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

Chapter 46: The Method of Asking Huang Po

It is said that Jiang Yuan escorted Li Xingshi on his journey eastward. Before they knew it, two or three years had passed. They had worshipped all the mountains, eliminated all the demons, swept away all the monsters, and beaten all the monsters, thus clearing a quiet path.

Jiang Tong'er held a jade whisk in his hand, and indeed he had magical powers. Whenever demons and monsters met him, he would just sweep them away with his whisk, and they would kill without any resistance.

Seeing the divine power of the fairy boy, Li Xingshi no longer dared to talk about changing weapons. He thought that the demon-subduing staff in his hand was not an ordinary weapon, but he didn't expect that the fairy boy's whisk was even better.

One day, Jiang Yuan was walking on the road with a whisk in his hand, and Li Xingshi followed him holding a demon-subduing staff.

Jiang Yuan turned around and asked, "Li Xingshi, how many mountains have you visited in the past two or three years?"

Li Xingshi stood still, stabbed the demon-subduing staff, and said, "Master, there are 28 mountains, count them as my way back. I have worshipped 106 mountains, but I still cannot find the way. Master, if you are not satisfied, please take me back. I will be sincere and let the old immortal accept me as a disciple."

Seeing the boy's divine power, he dared not call him "boy" and just told him to change his name to "master".

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "My master said that your destiny is in the east, why go back? Just keep going forward."

Li Xingshi said, "Master, how far do we need to go?"

Jiang Yuan said, "You came here and bowed to the mountain. You have a sincere desire to seek the truth. You have walked for so many years. Why don't you leave now? If you don't want to leave, then retreat. I will return to Fangcun Mountain."

Li Xingshi said anxiously, "Master, please don't leave! If I am sincere, Master, please protect me as I walk! The monsters along the road are beyond my reach."

Jiang Yuan flicked his whisk and said with a smile: "The Tao is always there, don't be discouraged, just walk forward, the road is long and difficult, but if you keep walking you will reach your destination."

Li Xingshi sang a promise and held the demon-subduing staff. If any demon approached, he would help it and would also help Jiang Tong'er a little.

The two of them walked forward, one in front and one behind. The yellow sand on the road could not get close to them.

It won't take long.

A "country" appeared in front of the two of them, but they did not find it strange. They passed through many countries along the way. It would be better to call it a tribe rather than a "country", with thousands of people or hundreds of people gathered in one place.

Jiang Yuan walked towards the country. As he entered, the Mud Palace shook violently. His soul came to help. He used his luck and eyes to look ahead.

He found that this country was different from the ones he had seen along the way. The people were dressed appropriately, unlike the previous countries where they wore mostly animal skins. The people of this country had much less mud on their bodies than the previous countries. There was indeed a difference.

Li Xingshi saw the boy stop, picked up the demon-slaying staff, and said sternly: "Master, is there a demon in front of you? Master, wait a moment! Look at me, I will catch the demon and distinguish between good and evil!"

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "It's not a demonic barrier. This country is extraordinary, so I'll take a closer look."

Li Xingshi asked, "What's so extraordinary about it?"

Jiang Yuan smiled without saying a word, picked up his whisk and walked towards the country.

Li Xingshi was puzzled, but followed him anyway.

When I walked in, I saw children playing, men farming and women weaving, and the atmosphere was good. An old man came forward.

The old man bowed and said, "Master!"

Jiang Yuan responded, "Brother, why do you call me 'Master'?"

The old man said, "The master is very spiritual and can see clearly. I know that the master is not an ordinary person. Although I am old, my eyes are clear and I can't be wrong."

Jiang Yuan praised him, "Brother, you are very capable. To be honest, we are traveling and passing through your country. We would like to rest here and have some tea and millet. I wonder if you can accommodate us?"

The old man greeted him with a smile and said, "It is our country's fortune that the Master has come to our country."

The old man then welcomed Jiang Yuan and Li Xingshi into the country, entered a gatehouse, invited them to the straw bed, took an old table with holes and no paint on it to sit on, and added some tea and millet.

