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

Chapter 327 Zuo Liang Descends the Mountain, the Ox Demon Enters His Dream

Time flies, summer comes and winter goes, and years pass by in the practice.

Since the True Immortals descended to the mortal realm after the Heavenly Birthday Ceremony, three years have passed in the blink of an eye.

One day, Zuo Liang was meditating in his quiet room when he was suddenly summoned by Jiang Yuan. He immediately got up, left the quiet room, and went to Yaotai to see the immortal.

Since returning to his cave, Zuo Liang has devoted himself to cultivation and has not ventured out since. With the help of many treasures from heaven, his cultivation has progressed by leaps and bounds. Now, his magical power is gradually growing, and his mind is firm and unwavering. This is the sign that he is about to attain enlightenment.

Zuo Liangxing entered the Jade Terrace and saw the True Man sitting high on the altar.

The Master looked at Zuo Liang and, knowing his cultivation, thought to himself with delight, "This disciple is about to attain enlightenment. As long as he cultivates in this way, step by step, it will take him at most a hundred years, or at least ten years, to attain enlightenment."

Zuo Liang stepped forward and bowed deeply, paying his respects to the True Man.

Jiang Yuan said, "Zheng Yuan, there's no need for such formalities. How is your cultivation progressing?"

Zuo Liang bowed and said, "Master, I have received your grace and enjoy many treasures from the Heavenly Court, and my cultivation is progressing well."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "I see that your cultivation has made great progress, far surpassing what it used to be. This is the beginning of your attainment of enlightenment, which cannot be fully described by 'still possible'."

Zuo Liang said, "Even though I have achieved success in my cultivation and attained enlightenment, my cultivation power is still far inferior to that of my master. My master does not claim to have achieved success or attained great skill in cultivation, so how dare I claim to? I can only say that I am still capable."

Jiang Yuan said, "You're just copying me."

Zuo Liang said, "I am my master's disciple, so I should learn from my master."

Jiang Yuan waved his hand and said, "I won't say any more words to you here. Do you know why I summoned you here today?"

Zuo Liang shook his head and said, "Master, I don't know what it is, but just give the order. Whatever it is, as long as you say it, I will serve you."

Jiang Yuan said, "But my protector, the Bull Demon, is currently cultivating outside. His cultivation is about to encounter a tribulation, so I wish to send you there to assist him. Are you willing?"

Zuo Liang bowed and said, "Master, I am willing. Please tell me where the Ox King is, and I will go there to help him."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Are you really willing to go? You should know that you are about to achieve enlightenment. If you stay in the manor to cultivate, you will achieve success in a short time. If you go out, who knows how long it will take to achieve success in your cultivation."

Zuo Liang said, “Master, but to achieve enlightenment through cultivation, one must have the right conditions. If the right conditions are not met, arduous cultivation is useless. It would be better to go out and explore. Perhaps when the right conditions are met, I may suddenly attain enlightenment.”

The Master said, “As you have said, I will not say any more. But you can go to the Jingzhou area of ​​the Southern Continent. The Ox King is there. You do not need to look for him. You can go wherever you want. When the time is right, you will meet the Ox King.”

Zuo Liang bowed and said, "This disciple will remember Master's words and will not forget them. This disciple will now gather some supplies and head to the Southern Continent to assist the Bull King."

The master nodded and said, "It is indeed my trouble to go."

Zuo Liang said, "It is my honor to be able to take care of things for my master. How could I dare to say such a thing?"

The man smiled and said no more.

Zuo Liang hurriedly got up, intending to go outside, return to the quiet room to tidy up, and then descend the mountain.

Before he could even leave the Jade Terrace, the True Man suddenly spoke up and stopped him.

The master said, "Zhengyuan, don't be anxious."

Zuo Liang turned around and bowed, saying, "Master, is there anything else you need to do?"

The master said, “In my opinion, there is no great danger on this journey, but you must be careful while you are traveling. I have several cauldrons, all of which have the power to protect you. I will give you a cauldron for protection. Keep it close to your body and it will keep you safe.”

Say it.

The master took out the Yu Ding, flicked his sleeve, and a gentle breeze arose, sending the Yu Ding to Zuo Liang's side.

Zuo Liang accepted the Yu Ding with immense gratitude. He bowed deeply to the Master and said, "Disciple thanks Master."

He knew his master's concern was genuine. He was now free from danger after descending the mountain from his cultivation, but his master was still worried about him. Therefore, he gave him the Yu Ding to protect him. He was deeply grateful for this great kindness.

The master said, “But if you are to travel to the Southern Continent, the journey is long and your speed will be very slow. Once you leave the mansion, you can call out to the white deer outside the mansion and tell it is my will to let it ride you to the Southern Continent.”

