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

Chapter 429 Seeking, Arhat's Troubles
Inside the pavilion, the Immortal and Erlang Shen were having a banquet. The Immortal was very courteous, and the two had a very pleasant conversation.

Erlang Shen said, "Is it true that the True Man has not yet attained great magical power? I observe that the True Man's magical power is profound and mysterious, and he is in harmony with heaven and man. I see Laozi, I see Buddha, and I see you."

The Master said, “If you have not yet attained great magical power, the time is not yet ripe and you cannot force it. Great magical power is the way of following nature. When the time comes, you will naturally attain it. Since you have not attained it yet, focus on your cultivation.”

Erlang Shen felt that the words spoken by the True Man here were mysterious and profound. Sometimes, after drinking a cup of wine, he would look up in a daze and see the heavens and earth, and then in another daze, he would see the mortal world. The difference between truth and falsehood made him even more remarkable.

Erlang Shen suddenly asked, "Master, I have a question for you, please enlighten me."

The True Man laughed and said, “True Lord, you helped me obtain the Liangzhou Cauldron, which is a great favor. Since you have any doubts, you may explain them to me.”

Erlang Shen said, “Recently, I have a junior who is fond of Taoism. He is struggling in the sea of ​​suffering in the human world and cannot escape it. I originally wanted to help him and teach him to leave the sea of ​​suffering, but I have been unable to succeed. It is because my cultivation is shallow and I do not know how to help people. As you see, what should I do?”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan said, "True Lord, may I lend you a hand?"

Erlang Shen shook his head and said, "That's not necessary. Just tell me, Master, how to guide these younger generations. That will be enough."

Jiang Yuan said, "No matter how one tries to cross over, one cannot escape the ultimate goal of 'self-salvation.' The True Lord can only offer assistance, but not the ability to complete the task. One must rely on oneself."

Erlang Shen asked, "Is there a way to save yourself?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "We have never met, so I do not know his heart. But if I wait for him, he must be seeking help."

Erlang Shen asked, "How do you say the word 'ask'?"

Jiang Yuan said, "If you have the word 'seeking' in your heart and wish to save yourself, you might as well calm down and observe what you have sought in the past, what you seek now, and what you will seek in the future. Whether you seek money or love, it may be greed or resentment, but by observing what you seek, you will know what external things bind you and what traps you. Only then can you break free. If you are mindful of this, you have the opportunity to save yourself; if you are not, no matter how many methods I use, what can they do to you?"

Upon hearing this, Erlang Shen said, "I should thank the True Man for what he said here."

Jiang Yuan shook her head, indicating that it was unnecessary.

The two then talked for a long time in the pavilion.

Erlang Shen was about to take his leave, knowing that the True Man was at a crucial stage of his cultivation and dared not delay.

Jiang Yuan tried to persuade him to stay, but to no avail. She then told Erlang Shen to rest in the mansion for a while, with Sun Wukong and the others keeping him company.

Erlang Shen could only respond to these words.

After Jiang Yuan saw Erlang Shen off from the pavilion, he went to Yaotai and summoned Zuo Liang, Wang Chongyang, and the Bull Demon King to meet him.

The three met the immortal in the Jade Terrace and bowed before him.

The immortal sat upright on the high platform and said, "You three need not stand on ceremony. Today, the three of you have returned with the Liangzhou Cauldron, which is of great help to me. I am very pleased."

As he spoke, he looked at Zuo Liang and smiled, "I am even more pleased that you, Zheng Yuan, can help me, but you have not returned to visit your home for a long time. What is the reason for this?"

Zuo Liang stood up, walked to the high platform, bowed deeply, and said, "Master, this is my fault. I have not returned because of various things in the human world, and my cultivation has not made great progress. I have no face to see you, Master."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "But your frequent visits make me happy. It would be wrong of me to say that my cultivation has not made great progress and I am ashamed to see you. You can come home often in the future. If you have any problems, you can also come home. At that time, your family will help you."

Zuo Liang bowed and said, "This disciple will remember it. I will definitely return home often in the future and will not dare to disobey."

Jiang Yuan smiled and nodded, then said, "Zhengwei, Niu Wang, I'm sending you two to retrieve the Liang Ding. I apologize for troubling you."

Both of them shook their heads and said, "We dare not accept such a statement."

Jiang Yuan said, “You have made great contributions today, and I know that you have not become arrogant because of your achievements. But if I ask you what you want, you will definitely say that you don’t need anything. So I will tell you some tips and tricks, teach you what you need, and then you can go and cultivate.”

All three bowed in gratitude to the True Man.

The master then spoke to the three men about the intricacies of the art.

……

Meanwhile, Sun Wukong was in his quiet room.

Sun Wukong met Erlang Shen here, and the two had a very pleasant conversation.

When Sun Wukong asked Erlang Shen why he had come here, Erlang Shen recounted the story of the Liangzhou Cauldron to him in detail.

