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

Chapter 361 Zuo Liangxin is calm, and there is a strange phenomenon in his birth chart.

In the quiet room of the True Man, Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie returned and came to pay their respects to Jiang Yuan.

When the immortal learned that Sun Wukong and the others had returned, he greeted them with a smile, led them into a quiet room, and bowed to each of them to express his gratitude.

The two men initially dared not accept the gift, but after hearing Jiang Yuan's explanation, they had no choice but to accept it.

Sun Wukong sat cross-legged on the futon and said, “Eldest brother, we have returned, but the road to the west is not completely pacified. This is because demons and monsters are still rampant, and in some time, more demons will surely emerge. These demons are difficult to eradicate. However, eldest brother, you need not worry. Every now and then, I will go and make a trip there, and I will make sure that no demons dare to cause trouble on the road to the west.”

Pigsy also said, "Master, I can also get rid of demons and monsters. I will make sure they dare not invade and cause trouble on the westward journey. If demons cause trouble when the manor is opened, just punish me."

Sun Wukong pointed at Zhu Bajie and said, "You fool, don't talk big. If you have such magical power, how dare you say such things?"

Pigsy said, "If I were alone, it would be impossible, but with your help, Brother Monkey, this matter will be very easy. On the main road to the West, how many monsters can survive five rounds against you, Brother Monkey?"

Sun Wukong said, "Don't be complacent. You must know that pride comes before a fall. All things in the universe are interconnected and mutually restraining. Who knows when a powerful demon might appear? If the two of us can't handle it, we'll suffer a great loss."

Jiang Yuan listened to the two of them with a smile. After a long while, he finally spoke and said, "In that case, I will trouble you two."

Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie hurriedly said they dared not accept such praise.

Sun Wukong then said, "Elder brother, a few years ago, when I was subduing a demon, I traveled through the human world and met my nephew Zhengyuan in the Jingzhou area."

Jiang Yuan asked, "How is Zheng Yuan now?"

Sun Wukong said, “Eldest brother, my nephew Zhengyuan is currently cultivating in seclusion in a mountain in Jingzhou. He has taken in many followers and teaches them medicine. Once he has mastered the skills, he will teach his followers to heal the people. He is truly compassionate and wholeheartedly devoted to healing the people. In my opinion, Zhengyuan will soon achieve enlightenment.”

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Now that I have heard what Wukong said, I am relieved. But if I see Zhengyuan in trouble in the future, I hope that Wukong will lend a hand if there is anything I can do to help."

Sun Wukong said, "No need for you to say that, Senior Brother. If I were to encounter this, I would certainly help you."

Jiang Yuan nodded with a smile.

Sun Wukong was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something and said, "Elder Brother, I still have a question. I wonder if you could answer it for me?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Wukong, tell me about it."

Sun Wukong scratched his head and said, "I wonder when my senior brother will open his mansion? If I know, I can make proper preparations."

Jiang Yuan said, "When Zhengwei returns, that will be the time for me to establish my own residence."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong immediately understood, bowed to the immortal, and then grabbed Zhu Bajie beside him and left.

Pigsy shouted, "Brother, if you want to leave, then leave. Why are you dragging me along? I still want to catch up with the master and talk for three months. Why are you pulling me along?"

Ignoring Pigsy's shouts, Monkey King grabbed Pigsy and left.

Jiang Yuan watched the two depart with a smile, her expression calm and composed, exuding an air of Daoist wisdom.

……

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

Not long after Sun Wukong returned to the Three Star Immortal Abode, demons and evil spirits began to emerge on the westward journey, causing havoc in the region. However, their evil deeds were often short-lived, as Sun Wukong would leave the abode and, together with a group of others, eliminate the demons on the westward journey.

For over seventy years, the name of Lingtai Fangcun Mountain Xieyue Sanxing Cave has been known throughout Xihe Niuzhou.

Unlike Xiniu Hezhou, Nanzhanbuzhou was plagued by the three calamities, with endless chaos. Since Emperor Suzong lost control, the An Lushan Rebellion broke out, eunuchs seized power, and regional warlords carved up their own territories. Huang Chao burned and looted, and Zhu Wen usurped the Tang throne. The Tang dynasty was like a candle burning out, and was ultimately destroyed by the Zhu Liang dynasty.

From this point on, the fate of the Tang Dynasty was sealed.

The war in Jambudvipa (the southern continent) continues unabated, with no sign of abating.

Deep in the mountains of Jingzhou.

Zuo Liang was studying books in his mansion, surrounded by many attendants. Over the past seventy years, his attendants had changed generation after generation, and he had lost count of how many had left and how many had come to take his place.

But once he has mastered the art of medicine, he will teach it to go down the mountain and heal the people.

Wang Shou had already died due to the exhaustion of his lifespan. After the Huang Chao incident, his character was flawed and he was not able to see through the secrets of true cultivation. Zuo Liang ultimately did not take him to Fangcun Mountain. Wang Shou also knew his own shortcomings and did not make any requests. When his lifespan ended, his soul returned to his hometown.

After Wang Shou, Zuo Liang no longer readily accepted disciples, but instead took in more followers to teach.

