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

Chapter 297 Gifts are not the most important thing; it's the Queen Mother's birthday.

Time flies, and five or six days have passed in the blink of an eye.

With the help of a group of underworld soldiers, Zuo Liang and Zhu Bajie finally found Chen Xiang's whereabouts. They found Chen Xiang learning martial arts everywhere, determined to take revenge, defeat his uncle Erlang Shen Zhenjun, and save his mother.

But how could Chenxiang truly learn any skills while wandering in the mortal world? He would only keep hitting walls.

One day, Zuo Liang finally saw Chen Xiang in a bustling city in Yongzhou.

Chenxiang was carrying a bundle as he traveled around.

Upon seeing the agarwood, Zuo Liang was momentarily at a loss as to how to approach it.

Pigsy asked, "Zhengyuan, now that we've found the man, why don't you go up and speak to him, or offer him some protection?"

Zuo Liang said, "But we don't know how to start a conversation. The two of us have come here to protect Chenxiang, but we don't know how to do this protection. Should we protect him secretly or openly?"

Pigsy said, “It is better to protect him openly than secretly. When I was protecting Master Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West to obtain the scriptures, there were people who did it secretly. But if we protect him secretly, there may be shortcomings, and we will definitely be harmed. It is better to protect him openly, which is much safer.”

Zuo Liang said, "But I don't know how to get close, and I'm afraid they might be on guard."

Pigsy laughed and said, "There's no need to rush. Just watch me, I'll catch them off guard."

Say it.

Pigsy straightened his clothes, transformed into a man, and walked forward, getting closer to Agarwood.

Chenxiang was puzzled when he saw Zhu Bajie blocking his way and asked, "Who are you and why are you blocking my way?"

Pigsy pretended to be a Taoist priest, bowed and said, "I have come from afar to cultivate, but when I passed through this place, I saw the dark aura between your eyebrows, which is a sign of disaster. I don't know what you have done, and why you have such a sign of disaster."

Chenxiang was overjoyed upon hearing what Zhu Bajie said and exclaimed, "Sir, can you see the calamity that befalls me?"

Chenxiang was at his wit's end. He wanted to take revenge and save his mother, but he had no way to do so. He was focused on learning martial arts, but he couldn't learn anything at all. Most people in the mortal world were just pretending to be mysterious; how could anyone have real skills?

But now Pigsy has revealed to him that he is in for a calamity, which makes him both frightened and delighted.

Those who can articulate this so clearly must possess genuine skill.

He has learned real skills!
Upon hearing this, Pigsy laughed and said, "I can see the calamity that is afflicting you."

Chenxiang asked happily, "Sir, do you know what kind of calamity I am suffering from?"

Pigsy laughed and said, "How could I not know this? Your calamity comes from your own clan. This is a disaster caused by infighting among your own people."

Upon hearing this, Chenxiang was convinced that Zhu Bajie was a capable person. If he could learn skills from him, he would definitely be able to take revenge, defeat his uncle, and rescue his mother. He immediately bowed and said, "Sir, you have great abilities. I will not hide it from you. I am indeed in trouble. Since you can see it, please use your magic to relieve my trouble."

Pigsy shook his head and said, "But your calamity is no small matter, and it is by no means an ordinary method to resolve it."

Chenxiang said, “Sir, I know this calamity is difficult to resolve, so I do not wish to teach you how to resolve it. I only ask that you teach me your skills so that I can personally save you.”

Upon hearing this, Pigsy was somewhat startled and said, "You want to learn skills from me?"

Chenxiang bowed and said, "That's right. Please stand still, sir, and accept my bow first. I will prepare the gifts later and formally become your disciple."

Pigsy was greatly alarmed. Why did Chenxiang want to become his disciple? If he did, wouldn't his eldest brother swing his golden cudgel and beat him a hundred times?

Pigsy got up and helped Chenxiang up, saying, "Let's not talk about becoming his apprentice. I can teach you skills, but you don't need to become my apprentice."

Chenxiang didn't understand what he meant, but when he heard that Zhu Bajie was willing to teach him skills, he felt relieved.

Pigsy then introduced Chenxiang to Zuo Liang, saying that Zuo Liang was his friend. Upon hearing this, Chenxiang knew that Zuo Liang was also a capable person. Overjoyed, he felt that he could definitely take revenge and defeat his uncle, Erlang Shen.

……

Meanwhile, in the clouds above the city, Erlang Shen, the True Lord of Manifestation, was riding on the clouds, watching from afar as Zhu Bajie, Zuo Liang, and Chen Xiang met.

Erlang Shen smiled and nodded, saying, "With the help of Zhu Bajie and the True Man's disciple, Chenxiang will be safe, and the demons and evil spirits of the Southern Continent will have little chance of harming him."

The Six Sages of Meishan said, "But I'm afraid that Pigsy is a bit lax. Besides, Pigsy's skills aren't that great, and I'm afraid the Dharma Protector won't be able to handle it."

Erlang Shen shook his head and said, "If it were Zhu Bajie, he would certainly be powerless, but with the True Man's disciple here, protecting Chenxiang is enough."

