What kind of Journey to the West is this?

It turned out that Luo Sushang accidentally bumped into the cave. The cave was spiritual and saw that she was also a cultivator of Xuanyuan Dan, so she let her in without thinking.

Wenhu was suddenly speechless.

Aren’t there ten people in the Zhengyang lineage in total? How come we can meet two Zhengyang cultivators at the same time - why do you all have nothing to do and come to Zhongnan Mountain?

He was frightened for a moment, and tightly grasped the hunting bow in his hand, thinking: Could it be that Zhongli Quan is also outside?

Luo Sushang frowned slightly as she saw the tense situation in the cave. A cloud of white mist emerged from her palm and wrapped around the sword. With a single strike of the sword, the water veins of the four seas and eight rivers seemed to be summoned, and boundless water vapor gathered on the sword's tip.

A silver light rose from her back, hanging like the Milky Way. With every step she took, clouds of mist appeared beneath her feet. Soon, the entire Zhengyang Cave Heaven transformed into a dazzling sky, the moon hidden, the stars shining, and only a pool of autumn water pouring down.

Endless water vapor transformed into a sword light, slashing diagonally down the hunting bow in Wenhu's hand.

Luo Sushang was nicknamed "Xuanhe Sword Fairy" and "Xuanhe Immortal" for this. Previously in Changxia Valley, she hadn't used even a fraction of her strength, and it was only when she saw Wenhu draw his bow at Yanxia that she finally used her true strength.

She frowned and said, "So it's a mountain king whose idol was broken. No wonder he can only use 60% of his magic power. Why didn't he repair the broken idol?"

Wenhu seemed to have been touched in a sore spot and gritted his teeth without answering.

Luo Sushang said, "To give up practicing properly halfway is like knocking on a wall and pushing a pillar, destroying one's own foundation."

She looked at the Great Sage Yantie again, and the giant panda took several steps back in fear.

"Are you an iron-eating beast practicing the Yin-Yang Alchemy technique?"

The Iron-Swallowing Great Sage bowed and said, "Yes, yes!"

"Gathering yin to replenish yang, climbing a bow and stepping on a crossbow. It's like trying to catch the moon in the water. One day, your energy will be exhausted and your blood will be depleted, and you will inevitably die."

"The Immortal is teaching you..."

Luo Sushang looked at the Red-Eyed Great Sage and nodded, "So you're the Rabbit Fairy who pounded medicine in the Moon Palace. Why did you come down to earth?"

Chimu hesitated and did not answer.

She looked at the medicine gourd on Chimu's waist and sighed, "So it's for refining elixirs. Eating lead and drinking mercury is misleading the world."

An Yanxia said: "What about me?"

Luo Sushang: “….”

"You...ah," Luo Sushang didn't know what to say, so she could only touch her head and said, "Go play somewhere else."

The three saints were criticized by Luo Suchang one by one, and they were all dissatisfied.

They were about to argue when a kind voice came from the entrance of the cave in the distance.

"What the two Immortals said is absolutely true. We, the Six Saints of Zhongnan, do have our own flaws and shortcomings. I am truly fortunate to have received your guidance today.

"In his old age, he was helped by your master, the Immortal Zhengyangzi Zhongli, and was able to find a home in this cave. Today, my three children, with the guidance of the two of you, have once again owed me a good deed."

The speaker was an old woman leaning on a cane, closely followed by a scholar in a green robe. Flying Tiger also rubbed his hands and followed behind them, not daring to look up.

As she spoke, the old lady bowed and saluted, "I greet the two masters~~~"

An Yanxia and Luo Sushang still respected the elderly and loved the young, and quickly asked the old lady to get up.

This is the Great Saint of Great Compassion, and following behind her is the Great Saint of Wisdom and Void.

Luo Sushang hadn't looked carefully at first, and when she got closer to support him, she was surprised and said, "It's the medicine pot grandmother?"

