Lakeshore Guardian of the Treasure

Author: Zhang Jiyan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-02-01
Features: This book, rich in illustrations, tells the story of the disciples—Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, and Sun Wukong. On their journey westward to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures, they came upon a city. The disciples entered, only to see a bustling marketplace with people coming and going, which left them amazed. Sun Wukong went forward to inquire and learned that they were monks from Jinguang Temple. Tang Sanzang and his disciples followed them to Jinguang Temple, where they found the courtyard desolate and extremely gloomy. Several monks, numbering six or seven, were bound in the main hall. Tang Sanzang felt even more puzzled. The abbot came out to greet him and begged Tang Sanzang to intervene on their behalf and relieve their suffering.
It turned out that this was Cisai Kingdom, a prosperous land with abundant resources, where surrounding countries paid annual tributes. At the top of Jinguang Temple's pagoda stood a sacred relic of the Buddha, which glowed brightly every night, illuminating the surroundings. Three years ago, however, a bloody rain suddenly fell, and the sacred relic vanished, leaving the pagoda dark once more. The king suspected that the monks had stolen the relic and ordered officials to torture them.