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

Chapter 299: Half the journey is completed at ninety; is worshipping gods or worshipping greed?
The story goes that Liu Chenxiang, Zuo Liang, and Zhu Bajie arrived in a city, bought a lot of things, and then headed west into Xiniu Hezhou, heading towards Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

The group had been traveling west for a long time, and before they knew it, more than a year had passed. They were in the midst of a harsh winter, and all they could see was the forest light dim in the mist, the mountain peaks sharp and clear beyond the water.

Chenxiang held a book in his hands, never forgetting to read. Having traveled this far, he had seen mostly wilderness, but now that he saw something different, he took a second look.

Chenxiang tightened his clothes and said, "Gentlemen, is this place close to Lingtai Fangcun Mountain?"

Zuo Liang looked outside and nodded, saying, "Closer, closer."

As Zhu Bajie wielded his nine-toothed rake, he was protected by the Yu Ding at Zuo Liang's waist. Along the way, no demons or evil spirits dared to provoke him, for there was a trace of the aura of a true immortal within him, which made his skills somewhat rusty.

Upon hearing Chenxiang's question, Bajie replied, "We are now close to Lingtai Fangcun Mountain. We should hurry on our journey and arrive in three or four days. However, I am still a bit rusty and need to find Brother Monkey to practice with me."

Chenxiang said, "Gentlemen, since you can arrive in three or four days, we can speed up our pace."

Zuo Liang shook his head and said, "No need to rush, no need to rush. Chenxiang, let me test you."

Upon hearing this, Chenxiang bowed and said, "Please, Mr. Zuo, give me the question."

Zuo Liang said, "There is a saying, 'He who travels a hundred li is only halfway there at ninety.' Where does this saying come from?"

Chenxiang bowed and said, “Replying to Master Zuo, this saying comes from the ‘Strategies of the Warring States’. The original text is ‘He who travels a hundred li is only halfway there at ninety. This means that the final stretch is the most difficult.’ This means that during the Warring States period, strategists used this saying to warn the King of Qin that the great cause of unifying the world was nearing completion, but the remaining tasks should not be underestimated, as they are the most difficult part. We must not be careless and should be cautious in our words and actions until we succeed.”

Zuo Liang smiled and nodded, saying, "If that's the case, do you understand?"

Chenxiang said, “I understand Mr. Zuo’s meaning. We are now close to Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, but I must not speed up my pace just because we are close. If I do so, something will definitely happen. I should be careful in my words and actions and proceed with a calm mind.”

Hearing what Chenxiang was saying, Pigsy exclaimed, "Chenxiang, how come you have such knowledge now? When I first met you, you were ignorant and unwilling to study. But today you speak so eloquently."

Chenxiang asked blankly, "How could I be knowledgeable, Mr. Pig? This must be what the books say."

Pigsy was puzzled and said, "How come I've never heard of these books before?"

Chenxiang said, "These books were given to me by you, Mr. Pig."

Pigsy said, "The books I gave you are easily obtainable."

Chenxiang said, "The reasoning behind it truly comes from the book."

Pigsy was somewhat skeptical. He put down his nine-toothed rake, picked up his bundle, and began to peruse the books.

Zuo Liang stepped forward and said with a smile, "Guardian Daoist, there is no need to look through them. These books were all given to you by you, and they are all books that you said are easy to obtain. You should know that the value of a book lies in what it contains, not in the book itself. Whether a book is easy to obtain or not, it is valuable within. Study it carefully, and you will surely gain something."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy pondered for a long time before saying, "I have learned my lesson. This was my fault."

He then said to Chenxiang, "Chenxiang, may I borrow these books to take a look?"

Agarwood readily agreed.

The group continued westward, braving the snow and cold without fear.

After traveling for two or three days, the group gradually approached Lingtai Fangcun Mountain. However, before they even got close to the mountain, they saw a mountain peak from which wisps of blue smoke rose.

As they approached, they all looked at the wisps of smoke rising from the mountaintop.

Chenxiang pointed to that spot and said, "Gentlemen, why is there so much smoke rising into the sky over there? Is someone performing a sacrificial ceremony?"

Pigsy took a closer look and said, "There must be someone performing a sacrifice. Let's go and take a look. This place is so far from Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, there shouldn't be so many people performing sacrifices here."

Zuo Liang also had this confusion.

With this in mind, the three of them hurried toward that place. Before long, they reached the top of the hill and saw a large group of people in the distance, who were indeed carrying out a sacrificial ceremony.

At some point, a temple was erected on that hilltop.

Pigsy looked closely and laughed, "That place is the temple of the True Man. I wondered what kind of temple could stand here, but I never expected it to be the temple of the True Man."

Upon hearing this, Chenxiang asked curiously, "Is he the Great Sage's senior brother?"

