Journey to the West: Cultivation Begins at Jindou Mountain

Chapter 169 Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva

As soon as the ferryman appeared, the figure hidden under the black robe slowly turned towards Niu Yi, and a hoarse, awkward voice came from under the black robe.

"Come up..."

Ox-Head and Horse-Face quickly turned to look at Niu Yi, only to see a glint of light in Niu Yi's eyes as he looked at the ferryman, before he walked straight toward the ferryman.

"Brother Niu Yi!"

“It’s alright,” Niu Yi waved his hand, turned to Niu Tou and Ma Mian and smiled, “Please go back to King Biancheng first and report to him. I will come to find you two when I return.”

After Niu Yi finished speaking, he turned around and stepped onto the small fishing boat that had come to shore, standing behind the ferryman in black robes.

Seeing that Niu Yi had stopped, the ferryman pushed off with his bamboo pole, causing the small fishing boat to float on the Naihe River and gradually disappear into the thin mist.

"This"

Both Ox-Head and Horse-Face looked somewhat helpless upon seeing this scene.

They never imagined that the Niu brothers would be taken away by this ferryman.
“Sigh, let’s go back and report. The ferryman only showed up because of Brother Niu Yi’s token. And Brother Niu Yi is always prudent in his actions, so he won’t rashly board this man’s boat. I think everything will be fine.”

"Even so, we should still report to Lord Biancheng as soon as possible. In any case, this ferryman is extremely mysterious. Neither of us knows the extent of his identity, but Lord Biancheng may know something."

“Exactly.”

With the departure of Ox-Head and Horse-Face, the banks of the Naihe River returned to tranquility. Niu Yi, standing on a small fishing boat, looked at the black-robed man before him, his mind reeling.

The eldest brother gave him the token, presumably for the ferryman before him, but what alarmed him even more was that his divination coins had somehow resonated with this person.
The causal divination coins were refined by him and restored to their current grade. They are also his first natal magic treasure, so naturally there won't be any problems. However, the slight causal connection is real.
The person in front of him must have a close relationship with the divination money.

The man in black robes seemed oblivious to Niu Yi's gaze, simply punting the fishing boat slowly across the Naihe River in an unknown direction.

The blood-yellow Naihe River appeared calm, but an irresistible stench was constantly wafting into Niu Yi's nostrils.

In Niu Yi's perception, the Naihe River was of unknown depth, but on its surface, one could always see ferocious ghosts darting about, and snakes and worms writhing within it.

The Naihe River was deathly silent. Even when the fishing boat passed through it, it only created ripples without making any sound.

Niu Yi looked at the blood-red Yellow River water. There were two or three kinds of precious incense recipes that would use this Naihe River water, but Niu Yi had no intention of getting the Naihe River water right now.

There will be danger
"Your intuition is good."

Hearing the slow, hoarse voice coming from under the black robe, Niu Yi turned to look at the ferryman.

"Only those who are of one primordial unity and immortality can touch the Naihe River without hindrance."

“You can collect some of your gourd, but even if you only collect a drop, it will cause the Naihe River to riot, and then we will both be in trouble.”

"If you need it, you may seek out the Ten Kings of Hell. They have vessels to hold the water of the Nai River. Alternatively, you may go to him."

As the ferryman spoke, he pointed his hand, completely hidden under his black robe, toward the shore, and Niu Yi couldn't help but turn his head to look.

At that moment, on the bank of the Naihe River, a young monk dressed in a kasaya and holding a tin staff was watching the two of them. At the monk's feet lay a beast, which was also looking in their direction.

This beast had a tiger's head, a single horn, dog's ears, a dragon's body, a lion's tail, and qilin's feet—a truly auspicious sight.

Niu Yi understood.

This monk must be the Lord of the Underworld, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and the creature at his feet is naturally Di Ting.

Niu Yi did not make any move, but then he heard the ferryman let out another hoarse, cold laugh.

"Those who practice Buddhism are most willing to speak grand words and make great vows."

"He clearly had the qualifications to become a Buddha long ago, but he insisted on making some grand vow, 'I will not become a Buddha until hell is empty,' and stayed in this dark and sunless underworld, forever accompanied by dead souls and evil ghosts!"

"No matter how many kalpas pass, he can only remain a Bodhisattva here."

Niu Yi glanced at the ferryman, then at the Netherworld Cult Leader on the shore, and fell silent.

The ferryman raised his voice noticeably when he said this, clearly addressing Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. It was practically the same as pointing a finger at someone and calling them a bald monk.
The fishing boat that Niu Yi was on had already passed by Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. Niu Yi turned his head to look and saw that Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva just smiled slightly, and as his lips closed, his clear and gentle voice came over.

"This humble monk makes this great vow only to save all suffering beings, not to become a Buddha."

Niu Yi felt comfortable listening to this person's voice; the person's words carried an indescribable sincerity.

"Humph!"

The ferryman snorted coldly, but ignored Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. He continued to paddle forward slowly with his bamboo pole, while Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's figure grew farther and farther away, disappearing into the thin mist.

The small fishing boat had sailed quite a distance when the hoarse voice came again.

“Although I can’t stand him, I have to admit that he has a sincere heart.” Niu Yi nodded slightly behind the ferryman, but did not speak.

