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

Chapter 426 With Zuo Liang's Assistance, Nezha Battles Xuan Yin
In the Celestial Master's Mansion in Jingzhou, Zuo Liang met with Wang Chongyang and the Bull Demon King. Zuo Liang personally received them and welcomed them into the main hall, treating them with great courtesy.

Zuo Liang was overjoyed at Wang Chongyang's return to his position. He presented Wang Chongyang with many spiritual fruits and talked with him.

The two men chatted happily in the main hall. The Bull Demon King, who was standing nearby, knew that the two brothers had not seen each other for a long time and must be happy. So he did not say anything, but just stood by his side and watched the two men talk.

The two talked for a long time. Zuo Liang was very emotional and said, "Senior Brother, when we parted years ago, you went to the underworld because of the Golden Elixir. Now, three lifetimes have passed and several generations have gone by. It is truly heartbreaking."

Wang Chongyang laughed and said, "When I left back then, my junior brother did not have such profound magical power as he does today. Now that we meet again, I hardly recognize him."

Zuo Liang shook his head and said, "My magical power is shallow, and I dare not accept such words from you, Senior Brother. Please, Senior Brother, do not speak like this again."

Wang Chongyang said, "This is no exaggeration. Junior Brother is indeed extraordinary now, and cannot be compared to ordinary people."

Zuo Liang waved his hand and said, “Enough, enough, enough. Senior Brother, let’s not talk about such things. If we do, then you will truly be remarkable, having endured three lifetimes with such perseverance, unafraid of life and death. Now you have cultivated the Golden Elixir Path. When you succeed, then your magical power will be truly profound.”

Then, Zuo Liang asked again, "Senior Brother, we can talk about such magical powers another time. Did you come to see me today, or do you have important business to discuss?"

Wang Chongyang bowed and said, "To be honest, junior brother, I have come here today on an important matter. However, I have been obstructed, so I have come to ask junior brother to help me with this task."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang immediately stood up and ordered his two attendants to come in. He said, "You two go and prepare the horses and gather all the items I prepare for my daily rituals. I am about to leave, and from now on, you two will look after the mansion for me."

Both attendants responded and left to help Zuo Liang pack his luggage.

Zuo Liang smiled and said, "Please wait a moment, Senior Brother. I will have my servants fetch the luggage. Once it is ready, I will go with you. No matter what may cause you to be hindered, I will do my best to help you."

Wang Chongyang was grateful and said, "I know my junior brother's heart, but please listen to what I have to say before we talk about helping each other."

Zuo Liang said, "Please tell me, Senior Brother, I will certainly listen."

Wang Chongyang then recounted to Zuo Liang the True Man's decree, the encounter with demons at Jinding Mountain, and the origins of the Xuan Yin King.

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang immediately understood and asked, "Senior Brother, do you intend to teach me to invite the Great God of the Three Altars and Seas to subdue that Xuan Yin King?"

Wang Chongyang said, “That’s right. The Great King Xuanyin has a great affinity with the Great God of the Three Altars and Seas, so it is the right way to invite him. He has come to invite my junior brother.”

Zuo Liang said, "I will certainly go to help. Once the luggage is retrieved, I will go with my senior brother to the foot of Jinding Mountain to ask the Great God of the Three Altars and Seas for assistance. To be honest, I have some connection with the Great God of the Three Altars and Seas, but if I make the request, he will definitely descend to earth."

The Bull Demon King was somewhat surprised and spoke up from the side, asking, "Zhengyuan, you actually have some connection with the Great God of the Three Altars and Seas. This surprises me."

Zuo Liang laughed and said, "We often invite the gods, and over time we have developed a relationship with the Great God of the Three Altars and Seas. Besides, it is common for people from my Xieyue Sanxing Cave to have a good relationship with the Great God of the Three Altars and Seas."

The Bull Demon King pondered for a moment and said, "Zheng Yuan is right. My lord has a good relationship with my virtuous brother and the Third Prince Nezha. If that's the case, this matter will be easy to handle."

Zuo Liang nodded with a smile.

Before anyone could say anything more, the two attendants stepped forward and handed all the items to Zuo Liang.

The group then left the mansion.

Zuo Liang rode a horse, while Wang Chongyang rode a white deer. The former originally wanted to prepare a horse for the Bull Demon King, but the Bull Demon King refused, so he had to give up and headed to Jinding Mountain.

……

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

The group returned to the vicinity of Hanzhong County. Zuo Liang dismounted and looked out over the city from the side of the official road.

Zuo Liang laughed and said, "That demon was quite clever; it didn't venture too far out of the mountains to disturb the city. The fact that Hanzhong is safe and sound is enough to prove it."

Wang Chongyang shook his head and said, "Junior brother, you don't know this. It's not that the demon is benevolent and cares about the common people so it doesn't come to cause trouble. Rather, the demon is of low intelligence and for some reason has stayed in Jinding Mountain for a long time. That's why it hasn't come to Hanzhong. If we can't subdue it, sooner or later it will surely wreak havoc on Hanzhong, and then I'm afraid the people will suffer."

