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

Chapter 454 The Heart's Boat Leaves the Mountain, Alas, All Beings Refusal to Turn Back
In the underworld, in the Hall of Yama, no matter how unwilling Chen Taigong was, he was no longer in control and was forcibly dragged into the Hall of Yama.

Here, the Hall of Yama, the King of Hell, stood solemnly, its walls illuminated by phosphorescent light. Old Man Chen, his shackles clanking, prostrated himself before the crimson steps, trembling with fear and unease. On either side, Ox-Headed and Horse-Face glared fiercely, while the judges stood sternly, holding the Book of Life and Death.

In that hall, Yama, the King of Hell, sat upright, shaking the wooden pillar and shouting, "Is that Chen Dan from Bailong Village, Xuzhou, Southern Jambudvipa?"

Old Master Chen panicked and didn't know how to answer.

Suddenly, the ox-headed and horse-faced demons shouted, which brought him back to his senses.

Chen Taigong panicked and said, "I am Chen Dan!"

King Yama said, "In your mortal life, you were a local gentry who pretended to be kind to amass wealth, harming countless strangers and scheming for an unknown amount of money. Do you admit it?"

Chen Taigong said urgently, "There are many changes involved. Please let me explain them to Your Majesty."

With a flick of his sleeve, Yama, the King of Hell, sent someone to retrieve the dead to step forward and toss a book in front of him.

King Yama said, "Open it."

Chen Taigong dared not disobey, and with trembling hands, he opened the book. On the first page, the seal script in red ink shone brightly: "On the seventh day of the third month of the Gengzi year, the plot to harm merchants from Longxi was committed."

The pages of the book unfold, revealing the scene from that time: "In the drizzling evening rain, a traveler carrying books knocks on the door. Old Man Chen feigns to offer him lodging, but secretly poisons his wine while it is warming. The traveler, bleeding from all seven orifices, still clutches his sleeve: 'I have an eighty-year-old mother…' He dies before he can finish speaking. Old Man Chen cuts open his bag and finds two hundred taels of silver and a jade thumb ring, then throws the body into a dry well."

When Chen Taigong saw the book showing the scenes of his past crimes, he became even more flustered and uneasy, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. He accidentally turned to the second page and saw that it said, "He seized three hundred acres of isolated fields and caused the extinction of his family line." On the third page, it said, "Seven people died in a famine by mixing sand into porridge." The list of crimes was as long as it was like a waterfall of blood.

King Yama roared, "You murder for money, harming the innocent, colluding with evil spirits, causing countless deaths—your sins are unforgivable! For this crime, you shall be condemned to the Copper Pillar Hell for a hundred years! After a hundred years, you shall be sentenced to another hundred years in the hell realm, and then reborn into the animal realm!"

Say it.

Then a bodyguard came forward, grabbed Chen Taigong, and tried to take him away.

Upon hearing the judgment of King Yama, Old Man Chen, finding strength from who knows where, broke free from the hook of the dead and asked, "I know my sins are grave and beyond redemption. But I do not know who that bull demon and the group behind him I saw in the mortal world were?"

Old Master Chen was resentful. He suspected that his current predicament was inextricably linked to that group of people.

King Yama said, "The bull demon you speak of is none other than the Great Sage Equaling Heaven in the past, and now a True Man Protector. The ones who meet you are the True Man Guangxin of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars Cave on Lingtai Fangcun Mountain and the Bodhisattva Guanyin of Mount Luojia in the South Sea!"

Upon hearing this, Old Man Chen was struck dumb. He had been so eager to become a Bodhisattva, but when the real Bodhisattva appeared before him, he couldn't recognize him. In that instant, his mind was in turmoil, and he burst into laughter, saying, "Praying to the Bodhisattva, praying to the Bodhisattva! It's better to pray to the Bodhisattva! I was wrong! Utterly wrong!"

King Yama waved his hand, instructing the assassins to take him away.

The man who had been dragged away by the iron chain pulled Chen Taigong away. Chen Taigong had no choice but to go with him.

