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

Chapter 400 Observing the Talisman on Double Ninth Festival, Moro Enters Xiniu Hezhou Again

Time flies, and several months have passed in the blink of an eye.

On the summit of Zhongnan Mountain, Wang Chongyang observed the character "生" (life/birth), which seemed to open a door to Taoism for him.

Therefore, he spent his days observing the talismans here. He seemed to have gained some understanding, but he also seemed to have not comprehended them. This made him feel both helpless and excited. The teachings of Taoism still had such principles of cultivation. He was indeed a frog at the bottom of a well. But the helplessness was that he could not comprehend the talismans.

Although Wang Chongyang could not comprehend it, he persisted and continued to comprehend the talismans.

In mid-air, Pigsy was staring at Wang Chongyang, wielding his nine-toothed rake. Even though there was no danger, he remained vigilant, fearing that evil spirits might harm him and that he would be unable to protect him if he became complacent.

Seeing Wang Chongyang gradually comprehend the talismans day after day, Pigsy was very pleased, but other thoughts also arose in his mind. He said, "Did you foresee this, Master? I noticed that Zhengwei looks very old and listless, which is a sign that his lifespan is about to end. But you have not made any move. You must not let Zhengwei perish here. Zhengwei is the third reincarnation. I still had doubts, but now it seems that there is no need to worry."

"Now there is a birth character between Lü Yan and Wang Chongyang. Wang Chongyang has excellent comprehension and is very intelligent. This birth character will definitely not be difficult for him. He will be able to understand it in a short time. At that time, with the birth character, longevity will be a given. He will definitely be able to return to his rightful place in this third life!"

Pigsy had his own thoughts.

But he wielded his nine-toothed rake relentlessly, protecting Wang Chongyang amidst the clouds.

……

The story takes place on Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, within the Xieyue Sanxing Cave.

The master meditated in a quiet room, but as he closed his eyes to cultivate, his soul wandered beyond the heavens. After a long period of meditation, he came back to his senses and gained something.

The Master intended to continue his meditation and await the opportune moment, but then he remembered that Red Boy was still in the mansion. Red Boy was his disciple, and he had not taught him for a long time, so he had to go and give him some instruction.

He was on his way when he suddenly felt something and looked towards the human world.

The Master smiled and said, "This Pigsy has finally come to some understanding. He has changed a lot compared to before. If he can persevere, he will surely achieve something."

He was not worried about Chongyang, as he was just waiting for the right opportunity to return to the Three Star Immortal Abode. There was no need for him to go there.

The immortal rose and pushed open the door, intending to go to the Jade Terrace. Before he could go, he suddenly saw Sun Wukong's figure in front of him, hesitating, as if he didn't know where to go.

Jiang Yuan laughed and said, "Wukong, what are you doing?"

When Sun Wukong saw Jiang Yuan, he was startled and quickly bowed, saying, "Senior Brother, is it because I am here that I have disturbed your peaceful cultivation?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "Don't worry, it's not that you're bothering me. I'm on my way outside to find Zhengci, so when I saw you here, I called out to you, Wukong, do you have something important to discuss with your master here?"

Sun Wukong said, “Eldest brother, I am puzzled and have nowhere to find the answer, so I came to find you and Master. But I saw that you were both meditating in the middle and did not dare to disturb you. So I lingered here, thinking about whether I should go forward. Now that I see you, I thought I was the one who disturbed you.”

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Since you have any questions, you can come to me. There's no need to worry about whether it will bother you or not. As your senior brother, it is my duty to help you resolve your doubts."

With that, the Master walked back to the quiet room and said, "Wukong, come with me."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong followed closely behind and went inside.

Before long, the two entered the quiet room and sat facing each other.

The immortal smiled and said, "Wukong, I don't have any spiritual fruits to offer you here, please don't be offended."

Sun Wukong said, "Being able to enter Senior Brother's residence is already a matter of fate. How dare I ask for any more rewards? Senior Brother, there's no need to say such things."

The Master smiled and nodded, then asked, "Wukong, what is troubling you? You can tell me. If I can answer it, I will. If I cannot answer it, then we should both consult our master."

Sun Wukong said, "Elder Brother, what perplexes me is cultivation. Following the path you are on, I should cultivate my mind and supplement it with the cultivation of techniques. What do you think, Elder Brother?"

The Master said, “Wukong, what you said is correct. Now that the Golden Core has been formed, you should focus on cultivating your mind and use your magical power as a supplement. You should firmly cultivate, ignore external affairs, keep your mind still and as steady as a mountain, so as to achieve great magical power.”

