Journey to the West: Cultivation Begins at Jindou Mountain

Chapter 209 In the Lingxiao Palace
The Divine Physician Daojun was led by Venus to the outside of the Tongming Hall, where the Four Celestial Masters were waiting. Upon seeing Daojun and Venus, they quickly came forward to greet them.

"Daoist Lord, His Majesty has decreed that if you arrive, there is no need to announce your arrival; you may proceed directly to the Lingxiao Palace."

Upon seeing this, Daojun politely cupped his hands in greeting to the four people before him.

"Thank you for waiting here, four Celestial Masters."

The four celestial masters returned the greeting with clasped hands.

"You're too kind, Daoist Master."

Daojun then looked at Taibai Jinxing beside him, and saw Taibai Jinxing stroke his beard and nod with a smile. Daojun then straightened his clothes and started walking alone toward Tongming Hall.

As Daojun walked through Tongming Hall, he soon saw the magnificent Lingxiao Palace, nestled amidst a sea of ​​golden clouds.

Daojun stepped forward, ascended the jade steps, passed the vermilion pillars carved with dragons and phoenixes, and entered the Lingxiao Palace with its open doors. There he saw the figure at the head of the hall, dressed in a golden dragon robe, with black hair and beard, a full face, a dignified and imposing appearance, looking at him with an air of authority.

"I am here to pay my respects to Your Majesty."

"It is only you and I here, no need for formalities."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Daojun straightened up and saw the Jade Emperor at the head of the table rise from his throne and step out to stand before him.

This was the first time he had seen His Majesty the Jade Emperor in his imperial robes. He was indeed incredibly noble, and it seemed that the mere presence of this man gave him an inexplicable sense of pressure.

"Tomorrow, a grand spectacle will unfold outside the Lingxiao Palace. You may stay here and play another game with me."

With a wave of his hand, the Jade Emperor conjured a chessboard before him and the Daoist Lord. At the same time, a cloud of mist condensed beneath them into two chairs.

Seeing that the Jade Emperor had already sat down, Daojun quickly agreed and sat down opposite the Jade Emperor. He watched as the Jade Emperor picked up the black piece and, as was familiar, placed it on the center point.

Daojun picked up the white chess piece and placed it on the board, but in his heart he was thinking about tomorrow's affairs.

The "grand spectacle" that the Jade Emperor spoke of was nothing more than his junior brother Sun Wukong jumping out of the Eight Trigrams Furnace and causing havoc in the Heavenly Palace, followed by the Buddha's intervention to save the day.
With the Buddha's intervention, the journey to the West is not far off. The Jade Emperor's summons to the Lingxiao Palace this time is definitely not just for a simple game of chess.

Furthermore, his first visit to the Lingxiao Palace was marked by playing chess there, which was truly...
Daojun pondered for a moment, then focused his attention on the chessboard in front of him.

In any case, since the Jade Emperor has summoned him, he will naturally give instructions if there is anything he needs; there is no need to ask.

At this moment, in the vast Lingxiao Palace, only two figures sat facing each other playing chess. The sound of chess pieces falling on the chessboard was the only noise in the palace.

Daojun focused on the chessboard in front of him, and the two of them played for a whole day and night. Just then, a loud roar came from outside, causing Daojun's hand, which was playing chess, to pause slightly.

"boom----"

"Ah~ Here it comes~"

Daojun heard the Jade Emperor chuckle lightly, and with a flick of his sleeve, a cloud of mist appeared beside the two of them.

Amidst the clouds, a figure still ablaze with flames, eyes gleaming with golden light, wielding a golden cudgel, was striking everywhere above the clouds. To everyone's astonishment, many celestial gods remained indoors, and numerous heavenly soldiers and generals rushed forward to stop him, but none could withstand a single blow. Even the Twelve Yuan Chen were driven back!

This figure was none other than Sun Wukong, who had leaped out of the Eight Trigrams Furnace! And at this moment, Sun Wukong was heading straight for the Lingxiao Palace, fighting his way there!
The Jade Emperor, calm and collected, watched this scene unfold and said:

"You're quite composed~"

Daojun knew that the Jade Emperor was speaking to him, and was about to reply when he saw the Jade Emperor wave his hand again, saying:
“As I said, it’s just the two of us here, there’s no need for all those formalities.”

"I suppose you already know from Laozi that I have agreed to the eastward transmission of Buddhism."

Upon hearing this, Daojun nodded in agreement.

"Yes, Guangyi is aware of this matter."

The Jade Emperor nodded slightly and said:

"If I were to ask you, along with Venus and Guanyin, to take charge of this matter, what are your thoughts?"

Daojun was taken aback upon hearing this.

He had thought about many things. When the Dao Ancestor talked to him about this matter, he even guessed that he would one day be like the Green Ox and the Golden Horn and Silver Horn of the Tushita Palace, encountering a tribulation on the journey to the West.

But to his surprise, the Jade Emperor tasked him with overseeing the eastward transmission of Buddhism.
"Your Majesty, this."

"This matter is not urgent. You can go back and think about it, and also discuss it with Venus. Then give me your answer. If you have any questions, Venus will explain them to you."

