The story begins with the bride marrying off her daughter, and the woman, at the age of one hundred,

The Sutra Repository and the Ten Thousand Scrolls Pavilion.

Starting a fire, washing up, scraping scales, gutting...

Inside the small kitchen, Xingwu skillfully busied himself with tasks.

Not far away, on the seats.

Changshou picked vegetables while watching the monks busily working.

Ever since he caught his first Lingyin fish a year and a half ago, which was spotted by Xing Wu who was reading at Wanjuanlou, Xing Wu has been taking advantage of his kindness and insisting on eating with him.

Later, in order to better share his wine, wine lees dumplings, and even Lingyin fish, the monk Xingwu built a small kitchen behind the Sutra Repository.

Since then, the monk has come to cook several times a month, sometimes directly requisitioning ingredients from Changshou, and sometimes bringing his own ingredients.

The pickled cabbage he used for stewing fish this time was a special ingredient he prepared himself, made from a type of algae from the Western Sea.

It is said to have been planted by the Deer Woman Clan of the Western Sea.

Unlike other deer tribes, this tribe lives in the sea. They are beautiful and charming, but also ruthless and difficult to get along with.

The monk Xingwu was a highly skilled cook and worked tirelessly without complaint.

Changshou only needs to do some odd jobs to enjoy delicious spiritual food, and sometimes he can even take advantage of it.

Therefore, Chang Shou didn't harbor much resentment; on the contrary, he was happy to see it happen, both because of the delicious food and because Xing Wu was also a good connection.

But this monk is not proper; he can't live without meat.

Changshou once asked him why he didn't observe the precepts. At that time, Xingwu put his hands together and smiled slightly:

"Wine and meat pass through the intestines, but Buddha remains in the heart."

Rules and regulations, drinking alcohol and eating meat are merely superficial, just different ways of practicing, simply different ways of restraint and relaxation. In reality, their hearts are turned towards Buddhism, and there is no essential difference.

After taking a bite of the fish, he continued:

"Moreover, in the cycle of reincarnation, good and evil are rewarded accordingly."

Apart from certain celestial beings who continue in a special racial form, most birds, beasts, scaled creatures, and plants in the world are burdened with sins from their previous lives, which is why they have entered the animal realm.

The monk is eating them to save them.

It entered my belly, and I listened to the Zen sounds, which allowed my soul to be liberated and my sins to be reduced.

After death, one may enter the netherworld, perhaps experiencing fewer rebirths in the animal realm, or, having paid off karmic debts, be reborn into one of the three highest realms of existence.

At that time.

Chang Shou suddenly realized.

He was a figure of the Jidian style, who understood the nature of things.

The Buddha he was referring to was not the Shakyamuni Buddha, revered by all Buddhas and supremely respected in the Great Hall of the Western Paradise.

Rather, it is the Buddha-nature within him!

If you have a clear conscience, then you need no rules.

As long as you have Buddha in your heart, you will have no fear of karmic obstacles.

There is a kind of compassion and absurdity in the idea of ​​"mutual sacrifice and mutual fulfillment".

So, a sentence instantly popped into his head that he felt was quite suitable for a woman without sexual desire, and he blurted it out on impulse:

"The world laughs at my madness, but I laugh at their blindness."

then.

Xing Wu's eyes lit up, and he laughed loudly:

"good!"

Since.

This barefoot ascetic in his grey robe had an extra catchphrase.

---

My thoughts returned.

Chang Shou continued to pick vegetables, engrossed in his task.

Soon, the guests began to arrive.

Zhenli brought the spirit bamboo shoots.

As usual, he brought newly refined elixirs.

Besides them, there was another guest, a burly and robust man with an axe tucked behind his waist; he was the woodcutter who chopped wood in Fangcun Mountain year-round.

He brought a fierce tiger.

Upon entering the Slanting Moon Three Stars Cave, Chang Shou learned that besides himself, there was another steward on Fangcun Mountain, namely the woodcutter.

Both are deacons.

Chang Shou tried to contact him.

The woodcutter was warm and hospitable, and they gradually became acquainted.

Later, they went from colleagues to friends, and Changshou learned about the woodcutter's experiences.

The woodcutter's name was Ke Da.

He is the eldest son in his family.

He was born with superhuman strength and hated evil like poison.

Chopping wood was as simple for him as eating and drinking.

By chance, he obtained a broken handle by the Huai River. At night, he dreamed that he entered the handle and witnessed the scene of Yu the Great suppressing the river god Wuzhiqi two thousand years ago.

When Ke Da woke up, he found that he had acquired a new skill called "Mountain-Splitting Axe" in his mind.

The Mountain-Opening Axe Technique is a legacy passed down from human to immortal, which Yu the Great comprehended and summarized after many years of opening mountains.

This method consists of nine forms, emphasizing the cultivation of stillness through movement. When all nine forms are perfected, one can reach the peak of human immortality, enjoy a lifespan of nine hundred years, be free from all diseases, and have a strong and healthy body.

