Honghuang: Eat a Hunyuan Daluo

Returning our attention to Jin Chanzi and his group, they had now arrived at the gates of Chechi Kingdom.

Jin Chanzi stepped forward with a smile and asked the guard, "Young man, we come from the Great Tang Dynasty in the East. How much is the poll tax for each person to enter the city?"

The guard looked at Jin Chanzi, then at the group behind him, and asked, "Are you all together?"

Jin Chanzi nodded: "That's right, we are in the same profession."

Upon hearing this, the guard immediately beamed and said, "Master, you're too kind. We're all family. What money do you need? It's free to enter the city, and we're even giving you travel expenses!"

"Entering the city is free, and they even give you travel expenses?" Sha Wujing, who had traveled to many countries during this period, was dumbfounded. He had never heard of outsiders entering the city for free and being given extra travel expenses.

Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie exchanged a glance but neither spoke.

Jin Chanzi hesitated for a moment, but soon he saw someone wave his hand and bring over a tray filled with copper coins. The guard grabbed a handful and placed them in Jin Chanzi's hand, then stepped back and respectfully said, "Elders, please come in."

Sha Wujing hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward, wanting to get to the bottom of things, but was stopped by Jin Chanzi with a look.

And so, Jin Chanzi and his group took the "travel expenses" given to them by the guards and entered Chechi Kingdom.

Upon arriving in the city, Jin Chanzi was surprised to find that all the men in Chechi Kingdom were bald, and the women wore headscarves, completely covering themselves up so that not a single hair was visible.

The bizarre scene left even Jin Chanzi bewildered.

Sun Wukong's expression was even more strange. He had read the original Journey to the West. Wasn't Chechi Kingdom supposed to be a place that revered Taoism and suppressed Buddhism? Why was everyone dressed like monks now?

In the end, adhering to the principle of "better to avoid trouble," the group didn't ask any further questions. The master and his disciples casually found an inn and prepared to stay there temporarily.

Upon entering the inn, Sha Wujing called out, "Waiter, bring four superior rooms."

The shopkeeper hurried over and, seeing that Sha Wujing and the others looked unfamiliar, cautiously asked, "Elders, are you from out of town?"

Sha Wujing said, "Yes, what's wrong?"

The innkeeper, all smiles, said, “Oh dear, you gentlemen, you may not know this, but His Majesty the King has decreed that monks from other places will not have to pay for their expenses in Chechi Kingdom. They will even be given free travel expenses. If we accept your money, we guarantee that you will be arrested and thrown into prison the next day.”

Jin Chanzi didn't say anything upon hearing this, and simply stayed there.

That night, Jin Chanzi took out the travel document and began to study it carefully. The travel document stated that Chechi Kingdom was a country that revered Taoism and suppressed Buddhism. But today, it seemed to be completely different, as if it had gone to the other extreme, revering Buddhism and suppressing Taoism.

"Something's not right, something's really not right. I might as well get up early tomorrow and go to the market to investigate!" With that thought, Jin Chanzi went to bed first.

The next day, Jin Chanzi got up very early and wandered around before stopping at the entrance of a bustling morning market.

Jin Chanzi looked inside and saw an old man with white hair and beard selling vegetables. He went up to him, asked how much the vegetables cost, and then waved his hand and bought them all.

After making his purchase, Jin Chanzi squatted down and chatted casually with the old man: "Old man, our Chechi Kingdom is very wealthy! When people from other places come, we not only don't charge them money, but we also give them travel expenses. I've traveled to many countries all over the country, and I've never seen anything like this before!"

The old man, upon hearing this, said meaningfully, "You're talking about someone from out of town? Then you must be a monk, right?"

Jin Chanzi feigned surprise and asked, "How did you know, sir?"

The old man sighed, pulled out a pipe from somewhere, lit it, took a deep breath, and said, "Actually, our Chechi Kingdom wasn't always like this, but well, that's a long story."

Jin Chanzi immediately took out a silver bean and handed it to the old man: "Please tell me, benefactor. I'll just take this as a story."

The old man looked around to make sure no one was there, and then began to speak: "About seventeen or eighteen years ago, three Taoist priests with great supernatural powers came to my Chechi Kingdom. They were the Great Immortal of Deer Power, the Great Immortal of Tiger Power, and the Great Immortal of Sheep Power."

These three immortals possessed great magical powers and had cultivated authentic esoteric supernatural abilities. They ensured that Chechi Kingdom enjoyed favorable weather and abundant harvests, and that the people lived in peace and prosperity. Because of these three immortals, His Majesty the King at that time greatly disliked Buddhism.

The three immortals did not disappoint the Kingdom of Chechi, ensuring a bountiful harvest year after year. Those were truly prosperous years; the family had more food than they could eat, and the money from selling it allowed them to save a considerable amount of silver each year.

But then everything changed. Not long ago, two more monks arrived in Chechi Kingdom. After their arrival, Tiger Power Immortal, Sheep Power Immortal, and Deer Power Immortal mysteriously disappeared. And our King's temperament changed drastically overnight.

