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

Chapter 323 The True Man Returns to the Mountain, Asking Tianpeng for Favor
Time flies, and more than half a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

The group of immortals traveled at a leisurely pace and finally returned to Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

Everyone returned to the mountain feeling much more relaxed.

Chenxiang followed behind, and suddenly asked Sun Wukong beside him, "Master, I have a question."

Sun Wukong was overjoyed to be returning home, and upon hearing his disciple's words, he immediately asked him what was troubling him.

Chenxiang said, "Master, why is it so peaceful here when we return to the mountain together? When I came to this sacred mountain with the two gentlemen, or when I went out alone, it was not peaceful at all. But it is different now."

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "There are many obstacles on the road, but those obstacles are bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong. Since you have no magical powers, those obstacles will naturally try to bully you. But if you have magical powers, those obstacles will stay far away and will not try to bully you."

Upon hearing this, Chenxiang said, "The reason why we are walking so peacefully now is because of the profound magical powers of our Grand Master and Master."

Sun Wukong pointed to the white deer ahead and said, "It's mostly because your grandmaster's magic is so profound that I didn't have to exert much effort."

Chenxiang said, "Master, since my eldest uncle's magical power is so profound, if I have any doubts and cannot find you, would my eldest uncle pay attention to me if I went to him?"

Sun Wukong said, "Don't overthink it. Your senior brother has a broad mind, far beyond what you can comprehend. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask."

Chenxiang said, "Yes, Master."

Sun Wukong scratched his head and said, "Your cultivation is very weak, but many people in the manor can answer your questions. So don't worry, if you have any questions, anyone in the manor can stop you and answer them."

Chenxiang said in a low voice, "Master, I have made you lose face."

Sun Wukong asked, "Why do you say that?"

Chenxiang said, "But among the immortals, the disciples are the least skilled and the most useless. Wouldn't that be a disgrace to our master?"

Sun Wukong smiled slightly and said, "How can cultivators compare themselves to others? Those who are highly skilled in cultivation will teach those who come after them. There is no question of high or low, and there is no question of losing face for me. You can rest assured."

Upon hearing this, Chenxiang asked again, "Master, is it true that cultivation is not based on seniority or rank? Is there really no such thing as comparison?"

Sun Wukong said, "Who taught you to divide cultivation into seniority based on the level of magical power? Cultivation seniority is determined by etiquette, and there is absolutely no such thing as comparison. But such comparison is not true cultivation."

Chenxiang said, "Master, after hearing what you said, I do have a question."

Sun Wukong asked, "Tell me, and if I know the answer, I will surely clear up your doubts."

Chenxiang asked, "Master, why do cultivators place such importance on etiquette?"

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "You've read so many books, but it's all in vain. It's not that cultivators value etiquette, nor is etiquette necessary. Rather, etiquette is a reflection of one's character. Those who cultivate their character must know etiquette, nothing more."

Chenxiang nodded thoughtfully in response.

The green ox stepped forward and said, "You little rascal, you have some talent, but your character is clumsy. You've put a lot of effort into teaching this monkey. If you don't put your heart into cultivation here, I think there's no need for you to continue cultivating."

Upon hearing what the green ox said, Chenxiang remained silent, not daring to speak.

Sun Wukong was somewhat annoyed. He grabbed the green ox and said, "You green ox monster, what should you call me?"

The Green Ox said, “But if you don’t call me King Rhinoceros, how can I call you Great Sage? You call me Green Ox Monster every day, so I should just call you Monkey Head. Not calling you Bi Ma Wen is already giving you some face.”

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong, without saying a word, drew his golden cudgel and prepared to strike the green ox.

The green ox was not afraid and used its diamond cudgel to try and snatch the golden cudgel.

The two have not yet fought.

The master suddenly spoke, saying, "What are you two doing like this?"

The Green Ox then put away the Vajra Bracelet and stepped forward, saying, "Master, you must judge this for me. This monkey calls me 'Green Ox Monster' every day, and I should call him 'Monkey Head' as a matter of courtesy. Because he is rude, I am also rude. However, he refuses to accept this and wants to hit me. What kind of logic is this?"

The immortal laughed and said, "Wukong, it is indeed so."

Sun Wukong was about to retort, but upon hearing what the Green Ox said, he was at a loss for words and stammered for a long time, unable to utter a single sentence.

The master smiled and said, "What you two have said is clear, but if you want others to respect you, you must first respect them."

Sun Wukong had no choice but to bow and say, "Great King Si, I am aware of this."

The green ox then beamed with joy and said, "Great Sage, wouldn't it have been better to do this sooner?"

Sun Wukong smiled and nodded, saying, "We feel like old friends today, King Si. When we return to the mountain, I will definitely have a good spar with you."

Upon hearing this, the green ox moved closer to the immortal, without answering Sun Wukong.

