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

Chapter 436 Pigsy Suffers Disaster, True Man Appears

Meanwhile, in a small path in Xiniu Hezhou, Pigsy and the wolf demon and a host of lesser demons from the Chenxiang Sect surrounded Pigsy and the other two, relentlessly attacking to capture them.

Pigsy originally intended to lead Chenxiang to break through the encirclement, but the wolf demon was a skilled soldier who had somehow learned some military formations and commanded them with great skill, trapping the two of them and giving them no chance to escape.

With a single swing of his axe, Chenxiang sent the surrounding demons scattering, daring not to approach. He was panting heavily, his strength waning; after all, he was not a being of immense strength, and a prolonged battle would surely bring him difficulties.

Pigsy, standing beside him, asked, "Chenxiang, are you hurt?"

Chenxiang shook his head and said, “Sir, I have not been injured. Please rest assured. However, judging from the current situation, the two of us may not be able to escape. These little demons are good at setting up formations and there are no flaws. Why don’t you leave first and I will cover your retreat? If you are alone, you will definitely be able to escape.”

Pigsy scolded, "Chenxiang, you mustn't say such things! But since I'm speaking to the master and will protect you this time, I can't let you be hurt by the monster! Just watch, I'll definitely lead you out of the encirclement."

Say it.

Pigsy, enraged, disregarded the weapons of the lesser demons, wielded his nine-toothed rake, and fought desperately to kill his way out.

The lesser demons were all intimidated by Pigsy's fierceness, and their morale was dampened. They actually allowed Pigsy to charge forward, seemingly poised to break through the encirclement.

Upon seeing this, the wolf demon roared, "Don't let Pigsy escape! Whoever can capture Pigsy will become the 'second-in-command' of my household, and all the money and meat in the household will be at his disposal!"

Upon receiving the order, all the little demons were invigorated and formed a battle formation regardless of their own lives, intending to surround Pigsy. No matter how Pigsy charged left and right in the formation, he could not escape.

Seeing that Zhu Bajie was covered in wounds and too weak to hold the axe, Chenxiang gasped, "Sir! Don't go any further! Don't go any further! Just leave on your own and don't worry about me!"

Pigsy swung his nine-toothed rake, killing the demons that blocked his way. He turned around and said, "Now that I have received the decree, I will fight to the death! In the past, when I and Monkey King went on our journey to the West, we encountered demons and were able to retreat, letting Monkey King fight them in front. Now I want to do the same as Monkey King and fight them in front! I will not retreat today!"

Pigsy, filled with fighting spirit, regained his power. Now that they met, he displayed three-tenths of the might of Marshal Tianpeng. Suddenly, he uttered a spell, summoning a whirlwind that forced back the horde of lesser demons gathered in front of him. Then, he swung his nine-toothed rake and charged forward to fight.

Seeing that the little demon was really difficult to surround, the wolf demon sneered inwardly, thinking, "There is a saying that 'a wild boar is hard to catch,' and this is exactly the case. However, it has finally exhausted its strength and can no longer continue. I should take action myself to deal with this fellow, otherwise it would be my fault if it escapes."

Think about it.

The wolf demon drew his sword and entered the battle, heading straight for where Pigsy was.

When Pigsy saw the wolf demon coming in person, he immediately sensed something was wrong. He made a hand seal and transformed into a giant pig. This giant pig was incredibly majestic, truly a creature with "a long snout, short hair, and half-fat, a black face with ringed eyes like the sun and moon, a round head and large ears like banana leaves. It had cultivated bones as strong as the heavens and lived as long as heaven, forged a rough hide as tough as iron, four white hooves a thousand feet tall, and a mane a hundred feet long."

When the wolf demon saw that Pigsy had revealed his true form, he knew that Pigsy had used up all his tricks. However, he did not confront Pigsy head-on. Instead, he waited for the lesser demons to surround him and wear Pigsy down. Once Pigsy had exhausted his remaining strength, he would then advance.

Pigsy rummaged around in all directions, killing countless lesser demons, but eventually he was exhausted and revealed his true form. He swung his nine-toothed rake, ready to fight again, but unexpectedly, a wolf demon suddenly pounced and attacked Pigsy.

Pigsy was caught off guard and had his nine-toothed rake knocked from his hand. Then, some lesser demons rushed up and captured him.

When Chenxiang saw that Zhu Bajie had been captured by the little demons, he was shocked and wanted to go forward to rescue him. However, there were so many little demons around that he could not get through. After killing two little demons, he was surrounded and captured by many more.

The wolf demon seized both of them, laughing incessantly, and said, "My little ones, come with me home. Today we'll prepare a whole pig feast!"

All the lesser demons obeyed the order and escorted the wolf demon away.

……

Meanwhile, in the cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars, in the quiet room of the immortal, Jiang Yuan sat cross-legged on a futon. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and sensed something in his heart. He felt helpless, never expecting that Pigsy would still make a mistake.

