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

Chapter 405 Blood Test, Wang Chongyang Finally Awakens

In front of the Tongming Hall, Sun Wukong, accompanied by the Red-Bearded Dragon, met with the Four Celestial Masters. Upon learning that it was not Sun Wukong who had something to do, but the Red-Bearded Dragon, the Four Celestial Masters inquired about it from the Red-Bearded Dragon.

Upon hearing what the Four Celestial Masters had heard, Chixulong immediately recounted the events to them in detail.

Upon hearing this, the Four Celestial Masters did not express much, but instructed Chixulong to write a petition explaining the reasons, and they would present it to the Great Celestial Venerable on his behalf, as appropriate.

After saying this, the Four Celestial Masters ignored the Red-Bearded Dragon and turned to walk into the Lingxiao Palace.

Sun Wukong said, "How could these four celestial masters leave so rudely? They didn't even mention what they said in their petition. Red-bearded Dragon, you wait here for a while, I'll go and have a word with them."

Red-bearded Dragon hurriedly grabbed Sun Wukong and said, "Thank you for your concern, Great Sage, but there is no need. The Four Heavenly Masters have important matters to attend to and cannot stay long. Not everyone is a Great Sage and is favored by the Great Heavenly Venerable. I can also write this petition."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong said no more and instructed the Red-Bearded Dragon to quickly write the petition.

Chixulong dared not delay, so he took paper and pen and wrote a petition. The text on the petition was quite revealing.

"I, the Crimson-Bearded Dragon Lord Yin, with my frail body and tears of blood, bow a hundred times before His Majesty the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Venerable, in the Golden Palace of the Azure Heaven."

Your Majesty, I humbly beseech you: I was originally a primordial red-bearded dragon god, ordained by the Jade Emperor and bearing the mandate of the Purple Palace, descending to the mortal realm to restore order to a chaotic world and establish the glorious Song Dynasty. For seventeen years I devoted myself wholeheartedly to this cause, never daring to betray the mandate of Heaven and the common people. Yet, when I achieved my goal and perished, it was not at the end of my natural lifespan, but rather the result of the slaughter of my own family. This is an unforgivable injustice, and my blood and tears have soaked through the nine heavens!
The bloodshed is clear: In the winter of the ninth year of the Kaibao era of the Great Song Dynasty, on the day of Gui Chou in the tenth month, the wind and snow were dark and gloomy. My younger brother, Prince Guangyi of Jin, sneaked into the palace alone in the dead of night. Under the guise of visiting his sick brother, he actually poisoned him and murdered him! Deep within the palace, the candlelight flickered, and then the sound of an axe shattered the air, piercing straight to the top of my head. At that moment, my vital energy dissipated, I could not speak, and my eyes were bloodshot. I witnessed Guangyi pull out a forged edict of usurpation, seize the imperial seal, and force me to abdicate! He even allowed the eunuch Wang Ji'en to cover my face with a quilt, extinguishing my last breath. Alas! My own brother was more vicious than a wolf; how could I bear to do such a thing with an axe at my head!
I humbly beseech Your Majesty to grant me divine judgment and to show compassion for the deep injustice done to me.
The imperial edict ordered the three judicial departments to conduct a joint trial to thoroughly investigate the palace coup in the winter of the ninth year of the Kaibao era, to uncover the involvement of those implicated, and to rigorously interrogate the demonic spirit.

They seized the false title and banished the traitor Guangyi to Fengdu, where he would be eternally imprisoned in the hell of knives; his accomplices Zhao Pu, Wang Ji'en, and others were also subjected to heavenly punishment.

To set the record straight, to comfort the wronged souls, to proclaim to the Three Realms, to restore the innocence of Chen Ji and De Zhao, and to clear Ting Mei of all charges. In the name of the Heavenly Emperor, to rewrite the history of the early Song Dynasty, the axe-wielding incident and the candlelight incident are now confirmed as fratricide and usurpation!
To restore the legitimacy of the Song Dynasty, we earnestly request Your Majesty to select virtuous and wise descendants from among the imperial clan to protect the loyal bloodline of the Zhao family and restore order to the world.

Your humble servant, Yin, trembles with pain, tears and blood staining the ink. When thunder roars in the heavens, it signifies the restoration of the divine order! Respectfully submitted.

