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

Chapter 408 Sweetness Comes from Bitterness, Ma Yu
Meanwhile, at the Quanzhen Temple in Qingzhou, Southern Jambudvipa, Pigsy and Wang Chongyang were having a conversation.

But the two had not been talking for long when suddenly they saw divine light and auspicious clouds arriving outside the temple.

Pigsy immediately took out his nine-toothed rake, ready for battle, and said, "Zhengwei, step back a little, and I will see who has come."

Wang Chongyang stepped forward, shook his head and laughed, "Brother Dao, there is no need to panic. Those who have such auspicious clouds are not demons or evil spirits, but must be some kind of immortal or deity, or at the very least, a primordial saint."

Pigsy said, “Zhengwei, you don’t know this, but there are some monsters in the human world who pretend to be holy and come here to deceive people. Just like when I went to the Western Paradise to obtain the scriptures, there were demons who pretended to be from the Western Paradise and deceived the travelers into thinking that they had arrived at the Great Thunder Temple. In fact, it was a place where demons gathered.”

Wang Chongyang said, "Is that so? I was not careful enough. Thank you for your guidance, fellow Daoist."

Pigsy shielded Wang Chongyang behind him, his gaze fixed on the figure ahead, exuding an imposing aura reminiscent of the former Water God Tianpeng.

Wang Chongyang turned to look at Zhu Bajie and, seeing his imposing presence, secretly praised him. Zhu Bajie had indeed returned to cultivation, and was quite different from before.

As the auspicious cloud approached, Pigsy shouted, "Who comes from there!"

The divine light and auspicious clouds stopped, and suddenly a voice arose, saying, "You fool, today you have indeed made progress in your cultivation, just as your senior brother said."

Upon hearing these words, Pigsy's arrogance vanished, and he said, "Brother, is it you who has come? If it is you, show yourself and don't try to fool this old pig."

Before he finished speaking, Sun Wukong descended from the auspicious clouds.

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Fool, you've really got it now."

When Pigsy saw that it really was Sun Wukong, he felt relieved and quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Sun Wukong didn't exchange many pleasantries with Zhu Bajie. He looked at Wang Chongyang and said, "Nephew, do you remember me?"

Wang Chongyang smiled helplessly and said, "Uncle-Master, you should know that reincarnation does not make people confused. How could I not remember you? I am not confused."

As he spoke, he stood up and bowed deeply to Sun Wukong, saying, "Junior Nephew Zhengwei greets Senior Uncle! It's been a long time, Senior Uncle, you still look as dashing as ever."

Sun Wukong helped him up and said, "Zhengwei, it's good that you still remember. In that case, I won't say anything more. But now that you remember, why don't you go home? Your senior brother misses you very much."

Wang Chongyang said, "Uncle-Master, I also miss you very much. However, I still have some worldly ties to sever, so I have to stay here until they are severed before returning home."

Sun Wukong said, "I see. If that's the case, then I understand."

Pigsy stepped forward and said, "Brother, what brings you here? Is there something you need?"

Sun Wukong grabbed Zhu Bajie's ear and laughed, "It's all because of you, you fool, talking about our eldest brother behind his back. So our eldest brother heard it and sent me to ask you what's wrong with imitating our eldest brother. You can answer me for a moment."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy was greatly alarmed and said tremblingly, "This is what I said earlier. How could you have heard this, Master? This is terrible. How am I supposed to get back?"

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Eldest Brother's magic power is boundless, and he has recently become a great master. If he were to pass by with a mind of his own, how could he not know? Not to mention you, you fool, mentioning Eldest Brother in person is tantamount to speaking into Eldest Brother's ear. How could Eldest Brother not know?"

Pigsy said, “Brother, you should talk to me and ask the master not to hold it against me. I’m just talking nonsense.”

Sun Wukong said, "Don't worry, your senior brother isn't angry. He's just teasing you."

Pigsy said, "If there really was no punishment, why would you, Brother Monkey, come here in person? Brother Monkey, don't try to fool me."

Sun Wukong said, "I wasn't lying to you. What I said just now was just to scare you."

Pigsy asked, "If that's the case, what brings you here, Brother Monkey?"

Sun Wukong said, "My elder brother knows that your cultivation requires quiet meditation, so he sent me to protect you and teach you to go home and cultivate diligently. Now I have come to take over for you."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy exclaimed in surprise, "You've come to replace me, Old Pig?"

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "You may leave now. You have already impressed me by protecting us for so many years. Now you can relax a bit, go home and rest, and then cultivate in peace."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy was initially delighted, but then hesitated, seemingly unsure whether he should leave.

Upon seeing this, Sun Wukong asked, "Fool, what are you thinking about?"

After pondering for a long time, Pigsy said, "Brother Monkey, I do not wish to leave. I wish to protect Zhengwei until he succeeds."