Upon learning of this, Sun Wukong said, "Why didn't you send me, my elder brother? It would only trouble you, True Lord. If I had gone, why would the Xuan Yin King have needed the Third Prince to subdue him, and why would the True Lord have needed to move the Liangzhou Cauldron?"

Erlang Shen laughed and said, "If you have to do everything, wouldn't that just make you tired?"

Sun Wukong scratched his head and said, "What you say makes some sense. If I have to go to every matter, it will be too much trouble for me. However, this matter concerns my eldest brother's retrieval of the cauldron. This matter is of great importance. I will definitely talk to my eldest brother about it later. If such a matter comes up again in the future, you should come to me."

Erlang Shen said, "The Immortal's actions must have their reasons, Great Sage, there's no need for you to do that."

Sun Wukong said, "True Lord, let's not talk about what happened here. But later I will definitely find my senior brother and have a proper talk with him."

Erlang Shen said, "I have come here today to observe the profound and mysterious magic of the True Man, which has the demeanor of the Dao Ancestor. I have also seen the Great Sage, who seems to have made great progress. Now that I have some free time, I wonder if the Great Sage would do me the honor of exchanging blows with me for a while?"

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Since the True Lord has invited me, I will naturally go. Let us go outside the mansion to spar, so as not to disturb our senior brother."

Say it.

Sun Wukong had already turned over, his figure as swift as the wind, heading out of the mansion. Hearing that the True Lord wanted to spar with him, he was filled with excitement. He had never had the chance to fight to his heart's content, and now that the True Lord had invited him, he was eager to have a good fight.

Erlang Shen saw this, laughed loudly several times, and chased after him.

A short while later, the two arrived at the main road to the west and started fighting in the mountains. Erlang Shen swung his blade to stab, and the Great Sage Equal to Heaven raised his staff to strike. The two engaged in a fierce battle.

Erlang Shen, the God of Wealth, and Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, spontaneously engaged in a contest of supernatural powers. Their transformations were endless, revealing their true magic. One wielded a sharp, three-pointed, double-edged sword, the other a heavy, imposing Ruyi Jingu Bang (Golden Cudgel). Their battle darkened heaven and earth, eclipsing the sun and moon, and unleashing a fierce wind. The two steel blades, each with its own advantage, clashed with the other without a single gap. The Golden Cudgel, a treasure from the sea, could transform and soar to victory. But even among the strong, there was always one stronger; how could a victor be determined?

The two fought for over three hundred rounds, for several days without a clear victor. However, in terms of strength, Sun Wukong was superior, and in terms of magical power, Sun Wukong was far superior to Erlang Shen.

Erlang Shen, panting heavily and exhausted, forced Sun Wukong back with a single strike, sheathed his sword, and said, "Great Sage, this is the end for now. Consider yourself the winner."

Sun Wukong put away his golden cudgel and said, "True Lord, we haven't even decided who won yet, how can you say I've won? That's not right, that's not right!" Erlang Shen said, "Great Sage, you are a born saint with boundless strength. As for my strength, although I am naturally gifted, it is not inexhaustible. I am certainly not as good as you, so it is not wrong to say you've won."

Sun Wukong said, "The outcome is not yet decided, so it cannot be considered that I have won."

Erlang Shen shook his head and said, "I am indeed no match for you now, Great Sage. Your magic power has surpassed mine by a little. In terms of strength, if we fight for another hundred rounds, I will surely be defeated by you."

Sun Wukong was about to say something more.

Erlang Shen stopped him, saying, "Great Sage, there's no need to say more. As the saying goes, victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. I have lost, but when I have improved my cultivation in the future, I will seek out the Great Sage for a duel and then win back the victory."

Sun Wukong said, "In that case, I will wait for the True Lord to come and find me later, and then we can spar."

Erlang Shen responded with a smile.

Sun Wukong said, "True Lord, let us go to the mansion to talk."

Erlang Shen shook his head and declined, saying, "I have been traveling for some time now and should return. I cannot return to the manor with the Great Sage. I will come again on the day when the True Man opens his manor."

Sun Wukong had no choice but to agree.

The two then left and returned to Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

A short while later, the two returned to the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain. Erlang Shen met up with the Six Saints of Meishan and a group of grass-root gods outside the mountain, and they all departed together.

Sun Wukong watched Erlang Shen and the others leave from outside the mountain. Only after Erlang Shen left did he prepare to go up the mountain to go home. However, before Sun Wukong could go up the mountain, after taking a step or two, he suddenly saw a Buddha's light and auspicious mist passing by to the south outside the mountain. It was about to pass through the sky above Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, and there was a path of Buddhas and Arhats from Lingshan.

Sun Wukong thought to himself, "Where did you come from? Since you've passed by Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, why didn't you come and say hello? I should find out."

Think about it.

Sun Wukong immediately rode his somersault cloud and flew towards that place. Before long, he blocked the way in front of the Buddha's light. He looked closely and recognized that the person who came was none other than the Arhat Subduing Dragon.