Sun Wukong scratched his head and said, "Eldest brother, I have been cultivating as you said recently, but I am confused about my martial arts. If I focus on cultivating my mind and use magic power as a supplement, and ignore everything else, how will my martial arts be? Should I stop cultivating martial arts and focus on magic power? I am confused and have come to ask for your guidance."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan immediately understood what was puzzling Sun Wukong. He smiled and said, "This confusion is indeed unnecessary. Generally speaking, cultivation focuses on cultivating the mind, using the mind to control magical power. The subject and object cannot be reversed. Whether it is martial arts or supernatural powers, they are all like magical power, controlled by the mind. Everyone has their own path, and it is perfectly acceptable to cultivate martial arts as well. Why should Wukong be confused?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong suddenly understood and said, "Elder Brother, I understand."

Jiang Yuan smiled and nodded, saying, "Wukong, you are exceptionally talented, but your character is lacking. You should keep this in mind and work hard to cultivate your character. Do not forget this."

Sun Wukong bowed and said, "Elder Brother, I will remember this and dare not forget it. Speaking of which, so much time has passed. I wonder what happened to that fool? Elder Brother, would you like me to go and find out?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "There is no need to go, Wukong. This is the opportunity for Zhengwei to return to his rightful place, and it is also Bajie's destiny. If Bajie can understand it, his cultivation will progress. Therefore, we do not need to go. Let us wait for the right opportunity."

Sun Wukong exclaimed in delight, "That fool has actually improved? This is truly remarkable. I have tried to guide him countless times along the way, but all to no avail. Now, I have sent him on his own, and he has finally come to his senses."

Jiang Yuan said, "This kind of enlightenment in cultivation can only be achieved by the individual; no one else can help."

Sun Wukong nodded and said, "What my senior brother says makes sense."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "It's been a long time since I've been to the manor. I wonder how the Bull King, the Rhinoceros King, and Zheng Ci are doing? Wukong, do you know them?"

Sun Wukong said, "Eldest brother, everything is fine in the manor. Right now, Zhengci is cultivating, the Bull King is teaching his son in the manor, and the Great King of the Rhinoceros is cultivating in the orange grove outside the manor."

Jiang Yuan was relieved upon hearing this. He was about to say something more when he suddenly felt something and looked towards the location of Mount Ling, somewhat surprised.

Upon seeing the immortal's expression, Sun Wukong asked, "Elder Brother, what's wrong?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Mo Luo led some demons into Xiniu Hezhou, and it seems they are heading towards the location of Mount Ling."

Sun Wukong asked in surprise, "That Demon King is not much, how dare he be so bold as to enter Xiniu Hezhou again and even want to go to Mount Ling? Senior Brother, should I go and drive him away from the main road to the west?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "No need. They did not enter the main road to the west, but took a long detour, going directly from the ocean to the land of Ling Mountain. They did not get close to the main road to the west at all, so we do not need to go."

Sun Wukong opened his fiery eyes wide and said, "Eldest brother, this fellow is afraid of you. In the past, you spoke to him with a single decree, and he dared not offend you in the slightest."

Jiang Yuan said, "Don't talk nonsense, but he probably doesn't want to cause any more trouble."

The two talked here.

Suddenly, the door to the patriarch's meditation room opened quietly. The patriarch said, "Boy, monkey, don't talk much in the room, come inside."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan and Sun Wukong were both startled. They looked at each other in bewilderment and then headed towards the patriarch's meditation room.

A short while later, the two entered the patriarch's meditation room and paid their respects to the patriarch.

The Patriarch laughed and said, "You two whispered to each other there, and then went to the boy's quiet room to talk, but you didn't come to pay your respects to me. What kind of logic is this?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Master, we didn't come to pay our respects because we were afraid of disturbing your cultivation."

The patriarch waved his hand and said, "Child, you're so good at talking."

Then, the Patriarch looked at Sun Wukong and said, "Monkey, is your confusion resolved?"

Sun Wukong knelt on the ground, kowtowed and said, "Master, my confusion has been completely resolved by my eldest brother, and I have no more confusion now."

The Patriarch laughed and said, "You monkey, if you're confused, why hesitate and look for someone? Fine, I won't say anything more to you here. Your eldest brother is a highly skilled magician, more than capable of teaching you. But now, Mara wants to go to Mount Ling. What do you all think?"

The master shook his head and said, "Master, I have witnessed Mara's abilities. Even though he is gradually disappearing, the Buddha of the West can still easily subdue him."

The Patriarch smiled and nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, then looked at Sun Wukong and said, "Monkey, what do you think?"

Sun Wukong replied, "Master, what my eldest brother said makes sense. Mara's abilities are what they are, and he is no match for the World Honored One. Therefore, even if he gathers all the demons in Beiju Luzhou, he will not be able to cause any real trouble."

