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

Chapter 336 Seeking the Dao in the True Abyss, Searching for Treasure by a True Person

Before the True Man's Quiet Chamber in the Three Star Immortal Cave, Zuo Liang walked to this place, wishing to pay his respects to the True Man.

Zuo Liang looked somewhat uneasy, a sign that his mind was in turmoil, that the two spirits were about to rise, and that the master was about to lose power. He was about to move forward, but he stopped in front of the quiet room, unsure whether he should continue.

Now, if he takes a step forward, he can speak to his master about his troubles, and with his master's abilities, he will surely be able to resolve his confusion.

But he was afraid of disturbing his master's meditation. He had heard that his master was learning the complete teachings from the patriarch and probably had no free time. If he went now and disturbed his master, causing his success to be in vain, it would be too late to regret it then.

It would be better for him to go back and think it over himself, without disturbing his master.

Zuo Liang's mind was filled with distracting thoughts, and he hesitated to move forward.

The real person remained completely still in the quiet room, and there was no sound of summoning him inside.

Zuo Liang gazed ahead, unsure whether to enter. He pondered for a long time, still unable to make a decision. But as he thought about it, he suddenly remembered what the sage had said: "The sea of ​​suffering is boundless, and only those who hear the Way can cross it themselves. But those who hear the Way, with the Way before them, should move forward."

What is the reason for him to waste his time here? Has he forgotten his master's teachings?
Zuo Liangxin suddenly understood. He walked to the Master's quiet room, knelt down without knocking, and said, "Disciple Zhengyuan has come to seek Master because of difficulties in cultivation. I hope Master can resolve the confusion in my heart."

Say it.

Zuo Liang remained kneeling on the ground, not rising.

Suddenly a gentle breeze came, and the door opened by itself.

Zuo Liang looked up and saw the master standing in front of the door with a smile, as if waiting for him. Zuo Liang suddenly realized that this was his master testing him.

If he were to truly retreat, that would be a disgrace to his master. Only by choosing to see his master can he bring him comfort.

His mind was in turmoil just now because of the two gods' interference, who disturbed his mind with their thoughts and ideas. If he falls into their trap, his cultivation will surely regress. If he fails to awaken to the truth along the way, he will suffer the same fate as Pigsy in the past.

Fortunately, he received much guidance from his master, which enabled him to awaken at the crucial moment.

Zuo Liang bowed again and said, "Disciple thanks Master!"

The master laughed and said, "Your own enlightenment is beyond my control. Why thank me? Come in."

Say it.

The Master turned and entered the room, walked to the futon and sat down cross-legged. In front of his futon, there was another empty futon, and the Master asked Zuo Liang to come in and sit down.

Zuo Liang bowed repeatedly, walked inside, sat down on the prayer mat, and said, "If it weren't for Master's past teachings, how could I have awakened? Therefore, I should thank Master."

The master pointed at Zuo Liang and said with a smile, "You smooth talker. Tell me what's bothering you, and I'll answer it for you. Then you can go."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang bowed and pondered for a long time before saying, "Master, since I welcomed back the Ox King years ago, I have been cultivating in the manor and have never gone out. However, despite my solitary cultivation, I have not made any progress. This is because when I cultivate, I think about what I have seen and heard in the human world. In the sea of ​​suffering, the refugees cry out in despair without any help, which disturbs my mind. For many years, I have been unable to understand these things, so I have come to ask Master for guidance and ask you to enlighten me."

Upon hearing Zuo Liang's words, the Master sighed, "I originally intended to keep you for a longer period of time, but now it seems that I cannot keep you here."

Zuo Liang said, "Master, why do you say that such words cannot be kept?"

The master said, “Since you left home, I have known your path lies outside the mansion, not inside. Sooner or later you will leave the mansion to cultivate outside, and this is your path. Your current appearance is enough to show that you should leave the mansion.”

Zuo Liang exclaimed in surprise, "Master, I have not yet achieved any success in my cultivation, nor have I been able to fulfill my filial duties before you. How can I leave the manor?"

The master said, “I am teaching you to leave the manor to cultivate, not to expel you from the sect. Why are you making such a fuss? You can leave the manor to cultivate. If you miss home, you can return at any time. However, I will no longer teach you to cultivate in seclusion in the manor. This way of cultivation is not your way.”

Zuo Liang said, "However, since I have left the manor to cultivate, I will no longer be able to fulfill my filial duties to my master."

Jiang Yuan laughed and said, "No need to say such things, but I have been cultivating in seclusion in the manor for many years, so it is difficult for you to see me. How can you talk about filial piety? Let's not talk about such things. Just go out of the manor to cultivate in peace. If I need you to fulfill your filial duties, I will summon you."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang understood his master's meaning, so he knelt down, kowtowed repeatedly, and was moved to tears of gratitude.

