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

Chapter 176: Meeting Ji Ding, Prosperity Comes When You Meet a Saint
After Jiang Yuan discussed the Dharma with Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, he meditated in silence for seven days in the water palace of the Huai River.

Seven days later, the Bull Demon King came to the Water Palace. Jiang Yuan knew that the Bull Demon King had returned, so he called Zuo Liang and Bai Lu to set off again.

The Great Sage Water Ape personally went to the Huai River to see him off.

The Bull Demon King greeted the Immortal on the shore and said, "Master, I am back."

Jiang Yuan helped Bull Demon King up and asked, "How is it going?"

Upon hearing this, Bull Demon King recounted the entire incident, not daring to hide anything, and told the Immortal the whole story from beginning to end.

Jiang Yuan listened and nodded, saying, "You did a good job."

The Bull Demon King asked carefully, "Master, I killed that demon, is it true that nothing happened?"

Jiang Yuan said: "Since they have committed countless sins, if you kill them, it will be a good deed, what's wrong with that?"

The Bull Demon King said, "I am afraid that the demon is a Bodhisattva beast and will cause trouble to the master. I have accepted the master's kindness and turned to practice. I have made progress day by day. I have already received a lot of kindness and have not yet repaid it. If I cause trouble, it will be wrong."

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "Don't talk about repaying. Just return to the right path and practice. You have heard the truth in your heart. Helping you is also helping myself. Niu'er, listen to me. As long as you follow the right path and do good deeds, you can kill any demon. If I know, I will only praise you, not bring disaster upon you."

Upon hearing this, Bull Demon King burst into tears of gratitude, kowtowed to the Immortal, and then presented the Yu Ding with both hands.

Jiang Yuan helped the Bull Demon King up, took the Yu Ding, tied it around his waist, and prepared to set off to go somewhere else to find out the injustice in the world.

Before he could mount the deer, the Great Sage of the Ape suddenly stepped forward to stop him and said, "Please wait a moment, Master."

Jiang Yuan asked, "Great Sage of the Ape, is there anything else?"

The Great Water Ape Sage bowed and said, "Master, you have been very kind to me. You defeated me seven times but didn't kill me. You also helped me solve my confusion about the way of cultivation. I know that my abilities are limited and I have nothing to repay you with. So I would like to give you one thing to repay your kindness."

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "You only need to stay in charge of the water veins and keep the peace in this place, and that will be the end of our kindness."

The Great Water Ape said, "Master, I will guard the water veins and keep the land peaceful. This is an agreement between you and me, not a favor. But please accept one thing, Master, or I will feel uneasy."

Jiang Yuan said, "Since you say so, just give the things to me."

The Water Ape Great Sage shook his head and said, "Master, I cannot lift this thing. Please follow me and get it."

Jiang Yuan heard this and didn't understand what it meant.

The Bull Demon King stepped forward and said, "Great Sage Aquatic Ape, what are you trying to do? How could you not be able to lift anything with your magical power? Are you kidding me?"

The Water Ape Great Sage said, "I dare not deceive you, Master. I really cannot lift that thing. If you are not a Master, it is impossible for you to lift it."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "You talk so interestingly, tell me, what is that thing?"

The Great Sage of the Ape pointed at the Yu Ding on Jiang Yuan's waist and said, "It is one of the Nine Dings, similar to the one on the waist of the Immortal."

Jiang Yuan asked, "I have heard that the Nine Cauldrons were lost. This cauldron of mine was given to me by the Supreme Lord Lao in the past. It has been with me for many years. How come you have it?"

The Great Water Ape Sage said, "You may not know, but there has always been a tripod under the Huai River, submerged in the water without a trace. I just discovered the location of this tripod by accident. I asked the sailors of the Water Palace and learned that this tripod has existed for many years. It is said that it floated from a tributary of the Huai River, entered the mainstream and sank, and there is no sound anymore."

The Bull Demon King said, "You have such a treasure, why don't you use it for yourself?"

