Journey to the West: Cultivation Begins at Jindou Mountain

Chapter 307 Second Senior Brother Escapes from the Underworld

On Jindu Mountain, a beam of Buddha's light swirls around the mountain, with golden hoops at both ends and a thick, black iron rod standing like a pillar supporting the sky in the middle.

The thick, long rod reached straight into the sky, with no end in sight, while its lower part pressed down firmly on an old man in a tortoise shell, rendering him unable to move.

At this moment, Tuoshan was wrapped in a series of constantly flowing demon-slaying talismans that bound him tightly like chains.

The demon-slaying talismans shone with a mysterious light, and at the end of these talismans was the true soul and spirit in the Niwan Palace located between the eyebrows of Mount Tuo.

The True Martial Emperor, dressed in a long black robe, looked at the four people—master and disciples—before him, cupped his hands in thanks, and said:
"I am truly grateful for your help this time."

Sun Wukong laughed:
"Master of Subduing Demons, you are too kind. This unruly demon has come to my senior brother's place to cause trouble. How could I turn a blind eye?"

The True Martial Emperor nodded with a smile, his gaze turning to Niu Yi beside him.

Niu Yi laughed:

"These people helped me overcome the difficulties at Jindu Mountain, and I should repay their kindness by being a good host."

"But I see that Elder Tang has already retrieved the true scriptures and is eager to return to the East to spread them, so it is not convenient for us to keep a few more people. However, please take these mountain fruits with you to quench your thirst on the way."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang was somewhat pleased and stepped forward to bow, saying:

"Thank you for your understanding, Immortal Master. This humble monk has been away from the Eastern Land for fourteen years. Now that I have retrieved the true scriptures, I am eager to return to the Tang Dynasty and report back to the Tang Emperor."

Niu Yi nodded with a smile and handed the package in his hand to the people in front of him. Sun Wukong quickly stepped forward and took the package.

“Junior brother, you have now attained enlightenment and become the Victorious Fighting Buddha. In the future, we, your fellow disciples, will have plenty of time to get together. If you miss your senior brother, then go to Daojun Mountain.”

As Niu Yi said this, Sun Wukong's eyes lit up. His senior brother's words meant that he was admitting that the Divine Physician Daoist was the same person as his senior brother.

"Alright, alright, don't worry, senior brother. I will come to visit you again after I return to the East and spread the Dharma."

Niu Yi and Zhenwu the Great watched as the four disciples and the white dragon horse once again soared into the clouds and flew eastward. The two of them then arrived in front of Tuoshan, who, although no longer suppressed by the golden cudgel, was still unable to move.

The camel's eyes were closed, and its whole body was trembling, as if it was resisting something, but the demon-subduing talismans were not shaken at all.

The True Martial Emperor said apologetically:
“Fellow Daoist Guangyi, this time it was my oversight. I don’t know what method Tuoshan used, but he bypassed the array and seal I set up and awakened the remaining spirituality in the body of the black jade unicorn. Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is in seclusion, which makes it necessary for me to go there in person.”

Niu Yi laughed and said:
"Fellow Daoist, there is no need for such formalities. Now that I know that Camel Mountain has its eye on me, I will naturally make preparations."

As Niu Yi spoke, his gaze fell upon the Divine Physician Daoist and the Scorpion Demon, whose figures were now visible on the clouds above the horizon.

With his divine avatar and the scorpion demon present, along with the Five Elements Formation surrounding his Golden Gourd Mountain, even without using the backup plan left by the Green Ox, it would be wishful thinking for Camel Mountain to break through Golden Gourd Mountain.

This guy was just incredibly unlucky; he actually ran into the group of people who had returned from the Western Paradise after attaining Buddhahood.

“Fellow Daoist Zhenwu, as we agreed before, I will trouble you to suppress Camel Mountain for a thousand years. After a thousand years, I will take it away.”

"Very well, if that's the case, then we'll do as you say, fellow Daoist."

The underworld, at the end of the River Naihe.

The ferryman's small boat still drifts on this blood-yellow river, which is filled with a foul stench and is completely silent.

"It seems you've had a pretty good year."

Upon hearing this majestic voice, the ferryman was startled and quickly turned around. He saw a tall figure dressed in a magnificent white robe with cloud patterns and a jade crown on his head standing by the boat, his gaze fixed on the dimly lit distance of the underworld.

When the ferryman saw this being who had once suppressed him at the end of the Naihe River and been expelled from the Three Realms with just a flick of his hand, he bowed respectfully in greeting.

"Your Majesty the Jade Emperor."

Having faced this person directly back then, he knew all too well that in the Three Realms, the Jade Emperor, who was the ruler of the Three Realms, was the "Heavenly Dao" of the Three Realms.

"Ah."

The Jade Emperor responded calmly, without turning to look at the ferryman.

"I promised your junior brother that if he successfully helped spread Buddhism to the East, I would let you leave this River of Helplessness."

"Now that the transmission of Buddhism to the East has come to an end, it's time for you to get out of here."

The ferryman had a wry smile on his face, and a hint of helplessness in his expression.