Zhao Kuangyin, the Red-Bearded Dragon King of the Great Song Dynasty, wept blood and kowtowed before the Lingxiao Palace, at a time of celestial destiny.

After finishing writing the petition, Red-Bearded Dragon handed it to Sun Wukong and asked, "Great Sage, is there any error in my petition? If there is, please point it out and I will correct it."

Sun Wukong took the petition, examined it carefully, and after a long while nodded, saying, "It's written quite well, quite well. Let's present it to the Four Heavenly Masters and have them pass it on to His Majesty for review."

Upon hearing this, Chi Xulong felt much relieved and turned to enter the Tongming Hall. A spirit official came to stop him, but before the official could get close, he handed the petition to the spirit official and asked him to deliver it to the Four Heavenly Masters.

The official received the petition and, without delay, went inside and handed it over.

The Four Celestial Masters presented the document to the Jade Emperor for his perusal.

After reading it, the Jade Emperor said, "Let the Red-Bearded Dragon enter the palace."

Master Ge stepped out from the ranks and said, “Your Majesty, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven is outside the Hall of Brightness today, accompanied by the Red-Bearded Dragon Lord. We should invite him into the hall. Firstly, as the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, he is an official of the Heavenly Court, and since he has come to the Hall of Brightness, he should be summoned. Secondly, he has come to discuss matters concerning the Red-Bearded Dragon Lord, and may know a great deal.”

The Jade Emperor laughed and said, "How did this monkey get involved in this matter? Very well, summon him to see me."

Heavenly soldiers soon emerged, summoning Red-Bearded Dragon and Sun Wukong to the Lingxiao Palace for an audience.

Sun Wukong entered the Lingxiao Palace, sang a deep bow, and respectfully paid his respects.

Red-bearded Dragon bowed deeply behind him.

The Jade Emperor asked, "I have heard that after Wukong succeeded in his pilgrimage, he returned to the Cave of the Three Stars of the Slanting Moon to cultivate in seclusion. Recently, he received the decree of the True Man Guangxin to guard the main road to the west, preventing all evil from invading and all demons from retreating. He has made many contributions. Now, how can he enter the Heavenly Palace and participate in the affairs of the Red-Bearded Dragon King?"

Sun Wukong bowed and said, “Your Majesty, I, Old Sun, saw the Red-Bearded Dragon on the westward road, so I asked him about the reason. After learning about this matter, I saw his injustice and, being a kind-hearted person, brought him to the Heavenly Palace. If there is any disrespect, I hope Your Majesty will forgive me.”

He then bowed deeply and said, "I have reported this."

The Jade Emperor laughed and said, "I know your mischievous nature has returned, but considering that you have shown some courtesy to the Immortal Guangxin, you may wait here."

Sun Wukong obeyed the order and darted into the group. At the front was Taibai Jinxing, and he greeted him.

Venus smiled and agreed.

Before the palace, the Jade Emperor summoned the Red-Bearded Dragon to the steps.

The red-bearded dragon walked to the steps and bowed twice, kowtowing without rising, filled with trepidation.

The Jade Emperor issued an edict, saying: "Having read the tearful memorial of the Red-Bearded Dragon King, I hereby order the judicial authorities of the Three Realms to conduct a joint investigation. If the Red-Bearded Dragon King's memorial is true, then Zhao Guangyi, a mortal in Jambudvipa, shall be punished, and the Red-Bearded Dragon King shall be reincarnated for over a hundred years to sever this karmic connection. However, the Red-Bearded Dragon King left with the Jade Emperor's decree to eliminate the three calamities in Jambudvipa, and now departs before completing his mission. He is guilty of dereliction of duty. Therefore, the Red-Bearded Dragon King shall be confined to the Northern Star Palace for one hundred years."

Upon hearing that the Jade Emperor had permitted the Three Judicial Offices to investigate the matter, Red-Bearded Dragon was overjoyed. He immediately forgot all about being confined and bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty!"

The Jade Emperor ordered him to leave, and heavenly soldiers came and led him out of the palace.

Sun Wukong was about to step back.

The Jade Emperor sent someone to stop him and asked, "Wukong, do you know how the True Man Guangxin is doing now?"