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang knelt down and said, "Master, there's no need for that. But that white deer is your mount. If I ride it away, what will I do with it when you need to travel?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "Don't worry, I won't go out here. You can ride the white deer away. Don't say anything more and go pack up."

Upon hearing what the master said, Zuo Liang dared not say anything more. He bowed deeply again, then got up and left.

The real man watched Zuo Liang's departing figure and nodded with a smile.

……

Zuo Liang left Yaotai and went to the quiet room. He packed his luggage, took a bundle and carried it on his back. He also hung the Yu Ding on his waist. Then he got up to leave.

He had just stepped out of the meditation room when he saw Sun Wukong walking by. He immediately bowed and said, "Greetings, Uncle-Master."

Sun Wukong, wearing a cassock, saw Zuo Liang, stepped forward and grabbed him, laughing, "Nephew Zhengyuan, where are you going dressed like that?"

Zuo Liang said, "Uncle-Master, I am going to the Southern Continent to report to Master's decree."

Sun Wukong said, "Is there anything I can help you with? If so, please tell me, and I will certainly do you a favor."

Zuo Liang shook his head and said, "I wouldn't dare trouble you, Uncle-Master."

Sun Wukong scratched his head, about to say something more, but seeing the Yu Ding at Zuo Liang's waist, he said, "Enough, enough, enough. I shouldn't say anything more. You have the Yu Ding given to you by your senior brother. It's an ordinary thing and can't hurt you. Why would I need to tell you? But I want to know what it is that made your senior brother give you the Yu Ding. Can you tell me about it?"

Zuo Liang said, "If my uncle wants to know, I will tell him."

Zuo Liang then recounted the story of the Ox King's cultivation tribulations and how he received the True Man's decree.

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong said, "I never imagined it would be like this. My elder brother is facing a tribulation in his cultivation. My senior brother should have instructed me to go. But now that the decree has been given to you, I should not go. Very well, nephew. But if you encounter any difficulties or things you cannot handle, you can loudly call out the name of my Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong. With the affinity between you and me, I will surely be able to sense it, and then I will definitely rush to your aid."

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

Knowing that Zuo Liang had important matters to attend to, Sun Wukong dared not obstruct him any further and thus instructed him to leave.

Zuo Liang dared not delay and got up to leave. As soon as he left the cave, a white deer came from the green cliff with a shout. Under Zuo Liang's instructions, it received the decree of the True Man and rode on Zuo Liang's back to the Southern Continent.

……

In a mountain in Jingzhou, in the Southern Continent, the Bull Demon King, who had come out of the mountain to cultivate, was living in a village.

The Bull Demon King transformed into a farmer, moved into a village, and spent his days doing farm work, experiencing life and having a very leisurely time.

One day, the Bull Demon King was working in the fields when many villagers were talking to him.

"Old Ox, how come you plow so quickly?" "You know how strong Old Ox is. It's nothing unusual for me to plow with this kind of strength."

"Niu Er, how did you develop such strength? Several of us are still no match for you."

The surrounding villagers were talking to the Bull Demon King.

The Bull Demon King, using the alias "Niu Er," claimed to be a refugee fleeing from disaster. He became famous in the village for his strength. He found a piece of wasteland and reclaimed it with his own strength, which amazed all the villagers.

The Bull Demon King grinned and said, "My strength is innate; you can't envy it."

The villagers all said, "Niu Er, you're new here and haven't started a family yet. Why don't you start a family first and have a child? Maybe your child can carry on your strength."

The Bull Demon King waved his hand and said, "Let's not talk about this for now, let's not talk about it for now."

The villagers all burst into laughter, assuming that the Bull Demon King was just shy and speechless, hence his words.

The villagers all cheered and wanted to help the Bull Demon King get married.

Helpless, the Bull Demon King had no choice but to say, "To be honest, before I fled from war years ago, I was already married and had a son. However, we were separated because of the war. We will surely meet again someday, so I cannot marry."

The villagers said, “Old Niu, this is not a difficult thing, but our ancestors all came from hardship. Before we came, who didn’t have a home? But after arriving here, we all settled down here. Don’t say anything more, we will definitely help you settle down.”

Upon hearing this, the Bull Demon King felt a headache coming on. If his wife found out that he had settled down here, what would become of him?

However, the villagers were relentless and insisted that the Bull Demon King settle down here, otherwise they would not let him off the hook.

Seeing the villagers' enthusiasm, and after much persuasion, the Bull Demon King had no choice but to agree.

When the villagers saw that the Bull Demon King had agreed, they were all overjoyed and began to talk. Some said that their daughters were beautiful, while others said that their nieces were still young. They all wanted to take the Bull Demon King as their son-in-law. If they had such a strong son-in-law, they could save a lot of effort in the farm work. How could the villagers not be tempted?

After some discussion, it was decided to let the Bull Demon King choose for himself.

