Volume 3: A Long Journey Chapter 214: Enlightenment through Force

General Tiger, having received instructions from the cave master, intended to catch some ordinary beasts and return to the cave. Unexpectedly, a gust of yellow wind blew, scaring all the beasts in the mountains away until none were left in sight. General Tiger only saw a few dull rabbits and wild mice, which naturally displeased him, so he searched further afield.

As he walked on, he spotted a white horse on a cliff, with a man sitting on it—it was the plump, white monk he had captured earlier. Overjoyed, General Tiger thought it was a gift from heaven and immediately forgot the cave master’s warnings about the Yellow Wind Monster. Seeing a burly man with a pig’s face standing nearby armed with a weapon, he came up with a plan. Using a trick to distract Zhu Bajie, he turned back.

The taste of human flesh far surpassed that of ordinary beasts, and since the monk avoided meat, he was a unique delicacy. Having not eaten meat for a long time, General Tiger was drooling with desire. He charged at Tang Seng with a fierce wind.

Seeing the tiger’s gaping maw, Tang Seng was terrified and collapsed, shouting, “Wukong, Wukong, save me!”

Wukong leaped out from behind the horse and struck the tiger right between the eyes with a powerful blow. There was no hesitation in his strike—what tremendous force! General Tiger never expected an attack from behind the horse and was unprepared. The blow shattered his skull, spilling red and white substances everywhere. It was a pity that this tiger spirit, with its celestial powers, wasted thousands of years of cultivation just by ignoring advice.

Tang Seng covered his eyes, unable to bear the sight of the dead tiger. Wukong, worried he might be shocked, led the horse aside. After a while, Zhu Bajie rushed out of the forest, dragging his rake, muttering to himself.

When he got closer, Bajie saw the dead tiger and cursed, “Trying to trick old Zhu, get up! Let’s fight a few hundred rounds!” As he cursed, he continued to pummel the tiger with his rake. Wukong laughed, “Stop! If you damage its fur, it’ll be worth less!” But Bajie kept going, saying, “Monks care nothing about gold or silver—it’s all external stuff.”

Wukong teased, “This fool joined quickly.”

Tang Seng said, “Now that the monster is gone, let’s hurry westward.”

Wukong knew this tiger spirit was just a minor foe; the real king of Yellow Wind Ridge was the Yellow Wind Monster. Recalling that he had once fought the Yellow Wind Monster and defeated it in just one round, he realized that even though the monster had lost its general, it would likely not dare to emerge if it saw him protecting Tang Seng. Since Tang Seng hadn’t been captured this time, should he go after the Yellow Wind Monster and destroy its lair completely?

Thinking of this, Wukong suddenly felt puzzled. The quest for the scriptures was initiated by the Tathagata, and the Yellow Wind Monster was a demon from the Western Heaven. Logically, it should be under the control of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the West. Without their supreme command, even if he had a hundred times the courage, he would not dare to hinder this great mission. So, who was this play meant for? Or rather, what was the purpose of his presence here?

Filled with doubts and contradictions, Wukong led his white horse westward. Knowing there were demons in the area, he naturally kept Tang Seng close by. Not far along, they saw an old man emerging from a mountain hollow. The old man was quite aged but had a youthful appearance with white hair; dressed in simple clothes and carrying a load of firewood, he walked toward them with energetic steps.

Tang Seng praised, “What a remarkable old man! He moves as if surrounded by clouds and mist—definitely not an ordinary person.”

Wukong examined him closely and came to a conclusion. Smiling, he said, “Master, you have sharp eyes. He’s either an ordinary person or a deity. Let me go ask him.” So Wukong stepped forward, bowed first, and said in a low voice, “How does Lord Laozi find the time to come here?” The old man was none other than the Supreme Lord Laozi.

Laozi said, “You clever monkey! If I hadn’t come, you would have gone further and further astray!” Though he spoke angrily, his face was full of smiles, showing no sign of displeasure.

Wukong was confused, but knowing that Laozi had something to say to him, he replied, “Lord Laozi, wait a moment. I’ll distract those two first.”

Wukong then returned and said, “Master, this old man is indeed a deity. But the evil energy here is too strong; with his limited powers, he can’t return to heaven. I’ll send him back first. You and Zhu Bajie can proceed slowly, and I’ll be back soon.”

