Journey to the West: Cultivation Begins at Jindou Mountain

Chapter 192 Huaguo Mountain

Niu Yi, in his divine incarnation, met with Lü Dongbin in the Heavenly Court before descending to the mortal realm to return to his own Daojun Mountain.

The banks of the Tongtian River have now returned to peace, but Niu Yi still prefers to guard the lower realm. He has even transformed into a doctor and opened a clinic at the foot of the mountain to teach medical skills.

Niu Yi did not charge these people for medical training, but if they mastered the skills, they would have to work as itinerant doctors for five years, traveling around to treat and save people.

After that, whether they opened their own clinic, continued as itinerant doctors, or made other choices was up to them.

At this moment, in the medical clinic below Daojun Mountain, Fang Cheng was looking at the divine physician Daojun who had just returned from the heavens, and respectfully said:

"Lord Daojun, this year's group of apprentices who joined the medical clinic has quite a few promising talents."

Niu Yi nodded slowly, but his gaze was fixed on the black tiger-shaped support in his hand, which was shaped like a ring and hollow inside, with an iron ball inside. One side was cast with the Eight Trigrams and the other side with the Seven Stars.

This tiger-shaped support, also known as a tiger-shaped bridle, medicine bell, or string bell, is an essential item for many itinerant doctors.

When shaken, it produces a pleasant bell sound that can travel far. If someone hears it, they know that a traveling doctor has arrived.

Niu Yi infused a wisp of divine incense into the tiger-shaped support, which then emitted a burst of light before slowly disappearing and returning to its ordinary state.

Niu Yi handed the tiger-shaped brace to Fang Cheng behind him, watched him take it, and said slowly:
"Fang Cheng, if there is someone in the clinic who is both virtuous and talented, you and Yuan Ze may set up a series of tests. If they can pass the tests, then you can take out this tiger paddle and let them travel around to treat patients in the name of Daojun Palace."

As Niu Yi spoke, he waved his sleeve, and two large boxes of tiger-shaped support appeared in front of the two men.

These tiger-shaped supports were all crafted by Niu Yi using Yin Iron and divine incense. Firstly, they can transmit sound further and more melodiously, bringing peace to the hearts of living beings. Secondly, if shaken violently, they can also emit a soul-suppressing sound for self-defense.

Niu Yi owns five rich mines of Yin Iron, so he has no shortage of Yin Iron. This Tiger-Supporting Magic Weapon was given by Niu Yi to his apprentice, a physician, for protection and also as proof of his identity.

Of course, this item cannot be given away casually, so it must be handed over to Fang Cheng and Yuan Ze who have returned.

Fang Cheng looked at the two boxes of tiger-shaped bread, his expression immediately turned serious, and he cupped his hands in greeting:
Fang Cheng understands.

The apprentices recruited by the clinic are mostly between fifteen and forty years old. It seems that the recruitment of apprentices is quite casual each time, but in fact, he and Yuanze have screened them several times. Those who can be accepted are all people of good character.

When his own Daoist master taught him, there was one sentence that Fang Cheng remembered very clearly.

That is, a doctor must not only have skills, but also medical ethics; neither can be lacking.

There are countless strange and unusual diseases in this world, and how many people can claim to be experts in all of them? Even gods may make mistakes.

If you encounter a problem you're not confident about, just admit you can't do it. Never delay the other person's treatment and let them find someone more capable. Just because you can't cure it doesn't mean someone else can.

Otherwise, if the illness is delayed and the best time is missed, it will not be healing, but killing.
Fang Cheng had heard this and agreed wholeheartedly. Doctors should have medical ethics, so those recruited to the clinic should have excellent moral character.

After all, skills can be learned gradually, but character and morals are not so easy to change.

On Jindu Mountain, Niu Yi and the local earth god of Jindu Mountain sat facing each other in a pavilion, playing chess with a star-patterned chessboard.

At this moment, the Earth God held a white piece, his brow furrowed as he looked at the situation on the chessboard.

Niu Yi, on the other hand, looked relaxed, gently waving a folding fan in his hand while leisurely sipping tea from a teacup.

After a long pause, the Golden-Hooped Earth God threw the white chess piece into the chess jar, shaking his head helplessly:
"I'm not playing anymore. I've been playing against you for years and I've never won once."

Niu Yi put down his teacup and, with a smile on his face, put the black and white pieces into the chess jar.

He knew in his heart that even though the local deity had said he would stop playing chess now, he would come looking for him again in a day or two. This man was just like him back then, a terrible chess player, but in recent years he had become obsessed with the game. Although he could not beat him, he could not help but ask him to play a couple of games.

The Golden-Hooped Earth God watched this scene helplessly, then looked at Yao Qing'er in the distance, surrounded by swirling cherry blossoms, still in seclusion to comprehend the Dao, and said with some worry:
"Is this Qing'er girl going to continue comprehending the Dao like this forever?"

You should know that Yao Qing'er doesn't have much time left to live.

Back then, the land god of Luoying waited for a while, but Yao Qing'er did not wake up. So he had to return to Luoying Valley and ask Niu Yi and the land god of Jindou to take care of her.

However, even the local deity of Cherry Blossom Valley never expected that Yao Qing'er's seclusion for enlightenment would last for a full eight years.

Niu Yi, however, appeared relaxed. He picked up his teacup, took another sip, and said:
"Don't worry, Earth God. I think Qing'er will wake up in the next year or two, and her cultivation will be greatly improved. This breakthrough is sure to be a sure thing, and she may even be able to make another breakthrough in the future."

Upon hearing this, the Golden-Hooped Earth God breathed a sigh of relief. Since Niu Yi said it was possible, then it was naturally possible.

"That's good, that's good."

