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

Chapter 355 The Bull King Emerges from the Sea of ​​Suffering, Awaiting Zhengwei's Return to His Position

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

Sun Wukong and his companions had been clearing the road to the west for a long time, but there were many demons and monsters on the road, which made their progress slow and they were unable to finish clearing it for a long time.

Because the main road to the west has not yet been cleared, the True Man in the Three Star Immortal Cave has no intention of establishing a residence and is still practicing unorthodox methods within the residence.

One day, the Master was cultivating in his quiet room when he suddenly felt something and opened his eyes to look outside.

Based on his senses, he knew that the Ox King was returning, and that they were already close to the Three Star Immortal Cave as they walked along the mountain path.

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "This Ox King is indeed blessed. He was trapped in a sea of ​​suffering, but he was able to save himself. Now he has brought his human son back, which is enough to show that he has achieved success in his cultivation. Therefore, he has this ability to save himself and others. That's right."

He was very satisfied with the Bull King, got up and went to the gate of the mansion to wait for the Bull King to arrive.

Meanwhile, on the mountain path, just as the real person had predicted, the Ox King was climbing the mountain with one other person.

As the bull king moved forward, he kept glancing behind him, fearing that the person might lose strength and fall off the cliff.

The man behind him had bull horns on his head, but his face was somewhat handsome. Seeing that the Bull King cared about him, he said, "Father, there's no need to look at me like that. Although I don't have much skill, I should at least be able to climb mountains."

The Ox King laughed and said, "You are ultimately just a mortal with impure bones. You will get tired after walking for a long time. But I'm afraid you will get tired without telling me and fall off the cliff."

The man shook his head and said, "Father, I often climbed mountains when I was young. This mountain is not as dangerous as those steep ones. Please rest assured, Father, I have the strength to climb it."

Upon hearing this, the Bull King remained silent for a long time before sighing, "My child, I have failed you."

The man said, “When I was young, I often blamed my father, but after hearing about what happened, I realized how hard it was for him. So I never blamed him again. But please forgive me for being unfilial and for speaking ill of him out of ignorance.”

The Ox King descended the mountain to find his son, but his search was not smooth. After finding him, he went through many trials before finally getting his son to accept him and be willing to follow him.

Fortunately, the Ox King adhered to his original intentions, which is why he has achieved what he has today and has not been trapped in a sea of ​​suffering.

Upon hearing what the man said, the Ox King shook his head and said, "You have never been unfilial. If I were you, I might not be much better than you, so you don't need to say such things."

After a long silence, the man said, "Father, could you tell me about the things that happened between you and Mother in the past?"

The Bull King readily agreed, and as they walked, he recounted his past to the man. When they were halfway through the journey, he had finished telling the man his story.

After listening, the man said with emotion, "I never imagined that my mother would refuse to leave with my father and choose to stay in that village. But when I was young, I often saw my mother take out the divorce papers that my father had given her to look at, so I guess my mother missed my father very much."

The Bull King shook his head and said, "The road is under my feet, but I cannot make that choice."

The man did not respond, but turned to look at the mountain path. After a long while, he finally spoke, saying, "Father, is this truly a place of immortals?"

The Ox King nodded and said, "This is indeed a celestial land, the Slanting Moon and Three Stars Cave on Lingtai Fangcun Mountain. I am a True Person Protector under the Three Stars Immortal Cave. I will take you here to pay homage to the True Person. You must not be impolite."

The man agreed, then asked, "But I heard my father say that I have a mother and an elder brother, is that true?"

The Bull Demon King said, “Indeed, indeed. My wife is known as Princess Iron Fan, and she cultivates in the mountains. My son is named Bull Saint Infant, also known as Red Boy, and his Buddhist name is Zhengci. He is currently cultivating in these mountains with the True Man.”

The man looked somewhat saddened and said, “Father, I am already grateful for your care and for being able to forgive and forget. But I fear that seeing them would embarrass you. It would be better if you sent me away to find a place where I could spend the rest of my life. There is no need to bring me here.”

The Bull Demon King said firmly, "But you are my son, and I cannot let you leave. Please rest assured, and later I will speak with my wife and grant you permission to return to your clan."

The man said, "If it's not working out, Father, you don't have to force it."

The Bull Demon King patted his chest and said, "I have my own way, so you can rest assured. But you should change your temperament. As the son of the Bull Demon King, you should be a little more bold."

The man bowed and said, “I will certainly remember what Father said and try to change my nature. But as the saying goes, it is easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one’s nature. So please give me some time, Father, so that I can make some changes.”

The Bull Demon King said, "I will give you time. Once you have met the real person, I will teach you martial arts. You are my son, the Bull Demon King. You cannot do without martial arts. Your brother, the Holy Infant, is very skilled in martial arts."

The man said, "I will definitely learn the craft from my father. At that time, I hope my father will not blame me for being clumsy."