The group walked forward and soon arrived at the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars. As soon as they arrived, they saw Zhenjian standing at the gate of the mansion.

Jiang Yuan dismounted from the white deer and went to greet him, saying, "Junior Brother, what brings you here? Is there something important that requires you to go out?"

Zhenjian shook his head, fanning himself, and said, "Nothing important. Last night, Master suddenly summoned me, saying that my eldest brother was returning today. So I waited for him here. Now that I see him return, Master's words are indeed true."

Jiang Yuan said, "I am ashamed to have troubled you to wait, Junior Brother."

Zhen smiled and said, "It is my honor to welcome my senior brother."

Jiang Yuan said, "Without further ado, junior brother, let's go and pay our respects to Master first."

He answered with a smile.

Jiang Yuan looked at Sun Wukong and the others and said, "Wukong, you come with me to pay respects to our master. Zhengyuan, you take Bajie and the others to the mansion to rest. Don't cause any trouble."

Everyone accepted the order.

Zuo Liang then led Zhu Bajie, Chen Xiang, and the others to the quiet room.

Sun Wukong followed behind the master, and the three brothers headed towards their master's meditation room.

A short while later, the group arrived at the patriarch's meditation room.

Before the quiet room, all three knelt and performed a grand salute.

"Go on ahead."

The patriarch called out softly.

A gentle breeze wafted in, carrying all three into the quiet room. Once inside, they performed a deep bow.

Upon seeing this, the Patriarch laughed and scolded, "You child, you've taught Wukong and Zhenjian to be bad, just like you, so full of manners. I told you long ago that there was no need for such formalities."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Why does Master say such a thing? It is because Wukong and Zhenjian are grateful for Master's kindness, so they are being very polite. How can they be said to have gone astray?"

Sun Wukong and Zhenjian both smiled and said they were grateful for their master's kindness.

The Patriarch smiled and said, "You two should learn from Guangxin. My boy, what did you gain from this trip?"

Upon hearing his master's question, Jiang Yuan pondered for a long time before saying, "Master, during my time away from home, I learned that sentient beings are difficult to save, and the sea of ​​suffering is boundless. I also saw the suffering of sentient beings, and this suffering is difficult to alleviate."

The Patriarch listened with a smile to what the True Man said, and after a long while, he said, "You should know about the failure of the Ziwei Emperor."

Jiang Yuan nodded and said, "Master, I paid my respects to the Emperor before he returned to his throne."

The Patriarch said, “All beings suffer, so how can we help each other? In this cycle, nearly ten constellations in the human realm are drowning in the sea of ​​suffering, unable to save themselves. They await awakening in the cycle of reincarnation before they can return to their positions. Many of the capable ministers and fierce generals in the human realm are reincarnations of these constellations. Child, when do you think the Emperor will be reincarnated next?”

Jiang Yuan bowed deeply and said, "What this disciple saw was more than five hundred years ago. There may be some discrepancies. This disciple's magical power is insufficient to perceive the specifics."

Upon hearing this, the Patriarch was somewhat surprised and asked, "Child, how do you know it has been more than five hundred years? Could it be that the Purple Star Emperor once told you this?"

Jiang Yuan shook her head and said, "Master, the Emperor did not tell me this."

The patriarch asked, "Since he has never told you, how do you know? Tell me."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Master, I do not have such magical power, but I can see that the Sea of ​​Suffering is boundless and difficult to stir. Ordinary matters cannot disturb the Sea of ​​Suffering. Only when someone with great magical power like the Emperor enters the Sea of ​​Suffering can there be waves. I have observed that the Sea of ​​Suffering will only have waves after more than five hundred years. Therefore, I conclude that the Emperor will be reborn after five hundred years. If there is anything wrong, please forgive me, Master."

The patriarch shook his head and said, "What you said is correct. The Emperor's next reincarnation will be just as you said."

Sun Wukong scratched his head and said, "Master, but I have some questions in my mind. I hope you can answer them for me."

When the Patriarch heard Sun Wukong speak, he couldn't help but smile and said, "You monkey, what troubles you? Just say it. There's no need to hide anything."

Sun Wukong said, "Master, I wonder what kind of magical power you possess that allows you to peer into the Sea of ​​Bitterness and know what's going on, just like my eldest brother?"

The Patriarch and the True Man were both taken aback by these words, then laughed without offering any explanation to Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong asked anxiously, "Master, Eldest Brother, why didn't you tell me?"

The patriarch laughed and said, "You little monkey, don't be impatient. Cultivating the mind is never something that can be rushed."

Sun Wukong bowed deeply and said, "I hope Master can answer my question."

The Patriarch said, “Your magical power is far from reaching that of your senior brother. Your senior brother has mastered the Dao of Alchemy and understands the true nature of heaven and earth, which is why he possesses such magical power. Your magical power is very weak and insignificant. If you want to reach the level of your senior brother, you will need to cultivate for a very long time. However, since you were born of heaven and earth, if you cultivate for several more kalpas, you will definitely be able to catch up with your senior brother’s current magical power.”

