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

Chapter 309 The Evil Dragon Causes Trouble, Chenxiang Descends the Mountain

In the long pavilion in the mountains, Lü Yan, having mastered a sword technique, stopped only after using all his moves. He then went to the pavilion to pay his respects to the master.

Lu Yan knelt on the ground and said, "Lu Yan thanks the True Man for his kindness in imparting the Dao."

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "There is no need for bowing. What I have taught you is just a few minor skills. It is because of your talent that you have been able to cultivate to this level. There is no need for you to bow to me."

Lu Yan said, “To you, Master, it is but a trivial skill, but to me, it is the grace of imparting the Dao. I will always remember this grace. Now I have a request, and I hope you will grant it.”

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Tell me about it."

Lu Yan kowtowed and said, "I hope that you, Master, will accept me as your disciple, so that I may always be by your side and thus repay your kindness."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan shook her head and politely declined Lü Yan's offer.

Lu Yan said, "Master, is it because I am not talented enough and am old that you refuse to accept me as your disciple? If so, I hope you will grant me a chance. I will make up for my shortcomings with diligence and exchange my time with diligence."

Jiang Yuan said, “It’s not because of your talent, but because of your old age. Your talent is exceptional, a rare talent in the world. Furthermore, although you are old, you have not lost your true yang energy and your cultivation of the mind remains unchanged. Your old age is not your weakness, but your advantage.”

Lü Yan asked, "If that's the case, why is the Master unwilling to accept me as a disciple?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Lu Yan, since you say so, I will not hide it from you. I am helping you at someone's request. Your destiny is not with me, but with someone else. In the future, someone will surely take you as a disciple."

Lu Yan shook his head and said, "Master, I do not know who invited me, nor do I know where my destiny lies, but I know that it is you who are helping me now. I am grateful to you, so I only wish to become your disciple."

Jiang Yuan shook her head and said, "Fate is truly not in my hands."

Lu Yan bowed and said, "I am not willing to accept you as my disciple, but I am truly grateful for your teachings. If you are unwilling, please allow me to call you 'teacher'."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan saw that Lü Yan was so persistent, so he had no choice but to agree.

When Lü Yan saw that the real person had agreed, he was so grateful that he kowtowed countless times and called him 'teacher'.

Jiang Yuan smiled and responded, then passed on three calming mantras to Lü Yan, instructing him to memorize them.

Lu Yan did not ask why the master would teach him so many calming mantras, but he listened to what the master taught him, remembered it, and recited it every day without daring to forget it.

Seeing Lü Yan's appearance, Jiang Yuan was deeply impressed by the boy's extraordinary talent. His excellent character was essential for any cultivator, and if he continued like this, Lü Yan would surely achieve success in his cultivation one day.

After Jiang Yuan passed on the incantation to Lü Yan, he instructed Lü Yan to memorize it in the pavilion. He then summoned Sun Wukong and the others and said, "Wukong, let's rest here for a day before continuing our journey."

Sun Wukong and the others all responded.

The group was on their way to pick some seasonal fruit and gather some firewood when they suddenly noticed a dramatic change in the sky, with dark clouds gathering.

Upon seeing this, Pigsy exclaimed, "Why is the weather here so strange? Just now it was blazing hot, it was summer, and I could understand that. But how can it change like this? Brother, there must be some deity messing with the weather. Go and find him, and if you do, give him three whacks without saying a word."

Sun Wukong looked up at the sky for a long time and said, "There are no gods here. It is not the Thunder God and Lightning Goddess who bring rain here, but beasts that make the rain."

Pigsy asked, "What kind of beast is that wandering around here?"

Sun Wukong shook his head and said, "I don't know, I don't know."

Just as Pigsy was about to say something, he suddenly saw a gust of wind coming from the distance. He realized that the wind was not normal, so he swung his nine-toothed rake and shouted angrily, "What kind of demon dares to act so presumptuously before the Venerable Immortal's carriage! Take this rake from me!"

Say it.

Pigsy swung his nine-toothed rake and charged towards the raging wind.

Just as Pigsy raised his nine-toothed rake, the whirlwind stopped, and he revealed himself to be an old earth god.

Seeing Pigsy's imposing appearance, the old local earth god trembled with fear and panicked, saying, "Pure Altar Messenger Bodhisattva, please have mercy! I am the local earth god of Liuyang Mountain. There is a matter that endangers the living, so I have come to report to the True Man and beg for your judgment. I hope you will ask the Pure Altar Messenger Bodhisattva to allow me to see the True Man!"

Upon hearing this, Pigsy stopped using his nine-toothed rake and said, "You are the local earth god, why didn't you inform us sooner? Even with the strong winds, I would have thought it was some kind of demon here."

The local deity said, “Bodhisattva, this matter is urgent and perilous, hence my impolite visit. I beg your forgiveness.”

