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

Chapter 160: Zhenwu borrows the sword, and the pilgrim goes to Baoliang State (asking for monthly tickets)
It is said that Jiang Yuan and Dangmo Tianzun met in the Taihe Hall of Wudang Mountain. They hit it off immediately and felt like they had known each other for a long time. They had a long conversation about their cultivation of Taoism and the many illegal things that practitioners did in the world.

When Jiang Yuan heard Emperor Xuan say that there were laws to restrain lawbreakers, he asked for details.

The Demon-Subduing Heavenly Venerable shook his head and said, "I have some thoughts, but they are not perfect, so it will take some time."

Jiang Yuan said: "I wonder if Emperor Xuan could tell me a thing or two, what is not beautiful about it?"

The Demon-Subduing Heavenly Venerable said, "Of course it is okay. I was born to see the world, write laws in person, and deter lawlessness. However, I am quietly enjoying Mount Wudang, sitting in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, deterring the demons in the southern Zhanbu Continent and the northern Fulu Continent. If I leave, I am afraid that the demons will become stubborn and cause disasters. Therefore, I cannot see the world in person. What I see when I go to the world will eventually be not beautiful."

Jiang Yuan said: "If Emperor Xuan does not forsake me, I can see the world on your behalf."

The Devil-Subduing Heavenly Venerable said happily: "If the Immortal were to see the world like this, he would certainly know where the lawlessness is, but I am afraid that it would disturb the Immortal's pure cultivation."

Jiang Yuan said: "There has been no disturbance. If you teach practitioners to practice peacefully and punish lawbreakers, it is a great merit. Helping them is like helping me."

The Demon-Subduing Heavenly Venerable bowed and said, "Since that is the case, please trouble the Immortal Master to accept my bow."

Jiang Yuan stood up and returned the greeting, saying, "Your Majesty, there is no need to be so polite."

The Devil-Subduing Heavenly Venerable said: "The Immortal has come to the world in person, and he deserves my respect."

Jiang Yuan said: "Not right. If it is true as Emperor Xuan said, there are many lawless people in the world. Maybe it is necessary to have laws to deter them so that they can practice with peace of mind. Otherwise, if they practice like this in the world of Jambu, they will succeed in their practice and will be like this after ascending to the sky in broad daylight."

The Devil-Subduing Heavenly Venerable said, "Just as the Immortal said, there are many lawless people I have seen in the Heavenly Court, like Marshal Tianpeng in the past, who was in charge of the Heavenly Soldiers and had no mortal heart. He committed such a great crime, which is really sad."

Jiang Yuan said: "When I return to the mountain and gather my forces, I will then go down the mountain and visit the world of Jambu in person."

The Demon-Subduing Heavenly Venerable said, "Thank you for your help, Immortal. Please stay in my Wudang Mountain for a while, so that I can fulfill my hospitality as a host."

Jiang Yuan readily agreed.

The Immortal then stayed in the Taihe Palace for one or two months. The two of them discussed scriptures and confirmed each other's ideas. The three families of the Immortal were originally as they were, and the Taoism of Tianzun Daluo was profound. They each got what they needed and were in harmony with each other.

After one or two months, the Immortal Sect returned to the mountains, but the Demon-Subduing Heavenly Venerable was unwilling to let him go. He kept the Immortal for another month before allowing him to leave.

……

Jiang Yuan rode on the auspicious cloud and soon arrived at Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, entered the Sanxing Immortal Cave, and paid homage to the ancestor.

The immortal entered the quiet room and met the master. He bowed deeply and told him all the stories of Wukong.

When the master heard that Wukong had made progress in his practice and said, "Work together and have no second thoughts," he was very pleased and said, "This monkey can be what he is today, and the boy has made great contributions."

Jiang Yuan said: "It is the result of Master's teaching. In addition, Junior Brother Wukong has some spirituality, which is why he is practicing and returning to the right path now."

The ancestor said: "I have seen your contribution."

