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

Chapter 415 Inviting Guanyin, Wang Chongyang Returns to the Mountain

Mount Luojia, a Buddhist kingdom by the sea, is surrounded by purple bamboo and the sound of the tide echoing around the sacred altar.

Meanwhile, at Mount Luojia in the South Sea, Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie arrived. Both of them had received much kindness from Guanyin Bodhisattva, and dared not be disrespectful. They descended from their clouds and waited outside Mount Luojia.

A short while later, Venerable Huian came out and saw that it was Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie. He immediately stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Victorious Fighting Buddha, Clean Altar Messenger, what brings you here? I saw something unusual here and came to see what was going on. I never expected that it would be you two visiting."

Sun Wukong returned the greeting and said, "Venerable One, we have come here on the orders of the True Man. This is where the Bodhisattva resides, and we dare not presume to do so. Therefore, we wait here. Please go ahead and inform the Bodhisattva that we have come to see her."

Venerable Huian was puzzled and said, "If there is a decree from the True Man, then the Victorious Fighting Buddha can enter. Why do I need to report to him?"

Sun Wukong said, "This is no ordinary time. If it were an ordinary time, I would have entered since I have a relationship with the Bodhisattva. But since I have received a decree from the True Man, I cannot be impolite and must report this."

Upon hearing this, Venerable Huian said, "The Buddha of Victory in Battle has undergone many changes in the past, which is precisely why one should make progress in one's practice."

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Venerable One, please don't say that. Instead, inform the Bodhisattva so that we two can enter."

Venerable Huian bowed and said, "In that case, please wait a moment, both of you."

Say it.

Venerable Huian turned and headed towards the Tide Sound Cave.

Sun Wukong looked at Zhu Bajie and said, "Behave properly here, you fool. Don't eat those fire dates anymore, lest you be impolite. If I find out you've been impolite, don't blame me for beating you."

Pigsy said, "Brother, I know perfectly well that I would not be so rude. Since entering Mount Luojia, I have never eaten those kinds of fire dates."

Sun Wukong nodded and said nothing more.

But the two of them waited there for a short while before they saw Venerable Huian come again, with Guanyin Bodhisattva behind him.

Upon seeing the Bodhisattva, the two performed a grand ceremony, expressing their respects to the Bodhisattva.

Guanyin Bodhisattva smiled slightly and said, "Wukong, Bajie, since you two are carrying out the True Man's decree, there is no need for such formalities. Come inside with me and tell me what the True Man's decree is."

The two accepted the order and followed Guanyin Bodhisattva into the Tide Sound Cave.

Guanyin Bodhisattva entered and sat on a lotus platform, with Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie on either side of her.

Guanyin Bodhisattva looked at Sun Wukong for a long time, nodded, and then looked at Zhu Bajie and said with a smile: "Bajie, your cultivation has made progress, which makes me very happy. In the past, I saw that you had great difficulty in your cultivation, and even after you returned from your journey to the West to obtain the scriptures, you had not made much progress. I was worried about you. Now I see that your mind is clear and you are a 'knowing the way'."

Pigsy bowed deeply to Guanyin Bodhisattva and said, "Thank you for your concern, Bodhisattva. Now I have awakened and know how to cultivate myself. I thank you here."

Guanyin Bodhisattva shook her head and said, “I see that your cultivation in the past had no change, but now it has changed. This is all thanks to the True Man. Because you followed the True Man in your cultivation, you have now changed. This merit belongs to the True Man. If you want to express your gratitude, you should express your gratitude to the True Man.”

Pigsy shook his head and said, “That’s not how it is. The True Man has done me a great favor, as has Monkey King, and so has the Bodhisattva. If the Bodhisattva had not saved me back then, I wouldn’t even have had the chance to meet the True Man, let alone know the way now.”

Guanyin Bodhisattva smiled and said, "As you say, I shall accept your greeting."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy bowed again.

Guanyin Bodhisattva accepted the request and then asked, "Wukong, can you now tell me what the True Man's decree is?"

Sun Wukong bowed and told the Bodhisattva that the Immortal would be opening his own residence in forty-nine years, and asked the Bodhisattva to come and participate in the ceremony.

Guanyin Bodhisattva smiled and nodded upon hearing this, saying, "I knew that the True Man was about to open his mansion, but I did not expect it to be so soon. There are still forty-nine years before he opens his mansion. This True Man will achieve great magical power, which is truly remarkable."

Sun Wukong said, “I know how capable my eldest brother is. Bodhisattva, my eldest brother often tells me that he and you are very close friends and rare friends. Now that my eldest brother is about to open his mansion, you should go and participate in the opening ceremony.”

Guanyin Bodhisattva pointed at Sun Wukong and said with a smile, "You monkey, why do you need to say such things? Since it is a True Person who has opened a residence and sent you to invite me to go, I will naturally go."

Sun Wukong scratched his head and said, "In that case, if the Bodhisattva is going, I will turn back and tell my senior brother this."