What else did Pigsy want to say?

Sun Wukong stepped forward, grabbed Zhu Bajie by the fan-shaped ear, and scolded, "You fool, if there is something urgent, why are you lingering here? Take him to see the eldest brother and don't say anything more. But if you want to say more, wait until you have told the eldest brother about it, and then you can talk to him slowly."

Pigsy panicked and said, "Brother, be gentle, be gentle! I know, I won't say another word."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong released Zhu Bajie.

Pigsy looked at the local earth god and said, "Lord Earth God, come with me."

The Earth God paid homage, following closely behind Pigsy, and together they walked into the pavilion.

In the long pavilion in the mountains, the immortal saw Pigsy leading the local earth god and was somewhat puzzled.

Pigsy told the story to the real man.

Upon hearing this, the immortal asked, "Earth God, what is threatening the living? Tell me quickly."

The Earth God first bowed to the True Man, Zuo Liang, and others. After bowing, he said, "True Man, there is an evil dragon that has been causing trouble in the river two hundred miles away for a long time. It often stirs up floods, causing chaos in all directions and submerging many farmlands. This evil has accumulated for a long time. However, the evil dragon has always relied on its connection with the Dragon Palace in the sea. Moreover, its troubles mostly damage farmland and rarely kill people, so no one has been able to subdue it. Now, this evil dragon wants to transform into a dragon by going through the water. Its evil courage has grown wildly, and it even wants to submerge all living people in all directions for its own pleasure, and then transform into a dragon."

Pigsy, who was listening nearby, asked, "Why is this evil dragon suddenly trying to kill people by moving the water?"

The local deity shook his head and said, “Bodhisattva, but I don’t know why. The reason I know he is evil is because there is an aquatic creature in his mansion who knows his words and has good intentions. So he told me to help him get rid of this disaster.”

Pigsy shouted, "If what you say is true, it's mostly because of the two gods' interference. But why are you coming to me for this matter? If such an evil dragon is intent on causing trouble, you should report it to the City God, not come to me."

The local deity bowed and said, “Bodhisattva, you may not know this, but that evil dragon is about to run away with the water. I am but a humble man. If I were to report to the City God, by the time the City God arrives with his troops, that evil dragon will have already harmed countless people. Therefore, I knew to take another approach. After seeing the auspicious signs here, I inquired and learned that the True Man is here. So I have come to ask the True Man to subdue the demon.”

The True Man listened to the Earth God's words for a long time and then laughed, "I already know about this matter, but you can rest assured that since I know about it, I will not allow the evil dragon to harm the lives of living people."

The local deity bowed deeply and said, "This old man has brought life to the people of the rivers and lakes; I thank you, True Man."

Jiang Yuan said, "Two hundred miles to the west, over the Lijiang River, that evil dragon is in there, is that right?"

The land responded, "That's exactly right."

Jiang Yuan said, "I will take care of it myself. You may go now."

After receiving the True Man's decree, the Earth God departed on a whirlwind. Jiang Yuan looked at Lü Yan beside him, pointed to the west, and said, "Lü Yan, there is an evil dragon there that is about to harm the living. It transforms into a dragon by moving water. Are you willing to go and slay it to save the living?"

Lu Yan bowed and said, "Teacher, I am willing to go, but please wait here for a while. I will go now and return victorious after slaying the dragon."

Say it.

Lü Yan rose, sword in hand, and headed west, intending to slay the dragon.

Jiang Yuan stepped forward and said, "Lu Yan, there's no need to rush. Let's ride the deer and go, so we can save ourselves the trouble of walking."

The immortal waved his sleeve, and a white deer came running, prostrating itself on the ground, inviting Lü Yan to mount the deer.

After bowing to the True Man, Lü Yan mounted the deer and headed towards the Li River.

The real man watched Lü Yan's departing figure, remaining silent.

Pigsy stepped forward and said, “Master, why did you send him away so easily? That fellow has only been cultivating for two or three years. He has only learned some calming spells and some swordsmanship. He has no magical power. Even if that evil dragon is weak, that fellow cannot subdue it. On the contrary, he will suffer a mortal disaster.”

Jiang Yuan nodded and said, "I know this, but it is an essential path for cultivation."

Pigsy said, "Cultivation is an essential path, but if the evil dragon takes your life, then there is no need to continue cultivating."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Bajie, what you say makes sense. In that case, please go and protect him. What do you say?"

Pigsy instinctively wanted to refuse, but after thinking about it, he agreed. After bidding farewell to the immortal, Pigsy rode on the clouds and followed Shanglu Rock.

Seeing that Zhu Bajie had left, Jiang Yuan asked Sun Wukong to come forward and said, "Wukong, please go and make the trip."

Sun Wukong bowed and said, "Please give your instructions, Senior Brother."

Jiang Yuan said, "Go to the Heavenly Court and report this matter to them."