The Immortal said no more, and continued to tell the Patriarch about the Heavenly Venerable who Subdues Demons and about the illegal things he had witnessed in the human world.

Upon hearing this, the master smiled and said, "This is a good thing. It will be helpful to you. You can go there. You can wait for the preparation of the golden elixir later."

The immortal said: "Master, I feel that 'helping him is like helping me', so I will help him."

The master said: "This matter will benefit me much more than this. You can go with peace of mind and I will make the elixir when I return."

Jiang Yuan nodded deeply.

The master said again: "My boy, the Southern Continent is still easy to deal with. Human disasters often happen, but the evil spirits are not considered a big disaster. If you go to the Northern Continent, you must be careful."

Jiang Yuan said: "Thank you for your concern, Master. I will be on guard."

The master said, "You just need to be on your guard. You have great magical powers now, no spirit or monster can do anything to you."

Jiang Yuan listened attentively to the master's teachings.

After the master finished speaking, he left the quiet room and went to the alchemy room, told him everything about his going out, and asked Jinjiao and Yinjiao whether they wanted to stay in the palace or return to heaven.

Jinjiao and Yinjiao chose to wait quietly in the mansion for the return of the real person.

Zhen Jian asked, "Big Brother, do you need me to go with you today?"

Jiang Yuan said: "Junior brother, there is no need for this. Just concentrate on your cultivation in the mansion. If you have free time, please watch Chongyang Festival for me."

Zhenjian naturally accepted the order.

Jiang Yuan rested in the mansion for two or three days before leaving. He put on a purple robe, a seven-star crown on his head, and carried with him a whisk, a ruler, and the Yu Ding.

The Immortal had just walked out of the mansion. His original intention was to go to Cuiyun Mountain. Before he stepped on the cloud to leave, he suddenly felt something in his heart. He looked towards the sky and saw clouds coming from afar.

"Real person, real person!"

The clouds and mist dissipated, and the two generals, the turtle and the snake, were seen approaching.

Jiang Yuan asked, "How did the two generals get here? What does Emperor Xuan want?"

The two generals, the turtle and the snake, held a sword in their hands and said, "Master, I am ordered by Emperor Xuan to take the Seven-Star Sword and give it to you. Emperor Xuan said that you will walk the world of Jambu on his behalf, but if you are in danger, you can take this sword and protect you."

Say it.

The two generals, the tortoise and the snake, held the Seven-Star Sword in their hands and handed it to the immortal.

Jiang Yuan pondered for a long time, took the Seven Star Sword, and said, "Please thank Emperor Xuan for me."

The two generals, Turtle and Snake, said, "We will definitely convey this message to you. You, these seven stars have the power of water and fire. If you encounter a demon blocking your way, just point your sword to the south, and the real fire will come. If you obey my command, point your sword to the north, and the real water will come. If you obey my command, please."

Jiang Yuan responded.

The two generals, the turtle and the snake, bowed again and again before they withdrew and rode on the clouds back to Mount Wudang.

Jiang Yuan took a closer look at the Seven-Star Sword and saw that it exuded a strong Taoist aura, which must be a rare treasure. He hung the sword behind him, holding a whisk in his hand, and tied a ruler and Yu Ding around his waist, and summoned the white deer in the mountains.

The white deer came out upon receiving the order and walked in front of the immortal.

The immortal climbed onto his back and said, "Lu'er, go to Cuiyun Mountain."

Bai Lu said, "Yes, sir."

Clouds rose from under the white deer's feet, and it carried the immortal up to the sky, heading towards Cuiyun Mountain. His speed in riding the cloud had improved greatly compared to before, and he was now much faster.

Jiang Yuan rode on the back of a deer and asked, "Lu'er, have you made any progress in your practice recently?"

Bai Lu Chengyun shook his head and said, "Master, I have not made any progress in my cultivation recently."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "I see that your abilities have improved, so how can you say that your cultivation has not improved?"