Jiang Yuan helped Zuo Liang up and said, "Don't bother with so many formalities. You used to bow to me when you saw me, so that's fine. But you can skip all the other formalities. Zheng Yuan, your path is outside, but there are some things I should tell you."

Zuo Liang said, "Please tell me, Master, I will remember it."

Jiang Yuan said, "But if you go out and treat refugees, and some of them know your abilities and want to follow you, what will you do?"

Zuo Liang bowed and said, "Before those who seek the Way, this is all I have to say."

Jiang Yuan then asked, "If a high-ranking official hears of your abilities and invites you to come and teach you their skills, what would you do?"

Zuo Liang said, “All beings are equal. If any high-ranking officials or nobles hear of the Dao, they will come forward on their own. If they try to summon me, how can they possibly summon me?”

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "But what if your former human family comes looking for you?"

Zuo Liang said, "Master, Zuo Liang has long since passed away. The current one is Zheng Yuan. How can there be any talk of family?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan smiled but remained silent, her gaze still fixed on Zuo Liang.

Upon seeing this, Zuo Liang pondered for a long time before saying, "Master, if it is someone from the family who truly has the destiny to find me and begs me, I will most likely soften my heart."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "It's enough that you know my heart. But rest assured, I have no intention of blaming you. I just hope you will think carefully before you act, and not get involved in too many things, lest you sink into a sea of ​​suffering."

Zuo Liang said, "This disciple will remember Master's words."

Jiang Yuan then asked, "Speaking of which, Zheng Yuan, do you remember when I gave you your Dharma name and explained the origin of it to you?"

Zuo Liang said, "Master, I only remember that I am your second disciple. I am like water, which is good and tranquil, and therefore I have the Dharma name Zhengyuan."

Jiang Yuan smiled and nodded, saying, "In that case, you may leave now, but you should rest in the manor for another year or two before you go out to cultivate."

Zuo Liang accepted the order, bid farewell to the Master, and left.

Jiang Yuan watched Zuo Liang leave, then got up and headed outside. He left the meditation room and went to the patriarch's meditation room. After receiving permission from the patriarch, he entered.

The True Man just paid his respects to the Patriarch.

The patriarch then smiled and said, "Young boy, are you leaving the manor to bid me farewell?"

The master said, “Master has profound magical powers and naturally knows what I am thinking. However, I am about to leave the manor and have come to say goodbye to Master. I will return to the manor in a year or two.”

The patriarch smiled and said, "Is the place you wish to go to Zhengyuan?"

The Master said, “Indeed, indeed. Master has insight, but Zheng Yuan’s path lies outside, not inside. Therefore, he should be going out to cultivate now. However, Zheng Yuan has no treasures to protect him, so I should go out to find one or two treasures to teach Zheng Yuan how to protect himself.”

The Patriarch pointed to the True Man and said with a smile, "If you ask me for something, I will definitely give you the treasure. I have many treasures. Why don't you come to me instead of going out to look for them?"

The master replied, "How could a disciple take Master's treasure and give it to someone else? Since Zheng Yuan is my disciple, I should go and find it myself."

Upon hearing this, the Patriarch understood the True Man's meaning and said, "You child, if you are determined to do something and cannot change your mind, then I will go with you. But there is a mysterious iron here that you can take. If you can find a skilled craftsman, it may become a treasure. The fate of this matter depends on you to find it yourself. I will not say more to you."

Say it.

The patriarch waved his sleeve, and a piece of black iron appeared in his palm. He handed it to the True Man. The True Man took it and saw that the black iron was plain on the outside but contained spiritual energy within. It was the result of a great master's cultivation over many years, and it was a rare treasure.

The master returned it, saying, "Master, this treasure is too precious for me to accept."

The patriarch said, “Don’t say anything more. I’ll tell you to keep it. Just keep it. This is a piece of mysterious iron. If you don’t have the right affinity, it won’t become a treasure and will be useless. If you have the right affinity, it can become a treasure and then it will be effective.”

Upon hearing the patriarch's words, the True Man had no choice but to accept the mysterious iron.

The patriarch asked, "Is there anywhere to go after descending this mountain?"

Jiang Yuan looked outside the mansion and said, "Master, I am traveling in Xiniu Hezhou."

The Patriarch said, "Then you shall go. Have you considered who will accompany you and protect you?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Master, I am traveling in Xiniu Hezhou, so I don't need many people to accompany me. Therefore, I can just send the Bull King to follow me."

The patriarch said, "You may ponder it, but I will teach you the way of cultivation. How much have you cultivated so far?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Master taught me many unorthodox methods, and I have learned them by analogy. Therefore, I have now mastered seven or eight of them. When I return to the manor later, I will learn one or two more, and then I will have mastered them all."

The patriarch nodded and said, "Very good, you may go now."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan bowed repeatedly before the patriarch and said, "Master, this disciple will now leave the mansion."