Zuo Liang said, "So that's how it is. Now that we've come here, we must subdue this fellow."

Wang Chongyang nodded and said, "That is indeed the case."

The Bull Demon King laughed and said, "If we can invite the Third Prince Nezha to come today, with Nezha and me, plus Zhengwei and Zhengyuan, I think that fellow will definitely have no way out and will be subdued."

Wang Chongyang responded with a smile.

Zuo Liang said, "Let's head over to Jin Ding Mountain first, and then we can discuss other matters."

Both of them responded.

The group headed towards Jinding Mountain again, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the Jinding Mountain area. Although the sun was blazing, Jinding Mountain itself was still icy cold. This place, which was out of season, must be haunted by evil spirits.

The Bull Demon King stopped the two and said, "Zhengwei and Zhengyuan, do not go any further. If we go any further, that fellow will definitely sense our arrival. If he gets entangled, it will be troublesome."

Zuo Liang said, "If that's the case, I will invite the Great God of the Three Altars and Seas to come here. Please wait a moment, Senior Brother and Bull King."

Say it.

After receiving a response from the two men, Zuo Liang took out his bundle and set up a simple altar on the ground. He then used the Heavenly Canopy Ruler to stabilize the altar and chanted incantations. It was there that he recited the proclamation, inviting the Third Prince Nezha to come.

After Zuo Liang read the proclamation, he used the Five Thunder Orthodox Method. The token at his waist moved, seemingly to assist him.

After the recitation was completed, within half an incense stick's time, auspicious clouds appeared in the sky.

As everyone looked up, a celestial being emerged from the auspicious clouds. This celestial being was six feet tall, with a face as white as powder, lips as red as cinnabar, and eyes that shone brightly like lightning. He exuded heroic spirit and divine might, and rode on wheels of wind and fire. He was no ordinary person.

Upon closer inspection, everyone realized that it was Nezha, the great god of the Three Altars and Seas, who had arrived.

Nezha saw Zuo Liang below and immediately descended from the cloud. He then saw the Bull Demon King and laughed, "I thought Zheng Yuan summoned me to drink and make merry, but I didn't expect the Bull King to be here as well. It seems that there must be some evil spirits here, which is why you summoned me."

Zuo Liang said, "Third Prince, I have come here today on an important matter. This matter is none of your business, so I have invited you to come and listen to my explanation."

Nezha said, "When did the affairs of the lower realm concern me? Tell me in detail." Zuo Liang first introduced Wang Chongyang to Nezha, and then told Nezha about their arrival, the affairs of the Xuan Yin King of Jinding Mountain, and their origins.

Upon hearing this, Nezha's expression changed, and he asked, "Is this really true?"

The Bull Demon King stepped forward and said, "This matter is indeed true. It was personally told by the local earth deity. If the Third Prince has any doubts or questions, he can summon the earth deity and ask him. Then he will know the answer."

Nezha then summoned the local earth god and asked him about the Xuan Yin King of Jinding Mountain. As expected, the earth god's words were exactly the same as what Zuo Liang had said.

Upon learning this, Nezha felt both indignant and helpless, all because of the past events. He said, "The events of the past are so long ago that I can hardly remember them. But now that this matter has been mentioned, I can recall the events of that year. Back then, I returned my bones to my father and my flesh to my mother, and scattered my soul. Later, I learned that the bones and blood I left behind angered the Dragon King of the East Sea, who blew them away with a raging wind. I never imagined that one of my bones would fall into Beiju Luzhou and become such a demon."

"Now that time has passed, many of the past troubles have not happened. They all arose because I did not restrain myself. As for my biological father, Li Jing, I can understand him. It is common for him to blame me for the danger that caused the people of Chentang Pass to fall because of me. It is his usual practice to put the greater good before his own family."

"However, what he shouldn't have done was destroy my temple after my death, thus creating enmity between us."

"Now that I think about it, it evokes many feelings in me."

Nezha recounted many things.

The Bull Demon King said, “We have heard the story of the Third Prince. The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King has indeed made many mistakes. If the Third Prince does not mind, we can help him. The thing the Third Prince fears is the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King’s pagoda. We can find a way to coax the pagoda to us.”

Zuo Liang and Wang Chongyang pondered for a moment, then both nodded, willing to help the Third Prince achieve his goal.

Nezha shook his head and laughed, "This matter need not involve you. I never intended to take that fellow's life. Now that I know about the Xuan Yin King, it's enough to scare him for a while."

The Bull Demon King, puzzled, asked, "How could you say that the matter of the Xuan Yin King could frighten the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King?"

Nezha laughed and said, "I will subdue that Xuan Yin King and make him reveal his original form, which is my old bone. If I place it in front of him, he will surely be terrified."

Upon hearing this, the Bull Demon King praised Nezha.

Nezha said, "Now that you have received the decree of the True Man, we must not delay. We must quickly subdue the Xuan Yin King. After we have subdued the Xuan Yin King, we can talk to him later."