Just then, Niu Yi slowly turned his head and saw that not far away, Jin Feng and Jin Yun, dressed in gorgeous white and gold clothes and with a pair of small horns on their heads, were carrying a jar of wine and came to Niu Yi.

Jin Feng respectfully said:

"Master, this is orange wine brewed three years ago, and the one Jin Yun is carrying is peach blossom wine brewed last year." "Alright, put it on the table, and you two can go and cultivate."

"Yes, sir."

Then Jin Feng and Jin Yun placed the two jars of wine on the table, and then transformed into two golden rays of light, falling into the pond and turning into two golden koi with small horns on their heads. They came to the swaying white lotus in the center of the pond and then disappeared.

Niu Yi has been cultivating the lotus flowers in this pond for over three hundred years. A few days ago, Niu Yi nurtured the lotus flowers with precious energy, causing the white lotus flowers to break through to the gold-grade realm.

Niu Yi refined it using the Hunyuan Furnace, and now it serves as both Jin Feng and Jin Yun's residence and Jin Yun's magic weapon.

These two little koi have now grown quite a bit. With a few more years of cultivation, they will be able to leap over the Dragon Gate and attempt to transform into dragons.

However, Ao Xuan is still at the West Sea Dragon Palace, inheriting a magical artifact, and has not yet returned. Otherwise, with Ao Xuan there, the two little koi carp would have progressed much faster, nourished by the dragon's energy day and night.

Moreover, from now on, these two little koi fish will inevitably have to follow Ao Xuan's lead.

Niu Yi broke the clay seal on the wine jar in front of him, and a burst of orange fragrance accompanied by rich spiritual energy immediately gushed out.

Niu Yi smelled the fragrance and nodded in satisfaction.

Three years ago, this Nine-Leaf Treasure Orange Tree was already a red-grade spiritual root. He brewed several jars of wine with the leaves of this Nine-Leaf Treasure Orange Tree, and now he plans to open one jar and taste it.

"Earth God, when I brewed this orange leaf wine, I also added some other spiritual ingredients, which can be considered an improvement on the brewing recipe. I would like to ask you to taste it with me."

"Very well, very well~ I've been waiting for this for a long time too."

One year later, in the palace of the Divine Physician Daojun.

Niu Yi's divine physician Daoist incarnation was sitting upright on a futon on the second floor of the Daoist Palace, with golden rays of merit flowing around his body, transforming into a dazzling golden wheel of merit behind his head.

Even after consuming over a hundred strands of golden light to condense the golden wheel, most of the golden light still swirled around Niu Yi. After a moment of thought, Niu Yi opened his palm.

Countless incense sticks rose from the statue of the Divine Physician Daoist on the first floor, fell into Niu Yi's hand, and slowly transformed into the shape of a tiger. One side was cast with the Eight Trigrams, and the other side was cast with the sun, moon and seven stars. Gradually, it condensed into a divine magic weapon.

As the tiger-shaped support fully took shape, the golden light of merit surrounding it rapidly surged into it. With a flash of golden light, the tiger-shaped support slowly transformed into a treasure of merit, possessing immense power.

Meanwhile, on the first floor of Daojun Palace, a tiger-shaped support appeared in the hand of the statue of the Divine Physician Daojun. Just like the one in Niu Yi's hand, one side was engraved with the Eight Trigrams, and the other side was engraved with the sun, moon, and seven stars.

A sharp-eyed pilgrim noticed this scene, and a commotion broke out in Daojun Palace.

As the golden light of the Tiger Support in Niu Yi's hand receded, Niu Yi tied it to his waist and slowly stood up.

Just now, Venus sent him a message saying that he had received the Jade Emperor's decree and was about to descend to the mortal realm to guide Sun Wukong to Flower Fruit Mountain, so that Sun Wukong could become an official in Heaven, and asked him if he wanted to go to Flower Fruit Mountain with him.

After pondering for a moment, Niu Yi decided to go with Taibai Jinxing. If he did not reveal his abilities, his divine incarnation would not resemble his original body at all, so he was not afraid that his junior brother Wukong would recognize him.

Moreover, he did not intend to appear in the guise of the Divine Physician Daoist today; he was merely going to Flower Fruit Mountain to join in the fun.

Niu Yi's figure transformed into a golden light and ascended to the heavens, arriving directly outside the South Heavenly Gate, where he found Venus waiting for him.

"Xingjun."

Venus stepped forward and smiled:
"Hehe~ Dao Lord has arrived. This time, I'll have to trouble you to transform into a Daoist attendant and accompany me on this journey~"

Niu Yi, however, cupped his hands and smiled, saying:

"You're too kind, Star Lord."

Immediately, Niu Yi turned around, and divine incense rose from his body, transforming him into a handsome young Taoist boy in white robes. The staff, medicine box, and tiger-shaped support in his hand also quickly disappeared.

Niu Yi, disguised as a Taoist boy, flicked his sleeves, smiled, and stood beside Venus.

Seeing that Niu Yi had transformed into this Daoist boy without any flaws, truly resembling a handsome young Daoist, Venus smiled, stroked his beard, nodded, waved his whisk, and rode on an auspicious cloud, leading the Daoist boy behind him towards the lower realm.

Before long, the two arrived at Huaguo Mountain, overseas of Aolai Kingdom in Dongsheng Shenzhou.

Niu Yi stood behind Venus, looking at Flower Fruit Mountain, and couldn't help but sigh. This mountain was truly a beauty he had never seen before, and its mountain range was as majestic as a vast ocean.

In those mountains, rare herbs and exotic flowers never faded, green pines and cypresses remained evergreen, immortal peaches always bore fruit, and tall bamboos always held the clouds. Even the rarest and most precious mythical beasts would occasionally appear in those mountains.

This mountain truly deserves to be called the ancestral vein of the ten continents and the source of the three islands.

(End of this chapter)