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

Chapter 354 Fate Does Not Lie with Huang Qi
The story goes that Zuo Liang, accompanied by Wang Shou and his entourage, entered Chang'an City to meet Huang Chao. Huang Chao invited Wang Shou to stay and reminisce, and then sent Zuo Liang out of the palace to rest in a mansion.

That night, Zuo Liang rested in his residence, holding a book in his hand, which he was reading carefully. The book was left in the residence, which was said to have been the residence of a high-ranking official of the Li Tang dynasty.

Zuo Liang was reading, with attendants serving him.

Seeing Zuo Liang's calm and composed demeanor, the attendant couldn't help but ask, "Sir, are you truly not afraid that Wang Shou will follow Emperor Qi away?"

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang put down his book and asked, "What makes you say that?"

The attendant said, “I have heard that Wang Shou is a childhood friend of the Qi Emperor, who seized Chang’an through rebellion. I have heard that he has no one under his command, but Wang Shou has been deeply taught by you and is a great talent. If the Qi Emperor were to keep Wang Shou and offer him wealth and honor, I fear that Wang Shou would abandon you and join the Qi Emperor.”

Zuo Liang laughed and said, "Whether to stay or leave is entirely up to them. If they want to leave and seek wealth and power, that is their choice, and I cannot stop them."

The attendant asked, "Master has been teaching Wang Shou for a long time. If you leave, wouldn't that be a waste of time? Moreover, passing on your skills would be risky."

Zuo Liang stroked his beard and smiled, “If you are afraid of wasting time by passing on your skills, and therefore refuse to teach or keep your skills to yourself, that is not the behavior of a teacher. But if you follow me and learn diligently, I will not hesitate to teach you. If you can learn something and pass on your skills, that means you have mastered the skills. When you pass on your skills, I will be pleased to hear that, not blame you.”

The attendant bowed and said, "Sir, you are truly righteous."

Zuo Liang smiled, not paying any attention, and continued reading his book.

Attendants served him, adding tea when it was lacking and lighting oil lamps when needed.

Before they knew it, the night was deep, and suddenly there was a sound outside.

Zuo Liang looked out.

The attendant immediately stood up and asked why there was such a commotion outside.

At times, attendants would come to report that the King had arrived.

Zuo Liang then allowed Wang Shou to enter.

Before long, Wang Shou walked inside, reeking of alcohol. Upon seeing Zuo Liang, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed countless times.

Zuo Liang asked, "Why are you kneeling before me?"

Wang Shou knelt down and said, "Master, but your disciple is unfilial."

Zuo Liang asked again, "How are you unfilial?"

Wang Shou said, “Master, when I first heard that Huang Chao had declared himself emperor, I was overjoyed and even lost my composure. I had the idea of ​​joining him to gain wealth and status, so I urged you to come to Chang’an. But I believe that if Huang Chao truly has the countenance of an emperor, and if he can acquire your skills, you will surely be able to truly establish your rule over the country. This would be a timely help.”

Zuo Liang said, "What do you mean now?"

Wang Shoudao said, “But when I spoke with him tonight, I realized that he does not have the countenance of an emperor. He calls himself the Emperor of Qi, which is an overstepping of his authority. Since he has neither the countenance nor the mandate of an emperor, he will surely perish in the long run. Therefore, I have suddenly realized that I should not associate with him.”

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang didn't think much of it, but sighed inwardly. He had previously seen Wang Shou as very well-behaved, filial, and calm in the face of adversity, and thought he might be a potential cultivator. He thought that once Wang Shou had mastered the medical skills, he could be brought back to the Three Star Immortal Cave and taught the way. But now it seemed that he was wrong. Wang Shou was not like a cultivator at all. When faced with wealth and honor, he allowed the two gods to deceive the master. This was worldly wealth and honor. If he were to see the Heavenly Palace and the Holy Realm, wouldn't he be utterly pathetic?

He had once heard Pigsy say that when he was in the human world, he was a great talent for cultivation, but after seeing the scenery of the Heavenly Palace, he lost his desire for cultivation.

If Wang Shou were to see the Heavenly Palace, he would surely be even worse than Zhu Bajie.

Wang Shou said, "Please forgive me, Master."

Zuo Liang sighed and said, "You should get up now."

Wang Shou said, "If Master does not understand me, I dare not get up."

Zuo Liang waved his hand and said, "What's there to forgive? I never blamed you, so why should I forgive you? Go and rest. In a day or two, we will leave. I hope you will not have any more thoughts about this in the future and study medicine well."

Wang Shou kowtowed and said, "Disciple thanks Master."

Zuo Liang sent him to find a place to rest.

Wang Shou dared not disobey and had no choice but to leave.

Zuo Liang watched Wang Shou's departing figure in silence.

……

For the next few days, Huang Chao sought out Wang Shou for entertainment, and Wang Shou dared not refuse, so he had no choice but to drink, feast, and play games with Huang Chao.

