Volume 3: A Long Journey, Chapter 280: The Lord of Heaven
Hearing this voice, the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother showed expressions of joy and surprise. They stood up together to greet the visitor at the door. Donghua Emperor followed closely behind, also with a respectful expression on his face.
The person in question was none other than the Supreme Lord Tao, the Moral Emperor among the Three Pure Ones of Taoism. He did not come alone; behind him were the Great Emperor of the Central Sky, the Purple Micro Pole Star; the Great Emperor Zhenwu, the Demon-Subduing Lord of the Northern Heaven Gate; and the Great Emperor Gouchen of the Western Extreme.
The Queen Mother said cheerfully, “Everyone is here today.” Though she said everyone was present, in reality only one of the Three Pure Ones had arrived, with three missing from the Six Imperial Lords. The Lingbao Lord and the Primordial Lord were usually in seclusion, and unless it was an extremely important matter, no one could see them. Among the Six Imperial Lords, the Great Emperor of the Eastern Extreme was seriously injured, the Great Emperor of the Southern Extreme ignored worldly affairs, and the Earthly Mother had not been seen in ten thousand years. It was already very rare for the Purple Micro and Gouchen to appear at the Jade Pool together. Not to mention Zhenwu, whose status and cultivation were no less than those of the Six Imperial Lords.
The Jade Emperor naturally knew why these people had come. All those who could make decisions in the Heavenly Court were gathered here, which was especially rare and important at a time when people’s hearts were scattered and hidden currents were at work.
The Queen Mother immediately ordered the Seven Fairies to prepare more food and drinks—spare no expense on delicacies like dragon liver, phoenix marrow, bear paws, andhuman lips—while fine wines were served one after another.
Once everyone was seated, the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother took their seats at the head, with Laojun and the others sitting as guests.
With a warm smile, the Queen Mother raised her cup first and said, “It’s rare for all of you to be here. With wine present, let’s drink and converse.”
The others replied, “With wine present, let’s drink and celebrate,” and then they all raised their cups and drank.
The Queen Mother’s cup was a toast as the host, followed by another toast from the Jade Emperor. The third cup was raised by Laojun as a guest’s thank-you. After these three toasts, they naturally moved on to the main topic.
Except for Donghua Emperor, everyone knew that whatever topic they discussed today would ultimately revolve around the matter of aligning with heaven. The Queen Mother said, “Since none of you are outsiders, let’s continue where we left off. Have you heard about the Fangzhang Immortal Island?”
With spies everywhere in heaven and on earth, people like Purple Micro, Zhenwu, and Gouchen surely knew about Sun Wukong’s daring invasion of the Fangzhang Immortal Island, but they pretended to be unaware.
The Queen Mother smiled and said, “Since none of you know, please have Donghua Emperor recount the incident.” Donghua Emperor then briefly described it. Though he didn’t exaggerate this time, he still harbored resentment, so his account naturally painted Sun Wukong in a negative light.
The Queen Mother said, “It seems Laojun had some doubts about this matter before entering. I wonder if I misheard or something else happened.”
Laojun said, “Indeed. I just arrived here and happened to hear that the Emperor wants that monkey to go to Fangzhang Immortal Island to apologize. Such a handling is inappropriate!” When the Eastern Emperor heard Laojun say it was inappropriate, he felt slightly displeased, but since he revered the Three Pure Ones, despite his unhappiness, he did not dare show the slightest hint on his face.
The Queen Mother asked with a smile, “What’s inappropriate about it?”
Laojun stood up, stretched out his sleeves, and first recited a few lines: “There is something that is undifferentiated, existing before heaven and earth. Silent and solitary, it stands alone yet remains unchanged, circulating endlessly without end. It can be regarded as the mother of heaven and earth. I do not know its name, so I tentatively call it ‘Tao’!”
The others did not understand what Laojun meant by these words, but they found them quite imposing. Laojun continued, “In the world, teaching comes after Tao. Everyone has Tao, and everything has Tao. That’s why some say, ‘When the Great Tao prevails, the world belongs to all.’ There is some truth to that.”
“My Taiyi Mysterious Sect, though it preaches following the way of nature and governing through non-action, still believes that what is crooked should be straightened, what is wrong should be corrected, what is empty should be filled, and what is worn out should be renewed… Only by not competing can no one in the world compete with us!”
