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

Chapter 294: Zuo Liang and Bajie help, the Master plays chess

Talking about the Three Stars Immortal Cave, the Immortal, Sun Wukong, Erlang Shen and their companions all entered the tower, sat down at the table set up, and talked happily. It was a very joyful scene.

After Erlang Shen talked with the immortals for a long time, he suddenly stood up, bowed and said, "Immortals, Great Sage, Bull King, Wisdom Buddha, I came here not only to meet you, but also to ask for your help in something. I hope you will grant my permission."

Seeing this, the Immortal stood up and left the table, helped Erlang Shen up, and said, "What do you need, Immortal Lord? Just tell me. We are good friends, and if there is anything I can help, I will definitely help you."

Sun Wukong also stepped forward and said, "Master, there is no need to be polite, but what's the harm? You are injured and need our help? But you can say that I will hold the golden hoop and help you."

Bull Demon King and Zhenjian also said that they would help.

Seeing the crowd, Erlang Shen was very grateful and said, "Please take your seats and listen to my story."

After listening to what Zhenjun said, everyone sat down and waited for Erlang Shen to speak.

Erlang Shen then told everyone the story of his nephew Chenxiang. It is said that Erlang Shen left at that time, and Chenxiang told his father Liu Yanchang about Erlang Shen. Liu Yanchang was shocked when he heard it, and wanted to run away. Chenxiang was puzzled and asked about the matter. Liu Yanchang had no choice but to tell Chenxiang the story of San Shengmu. After hearing it, Chenxiang hated Erlang Shen.

Erlang Shen knew that Chenxiang had revealed the truth, so he showed up in person and fought with Liu Yanchang, almost killing him. Fortunately, Chenxiang "rescued" him, and the uncle and nephew became enemies. Chenxiang vowed to save his mother, and Erlang Shen left.

When the immortals heard Erlang Shen's story, they all felt a little aggrieved.

Sun Wukong scratched his head and said, "The Third Holy Mother's practice was wrong, and it was against the Heavenly Rules. Keeping the True Lord under Huashan Mountain helped him practice a little, but why do you hate him now? It's not right."

Zhen Jian put his hands together and said, "Your Excellency should explain things clearly to Liu Chenxiang. You shouldn't let him misunderstand you like this. If he can understand your heart, he will not hate you anymore."

This is also what Bull Demon King and others meant.

The real person did not make any statement.

Erlang Shen shook his head and said, "He has the heart to save his mother, so I cannot stop him. I also split a mountain to save my mother in the past, so how could I not know how precious this heart is? Even if I tell him clearly, his heart will not change."

The Immortal smiled and said, "If so, you came here to teach us a thing or two?"

Erlang Shen said, "To be honest, I have asked the Great Sage for help in teaching me. I have made an agreement with him a long time ago. But I came here today to meet you and relieve my boredom. I also want you to protect Chenxiang. He is determined to save his mother and will travel around. He may be harmed by then, so we must be on guard."

The Immortal said: "If this is the case, then you deserve the Immortal Lord."

The Bull Demon King was somewhat puzzled and said, "True Lord, but there is something I don't understand."

Erlang Shen asked, "What is there that Ox King does not understand? Please tell me."

The Bull Demon King said, "I've often heard that the True Lord has the Six Saints of Meishan and the Grass-Headed God under his command. How can we protect them? If the True Lord sends the Grass-Headed God over, it will be enough for us to protect them."

Erlang Shen said: "The Bull King doesn't know, but my subordinate Liu Yanchang knows, and he will definitely tell Chenxiang what he knows, so I can't send my subordinates away. Besides, I intend to send my subordinates to train Chenxiang, and they can't protect him."

The Bull Demon King said, "So that's how it is. Old Bull understands."

Jiang Yuan said, "Master, if you want to protect the agarwood, I don't have to go there myself. Asking one or two people to go will be enough."

Erlang Shen nodded and said, "That's exactly what is going on."

Jiang Yuan said: "In this case, I will help you with this matter."

Say it.

The immortal looked at Zhu Bajie and said, "Bajie, you can go for a walk."

When Zhu Bajie heard this, he was a little indignant and said, "Master, why did you ask me to go alone?"

The real person smiled and asked, "You don't want to?"

Zhu Bajie was a little afraid, and after a long pause, he stepped forward and bowed, saying, "I dare not disobey you, sir. I am willing to go and protect the agarwood."

The immortal nodded and said with a smile: "Pass on my order, and have Zhengyuan go with you. Follow Zhengyuan's instructions and you just need to assist him."

Zhu Bajie was delighted when he heard this and said, "Just don't let me go alone."

The immortal waved his hand and asked him to go and talk to Zuo Liang about what was happening here.

Zhu Bajie took the order and went.

They talked for a long time on the pavilion. Half a day later, Erlang Shen proposed to leave, saying that he had important matters to take care of. Zhenren and others saw Erlang Shen off.