King Yama snorted, "Those who commit many unrighteous acts will surely perish."

……

Meanwhile, in the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars, one day, Mo Zhi emerged from his quiet room, full of pride and satisfaction. He had indeed achieved some success in paper cutting.

Mo Zhi walked out and looked around, wanting to find someone to talk to about his skills, but no matter how he looked, he couldn't find anyone.

After walking for a long time, he finally saw Zuo Liang reading books with Zhen Jian in the library.

Mo Zhi was overjoyed and immediately went over, saying, "Disciple Xin Zhou greets Martial Uncle and Second Senior Brother!"

Both Zuo Liang and Zhen Jian looked towards Mo Zhi, not understanding why.

Zuo Liang smiled and said, "Junior brother, did you come to the library to read books? If so, you can tell me what kind of books you want to read, and I will find them for you without you having to search for them yourself."

Mo Zhi said, "I did not come here to read books, but because I am in the midst of cultivation and have some questions, I have come here to ask for some advice."

Zuo Liang and Zhen Jian looked at each other for a long time before Zuo Liang asked, "Junior Brother, what are your doubts about cultivation? You can tell me about them, and perhaps I can help you resolve them."

Mo Zhi said, "Please observe my paper cutting before you speak, senior brother."

Zuo Liang smiled and nodded, stroking his beard as he said, "Junior Brother, please perform the spell. I will observe."

Upon hearing this, Mo Zhi beamed with joy. He took out a piece of white paper from his sleeve, quickly cut it into the shape of a horse, blew on the paper horse, muttered some incantations, and then bowed and made many other gestures before throwing it forward.

The paper horse landed, and as it rose in the wind, it transformed into a white horse.

Mo Zhi smiled and said, "Senior brother, what do you think of my method?"

Zuo Liang laughed and said, "Very good, very good."

Mo Zhi's smile deepened, and he said, "How does this method compare to yours, Senior Brother?"

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang immediately realized that his junior brother had come to ask about his cultivation difficulties, but was clearly there to show off his skills. He was both amused and exasperated, and said, "This method is truly remarkable. Junior brother is quite capable."

Mo Zhi mounted his horse and asked Zhenjian, "Uncle-Master, how is my skill?"

Zhen Jian put his hands together and said with a smile, "You are just like me."

Upon hearing this, Mo Zhi was overjoyed. He said no more to Zuo Liang and Zhen Jian, and hurriedly left, seemingly to find someone else.

Zuo Liang and Zhen Jian watched him leave.

Zuo Liang shook his head and said, "This junior brother seems a bit pretentious. But judging from his appearance, he probably won't be able to hold back in the manor and will leave soon."

Zhen Jian smiled and said, "I also observed that the eldest brother had already said that if they wanted to leave, they should be allowed to go, and there was no need to force them to stay."

Zuo Liang said, "Since Master had already said so, I am relieved. My Uncle just said that my junior brother is like him. What does that mean?"

Zhenjian put his hands together and replied, "I was like that in my early years, fond of showing off, but never truly practicing."

Zuo Liang suddenly realized.

……

Mo Zhi, who was in the mansion, rode his horse around, looking for the other person. After searching for a long time, he found no one else in the mansion. Still not satisfied, he suddenly looked outside the mansion, looking somewhat restless.

Now that he has obtained immortal powers and possesses remarkable abilities, he should leave and return home so that others may know of his prowess.

However, since his master had taught him skills, if he wanted to leave, he needed his master's permission.

Mo Zhi had another idea: to find the real person. But he didn't know how. After wandering around for a while, he returned to the library and asked Zuo Liang and Zhen Jian how to find the real person.

Upon learning this, Zhenjian said, "Our senior brother is not in the manor today; he has already left the mountain. Before he left, he mentioned to you that if you have any questions about cultivation, you are welcome to ask us." Mo Zhi hesitated, unsure of how to begin. After a long pause, he finally said, "Uncle-Master, it's not about questions about cultivation. Rather, I feel that I have made some progress in my cultivation and am thinking of my family, so I wish to return and visit them."

