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

Chapter 374 Agarwood Dog Fighting, The True Lord's Intention

The story begins in the Three Star Immortal Abode, before the True Man's Quiet Chamber.

After watching Chenxiang leave, Sun Wukong returned to his immortal abode. He went to the immortal's quiet room and wanted to see the immortal.

Upon learning of Sun Wukong's arrival, Jiang Yuan naturally came out of his room to greet him. He left the quiet room...
Upon seeing him, Sun Wukong immediately bowed and said, "How dare I have my senior brother come out to greet me? That would be inappropriate."

Jiang Yuan laughed and said, "We are fellow disciples, so let's not talk about that. Besides, you helped me guard the main road to the west, so I should thank you. Why not come out and greet me?"

Sun Wukong hurriedly replied that he dared not accept such an honor.

After exchanging pleasantries in front of the room, the immortal led Sun Wukong into the room and invited him to sit on a prayer mat.

Jiang Yuan asked, "Wukong, did you come to see me today because you have some questions?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong immediately recounted the story of the agarwood to Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan listened quietly to his words, and after a long while, she smiled and said, "Chen Xiang's cultivation has fallen short of expectations."

Sun Wukong bowed and said, “Elder brother, I know that Chenxiang’s cultivation has fallen short of expectations, but he is still my disciple. Now he has gathered a bunch of rabble and wants to fight Erlang Shen to the death. I am afraid that he will suffer. I don’t know whether I should go and protect him for a while.”

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "Wukong, don't be attached to appearances. If you want to go, then go. If you don't want to go, then don't even think about it. Why are you so hesitant?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong immediately understood and said, "Elder brother, junior brother understands."

Jiang Yuan laughed and said, "Wukong, perhaps you are worrying too much. How could the Manifestation Saint True Lord not know the ins and outs, and why would he kill you? Do you know that the Manifestation Saint True Lord also has a mountain-splitting axe?"

Sun Wukong nodded and said, "I once fought with the Manifestation Saint True Lord, so I know that he has a mountain-splitting axe, and that it is very powerful."

Jiang Yuan said, "As far as I know, the mountain-splitting axe in the hands of Erlang Shenzhenjun is one of the three treasures of Yu the Great in controlling the floods."

Sun Wukong was taken aback and said, "The mountain-splitting axe in Chenxiang's hand is also one of the three treasures of King Yu."

Jiang Yuan nodded and said, "This axe must have been given by the Manifestation Saint True Lord, so you don't need to worry. However, if you are still worried, you can go and secretly protect it."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong bowed and said, "In that case, I will make the trip and trouble my senior brother to enlighten me."

Jiang Yuan said, "What's the point of talking about resolving doubts? Even if you hadn't come looking for me, you would have gone anyway."

Sun Wukong smiled, as if he wanted to say something more.

Jiang Yuan waved his hand and said, "Wukong, no need for further words. Go and make your way there. If you happen to meet the Manifestation Saint True Lord, have a good chat with him and then greet him for me."

Sun Wukong responded, "That is indeed the case."

Jiang Yuan said no more and waved for him to leave.

Sun Wukong bowed and then left the mansion, heading outwards.

Jiang Yuan watched Sun Wukong leave without saying much. With a flick of his sleeve, a gentle breeze came and closed the door tightly. He closed his eyes to meditate, his mind wandering to the heavens.

……

At the gate of the Three Star Immortal Abode, Pigsy saw that Monkey King was about to go out, so he picked up his Nine-Toothed Rake and wanted to follow him.

Sun Wukong grabbed Zhu Bajie and said, "Bajie, I am not going to the main road to the west today, but to find Erlang Shen and deal with his matter with Chenxiang. What are you doing following me?"

Pigsy said, "It's just a habit for me to follow Brother Monkey."

Sun Wukong waved his hand and said, "You don't need to go here. You can cultivate in the manor. Don't you want such a leisurely life?"

Pigsy said, “Brother, you know my temperament. If I am allowed to relax, the Wood Mother will surely rise again and cause trouble in my heart. Therefore, I cannot stay here any longer and should go with you, Brother Monkey.”

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong nodded and said, "What you say makes sense. If we let you, you fool, be idle, your cultivation may regress. In that case, you shall come with me and we shall go together."

Pigsy replied with a smile.

The two then walked outside.

Upon arriving outside the mansion, the two did not immediately depart on a cloud.

Seeing that Sun Wukong hadn't moved, Zhu Bajie picked up his nine-toothed rake and waited by the side.

Sun Wukong suddenly asked, "Fool, how long has it been since the five of us last gathered together after our journey to the west?"

Pigsy said, “Since the completion of the journey to the West, so many years have passed, and we have never been able to gather together. But if we were to meet, I have only ever seen my master.”

Sun Wukong laughed and asked, "Buddha of Merit, how do you feel about your cultivation?"

Pigsy pondered for a moment and replied, "Master's cultivation is indeed remarkable. His success in obtaining the scriptures is also a testament to his cultivation. He is certainly extraordinary."

