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

Chapter 417 Subduing the Heart-Monkey on Double Ninth Festival, the Nine Cauldrons' Fate
The Slanting Moon and Three Stars Cave, within the Jade Terrace.

The immortal looked at the Yaotai troupe, where Zhu Bajie, Red Boy, and Sun Wukong were among them.

The Master asked, “Zhengci, Bajie, why did you two start fighting? I can still see the state of your fight from here, disturbing countless spirit beasts in the mountains. This is truly inappropriate.”

Pigsy stood up and shouted, "My lord, please understand! It was Zhengci who came to me to fight, so I had no choice but to fight him. This has disturbed you and the mountain, which was not my intention. Please understand, my lord."

Red Boy stepped out of the class, bowed and said, "Master, it is indeed my fault. I caused a fight with the Taoist who guards the cauldron. Please punish me, Master."

Jiang Yuan glanced at Zhu Bajie, then looked at Hong Hai'er and asked, "Zhengci, why did you seek out Zhu Bajie to fight?"

Red Boy said, "Master, I recently heard you say that the Protector of the Cauldron has made progress in his cultivation. I was unconvinced, so I sought out the Protector of the Cauldron to have a duel. However, when I fought with the Protector of the Cauldron, my skills were not very good, not as impressive as you said, and I did not improve much."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy was somewhat annoyed and was about to say something when he suddenly thought of Red Boy's Samadhi Fire. For a moment, he dared not speak. In terms of skill, he was indeed inferior to Red Boy. Red Boy's Samadhi Fire alone was enough to make him unable to withstand it.

Jiang Yuan smiled, showing no anger, and said, "Zhengci, is this why you went to find Zhu Bajie to fight?"

Red Boy said, "Indeed, disciple knows his sins, please punish me, Master."

Jiang Yuan shook his head, not saying anything about punishing Red Boy. He smiled and looked at Sun Wukong, saying, "Wukong, come closer."

Sun Wukong stepped out of the class, bowed deeply, and said, "Elder Brother, I am here."

Jiang Yuan smiled and asked, "Wukong, I have a question for you. You must answer me carefully and without making any mistakes."

Sun Wukong said, "Please speak, Elder Brother, and I will answer you in detail without holding anything back."

Jiang Yuan asked, "Wukong, you recently received my decree to travel to various places, meet many people, and invite them to participate in the opening ceremony of the mansion. Among the immortals you met, were there any who had made progress in their cultivation?"

Sun Wukong replied, “Eldest brother, recently I met with a group of immortals. First, I invited the Xuan Emperor. The Xuan Emperor’s cultivation is unfathomable, and I cannot see whether he has made any progress. The same is true for Guanyin Bodhisattva and Zhen Yuanzi Immortal. However, I can glimpse the true man of Manifestation. The true man of Manifestation’s cultivation is now far superior to what it was before.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan became furious, stood up abruptly, and glared at him with anger, saying, "You say that the True Lord Manifestation's cultivation is far superior to what it used to be? I do not believe it. I will go and fight him."

After saying that, he headed out of the mansion, seemingly preparing to find Erlang Shen.

Both Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie were surprised and puzzled.

Red Boy was also surprised and somewhat at a loss. He didn't quite understand why his master was so impatient. Even if he said that his cultivation was progressing, he shouldn't be so hasty. This seemed to be a sign that his master was not cultivating properly. Could it be that his master's cultivation had gone wrong?

He was very puzzled, but then he suddenly realized something. Looking at Pigsy, he suddenly understood. He knew that his master's behavior was somewhat impetuous and a sign of not being able to cultivate his mind. Why did he go to Pigsy and do such a thing?

Red Boy strode forward, blocking Jiang Yuan's path, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed countless times, saying, "Master, your disciple knows his mistake."

Jiang Yuan's expression suddenly changed, his anger vanished, and he smiled, "Why did you say something wrong?"

Red Boy kowtowed and said, "This disciple's cultivation of mind is inadequate, and I was completely unaware of it. I was impetuous and even started a fight with the Protector of the Cauldron because of a single word. This is contrary to the practice of cultivating mind. Now that I have received guidance from my master, I understand. I am determined to correct this and will never do it again."

Jiang Yuan smiled and nodded, helping Hong Hai'er up. She said, "I am very pleased that you have achieved this today. Zheng Ci, you must remember that for me, cultivating magical power is never important; cultivating the mind is the true goal. If you do not cultivate your mind, even if you cultivate great magical power, I will not praise you. If you cultivate your mind successfully, even if you have no magical power in your body, I will still worship you."

Red Boy said, "Master, I understand now."

Jiang Yuan nodded and said, "It is enough that you understand. Go to your room and cultivate, but do not forget to cultivate your mind."

Red Boy accepted the order and headed out of the Jade Terrace. When he passed by where Pigsy was, he bowed to him and apologized, saying that he shouldn't have sought out Pigsy to fight.

Zhu Bajie was flattered and somewhat ashamed. If Red Boy treated him this way, should he apologize? But he couldn't bring himself to apologize, so he could only watch Red Boy leave with longing eyes.

