Journey to the West: Beginning with the Apprenticeship of Bodhi Patriarch

Chapter 137: The Master Returns, Bajie Speaks out of Trouble

Time flies, and before I knew it, two or three months had passed.

But in the Three Stars Immortal Cave, Zhu Bajie suffered some hardships and persuaded Mu Mu to be more at peace. Only then did he let her leave and continued his journey westward with the group of pilgrims.

The Sanxing Immortal Cave returned to peace. Jiang Yuan and Zhen Jian often made elixirs in the alchemy room. They would call Chongyang over from time to time and ask him how his studies were going. They said the mansion was very quiet and it was a good place to cultivate one's mind.

One day, when Jiang Yuan was refining the elixir and talking with Zhenjian about the wonders of refining the elixir, he suddenly felt something in his heart and realized that his master had returned.

Jiang Yuan said, "Brother, put aside your alchemy for a while and go with me to the outside of the mansion to welcome Master back."

Zhen Jianxi said, "I dare not make any mistakes, I dare not make any mistakes. Big Brother, I will go with you now."

Jiang Yuan and Zhen Jian left the alchemy room and walked out of the mansion, but they could not see any trace of the master.

Zhen Jian didn't understand what he meant, so he asked, "Big Brother, why don't you see the Master?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Don't worry, Junior Brother, get me two brooms, and we'll sweep the road clean. Then Master will come."

Zhen Jianwen heard what he said, so he entered the cave, took out a broom, and the two brothers swept in front of the cave gate. When the front of the cave was spotless, they saw auspicious light coming from afar.

The auspicious light came from afar and approached the mansion in a moment. It fell directly down and then dissipated. It was none other than Patriarch Bodhi.

Jiang Yuan and Zhen Jian stepped forward and bowed deeply, saying, "Disciple greets Master."

The master stepped forward and helped the two disciples up, and asked, "How did you two know that I would return at this time?"

Zhenjian replied, "Master, it was my elder brother who told me that you would return, so the two of us are here to sweep away all the dust and ashes to welcome you."

The master looked at Jiang Yuan and said with a smile, "Tong'er, how did you know I was coming back?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "Master, I don't know either. I just felt something in my heart and knew that Master would return."

The master praised him, "Your Dharma is becoming more profound day by day, and your mind is responding to it. This is a sign of profound Dharma power, and it cannot be achieved without a long period of enlightenment. Boy, you have established the foundation of the Dao."

Jiang Yuan was a little confused, but he couldn't ask more questions in front of the mansion. He and Zhen Jian paid homage to the ancestor, then escorted the ancestor back to the mansion and welcomed him into the quiet room.

When they entered the quiet room in the mansion, they saw Zhenjian talking with the master for a long time, so they went to the alchemy room to check the furnace, fearing that the fire was not right. Jiang Yuan and the master were the only ones in the quiet room.

The master sat cross-legged on the cushion and said with a smile, "My boy, you don't understand why I say that you have achieved the foundation of Taoism."

Jiang Yuan sat down not far away and said, "Master, there is something I don't understand."

The ancestor said: "This is the appearance of profound Dharma. It means that your Dao heart and Dharma power are perfect and complete. This is the Hunyuan appearance. The boy is cultivating great Dharma power. Have you preached recently?"

Jiang Yuan said: "I often discuss the Dharma with Junior Brother Zhenjian."

The master asked, "Are you still as unclear in your teachings as you were in the past, unable to explain your own path?"

Jiang Yuan heard this and shook his head, "No, the preaching nowadays is more organized than before."

The master smiled and said, "It is exactly this principle. It is easy to learn but difficult to explain. If I ask you to learn to walk, you will understand it after a few days. But if I teach you how to learn it, it is very difficult for you to explain it. Unless you are a master of this way, you cannot explain it. Boy, since you have explained it logically, I know that you have achieved success in the way. But have your magical powers increased day by day, and your ability to refine the elixir has improved?"