Hearing this, Jin Chanzi became interested and asked, "Why has your personality changed so drastically?"

The old man took a deep breath: "Things have changed completely. They've gone from worshipping Taoism and suppressing Buddhism to worshipping Buddhism and suppressing Taoism. Besides that, they've made us all shave our heads." As he said this, the old man took off his hat, revealing his bald head.

Jin Chanzi's face was full of doubt and confusion: "Old man, according to you, these three immortals are all-powerful and have great magical abilities, so why were they driven away by the two monks? Do you know what the background of those two monks is?"

The old man shook his head and said, "I don't know about that, but these two monks are no ordinary people now. They are His Majesty the King's honored guests and the high-ranking Imperial Preceptor."

"What are the names of those two monks?"

"They call themselves Arhats who subdue dragons and tigers."

Upon hearing these two names, Jin Chanzi felt a sudden realization.

Jin Chanzi then returned to the inn.

Sun Wukong already knew that Jin Chanzi had gone out. He leaned over, scratched his head for a moment, and asked, "Old Jin, have you noticed anything strange?"

Jin Chanzi told Sun Wukong what he had discovered.

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong's eyes lit up: "Subduing Dragon, Taming Tiger, the leader of the Eighteen Arhats! I wonder how many blows he can withstand from my old man's blows."

Upon hearing this, Sha Wujing frowned and said, "Brother Monkey, don't be impulsive. But those two monks live in the palace. How can we possibly see them?"

Sun Wukong chuckled: "The travel document still needs to be stamped. Once it's stamped, I can enter the palace. Once I'm in the palace, seeing those two monks will be a piece of cake."

Sha Wujing then remembered that he still had the travel permit as a legitimate reason. At this moment, Zhu Bajie, who had been silent all along, spoke up: "Master, Brother Monkey, putting aside the Tiger-Taming Arhat, I've heard that the Dragon-Subduing Arhat is a good person who often manifests to help humans, especially the poor. If Brother Monkey is going to take action, it would be better to show mercy."

Sun Wukong knew nothing about Buddhists, so he turned to look at Jin Chanzi.

Jin Chanzi nodded in agreement. Jianglong was indeed a very upright figure in Buddhism, and he had been teaching and saving people all along.

"Understood, I, Old Sun, will spare his life."

The next morning, the group of master and disciples finished packing and entered the palace.

After entering the palace, the journey was smooth and the seal was quickly affixed.

Upon learning that Jin Chanzi and his companions came from the Tang Dynasty in the East, the King of Chechi Kingdom immediately and warmly welcomed them: "Elders, you have come to my Chechi Kingdom from the Great Tang Dynasty. I, the King, will do my best to be your host."

Jin Chanzi then took the opportunity to ask, "Your Majesty, I have heard that there are three national teachers in Chechi Kingdom who are extremely powerful and can summon wind and rain. I have long admired them. I wonder if I may have the honor of meeting one of the national teachers?"

Upon hearing this, the king's face turned fierce: "What three national teachers? They are nothing but three monsters: a tiger, a deer, and a sheep! It was only thanks to the intervention of the two Arhats of Buddhism that these three monsters were subdued and imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison. Otherwise, my Chechi Kingdom might have been ravaged by them."

"Oh? A Buddhist Arhat has actually personally subdued the demon? Your Majesty, I wonder if this humble monk will have the honor of meeting these two?"

The king shook his head and said, "That is truly unfortunate. A few days ago, the two Arhats said they wanted to pray for the well-being of my Chechi Kingdom, so they went into seclusion. We cannot disturb them now."

"He's gone into seclusion!" Jin Chanzi said thoughtfully.

Soon the grand banquet began. After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere was just right, and the King of Chechi Kingdom began to subtly probe Jin Chanzi about the Tang Dynasty in the East.

Chechi Kingdom was far away from the Tang Dynasty in the East. He had heard of the name of the Celestial Empire, but only heard about it, which is why he asked this question.

After reciting a Buddhist chant with his hands clasped together, Jin Chanzi said, "Amitabha, our Great Tang Dynasty has something called the Great Wall. The Great Wall is thousands of miles long, which is equivalent to placing a wall on the border of our Great Tang to isolate foreign enemies."

My Great Tang Dynasty still possesses countless gold and silver treasures, business opportunities abound, and various iron ice blades. Your country's weapons are utterly insignificant compared to the Tang swords of my Great Tang soldiers.

The Tang Emperor is benevolent; all who pay tribute are rewarded handsomely. If Your Majesty is interested, you may send someone to take a look.

The King of Chechi Kingdom gasped in astonishment upon hearing this, his eyes wide with amazement: "So this is the profound foundation of the legendary Celestial Empire. Only today do I realize what it means to be a frog in a well and have no view of the sky."

The Chechi Kingdom, with a total area of ​​just over 10,000 square kilometers and a population of only about two million, was nothing compared to the Tang Dynasty. It was like a dragon compared to an ant, a terrifying difference as vast as the heavens and the earth.

