Journey to the West: Beginning with the Apprenticeship of Bodhi Patriarch

Chapter 154: Wukong Wears the Golden Hoop for the Second Time (asking for monthly ticket)

But in front of the Three Stars Cave, Red Boy saw Zhu Bajie, and just as "enemies meet with envy", he held his flaming spear and chased after him on the fire.

Zhu Bajie complained bitterly, lamenting that he had no weapon in his hands, so he could not resist Red Boy and fled through the mountains and forests.

Tang Seng and Sha Wujing looked around in front of the mansion gate, at a loss as to what to do.

Suddenly a voice was heard, bringing the two men back to their senses.

"Is that the monk from the Eastern Tang Dynasty who is going to the Western Paradise to seek Buddhist scriptures?"

Tang Seng looked back and saw him standing in front of the mansion gate, smiling happily, holding a leaf fan, making people feel like they were in the spring breeze.

Tang Monk stepped forward and clasped his hands together, saying, "I am the monk personally appointed by the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty to go to the West to obtain the true scriptures. Now, I have been taught by the Bodhisattva and have come to the Immortal Palace to invite Wukong to go with me to obtain the scriptures."

Zhen Jian laughed and said, "I am sorry to disappoint the holy monk. Wukong is meditating in the palace and has never thought of leaving. Please go back, holy monk."

When Tang Seng heard this, he did not know how to respond for a moment. He pondered for a long time before saying, "Sir, I came here under the guidance of the Bodhisattva. I hope you can teach me how to meet Wukong."

Zhen Jiandao said: "The holy monk does not need to mention Bodhisattva. Even if the Venerable Muni of the West comes in person, we should still know how to respect him."

When Tang Seng heard that the Buddha had come, he should be polite. He was shocked and bowed quickly, saying, "I am sorry for my rudeness. Sir, how can you help me meet Wukong?"

Zhen Jian smiled and said, "Wukong is really in meditation, he has never hidden anything."

Tang Seng didn't know what to say.

Sha Wujing stepped forward and said, "Sir, we sincerely wish to see our elder brother. Please allow us to do so."

Zhen Jian said: "How about this, if you can wait until Wukong completes his meditation, then I will bring him to you, how about that?"

Sha Wujing asked, "I wonder when will my elder brother's meditation be successful?"

Zhen Jian said: "I don't know. Maybe a month, maybe a year, maybe ten or eight years, I can't say for sure."

When Tang Seng heard this, he looked panicked. He never expected it would take so long.

Zhenjian said, "Saint monk, if you can wait, then wait. If you can't wait, then go down the mountain early and walk on the road to the west. Don't miss the time, or the loss will outweigh the gain."

Say it.

I really saw him walk into the mansion without closing the door.

When Tang Seng and Sha Seng saw this, they didn't know what to do.

Tang Seng wanted to ask his two disciples, but Bajie was chasing Red Boy to an unknown place, so he had to ask Sha Wujing: "Wujing, should we wait in the mountains or go down the mountain?"

Sha Wujing said, "Master, please wait a bit. Without our elder brother's support, we will have no chance of making it on our journey to the west."

Tang Seng was uneasy.

Sha Wujing said again: "Master, during this period of time, we have traveled to Fangcun Mountain. There have been no demons or ghosts to attack us along the way, only tigers, leopards, jackals, and wolves. We are overwhelmed. If the eldest brother were here, he would just shout in the forest, and no tigers, leopards, jackals, or wolves would dare to attack us. Besides, when the eldest brother was here, did he ever make the master hungry and thirsty?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Monk sighed and said, "Let's find a place to wait in the mountains."

Sha Wujing: "Yes, Master."

The two men walked back, found a shady place, built a thatched hut, and asked Tang Seng to live in it, waiting for Wukong to return from his meditation.

The fight between Zhu Bajie and Red Boy lasted for three days before Zhen Jian called a halt.

