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

Chapter 413 The affairs of state are settled for the Emperor's birthday; after forty-nine years, he establishes his own government.

Inside the Wanshou Kingdom's inn, Wang Chongyang was looking at the anti-aging cream in his hand and a handkerchief made of longevity silk.

Wang Chongyang examined it closely and noticed that the anti-aging cream had a pungent smell, and the Hundred-Year Silk was an unusually bright red. He observed it for a long time, then took a small amount of the anti-aging cream and gently applied it to his hand.

He observed for a long time, and a guess formed in his mind: these things were not ordinary objects, but rather resembled human body parts.

This anti-aging cream has a human touch, as does the Hundred-Year Silk; both contain a human touch within them.

As he predicted, both items were made by humans, with the anti-aging cream being made from oil.

Human oil, also known as corpse oil, is extracted from the human body, mostly from the fluids that flow after death. Many ancient books record that "after exposing a corpse to the sun for a hundred days, the human oil will overflow," and "by sealing an altar and chanting incantations, one can obtain three inches of clear liquid," etc., all of which are ways to obtain human oil.

Wang Chongyang was well-read and had heard rumors that corpse oil had a strange fragrance that could communicate with the underworld, and that it could be made into "Hehuan Oil" and "Yin Fu Yin" and so on.

This anti-aging cream is made from corpse oil.

However, the ingredients in this anti-aging cream are somewhat peculiar, and it seems that some other things have been added to it, making the smell pungent.

The Hundred-Year Silk was made of human skin, with many other things added to it, so he couldn't tell what it was made of.

Wang Chongyang knew that there must be a monster causing trouble in the city, but the monster was hiding in the city and was concealed by human presence, so it did not show its tracks.

However, Wang Chongyang was puzzled. As far as he could see, the people in this city did not appear to be bewitched by any demons. On the contrary, they were all normal people, which was why they were able to conceal the demonic aura.

How could a normal person not know about the anti-aging cream or the origin of the longevity silk?

But why would the people of the city still choose to worship these evil things even knowing they are evil? Is it for immortality or to prolong life? Could it be that the entire nation would willingly choose to fall into depravity and worship these evil things?

Wang Chongyang had some suspicions and had no intention of going out. He wanted to wait for the shopkeeper to tell him when the city's celebration would begin. He had a feeling that once he saw the city's celebration, all his doubts would be resolved.

……

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

One day, the shopkeeper finally spoke to Wang Chongyang, saying that the birthday celebration was about to begin, and if Wang Chongyang went early, he might be able to get a front row and obtain more longevity treasures.

Wang Chongyang, having heard his words, naturally agreed.
The shopkeeper smiled and said, "Honorable guest, would you like to travel with us? I have carriages and horses, which will make it convenient for you to go to the celebration."

Wang Chongyang bowed and said, "If that's the case, then I'll trouble you, shopkeeper, to send me a piece."

The shopkeeper readily agreed.

Wang Chongyang then followed the shopkeeper and rode with him in a carriage, heading out.

A short while later, the innkeeper led Wang Chongyang to a square. As soon as Wang Chongyang stepped out of the carriage, he saw a sea of ​​people and a constant clamor. Looking around, he was astonished to see that the people here all had a frenzied look on their faces.

The shopkeeper grabbed Wang Chongyang, pointed forward, and said with a hint of madness on his face, "Honored guest, go over there. The treasure will soon be divided up, and everyone will get a share."

Following the shopkeeper's directions, Wang Chongyang saw a butcher in the center of the square, sharpening his knife and occasionally taking a sip of strong liquor. Nearby, there was a wooden stake with a hundred-year-old man tied to it. The old man was terrified and somewhat numb.

Wang Chongyang's expression changed, and he asked, "Shopkeeper, is this the treasure for prolonging life?"

The shopkeeper laughed and said, "This is indeed a treasure for prolonging life. This person lived to be a hundred years old and was fed with rare treasures every day. Therefore, his flesh can help people prolong their lives. We can share his flesh to prolong our lives. If we eat a lot, we can even live forever!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Chongyang asked again, "If its flesh is divided and eaten, can its skin be used to make silk for a hundred years?"

The shopkeeper said, "That's right. Its heart can be a fruit of carefree joy, its skin can be silk of a hundred years, and if it had an ointment, it could certainly be a beauty-preserving ointment."

Wang Chongyang suddenly realized that his guess was indeed correct. He was puzzled and said, "Such evil things are happening here. It must be the work of demons. I see that your mind is clear and you have not been deceived by monsters. Why do you take pleasure in eating people?"

The shopkeeper said, "This place can prolong life and grant immortality. Even if there are evil spirits here, as long as they do not harm us, we are happy to have it."

Wang Chongyang asked, "What kind of people do these evil spirits harm? And who do they teach to be eaten by you?"