The Bull Demon King answered with a smile.

As the two chatted and laughed, they arrived at the Three Star Immortal Abode.

When the Bull Demon King saw the gates of the mansion wide open, he was about to look around to see who was waiting there. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was a real person sitting by the gate, which startled him.

The Bull Demon King strode forward, bowed, and said, "Master, what brings you here?"

The man was startled, wondering why his father was acting this way. But seeing his actions, he knew that Jiang Yuan was no ordinary person. So he stepped forward and bowed in greeting, without saying a word.

Jiang Yuan sat by the gate of the mansion, smiling broadly, and said, "King Niu, there's no need for such a grand ceremony. Is this your son?"

The Ox King said, "Your Excellency has discerning eyes! This is my son in the mortal world, surnamed Ox, given name Yiquan."

Upon hearing the introduction from the Bull King, the man stepped forward, bowed again, and said, "Greetings, sir!"

Jiang Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "Niu Quan? This name is not good. Everything has its limits and then reverses. The character 'Quan' (全) is precisely what is incomplete. It is not a good name. From now on, you will change your name to 'Shouyi' (守一). Niu Shouyi (牛守一) is just like 'The sage embraces oneness and becomes the model for the world.' I hope that you will focus on your true self and maintain your purity in the future."

The man looked somewhat bewildered.

The Bull Demon King patted the man and said, "Your Excellency bestows a name upon me, and I shall accept it."

Upon hearing this, the man bowed and said, "Thank you for bestowing this name upon me, sir."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "You seem a little tired. Go inside a bit. Ox King, take him to find a place to stay."

Say it.

Jiang Yuan got up and walked inside.

The Bull Demon King watched him leave, then looked at Niu Shouyi and laughed, "You child, you've been given a name by your master, how come you're so dull-witted?"

Niu Shouyi said, "Father, is that the real person?"

The Bull Demon King said, "That's right, that is the True Man. What do you think of him when you first see him?"

Niu Shouyi pondered for a long time before saying, "But the real person I saw seemed more like an ordinary person, yet he had an air of otherworldly refinement about him. He resembled the Taoist priests I had seen before, as well as Buddhist monks, and even more so, Confucian scholars."

The Bull Demon King laughed and said, "You are a master of all three schools of thought, so it is not surprising that you have this feeling. My child, come with me." After saying that,

They walked into the cave of the Bull Demon King.

Niu Shouyi followed closely behind, but when he entered the mansion and saw the scenery inside, he was greatly surprised and felt that the wonders of the immortal mansion were rarely seen in the mortal world.

The Bull Demon King led Niu Shouyi into a quiet room so that he could rest properly, and then turned to go outside to pay his respects to the True Man.

……

Before long, the Bull Demon King arrived at the Master's quiet room. Seeing that the door was wide open, he bowed deeply outside and then went inside.

Upon seeing the real person, the Bull Demon King bowed deeply and said, "Master!"

Jiang Yuan was sitting cross-legged on a futon when he saw the Bull Demon King and said with a smile, "Bull King, you have escaped the sea of ​​suffering here. You are able to save yourself and others. I am very pleased."

The Bull Demon King bowed and said, "It is all thanks to your kindness, Master. To be honest, after I went down the mountain, I always kept your teachings in mind. I have never forgotten the many things you have said to me. It is because of this that I have the opportunity to save myself and others."

Jiang Yuan said, "Many people have heard what I say, and you have been able to remember it and stick to your principles. That is your ability."

The Bull Demon King said, "However, this is a debt of gratitude from you, sir, and I dare not forget it."

Jiang Yuan smiled and waved his hand, saying, "There's no need to say more here. But you should make proper arrangements for Shouyi's matter and explain it clearly to your wife, Zhengci, so as not to cause any misunderstandings."

The Bull Demon King said, "Don't worry, my lord, I will handle this matter properly."

Jiang Yuan said, "That's good. Now that you're out of the sea of ​​suffering, you should cultivate diligently in the manor. You don't need to undergo any more trials in your cultivation now."

The Bull Demon King responded and then asked, "Master, I should be cultivating in the manor, but I don't know where everyone in the manor has gone. I walked around the manor and didn't see a single person, and the Holy Infant is not in the manor either."

Jiang Yuan said, "They went out onto the main road to the west, and when you returned, you didn't encounter them?"

The Bull Demon King shook his head and said, "But I haven't encountered it."

Jiang Yuan then told the Bull Demon King about his plans to establish his own mansion and how he had enlisted the help of everyone in the mansion to clear the road to the west.

Upon hearing this, the Bull Demon King immediately rose and bowed, saying, "I was unaware of such a matter, which is why I was unable to assist you, sir. I will go and help you with this task."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "There's no need to say such things, nor is there any need to go. Your most urgent task is to teach Shouyi. You can put everything else aside for now. Wukong and the others have been clearing this road to the west for quite some time now. I expect they will be able to complete the task soon. There's no need for you to go."

