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

Chapter 198 Buddhist Anecdotes and Methods of Child Rearing

Jiang Liang's illusory figure stood in the temple. Seeing that Jiang Yi had already understood, he stopped beating around the bush.

The sound was faint, yet it echoed throughout the empty temple:
"Speaking of which, this Demon Mother Goddess is also an old case of cause and effect."

He paused briefly, as if choosing his words carefully, before continuing:

"Legend has it that she was originally an ordinary woman who, upon hearing that the Buddha was preaching in Rajagaha, longed to go there and went with the villagers."

"But her fate was short-lived, and she suffered a miscarriage halfway through her journey. Blood flowed all over the ground, and her life hung by a thread. None of the five hundred fellow villagers who were traveling with her stopped to help her; they only cared about continuing on their way."

"Let her lie in the dust, lonely and resentful, she breathed her last."

Jiang Yi held the baby in his arms, listening quietly without saying a word.

Such warmth and coldness are common not only in the annals of gods and Buddhas, but also in ordinary streets and alleys.

Jiang Liang's tone remained flat and even, without any inflection, like that of a storyteller:

"Perhaps the resentment was too deep, and the spirit did not dissipate after death. So he made a poisonous vow that in his next life he would be reborn in Rajagaha and devour all the children in the city to avenge the despair of this life."

"And then she did indeed keep her vow. She was reborn as a Rakshasa demon and gave birth to five hundred offspring, who preyed on infants in the city. This caused the city to be filled with the sound of crying, and every household closed their doors."

At this point, a faint sigh appeared on his ethereal face.

"This matter reached the ears of the Buddha. The Buddha was compassionate, but he did not subdue the demon with a single blow. He only sighed and used his supreme supernatural powers to take the demon mother's most beloved youngest son into the golden alms bowl."

"The ghost mother was heartbroken at losing her son. She searched the heavens and the earth, traversing the three realms, but could not find him. Finally, she went before the Buddha, weeping blood as she kowtowed, begging only for her son's return."

The Buddha glanced at the Demon Mother and said, "You have five hundred sons, and now you are grieving the loss of just one."

"'What pain must be felt by the parents in Rajagaha who have lost their children because of you?'"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi gently stroked the swaddling clothes with his fingertips.

The baby in her arms slept soundly, breathing deeply, completely unaware that the two ancestors were discussing such anecdotes.

Jiang Liang's voice slowly rang out again:

These words struck like thunder. The demon mother was filled with remorse and her resentment vanished instantly. She bowed down and knelt in worship, suddenly realizing her mistake.

"What happened next is easy to tell. The demon mother converted to Buddhism, dispelled her malevolence, and joined the ranks of the Twenty Protectors of the Dharma. Because she knew the pain of losing a child best, Guanyin Bodhisattva enlightened her and made her a disciple to be in charge of sending children to the afterlife and protecting children, thus accumulating immeasurable merit."

After the story was told, the water temple returned to silence.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi raised his eyebrows slightly.

He held the soft, warm figure in his arms, but his gaze remained fixed on Jiang Liang's illusory image, his eyes now showing a hint of scrutiny.
"Given such a background, one's current position is not low."

Jiang Yi spoke in a flat tone, as if asking a casual question:

"In all these years, I would not say I have read through all the scriptures of the three religions, and I have also read many Buddhist scriptures, but I have never seen this name before."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Liang smiled silently.

The smile carried a hint of divine self-satisfaction, as if it held secrets of heaven that were not to be shared with others.

"It's normal that my father didn't know."

His voice drifted and lingered, gently echoing through the temple:

"Let alone mortal texts, even those in the divine path mostly only know his name and rarely see his form. There are even rumors circulating about him..."

He stopped abruptly at this point.

Immediately, he spoke rapidly between his lips and teeth.

What came out were not verses, but a few subtle, indistinct syllables, seemingly there and not there, repeating over and over.

Jiang Yi, with his sharp eyes, had an idea.

This is clearly the method of "calmness of mind and concentration" that I learned from the Liu family back then.

It was only used during meditation in the past.

The current hurried and urgent manner seems to be a forced attempt to suppress one's emotions, as if afraid that some thoughts might sprout like weeds and cause a great disaster once they take root.

After a moment, Jiang Liang's illusory image slowly subsided.

The incense smoke in the temple seemed to have completely dispelled his earlier fear.

A gentle smile returned to his face, and he bowed slightly to Jiang Yi, his tone as casual as a casual greeting:

“Taking care of pregnant women and looking after babies is the duty of children and gentlemen, but now it is a great worry for parents.”

Once his mind was settled, his speech flowed smoothly, but he no longer mentioned the past.

It was as if the one who had mentioned the rumors earlier was another spirit, completely unrelated to him.

Jiang Yi frowned very slightly.

Looking at her own child's expression, she knew that some topics, even just lingering in her mind, could lead to dangerous situations.

Jiang Yi also had some doubts. The Demon Mother Goddess was not well-known in Buddhist scriptures and ancient books, let alone worshipped by people in the human world.