The shopkeeper replied, "Those rebellious people who refuse to submit will be raised to a hundred years old before they can be enjoyed. Their descendants will also be raised in captivity until they grow up, at which point they will be used by us. The Worry-Free Fruit, the Hundred-Year Silk, and the Youth-Preserving Cream have many wonderful uses."

Wang Chongyang was furious, furious that such evil spirits existed in the country, and even more furious at the actions of the people. He cursed, "You are so foolish! Have you ever heard that when the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact? Those who are unwilling to submit will be the path you will take in the future. To associate with demons is no different from asking a tiger for its skin."

The shopkeeper remained unmoved by his words, gazing intently at Wang Chongyang.

Wang Chongyang was also looking around at this shopkeeper.

The innkeeper said, “You speak like this, but you don’t know that the city is full of people like you who are trying to get something from a tiger. I originally came here with good intentions, to grant you immortality and prolong your life. I never expected you to be so ignorant. Since that’s the case, you should be locked up in the dungeon to wait until you are a hundred years old and become our food.”

Say it.

The shopkeeper then faced the surroundings and shouted that Wang Chongyang was a traitor, ordering others to capture him.

Upon hearing that Wang Chongyang was a rebel, the surrounding people's eyes turned red, and they seemed ready to pounce on him.

Upon seeing this, Wang Chongyang remained calm. He took out the Tianpeng Ruler from his bundle and scanned the area, seemingly searching for the evil spirit.

But after searching for a long time, he could not find any place where there seemed to be any evil spirits. Even the royal palace in the country did not have the slightest trace of evil spirits.

Wang Chongyang then looked at a Buddhist temple in the country and made a guess in his mind. If there were no demons or evil spirits in the country, and they were hiding there, the only place that could hide them was a Buddhist temple.

He probably knew that if there were truly evil spirits, they must be hiding there.

Wang Chongyang was heading in that direction when he suddenly saw a group of people blocking his way.

Wang Chongyang looked troubled. He did not want to fight these people. Just as he was having some trouble, a strong wind suddenly blew by, knocking down all the people in front of him. Looking around, he saw that there was not a single person standing.

How could Wang Chongyang not know that this was his master's doing? He immediately bowed and kowtowed in the direction of Lingtai Fangcun Mountain. After bowing, he got up and headed towards the Buddhist temple.

A short while later, Wang Chongyang entered the Buddhist temple. He looked inside and saw wisps of blue smoke rising from a golden Buddha statue, which was being worshipped.

Wang Chongyang, with his keen insight, could not fail to see that this Buddha statue harbored demonic energy, and that a monster must reside within it.

Wang Chongyang shouted, "What kind of monster are you! Causing trouble for the whole country, now that I've seen through you, show yourself!"

But upon hearing the sound, the Buddha statue remained unmoved, suggesting that Wang Chongyang's observation was incorrect. How could Wang Chongyang give up so easily? He took out the Heavenly Canopy Ruler and hurled it in that direction.

The Heavenly Ruler struck the Buddha statue squarely, shattering its golden body. Sure enough, an old fox was among the victims. The fox let out a piercing howl after being struck by the Heavenly Ruler and turned to flee.

How could Wang Chongyang let him escape? He picked up the Heavenly Canopy Ruler and struck again. With just one strike, the old fox was covered in blood and looked utterly wretched. Having witnessed the power of the Heavenly Canopy Ruler, he had no will to fight. He was afraid that if the Heavenly Canopy Ruler struck him again, he would surely be annihilated and lose all his cultivation.

Upon seeing this, Wang Chongyang knew that he possessed no supernatural powers and would find it difficult to catch up with this old fox. He then took incense, faced the Heavenly Ruler, burned it in worship, and chanted incantations, recounting everything that had happened.

Then he picked up the Heavenly Ruler and pointed it toward the place where the old fox had fled.

Where Wang Chongyang pointed with his Heavenly Ruler, a bolt of lightning struck the old fox, instantly obliterating him and leaving him vanishing without a trace.

Wang Chongyang was relieved to see this and put the Tianpeng Ruler back into his bundle. He went outside and saw that the city was in chaos, with everyone feeling insecure and fearful.

Wang Chongyang shook his head indifferently, ignoring these people. He turned and walked into the city, found the city's dungeon, and rescued some of the original citizens. After receiving their bows of gratitude, he did not stay in the city for long.

With some food and water, Wang Chongyang left the city and found the Golden Road again. After entering the Golden Road, his previously flustered mind was completely calmed.

He faced the location of Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, bowed and kowtowed countless times, before continuing his journey home.

……

Meanwhile, in the Slanting Moon and Three Stars Cave of Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

The True Man, having just heard the Patriarch speak of the profound Dao in the Patriarch's quiet room, was deeply moved and practiced for a long time. As Wang Chongyang bowed to him, the True Man looked towards him.