The troubles that Pigsy and Chenxiang are facing are precisely because they have forced him to take action, thus fulfilling his destiny.

Jiang Yuan sighed, "Bajie, if you had truly followed the main road to the west, you would have been safe. But you chose to take the side road, and you can't blame anyone else for that."

He is currently cultivating and cannot move lightly, so he cannot go to rescue him. However, if he does not go to rescue Zhu Bajie, it will delay Sun Wukong's place. All of this is a sign that he should go out.

Jiang Yuan said, "This calamity is of little consequence to me."

Say it.

He was the one who summoned the mansion to see him, and invited him to come and meet him.

Upon receiving the summons from the True Man, he came forth to meet Jiang Yuan.

It is true that one's voice arrives before one's person does.

"The long night seems to have passed in a flash, the stars have shifted, the floating clouds pass by without touching my clothes. The pine waves roll over the old mossy rocks, and a pillow of mist and haze is rare for eternity."

"Senior Brother, Junior Brother has arrived."

As the sound faded, Zhenjian walked to the front of the quiet room. The leaf fan he used to hold was gone. He smiled and exuded a profound sense of Zen.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Junior brother, since you've arrived, just come in. There's no need to wait at the door."

Zhenjian said, "I fear this is impolite and I fear my senior brother will punish me. Now that I have heard what my senior brother has said, I shall enter."

Say it.

Zhenjian entered, sat upright on the futon, not cross-legged, but casually on the futon.

Jiang Yuanchao glanced at Zhenjian and was somewhat surprised. He said, "Junior brother, why is the leaf fan no longer there? I remember you used to always carry that leaf fan, but not anymore."

Zhen Jian laughed and said, "Now that we don't need leaf fans to keep us alive, I haven't carried one with me."

Jiang Yuan asked, "What do you mean by this?"

Zhenjian said, “I used to carry a leaf fan with me to remind myself not to repeat the mistakes of the past. Being blinded by a leaf was enough once. But now, the leaf fan is no longer effective in reminding me, so there is no need to carry it.”

Jiang Yuan said, "Now that you've gained something, Junior Brother, could you tell me about it in detail?"

Zhen Jian laughed and said, "If a person can see, they will not be blinded by a single leaf; if a person cannot see, even without a leaf, they will be blinded. That's all."

Jiang Yuan pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Junior Brother's skills have improved considerably, far surpassing what they were in the past."

Zhenjian said, "My cultivation is shallow, and I dare not claim to have made progress, lest I be accused of showing off. I hope my senior brother will forgive me."

Jiang Yuan shook her head and smiled, "That's not a good way to put it, but you absolutely shouldn't say it like that."

Zhenjian replied, "I have not yet asked why my senior brother has summoned me here."

Jiang Yuan said, "There is indeed a matter that requires Junior Brother to go and take action. I just don't know if Junior Brother is willing to do so."

Zhen Jian smiled and said, "It is my honor to be able to help you, Senior Brother. Now, please tell me what's going on." Jiang Yuan then told Zhen Jian about many things, including Sun Wukong searching for the cauldron on Zuo Liang's side and Zhu Bajie being captured by Chen Xiang.

Upon hearing this, Zhenjian said, "This is the tribulation of our senior brother, a minor tribulation, yet it attempts to disrupt your cultivation."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Just as Junior Brother said, that's why I had no choice but to go out."

Zhenjian said, "Senior Brother, do not worry. With Junior Brother's help, everything will be fine. Junior Brother will go there now to rescue Zhu Bajie and Chenxiang, and then rush to Junior Brother Wukong's place."

Jiang Yuan bowed and said, "With Junior Brother in charge, I can rest assured. I will trouble you here."

Zhen Jian hurriedly returned the greeting, saying, "I dare not accept such courtesy from you, Senior Brother. In the past, you helped me for a long time and helped me achieve my goals. Even when I was blinded by a leaf, it was thanks to your help in the opportunity to attain enlightenment. Now that you are about to achieve great power, I will do my best to help you."

Jiang Yuan said, "In that case, I'll trouble you, Junior Brother."

Zhenjian said, "Senior Brother, there's no need for such words. I shall go now."

Say it.

After Zhenjian asked Jiang Yuan where Zhu Bajie and the others were, he left the mansion and rode a cloud to that place.

Jiang Yuan looked towards Zhenjian and knew that with Zhenjian going, the matter would surely be settled, and he could rest assured. He had witnessed Zhenjian's cultivation and knew how advanced it was.

Just as Jiang Yuan was about to close the door, he suddenly saw the Patriarch walk into his room.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Yuan immediately bowed and paid homage to the patriarch.

The patriarch waved his hand and said, "No need for formalities."

Jiang Yuan invited the patriarch to take a seat.

The patriarch then allowed him to sit down and asked, "Did you truly see it now?"