Then Red Boy left.

The immortal walked to the Jade Terrace and sat down. Looking at Pigsy, he said helplessly, "You, Pigsy, you have finally made some progress in your cultivation. How come you have become lazy now that you are here?"

Pigsy said, "Master, I know I was wrong."

The immortal pointed at Pigsy and laughed, "What use is it if you know you're wrong but don't know you're wrong in your heart? Enough, enough, enough. I won't say anything more to you. Just remember to cultivate yourself well. You lack nothing, and you have never lacked teachings. You must act on your own initiative. Others' earnest advice is useless."

Then, he looked at Sun Wukong and said, "Wukong, now that you have returned in triumph, all the immortals have invited you. Are there any who are unable to come due to other matters?"

Sun Wukong replied, "Eldest brother, all the immortals have responded, and none have been unable to arrive. Please rest assured, eldest brother."

Jiang Yuan smiled and nodded, thanking Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong repeatedly said he dared not.

After a long discussion, the immortal sent Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie to a quiet room to rest, encouraging them to cultivate diligently and not to be careless.

Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie naturally accepted the order.

The two left Yaotai.

After the True Man went to the Jade Terrace, he paid his respects and greeted the Patriarch in the meditation room. After that, he returned to the meditation room to cultivate in seclusion.

……

Meanwhile, in the quiet room of Chongyang, Red Boy came to visit Wang Chongyang.

When Wang Chongyang learned that Red Boy had come to visit, he welcomed him into the Taoist's quiet room and treated him with courtesy.

The two brothers greeted each other with a bow.

Wang Chongyang smiled and said, "Please forgive me, junior brother. I have just returned home and there is not much in my room. I am sorry for the lack of hospitality. Please do not take offense."

Red Boy said, "What do you mean by that, Senior Brother? How could I possibly complain? Senior Brother has been gone from home for a long time, and there is nothing in the room right now, which is perfectly normal. Besides, I have come here to catch up with Senior Brother, not to beg for food."

Wang Chongyang smiled and nodded, looking around, and said, "Junior brother, I am delighted to have come to see me today. To be honest, even if you had not come to see me, I would have found you in a while."

Upon hearing this, Red Boy immediately asked, "Is there anything I can do for you, Senior Brother? If so, please feel free to speak."

Wang Chongyang shook his head and said, "It's nothing serious. I've been away from home for a long time and know nothing about what's happening there. So I'd like to ask you to tell me about it." Hong Haier pondered for a long time and then said, "You haven't been away from home for too long, and the home has always been peaceful without any major incidents. But if it's something outside the home, there is something I can tell you."

Wang Chongyang bowed and said, "Thank you for your trouble, junior brother."

Red Boy then told him everything that had happened after Wang Chongyang left and was reincarnated.

Upon hearing this, Wang Chongyang understood the situation. He then took out the Tianpeng Ruler from his bundle and said, "This treasure belongs to my second junior brother. I have lived through three lifetimes, and my second junior brother has helped me a great deal. If I have the time, I will definitely go and pay my respects to him."

Upon hearing this, Red Boy felt somewhat ashamed and said, "Senior Brother, I rarely leave the mountain and have not been able to help you in any way. Please don't be offended."

Wang Chongyang smiled and said, "Junior brother, how could I blame you? Don't worry."

Red Boy rose and bowed again, saying, "Junior Brother knows that Senior Brother has returned today to cultivate the Golden Core righteous path. If Senior Brother needs anything in his cultivation, please come to Junior Brother. Junior Brother will do his best to help Senior Brother."

Wang Chongyang readily agreed.

The two talked for a long time in the room before parting ways.

Knowing that Wang Chongyang wanted to cultivate, Red Boy dared not linger and returned to his quiet room to cultivate. He received guidance from the immortal and realized that his cultivation was insufficient, so he should make up for it.

After Red Boy left, Wang Chongyang closed his eyes to cultivate. Now that he has returned, he should cultivate the true path of the Golden Elixir. To cultivate the Golden Elixir, he must subdue five people. These five people are the Mind Monkey, the Will Horse, the Golden Duke, the Wood Mother, and the Yellow Woman.

In the past, he had not yet severed his ties with the mortal world, but if he wanted to subdue his restless mind, he would inevitably be harmed by distracting thoughts, to the point that he would be unable to extricate himself. In the end, he chose to be reborn and sever his ties with the mortal world.

Now he has finally returned. Three lifetimes have passed, and it is time for him to cultivate the Golden Elixir.

Wang Chongyang closed his eyes and searched for the Mind Monkey, calmly waiting for the right opportunity. If the Mind Monkey appeared, he would then subdue it.

……

Time flies when you're on a spiritual journey; more than a decade has passed in the blink of an eye.

Wang Chongyang had been practicing asceticism in a quiet room in order to find his mind. In the first year, the immortal gave him fire dates and taught him how to abstain from grains. He then continued his practice without ever leaving the quiet room.

