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

Chapter 306 The Three Calamities, Li Longji
Time flies, and more than half a year has passed in the blink of an eye.
The True Man departed from Lingtai Fangcun Mountain and traveled for half a year before finally arriving at the Southern Continent. On this journey, the True Man took only four people with him.

These four are Green Ox, Sun Wukong, Pigsy, and Zuo Liang.

The Bull Demon King and Red Boy, among others, originally wanted to follow as well, but the Master politely declined, allowing them to cultivate in the quiet room, saying that their cultivation was not yet ready to enter the world.

Zuo Liang is a person who needs to cultivate, and Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie are going there to ferry Taibai Jinxing, so they both have a reason to go.

Therefore, the immortal traveled with four people.

As the group entered the territory of Jambudvipa, the white deer shook its head as soon as it stepped in, seemingly feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

When the immortal entered, he immediately saw with his divine eye that Jambudvipa was very different from before, and that the aura of the three calamities was extremely strong, which was a sign of a chaotic world.

Sun Wukong asked, "Elder brother, what is the meaning of this place?"

Pigsy stepped forward and looked closely, but saw only mountains and water ahead, with nothing else. He exclaimed, "There's nothing here, what can be said about this? Brother, don't make things difficult for the master."

Sun Wukong grabbed Zhu Bajie's fan-shaped ear and said, "You fool, if your cultivation is not up to par, then don't talk so much. Otherwise, you'll only make people laugh at you."

Pigsy said, “What I’m saying is the truth, brother. Pulling my ear won’t help. There really is nothing here. If you don’t believe me, ask Zheng Yuan if there’s anything to say about this place.”

Sun Wukong looked towards Zuo Liang and went to investigate.

Zuo Liang shook his head and said, "Guardian Daoist, this place is different, mostly because it is related to the current situation of the Li Tang dynasty, but I do not know what is different."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy was somewhat surprised. He pushed Monkey's hand away and said, "Zhengyuan, how many years have you cultivated? How come you can actually see something?"

Zuo Liang laughed and said, "Guardian of the Cauldron, I have been cultivating for seventy or eighty years now, which is not a short time."

Pigsy said, “Your years of cultivation are not even a fraction of what I have. Tell me, how is this place related to the situation of the Tang Dynasty? Explain the reasons clearly.”

Zuo Liang said, "To be honest, Guardian Daoist, I don't know anything about this. The reason I said that this place is related to the situation of the Tang Dynasty is because in my spare time in the past, I often made friends with the local earth gods and mountain gods. I learned about the Tang Dynasty from them. After my master entered the Southern Jambudvipa, I could tell from their expressions that the Southern Jambudvipa must be different. I guessed a little and then made some judgments."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan exclaimed, "Zheng Yuan is indeed meticulous. Over the years, I have been studying the external alchemy at the Tushita Palace and have not taught you. Yet your cultivation has been flawless, which puts my mind at ease."

Zuo Liang said, "As the saying goes, 'The master leads you through the door, but the cultivation depends on yourself.' Master has already helped me a lot, so how could I trouble Master to keep looking after me?"

Jiang Yuan nodded with a smile.

Sun Wukong stepped forward and asked, "Nephew, I've seen you go out sometimes, but I didn't know where you went. Now I know that you went to meet with the Earth God and the Mountain God. I wonder why you like to be friends with those kinds of people?"

Zuo Liang bowed and said, "Uncle-Master, the sect I cultivate is the one of arts. I often ask the gods for help in my daily affairs, so I have made friends with immortals and the like. Once we are familiar with each other, I will be more willing to help them if they ask for my assistance."

Sun Wukong said, "If that's the case, why don't you befriend the gods of Heaven? But they won't talk to you much? If that's the case, you can mention my name. If they still won't talk to you much, you can speak to me, and I will definitely stand up for you."

Zuo Liang shook his head and said, "Uncle-Master, there's no need for that. I have never befriended the gods because I rarely need their help. Many small matters are related to the Earth God and Mountain God, so I deal with them more often."

Pigsy said, "Let's not even talk about that. I really don't see anything special about this place."

Jiang Yuan shook his head and smiled, "Now that we have entered the Southern Continent, we can see that the aura of the Three Calamities is extremely strong here. I fear that chaos is coming and the human world will be in great turmoil. There is no other explanation."

Sun Wukong said, "Elder Brother, since the Emperor's defeat, chaos is inevitable in the Southern Continent. But now that we have arrived in the Southern Continent, we don't know where to go next?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Let's go to Yangzhou. The reincarnation of Venus and the person I'm looking for are both there."

Upon hearing this, everyone marveled at the profound power of the True Man, who was able to foresee the situation of Jambudvipa so soon after entering the continent.

After receiving the decree from the immortal, everyone obeyed and set off for Yangzhou.

……

Two or three months passed in the blink of an eye.