The Water Ape Great Sage shook his head and said, "What kind of divine object is the Nine Cauldrons? How can I use them? I cannot lift them. If I could, I would personally deliver the treasure to the Immortal, instead of asking the Immortal to collect it in person."

Jiang Yuan said: "The tripod in my hand is the Yu Ding. Which tripod are you talking about?"

The Great Ape Sage replied, "Master, from what I see, it is Ji Ding."

Jiang Yuan nodded and thought to himself, "The Nine Cauldrons are Yu, Yong, Ji, Yan, Qing, Xu, Yang, Jing, and Liang. The Jizhou Cauldron is the Water Cauldron. I don't know why it sank into the Huai River."

He then said, "In that case, Great Sage Ape, please lead the way. I will go and see Ji Ding. How is he?"

The Water Ape Great Sage said: "But please take the Ji Ding away."

Say it.

The Water Ape Great Sage jumped into the Huai River. When he jumped in, the river split into a waterway to welcome him in.

Jiang Yuan turned to look at Zuo Liang and said, "Stay here for a while, Lu'er, keep an eye on Zuo Liang."

He patted the Bull Demon King gently and walked towards the waterway.

The Bull Demon King followed closely behind, protecting the True Man.

It won't take long.

The Great Water Ape Sage walked to a place not far from the Huaihe River Water Palace, pointed to a place, and said, "Master, we have arrived. That is Ji Ding."

Jiang Yuan and Bull Demon King looked in the direction where the Water Ape Great Sage pointed. After a closer look, they saw a stone sunk in the mud with only half of its outline exposed. They could vaguely make out that it was a tripod.

The Bull Demon King asked, "Is this Ji Ding? Why does he look like this?"

The Great Water Ape Sage shook his head and said, "The Ji Ding was not like this some time ago, but it seems that the Ji Ding has been submerged in the water for too long and gradually became like this. This tripod is extremely heavy. Even if there are thousands of sailors and I, we can't lift it."

Jiang Yuan was a little puzzled when he heard this. According to him, the Ji Ding was a water tripod. Although it was heavy, it was definitely not so heavy that even the Water Ape Great Sage could not lift it.

The reason why Yu Ding is heavy is because it belongs to the earth element, which is the mother of the five elements. Therefore, the strongest point of Yu Ding is that it is as heavy as Mount Tai and can break anything.

If the Ji Ding is heavy, we can only say that it is a divine object with spirit.

The Bull Demon King stepped forward and said, "Let me see how heavy this tripod is and whether it has the power of the Yu Tripod."

The Bull Demon King lifted his clothes and walked forward, touched it, held it with both hands, and wanted to lift it up. However, no matter how hard he tried, the Ji Ding did not move at all and sank into the water. The Bull King tried to hold it for a long time, his face flushed, and he had no choice but to give up.

The Bull Demon King said, "Master, this tripod is indeed heavy. I have the strength to move mountains and hills, but I cannot move this tripod. However, this tripod is a little strange. It is not as heavy as the Yu Tripod. It seems that this tripod does not want to be lifted by me."

Jiang Yuan said: "The Ji Ding was once cast by King Yu, so it has a spirit. It doesn't want you to lift it, and you can't lift it yourself."

The Great Water Ape Sage said, "Master, is it possible to take this tripod away?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "I already know what you mean. If I can lift it, I will take the Ji Ding away. If I can't lift it, I will leave it here until someone with a predestined relationship comes and takes it."

The Ahuizotl Great Sage responded.

Jiang Yuan walked towards Ji Ding. Wherever he passed, the water receded and the immortal was not harmed by water, fire, or weapons. He walked to Ji Ding and was about to reach out to touch it. Before he touched it, he suddenly saw Ji Ding emitting bright light and auspicious aura. After a while, the stone in front of him disappeared, and instead, there was a huge tripod of 18 feet in size, which appeared before his eyes. The body of the tripod was engraved with many various patterns, which were bizarre and there was a rune on it, which meant "Ji".

