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

Chapter 315 Taibai Awakens from His Body, A Dreamlike Immortal Fate

Beside the mountain path, there was a thatched cottage where Li Bai and his wife, Lady Zong, lived in seclusion. Although they lived in seclusion, they were often visited by old friends and admirers of their talent, and their lives were very comfortable.

Li Bai also often followed the advice of Taoist books and old friends, opening a furnace to refine elixirs, intending to cultivate himself into an immortal.

However, Li Bai was somewhat unwilling. His intention was to serve as an official, govern a region, and assist the emperor in bringing peace and prosperity, but his official career was unsatisfactory, leaving him helpless.

Li Bai sat by the bed, gazing at the moonlight outside the window, feeling a pang of sorrow. He thought, "If life cannot be as one wishes, then what is the point of living in this world?"

"My love, why are you sitting here so quietly, with such a sorrowful expression?"

Zong leaned lightly against Li Bai and asked this question.

Li Bai shook his head and said, "But I feel that I am full of talent, yet I have no place to use it, which is a pity. I don't know what to do."

After hesitating for a long time, Zong said, "My lord, the officialdom is not something to be trifled with; it is not enough to simply have talent."

Li Bai said, "I know that being an official requires more than just talent; one must also understand human relationships and worldly wisdom. I know, I understand, I am clear about it, but I cannot do that. If I did, would I still be Li Bai?"

Upon hearing this, the Zong family member said no more.

Li Bai, his face full of sorrow, tried to drown his sorrows in wine. After a long time, he fell into a drunken stupor and lay on the bed. His wife, Zong, covered him with a blanket.

Li Bai was drunk and unaware of what was happening. He vaguely felt something moving between his brows, as if something was trying to break free. He did not stop it and followed the feeling between his brows, so he broke free.

But those with discerning eyes saw Li Bai's true spirit emerge from between his eyebrows and drift away gracefully.

Li Bai was in a daze for a moment before he woke up and looked around in astonishment. He never expected that Li Bai would perform such a flying technique as if he were an immortal.

But upon closer examination, he discovered that he was not flying, but rather traveling in the wind.

Li Bai floated between heaven and earth, deeply feeling the vastness of the universe. He was surprised and thought to himself, "Am I becoming an immortal? Otherwise, how can I travel with the wind?"

After much investigation, he realized that he had not become an immortal, but rather that his spirit had left his body. He had often heard that "one who can leave his spirit can bring peace and tranquility to all directions, and cause the wind to stir up trouble."

He must be a spirit, but I don't know why he can leave his body. Could it be that he has achieved something in his cultivation?

I have heard from an old friend that the sign of success in cultivation is to cultivate a Yin spirit, and then a Yang spirit, at which point one can be ranked among the immortals.

But he did nothing, so how did he cultivate a Yin spirit?
Li Bai was puzzled, but as he looked down the mountain, he suddenly had a feeling that he should go there.

Without hesitation, Li Bai descended gracefully and headed towards the mountains and forests.

Before long, he arrived at the forest, where he saw six people and a beast. Many of the people there looked familiar to him; they were the same people he had seen at the temple in the past.

However, seeing this in such a state, he could see that the True Man was extraordinary. Putting aside the others, the True Man had auspicious clouds and auspicious energy surrounding his head. Anyone with such a phenomenon must be a true immortal!

Li Bai was astonished; the person he had met that day was actually a celestial being.

While he was still pondering, he suddenly heard a sound beside him.

"Who's spying there! Come down at once, or I'll beat you with my golden cudgel!"

Li Bai was greatly alarmed. He heard a sound like thunder, which made his mind tremble. He dared not disobey and hurriedly went down to the group of immortals.

The immortal and his entourage were seen sitting on a high rock in the mountains. The immortal sat on the rock, with Zuo Liang and Lü Yan serving him on either side. Below the rock, Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and the Green Ox each held weapons, exuding great majesty.

Li Bai bowed and said, "Li Bai greets all the immortals."

The immortal sat on the rock, smiling, and asked, "Does Li Bai still remember us?"

Li Bai said, "I do remember, but when I met you all in the temple, I did not recognize you as immortals. It was my fault, and I ask for your forgiveness."

The immortal laughed and said, "Ignorance is no excuse, but I am passing through this place today and wish to meet you, so I have sent your spirit out of your body to meet me."

Upon hearing this, Li Bai suddenly realized why he had witnessed such a mystical event. He had never imagined that it was at the request of the immortals. He laughed and said, "I thought it was my Yin spirit leaving my body, but I never imagined it was my primordial spirit leaving my body. I was truly ignorant."

The master said, "The Yin spirit leaves the body, the Yang spirit leaves the body, the primordial spirit leaves the body; there are no other names for them, so there is no need to pay attention to them."

Li Bai bowed and said, "I have learned much. But I wonder why the immortal has summoned me to meet you?"

The master smiled and said, "I wish to see you. When I met you in the past, you had some spiritual qualities and a Taoist spirit, so I was willing to allow you to cultivate."

