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

Chapter 331 Zuo Liangxianwei, Buddhist and Taoist Cultivation

Along the mountain path, a group of strong young guards led Zuo Liang into the mountains. After walking for a long time, night gradually fell.

Night falls in the mountains, and it is quite terrifying. The dark mist seems to come alive, baring its fangs and claws, with demons dancing wildly, as if evil spirits are about to emerge from the mist.

The group of young men were all terrified, looking at the dark fog ahead with deep fear. However, with Zuo Liang behind them, even though they were panicked, they would still move forward to clear a path for Zuo Liang.

Looking at the young men around him, Zuo Liang felt helpless. He said, "You are so afraid, which is not right. Although this place is a bit scary, there are no demons or monsters here. You don't need to panic."

A young man said, “Master, although we know there is no need to panic, looking at the misty mountain path, it is inevitable that we will feel uneasy and unable to control ourselves. This panic is unavoidable.”

Zuo Liang said, "The panic in my heart is that the main party has no help, so I have no confidence and am naturally panicked."

The young and strong did not know what the 'true master' meant.

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang smiled slightly and asked, "Many scriptures explain this doctrine. Would you like to hear it? If so, I may explain it to you."

The young man said, "But those doctrines and teachings are all among the noble families; how can we possibly hear them?"

Zuo Liang said, “When I expound the scriptures, I don’t care about the so-called ‘high-ranking families’. It only depends on whether you are willing. If you are willing, I will expound to you. If you are not willing, then let’s stop.”

The young man said, "Of course I want it, of course I want it."

Zuo Liang smiled and said, "Once this matter is settled, you will all come with me, and I will give you a speech."

All the young men knelt down and thanked Zuo Liang. They were extremely grateful for Zuo Liang's willingness to impart his knowledge, which was beyond their reach.

Zuo Liang and the others continued forward.

Before he could go far, he suddenly saw a gust of eerie wind ahead, causing the dark mist to tremble, as if some evil spirit was about to emerge.

Although the group of young men were somewhat afraid, they did not feel that any evil spirits were coming out of it, and were about to continue forward.

Zuo Liang suddenly spoke up, saying, "Wait a moment."

The group of young men serving were puzzled and looked at Zuo Liang. Seeing that Zuo Liang was looking ahead and seemed to know something, they all asked Zuo Liang what was wrong.

Zuo Liang pointed ahead and said, "There's a monster up ahead. You should all step back a bit so it doesn't hurt you."

Upon hearing this, the group of young men were terrified and all wanted to flee. However, seeing that Zuo Liang was still there, they had no choice but to maintain their formation, take out various weapons, and pretend to defend themselves. Some of the young men even reached out to pull the white deer back, fearing that Zuo Liang would be harmed. The white deer, however, did not need to be pulled by the young men and was completely unafraid of the evil spirits in front of it.

Zuo Liang said, "Everyone need not worry. I am on my own and have some skills. Those evil spirits will not be able to harm me."

The group of young men, trembling with fear, hurriedly said, "Master, please don't be reckless. We can protect you and ensure you are not harmed."

Zuo Liang laughed and said, "No need to worry, no need to worry."

The group of young men had no choice but to agree and wait in place.

Zuo Liang looked ahead and said, "You little demons ahead, quickly show yourselves! Why are you blocking my path?"

But as soon as Zuo Liang finished speaking, the dark mist in front of them completely dissipated, revealing the figure of King Kuishan.

The enormous body of King Kuishan was revealed, causing the group of young men to panic. Many of them were so frightened that they fell to the ground, unable to fight back.

King Kuishan pointed at Zuo Liang and said, "How can you see my figure? Could you be a cultivator?"

Zuo Liang, riding on the white deer, said, "I am a cultivator."

King Kuishan said, "Where do you cultivate? State your name."

Zuo Liang said, "He is Zheng Yuan, a disciple of the Guangxin Zhenren of the Xieyue Sanxing Cave on Lingtai Fangcun Mountain in Xiniu Hezhou."

King Kuishan pondered for a moment and said, "I have indeed never heard of this so-called Great Heart Immortal, nor have I heard of your name Zhengyuan. Are you perhaps telling me some trivial name?"

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang looked at King Kuishan but had no further intention of speaking. Such an ignorant person was not worth his time. He pointed at King Kuishan and said, "There is a demon who has defied the laws of Heaven and declared himself king, causing havoc. He occupies the dangerous mountains of Nanjing, breathing in malevolent energy and stirring up miasma, causing panic among the people and resulting in crop failure. I hereby issue an order to mobilize the land gods and mountain spirits of the four directions to capture this fiend. Those who hear this order must quickly come to the front lines. Those who are negligent will be punished without mercy."

But as soon as Zuo Liang finished speaking, a fierce wind howled from all directions, and more than a dozen local gods and mountain spirits appeared and bowed, saying, "We pay our respects to Master Zheng Yuan. We have come to assist in capturing the demon at your command."

