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

Chapter 342 Upon meeting Lü Yan, the county magistrate followed.

Time flies. Several days have passed since Zuo Liang successfully prayed for rain and relieved the drought in Qingshui County, Xuzhou.

After Zuo Liang successfully prayed for rain, his reputation in the Xuzhou area soared. People knew that the Celestial Master not only had the ability to heal and save people, but also the ability to communicate with the gods.

The name of Master Zuo Liang has a hint of deification about it.

However, Zuo Liang himself did not care about such things. Since he prayed for rain and cured the refugees of their diseases, he was treated as an honored guest by the powerful families of Xuzhou. However, he did not go there, but stayed temporarily in the county magistrate's office.

In recent days, he has been reflecting on his rainmaking ritual.

One day, Wang Shou brought tea and food to Zuo Liang, but Zuo Liang was still deep in thought.

Wang Shou put down his tea and rice and said, "Sir, what is wrong with you? You have been lost in thought and have not been able to eat or drink. I don't know why. Please tell me, and I will do my best to help you."

Zuo Liang shook his head and said, "I have no doubts, but I am reflecting on the inadequacy of the rain-making rituals."

Wang Shou said, “Sir, what is lacking in this? But what I see is that when you give an order, wind, rain, thunder, and lightning all respond. You command all the gods, how majestic! A true man should be like this.”

Zuo Liang said, "But there are shortcomings, there are shortcomings."

Wang Shou asked, "Where is it lacking? Could you tell me, sir?"

Zuo Liang said, “Of course it is not impossible. However, this is the first time I have prayed for rain with a written document, so I did not know the intricacies of writing such a document. I wrote down the names of my master and the Supreme Lord Laozi, which almost misled the gods. This is my fault, so I should reflect on my mistake and be more careful about when to mention which names in future documents.”

Wang Shou said, "What does the nomination have to do with the gods' response?"

Zuo Liang smiled and said, "You have been following me for some time, so I can tell you about it. My master is a renowned immortal in the Three Realms. As long as he is famous, he will help any cultivator in the Three Realms. Laozi's name is even more invincible. He is a great supernatural being in the Three Realms."

Wang Shou listened to his words with rapt attention, deeply impressed by Zuo Liang's insightful words. He asked, "If that's the case, how will you practice magic in the future?"

Zuo Liang said, "But I have been thinking about this for the past few days and have come up with a plan. Unless it is an extremely urgent matter, neither the name of my master nor the name of Laozi can be used. Only in extremely urgent matters can the names of these two be used."

Wang Shou said, "Sir, you have a method, so there's no need to ponder it further. Please have some tea and food first, and take care of your health."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang smiled and nodded, accepting the tea and rice, and said, "Wang Shou, now that you see I possess supernatural powers, are you still willing to learn medicine from me?"

Wang Shou asked, "Why do you say that, sir?"

Zuo Liang said, "Having seen supernatural powers, do you not want to learn them, but instead want to learn medicine?"

Wang Shou pondered for a long time before saying, “Sir, when I first saw you commanding the gods and none daring to disobey, I truly had the thought of learning supernatural powers. But upon further reflection, I realized that I have little understanding of this path. Just as a person’s enlightenment requires a renowned teacher, otherwise, learning is useless and difficult to achieve. Therefore, in this path, I am like an enlightened one, and I should listen to the words of a renowned teacher. You are a renowned teacher, and I will certainly not be wrong to follow your words. You must have your reasons for teaching me medicine.”

Zuo Liang smiled and nodded, saying, "In that case, you will follow me and begin by learning medicine."

Wang Shou bowed and said, "Yes, sir."

Just as Zuo Liang was about to say something more, there was a knock on the door.

Wang Shou got up and walked to the door, asking, "Who goes there?"

The magistrate outside said, "The magistrate of Qingshui County has come to pay his respects to the Celestial Master."

Only after Wang Shou obtained Zuo Liang's permission did he push open the door.

The magistrate entered the house, bowed before Zuo Liang, and said, "Greetings, Celestial Master."

Zuo Liang avoided the gesture, not daring to accept it. He stepped forward and helped the magistrate up, saying, "I am a commoner, how can I accept the magistrate's courtesy? Please, magistrate, do not need to perform the ceremony."

The magistrate said, “The Celestial Master is a deity, while I am a mortal. This worship is a mortal worshipping a god, not a magistrate worshipping a commoner. I am entitled to this.”

Zuo Liang said helplessly, "I am not a god, so please don't say anything more, County Magistrate. But what is the purpose of your visit?"

The magistrate said, “Master, there is someone outside the county office who wishes to meet you, but I don’t know if you would like to meet him. If you would like to meet him, I will lead the way and let him meet you.”

Wang Shou said, “Recently, many people have come to see you, sir, but most of them want to get something from you. What is the point of seeing such people? It would be better to refuse them.”