Zhu Bajie curled his lips and said, “Even deities can get lost—what a strange thing.”

Tang Seng replied, “That makes sense too. Deities also have hearts; how could they not get lost? But Wukong, if you go, what if more demons appear?”

Wukong smiled and said, “Master, don’t worry. The demons in this mountain are already scared and won’t dare to cause trouble.” He thought to himself, with the Supreme Lord Laozi here, which demon would dare to show up?

Tang Seng said, “If that’s the case, go ahead. By doing good, you accumulate virtue. It’s admirable that you have such a kind heart.”

Wukong then grabbed Laozi and used magic to take him to heaven. Though he didn’t go far, to ensure safety, he kept an eye on Tang Seng below, not daring to take his gaze away.

Laozi said, “Wukong, you’ve willingly fallen into a trap to pursue the scriptures. I understand, but in these matters, you’ve done things wrong.”

Wukong asked, “Which matters?” He recounted the journey since starting the pilgrimage: they had only passed through Shuangcha Ridge, Guanyin Zen Monastery, Gao Laozhuang, and Huangfeng Ridge. At Shuangcha Ridge, he had only watched from the side without taking action. As for the later places, he thought he hadn’t made any mistakes. What could have prompted the Lord of Heaven to descend personally to give guidance?

The Lord of Heaven said, “I placed the black bear near Guanyin Zen Monastery so that Guanyin would capture it. Unexpectedly, you had someone lead it away. Didn’t that ruin things?”

Wukong was puzzled. “To speak frankly, Goddess Guanyin is under the jurisdiction of the Western Heaven and is an enemy of Taoism. Why help her grow stronger?”

The Lord of Heaven replied, “The Western Heaven is vast, and in recent years its ambitions have grown. When people become restless, they develop restless thoughts. Do you understand?” Wukong thought for a moment and said, “Could it be that Guanyin—”

The Lord of Heaven nodded. “Goddess Guanyin in the Western Heaven is like a feudal lord in a country. Though she claims to be Buddha’s disciple, it’s only for temporary convenience.” Wukong wasn’t overly surprised. He knew Guanyin had ambitions, but in his mind, the status of a bodhisattva was far lower than that of a Buddha. Even if Guanyin was powerful, she couldn’t rival Buddha.

Seeming to understand Wukong’s thoughts, the Lord of Heaven continued, “With just Guanyin’s strength, it’s naturally difficult to resist the current ruler of the world. But the greater Western Heaven becomes, the harder it is to govern. Now, Buddha also wants to expand eastward. Just as a mantis tries to catch a cicada, there’s always a sparrow in wait. How many others have ambitions to carve up territory?”

Wukong seemed to have an epiphany. So the Western Heaven wasn’t monolithic after all. Hearing what the Lord of Heaven said, he realized there were many conflicts within it.

The Lord of Heaven went on, “I had Guanyin capture that bear. Once she tastes success, she’ll surely repeat the trick and strengthen her power in the South Sea. At present, the stronger Guanyin becomes, the more beneficial it is for my Taoism. Do you understand?”

Wukong laughed. “I’ve been focused on going west. How could I know such things?” Yet inwardly, he praised the Lord of Heaven’s strategy. This move of removing the foundation was truly ingenious—without even lifting a finger, he caused his opponent to collapse. That was what a master did.

The Lord of Heaven said, “You don’t know, and I don’t blame you. But at Gao Laozhuang, you made a serious mistake.”

Wukong asked, “Could it be that I shouldn’t have taken that fool in?”

The Lord of Heaven replied, “It’s obvious to anyone with eyes. Marshal Tianpeng is a spy sent by the Heavenly Court. The Jade Emperor ordered him to secretly obstruct the pilgrimage, sow discord among the people, and undermine their fighting spirit. It was all just a cover. Even Tianpeng himself probably doesn’t know this.”

Wukong couldn’t help asking, “If it’s just a cover, then why did the Jade Emperor do this?”

Laojun said, “The Jade Emperor surely knows. With Tianpeng’s abilities, both in martial skills and wisdom, he is nowhere near as good as you, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. So, the quest for the scriptures will surely succeed! This is also part of his wish to form an alliance with Buddhism. The Jade Emperor placed Tianpeng there early on, actually intending to plant an eye in the Western Heaven. This is what they call preparing in advance—one must always be wary of others. Tianpeng is greedy for profit, so the Jade Emperor is confident he can manipulate him at will.”