Sun Wukong said, "Since the successful completion of the journey to the West, I have seen everything except the White Dragon Horse."

Pigsy asked, "Brother, have you seen Sandy too?"

Sun Wukong said, "Of course I have seen him. I met Brother Sha in the past on Mount Ling. Fool, what were your chances of winning against Brother Sha back then?"

After a long silence, Pigsy replied, "It's about 60%, but if I really put my mind to it, it's about 70%."

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "If you were to encounter Brother Sha again today and fight him, I'm afraid you would lose 30% of your strength."

Pigsy shook his head and said, "Brother, don't try to fool me. Even if Brother Sandy is highly skilled, he can't possibly teach me to only have a 30% chance of winning. I do have some strength and martial arts skills."

Sun Wukong pointed at Zhu Bajie and said, “You must believe what I say, for every word I say is true. Since Brother Sha succeeded in his journey to the West to obtain the scriptures, he has been cultivating on Mount Ling and has never left. Now that his cultivation has been successful, his magical power is not what it used to be. You cannot defeat him now.”

Upon hearing this, Pigsy was at a loss for words.

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Bajie, I remember that in the past, Brother Sha was also a practitioner of the righteous path. Now he has turned to the unorthodox path and is making great progress in his cultivation. What do you think?"

Pigsy said, "Brother, I understand what you mean, but please give me some time, and I will definitely think it through."

Sun Wukong said, "Since you say so, I will not say any more to you. I hope you take good care of yourself."

Pigsy remained silent and bowed to Monkey King.

Sun Wukong patted Zhu Bajie on the shoulder, then rode on a cloud and headed away.

Pigsy followed closely behind.

The two rode on the clouds and soon caught up with Chenxiang. They did not appear in person, but secretly protected him.

Looking down, Pigsy saw that Chenxiang had gathered a motley crew, calling themselves heroes, and was heading out of Xiniu Hezhou. He laughed and said, "Brother, what is your disciple doing with such a large group of people?"

Sun Wukong pondered for a moment and said, "They are going to deal with Erlang Shen Zhenjun."

Pigsy laughed, "How can this rabble deal with Erlang Shen? This rabble has little skill; they're all people who think they've mastered something after only a little cultivation. Are they trying to show off in front of Erlang Shen and make him laugh to death?"

Sun Wukong, upon hearing what Zhu Bajie said, scolded, "You fool, don't talk like that."

Pigsy shouted, "Brother, but what I said was not wrong."

Sun Wukong remained silent.

……

Time flies, and several months have passed in the blink of an eye. After traveling for a long time on the westward road, Chenxiang and his companions finally arrived in Jambudvipa.

Because Sun Wukong dealt with the demons here many times, and the immortal appeared here, the road to the west was unusually peaceful. Therefore, Chenxiang and his group traveled through the area without being blocked by any demons or having any demonic influences. They arrived safely in Jambudvipa.

After leading his group into the Southern Continent, Chenxiang turned around and spoke to the heroes, saying, "Today I must go to Guanjiang Estuary to find Erlang Shen to avenge my parents. This battle is likely to be dangerous, but as a son, I cannot fail to go. You should answer my call and come to my aid. However, this battle is extremely risky. If any of you are afraid, you may leave now and do not need to come with me."

The heroes gathered their weapons and said, "Now that we have come with you, we have no intention of leaving. Please lead the way, brother. We will follow you to avenge our grudges and deal with Erlang Shenzhenjun."

Upon hearing this, Chenxiang was deeply moved and said no more, heading towards the mouth of the Guanjiang River.

All the heroes responded and followed him.

In another two or three days, Chenxiang arrived outside Guanzhou.

Chenxiang and his group were about to press forward and confront Erlang Shenzhenjun.

Before Chenxiang and his group could get close, a sudden gust of wind arose, and a dark fog descended, enveloping them from all sides in a short time, preventing them from escaping.

Then a falcon circled overhead, its eyes fixed intently on the ground below.

Upon seeing this, Chenxiang shouted, "These are Erlang Shen's henchmen! Erlang Shen is coming soon, everyone be careful!"

The group of heroes laughed heartily, showing no fear whatsoever.

A man dressed in a Taoist robe laughed and said, "Brother, do not worry, just watch me break their method."

Say it.

The man took out a talisman from his pocket and slapped it forward.

The talisman transformed into wisps of green smoke, intending to dispel the dark fog and raging wind.

However, the wisp of smoke that fell into the dark mist was instantly swallowed up by the mist and had no effect whatsoever.

The man was shocked and said, "How could this be? How could this be? But how could the talismans left by my ancestor in the mountains be useless?"

A hero laughed loudly and said, "Your methods are useless. Watch my methods."

The hero drew a knife, his whole body surging with murderous intent, and slashed at the dark mist, attempting to break through it. Unexpectedly, a falcon swooped down, killing the hero on the spot.