The magistrate said, “I was afraid of disturbing the Celestial Master, so I planned to refuse him. But that man is quite skilled. Even though I refused him, he wouldn't leave, so I sent men to drive him away. Unexpectedly, he simply waved his hand and knocked the two men I sent unconscious. His methods are quite sophisticated. I see that he is no ordinary person, but a sorcerer. That's why I came to ask the Celestial Master. If the Celestial Master does not wish to see him, I will go and drive him away. I will mobilize everyone in the county. I don't believe I can't drive him away.”

Zuo Liang laughed and said, "No need. If you wish to see me, just bring me here."

Upon hearing this, the magistrate bowed and left to summon the man.

After the magistrate left, Wang Shou asked, "Why did you want to see that person, sir?"

Zuo Liang said, "Since he wants to see me, we should not stop him."

Wang Shou said, "If everyone in the world wants to come and pay their respects to you, will you meet with them all?"

Zuo Liang said, "Anyone who wishes to see me will meet me."

Wang Shou asked in bewilderment, "Sir, what if someone is far away from you and longs to see you but cannot?"

Zuo Liang stroked his beard and said with a smile, "My master once said that if someone is far away from me but insists on seeing me, they should either turn back or move forward, and they will surely see me."

Wang Shou was puzzled and wanted to ask more questions, but seeing that Zuo Liang did not want to say anything more, he had no choice but to keep quiet.

Zuo Liang waited inside the house.

Before long, the county magistrate led a man in.

Zuo Liang looked up and saw him, and was overjoyed. The person who came was none other than Lü Yan.

Long time no see. The current Lü Yan is quite different from before. He is dressed in a green robe with wide sleeves, a jade belt around his waist, white hair and a youthful face, his eyes are like stars, he walks with the movement of clouds, and a Longquan sword hangs at his waist. He exudes an aura of immortality.

Lu Yan entered, faced Zuo Liang, smiled slightly, bowed deeply, and said, "Greetings, Senior Brother! It's been many years, and you are even more radiant than before!"

Zuo Liang stood up and returned the greeting, saying, "Junior brother, it has indeed been a long time since we last met. But in terms of changes, you have surpassed me. Your cultivation is truly remarkable now."

When the county magistrate and Wang Shou saw him, they were shocked. They had never imagined that Zuo Liang and Lü Yan were so similar. In this light, Zuo Liang was actually Lü Yan's senior brother.

After learning the details of their relationship, the two men did not dare to wait in the same spot any longer. Instead, they bowed and left the house, leaving the space to Zuo Liang and Lü Yan.

Inside the room, the two sat cross-legged on prayer cushions and talked.

Zuo Liang asked curiously, "Junior Brother, why are you here? I am a traveler, but I have never heard of your name."

Lu Yan said, “Senior brother, you may not know this, but I have heard much about you. I also traveled here and heard that a celestial master ascended a platform to pray for rain, commanding all the gods, none of whom dared to disobey, to relieve the drought with heavy rain. So I wanted to find out who this master was and what kind of magic he possessed. After asking around, I learned that it was you, senior brother, so I came to pay my respects. Your magic is indeed much stronger than before.”

Zuo Liang laughed and said, "Junior brother speaks highly of my magical power, but your magical power is also much greater than before. Although I have undergone some changes, I am still no match for junior brother. Junior brother's magical power is truly remarkable now."

As he approached Lü Yan, he could vaguely sense the righteous energy and magical power emanating from Lü Yan's body, which was extremely profound.

Lü Yan said, "Senior Brother, you flatter me." Zuo Liang said, "Absolutely not. Junior Brother's magical power is now so profound that even my magic is far inferior to yours."

Lu Yan shook his head and said, "I dare not accept your words, senior brother. Although I have some magical power, I would never say that I am better than you. If I were to fight you, I would probably be defeated in no time."

Zuo Liang was taken aback and said, "How is that possible?"

Lu Yan pointed to the Heavenly Ruler at Zuo Liang's waist and said, "Senior Brother's magic power is not shallow. With that treasure on your body, I am no match for you."

Zuo Liang chuckled, and after a moment, said, "This is a treasure bestowed by Master. But Junior Brother's magical power is truly remarkable now. Have you achieved enlightenment? Your cultivation has progressed by leaps and bounds."

Lü Yan said, "How could there be any sudden enlightenment? I dare not deceive my senior brother. My cultivation is due to the guidance of my master."

Zuo Liang immediately understood and asked, "Could it be Laozi?"

Lu Yan said, "That's right, that's right. My master taught me for some time and gave me the courtesy name Dongbin and the Dharma name Chunyangzi. It is under my master's guidance that I have such magical power. Otherwise, I would never be where I am today."

Zuo Liang suddenly realized and said, "I never thought it was like this."

Lü Yan said, "I have come to see my senior brother today for three reasons: first, to pay my respects to him; second, to reminisce with him; and third, to invite him to come with me."

Zuo Liang asked, puzzled, "Where are we going?"

Lu Yan said, “I have heard that there is an evil dragon causing trouble in Qingzhou. This evil dragon comes from Beiju Luzhou and has been causing trouble along the coast for a long time. I want to go and kill it, but since it comes from Beiju Luzhou, I am afraid that I am not strong enough. Therefore, I ask my senior brother to go with me to kill the evil dragon.”