When King Kuishan saw that Zuo Liang had managed to summon so many local gods and mountain spirits with just a few words, he was greatly alarmed. How could he not know that Zuo Liang was a highly accomplished master, and he was no match for him? He turned around and prepared to escape on the demonic wind.

How could the dozen or so local gods and mountain spirits let King Kuishan escape? Each of them used their supernatural powers, and in no time at all, King Kuishan was captured by the local gods and mountain spirits and brought before Zuo Liang's formation.

Zuo Liang showed no intention of forgiving him and ordered the local earth god and mountain deity to capture the King of Kuishan and bring him to the City God Temple for questioning.

All the local earth gods and mountain gods obeyed the order, seized King Kuishan, and retreated.

In a short while, Zuo Liang subdued the demon.

Many young men in front of him were amazed by Zuo Liang's divine power. They realized that his title of "Celestial Master" did not only refer to his compassionate heart, but also to his immense supernatural powers, making him truly like a deity.

Zuo Liang smiled and looked at the group of young men, without saying anything more, and simply asked them to lead the way.

The group of young men bowed to Zuo Liang with heartfelt gratitude for his life-saving grace and admired his extraordinary abilities.

……

The story is told from the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, in the Xieyue Sanxing Cave.

Jiang Yuan was in the ancestral master's quiet room, playing chess with him. The two were locked in a fierce battle on the chessboard for a long time when Jiang Yuan suddenly felt something and looked towards the Southern Continent.

The patriarch asked with a smile, "Child, why are you distracted?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Master, I have a feeling that Zheng Yuan is in the Southern Continent, mobilizing the local land gods and mountain spirits to subdue demons."

The patriarch laughed and said, "Zhengyuan is dispatching the local earth gods and mountain spirits to subdue demons. What's the big deal? It's a routine matter."

Jiang Yuan nodded and said, "What Master said makes sense. This is a common occurrence. But I have a feeling that Zheng Yuan's future path does not lie in the manor."

The patriarch pointed at Jiang Yuan and said with a smile and a scolding, "You child, you can't keep all the disciples in the manor. Those who should leave should leave. Only one person in the manor can inherit your mantle. If the rest want to leave, they can't be kept." Jiang Yuan said, "I understand this principle, but I have some feelings."

The patriarch said, "Such sentiments are unnecessary. People coming and going in the manor are common occurrences. When you open your own manor in the future, not everyone will be able to attain enlightenment. There will inevitably be those who are ignorant and incompetent who will leave in haste."

Jiang Yuan said, "Master's words make sense. However, Zheng Yuan is bound to achieve enlightenment. If he can leave the manor in the future, he may become the master of a mountain and establish a sect. This is also uncertain."

The patriarch smiled and said, "Don't worry about those who establish sects. After this calamity ends, if you wish to keep Zheng Yuan here, you must call him back to the manor. Only in this way can you save your life. You must remember this and not be careless."

Jiang Yuan said, "Master, I will remember this and dare not forget it. But Master, how many years are left in this tribulation?"

The patriarch said, "It's still early, it's still early. But you should cultivate diligently, because the next calamity might begin with you."

Jiang Yuan said, "Master, I have never known what this next tribulation is all about."

The patriarch said, “The ebb and flow of tides, the blooming and withering of flowers, is the principle. A kalpa is the number of heaven and earth, just like a person. At birth, one is born with energy. As one ages, yang energy increases, and in the middle of life, yin energy increases. When the energy is exhausted, a person’s life ends. A kalpa is also like this.”

Jiang Yuan asked again, "Master, if that's the case, then heaven and earth do not last forever."

The patriarch smiled and nodded, saying, "How can one live forever? If one wants to live forever, one must achieve the necessary cultivation within one's body. Like you, having achieved the Golden Elixir, one will naturally live for countless eons without dying."

Jiang Yuan said, "Master, is it true that one cannot live forever without the Golden Core?"

The patriarch said, “There are also ways to survive in unorthodox and heretical paths. One’s mind and body are the same as all methods. As long as the method is profound, there will be a way to survive. For example, the Western Vulture Peak, although it is not the right path, can still survive.”

Jiang Yuan asked, "Master, but this disciple does not yet know the extent to which the Western Shakyamuni Buddha's Nirvana practice has progressed."

The Patriarch laughed and said, "If you want to know, go and have a match with that Buddha. With your current skills, the Buddha can't easily defeat you. Why don't you go and have a fight?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "Master, why are you teasing me like this? If I were to go and fight them, that would not be the way of my cultivation."

The patriarch said, "I knew you weren't of a fierce and aggressive nature, but in Buddhist practice, if you want to speak, you can only say one thing."

Jiang Yuan said, "I hope you will tell me, Master."