“Sun Wukong has been causing trouble on Fangzhang Immortal Island. I have long known about it. I don’t know where his skills come from, but they clearly stem from our Taoist teachings! Using Tao to fight against Tao is truly rebellious and against the way! I am deeply indignant about this, so I must confront him!”
The Eastern Emperor was confused at first and only understood at the end that Laojun was about to stand up for him. Overjoyed, he bowed deeply to Laojun and said, “Your disciple thanks the Supreme Deity of Morality!”
Laojun waved his hand and said, “It’s still too early to thank me. The Supreme Heavenly Emperor will decide for you.” After saying this, he shifted the responsibility to the Jade Emperor.
The Jade Emperor was stunned. From Laojun’s words, it seemed he strongly supported the Eastern Emperor’s approach. But given Sun Wukong’s personality and his current status, asking him to go to Fangzhang Immortal Island to apologize to the Eastern Emperor was utterly impossible. After thinking for a while, the Jade Emperor said, “Laojun is the supreme figure in our Taoist sect. It’s fortunate that he can show compassion for others. I wonder what the Purple Micro Emperor thinks of this matter.” He knew that the Purple Micro and the others must have already aligned with Laojun, so his question was unnecessary. But the Jade Emperor needed to understand everyone’s thoughts before making a decision—that was the way of an emperor.
The Purple Micro said, “Laojun is absolutely right. But since Buddhism and Taoism regard the quest for the scriptures as the top priority at the moment, if we disrupt it, this matter may spread too widely.”
The Purple Micro calmly spoke up as well, continuing, “Everyone knows that the quest for the scriptures is an overreach by Buddhism!” When he said “overreach,” his tone rose and his expression turned stern, clearly indicating his stance.
“The Taoist sect does not seek conflict; it is not out of fear or unwillingness, but out of concern for all sentient beings. This is the principle of embracing yang while respecting yin. The Buddhist sect claims to save all beings, yet in reality, it ignores the world to save only itself—nothing but draining the pond to catch fish. But at the command of the Supreme Heavenly Emperor, we shall fight! My Ziwei Palace is willing to seize their edge and will never retreat!”
Hearing this, the Jade Emperor furrowed his brows even more and asked, “Xuantian Heavenly Emperor, you—”
Zhenwu slammed his wine cup on the table and said, “I agree!”
Gouchen Heavenly Emperor, without waiting for the Jade Emperor to ask, also said, “I agree!” He always followed the Jade Emperor’s lead. He had always disapproved of Buddhism, but under the Jade Emperor’s order, he had little choice. When Laojun approached him, it took only a few words to get him to choose between uniting with the heavens and reclaiming Taoist territory—naturally, Gouchen Heavenly Emperor supported the latter.
The Jade Emperor sighed softly and said, “The weakness of Taoism is indeed my fault! Over the past few years, in my efforts to promote Taoism and eliminate demons, nothing has gone smoothly, as you all know. With the current situation—Buddhism spreading across the land, monstrous beasts rampaging in Qitian Ridge, and evil dragons lurking in the Northern Sea… all these troublesome matters make me feel utterly overwhelmed.”
“The campaign against Huaguo Mountain ended in a narrow victory, but the Heavenly Court suffered heavy losses, while the demons reorganized and formed new factions. In the battle against the evil dragon in the Northern Sea, not even half of the hundred thousand heavenly soldiers survived. In the battle against Qitian Ridge, even the Great Marshal Who Subdues Demons, the Tower-Bearing Heavenly King, and the Eastern Extreme Qinghua Emperor were seriously injured and could not recover!”
“Back then, the demon monkey, along with the demon ox and the roc, attacked the Heavenly Court, and almost no one could resist them. If it weren’t for the Buddhists and Taoists in the Western Heaven holding them back, and if it weren’t for Laojun stepping in at the end, who knows what would have become of the Tongming Hall?”
“The power of the Western Heaven grows stronger by the day. I am naturally worried. But the Western Heaven has countless Vajra Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and monks and nuns, and they are in a favorable position. With my own weakness, attacking them at a time when they are thriving, even in terms of morale, it’s difficult to compete. Thus… I am truly in a dilemma.”