Several days later, inside the palace hall, the two were feasting when Huang Chao suddenly spoke up, saying, "Having heard your words, I know you are a man of great talent. Now that I have a great cause, why don't you stay and help me?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Shou bowed and said, "I am very impressed by your greatness, but I am a disciple of a monk who has left home to cultivate myself, and I cannot serve as an official. Please forgive me for not being able to follow you."

Upon hearing this, Huang Chao became somewhat impatient and said, "But if you are willing to serve under me, no one can stop you."

Wang Shou had no choice but to decline again, as he was unwilling to serve under Huang Chao.

Huang Chao understood Wang Shou's meaning and was furious. He told Wang Shou to go back and think it over carefully before making a decision, as this was a very important matter.

Wang Shou had no choice but to obey.

Huang Chao watched Wang Shou leave, somewhat angry, and said, "This childhood friend of mine has some talent now, but how could he speak to me like that? I personally invited him, but he refused."

A eunuch beside him whispered, "Your Majesty, if he refuses, he will speak to his teachers and elders, using the same excuse to refuse Your Majesty. But Your Majesty can issue an edict instructing his teachers and elders to comply."

Huang Chao said, "If my superiors do not respond, wouldn't I lose my prestige?"

The eunuch said, "Your Majesty has a vast army; if you march your troops to the gates of his residence, how dare he not obey?"

Huang Chao hesitated for a long time, but still nodded in agreement and sent a eunuch to carry out the matter.

The eunuch was overjoyed and immediately went out to deliver Huang Chao's decree.

Meanwhile, outside the palace, in the residence of Zuo Liang.

When Wang Shouyi returned, he told Zuo Liang about the matter and mentioned that Huang Chao might come to force them to work for him. He asked Zuo Liang to set off as soon as possible and leave Chang'an City together.

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang sighed and said, "I'm afraid it's a bit too late."

Wang Shouxin was puzzled and asked, "Why do you say that, Master?"

Zuo Liang pointed outside and said, "But I heard the sound of armor, so they must be here to coerce me into submitting to you and serving Huang Chao."

Wang Shou was shocked and said, "How could this be? How could this be! How could Huang Chao use this to coerce us? Master, I will go and meet him right now, and I will definitely not let him do such a thing."

Zuo Liang shook his head and said, "Unless you are used by him, he will not give up."

Wang Shou was very anxious and said, "Master, what should we do?"

Zuo Liang said, "We'll deal with whatever comes our way, no need to rush. If I want to leave, Huang Chao can't stop me."

Wang Shoubai received the deep bow, said no more, and stood beside Zuo Liang.

Zuo Liang sighed and said, "There's no need for you to follow me. Go and tell your followers to pack their bags and come to meet me here." Wang Shou replied, "Yes, Master."

Say it.

He then went out to deliver a message to his many followers.

Upon hearing this, many of his followers went to the courtyard where Zuo Liang was and joined him.

Zuo Liang sighed and told him about his impending departure.

Many of the attendants were furious upon hearing this.

One of the attendants angrily said, “I have heard that during the Warring States period, the princes of various states enjoyed keeping retainers. They would repay any favors they received by their lords by insulting them, even if it meant a bloody fight. But the Heavenly Master has blessed all people and taught us, allowing us to pass on our skills. How can we bear to see the Heavenly Master suffer such humiliation? We beg the Heavenly Master’s permission to go and assassinate the Emperor of Qi.”

The other followers also adopted this attitude, willing to die for the Celestial Master.

Even more extreme, some said they were willing to spread the word, and that those who had received the Celestial Master's favor would surely come to his rescue, and even Huang Chao could not stop them.

Zuo Liang shook his head and declined, saying, "But there's no need for that. You can stay here and follow me. I have a way to take you away."

His followers all obeyed his commands and responded accordingly.

Zuo Liang was about to say something.

Suddenly, a eunuch arrived with three or four armored soldiers and went inside.

The eunuch bowed to Zuo Liang and said, "Master, His Majesty has decreed that you must send your disciple Wang Shou to court to serve. He hopes you will agree. What do you think?"

Zuo Liang spoke up, saying, "But my disciple is a cultivator and cannot serve as an official in the court. I hope you will explain the ins and outs to His Majesty."

Upon hearing this, the eunuch pointed at Zuo Liang and said, "His Majesty thinks highly of your disciple, which is an honor for you. How dare you disobey the imperial decree? Aren't you afraid that His Majesty will chop off your heads!"

Say it.

The eunuch stretched out his hands to the left and right.

Two or three armored soldiers stepped forward, drew their blades, and made a threatening gesture.

Upon seeing this, the group of followers drew their swords and knives and stood guard in front of Zuo Liang.

The eunuch shouted sternly, "If you dare to step forward, an army of thousands or even tens of thousands will slaughter you here in an instant!"

Upon hearing this, the attendants did not retreat, nor did they feel the slightest fear.

Zuo Liang stood up and laughed, “But what I have seen is that the Qi Emperor has never received the Mandate of Heaven, so how could there be any talk of disobeying the imperial edict? The fate of the Li Tang dynasty may be declining, but the Mandate of Heaven still belongs to the Li Tang dynasty.”

