Journey to the West: Cultivation Begins at Jindou Mountain

Chapter 275 The Dragon King Visits, and They Chat About Family Matters

"Daojun Mountain is truly a place of outstanding people and abundant resources, gathering the best of the world's medical traditions!"

On the top floor of Daojun Palace, Daojun and Ao Run, the Dragon King of the West Sea, sat facing each other at a table. This place offered a panoramic view of Daojun Mountain and was an excellent spot for entertaining guests.

Looking down at the bustling crowds and rising fireworks, Ao Run felt a sense of tranquility and grandeur despite the mountain being in the human world.

Those who enter Daojun Mountain will be influenced by the Daojun Palace on the mountain, and their hearts will be calmed down and many troubles will disappear. If a villain comes here, he will not dare to do anything reckless, and he will be terrified when he encounters the statue of the god.

This is due to the influence of the local deities, and also the profound heritage of Daojun Mountain, which has been worshipped by many believers for hundreds of years.

Ao Run stroked his beard, his gaze falling upon the dark, ram-headed figure below, and exclaimed in admiration:

"I've heard that Daojun once subdued a ram-headed ghost king who could split into thousands of souls to protect his disciples. Was that the ghost king he subdued?"

"I observe that this person's aura is now clear and pure, and he already possesses a majestic and divine aura, which is rare among ghost cultivators. Dao Lord, you truly have remarkable abilities."

Daojun, holding a jade wine pot, filled the cup in front of the Dragon King with emerald-green spirit wine, then filled his own cup with spirit wine, and laughed:
“What the Dragon King said is true. Although this Goat-Headed Ghost King has not yet received the Immortal Ordination, he has been diligent and conscientious in recent years, and has been wholeheartedly cultivating merit. He can be considered one of my Daojun Palace’s own people.”

“Since he has such a desire to pursue the Dao, I taught him some methods and secrets. He has been diligent in his practice, which is why he has made such progress.”

As Daojun spoke, he picked up the wine cup in front of him, and the Dragon King, seeing this, quickly picked it up as well.

"Dragon King, this spirit wine is a herbal wine offered by the disciples of the medical clinic at the foot of the mountain. I tasted it earlier, and the flavor was surprisingly good. Please, Dragon King, try it!"

"Okay, okay, please~ please~"

The two drank the spirit wine together, and when the Dragon King of the West Sea put down his cup, he praised:
"To be able to blend over a hundred kinds of spiritual materials into such a flavor, and with such mild medicinal properties, making it perfect for nourishing the body, is truly remarkable!"

In the Dragon King's view, most of the disciples of Daojun Mountain were mortals, and for a group of mortals to achieve such a level of accomplishment was indeed worthy of his praise.

Daojun nodded with a smile, and then said:

"The Dragon King has come here for the little alligator dragon of the Blackwater River."

The Dragon King of the West Sea straightened his expression and cupped his hands in greeting to the Daoist.

"Daoist Lord, you have discerning eyes. I have come here precisely for my good-for-nothing nephew."

The father of the little alligator dragon in the Blackwater River was the Jing River Dragon King, who had made a bet with Yuan Shoucheng, secretly altered the rainfall figures, violated the heavenly rules, and was beheaded by Wei Zheng.

The Queen of the Jinghe Dragon King is the sister of the West Sea Dragon King, and the little alligator dragon, being the ninth child of the Jinghe Dragon King, is the nephew of the West Sea Dragon King.

When the Jinghe Dragon King was beheaded and his palace was destroyed, the queen and the little alligator dragon who was still in the palace had nowhere to live, so they were taken back to the West Sea Dragon Palace by the West Sea Dragon King.

“Daojun, that child is still young and has experienced so much, so he has become a bit unruly. After my younger sister passed away, I originally planned to send him to the Blackwater River to cultivate his character.”

"Who would have thought that the aquatic creature I placed by that child's side would recently report that he actually harbored thoughts of eating Tang Sanzang's flesh."

The Dragon King of the West Sea was also somewhat helpless. His nephew's family had suffered one misfortune after another, and even when he sought refuge with his uncle, he was still living under someone else's roof.

So this child was unruly and difficult to control. His uncle felt both heartache and helplessness, but he didn't have any good solutions.

Little Tuolong wasn't his own child after all, and his background was so pitiful. He had always been respectful to his uncle, so how could he possibly ask for help?

Among his brother-in-law, the Jinghe Dragon King's nine children, the little alligator dragon was the most talented. It would be a great pity to let him go unchecked, so he had the idea of ​​sending the child out to cultivate himself on his own for a while.

At first, he really didn't intend to let this unruly child participate in the eastward transmission of Buddhism, because the child was now neither reliable nor trustworthy.

What if Tang Sanzang, being a mere mortal, really causes trouble? And what if the Great Sage Equaling Heaven's iron cudgel has eyes?

"Daojun, I originally planned to go to the Blackwater River to bring the child back, but who would have thought that I would be blocked by Guanyin Bodhisattva."

Seeing the Daoist's slightly surprised expression, Ao Run said:
"Guanyin Bodhisattva said that the child has good talent, but his character is unruly. If I take him back like this, he will definitely cause trouble in the future."

