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

Chapter 463 Imperial Conferment, As Before (Grand Finale)

Time flies, and a hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye.

For a hundred years, the True Man lived a life of quiet cultivation in his mansion and rarely went out.

The chaos caused by Mara's transformation into Wutian and his subsequent disruption of the Three Realms finally vanished after a hundred years. His actions caused some turmoil in the Three Realms and dealt a heavy blow to Buddhism.

In the past, Wutian appeared at the Dragon Flower Assembly. Upon his appearance, he forced the Buddha Tathagata to enter Nirvana and reincarnate. Afterward, he occupied Mount Ling and killed countless Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, becoming a rival to Maitreya Buddha.

Later, Wutian overpowered Maitreya Buddha, promoted many demons and monsters to Buddhahood, causing great chaos in Buddhism, and even harbored the intention to invade the Three Realms.

Even though Wutian harbored ambitions to invade the Three Realms, he never dared to disrupt the westward journey and maintained peace in the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars. That is why the True Man has been cultivating in seclusion ever since.

This chaos continued for a hundred years until Sun Wukong and his companions, after many hardships, finally managed to disrupt Wutian's plans. Sun Wukong also came to understand 'compassion,' thus Wutian's efforts failed.

This chaotic situation has come to an end.

After realizing that the chaos had ended, the True Man sighed again. The previous efforts of the Ziwei Emperor and the Zhenwu Emperor to save all living beings had failed. Now that the Three Realms were in such turmoil, he feared that there would be no way to save them in this calamity, and the sea of ​​suffering would be boundless.

Even the real person had no solution to this.

One day.

After Sun Wukong and his companions destroyed Wutian, they returned to the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars. The Immortal himself came out of the cave to welcome them, which made them feel extremely honored. The Immortal then took them to the Jade Terrace for a personal meeting.

The immortal ascended to the high platform, looked at Sun Wukong in the audience, then at Zhu Bajie, and finally fixed his gaze on Sun Wukong. He laughed and said, "Junior brother's cultivation is indeed profound, which makes me happy. However, junior brother has suffered a lot here."

Sun Wukong said, "Eldest brother, you're exaggerating. My skills are far inferior to yours. Furthermore, it's inappropriate for me to talk about suffering. I am a Buddhist, and this suffering is what I should be enduring."

The master said, “No matter what you say, your cultivation is genuine and you have achieved remarkable success.”

Sun Wukong immediately replied that he dared not accept such an honor.

The Master then looked at Pigsy and True Sense, and he could see that the two of them had also made progress in their cultivation. He encouraged them again.

The group chatted briefly in the Jade Terrace.

Sun Wukong suddenly asked, "Eldest brother, we have been away from the manor recently because we have been dealing with Wutian, who has caused chaos in the Three Realms. I wonder if Wutian has disturbed the peace of the manor?"

The Master smiled and shook his head, saying, "Junior Brother, do not worry. The manor has always been peaceful, and Wutian has never disturbed it."

Sun Wukong was somewhat surprised.

Pigsy beside him laughed loudly, “Brother Monkey, how can you be so stupid? Even when Wutian was at his most rampant in the past, he didn’t dare to invade the main road to the west, let alone the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars. Wutian is afraid of you, Master. You saw it yourself when we held the Dragon Flower Assembly three times back then.”

Sun Wukong clasped his hands together, bowed to him, and said, "It was my oversight that led me astray."

The Master said, “Now that Wutian has been subdued, the Three Realms are at peace. My two junior brothers and the Guardian of the Cauldron, you may all rest in the mansion and cultivate in peace.”

All three responded, and they talked for a long time in the Jade Terrace.

Several hours later, Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie finally left, while Zhenjian remained in the Jade Terrace.

Upon seeing this, the master smiled and asked, "Junior brother, is there anything else you need to do here?"

Zhenjian clasped his hands together and said, "Senior Brother, I have heard that the Ziwei Emperor saved all living beings, but even if he succeeded, he failed. I wonder if Senior Brother is aware of this?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Of course I know. Why are you talking about this, Junior Brother? Is there something you want to tell me?"

Zhenjian said, “Senior Brother. But we have not yet succeeded in our mission in the Southern Continent. I wonder if the Ziwei Emperor still has the opportunity to descend to the mortal realm again. If so, I will definitely go to help him.”

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "Yes and no. But from what I see, it is difficult to cross the Southern Continent now. Junior brother, we should leave this matter for later. If I have free time, I will definitely go to the Heavenly Palace to meet with the Ziwei Emperor and ask him about it."

Zhenjian bowed and said, "I dare not trouble you, Senior Brother. You are not a person of the Heavenly Palace, how could you possibly go?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Junior brother, you may not know this, but the Jade Emperor has bestowed upon me the title of God of Heaven. I fear the imperial decree will arrive at your residence soon."