Upon hearing this, the Bull Demon King had no choice but to obey.

The two talked for a long time in the quiet room. Jiang Yuan asked the Ox King to take care of her son before the Ox King left.

After the Ox King left, Jiang Yuan felt very gratified and went to pay respects to the Patriarch, whereupon he spoke with him about the matter.

Upon hearing this, the Patriarch smiled and said, "Child, do you understand now?"

Jiang Yuan bowed and said, “Master, I understand. Everyone has their own path. If one truly remembers the teachings and adheres to one’s true nature, one will not need my help and will not fall into the sea of ​​suffering. Just like the Ox King, even if he is deeply trapped in the sea of ​​suffering, he can break free and even save others. But if one does not remember the teachings and loses one’s true nature, the true master will lose power. Even if I go to save him in person, I will not be able to save him, and I myself will be dragged into the sea of ​​suffering.”

The patriarch smiled and nodded, saying, "That is indeed the principle. If you understand this, you will know what to do when you establish your own residence in the future. If you do not understand this principle, establishing your own residence will be a disaster for you."

Jiang Yuan said, "Master, I understand."

The patriarch then asked, "Child, what is the opportunity for you to establish your own abode? Have you made a decision?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Master, I feel that the opportunity to establish a residence may be within one or two hundred years. However, I also have a feeling that the opportunity for Zhengwei's return is also within this time. I think we can wait until Zhengwei returns before establishing a residence. What do you think, Master?"

The Patriarch said, “This is your decision to establish your own residence. You don’t need to ask me. But it is reasonable for you to wait for Zhengwei to return. Zhengwei is your eldest disciple and the eldest disciple of the third generation. It is acceptable for you to establish your residence and wait for him to return.”

Having received the words of the patriarch, the true man found peace of mind.

The patriarch then took out a chessboard and played a game of chess with the real man.

……

Meanwhile, on the westward journey, Sun Wukong, accompanied by Zhu Bajie and Nezha, who had received an imperial decree to assist the immortals in clearing the westward route, approached a country.

Sun Wukong, riding on the clouds, looked ahead and saw a country that looked very familiar. He grabbed Zhu Bajie and asked, "Fool, look at that country. Have we been here before?"

Pigsy looked closely and said excitedly, "Brother, isn't this the Kingdom of Women? Back then, our master almost became the queen here. Do you remember that Tang Sanzang almost fell in love and stayed? Luckily, you persuaded him at the last moment, otherwise he would probably be a pile of dust by now. How could he have the merit to become a Buddha?"

Nezha was puzzled and asked, "What do you mean by queen? Pigsy, I remember you all went on your journey to the West to protect Tang Sanzang. Why would Tang Sanzang be here as a queen?"

Pigsy laughed and said, “Third Prince, you don’t know this. This is a Women’s Kingdom, but the queen is a woman. She once took a fancy to my master and wanted to take him as her husband. To be honest, the queen of the Women’s Kingdom is very beautiful, and my master was also moved. Since the queen is a woman, if my master is moved and is taken as a husband, he can’t be the queen.”

Upon hearing this, Nezha laughed heartily, finding Pigsy quite amusing, and even suggested that Tang Sanzang become his queen.

Sun Wukong grabbed Zhu Bajie's palm-leaf fan and said, "Don't talk nonsense, don't talk nonsense. But Tang Sanzang was our master back then. We were able to attain enlightenment by cultivating through him. We must not insult him."

Pigsy cried out in pain, and after hearing what Monkey King said, he nodded repeatedly and said, "I dare not, I dare not. Brother Monkey, please forgive me."

Sun Wukong released Zhu Bajie and said, "This is the Women's Kingdom. I don't think there are any demons here. We don't need to stay here any longer. Let's go forward and see if there are any monsters causing trouble in the mountains ahead."

Pigsy responded, and was about to ride away on a cloud.

Nezha, riding on his Wind Fire Wheels, was about to follow him away, but before he could leave, he suddenly looked down and saw black smoke passing by. He quickly called Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie to stop.

Sun Wukong asked, "Your Highness, has anything changed?"

Nezha said, "But I see dark energy in the Women's Kingdom. There might be monsters causing trouble there. Shall we go down and take a look?"

Pigsy was about to say something, but seeing Monkey King beside him, he kept quiet, picked up his nine-toothed rake, and waited for orders.

Sun Wukong said, "Your Highness is a great god of the Three Altars and Seas. When it comes to dealing with demons, you are far more skilled than I am. Since you say there is demonic energy below, we must go and investigate."

Nezha said, "In that case, let's go into the Women's Kingdom to find out what's going on. But I saw that the demonic aura vanished in an instant. I wonder why. Let's investigate it carefully."

(End of this chapter)