The patriarch smiled and nodded.

Only then did the master leave the patriarch's quiet room.

The real man left the quiet room and went to the quiet room of the Ox King, where he knocked on the door.

Before long, the Ox King came out and saw that it was a real person outside. He bowed and said, "Master, why have you come to see me at this time? Is there anything I can help you with?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "I'm going out, so you'll have to come with me. I'll be troubling you here."

Upon hearing this, the Ox King said, "My lord, I am your protector. It is my duty to follow you when you travel. How can you say it is a burden?"

Jiang Yuan said, "In that case, you shall come with me. This journey is for treasure hunting. Perhaps you too can find some treasures among the Bull Kings."

The Bull Demon King asked, "Does Master lack treasures? If so, my Black Dragon Spear can be of use to Master."

Say it.

The Bull Demon King took the Black Dragon Spear from the room and reluctantly taught it to the True Man.

Jiang Yuan took the Black Dragon Spear, weighed it in his hand for a while, and found that its weight was as light as nothing in his hands. When he casually swung it, the treasure that was as heavy as Mount Tai was as light as a hair in his hand.

The immortal looked into the room and saw only a futon and a golden platform. Blue smoke was rising from the golden platform. This was where the Black Dragon Spear was stored. The Black Dragon Spear was made from the bones of a black dragon. Black represents water, and dragon represents water.

Gold generates water, which, when stored in a golden platform and nourished by incense, enhances the power of the Black Dragon Spear.

This is the principle of the numbers of heaven and earth. The fact that the Ox King was able to use the numbers of heaven and earth to strengthen the Black Dragon Spear of Biyue shows that he cherishes this treasure very much.

Jiang Yuan laughed and said, "How can you take back such a treasure? Keep it and don't give it to others. Divine weapons have spirits, and you will hurt their feelings if you do this."

The immortal handed the Black Dragon Spear to the Bull Demon King.

The Bull Demon King did not accept it, but said that the True Man needed a treasure, and that his treasure could be given to the True Man to use.

The master smiled and said, "Keep it. I am going out to find treasure, but it is not that I lack treasure, so you do not need to give this treasure to me."

Upon hearing this, the Bull Demon King beamed with joy, took the Black Dragon Spear, and then asked, "Master, we have no shortage of treasures, so why did you go out to search for them?"

The master said, "I will not hide it from you. Zheng Yuan will be going out, or he will not be back for a long time. Therefore, I want to find one or two treasures for him to protect him, so that evil spirits will not take advantage of my absence to harass him."

The Bull Demon King asked in surprise, "Master, what is Zheng Yuan taking?"

The master replied, "To seek the Dao."

The Bull Demon King asked, "What is the meaning of seeking the Dao?"

The master replied again: "Seeking the Way is seeking the Way."

Say it.

The man turned and left without saying another word.

The Bull Demon King followed closely behind, carrying the Black Dragon Spear, ready to clear the way for the True Man.

As the two left the mansion and were about to descend the mountain, they suddenly heard a deer cry. A white deer came down from the mountain, leaped in front of the immortal, and lay down on the ground, asking the immortal to carry it on his back.

Jiang Yuan pointed to the white deer and laughed, "You little deer, you've improved a lot, far surpassing what you used to be."

The white deer cried out, but remained prostrate on the ground.

Jiang Yuan didn't say much, and climbed onto the deer.

With a spear in one hand and a deer in the other, the Ox King asked, "Master, would you like to find someone else to serve by your side?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and asked, "Does the Bull King feel powerless and therefore seek another person?"

Upon hearing this, the Ox King said, "No need to search any further! The old ox is enough!"

Say it.

Without turning his head, the bull king led the deer down the mountain.

……

Time flies, and before they knew it, more than three months had passed. Winter ended and spring came. The True Man and the Ox King walked on the road to West Ox Continent. They saw that "the flowers were fragrant and the wind was warm, the clouds were light and the sun was shining brightly" and "the willows by the roadside stretched their green eyes, and the nourishing rain brought forth all things in spring".

The Ox King, leading the white deer, looked ahead. Not far ahead was a small town, and he said, "My lord, there is a small town ahead, located here. It must be a country. Shall we detour there, or perhaps go in and take a look?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan looked towards the small country ahead and saw auspicious clouds and mist floating above it. He knew that there were immortals in this country. He said, "King Niu, let's go into the country. This country is near the Southern Continent of Jambudvipa. Moreover, there are immortals in the country. We are just passing through, so we should go and pay our respects."

The Bull Demon King said, "Master, what kind of immortal is that, living in this small country? Although I don't have your divine eyes, I can see that the demonic obstacles here are deep and there are very few good people. How could an immortal settle here? I don't understand."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "What is there to be confused about? You will understand once we enter the city."

The Bull King accepted the order and led the deer into the city.

(End of this chapter)