The white deer said, "Master, my cultivation is far behind yours and the Bull King, so I dare not talk about my progress."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan smiled and gently stroked the white deer, without saying anything. He secretly thought that the white deer had made great progress in his cultivation. …

It won’t take more than two days.

The white deer finally reached Cuiyun Mountain. When the Bull Demon King heard that the immortal had come again, he went out of his house with the Rakshasa woman and Red Boy to greet him. They welcomed the immortal into their house and set up a banquet to wait for him.

The Bull Demon King regards the real person as his seat of honor.

During the banquet, Jiang Yuan asked, "Bull King, has Zhu Bajie been released?"

The Bull Demon King said, "Master, I will release him. Let him stay in the palace and starve for a while. After he stops talking nonsense, I will release him and let him go west."

Jiang Yuan said: "That's good."

The Bull Demon King said, "Master, I have seen that among those who went to seek the scriptures, except for my brother, it is difficult for the others to succeed."

Jiang Yuan smiled and asked, "What do you mean?"

The Bull Demon King said, "Among the people who are seeking the scriptures, except for you, Zhu Bajie is not a good person, and Mu Mu is causing trouble. Tang Monk is greedy, angry, and stupid, and is not like the great monk. Sha Wujing is better, but he can only do hard work."

Jiang Yuan said: "The Tao is always there. The road for all the pilgrims to learn scriptures is already ahead. If you don't hear it, you can't blame others."

The Bull Demon King bowed and said, "Master, I am grateful for your teaching."

Jiang Yuan said, "I am here today for a matter. I need you to come down the mountain with me and be the guardian deity."

Upon hearing this, the Bull Demon King stood up and said goodbye without asking why. After a while, he returned, wearing armor and holding a mixed iron stick. He said, "Master, I will go now. Do you need my soldiers? If so, I can dispatch soldiers and go with you."

Jiang Yuan said: "There is no need to mobilize troops, just come with me. We will go to the world of Jambu without any war. You can say goodbye to your wife and children. I will rest in the mountains for a few days and then we will leave."

The Bull Demon King just said that he dared not delay the matter and went there immediately.

The Rakshasa woman also said that as long as he was in the mountains, there would be no chaos.

So Jiang Yuan said no more and left the mountain. He rode on the back of a deer, with the Bull Demon King as his guardian beside him, and they went to Jambudvīpa in the half cloud and half fog.

……

The story goes that a group of people who were seeking scriptures walked through the 800-li Flaming Mountain, heading west at a leisurely pace. The journey west was difficult, so when the group of people came to a country, they slowed down their pace and looked around carefully.

Tang Monk stopped his horse to look, and saw a bustling scene ahead. He asked, "Disciple, which country is ahead? How can it be so prosperous that it is not inferior to the sky?"

The traveler rode the clouds to mid-air and looked from afar. He saw that the country had some divine air, but also a hidden evil spirit. The country was prosperous and bustling, and it was indeed a good country. There was an inscription on the monument on the city with the words "Baoliang".

The traveler landed again and said, "Master, the road ahead is the Baoliang Kingdom."

Tang Monk said: "I have never heard of Baoliang Kingdom."

Zhu Bajie came forward with his load on his shoulder and said, "Master, there are so many countries along this road, big and small, how come Master has never heard of them all?"

Sha Wujing said: "Master came from the Central Plains and has a wide range of knowledge."

The traveler smiled and said nothing.

Tang Seng said: "My disciples, since there is a big country ahead, we will go in, exchange the pass, and stay overnight."

The Monkey King said, "Master, there is nothing wrong with changing the pass, but I see a dangerous aura in the people at home, so I have no choice but to change the pass and do nothing else. If you really have a problem, you must come forward and ask for help, and we will help you."

Tang Seng said: "As you wish, as you wish."

The traveler smiled and said, "But please remember this, Master."

The group of pilgrims went forward again. Just as they were about to enter, an old man suddenly appeared in the distance and called out, "Elder who is heading west, please stop for a while. Do not enter. I am afraid that evil spirits may harm your life."

