"Guanyin, how long has Maitreya been at the Heavenly Court?" Tathagata's voice was profound.
The old handyman calculated with his fingers and said indifferently, "Maitreya Buddha has been gone for two hours already."
That long?!
A frown creased Tathagata's brow. The Flat Peach Banquet couldn't start without Maitreya Buddha; why would he linger so long?
Tathagata pondered for a moment, but didn't pay it too much mind, assuming Maitreya Buddha might have gone wandering somewhere, given his nature.
He really didn't take the matter of the Journey to the West to heart—if not for the fact that he was a disciple of a Saint, the Journey to the West wouldn't even have posed him a single challenge!
Tathagata chanted the Buddha's name once and then resumed his preaching and teaching.
Amidst the clinking of cups and the laughter of the merry crowd, the Heavenly Court was livelier than it had ever been since its establishment, a scene of harmony never seen before.