"I have only two things to tell you."

"The first thing is that if this matter is successful, great merit will be bestowed upon us. The amount of merit is immeasurable, and all participants from Heaven and Mount Ling will receive a share. You will naturally also receive a share."

"The second thing is that if this matter is successful, I can also grant you permission to use merit as a boat to 'ferry' that boy across the river, so that his days of calamity will be over."

"As for now, let's finish this game first."

Upon hearing this, Daojun understood. Although it was said to be two separate matters, it was actually one thing: this was a condition given to him by the Jade Emperor.
".yes."

Daojun looked at the chess game, which was already showing signs of defeat, and sighed inwardly.

It seems he's really going to get involved in this Journey to the West. Putting everything else aside, he simply can't refuse the conditions offered by the Jade Emperor.
However, the angle from which he was involved was something he hadn't really expected, and he was still a little curious: with so many gods in the heavens, why was he and Taibai working with the Bodhisattva to manage this matter?

Venus, the planet of Venus, must know a great deal. Hopefully, the Star Lord can answer his questions.
Inside the Lingxiao Palace, as the conversation ended, on the chessboard, Daojun's defeat was already evident, and he ultimately lost to His Majesty the Jade Emperor. In the illusory clouds before the two, Sun Wukong had already fought his way to the Lingxiao Palace and was being stopped by a deity wielding a golden whip.

The divine being who stopped Sun Wukong was none other than Wang Lingguan, the assistant of Taiyi Leisheng Yinghua Tianzun and Yousheng Zhenjun.

Sun Wukong wielded his staff, while Wang Lingguan wielded his whip; the two fought fiercely, neither gaining the upper hand.

Before long, another thirty-six thunder generals arrived from the Thunder Palace and surrounded Sun Wukong, joining Wang Lingguan in fighting him.

Among these thirty-six Thunder Generals, Daojun also saw a familiar figure, none other than General Ma, who had come to Tongtian River to help him subdue the demons back then.

The crowd surrounded and fought Sun Wukong. Suddenly, Sun Wukong transformed into a three-headed, six-armed being, and his golden cudgel multiplied into three, joining the battle against the crowd.

The Jade Emperor watched this scene with a calm expression, then turned to the Daoist Lord beside him and said:

"Go back to the Palace of the Divine Physician Daojun and seek out Venus. Whether you agree or not, let Venus convey the message to me."

Daojun rose, bowed respectfully to the Jade Emperor, and said:

"Yes, thank you Your Majesty."

The Jade Emperor nodded slightly, waved his sleeve, and sent the Dao Lord back to his Dao Lord Palace. He slowly rose and looked at the people fighting outside the Lingxiao Palace and the Tathagata Buddha who appeared outside the Tongming Palace with Ananda and Kasyapa.
Meanwhile, back at Daojun Palace, Daojun saw Taibai Jinxing sitting at the jade table in Daojun Palace, with a water mirror in front of him, stroking his beard and watching the scene in front of Lingxiao Palace.

Upon seeing the Daoist Lord appear, Venus rose and smiled, saying:

"Daojun is back."

"Star Lord, what is this?" "Dao Lord, you don't know, Sun Wukong fought all the way, and many palaces, including my Qiming Palace, were damaged. Only your Dao Lord Palace is relatively unharmed, so I came here to hide."

"The officials will be quite busy after this."

Daojun was speechless upon hearing this. His Daojun Palace was quite "remote," so it was impossible for him to reach this place. Moreover, Taibai Jinxing clearly knew more than he had thought.

Venus smiled at the Divine Physician Daoist:

"Daojun, why don't you take a seat and have a chat? I brought a pot of imperial wine, so we can drink and talk at the same time."

“I know that Daojun also has many things to ask. If this matter were not related to Daojun, it would be fine. But now that it is related to Daojun, I will tell Daojun what I know.”

"In that case, I'll have to trouble you, Star Lord."

In the Daojun Palace, the Daojun and Venus sat facing each other, and Venus recounted what he knew in detail.

After the Buddha Dipankara and the Jade Emperor discussed the eastward transmission of Buddhism, the Buddha Dipankara summoned him to the palace and told him that in the future, a pilgrim would travel from the East to the West to retrieve Buddhist scriptures.

Only by overcoming the eighty-one tribulations can the pilgrim complete his journey and obtain the true scriptures to spread to the East. This matter will be handled by him in cooperation with Guanyin Bodhisattva of the South Sea.

Unexpectedly, during the Peach Banquet, Guanyin Bodhisattva came here and recommended someone to the Jade Emperor to be in charge of this matter. That person was none other than the Divine Physician Daojun.

"I?"

"Exactly."

Venus nodded as he looked at the Daoist Lord, who had shown surprise.

"To be honest, I don't know the reason why Guanyin Bodhisattva insisted on involving Daojun. But if it weren't for the Buddha's approval, Guanyin Bodhisattva probably wouldn't have said that."

Upon hearing this, Daojun's eyes flashed. On his body, the Great Dao of Cause and Effect and the Cause and Effect Divination Coins started to operate on their own. As the cause and effect thread between him and Zen Master Wuchao began to tremble slightly, a scene quickly appeared before his eyes.