Sun Wukong bowed and said, "My senior brother is currently cultivating in seclusion in his residence, awaiting the opportunity to open the residence and, more importantly, the opportunity to cultivate great magical power."

The civil and military officials in the hall were all surprised when they heard what Sun Wukong said, as none of them knew that the True Man was about to cultivate great magical power.

The Jade Emperor said, "Go back now. If you see the True Man Guangxin, speak with him and do not forget the agreement."

Sun Wukong accepted the order and withdrew.

The immortals in the Lingxiao Palace were still surprised, feeling as if the true immortal had attained enlightenment just yesterday, and now that they saw him again, he had already achieved great magical power.

……

Meanwhile, in the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars, Sun Wukong, having left the Heavenly Court, returned shortly afterward. He entered the cave and met the Immortal.

When the immortal learned that Sun Wukong wanted to see him, he summoned him to the quiet room to meet him.

Sun Wukong entered the quiet room and explained the whole story to the immortal.

Upon hearing about Sun Wukong's recent adventures, Jiang Yuan was both amused and exasperated. She said, "Wukong, I knew where you were going and what kind of demons and monsters you would encounter, but I never expected you to do something like this. It's truly beyond my expectations." Sun Wukong laughed and said, "It was at the place where my senior brother and I once went to Xuandi that we learned about the Red-Bearded Dragon. That's why I've come here. This is all due to fate. It was precisely because I knew about the Red-Bearded Dragon that I held back with my staff. Otherwise, with one blow from my staff, that Red-Bearded Dragon would surely have fled for its life."

Jiang Yuan laughed and said, "You little monkey, if you get involved in this matter, I'm afraid the Song Dynasty will also have some connection with you. You might get involved in it one day, but you haven't thought of that yet."

Sun Wukong said, "I am not afraid. I only know a little about the Song Dynasty from the Red-Bearded Dragon. I'm afraid I can't even keep the Southern Continent at peace for a moment."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Let's just wait for Emperor Ziwei. I predict that Emperor Ziwei will descend to the mortal realm in a few more years, and then the mortal world will be different."

Sun Wukong scratched his head and said, "Eldest brother, do you think the Ziwei Emperor might succeed this time and save all living beings from the sea of ​​suffering?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Whether it will succeed or not, how can I say for sure? But in any case, if the Ziwei Emperor descends to the mortal realm to save all living beings, he will surely be able to maintain peace in the world. If he truly succeeds, he can also save all living beings in the world from the sea of ​​suffering."

Sun Wukong pondered for a moment and replied, "Elder Brother, I understand."

Jiang Yuan smiled and nodded, saying, "In that case, Wukong, go and cultivate. I will also go and meditate. If you need my help here, you can call my Dharma name. As for you in the Three Realms, I will certainly help you."

Sun Wukong dared not linger any longer and left to meditate in his quiet room.

……

Spiritual practice knows no time limit, contemplating emptiness transcends years. The pine breeze carries the crane's song, the moon shines on the meditation cushion in the stream. Cloud shadows shift and then linger, the moon waxes and wanes. Human life is fleeting, why lament the passing years?

More than twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye.

The Tomb of the Living Dead in the Zhongnan Mountains of Jambudvipa (Southern Continent).

Wang Chongyang remained here to cultivate and never went out. Compared to before, his knowledge had improved a lot. However, the biggest change in him was the images he had in his dreams every night.

Compared to his previous dreams of divine inspiration and the knowledge he gained, his dreams here were filled with more vivid images. He often dreamed of listening to immortals preach in a celestial palace surrounded by many people. He also dreamed of meditating in a quiet room, of being a prince who suffered injustice, and of being a farmer who worked hard to support his family.

The various things he dreamt about made Wang Chongyang feel as if he were in another world. He was often in a daze and did not know who he was.

Regardless, his knowledge grew day by day, especially with the images and memories he acquired. His knowledge seemed to be put into practice, adding a layer of depth to his understanding.

Wang Chongyang said in a low voice, "I have a premonition that I will know the meaning of my dream in a few days."

Wang Chongyang was lost in thought and drifted off into a dream.