Upon hearing this, the eunuch was furious and shouted, "Insolence! Guards, arrest them!"

Upon hearing this, the two or three soldiers obeyed the order and went forward to capture Zuo Liang.

Zuo Liang simply flicked his sleeve, and a gust of wind arose, blowing the two or three armored soldiers to the side and causing the eunuch to collapse to the ground, unable to get up.

Zuo Liang shook his head and smiled, then used the Five Thunder Orthodox Technique to summon the local earth gods and mountain gods. With their power, he led all his followers out of Chang'an City.

All the local earth and mountain gods heard Zuo Liang's decree and used all their skills and supernatural powers to help him. Most of the local earth and mountain gods came by sending strong winds, carrying their followers along.

Before long, all the followers had left, and Wang Shouyi was also taken away by a local deity.

Seeing this, Zuo Liang felt relieved. He got up to leave, but when he passed by the eunuch, he saw the eunuch's trembling appearance, sighed, and walked towards the outside of Chang'an City without saying anything more.

Only after seeing Zuo Liang leave did the eunuch come to his senses and panic, exclaiming, "A sorcerer! A sorcerer! Quickly return to the palace and inform His Majesty that this is a sorcerer!"

The two or three armored soldiers stumbled to their feet and escorted the eunuch back to the palace.

……

Before long, the eunuch returned to the palace and spoke to Huang Chao about Zuo Liang. He was trembling with fear, as if he had been frightened.

Upon hearing that Zuo Liang was a divine being who could summon raging winds and command gods, Huang Chao remained silent for a long time.

Seeing Huang Chao's silence, the eunuch assumed he was dissatisfied with him and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, if you grant me the power to mobilize troops, even if he were a god, I could capture him for Your Majesty."

Huang Chao ignored the eunuch and sighed, "Wang Shou, no wonder you are not at my service. I never imagined that your teacher was a divine being. You have surpassed me since childhood."

As he spoke, he waved his hand at the eunuch and said, "But there's no need to investigate further. Let's just pretend this never happened."

The eunuch was somewhat unwilling, but he still obeyed the order and withdrew, saying no more about the matter.

……

Meanwhile, Zuo Liang left Chang'an City with his entourage. Zuo Liang repeatedly thanked the local earth and mountain gods who had come to help him. Only after the earth and mountain gods accepted the thanks and left did he set off and head outwards.

Zuo Liang walked half a mile and saw that his followers behind him were still incredulous and had not recovered. He shook his head and said, "It's just some magic. Why are you all like this?"

The attendants all bowed and said, "We never imagined that the Celestial Master was a deity. We were very impolite before, please forgive us!"

Zuo Liang shook his head and said, "I am not a god, but a cultivator."

The group of attendants looked at each other in bewilderment.

One of the attendants bowed and said, "But to us, you are a god, without a doubt."

Zuo Liang smiled and did not refute their words. He looked outside for a long time and said, "The world is in great chaos today. We have traveled all over the land, but to no avail. The Tang Dynasty is in decline, and the Qi Dynasty has no mandate of heaven. The chaos is extreme, and we are powerless to stop it. I intend to find a place to live permanently and teach you. When the world is more stable and you have mastered your skills, then we will come out of the mountains to save the world. What do you think?"

All the attendants obeyed and bowed, saying, "We will respectfully follow the Heavenly Master's decree."

Zuo Liang shook his head and said, "If we're going to find a place, it has to be quiet. Do you know where it's quiet?"

Most of the attendants looked at each other, unsure how to respond.

A servant stepped forward and said, “Sir, there are few quiet places in the world. Many cities are in chaos. If you really want a quiet place, you must look in the mountains.”

Another follower said, "But it is very difficult to find a quiet place in the mountains. There are many mountains in the north of Jizhou, but those mountains are mostly inhabited by bandits and are not a quiet place. If we go to the north of Jizhou, then to the south of Jingzhou, or even to the Lingnan area, there are mountains and perhaps a quiet place."

Zuo Liang listened to his attendant's words, pondered for a moment, and said, "In that case, let's go to the Jingzhou area and find a quiet place. I hope you will study medicine well and master it as soon as possible so that you can save those who are suffering in the world."

The followers bowed again and said, "We will follow your teachings and never forget them. When we have mastered our skills, we will travel the world for you, to heal those who are suffering, and to teach the people of the world to know your name."

Zuo Liang waved his hand and said, "There is no need to let the world know my name. But if you have mastered your skills and heal the people, you can use any name you like. You should know that if you study medicine and art for fame and fortune, then you have not truly mastered your skills."

Upon hearing this, the entourage praised the master's compassion and expressed their deep respect for his heart.

Seeing this, Wang Shou felt something and looked at Zuo Liang, as if he understood Zuo Liang's intention: could he still learn medicine and then cultivate himself in this life, and achieve something in his cultivation?
(End of this chapter)