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

Chapter 345 Zuo Liang obtains the token, Wang Shou begins studying medicine

In the sea, Lü Yan struggled against the black dragon with his sword. The black dragon was incredibly strong, and no matter how Lü Yan slashed, he could not break its scales. If the black dragon were to pounce on Lü Yan, it would knock him to the ground.

Fortunately, Lü Yan was able to ride the wind quickly, so the black dragon could not catch him; otherwise, Lü Yan would have been defeated long ago.

Seeing that he couldn't capture Lü Yan for a long time, the Black Dragon became angry. He transformed into a human, holding a large spear, and shot at Lü Yan, cursing, "You monkey, you can escape like this. I'll see where you can run to now."

Say it.

Black Dragon swung his big gun and smashed it.

Seeing the Black Dragon's swiftness, Lü Yan had no choice but to suppress his thoughts, hold his Dragon Spring Sword firmly, and fight it.

The Dragon Spring Sword and the Evil Dragon Spear, the two clashed at sea, each trying to outdo the other. One thrust, the other slashed; the other pierced the face, the other the arm, the other the head. This disciple of the Great Luo Sect wielded the Dragon Spring Sword with divine might; the other, a demon wielding an evil aura, carried a dangerous spear. A white tiger crawled out, its claws extended; a yellow dragon lay prone, turning and busy itself. Their battle showed no sign of abating. After more than ten rounds, Lü Yan's strength began to wane, and he fell into a disadvantageous position. However, it would be extremely difficult for the Black Dragon to defeat him quickly.

Seeing that he couldn't win for a long time, Black Dragon became very anxious, and his hand movements became chaotic, with his main focus being on winning.

Seeing the opportunity, Lü Yan immediately tried to lead the black dragon to the shore.

After fighting with Lü Yan for a while, Heilong suddenly saw that they were close to the shore. He put away his spear and said, "You bastard, you want to lead me to the shore. If I'm not mistaken, you have left your helpers on the shore to take me there to fight."

Upon hearing this, Lü Yan knew that Black Dragon had seen through their scheme. He sheathed his Dragon Spring Sword and fixed his gaze on Black Dragon.

Black Dragon pointed towards the shore, gazing at Zuo Liang in the distance, and said, "You monkey, you think you can deal with me by relying on that altar? You underestimate me. This is infuriating. I am the Great Sage Who Swallows the Sea, and you two are nothing but ignorant cultivators with shallow magical power. How dare you come to subdue me?"

Lu Yan said, "So what if our magical powers are shallow? We know you have done evil, and we will definitely come to subdue you, regardless of whether our magical powers are shallow or deep."

The black dragon laughed loudly and said, "I wondered how you two could subdue me. Since you intend to take me to the shore, what's wrong with me going with you? You are weaklings, how can you fight me? I will kill you two."

Say it.

Black Dragon brandished his spear again and chased after Lü Yan.

Lu Yan was greatly alarmed and headed towards the shore, but the black dragon was extremely fast. In no time, it attacked Lu Yan again and blocked his way.

The two fought for another five or six rounds on the sea, but the black dragon was too strong and Lu Yan could not keep up. Just as he had exhausted his old strength and had not yet generated new strength, the black dragon launched a fierce attack on him.

Upon seeing this, Lü Yan had no choice but to sheathe his Longquan sword and speed away towards the shore.

A short while later.

Lu Yan walked to the shore, with the black dragon following closely behind.

Lu Yan shouted, "Senior brother, help me!"

Upon seeing this on the altar, Zuo Liang said, "Junior brother, do not worry, come forward."

Say it.

Zuo Liang took out the Heavenly Ruler and pointed it at the Black Dragon.

Suddenly, divine light burst forth from the Heavenly Ruler, accompanied by thunder and lightning, striking towards the black dragon.

The Black Dragon Sect's lightning struck him, causing him unbearable pain, and he roared.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Lü Yan slipped into the altar, panting, and said, "This evil dragon's martial arts are truly superb. I am no match for it. Senior brother, even the two of us may not be able to defeat it."

