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

Chapter 432 Treat others with courtesy, and they will surely treat you with courtesy in return.

On the Tang River, Sun Wukong stirred up the wind and wielded his staff, causing the river to overflow. The evil dragon could no longer bear it, and carrying its weapon, it charged at Sun Wukong, wanting to see this 'monk'.

When Sun Wukong saw the evil dragon come ashore, he took a closer look and saw that the evil dragon was several feet long, covered with black armor, the armor blades were gleaming and the black light flowed, like dragon scales growing upside down. It wore a silk veil on its shoulders, which was soaked with resentment and evil spirits, and a foul wind was blowing. Its head was as big as a bucket, and its eyes were as big as a bull's. Its claws held a black iron spear that was twelve feet long. The black iron was covered with frost and was heavier than a tripod. It was truly an evil dragon.

The evil dragon was also observing Sun Wukong. Upon closer inspection, it was astonished to find that he was not a monk at all. His demeanor was that of a deity. His posture was so natural that it was impossible for a monk to speak.

That little demon has ruined me!

The evil dragon harbored resentment, but the arrow was already on the bowstring and had to be released. He could only raise his black iron spear and curse, "Who is that monk? Why does he dare to offend my Bai Tang River!"

Sun Wukong coldly asked, "So you are the River-Turning Grand Duke?"

The evil dragon said, "I am the River-Turning Grand Duke! And who are you!"

Sun Wukong did not answer, but asked instead, "Why did you not answer when I called you? Did you only show yourself when I stirred up this filthy water with my staff?"

The evil dragon said, "I have no grudge against you in the past or any enmity with you recently. You did not present a formal invitation when you came, but you called out to me, so why should I show myself? What kind of logic is this?"

Sun Wukong said, "As you say, I must present a formal letter of introduction before I can see you?"

The evil dragon said, "Of course. How can I tell that you are wearing a cassock and have spiritual energy? You are a Buddhist master. You don't even know such etiquette? If you didn't have an invitation, you could have just called me and I would have come to see you. Wouldn't I have to see many people every day?"

Sun Wukong cursed, "You wicked man, how dare you speak so arrogantly! Do you need me to give you a formal letter of introduction? I'll give you one right now, and let's see if you can handle it."

Say it.

Sun Wukong put away his golden cudgel, plucked two hairs, blew them forward, and they turned into paper and a writing brush. He then dipped the brush in his tongue and began to write on the paper.

But the inscription he wrote, "The Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong, pays his respects to the wicked demon who calls himself 'The River-Turning Tyrant,'" was known to him.

You mudfish at the bottom of the water, you turtle in the cave! Hundreds of years ago, when I, Old Sun, wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, even the Jade Emperor and his 100,000 heavenly soldiers couldn't get away with it under my golden cudgel. All the gods and Buddhas in the heavens, upon seeing my name, "Great Sage Equal to Heaven," had to give me some face. Who would have thought that today I'd have to "pay homage" to you, you cowardly, shady "Grand Duke" who only stirs up trouble in those three inches of muddy water? How laughable! How laughable! Truly laughable!

I've heard that you have quite the grand entourage! You have wreaked havoc in the human world for a long time, devouring living people, and fled to Beiju Luzhou. Now you have returned to the human world, stirring up trouble on the Baitang River, treating the living beings on both banks as worthless weeds. However, in terms of your methods, you seem to have some resemblance to the Jinghe Dragon King who suffered the plague back then. You should go to the Yellow Springs with him.

Back in the day, on my journey to the West, which of the dragons I subdued, tigers I tamed, monsters I captured, and demons I seized wasn't more famous than you? Which of them wasn't more powerful than you? Even the three kings of the Lion Camel Kingdom were subdued by me. You, a filthy water monster, hiding in a stinking ditch, stirring up some minor waves, bullying ordinary people, local gods, and mountain spirits, think you can be king and tyrant, worthy of my "bowing"?

