentions in Egypt yet. There are too many unsettling factors. As the commander of Chaldea, I cannot agree to Fujimaru's participation."

Hassan said hurriedly, "Please wait a moment. If we want to keep Master Fujimaru, we just need to find another powerful fighter, right? In that case... we have a top-secret matter. This is also one of the reasons why I was captured and tortured."

Hassan the Hundred Faces angrily yells, "Silence! You can't do this!"

Hassan said softly, "...Please forgive me, Master Baimao, but isn't it time for us to break the taboo now...? If we don't have enough strength on our own, we can only ask that master for help..."

After hearing Hassan of Tranquility's words, Hassan of the Hundred Faces and Hassan of the Cursed Arm fell silent.

Sanzang asked curiously, "Huh? What? The skeleton-like people suddenly became depressed..."

[Fujimaru Ritsuka asked: "Taboo...?"]

The Hassans remained silent. Suddenly, Bedivere spoke up: "...The Temple of Azrael refers to the story of the first "Old Man of the Mountain" who slept in the temple where the Assassins were first formed, right?"

Hassan the Hundred Faces asked in surprise, "What...? As a Knight of the Round Table, you actually knew that?!"

Bedivere said calmly, "Before I came here, the magician told me, 'If you want to fight King Arthur, go visit the Old Man of the Mountain. Not the Old Man of all ages, but the first and last one.'"

Hassan of the Cursed Arm suddenly realized: "...I see, you understand, Lord Bedivere. Indeed, as long as that lord is here, Gawain and his ilk are nothing to fear. But awakening that lord also means..."

[Cursed-Wrist Hassan's expression gradually became awkward.]

Hassan of the Hundred Faces said to Hassan of Tranquility, "We haven't told you this yet, Tranquility. The Cursed Arms man is an assassin born in this era. As an old man of the mountains, you must be aware of what this means."

Hassan's pupils dilated, as if he had heard something horrifying. He said in panic, "How could it be... I'm sorry, I didn't know."

Hassan the Cursed Wrist shook his head and said graciously, "Don't worry. This isn't something you should worry about. I'm also bound by the rules."

Hassan the Cursed Arm turned and addressed Fujimaru Ritsuka, "Master Fujimaru, and Master Roman, if you have the means to defeat Gao Wenqing, that will suffice, right? Then please come to my village again, and there we will unravel our secret."

Deep in a remote valley, towering peaks reach the clouds, and the steep mountain path is as dangerous as any in the world. Walking on the road close to the wall, every step will make you dizzy with the fear of the valley floor just one step away. If it is windy, it is even more terrifying.

Mashu's face paled. "This cliff is terrifying! I've never heard of anything like it, Master! Can I express my opinion frankly?"

[Fujimaru Ritsuka teased: "Your legs are shaking, Mashu."]

Mashu yelled, "Of course, this is my desperate defensive instinct. If I slack off, I'll collapse and never stand up again!"

Hassan of the Cursed Arms warned, "It's this feeling of moving forward with your own will that can be terrifying if you're not used to it."

[Quiet Hassan said: "If you are afraid, please hold on to me... Well, I will not let you go no matter what happens."]

Mash shook her head. "No, that won't do. I'm used to it. Miss Serenity, just focus on the front."

Hassan quietly leaned against Fujimaru Ritsuka's body: "Okay, then I will stick close to you, Master Fujimaru, and always keep an eye on the front."

Sanzang yells, "Ah wow wow... wait a minute, Meow Meow's arm is mine! It's mine! I'm about to fall. I'm dizzy just looking ahead, and I'm about to fall! I'm not good at this!"

Tawara Tota couldn't help but grumble, "Look, you're afraid of heat, cold, underground, and heights! How can you even be considered a Tripitaka Master?! How on earth did you manage to overcome all the demonic realms in India?"

Yamada Ryo said calmly: "There's nothing to complain about this, because I have three apprentices to protect me... That Serene Hassan is really bewitched. He still wants to get close to me at this time."

Kita Ikuyo rubbed against Yamada Ryo and said with a blushing face: "I am also fascinated by Ryo-senpai, and I want to get close to him."

Yamada Ryo asked in a flat tone, "Would you like to buy a hug ticket?"

Kita Ikuyo's eyes lit up: "Is it possible? Is it really possible?"

Kita Ikuyo immediately took out the money.

Ijichi Hongxia immediately hit Yamada Ryo on the head and sternly reprimanded him, "No! Kita, put the money away too!"

Kita Ikuyo put the money back into her wallet cautiously, and Yamada Ryo's eyes almost followed her.