Jiang Yuan laughed and said, "What are you saying, Master? Junior Brother just came out of my room, how could I not have seen him?"

The patriarch took the ruler from beside Jiang Yuan's table, gently tapped Jiang Yuan's crown, and said, "Don't be naughty. Just answer. Now that you've seen the truth, do you think your cultivation is progressing well?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan replied, "Master, I can now see that my junior brother's cultivation is truly remarkable, far surpassing what he used to be. From what I can see, he has embarked on the main path, though it is a side path, his demeanor is outstanding."

The patriarch said, "What about your true insight from years ago?"

Jiang Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "All five poisons are present."

The Patriarch smiled and said, “Indeed, the true vision of the past was full of the five poisons, but he gained the Dao heart between life and death and eventually achieved something. I will tell you here that after you establish your own academy in the future, the affairs of your disciples will be entirely up to you. You should not interfere too much. Life and death are in your own hands.”

Jiang Yuan understood what the patriarch meant and bowed, saying, "Master, this disciple understands."

The patriarch then spoke with the true man about the other methods he had learned after establishing his own academy. The true man listened attentively and made no mistakes.

……

Halfway down the main road to the west, there is a mountain called Cangmo Mountain, where the wolf demon's lair is located.

The wolf demon brought Pigsy and Chenxiang inside, then threw them into the main hall. He sat high in the main seat, while a group of lesser demons below cheered and jumped for joy at capturing the two.

A little demon asked, "Your Majesty, what should we do with these two today?"

The wolf demon glanced at Chenxiang, then at Zhu Bajie, pondered for a moment, and said, "Deal with Zhu Bajie first, we'll talk about the other man later. I originally intended to steam Zhu Bajie, but judging from his appearance, he has thick skin and flesh, so I'm afraid he can't be steamed right away. If he can't be steamed, things could easily go wrong, and wouldn't that be a loss? I've heard of many demons who capture others but don't eat them immediately, insisting on finding the 'freshest' food, which leads to them being rescued and left unused. I should think this through carefully."

The little demon asked, "Your Majesty, if that's the case, what should we do?"

The wolf demon said, "Just like in the mortal world, a few people should come, hold down this Pigsy, take a knife, stab him in the neck, drain all the blood, then scrape off the fur and skin, separate the internal organs, and then we can use him."

The great demons cheered and went to retrieve the sword.

Pigsy had him tied to the ground, his face ashen, and said, “Chenxiang, I am about to die. Next year, you must burn paper money for me and offer sacrifices. Don’t let me become a wandering, ownerless ghost!”

Panting heavily, Chenxiang said, "Sir, let me regain some strength, and I will surely rescue you."

Pigsy said, “Don’t talk nonsense. The rope is too tight. How can I get out? If he had told me to go to that steamer, that would have been fine. I’d still have a chance to live if I wasn’t cooked to a pulp in that steamer. But now this fellow wants to ‘slaughter and bleed the pig’. I won’t survive.”

What else did Chenxiang want to say?

The little demon approached and said, "Your Majesty, I have brought my sword."

The wolf demon raised his knife and walked towards Pigsy, saying, "Pigsy, you slaughtered my people in the past, and now I shall kill you to avenge you. I shall take your pig head and offer it as a sacrifice at the graves of my people!"

Say it.

The wolf demon then ordered his minions to come over, press Pigsy down onto the bench, and take a large iron basin, placing it under Pigsy's neck.

This frightened Pigsy so much that he thought, "This old pig is doomed!" He closed his eyes and refused to look, trembling with fear.

Just as the wolf demon was about to plunge his knife into Pigsy's neck, he suddenly noticed the sharp blade and put it down, saying, "Someone! Go and get a blunt knife."

The little demon was puzzled and asked, "Your Majesty, why take a blunt knife? Wouldn't a sharp knife be better?"

The wolf demon said, "If it were a sharp knife, Pigsy would die instantly, wouldn't that be letting the bastard off for nothing? If we take a dull knife, we can stab him in the neck, he'll bleed a little and be in great pain, but it won't kill him. We can torture him a little more, wouldn't that be more enjoyable?"

Upon hearing this, the little demon immediately understood and said, "Your Majesty, I will go and fetch a blunt knife right away."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy's eyes widened, and he cursed, "You wretched, wicked demon, how dare you humiliate me like this! Don't let me escape, or I will fight you to the death!"

The wolf demon laughed loudly and said, "I'll see how you escape now!"

Pigsy was about to start cursing again.

Suddenly, bursts of Buddhist chants were heard coming from outside the cave and entering the cave. In a short while, hundreds of small demons around them prostrated themselves on the ground, seemingly unable to bear it.

The wolf demon sprang to its feet, looking outside, but was somewhat puzzled, not understanding why there was such a sound.

Pigsy's eyes lit up. He could tell who was making this Buddhist chant. It was the wise Buddha Zhenjian in the mansion. It must be that the master had sent someone to help him.

(End of this chapter)