Journey to the West: Cultivation Begins at Jindou Mountain

Chapter 254 The Tightening Hoop

Yuan Shoucheng informed the Jinghe Dragon King, who had come looking for trouble, that he had revealed his identity and that he had violated the heavenly rules and would have to go to the Dragon-Slaying Platform for punishment.

These words immediately awakened the Jinghe Dragon King, who was all bark and no bite and harboring a glimmer of hope. He immediately knelt down and begged Yuan Shoucheng to show him a way out.

Yuan Shoucheng told the Dragon King that he had already violated the heavenly rules and there was nothing he could do. However, if he could ask the Tang King for a favor before noon the next day and stop the living official Wei Zheng, he could save his life.

Upon hearing this, the Dragon King was overjoyed. After thanking Yuan Shoucheng, he went to the Tang King's dream to seek his help. The Tang King agreed to the request and the next day summoned Wei Zheng to play chess.

Unfortunately, perhaps the Jing River Dragon King's life was coming to an end. Wei Zheng fell asleep while playing chess with the Tang Emperor and dreamed of going to the Dragon-Slaying Platform to carry out the execution, cutting off the Jing River Dragon King's head.

After the Jing River Dragon King died, he felt resentful. Although the Tang King had agreed to his request, he couldn't stop Wei Zheng and Wei Zheng still managed to kill him.

Subsequently, the Dragon King of the Jing River filed a lawsuit with the Three Courts of the Underworld, which led to Emperor Taizong of Tang's visit to the Underworld.

Unfortunately, the Jinghe Dragon King, who had already entered the cycle of reincarnation, probably never imagined that Li Shimin's visit to the underworld was merely a formality. He was received by the Ten Kings of Hell, and Judge Cui even altered the Book of Life and Death, adding ten years to his lifespan, allowing him to travel around the underworld.

After returning from the underworld, the Tang emperor reflected on what he had seen and heard there. He then began to search for virtuous monks and organize a grand Buddhist and Taoist ritual to deliver the wandering souls of the dead.

Several days later, outside the Five Elements Mountain, in front of the Daojun Temple.

The Divine Physician Daojun stood here, watching Guanyin Bodhisattva, who had left the Five Elements Mountain, fly towards this side with Huian Xingzhe.

"Buddha."

"Master Dao."

The two greeted each other and then went straight into the backyard of the Daojun Temple, where they sat facing each other.

"It has been a lot of hard work for Daojun to take care of me during this time."

“Since I have agreed, this is my duty, so there is no need for thanks from the Bodhisattva.”

Guanyin smiled and nodded slightly.

"This humble monk has come to the Eastern Land on the orders of the Buddha Tathagata to find the pilgrim to go to the Western Paradise to obtain the scriptures. I am afraid I will have to disturb you for a while."

"In your opinion, Daoist Master, how is Xuanzang now? Is he capable of being the pilgrim in this lifetime?"

Daojun stroked his beard and nodded, saying:
“Chen Xuanzang has fully grasped the Buddhist teachings of the East, possesses wisdom and compassion, and his devotion to Buddhism is unwavering. He is undoubtedly the best choice.”

Upon hearing this, Guanyin's smile widened, and she longed to see Chen Xuanzang in person.

"The journey to the west is fraught with difficulties, and even mortal horses would struggle to cross these thousands of mountains and rivers. When I arrived, I had already fulfilled my promise to Daojun and rescued the third prince of the Ao Run family in the Western Sea. He has been allowed to cultivate in Eagle Sorrow Gorge and await the arrival of the pilgrims."

"Along the way, this humble monk also persuaded the former Curtain-Raising General, now known as Sha Wujing, and the reincarnated Marshal Tianpeng, now known as Zhu Wuneng, to become the third and second disciples of the pilgrim, waiting for the pilgrim."

"As for this eldest disciple, it is naturally the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong."

"However, I observe that Sun Wukong is still restless and impatient. He cannot tolerate being treated well and is disobedient. Even if he is freed from his predicament and becomes the eldest disciple to protect the pilgrims on their journey to the West, without restraint, he will likely cause trouble just like he did back then."

Daojun frowned slightly, but had to admit that what Guanyin Bodhisattva said was true.

Given his junior brother's personality, and Xuanzang's nagging nature, if it weren't for the headband, his junior brother might get annoyed by the nagging and eventually resort to hitting him with a stick.
This matter is easy to handle. We just need to wait until Wukong and Tang Sanzang overcome some tribulations and subdue the "Mind Monkey" in the future. His temperament will definitely be tempered. But before that, we need to wait.
Daojun could already guess what Guanyin Bodhisattva was going to say. Sure enough, Guanyin Bodhisattva looked at Huian Xingzhe beside her. Huian understood his master's meaning, and with a flip of his hand, three hoops appeared in his hand.

