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

Chapter 393 Descending the Mountain, a Skilled Horse Breeder

The story goes that in the Xiyi Mountains, the immortal asked Wang Chongyang if he would be willing to exchange his knowledge for a longer life. Wang Chongyang resolutely refused, saying that knowledge was priceless.

The Master deeply appreciated Wang Chongyang's Daoist heart and then imparted even more profound knowledge to him.

This instruction continued for another three years.

One day, the immortal, in his cave dwelling, tested Wang Chongyang once again.

The master said, “Since you entered the mountain, many years have passed. I have imparted much knowledge to you. You are diligent and have bright eyes. You have learned a great deal. Now that you have learned a lot of my knowledge, what are your feelings?”

Wang Chongyang knelt before the master, deeply grateful, and said, "I owe all my knowledge to you, sir. Now that you have imparted your knowledge to me, I realize that what I learned in my early years was all useless. Only with your teachings have I received true knowledge."

The master smiled and shook his head, saying, "You can't say that. What you learned in your early years was your enlightenment. It is because of your enlightenment that you have been able to learn to this point."

Wang Chongyang said, “People in the world all value their family’s learning and are unwilling to let outsiders learn it. They would rather hide it in a bottomless abyss and take it to their tomb than let others learn it. You have passed on your supreme learning to me. I do not know how to repay you. Please do not abandon me. I am willing to serve you for the rest of my life.”

The master said, “You have not yet learned everything, so how can you talk about serving or repaying? Just focus on learning. Furthermore, do not forget that learning alone is useless. Having only theory will not allow you to truly understand it. You must see more and travel more to make it your own.”

Wang Chongyang had no choice but to bow repeatedly to the True Man, saying that he would never forget the True Man's teachings.

The master said, "What kind of knowledge have I been teaching you lately?"

Wang Chongyang bowed deeply and said, "Your recent teachings are based on the doctrines of Zhuangzi."

The master smiled and said, "In that case, please explain its essence to me clearly."

Upon hearing this, Wang Chongyang immediately said, "Please listen to him, sir."

As he spoke, Wang Chongyang sat down cross-legged and said, “Master, you have told me many of Zhuangzi’s doctrines, such as ‘Free and Easy Wandering,’ ‘On the Equality of Things,’ and ‘Responding to Emperors,’ but I can share a few insights.”

"The teachings of Zhuangzi inherited the profound principles of Laozi and opened the primordial chaos of Taoism. His words are vast and unrestrained, like the Kunpeng of the Northern Sea soaring ninety thousand miles and roaming in the vast void. His thoughts are expansive and strange, like the butcher Ding carving up an ox, following the principles of nature with ease. In my opinion, its essence can be summarized in four points."

"Firstly, one achieves carefree existence, returning to one's true nature. Secondly..."

Wang Chongyang shared everything he had learned with the True Man.

Upon hearing this, the Master was somewhat bewildered, feeling that Wang Chongyang here was becoming increasingly similar to his former disciple, Chongyang. This disciple's knowledge was already sufficient, surpassing many in the world; he should return to his rightful place.

However, how to properly place it remains to be discussed.

After pondering for a long time, the real person finally came up with an answer.

Perhaps we should teach him to leave the mountains and, through travel, integrate what he has learned here. If he can integrate it, then he will naturally return to his rightful place.

When so.

The man made his decision in a short while.

Before long, Wang Chongyang finished explaining the essential points of Zhuangzi's teachings.

Wang Chongyang bowed and asked, "Sir, I have finished speaking, but please give me your guidance."

Jiang Yuan smiled and nodded, saying, "What you said is wonderful. I have nothing to teach you. Your teachings are now very impressive."

Wang Chongyang said, "It is all thanks to your teachings, Master."

Jiang Yuan glanced outside and said, "It's getting late. You can go and rest somewhere else."

Wang Chongyang replied, "Yes, sir."

He was an ordinary man who needed to sleep and eat, so there was a stone chamber next to the cave, which was reserved for him so that he could rest there.

Jiang Yuan watched Wang Chongyang leave with a smile. In the past, when Wang Chongyang entered the stone chamber to rest, he would usually sleep for two or three hours before getting up. He had been doing this for many years, and Jiang Yuan was amazed by his diligence.

But his diligence is enough to show his self-cultivation.

However, it is a pity that now is not the time for him to return to his rightful place.

After he left, Jiang Yuan had no intention of staying in Xiyi Mountain any longer. He took a piece of paper, wrote a letter for him, and then left the cave.

As soon as the immortal left the cave, the spirit beasts in the mountains seemed to sense it and came to see him off. A black crane stretched its neck and sang, its white feathers reflecting the sun; a white ape offered dew as a libation, its long arms outstretched; a blue phoenix carried precious flowers to pave the way, its vermilion beak slightly open; and countless other spirit beasts followed.