Upon hearing this, Zhenjian laughed and said, "In that case, you may go down the mountain. Before he left, my senior brother said that if you wish to go down the mountain, I will simply teach you to do so."

Mo Zhi was overjoyed and said, "Is that really so?"

Zhenjian nodded and said meaningfully, "That's how it is. If you want to go down the mountain, then go down the mountain. But you must remember that if you go down the mountain, you will never have the chance to go back up."

Mo Zhi, unaware of his meaning, hurriedly said, "Please rest assured, Uncle-Master, even if I go down the mountain, I can still cultivate and will never slack off."

Zhenjian sighed and waved his hand, saying, "In that case, you may leave now. There is no need to stay in the manor any longer."

Mo Zhi pretended to be reluctant to leave, bowed to Chao Zhen again, said goodbye to Zuo Liang, and then left.

Zuo Liang watched him leave, shook his head, and didn't pay any attention. He took out a book and asked Zhen Jian for advice.

Zhenjian didn't seem to care, smiled, and discussed it with Zuo Liang.

……

The story takes place in the southern continent of Jambudvipa, within the territory of Yanzhou.

When the group of immortals arrived at a river, the immortals suddenly stopped and looked towards the location of Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

Upon seeing this, the Bull Demon King approached and asked, "Master, what's wrong?"

As he spoke, the Ox King looked in the direction the immortal was looking, and seeing that it was his home, he asked, "Master, has something happened at home?"

The master shook his head and said, "There has been no change in my family situation. It was just that my heart boat went down the mountain. This karmic connection has been severed, which makes me feel a little sentimental. That's why I'm looking around here now."

The Bull Demon King said, "Master, people coming and going is the norm, what's there to be concerned about?"

The master said, “It is a single karmic connection that has been practiced for many lifetimes. Now that we have this karmic connection, we do not cherish it. How can this not evoke feelings of sorrow?”

The Bull Demon King said, "Those who do not cherish themselves have no need to lament."

Guanyin Bodhisattva also stepped forward, smiling and saying, "What the Ox King said makes sense. Those who do not cherish themselves need not be lamented by the True Man."

The master shook his head and said, “The sea of ​​suffering is boundless. Birth, old age, sickness, and death; separation from loved ones; encountering those one hates; not getting what one desires; the five aggregates burning fiercely; the eight sufferings attacking one another. What kind of suffering is this? The opportunity to save oneself is right in front of you, yet you do not see it. How can this not make one sigh? If one is willing to save oneself, one will leave the sea of ​​suffering.”

Guanyin Bodhisattva seemed to be moved and sighed, “Sentient beings cling to falsehood as truth, pursuing desires like thirsty people drinking salt water, never finding relief. Greed, anger, and ignorance flood their hearts, creating endless karma, causing the waves of karma to surge and the sea of ​​suffering to widen. It is like a boat lost in the fog, becoming more and more confused the further it goes, unable to see the light of the other shore. I sigh that sentient beings are unwilling to turn back.”

The immortal said, "There is still some time before the Ziwei Emperor will descend to the mortal realm to save us. I wonder if he will succeed here."

Guanyin Bodhisattva smiled and said, "Your Majesty has experienced both success and failure in the past, and you have learned from those mistakes. I believe that Your Majesty will learn from the past and may be able to succeed."

The immortal said, "If the Emperor needs my help, I will certainly assist him in achieving his goal."

Guanyin Bodhisattva said, "A true person is compassionate."

The master shook his head, said nothing, but looked at the river ahead. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Now that I have arrived, I wish that Yanzhou will be restored to its rightful place."

As soon as he finished speaking, a divine light suddenly emerged from the river, its power so great that it caused the river to overflow and nearly destroyed the houses along its banks.

Fortunately, Guanyin Bodhisattva intervened, gently touching the river with her willow branch, causing the water to flow back into the riverbed without spilling a drop.