The patriarch nodded and smiled, "However, as I expected, this matter will not be resolved so easily."

Upon hearing what the patriarch said, Jiang Yuan pondered his words. He knew that this matter would not be resolved so easily, which meant that there were still variables involved.

He was unclear about the variables, after all, he was not a true master of magic, and could not see things as clearly as his patriarch.

Sun Wukong scratched his head and asked, "Master, what do you mean by this?"

The Patriarch smiled and said, "I don't need to say more, just watch. But there has been a change at Mount Ling. After all, you are the Victorious Fighting Buddha of Mount Ling. Would you like to go and take a trip?"

Sun Wukong said, "Master, if Mount Ling is in trouble, I will certainly go and take a trip there."

The patriarch nodded and said, "In that case, you should go now, and return here after this matter is settled."

Sun Wukong accepted the order and, after receiving instructions from the Patriarch, bid farewell to the Patriarch and the True Man, and headed out.

In the quiet room, after Sun Wukong left, the True Man began to discuss some matters of cultivation and sought guidance from the Patriarch. The Patriarch, of course, smiled and answered the True Man's questions.

The master and disciple were talking in a quiet room.

……

Meanwhile, in the Ling Mountain region of Xiniu Hezhou, Mo Luo led thousands of demons across the sea and entered the Ling Mountain region.

Mara clasped his hands together, gazing at Mount Ling, without uttering a word.

A wolf demon, who was serving beside him, said, "Your Majesty, it will take us another five or six hours to cross the sea."

Moro said, "Since it will take five or six hours, we shall wait here."

The wolf demon, puzzled, asked, "Your Majesty, why not take the main road to the west? If we take that road, we won't have to go this far, and we could have reached Mount Ling long ago."

Moro pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "We have come here to conquer Mount Ling. If we take the main road to the west, we will be attacked by the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars. The skill of Master Guangxin should not be underestimated. In addition, there is Patriarch Bodhi, who is not a match for us."

Upon hearing this, the wolf demon asked, "Your Majesty, what is this Crescent Moon Three Stars Cave? I have never heard of it before."

Moro did not answer him, but stood there in deep thought. After a long time, he said, "What is the Slanting Moon Three Stars Cave? You don't need to worry about it. Just urge them to hurry up and get there. Don't say anything more."

The wolf demon dared not ask any more questions, and hurriedly agreed, urging the group of demons to hurry up and arrive.

Moro waited here for five or six hours, and then all the demons he brought from Beiju Luzhou arrived. Thousands of demons entered Xiniu Hezhou, and their demonic aura filled the sky, making the place appear desolate.

Moro glanced at the well-trained demons behind him and nodded to himself. He had mobilized far more demons in Beiju Luzhou than these. This was just a vanguard. When he went to Mount Ling, he would test how much power Tathagata still had. When he came again next time, there would be more than just these demons.

Moro ordered, "Head towards Mount Ling. Mount Ling is just ahead. Along the way, kill any Buddhist believers you encounter without mercy!"

The demons cheered, their demonic aura soaring to the sky; these demons were all bloodthirsty creatures.

Moro led his demon army from the coast of Xiniuhezhou straight into Lingshan. Along the way, they were all killed by Moro.

When this news reached Mount Ling, all the Buddhas were angered. The Eight Vajras all returned to Mount Ling and asked the Buddha for instructions, hoping that the Buddha would issue a golden decree instructing them to go there and subdue Mara.

When Buddha learned of this, he smiled and did not take it to heart. He simply said, “Mara is an old friend from years ago. Although his visit is somewhat rude, I forgive him. There is no need to disturb him. You may leave now without further alarm.”

When the Buddhas heard this, they were all puzzled, but most of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas obeyed the command and left.

However, many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas were astonished by this and were unwilling to leave.

The Eight Vajras sometimes asked why they didn't stop Mara.

The Buddha said, “What I say has its own reason, but you do not need to guard Mount Ling. Just open the temple gates wide. If Mara comes, do not stop him. Let him in.”

The Eight Vajras were even more puzzled and wanted to ask more questions, but seeing the Buddha's calm demeanor, they could only remain silent and accept the Buddha's decree.

After paying homage to the Tathagata, all the Buddhas withdrew and ceased to guard Mount Ling. They even opened the mountain gates and took the golden decree as their master.

Many bodhisattvas deep within Mount Ling could not bear to see such a state of affairs there, so they chose to leave Mount Ling and go to various other temples, truly embodying the principle of 'out of sight, out of mind'.

Seeing that all the Buddhas had received the golden decree and that the gates of Mount Ling were wide open without any resistance, the Tathagata smiled slightly, put his hands together in prayer, said nothing more, and closed his eyes to wait, as if waiting for Mara to arrive.

(End of this chapter)