As he spoke, the Master suddenly looked outside and said, "The imperial edict has arrived. Junior Brother, would you like to come out with me to receive the imperial edict?"

Zhenjian was surprised and bowed, saying, "Senior Brother, I will certainly go with you."

The two said no more and proceeded to the outside of the mansion. As they arrived, they saw rays of light shining everywhere, with celestial children carrying banners and canopies leading the way, and heavenly maidens scattering jade flowers along the path. Venus, accompanied by pairs of celestial beings, arrived and bowed to the immortals outside the mansion.

The man smiled and returned the greeting.

Venus then unfurled the jade edict in his hand and said, "Master Guangxin, may you step forward to receive His Majesty's jade edict?"

The immortal strode forward, faced the location of the Heavenly Palace, bowed again, and said, "Guangxin is here."

Venus said: "The Supreme Jade Emperor of the Golden Palace of the Vast Heaven, the Great Heavenly Venerable of the Mysterious Firmament, decrees: I, the Emperor, have received the mandate of Heaven and govern all spirits. You, the Virtuous Man of Broad Mind, uphold the virtue of Earth and cultivate the supreme Dao, uniting with the will of Heaven to prove your profound merit. Your wisdom mirror is ever bright, illuminating the Three Realms without concealment; your Dharma source is profound and deep, penetrating the Nine Heavens with eternity. I hereby bestow upon you the title of 'Inspector of the Nine Heavens of the Divine Firmament, the True Lord of the Purple Palace Mysterious Heaven,' and bestow upon you a jade book and golden seal, entrusting you with this profound law."

"Its powers are threefold, and this shall be obeyed."

"Firstly, the power of oversight, which patrols the three realms, without separating heaven and man. Holding the all-seeing mirror, it can see through the hearts and souls of gods and ghosts; holding the heavenly ruler of laws, it can measure the conduct of immortals and mortals. Those who neglect their duties, rebel against the natural order, or transgress the order of the underworld, shall all have their transgressions recorded and reported directly to the Hall of Enlightenment."

"Secondly, the 'Power of Enforcement': The Supreme Supervisor is granted the sword of law, allowing for execution without prior notification. Anyone who violates Heavenly Laws, tampers with Yin and Yang, or steals from Creation, regardless of whether they are gods or demons, may have their divine status stripped, their cultivation abolished, and be sent to the Thunder Prison for investigation. Those whose crimes are extremely serious will be immediately beheaded, their bodies and spirits imprisoned forever in the Northern Feng's Avici Hell." "Thirdly, the 'Power of Legislation': The Supreme Supervisor is permitted to participate in the Xuan Du Law Hall to correct errors in Heavenly Laws. When laws are not clearly defined and cause and effect are confused, the Supreme Supervisor may draft a 'Memorial on Revising Laws' to be presented directly to the Emperor, in order to rectify the principles of Heaven and mend the loopholes in the laws of the world."

"You shall obey my command, uphold the law and maintain justice. With a loyal heart that shines like the sun, demons and monsters will vanish; with the purple aura soaring to the heavens, the universe will be at peace. Obey my command!"

"Master Guangxin, quickly receive the imperial decree and return with me to Heaven to pay homage to His Majesty."

Venus descended from the clouds and, smiling, handed the imperial edict to Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan was surprised and dared not accept the offer. She said, "Star Lord, why are you giving me such high authority? If it were the position of True Lord, I would certainly accept it, but I dare not accept these three powers."

Venus smiled and said, “Please accept this, True Man. This is all His Majesty’s will. His Majesty said that the position of True Lord is too small for you, so he can only give you some power. You can hold it and supervise the Three Realms. When you have made contributions in the future, you will be treated as the Great Emperor.”

The Master said, "This power is no less than that of the Four Emperors; how could the emperors possibly grant it?"

Venus said, "As long as one hears the name of the True Man, there will be no one who will respond."

The immortal said, "All the immortals responded."

Venus laughed and said, "All the immortals deserve it."

The True Man then received the imperial decree, gave many instructions to the True Man, returned to his residence, bid farewell to the Patriarch, and then departed with Venus, both returning to heaven.

……

A short while later, the True Man arrived at the Lingxiao Palace. He entered the palace with Venus and saw countless civil and military officials, all of whom were seated in the hall. When they saw the True Man, they all bowed and addressed him as "True Lord".

The immortal smiled and returned the greeting, then proceeded to the steps of the palace and bowed to the Jade Emperor, receiving the proper respect due to a subject to a ruler.

The Jade Emperor, looking down from behind his curtain, said, "The True Man has finally returned to his rightful place, and I am delighted."

The official said, "Since Your Majesty has repeatedly invited me, I shall return to my post. I shall bow in gratitude for Your Majesty's repeated invitations."