At the summit of Mount Futu, in that enormous crow's nest.

The old Zen master of Wuchao was sitting opposite Guanyin Bodhisattva, looking at each other.

The old Zen master said:

"Bodhisattva, regarding the eastward transmission of Buddhism, I have a copy of the Heart Sutra, which can be transmitted to the East along with it. As for the half-copy of the Heart Sutra that I transmitted back then..."

Guanyin Bodhisattva said:

“It’s not that I, a humble monk, am making things difficult for you, Zen Master. Niu Yi is indeed destined to be with our Buddhist sect, but by a twist of fate, he entered the Xuanmen sect. We had no choice but to give up. However, the cause and effect of this half-scroll of the Heart Sutra does indeed exist.”

The old Zen master said:

“The Bodhisattva should also know that I have the ability to know the past and the future. In my opinion, Niu Yi will surely achieve great things in the future, from Tongtian River to Jindu Mountain, and even from the East to the West.”

“This person has been taught by a famous teacher, has cultivated the Golden Elixir Dao, and is favored by the Jade Emperor. He will surely achieve great things in the future. Why not turn this half-scroll of the Heart Sutra into a good deed?”

Guanyin Bodhisattva said:

"Please enlighten me, venerable Zen master."

The old Zen master said:

"For Buddhism today, the most important thing is the eastward transmission of the Dharma. This is the opportunity for the prosperity of Buddhism. Compared with this, some minor causes and effects are not important."

"If Niu Yi becomes powerful and accomplished on the journey to the west, Bodhisattva, you should ask the Jade Emperor to let him assist in the eastward spread of Buddhism."

"Firstly, given Niu Yi's character, if he agrees, he will do his best. I can vouch for him on this matter."

"Secondly, it would be good to establish a good relationship with him. If he achieves something or gains influence on his journey to the west in the future, having his help would be a great guarantee."

Guanyin Bodhisattva seemed somewhat surprised, and after a moment of contemplation, said:
“Very well, in that case, I will return to Mount Ling immediately and ask the Buddha Tathagata to make the decision.”

"I'm sorry to trouble you this time, Venerable Zen Master."

The old Zen master clasped his hands together and chanted:

"Amitabha."

The scene quickly faded away, but Daojun remained lost in thought, never imagining that the matter would somehow lead back to the old Zen master.

However, he still felt that there must be other complex reasons why things had come to this point.
After pondering for a while, the Divine Physician Daojun raised his head and looked at Venus, wanting to hear how he viewed the matter.

"Does the Star Lord think this is feasible?"

Upon hearing this, Venus pondered for a moment and nodded, saying:

"I shouldn't say much about this matter, but I can tell that Daojun has already made up his mind, so I'll just say a few words."

"Please speak, Star Lord."

"If the Dao Lord were to get involved, aside from anything else, he would be able to control many things on his own."

As Venus spoke, he looked at the Great Sage Equaling Heaven in the water mirror, which was in the hands of the Buddha.

Daojun's gaze also turned in that direction. In their eyes, Sun Wukong was doing a somersault in the Buddha's hand, but he remained firmly in the Buddha's palm.

At this moment, Sun Wukong used his golden cudgel to write eight large characters on the Buddha's finger: "The Great Sage Equal to Heaven was here."

Then, Sun Wukong untied his pants and urinated on the Buddha's finger.
Daojun looked at the monkey, sighed slightly, then looked at Venus and said seriously:
"I urge you, Star Lord, to meet His Majesty the Jade Emperor after today and tell him that I have agreed to this matter."

Venus's smile deepened considerably.

"Alright, alright~ Then I'll have to trouble you a lot in the future, Daoist Master~"

"You're welcome, Star Lord."

Daojun smiled and shook his head, then turned his gaze, along with that of Taibai Jinxing, back to the water mirror.

For him, the most important thing was to repay the karmic debts of Buddhism, which was something that would happen sooner or later. Ensuring the smooth spread of Buddhism to the East was something he could accept.

He would truly be distressed if Mount Ling were to use this karma to offset the one from the Golden-Winged Roc.
Of course, it's fine to collect all eighty-one tribulations, but that carp spirit should still go back to where it came from! Don't even think about causing trouble in his Tongtianjiang territory!
In the water mirror, the Buddha's five fingers transformed into the Five Elements, becoming five giant mountains. With a flip of his hand, he pushed Sun Wukong out of the Western Heaven Gate and pressed him down towards the mortal realm.

The Five Elements Mountain quickly descended to the border between Xiniuhezhou and Nanzhanbuzhou, crashing down and pinning Sun Wukong beneath it, unable to move. The place where the Five Elements Mountain landed was not far from his Daojun Temple nestled among the mountains of Nanzhanbuzhou.

Seeing this, Venus stood up, dispersed the water mirror, looked at the Daoist Lord beside him, and smiled:
"Daojun, we should also head out now. The 'Antian Conference' will be held soon."

Upon hearing this, Daojun nodded in understanding.

This so-called An Tian Assembly was likely prepared in preparation to bolster the future eastward spread of Buddhism.
(End of this chapter)