Zuo Liang said, "Junior brother, stand on the altar and watch me fight this evil dragon."

Lu Yan nodded, stood behind him, and said, "Senior brother, be careful!"

Zuo Liang laughed and said, "Junior brother, I have my own way of subduing him."

Only after hearing this did Lü Yan feel relieved.

Now, the black dragon saw Zuo Liang's altar in front of him and saw that he was holding the Heavenly Canopy Ruler, which could injure him with a single blow, so he became wary.

Black Dragon pointed at Zuo Liang and asked, "Who are you, what is your relationship with that fellow, and why have you come here to oppose me?"

Zuo Liang said, “In the True Abyss of the Slanting Moon Three Stars Cave on Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, Junior Brother Lü and I are kindred spirits. Since you have committed evil and harmed the region, I have come to subdue you without any reason.”

Upon hearing this, the Black Dragon was greatly alarmed and asked, "The Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars? Who are you, the Guangxin Zhenren who vanquished demons in Beiju Luzhou in the past?"

Zuo Liang said, "Master Guangxin is my master, and I am his second disciple."

The black dragon was horrified and, unwilling to fight any longer, turned to flee.

Seeing that he was about to escape, Zuo Liang could not allow it. He slammed the Heavenly Ruler onto the altar, pointed it at the black dragon, and said, "Where are the four directions of land?"

"We are here, you evil dragon! Where do you think you are going!"

Dozens of land deities appeared simultaneously, surrounding the shore and preventing the black dragon from escaping. They all cast spells, some moving mountains and others filling in the earth, and in a short while, they created dozens of large mountains in front of the black dragon. Then, iron chains came, preventing it from escaping.

Black Dragon swung his spear and swept it, but he couldn't even shake dozens of mountains; he ultimately didn't have the magical power to lift mountains.

In a panic, Heilong took out a token. With a ping, lightning flashed within the token, and with a boom, it blasted apart the dozens of mountains.

Dozens of local gods and mountain spirits cried out in alarm, but seeing their magic broken, they hurriedly cast spells again to stop the black dragon.

Black Dragon was about to activate the token again.

Seeing this, Zuo Liang took the Heavenly Ruler and pointed it at the black dragon. Thunder and lightning struck the dragon, causing it to cry out in pain.

Seeing that he could not get the dozens of local gods to retreat, and seeing Zuo Liang continuously casting spells in the altar, Heilong became angry, turned around and left, intending to destroy the altar and escape.

When Lü Yan saw the black dragon approaching, he was terrified. He drew his Longquan sword and was about to step forward to fight it.

Zuo Liang immediately bowed and said, "I respectfully request the Great God of the Three Altars and the Sea Assembly, Nezha Zhenjun, to protect my altar and subdue the evil dragon!"

Ignoring everything else, the black dragon headed straight for the altar.

Before the black dragon could even get close to the altar, a burst of fire suddenly rose from the sky, fell in front of the black dragon, and forced it back.

"The Great God of the Three Altars and Seas is here! You evil spirit, how dare you act so presumptuously!"

Nezha landed in front of the altar on his Wind Fire Wheels, holding a Fire-Tipped Spear, and looked at the Black Dragon.

Upon hearing Nezha's true name, the black dragon trembled with fear, all its arrogance vanished, and it dared not act fiercely again, so it got up and fled.

However, few dragons dare to fight against Nezha.

Seeing that its imposing manner had vanished, Nezha shouted, "Evil spirit! Where do you think you're going!"

Nezha thrust his spear at the evil dragon.

Black Dragon panicked and picked up his spear to fight.

The two fought for less than five rounds when Nezha struck with his Fire-Tipped Spear, knocking the spear from the Black Dragon's hand. Seeing no escape, and with many heavenly soldiers appearing behind him and surrounding him, the Black Dragon took out his token, ready to fight to the death.

Suddenly, a foot-long sword struck, hitting the black dragon's palm and knocking the token from his hand.

