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

Chapter 300 Chenxiang Becomes a Disciple of Laozi
The story goes that Liu Chenxiang met with the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, requesting to be accepted as a disciple and to follow him in cultivation. Sun Wukong met Chenxiang, pondered for a moment, but did not answer directly. Instead, he led Chenxiang and Zhu Bajie to another cave in the mountains to talk with them.

Pigsy, wielding his nine-toothed rake, peered forward and saw a cave dwelling. He asked, "Brother, how come there's a cave dwelling here?"

Sun Wukong said, "This is the cave of the Green Ox. He has been going to the cave to listen to Master's teachings recently, so this place is vacant. I borrowed it to use for quiet cultivation."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy exclaimed in surprise, "That green ox has such a destiny!"

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Fool, you don't know this. A few years ago, my eldest brother went to heaven to refine elixirs with Laozi. But he was afraid that the Green Ox would be left unattended, so he asked Master to take care of it."

Pigsy nodded and said, "So that's how it is. But enough of that, brother, would you be willing to take Chenxiang as your disciple?"

Sun Wukong glanced at Liu Chenxiang behind him and said, "Let's go inside first."

Say it.

Sun Wukong entered the cave, and the group followed closely behind, entering as well.

Once inside the cave, Sun Wukong prepared a feast for everyone and had them take their seats.

Upon seeing this, Chenxiang rose again, bowed, and said, "Please, Great Sage, grant me permission to become your disciple!"

Chenxiang untied the bundle, took out the six gifts, and offered them to Sun Wukong.

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong did not respond. Looking at Liu Li, he smiled and said, "Let's put aside the matter of taking on a master and disciples for now. Let me ask you, are you well-versed in poetry and literature?"

Chenxiang shook his head and said, "I am not a well-read scholar. My knowledge comes entirely from the instruction I received from the two gentlemen on my journey."

Sun Wukong glanced at Zhu Bajie, then turned to Zuo Liang, nodded, and said, "My nephew is a learned man. Since he has taught you, you must possess some knowledge. I will ask you a question. If you can answer it, I will accept you as my disciple, and I will help you with your grudges and entanglements in the future. But if you cannot answer it, then we are not destined to be together."

Chenxiang bowed and said, "Please ask me, Great Sage."

Sun Wukong pointed to the six bows beside Chenxiang and said, "Explain the function of each of these six bows to me. If you can answer them, then you have passed."

Upon hearing this, Chenxiang was somewhat pleased and said, "I am familiar with these six rites."

Sun Wukong said, "If that's the case, then tell me what you have to say."

Chenxiang held up the gift of ten strips of dried meat and said, "It is said that Confucius once accepted this gift when he took on disciples. This symbolizes that students should respect their teachers and make offerings to them."

Chenxiang then took out a cup of wine and said, "This is to honor the teacher and to show respect for the transmission of knowledge and skills."

Chenxiang then took out jade silk, incense, candles, paper money, writing brush, ink, and a letter of apprenticeship, explaining their uses one by one.

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong beamed with joy and said, "Since you can indeed answer the question, I will keep my promise and accept you as my disciple."

Chenxiang was overjoyed and kowtowed countless times, saying, "Disciple greets Master! Disciple greets Master!"

Sun Wukong smiled and helped Chenxiang up.

Just as Chenxiang was about to say something, he suddenly heard a commotion outside. He listened carefully and realized that the Six Sages of Meishan had come looking for him again.

Chenxiang said, "Master, gentlemen, the Six Monsters of Meishan are chasing us again."

Pigsy laughed and said, "Let's ignore them! Those six people would never dare to enter this place."

Neither Zuo Liang nor Sun Wukong said it aloud, but they both meant the same thing.

Chenxiang was puzzled and asked, "Mr. Pig, why don't you dare to enter this place?"

Pigsy said, “Chenxiang, you don’t know this. Although the Six Sages of Meishan have some abilities and can go to many places inside and outside the Three Realms, what kind of place is this? This place is Lingtai Fangcun Mountain. It is the place where the Patriarch and the True Man reside. Not to mention the Six Sages of Meishan, even Erlang Shen would not dare to enter this place without permission.”

Chenxiang asked, "What if the Six Monsters of Meishan force their way in?"

Pigsy laughed and said, "If the Six Sages of Meishan come and force their way in, do you think Brother Monkey and the Patriarch will just stand by and watch?"

Sun Wukong said, "Fool, don't talk nonsense."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy dared not speak further.

Sun Wukong said, “Chenxiang, now that you have become my disciple and are following me in cultivation, I cannot teach you the secrets of cultivation. You should go to the library at home first. When you have read half of the books, I will teach you the secrets of cultivation.”

Chenxiang readily agreed.

……

Outside Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, the Six Sages of Meishan led five hundred grass-headed gods to this place. Just as Pigsy had said, they dared not enter rashly.

