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

Chapter 243: King Si descends to the mortal world, King Tang finally grows old

The story goes that in the central hall of the Tushita Palace, Sun Wukong used many elixirs, ate red dates, enjoyed some pears, and talked with Laojun for a long time before he was about to leave the Tushita Palace.

Laojun ordered Li Tieguai to bring the green ox to Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong stood in front of the gate of Tushita Palace and saw the green ox. He looked it up and down, touched it left and right, as if looking for something.

Seeing this, Laojun asked, "You monkey, why do you seem to be doing something like that?"

Sun Wukong turned around and said, "Laojun, I want to see if he has any hidden treasures. You are always forgetful. What if this blue bull hides some treasures and suddenly attacks me on the way down to the human world? With the treasures in his hands, I will have a hard time defeating him. It would be bad if he escapes."

Laojun laughed and scolded, "How can you say that I am forgetful?"

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Whenever I meet someone from Tushita Palace who wants to go down to the mortal world, he or she often has treasures in his or her hands, such as the purple gold and red gourd, the sheep-fat jade bottle, the seven-star sword, the golden rope, the banana fan, the diamond chisel, the coiled dragon crutch, I can't count them all."

Laojun pointed at Sun Wukong and said, "How come you remember all of them, you monkey?"

Sun Wukong said, "Laojun, you have such a treasure. You have caused me so much pain. How can I not remember it? Laojun, what treasure do you have? What is the secret? Why don't you tell me? Then I will know the secret. Even if this green ox hides a treasure, I can get it."

The old man laughed and said, "If I were to talk about the secrets and the principles of mutual generation and mutual restraint, I could talk about it for 81 days and still not finish. I can tell you, but I'm afraid you don't have time to listen to me."

Sun Wukong heard this and shook his head and said, "If that's the case, then forget it. But Laojun, you should take good care of this blue bull and make sure he doesn't hide the treasure."

Laojun smiled and said, "Cow, tell me, do you have any treasure hidden?"

Qingniu raised his head and called out, "Master, I don't have any treasures hidden, only my nose ring."

Laojun said: "I left the diamond chisel for you to protect yourself. Do you really have no treasures on you? Don't let this monkey worry too much."

Qingniu said, "Master, there really is no treasure. This monkey is not very capable, so why does he keep saying such things?"

Laojun patted the blue ox and said, "Why do you say that? If this monkey wants to catch you, it will be easy. How can you say that he is not very capable?"

Qingniu said, "He has taught me to fail several times."

The old man laughed and scolded, "What nonsense! This monkey is very capable. If you fight him, you will definitely lose in less than fifty rounds. How can you say he is not very capable?"

Qingniu said, "I have a diamond chisel, he can't defeat me."

Laojun said, "Don't you know that the monkey has a knives-and-ears ability? What can you do to him if he takes your diamond chisel away?"

Qingniu remained silent.

After hearing what Laojun said, Sun Wukong could not hold back and just said, "I am so ashamed." He was about to get up and leave. If Laojun had not stopped him, the monkey would have left.

Laojun smiled and said, "Don't say too much. Follow Wukong and don't make trouble. If you want to go out and play, you must tell Guangxin and obey Guangxin's words. If you disobey me, let me know and I will never let you leave again."

Qingniu said: "I dare not disobey, I dare not disobey."

Laojun then said, "In that case, Monkey, take the blue ox to the lower world. You have been delayed here for a long time, and Guangxin has been waiting for a long time."

Sun Wukong responded and walked out of the Heavenly Gate, leading the green ox.

The two left Tianmen and headed for Lanshan, 200 miles away.

When the Green Ox saw that he had left the Heavenly Gate, he transformed into a human and rode on a cloud with Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong asked: "How do you transform into a human body?"

Qingniu laughed and said, "Now that I have left the master's place, there is no need to show my true self."

Sun Wukong said, "Don't walk, come with me to see the eldest brother."

Qingniu said, "I know, I know."

As the two were talking, they walked to the Lan Mountain, 200 miles away, and entered the cave where the tree spirit used to live. There they saw the immortals and their companions meditating on a high platform, waiting for Sun Wukong to return.

When Wukong saw the real person, he bowed and said, "Big Brother, I am back."

Jiang Yuan laughed and said, "Wukong, why have you been gone for so long? You have been away from the human world for more than half a month."

He then looked at the blue ox and said, "Why has King Si come down to the mortal world again?"

Sun Wukong told the immortal everything that happened in the Heavenly Palace, hiding nothing.

Jiang Yuan understood what he heard and said, "Since Laojun has said so, King Si should follow me. Now we are going home. You can play in the mountains. If I go out, I will let you follow me."

Qingniu said, "Master, I understand, I understand."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "How can you call yourself a real person?"

Qingniu said: "Master, please don't tease me. It was I who was rude at that time. Don't take it seriously."

Jiang Yuan said: "Well, I won't joke with you."

Qingniu was about to say something, but suddenly he saw three small tripods hanging from the waist of the Immortal. He was startled and hurried forward, saying, "Immortal, did you really get the tripods? What are these tripods?"