The Six Sages of Meishan, puzzled, asked, "That True Man's disciple has an old face and no magical power. How could he protect Chenxiang?"

Erlang Shen laughed and said, "You do not know the true master's disciple's abilities. If you only look at his magic power, he does not have any profound magic power. This is because he has not cultivated for a long time, so his magic power is shallow. However, he has the Five Thunder Orthodox Method in his body, and he also has the true master's treasures in his body. Even if you go to him in person, it will be difficult to get any benefit from him."

The Six Sages of Meishan were somewhat unconvinced and said, "We simply don't believe it."

Erlang Shen said, "Since you don't believe me, why don't you brothers go and test the skills of this True Man's disciple?"

The Six Sages of Meishan asked, "Is it truly possible to test their abilities?"

Erlang Shen said, "Agarwood should be tempered and refined. If someone protects it, it will not need tempering and refinement. How can agarwood grow?"

Upon hearing this, the Six Sages of Meishan said, "In that case, we should go and test the skills of the True Man's disciple."

Say it.

Having received permission, the Six Sages of Meishan descended the mountain, intending to find an opportunity to attack Chenxiang.

……

After Zuo Liang and Zhu Bajie met Chen Xiang, they traveled out of the city together and talked for a long time, gradually becoming familiar with each other.

Chenxiang knew in his heart that Zuo Liang and Zhu Bajie were both people with real skills and were not ordinary people, so he was determined to learn their skills from them.

As darkness approached, the group found a local earth god temple and went inside to rest.

Zuo Liang entered the temple, burned incense and prayed, and asked to stay the night.

When Pigsy saw this, he stepped forward and bowed to him, showing him great courtesy.

Chenxiang was puzzled and asked, "Gentlemen, what are you doing?"

Pigsy patted his belly and said with a smile, "This is to inform the local earth god that we will be resting in the temple for the night, so we are offering incense and food to him. This is also a way of informing him."

Chenxiang asked, "Mr. Pig, if we tell this to the local deity, will the land know?"

Pigsy said, "Whether they know it or not, we should tell them."

Chenxiang said, “I see many people coming and going. If it gets late and they haven’t reached the inn, they will find a temple to stay in. But they don’t burn incense to inform others.”

Pigsy laughed and said, "The etiquette is there; whether to observe it or not is entirely up to one's own heart."

Chenxiang asked, "What is a ritual?"

After Zuo Liang finished offering incense, he said, "Ritual is ritual."

Chenxiang said, "If we want to cultivate our skills, isn't etiquette very important?"

Zuo Liang said, "Ritual is certainly important; in fact, it is the beginning of cultivation, and of utmost importance." Chen Xiang asked, "What is ritual? Could you explain it to me, sir?"

Zuo Liang then explained the concept of "rites" to Chen Xiang in detail, explaining that rites are the essence of Confucianism.

Chenxiang listened for a while, but was too drowsy to hear anything beyond what Zuo Liang said later.

Seeing this, Zuo Liang felt helpless and shook his head, saying nothing more.

Chenxiang said, "Sir, I do not like this."

Zuo Liang asked, "I can tell that you don't like this kind of thing. You became drowsy after listening for only a short while, which shows your true feelings. But I don't know what kind of thing you like. Can you tell me about it?"

Upon hearing this, Chenxiang danced with joy and said, "Sir, I admire the great skill of moving mountains and filling seas; that is true skill. I do not appreciate this kind of etiquette."

Zuo Liang laughed and said, "What you are talking about is magic and magical power."

Chenxiang nodded and said, "But if this magic has the power to move mountains and fill seas, and can defeat Erlang Shen, then I want to learn it."

Before Zuo Liang could speak, Zhu Bajie, who had been tidying up, stepped forward and, upon hearing Chen Xiang's words, laughed loudly: "But if you want to defeat Erlang Shen, it won't be an easy task. You'll need to study for who knows how long before you can defeat him."

Chenxiang said, "But once I learn the skills, I will definitely be able to defeat that wicked Erlang Shen!"

Upon hearing this, Pigsy said no more, but he didn't believe it. Erlang Shen was incredibly powerful; even Sun Wukong couldn't easily defeat him. How could Chenxiang possibly defeat Erlang Shen? Even if he cultivated for another thousand years, it would be impossible.

He wasn't optimistic, but he didn't say anything more.

During his time practicing, he gradually tempered his temper, and when he spoke, he would think things through first before speaking, no longer uttering nonsense.

Just as Zuo Liang was about to say something, he suddenly sensed something, looked outside the temple, and said, "Guardian of the Cauldron, be careful, there are uninvited guests coming outside the temple."

Pigsy was somewhat surprised and asked, "Zhengyuan, how did you know?"

Zuo Liang said, "I communicated with the four earth gods long ago, so I will know as soon as anyone breaks in."

Pigsy swung his nine-toothed rake and said, "I just saw someone break in."

Listening to Zuo Liang and Zhu Bajie talking, Chen Xiang couldn't help but peek out of the temple. Upon closer inspection, he saw the six brothers of Meishan walking in together.