This place is no ordinary place; it is the location of the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars. Even if Erlang Shen, the True Lord of Manifestation, were to come, he would not be permitted to enter, nor would he dare to do so.

The six saints of Meishan looked at each other, at a loss for what to do.

Zhijian said, “No need to go in, no need to go in. We were ordered by the True Lord to hone Chenxiang. Now that Chenxiang has gone to the Immortal Mountain to learn from a master, there is no need for us to hone him.”

Upon hearing this, the others said, "We are not used to it. In the past, it would appear regularly to drive away Chenxiang, but now it cannot enter this mountain, which leaves us at a loss."

Zhi Jian laughed and said, "If you are not used to it, what should we do? Do you dare to enter this mountain? Not to mention the old ancestor in the mountain, even the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, we cannot do anything to him."

The Six Sages of Meishan all held the Great Sage Qitian in awe of his abilities. In the past, when Sun Wukong wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, causing unrest in the Three Realms, they had already heard of him. Now, there was no need to mention it. He was now the Victorious Fighting Buddha, and his abilities were even greater than before. The True Lord often said that even the True Lord would find it difficult to defeat the Victorious Fighting Buddha now.

In this situation, how could they dare to offend them? They feared that the golden cudgel would sweep out and subdue or kill them.

The six saints of Meishan had no choice but to give up and wait outside Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

After a short while, Erlang Shen arrived riding on a cloud.

Upon seeing Erlang Shen, everyone bowed in respect.

Erlang Shen asked, "Brothers, how is Chenxiang doing now?"

The Six Sages of Meishan then told Erlang Shen everything that had happened along the way, as well as the matter of Chenxiang entering the mountain.

Erlang Shen, hearing that Chenxiang was "well-mannered" and often spoke insightful words, smiled and said, "Now that Chenxiang has entered Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, there is no need to guard him anymore. You brothers can lead the troops back to Guanjiang Estuary to rest for a while. I estimate that Chenxiang will need some time to cultivate."

Upon hearing this, the Six Sages of Meishan naturally accepted the order and led a group of grass-root gods toward the mouth of the Guanjiang River.

Erlang Shen did not leave. He rode a cloud to Fangcun Mountain, as if waiting for someone.

Before long, clouds and mist suddenly emerged from Fangcun Mountain, revealing Sun Wukong. Erlang Shen stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Great Sage!"

Sun Wukong returned the greeting and said, "True Lord, greetings. What brings you here? If you were visiting, you could have entered the mountain. Why are you lingering here?"

Erlang Shen said, "Since you already know that Chenxiang has entered the mountain, you should know why I haven't entered the mountain. Why are you joking with me?"

Sun Wukong scratched his ears and cheeks and laughed, "Just kidding, just kidding. Since True Lord is not going into the mountain, why don't you come with me to sit in that place outside the mountain? I'll get some fruit to treat you to a meal."

Erlang Shen pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

The two rode on clouds toward the back mountain, and soon they arrived there.

Sun Wukong said, “True Lord, there are some peaches here that taste very delicious. Among them, the peaches from two or three peach trees here are the most round and juicy. Let me pick two for you to enjoy, and you will know that what I said is true.”

Say it.

Sun Wukong was going to pick the peaches.

But when he looked around, he saw no peach trees, only orange trees.

Erlang Shen laughed and said, "Great Sage, what kind of logic is this? You're calling an orange a peach!"

Sun Wukong was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to express himself. He was somewhat annoyed. He knew that this must be the work of the Green Ox, and he was about to go and cause trouble for the Green Ox. Before he could go, Erlang Shen stopped him.

Erlang Shen laughed and said, "Great Sage, there's no need to be anxious. I also like these oranges. There's no need to go and get peaches."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong knew perfectly well what Erlang Shen meant and said, "True Lord, this is my fault. I have failed to provide adequate hospitality. However, I was unaware that the peach trees here had been replaced by the green ox."

Erlang Shen said, "Great Sage, there's no need to say such things. I have no grudge against you. Let me get you two or three oranges to appease your anger."

Say it.

Erlang Shen personally picked two or three oranges and handed them to Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong accepted the orange and bowed to Erlang Shen in gratitude.

The two then sat down on the ground and began to talk.

After talking for a long time, Erlang Shen suddenly asked, "Great Sage, now that my nephew has entered the mountain, has the Great Sage accepted him as a disciple?"

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "True Lord, you can rest assured. I have already taken him as my disciple and will teach him well. You don't need to worry."

Erlang Shen laughed and said, "I know the Great Sage's abilities, so I have no worries. However, I don't know how the Great Sage should teach me. Perhaps you could tell me, so that I can also learn something."

Sun Wukong said, “True Lord is his uncle, so it is common for him to know such things. But my teachings to him are based on what my master and eldest brother learned. First, I teach him to know etiquette and cultivate his mind. When he knows etiquette and is well-versed in poetry and books, he will also know many ways. Only then can he be allowed to cultivate. Whether he cultivates the orthodox path of the Golden Elixir or a heterodox path is entirely up to him. If he cultivates the orthodox path of the Golden Elixir, I will pass on the orthodox path of the Golden Elixir to him. If he wants to cultivate a heterodox path, I will explain the heterodox path to him. Whether he cultivates a magic or Buddhism, it is all up to him.”