The patriarch said: "The body without form is the true body, the form without appearance is the real appearance. It is neither color nor emptiness nor non-emptiness, it neither comes nor goes nor returns, it is neither different nor the same nor exists nor non-existent, it is difficult to give up, difficult to take, difficult to hear and see, and its inner and outer spiritual light is everywhere the same. This is the practice of Buddhism and Taoism."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan felt deeply that his cultivation was still far from that of the Buddha and the Master.

The patriarch seemed to see through Jiang Yuan's thoughts and smiled, "No need to worry. Your cultivation is already quite remarkable. When the time is right, your cultivation will surely surpass that old Buddha."

Jiang Yuan said, "Yes, Master. But Master, I still don't understand why you said that the next tribulation might begin with me. Is there any significance to this?"

The Patriarch said, "You will now possess great magical power, becoming my disciple and also a disciple of Laozi. If you had great magical power before this calamity, you might have been able to participate in the creation of the world in the next calamity."

Jiang Yuan was still somewhat puzzled and asked, "Master, is there any particular reason for this creation of heaven?"

The patriarch smiled and said, "You will know in the future. There is no need to ask any more questions here. For now, you should focus on your cultivation."

Jiang Yuan had no choice but to agree and asked no further questions.

The patriarch said, "No need to worry, just finish this game of chess with me."

Jiang Yuan responded naturally, focusing on placing his pieces and playing chess with the patriarch.

The master and disciple fought on the chessboard, exchanging moves and battling for a long time without a clear winner, but it was obvious that the master was giving the disciple more opportunities.

……

Meanwhile, in Lishan Village, Zuo Liang had been walking for a long time and finally arrived at the village. A group of young and strong men entered, which alerted the villagers. Some went to report to the village chief, while most of the villagers surrounded the group of young and strong men, looking at them menacingly, as if they were about to attack at the slightest provocation.

Lishan Village was hostile to outsiders, so when Zuo Liang arrived with many young men, he and the other villagers were very wary.

The group of able-bodied men were angered by the villagers' rudeness and said, "The Celestial Master is here! How dare you be so disrespectful! You all, step back!"

Upon hearing his words, the villagers remained unmoved, only gazing at the group of young men carrying various weapons, such as hoes and wooden sticks.

The young men were furious at the villagers' rudeness and stepped forward to fight them. Fortunately, Zuo Liang drove his white deer to stop them, preventing a fight from breaking out.

Zuo Liang said, “We must not be rude. Since the villagers do not allow us to enter, we will wait here for a while. I saw some villagers leaving, they must be going to summon the village elders.”

The young man said, "As the Celestial Master commands."

Zuo Liang was relieved when he saw that the group of young men no longer came forward. He said to the villagers, "You don't need to be so wary. I have no ill intentions. I will not enter rashly. I will wait for the village elders to come before I enter."

Upon hearing Zuo Liang's words, the villagers' expressions softened, but no one stepped forward to speak.

After waiting for a long time, the village chief finally arrived. Upon seeing Zuo Liang's dignified and otherworldly appearance, he dared not be negligent. He stepped forward and reprimanded the villagers, then bowed and said, "Sir, the villagers are all mountain folk. They have been somewhat rude. Please forgive them and do not blame the mountain folk."

Zuo Liang laughed and said, "I don't blame you, so please rest assured. I came here with no ill intentions. I came because of the legend of the strong man Niu in the village. These men are all loyal and righteous. Knowing that I was coming, they were afraid that I would be harmed, so they personally saw me off. The procession was a bit large, which made the villagers wary."

The village chief said, "You've come for the old ox? May I ask what business you have with it, sir? Would you mind telling me?"

Zuo Liang said, “I have heard that the village’s esteemed Niu Zhuangshi has defeated the evil spirits with his martial arts, which is quite remarkable. However, his wife’s unborn child has not been born for twelve months, which is rather strange. I am well-versed in medicine and travel around to treat people. Hearing about this, I came to take a look. If I can help, I will certainly do so.”

Upon hearing this, the village chief was overjoyed and laughed, "I never expected you to come for this matter. To be honest, sir, I have been troubled by this problem for a long time, but I really have no solution. Now that you have come, you can relieve my worries. Please wait a moment, sir. I will have someone take you to the old ox's residence and ask you to take a look at Niu Yanshi."

Zuo Liang readily agreed, saying, "Of course. Please lead the way, village chief. My group of men will be taken to a place where they can rest in peace. These men have gone to great lengths to escort me here."

The village chief answered them one by one, sent someone to take the group of young men away, and instructed people to prepare some tea and food for them to enjoy.

The young men were reluctant to leave, but after Zuo Liang's persuasion, they complied.

After watching the group of young men leave, Zuo Liang walked into the village with the village chief.

After walking for a while, the village chief sent a villager to the fields to summon the Bull Demon King. Only after the Bull Demon King arrived could they enter his house to check on the unborn child in Niu Yan's womb.

(End of this chapter)