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

Chapter 431 Human Sects: The Overturning River Grand Duke
Meanwhile, Sun Wukong arrived at Zuo Liang's residence in Jingzhou and spoke with Zuo Liang in the main hall. Sun Wukong knew that Zuo Liang had already established himself in the human world, so he asked him if he knew about the various sects and factions in the human world. He wanted to know from this how deeply rooted Zuo Liang was in the human world.

Upon hearing Sun Wukong's question, Zuo Liang naturally answered, saying, "What does Uncle-Master wish to know? There are countless sects and schools in the human world, as numerous as hairs on a cow. Would you like to hear about Taoism or Buddhism?"

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Let's hear about the Taoists first. I know there are countless sects in the human world. Just tell me about some of the more famous ones."

Zuo Liang bowed and said, "If we are talking about the most famous Taoist sects, we should focus on the 'Three Mountains,' namely Longhu Mountain, which was passed down by Zhang Daoling; Maoshan, which was passed down by Tao Hongjing; and Gezao Mountain, which was passed down by Ge Xuan. In addition, there are many newly emerging sects that have gained fame, such as Shenxiao Sect, Tianxin Sect, Donghua Sect, Jingming Sect, and the disciples left behind by my senior brother in the mortal world. Recently, there has been talk of integrating them into a sect called 'Quanzhen Sect.' I have spoken with one of them, and his cultivation is quite good."

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "In that case, you can tell me about Buddhism and other such things."

Zuo Liang replied, “Uncle-Master, if we’re talking about the most prestigious schools of Buddhism, most of them follow the Chan school that Master taught. The most prestigious ones are none other than the Linji, Yunmen, Caodong, Fayan, and Weiyang schools. The Nirvana Dharma is rarely seen in the human world these days. I’ve heard that there seems to be a lineage of it in the Yongzhou area, but I don’t know the specifics.”

Sun Wukong exclaimed, "Zhengyuan, you have truly taken root in the mortal realm. You could be the patriarch of a sect."

Zuo Liang means "I dare not accept such praise".

Sun Wukong smiled and said nothing more, but instead explained to Zuo Liangyan why he had come here.

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang said, "Since it is Master's decree, I shall go. Please wait here for a while, Uncle. I will pack up and go with you to retrieve the Jing Cauldron."

Sun Wukong said, “But there’s no need to rush. Let’s rest here for a while before we go. My nephew might find me too uncouth and refuse to let me rest here.”

Zuo Liang said helplessly, "Uncle, what are you saying? It is my good fortune that you are able to stay at my residence. It makes my humble abode shine. I will not dare to say a word if you are willing to stay here for as many days as you like."

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "I won't play tricks on you. I'll rest in your mansion so you can go and gather some information. Once we have news, it won't be too late for us to go out and search for the Jingding."

Zuo Liang asked, "What information does Uncle-Master wish to inquire about?"

Sun Wukong said, “My eldest brother once said that Jingzhou is located in the Baitang River, where the Jingzhou Cauldron is located. However, there are changes in the cauldron. I suspect that there must be changes in the Baitang River, so I will send you to find out the news. Once we have news, we will go and retrieve the Jingzhou Cauldron.”

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang immediately understood and made a note of the matter. He said, "Please wait here for a while, Uncle-Master. I will go and inquire about the situation here. Once I have news, I will come back and tell you."

Sun Wukong stopped Zuo Liang and asked, "Nephew, don't be in such a hurry. Tell me, how do you plan to find out about the White Tang River?"

Zuo Liang pondered for a moment and replied, "Uncle-Master, I intend to send some disciples to the Bai Tang River area to gather information. I will also instruct the local earth gods and mountain spirits to ask them for clarification. This combination of covert and overt methods will surely allow us to gather information and understand the affairs of the Bai Tang River."

Sun Wukong nodded and said, "That's very good. Nephew Zhengyuan, you may go."

Zuo Liang accepted the order and left. As soon as he left the main hall, he sent someone to fetch Bai Tangjiang. Then he went to the altar in the mansion to invite the local earth gods and mountain gods to come and ask them about Bai Tangjiang.

……

Several hours later, Zuo Liang went into the main hall again to meet Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong asked him about it and learned the truth.

Zuo Liang replied, "Uncle-Master, I sent someone to Baitang River and asked the local earth god and mountain god. They said that recently there has been an evil dragon causing trouble in the Baitang River area of ​​Jingzhou."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong asked again, "What is the origin of that evil dragon?"