Now that this "visiting letter" has arrived, you'd better hold it tight! Carefully weigh it; do you think your few rotten scales can withstand the weight of even a single hair of mine, Old Sun?

If you have any self-awareness, surrender as soon as possible, forgive the people, and don't say you weren't warned!

Your maternal grandfather, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, sends his greetings!

After Sun Wukong finished writing the visiting card, he gently tossed it towards the evil dragon.

The invitation card landed in the hands of the evil dragon. When the dragon reached out to catch it, it almost lost its grip and had to use all its strength to hold onto the card.

The evil dragon was secretly alarmed and said, "This fellow has great strength. How can a piece of paper in his hand be like a mountain? Fortunately, I have the strength to carry a mountain. Otherwise, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to catch his invitation."

The evil dragon caught the visiting card, and upon closer inspection, he was terrified. His hand trembled, and the visiting card fell into the Baitang River.

The evil dragon panicked and asked, "Are you the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong?"

Sun Wukong said, "It is indeed your maternal grandfather."

The evil dragon said tremblingly, "I heard that you returned to Lingtai Fangcun Mountain after successfully obtaining the scriptures from the Western Paradise, and guarded the main road to the west for many years. Why have you come to the human world now?"

Sun Wukong cursed, "You wicked demon, do I need to tell you where I'm going? You've been causing trouble for so long, and if I find out, I will not let you off! Come and face your death!"

The evil dragon said, "Although I have done evil, I have never offended you. How can you say that you want to subdue me? I have no grudge against you."

Sun Wukong said, "But you have done evil, and everyone has the right to kill you. Even disregarding that, who can say that you have no grudge against me?"

The evil dragon said, "When have I ever had any grudge against you? Tell me!"

Sun Wukong said, "You have been living in Baitang River. Do you really think others don't know what you are doing there? You are living in Baitang River, but you are also living in the Divine Cauldron! This Divine Cauldron is one of the nine cauldrons cast by King Yu in the past, which carries the fortune of the nine provinces."

The evil dragon was startled. It had never imagined that Sun Wukong knew about the divine cauldron at the bottom of the White Tang River. It naturally wanted to steal the cauldron to help it transform into a dragon. Now that Sun Wukong knew, it feared that this matter would not end well.

He panicked and said, "This divine cauldron is an unclaimed object; it will naturally be obtained by someone destined to possess it. How could you speak of this matter and thus incur my wrath?"

Sun Wukong laughed loudly and said, "These nine cauldrons were originally ownerless, but when they were ownerless, they were hidden in the mortal world, and even all the gods and Buddhas in the heavens could not find them. Now that the nine cauldrons have an owner, they often appear in the world. Only when their energy resonates with their owner can you, a wicked demon, see them. Do you really think you are destined to obtain the divine cauldrons? That is utter nonsense!"

"If the Nine Cauldrons were truly worth taking, you would think that all the gods and Buddhas in the heavens would not see such a treasure, and that it would be up to a little demon like you to steal it. You are truly ignorant and fearless."

The evil dragon asked, "Since you say that the Divine Cauldron has an owner, can you tell me who this owner of the Divine Cauldron is?"

Sun Wukong said, "Listen carefully! The current master of the Nine Cauldrons is none other than the Guangxin Zhenren of the Xieyue Sanxing Cave on Lingtai Fangcun Mountain in Xiniu Hezhou!"

Upon hearing the name of the True Man, the evil dragon was shaken and struck by lightning. He lost all his former arrogance and said in fear, "I did not know that this was the True Man's treasure! Now that I know this treasure belongs to the True Man, I dare not steal it. I will leave now."

Sun Wukong cursed, "You wicked demon, you come and go as you please! You have committed countless evils. Even if you hadn't stolen the Divine Cauldron, if I were to encounter you, I would not spare you! Surrender now, or I will surely kill you!"

The evil dragon was furious when it saw that Sun Wukong would not spare it. However, how could it dare to challenge Sun Wukong? It pretended to thrust its spear, which startled Sun Wukong, who drew his golden cudgel to fight it. But the dragon made a feint and then turned and fled, not daring to stay there for long.