Upon hearing this, Li Bai exclaimed in surprise, "Can the immortals grant me permission to cultivate?"

The master nodded and said, "You may then begin your cultivation."

Li Bai asked, "What must I offer before you allow me to cultivate?"

The master laughed and said, "There's no need for you to do this."

Li Bai said, "When one becomes a disciple, one must offer dried meat as a gift; what is needed for spiritual practice?"

The Master smiled and said, "Those who hear the Way, please proceed. I will guide you as if you were guiding myself. What need is there for material things?"

Li Bai bowed again, deeply moved by the magnanimity of the immortal. He then said, "I will never forget the kindness of the immortal. I am willing to follow the immortal in my cultivation."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan nodded and said, "In that case, you shall follow me in cultivation. But from this day forward, you shall leave the mortal world and never enter it again. You shall detach yourself from the mundane world and devote yourself to cultivation."

Li Bai exclaimed in surprise, "If one is to cultivate oneself, one must leave the world? What will become of one's relatives and friends in the world?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Once worldly ties are severed, there is no more connection. Those who cultivate should avoid worldly ties the most."

Li Bai was horrified and said, "But I still have a wife in this world, what should I do?"

Jiang Yuan smiled but remained silent.

Sun Wukong said from the side, "How many people in the world have abandoned their wives and children for the sake of cultivation?"

As he spoke, he pointed at Pigsy and said, "Like this fellow, he abandoned his wife because of his cultivation."

Pigsy shouted, "Brother, don't reopen old wounds."

Li Bai pondered for a long time before saying, "Is it truly necessary to do this in order to cultivate oneself?"

Jiang Yuan said, "This is the path you must take, but if you cultivate, you will surely become an immortal one day."

Li Bai didn't know how to answer, hesitated, and stood there without saying a word.

Seeing Li Bai in this state, the immortals and the others were not in a hurry and waited where they were.

Before he knew it, the night was drawing to a close, and the sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking filled the air. Suddenly, Li Bai felt a pulling sensation within his body.

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Your time is short. You have been summoned by me, and your primordial spirit cannot be separated from your body for too long. You must return before dawn."

Li Bai suddenly knelt down and said, "Immortals, I, Li Bai, cannot be a heartless and ungrateful person. I beg you to forgive me!"

Jiang Yuan nodded and said, "If that's the case, are you willing to give up your cultivation path?"

Li Bai gritted his teeth and said, "I am unwilling to give up, but I am unwilling to be a heartless and ungrateful person."

Jiang Yuan laughed and said, "Alright, alright, alright. Since I see your heart, I will grant your wish. But you can follow me in cultivation after your wife grows old, on the condition that you can no longer have any desire to be an official. Are you willing?"

Upon hearing that he would no longer serve as an official, Li Bai remained silent for a long time before bowing and saying, "Immortal, I am willing." Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "In that case, you should return home and wait until your wife has passed away before you return to cultivate."

Say it.

With a flick of his sleeve, the immortal summoned a gentle breeze that carried Li Bai back home.

Li Bai was greatly alarmed and asked, "Immortal, if I wish to seek your guidance for cultivation, what should I do?"

The master said softly, "But when you are determined to cultivate and no longer change your mind, take down the moon, and you will be able to see me."

Li Bai was very puzzled. He was just an ordinary man, how could he possibly pluck the sun and moon from the sky? He wanted to ask more questions, but the breeze was so fast that it swept him away in an instant.

As Jiang Yuan watched Li Taibai leave, she said, "Taibai Jinxing has already had the opportunity to cross over, so there's no need for us to stay any longer. You may leave now."

Sun Wukong said, "Eldest brother, what if Taibai Jinxing doesn't understand the opportunity to help us cross over?"

Pigsy pulled Sun Wukong aside and said, “Brother, how can you be so foolish? The master has always only allowed him to cross over. If he cannot understand, it is his fate. How can you ask for more? If he really cannot understand, then he is destined to suffer more, and no one else can help him.”

Sun Wukong bowed to the immortal and said, "Elder brother, I was just being too attached to appearances. What this fool said makes sense."

The master smiled and said, "Knowing this is enough for you. Now, follow me."

Sun Wukong scratched his head and asked, "Elder Brother, where should we go next?"

The master said, "Keep going forward and don't ask where you're going."

Sun Wukong gladly accepted the order.

After tidying up a bit here, the group set off, passing by Li Bai's thatched hut and continuing on their way.

……

At dawn, in the thatched hut.

Li Bai suddenly sat up from his bed, his face full of surprise.

The woman beside him, Zong, was startled awake and asked, "Tanlang, are you feeling unwell?"

Li Bai stood up, looked around, and said, "Madam, I have been granted a divine destiny."

Confused, Madam Zong asked, "Is Tanlang still drunk? He was drunk at home last night and slept soundly all night. How could he have any connection with the immortals?"

Li Bai said, "Madam, you are unaware of what I have learned. Yesterday, I received guidance from an immortal, and my primordial spirit left my body to meet the immortal. Thus, I have gained a predestined connection with the immortals! This is an extraordinary and fortunate destiny!"

