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

Chapter 325 All the Immortals Pay Their Respects, the Heavenly Emperor is Generous

The story goes that the True Man and his companions followed Laozi on a cloud, and before long they arrived at the South Heavenly Gate. There, they saw the Four Marshals guarding the gate, with the Thunder Department generals behind them, all standing guard. Any immortals entering were to be thoroughly inspected before being allowed to enter.

Upon seeing it, Sun Wukong said, "This is extremely meticulous, far surpassing anything before."

Lao Jun stroked his beard and laughed, "What do you know, you monkey? What you caused trouble at the Peach Banquet back then was far less grand than the Queen Mother's birthday celebration, so there was no such level of security. Now, on the Queen Mother's birthday, all four Heavenly Gates are guarded by a host of gods. For example, at the West Heavenly Gate, the Buddha of Mount Ling is on duty; at the North Heavenly Gate, the True Martial Emperor is in charge; at the East Heavenly Gate, the Great Savior of Suffering, Taiyi, is in charge; and at the South Heavenly Gate, things are still alright."

Sun Wukong was dumbfounded, thinking to himself that if he had been guarded by so many people when he wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, he would not know where to go.

Jiang Yuan said, "Teacher, now that all the immortals have arrived, the birthday celebration is about to begin."

Lao Jun nodded and said, "It is about to begin, we should hurry over."

Everyone responded.

Laozi rode a cloud towards the South Heavenly Gate, with the Immortals and others following closely behind.

Upon seeing Laozi arrive, the four marshals hurriedly ordered their officials to make way and not obstruct his path.

When Laozi arrived, everyone bowed in greeting. Upon seeing the True Man and his entourage, no one dared to stop them. They bowed and said, "We have met the True Man, the Great Sage."

Jiang Yuan returned the greeting and said, "I was able to participate in the conference thanks to the protection of the Queen Mother of the West. Today I am going with Laozi. This is my disciple Zheng Yuan, who came with me to broaden his horizons. I hope you will not be offended."

The four marshals glanced at Zuo Liang, noted it down, and hurriedly said, "We dare not blame you, we dare not blame you."

Sun Wukong said, "Eldest brother, let's go inside first. We can catch up later."

The four marshals said, "What the Great Sage says makes sense."

Jiang Yuan said no more and walked into the South Heavenly Gate with Lao Jun.

Zuo Liang followed closely behind, bowing deeply as he passed the four marshals before entering with the real man.

When the four marshals saw Zuo Liang bowing, they all returned the bow and watched him leave. They said, "This boy has truly inherited the teachings of a master. He is very polite, which is truly rare."

Lei Jiang said, "But there is a disciple of the True Man Wen."

The four marshals asked, "When did you hear of this disciple of the True Man? Why have we never heard of him?"

Lei Jiang replied, "This disciple of the True Man is skilled in the Five Thunder Orthodox Method. He once sent a letter to the Thunder Palace requesting your assistance, which is why I have heard about it."

The four marshals said, "As you said, this disciple of the True Man already possesses magical power; he is truly remarkable."

Amidst the conversation...

……

Meanwhile, inside the South Heavenly Gate, Laozi led the True Man and his entourage into the inner sanctum.

Lao Jun laughed and said, "Guang Xin, Monkey Head, Zheng Yuan, keep up close."

Say it.

Lao Jun rode the clouds forward with great speed.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Yuan, despite being under immense magical power, grabbed Zuo Liang and followed Lao Jun.

The two disappeared in front of Sun Wukong in a short while.

Sun Wukong said, "But I didn't wait for you. Luckily, I know this cloud path, otherwise I would never have found a place to go."

Sun Wukong wanted to follow them on his cloud, but his magical powers were not as profound as theirs, and he dared not use his somersault cloud skills in the Heavenly Palace. So he could only proceed at a leisurely pace.

Laozi and the True Man rode the clouds to the thirty-third heaven and landed in the Jade Pool. There they saw countless immortals, both large and small, seated there.