Guanyin Bodhisattva said:

"This treasure is called the 'Tightening Hoop.' Although there are three of them, they are used differently. There are three incantations called 'Golden Tightening Restriction.' This treasure was passed down to me by the Buddha and is perfect for restraining the restless mind."

"Once Sun Wukong subdues the 'Mind Monkey,' this headband will be useless. In the future, when the pilgrim retrieves the true scriptures, achieves perfect merit, and attains enlightenment, this headband will naturally disappear."

Daojun sighed softly and said:
“The Bodhisattva explained this matter to me clearly, obviously not wanting me to get involved. How could I be so unreasonable?”

After all, from the moment Buddha gave the Bodhisattva three "tightening bands," this matter was already decided by Buddha, and there was no room for discussion.

Moreover, his junior brother is different from Sha Wujing and Zhu Wuneng. He is a highly skilled person known throughout the Three Realms and belongs to the category of "capable people". However, his mind is not settled, so he is not at ease even on Mount Ling.

Guanyin Bodhisattva knew that he cared a lot about his junior brother, and that he was also one of the people in charge of this matter in the Heavenly Court along with Taibai Jinxing, so she explained it to him in this way.

After chatting with the Taoist priest for a while, the Bodhisattva then brought a group of immortals to pay their respects.

"We pay our respects to the Bodhisattva and the Daoist Master."

Daojun looked down and saw the Six Ding and Six Jia, the Five Directions Jiedi, the Four Duty Officers, and the Eighteen Guardian Arhats.

"Daoist Lord, this journey is arduous and full of trials. I was worried that something might happen if I wasn't careful, so I borrowed these guards from His Majesty the Jade Emperor to protect the pilgrims."

"In the future, if Daojun needs them, he may summon them at any time."

Daojun nodded and looked at the gods below, saying:

"If the pilgrim encounters any difficulties in the future, he can send a message to me."

"Yes, we will obey the Daoist Lord's decree!"

After meeting with these people, Daojun talked with the Bodhisattva for half a day. The Bodhisattva then took his leave and went straight to Chang'an to find the person who would retrieve the scriptures.

Tianzhu Kingdom, Yuhua Prefecture, Bamboo Mountain, Nine-Bend Winding Cave.

This cave is extremely vast, and spiritual mist often drifts out from it. It is the abode of six lions: Naoshi, Xueshi, Suanni, Bai Ze, Fuli, and Tuanxiang. However, a few days ago, an old demon descended to this place, and the six lions invited him into the cave and worshipped him as their ancestor.

At this moment, the Nine-Headed Lion King was sitting high at the head of the table, transformed into a human form resembling a wealthy old man, holding a wine cup, enjoying heavenly music with his many lion cubs below, creating quite a lively scene.

"Suanni! Your marksmanship is no good. Don't embarrass yourself in front of your ancestor. Watch me!"

"Tuanxiang! Since you're not convinced, then come down and fight me, and show your grandfather your skills!"

Beside the Nine-Headed Lion, a snow lion dressed in white with snow-white fur and a lion's face was pouring wine for its ancestor, who was watching the scene with a smile. "Ancestor, this is the first jar of spirit wine I brewed from herbs I gathered from the mountains this year. Please have a taste!"

"Okay, okay~"

Nine-Headed Lion Saint chuckled as he accepted the wine cup, then looked down at the two lions who were striking a pose.

"Suanni and Tuanxiang, you two should stop here. Don't ruin the harmony like last time."

"Yes, Grandfather!"

However, what the Six Lions and the many lesser demons in the cave did not expect was that the primordial spirit of the Nine-Headed Lion had arrived at the top of Bamboo Mountain and was meeting with a Taoist priest dressed in green.

Niu Yi looked at the Nine-Headed Lion King sitting across the table and smiled:

"Senior Yuan Sheng, you seem to be having a very pleasant time these days. Have you taken a fancy to these six little lions?"

Nine-Headed Lion King snorted softly upon hearing this.

"What, is it wrong for me to actually take a liking to these six lion cubs? You're allowed to be as close as that blue ox, but I'm not allowed to take in a few grandchildren?"

“I heard from my master that the green ox of the Supreme Dao Ancestor is thinking about your Golden Gourd Mountain every day. I’m afraid it’s moved there again now.”

Niu Yi smiled slightly, a little embarrassed.

"Of course, I didn't mean that. I've sent you quite a few fine wines over the years, you've misunderstood."

Nine-Headed Lion rolled his eyes at the boy in front of him.

"Don't worry, when you asked Venus to come to the Eastern Palace of Wonderful Beauty to find me, wanting to add an obstacle to the pilgrim's journey to the west, my master agreed. I will handle this matter properly and will not delay the important business."

In recent years, Niu Yi, Venus, and Guanyin Bodhisattva have actually been busy with the eastward transmission of Buddhism.