How can we afford to support such a prestigious position?
At this point, she stopped asking questions and quietly adjusted her breathing, suppressing the curiosity that was about to surface in her heart, like pressing down a cat's paw.

He immediately lowered his head to look at the soft, warm body in his arms.

A smile returned to her face, and even the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were brimming with uncontainable joy.

This is a natural talent capable of causing the heavens and earth to change; it is truly an unparalleled beauty.

Even the Jiang Xi lineage, which had previously been the most promising, might not have been able to accumulate such an extraordinary opportunity.

But the smile didn't last long, and a hint of sorrow appeared between his brows.

With the major decisions already made, there's no need for any more superstitious or mystical talk.

What's pressing on us right now are the most mundane and ordinary matters.

How should we raise this child?
His gaze involuntarily swept past the temple gate, taking in the entire Eagle's Sorrow Ravine.

What comes into view are jagged rocks and desolate forests, and further away, the stream has dried up to its bottom.

There was no sign of human habitation.

There are two dilapidated temples on the hillside.

Including Qin's daughter-in-law who just gave birth, there are only one and a half living people who can breathe.

Even if you want to find a companion of similar age, someone you can pee and play in the mud with, there's nowhere to find one.

This place doesn't look like a place where you could raise a mentally healthy child.

As his thoughts wandered, the initial notion of destiny and karma gradually faded away.

Jiang Yi lowered his head and carefully examined the wrinkled little face in his arms.

The aura surrounding this kid's arrival was as radiant as the rising sun, clearly indicating that he followed the path of the masculine fire element.

But behind his own house, what had accumulated over the years was the spiritual energy of water and wood.

Furthermore, the "Uncle Ao" who lived in the ravine was mostly skilled at invoking wind and rain, which didn't quite fit the description.

Even if he were willing to offer guidance, it would likely be much less effective, wasting the child's excellent potential.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yi looked up and slowly uttered his thoughts.

"This matter is somewhat tricky."

Upon hearing this, the festive spirit that had just been added to the illusory figure immediately dimmed like a candle flickering in the wind.

Although he was a deity, his abilities were ultimately limited.

Upon hearing this matter concerning the very foundation of one's offspring, he couldn't help but furrow his brow, unable to find a suitable solution for the moment.

He paced back and forth in the temple for a while, pondered for a long time, and then hesitantly spoke:

"How about... we ask what the in-laws think first?"

Seeing Jiang Yi's gaze fall upon him, Jiang Liang quickly added:
"The Gui family has many relatives and connections, from all walks of life, and they may have some connections. They know more about this child's background than we do, so they probably have a plan."

Holding the soft, warm body in his arms, Jiang Yi's mind began to stir again. Human relationships and worldly wisdom, even among gods and ghosts, are likely no different from the mundane.

Now that this marriage has taken place, it's best to know a little about the in-laws' background.

There's no guarantee we won't need it in the future.

Just like when they captured that evil god, if it weren't for the fact that the local day-roaming god happened to be from the Liu family and recognized his aura, it would have taken much more effort.

He looked up, his tone seemingly casual, yet tinged with a hint of probing:

"Do you know what relatives the Gui family still has?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Liang's illusory figure slowly shook his head, a hint of difficulty on his face.

"Father is unaware of this."

He sighed softly: "Although that Mother Goddess has a great reputation in heaven, she is very deep in her actions. Within the Three Realms, all that is known is that her family is very prosperous and her children and grandchildren are everywhere. As for which ones are her offspring and which ones are just distant relatives, outsiders may not be able to tell clearly."

Seeing Jiang Yi's brows furrow slightly, Jiang Liang quickly added:
"I have heard a few rumors that seem plausible but are not reliable."

He paused for a moment before lowering his voice to continue:

"For example, there is a goddess of good fortune in the Western Paradise, who is in charge of blessings and wealth. She holds an extremely high position. There was a rumor that she had a close relationship with the goddess of demons."

"For example, further west, there is a river called the Mother-Child River. The water of that river is extremely miraculous; not only women, but even men who drink from it can become pregnant."

"It is said that the river god of the Zimu River is one of the five hundred offspring of the Ghost Mother Goddess, and it is because of this that the river has such supernatural power to give birth to children."

Jiang Yi nodded silently.

Jiang Liang seemed to recall another incident and quickly added:
"Oh, right, there's one more thing. Before being enlightened by the Buddha, this Mother Goddess was originally a Rakshasa demon. I heard that she held a fairly high position in the Rakshasa Kingdom and had a close personal relationship with the Rakshasa princess back then."

At this point, his illusory figure paused slightly, as if recounting an old story, before continuing:

"And that Rakshasa princess... later married the famous Mighty Bull Demon King. Now, she lives in Xiniu Hezhou."

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Yi's fingers tightened imperceptibly as he held the baby.

Demon Mother Goddess, Princess Iron Fan...

These two are actually old acquaintances from the same family?
A thought flashed through Jiang Yi's mind, and he couldn't help but ponder it to himself.