The black dragon was terrified. Before it could make a move, Nezha thrust his spear, nearly piercing it through. Then, he used his Hun Tian Ling (a magical ribbon) to restrain the unsuspecting black dragon.

Heavenly soldiers stepped forward from behind and used hook knives to pierce his collarbone.

Nezha said, "I suspect it's some kind of evil spirit causing trouble, but it's just a minor demon. Back then, I challenged the son of the Dragon King of the East Sea, and that son was far more powerful than you. How dare you do such evil? It's true that all the dragons in the world are too carefree."

He subdued the black dragon, then had the heavenly soldiers take it away to the Heavenly Palace, where it was to be put on the Dragon-Slaying Platform.

After finishing his business, Nezha turned around and walked to the altar.

Zuo Liang stepped forward and bowed, presenting the token with both hands, saying, "Many thanks to the Great God Nezha Zhenjun of the Three Altars and Seas for his help in relieving the disaster in this area. The merit lies with you, Zhenjun. This is the treasure inside that evil dragon's body. He instructed me to knock it off. Please accept it, Zhenjun."

Nezha shook his head and said, "No need for thanks. If you see the real person, Great Sage, please give him my regards. There's no need to give me this item; you can keep it. Sending it to the Heavenly Court is useless. But this treasure is of great use to you. It has the power to command the Five Thunders. However, the Black Dragon is not a follower of the orthodox tradition, so it cannot be commanded. But you are different. I have received your letter to descend to the mortal realm and am now returning to Heaven."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang had no choice but to accept the gift and repeatedly thanked Nezha for his help.

Nezha smiled and shook his head, then turned to leave.

Upon seeing this, Lü Yan hurriedly stepped forward to pay his respects, expressing his gratitude to Nezha for his kindness.

Nezha waved his hand again, saying there was no need for formalities, and then rode away on his Wind Fire Wheels.

Watching Nezha's departing figure, Lü Yan sighed deeply and said, "Senior brother, our cultivation is very weak. Only after seeing the Great God of the Three Altars and Seas did I realize what true cultivation is. Our magical power is shallow; we struggle even to deal with a single evil dragon, and I couldn't even last ten rounds against it. Yet, that evil dragon was defeated in less than five rounds before the Great God. There are rumors that when the Great Sage Equaling Heaven wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, the Great God of the Three Altars and Seas was no match for him and was even injured. However, even the Great Sage with such divine power was subdued by the Buddha of the West. How many great supernatural beings are there in the world?"

Zuo Liang said, “I understand this principle, so I dare not say that I have achieved anything in my cultivation. If I were to talk about cultivation, I would only dare to say that my cultivation is passable. This is already shameless of me.”

Lü Yan said, "The road ahead is long and arduous."

Zuo Liang smiled and said, "We will arrive soon. But the evil dragon here has been subdued, so it is time to leave."

Lu Yan asked, "Where are you going next, Senior Brother?"

Zuo Liang said, "Wherever there is illness, I will go."

Lu Yan said, "Senior brother, would you like me to go with you?"

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang smiled and politely declined, recounting everything Nezha had told him, explaining that for the sake of Lü Yan's cultivation, he could not travel with Lü Yan.

Lu Yan had no choice but to bow and say, "I understand your meaning, senior brother. I also understand your intention to help me with my cultivation. I thank you, senior brother."

Zuo Liang said, “Junior brother, although I cannot travel with you, if you ever need my help, you can come to me. I will do my best to help you. I am easy to find, but I have some reputation in the human world for healing people. If you come to me, you will know where I am easily.”

Lu Yan bowed and said, "Thank you, Senior Brother! But if there is truly something important, I should go and find you!"

The two talked for a long time before saying goodbye.

Lü Yan headed south, while Zuo Liang planned to return to the county town area to rest for a while.

Just as Zuo Liang was about to leave, he suddenly noticed Wang Shou standing there blankly behind him and asked, "Wang Shou, why are you standing there?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Shou came to his senses and said, "I saw the evil dragon and the immortals, and I was momentarily dazed. Please do not blame me, sir."

Zuo Liang laughed and said, "You are following me, so this is common. There is no need to be alarmed."