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong bowed to his patriarch, saying that he already understood.

The Patriarch laughed and said, "Wukong, you were created by heaven and earth. This is your strength, but it is also your weakness. Do you know why?"

Sun Wukong shook his head and said, "Master, this disciple does not know."

The Patriarch said, “Wukong, you were created by Heaven and Earth. You are weak and you are cultivating the Golden Core righteous path. It will take you three to five years, or ten years or more, to complete the Golden Core. This is your strength. But you also have weaknesses. This weakness lies in the numbers of Heaven and Earth. You are not human, so the numbers of Heaven and Earth are incomplete. Therefore, your spells will inevitably have flaws. To cultivate great magical power, you will need to work even harder.”

Sun Wukong said, "Master, I understand, but I will certainly not slacken my efforts and will focus on my cultivation to achieve success."

The Patriarch smiled and nodded, then offered a few words of encouragement to Zhenjian before sending Sun Wukong and Zhenjian away.

The two dared not disobey their master's instructions, and after receiving his words, they withdrew.

In the quiet room, only the patriarch and the true master were present.

The patriarch smiled and said, "Child, please sit down next to me."

Jiang Yuan responded, bowed, and then drove to sit down in front of the patriarch.

The patriarch said, “Child, your cultivation has progressed recently, and you are much more diligent than before you left.”

Jiang Yuan said, "How dare I claim to have made progress before my master?"

The patriarch shook his head and said, "Your cultivation has made progress, and you are getting closer and closer to great magical power. This makes me feel emotional. You were just a novice in the past, but now you will become a person of great magical power."

Jiang Yuan kowtowed and said, "It is all thanks to Master's teachings."

The Patriarch said, “Those like Wukong, born of heaven and earth, can cultivate the Golden Core swiftly, achieving success in a short time. However, the number of heaven and earth within them is incomplete. On the other hand, for someone like you, child, cultivating the Golden Core is extremely difficult. You need great energy and perseverance to even have a slight chance of success. But if you succeed, you will progress by leaps and bounds in a day, possessing the complete number of heaven and earth within you, and your cultivation speed will surpass that of Wukong.”

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Master, no matter what you say, Wukong and I are the same person."

The patriarch nodded and said, "What the child says makes sense."

As he spoke, he suddenly seemed to remember something and said, “Child, the Queen Mother’s birthday is approaching, and there will be a grand gathering here. You promised Laozi that you would go and participate in the gathering on my behalf at the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars.”

Jiang Yuan asked, "Master, I know about this matter, but I wonder if I should prepare some gifts to offer?"

The Patriarch waved his hand and said, "There is no need for formalities. When I entered the Heavenly Palace to meet the Queen Mother some time ago, I already presented them. So you can just go and participate without any formalities."

Jiang Yuan replied, "Yes, Master. But may I take one or two people with me?"

The patriarch smiled and nodded, saying, "Granted. May I ask who you wish to take with you, young man?"

Jiang Yuan replied, "Master, I must take Zheng Yuan there. Zheng Yuan's cultivation lies in the Five Thunder Orthodox Method. If it is this method, it is best to communicate with the gods. Therefore, I should take Zheng Yuan there."

The Patriarch said, “That is the way it should be. Child, you can speak to True Lord Tianpeng and ask him to look after Zhengyuan. If he looks after Zhengyuan, he will be unharmed.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Master, the Great King of the Rhinoceros also mentioned this matter to me, but I thought that the Great King of the Rhinoceros was just trying to annoy the True Lord, so I didn't pay any attention to it. Now that I've heard what you've said, I know that the Great King of the Rhinoceros wasn't talking nonsense."

The Patriarch smiled and said, "True Lord Tianpeng has a great reputation, which is spread throughout the Three Realms. He is even more famous for killing demons and evil spirits. Therefore, with his protection, Zhengyuan can be protected from harm by demons and evil spirits."

Jiang Yuan said, "If we're talking about fame among demons and monsters, Junior Brother Wukong is no less impressive."

The Patriarch shook his head and said, "Wukong is famous among demons, but this fame is mostly due to his havoc in the Heavenly Palace, not his reputation for killing. Demons respect Wukong, not fear him. If you want to make demons fear him, only the True Lord Tianpeng can do it."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan wrote down everything the patriarch had said, and planned to ask the Heavenly Lord Tianpeng for guidance when he went to the Heavenly Palace the next day, so that the Heavenly Lord Tianpeng could take care of Zuo Liang.

Of his three disciples, Chongyang is undergoing reincarnation, Hong Haier is nurturing his spirit, and only Zuo Liang is capable of shouldering great responsibilities.

(End of this chapter)