As he spoke, Li Bai was so excited that he could hardly speak.

Zong said, "There is no such thing as the primordial spirit leaving the body. It must be just a dream. You have no affinity with immortality. Don't think too much about it, my love."

Li Bai shook his head and said, "If it were a dream, I would forget it in an instant. Therefore, this is not a dream, but must be a predestined encounter with the immortals."

Zong said, "How can there be a predestined connection with immortals in this world? This must be a dream. I haven't forgotten it now because the dream is so deep, but after a day or two, I will definitely forget this dream."

Li Bai stubbornly insisted, "This is definitely not a dream, this is definitely not a dream!"

Zong asked, "How did you obtain it?"

Li Bai said, "This is extremely real; it is a divine encounter, not a dream."

Zong said, "If that's the case, Tanlang can tell me about this dream. How can I make you believe that this dream is real?"

Li Bai said, "I can tell you anything. This dream is real. It was my spirit leaving my body. I traveled with the wind at night and saw a deity in a mountain. There was one deity, and five others accompanied him, including a white deer that served as his mount..."

Li Bai then recounted the events of his dream to Zong.

When Lady Zong heard that Li Bai was unwilling to follow the immortals because he was still alive, even though she knew it was a dream, she was still deeply moved. She felt that she had no regrets in this life for having such a husband.

He said, "I am grateful for your kind heart, but this is truly just a dream."

Li Bai asked, "How do you know, madam?"

Zong replied, "If it wasn't a dream, why would the deity in the dream speak to you in a difficult way?"

Li Bai said, "That immortal was very kind; how could he have said anything difficult?"

Zong said, "My dear, the immortal in the dream taught you that when you are about to cultivate, you should pluck the Taiyin. But the Taiyin hangs high in the thirty-three heavens. We are all mortals. How can we pluck the Taiyin?"

Li Bai said, "But the immortals must have their own profound meaning, that is certain. Perhaps one day I will be able to understand the immortals' meaning, but the time is not yet right."

Seeing that he could not persuade Li Bai, Zong Shi let it be and did not say much to him. In any case, Li Bai felt that this was a true immortal, not a dream, and that it could not ruin anything.

Seeing that the Zong family did not believe him, Li Bai did not say much, only that he would no longer serve as an official, and accompanied the Zong family on their travels.

Upon hearing this, Madam Zong exclaimed with delight, "Is my young master truly willing to relinquish his ambition to become an official?"

Li Bai laughed and said, "I will certainly have it, I will certainly have it."

Zong said, “Tanlang should have done this long ago. Although Tanlang is talented, he is proud and unwilling to compromise his principles, making him unsuitable for officialdom. It is a great thing that he is willing to let go of these things. With Tanlang’s talent, he will surely be remembered in history. I may also benefit from Tanlang’s talent and leave my name here as well. I can simply say that I am Li Zong.”

Li Bai sighed, "But the opportunity to become an immortal is hard to come by. Otherwise, I will pray for an immortal opportunity for my wife, and we can both be among the immortals."

Zong smiled but remained silent, still not believing it.

……

Several days later, Li Bai met with friends at his thatched cottage and discussed the matter. He did not shy away from the story and recounted it to his friends in detail.

Among my many friends, some were envious, some were skeptical, some deeply felt the power of fate, and some scoffed at it; their opinions varied.

However, the story of Li Bai's connection to the immortals spread from his thatched cottage, beyond Yangzhou, and throughout the world. Anyone who knew Li Bai's name knew that he had been blessed with immortality.

Inside the imperial palace in Chang'an.

Upon learning of Li Bai's supposed connection to the immortals, Emperor Li Longji immediately ordered a thorough investigation into the truth of the matter.

Before long, a palace servant reported that this was said by Li Bai himself, who had received a predestined connection to immortality in a dream and could cultivate himself into an immortal at any time.

Li Longji said, "I am so envious! How come I cannot attain immortality? But if I could attain immortality, wouldn't this great empire be my eternal domain? Then, my Tang Dynasty would last for ten thousand years."

A palace servant nearby said, "Your Majesty, why not summon Li Bai and take away his immortal destiny?"

Li Longji cursed, "How can you take away the divine destiny? You're foolish!"

The palace attendant said, "Even if we cannot take it away, Your Majesty can share it with Li Bai. When Li Bai becomes an immortal, Your Majesty will also become an immortal. There is a saying in the world, 'When one person attains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.'"

Upon hearing this, Li Longji pondered for a moment and said, "That makes sense. But I do not aspire to become an immortal; immortality is enough for me. I do not need to attain immortality through some special connection. But I wonder how I can summon Li Bai back?"

The palace attendant replied, "Your Majesty, Li Bai was extremely fond of being an official; he was a careerist. If Your Majesty granted him an official position, he would summon him with ease. Therefore, this divine favor was bestowed upon Your Majesty by Heaven."

Upon hearing this, Li Longji immediately sent someone to Li Bai's place of seclusion to deliver an imperial edict, ordering him to come to Chang'an to serve as an official.

(End of this chapter)