When Tang Monk heard that an evil spirit was trying to kill him, he was horrified and nearly fell off his horse. Fortunately, Monkey King held him up and he was not hurt.

The Monkey King helped Tang Seng steady himself, warned him not to wander, and then walked forward to bow and said, "Old sir, I am honored to meet you."

The old man grabbed the traveler and said, "Elder, don't enter the country. If you do, you will be harmed."

The traveler asked, "Why do you say that, old sir?"

The old man said, "You are heading west, dressed as monks, but are you monks from the East?"

The traveler said, "Old sir, we are monks from the Tang Dynasty in the East, and we are here to go to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures."

The old man said, "There is an evil spirit in the country. It has been rumored for a long time. It wants to kill a group of monks heading west. It must be you."

When the Monkey King heard this, he smiled, opened his eyes wide, grabbed the old man and said, "You are a saint from there, tell me your name. If you were an ordinary person, let alone tell me the news, you would be afraid of us, because we are ugly. How could you be like this?"

When the old man heard this, he realized he was exposed. He transformed himself into a 13-foot-tall old man and bowed deeply, saying, "The land of Zhixian Mountain in Baoliang Country pays homage to the Great Sage. Please forgive me, I am afraid to disturb you, so I am speaking in the form of a living person."

The Monkey King smiled and said, "Not guilty, not guilty. Since you said there are evil spirits in the country, tell me in detail. What kind of country is this, and what kind of evil spirit is there?"

The land god said, "Great Sage, this is the country of Baoliang. The queen of this country is a demon who has bewitched the king and brought chaos to the country. I heard that the Great Sage and his people were coming, and also heard that eating the flesh of Elder Jinchan would make one immortal, so I had already ordered to capture the monks from the East. I don't know what kind of demon the queen is, so I hope the Great Sage will forgive me."

The traveler said, "No wonder I see some evil spirits in the country. It turns out that the queen mother is a demon. There is a demon in Baoliang country causing trouble and wreaking havoc in the country. Why is it still so prosperous?"

The land god said, "Great Sage, this country has a great history. It was extremely prosperous in the past, not much inferior to the Central Plains. If the Great Sage had come here earlier, he would have seen that it was even more prosperous."

The traveler said, "Tell me in detail what this country is about."

The land god said, "Great Sage, have you ever heard that the Taishang Laojun went west to Hangu Pass and converted the Hu people into Buddhas?"

The traveler nodded and said, "Of course I have heard of it. It was an old story more than a thousand years ago. My eldest brother also followed the Supreme Lord Laojun on his journey to the west at that time. This country has nothing to do with Laojun."

The land god bowed and said, "This matter has something to do with Master Guangxin."

The traveler said, "Speak quickly."

The land god said: "Taishang Laojun went west and passed a book to a man. That man was a wise man. He taught the Baoliang Kingdom and made them know etiquette. Later, the Immortal Guangxin also passed through this place and taught the country for a long time, making it prosperous. At that time, the Baoliang Kingdom was booming. The people of Baoliang Kingdom once asked the Immortal to leave his name, but the Immortal said, 'No need to leave your name. If there is a wise man in the future, it will be him.' Then he left. From then on, the Baoliang Kingdom respected the wise men, so wise men appeared frequently and the country prospered. That's why it is still prosperous even though the demons are disturbing the country today."

The Monkey King said, “I didn’t expect this to happen. I troubled you to come and tell me the news. Now that I know about this, I will be on my guard and not let the demon kill me.”

The land god bowed and said, "I dare not, I dare not. If the Great Sage has nothing to do, I will withdraw now."

The traveler waved his hand and said, "Go ahead, go ahead."

The land said no more, burrowed into the ground and disappeared.

The Monkey King then turned around and recounted to the group everything that the local god had said.

Hearing this, Tang Seng was extremely worried and said, "Disciple, the queen of this country is a demon. What should we do? How can we get through this country? Not to mention exchanging the pass, even our lives are in danger."

(End of this chapter)