Journey to the West: The roadblock!

Chapter 89 Exorcising Demons in Wuji Kingdom (Part Two)
Meanwhile, Ao Tu was teaching those Taoist priests their techniques.

He didn't pass on any particularly powerful techniques, but rather a small section from the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, specifically the method of "tempering the body, cultivating qi, and preserving spirit," which he then transmitted to these Taoists.

Those Taoist priests, however, were not very worldly-wise. Upon hearing the teachings, they were all captivated by the supreme truth, dancing with joy and repeatedly bowing and thanking Ao Tu.

The elderly Taoist priest, tears streaming down his face, looked at Ao Tu and said:

"We have cultivated the Tao diligently for decades, but it has been like trying to catch the moon's reflection in water or looking at flowers through the mist—ultimately, it is just a castle in the air. Now, thanks to the Immortal Venerable's grace, we have received the true Dharma, which is truly a great fortune for thousands of generations! May we ask the Immortal Venerable's title? We wish to venerate him as our patriarch, burning incense morning and evening, and making offerings day and night!"

Ao Tu said, "There is no need for worship. I am Fuzhu Zhenshi Tianzun, not a Taoist. The transmission of the Dharma today is due to a karmic connection. You should refrain from worshipping me."

In the blink of an eye, Ao Tu's figure disappeared.

Those Taoist priests, having obtained the method, practiced daily and became increasingly agile.

The construction of the pagoda has been greatly accelerated.

The foundation of the pagoda was dug entirely by hand without tools; the beams and pillars were constructed entirely by manpower without the need for slings; trees were felled and mountains were carved to bring in massive rocks and timbers to build the pagoda.

Over time, the guards became increasingly difficult to control.

So he reported the situation to his superiors.

Upon learning of this, the King of Wuji Kingdom hurriedly sought out Ao Tu and said:

"Buddha, those Taoist priests have somehow acquired some kind of magic, and now they have become incredibly strong, able to move on the wind, and the soldiers cannot control them. What should we do?"

Ao Tu said, "Your Majesty, do not worry. This must be the person behind that evil Taoist secretly spreading his teachings. You should issue an order to summon the monks of Baolin Temple. I have a plan."

Upon hearing this, the King of Wuji Kingdom summoned the monks of Baolin Temple.

All the monks, young and old, at Baolin Temple knelt in worship.

Ao Tu said, "I will teach you a method to control those Taoist priests."

The monks were overjoyed and all said, "Thank you, Buddha, for bestowing the Dharma!"

Ao Tu spoke, imparting some Buddhist teachings to them, and then had the king bring two hundred raw oxhide whips, imbuing them with magical power, guaranteeing that the blows would cause excruciating pain, yet would not harm the body.

After the monks obtained the Dharma, they took up the whips and acted as overseers, whipping the Taoist priests day and night.

The Taoist priests were whipped and suffered unbearable pain. They could only work hard during the day and cultivate diligently at night in order to alleviate the pain of the whipping.

Seeing this, the monks also practiced day and night, improving their Buddhist teachings so that they could better supervise and whip the Taoist priests.

Three months passed, and the Taoists cleared out an old forest, dug up a mountain, and built the pagoda to sixty-six stories.

The King of Wuji invited Aotu to a banquet and said, "Buddha, if things continue like this, the pagoda will be completed in three months at most."

Ao Tu said, "Don't rush. After the pagoda is completed, we can let them build a rain-praying platform and a star-gazing tower."

The King of Wuji Kingdom was overjoyed and said, "Excellent! Zitong, my son, quickly join me in offering a toast to the Buddha!"

Such a magnificent building would have been a huge drain on the nation's resources and a waste of manpower if it had been built normally.

It is truly a great fortune for the country that it was built in just six months without any national effort, using only a group of Taoist priests.

The Queen and the Crown Prince raised their cups together to offer a toast to Ao Tu.

Speaking of this queen, she lived with that sorcerer for five years, so why is she still favored by the king?

It turned out that the sorcerer was a castrated demon. For the past five years, although he had enjoyed the company of three palaces and six courtyards, he was powerless and could only use old age and weakness as an excuse to handle state affairs every day.