How could he dare to fight against the already famous Monkey King?

Seeing the evil dragon escape, Sun Wukong was furious and exclaimed, "You wicked demon, how dare you play tricks on me like this! I won't let you get away with this!"

Say it.

Sun Wukong charged fiercely at the evil dragon, but in one leap, he caught up and swung his golden cudgel. The evil dragon rolled away, dodging Sun Wukong's blow, but the cudgel struck the ground with earth-shaking force, its power overwhelming.

The evil dragon roared, "I truly have no intention of fighting you! Why do you want to kill me!"

Sun Wukong remained silent, then swung his staff and struck, displaying an imposing manner that seemed intent on killing the evil dragon on the spot.

Enraged, the evil dragon brandished its spear and engaged Sun Wukong in battle.

The Ruyi Jingu Bang (Golden Cudgel) and the Xuan Tie Heishu Spear (Black Frost Spear) are a divine treasure for stabilizing the seas and a weapon of evil demons that harms people. Now they come to fight. The Great Sage's strength is enough to support the seas, and even the evil dragon cannot lift mountains. After a battle, the outcome will be clear. The Great Sage will subdue the demons and make gods and ghosts submit.

After fighting for more than five rounds, Sun Wukong struck down with his staff, causing the evil dragon's mouth to go numb and its black iron spear to fall from its hand. How could it possibly be a match for the Great Sage?

The Great Sage knocked the weapon away with one blow, and was about to strike again, heading towards the demonic spirit.

The evil dragon was terrified and tried to escape, but it opened its mouth and spewed out a black mist that hit Sun Wukong squarely.

Sun Wukong had the black mist wrap around his face, temporarily blinding him. By the time he dispersed the black mist, the evil dragon, Fanjiang Taisui, had already fled.

Sun Wukong cursed, "You wicked demon, you're not very capable, you only know some evil tricks! I'll see how you escape!"

He swung his golden cudgel and chased after them at a leisurely pace.

……

Meanwhile, the evil dragon escaped, terrified.

When the evil dragon escaped from the clouds, he looked at the man's hands and saw that they were limp and hanging helplessly at his sides, indicating that he had exhausted his strength. He was secretly alarmed and said, "This Great Sage Equaling Heaven is indeed a formidable opponent. He is truly remarkable! I have only managed to escape from his grasp by chance. I must not fight him again! I should flee to Beiju Luzhou and cultivate in seclusion."

The evil dragon was pondering future matters when he suddenly remembered his usurpation of the divine cauldron. He had offended the True Man Guangxin, whose reputation was far greater than that of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven. He had heard that this fellow had subdued the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, vanquished demons in Beiju Luzhou, and even fought against the Buddha Tathagata of Mount Ling. His fame was immense.

He had offended this person, so he had to think of a way to escape. Otherwise, if he were captured, he would surely die, and it would be impossible for him to escape from the hands of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven like this today.

As the evil dragon pondered, it suddenly burst into laughter and said, "Now that I have escaped from the clutches of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, I will surely become famous throughout the world. If they fight me in the future, I will tell them that I once fought the Great Sage Equaling Heaven and escaped undefeated. This will surely make people's hearts flutter and leave them powerless to fight me."

Just as the evil dragon was about to leave, a huge mountain suddenly descended from the sky and pressed down on him.

As the evil dragon sect pressed down, his body fell uncontrollably into a mountain. When he looked up, he suddenly saw that all around him were local earth gods and mountain spirits.

A group of local earth gods and mountain spirits surrounded the evil dragon, each displaying their supernatural powers to prevent its escape, saying, "We are here on the orders of Master Zhengyuan to capture you! You River-Turning Tyrant, why don't you surrender at once!"

The evil dragon panicked and exclaimed, "Master Zhengyuan? Who is that? I have no grudge against him, why are you here to capture me!"