Jiang Yuan replied: "Of course I got it. This tripod is the Qingzhou tripod, and it is a wooden tripod."

Qingniu asked in surprise, "I have been looking for it here for a long time. Where did you get it?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Do you know that there is a tree spirit causing trouble in this Lan Mountain?"

Qingniu said, "There is a tree spirit causing trouble in Erbailan Mountain. I know about this. It has something to do with the land god and mountain god. I don't want to bother with it, so I didn't pay attention to it. Master, could it be that the Qingzhou Ding is related to this tree spirit causing trouble?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and nodded, saying, "That's right, the Qingzhou Ding is hidden in the cave of this tree spirit. I came here to subdue the monster and entered this cave, so I got the Qingzhou Ding."

When Qingniu heard this, he regretted it too late and said, "If I had known this earlier, I should have been kind. If I had not been bothered by the trouble and come to kill this tree spirit, I would have obtained the Qingzhou Ding long ago. It was because I did not have a kind heart that I missed the Qingzhou Ding."

Jiang Yuan smiled but said nothing.

Zhenjian replied: "Even if you, King Si, obtained the Qingzhou Ding, how could you lift it? This tripod is thick and heavy. It is definitely difficult for a person without virtue to hold it."

Qingniu said, "I don't want it to recognize its master, but I want you to play with it for a while. I can take the diamond chisel away from this tripod and use it to play with it."

Zhen Jian laughed and said, "If that's the case, it's boring."

Qingniu said, "How do you know what's so interesting about Ding'er?"

He looked at the Immortal and said, "The Immortal has now obtained three of the Nine Cauldrons. Perhaps you can go and search for the other six. Except for the time when the Water Official Emperor forged them in the past, they have never been assembled in full. Now that the Immortal has obtained three of the Cauldrons, it must be proved that the Immortal and the Nine Cauldrons are predestined. Just go and search for them, and the Nine Cauldrons can be assembled."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Since you said that I have a predestined relationship with the Nine Cauldrons, why should I look for it? I just need to follow the steps. If there is a predestined relationship, I can get the Nine Cauldrons. If there is no predestined relationship, then there is no point in looking for it. King Si, don't worry."

After hearing what the Immortal said, Qingniu had no choice but to give up. He stared at the Immortal for a long time and said, "The Immortal is different from before."

Jiang Yuan asked: "What's the difference?"

Qing Niu said, "When I first met you, you were just a Taoist boy. You had some understanding, but you were just a Taoist boy. There were many Taoist boys in Tushita Palace who were better than you. When I saw you again, you had achieved enlightenment. At that time, you had some magical powers, but they were profound, but not as powerful as those of a great master. I felt that if I fought with you, I would have a chance to defeat you, but things are different now."

Jiang Yuan asked again: "How do you say that?"

Qingniu said, "You have some similarities with the master."

Jiang Yuan shook his head and smiled, "I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it. King Si, don't talk nonsense, and leave with me, and go to Lingtai Fangcun Mountain."

Sun Wukong stepped forward and asked, "Big Brother, how do I get home?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Just follow me home, there is no need to ride on the cloud."

Sun Wukong responded. Everyone followed his orders, gathered their things, left the mansion, and headed down the mountain.

Just as they were leaving the house, Sun Wukong and Bull Demon King started arguing over who should lead the deer.

Sun Wukong said that when he traveled westwards he often led a horse before him, and he was familiar with some of the tricks there, so he should be taught how to lead the deer.

The Bull Demon King said that he was a real guardian deity and this was his duty.

The true vision is that the real person has done him a great favor, and he should bring the deer to repay him in full.

After much debate, the real person finally spoke up and said that there was no need to lead the deer, as the white deer knew the way home.

After hearing what the real person said, everyone had no choice but to give up.

Sun Wukong and Bull Demon King each held a weapon and led the way, while Zhenjian stood beside the deer and chatted with the immortal.

Zuo Liang and Qing Niu followed behind the deer.

All of them did so happily, and went down the mountain. When they were out of Lanshan, the immortal stopped the white deer and suddenly pointed towards Xiniu Hezhou. They saw a golden light coming out from the western road, and going westward along both sides of the road. It was the time when the sky in the east was turning pale, and it was exactly 'the sky in the east was slightly pale, and the golden light on the western road was very bright'.

A group of people went towards Xiniu Hezhou.

……

Time flies, and before I knew it, more than three months have gone by.

The group walked on the Golden Avenue, passing through several states. If they met someone with a predestined relationship, they would stop. If they were offended by evil spirits, they would subdue them.

However, along the way, there are very few people who are destined to be together, almost none.

One day, the group arrived at the city of Chang'an.

The Bull Demon King swung his iron rod and cleared the way. When he saw the big city ahead, he stopped and said, "Master, I have arrived at Chang'an City. Do I want to go into the city and take a look?"

Jiang Yuan looked at it, shook his head and said, "I have entered this city before, there is no need to enter again."