Jiang Yuan said: "Master, I have been cultivating my mind recently. Due to various reasons, I have not yet succeeded in the external alchemy."

The master said, "You must know something about the magical power of alchemy, but you don't know it. Just practice with peace of mind. The boy will surely cultivate great magical powers one day. I left the mansion to listen to the lecture. What have you done these days?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan told the master everything that had happened in recent days. He first talked about what happened in the Wuzhuang Temple, then how he accepted Chongyang as his disciple, and how Tang Monk drove Wukong away and how he kept Wukong.

Upon hearing this, the Patriarch smiled and said, "I don't want to go to Yuanshi Palace to listen to the lecture on 'Hunyuan Daoguo' and encounter so many problems."

Jiang Yuan bowed and said, "Master, please don't blame me for causing trouble."

The master helped him up and said, "Why should I blame you? Wukong was driven away, and we were from the same sect. It was normal for you to help him. Your disciple Chongyang should have become your disciple at this time. I thought that you would be without a master and you didn't know what to do. I didn't expect that I underestimated the boy."

Jiang Yuan said: "Master has taught by example, how could I not understand, I am just afraid of misleading my students."

The master laughed and asked, "What do you want your disciples to do now?"

Jiang Yuan said: "Reading."

The master asked, "Why do you let him study?"

Jiang Yuan said: "To cultivate one's mind, one must first cultivate one's mind, so that one can understand the truth and know the things, and then one can pass on the teachings to others."

The master said, "Boy, you have the qualities of a master, so how can you say you are misleading the disciples?"

Jiang Yuan said: "I have never taught anyone."

The master smiled and said, "Boy, do you think I have ever taught you before?"

When Jiang Yuan heard this, he suddenly realized that he was the eldest disciple of the master. The master had never accepted any disciples before him, and he was also the master's first disciple. The master had never taught any disciples at that time.

He then thanked the master for clearing up his doubts.

The master said, "Boy, don't underestimate yourself. With your current magical power, even the Bodhisattva on the sea will have a hard time capturing you. You and your master complement each other. When you have mastered the magical power of alchemy, you can open more caves. Now you have one disciple, which is enough."

Jiang Yuan said: "Yes, Master."

The ancestor said: "Here I am listening to the lecture on 'Hunyuan Daoguo' with Yuanshi Palace. There are some truths that may be helpful to you. Please sit here and calm down. I will tell you."

Jiang Yuan bowed again and again, feeling deeply grateful to the master. After hearing what the master said, he stood up, sat down steadily, and listened to the master's teachings.

The master's lecture lasted for several days.

After a few days, Jiang Yuan memorized many mantras, but he felt that the mantras were obscure. However, if he thought deeply about it, he would be able to understand them.

Jiang Yuan bowed and said, "Disciple thanks the Master."

The master said, "No need to thank me, just bring your disciple here for me to see."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan did not dare to make any mistake, so he left the quiet room, brought his disciple Chongyang out of the library, talked with him, and then returned to the quiet room to show the master.

The master saw Chongyang's extraordinary appearance and praised him, saying, "He is indeed a practitioner."

Chongyang performed a great ceremony, not daring to go beyond it, and bowed, saying, "Chongyang pays homage to the Grandmaster."

The master said, "I called you here to see you. You are a practitioner, but you should listen to your master's teachings and not be arrogant, or you will bring disaster."

Chongyang listened to the master's teachings and thanked him again and again. The master was very pleased to see Chongyang and told Jiang Yuan to bring Chongyang with him when he gave a lecture.

Jiang Yuan naturally obeyed the order.

The peace and tranquility of Sanxing Immortal Cave has never changed. The founder, Zhenren, Zhenjian, and Chongyang in the cave are all people who love tranquility. They practice in tranquility and cultivate their nature to return to the true nature.

……

It is said that after the pilgrims had gone through a trial in the Kingdom of Precious Elephants, they were on their journey to the West again. Zhu Bajie arrived late and returned to carry the burden. He was in much better condition than before and no longer spoke nonsense.