When the Bull Demon King and the Water Ape Great Sage saw this, they were so frightened that they dared not say a word.

Jiang Yuan reached out and touched Ji Ding, lifting it up. Ji Ding was lifted from his hand without any effort. When Ji Ding fell into his hand, the body of the tripod shook slightly and turned into a small tripod.

Jiang Yuan whispered: "Jiding, the water that controls the world."

The Great Water Ape Sage was shocked to see the Immortal lift the tripod so easily, and asked tremblingly: "Is this tripod really unsinkable?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "It won't sink."

The Great Sage of the Water Ape bowed down and called him a god.

Jiang Yuan thanked the Water Ape Great Sage for the gift of the tripod, but the Water Ape Great Sage did not dare to accept the Great Sage's gratitude.

Jiang Yuan said no more and went out to go somewhere else. The Great Sage of the Ape personally saw Jiang Yuan off, and then he returned home with peace of mind, determined to keep the place safe.

He was just returning home when Prime Minister Gui came forward to pay his respects and asked where Ji Ding was.

The Water Ape Great Sage replied, "The Ji Ding has already been given to the Immortal, and now I am asking the Immortal to take it away."

Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Turtle heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Just send him away, just send him away."

The Water Ape Great Sage was puzzled and asked, "How can you say that?"

Prime Minister Turtle said: "Your Majesty, if King Ji Ding cannot lift it, it means that this treasure is not meant for you. As the saying goes, 'A man is innocent, but guilty of possessing a treasure'. There is no point in keeping this treasure."

The Great Water Ape Sage pointed at Prime Minister Turtle and scolded him, "You are a good fighter at saving your life. I have often heard that 'a thousand-year-old turtle lives ten thousand years'. No wonder you live so long. Go and gather your troops quickly. I have turned over a new leaf and will no longer do evil. I will keep the land peaceful."

Prime Minister Turtle bowed and said, "I will obey the king's order."

The Water Ape Great Sage waved his hands and said, "Don't call me the Great King anymore. I have returned to the right path."

Prime Minister Turtle said, "In that case, how about calling Your Majesty the Lord of the Palace? Lord of the Huaihe River Water Palace."

The Great Ape Sage was very pleased with the name and said happily, "What a good name! What a good name!"

Prime Minister Turtle said: "My Lord, do not worry about the matter of Ji Ding anymore. Now that you have returned to the right path, you should be single-minded. I remember that people once said that the Nine Dings will prosper when they meet a saint."

Upon hearing this, the Water Ape Great Sage said, "The Nine Cauldrons will prosper when they meet a saint? You have some ideas. A true person is no different from a saint, so the Nine Cauldrons should submit to you."

As the two talked, they were both determined to return to the right path and practice cultivation, and had no second thoughts.

……

Time flies, and before I know it, two or three months have gone by.

Jiang Yuan rode a white deer eastward. He didn't know where he was going, so he just let the white deer go on its own. Bull Demon King led the way in front, and Zuo Liang followed behind.

When we traveled to February or March, it was the beginning of winter again. We saw that the road ahead was "light clouds flying about to snow, withered grass lying on the mountainside, the whole place was cold and bleak, and the chill penetrated into the bones."

Zuo Liang shivered and exhaled a breath of hot air. Even though his feet were in pain and his body was stiff, he did not move and just followed the white deer. He did not know how long he had been walking. His vision was a little blurry. After all, he was old and his legs and feet were not very flexible.

"Zuo Liang."

The immortal was riding on the back of a deer and suddenly spoke.

Zuo Liang stepped forward and said tremblingly, "Sir, what can I do for you?"

The Immortal did not turn around and asked, "Zuo Liang, are you tired?"

Zuo Liang gritted his teeth and said, "Sir, I'm not tired."

The immortal said, "If you are tired, when we get to the next place, I will find a way to help you, how about that?"

Zuo Liang shook his head and said, "Sir, I'm not tired."