Upon seeing this, the immortal laughed and said, "I am about to leave. Do not worry about me. Just stay here and cultivate well. Do not cause any trouble here. If anyone finds out that someone is causing trouble and turning into a demon, I will not forgive them."

All the spirit beasts prostrated themselves on the ground, acknowledging the master's command.

After dismissing the group of spirit beasts, the immortal rode a cloud and flew into the air to meet up with Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie.

Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie rushed over to pay their respects, showing the utmost respect.

The master smiled and nodded, saying, "Have you two been waiting here for so long? Are you tired?"

Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie said urgently, "We're not tired, we're not tired."

The master nodded, said no more, and looked down into the cave below.

Sun Wukong asked, "Eldest brother, why have you appeared at this time? Could it be that you have finished what you were doing there?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Now that this matter is settled, we should leave and return to the mountains to await the end of our journey."

Pigsy shouted, "Master, how can we just wait here?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Just wait quietly, what's the point of arguing?"

Pigsy pointed down and said, "Master, Zhengwei has not yet been taken away. We must teach him to return to his place. How can we leave?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Bajie, what do you think we should do?"

Pigsy said, "We should press on with our momentum, teach Master Wei to return to his post, and then come back to the mountain with us."

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "Bajie, now is not the time for Zhengwei to return to his position. Don't be in a hurry. Let him walk down the mountain. When he has mastered all the knowledge he has learned, that will be the time for him to return."

Pigsy asked anxiously, "How long will that take?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Wait for the right opportunity."

Pigsy said, "Master, I think Zhengwei's lifespan is not long. If we wait for the right opportunity, what should we do if something changes and Zhengwei's life is in danger?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Since Bajie is so worried, then please, Bajie, secretly protect Zhengwei for a while. What do you think?"

Sun Wukong stepped forward and laughed, "What my elder brother says makes sense. You fool, since you are so worried, why don't you stay and protect us?"

Pigsy, carrying his nine-toothed rake, hesitated and said, "Master, Monkey King, do you two really trust me to protect Zhengwei?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Bajie, no matter what, you are a person with excellent martial arts skills. There are very few people in this world who can make things difficult for you. I believe you can protect Zhengwei. You will not let me down. Do you?"

Pigsy said excitedly, "Indeed."

Having made the agreement with Zhu Bajie, Jiang Yuan had no further intention of speaking. After parting ways with Sun Wukong, he rode away on a cloud. Seeing the immortal leave, Sun Wukong originally intended to follow, but suddenly remembered something, stopped on the cloud, and said, "You fool, you'd better take good care of him, lest something happen to my nephew Zhengwei."

Pigsy laughed and said, "Brother, don't worry, I will definitely keep an eye on Zhengwei and prevent him from getting hurt."

Sun Wukong shook his head and said, "It is precisely because you say this that I am uneasy. But I know you are lazy. Times have changed. You should have made some progress now."

Pigsy said, "Brother, I certainly won't delay things any longer. Don't talk about me anymore."

Sun Wukong said, "In that case, I will teach you here. I will now depart."

Pigsy bids farewell to Monkey King.

Sun Wukong then rode away on a cloud and followed the immortal.

Seeing that the two had gone far away, Pigsy turned his attention to the cave below, not daring to forget for a moment, and kept an eye on Wang Chongyang's situation.

……

The next day at dawn, Wang Chongyang awoke and went to the cave to pay homage to the True Man. However, when he entered, he saw nothing but emptiness, as if the True Man had never existed.

Wang Chongyang was slightly surprised. He went outside the cave to look, but he could not find any trace of the immortal outside the cave. He searched back and forth for a long time, and finally had to admit that the immortal had left.

Wang Chongyang walked back into the cave and looked closely. He then discovered a letter in the place where the immortal had sat. He went forward and bowed three times in the direction where the immortal had sat before taking down the letter.

Wang Chongyang took down the letter and read it. He immediately understood that the Master had already left and was no longer here. The letter said that his knowledge was so great that he no longer needed the Master's teaching. It advised him to integrate his knowledge and travel more in the outside world. He should not become complacent because he had acquired profound knowledge.

Wang Chongyang put the letter away and said, "Since you have instructed me to leave and travel outside, so that I may integrate and understand knowledge, I will naturally follow your advice."

Say it.

He picked up the Heavenly Ruler and went outside.

When Wang Chongyang left the cave, he suddenly felt light and walked with the speed of the wind. Although he had been abstaining from grains and eating more fruits these past few days, he was not in any bad shape and had become even more agile.

It is indeed a sacred mountain, and the fruits there are all different.

Wang Chongyang sighed inwardly and began to walk down the mountain, following the path.

But when he was halfway through the mountain path, many spirit beasts came out of the mountains, brought him a lot of fruit, and taught him about it.

Wang Chongyang thanked them one by one, accepted the fruits, found a cloth bag, put them in, and carried it on his back as a bundle.