These two seem to be at odds, but they actually have a good relationship. Otherwise, the ferryman wouldn't have told him that if he wanted the Naihe River water, he could go to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

For the rest of the journey, the ferryman, punting with his bamboo pole, stopped talking to Niu Yi and simply rowed the fishing boat for an unknown amount of time. Suddenly, the surrounding view opened up, and the thin mist completely disappeared.

The two of them seemed to have arrived at the end of the Naihe River, but the surrounding area was desolate, and the Naihe River seemed to have converged into a lake here, with no way forward.

"The end of the Naihe River lies beneath this place, where the endless waters of the Naihe River gush forth. This is also a rare place that the Heavenly Dao will not pay attention to."

Niu Yi looked at the ferryman before him, who was completely hidden in a black robe, and bowed solemnly, saying:
"Guangyi greets Second Senior Brother."

Upon hearing Niu Yi's words, the ferryman seemed to suddenly stiffen. After a long while, he sighed slightly and slowly lifted the black robe he was wearing, revealing a handsome young face with a hint of arrogance.

But then the man slowly turned around, reached out his palm to lift Niu Yi up, and looked at Niu Yi, saying:
“This is how we call him here, but outside we would call him the ferryman.”

Niu Yi looked at the former owner of the divination coins, the one who had been struck by lightning and whose soul had been destroyed.
"Understood, Second Senior Brother."

He had some doubts about this person's identity, but now it seems that this person is indeed his second senior brother, whom he has never met but who left behind the divination money.

According to the divination information obtained at the time, this second senior brother forcibly calculated the Heavenly Way, which attracted the wrath of the heavens, causing his soul and spirit to perish, and his body and spirit to vanish.

But judging from the current state of the second senior brother, ferrying people across the Naihe River, there is clearly more to the story.

The ferryman looked at Niu Yi, nodded slowly, and then smiled:

"It seems that among Master's many disciples, there has finally been a capable one. I see that this Chaos Green Gourd is in your hands, and the five Chaos Gourd Seeds should also be in your hands. Junior Brother, please take one out."

Niu Yi's spirits lifted, and he quickly took out a gourd seed from the Chaos Green Gourd at his waist and handed it over.

But then the ferryman took the gourd seed and threw it directly into the source of the Naihe River, watching it disappear into the river.

"The source of the Naihe River is the deepest part of the underworld. Gourds grown here should satisfy Junior Brother."

As the ferryman was speaking, a ray of light seemed to flash slightly beneath the source of the Naihe River, as if in response.

The ferryman smiled, turned to look at Niu Yi, and said:

“Junior brother, if this gourd is to mature here, it will take at least a hundred years. I can only ask you to come back here again after a hundred years and take this treasure gourd away.”

A look of joy appeared on Niu Yi's face, and he nodded, saying:
"Thank you, Second Senior Brother."

But the ferryman laughed and said:
"You've already called me Second Senior Brother, why be so polite with Senior Brother?"

But soon, a serious expression appeared on his handsome, arrogant face, and he said:
"Junior brother, don't ask any more questions or say anything more. You just need to know that your senior brother is here, which is your own fault."

"Since your senior brother has entrusted this item to you, you have now truly entered the inner sanctum. Junior brother, study the Cause and Effect Divination Coin carefully; it is no ordinary treasure."

Niu Yi nodded solemnly, keeping his second senior brother's words in mind.

Niu Yi saw his second senior brother slowly nod, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes, and slowly say:
"Let's go, your senior brother will see you off."

After finishing his words, the ferryman handed the black stone token back to Niu Yi, put his hood back on, completely concealing himself under his black robe, and, using a bamboo pole, rowed the small fishing boat into the distance.

However, from beginning to end, Niu Yi, the second senior brother, never mentioned either his name or his Dharma name to Niu Yi.

Although Niu Yi had many questions in his mind, his senior brother had been unwilling to discuss the matter in detail when he handed the token to him. Now that his second senior brother was doing the same, Niu Yi naturally suppressed his desire to ask.

Regardless, meeting this second senior brother during his trip to the underworld was a truly unexpected and delightful surprise for Niu Yi.

After the ferryman took Niu Yi back to the place where he had met him, he rowed away on his own, without saying another word to Niu Yi along the way.

"Brother Niu Yi!"

Hearing the shouts from not far away, Niu Yi turned his head and saw a burst of eerie white flames suddenly erupting not far away. Ox-headed and Horse-faced figures holding bone lamps immediately emerged from the flames and appeared in front of Niu Yi, their eyes filled with joy as they looked at him.

"Brother Niu Yi, I'm so glad you're alright!"

Not long after they reported back to King Biancheng, King Biancheng received a telepathic message from Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, who said that their brother Niu Yi was unharmed. King Biancheng had never expected that this man would have some connection with Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, so he quickly told the two of them to come and wait.

Niu Yi smiled and cupped his hands in greeting:
"I'm sorry to have worried you two brothers. I'll have to trouble you to send me away from here and back to the mortal world."

"Alright, alright, Brother Niu Yi, please rest assured!"

Ox-Head and Horse-Face nodded hastily. They never expected so many changes to happen when they brought Niu Yi to the underworld, and even Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was involved.

Now it's all over.
(End of this chapter)