The banquet soon ended, and Jin Chanzi and the others were about to return to the city to stay. However, the King of Chechi Kingdom tried his best to persuade them to stay, clearly wanting more opportunities to learn about the customs and culture of the Tang Dynasty.

Jin Chanzi readily agreed and stayed in a guest room in the palace.

That night, under the cover of darkness and wind, Jin Chanzi gave Sun Wukong a wink, and Sun Wukong immediately understood. The two of them silently transformed into two streaks of light and flew out of the palace.

"Old Jin, what are you planning to do?" Sun Wukong asked.

Jin Chanzi thought for a moment and said, "Compared to Subduing Dragon and Taming Tiger, I am more interested in the so-called three great immortals. Let's go to the Heavenly Prison and see what's going on with those three great immortals, Tiger Power, Deer Power, and Sheep Power."

Sun Wukong immediately nodded in agreement.

Then Jin Chanzi and Sun Wukong rode on a cloud and arrived at the prison of Chechi Kingdom.

With a casual wave of his hand, Sun Wukong created a misty fog that enveloped the entire prison. The two then revealed their true forms and swaggered in. Everyone along the way was drowsy and no one noticed anything amiss.

The prison entrance was very narrow, only allowing one person to pass at a time, but the further inside you went, the more spacious it became. The prison was perpetually dark, with only dim candlelight casting a faint glow.

Upon reaching the deepest part, in a relatively large room, three figures were bound by iron chains. The chains were engraved with mysterious runes and were shrouded in Buddhist light, emitting bursts of golden light.

With a flick of his finger, Jin Chanzi dispersed the Buddhist light on the prison door, and the lock on the door came off. He and Sun Wukong walked into the prison together.

Tiger Power Immortal, the most powerful cultivator in the prison, was the first to notice something was wrong. He suddenly opened his eyes and stared at Jin Chanzi and Sun Wukong. Tiger Power Immortal could sense a sense of pressure from Jin Chanzi. As for Sun Wukong, he did not sense any cultivation at all, but it was clear that Sun Wukong could not be without cultivation.

Then, Tiger Power Immortal asked with a solemn expression, "Who are you?"

Sun Wukong smiled and said, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Sun Wukong. I am here to go to the Western Paradise to worship Buddha and seek scriptures, in the name of the three paths of Heaven, Earth and Man, as well as the name of the Grand Master Xuandu."

After bowing with his hands clasped together, Jin Chanzi said, "This humble monk, Jin Chanzi, is also going to the Western Paradise to worship Buddha and seek scriptures."

Tiger Power Immortal's expression grew even colder upon hearing this: "People of Buddhism? What is your relationship with those two Arhats, Dragon Subduer and Tiger Tamer?"

Jin Chanzi shook his head and said, "Fellow Daoist, there is no need to be so wary. We have no connection with them. We just learned that Chechi Kingdom used to worship Taoism and suppress Buddhism, but now it worships Buddhism and suppresses Taoism. We came to the prison to find you three fellow Daoists and ask you about the reasons behind this."

Upon hearing this, Tiger Power Immortal's face flashed with resentment: "It's all because we were careless and fell into the trap of those two Arhats."

Sun Wukong's Golden Cicada felt something was amiss upon hearing this. The Dragon Subduer and Tiger Tamer were both at the Taiyi Golden Immortal level, while the strongest of these three immortals was only at the peak of the Profound Immortal level, and the other two were only at the mid-stage of the Profound Immortal level. What kind of schemes and tricks were needed to deal with them?
Tiger Power Immortal gritted his teeth and said, "We also have a lineage. When we were young, we had the opportunity to hear a Taiyi Golden Immortal from the Taiqing lineage talk about the Great Dao of Golden Elixir."

Later, we met the Golden Light Holy Mother of the Shangqing lineage and listened to her preach for three years. Although we did not formally become disciples of the Taiqing or Shangqing lineage, we can be considered orthodox disciples of the Xuanmen sect.

The three of us brothers had been cultivating diligently in the mountains until I reached a bottleneck in my cultivation and was unable to break through to the Golden Immortal realm. That's when I decided to go down the mountain to take a look.

About eighteen years ago, we came to Chechi Kingdom and met the king. He was a devout believer in Taoism and stayed in Chechi Kingdom. He used his supernatural powers to summon wind and rain, making Chechi Kingdom prosperous and peaceful. In Chechi Kingdom, the practice of Taoism arose.

Later, two Arhats came from the West. They tricked us into drinking a special wine, which made us reveal our true forms in front of the king. They used this to bewitch the king and falsely accuse us of being evil spirits.

The king was terrified when he saw our true forms, and coupled with the fact that our magical powers were suppressed by the drugged wine, that's why we've become what we are now.

After listening to Tiger Power Immortal's words, Sun Wukong used his Golden Eyes of Truth and indeed saw the magical aura of the Taiqing and Shangqing lineages. (End of Chapter)