The True Man also obtained the last cauldron amidst divine light; this is the Yanzhou Cauldron.

The immortal gazed at the eighteen-foot-long divine cauldron suspended in the air before him, his heart filled with joy. He examined the cauldron closely and saw that 'the cauldron's shape was such that its three legs stood upright like Mount Tai, and its two ears looked up like the mighty Yellow River. Its belly was like the earth, encompassing the vast plains of Yan and Ye; its patterns were as deep as dragon veins, and it was carved with the waves of Heze and the Nine Lakes. It was truly a divine cauldron.'

The immortal reached out and grasped, and the divine cauldron instantly transformed into a small cauldron, gently landing in the immortal's hand. In a short while, he knew the cauldron's power.

The Yanzhou Ding has the power of 'balance'. It can equalize water and soil, balance all things, and measure heaven and earth.

The master laughed and said, "What a fine Yanzhou cauldron! It is truly a masterpiece of nature."

Say it.

The Yanzhou cauldron fell to his waist, and the nine cauldrons returned to their rightful place. A faint radiance flowed within them, as if to congratulate the immortal on obtaining the nine cauldrons of King Yu.

When Guanyin Bodhisattva saw this, she smiled and bowed, saying, "Today we should congratulate the True Man on obtaining all nine tripods. Now that we are congratulating him, the True Man will not say any words of polite refusal."

Huian Xingzhe and others were also behind him, following Guanyin Bodhisattva in bowing and offering their congratulations to the True Man.

The True Man returned the greetings to everyone and said with a smile, "Thank you for your congratulations, Bodhisattva. I will no longer refuse. I have been fortunate enough to secure the Nine Tripods, and I am happy to say so."

Guanyin Bodhisattva smiled and said, "Now that the True Man has obtained the Nine Cauldrons, we should celebrate. However, words cannot express our congratulations. The True Man can come with me to Mount Luojia, where we will hold a feast to celebrate."

The master said, "How can I refuse the invitation from the Bodhisattva? That is the proper way."

Say it.

The group then turned back and headed towards Mount Luojia. Upon arriving at Mount Luojia, the Bodhisattva set up a banquet to welcome the True Man, and they then discussed the ways of the world with each other, each gaining something from the experience.

……

Time flies, and more than two years have passed in the blink of an eye.

After staying on Mount Luojia for two years, the True Man was about to leave. When the Bodhisattva learned of this, he saw the True Man off from Mount Luojia and parted ways with him in the sea outside the mountain.

Guanyin Bodhisattva said, “I have had a wonderful time discussing the Dao with the True Man here, and I have gained a lot from it. I am very happy. Why did the True Man leave here? Is it because I have been impolite in some way, and therefore asked the True Man to leave early? If I have been impolite, I hope the True Man will tell me.”

The master shook his head and said, “Bodhisattva. It’s not that you have been unhospitable or impolite in any way. It’s just that an elder of mine has come to visit, and I should go and entertain him. Furthermore, I have a feeling that a person with a karmic connection will be arriving soon, and I should return home and wait for his arrival.”

Upon hearing this, Guanyin Bodhisattva nodded and said, "Since that is the case, you should return. It would be my fault if I were to force you to stay. You should return to your residence. If you have free time in the future, you should come to Mount Luojia."

The immortal smiled and agreed, saying, "Bodhisattva's journey has helped me obtain the Nine Cauldrons, for which I am deeply grateful. If I have the time, I will definitely come to Mount Luojia."

Guanyin Bodhisattva smiled and agreed, saying, "It is settled then. True man, do not forget our agreement here."

After the two talked for a while, the True Man was about to leave. Guanyin Bodhisattva originally wanted to personally escort the True Man back to his residence, but the True Man repeatedly refused before she gave up.

The True Man, accompanied by the Bull Demon King, rode a white deer back towards Lingtai Fangcun Mountain. However, when he sensed the one with whom he had a karmic connection, he was somewhat surprised, never expecting that this karmic connection would be this fellow.

(End of this chapter)