Among the local earth and mountain gods, one dressed in ceremonial robes emerged, surrounded by his retinue; this was Zuo Liang.

Zuo Liang said, "I am Zheng Yuan, the second disciple of Guangxin Zhenren of Xiniu Hezhou. The Great Sage Equal to Heaven is my uncle."

Upon hearing this, how could the evil dragon not understand Zuo Liang's intentions? His eyes flashed with ferocity. He could hardly defeat the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, but this old man had gathered a group of local gods and mountain spirits. How could he possibly lose?

But if he kills this old man first, he will surely cause chaos among these local gods and mountain spirits. Then he can take the opportunity to escape. If he doesn't leave for a long time, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven will probably come, and he will have no chance to escape.

The evil dragon said, "Old man, since you dare to come and capture me, I'll teach you a lesson about the power of the River-Turning Grand Duke!"

The evil dragon did not want to talk to Zuo Liang any longer, so it suddenly pounced on Zuo Liang, intending to kill him.

The local earth gods and mountain spirits were terrified and tried to stop him, but the evil dragon ignored them and pounced on Zuo Liang.

Upon seeing this, Zuo Liang smiled slightly, took out the Heavenly Ruler, pointed it at the dragon, and suddenly a bolt of lightning struck down, hitting the evil dragon directly.

The evil dragon roared and howled, attracting the thunderbolts that struck it, causing it to fall to the ground, unable to get close. Looking at the Heavenly Ruler, it knew its divine power and recognized it as the Heavenly Ruler, protected by the Heavenly Ruler True Lord. If it were to get close, it might not be able to hurt Zuo Liang, but would instead force the Heavenly Ruler True Lord to come and protect him, making it even more impossible for Zuo Liang to escape. Panicked, it dared not fight any longer and fled outside.

"You wicked devil, I taught you to escape for a while, but how do you plan to escape now? Take this from my staff!"

Suddenly a sound came, and a staff struck down from the clouds, hitting the head of the evil dragon. It was Sun Wukong who had arrived.

How could the evil dragon survive such a blow? It was a blow that would surely break its brain.

Sun Wukong saw this and laughed, "This fellow is so weak. I held back three-tenths of my strength, but I still managed to knock his brain out! If his brain hadn't been knocked out, I could have taken a few coins and gotten some ointment to treat him."

Zuo Liang stepped forward and bowed. Upon hearing his words, he smiled bitterly and said, "What are you saying, Uncle-Master? That ointment can cure sores and swellings, but if you hit someone with your stick, even if their head isn't blown out, there will still be a hole. How can an ointment cure a hole?"

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "That's too easy for him. He's made me kill him so easily. Nephew, did this fellow hurt you? If he did, I would have no face to see my senior brother."

Zuo Liang said, "Uncle-Master, I was not injured by it. Please rest assured, Uncle-Master. I have the Heavenly Ruler to protect me. Such evil spirits will never be able to get close to me."

Sun Wukong examined the Heavenly Canopy Ruler carefully, nodded, and said, "I was worrying too much. With this Heavenly Canopy Ruler, you can be protected from harm."

Zuo Liang said, "Uncle-Master, now that we have killed this fellow, we should go and retrieve the Jing Cauldron and return it to Master."

Sun Wukong said, "That is indeed the case."

Zuo Liang then bowed to the local earth gods and mountain gods of the four directions, expressing his gratitude for their help in trapping the evil dragon, and promising to offer incense in the future.

The local earth god and mountain god both said they dared not, and then left.

Zuo Liang saw off the local earth gods and mountain gods one by one. Only after seeing them off did he turn around and travel with Sun Wukong to return to Baitang River and go to obtain the Jingding.

Sun Wukong watched with a smile as Zuo Liang saw off the local earth god. He knew that the earth god worshipped Zuo Liang so much for two reasons: first, because of the Five Thunder Orthodox Method, and second, because of Zuo Liang's courtesy. If you treat people with courtesy, they will surely treat you with courtesy in return.

(End of this chapter)