Zuo Liang said, “Uncle-Master, a local deity said that the evil dragon came from Beiju Luzhou. In the past, this dragon was a snake. Because it devoured many living people in Nanzhanbuzhou, it became a dragon and called itself the River-Turning Grand Duke. At that time, it ate so many living people that the local deities and mountain gods surrounded and attacked it. It fled to Beiju Luzhou and has not appeared for a long time. Recently, it seems that it is about to transform into a dragon. However, it has committed many evil deeds for a long time. How can it successfully transform into a dragon? Therefore, it entered Nanzhanbuzhou to devour living people. However, I heard from the local deity that the evil dragon seems to have found a treasure in Baitang River and then occupied Baitang River and caused trouble in the area.”

Sun Wukong scratched his head and said, "This so-called Jiang Tai Sui must have found the Jingzhou Cauldron in the Baitang River and wants to use it to transform into a dragon and wash away his sins."

Zuo Liang asked, "Uncle-Master, the Jingzhou Cauldron is a divine object, a divine cauldron. How could it be used by that evil dragon?"

Sun Wukong said, "We know this, but how could that evil dragon know it? It must think that this divine cauldron can be used by it."

Zuo Liang said, "Uncle-Master, now that we know, what should we do?"

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Now that things are clear, we should go and subdue him and obtain the Jing Cauldron. Nephew, when you asked him about his origins, did you manage to find out what kind of dragon that evil dragon was?"

Zuo Liang replied, "Uncle-Master, it is a black dragon, which is a water dragon."

Sun Wukong said, "If it is a water dragon, it will be easy to subdue. I have my senior brother Yu Ding, which is the best at restraining water. If the black dragon shows itself, it will be difficult to defeat it."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang suddenly realized that if he had the Yu Ding in his hand, it would indeed be as Sun Wukong said, that the evil dragon could be easily subdued. He was well aware of the divine power of the Nine Ding.

He bowed and said, "In that case, we must ask our uncle to display his divine power to subdue the evil dragon."

Sun Wukong said, "That evil dragon will not escape my grasp. However, I must ask my junior brother to lead the local earth gods and mountain gods to set up a net that can catch the dragon if it tries to escape."

Zuo Liang said, "Please rest assured, Uncle-Master. I will definitely have the local mountain god waiting outside. If that evil dragon really escapes, I will stop it."

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "In that case, nephew, you should prepare yourself and come with me to deal with that fellow."

Zuo Liang responded and went to make preparations. As soon as he left the main hall, he instructed some of his attendants to go and collect some items for setting up the altar.

The attendants responded immediately.

Then a follower asked, "Sir, where are you going now? Could you tell us? We are a little worried about you."

Zuo Liang laughed and said, "I have heard that there is an evil dragon causing trouble in the Bai Tang River in Jingzhou. Now that my uncle has arrived, I should go with him to subdue the evil dragon and bring peace to the Bai Tang River area. Therefore, I will take the altar and go there."

Upon hearing this, the attendants all responded, expressing their desire to go with Zuo Liang to subdue the demons.

Zuo Liang said, "You are all medical practitioners, how can you subdue demons? Just stay in the manor and wait quietly, there is no need to come with me."

One of the attendants replied, “We are all medical practitioners, but many of our fellow disciples are skilled in exorcising demons and monsters. We may accompany you, sir.”

Then, those who had learned how to subdue demons and monsters came forward, saying they were willing to go with Zuo Liang to subdue evil spirits together. Zuo Liang originally only taught medicine in the mansion, but then he taught those harmed by demons and monsters to go up the mountain, willing to learn the art of subduing demons and monsters to subdue the demons of the world and restore peace to the people. Therefore, Zuo Liang later also passed on his skills in subduing demons and monsters and had followers.

Upon hearing what his followers said, Zuo Liang felt helpless and shook his head with a smile, saying, "If you are not afraid, then come with me. But I can tell you beforehand that the evil dragon is no ordinary creature. If you are frightened, don't blame me."

The attendants laughed and said they were not afraid, and then asked to travel with Zuo Liang.

Zuo Liang smiled and replied, without saying anything more.

After his servants had prepared the items for the altar, he went to the main hall and told Sun Wukong that everything was ready.

The group then descended the mountain and headed towards the Baitang River. Sun Wukong saw Zuo Liang leading a group of disciples, but he didn't say much. He simply instructed Zuo Liang to take good care of these disciples.

In less than half an hour, the group entered Nanyang County and approached the Baitang River area.

As soon as they approached the place, they were hit by a pungent, fishy stench.

Many of the attendants found the stench unbearable, and some even vomited.

Zuo Liang laughed and said, "I told you all not to come, but you insisted on coming anyway. Now you haven't even seen the main character yet, and this is what happened."

One of the attendants whispered, "Sir, we really didn't know there was such a stench here, and we don't know where this stench comes from."

Sun Wukong, standing to the side, laughed and said, "This stench must be the smell of that evil dragon's body."

The attendant bowed to Sun Wukong and asked, "Senior, why does the dragon have such a foul odor?"