Chenxiang recognized the six people and said, "I know these people. They are Erlang Shen's henchmen. They came with Erlang Shen to capture me before, but I escaped. Now they know I am here and have come looking for me again."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy pondered for a long time. He knew that Erlang Shen's visit was mainly to test his and Zuo Liang's abilities. He looked at Zuo Liang and saw that Zuo Liang was bowing his head to him, so he knew that Zuo Liang already knew the inside story.

Zuo Liang said, "Guardian Daoist, we have a connection with Chenxiang. Since these people intend to capture Chenxiang, we cannot ignore it. We must protect Chenxiang."

Chenxiang was deeply moved upon hearing what the two said.

Zuo Liang said, "If the Daoist who protects the cauldron has any skills, he should use them. He should not be underestimated."

Pigsy laughed and said, "I know this principle."

Zuo Liang said no more, reached out and took out the Yu Ding from his waist, chanted a spell, and made the Yu Ding reveal its true form of being eighteen feet tall.

When Pigsy saw Yu Ding, he felt relieved. He knew Yu Ding's abilities; even his Monkey King couldn't do anything to Yu Ding back then, so how could he not know his skills?

……

While the story takes place in the Heavenly Palace, the True Man is unaware of the changes in the mortal realm. He is focused on refining elixirs in the Tushita Palace. Although he has not refined golden elixirs for a long time, he is now very skilled and adept at it when making them again.

With the help of the Golden Horn and Silver Horn, he didn't need to tend the fire or fan the wind, so he was very idle.

Jinjiao steadied the fire and, seeing the True Man's calm and composed demeanor, said, "Senior Brother's alchemy method far surpasses what it used to be. Did you often learn it when you traveled among mortals?"

Jiang Yuan shook her head and said, "How could I have learned it? No, I have never, I have never."

Jinjiao asked, "Since you haven't practiced alchemy often, why are you so proficient in it? I remember that you weren't very skilled at it back then."

Jiang Yuan said, "There is a saying that 'when one aperture is opened, all apertures are opened,' but in cultivation, when one has cultivated enough, this path will be completed."

Jinjiao said, "I have also heard of this principle, but senior brother, Laozi once said that the way of alchemy should not be confused with it, as they are quite different."

Jiang Yuan nodded and said, "There is a difference, because this aperture is not an aperture, but rather the number of heaven and earth."

Jinjiao did not understand his meaning.

Jiang Yuan smiled without saying a word, leaving Jin Jiao to figure it out.

"You, Guangxin, why aren't you focused on alchemy? Instead, you're teaching me, your alchemy apprentice."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan knew that Laozi had arrived. He looked out of the alchemy room and saw Laozi enter. He then stood up and bowed.

Laojun helped him up and said, "Guangxin, no need for formalities. Why aren't you focused on alchemy? Why are you instructing this alchemy apprentice? Is he bothering you?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "No, no. Laozi has spent quite some time refining elixirs, so he has some free time here to talk with the immortal boy. It is not to bother or teach him. But I don't know what brings you here, Laozi."

Laozi said, "I have been instructed by the Great Heavenly Venerable to come and ask you, are you now willing to return to your position?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Laojun, you are now focused on cultivation and have truly no intention of joining the ranks of the immortals."

Lao Jun smiled upon hearing this and said, "I knew you would say such a thing. Don't worry, when the Great Heavenly Venerable asks, I will refuse on your behalf. I've only come here today to mention it briefly; there are other matters to discuss."

Jiang Yuan asked, "Laojun, what is the matter?"

Lao Jun said, "Fifty-two days from now, the Queen Mother of the West will hold a grand celebration to commemorate her birthday. Would you like to participate?"

Jiang Yuan then asked, "Lord Lao, I have not yet obtained the Immortal Register. I am able to enter this place today entirely thanks to your grace. How can I participate in the birthday celebration?"

Lao Jun replied, “Guang Xin, don’t worry. For this birthday celebration, the Queen Mother of the West will invite anyone with a reputation in the Three Realms. You are a renowned True Person in the Three Realms, so the Queen Mother of the West will surely invite you. Therefore, if you have free time, you can participate. If you don’t have free time, then you should give up.”

Jiang Yuan bowed and said, "Since I have been invited by the Queen Mother of the West, I dare not refuse and will go."

Lao Jun laughed and said, "In that case, I will agree on your behalf. When the grand gathering comes, I will send someone to speak to you."

Jiang Yuan repeatedly thanked Laozi.

Laozi waved his hand, indicating that it was unnecessary.

As the two were talking, a celestial boy suddenly entered and reported, "Master, the Divine Manifestation of Erlang Shen outside the palace requests an audience and is currently waiting."

Laozi asked, "Why is Erlang Shen looking for me?"

The fairy boy shook his head and said, "Master, he did not say anything."

Lao Jun pondered for a moment and said, "In that case, please come into the main hall. I will go there now to meet him."

The celestial attendant received the order and went to convey Laozi's intentions.

(End of this chapter)