Zhenjian called Zhu Bajie back to the thatched cottage and told Sha Wujing that if Zhu Bajie said nonsense again, he should go to the Sanxing Cave and call Red Boy to make Zhu Bajie dare not do it again.

Sha Wujing agreed and did not mention the matter again.

……

In the Sanxing Immortal Cave, Zhenjian walked along the Yaotai path, knocked on the door of the Zhenren’s quiet room, and entered.

Zhen Jian saw Jiang Yuan sitting cross-legged on the bed and bowed, "Big Brother."

Jiang Yuan opened his eyes and asked, "Junior brother, is it done?"

Zhen Jian said, "The Tang Monk and his followers are waiting for Junior Brother Wukong in the mountains. Senior Brother, how long should we teach them to wait?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Brother, how long we wait is not decided by us, but by the pilgrims. If our hearts are not in harmony, it is useless to walk for a long time. If our hearts are in harmony, then the true practice will begin."

Zhenjian seemed to be thinking about something. He bowed and left without asking any more questions.

Jiang Yuan looked at Zhen and said with a smile, "This junior brother was blinded by a leaf in his early years, but now he has achieved the right result, his magic power is getting stronger day by day, and he is deeply familiar with the Dharma nature."

He quietly cultivated his true nature, without any thoughts.

The immortal meditated in this way for an unknown period of time. At three o'clock in the night, he felt something in his heart and woke up from his meditation.

Jiang Yuanfu looked outside the door and saw a monkey acting sneakily. He said with a smile, "Monkey, you must have done a lot of stealing when you made trouble in the Heavenly Palace in the past. You are so familiar with it that you are teaching me to do this today so that I can know your ability."

The door of the room was pushed open, and the monkey stuck his head in and said, "Big Brother, the door was not open, how did you know I was coming?"

Jiang Yuan pointed at the monkey and scolded him with a smile: "If I didn't have such a skill, wouldn't I have to rob the mansion and take everything?"

The monkey bowed and said, "Big Brother, you have great magical powers."

Jiang Yuan asked, "You monkey, why are you here in the middle of the night? What do you want to find me for?"

The monkey scratched his ears and cheeks, wanting to say something but stopping himself, as if he didn't know what to say, and sat restlessly in the room.

Jiang Yuan did not ask any further questions, but just looked at the monkey to see when he would say it.

The monkey was jumping up and down like this for some time before he said, "Big Brother, I asked you to take off the hoop on my head before and gave it to you. Now I feel that my cultivation is still a little difficult, so I came to ask you to lend me the hoop for my cultivation."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "I thought you came to my place in the middle of the night for some reason, not to ask for the hoop."

The monkey said, "Big Brother, I am not asking for it. I am not asking for it. The hoop is mine and mine. It belongs to you. I am just borrowing it."

Jiang Yuan said: "The hoop is not with me now, you can go find your second brother."

After hearing this, the monkey bowed again and again and left the room.

Jiang Yuan watched the monkey leave and said with a smile: "This monkey didn't know the magic of the golden hoop before, but now he has understood it and will make progress."

……

Wukong left the Zhenren's quiet room and went to the Zhenjian's quiet room. After some inquiries, he learned that the golden hoop was at the gate of the mansion. Wukong took a detour to the gate and saw the golden hoop placed beside the gate.

Wukong walked forward and saw the golden hoop, feeling mixed emotions.

He had always disliked this golden hoop and had tried many times to use magic to break it. Now that the golden hoop was gone from his body, he was thinking about it more.

Although Jingu'er would have a headache when teaching others to chant scriptures, he was able to calm his mind and taught them not to forget to practice. Since he practiced meditation, he realized the magic of Jingu'er.

Wukong held the golden hoop in both hands, pondered for a long time, and then put the golden hoop back on his head.

The golden hoop on his head did not feel as tight as before, rooted to the flesh. It was loose and seemed like it could be taken off at any time, and there was no pain or rejection at all.

Wukong wore the golden hoop for a long time and felt his mind at peace. He was so happy that he went to his room to meditate.