Instantly, the heroes were filled with fear and dared not step forward.

Chenxiang was a soldier, and he knew the importance of morale. He could not be bullied by his lackeys, otherwise, nine out of ten of the people he brought would retreat.

Thinking of this, Chenxiang no longer hesitated, took out his axe, and cleaved towards the dark mist.

But the axe possessed immense power, cleaving away all the gloomy mist with a single blow. The falcon retreated continuously, avoiding its sharp edge, fearing it might be injured by the axe's blade.

When the heroes saw that Chenxiang had such abilities, they all cheered and said that Chenxiang was mighty.

Just as Chenxiang was about to say something, he suddenly saw the Howling Celestial Dog pounce from the wind ahead, aiming straight for Chenxiang's head.

Seeing this, Chenxiang remained calm and fearless, and took his axe to chop the mountain horizontally.

The Celestial Hound dared not touch the mountain-splitting axe and retreated.

Chenxiang gave chase, intending to kill Xiaotian Dog.

The two men fought in the woods outside Guanzhou.

Upon seeing this, all the heroes raised their weapons or used their magic to attack the Howling Celestial Dog.

The Celestial Hound was completely unafraid and fought against Chenxiang and the others single-handedly. For a time, it was difficult to determine who was superior.

……

In mid-air, Pigsy watched the fierce battle below and laughed heartily, saying, "Brother, look down there! Chenxiang is leading a group of heroes, fighting back and forth with Howling Celestial Dog. How delightful!"

Sun Wukong watched the battle below and could see that the Celestial Hound was handling the situation with ease, and that the rabble was no match for him.

The axe in Chenxiang's hand could injure Xiaotian Dog because it was one of the three treasures used by Yu the Great to control the floods, and it was also well cared for by Erlang Shen. Therefore, it had great divine power. If it could really hit Xiaotian Dog, it would definitely seriously injure or even kill Xiaotian Dog.

However, Chenxiang had not mastered any axe techniques, and since he had not taught the divine weapon to recognize its master and communicate with it, he was not very skilled and could not hit Xiaotian Dog. Even if Xiaotian Dog were to pull him, he could exhaust Chenxiang to death.

Sun Wukong was about to say something.

Suddenly, auspicious mist appeared ahead.

Upon seeing this, Pigsy was about to swing his nine-toothed rake and go forward to ask where they came from.

Sun Wukong said, "The one who comes is Erlang Shen Zhenjun. If you are not afraid of Erlang Shen Zhenjun, then go up and block his way."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy said, "Since it is Erlang Shen, I will not stop him, but I am not afraid of him. I am the master's protector of the cauldron, so I believe he would not dare to touch me."

Sun Wukong ignored Zhu Bajie and waited for Erlang Shen to arrive.

But he waited not long before he saw Erlang Shen arrive on a cloud.

Sun Wukong stepped forward to greet him and said, "True Lord."

Erlang Shen stopped his cloud-borne attack, took Sun Wukong's hand, and said, "Great Sage, you have come here today to protect Chenxiang. Thank you for your trouble."

Sun Wukong said, "There is no need for trouble. Chenxiang is also my disciple. I should have come, but I don't know how you will handle this situation, as Chenxiang and you may have a grudge."

Erlang Shen shook his head and said, "I know he hates me, but I intend to defeat him to quell his resentment and teach him to cultivate diligently. If he achieves success in his cultivation, then my years of protection will not have been in vain."

Sun Wukong said, "This would damage the True Lord's reputation."

Erlang Shen looked down at Chenxiang, who was fighting below, and said, "He can cultivate peacefully and has some fame, but what is so valuable about him? If I am defeated by him, I am afraid that the grass god will be moved. At that time, please protect him, take him away, and persuade him to cultivate diligently."

Sun Wukong nodded and said, "In that case, I will protect him for a while. Please rest assured, True Lord."

Erlang Shen said, "I have heard that the Great Sage has recently been fighting demons on the westward journey. I wonder if he has succeeded?"

Sun Wukong said, "The task is far from complete. We must frequently travel the main road to the west to vanquish demons and prevent them from causing trouble. This is for the eldest brother to establish his residence, so we must keep it in mind."

Erlang Shen laughed and said, "When the True Man opens his residence, I will definitely go to congratulate him."

Sun Wukong nodded with a smile.

The two exchanged pleasantries among the clouds for a while longer.

Erlang Shen looked down at Chenxiang, who was panting heavily, and said, "Great Sage, we can talk about catching up another day when we have more free time. I will go down and deal with Chenxiang now."

Sun Wukong bowed and said, "Please go, True Lord. I will certainly lend a hand in this matter."

Erlang Shen smiled and said thank you for your trouble. He then said no more, descended from the clouds, and headed towards where Chenxiang was. He was empty-handed, clearly intending to fight Chenxiang with his bare hands.

Sun Wukong watched Erlang Shen leave, and he was prepared to descend from the clouds at any time to protect Chenxiang.

(End of this chapter)