The Jade Emperor was delighted and immediately ordered the Nine Heavens Construction Master, the Wind and Fire Immortal, and the Celestial Craftsman Saint, along with the two officials Zhang and Lu, to construct the Limitless Mysterious Vaulted Law-Supervising True Palace in the southeast (Xun) position of the Lingxiao Palace in the Mi Luo Heaven. Within the palace were seven departments: the Department of Heavenly Patrol and Law Investigation; the Department of Five Thunders and Evil Impeachment; the Department of Mysterious Texts and Secret Scriptures; the Department of Demon Suppression and Divine Fiend Suppression; the Department of Clarity and Creation; the Department of Celestial Calculation and Deduction; and the Department of Purple Heaven Thunder Control.

The prefecture was granted special permission to span three thousand miles in length and eighty thousand fathoms in width. Four marshals were dispatched to lead twelve hundred thunder soldiers to garrison and escort the immortals. When any immortal passed within a hundred feet of this prefecture, the civil immortals would dismount their sedan chairs and the military immortals would remove their armor.

Upon hearing this, all the immortals were startled and deeply impressed by the True Lord's majesty.

Knowing that he could not disobey the decree, the immortal accepted it calmly and thanked the Jade Emperor.

The Jade Emperor dispatched Venus, along with the Three Officials and the Five Thunder Emperors, to familiarize themselves with the affairs of the Heavenly Palace.

The real person and the others responded accordingly.

……

Before I knew it, more than three days had passed.

The True Man, accompanied by Venus, the Three Officials, and others, traveled through the Heavenly Palace. He paid homage to the Three Pure Ones, met the Four Emperors, and befriended or informed the Nine Luminaries, the Five Generals, the Twenty-Eight Constellations, the Four Marshals, the Twelve Earthly Branches, the Five Elders of the Five Directions, all the stars in the sky, and the gods of the Milky Way.

Three days later, Venus led the True Man to the mansion. The True Man indeed saw a mansion some distance southeast of the Lingxiao Palace. This mansion was truly magnificent, stretching three thousand li in length and eighty thousand xun in width. Above the main gate hung a golden plaque inscribed with "Imperial Edict: Purple Mansion, Mysterious Heavenly Supervisor of the Law True Lord's Mansion." At the entrance stood nine Yuan Chen Suppressing Lions, their eyes flashing with purple lightning and their mouths spewing crimson clouds. Entering the mansion, one passed through nine layers of mysterious steps, flanked by thirty-six thunder drums and cloud gongs.

Venus smiled and led the immortal into the palace, where they saw the main hall named "Xuanqiong Fayu Hall," its roof covered with purple-gold glazed tiles, each tile engraved with a thunder pattern. Four pillars were coiled with primordial demon-locking chains, and three god-slaying whips and five immortal-slaying guillotines hung before the steps. Inside the hall was an indestructible mirror, illuminating all the secrets of the Three Realms and Six Paths.

Later, one could see that the rear garden contained a tributary of the Milky Way, forming a "Pond for Washing Away Sins," with eighty-one dragon-trapping stakes in its center, and karmic bamboo and pine trees planted along its banks. In the northeast corner rose a nine-hundred-zhang-high Thundercloud Pagoda, emitting brilliant light at night as if it were daytime, and within it was a plaque bestowed by the Jade Emperor, inscribed "The Law Governs the Universe."

The real person was deeply astonished by the Jade Emperor's work.

Venus smiled and said, “True Lord, His Majesty has established your residence here. You may rest here. If you wish to descend to the mortal realm, you may do so through the Heavenly Gate without prior notice. However, His Majesty has said that you are the master of the next calamity and should not forget your cultivation.”

The real person responded immediately.

Venus then departed.

The real person moved into the mansion.

……

Time flies by so quickly. Most of the immortals cultivate in the heavenly palace. Sometimes they descend to the mortal world to see their patriarchs, sometimes to teach their disciples, and sometimes to cleanse the three realms. Most of the time, they are preparing for the next calamity.

One day, the True Man traveled to a mountain in Jambudvipa and suddenly saw an ordinary man walking up the mountain with a firm gaze, following the thorns. After a short while, the True Man knew that the man had come to seek immortality and ask the Dao.

The real person followed behind, wanting to see how long he could persist.

But we see ordinary people traversing mountain after mountain, visiting the mountains, their faces steadfast, unmoved by other thoughts.

In a daze, the real man seemed to see the sixteen-year-old boy burning down his old home, determined to seek the Way, visiting the mountains. It was like a dream, as if he had never changed. He was just an ordinary person, and the boy was just an ordinary person.

The immortal bowed to the astonished gaze of the mortal.

Indeed, 'those who hear the Way are all one.'

(End of this chapter)