After searching for more than a decade, Wang Chongyang finally found his answer. He felt at peace and searched for the Mind Monkey in his Heart Palace. When he found the Mind Monkey, he felt all sorts of thoughts coming out of it, trying to shake his mind.

These thoughts were the thoughts he had experienced in his three lifetimes. They arose in his first life and ended in his third life when he took in seven disciples and finally broke away from the mortal world. The thoughts were exactly like "countless fleeting thoughts and idle ideas, drifting catkins and gossamer threads all over the world".

If an ordinary person were to be disturbed by such distracting thoughts, their mind would be agitated and they would become extremely annoyed, thus interrupting their spiritual practice.

Wang Chongyang remained calm despite these thoughts, seemingly unconcerned, letting them pass by silently.

Unlike Jiang Yuan in the past, who mainly suppressed and controlled the mind, Wang Chongyang now takes a gentle approach, letting thoughts pass by, waiting for the mind to weaken, and then soothing and calming it down to make it work for him.

Wang Chongyang suppressed the thoughts, remaining unmoved and utterly at peace.

Meanwhile, in the meditation room of the True Man, Jiang Yuan, who was resting with his eyes closed, seemed to sense something and looked towards Wang Chongyang's meditation room. He smiled and said, "Zhengwei has lived three lifetimes, which is truly worthwhile. Now that he has severed all worldly ties, he is cultivating the Golden Core righteous path again. He has his own way of subduing the Mind Monkey, which is quite remarkable. In the past, I used the Nine Cauldrons to help him suppress the Mind Monkey and turn it into my own. Compared with Zhengwei, I am not as good as him."

He greatly admired Wang Chongyang's methods, which he believed were far superior to his own methods of suppressing the restless mind with the divine cauldron.

Jiang Yuanxin sighed.

Before he could think further, his door suddenly opened, and a gentle breeze caressed his face.

Knowing that he was summoned by the patriarch, the True Man left his meditation room and went to the patriarch's meditation room to pay homage to the patriarch.

The Patriarch smiled and invited the True Man to sit down, asking, "Child, do you know that Zhengwei will eventually encounter the Monkey King?"

The master nodded and said, "Master, I know that Zhengwei has finally met his match. I am truly amazed. Zhengwei's methods of subduing the mind are truly remarkable, and I am far inferior to him."

The patriarch asked, "Why not talk about it? What do you mean by that? Please explain it to me in detail."

The Master said, “Master, in the past, when I subdued the Mind Monkey, I borrowed the Divine Cauldron. With its immense power, I suppressed the Mind Monkey and then used the gentle and persistent method to transform it into my own. Now, I am enduring the madness of the Mind Monkey and soothing it with gentleness, thus transforming it into my own. In terms of methods, I am naturally superior.”

The Patriarch laughed and said, “You cannot say that. Times have changed. In the past, you achieved success in one lifetime and only had a superficial understanding of the Golden Elixir. I did not teach you much, and you mostly realized it on your own. Now it is slightly different. You have gone through three lifetimes and severed ties with the mortal world. You have also received much teaching from me. I cannot compare to you.”

Jiang Yuan bowed and said, "I have learned a lot."

The Patriarch said, "Child, speaking of the Divine Cauldron, the nine cauldrons within you are not yet complete. Why is that?"

Jiang Yuan said, "This disciple has not yet established his own residence, so he has not traveled."

The patriarch smiled and said, "In that case, do you have a feeling about where the Nine Cauldrons are located?"

Jiang Yuan replied, "Master, I have many feelings. The remaining nine cauldrons all responded to me when I was traveling in spirit. I know where these nine cauldrons are, but the time is not right now, so I cannot go there to take them."

The Patriarch said, “You should know that you are about to establish your own residence. You must not act rashly. The same applies when you establish your own residence in the future. When you do establish your own residence, you must teach your disciples and cultivate yourself. At that time, you will have no free time.”

Jiang Yuan pondered for a long time before saying, "Master, I know my own limitations, but I have no other choice but to postpone it for a while and wait until I have more free time in the future to obtain the Nine Cauldrons."

The Patriarch said, “Your affinity with the Nine Cauldrons is growing stronger every day. If you do not take them for a long time, something may happen. You must think carefully about this and not let anything change.”

Jiang Yuan said, "Master, if I wait for Zhengwei and Zhengci to achieve success in their cultivation, and then instruct them to go in my place to retrieve the Nine Cauldrons and return, would this method be feasible?"

The Patriarch nodded and said, "You have a natural affinity with the Nine Cauldrons. If your disciple goes there, he will surely obtain the Nine Cauldrons and return. This method is feasible. However, Zhengwei and Zhengci still need time to refine their skills before they can succeed."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "This is indeed a good method, much better than waiting for the disciple to go."

The patriarch said, “You should know this in your heart. I have finished speaking to you. Now you should go back and cultivate diligently. Do not forget the opportunity to open your own abode.”

Jiang Yuan bowed and replied, "This disciple would never forget."

The True Man then bid farewell to the Patriarch and returned to his quiet room to cultivate in seclusion.

(End of this chapter)