One day, Zuo Liang was studying a book when he suddenly felt something. He realized that he had made progress in his cultivation, but he was only one step away from achieving enlightenment through unorthodox methods.

Zuo Liang was not in a hurry, his mind was calm. He believed that the path to enlightenment was a matter of luck, and that losing it was a matter of fate. There was no need to rush.

A servant beside him noticed Zuo Liang pausing for a moment and asked, "Does the master have any instructions?"

Zuo Liang put down his book and asked, "Why do you ask me what your orders are?"

The attendant replied, "Seeing that you paused, I guessed that you needed something, so I asked you."

Zuo Liang laughed and said, "You have a good eye. You even noticed my pause."

The attendant said, “We have no way to repay the opportunity for you to learn from us, so we can only take turns serving you to express our gratitude. If you need anything, we will do our best to fulfill your request, as a sign of our filial piety.”

Zuo Liang said, "When others served me, none of them had your discerning eye. What is your name? Would you like to tell me?"

Upon hearing this, the attendant bowed deeply and said, "Sir, my surname is Chen, and my given name is Xian."

Zuo Liang smiled and said, "Chen Xian, not a bad name."

Upon hearing this, the attendant smiled and replied, "Sir, this name is indeed good. Although my family is poor and we are often hungry, my parents are well-off, and my surname has a distinguished origin."

Zuo Liang said, "You must have a powerful background. Tell me about it."

The attendant said, “My father once told me that I am a descendant of Emperor Shun. Emperor Shun was born in Yaoxu, so he took Yao as his surname. His descendants helped Zhou to destroy Shang and established the State of Chen. Their descendants then took Chen as their surname.”

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang laughed and said, "I never imagined that you were born into a noble family."

Chen Xian said, "Sir, I'm just saying. But there are countless people with the surname Chen in the world. Maybe my parents are just trying to fool me."

Zuo Liang smiled without saying a word, looked at Chen Xian, and said, "You have some insight. From now on, you will serve me by my side. Are you willing?"

Chen Xian did not understand his meaning.

Zuo Liang said, "From now on, you will no longer need to take turns serving; you will serve alone."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xian was overjoyed and said, "I wish it, I wish it."

Zuo Liang laughed and said, "In that case, you can serve me here. But why are you so happy to serve me all this time? You won't have much time for your cultivation. What's so joyful about that?"

Chen Xian said, "Master, you have passed on your skills to me, which is a great favor. I have no regrets about serving you. Besides, there is a saying, 'One who is near vermilion gets stained red, and one who is near ink gets stained black.' Being near you, Master, I can only learn more from you." Zuo Liang smiled and did not say much. Over the years, he had seen people come and go, and he was indifferent to it. He wanted to continue studying his books.

Suddenly, a servant came to report that someone had arrived outside and wished to see Zuo Liang.

Zuo Liang asked, "Did the person who came give their name?"

The attendant said, "Sir, the visitor claims to be Lü Dongbin."

Zuo Liang was overjoyed to hear this, knowing that it was Lü Yan who had come. He had been cultivating in the mountains for over seventy years, and Lü Yan had known of his presence there for fifty years, so he often came to visit him.

However, Lü Yan has not come for nearly ten years, which makes him somewhat worried.

Zuo Liang stood up and said, "This person is a good friend of mine. I should go and meet him now."

Say it.

Zuo Liang walked outside.

Chen Xian and his entourage followed closely behind and went out together.

Upon reaching the outside of the mansion, Zuo Liang saw Lü Yan standing there in a Taoist robe. He strode forward and said happily, "Junior brother, it's been so long since I've seen you. I've missed you."

Lu Yan bowed and said, "I was delayed by something and could not come. Please forgive me, senior brother."

Zuo Liang said, "There's no need to talk about forgiveness or not. Just come inside with me, there's no need for further words."

Zuo Liang led Lü Yan inside.

The two entered the main hall of the mansion, where Chen Xian served them tea and fruit.

Lu Yan smiled and said, "Senior brother, I encountered a demon that was very troublesome. I fought with it for a long time before finally killing it. Knowing that you were worried about me, I came here in a hurry."

Zuo Liang asked, "What kind of demon is it that took your teacher so long to kill it?"

He knew Lü Yan's abilities well. Unlike him, Lü Yan was skilled in martial arts, had excellent swordsmanship, and possessed many magical abilities. Ordinary monsters would find it difficult to match him. In the Southern Continent, there were very few demons who could fight against Lü Yan.

Lu Yan shook his head and said, "It is a demon from Yongzhou, known as the Great King of the Western Moon. But this matter is quite laughable. If I tell you, my senior brother, I'm afraid you will laugh at me."

Zuo Liang shook his head and said, "Junior brother, how could you say that? How could I laugh at you? This King of the Western Moon is indeed a monster. Why have I never heard of this monster? But I have lived in the human world for some time. If there are any evil monsters, I must have heard of them."