Compared to Taoist cultivation, the axe is more important for combat power.

It is said that Yu the Great, who mastered the Nine Forms of the Mountain-Splitting Axe, possessed unparalleled martial arts skills and was unmatched in battle. His strength was terrifying and unparalleled, and even immortals were no match for him.

Without considering magical treasures and other special supernatural powers, in terms of combat strength alone, Yu the Great was definitely the strongest person below the Celestial Immortal.

Therefore, they were able to take over the heavy responsibility from the previous three sovereigns and four emperors, not only controlling the floods but also continuing their unfinished work.

He will pacify the nine provinces and sweep away demons.

Before his death, Yu the Great used the remains of the Three Sovereigns and Four Emperors and his own body as a base to cast eight tripods; he also used the remains of eighty-one human immortals and sages as a base to cast another tripod, and used the power of the nine tripods to suppress the nine provinces, intimidate immortals, saints, gods and Buddhas, and deter demons and monsters.

This is a masterpiece of the pinnacle of the Human Immortal Path.

Aside from human immortals who are slightly better off, the power of other powerful beings entering the Nine Provinces will be suppressed, and among the human immortals, human immortals receive the best treatment.

The human races of other paths are also in a relatively better situation.

Chang Shou learned about the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, the Nine Styles of the Mountain-Splitting Axe, and the Nine Tripods from ancient books such as "The Annals of Human Immortals," "The Biography of the Human Sovereign," and "The Record of the Nine Tripods."

No one, including immortals, doesn't yearn for the power of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.

Unfortunately, only the handle of the axe remains.

Unfortunately, Koda's opportunities and talents were limited.

He only received the first three forms of the Mountain-Splitting Axe.

Even so, relying on the legacy of Yu the Great, Ke Da still cultivated into a human immortal, and not just an ordinary human immortal. His combat power was so strong that even ordinary earth immortals were no match for him.

Later, during a demon-slaying expedition, he and a demon king were both severely injured, but he was unexpectedly saved by the Bodhi Patriarch.

To repay the kindness of his master in saving his life, Ke Da became the guardian of Fangcun Mountain, a position he has held for over fifty years.

The tiger he brought this time was a demon that had become a spirit.

Unfortunately, he was out of luck. On his first trip down the mountain to commit evil, he ran into Ke Da, who was selling firewood. At that time, Ke Da was worried about what to give as a congratulatory gift.

The tiger walked right into the trap, so he naturally didn't hold back.

Thus, the tiger spirit that failed to devour people became food for Chang Shou and his companions.

---

Chang Shou warmly rose to greet him.

We're all acquaintances, having already attended the monkey's birthday banquet once, so there's no question of strangers or estrangement.

The sounds of playful banter and laughter could be heard.

Soon a golden retriever chased after the round-faced, chubby chicken.

It turned out to be monkeys.

The birthday celebrant was in high spirits today, having tidied up his frizzy monkey fur and even applied oil to the fur on his head.

The correct attitude is commendable.

However, Chang Shou could hardly compliment his haircut, which resembled a haircut.

He didn't want to touch the monkey's head at all, afraid of getting his hands oily.

I was busy for an hour.

As the last rays of the setting sun faded.

Inside the Wanjuanlou building, the lights were on, and the air was filled with the aroma of wine and colorful fragrances.

Pickled cabbage and Lingyin fish, stir-fried chicken with bamboo shoots, nine ways to eat a tiger, peach blossom wine, peach wine, monkey wine...

The four immortals, the monk, and the monkey sat around the table, toasting and exchanging drinks in a harmonious atmosphere, celebrating the monkey's birthday together.

Sun Wukong was delighted.

He would use his sleeve to cover up the tears in his eyes as he raised his glass, but when he put the glass down, he would put on a carefree, playful smile again.

Deep within the layers of palaces.

The trees provided shade, and the candlelight shone brightly.

Inside a quaint and quiet house.

The venerable Bodhi Patriarch, with his otherworldly air, twitched his nose, took a deep sniff of the distant aroma of food, and couldn't help but blow on his beard and glare, muttering in dissatisfaction:

"A bunch of heartless people!"

They have fine wine and food, yet they don't invite me to be their teacher.

I'm so sorry that I had to give you peaches.

The restrictions on Lingyin fish have also been lifted.

Although he complained, the smile on his lips betrayed Bodhi Patriarch's true feelings.

"Unbeknownst to us, three years have already passed."

Perhaps it's time.

This can be considered a birthday gift for this monkey, given it was bound to happen sooner or later.

However, these unworthy disciples and stewards aroused his cravings. With a thought, Bodhi Patriarch vanished without a trace.

He headed straight for the Thirty-Third Heaven.

We need to go find that old man, Laozi.

Only by eating dragon liver and phoenix gall and drinking some fine wine can one soothe a wounded heart.