……

Time passed quickly, and before he knew it, more than a month had passed. One day, Jiang Yuan was in the alchemy room, nurturing his true yang energy, when Wukong came to pay his respects again, telling him to continue his journey westward.

Jiang Yuan sat in front of the cauldron and lit the fire. He looked at the monkey beside him and asked, "Have you made up your mind? The Tang Monk is in the mountains. I originally wanted him to wait for thirty-six months, but now it will only be thirty-six days."

The monkey said, "Big Brother, I am here to practice cultivation. I hope you can reach the West as soon as possible, and I can also achieve success as soon as possible."

Jiang Yuan said: "Our sect is here to vent your anger. Now that you feel you have vented your anger, you can go now."

The monkey knelt on the ground, kowtowed, and said, "I will never forget the kindness of Master and Big Brother. When I succeed, I will return to the mansion and serve Master and Big Brother every day, fulfilling my filial duty."

Jiang Yuan said with a smile: "You little monkey, I am your senior brother, what are you talking about filial piety?"

The monkey said, "Big Brother, there is a saying in the world of Jambu that 'eldest brother is like a father'. Big Brother has shown me kindness, and I cannot repay you enough."

Jiang Yuan said, "Monkey, don't say such sentimental things. Go, go. Have you said goodbye to your master?"

The monkey said, "I just came from my master."

Jiang Yuan nodded, said nothing more, and just told the monkey to leave.

The monkey was determined to achieve success and then return home.

The monkey packed up in the mansion and said goodbye to Zhenjian, Red Boy and Chongyang one by one before leaving. It was late autumn when he returned to the mansion, and it was also late autumn when he left the mansion. He didn't know how much time had passed.

Not long after the monkey reached the outskirts of the mansion, he saw a thatched cottage. He walked closer and saw Sha Wujing hanging clothes to dry outside the cottage.

The monkey came forward and called out, "Junior Brother Sha, Junior Brother Sha."

When Sha Wujing saw the monkey, he said happily, "Big Brother."

He then went into the hut and called out Tang Seng and Zhu Bajie.

When Tang Seng saw Wukong, he stepped forward to support him and said, "My dear disciple, I have been waiting for you for a long time."

Wukong bowed and said, "I have been meditating in my residence for a long time. I didn't know that Master was coming. It is my fault that Master kept waiting for so long."

Tang Seng said: "It was because I spoke too harshly earlier that I provoked you to leave, and that is when the disaster came. The Bodhisattva spoke to me."

Wukong said, "Master, we have been separated for a long time. It is time to go west."

Tang Monk said: "Now that you have returned, my dear disciple, we should continue our journey westward."

Wukong said, "Master, this recipe has taught me a lot. On the journey to the west, we should work together, avoid discord, avoid greed and anger, and overcome difficulties together. Only then can we reach the sacred mountain and obtain the true scriptures. But if we are not harmonious, disaster will surely occur."

Tang Monk said: "My wise disciple, what you said makes sense."

Wukong said, "Master, we should stop being suspicious."

Zhu Bajie yelled, "Brother, when did I ever suspect you?"

When Wukong saw Zhu Bajie, he stepped forward and grabbed the palm-leaf fan by the ear, scolding him with a smile: "Among all of us, you are the only one who doesn't have good manners. I'm talking to you, Master. Don't listen to this fool's nonsense in the future. If you dare to say anything, I'll punish you with my iron rod."

Zhu Bajie shouted, "Brother, let me go. You just said we should be united, why are you hitting me now?"

Wukong said: "It is you who should be beaten."

When Tang Monk and Sha Monk saw this, they laughed. They were all happy and talked for a long time before leaving the mountain.

Tang Seng wanted to say goodbye in front of the immortal palace, but Wukong just said that since he had not yet achieved success, there was no need to say goodbye. If Tang Seng achieved success in the future, it would not be too late to come and visit him again.

Tang Seng had no choice but to give up and go down the mountain.

The group of pilgrims were now united, and they went down the mountain, turned onto the main road, and headed west again.