After seeing Erlang Shen off, the immortal said goodbye to Sun Wukong and the others, and warned them to practice well.

The immortal then walked into the quiet room. Not long after he entered the quiet room, he heard Zuo Liang outside the room asking to see him.

The Immortal waved his sleeves lightly, and a gentle breeze blew. He opened the door and said, "Zhengyuan, come in."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang quickly walked into the quiet room, bowed deeply to the immortal, and said, "Disciple greets Master!"

Jiang Yuan said, "Zhengyuan, please stand up. There is no need to perform such a grand ceremony. Come forward and sit down."

Zuo Liang heard what the Immortal said, sat down on the cushion, and said: "Master, I heard from the Taoist Huding that I must go to the human world to protect the agarwood, but I don't know what to do, so I came to ask you."

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "Just protect his life. As for the rest, you can decide for yourself. This is a test from me. You have made some progress in your practice now. Let me see if you can still practice with peace of mind after leaving the sect."

Zuo Liang understood what he heard and said, "Master, I understand. But why did you ask Taoist Hu Ding to accompany me?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Zhu Bajie has been with me for some time, but his practice was not weak to begin with, but he was disturbed by the evil spirit of Mu Mu. Now he has returned to the mansion and has some rest. I am afraid that he will become lazy, so I sent him to go. I also want to know if he can teach Mu Mu to bully his master again without my care."

Zuo Liang said: "Master, I understand. I will go to the human world now."

Jiang Yuan stopped Zuo Liang and said, "Zhengyuan, don't worry. You have practiced a little bit now, but you haven't achieved the true fruit of the side door. If you encounter a big demon like that, you may not be able to deal with it. I have a treasure for you to protect yourself. Please keep it."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang bowed to the immortal and thanked him again and again.

The Immortal pondered for a moment, took out the Yu Ding from his waist, handed it to Zuo Liang, and said: "Zhengyuan, this treasure can protect you, but you must always keep it by your side, it can protect you and keep you safe from all kinds of attacks and evil."

Zuo Liang held the Yu Ding in both hands and said, "Disciple thanks the Master!"

Jiang Yuan shook his head and smiled, saying: "Zhengyuan, now that you have left the cave, you must practice well and not be negligent. If you encounter someone you cannot defeat, call my real name in your heart and I will definitely help you. If you miss home, just look back, Fangcun Mountain is at your feet."

Zuo Liang was filled with gratitude and bowed repeatedly.

The Immortal said nothing more and asked Zuo Liang to leave.

Zuo Liang did not dare to disobey and stood up and left the quiet room.

The Immortal watched Zuo Liang leave, smiling without saying anything. He did not meditate in seclusion, but went to the Master's quiet room. Not long after, the Immortal received the Master's permission and entered the quiet room.

The master asked the immortal to sit down and took out a few red dates to satisfy his craving.

When the immortal saw that these were some common fire dates, he did not refuse them. He thanked the master with a smile and took two fire dates to enjoy.

The master said, "Boy, your disciple Zhengyuan has practiced cultivation, but he has not yet achieved the true fruit of the side door. If he goes out like this and encounters external things, he may be confused. Boy, aren't you worried?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Master, I am a little worried, but I also know that if Zheng Yuan had not gone through this, it would have been difficult to achieve success through hard work alone. The necessary tempering is indispensable."

The master smiled and said, "What would you do if your disciple got lost?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "Master, if Zhengyuan is lost, there is nothing I can do. The Tao is at my feet, and I have done everything I can."

The master smiled and nodded, saying, "This is quite childish."

Jiang Yuan said: "Master, I can't always watch Zhengyuan until he succeeds. After all, he has to do it himself. How can others help him?"

The master said, "Boy, what you said is very good. In the past, many of my disciples all followed the same principle. The truth is at your feet. What I can do to help them is to help them fulfill their destiny. Whether they succeed or not depends on themselves."

The immortal talked about the art of chess with the master for a long time, then took out a chess board, and the two of them played chess in a quiet room.

But outside the quiet room, Zuo Liang walked here and met up with Zhu Bajie, and the two of them were going to go to Jambu Continent in the south.

Zhu Bajie saw the Yu Ding on Zuo Liang's waist and said, "Zhengyuan, did the master give you the Yu Ding for protection?"

Zuo Liang smiled and nodded, saying, "That's right, that's right."

Zhu Bajie said, "Master, why don't you give me the treasure to teach me how to defend myself?"

Zuo Liang said, "Master said that the Taoist guarding the tripod is very powerful, so he did not use the treasure to protect himself. He also told me that if I encounter danger, I must ask for your help to eliminate the disaster and solve the problem."

Zhu Bajie was delighted when he heard this and said, "Master, you know my ability. You know my ability."

Zuo Liang said, "Master Hu Ding, let's go ahead and protect Chen Xiang. Don't delay. If Chen Xiang gets killed by evil spirits, I will have no face to come back to see Master."