Zuo Liang laughed and said, "If that's the case, there's no need for that. I have a way to prevent this evil dragon from causing trouble again."

Lü Yan asked, "What method?"

Zuo Liang said, "I can write a document to the heavens and ask for divine intervention to subdue the demon."

Lu Yan was dumbfounded and said, "Senior brother is indeed remarkable, truly remarkable. If that's the case, we don't need to rush to subdue the demon ourselves; Heaven will surely eliminate the demon."

Zuo Liang said, "Junior brother, please wait a moment, I will write the document now."

Say it.

Zuo Liang then took out the paper and wrote the document.

After he finished writing the document, he said, "This document is now complete. It will be burned and sent to the Emperor. You can rest assured, Junior Brother."

Lu Yan bowed and said, "This method of yours, Senior Brother, has broadened my horizons. If you want to eliminate a demon, you would have to fight it, which is quite troublesome. But if it is you, Senior Brother, a single document will suffice."

Zuo Liang smiled without saying a word and then burned the document.

The two were engaging in rude conversation.

But they talked for less than half an hour.

Suddenly, a local earth deity arrived, entered the house, bowed, and said, "The earth deity of Sanli Village outside Qingshui City greets the two Dharma Masters."

Zuo Liang stood up to return the greeting, followed closely by Lü Yan.

Zuo Liang asked, "What brings the Earth God here?"

The Earth God presented the document with both hands and said, "I have come by the will of Heaven. The document from Master Zhengyuan was rejected by the Four Heavenly Masters. There is a law that orders the document to be sent back, and I have been sent to deliver it."

Zuo Liang, puzzled, asked, "Why was it rejected? Is there something wrong with my wording?"

The local deity replied, “There is nothing wrong with it, but Laozi has long said that Master Chunyang must go through tribulations in the mortal world, and the gods should not help him or interfere with his tribulations. Therefore, the Four Heavenly Masters sent the document back and explained the matter to him.”

Zuo Liangxin was surprised and looked at Lü Yan.

Lü Yan was also unaware of this.

Only after returning the documents did the land deity bow and bid farewell to the two men before disappearing underground.

Zuo Liang took the document and said helplessly, "Junior brother, why do you say that? I didn't know that. This document is a waste of time."

Lu Yan shook his head and said, "Senior brother, I was unaware of such matters. This is my fault. Please forgive me!"

Zuo Liang said, “What crime is there? Laozi instructed that Junior Brother must undergo tribulations in the mortal world, which has its reasons. This is Junior Brother’s cultivation, and there is no crime involved. However, since this method is not feasible, then we should personally go to Qingzhou to subdue that evil dragon.”

Lü Yan said, "But I'm afraid it will be too much trouble for you, Senior Brother."

Zuo Liang said, “We are brothers, why should we be tired? I will go now to say goodbye to the magistrate of this place, and then we will go to Qingzhou to subdue that evil dragon and restore peace to Qingzhou.”

Lü Yan said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Senior Brother."

Zuo Liang smiled, said nothing more, got up and headed outside, intending to say goodbye to the county magistrate.

When he arrived at the county government office, he told the magistrate about the matter.

The magistrate was greatly surprised and said, "Why is the Celestial Master leaving so soon?"

Zuo Liang bowed and said, "I have heard from my junior brother that there are evil spirits in Qingzhou, so I must go there. I will remember the care that the county magistrate has given me these past few days."

Upon hearing this, the magistrate could not possibly ask him to stay. This was to exorcise evil spirits, and he could not ask him to stay. If he did, wouldn't he be a sinner? Helpless, he could only agree. But to thank Zuo Liang, he took out gold, silver, and horses, intending to give them to Zuo Liang.

However, Zuo Liang could not accept such offers and politely declined them one by one.

Upon hearing this, the county magistrate felt deeply regretful, but personally escorted Zuo Liang to his side.

Zuo Liang had no choice but to accept this.

The group headed out of Qingshui City.

Besides the county magistrate seeing him off, thousands of people from the city personally escorted Zuo Liang away. Those who had grains and cereals gave him grains and cereals, those who had meat gave him meat, and some who had nothing at all simply carried some water and followed behind Zuo Liang. If Zuo Liang was thirsty, they would bring him water to drink.

Seeing this scene, Lü Yan was deeply moved by Zuo Liang's reputation, which was truly at its zenith. The saying "a bowl of food and a jug of wine" could not have been more fitting.

Zuo Liang was seen off by the people and gradually moved away from the city, but seeing that it was getting dark, he could only persuade the people to leave and return to the city.

The people accepted it and went back home.

The magistrate, however, was unwilling to return.

Zuo Liang had no choice but to persuade him again, saying, "The county magistrate is the local official, why are you unwilling to leave?"

After pondering for a long time, the magistrate took off his official hat and said, "When I saw the Celestial Master, all my worries disappeared. I am now willing to resign my post and follow the Celestial Master to travel the world. I hope the Celestial Master will grant my request."

(End of this chapter)