Pigsy nodded and said, “That’s right, that’s right. That kind of immortal is a true immortal. Although he is not well-known in the human world of the Southern Continent, all those with magical powers in the Three Realms know his name. The Jade Emperor invited him twice but he refused. The Buddha of Mount Ling invited him to sit on the lotus platform, but he still refused. It is common for temples to be built to worship him.”

Upon hearing this, Chenxiang greatly admired the 'real man' that Zhu Bajie had mentioned.

Zuo Liang shook his head and said, "This offering is not a good thing."

Chenxiang, puzzled, asked, "Why is it not a good thing to be worshipped and treated with such grandeur? If someone were to worship me, I would feel joy just by thinking about it."

Zuo Liang said, "But if you offer sacrifices, there will inevitably be trouble. This is the beginning of suffering. If you want to calm your mind and cultivate yourself, then you cannot make offerings."

Chenxiang didn't understand and was somewhat bewildered.

Zuo Liang pointed ahead and said, "Guardian of the Cauldron, let us all go forward and see why they are holding this sacrifice."

Pigsy nodded and said, "That's right, that's right."

The three then headed towards the temple. After getting a little closer, they squeezed through the crowd and saw a large group of people who had finished their sacrifices and were gathered in front of the temple to discuss something. The leader of them was an old man dressed in fine clothes.

The old man wore a black silk turban, a pale white Shu brocade robe, and coarse leather boots, with a black and green sash tied around his neck. He looked quite dignified and bowed to the four directions, saying, "Today's sacrifice is over. The matter of the first incense offering at the next sacrifice needs to be discussed."

People around started jeering, saying, "Old Wang, just tell us how we can get this first incense. But what you say is right. We've all been entitled to it. Is it like usual, the highest bidder wins?"

Old Wang said, “That’s right, that’s right. The highest bidder wins. You can all bid, but the highest bidder will get the first incense. Don’t underestimate the first incense. The first incense is the first stick lit when the incense is lit. It contains the greatest merit. If you offer the first incense, you will definitely get the attention of the Three Star Immortals.”

Upon hearing this, the surrounding people witnessed a massive bidding war, all vying to be the first to participate.

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang sighed repeatedly and stepped forward to dissuade him, saying, "But if you really want to offer sacrifices, why do you need the first incense? Sincerity is enough."

Old Wang, somewhat indignant upon hearing that someone was interfering, asked, "Where did you come from?"

Zuo Liang laughed and said, "There's no need to care where I came from, but is what I said reasonable?"

Old Wang pointed at Zuo Liang and said, "Why are you spouting such useless words?"

Zuo Liang bowed and said, "How can these words be useless?" When Old Wang saw Zuo Liang bow, his expression softened and he said, "You are a few years older than me, so there is no need for such formalities. What you said is indeed useless. Such grand principles, spoken with sincerity, saying that sacrifices are unnecessary, are indeed useless. Who has not been able to speak of these principles? But they cannot be put into practice, so we cannot carry them out. That is why we use the first incense stick."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang laughed and said, "The reasoning is clear, but it is difficult to put into practice. It is not impossible, but if it were to be favored by the gods, how could it be considered easy? This idea of ​​the first incense offering is absurd. If the first incense offering were effective, wouldn't the whole world be filled with worshippers of gods?"

For a moment, Old Wang was speechless, unsure how to respond.

Someone nearby asked, "If being the first to offer incense is not acceptable, does it truly require sincerity? But how can one be sincere? If you can explain the method, we will believe you."

Zuo Liang said, "If you want to know how sincere you are, you must ask yourself why you worship the gods."

Someone replied, "It's a prayer for the protection of the immortals, for favorable weather, for the safety of the family, for abundant wealth, and for a bright future."

Zuo Liang smiled slightly and said, "Are you worshipping a god, or are you worshipping the greed in your heart?"

The person simply couldn't bring themselves to say it.

Zuo Liang laughed and said, “Gentlemen, if what you ask for is favorable weather and abundant harvests, when have you ever experienced unfavorable weather and abundant harvests while living in this area? The safety of your families is in your hands, but doing good deeds will prevent accidents. As for wealth and future prospects, they are in your own hands. You should know that the gods are not omnipotent. If you want to obtain everything, it is up to you. If this immortal knew what you were asking for, he would probably sigh that you are unwilling to turn back, rather than granting your greed.”

Upon hearing this, many people seemed to awaken from a dream, bowed to Zuo Liang, and then got up and left, seemingly no longer bowing to the clay statue in the temple.

However, after a short while, most people left, leaving only Old Wang and a handful of others.

Seeing that Zuo Liang's words had caused so many people to leave, Old Wang was somewhat indignant and said, "If you teach people not to believe in gods and immortals, aren't you afraid that the gods and immortals will blame you!"

Zuo Liang heard this, but smiled without saying a word.

Pigsy laughed loudly and said, "You old man, do you know who this person is?"

Old Wang shook his head and said, "I don't know, but he has a certain air of authority, so he must be an elder from somewhere else."