Zhu Bajie said with a smile: "What Zhengyuan said makes sense. We will go there quickly. Don't worry, I will help you and I will definitely keep you safe."

Zuo Liang responded with a smile.

The two then headed towards Jambu Continent.

……

The story takes place in the imperial palace, the capital of the gods in the southern continent.

The Holy Emperor Wu Zetian's condition was out of control. She seemed to feel that her life was about to end and her body was too weak.

The Holy Emperor was very weak and asked, "Is there any news about the immortals?"

The female official shook her head and said, "Your Majesty, there is no news. We have tried our best to find them, but there is news that the immortals are suspected to have left Jiuzhou."

The Holy Emperor gritted his teeth and said, "I am not feeling well right now, only the gods and immortals can save my life. Since I have sent troops to ask for help but failed, I will issue an order. Anyone who can find the gods and immortals will be rewarded with a thousand gold coins. If anyone can persuade them to come to the capital of the gods, he will be rewarded with ten thousand gold coins and be made a marquis."

The female official was very hesitant and asked, "Your Majesty, why don't you give up? Since your Majesty has been looking for the immortals, your body has become weaker and weaker. Why don't you give up now? Who knows, your body will recover."

The Holy Emperor refused to give in and said, "But I am tired now. If I don't find it, I am afraid my life will end."

The female official said, "Since your majesty replaced the Tang Dynasty and established the Zhou Dynasty, you have broken your promise to the gods. I'm afraid that's why you are like this. It would be better to return power to the Tang Dynasty."

The Holy Emperor shook his head and said, "I have just ascended the throne. This cannot happen."

When the female official heard this, she knew that the Holy Emperor was unwilling to give up this power. She sighed in her heart, feeling that the Zhou Dynasty would not last long.

The Holy Emperor said, "I am feeling increasingly unwell, but if I cannot find the immortals, I am afraid that my time will come. Many officials in the court have advised me to appoint a crown prince. I intend to appoint my two nephews, Wu Sansi and Wu Chengsi Qiyi, as crown princes. What do you think?"

The female official was surprised and said, "Your Majesty, how can you ask me about such a thing?"

The Holy Emperor shook his head and said, "You can speak freely. I won't punish you."

The female official pondered for a long time before she whispered, "Your Majesty, the Li family still has descendants, and your Majesty's son is still alive."

The Holy Emperor asked, "Who are you talking about?"

The female official replied, "Your Majesty's son, Prince Luling, is in Fangzhou. The Li family has many descendants, such as Li Longji, the son of Li Dan. Although he is young, he is known as a child prodigy."

The Holy Emperor pondered in silence, seeming to be hesitating between the descendants of the Wu family and the descendants of the Li family.

……

Time flies, and before I knew it, more than a month or two has gone by.

In the Three Stars Cave of the Slanting Moon on Fangcun Mountain in Lingtai, Hezhou, Xiniu, in the master's quiet room, the Immortal and the master were playing a game of chess. It had not yet ended. The two of them played very slowly. The Immortal showed his real skills in making moves. The master wanted to give some pointers, but seeing that the chess game was a fierce battle, it was exactly a "Taixu chessboard, Fangcun cave heaven. At the beginning of the layout, first guard the center palace as if embracing the origin and guarding the one, then arrange the corners as if building a foundation and refining oneself. When the master knocked on the door and asked for the answer, it was the image of Kan and Li mating. The Immortal flew obliquely to guard the corner, and the pattern of water and fire already appeared. "

After such a long fight, the chess game was in the middle of the game, like a dragon and a tiger entangled, just like "the cloud hand moves the whole body, the energy penetrates the body and the spirit does not leak out, the real Milky Way is rolled up, and the lead and mercury are mixed. Performing empty robbery is like a white tiger carrying a corpse, but it actually hides the secret of longevity. Robbery is like a blue dragon spitting out its signal, and the door of the mysterious female has been closed long ago."

The two players placed their moves one after another, and after a long time, the game ended.

The real person was finally defeated by the master. He looked at the chessboard with deep emotion. He stood up and bowed deeply, saying, "Master, I thank you for your guidance."

The master smiled and asked, "How do you put it?"

The immortal said, "Master, I see some truth in this."

The master said, "Please tell me in detail."

The Immortal said: "The true way of the golden elixir is not in the secret formula, but if it is fully developed, it can accommodate all things in the world. In this way, the chessboard can accommodate the true way of the golden elixir, and in this way, the chess pieces contain the truth of the world."

The master nodded with a smile and said, "Tong'er, although you are weak in the side sects, you are very good at the golden elixir orthodox way."

The Immortal bowed and said, "It is all thanks to Master's teaching. Without Master's teaching, I would never have learned the true way."

The ancestor said: "The correct way of the golden elixir is always there, but there are very few who can practice it, even fewer who can master it, and even fewer who can integrate it and explain it. This is the hard practice of a child."

(End of this chapter)