The Bull Demon King replied, "What does the Crown Prince have to say?"

Nezha looked towards the Golden Cauldron Mountain and said, "I dare not presume to speak, but I will first go and fight him to see his supernatural abilities. If he is not so great, I will subdue him. If he is very capable, I will take the opportunity to find his weakness and then ask the Bull King and Zhengwei and Zhengyuan for help. What do you all think?"

All three replied, "We will obey the Crown Prince's orders."

Nezha said, "Everyone, let's go into the mountains and meet that fellow."

The three responded and followed Nezha towards Jinding Mountain.

A short while later, Nezha led the three of them to the foot of Jinding Mountain. The group was about to climb the mountain.

Before the group could climb the mountain, the Xuan Yin King suddenly appeared from the mountain and pounced on Nezha and his companions. He had no intention of talking and was determined to kill Nezha and his group.

Nezha laughed and said, "This fellow really has no intelligence. He comes up and attacks right away. Bull King, you all step back and let me see what this fellow is capable of."

Say it.

Nezha attacked the Xuan Yin King.

Bull Demon King swung his Black Dragon Spear, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings, and protected Zuo Liang and Wang Chongyang as they retreated to prevent them from being harmed.

When Nezha clashed with the Xuan Yin King, he was startled when his Fire-Tipped Spear touched the king. The king's strength and imperviousness to blades and spears surprised him, and for a moment, Nezha was suppressed.

King Xuanyin, having gained the upper hand, was relentless and attacked without any defense. He lunged at Nezha, intending to kill him on the spot.

Nezha, enraged, shouted, "Transform!"

His figure suddenly shifted to one side, revealing three heads and six arms, wielding six different weapons as he attacked King Xuanyin.

The two fought so fiercely that the earth shook and the mountains trembled. It was a great battle. The six-armed Nezha, the true prince, and the evil corpse demon Xuan Yin, with his resentful bones, were true rivals. They were from the same source. The demon-slaying sword was sharp and swift, the demon-cutting knife was fierce and even ghosts and gods were afraid. The demon-binding rope was like a flying python, and the demon-subduing pestle was like a wolf's head. The fire wheels flashed with lightning and were dazzling. They rolled back and forth like embroidered balls. The prince displayed his supernatural powers. How could the corpse demon know the prince's methods? With a copper head and iron arms, he fought. After several bitter exchanges, he could not win. The prince sighed inwardly that the demon's body was difficult to break with the six kinds of weapons. Xuan Yin could not withstand the fire wheels. The sharp claws were terrifying and could not be approached. The two fought fiercely together. It was hard to tell which one was strong and which one was gentle.

Nezha fought with Xuan Yin Da Wang for more than thirty rounds, but he could not do anything to Xuan Yin Da Wang. It was because this guy was like a dead corpse and no matter how he attacked, he was unmoved. Nezha was really helpless.

Nezha had no choice but to retract his six weapons, retreat on his Wind-Fire Wheels, take out his Fire-Tipped Spear, and look towards the Bull Demon King. He saw the Bull Demon King using the Mountain-Splitting Spear to scatter some corpses. He said, "Bull King, Zhengwei, Zhengyuan, help me do this!"

Upon hearing this, the Bull Demon King immediately turned around and cleaved the surrounding corpses in seven or eight pieces with his spear, then attacked the Xuan Yin King.

Wang Chongyang took out the Yu Ding, and Zuo Liang took out the Tianpeng Ruler. Both were on high alert, ready to make their move if the opportunity arose.

The Bull Demon King and Nezha joined forces to attack the Xuan Yin King, instantly turning the originally aggressive Xuan Yin King into a defensive force. However, both of them were skilled in martial arts, and in a few moves, they suppressed the Xuan Yin King's arrogance and repeatedly attacked him.

No matter how the two attacked, the Xuan Yin King remained unharmed, truly possessing a 'copper head and iron arms'.

The Bull Demon King said, "Third Prince, can you see where this fellow's vital point is? I attacked his chest and then his crown chakra, but it was all in vain."

Nezha shook his head and said, "We still don't know where this guy's weakness is. Let's fight him for a while longer, and maybe we can find out his weakness."

As the two were talking, Yu Ding suddenly fell from the sky and landed on the crown of the Xuan Yin King, smashing him into the ground. However, the Xuan Yin King escaped from the ground and was not harmed. Before he could cause any more trouble, Zuo Liang came out with the Tianpeng Ruler and pointed it at him. Heavenly lightning came out and struck the Xuan Yin King.

Unable to dodge in time, King Xuanyin raised his left hand to block the heavenly lightning, which struck him squarely.

Jiao Yuding and Tianpeng Chi attacked, and Xuan Yin Da Wang roared as if in unbearable pain, and actually attacked Zuo Liang.

Upon seeing this, Nezha's eyes lit up, and he said, "Bull King, stop this fellow! Don't let him escape! I already know his weakness; watch me capture him!"

Say it.

Nezha quickly brandished his Fire-Tipped Spear and attacked.

(End of this chapter)