The True Man faced the Patriarch and smiled, saying, "Master, there are no obstacles on the way back for Zhengwei."

The Patriarch nodded and said, “Zhengwei is about to return, and your destiny is about to arrive. You must not delay in establishing your residence. You should do it quickly. The chaos in Lingshan has affected many people. If you delay for too long, there may be changes later. That would not be good for you to establish your residence.”

The master bowed in response and said, "Master, I will prepare everything and wait for the right opportunity."

The patriarch waved his hand and said, "Go now, and come back to me when the day of your establishment arrives."

The master replied, "Yes, Master."

Say it.

As soon as Jiang Yuan left the patriarch's meditation room, he sensed something and looked out of the mansion.

He walked to the Jade Terrace, but after a short while, he saw Sun Wukong grabbing Zhu Bajie and leading him there.

Upon seeing the immortal sitting cross-legged on the Jade Terrace, Pigsy immediately knelt down and cried, "Master, please do justice for me! I haven't done anything wrong, yet Brother Monkey took me to the underworld and terrified me, causing me endless suffering! Master, please do justice for me!"

Sun Wukong smiled and bowed to Jiang Yuan without saying a word.

The immortal saw this and asked, "Bajie, get up. There's no need for such a bow. Tell me how Wukong took you to the underworld and how he frightened you."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy stood up, his face contorted with grief, and said, "Master, you don't understand. I was perfectly fine, just about to escort Zhengwei and accomplish my mission. I never imagined that Brother Monkey would be so relentless because of a slip of the tongue. Relying on his powerful magic, he dragged me to the underworld, wanting me to be reincarnated. He's not a human being, and he even wants me to be reborn into the realm of hungry ghosts..."

Pigsy recounted many things to the real man in fits and starts.

After hearing about all this, the Master smiled helplessly. Only Sun Wukong could control Zhu Bajie. It was a case of mutual restraint. He said, "Wukong is bluffing you to teach you to remember this. In the future, you must not speak recklessly. You must think thrice before you speak or do anything. Do not speak or do things impulsively. Otherwise, it will bring disaster."

Pigsy was still somewhat indignant and said, "I understand the reasoning you've given, Master, but Monkey has gone too far. He ordered that Death-Hooking Man to guard me and talk to me all the time, preparing to send me to the Hungry Ghost Realm so that I will suffer and never have a moment of peace."

It doesn't need to be said by the real person.

Sun Wukong immediately spoke up, saying, "You fool, you don't appreciate my good intentions at all. If I don't scare you a bit, how can I make you truly repent? Now you're not staying here properly, you haven't entered the realm of hungry ghosts."

Pigsy said, "That's how it is. We shouldn't have let those death-hunting men keep me locked up there. Pigsy..."

Pigsy kept babbling on and on, continuing to criticize Monkey King.

Sun Wukong grew impatient and pulled out his golden cudgel from behind his ear, preparing to strike Zhu Bajie.

Pigsy was startled and retreated hastily, saying, "Brother, how can you rashly use weapons in front of the master? This is disrespectful."

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Look back! Your senior brother has his eyes closed and isn't looking. How can you say you're going to fight in front of him? You fool, don't try to run away! Take this from my staff!"

Say it.

Sun Wukong strode forward again, making a move to chase after Zhu Bajie.

The two of them played and joked around in the Jade Terrace, making the terrace much more lively for a while.

After a long while, the Master stopped the two and said with a smile, "You two should stop fooling around. Now that you have returned, I have a matter that I need your help with. I wonder if you two are willing to help?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie dared not act recklessly any longer. They immediately bowed and offered their assistance.

Jiang Yuan said, "I am about to return home. I plan to open my own residence in 49 years. I need to wait quietly in my residence. I ask Wukong and Bajie to go on my behalf and speak with the Xuan Emperor, Guanyin Bodhisattva, the Western Venerable, and the Manifest Saint True Lord. Please ask them to come and meet me if they are free at that time."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong said, "Eldest brother, I can handle this matter myself. There's no need to send this fool with me."

Jiang Yuan smiled and nodded, about to agree.

Pigsy said, "How can such a thing be enjoyed by you alone, Brother Monkey? I, Pigsy, must go along."

Jiang Yuan glanced at Zhu Bajie and said, "In that case, the two of you shall go together."

Sun Wukong was speechless and was about to leave when he suddenly turned around and asked, "Elder Brother, should we go and invite the Old Lord of the Tushita Palace?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Inviting Laozi is not something to be taken lightly. Therefore, although I cannot go in person, I must personally write an invitation and prepare the proper etiquette before I can invite Laozi. You may go ahead."

Sun Wukong accepted the order and left with Zhu Bajie.

(End of this chapter)