Jiang Yuan looked back and sighed, "Zuo Liang, how long have you lived?"

Zuo Liang said: "Sir, I only have one year to live."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "How can you say your life span is one? I remember you told me before that your life span was sixty-three."

Zuo Liang said, "Sir, I lived in confusion before, not knowing what freedom was. Even if I had countless gold and silver, I could not be free. I was so confused and muddled until I met you, and now I know what to do. Zuo Liang, who was sixty-three years old, died on the day you entered the city, and his soul returned to the underworld. The one following you today is the new Zuo Liang, whose life span is the same as yours."

Jiang Yuan nodded and said, "You are very smart, and follow Lu'er."

Zuo Liang nodded deeply and did not ask how long they would walk. It seemed that as long as Jiang Yuan kept walking, he would follow him. The coldness in his body and the pain in his feet could not stop him.

Jiang Yuan looked at Zuo Liang who was walking with his head down, and admired him in his heart. The new life was not the new life that came from being pregnant for ten months, but the new life that came from hearing the truth. The Zuo family finally had a cultivator.

He had received great kindness from the Zuo family, and now his fate had finally come to an end.

While Jiang Yuan was deep in thought, he suddenly saw the Bull Demon King in front of him turning back and saying, "Master, the snow is getting heavier. There is a Taoist temple ahead. Why don't we go there to take a rest?"

Jiang Yuan looked over and nodded, saying, "Change your appearance and go ask if they are willing to receive us. Don't be rude."

Upon hearing this, Bull Demon King transformed himself into a big man and walked towards the Taoist temple.

Zuo Liang stepped forward and asked, "Sir, why do you want to teach Master Niu to transform into a human form? When a person like you comes, his Taoist temple will definitely welcome you."

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "Etiquette cannot be abolished."

Zuo Liang asked, "Sir, who are you paying respect to? Is it because of your level of Taoism?"

Jiang Yuan said: "The one that etiquette respects is not a person. The one that etiquette respects is the Tao, and it is oneself. I don't know if there are people who have heard of the Tao in this Taoist temple, but the etiquette should be thorough."

Zuo Liang pondered for a long time and said, "Sir, am I a person who has heard the Tao?"

Jiang Yuan glanced at Zuo Liang and smiled without saying anything.

Zuo Liang said nothing more and stood there thinking.

The Bull Demon King leaped up, wielding a mixed iron stick, and came to the Taoist temple and knocked on the door.

There was a knock on the temple door, and a man came out a moment later, complaining, "Who is this? Why are you disturbing people by the fire in such a cold winter?"

The Bull Demon King bowed and said, "Sir, we are here to practice cultivation and travel eastward. We are passing through this place. It is getting dark, so we would like to stay here for one night. I hope you will agree."

The Taoist said, "Stay here? Wait a minute, I'll go ask the abbot."

Say it.

The Taoist walked into the temple.

The Bull Demon King did not dare to be rude. He stood outside the temple gate waiting and put the mixed iron stick aside, for fear of scaring the people in the temple.

Not long after, an old Taoist wearing thick Taoist robes came over, looked at the Bull Demon King, and said, "Are you the one who wants to stay here for a while?"

The Bull Demon King nodded and said, "That's right."

The old Taoist asked, "What lineage are you practicing? Which ancestor are you worshipping? Please show me your identity."

The Bull Demon King scratched his head and said, "Identity? What identity? Dharma lineage... I don't even know what Dharma lineage I am practicing."

The old Taoist asked, "Are you a wild Taoist? If you are, I won't welcome you here. Go away, go away, go away! Don't disturb my peace."

Say it.

The Taoist priest stretched out his hand to close the door.

The Bull Demon King stopped him and said, "I am not from this place, how can I know? The place where I practice is the Three Stars Cave of the Slanting Moon on the Fangcun Mountain of Lingtai in Xiniu Hezhou."

The old Taoist shook his head and said, "I haven't heard of it. I think it's a small place."

(End of this chapter)