Wherever there was drought in the country, he would go there to perform magic to pray for rain; wherever there was disaster in the country, he would go there to perform magic to avert the disaster.

Now that the true king has returned to power, seeing the country peaceful and prosperous, he is naturally pleased.

Three more months passed, and the magnificent ninety-nine-story pagoda was completed, towering into the clouds. It was two hundred feet tall in total. Each floor housed stone Buddha statues, had eaves to ventilate the wind, brackets to protect against rain, a Buddha hall for worship, and sutra pillars for blessing. The base was supported by four four-cornered Vajra pillars, ensuring it would stand for ten thousand years and remain unmoved even when rolling on the ground.

This could only have been built with divine power.

If it were built by ordinary people, even if they exhausted the resources of ten generations of the nation, it would be difficult to complete this tower.

On the day the pagoda was completed, Ao Tu and the King of Wuji Kingdom visited the pagoda together.

The two entered the tower hand in hand. It was indeed a magnificent tower, with each floor being two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) high and imposing. Rows of stone Buddha statues were arranged, each with a different form.

The King of Wuji asked, "Buddha, why are these Buddha statues not carved with faces?"

Ao Tu said, "Your Majesty, the Buddha has no form, therefore there is no need for carving."

The King of Wuji Kingdom said, "If there are no carvings, how will worshippers know which Buddha or Bodhisattva they are worshipping?"

Ao Tu said, "If a worshipper has Buddha in his heart, then what he worships is the Buddha in his heart; if he has no Buddha in his heart, then there is no Buddha in his worship."

The King of Wuji Kingdom nodded, seemingly understanding.

The two went up to the second floor and admired everything.

the third floor……

When they reached the seventh floor, the King of Wuji Kingdom was feeling a bit weak.

He stopped to rest and asked Ao Tu:

"Buddha, I am old and my health is declining. You previously said you would come to save me, but I don't know how I can become a Buddha?"

Ao Tu asked, "Your Majesty, do you know why the people worship Buddha?"

The King of Wuji Kingdom said, "This... must be because he reveres Buddhism and therefore worships the Buddha."

Ao Tu laughed and said, "Your Majesty, you are also a founding emperor, there is no need for such formalities, you can speak freely."

The King of Wuji Kingdom said with embarrassment, "I am sorry to have made the Buddha laugh. In that case, I think the people have something to ask for, which is why they worship the Buddha."

Ao Tu asked, "What do the people ask for?" The King of Wuji Kingdom replied, "They ask for nothing more than wealth, children, blessings, marriage, official positions, peace, and longevity."

Ao Tu said, "The path to Buddhahood lies within this."

The King of Wuji Kingdom asked, "What do you mean?"

Ao Tu said, "As the ruler of a country, if you can stabilize the country, allow the people to live and work in peace, and ensure that the poor have a place to stand, can marry and have children, and reproduce without suffering from war, the people will naturally remember you and love you. After your death, the people will remember your merits and come to worship you, and you will become a Buddha."

Upon hearing this, the King of Wuji Kingdom clasped his hands together and said, "I have learned a lot."

Ao Tu grabbed him, and with a burst of auspicious light, they reached the top of the tower in an instant.

At the top of the tower, four cold iron chains connected vertically and vertically, firmly binding the evil Taoist priest, making him pay for his sins here.

The King of Wuji Kingdom looked at the sorcerer and, thinking of the five years of suffering of the lonely souls, still felt hatred in his heart.

At that moment, golden light refracted in from outside.

The King of Wuji covered his eyes and asked, "Buddha, what is that golden light?"

Ao Tu said, "The Taoists have found a gold vein. I ordered them to refine the gold and plate it on the top of the tower for the people to see. Now only half of it has been plated, and the gold for the other half is still being mined."

The King of Wuji Kingdom said, "I am willing to give you ten thousand gold pieces to gild your roof."

Ao Tu said, “Your Majesty, your wealth comes from the people and should be used for the people. We Buddhist disciples have never paid taxes, so our wealth cannot be used for Buddhism.”

