Journey to the West: The Immortal Clan Begins by Feeding Monkeys at Five Elements Mountain

Chapter 197 A Strange Phenomenon Appears from the Sky, the Sun Rises Over the Sea

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi paused mid-air, holding his teacup.

The tranquility in my heart was like a pebble thrown into it, creating ripples of varying sizes.

He had never really thought about that idea.

In the miscellaneous books I've read over the years, there are indeed similar records.

Those who are born with extraordinary talents or are destined by heaven are often accompanied by unusual phenomena to signify their extraordinary nature.

For example, in the "Scripture on Repaying the Profound Kindness of Parents" by the Supreme Emperor of Xuantian, it is recorded that when the True Martial Demon-Subduing Emperor of Wudang was born, purple clouds filled the sky.

Nine dragons in the clouds spout water for bathing; where the water falls, the mud and sand turn into gold and jade, and a hundred flowers bloom, never fading in all four seasons.

For example, according to folk legend, when the current emperor was born, the room was filled with red light as soon as he landed, and auspicious grains grew on the side of the house, with one stalk bearing nine ears.

These anecdotes, recorded in ancient books, were always treated as mere stories to him.

Separated by paper and ink, by hundreds or thousands of years of time, the mystery remains, ultimately feeling irrelevant to oneself.

But now, Old Gui has deliberately attributed this superstitious and mystical scene to his unborn great-grandson.

For a moment, even with Jiang Yi's tempered temperament honed over decades, he couldn't help but feel a bit absurd and bewildered.

The teacup paused at his lips for a moment, then he gently placed it back on the table.

He looked up, the casualness in his eyes fading, replaced by a hint of inquiry:

"Does the father-in-law mean... that with this child's potential, he might be able to reach the level of the founder of Wudang and the current emperor?"

Before he could finish speaking, Old Gui shook his hand like a rattle-drum, repeatedly saying:
"Overstepping my bounds! Overstepping my bounds!"

As he spoke, he looked up at the sky, a hint of awe in his expression:

“Those kinds of people are undoubtedly reincarnations of great beings. Every step they take before reincarnation is a grand scheme. We ordinary people would never dare to covet such good fortune.”

Jiang Yi seemed to be deep in thought, nodded slightly, and then dropped the subject.

Old Gui could tell at a glance that this in-law only had a partial understanding of the intricacies of the matter.

Anyway, there was still plenty of time to dawdle inside, so he wasn't in a hurry. He leaned back in his chair and slowly began to speak:

"Speaking of which, if a powerful being were to be reincarnated in the family, it would be both a blessing and a curse."

"As for fortune, that's easy to say. He has top-notch aptitude, top-notch comprehension, and opportunities that others can only dream of. While others face nine deaths and one life, he might just doze off and it's all over."

"But that's the problem. When you reach a certain point in your cultivation and sever some worldly ties, if your memories of your past life awaken, will he still be considered your child or grandchild? It's hard to say how much weight your parents and ancestors from this life will still hold in his eyes."

At this point, Old Gui seemed to remember something and chuckled to himself.

“Some people get along well with their family, they recognize the blood ties and are willing to maintain the kinship, and their families also benefit from it.”

"There are also those who don't get along well... Father-in-law, have you heard the story of the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King and his son? They cut off their flesh to return to their mother and their bones to return to their father, which led to them becoming enemies. It's not uncommon."

Jiang Yi looked at him and also twitched the corners of his mouth, but the smile was faint.

He tapped the teacup lightly with his fingertips, the cool touch gradually calming the turmoil in his heart.

Such good fortune is something that ordinary people probably cannot afford.

In my memory, Marshal Tianhe was mistakenly reincarnated as a pig. The first thing he did upon birth was to bite off his entire family, severing all ties with them.

With this in mind, his mind calmed down again, and he raised his eyes and asked calmly:
"The strange phenomenon my in-laws mentioned..."

Old Gui remained calm and composed as he spoke.

“The reincarnation of a powerful being is often accompanied by extraordinary phenomena. However, extraordinary phenomena that appear in the sky are not necessarily the reincarnation of a powerful being.”

He took a sip of tea and continued slowly:
"In this long river of time, there will always be some... anomalies. They are neither the reincarnation of anyone nor have any particular origin. They are just a wisp of pure air and a handful of pure soil in the world. By chance, they gained spirituality and gathered into form. They are born in harmony with this world, with pure souls and no connection to past karma."

"Such living souls and spirits are extremely rare since ancient times. Only by having the perfect timing, location, and human support can one have the good fortune to see one."

"The right timing, the right location, and the right people?"

Jiang Yi murmured softly, his gaze sweeping around Eagle Sorrow Stream before returning to Old Gui's face.

The desolate mountains and rivers, apart from being rugged and precipitous, only exude a sense of coldness and desolation. How can one see any signs of natural beauty and natural wonder?

Jiang Yi didn't know where this "favorable timing and location" came from either.

The doubt in his eyes could not be hidden in the end.