If we could use this connection...wouldn't we have a chance to enter the Flaming Mountain?

With the aura and innate qualities of Jiang Chao at birth, he was as radiant as the sun, possessing the purest and most refined Yang energy.

In this world, it would be hard to find a place more suitable for his cultivation than the Flaming Mountains, which stretch for eight hundred miles.

Jiang Yi's mind was churning with thoughts, and he secretly calculated the time.

It's been at least a hundred years since Red Boy was born.

In other words, the Flaming Mountain has been empty for the past hundred years.

But as soon as the thought arose, it slowly faded away.

Time has passed, and one of them has converted to Buddhism and become a Dharma protector under the Bodhisattva;

The other one married the demon king.

It's hard to say how much of that old friendship remains.

Furthermore, just look at Lao Gui's current situation; he has to think long and hard for the sake of even the incense offerings for a mere water god temple.

It is evident that among the five hundred offspring of the Ghost Mother, his importance was not necessarily significant.

If we really expect him to deliver a message to the South China Sea and then travel from the South China Sea to Jilei Mountain... there are too many detours involved, and it is ultimately unstable.

This matter still needs to be considered carefully.

Just as he was pondering this, he heard footsteps outside the temple. Jiang Qin had finished ferrying the people and was turning back.

Seeing this, Jiang Yi said no more and simply handed the baby in his arms to Jiang Liang.

Jiang Liang reached out to try and hug him, but although his soul had solidified somewhat, it ultimately failed to take true form, leaving him with nothing but emptiness.

He could only look on with longing, but couldn't actually hold onto it, so as the grandfather, he could only look at it a few more times to satisfy his craving.

Immediately afterwards, Jiang Yi followed Jiang Qin back to the village shrine on the mountain.

In the courtyard, Old Gui had already dismantled the Heaven-Covering Array and was leisurely brushing the dust off the array flags.

His deeply lined face appeared remarkably serene amidst the rising incense smoke.

Jiang Qin first carried the baby into the house and settled him in, while Jiang Yi strolled over to Lao Gui.

He didn't mince words; looking at the work in his hands, he explained the difficulties of raising children in detail.

Old Gui listened, but his hands didn't stop working; he just looked up and smiled faintly.

His expression showed no surprise whatsoever, as if he had already made up his mind.

"I had already thought about this matter before."

Having said that, he rolled up a battle flag and spoke slowly:

“The child is still very young, not yet fully developed, and still breastfeeding. It’s best to keep him with his mother.”

"When they are four or five years old, able to run and jump, and begin to understand some principles..."

He put down the battle flag and then looked directly at Jiang Yi:
“Then send him to your in-laws’ house. Firstly, he can learn to read and understand principles from them and build a solid foundation; secondly, he can find some companions and live the life of an ordinary child.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi nodded slightly.

This arrangement is quite appropriate.

He thought to himself, "Although this old Gui is a descendant of a god, he is not as rigid as I thought, who only talks about immortal destiny and Taoist magic. On the contrary, he is very attached to worldly emotions."

Then he thought again, how could a ghost immortal be able to marry a living person and have offspring?

I imagine he must have been an unconventional person in his youth.

Old Gui was completely unaware of how his in-laws were scrutinizing him, and continued speaking as if nothing had happened:
“Our child is born with the vital energy and fire essence of heaven and earth. When the time comes, whether it is due to age, cultivation, or some opportunity, the pure yang fire within him will awaken.”

He slowly and methodically put away the last few array flags, brushed the dust off his hands, and looked at Jiang Yi with a smile:
"Only then will you truly embark on the path of cultivation. As for where to go..."

He paused, a hint of solemnity suddenly appearing in his smile.

"Nothing has been finalized yet, but there are always ways. I just hope that when the time comes, my in-laws won't feel sorry for their precious great-grandson."

Jiang Yi simply smiled faintly, revealing neither his true intentions nor his true feelings.

"What are you saying, my dear in-law? Which family doesn't hope their child will be successful? As long as it's for their own good, we'd go to any lengths for them."

Even so, he secretly weighed the pros and cons in his heart.

The "place" Lao Gui mentioned, I wonder if it was the Flaming Mountain he was thinking of.

But judging from the current situation, he only has this idea in mind and may not actually be confident.

Since that's the case, there's no need to ask further, lest we fall into a lower category.

After a while, life returned to the tranquility of the mountains.

The elderly couple stayed with Gui Ning until she finished her postpartum confinement and her health was fully recovered before bidding farewell and returning to Liangjie Village.

As she was leaving, Liu Xiulian held the swaddled baby, unable to get enough of looking at him, her face full of reluctance.

Although she knew that in three to five years, her beloved great-grandson would be brought to the village to be raised, the separation at this moment still left her feeling empty inside.

On the way back, Liu Xiulian couldn't help but ramble on.

If there were a way to travel, whether it be magic, magical artifacts, or mounts, that would be the best.

When the urge arises, set off immediately;

When I want to go back, it will only take a day or two.

Why suffer such pain of parting?
(End of this chapter)