Jiang Yuan put the jade whisk down and picked up the teacup.

Then I saw Li Xingshi was so hungry that he was eating voraciously.

Jiang Yuan asked: "Excuse me for the food and tea. May I ask the name of your country?"

The old man smiled and said, "Master, our country is called 'Baoliang'. Because I am old and have some prestige, I am added as the king. My name is 'Gam'."

Jiang Yuan heard this, stood up, bowed again and said: "Yuan is the king, it was I who made a mistake."

The old man helped him up and said, "You are a small country. You are not worthy of the master's respect. You are not worthy of the master's respect!"

Li Xingshi stood by, saying nothing, and just ate two more bowls.

Jiang Yuan helped the old man onto the straw bed, and they sat down together. He asked, "King, I have traveled with this man and have seen many countries along the way, but none of them has the situation like Baoliang. The king must be good at governing."

The old man Ganmu shook his head and said, "How dare I steal it if it's not my credit?"

Jiang Yuan heard this and asked, "If it weren't for the king's contribution, how could Baoliang be governed so well?"

Ganmu said, "Master, I have just arrived and don't know much. Master, listen to me. My country is called Baoliang. It was originally similar to other countries. People didn't have food. It was because the elders came to the east and taught us how to farm, how to dress, and how to behave. That's why we have the Baoliang country. I shouldn't have taken the throne because the elders had to go to other countries, so I took the throne."

Jiang Yuan was surprised when he heard this. There was such a person in Hezhou, Xiniu. He asked, "Who is the elder? Which country are you going to now?"

Ganmu shook his head and said, "I don't know who the elder is. The elder just said that he would find a book on the ground and then he would know how to teach us. I don't know where the elder came from, but a countryman came and said that the elder was beaten and killed by the national sect for 'spreading evil words to confuse the people'. I don't know whether it is true or not."

Jiang Yuan was surprised to know the cause and effect, and he suddenly remembered that he and Laozi had gone west through Hangu Pass for 33 years without making any progress.

Later, Laozi met a middle-aged man and gave him a book to publish.

The elder must have been a middle-aged man who got Laozi's book and traveled to Xiniu Hezhou to preach the way of education.

Jiang Tong'er knew what was going on, but he didn't expect that the elder would be beaten to death.

The elder gave Laozi the chance of life, but this elder taught people to beat and kill. Isn't the chance of life for Xiniu Hezhou gone?

Otherwise, Baoliang State would still exist.

The fire is still there.

Jiang Yuan knew what had happened, and sighed in his heart, saying: "The king is also a good man. The great prosperity of Baoliang Kingdom is not all due to you, but also to your efforts."

Gan Mu hurriedly bowed and said, "I am sorry, sorry! I am an old man, I don't have enough food and clothing, how dare I compare myself with the elders."

Jiang Yuan said: "The elder has gone, how do you know that you are not the next elder? Now Baoliang State has made it a rule that 'when the granaries are full, people know etiquette; when they have enough food and clothing, they know honor and disgrace'. If the government is in charge of this, how can Baoliang State not be governed well? How can you not be an elder?"

Ganmu heard this and thought about it carefully. He realized that this was true. He bowed down and said, "Master is indeed not an ordinary person. Master, teach me the country of Baoliang!"

Jiang Yuan shook his head. He was just a traveler passing through here. He was about to refuse when he suddenly saw a lot of dark yellow sand in his spleen palace.

He suddenly realized what he should do with five people and one matchmaker.

The reason is that Huang Po is evil to begin with, but she is trying to reconcile them. One needs to eliminate her evil nature, educate her, and allow her to be tolerant, before one can invite Huang Po.

It is necessary to carry out "education" to make Huang Po abandon evil and learn good.

Only after the power of reconciliation is achieved, Huang Po can make a great contribution among the five people. At this point, the five people will be united, practice the way of alchemy together, and fight against the two gods together.

Jiang Yuan was very happy in his heart. He never thought that he would be able to ask Huang Po for help.

(End of this chapter)