Old Gui felt slightly awkward under their gaze, coughed twice, shifted his eyes to the side, and finally whispered:
"Ahem...it's mainly about people."

Before he finished speaking, there was a sudden commotion in the inner room.

First, a warm, gentle breeze slowly seeped out from the cracks in the doors and windows, caressing people's faces like a gentle spring sun.

Immediately afterwards, a halo of crimson gold light suddenly shone through the small window covered with paper, bathing the entire courtyard in warmth.

Within the halo, tiny sparks appeared out of nowhere, like colorful butterflies fluttering around the beams, disappearing in a whirl without leaving a trace of scorch.

At that very moment, a clear and melodious cry pierced the air.

As soon as the baby cried out, the crimson-gold radiance suddenly intensified, its energy surging as if it would pierce through the clouds and split rocks, announcing the arrival of this infant to heaven and earth.

In the courtyard, Old Gui, who had been sitting steadily, finally managed a slight smile, but showed no surprise.

At the same time, the array formations set up around Snake Coil Mountain silently rotated.

A faint ripple spread from the courtyard wall, gently gathering the soaring light and sound, and then slowly suppressing it.

Outside the courtyard, the mountain wind remained still and the insects chirped as usual, as if the commotion that had just reached the heavens was merely an illusion in the minds of the people inside.

As the aura gradually dissipated, the world returned to tranquility.

With a creak, the delivery room door opened.

Jiang Qin held a swaddled baby in his arms, his steps were still a little unsteady, but his face showed excitement and daze.

The two elderly men approached almost simultaneously.

The baby in the swaddling clothes had a wrinkled little face, closed eyes, and was sleeping very soundly.

There was only a faint sun-shaped mark between his eyebrows, light gold in color, almost invisible without close inspection.

Aside from that, everything seemed normal, with nothing particularly unusual.

Even so, the two old men were overjoyed, taking turns holding him, and couldn't get enough of looking at him.

Jiang Yi examined him carefully for a moment before turning his gaze to his grandson and asking with a smile:

"Look at that energy, he's a good lad. Have you decided on a name yet?"

Jiang Qin could not hide his excitement, but he spoke relatively calmly:
“Our fourth generation of children all have names starting with the character ‘water.’ When this child was born, there was an unusual phenomenon in the sky, as bright as the rising sun over the sea… so we took the character ‘morning’ and named him ‘Jiang Chao.’ What do you think, Grandpa?”

When asked about the strange phenomenon he had just witnessed, he remained calm, treating it as nothing more than a joyous occasion.

I suppose I had already gotten some explanations from Lao Gui or Gui Ning, so I was quite certain of it.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi murmured softly, "Jiang Chao... Jiang Chao..."

The smile lines at the corners of his eyes deepened, and suddenly he slapped his thigh:
"What a wonderful name! 'Chao' means the abundance of water. Combined with the aura of this birth, like the sun rising over the vast ocean, it's excellent! Absolutely wonderful!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Old Gui, standing nearby, clapped his hands in agreement, his hearty laughter breaking the silence of the courtyard and filling it with joy.

After his two great-grandparents had their fill of looking at the baby, Jiang Qin carefully put the swaddled baby back into his arms and headed down the mountain to the Water God Temple.

His father, who works at the City God Temple, is still a novice in Taoism and cannot leave his small plot of land where he enshrines the ancestral tablets. He must be anxious and impatient right now. Jiang Yi followed suit, flicking his fingertips to send out a wisp of warm yin-yang energy, which wrapped the swaddling clothes like a wisp of smoke.

It isolated them from the mountain winds and wild air, so as not to disturb their tiny newborn bodies.

The grandfather and grandson continued their journey until they reached the Water God Temple, where they indeed saw Jiang Liang's illusory figure, formed from his divine soul, pacing back and forth at the temple entrance.

Upon seeing people arrive, they immediately stepped forward, their gaze falling directly on the swaddling clothes, getting very close.

Looking closely at that wrinkled little face, his eyes were filled with undisguised joy and wonder.

When asked his name, upon hearing the name "Jiang Chao," his already somewhat ethereal expression brightened, and he smiled broadly, nodding repeatedly.

Just as they were talking animatedly, voices and the neighing of horses suddenly came from outside the temple, from afar, with a hint of urgency.

Jiang Qin knew this area inside and out, and immediately said:

"Perhaps another caravan is about to cross the ravine. Father, Grandfather, please keep an eye on things for a while. I'll be right back."

After saying that, she carefully handed the swaddled baby in her arms to Jiang Yi, and then quickly walked out of the temple gate.

Once that figure disappeared, the temple immediately became quiet.

Jiang Yi looked down at the soft, warm body in his arms, his expression softening. He then looked up and casually asked:

"Just now...did you sense any unusual movement in the heavens and earth?"

Jiang Liang's illusory figure paused, looking bewildered, and shook his head, saying:

"I didn't notice. What happened?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi had already formed a plan in his mind.