Laozi stopped outside the Jade Pool, pointed ahead, and said, "This is where the grand gathering will begin. Guangxin may go there, and someone will guide you to your seat."

Jiang Yuan bowed to Laozi and then walked into the Jade Pool. As soon as he entered the Jade Pool, he saw many immortals rise from their seats and bow to him.

The immortal, unhurried and unhurried, returned the greeting to the assembled immortals.

The immortals quickly stepped aside, saying, "We dare not accept such praise, we dare not accept such praise."

The master said, “Since you have paid your respects, I accept them, and you should accept my return respects.”

The immortals said, "We have long heard that the True Man is well-mannered, and seeing him today, we can see that he is indeed so. But we truly dare not show him the courtesy due to the True Man."

Upon hearing this, the immortal could only shake his head helplessly. He noticed that the immortals seemed to recognize him, but he did not recall ever seeing them before. So he asked, "Do you all know me?"

The immortals replied, “The True Man does not recognize us, but we recognize the True Man. In the past, when the True Man achieved his goal, we all came out of the ancient cave to pay homage to him.”

The master said, "So that's how it is."

As they were talking, a celestial official came forward, bowed before the True Man, and said, "True Man, please come with me."

The immortal bowed to the assembled immortals to bid them farewell, and then departed with Zuo Liang and the immortal officials.

The celestial official led the immortal to the front of the Jade Pool, found a seat, and invited the immortal to sit down.

The real man smiled and answered, taking his seat at the table. Zuo Liang sat at a small table behind him. The table was laden with fine wine, jujubes and pears, peaches and many other delicacies, a truly grand occasion.

Seeing this, the Master placed some jujubes, pears, peaches, and other fruits on a small table behind him and said to Zuo Liang, "Zheng Yuan, please enjoy these. They will be useful for your cultivation."

Zuo Liang shook his head and said, "Master, this disciple would not dare to steal anything from your table."

The master shook his head and said, “How can you say I stole them? Rest assured, these are gifts from me. Besides, given my current level of cultivation, these things are of no use to me; they are mostly just for satisfying my cravings.”

Zuo Liang said, "Being able to satisfy Master's cravings is enough to demonstrate its effectiveness. This disciple dares not steal or rob it. I hope Master will take it back."

Jiang Yuan said, "You have read many books, but how many of them have you read in the study of this mansion?"

Zuo Liang said, "I have read a lot."

Jiang Yuan said, "Since you have read so much, you must know it. It is not appropriate to refuse a gift from an elder, as it would be disrespectful to refuse."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang had no choice but to accept it, fearing that the master might be angry.

Jiang Yuan was relieved to see that Zuo Liang had accepted the gift. He asked, "Zheng Yuan, this is your first time entering the Heavenly Palace. Do you have any thoughts on this?"

Zuo Liang shook his head and said, "Master, this disciple has no such thoughts."

Jiang Yuan smiled and asked, "What does the Heavenly Palace look like in your eyes?"

Zuo Liang replied, “The Heavenly Palace is solemn and majestic. Its splendor is unseen in the mortal world and is unique to the Heavenly Palace. Master, to be honest, if I did not have some cultivation, I fear that seeing the Heavenly Palace would cause me to lose my cultivation due to its magnificence.”

Jiang Yuan said, "Your words are enough to show that your cultivation has not been wrong."

The master and apprentice talked for a long time.

The Master glanced around and saw Sun Wukong also taking his seat in the distance, though in a more distant position. Sun Wukong was waving to him. The Master smiled and nodded. He looked at the seats around him, but none of them were occupied yet. Just as Jiang Yuan was thinking something, someone took his seat beside him. Upon closer inspection, he recognized the Ziwei Emperor. He immediately stood up, bowed, and said, "Guangxin greets the Emperor."

Emperor Ziwei said, "Guangxin, you have come here for the conference, so there is no need for formalities. But I have not seen your master for a long time. Why is he not here? With your abilities at Xieyue Sanxing Cave, it would not be difficult for you to obtain two seats."