Sun Wukong pointed to the Chang'an City ahead and said, "Big Brother, when I achieved my mission in the past, I also went there to pay my respects to the King of Tang. But now I haven't been there for a long time. I wonder how the King of Tang is doing."

The Bull Demon King said: "Mortals have a limited lifespan, and it is possible that the Tang King's lifespan has come to an end."

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "The Tang King's fate has not yet ended, but he is already in his twilight years."

Sun Wukong sighed and said, "I see that the Tang King is a man of great talent and strategy, but he is bound to grow old, get sick and die. Big Brother, Big Brother, Second Brother, you don't know that the Tang King is very prestigious among the common people on the Westward Journey Road. He often takes out the pass disc. The country of Xiniu Hezhou must have a good relationship with the great country of China. This achievement is the work of the Tang King."

Jiang Yuan said, "The King of Tang is not far from here. Since you, Wukong, have something to say, there is no harm in meeting him."

Sun Wukong asked, "Then the King of Tang is in Chang'an City, right?"

Jiang Yuan said: "We observed the aura and saw the royal aura coming out of the city. I guess it was the King of Tang going out."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong asked, "How far is the King of Tang from here?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Thirty miles. We don't need to move, the King of Tang will come here on his own."

Upon hearing this, everyone waited on the spot.

An hour later, suddenly there were soldiers and horses coming from the front. When they saw the immortals and their group in front of the road, someone came to chase them on horseback.

Sun Wukong stepped forward, drew out his golden cudgel and swung it with such power that the man on horseback was frightened and stopped.

Someone came forward and asked, "Your Majesty, who is blocking the road?"

Sun Wukong said: "I followed Master Xuanzang to the west to seek Buddhist scriptures. You can ask the King of Tang to recognize me. He will definitely know me!"

Upon hearing this, the man turned around and reported.

It didn't take long before the King of Tang was seen, surrounded by a crowd, walking not far from the Immortal and others.

Sun Wukong opened his eyes wide and took a closer look, and saw that the Tang King was very old and no longer looked the same as he used to.

When Taizong saw Sun Wukong, he asked, "Are you the disciple of my former brother? I remember that you are from the Water Curtain Cave in the Flower and Fruit Mountain in the Aolai Kingdom of the Dongsheng Continent. Your surname is Sun and your name is Wukong. Is that correct?"

Sun Wukong smiled and said, "Your Majesty has a good memory. I am following my senior brother from my sect and have come here. I haven't seen you for a long time. I also heard from my senior brother that the king's aura has arrived, so I am here to meet you."

Taizong said, "It has been many years since you left. Is it okay for you to come now, my brother?"

Sun Wukong said: "Master Xuanzang has now become a Buddha and has achieved great freedom."

Taizong was surprised and asked, "My brother is a Buddha now? Do you have a title?"

Sun Wukong said: "If Your Majesty is destined to meet him, you will know."

Taizong sighed, "Forget it, forget it, forget it. But I don't know that my brother has achieved immortality and freedom."

He then asked, "Are you a Buddha?"

Sun Wukong said: "I will become a Buddha."

Taizong asked, "How come you, a Buddha, still follow others?"

Sun Wukong said: "How can my elder brother be compared to Buddha?"

Taizong asked, "May I introduce him to you?"

Sun Wukong replied: "Of course it is possible."

Say it.

Sun Wukong led Taizong to the White Deer, the Immortal Being.

When Jiang Yuan saw Taizong coming, he dismounted the white deer and went to meet Taizong.

When Taizong opened his eyes, he saw the immortal's celestial appearance and knew that the immortal was a true practitioner. He said, "Sir, I once read a phrase in a book, 'The Immortal with the Tao', but I never knew what it meant. Now that I have seen you, sir, I finally know what the Immortal with the Tao is."

Jiang Yuan bowed and said with a smile: "I am Jiang Guangxin, a man from the mountains, and I am honored to meet the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. I do not deserve such praise from His Majesty."

Taizong said, "Sir, could you please come to the pavilion ten miles away for a while?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Your Majesty has invited me, so I will go, but please don't think I am rude."

Taizong secretly praised Jiang Yuan for his good etiquette, and then went with Jiang Yuan to the long pavilion ten miles away. The soldiers followed in a panic, but they were afraid that Taizong would be harmed.

It didn't take long before they all arrived at the Changting.

The Immortal and Taizong sat down in the long pavilion.

Zhenjian and others were there to accompany them.

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "I have heard of the Emperor of the Great Tang for a long time, but due to my limited luck, I have never been able to meet him. Now I finally meet him, and I have finally made up for my regret."

Taizong said: "Sir, you are a god, how can you say such things? But I have a question, could you please answer it?"

Jiang Yuan asked: "Your Majesty, please tell me. If I know, I will definitely answer it for you."

Taizong asked, "My brother brought back the true scripture a few years ago. The original copy was placed in the palace, but the original copy was blank. No one could understand it except my brother who explained it to me. I want to know if the true scripture can bring immortality."

(End of this chapter)