The immortals and their entourage traveled for a long time in the Southern Continent, arriving outside Chang'an City. They stopped there and saw starving people swarming like ants across the fields. The north wind whipped up withered leaves, their cries sounding like the wailing of ghosts. The village headman was checking the registers, and they saw an old woman embracing withered bones by the roadside, howling. Many people were selling their children for half a bushel of old millet.

Upon seeing this, Pigsy exclaimed in surprise, "How could this place be like this? When I returned from my journey to the West years ago, this place was bustling with carriages and horses. Later, when I came here with the immortal, although it was not as good, it was not as desolate. How could it be like this now?"

Zuo Liang said, "Master said that this is a sign of a chaotic world. This is indeed true. This is Chang'an, the capital of the world. In ancient times, this place has been the capital of many dynasties and has always been the most prosperous place in the world. But now it is like this."

Zuo Liang was once a man of the Tang Dynasty, and Chang'an held a sacred place in his heart. Now, seeing Chang'an in its current state, he couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. Human wealth and honor were indeed like fleeting clouds, gone in an instant. If he had truly coveted wealth and honor without realizing it or cultivating himself, he would have long since turned into a handful of dust. No matter how much wealth he possessed, it would all be nothing but smoke and clouds.

Sun Wukong asked, "Elder brother, shall we go inside to see the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "There's no need for us to go; he will come of his own accord."

Just as Sun Wukong was about to ask something more, he suddenly saw riders coming from afar, driving away the surrounding refugees. There was also an entourage moving forward, with elite armored soldiers leading the way. At the end of the road, he could vaguely see a carriage approaching. It was a golden chariot, pulled by four horses, with civil officials and attendants behind it, a drum and music troupe, and a forest of flags, which was very impressive.

Sun Wukong pointed to that place and said, "Eldest brother, that must be where the emperor of the Tang Dynasty is located."

Pigsy was somewhat indignant and said, "How can it be like this? His soldiers are like wolves and tigers, while the refugees outside the city are as thin as rakes. This emperor would be better off not being reincarnated; he's just a burden to everyone."

Sun Wukong scolded, "Fool, don't talk nonsense. Even if the Emperor failed, his heart is still respected by us. We must not slander him because of his failure."

Pigsy said, “Brother, what I said is not wrong, but if the Emperor had not come, these living people might not be in this situation.”

Sun Wukong shook his head and said, "Fool, let me ask you, if you were the Emperor, would you personally descend to the mortal realm to save me?"

Pigsy grumbled, "Definitely not! If there were such freedom and peace, why seek suffering? Saving sentient beings is so difficult. Besides, if one succeeds, there is no benefit whatsoever; if one fails, one suffers verbal abuse. It's really..."

Halfway through his sentence, Pigsy had an idea and stopped speaking, realizing something was amiss.

Sun Wukong stopped arguing with the fool, looked at the immortal, and said, "Senior Brother, should I step forward and stop him?"

The master shook his head and said, "Wukong, there's no need for that. Just wait here, and he will come on his own."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong waited where he was.

But soon after the emperor's procession approached the officials, armored soldiers stepped forward to drive them away, shouting, "His Majesty is on an inspection tour; idlers, please step aside."

When the immortals and their entourage saw this, Sun Wukong was about to step forward and say something.

The immortal suddenly smiled and nodded, causing the white deer to move to the side of the road without obstructing it.

Sun Wukong and the others had no choice but to follow the immortal to the side of the road, knowing that there must be a reason for what the immortal was doing.

The armored soldiers, seeing the immortals and others make way, stood aside without paying any attention and continued on their way, clearing a path. A short while later, a golden chariot arrived, and on it sat an aging emperor, very old, yet still exuding a hint of majesty in his eyes.

The group of immortals were watching the emperor, who also saw them. Upon seeing the immortals, the emperor ordered his attendants to stop, pointed at the group of immortals, and asked, "Have I seen that group of people before?"

The attendant looked around for a long time in the direction the emperor was pointing, then shook his head and said, "I have served Your Majesty for decades, and Your Majesty has never seen such a group of people. Your Majesty? The attire of this group of people suggests they are mostly from foreign lands. If Your Majesty wishes to see them, I will have someone summon them to your side."

The emperor shook his head and said, "No need for that, but I feel as if I have seen this group of people before, so I am a little curious."

The attendant said, "His Majesty has never seen this group of people before."

The emperor said, "Perhaps I have misremembered."

Just as the emperor was about to leave, he suddenly saw the real person on the white deer, and a desire to meet him arose inexplicably in his heart.

The emperor said, "Send word to stop. Go and invite those people to come before me. I suddenly have a desire to meet them. You must go and invite them yourself and not be negligent."

Upon hearing this, the attendants immediately issued an order, and before long, the procession stopped.

The attendants went forward to invite him.