Between February and March, the pilgrims encountered two more difficulties. One was that Gold Horn and Silver Horn used all kinds of treasures to harass Wukong, and the other was that the King of the Black Chicken Kingdom asked Tang Monk for help.

After these two difficulties, the pilgrims continued to move forward. During the day, they reached a huge mountain range. Tang Monk had suffered a lot from demons and monsters. Seeing such a deep mountain, he was a little frightened and quickly rode his horse to the side of the pilgrims.

Tang Seng said: "Wukong, there are deep mountains and steep ridges ahead, we must be careful and alert, and don't let the demons harm me."

The Monkey King said, "Master, don't worry, don't worry. I am here to ensure that no demons will dare to attack you on your journey to the west. Just don't talk too much, don't worry too much, just keep walking, and no demon will dare to harm you in front of me."

But it was the Monkey King who had been practicing in the Fangcun Mountain and his skills had improved, so he was able to protect Tang Monk.

Tang Monk said: "Very good, very good."

Bajie stepped forward and said, "Master, don't worry. With Monkey King here, no demon will come to harm you. Besides, what kind of demon would live in this desolate mountain? If there is a demon living here, it must be an incompetent demon, otherwise there are so many good places to go and live alone in the desolate mountains."

The Monkey King said, "Don't talk nonsense, you fool. When you see the famous mountains like the Flower-Fruit Mountain and the Square Inch Mountain, you naturally look down on such big mountains. This mountain is already considered a good mountain."

Bajie shouted, "Brother, what good mountain are you talking about? Since you say so, how about I conquer this wild mountain for you? When we go our separate ways, I will exchange this wild mountain for the Flower-Fruit Mountain."

Wukong laughed and said, "Why don't you say to exchange for Fangcun Mountain?"

Bajie trembled and said, "That mountain is not a good place. We can't change it. We can't change it."

Wukong said: "Why isn't it a good place to go? It's a fairy mountain, full of spiritual energy, and all the saints come in to worship."

Bajie said, "No, no. I will never go to that mountain again."

Wukong covered his mouth and laughed secretly, then walked forward.
……

However, among the mountains, there was a ball of fire in the distance, watching the group of people seeking the scriptures from afar.

There is a little boy in the fire, he is the Bull Demon King’s son, the Holy Bull Infant, also known as Red Boy.

After leaving the Sanxing Immortal Cave, Red Boy returned to Cuiyun Mountain and enjoyed himself with his parents for a long time. Later, Bull Demon King knew that the real person wanted Red Boy to go and experience some experiences, so he taught Red Boy a lot of martial arts and skills, and then let Red Boy go.

Red Boy had been absorbing spirits in the mountains for a long time. His primordial spirit was strong enough. Once he gained some skills, he made rapid progress. In a short period of time, he actually acquired some skills and even learned the secret of fire control. Although he did not cultivate the Samadhi True Fire, he accidentally cultivated a different kind of fire control skill.

Relying on this powerful fire, Red Boy was hard to find an opponent. He traveled to many places and later settled down in a cave in this mountain. He gathered some demons and called himself "Holy Infant King". He also built a cave called "Fire Cloud Cave" and was very powerful.

However, Red Boy never dared to forget the Immortal's words. He guarded his original spirit and did not allow the two gods to harm him. He never did evil, but instead restrained the demons and followed the right path.

On this day, Red Boy was riding on a fire, testing his magical powers. Suddenly, he saw a group of pilgrims going up the mountain. He looked at the fat white-faced monk on the horse and thought to himself, "Someone said earlier that this monk from the Tang Dynasty in the East was the reincarnation of Elder Jin Chan. If you do good deeds for ten lifetimes and eat a piece of his meat, you will be immortal. I have been instructed by the master and never dare to eat people. These pilgrims have nothing to do with me, so why not let them pass."

Before Red Boy left, he ordered the goblins, both big and small, in the mountains to clear the way and not disturb the group of people seeking the scriptures. If they had any spare food, they should give them some to help them succeed.