Wang Shou nodded, then suddenly asked, "Since I started following you, Master, I have seen and heard many strange and wonderful things. But I suddenly wondered, the gods are so majestic, what must the Heavenly Court, where the gods reside, look like? Have you ever been to the Heavenly Court?"

Zuo Liang smiled slightly and said, "I was fortunate enough to go there once with my master."

Upon hearing this, Wang Shou asked with delight, "Sir, could you tell me about the appearance of the Heavenly Court and teach me?"

Zuo Liang pondered for a moment before saying, "The solemnity and magnificence of the Heavenly Court and Heavenly Palace are beyond description. It is unimaginable unless you see it with your own eyes. But I have something to say to you, so please consider it carefully."

Wang Shoubai said, "Please, sir, explain."

Zuo Liang laughed and said, "The Heavenly Palace has all kinds of strange objects, but there are none like them in the world."

Say it.

Zuo Liang headed towards the city center.

Wang Shouxian was surprised, but he quickly recovered and followed Zuo Liang.

The days that followed were mostly uneventful. Zuo Liang devoted himself to saving lives, while Wang Shouze followed Zuo Liang and learned medical skills.

……

Time flies, and more than twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Zuo Liang and Wang Shou had been traveling among the people for many years. This year, the two traveled to Jizhou to treat the local people, because the epidemic there was severe. Zuo Liang personally treated them, and those who had been affected by the epidemic were cured after being treated by Zuo Liang. This made Zuo Liang's reputation soar again, but Zuo Liang did not care about reputation.

One day, after treating the people in the city, Zuo Liang was resting in an inn. He picked up a book and was reading it.

These books were medical texts written by famous doctors of the previous dynasty, and he found them very interesting to read.

Zuo Liang was reading when Wang Shou suddenly burst in, sighing.

Seeing this, Zuo Liang put away his books and asked with a smile, "What's wrong with you? Why are you sighing like that? Did you go to inquire about the results of the imperial examinations today? Did your friend fail the exams again?"

Wang Shou nodded and said, "That's right, that's right. Huang Chao failed the imperial examinations repeatedly, I really don't know what he was thinking. But I've heard that he actually passed the exams, but because of his exam paper, someone from a prominent family took his place. I don't know if that's true or not."

Zuo Liang said, "Truth and falsehood are intertwined, but this matter has little to do with you. How well have you mastered the medical skills I taught you?"

Wang Shou rose and bowed, saying, "Sir, my knowledge is still very limited, but I have only just begun to understand the principles of mutual generation in medicine."

Zuo Liang smiled and said, "Tell me about it."

Wang Shou said, “The principle of mutual generation is very simple. Its foundation lies in the mutual generation between the five elements and the five internal organs. For example, wood generates fire, so the liver blood nourishes the heart yang; fire generates earth, so the heart yang warms the spleen earth; earth generates metal, so the spleen transforms the essence of water and grain to replenish the lung qi; metal generates water, so the lung qi descends and assists the kidney water; water generates wood, so the kidney essence nourishes the liver wood. This is the foundation of mutual generation. All medicines and so on are based on this principle.”

Zuo Liang smiled and nodded, then asked, "If a person has a pale face and a wiry pulse, what kind of illness could it be?"

Wang Shou pondered for a moment and said, "If the face is pale and the pulse is wiry, it is mostly a disease of the wood element, which is liver disease. To treat it, we should tonify the mother and drain the child, that is, tonify the kidney water to nourish the liver wood. Furthermore, we should suppress the strong and support the weak, soothe the liver and calm the liver to treat the liver fire that overpowers the spleen. Avoid anger, as anger will damage the liver."

Zuo Liang nodded and said, "Your medical skills are acceptable, but you still need to refine them. However, you must not be careless. You should practice diligently and strive to achieve great success as soon as possible."

Wang Shou said, "Yes, sir, I will study diligently and live up to your expectations."

Zuo Liang stroked his beard, quite satisfied with Wang Shou's performance.

(End of this chapter)