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "This is common, what's so confusing? But there are many records of this in the human world. I once read a book called 'Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang,' which says, 'The dragon is shaped like a snake with four legs, a thin neck, and a white fin on its neck... The larger ones are several spans in circumference. They lay eggs, and the eggs are the size of one or two bushels of earth, and can swallow people... Their smell is foul.' This is what is meant by the dragon. Furthermore, it is said that this kind of thing cannot be considered a dragon; it is an evil dragon with no hope of becoming a dragon."

A follower muttered, "We haven't even reached the White Tang River yet, and we're still quite far away, but the stench is already overwhelming. That's enough to show how powerful this evil dragon is. Luckily, it hasn't transformed into a dragon yet. If it had, who in the world could subdue it?"

Sun Wukong said, "Don't say that. So what if that fellow has transformed into a dragon? It's very easy for me to subdue him."

As he spoke, he looked at Zuo Liang beside him and said, "Nephew, this place is a bit far from the Bai Tang River, but it's just right to set up an altar here. I'll go ahead and observe that fellow's abilities. If he doesn't have much skill, I'll subdue him. If he manages to escape, I'll ask you to stop him."

Zuo Liang said, "That's how it should be. Please rest assured, Uncle-Master. If that evil dragon really escapes, I will definitely stop it and not give it a chance to escape."

Sun Wukong said no more, and with a gust of wind, headed towards the Baitang River.

When the group of followers saw Sun Wukong's ability to manipulate the wind, they all shouted and were quite surprised.

Zuo Liang repeatedly scolded him before finally calming him down.

……

As Sun Wukong rode the wind to the Baitang River, he looked out at the river and saw that its water was as black as ink, its bottom unseen. A white mist, carrying a fishy smell, permeated the river surface, a sign that a dragon was present there.

Sun Wukong rode the wind and shouted down, "You River-Turning Tyrant, show yourself at once!"

Sun Wukong called out, but there was no response from the river. He waited in the wind for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, but the river still did not move.

How could Sun Wukong not understand such a scene? It was because the evil dragon of the river didn't want to pay attention to him. He was a little annoyed, so he pulled out the golden cudgel from his ear, said "Grow," and it took the shape of a sea god's treasure, more than a hundred feet long. He swung the golden cudgel and plunged it into the river, stirring it up.

Sun Wukong cursed, "You evil dragon, show yourself at once! If you don't show yourself, don't blame me for overturning your entire river!"

Sun Wukong kept stirring up the rivers, trying to force out the evil dragon.

Meanwhile, down the Baitang River, the evil dragon cast a spell, transforming into an ugly man with eyes like an ox, staring at a cauldron in front of him.

The cauldron sank to the bottom of the river, its radiance subdued and unremarkable, yet occasionally flashes of multicolored light would appear, surprising all who saw them.

The evil dragon glared at the cauldron, constantly tugging at the shrimp and crab demons beside it, saying, "You, you, you! Hurry up and lift the cauldron!"

The lesser demons he pointed at were terrified and dared not step forward.

The evil dragon stepped forward, grabbed the little demon, and threw him in front of the Divine Cauldron.

However, any lesser demons that approached the divine cauldron would be struck by the five-colored light and perish on the spot. As a result, more than a hundred lesser demons died in front of the divine cauldron.

Here, the evil dragon forcibly seized the lesser demons and threw them away. How could the remaining lesser demons dare to stay here any longer? They were all panicked and fled in all directions. Even though the evil dragon was there to intimidate them, they ignored it.

The evil dragon cursed, "You useless lot, how dare you try to escape! Come here right now! If you dare to escape again, I will definitely catch you and cook you alive."

Unexpectedly, those little demons did not listen to what he said and continued to flee in all directions.

The evil dragon turned to chase after the lesser demons, but before he could catch up, he suddenly felt the river overflow and the earth shake, almost causing him to fall. He quickly summoned two or three of his trusted men to ask what had happened.

The two or three demons hurriedly inquired and returned shortly afterward, replying, "Your Majesty, there is a hairy-faced, thunder-mouthed monk outside, wearing a cassock, wielding a stick, stirring up the river water, telling Your Majesty to go out and face death."

Upon hearing this, the evil dragon flew into a rage and said, "Where did this monk come from? How dare he be so rude! I have never heard of any monk with a hairy face and a thunderous mouth in the human world. When did any human sect produce such a person who dares to come here and teach me to die! I will definitely teach him a lesson about the power of the River-Turning Grand Duke! Men, bring me my black iron spear, and watch me kill him and then intimidate this little demon in the river!"

Two or three demons then took off their armor and weapons and offered them to the evil dragon.

Once the evil dragon was armed, it went out to confront the monk outside the river. It had some affinity with the Dharma and had heard some of the Buddha's teachings before, so it had some knowledge of Buddhism and was not afraid of it. Now that it knew that a monk was coming, it was not afraid at all.

(End of this chapter)