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

Chapter 255: The Five Thunder Method, the Bull King Obtains the Magical Weapon
Time flies like an arrow, and before I knew it, five years have passed since Erlang Shen's visit.

Jiang Yuan was meditating quietly in the room, cultivating his nature and practicing Taoism. Time passed in his practice without him realizing it, and when he woke up, five years had passed.

After watching Zuo Liang practicing in secret, he knew that Zuo Liang's determination had not changed and he was still practicing at ease, so he called Zuo Liang into the room.

When Zuo Liang learned that the immortal was calling him, he arrived in a short while, entered the quiet room, and paid his respects to the immortal.

Zuo Liang bowed deeply and said, "Master, I am here to pay my respects."

Jiang Yuan sat cross-legged on a cushion, wearing a purple robe of the sun and moon. He looked at the disciple in front of him and said, "Zhengyuan, how many years have passed since I taught you the way?"

Zuo Liang knelt on the ground, pondered for a long time, and said: "Master, I don't know. I have been practicing in the Immortal Palace and don't know how much time has passed. But please don't blame me, Master. I will go and ask, and I will definitely get the answer from you."

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "No need. You practice cultivation without knowing how much time has passed. This is a good thing. Your cultivation of the mind is similar to mine."

Zuo Liang said: "How dare I compare myself with you, Master? Please don't say such words again, Master. It shames me."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Stand up. I called you here to observe your practice."

Zuo Liang stood up and bowed, saying, "Master, please examine it."

Jiang Yuan said: "You practice the way of the 'Shu' sect, but this sect is complicated. What is it that you practice? Tell me."

Zuo Liang replied, "Master, I have learned some divination techniques and recently wanted to cultivate the ability to summon the gods to help me, but I have not yet mastered it."

Jiang Yuan smiled and asked, "What do you think of divination?"

Zuo Liang said: "Master, this is the way to practice. Just as you said, it can teach me to seek good fortune and avoid disaster. But when disaster strikes, I only need to divine to know whether it is good or bad."

Jiang Yuan asked, "What do you need for divination?"

Divination mostly requires the use of external objects. These objects are different in each school and even in the hands of each practitioner. Some practitioners like to use tortoise shells and animal bones for divination. When divination, they must recite a spell and then burn the tortoise shells or animal bones, observe the cracking patterns, and use this to predict good or bad luck.

Some practitioners like to use yarrow. After chanting the mantra, they sort the yarrow and deduce the hexagram according to the steps.

Some practitioners like to use fire basins for divination. They chant incantations to start a fire. The color of the flame and the changes in the smoke all have unique uses for divination.

Some spiritual practitioners like to use copper coins for divination, using the front and back sides to form hexagrams and then interpret them.

Zuo Liang bowed and said, "Master, my disciple's divination shows that he likes to use grains."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Do you have any grains?"

Zuo Liang nodded and took out a small bag from his waist, saying, "Of course I have it, of course I have it."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan pointed outside the mansion and said, "There is a piece of land three miles outside the mansion. You can use divination to see what kind of land it is. There is something strange in it."

Zuo Liang asked, "I thought Master would take something and hide it, and teach me to divine what it was, but I never thought it was a place outside the divination palace."

Jiang Yuan pointed at Zuo Liang and said with a smile: "Zheng Yuan, if I were hiding something, how could you predict it with your ability?"

Zuo Liang was puzzled and asked, "Master, is there any reason why this cannot be predicted?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "I have been enlightened for a long time, and I have my own aura. If you use divination, it will definitely not work, so I can't hide the object myself. If I hide the object myself, wouldn't that be deliberately making things difficult for you?"

Zuo Liang just realized the ability of his master and bowed to him again and again, wanting to say something.

Jiang Yuan waved his hand and taught him the art of divination.

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang dared not disobey, and immediately took out a handful of grains and threw them forward, chanting a spell and looking towards the sign of the grains falling to the ground with his eyes wide open.

After a while, Zuo Liang said, "Master, there is an open space three miles outside the palace. There is a stone there. But the hexagram symbol indicates the east, and the east represents blue. So it is a bluestone."

Jiang Yuan had practiced on that bluestone before he became a Taoist, so he knew what was there. When he saw Zuo Liang's explanation, he smiled and was very satisfied. He said, "Zhengyuan, how can you tell fortunes with these grains?"

Zuo Liang replied, "Master, you can get the hexagrams by throwing the grains. If you want to predict the family affairs of the new person, face the east to throw the grains. If you want to predict the reputation, face the south to throw the grains. If you want to predict wealth, face the west to throw the grains. If you want to predict interpersonal relationships, face the north to throw the grains. This is the basic method. There are also hexagrams of the five grains falling to the ground one after another. If you want to know the secrets of this, I can compile a book and show it to you."

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "No need. Now that you have achieved something in your cultivation, I will be happy to tell you."