Sun Wukong was puzzled; how could the Arhat who subdued the dragon have passed by here?

However, most immortals and gods know the name of Lingtai Fangcun Mountain. Therefore, if they pass through this place, they will usually detour and not fly over Lingtai Fangcun Mountain. But now, the Arhat Subduing Dragon wants to pass over Lingtai Fangcun Mountain. This is not a very special cloud road. Such a rude behavior is not what the Arhat Subduing Dragon should do.

Seeing that the clouds had not stopped, Sun Wukong stepped forward and said, "Dragon-Subduing Arhat, why are you coming forward! That place ahead is Lingtai Fangcun Mountain."

The cloud formation stopped him with a single word. The Arhat Subduing Dragon panicked and looked ahead. When he saw Sun Wukong, he immediately put down his hands, put them together, and bowed to him. Then he looked down at the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain not far away.

The Arhat Subduing Dragon said, "Please forgive me, Victorious Fighting Buddha! I was distracted by other matters and did not know that I was passing by Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, so I was impolite."

Sun Wukong said, "If there is any reason to forgive, then there is nothing wrong with it. The Arhats here have not yet passed the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain."

Arhat Subduing Dragon breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Thank you for your understanding, Victorious Fighting Buddha. I truly did not do it intentionally. I was simply distracted and unaware of it, acting in a daze."

Sun Wukong scratched his head and said, "What is it that makes the Arhat so distracted? Can you tell me?"

The Arhat Subduing Dragon said, “The reason I am able to speak with the Victorious Fighting Buddha is because of my personal matters. I still have worldly ties to sever, which has caused my practice to go astray. This has been going on for some time, and the Victorious Fighting Buddha must know this. During this time, I went to Mount Luojia to seek the help of Guanyin Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva advised me to be reborn and cultivate, severing worldly ties, and to further my practice. I was thinking about this matter, which is why I was distracted and almost lost my manners.”

Sun Wukong said, "Is that so? If it is through reincarnation, then it is feasible. My eldest disciple in this manor has already reincarnated and severed his ties to the mortal world. He has only recently returned. Reincarnation to sever ties with the mortal world is certainly possible."

The Arhat who Subdues Dragons said, "I know I can do it, but I still have some concerns in my heart."

Sun Wukong asked, "What concerns does the Arhat have? You can tell me, and I will surely answer them for you."

The Arhat Subduing Dragon shook his head and said, "This is what I think. I don't know whether I should give up this worldly bond. If I am truly reborn, then this worldly bond will be truly severed. I feel a little reluctant."

Sun Wukong said, "How can there be any reluctance? If the Arhats are so hesitant, I fear they will surely be harmed by them in the future."

The Arhat Subduing Dragon said, “Victorious Fighting Buddha, you know all the principles, but I really find it difficult to make a decision. Therefore, please allow me some more time to think about it.”

Sun Wukong said, "If the Arhats find it difficult to understand, why don't you come back to my mansion with me? I will teach my nephew to explain it to you for a while. He has just been reincarnated and may be able to give you some pointers."

Upon hearing this, the Arhat Subduing Dragon pondered for a moment and said, "Thank you, Victorious Fighting Buddha. If it is convenient, I will go with you."

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Perhaps this is the destined fate. Since you are passing through here, let me take you to find your nephew, the Arhat who subdues dragons. Come with me."

Say it.

Sun Wukong descended from the clouds and headed towards the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars.

The Arhat who subdued the dragon naturally followed him.

A short while later, the two arrived at the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars.

The two had just arrived at the gate of the mansion when they saw Wang Chongyang waiting there.

Sun Wukong asked, "Nephew, what are you doing here?"

Wang Chongyang laughed and said, "Earlier, I heard my master talking about the secrets in front of Yaotai. When the class was over, my master suddenly told me to come to the gate of the mansion. He said that my uncle had something that I needed to help him. I didn't understand why, so I came here. I had only been here for less than half an incense stick's time when my uncle arrived."

Sun Wukong said, "As expected of the eldest brother, you know about my affairs. Nephew, I really do have something to ask you. Please come with me."

Sun Wukong led Wang Chongyang and the Arhat Subduing Dragon to a jade terrace, where he explained the whole story to Wang Chongyang and asked him to tell the Arhat Subduing Dragon about reincarnation.

Upon learning of the whereabouts of the Arhat Subduing Dragon, Wang Chongyang immediately bowed and said, "Greetings, Arhat Subduing Dragon."

Arhat Subduing Dragon returned the bow and said, "Please help me, Venerable Zhengwei. This trouble has indeed bothered me for a long time, and I have not been able to find peace for a long time."

Wang Chongyang said, “If the Arhat has any difficulties, he can tell me, and I will answer him. However, my cultivation is shallow, and what I say is only one person’s opinion. If there is any mistake, please forgive me, Arhat.”

The Arhat Subduing Dragon then told Wang Chongyang all the confusion in his heart.

(End of this chapter)