Half an hour later, he finally descended the mountain. As he came down, he was surprised to find that his horse was still in the same place, looking much stronger.

Wang Chongyang was overjoyed. He had thought the horse must have gotten lost, but to his surprise, the horse was still there. How could he not be delighted?

It truly is a land of immortals. His mortal horse has been at the foot of the mountain for so many years and has not yet gone missing. I wonder what it has eaten, for it has become much stronger and its coat is shiny, as if it has been carefully raised by a skilled horse breeder.

Wang Chongyang walked toward the horse.

The horse seemed to remember Wang Chongyang, galloping towards him, stopping in front of him, and constantly breathing on him and licking his face.

Wang Chongyang patted his horse, mounted it, and rode off.

Pigsy, watching Wang Chongyang ride away amidst the clouds, laughed and said, "This horse was taken care of by Brother Monkey. Back in the day, Brother Monkey was a stable boy, and he was an expert at taking care of horses. Even after all these years, his skills haven't diminished. Look at this ordinary horse; with Brother Monkey's care, it has actually developed a hidden spirit. It's truly remarkable, truly remarkable. If there's an opportunity in the future, I'll definitely find a few good horses for Brother Monkey to take care of for me, and raise them into spirited steeds."

……

In the misty clouds of Yanzhou in the Southern Continent, the immortal rode a white deer, traveling leisurely on the clouds, with Sun Wukong by his side.

The real man seemed to sense something and suddenly looked towards where Pigsy was in Yangzhou.

Sun Wukong stepped forward and asked, "Elder brother, what's wrong? Is there a mistake on Zhengwei's side? This is not right. Although that fool's cultivation is not very good, he should not be so lax. We have not been gone for long."

The Master smiled and said, "Junior Brother Wukong, don't worry. It's not that something went wrong with Zhengwei, but that Pigsy is concerned about you."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong was somewhat pleased. He scratched his ears and cheeks and laughed, "Eldest brother, I've spent a long time with that fool. It's only natural that he misses me. It's nothing to be surprised about."

The real person smiled and did not refute.

Sun Wukong asked, "Elder brother, should we go home now?"

The immortal shook his head and said, "There's no rush. Let's head to Wudang Mountain. Now that we've entered the mortal realm, we should pay homage to the Xuan Emperor and not be disrespectful."

Sun Wukong said, "It has been a long time since I have seen the Xuan Emperor. In that case, eldest brother, let us go to Wudang Mountain."

The real person smiled and nodded.

The two people and the deer then headed there, using three-tenths of their true abilities to ride the clouds.

A short while later, the two arrived at Wudang Mountain.

Just as the True Man descended upon Wudang Mountain, a group of spirit officials appeared to pay their respects. However, before they could finish, the Xuan Emperor appeared outside Taihe Palace to personally welcome him.

Emperor Xuan bowed and said, "True Man, Great Sage, I have failed to greet you properly."

Sun Wukong returned the bow, saying he dared not accept it.

The True Man returned the greeting and said with a smile, "Emperor Xuan, it's been a long time. I came to the mortal realm to attend to my disciple's affairs. Now that the matter is settled, I've come to visit. Please forgive my disturbance."

Emperor Xuan laughed and said, "I am deeply grateful that the True Man is concerned about me and is willing to come and see me. There is no need to disturb him. Please, True Man and Great Sage, come inside with me."

The immortal and Sun Wukong naturally followed him inside.

Five hundred spirit officials escorted the three into the Hall of Supreme Harmony, offering them fragrant flowers, tea, spiritual fruits, elixirs, and countless treasures to await the arrival of the True Man and Sun Wukong.

Emperor Xuan said, "I did not know you two had come. I do not have any precious treasures here, so I can only offer you these."

The master said, "This is enough."

Emperor Xuan laughed and said, "In the past, the Great Sage alone used up the entire Peach Banquet. We are not enough."

Sun Wukong, embarrassed and annoyed, said, "Don't say that! Don't say that! My havoc in the Heavenly Palace is an old story. Now that I have attained enlightenment, I will not do that again."

The Xuan Emperor and the True Man exchanged a glance and both burst into laughter.

Emperor Xuan asked again, "I have long heard that the day when you open your mansion is approaching. I have come here today for the sake of your disciple. Is it because you are about to open your mansion? If you are about to open your mansion, I should go in person to congratulate you."

The True Man shook his head and said, "I have not yet established my residence. I have come here today for the sake of my disciple. It is because my eldest disciple was reincarnated to sever his ties with the mortal world. He is about to return to his original life, and I came here specifically to guide him. Now I have guided him. The day he returns to his original position is still some years away. I am sorry to trouble the Xuan Emperor."

Emperor Xuan said, "If that's how it is, then you must explain it to me when the True Man opens his residence in the future."

The master laughed and said, "That's how it should be, that's how it should be."

The group chatted harmoniously in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

(End of this chapter)