“Now that child is actually quite skilled, and since Sun Wukong can’t use his abilities in the water, it’s just right to add another challenge to this group, which can be considered a merit for him in the future.”

"Why not take this opportunity to give the little alligator dragon a good training and discipline, and then have my West Sea Dragon Palace take it back to discipline it? This matter is also fate for that child."

Upon hearing this, Daojun understood the whole story and why this person had come. He nodded and said:
"Dragon King, did you come here to ask me to look after that little alligator dragon and make sure he doesn't get hurt?"

"That's exactly right." The Dragon King of the West Sea solemnly cupped his hands and said:
"Daojun, my sister, Ao Xuan's father, and I have been the closest of friends since childhood. Before my sister died, her biggest worry was this youngest child, and she entrusted him to me."

"Xiao Long also knows the principle that spoiling a child is like killing him. It's good that he suffers this time, but I only ask Daojun to help me and make sure that this child is not killed."

Since the child was entrusted to him by his sister, he needed to ensure that things were handled properly, and Daojun, who was the person he knew best and had known for many years, was the best person he could turn to for help.

Seeing this, Daojun's expression also turned serious, and he said:

"Don't worry, Dragon King. We've known each other for hundreds of years since the incident at the Western Sea Abyss. Besides, with Ao Xuan around, we're family. There's no need for formalities."

"I will certainly take care of the little alligator dragon and ensure he doesn't get hurt. Besides, Sun Wukong is different now; he understands many things."

Upon hearing this, Ao Run nodded gratefully. With these words from the person before him, he felt much more at ease, as this person was highly regarded in the Heavenly Court.

Back then, he listened to Taibai Jinxing and gave him the Water Spirit Orb to befriend him. In hindsight, it was indeed the right choice.
Not only the Little Crocodile Dragon, but also the previous matter of their own Jade Dragon Third Prince, even the current Divine Physician Dao Lord, whose status in the Heavenly Court has long surpassed that of their Four Seas Dragon Clan.

At this moment, Ao Run felt a sense of gratitude towards both the person before him and Venus.

The Dragon King of the West Sea chatted with Daojun on Daojun Mountain for a whole day before returning to the Dragon Palace of the West Sea.

The Dragon King of the West Sea was much relieved by this and went back to wait for news.

Under the bright moonlight, Daojun looked at the two empty wine cups on the table before him, a smile on his face, and murmured:

"This person is a bit too concerned and came directly to me."

"But my junior brother is a bit different now. This isn't just to comfort you, Old Dragon King. He really is a bit different now."

Along his journey, Sun Wukong suffered many setbacks, which tempered his temperament considerably. He gradually came to understand that there are always people more capable than himself and that there is always something beyond his understanding, and he also gained some knowledge of human relationships and worldly wisdom.

If the Dragon King of the West Sea were to inform Sun Wukong of the whole story and then send someone to subdue the little alligator dragon, his junior brother Wukong would also release him instead of having to kill him.

Daojun picked up the seemingly inexhaustible jade wine pot beside him, filled the wine cup in front of him, and began to drink alone on the top floor.

The group on their pilgrimage had only recently passed through the Kingdom of Wuji, and the journey from Wuji to the Blackwater River would take them at least another month, so there was no rush.

Just then, Fang Cheng slowly walked up to the spot, looked at the Daoist Lord sitting at the table drinking alone under the moon, and bowed in greeting.

"Master Dao."

"Fang Cheng, have those two made a move again?"

Fang Cheng said earnestly:
"Exactly."

"Daojun, those two encountered the Black and White Impermanence in Majia Village, with golden shackles and silver chains, but in the end they still managed to break through the encirclement of these four and many ghost generals."

"But those two, the one with the golden shackles and the one with the silver chains, seemed to have retrieved a powerful treasure from the underworld, which injured the man. If it weren't for the book in his hand, he would probably have been injured as well."

Daojun nodded slowly, pondered for a moment, and said:
"Keep a close eye on them as always. If they only target the souls of the innocent, that's fine; these people won't harm those souls. But if they attack the living, take them down immediately."

If it is a living person in the mortal world, then it falls within his scope of protection. If it is a dead ghost or a vengeful spirit, then it is mainly the underworld that should handle it.

Furthermore, he had already made a plan with Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva regarding this matter, and it seems that the Western side also shares the same idea.

"Yes! Daojun, I understand. The Goat-Headed Ghost King has been keeping an eye on those two lately. We will definitely not let them cause any trouble here."

Fang Cheng nodded solemnly, bowed to Daojun again, and then left.

Baoquanjian, where two mountain peaks were once cleaved apart by Nezha's demon-slaying sword, remains extremely steep even after hundreds of years. A babbling river flows through the middle, and the mountains are lush and green, presenting a vibrant scene.

However, at this moment, the two mountain peaks were connected by a wooden plank bridge covered with lush green vines and moss halfway up the mountain, and two cave doors were added at the connection of this cliff bridge.

Niu Yi stood on the water, looking up at the seemingly old vine bridge that swayed in the wind. He felt that the bridge had probably existed for a long time, and no one would guess that it had only appeared recently.

"Haha, my brother, what do you think of my cave dwelling?"

(End of this chapter)