It turned out this was someone Luo Sushang knew. Curious, An Yanxia looked at her and explained, "When I was young, I begged for a living in Chang'an City. Later, I was taken in by Taoist Priest Qi Huizi of the Louguan Sect and lived there for a few years. The Medicine Jar Granny is a Louguan Sect pottery jar that has become a spirit after a long time of storing medicine."

"I only saw her a few times back then, and never again. I didn't expect to meet my mother-in-law here again."

The Supreme Immortal's Journey to the West: Chapter 310 [Wisdom is not empty]

"My mother-in-law is fine in Louguan, why would she come here..."

Luo Sushang wanted to say something but stopped herself. Wouldn't it be good to stay in Louguan and enjoy the good life? Why did she have to live in Zhongnanshan?

But the mother-in-law seemed not to hear and just smiled and said, "I gave you some ointment to drink back then."

When An Yanxia heard this, she exclaimed, "Wow, this old woman might have hugged her busty master before."

Grandma asked, "How does the ointment taste?"

“…It’s quite bitter.”

"Yes, it's really bitter. There was a time when licorice was considered a good thing. At that time, all the wild grasses and vegetables in the mountains were dug up and eaten. The Taoists in Louguan were reluctant to use them to make medicine, so it was even more bitter. Staying in Louguan, my medicine jar is so full that it can't even be filled. It's really useless!"

"I'm already three hundred years old. Look, I'm getting more and more wrinkled. Sooner or later, I'll be thrown away. So why not come down to this mountain valley? Maybe I can still make some use of my remaining energy."

Grandma Yao pulled her cheeks, but could faintly see cracked pottery fragments.

Luo Suchang remained silent.

"I heard that the Supreme Immortal had come and insulted my title as one of the Six Saints of Zhongnan. I thought it must be a misunderstanding and that I should call the Immortal over to discuss it in detail. But I never thought that while I was away on a long journey, these four people at home would cause such a huge misunderstanding."

Luo Sushang hit An Yanxia on the head with a knife.

Yan Xia heard that she was the one who made the mistake first, and the other person was a kind and venerable person. She did not argue, but bowed and said, "It's my fault too. I will prepare gifts and apologize in your house someday. I came here uninvited, and it really caused a misunderstanding."

"It's a misunderstanding. It's a misunderstanding. But after all, you've really gotten angry. If we keep suppressing it like this, neither you nor these four children will accept it." Grandma Yao sat down on a chair with her cane and said, "But if you really draw blood, it will also hurt the relationship."

"As the saying goes, there's no friendship without fighting. Why don't you have a literary competition? I heard Master An is also going to Chang'an to debate scriptures, so this is a good opportunity to practice with these few people at home."

When they heard that they were actually going to compete in literature, the four saints all said, "Grandma, we are convinced!"

After Medicine Granny said a few words here, Wenhu, Chachi, Yantie and Chimu all lost their tempers - although they were still a little dissatisfied in their hearts, they couldn't be said to want to get rid of them as soon as possible.

And it's a literary competition, these four turtles looking at green beans - four monsters who, aside from their red eyes, are completely illiterate, their eyes pure and innocent. What's this competition about? Isn't this pure shame?

Chi Mu was better. She often read prescriptions and could recite the Thousand Character Classic and Hundred Family Names fluently, but it was difficult for her to discuss scriptures and doctrines with others.

The four monsters simply admitted defeat.

Medicine Granny said, "I am old, and I don't have the energy to speak a few words. Let Huikong and the Immortal compete."

She looked at An Yanxia again and said, "Master, since this is a gambling competition, there must be some prizes. I have here a jade talisman left by the immortal Zhongli and an orchid plant I planted myself. Both are sacred objects from this cave."

"Since the Immortal has arrived, it is also a matter of fate. If fate has arrived, these sacred objects will naturally return to their original owners."