Guanyin Bodhisattva said, "You may speak in this way."

Sun Wukong said, "If that's the case, then I'll leave now and not disturb the Bodhisattva here."

Guanyin Bodhisattva suddenly called out to Sun Wukong, saying, "Wukong, wait a moment, don't leave yet."

Sun Wukong turned and bowed, asking, "Does the Bodhisattva have any other important matters to discuss?"

Guanyin Bodhisattva said, "Since the True Man has sent you to invite me, it must be because he has sent you to invite someone else. Tell me, who have you invited this time?"

Sun Wukong said, “I cannot hide it from the Bodhisattva. My senior brother has instructed me to invite people from all directions. However, I have not yet invited many people. I have only invited the Bodhisattva and the Xuan Emperor. Now I wish to go to the Western Spirit Mountain. I would like to ask the World Honored One for help.”

Guanyin Bodhisattva nodded slightly and said, “I knew it. You wanted to invite the World-Honored One, but the World-Honored One is now far away and busy with affairs. This place is in the transition between the old and the new, which is the most complicated time. The World-Honored One cannot move lightly, and you should not go lightly either. Therefore, you do not need to go to invite the World-Honored One.”

Sun Wukong hesitated for a moment and said, "Bodhisattva, I know that what you say makes sense, but I am following my elder brother's orders and cannot disobey."

Guanyin Bodhisattva said, "Don't worry. Just tell the True Man that this is what I said, and the True Man will surely understand you."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong had no choice but to agree, saying that he would not go to Mount Ling.

Guanyin Bodhisattva said, "In that case, Wukong, do you have anywhere else to go? If you have nowhere to go, you can rest here for a day or two."

Sun Wukong bowed and said, "Bodhisattva, you may not know this, but I still have others to invite. I need to go to Guanjiangkou to invite the Manifestation Saint True Lord, and I also need to go to various places to invite others, such as the Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain."

Guanyin Bodhisattva nodded and said, "If that's the case, then I won't stop you."

Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie then bid each other farewell and headed towards the mouth of the Guanjiang River in the Southern Continent. They planned to invite the Great Immortal Zhen Yuanzi again when they returned, and then go to other places to invite other people.

……

Within two or three hours, the two arrived at the mouth of the Guanjiang River at a leisurely pace and met with Erlang Xiansheng Zhenjun.

After exchanging pleasantries, Sun Wukong told Erlang Shen that the immortal had invited him to the ceremony of opening his residence. Erlang Shen agreed, saying that he would definitely go in forty-nine years to participate in the ceremony.

After Sun Wukong finished explaining the matter to Erlang Shen, he was about to leave with Zhu Bajie.

Erlang Shen stopped him and asked, "Great Sage, now that the important matters are settled, I still have some private matters I would like to ask you about."

Sun Wukong said, "What private matter do you have? You may speak freely, True Lord. If I can help you, I will certainly do you a favor."

Erlang Shen waved his hand and said, "I don't need the Great Sage's help. I just wanted to ask about Chenxiang. Since that matter ended, Chenxiang went to Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, and I haven't seen him since. I don't know how Chenxiang is now. Could the Great Sage tell me?" Sun Wukong said, "So that's how it is. True Lord, you can rest assured. Chenxiang has been cultivating outside the mansion and hasn't changed. Some time ago, I went to see him. His cultivation has made some progress, and he knows that you are his uncle. His dislike for you has lessened considerably. I predict that after a few more days, when True Lord meets him, they will surely be able to reconcile."

Upon hearing this, Erlang Shen asked, "Great Sage, is it truly so?"

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "I would never dare to deceive you, that is exactly right."

Erlang Shen was delighted and said, "If that's the case, then I should meet with Chenxiang."

Sun Wukong said, "There's no need to rush. We can meet with our senior brother after the day he opens his mansion and everything is settled."

Erlang Shen nodded and readily agreed, saying, "What the Great Sage says makes sense. I will do as the Great Sage says. After forty-nine years, when the True Man establishes his residence, I will go there and meet Chenxiang then."

Sun Wukong said, "That's exactly right."

Pigsy laughed from the side, "The fact that True Lord has recognized Chenxiang and they have the affection of uncle and nephew is something to celebrate."

Erlang Shen nodded to Zhu Bajie and said, "There are still forty-nine years left. My original intention was to rescue my sister within a hundred years, but we only have forty-nine years, so we must hurry."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy was greatly alarmed and said, "True Lord, do you intend to follow in Brother Monkey's footsteps and do those illegal things?"

Erlang Shen was somewhat puzzled and asked, "What illegal things are you talking about?"

Pigsy then said, “In the past, Brother Monkey did evil deeds and made a great disturbance in the Heavenly Palace, causing unrest in the Three Realms. Now, the True Lord’s sister, the Third Holy Mother, is imprisoned under Mount Hua. If the True Lord wants to rescue his sister, wouldn’t that be doing evil by splitting Mount Hua open to rescue the Third Holy Mother?”