Lu Yan said, "This demon is not from the Southern Continent, but from the Western Continent. Senior brother, I know that Master has issued a decree to the Western Continent to eliminate demons. Therefore, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven and other powerful beings are subduing demons everywhere. Many demons in the Western Continent fear Master's decree and are even more afraid of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, so they have all escaped. That King of the Western Moon is a demon who escaped from the Western Continent."

Zuo Liang said, "This demon escaped from Xiniu Hezhou. In fact, it escaped from the hands of my Uncle Wukong. My Uncle Wukong is an extraordinary person. The fact that he escaped from my hands and was killed by my junior brother shows how capable my junior brother is. How can you say that we are laughing at him?"

Lu Yan shook his head and said, "Senior brother, you may not know this, but before I subdued the Great King of the Western Moon, he said that the reason he was able to escape from the Great Sage Equaling Heaven was because he was just a minor demon. So when the Great Sage Equaling Heaven subdued him, he fled for his life, and the Great Sage did not pay attention, so he escaped into Yongzhou. This minor demon escaped to this place, yet he has become so difficult for me to deal with, and it will take many years to subdue him. How can you not laugh at this?"

Zuo Liang laughed and said, "Junior brother, there is no need to say that. Uncle Wukong is no ordinary person. In the past, he was so powerful that he caused trouble throughout the Three Realms. He defeated 100,000 heavenly soldiers, made a great disturbance in the Heavenly Palace, and went on the journey to the West to obtain the scriptures. To him, he is just a minor demon. But to us, he is different. Junior brother, it is already remarkable that you were able to subdue him."

Lu Yan said, "But our cultivation is far inferior to theirs, and we cannot compare."

Zuo Liang said, "The road is long and arduous, but we will reach our destination if we keep going. Junior brother, don't worry too much, just focus on your cultivation."

Lü Yan sighed, "If we're talking about cultivating the mind, Senior Brother is far superior to me."

Zuo Liang smiled and said, "In the past, my master often taught me that cultivating the mind is the most important thing, and cultivating the Dharma is secondary. If I had to choose between the mind and the Dharma, I would choose the mind. I have been away from home many times over the years, but I have never forgotten this. Therefore, I have focused more on cultivating the mind."

Lu Yan said, “What you say, Master, is the supreme truth. No matter how profound your cultivation is, if you don’t cultivate your mind, it will all be in vain. On the contrary, if you cultivate your mind but not your methods, you can have both mind and methods when the time is right.”

Zuo Liang nodded and said, "That's right. Junior Brother, you've come here, so please stay a while longer and don't leave so soon."

Lu Yan bowed and said, "If you don't mind me, Senior Brother, I will rest here for a while."

Zuo Liang responded with a smile.

The two then talked there, one recounting his experience of cultivating his mind, and the other recounting his journey of exorcising demons. They both spoke of the wonders of the matter and were filled with joy.

More than half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

One day, Zuo Liang and Lü Yan were playing chess in the mansion.

The two played chess for a long time, and it was difficult to determine a winner.

Suddenly, a servant came forward to report.

Zuo Liang put down the chess piece and asked, "What urgent matter is it?"

The attendant said, "Sir, there are villages at the foot of the mountain where strange phenomena sometimes occur. Therefore, we have decided to go and investigate before coming back to tell you."

Zuo Liang said, "Strange phenomenon? Tell me about it."

The attendant bowed and said, “Sir, we saw a village at the foot of the mountain where hundreds of birds would pay homage to the phoenix, and the next day there was a strange fragrance that never stopped. We were very surprised, so we went down the mountain to investigate. We found that these strange phenomena were all due to the birth of a child. We felt that this was extraordinary, so we came to tell you about it.”

Zuo Liang asked, "Is this a strange phenomenon caused by the birth of a child? Is your statement true?"

The attendant replied, "We dare not deceive you, sir."

Lu Yan laughed and said, "If there really is such a child who is so extraordinary and has such unusual signs, we should go and find out what's going on."

Zuo Liang said, "If Junior Brother is willing to go, I will certainly go with you."

Lü Yan got up and headed down the mountain.

Zuo Liang followed closely behind.

The two men headed down the mountain, followed by five or six attendants.

Lu Yan said, "If such a strange phenomenon occurs, it is truly extraordinary."

Zuo Liang laughed and said, "Junior Brother, do you have the intention of taking on a disciple?"

Lu Yan nodded and said, "To be honest, senior brother, I do have the intention of taking on a disciple."

Zuo Liang smiled and said, "It might be a bit difficult. If there are indeed unusual signs at the birth of a child, there must be a special origin. Perhaps it is a star or a person who has achieved success in cultivation. It will be a bit difficult for you to take on a disciple, Junior Brother."

Upon hearing this, Lü Yan could only shake his head and say, "If that's the case, then let it go. I won't think about it anymore, but I'll meet with him."

Zuo Liang nodded and said, "I have the same idea. We can go and meet him to see who he is."

As the two talked, they arrived at the village at the foot of the mountain. This village was located at the foot of the mountain in Zuo Liang's residence, so it was peaceful. Most of the people in the mountain knew Zuo Liang, who often helped them. When they heard that Zuo Liang had come to see the child with the celestial phenomenon, the villagers all led the way for him.

(End of this chapter)