Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 262 Journey to the West: The Tale of Relieving Calamities and Cultivating Both Body and Mind (Seeking Votes)

In the pouring rain, in a small, unrefined tavern in Xinghua Prefecture.

An elderly man in blue robes, nearly sixty years old, looked up at the two enormous dragon shadows flying closer and closer in the sky, but did not bow down and worship like ordinary people.

Instead, he took a large gulp of wine with a sullen expression, muttering to himself:

"It's just a waste of effort."

This Han dynasty is not worth saving; even ghosts and gods cannot save this corrupt world!
My brother Shen Kunxian was utterly loyal to the Han family, but what did he get in return? Ha! He died a violent death in prison a full year ago, and today is the anniversary of his death!

Looking down, they saw a group of Qi Jiguang's army, dressed in straw sandals and wearing bamboo hats, hurrying into the city to help defend against the invasion of the Japanese pirates.

I couldn't help but think of my close friend Shen Kun, who died after being falsely accused by the Qingliu faction for fighting against Japanese pirates. My eyes reddened, tears streamed down my face, and the wine in my mouth tasted particularly bitter.
"I only regret that I, Wu Cheng'en, have accomplished nothing and cannot seek justice for my virtuous brother Shen!"

He boasts of his unparalleled talent, yet he couldn't even pass the imperial examinations for the Jade Capital. He wonders if he'll ever have a chance to rebel against the Heavenly Palace.

After downing two bowls of wine, I felt a little tipsy.

Wu Cheng'en and Shen Kun were neighbors and childhood friends. They grew up together and had a very close relationship. Both were recognized as talented people in the surrounding area, but their fates were completely different.

Shen Kun became the top scholar in the imperial examination at the age of 34, while Wu Cheng'en failed the examination seven times in 20 years. This year, Wu Cheng'en is 57 years old and almost buried.

The main reason was that he disliked the rigid, formulaic writing style and was not good at it, so he switched to working as a novelist. Unexpectedly, when one path failed, another opened up, and his skills improved by leaps and bounds, reaching the fourth rank.

Three years ago, he was falsely accused and dismissed from his post as a minor county magistrate. He then returned to his hometown and sought refuge with his old friend Shen Kun, becoming his strategist in the army of the top scholar.

He also witnessed firsthand how his own brothers braved the enemy's arrows and fought bloody battles against the Japanese pirates, and how they were falsely accused, arrested, and died a gruesome death in prison.

In a fit of emotion, amidst a stack of messy drafts on the table, the surface of which was inscribed with "Journey to the West: The Tale of Exorcising Calamities," the aroma of ink and paper surged and boiled. Suddenly, a monk draped in a brocade robe appeared beside his wine table.

Hands clasped together, chanting the Buddha's name:
“Amitabha! All sentient beings transmigrate according to their karma. The difference today is due to the combination of causes and conditions from past and present lives. I hope you can see through this and let go.”

Hearing the monk's annoying chanting, Wu Cheng'en felt even more disgusted, his eyes becoming somewhat clouded, and he angrily rebuked him:
"shut up!"

He waved his hand to summon a wolf-hair brush and continued writing and drawing on the draft paper.

However, most of the writing was indistinguishable cursive script and rambling, vaguely resembling the cryptic text of Zheng He's treasure map, indicating that his condition was somewhat off.

The novelist's inspiration from the seventy-two pentads is "reality and illusion".

The world in the book is a turbulent sea to others, which can only be navigated by boat, but the novelist himself is a fish, able to swim freely between reality and illusion.

This extraordinary inspiration, surpassing that of many other officials, can even help them explore the boundaries of human rationality within the inner world.

Naturally, this also makes it easier to come into contact with all sorts of unknown dangers.

On the very night he received the news of his brother Shen Kun's sudden death in prison, Wu Cheng'en, in his grief, suddenly dreamt of an inner world, from which he obtained a great deal of fragmented knowledge.

After organizing it, I found that every word and sentence explained the way of "cultivating both body and mind".

Thus, without realizing it, he began to drastically revise his draft of "Journey to the West: The Tale of Exorcising Calamities," attempting to convey the Dao through literature and expound the profound truths of the universe that he had inadvertently glimpsed.

rustling.
With a flourish of his brush, as he wrote, the White Dragon Horse, Sun Wukong, Zhu Wuneng, and Sha Wujing appeared one after another beside him.

Wu Cheng'en's eyes gradually regained their clarity.

If those officials of the divine path who had come into contact with the "cultivation of body and mind" method spread by the scum of the immortals were to see this, they would be utterly astonished.

This person is actually trying to find a new way of cultivation, different from the way immortal scum must rely on consuming various immortal medicines to achieve the "dual cultivation of body and mind"!

The term "nature" refers to a person's temperament, spirit, and consciousness, that is, "mind"; the term "life" refers to a person's body, life, and energy, that is, "body".

In the book, Tang Sanzang (Jiang Liuer), a mortal, must ride the white dragon horse (body/will), subdue Sun Wukong (delusional mind), rid himself of Zhu Bajie (desire), and rely on Sha Wujing (true nature) in order to travel west and obtain the true scriptures.