Erlang Shen remained silent upon hearing this, unsure of how to speak to Zhu Bajie.

Sun Wukong looked annoyed, grabbed Zhu Bajie by the fan-shaped ear, and said, "You fool, what nonsense are you talking about? What do you mean I'm lawless? You yourself did lawless things in the past, so how can you talk about me like this?"

Pigsy begged for mercy again.

Since they were currently at the mouth of the Guan River, Sun Wukong decided not to argue with Zhu Bajie and released him.

Erlang Shen was quite helpless and said, "Envoy of the Clean Altar, this is not an illegal act. In recent years, I have obeyed the decree of Heaven, fought in various places, punished the disobedient, and eliminated demons and evil spirits. I have made many merits. If I can make more contributions, I will ask the Jade Emperor to reduce my punishment and let my sister out quickly."

Sun Wukong suddenly realized and said, "So that's how it is. But I see that although the Third Holy Mother is trapped under Mount Hua, she has the ability to cultivate her mind. Why be in such a hurry?"

Erlang Shen said, "I have seen him in recent years. He has achieved great success in cultivating his mind and no longer needs to stay at the foot of Mount Hua."

Sun Wukong said, "If that's the case, then we can leave Mount Hua. The rules cannot be broken. Therefore, if the True Lord wants to perform meritorious service to help the Third Holy Mother leave Mount Hua, is that right?"

Erlang Shen nodded and said, "That's exactly right."

Sun Wukong said, "True Lord, should I go to the Heavenly Court and plead with His Majesty to forgive me? I have some influence in the Heavenly Court, so it is certainly feasible."

Pigsy also spoke up, saying, "True Lord, I am no longer Marshal Tianpeng, but I still have some lingering affection for you. If it is what you need, I can ask someone to intercede with your sister."

Erlang Shen bowed to the two men and said, "Thank you both, but this is a family matter and I do not need your help. If there is anything I need, I will ask for your assistance without you having to ask."

Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie could not say anything more.

The three talked for a long time in the temple before parting ways. Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie then went to invite Zhen Yuanzi, the Great Immortal, and other immortals.

……

Time flies, and nearly half a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie went back and forth for a long time, and finally, after more than half a year, they managed to invite the immortals from all directions.

After more than half a year, Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie finally returned to Lingtai Fangcun Mountain. As soon as they arrived, before they even landed on the clouds, they entered the mountain and saw a golden road leading from east to west.

Before Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie could take a second look, the golden path suddenly vanished, turning into specks of light that disappeared without a trace.

Pigsy stared in disbelief and said, "Brother, this golden path was meant to guide Zhengwei. Now that the golden path has dissipated, has something happened to Zhengwei?"

Say it.

Pigsy swung his nine-toothed rake and headed west along the main road to find Zhengwei.

Sun Wukong grabbed Zhu Bajie and said, "You fool, why are you in such a hurry? The golden path that guided my nephew Zhengwei has now dispersed. How could something have happened to him? You shouldn't be thinking about this. This is my nephew Zhengwei returning. Fool, look at that mountain path. Who is that!"

Following Sun Wukong's direction, Pigsy looked around and indeed saw Wang Chongyang climbing the mountain path.

……

Meanwhile, on the mountain path, Wang Chongyang finally arrived at this place. He stepped onto the mountain path and looked around. It seemed familiar, yet he also felt a sense of loss. This made him feel a myriad of emotions.

Wang Chongyang said, "This tree is no longer the tree of the past, and I am no longer the person of the past."

Say it.

Wang Chongyang disregarded his thoughts and headed up the mountain. He wanted to go up the mountain to pay his respects to his master, whom he had not seen for many years and missed dearly.

Before Wang Chongyang had taken two steps, he suddenly saw a gust of wind pass by. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie not far in front of him. He immediately stepped forward and bowed.

Sun Wukong helped Wang Chongyang up and said, "Nephew, there's no need for formalities. Now that we're going home, hurry home and meet our senior brother. Don't linger here with us any longer."

Pigsy patted his belly and said with a smile, "If we delay you here, the master might come and punish us."

The two then led Wang Chongyang toward the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars.

Wang Chongyang asked, "Uncle-Master and Brother-in-Law, you look travel-worn; have you just returned?"

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Nephew, you have a good eye. This fool and I have indeed just returned. We are going to invite people from all directions. Forty-nine years from now, our eldest brother will be opening his own residence. You must be well prepared, as you are the eldest disciple of the True Man's residence."

Upon hearing this, Wang Chongyang immediately understood and bowed, saying, "Thank you for informing me, Uncle-Master. I understand. I will certainly prepare everything in advance and will not be impolite or embarrass my Master."

Sun Wukong smiled, said nothing more, and led Wang Chongyang forward.

(End of this chapter)