But they saw Monkey holding an iron rod and leading the way, Sha Seng leading the horse, Tang Seng sitting on the horse, and Bajie carrying the load behind.

If there were tigers, leopards, jackals, or wolves along the way, the traveler only had to shout loudly, and those tigers, leopards, jackals, snakes, insects, rats, and ants would not dare to attack. Even those weak and evil spirits would be so frightened that they would not dare to approach.

Tang Monk was delighted to see this. He thought that if there was a traveler here, he would definitely ensure that his journey to the West would be successful.

……

Talk about the Three Stars Cave.

Jiang Yuan was in the master's room, talking with the master.

The master asked, "Did the monkey leave the palace?"

Jiang Yuan bowed in front of the master and said, "Master, Junior Brother Wukong has left the house. He said that he will come back when he has completed his training."

The master said, "Please stand up and sit down. I think he will be back soon."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan sat down on the cushion and asked, "Master, why do you say that?"

The master pointed at Jiang Yuan and said with a smile: "You boy, why do you ask when you already know the answer? Your cow is guarding the road ahead. How can you teach him how to get through? I will come back to the mansion to invite you."

Jiang Yuan was extremely helpless when he saw the master mentioned the 'Bull King'. He was afraid that the pilgrims would get away with it too easily, so he gave the Yu Ding to the Bull King to challenge him.

Unexpectedly, the Bull Demon King gathered more than ten thousand demon soldiers and occupied the mountain. With the presence of Yu Ding, it was really difficult for the group of pilgrims to pass this level.

Jiang Yuan said: "Master, it was the Bodhisattva from the sea who came to borrow someone, so he borrowed the Bull King to help Wukong, but he didn't expect the Bull King to gather his troops."

The master smiled and said, "Don't be anxious. It's okay to challenge him once or twice. See what the monkey is capable of. If he comes to ask you, you can take the cow away. If he can pass the test without your help, then his ability is truly amazing."

Jiang Yuan nodded deeply.

The master said, "My boy, your practice is becoming more and more perfect, and the time for you to open a palace is just around the corner."

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "Master, I am so busy teaching a disciple that I dare not talk about the time to open a mansion."

The master said: "Not every disciple should practice the golden elixir orthodoxy. More disciples should practice the side door. You also know how difficult it is to make the golden elixir."

Jiang Yuan said: "Master, I am not very proficient in the side doors. I can talk about a few things, but if you really talk about the depth of the side doors, I am afraid that I am not capable enough."

The master smiled and said, "So I say that you are becoming more and more perfect, not that you are already perfect. When you are truly perfect, you will be able to talk about the side door."

Jiang Yuan said: "Master, I have not yet mastered the external alchemy path."

The master asked, "Have you come here to prepare the golden elixir?"

Jiang Yuan said: "Of course there are some."

The ancestor smiled and said, "If that's the case, then you are fine. You can leave the house now. Someone will come to help you achieve success in the external alchemy."

When Jiang Yuan heard this, he was about to ask, and he had a feeling that there were two people waiting for him outside the mansion, namely Jinjiao and Yinjiao. He then bowed to the ancestors and then withdrew and went out of the mansion.

The immortal walked outside the mansion and opened the middle door wide, and saw Jinjiao and Yinjiao outside the mansion.

The two fairy boys saw the real person and bowed, "Brother, we are here at the order of the master to help you make the elixir."

Jiang Yuan came forward to greet them, helped them up one by one, and said, "It is precisely because I don't know how to prepare the golden elixir. You two junior brothers have come at the right time. Please follow me into the mansion."

The two fairy children said, "Brother, please rest assured. If you are going to prepare the golden elixir, we will take care of the fire and wind, and we will make sure that you don't have to worry."

Jiang Yuan was overjoyed and welcomed the two fairy boys into his house. He first took the two fairy boys to meet the ancestor, and then went back to the alchemy room to prepare for the preparation of the golden elixir.

(End of this chapter)