Wukong asked, “Does the Tathagata not know about the Jade Emperor’s actions?”

Laojun replied, “He surely sees through everything clearly. It’s just a matter of seeing whose tactics are more clever.” Wukong couldn’t help but think of Zhu Bajie, who was eventually appointed as the Purifier of Altars. Whenever there were Buddhist ceremonies in the four great continents, he was sent to clean the altars first. Buddhist purification of altars was different from Taoist methods—it essentially meant sending him to eat all the offerings on the Buddhist altars. Given Bajie’s gluttonous nature, he would likely be too busy rushing between the four continents for food, with no time left to gather information in the Western Heaven.

Thinking of this, Wukong was amazed. It seemed the Jade Emperor still couldn’t match the Tathagata—just one title was enough to eliminate a potential threat.

Wukong asked, “Then should we take this fool in or not?”

Laojun said, “You all are chosen by the bodhisattvas as those who will pursue the scriptures. There are countless demons in the world, stronger than Tianpeng. Guanyin must have accepted bribes from the Heavenly Court to act in this way. But in any case, taking him in will not help the quest for the scriptures.”

The more Wukong listened, the more confused he became. He asked, “Do the Three Pure Ones approve of the quest for the scriptures?”

Laojun shook his head.

Wukong asked again, “So they don’t approve?”

Laojun shook his head again.

Wukong said, “You keep shaking your head. What do you really think?”

Laojun replied, “Is the quest for the scriptures just about obtaining the scriptures? The Tathagata’s intentions are hard to fathom. In my opinion, it’s at least a triple-win strategy. First, to spread Buddhist teachings; second, to seize the world’s fate and bring the Divine Ape under control; third, there’s that point you haven’t seen through…” Laojun paused, giving Wukong time to think.

Wukong had a sudden realization and exclaimed, “Eliminate rivals!”

Laojun was quite surprised, then praised, “Exactly!”

Wukong guessed correctly because he remembered the Yellow-Browed Boy under the Eastern Buddha. As the future Buddha, he would be the ruler after the Tathagata and had no need to get involved in this conflict. If he sent the Yellow-Browed Boy to the mortal world, there must be a deeper reason. But this move subtly revealed some dissatisfaction toward the Tathagata.

Buddhism claims to advocate having no desires or demands, but this is merely rhetoric to deceive the world. When the Buddha from the East is placed in the secular world, he holds the status of a crown prince. It is only logical that he should be extremely cautious and think carefully before taking action. By sending the Yellow Eyebrow Boy to the mortal world to obstruct the quest for the scriptures and then subduing him himself, he not only demonstrated his power but also preserved his face. After this act, everyone knew that the Buddha from the East possessed boundless magical powers. Perhaps this was a setup for many future events.

Laozi said, “The Tathagata wants to eliminate his rivals, while I intend to use this to clarify the overall situation of the world, so that I can plan thoroughly before acting. Therefore, whether the quest for the scriptures succeeds or not is not the most important thing. World affairs are like a game of chess; the gain or loss of a single city or fortress is less significant than determining the overall pattern!”

Wukong understood that the Tathagata wanted to use the quest for the scriptures as a bait, so why wouldn’t Laozi think the same? He suddenly knew what to do and said, “If that’s the case, I’ll bring out the demons here to see who is really behind them.”

Laozi smiled and nodded, saying, “The weasel spirit in the Yellow Wind Ridge is under the control of Bodhisattva Lingji. It is said that Lingji has frequent interactions with Buddha Maitreya. Pay close attention and uncover the person behind them to truly succeed.”

Wukong laughed and said, “Then the bigger this becomes, the better!” Laozi laughed heartily and said, “The wise divine ape is indeed clever. Well then, I shall take my leave.”

Wukong remembered something and asked, “Laozi, you’re walking around so openly here. Aren’t you afraid of people gossiping about you?”

Laozi turned around and smiled, saying, “Gossip? You don’t know—by now, everyone in Qi Tian Ridge has already set off for the Western Heaven. Who has the leisure to pay attention to me?”