This was because Red Boy often heard the Immortal say "Those who hear the Tao are all one person", and he knew that the pilgrim was going to the West to obtain the scriptures, and he was also one who heard the Tao, so if he could help a little, he would certainly help him.

Red Boy was just about to leave when he heard Zhu Bajie's words. He became very angry. How could this mountain be considered a desolate mountain? Why was he insulting his residence like this?

Red Boy cursed, "When have I ever offended this pig demon? Although I have some prestige, I mostly live in the mountains and have never done any evil. I have obeyed the orders of my master, but this pilgrim has taught me to curse at my residence. How rude, how rude. I will never tolerate him. I will make him suffer before he can go back to the mountains."

It is just like "When the mouth is opened, the spirit dissipates; when the tongue moves, trouble arises". Bajie's words caused all kinds of trouble.

Red Boy wanted to make him suffer, so he drove the fire to get close to him.

But seeing that on the mountain road, Sun Xingzhe had great magical powers and knew that a demon was approaching, he drew out his golden hoop and shouted, "Brothers, protect the master, there is a demon coming."

Bajie picked up the shoulder pole and took the nine-toothed rake, while Sha Seng swung his demon-subduing staff, and they protected Tang Seng in the middle.

When Red Boy saw this, he was secretly surprised. He didn't expect that there was someone with great magical powers among them, who knew that he was approaching and was on guard.

Red Boy thought to himself, "These monks are quite capable. I am alone, and there are three evil monks, each holding a weapon. As the saying goes, 'two fists cannot defeat four hands.' There are three evil monks, and I am afraid I will suffer if I go up to them. Why not take this opportunity to play a trick on them?"

Red Boy did not dare to come forward, so he turned on the fire and walked forward, intending to disguise himself as a child to scare Tang Monk and others over.

On the mountain path, the traveler saw the fire leaving and said, "Master, please get on your horse and hurry on, the demon has left."

Tang Seng asked: "What do you mean?"

The traveler said, "I saw a flame coming towards us earlier. There was a demon in it. I thought it was coming towards us, but the flame receded. I guess it was just passing by."

Bajie took down the rake and said, "Brother, you are just playing around because you see that we have nothing to do. How can a demon pass by?"

The Monkey King pointed at Bajie and said, "You fool, you have been acting like a son-in-law in Gao Village all day. You don't know that when the demon king of the cave holds a banquet, he will definitely invite all the spirits of the mountains to attend the banquet, and many demons will rush on clouds to attend. If I had held a banquet at that time, all the demons in the world would have rushed to attend the banquet. So there is nothing to say about the demons rushing on the road."

When Tang Seng heard this, he seemed to understand but not quite, so he had to mount his horse and continue on his journey.

The group was on their way again. When they were halfway through the road, they suddenly heard a voice saying "Help, help!" Tang Seng was surprised and asked, "Wukong, why is there someone shouting here?"

The traveler said, "I guess there are many changes in the mountains. I don't know what kind of spirit it is. It likes to listen to children's calls in the mountains. If you answer it, you will definitely be harmed by it. So ignore it and talk about it after we pass this mountain."

Tang Monk asked: "Is it really a demon?"

The traveler said, "Just keep walking."

Tang Seng followed Monkey King and rode on his way.

Not long after we started walking again, we heard another cry of "Help, help".

Tang Seng hesitated because he didn't know whether he should go and rescue him.

The traveler advised again.

Tang Seng no longer listened and just said "the monkey is rude". It turned out that he saw a fair-skinned child hanging on a tree in front of him, crying for help. Tang Seng was a stupid mortal, so how could he recognize the Holy Infant Ox? He went forward to rescue him.

The Monkey King thought to himself, "This old monk really doesn't listen to advice. How can there be a child in such a deep mountain? There are many strange things in the deep mountains. Things can become spirits. There are many such things in the mountains. This old monk doesn't remember the loss. He deserves to suffer, he deserves to suffer!"

(End of this chapter)