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

Chapter 182: Jizhou has the aura of a king, repaying kindness with hatred

Time flies, and before they know it, March and April have gone by. Jiang Yuan and his companions have gone through the hot summer, but now it is the frosty autumn. They see that the road ahead is "desolate, with long mountains and long rivers".

The Immortal and his companions finally reached the border of Jizhou. When they were in front of a mountain, the Immortal looked up and gazed into the distance, using his ability to "see the air" and saw a golden aura shining in the sky above the border of Jizhou.

The Bull Demon King swung his iron rod and stepped forward and said, "Master, we have entered the territory of Jizhou."

He saw the immortal looking around again and asked in confusion, "Master, is there anything unusual here?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "Jizhou has the aura of a king."

The Bull Demon King opened his eyes wide and looked carefully, but could not see any clues. He just thought that the person’s cultivation was shallow.

Zuo Liang rubbed his hands and said, "Sir, how can Jizhou have the aura of a king? I have seen a lot of rebellious aura in Jizhou."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "How can you say that?"

Zuo Liang said, "Sir, I have also read books and I know that Jizhou has been home to many rebels since ancient times. When Wang Mang usurped the Han Dynasty, Jizhou was full of powerful rebels. There were countless of them. Later, the Taiping Dao also rebelled here. Jizhou was home to many rebels."

Jiang Yuan smiled and shook his head, saying, "Jizhou will have its own emperor in the future."

Zuo Liang looked out at Jizhou and had an idea in his mind. If he lived in Jizhou, would he have the chance to become an emperor, unify the nine provinces, and enjoy endless wealth and honor?

As soon as the thought arises, he is told to kill it. Now he is very old and only wishes to practice cultivation. How can he let external things affect his heart? This is not right.

Jiang Yuan said, "Let's go in now."

The Bull Demon King led the deer forward and said, "Master, where should we go after entering Jizhou?"

Jiang Yuan patted the white deer and said, "Let the deer walk, we will do whatever he wants."

The Bull Demon King obeyed the order, let go of the deer and let it walk forward.

The group moved forward again. Zuo Liang felt pain under his feet, but he was used to it. The blisters on his feet healed and grew again, grew and healed again, and this cycle had been repeated countless times. He also knew that this might be the result of the grinding, so he ignored it and just kept moving forward.

The Bull Demon King leaned back and said, "Zuo boy."

Zuo Liang turned around and said, "Master Niu."

The Bull Demon King said, "Zuo boy, you have been with me and the master for quite some time, how come you are getting younger and younger?"

Zuo Liang shook his head and said, "Master Niu, please don't tease me. I am sixty-three years old in this life. I have been following the immortal for a year or two. I should be much older. How can I be getting younger as time goes by?"

The Bull Demon King pointed to a small puddle ahead and said, "Go there and take a look. You are indeed much younger."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang walked to the puddle and saw that he looked much younger in the water, as if he was over fifty years old. He was shocked but also knew that this must be the ability of a real person.

Zuo Liang asked in a low voice: "Master Niu, what's the point of this?"

The Bull Demon King said, "Being younger is a good thing. Why should you be so particular about it? Don't think too much. Just follow the real person."

Zuo Liang bowed deeply and quickly followed Bai Lu.

……

When the group entered Jizhou and traveled for a long time, they reached the border of a county and were suddenly hit by a strong wind and heavy rain. The people were told to stop, so Jiang Yuan led Zuo Liang and others to a deserted temple to take shelter from the rain.

The Bull Demon King skillfully made a fire, burned incense and made observances with full etiquette, just as the Immortal had said, 'When one goes into a temple to worship, if there is a host, one worships the Lord; if there is no host, one worships heaven.'

After the Bull Demon King had built the fire, he saw the Immortal sitting cross-legged, Zuo Liang hanging clothes, and Bai Lu looking around. He stepped forward and said, "Master, Zuo boy, this rain comes at a really bad time. If we go a little further, we can enter the county."

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "This rain is private rain."

The Bull Demon King opened his eyes wide and said, "Master, this rain is private rain? Which Dragon King is so bold as to make this rain privately?"

Zuo Liang came forward and asked, "Sir, Master Niu, what do you think of the private rain?"

The Bull Demon King said, "For rain to fall in the world of Jambu, it must be ordered by the Heavenly Palace. The order must specify where it will fall, how many feet and inches it will fall, and what time it will start. Then Taiyi must send a letter to call the Thunder God, Lightning Mother, Cloud Boy, and Wind Master, and then ask the Water Official to release the dragons. Only then can the Dragon King make it rain. If it is raining privately, there is no such requirement. Just let it rain. However, if it rains privately and is discovered, you must go to the Heavenly Palace and be punished."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang asked, "The laws of the Heavenly Palace are so strict."

The Bull Demon King shook his head and said, "Some have not been found, so there is nothing wrong. Don't alarm the three realms. Just send down some rain. The Heavenly Palace doesn't know, so there is no guilt."

Zuo Liang thanked Bull Demon King for his answer.

The Bull Demon King asked, "Master, it is raining here, what should we do?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "No need, the real master is coming here."

Hearing this, the Bull Demon King looked outside the temple and saw a dark cloud coming. It soon landed in front of the temple. It turned out to be an old man with dragon horns on his head. He knelt in front of the temple and said, "Qingsong River Dragon King, I am honored to meet you."

Jiang Yuan said, "Ox King, go and call the Dragon King."

After receiving the order, Bull Demon King left the temple and brought the old Dragon King into the deserted temple.

The old Dragon King entered and bowed to Jiang Yuan again, not daring to make any mistakes.

Jiang Yuan asked, "Why do you come to pay me respect?"