It seems that Lao Gui's methods are indeed quite sophisticated, as he has managed to conceal even such a disturbance in the heavens and earth without leaving a trace.

He said no more, only looked down at his great-grandson sleeping soundly in his arms, and asked again:
"Take a closer look, and see if there's anything unusual about this child?"

After hearing this, Jiang Liang suppressed his joy at becoming the first ancestor and focused on observing carefully.

Now that he is a deity, only a soul remains, his sensitivity to the connection between souls is far greater than that of ordinary beings.

After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice tinged with hesitation:

"There seems to be a very faint circular mark between his brows. His physical constitution is nothing special in our family. But his spirit..."

He paused here, as if pondering his words, and finally said in a low voice:

"...It was so bright and clear that...it felt a little scorching to me."

Jiang Yi nodded slightly and then explained in detail the strange phenomena that had just occurred inside and outside the house.

Upon hearing this, a look of surprise indeed appeared on Jiang Liang's illusory face.

His gaze fell back on the swaddling clothes, scrutinizing it from side to side, as if trying to discern something unusual from that wrinkled little face.

Jiang Yi held the soft, warm body in his arms, his voice still flat:

"A strange phenomenon from the sky is ultimately just a spectacle."

"More importantly, even before the child was born, the Gui family had already anticipated this situation and prepared ways to cover it up."

At this point, he paused, his gaze deepening.

"even……"

He hesitated for a moment, as if weighing the weight of his words, before slowly saying:
“I have a thought… this child’s background and origins have probably been arranged by the Gui family from the very beginning.”

Upon hearing these words, Jiang Liang's illusory figure froze.

He frowned and thought it over carefully, going through all the events in his mind. He realized that although the statement was strange, it was not entirely without reason.

After all, as a deity, he was far more informed about the world than Jiang Yi.

After a moment, his expression shifted slightly, as if he had remembered something.

The illusory figure leaned forward, its lips not yet parted, but a thought had already quietly surfaced:
“When Qin’er got married, those two from the South China Sea sent congratulatory gifts. At that time, I felt that the Gui family had a close relationship with the South China Sea.”

"Now it seems that his family even has the means to influence the reincarnation of souls and protect the unborn spirits... With these two things combined, has Father thought of anything?"

Jiang Yi's spirit is now extraordinary. When that thought entered his mind, he felt enlightened, as if the clouds had parted and the sun was shining.

His expression shifted slightly, but he remained silent, only sending a thought back to the past:
"You mean... the Goddess of Mercy who grants children?"

Jiang Liang's illusory figure made a barely perceptible, light tap.

A thought silently arrived once more:

“If he really has connections with that side, then this in-law should not be surnamed Gui, but Gui.”

Jiang Yi's heart skipped a beat.

When they first met and exchanged names, Lao Gui did mention that his colleagues in the underworld all called him "Old Ghost".

At the time, I just thought it was a nickname and didn't think much of it.

When put together, each word has a profound meaning.

He conveyed this matter through his thoughts, and Jiang Liang's illusory figure nodded again, this time with a clearer sense of certainty.

Finally, he slowly revealed his own speculation:

"Among the thirty-three manifestations of Guanyin, the Guanyin who grants children is one of the most important."

"However, the one who actually handles the matter of granting children is not the Bodhisattva herself, but one of the twenty guardian deities under her, named... the Demon Mother Goddess."

"For this reason, she is also known as the first protector under Guanyin, and her position is even above that of Huian Xingzhe and the Dragon Girl holding the pearl."

The gaze in the phantom grew ever brighter, its radiance like a candle.

A silent thought descended once more, each word as sharp as metal and stone:
"Most importantly... that Japanese goddess had given birth to five hundred children."

As the words "five hundred offspring" were uttered, Jiang Yi's heart skipped a beat.

Many things that I couldn't understand before suddenly became clear.

He remembered that during the days when Jiang Qin got married, the ancestral hall was piled high with congratulatory gifts.

At the time, I was secretly wondering which family could have such a prosperous and flourishing incense offering.

They often have hundreds of uncles and aunts, and even if they have many descendants, it would never reach this level.

Looking back now, if he really was a descendant of that deity, then everything makes perfect sense.

No wonder, with his family's wealth and influence, even figures like Huian Xingzhe and the Dragon Girl with the Pearl sent people to personally deliver congratulatory gifts.

Yet, even a minor position as a water god requires immense effort to secure.

Come to think of it.

He had a full five hundred children, and if you count further down, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren would probably number in the tens of thousands.

Even if that Mother Goddess had all-powerful abilities, it was impossible for her to bestow the titles of True Gods and Celestial Immortals upon all her children and grandchildren.

The power of incense offerings and prayers is ultimately limited.

Given his family's influence in the South China Sea, it was only natural that he would have caught wind of the situation beforehand, calculated the opportunity at Eagle's Sorrow Gorge, and sent his descendants to wait for him.

(End of this chapter)