Sun Wukong asked, "Why?"

Pigsy said, “As the saying goes, ‘There is a beginning and an end.’ Now that I have taken on this task, I should help him succeed before I leave. How can I leave halfway? Please tell Master Monkey that I will do my best to protect him until he succeeds before I leave.”

Say it.

Before Sun Wukong could answer, a gentle spring breeze swept by, brushing against his face.

Pigsy vaguely heard the word "approved," and he immediately understood that this was the true man's intention.

Pigsy was overjoyed and said, "Master has already given me permission to do this, Brother Monkey, you don't need to worry about it."

Sun Wukong smiled slightly and said nothing more, saying, "Since you are unwilling to leave, then you can protect me together with me."

Pigsy originally thought that protecting them himself would be enough, but seeing Sun Wukong's words, he didn't know how to refute them, so he had no choice but to give up and accept the matter.

The three talked for a long time, and Sun Wukong gradually learned about what was going on. He smiled, said nothing more, and handed everything over to Wang Chongyang to handle.

……

Time flies, and more than ninety days have passed since Ma Congyi entered the meditation room for seclusion.

After Wang Chongyang spoke with Sun Fuchun, Sun Fuchun never came again, but he still delivered a meal to him every day.

Ma Congyi was initially very uncomfortable, but after some time he gradually adapted, calmed his mind and focused on mastering the art of cultivation.

One day, in the Quanzhen Temple, Pigsy glanced into the meditation room, then looked at Wang Chongyang and Sun Wukong in another meditation room, and said, "Zhengwei, the hundred-day countdown is almost here. How come I feel that this is easy for him, and that it is really possible to make him determined to cultivate?"

Wang Chongyang sat upright beside him, resting with his eyes closed. Hearing what Zhu Bajie said, he smiled and said, "Brother Dao, please rest assured, this test has not stopped yet."

When Pigsy heard Wang Chongyang address him as "Brother Daoist," and after glancing at Sun Wukong and seeing that he did not mock him, he finally asked, "Zhengwei, what do you intend to do?"

Wang Chongyang laughed and said, "This will only add a little trouble to his seclusion."

Pigsy said, "Tell me what you need to do, and I will make it happen for you."

Wang Chongyang said, “From today onwards, his daily meal portion will be halved. Please use your magic to turn over all the filth in the meditation room, so that the smell permeates the entire room.”

Upon hearing this, Pigsy was very surprised and said, "If this is how it is done, I'm afraid this horse, Congyi, will not be able to bear it."

Wang Chongyang laughed and said, "Do as you please."

Pigsy did as he was told. ...

In the quiet room, Ma Congyi was at peace. As if sensing something, he suddenly opened his eyes and looked towards his door. Today's meal had already been delivered.

Ma Congyi took the meal and found it strange. He carefully looked through it and found that it was not even half as good as before, which puzzled him greatly. Just as he was about to knock on the door to ask, he suddenly saw that all the toilets he usually used to relieve himself had been dumped out, and filth was flowing all over the ground. The strong smell was unbearable for him.

He knocked on the door, intending to go out, but there was no response.

Ma Congyi could not tolerate the filth, let alone eat in such an environment.

No matter how much Ma Congyi disliked it, nothing could change his mind. He looked down at the door and saw that it was not sealed at all. He could go out with just a gentle push. He was about to push the door open, but then he thought that if he went out, the art of cultivation would be lost. How could this sect accept him?

Ma Congyi had no choice but to endure this atmosphere.

He endured this for five days, with only two days left until the hundred-day seclusion.

Ma Congyi simply couldn't stand the stench of the filth; it made him nauseous. He couldn't bear to be around such filth, especially since he only got half a meal a day and had to eat next to it. He had no appetite at all.

Ma Congyi was starving and couldn't stand the smell. His heart was not at peace for a moment. At the same time, he was furious and couldn't understand why Wang Chongyang was playing such a trick on him.

Ma Congyi finally couldn't resist. He pushed open the door and went out, where he saw Wang Chongyang standing behind the door.

Wang Chongyang looked at Ma Congyi with a smile.

Enraged, Ma Congyi overturned a wooden table and shouted, "I am a man of good character, why should I suffer such inhuman torment? What exactly do you want to do!"

Wang Chongyang, still smiling, asked, "What is sweetness, and what is bitterness?"

Ma Congyi said, “I was born into wealth and honor, and I was content with that. But now I am suffering from this inhuman calamity.”

Wang Chongyang laughed and said, "All living beings are trapped in the sea of ​​suffering. Cultivating the Tao is not for any magic, but for liberation. Do you know that the sea of ​​suffering is the true suffering? The sweetness you speak of is a bone-corroding sweetness, a sweetness that will lead you into the boundless sea of ​​suffering. You have the heart to cultivate the Tao, and I will help you escape the sea of ​​suffering. But you are always thinking about your wealth and status. How can I help you? Since you can't forget your wealth and status, please go back and be a rich man. A hundred years later, I will definitely come to your grave to offer sacrifices. A thousand years later, I will look back and help you see if your family still has descendants."