Zuo Liang said, "How dare I claim to have achieved success in front of my master? I followed my master in the past and he said that cultivation had not yet achieved success. I was taught by my master. If I say that I have achieved success, that would be disrespectful."

Jiang Yuan smiled and nodded, saying: "I called you here today, firstly to observe your practice, and secondly to teach you a method. I hope you will learn it well."

Zuo Liang said, "Master, I have already mastered the art of magic, how dare I ask for anything else?"

Jiang Yuan said: "The method I am teaching you is originally the method of the Shu character sect, so you should listen carefully."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang knelt on the ground, thanked Jiang Yuan for teaching him the Dharma, and then washed his ears and listened attentively to the Tao.

Jiang Yuan then passed on the Five Thunders Method to Zuo Liang.

This teaching lasted for more than half a month before he taught Zuo Liang to memorize the entire Five Thunders Method. Zuo Liang was still frightened after memorizing it, and of course he knew the benefits and disadvantages of this Five Thunders Method. He could summon wind and thunder, pray for rain, and even mobilize the gods of the land and mountains to do his bidding. However, once an order was given, the gods would obey it. If anyone disobeyed, he would be punished.

This is the skill of asking a fairy to help with the spirit, but it is much better than the ordinary skill of asking a fairy to help with the spirit.

Zuo Liang bowed and said, "Thank you so much, Master! I am so grateful to you, Master! I have done nothing but appreciate your kindness and dedication to me, and have passed on such a wonderful method to me. I have no way of repaying you."

Jiang Yuan said: "Zhengyuan, since I have accepted you as my disciple, I should fulfill my responsibilities and teach you well. There is no need to be so polite. But you should practice hard and achieve the true fruit of the side door as soon as possible, which will be your repayment to me."

Zuo Liang kowtowed countless times and said, "I will live up to Master's teachings and cultivate to the right fruit as soon as possible."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "With your talent, you can definitely achieve the true fruit of the side door, but you have not changed your mind."

Zuo Liang said, "Master, I don't know how to achieve the right result."

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "I can't tell you, but you should practice hard. When you succeed one day, you will know it."

After hearing this, Zuo Liang thanked the immortal again.

Seeing that he had learned the Dharma, Jiang Yuan told Zuo Liang to leave and practice.

Zuo Liang was about to leave when he suddenly thought of something and turned back to bow again.

Jiang Yuan was puzzled and asked, "Zhengyuan, why are you bowing again?"

Zuo Liang pondered for a long time and said, "Master, I still have a doubt. Please help me solve it." Jiang Yuan said, "Tell me about it."

Zuo Liang asked, "Master, I wonder why our eldest brother practices cultivation?"

Jiang Yuan asked, "Why do you ask this?"

Zuo Liang said, "Master, I often meet with my elder brother, but I see that he has some confusion in his practice and is often troubled. So I want to help him, but I don't know why he practices."

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "You are thinking about Zhengwei, which is a good thing, but don't worry, Zhengwei's practice is not yet in its prime, and he will definitely have the opportunity to practice in the future."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang said no more, bowed and left the room.

Jiang Yuan watched Zuo Liang leave. He was about to continue practicing. He hadn't yet entered into a state of meditation when he suddenly heard a voice beside his ear. It was the master calling him.

When the Immortal knew that the Patriarch had summoned him, he did not dare to disobey and immediately went to the Patriarch's quiet room to meet him in person.

The master said, "My boy, I got your black dragon bone a long time ago to use for the Bull King. Now I have accomplished the task, so I asked you to come here and teach the Bull King how to use it."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan knelt on the ground and said, "Master, thank you for your hard work. I am very grateful. I would like to thank you on behalf of Niu Er."

The ancestor shook his head and said, "No need to be polite. I didn't waste any time. Now I will teach you how to refine your black dragon bone into a weapon. I also have a pill. You can use it for the Bull King. Speaking of which, the Bull King is also lucky. I have a good friend who is refining weapons and pills. I went to visit him and asked him to use them. He integrated the black dragon bone into it, and it was completed so quickly. Otherwise, it would have taken a long time."

Jiang Yuan thanked him again, knowing that the master took this matter to heart.

The ancestor took out a black pill and gave it to the real person, saying, "This pill has some auxiliary power with the Bull King. You can take it and teach him how to use it."

As he spoke, he took out another weapon, which was eighteen feet long and shaped like a spear but with a wider blade. He handed it to the immortal and said, "Give this weapon to the Bull King. His stick only has weight but no magical power."

Jiang Yuan took the pill, then held the weapon with both hands and weighed it. It was quite heavy. He took a closer look and found that the weapon was as black as meteorite iron, with a shaft as thick as a bowl. The head of the weapon was shaped like a forked dragon horn, with three barbed teeth on each side. He asked, "Master, what kind of weapon is this?"