Upon hearing this, the King of Wuji Kingdom exclaimed, "As expected of the Buddha, this is the first time I have ever seen a Buddhist who does not want a golden crown or a golden body."

Ao Tu smiled and led the King of Wuji Kingdom to admire the view from below the tower.

Standing atop the two-hundred-foot-tall tower, gazing down at the rising clouds and mist, the mountains and rivers below, one feels the vastness of the world and the insignificance of humankind.

On the other side, Tang Sanzang and his disciples, having endured hardships and traveled day and night, finally entered the territory of Wuji Kingdom.

Upon entering the territory of Wuji Kingdom on the first day, the four travelers immediately sensed that this place was different.

Every family strives for goodness, and everyone loves Buddha.

In this country, the four of them always returned with a full load of alms, and finding lodging was always easy and smooth. Even the officials they encountered treated them with utmost respect.

Tang Sanzang couldn't help but exclaim with delight, "Amitabha! Disciples, it seems we have arrived at the Western Paradise, the Buddhist Kingdom of Mount Ling, hence everyone is turning to good!"

Wukong laughed and said, "Master, it's still early. If we compare this journey to the West to a house, we haven't even left the main hall yet. The fact that the people here are so devoted to Buddhism may not necessarily be a good thing."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang recalled past events and quickly said:

"Wukong is right. Disciples, be careful and don't mess with the locals."

Pigsy and Sandy nodded in agreement.

The four travelers continued their journey westward for several days, passing through several towns, until they reached a mountain range. They heard a constant clanging sound coming from the mountains, and smoke was rising from the peaks.

Tang Sanzang said, "Disciples, listen, what's that sound coming from the mountains? And why is there smoke rising from the mountaintop?"

Pigsy's palm-leaf fan twitched, and he said happily:

“Master, that’s the sound of an iron ladle striking the stove. It must be a wedding banquet in the mountains, where people are inviting neighbors and relatives to eat. They’ve prepared many delicious dishes, hence the smoke. Let’s go too! Master, lead the chanting of a few hymns, and I, Old Pig, will also have a drink of the wedding wine!”

Wukong said, "Fool, all you think about is food! That's the sound of metal striking metal. Someone in the mountains must be sharpening a knife and forging iron, hence the sound."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang exclaimed in surprise, "Wukong, why are there people sharpening knives and forging iron in this desolate mountain? Could there be a monster?"

Wukong said, "Master, don't be afraid. Let me go and investigate."

Tang Sanzang said, "Wukong, be careful in everything you do!"

Wukong nodded and rode a cloud into the mountains.

Tang Sanzang dismounted to rest.

In the mountains, a group of Taoist priests, bare-armed, were chiseling gold veins from the mountainside, breaking the gold ore into small pieces and transporting them out.

A furnace was built nearby, where gold ore was melted down on the spot, molten gold was extracted, cooled and solidified, and then forged into shape.

Beside the Taoist priests stood several monks, holding whips and supervising the work.

A Taoist priest poured the molten gold into a mold, but accidentally spilled a drop outside. The supervising monk saw this and lashed the priest with his whip.

The Taoist priest screamed and fell to the ground, the golden liquid spilling all over him.

The other Taoist priests saw this and rushed over to help him up.

Upon seeing this, the overseer monks raised their whips and began to lash the Taoist priests.

Screams filled the air.

When Wukong saw this from the air, he was furious. He wanted to go down and overturn this injustice, but after thinking about it, he was afraid that if he acted rashly without knowing the situation, he would fall into a trap. So he decided to find out the truth first.

The overseer monks beat the Taoist priests severely and then returned to their original positions.

The Taoist priests got up, clutching their bodies, feeling excruciating pain, though they appeared unharmed on the outside.

He could only work while screaming in pain.

The Taoist priest, who had been drenched in gold water, stood up and continued working.

Wukong transformed into a little Taoist priest, emerged from the forest, and quietly asked:

"What are you Taoist priests doing?"

Upon seeing this, the Taoist priests hurriedly said, "Young Taoist priest, hurry up and leave! This is not a place for Taoist priests!"

(End of this chapter)