He knew that when the Jade Emperor said "get out," he didn't mean he had to get out of the River of Helplessness, but rather that he had to get out of the Three Realms altogether.
Clearly, after that incident, the Jade Emperor also regarded himself as a scourge, and there was probably a sense of "out of sight, out of mind" in his opinion.

But there's nothing we can do about it.
"Yes, I understand. After I bid farewell to my junior brother, I will leave the Three Realms immediately."

Upon hearing the ferryman honestly say he was leaving, the Jade Emperor turned around and looked at him indifferently.

"Don't say I don't care about your master's kindness."

"I'm giving you three days to settle everything. After that, you'd better get out of here immediately!"

Upon hearing this, the ferryman bowed to the Jade Emperor once again.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The Jade Emperor looked at the young man before him, and his eyes seemed to flicker with emotion for a moment before returning to their usual calm. Soon, his figure disappeared from the Naihe River, leaving only a few words echoing in the ferryman's ears.

"If you are so inclined, you may go to Yaochi and meet the Queen Mother." "After all, she treated you as I treated your junior brother back then."

The Jade Emperor spoke in a calm tone, but it made the ferryman stiffen.

".yes."

The ferryman slowly rose, his eyes looking up at the dim sky of the underworld, a complex expression seemingly appearing on his face.

The ferryman gazed at the sky for an unknown amount of time before suddenly speaking:

"Why aren't you in seclusion in your palace? What are you doing here?"

"My old friend is out of trouble, and I have come to see him off."

The ferryman turned his head and looked at the handsome young monk beside him, who was wearing a kasaya, holding a tin staff.

This person was none other than Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

The ferryman shook his head and said:

"Your situation isn't good right now. You've taken back the inner demon you personally cut off. How can you expect to have a good experience with this constant backlash?"

"Why not wait a few more tens of thousands of years? If things go according to your plan, you can easily refine your inner demons before this cycle ends."

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva remained silent, only clasping his hands together with a peaceful smile on his face, gazing at the dim sky as if waiting for something, just like the ferryman.

The ferryman looked at the stubborn monk in front of him. Don't be fooled by his kind face and easy-going manner. Once he made up his mind, no one could change it.

Just like this grand ambition: "I will not become a Buddha until hell is empty."

He, who nearly caused a catastrophe, was able to leave the underworld, a place where the sun never shines and where one is accompanied by ghosts and evil spirits all day long.

But there's this person right in front of me, I can't leave.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, sensing the ferryman's gaze, smiled and said:
"Are you feeling sorry for me again?"

The ferryman shook his head and said:

"What's the use of feeling sorry? I've said this so many times over the years, but what good has it done?"

"In short, it was all your choice. As long as you don't regret it, that's fine. With your stubbornness, even if countless years pass, you won't regret your choice back then."

"Just take good care of yourself from now on."

Just as Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was about to say something, a golden light suddenly shone in the dim sky and slowly descended towards the small boat at the end of the Naihe River.

"Looks like he's here to pick you up."

The ferryman looked up at the light that resembled a golden ladder to heaven, a complex look flickering in his eyes, and slowly nodded.

"I only hope that you will think twice before acting in the future and not be so reckless again."

The ferryman was startled when he heard the clear voice in his ear. He turned to look at the monk beside him and saw that familiar face.

It was as if, at this moment, the person beside him was no longer the compassionate Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, praised by countless people, but the young man who had accompanied him in his youth, seeking immortality and enlightenment, and who often tried to reason with him.

"You guy."

Soon, the golden light of merit shooting down from the sky enveloped the ferryman, and bursts of dark aura and runes flashing with purple lightning continuously flew out from his body.

At almost the same time, the runes on the ferryman's body began to fade.

These runes are none other than the marks that Heaven has placed on the ferryman. If these runes do not disappear, once the ferryman leaves the River of Helplessness, what awaits him is endless rolling thunder.

A full cup of tea's time passed before the runes on the ferryman's body completely disappeared, and the golden light guided the ferryman to slowly rise up and fly towards the dome of the underworld.

The ferryman looked at Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, who was silently seeing him off on the small boat.

"Hey, I'll come back to see you someday."

"Boom!!!"

No sooner had the ferryman finished speaking than a thick bolt of purple lightning appeared in front of him and struck him!
The purple lightning was a divine lightning bolt from the Purple Heaven, which directly struck the ferryman off the golden light and sent him crashing back onto the small boat.

"bang"

This unexpected turn of events caused Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's lips to twitch, and even the golden light of merit descending from the sky froze in mid-air.

The ferryman, covered in dust, scrambled to his feet. He looked at the sky, seemingly about to mutter something, but seeing the purple lightning flash again in the air, he swallowed his words and said sheepishly:
"If they won't let me come back, then they won't let me come back! I simply won't come back!"

Upon seeing this scene, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva finally couldn't help but burst into laughter:

"You, you'd better watch your words and actions, or this humble monk sees you coming back to keep me company in less than three days~"

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva shook his head and laughed, his figure slowly disappearing from the small boat. The golden light once again enveloped the ferryman, shining brightly, clearly using all his strength to quickly guide him towards the sky, fearing that something unexpected might happen again.

Soon, the golden light of merit that shot into the underworld, carrying the ferryman's figure, disappeared into the underworld sky, vanishing completely.

(End of this chapter)