When the master and his entourage heard that his attendants had come to invite him, they all responded and followed him to the front of the golden carriage.

Upon seeing the group of immortals, the emperor asked, "Are you all cultivators?"

The immortal dismounted from the white deer and said with a smile, "It is indeed a cultivator; Your Majesty has discerning eyes."

As he spoke, the immortal bowed to the emperor.

Li Longji was not surprised to see them. As an emperor, it was common for him to receive offerings. He said, "I was on my tour today and saw you all. You seem very familiar, as if I have seen you before. So I invited you all to come here. But have any of you met me before?"

The man shook his head and said, "We are just country folk, how could we possibly have seen His Majesty's face? We have never seen it before."

Upon hearing this, Li Longji said, "It is rather strange. You all look familiar, and now that I look at you more closely, you look even more familiar, as if I have seen you before. However, I also know that I have never seen you before."

The official laughed and said, "Your Majesty is joking."

Li Longji said, "But now that I see you all look familiar, it seems that you and I have some kind of connection. Tell me, where do you cultivate yourselves?"

The immortal replied, "It is a nameless mountain in Xiniu Hezhou."

Li Longji said, "Since it is an unnamed place, your cultivation must not be very good."

The master asked, "Why does Your Majesty say such things?"

Li Longji laughed and said, "It has always been said that true cultivators in the world mostly come from famous mountains. Those who come from small mountains are mostly from unorthodox sects and not true cultivators. Therefore, you come from unknown places, so your cultivation is naturally weak and cannot compare with the cultivation of our great nation of China."

Jiang Yuan smiled and replied, "How could you say such a thing? I wonder which classic work Your Majesty has quoted from?"

Li Longji said, "This is not based on the words of the classics, but on the common practice of humankind."

Jiang Yuan asked, "What do you mean by the normal state of human affairs?"

Li Longji laughed and said, "You nameless cultivator, you are unaware of the true nature of human affairs. Let me tell you a thing or two. Take the Zheng family of Xingyang, for example. Their power has been growing since the Han Dynasty, generation after generation. They are wealthy and powerful, far beyond what others have achieved. This is the result of generations of accumulation. Cultivation is the same. In famous mountains and great rivers, one generation accumulates one generation, and true cultivation naturally emerges from within."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "As Your Majesty said, many famous ministers and generals in the world come from prominent families, and many true cultivators come from famous mountains and rivers. Is that right?"

Li Longji replied, "That's exactly right."

Jiang Yuan laughed and said, "If that's the case, wouldn't everyone in the world just need to gravitate towards each other, and those nameless people would naturally cease to exist?"

Li Longji said, "Therefore, in places where there is no name, there are few truly cultivated and capable ministers."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan smiled and shook her head, but did not say anything more.

Sun Wukong stepped forward, clasped his hands together in a bow, and said, "But in the true realm of the world, there is absolutely no doctrine that monopolizes the truth."

Li Longji laughed and said, "You rascal, how come you talk about cultivating yourself, yet you're dressed like a monk?"

Sun Wukong said, "Your Majesty, how can a monk not be a practitioner?"

Li Longji said, "The cultivation I'm talking about isn't the Daoist people. This monk is from a foreign land. How can he be called a cultivator? Foreign lands are barbarians. They cannot steal the words of Chinese cultivation."

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Since the time of the Supreme Ancestor who created the world, cultivation has existed on its own. How can it be described in words? Cultivation is unique to your place."

Li Longji was somewhat displeased upon hearing this.

The attendant noticed the emperor's displeasure and immediately rebuked him, saying, "How dare you be so disrespectful, you barbarian! Guards, seize this barbarian!"

Armored soldiers stepped forward to capture Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong smiled slightly and did not resist.

The soldiers grabbed Sun Wukong, intending to capture him, but Sun Wukong was as immovable as Mount Tai. No matter how the soldiers pulled, Sun Wukong remained steadfast.

Upon seeing this, the armored soldiers hurriedly called for help from their companions. Seven or eight soldiers stepped forward and pulled hard, but they could not budge Sun Wukong even a fraction of a step. Sun Wukong just kept laughing and did not waver.

Li Longji waved his hand and said, "Don't be rude, all of you, step back."

Upon hearing the order, the soldiers immediately withdrew.

Li Longji waved his hand at the group of immortals and said, "Although you all look familiar, your words are unkind, which displeases me. However, considering that you are cultivators, I will not hold it against you. You may leave now."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Thank you for your forgiveness, Your Majesty. We are just country folk and we are indeed ignorant of etiquette. We will leave now and will not trouble Your Majesty here."

Say it.

Jiang Yuan then led Sun Wukong and the others to bid farewell to Li Longji.

Li Longji waved his hand, not stopping the True Man, but letting him and his entourage leave. He watched them depart without a care, and then signaled to continue onward.

(End of this chapter)