Pigsy laughed and said, "You are truly ignorant! The deity you worship is this man's master!"

Upon hearing this, Old Wang was greatly surprised. After taking a closer look, he saw that although Zuo Liang's face was old, his eyes were not cloudy at all, and he had an otherworldly air about him. He was inexplicably convinced that Zuo Liang was an immortal.

Old Wang suddenly knelt down, his expression one of intense emotion.

When the people around saw Old Wang kneel down, they also knelt down.

As soon as they knelt down, they looked up again but could not find Zuo Liang and his group. The elders of the sect were anxious and searched everywhere but could not find them. After learning that Zuo Liang was a disciple of the immortal, the elders of the sect believed that what Zuo Liang said was the will of the immortal, so they stopped making sacrifices and left this matter aside for the time being.

……

A day or two later, Zuo Liang and his group finally arrived at Lingtai Fangcun Mountain and began their ascent. Upon learning that this was their destination, Chen Xiang was overjoyed. He looked around and found everything novel and interesting, with immortal herbs and trees everywhere. This place truly was a land of immortals.

Chenxiang beamed with joy and said, "Gentlemen, this place is truly a celestial realm, which greatly amazes me."

Pigsy shouted, "There's no need to look around here any longer. Go into that immortal palace; that's the real place for immortals."

Chenxiang said, "If that's the case, then you should let me go and see for myself, so that I can broaden my horizons."

Pigsy nodded and said, "Follow me."

Seeing this, Zuo Liang nodded and followed Zhu Bajie.

Chenxiang was in high spirits and followed Zhu Bajie.

After walking for a while, the three approached the Three Star Immortal Cave. Before they could enter, they suddenly saw Sun Wukong walk out and bump into them.

Chenxiang was knocked down and sat on the ground, unable to stand up for a long time. He looked ahead and saw a monkey walking out. The monkey was wearing a kasaya and Buddhist beads on its head. The slightly strange outfit seemed odd to him, but he didn't look strange at all.

Sun Wukong said, "Bajie, nephew, what are you doing? Why did you rush in like that and bump into me?"

Pigsy laughed and said, "Brother, you're joking. With your skin of copper and bones of iron, how could we possibly hurt you?"

Sun Wukong said, "Let's not talk about that. What's the matter that you're all in such a hurry?"

Pigsy had not yet spoken.

Zuo Liang stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Junior Nephew Zheng Yuan greets Senior Uncle. Senior Uncle, it's been a long time. How have you been?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong's attitude immediately changed. He helped Zuo Liang up and said, "Nephew, please get up quickly. I am fine. You have been traveling, but I wonder if you have been bullied by anyone while you were out there? If anyone has bullied you, you can tell me, and I will definitely stand up for you and avenge you."

Just as Zuo Liang was about to say something, Zhu Bajie grabbed him and said with a mournful face, "Brother, you don't know this. During our travels, someone really bullied me and Zheng Yuan. If it weren't for the Yu Ding bestowed by the master, Zheng Yuan would probably have died long ago. How could he have met you then?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong became somewhat annoyed. He pulled out his golden cudgel from behind his ear and said, "Who dares to bully my nephew like this? Fool, tell me, and I will surely give him a hundred blows to vent my anger for my nephew."

Pigsy said, "They are the Six Saints of Meishan under the command of Erlang Shen."

Sun Wukong was stunned for a moment, then he understood what was going on. He stepped forward and grabbed Zhu Bajie's fan-shaped ears, saying, "You idiot, how can you keep talking such nonsense?"

Pigsy cried out, "Brother Monkey, spare me! Spare me! I truly did not speak falsely. Those Six Sages of Meishan really deceived Yu Zhengyuan."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong looked at Zuo Liang and asked, "Have the Six Sages of Meishan in Zhengyuan done anything excessive?"

Zuo Liang shook his head and laughed, "Uncle-Master, don't listen to the nonsense of the Daoist Protector of the Cauldron."

Sun Wukong said, "I knew you were talking nonsense, you idiot! Take this!"

Pigsy panicked and ran away in all directions, with Monkey King chasing after him, wanting to beat him up.

The two chased and fled for an unknown amount of time, when suddenly a sound made them stop.

"Great Sage! I am Liu Chenxiang, and I have come with Mr. Pig and Mr. Zuo to become your disciples. Please grant me your permission!"

Sun Wukong stopped, turned around, and saw Liu Chenxiang kneeling on the ground, begging him to take him as his disciple.

Seeing this, Pigsy stepped forward and said, "Brother, please spare me. This man was born in Yongzhou. He traveled thousands of miles with us to become your disciple. He is steadfast in his cultivation and knows proper etiquette. If we take him as our disciple, he will surely inherit three or four parts of your skills, Brother Monkey."

Seeing that Zhu Bajie was pleading for him, Liu Chenxiang looked on gratefully and left.

(End of this chapter)