Journey To The West 81 Cases : Chronicles of the Western Kings (Sifang Pavilion) / Venture To The West (Go East) 西游八十一案之 : 大唐泥犁狱 / 西域列王纪 (四方馆) by 陈渐 Chen Jian

In the year 629 AD, during the autumn of the third year of the Zhenguan era, Xuanzang embarked on his journey to the West, secretly crossing the borders of the desert and entering the Western Regions. At this time, the Western Regions were on the eve of a great upheaval not seen in four hundred years. That same year, Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, launched a war to annihilate the Eastern Turkic Khaganate.

That year, the Khagan of the Western Turks, Tong Yabghu, was torn between war and peace. That year, the states of the Western Regions contended for dominance over the Silk Road amidst the smoke and flames of war. That year, the ancient Persian Empire collapsed in its war against Byzantium, and Byzantium, along with the Western Turks, besieged Baghdad. In the twilight of the Persian Empire, Emperor Khosrow II devised an unfathomable scheme—to send the legendary King David’s Jar to Emperor Li Shimin of Tang! Thus, a peak strategic battle that would alter the seventh-century world order began to unfold in the deserts of the Western Regions.

In the Western Regions, demons stirred, and the son of Buddha came from the East. This King David’s Jar, a fusion of legend, magic, and demonic power, ultimately collided with Xuanzang in the Western Regions! The King of Gaochang, the King of Tokhara, two generations of Persian emperors, and four generations of Turkic Khagans—all the kings of the Western Regions met their demise under the curse of King David’s Jar. As this battle between Buddha and demons drew to a close, Xuanzang realized that he had just stepped into an even more terrifying and eerie journey.

(Credit : Wook’s Teahouse)

In “Journey to the West”, the ninety nine trials experienced by Tang Seng and his disciple are actually eighty-one mystery cases. These cases were closely intertwined, representing all types of crimes in the world, each of these point to the depths of the human’s greed, selfishness, vice.

In the winter moon of the third year of the reign of Zhenguan, a thin horse carrying a monk staggered to the edge of the desert. Xuanzang had finally arrived to the Western Regions.

At this time, the Western Regions were in turmoil and unstable. The powerful Persian Empire had suffered a terrible besiegement by Byzantium and the Turks, attracting wolves from everywhere in the Western Regions. At this critical time, Persia did not hesitate to trade the secret treasure “David King Bottle” in exchange of Great Tang’s support.

At the start of the Silk Road, Xuanzang met his second disciple, Qu Zhi Sheng, the Prince of Gaochang. As the inspiration of “Zhu Bajie” in Journey to the West, Qu Zhi Sheng had already fallen deeply in love with the princess of the enemy country, gradually losing his mind and unexpectedly intercepted the Persian treasure to fulfill his long-time wish.

Involved in this discord, Xuanzang had absolutely no idea that his presence was a chess move from the Tang Dynasty, in hope to plunge the continent in turmoil. For a time, Great Tang, Turkey, Persia, Karasah , Gaochang and many other forces converged together, and crimes of robbery, revenge, and treason, all kind of crimes were commited one after another, intertwined together, being causally linked toegther…

In the vast desert, a conspiracy that subverts the pattern of the Western Regions is being strangely played on the Silk Road.

(Translated by Vico SDL)

In the diplomatic institution ‘Sifang Pavilion’ in the state of Yong, four idealistic individuals reside, Yuan Mo, Ashu, Wang Kun Wu, and Yu Chi Hua. Their unwavering determination propels them forward as they fearlessly pursue justice and defend their homeland while embodying the spirit of the Four Corners.

(Credit: Reddit)

[Ebook][Drama][Audiobook One and Two][Eng Translation or Machine Translation]