The ancestor said: "This weapon is called 'Black Dragon Piyue Spear'. It is made of black dragon bones and supplemented with diamond steel. It has the ability to cut off water and hold water. It weighs 18,000 kilograms. If it can hold all the water in the four seas, it can weigh 108,000 kilograms. However, when the weapon is first made, it must be nurtured with spiritual energy to have divine power. Teach the Bull King to take it and nurture it with spiritual energy every day. Don't underestimate it."

Jiang Yuan said: "Master, I will let the Bull King know about this."

The master said, "There is no need for that. Just teach the Bull King to protect you well. His ability is not good enough. You should use the magic weapon. Only in this way can he protect you. Tell him to calm down and practice well."

Jiang Yuan responded.

The ancestor then asked the immortal to leave.

Jiang Yuan came out of the master's meditation room and called the Bull Demon King out of the mansion.

The Bull Demon King was originally meditating in his mansion, and had no idea what the Immortal was doing, but when he saw the Immortal coming to call him, he dared not disobey.

The two of them walked to a forest in Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, looked around, and saw "a thousand old cypresses, green and swaying in the rain in the sky, and ten thousand bamboos, dark and misty in the valley", which made people feel relaxed and happy.

The Bull Demon King said, "Master, do we need to go out? If so, I will protect you. But please wait a moment. I left my weapons and armor in the mansion. I will go get them."

Jiang Yuan stopped the Bull King who was about to leave and said, "No, no, no! I have never been out. I called you here because I have two things to give you."

The Bull King smiled and said, "Master, what do you want to give to the old bull?"

Jiang Yuan took out a pill from his sleeve and said, "This pill is made from black dragon bones. Take it. It will help you practice."

Upon hearing this, the Bull King was overjoyed and bowed to the Immortal, feeling deeply grateful for his kindness. He then took the pill with both hands and said, "Thank you very much, Master! I will practice hard and help you improve your practice. Then I can better protect you, Master!"

Jiang Yuan said: "This is also what I need to tell you. You must practice well and never forget your original intention. Only in this way can you make progress in your practice."

The Bull King said, "Master, I have never forgotten."

The two talked in the mountains for a while, and the Bull King was about to bid farewell to the Immortal and leave to practice.

Jiang Yuan pulled Niu Wang again and said with a smile: "Niu'er, I told you there were two things. You just got one, and there is still one thing you haven't taken. Why are you leaving so quickly?"

The Bull King was puzzled and asked, "Master, this pill is enough to help me practice, is there any other magical item?"

Jiang Yuan took out the Black Dragon Piyue Spear from his sleeve, handed it to the Bull King, and said, "This weapon is also made of black dragon bones, but you use it. This spear weighs 18,000 jin and has the ability to cut off water and hold water. If it holds all the water in the four seas, the spear can weigh 180,000 jin."

The Immortal then explained a few things about the maintenance of weapons to the Bull King.

After seeing the weapon, the Bull King couldn't take his eyes away. He smiled and said, "Master, are you really going to give me this weapon?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Is Niu'er still not taking it?"

Say it.

The Immortal gave the weapon to the Bull King.

The Bull King took over the Black Dragon Pi Yue Spear and was overjoyed. He swung the Pi Yue Spear without any restraint and started to fight with all his might. The earth seemed to be shaking. Fortunately, the Immortal released the Yu Ding and suppressed the people in the mountain, so there was no chaos in the mountain.

When the Bull King saw that he was about to cause trouble, he put away the Pi Yue Spear and said, "Master!"

When the Immortal saw the Bull King stop, he took back the Yu Ding and said, "You bull, why are you making such a fuss? If you make the mountain shake, it will disturb the palace. This is not allowed."

The Bull King said, "Master, it's my fault."

The Immortal was very happy to know that the Bull King had just obtained a magic weapon. This behavior was not right, but it was within common sense. He said, "Bull, you are not allowed to play around like this in the mountains. Go out and play. When you come back, calm down and practice well."

Upon hearing this, the Bull King bowed and thanked Master Yu, saying, "Master, I will never forget to practice, but thank you for giving me these two treasures."

Jiang Yuan said: "When you have free time, go to the mansion to pay respect to the ancestor, and the ancestor will find two treasures for you."

The Bull King was filled with gratitude and said, "Master, I will go and thank the ancestor now."

Jiang Yuan waved his hand and said, "Go and try your magic weapon. When you come back, it won't be too late to thank me. Now that you have the magic weapon, your skills will be improved. If you concentrate on practicing, you will definitely make great progress."

The Bull King responded and bowed to the Immortal again.

The Immortal then made the Bull King leave.

Niu Wang held up the Pi Yue Spear and rode on a cloud toward the outside of the mountain. He did not dare to dance with it nearby for fear of disturbing the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

(End of this chapter)