At night, the Chaldean group rested in the pilgrim's hut on the mountainside. Everyone else had fallen asleep, but Sanzang was still writing in his diary. Mashu, who was on night watch, spoke to him.

Mashu said, "By the way... can I ask you something? After reading Journey to the West, I've been wondering... why is Miss Sanzang so persistent in traveling? In the legend of Xuanzang, well... your motives aren't mentioned much..."

Chapter 228 Stupid Monkey

"Do I even need to ask this? Isn't it for the purpose of becoming a Buddha?"

"It's clearly written in Journey to the West, right? It's all about seeking Mahayana Buddhism."

"Tang Monk traveled west on the orders of Emperor Taizong of Tang. Did he need any other motive? How could he disobey the emperor's orders?"

"Avalokitesvara and Emperor Taizong of Tang, two powerful men, publicly asked you to go to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures. Do you still want to know your motives?"

"Maybe the Journey to the West in that week is different from the Journey to the West in this week. The Journey to the West in that week is history, and the Journey to the West in this week is just a novel."

"That makes sense. He's still writing a diary at a time like this. Could it be that the Journey to the West in the previous episode was Sanzang's autobiography?"

"Who writes a diary if they are serious?"

……

Mashu's question caused many Chinese audiences to complain, saying that this Akashic Record was really off the charts.

The messy history seems to have been revised. There is a female King Arthur, a Roman tyrant who looks like King Arthur, Zhuge Liang who died from overwork, Blackbeard who led the heroes to resist tyranny, and a Journey to the West that does not record the motives of Tripitaka's journey to the West. These are completely different from the historical knowledge we know.

Now the audience just wants to know if there is any wilder history in this Akashic Record.

Sanzang laughed and said, "Of course, it was to retrieve a large number of scriptures, become famous, and then live a comfortable life in Leiyin Temple! ... I was just kidding. Although this is one of the reasons, I really don't like to give up. I really, really don't like it. I've experienced three reincarnations and nine reincarnations, but I haven't learned the lesson. And I didn't think about "going to India". Instead, I vowed to "I must go to India."

Mashu asked, "Vows... are you referring to the vows in Buddhism? They are said to be conditions for achieving liberation."

Sanzang shook his head: "No, it's different from a vow... I can sometimes hear the Buddha's voice. Once I hear it, no one can stop me. I may be timid, cry easily, and very willful, but once I hear the Buddha's voice, I have no choice but to work hard, right?"

"It felt like heading to India, punishing Wukong, leaving the holy city, and crossing the desert. So, this time, I crossed the desert too. Wukong said, "Although this is the voice of heaven, it's not a voice that comes from heaven. It's a voice that originates from within you. You said that all humans can become Buddhas. So, this is your own voice. I borrowed the voice of the Buddha within you in advance."

"Even though he's a silly apprentice, he occasionally says something cool. Well, it doesn't matter which way it is. Anyway, there's no logic to my actions. I just do what I want to do the way I want to do it. Well, no, I just muster up the courage to believe in what I think I should do. You must be the same. I'm a high monk, so I know it well."

Akatsuki rubbed his temples, pushed Hanabata Yoshiko's head away with his left hand, and muttered tiredly to himself, "Fools always treat others as fools. In the entire Journey to the West, Sun Wukong talks about Buddhism the most, right? The whole story is about Sun Wukong teaching his master Tang Sanzang about Buddhism."

Hanabata Yoshiko asked cheerfully, "Is Buddhist philosophy the principle that makes bananas taste better?"

Akatsuki said angrily, "How is that possible? Buddhist principles have nothing to do with bananas."

Hanabata Yoshiko asked confidently, "But Goku is a monkey. Why doesn't the monkey's logic have anything to do with bananas?"

Akatsuki's fists itched: "Don't treat the gods like stupid monkeys like you!"

With a roar, Akutsu Akira's fist hit Hanabata Yoshiko's chin, knocking this real monkey away.

Mashu asked hesitantly, "...Um... Miss Sanzang has become our companion...but we still don't know her own intentions. To Miss Sanzang, is the Lion King an enemy?"

Sanzang said, "That's the problem... I don't hate the Lion King, and I don't want to fight the Holy City Army. I feel the same way about King Osmandis. Although I didn't get to meet him because of a nagging woman... But I've seen what the Desert Kingdom looks like. Although it's a super dictatorship, it's very peaceful. The Lion King and Mr. Osman are the same. 'Only supporting the people of their own country,' I understand the justice of both sides... That's not right. To correct it, I understand the evil of both sides, so I'm hesitant, but..."

[Mashu asked: "But...?"]