Meanwhile, outside the Tomb of the Living Dead, Pigsy had lost count of how many times he had marveled at Wang Chongyang's unwavering resolve in his Daoist practice.

Pigsy sat on the ground, his hands still tightly gripping the Nine-Toothed Rake. He grumbled and said, "This guy looks too much like you, Master. He is clearly still a mortal, yet his Daoist heart is so firm. It is truly unbelievable."

He stayed there for decades. Wang Chongyang was always busy pursuing knowledge until he entered the Tomb of the Living Dead and never went out again. If he hadn't been able to sense that Wang Chongyang was still alive, he would have thought that Wang Chongyang had died.

But a mere mortal can spend twenty or thirty years cultivating in the dark, sunless underground. This alone is enough to surpass him. When he, Old Pig, first began cultivating and practiced the Golden Elixir righteous path, he never had such a mind.

Pigsy couldn't help but admire Zhengwei. If Zhengwei could cultivate the Golden Core, he would be completely convinced. Zhengwei's Dao heart was truly extraordinary.

Just as Pigsy was pondering...

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him in the Tomb of the Living Dead.

Upon seeing this, Pigsy immediately stood up, astonished, and said, "What is the reason for this? Such spiritual insight is beyond the capabilities of ordinary people. Could it be that I have returned to my place here? How could I have returned to my place so quickly?"

Pigsy dared not be careless. He mustered his spirits, wielded his nine-toothed rake, and regained his imposing manner. He kept an eye on his surroundings to prevent anyone else from coming and disturbing Zhengwei.

Suddenly a gust of wind arose, and a figure appeared in front of them.

Upon closer inspection, Pigsy realized it was the Mountain God of Zhongnan Mountain. He did not relax his guard upon seeing the Mountain God; instead, he became even more vigilant. Raising his nine-toothed rake, he shouted, "Mountain God, do not come any closer! The disciples here are at a crucial time in their cultivation. Do not jeopardize your own life. If you come any closer, I, Pigsy, will not forgive you."

Upon hearing this, the mountain god was slightly surprised and said, "A spiritual light passed by here; was it the work of a disciple of the True Man?"

Pigsy remained silent, carrying his nine-toothed rake, poised to step forward, his imposing presence radiating menacing power.

Upon seeing this, the mountain god quickly bowed and said, "Bodhisattva, please do not be angry. I have no ill intentions."

Pigsy said, “This is not the time to make friends. If it were a time of leisure, I would like to reminisce and chat with you. But this is a crucial time for your cultivation. You must not slack off. You should leave quickly and not come any closer. If you do, my Nine-Toothed Rake will not forgive you!”

Upon hearing this, the mountain god was greatly alarmed and dared not linger any longer. He bowed to show that he understood the Bodhisattva's intention and then withdrew.

Pigsy was relieved to see the mountain god had retreated, but he still dared not be careless, looking around anxiously for fear that someone might be there and disturb Wang Chongyang.

……

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

Wang Chongyang dreamt of many things every night, and finally, one night more than nine years later, as if divinely aided, his brow cleared and his mind rippled. All the memories he had accumulated over the years suddenly came flooding back, connecting together. In his past life, he was the crown prince of Baoliang Kingdom, who suffered injustice and painstakingly entered the Dao. He met his master and was reborn because his earthly ties were not severed. Now, after experiencing three lifetimes, he finally awakened when he entered the Tomb of the Living Dead.

It is only today that I truly know who I am.

Wang Chongyang, having learned of all that had happened, felt as if he were in a dream. He recalled his journey to Xiyi Mountain and said with a helpless smile, "Master, it has truly been a great burden for you to travel so far to Xiyi Mountain to ferry me here. I am deeply grateful for your kindness, which I can never repay. The only way I can do this is to serve you day and night after I have completed my cultivation, and never leave you again."

He knew that his master had done so much for him alone, and his second brother had also done so much; their kindness was as deep as the sea. He should go and meet them.

Wang Chongyang was about to get up and go to the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain Xieyue Sanxing Cave in Xiniu Hezhou to pay his respects to his master and grandmaster, but he suddenly remembered something and decided to postpone his return home for the time being.

Perhaps he has other matters to attend to, and his journey home will have to wait until later.

Various thoughts flashed through Wang Chongyang's mind.

(End of this chapter)