Jiang Yuan said, "Your Majesty, my master is currently cultivating in the manor, and it is a crucial time, so he has not come. I hope Your Majesty will not be offended."

Emperor Ziwei laughed and said, "Don't say that. I know your master's temperament. He likes quiet. In the past, if you weren't here, he had no choice but to go in person. But now that you are here, he will naturally send you. According to me, you should refuse and let your master come in person."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan immediately said that she dared not.

Emperor Ziwei shook his head and said, "Enough, enough, enough. I won't say any more to you, but I owe you a great deal of help when I descended to the mortal realm to be reborn."

Jiang Yuan said, "But I did not help you achieve this success, so how dare I claim credit for it now? Besides, when the Emperor returned to his throne, he already expressed his gratitude, so there is no need to say more."

The Purple Emperor smiled and said, "But when I descend to the mortal realm again in the future, would you be willing to help me, True Man?"

Jiang Yuan said, "What the Emperor does is for the sake of all living beings, and all cultivators in the world will help him. This is the will of the world. As for what the Emperor needs, I will help him."

The Emperor laughed and said, "If I were to reincarnate you to help me, would you be willing?"

Jiang Yuan bowed and said, "If Your Majesty needs my assistance, I am willing to do so."

The Ziwei Emperor said, "You have not yet attained great magical power. If you were to be reincarnated to help me, you would be in danger of being trapped in a sea of ​​suffering. Are you truly willing to do so?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "But whatever Your Majesty needs, I will do it."

Emperor Ziwei laughed and said, "If I need anything, I will definitely come to you."

Jiang Yuan responded with a smile.

The two chatted happily, their voices filled with joy.

Emperor Ziwei suddenly looked at Zuo Liang and said, "Guangxin, is this your disciple?"

Jiang Yuan nodded and said, "Your Majesty, this is indeed my disciple, whose Dharma name is Zhengyuan. He is the second disciple of my sect. His cultivation is quite good, so I brought him into the Heavenly Palace to broaden his horizons."

Emperor Ziwei nodded and said, "I see."

When Zuo Liang saw Jiang Yuan speaking to him, he immediately stood up, bowed, and said, "Zheng Yuan greets the Ziwei Emperor."

Emperor Ziwei smiled and said, "He's a promising talent. Is he cultivating the Five Thunder Orthodox Method?"

Jiang Yuan nodded and said, "Your Majesty has a good eye. What he cultivates is the Five Thunder Orthodox Method."

The Purple Emperor said, "When he cultivates the Five Thunder Orthodox Method, is there any instance where he disobeys the command of the gods? If so, tell me, and I will make the decision for him."

Jiang Yuan laughed and said, "There is no god who does not obey his commands. Some time ago, Laozi was known for his name, but when he uses the Five Thunder Orthodox Method, he can communicate Laozi's name, and no one dares to disobey his commands."

Emperor Ziwei suddenly realized and said, "If that's the case, then I was overthinking it."

Jiang Yuan was about to say something more.

Suddenly a celestial official came to report, saying, "Master Guangxin, the Jade Emperor requests your presence."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan was slightly surprised. She then bowed to Emperor Ziwei and said, "Your Majesty, since the Great Heavenly Venerable has invited me, I must excuse myself. Please forgive me."

The Purple Emperor said, "Since it is the Jade Emperor who has invited you, you may go."

Jiang Yuan said, "Your Majesty, I entrust this disciple to Your Majesty. I hope Your Majesty will take care of him."

Emperor Ziwei smiled and nodded, saying, "Go with peace of mind. With me watching over you, your disciple will be perfectly safe."

Jiang Yuan nodded, gave Zuo Liang some more instructions, and then went with the celestial official to pay respects to the Jade Emperor.

The celestial official led the immortal on a walk to the top of the Jade Pool, where there were two seats. The Jade Emperor was seated on one of the seats, which was a little higher up.