Upon hearing this, Ma Congyi was struck dumb, as if by a thunderbolt, and suddenly understood. A sense of peace washed over him. He bowed deeply to Wang Chongyang and said, "Sir, I understand. I have failed to live up to your expectations by leaving in this way, thus disappointing you!"

Say it.

Ma Congyi turned and walked into the filthy quiet room, closed the door tightly, and said no more.

Wang Chongyang smiled and nodded, saying nothing more.

Two days later, Ma Congyi had completed his hundred-day seclusion.

Ma Congyi emerged from the filthy quiet room, his face calm and undisturbed by the foul air. He knelt before Wang Chongyang and said, "Master, please accept me as your disciple."

Wang Chongyang sat cross-legged on a futon and laughed, "Do you understand now?"

Ma Congyi replied, “I understand everything. This is exactly the case where ‘sweetness comes from bitterness.’ This sweetness is the sweetness of escaping the sea of ​​bitterness, and this bitterness is all kinds of suffering in the world. Only by enduring the tempering of bitterness can one escape and obtain true sweetness.”

Wang Chongyang smiled and nodded, saying, "In that case, would you be willing to become my disciple?"

Ma Congyi kowtowed and said, "I wish to become your disciple, sir. From now on, I will have nothing to do with human love, wealth and everything else. I am dead, so please give me a new name."

Wang Chongyang pondered for a moment and said, "I will give you a name, 'Yu'. What do you think? Gold is solid and indestructible, and immortal. Jade is noble, pure, and unblemished. If you name yourself Yu, your courtesy name can be Xuanbao."

Ma Congyi kowtowed again and said, "From this day forward, I shall be Ma Yu, Ma Xuanbao! I am willing to follow my master and cultivate!"

Wang Chongyang smiled and agreed.

As the two were talking, Pigsy suddenly came over and said, "Zhengwei, your disciple's wife wants to come and see you."

Wang Chongyang looked at Ma Yu.

Ma Yu shook his head and said, "There's no need to meet; our earthly ties are severed."

Wang Chongyang even had Zhu Bajie relay Ma Yu's message.

Seeing Zhu Bajie leave, Ma Yu suddenly asked, "Master, do you think I am a heartless and ungrateful person for what I have done?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Chongyang shook his head and said, "So-called love has never been a beautiful thing. In terms of cultivation, it is a cage. How could I say that you are a heartless and ungrateful person?"

Ma Yu said, “I didn’t quite understand it back then, but now that my master has pointed it out, I understand that this is what true cultivation is like, a shackle, just like ‘golden shackles for children and jade shackles for love.’”

Wang Chongyang asked, "How many years have you been in love with Sun Fuchun?"

Ma Yu replied, "Ten years."

Wang Chongyang turned to face the quiet room where Sun Wukong was and said, "Please help me, Uncle-Master."

Sun Wukong emerged from the quiet room, ignoring Ma Yu's surprised expression, and asked, "Nephew, please speak."

Wang Chongyang bowed and said, "Please, Uncle-Master, take ten pears and give them to Sun Fuchun, along with this paper."

He took a piece of paper and wrote a sentence: "Chewing through the poison of ice and frost, the heart opens to the elixir of fortune. Ten years of love, separated in a single night. Now I depart, transcending the mortal cage."

After Wang Chongyang finished writing, he handed it to Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "This is easy."

Say it.

With a light leap, Sun Wukong jumped out of the Quanzhen Temple, leaving Ma Yu speechless.

……

Sun Fuchun, having heard what Zhu Bajie said, was unwilling but helpless. He could only return home, furious and bewildered by what Zhu Bajie had said. He had been in love with Ma Congyi for ten years, so how could this be?

Sun Fuchun was filled with regret. He shouldn't have taught Ma Congyi to cultivate Taoism, and he shouldn't have been fond of Taoism. If he had, none of this would have happened.

Just as he was furious and pondering a solution, a servant came to report that some things had been delivered from the Quanzhen Nunnery.

Sun Fuchun immediately turned his head to look around and ordered someone to bring it up, wanting to see what it was.

Before long, a servant brought ten raw pears and a letter.

Upon seeing this, Sun Fuchun angrily smashed a raw pear on the ground, saying, "Pear means separation. What does this mean? It means I must be separated from my husband, never to see him again, and all our love must be severed! This evil Taoist priest, I will not forgive him!"

Upon seeing the paper book, he had no intention of opening it; his heart was filled with resentment and anger towards Wang Chongyang.

(End of this chapter)