Under the villagers' persuasion, the Bull Demon King had no choice but to choose a woman and marry her.

The village was poor and everything was simple. With the support of the villagers, the Bull Demon King hastily married Yan, the wife he had brought with him.

On their wedding night, the Bull Demon King gazed at his new wife by the bedside, pondering for a long time, unsure of what to say.

The new wife asked, "My love, why do you look at me like that?"

The Bull Demon King shook his head and said, "I am pondering some things."

The new wife said, "My love, now that we are husband and wife, you can tell me anything."

The Bull Demon King said, "I won't lie to you. You should know that I have a wife and son living outside. It was out of necessity that I started a family in the village."

The new wife said, "My lord has come from hardship, all that is in the past. My lord has no children now, but I can bear him a child."

The Bull Demon King asked, "But if one day I bring my wife back, what will you do?"

The new wife said, "If it were then, he would be the elder, and I would be the younger."

The Bull Demon King was relieved upon hearing this.

The new wife said, "My love, it's late."

Upon hearing this, the Bull Demon King was somewhat troubled. His true form was a bull, but if he were to have a child with another woman, the child might be born with the appearance of a bull.

The new wife, however, had no say in the matter of the Bull Demon King. She had been ordered to bear a son, for it was said that the son might inherit the Bull Demon King's strength, and then the farm work at home would be worry-free.

……

Spring goes and autumn comes, summer comes and winter goes, and before we know it, more than a year has passed.

The Bull Demon King's new wife, Lady Yan, finally became pregnant, but the Bull Demon King felt uneasy. He feared that his demon form would be exposed, so he walked among humans in human form, experiencing the world of mortals, and cultivating in this way. Although this cultivation was effective, there were many difficulties.

If his demonic form is exposed, he may find it difficult to survive in the village in the future. Normally, he could simply leave, but now that he has married a new wife in the village, the Bull King is at a loss.

One day, Niu Wang returned home from working in the fields with the villagers. Under the scorching sun, he sat down at home, and Yan Shi hurriedly came to serve him. The two treated each other with respect, and after having tea and a meal, they prepared to go to sleep.

Yan fell asleep by the bedside that night, while Niu Wang was preparing to tidy up before going to sleep. As he was tidying up by the bedside, he suddenly saw Yan get up. Niu Wang was about to ask why she got up.

Upon seeing the Ox King, Lady Yan was terrified and cried out, "Monster! Monster!"

He fainted due to excessive fright.

The Bull Demon King was startled. He looked up and touched his horns, only to find that they were exposed. This was because he had been careless, which had caused his true form to be revealed. He quickly used a magic trick to hide the horns. Upon closer inspection, he saw that Yan Shi had fainted from fright but was otherwise unharmed.

Seeing this, the Bull Demon King was relieved, but his unease grew even stronger, fearing that his demonic form would be discovered and things would get out of hand.

The next morning, Madam Yan suddenly woke up and looked around at the Bull Demon King beside her for a long time.

The Bull Demon King stood up and asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Yan touched the Bull Demon King's head, somewhat dazed, and said, "Last night I suddenly woke up and saw that Ah Lang had grown bull horns on his head. He was a monster, which surprised me greatly."

The Bull Demon King laughed and scolded, "Why are you cursing me like that? This must be a dream. Don't talk nonsense. How could I be a monster?"

Madam Yan agreed wholeheartedly, saying, "It must be a nightmare, it must be a nightmare. But I can't distinguish between dreams. I've often heard stories of many high-ranking officials having extraordinary phenomena before their birth, such as a flying bear entering their dreams or swallowing the Big Dipper. I'm pregnant now, and I dreamt of a bull demon at night. Could this be an extraordinary phenomenon? Will my child become a high-ranking official in the future?"

The Bull Demon King remained silent for a long time, unsure of what to say.

Madam Yan continued, saying, "The village chief is literate. Later, I will definitely go and ask him what kind of strange phenomenon this bull demon entering the dream is, and whether my son will become a high-ranking official in the imperial court in the future."

The Bull Demon King said, "Let it go. Perhaps it was just a dream. There's no need to take it so seriously."

Madam Yan said, "This matter concerns my son's future, so we must take it seriously. It cannot be underestimated. Perhaps this is an auspicious sign for me, as the ox spirit has entered my dream."

The Bull Demon King could say nothing and could only let Yan Shi ramble on.

Just as the couple were talking, someone suddenly ran in in a panic.

The man was a villager. He walked in, trembling with fear, and said in a panic, "Old Niu, Old Niu. Something terrible has happened. You must come with me to the village chief."

The Bull Demon King asked in bewilderment, "Why are you so panicked?"

The villagers exclaimed in alarm, "A monster has attacked! The village chief has gathered all the able-bodied men in the village to defend the village!"

(End of this chapter)