There were so many different types of jade talismans that An Yanxia couldn't guess what they were. But when she heard about the orchids he'd planted, she became curious and asked, "My master usually plants flowers that wither and fish that die. He's a slovenly, carefree slacker, a carefree immortal. How could he have the leisure to plant orchids?"

She thought again, could this orchid have some magical powers?

——For example, a blade of grass cuts off the sun, moon, and stars, and in later years the grass grows red hair, which is a sign of bad luck.

She began to fantasize about fishing alone for eternity.

Medicine Granny was unaware of An Yanxia's many dramas. The scholar in green robes behind her nodded with a smile, leaned over and asked, "Grandma, what kind of competition is this?"

"Just now, Master Luo hit the nail on the head and saw through the flaws of those three children.

"How about asking Master An to examine you now?"

Huikong smiled and said, "Obedience is worse than respect. However, my problems are simple to explain, but very difficult to solve. Master An, do you want to compete with me in literary talent?"

An Yanxia was just having fun. Luo Sushang had been so impressed by her sharp comments earlier, so now it was her turn. She boasted, "Come on, let me see what's wrong with you!"

Huikong stood still for a moment. The people around him stared at him with wide eyes, muttering, "Brother, you look strong and healthy. What's wrong with you?"

"You idiot, he's a bamboo spirit, of course he's tough!"

"Oh, that's right! We've all lost so much, and we can't lose this time, big brother..."

"It wasn't us. I was fighting with Shushui-kun just fine, but who would have thought that you three would lose your home first?"

"No, Chachi, what do you mean?"

"I don't mean anything. I just hope that if the two brothers win, everyone will be happy. If the old lady is happy, she might even recover and do a somersault on the spot..."

"Your mother is already old, how can she bear such torment?"

Seeing that he had provoked the crowd, Cha Chi Hu muttered nonsense to change the subject. He suddenly turned to look at Hui Kong and clenched his fist, saying, "Brother, cheer up!"

The three saints did not pursue him and said, "Good job, don't lose points!"

Huikong stood still, stretched out his hand, and asked with a smile, "Master, what illness have you diagnosed?"

An Yanxia said, "I see that you are straight inside and out, without any branches or vines!"

She saw the shortcomings of Huikong's practice at a glance, which was not surprising, as he was somewhat similar to Xue Shier back then.

"Is that a compliment to me?"

"I guess so, but I want to ask you, what kind of Taoism are you practicing?"

“It is the Buddhist way.”

"Which Buddhism?"

"The Buddha of meditation and sitting, the path to truth and holiness."

"Oh! So he's just sitting in meditation!"

Huikong frowned. "Is what you mean by this, Immortal? I've heard that all Zen sects emphasize the principles of meditation, and that within meditation lies wisdom. This is the study of wisdom, so where does this come from, you know, sitting in meditation?"

"Do you practice Buddhism?"

"nature."

"Then you can fix it."

An Yanxia picked up a blue brick and started wiping it.

Huikong was puzzled and asked, "What does this mean?"

“I’m making a mirror!”

"How can a blue brick be polished into a mirror?"

Yan Xia laughed and said, "How can one become a Buddha by just sitting there?"

"It's like going in the wrong direction, or whipping a cart. The six perfections of Buddhism are loving-kindness, precepts, patience, courage, concentration, and wisdom. Mastering only one is like a horse with only one hoof or a cart with only one hub. How can one follow the right path?

"I heard that you also spread this method to the little demons in the mountains, closing the tailbone acupoints in the bedroom, and accidentally killed many people in Jambudv!"

Huikong was stunned. He was a bamboo spirit, and the word "emptiness" was born in his heart. Wukong became enlightened and became a celestial being, so he thought that there was everything in "emptiness".

Although there were monks on Guanyin Peak who often preached, he just scoffed at them, thinking that he was already an enlightened being and didn't need to listen to the Dharma of these monks who were running around in the five aggregates. He didn't realize that he himself had fallen into the five aggregates.