Jiang Yuan stepped forward, bowed deeply, and said, "Guangxin greets Your Majesty!"

The Jade Emperor said, "I have long heard of your deeds in the mortal realm, Your Excellency. How did you fare in your campaign to vanquish demons?"

Jiang Yuan replied, "The harvest was plentiful, and we should thank His Majesty for sending troops to help us at that time."

The Jade Emperor smiled without saying a word, lowered his eyes to look at the several tripods at Jiang Yuan's waist, and said, "The True Man has a deep affinity with the Nine Tripods. Why not take the remaining tripods and gather all nine tripods?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Your Majesty, if one's affinity with the Dharma is profound, one will naturally gain something. If one has not yet gained anything, it means that one's affinity with the Dharma has not yet arrived, so I am not in a hurry to gain anything."

The Jade Emperor said, "This is because there is chaos in the Qi of the Southern Jambudvipa in the lower realm, which is why it is disturbing your karmic connection. But there is no need to be alarmed. When the Southern Jambudvipa is pacified, you can go down to the lower realm again and you will surely gain something. Furthermore, you can go and find the Water Official Emperor, who will surely guide you."

Jiang Yuan said, "I dare not disturb the Water Official Emperor."

The Jade Emperor laughed and said, "You dare not disturb the Water Official Emperor, but the Water Official Emperor often speaks to you in front of me, saying that you have a deep connection with the Nine Cauldrons. If the Ziwei Emperor cannot save the mortal world, then the only one who can save the mortal world is you."

Jiang Yuan bowed and said, "My magical power is shallow; how dare I presume to claim such a title?"

The Jade Emperor said, "Your magical power is no longer shallow; there are very few in the Three Realms who can defeat you."

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "I dare not accept Your Majesty's words."

The Jade Emperor said, “I once asked you to return to the Heavenly Realm, but you refused because you had not yet completed your cultivation. However, with your current power, you cannot refuse, because your power is now profound and you are no longer at the time when you had achieved enlightenment. But I do not wish to summon you back to your position now. I know your cultivation of the mind. Your return to your position will not be today, but in the future.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan was deeply moved. He knelt down, bowed deeply, and said, "Your Majesty's kindness is deeply appreciated. Although I have never returned to the Heavenly Palace, if Your Majesty summons me, I will certainly respond and serve Your Majesty."

The Jade Emperor smiled and nodded, saying, "Today is the Queen Mother's birthday celebration. You should return to your seat. We can discuss the matter further when you return to the Heavenly Palace after you have accomplished your mission."

Say it.

A celestial official came forward to lead the immortal back to the banquet.

Jiang Yuan bowed to the Jade Emperor repeatedly, deeply grateful for his kindness, before leaving with the celestial official.

Before long, the real person returned to the table and went back to his seat.

When the Purple Emperor saw the True Man return, he smiled and said, "Now that you have seen the Great Heavenly Venerable, do you have any feelings?"

Jiang Yuan sat down and exclaimed, "The Great Celestial Venerable has a magnanimous heart, far surpassing that of any human emperor."

Emperor Ziwei laughed and said, "The Great Heavenly Venerable's power over the Three Realms is such that no one dares to disrespect or disobey him. He is naturally broad-minded. Your thoughts are quite common."

Jiang Yuan said, "The Great Heavenly Venerable is the Heavenly Emperor, which is a blessing for the Three Realms."

The Purple Emperor pointed to a monkey eating peaches in the distance and said, "I have heard that Sun Wukong once said, 'Emperors take turns, this year it's my turn,' wanting to overthrow the Great Heavenly Venerable and make him the Heavenly Emperor. I wonder what he is thinking now."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan was both amused and exasperated, and said, "At that time, he was young and ignorant, in the prime of his life. Only after learning his skills did he speak those words. Now he has cultivated the righteous path and has no ulterior motives. I hope Your Majesty will forgive Wukong for his rudeness back then."

(End of this chapter)