This is itself a process of cultivation, "controlling desires with the mind and nourishing life with nature." And every time a demon is subdued, it is Wukong (mind) who uses his supernatural powers (wisdom), with the assistance of Bajie (precepts) and Sha Wujing (nature), to protect Tang Sanzang (the main body of cultivation) and the White Dragon Horse (body) through difficulties.

This means "using the mind to control the qi and using the nature to refine life," which is equivalent to the method of internal cultivation, while the accumulation of merits in the performance of duties by officials is the method of external cultivation. Only when they are combined can it be considered true spiritual practice.

Until the Five Saints attain true enlightenment, their lives and natures are perfected, their minds and spirits are enlightened, they understand emotions and abilities, their true nature is purified, and their bodies and minds are all liberated.

Therefore, this "Journey to the West: The Tale of Exorcising Calamities" is essentially a complete cultivation guide that elucidates the path of "cultivating both body and mind".

Bang!
Wu Cheng'en put away the manuscript, stood up, and his body suddenly swelled up, transforming into a pig demon.

Its filthy lotus seedpod hangs down, its mouth drooping; its ears, like palm-leaf fans, reveal golden eyes. Its fangs are as sharp as steel files, and its long mouth opens like a brazier.

Unable to control his temper, he suddenly craved pigs again and couldn't help but eat and drink all the tea and snacks on the table.

It is clearly just a rough draft and is far from achieving the desired effect. The author still needs to read extensively and travel widely to gradually accumulate knowledge and experience.

He dropped a string of copper coins, leaped into the air, and transformed back into a golden-haired monkey, somersaulting towards the East Sea.

"Journey to the West: The Tale of the Exorcist" is a journey to the west, but after reading "On Sea Power" and opening the door to a new world, Wu Cheng'en instinctively felt that he should go east in order to trace his roots and return to the origins of Taiji.

Wang Cheng, who was transforming into a dragon with Yunxiao to drive away the water vapor, sensed the same aura coming from the drastic changes in Wu Cheng'en's body and mind.

Looking down through the clouds, all that could be seen was a monk with a hairy face and a thunderous mouth, who then somersaulted into the waves of the East China Sea and disappeared without a trace.

At the same time, the "Mind-Stabilizing Golden Hoop" that had been lying quietly in the Money Eye Treasury suddenly lit up with a precious light, then gradually faded away, and finally returned to normal.

This is a talisman that was snatched from Old Man Dong, one of the eight ship captains of Yuegang known as "Monkey Trainer".

【Amulet for Stabilizing the Mind: The Golden Hoop (A Treasure of the State)】
This talisman is anchored in a myth familiar to everyone, gathering people's wishes and forming a talisman.

It can calm the mind and subdue the will, controlling people's hearts from the inside out, and unleashing the dormant power in the body. It has miraculous effects on both monkeys and humans.

Taboo: It consists of two parts: a spell and a headband. Once worn, the headband can only be removed and the control broken by the person who cast the spell.

Having only caught a fleeting glimpse and not even had a chance to activate his "rare commodity" strategy, Wang Cheng was utterly baffled by this strange situation.

"Strange, who was that just now?"

Why did this peace-making headband, which had been gathering dust for a year because of its greed, suddenly react? Could it be that it had really encountered the Monkey King?

Yan Yunxiao, who was beside her, joked:
"The effects of Heaven's favor during this period have not yet worn off. Perhaps you will find an opportunity coming from the heavens while you are sitting at home?"
It's okay if you can't figure it out for now. What's meant to be will be, and what's not meant to be, you can't force.

Pay close attention to this golden headband; perhaps one day it will remind you of your opportune moment.

Wang Cheng smiled:
"Haha, I hope so."

I thought it was just a trivial little incident and quickly forgot about it.

The two had just finished their work for the day and returned to Moon Harbor when Lu Yunchen rushed to their door, urgently saying:
"The Minzhou Observatory has just reported that this typhoon is somewhat unusual, with its trajectory differing greatly from the initial forecast."

They speculated that a high-ranking deity or spirit, perhaps even a high-level immortal, had performed a ritual, or even a large-scale blood sacrifice, to entice the wind god and alter the typhoon's direction, driving it towards our Minzhou prefecture.

Fun fact: The Mandarin word "typhoon" is said to have evolved from the Lingnan dialect word "big wind" or the Minnan dialect word "wind typhoon".

Regardless of their origin, these experiences demonstrate the richness of these two regions' expertise in dealing with sea storms throughout history.

If the Minzhou Observatory says there are ghosts, then there must be ghosts!
Wang Cheng's expression immediately turned serious.

Lu Yunchen's next words confirmed his guess:
"The Japanese pirates are coming. It must be that high-ranking Onmyoji, Amakusa Shiro, performing a ritual."

"You Zhen should have already made contact with the other side. Prepare yourselves; we'll secretly make our move tonight!"

(End of this chapter)