The old dragon king said, "I saw a divine light looming here, and auspicious mist covering the sky for a long time. I knew that a Taoist immortal had descended, so I came here to pay my respects."

Jiang Yuan asked, "Do you know me?"

The old dragon king bowed and said, "I didn't recognize it before, but now I recognize it." Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "How do you say that?"

The old Dragon King said, "I have seen the portrait of the real person in the Dragon Palace of the Four Seas. It is the portrait that the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas admire, so I took the portrait of the real person to look at it. The real person is Guang Xin Zhenren."

Jiang Yuan asked: "Since you know me, why do you come here to pay me respect?"

The old Dragon King knelt down again and said, "Please help me solve this puzzle."

Jiang Yuan asked, "Is this confusion related to your private rain?"

The old Dragon King replied: "That's exactly why."

Jiang Yuan said: "If that's the case, tell me why you made it rain privately."

The old Dragon King bowed and said, "It's a long story. Twenty-one years ago, I traveled through this county and saw an orphan child in the county. I felt sorry for him, so I changed into a human form, adopted him, and raised him in the county. I raised him for twenty years. Unexpectedly, he grew up and wanted to practice cultivation. I revealed my true form and told him that I was the Dragon King. Unexpectedly, he knew I was the Dragon King and pretended to be nice to me. He wanted to learn from me. When he finished his studies, he plotted to harm me and pulled out my dragon tendons. When I found out, I was furious and made it rain, flooding the county."

Upon hearing this, the Bull Demon King was furious and said, "How can this be allowed? How can we tolerate someone who repays kindness with hatred?"

The old Dragon King did not answer.

Jiang Yuan asked, "What is your confusion?"

The old Dragon King said, "Master, I have a doubt in my heart. I don't know why I treat him as my son and disciple, I treat him with sincerity and help him out of the sea of ​​suffering, but why does he treat me as his enemy?"

Jiang Yuan asked, "Is this what you are confused about?"

The old Dragon King bowed and said, "That's right."

Jiang Yuan smiled but did not answer.

The Bull Demon King yelled, "You are too kind-hearted. There is a saying that 'there must be something hateful about a pitiful person'. You just took him in out of pity, but you never taught him to cultivate his mind and reason. How can cause and effect come into being out of thin air?"

The old Dragon King wanted to say something, but Jiang Yuan asked, "Dragon King, how many years have you been practicing?"

The old Dragon King replied, "Master, I was born in a humble family. I was born in the body of a snake. I practiced hard for more than a thousand years before I became a Dragon King."

Jiang Yuan asked: "You are angry and it has brought rain, has it caused any harm?"

The old Dragon King shook his head and said, "I am still angry now, but I have never caused any harm."

Jiang Yuan said: "You have practiced hard for a thousand years to become the Dragon King today. It would be a pity if your practice was ruined because of this incident."

The old Dragon King asked: "Master, the matter of cultivation is still a matter of two things, but I have never understood why I saved others from the sea of ​​suffering, but they did not feel grateful to me, but instead regarded me as an enemy."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Dragon King, how do you know that he has left the sea of ​​suffering?"

The old Dragon King said: "You have escaped from suffering. With my teachings, have you escaped from the sea of ​​suffering?"

Jiang Yuan said, "If this is how we can escape from the sea of ​​suffering, how can there still be a sea of ​​suffering in the world of Jambudvīpa? The Dragon King saves people from the sea of ​​suffering, but if we are not careful, we ourselves will fall into the sea of ​​suffering again. We should be cautious."

After hearing this, the old Dragon King pondered for a long time and said, "Master, as you said, from the beginning to the end, I never saved him from the sea of ​​suffering. Instead, I myself fell into the sea of ​​suffering and became angry. Now my anger has caused disasters?"

Jiang Yuan said nothing.

The old Dragon King seemed to understand something. He bowed three times to Jiang Yuan before leaving.

After a while, the old Dragon King left, the heavy rain gradually dissipated, and golden wind howled in the sky.

The Bull Demon King sat down on the ground and said, "Master, if this old dragon says so, then the people who were saved by the old dragon are really angry. It is not too much to repay kindness with hatred."

Jiang Yuan looked at Zuo Liang and said, "Zuo Liang, you have lived in the human world for sixty-three years. Do you know how many things like what the old Dragon King said are there in the human world?"

Zuo Liang said: "Sir, there are countless such things in the world. There are countless people who become enemies because of gold and silver, family property, and various other things. Just like what the Dragon King said before, it is a common thing."

Jiang Yuan nodded and said, "That's right. There are countless such things, because the four continents of the world of Jambu are all in the sea of ​​suffering."

Zuo Liang asked, "Sir, is it possible to cross the sea of ​​suffering?"

Jiang Yuan said: "It is possible to cross it, but it requires deep magical power. The Dragon King does not have the power to cross people through the sea of ​​suffering."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang thanked Yu Jiangyuan and said, "Thank you, sir, for saving me."

Jiang Yuan said: "You don't need to thank me. I saved you because we have a destiny. If there is no destiny, I would not be able to save you either."

Zuo Liang did not understand what he meant and asked, "Sir, you always say that there is a predestined relationship between you and me, but I never knew what the predestined relationship between you and me is."

Jiang Yuan said: "Your ancestors helped me in the past, so you and I have a connection."

Zuo Liang asked: "Sir, why didn't my ancestors practice with you at that time?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Why do you think your ancestors never practiced with me?"

Zuo Liang pondered for a long time and said, "But because my ancestors had no enlightenment, they never practiced?"

The Bull Demon King said, "You old fellow, you only realized the need for cultivation when you were over sixty years old. How can you say that your ancestors had no enlightenment?"

Zuo Liang realized that he had said something wrong and quickly apologized.

(End of this chapter)