Erlang Shen nodded upon hearing this and said, "If that's the case, then it's feasible. In fact, whether it's a disciple of a True Man or a disciple of Bodhi Patriarch, the method of teaching disciples is essentially the same."

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "True Lord, my eldest brother always has people around him. The path is under his feet. No matter how much cultivation he has, it all depends on himself. Even if we can help him, how much can we really help him?"

Erlang Shen pondered for a long time before saying, "Now that I have heard what the Great Sage has to say, it is indeed far superior to what I said before."

Sun Wukong shook his head and said, "It is because of Master's teachings and Senior Brother's guidance."

Erlang Shen asked again, "If we follow what the Great Sage says, how long will it take for Chenxiang to embark on the path of cultivation?"

Sun Wukong said, “To be honest, True Lord, there are many books in the manor, most of which were written by my eldest brother in the past, and a few were written later. If any of us disciples achieve something in our cultivation, we will also leave our books in there. Therefore, it is very difficult to read through the entire library. Even those with extraordinary talent would need a hundred years to read it all. I intend to let them read only a little, about twenty or thirty years, so that they can embark on the path of cultivation.”

After listening, Erlang Shen nodded and said, "I am very grateful for your guidance, Great Sage. I am grateful to have you accept my nephew as your disciple. I will remember this kindness and will definitely help you if you ever need anything in the future."

Sun Wukong said with a smile, "No need to be so polite, no need to be so polite."

The two talked for a long time in the mountains, each enjoying themselves, before Erlang Shen finally left.

……

Time flies, and ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.

In the alchemy room of the Tushita Palace, the True Man was single-mindedly refining elixirs without wavering. He could easily handle the ten days in the heavens, refining elixirs with ease. This was exactly what was meant by "when one orifice is opened, all orifices are opened." Since he had come to understand the numbers of heaven and earth, he had mastered the external alchemy method with great ease.

The True Man only needed half of his mind to easily refine pills. When the two immortal boys, Golden Horn and Silver Horn, saw this, they were greatly amazed and said, "Senior Brother, you have such great skills."

Jiang Yuan had just finished refining the elixir when he suddenly saw Laozi walk in from outside. The True Man was used to seeing this. Although Laozi said that he could refine the elixir himself, he would come every day to check if there were any mistakes in his elixir refining. The True Man knew that this was Laozi's concern.

Laozi entered the alchemy room, examined it carefully, and said, "There are no mistakes. Just follow the steps, and this elixir will surely be successful. Guangxin, you should have mastered the external alchemy."

Jiang Yuan rose, bowed, and said, "It is all thanks to Laozi's teachings."

Laozi laughed and said, "When you have mastered the external alchemy, would you be interested in staying in my Tushita Palace for some time to learn the alchemy?"

Jiang Yuan asked, "What about the Dao of Alchemy?"

Laozi said, "External alchemy is not limited to the Golden Elixir; there are other alchemical paths as well."

Jiang Yuan understood immediately and said, "Laojun, it is like the cultivation path. Within the Daoist path, there are 360 ​​side paths, but the Golden Elixir is the only true path. The Dao of Elixir is also like this. Besides the Golden Elixir, there are many other paths."

Lao Jun smiled and nodded, saying, "Just as you said, you are indeed extremely intelligent. The pills you used before to nourish your primordial spirit all came from this. If you wish to cultivate, I can teach you how."

Jiang Yuan bowed and said, "This is a secret that is not passed down. How can I have the face to ask Laozi to teach it to me?"

Lao Jun shook his head and said, "In my palace, there is no one who can cultivate the Dao of Alchemy. Many of the immortal children are only good at setting up fires and fanning the wind. If they want to refine pills, they are absolutely incapable. In terms of alchemy, there is no one who can match you. As for cultivating supernatural powers, there is one who has achieved something, but he has not achieved success in alchemy with your unwavering Dao heart. Therefore, he has not achieved anything in alchemy and is still inferior to you."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan said, "Guang Xin thanks Lao Jun, but Guang Xin has not yet fully mastered the external alchemy and dares not answer. Please forgive me, Lao Jun."

Lao Jun nodded and said, "I expected you to say such a thing. Just focus on refining the elixir. If you process the elixir according to your method, you will surely succeed when the heat is right."

Say it.

Lao Jun was about to turn and leave when he suddenly thought of something and said, "In a few days, one of my disciples will be returning to the palace. Guangxin can meet him. He has long admired Guangxin."

Jiang Yuan asked, "Who are you? Have I seen you before?"

Lao Jun smiled and shook his head, saying, "You have never seen him, but he has some connection with you. He is the master of Pigsy."

(End of this chapter)