Niu Yi's divine avatar was watching over Chen Xuanzang in the Tang Dynasty. After Guanyin Bodhisattva returned to the Western Paradise, she began to look for people in Leiyin Temple. As for the Heavenly Court, it was naturally overseen by Taibai Jinxing.

Since they had chosen their junior brother Wukong as a member of the pilgrimage team to the Western Paradise, the three of them looked down on ordinary monsters.

The eighty-one tribulations are not easy to be called trials. With the abilities of his junior brother Wukong, how could ordinary demons be worthy of being called trials, and how many blows could they withstand from that golden cudgel?
Even the scorpion demon from the Women's Kingdom came from the Great Thunderclap Temple. She spent many years listening to the Buddha on Mount Ling, and she even dared to sting the Buddha himself.

Therefore, the selection of this person must be extremely careful. A single blow from that golden cudgel is no joke. Those who descend to the mortal realm to participate in the pilgrimage and earn merit must possess formidable abilities. It would be best if each family brought out their own magical treasures; that would be the safest approach.
As for the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord and Red Boy, there are too few beings like them who are demons in the lower realm and possess extraordinary supernatural powers. Such beings were also noticed by many immortals and Buddhas and eventually taken in, some as attendants and others as gatekeepers.

Niu Yi looked at the Nine-Headed Lion Saint opposite him, but he was thinking about something else.

This senior is different from when he first came to the mortal realm. He used to be very fond of those little lions, and now he is revered as an ancestor by them and treated with great respect. He has truly taken on the demeanor of an ancestor.
He feared that if the yellow lion were to be killed in the future, Senior Yuan Sheng would be truly angry and heartbroken, which is why he had such a question just now.

After a moment's thought, Niu Yi patted the gourd at his waist, and a mountain of wine jars appeared beside the Nine Spirits Primordial Saint, making the Nine Spirits Primordial Saint's eyes light up.

“Senior Yuan Sheng, I came in a hurry this time and did not prepare much. This wine should be enough for you and the lion demons to drink for a while. Consider it my token of appreciation.”

As Niu Yi spoke, he stood up and bowed solemnly to the Nine-Headed Lion Saint.

“I will always remember your help in times of trouble. If you were to be in any danger, I would never stand idly by.”

Nine-Headed Lion looked at Niu Yi with surprise and asked in confusion:

"What's wrong with you today, kid?"

He and this kid had known each other for many years, and Niu Yi had always been respectful and kind to him. In fact, he had personally watched Niu Yi cultivate step by step from that little bull spirit to his current level.

He treated Niu Yi like a junior member of his own family, so there was no need for him to say such things.

Why does this kid seem a bit strange today?
"Hey kid, if you have something to say, just tell me straight. Although you're quite capable now, I still think you're a bit lacking. If there's anything I need, I really can't think of anything that would require your help."

It wasn't that Nine-Headed Lion Saint looked down on Niu Yi; he was just stating the facts. Although this kid had gathered all five elemental spirit pearls and possessed numerous magical techniques and treasures that made him take notice, if he were to truly be considered a match for him, he would need to train for many more years.

Niu Yi laughed:

"I am well aware of your methods, senior. If it weren't for the need to protect the reputation of Buddhism, you could have easily plucked all the feathers off that Golden-Winged Roc on Golden Toad Mountain."

Nine-Headed Lion Saint took the small mountain of wine jars beside him and gave Niu Yi an approving look.

That kid still has the same good taste as before!
Niu Yi smiled and sat down again.

"I made this promise on a whim, so please don't take it to heart, senior."

"Speaking of which, the jujubes on my mountain have ripened in recent years, and I've made jujube tea, which tastes quite good. I'll bring you some tomorrow?"

"Very well, I've drunk your wine and eaten your food, so I suppose your tea ceremony skills must be quite good as well."

Niu Yi talked with Jiuling Yuansheng for a while before taking his leave at night.

If he hadn't appeared, according to the original trajectory, the Nine-Headed Lion Saint would have broken free of his chains and descended to the mortal realm because the Lion Servant Boy had stolen and drunk the Celestial Venerable's celestial wine and fallen into a deep sleep.

In the end, all six lions on Bamboo Mountain, as well as the yellow lion, were killed. Nine-Headed Lion was beaten by the Lion Servant and taken back by the Heavenly Venerable.

However, now, because of his presence, some things need to change.
He and his second senior brother, these two 'variables' from out of the world, have already stirred up a storm of their own in this world.

Because of his second senior brother, the scorpion demon actually approached him and was taken in, thus saving her from a future calamity.

He himself stirred up even more waves, and now his reputation as the Divine Physician Daoist has spread throughout the four continents, and he has changed the fate of many people.

Now, Niu Yi wants to make more changes, especially to the excellent senior Yuan Sheng.

If the kindness shown to him by the Celestial Venerable and Senior Yuan Sheng at the beginning was partly due to their high regard for him and partly an investment, then it's time for this investment of affection to be repaid.

(End of this chapter)