Huikong was about to ask further questions when he saw a sudden burst of light in An Yanxia's palm.

An Yanxia continued to polish the blue bricks on her hands, and the polish grew brighter and brighter, until it emitted a thousand-foot-long radiance. On the rock wall behind her, golden characters appeared one after another. They were the "Lingyan Sutra," the first of the Buddhist teachings for destroying demons.

The Buddhist scriptures floated behind An Yanxia, shimmering with golden light, as if she were covered in a cassock. A golden lotus blossomed on the ground, emitting auspicious clouds that lifted An Yanxia up.

This golden lotus echoes the Buddhist scriptures behind it. Although it looks like Buddhism, it actually contains an acquired positive energy. This is because the cave sees that its owner needs it, so it manifests auspicious signs to help her show off.

Simply put, it's special effects.

Although they knew that it was the Cave Heaven that was causing trouble, Huikong and the Four Saints were still impressed and thought they had seen the Bodhisattva when they climbed up Mount Lingshan.

An Yanxia held the heavenly decree in his mouth, and auspicious clouds rose and fell around him, revealing infinite magical powers. This was a sign that the cave heaven had recognized its master.

The Bodhisattva said, "You only seek the word 'emptiness'. This is like entering into attachment. Your emptiness has emptiness in it, but it is not emptiness. I think you should not be called 'Hui Kong', but Bu Kong."

Journey to the West by the Supreme Immortal: Chapter 311 [Also Attended the Longhua Banquet That Year]

The Great Sage Huikong fell into a rut without knowing why, but was fortunately guided by An Yanxia to escape from the cage.

The term "Su Wu Man" by later generations' Master Feng is just right for the situation:

Just ask yourself, after countless attempts at Zen, one often ends up old and in vain. Grinding bricks to make mirrors, piling up snow for food, how many years have you lost yourself in?

A hair swallows the ocean, a mustard seed holds Mount Sumeru, and the golden ascetic smiles. When he is enlightened, he transcends the ten stages and three vehicles, and stagnates the four births and six realms.

This meditation and enlightenment had indeed lost him for many years, and he had accidentally killed countless young people in the world of Jambu. But An Yanxia asked curiously, "I'm not saying, with your level, how did you become a celestial being?"

The old fox fairy from Wuhe Mountain was similar to the bamboo scholar: one pedantic, the other stubborn. But she had heard that the old fox fairy had just passed the imperial examination this year. He held the seal of the Lingguan (a spiritual official) of the Yue Mansion, a position of recorder of rumors, but only of the eighth rank. Moreover, he was not a celestial official, but merely a mage.

As for the Great Sage Huikong, he has already reached the status of a celestial being in Buddhism, comparable to the seventh-rank heavenly officials, earthly immortals, and immortals who have returned to the elixir realm.

She thought about it carefully again. It was much easier for young and old men in the capital to go to school than those in other places. Mount Zhongnan was also at the foot of the imperial city. Could it be that cultivating immortals also requires "location advantage"?

Huikong replied awkwardly, "To be honest, Master, I'm not an ordinary cultivator. I was originally a purple bamboo on a nameless peak in the mountains, now known as General He Peak. I don't know how old I am. After awakening my spiritual wisdom, I had a great dream. After arriving in Jambudvipa at the age of 5.6 billion, I attended the Dragon Flower Banquet and listened to Maitreya Bodhisattva preach under the Bodhi tree."

"In my dream, I listened to half a volume of the sutra and witnessed the wonderful existence in the void. It was just a long dream, and when I woke up suddenly, I had achieved the status of a celestial being. But the dream became increasingly vague, and I have vaguely forgotten most of the sutra I listened to and the principles I witnessed. Now I am just a confused celestial being and a dull monk. I am so ashamed!"

Huikong only told this to Grandma Yao, and Chachi Wenhu and the others didn't know about it. They pricked up their ears and listened with surprise.

People always say pie in the sky, this really is pie in the sky!