Sun Wukong bowed and said, "Elder Brother, I will go now. Please wait here for a while."

Jiang Yuan smiled and nodded. Sun Wukong then leaped up and rode his somersault cloud toward the Heavenly Palace.

Seeing that the pavilion was deserted, Zuo Liang stepped forward and said, "Master, shall we wait here?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Zheng Yuan, we can stay here. There's no need to go anywhere else. Let's rest here for a while, and then we'll continue our journey once that matter is settled."

Zuo Liang bowed and said, "Yes, Master."

Jiang Yuan beckoned to Zuo Liang and said with a smile, "Zheng Yuan, come and sit down."

Upon hearing the words of the immortal, Zuo Liang bowed to him and then sat down in front of him.

The master smiled and said, “Zhengyuan, now that you have some free time and your cultivation has improved, I will teach you more methods to help you cultivate. Just listen carefully and don’t let your mind wander.”

Zuo Liang bowed and said, "Master, this disciple dares not be distracted!"

In the pavilion, Qingniu saw that the immortal was about to impart his teachings to Zuo Liang, and asked, "Immortal, since you are going to impart your teachings, should I go outside to avoid suspicion?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "King Si may travel freely. You have learned much in the Heavenly Palace. My little bit of cultivation is insignificant in your eyes. You may listen to it without any problem."

Upon hearing this, the blue ox said no more and simply sat quietly in the pavilion.

The Master immediately began to preach the Dharma at the long pavilion in the mountains.

Zuo Liang calmed down and listened to the master expound the Dharma, then entered into meditation to cultivate himself.

At first, the green ox was bored when it heard the sound, but as it continued, it found the true man's voice to be profound and mysterious, and it became so engrossed that it calmed its mind to listen to the sound.

……

At the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain Xieyue Sanxing Cave, Chenxiang was practicing martial arts alone outside the mansion. However, after many years of practice, he had never fought with anyone, and gradually the desire to fight Erlang Shen arose in his heart.

One day, Chenxiang stood outside the mansion, holding a sharp axe in his hand. His heart was filled with emotion. He thought to himself, "I have cultivated here for decades and have mastered the art. My martial arts are superb. It is time for me to leave the mountain, defeat Erlang Shen, and save my parents. Moreover, my parents have been suffering for many years while I have been cultivating in the mountains. I must go and save them. Otherwise, I would be unfilial."

Chenxiang looked around the mansion, intending to say goodbye to Sun Wukong before heading down the mountain.

But then he suddenly remembered that Sun Wukong had already left the mansion and was no longer there, so he could not find him.

Chenxiang felt somewhat helpless as he thought of this.

He wants to leave, but he doesn't have his master's permission. How can he leave like this? It would be better to leave a letter to inform his master so that he can leave.

Furthermore, he might defeat Erlang Shen and rescue his parents in no time. By the time he returns, his master might not even be back yet.

Thinking this, Chenxiang got up to leave a letter in the mansion, but before he could enter, he suddenly saw Hong Haier come out of the mansion and stop him when he saw Chenxiang.

Red Boy asked, "Junior Brother, where are you going?"

When Chenxiang saw Honghaier, he said, "Senior brother, I am about to leave the mountain, but my master is not in the mountain, so I want to leave a letter in the mountain before I leave."

Upon hearing this, Red Boy immediately asked, "Junior Brother, what brings you down the mountain?"

Chenxiang told Hong Haier about his upcoming trip down the mountain to defeat Erlang Shen.

When Red Boy heard that Chenxiang was going down the mountain to deal with Erlang Shen, he was startled and said, "Junior brother, how can you go so rashly? That Erlang Shen is no ordinary person. Even my father could not defeat him. How can you possibly be a match for him?"

Chenxiang said, "But my martial arts are superb, how could I not be his match? Now that I have seen my senior brother, there is no need for me to leave a letter and ask him to convey my message. If Master asks, just say that I have gone to seek revenge on Erlang Shen."

Red Boy repeatedly tried to dissuade him, saying, "Junior Brother, I truly have not lied. That Erlang Shen is incredibly powerful and possesses profound magical abilities. Not to mention you, even if Senior Brother Zhengyuan and I went up together to fight him, we would still find it difficult to even exchange a blow. If you insist on taking revenge, you should cultivate for a while longer before discussing it further. Do not go down the mountain now."

Chenxiang persisted, saying, "Senior brother, you can rest assured that my skills are now far superior to what they used to be."

Red Boy tried to persuade Chenxiang to stay and cultivate in the mountains.

Chenxiang, however, did not want to listen any longer. He picked up his axe, stood up, and started to walk down the mountain.

Unable to dissuade him, Red Boy turned back to his mansion and explained the situation to the Bull Demon King, hoping that the Bull Demon King would persuade Chenxiang to return to the mountain.

(End of this chapter)