After saying this, the Jade Emperor sighed again and sat down.
Everyone looked at each other after hearing his words.
Laojun merely started the conversation and then continued drinking as if what everyone was discussing had nothing to do with him.
Gouchen Heavenly Emperor couldn’t help but say, “Your Majesty, today, the territory of Xiniu Hezhou has expanded eastward to beyond the Flowing Sands River. If this continues… I’m afraid in just a few decades, all the land in the world will belong to Xiniu Hezhou.”
The Jade Emperor was shocked. “What? It’s already reached the Flowing Sands River?” His face turned grim. “Last time someone mentioned it, I vaguely remembered it was only at Wujiguo. This…” He was clearly furious. He picked up his wine cup and drank it in one gulp, then slammed it back on the table.
The Queen Mother, seeing the Emperor of Jade’s worried expression, said, “Your Majesty, please don’t worry too much. The larger the realm, the harder it is to govern. The Western Heaven has expanded too much; they should be the ones to worry.”
Zi Wei replied, “The Queen Mother is mistaken. The Western Heaven relies on teachings to rule, but with the massive construction of temples and the rising incense offerings, foolish men and devout women flock there to chant scriptures and worship Buddha day after day. There’s no need to govern them.” Zi Wei was right. Everyone knew that in the long run, the forces of fate would shift to the West, but the word “fate” seemed taboo, and no one in the room dared mention it.
Gou Chen said, “Your Majesty, this is indeed the truth. It’s not Zi Wei exaggerating.”
At that moment, Zhen Wu slowly said, “Under such circumstances, the idea of ‘unifying the heavens’ really needs careful consideration.”
The Queen Mother had still been smiling while advising the Emperor of Jade, but upon hearing Zhen Wu mention “unifying the heavens,” her brows furrowed. It was she who had proposed this idea, so she asked Zhen Wu, “Xuan Tian Shang Di, ‘unifying the heavens’ is indeed the last resort. I have no other ideas besides that.”
Zhen Wu replied, “Unifying the heavens isn’t difficult—it’s much easier than creating thirty-six heavens. But to put it nicely, calling it ‘unifying the heavens,’ while appearing reasonable, is actually ‘destroying the heavens’! The thirty-six heavens have stood for ten thousand years—a source of pride for Taoism and authority for the Heavenly Court. If they collapse, it will be extremely difficult to restore them!” His words carried great weight, implying that “unifying the heavens” would mark the beginning of the downfall of Taoism. If the thirty-six heavens shrank, the Heavenly Court’s forces would diminish sharply. With Buddhism watching closely, the balance of power might shift, making Taoism’s situation even worse and leading to an irreversible situation.
The Eastern Emperor, listening to everyone’s discussions, was extremely anxious but couldn’t interject. He glanced from one person to another, with most of his attention on the Emperor of Jade, hoping that the Emperor would slam the table and shout, “Fight!”
Finally, Lao Jun spoke. Calmly, he said, “Heaven isn’t the heaven of just one person, nor is the earth the earth of just one person. Since Your Majesty is the ruler of all heavens, you should first consider the well-being of all beings, right?”
No matter what the Emperor of Jade thought, Lao Jun’s words sounded noble, and he naturally couldn’t refute them.
Lao Jun continued, “All beings in the world know that Your Majesty is the ruler of all heavens. Among these heavens, not only the thirty-six heavens but also the blue sky above us belong to You Majesty, and the Western Heaven is no exception.”
Just as the Emperor of Jade was about to speak, Lao Jun waved his hand and said, “Whether now or not, what I say is reason. It should be so. Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?”
The Emperor of Jade nodded expressionlessly.
Lao Jun then said, “If that’s the case, I dare to ask: if one heaven in this world were lost, could Your Majesty still claim to be the ruler of all heavens?”
As Laojun spoke, the Jade Emperor and Empress took on extremely grim expressions. Gou Chen and Donghua were shocked beyond measure. Only Ziwei Zhenwu understood that Laojun was about to take drastic action, so he remained unmoved. The Jade Emperor’s face turned from red to blue as he slammed the table and shouted, “If I lose one day, I will no longer be the ruler of all heavens!”