Volume 2: The Path That Can Be Told, Chapter 190: Each Preparing Themselves
On this day, within the Jade Clear Palace in the Clear and Subtle Heaven, the Three Pure Ones sat side by side.
Yuanshi Tianzun spoke first, addressing Laojun, “You were called out right after beginning your seclusion. Do you feel resentful?”
Laojun replied, “There must be some movement over there.”
Yuanshi Tianzun nodded and said, “Tathagata has already sent Guanyin Bodhisattva to the Eastern Lands to seek the pilgrim. I just found out about it—likely news has already spread throughout the world by now.”
Taishang Laojun smiled and said, “Though the Western Lands claim to be a unified whole, rumors still spread there.”
Yuanshi Tianzun said, “A unified whole is not truly seamless.”
Laojun turned to Lingbao Daozun and asked, “What do you think, Second Brother?”
Lingbao Daozun replied, “For matters big or small, there’s no need for someone as unresourceful as me to get involved.”
Laojun asked, “Why do you say that, Second Brother?”
Lingbao Daozun explained, “Ever since I met that Divine Intelligent Ape, I’ve had such thoughts.”
Laojun shook his head and said, “You’re being modest, Second Brother. Even if he was born of fate, he’s still immature and lacks your abilities.”
Lingbao Daozun said, “You’ve been in seclusion for days and haven’t learned about some things.” Then he recounted how Wukong was surrounded by the heavenly court, trapped in the Purple Thunder Array of Heavenly Heroes and Earthly Fiends, and later suppressed by Tathagata using the Five Elements Mountain.
Laojun showed rare surprise and said, “Strange. The Divine Intelligent Ape is usually cautious—why did he throw himself into danger this time?”
Lingbao Daozun replied, “I’m also puzzled by this self-imposed danger. Tathagata wants to spread his teachings, drawing all the world’s fortune to the West and unifying fate under one. With the Divine Intelligent Ape’s actions, he’s surely overjoyed. As I predicted, he must have his eyes set on that ape.”
Laojun nodded in agreement. “That makes sense. But the Divine Intelligent Ape knows his own value—he actually dares to risk himself. How is this in line with his usual behavior?”
Lingbao Daozun said, “It’s either extreme foolishness or extreme wisdom. I see it the same way as you—his actions aren’t random; he’s willing to take a gamble like entering a tiger’s den.”
Laojun shook his head repeatedly and said, “No, no. These two events happened decades apart. Even if he’s highly resourceful, how could he predict Tathagata’s mission and deduce that he would be the chosen pilgrim?”
Yuanshi Tianzun said, “By my calculation, the Divine Intelligent Ape merely wanted to test the heavenly court’s intentions. Being suppressed by Tathagata was just a series of coincidences.”
Laojun said, “That makes more sense.”
Yuanshi added, “Yet coincidences are also part of fate—how can they be separated?”
Laojun was stunned and asked, “Are you saying this seems accidental but was actually inevitable?”
Yuanshi smiled and said, “It’s bound to happen!”
“What’s the use if it succeeds? Does Senior Brother really think so highly of this monkey that he believes he can rival the Tathagata?” Laojun still shook his head.
Yuan Shi said, “If he fights alone, it’s hard to say.” What he meant was: Wukong has wide connections; with everyone’s efforts, it’s not impossible to turn the quest for the scriptures into chaos.
Lingbao Daozun said, “How can we just stand by and do nothing?”
Hearing Lingbao Daozun’s words, Laojun asked in surprise, “Senior Brother, do you also—”
Lingbao Daozun replied, “Don’t ask me. Go ask him.”
Yuan Shi smiled and said, “I tried using the Dàyǎn method to predict it. The fate I foresaw was one of declining strength turning into resilience, with enduring power—far beyond my expectations.”
Hearing Yuan Shi’s words, Laojun was overjoyed. Lingbao Daozun and Yuan Shi Tianzun had always kept a low profile, remaining discreet to the point of being infuriating, as the fate of Taoism was in decline and they dared not act rashly. Now that Yuan Shi indicated a turning point in fate, it was indeed the first great joy in ten thousand years. With the powers of the Three Pure Ones, how could they possibly accept being subordinate?
So he said, “Good! If that’s the case, we needn’t be restrained anymore. Just make sure he can’t come and go as he pleases.”
Yuan Shi waved his hand and said, “Though there’s a turning point, one must not force fate. It’s enough to secretly stir things up.” Lingbao Daozun and Laojun naturally obeyed. With a smile, Yuan Shi added, “This turning point lies with the monkey.”
※ ※ ※
In the heavenly court, all the officials gathered, standing solemnly, waiting for the Jade Emperor to speak.
They had just learned that the West had sent people to spread their teachings in the Eastern Land, and many were shocked by the Tathagata’s move. After all, the Jade Emperor was the ruler of all heavens. If the Tathagata’s actions were taken too seriously, calling them rebellion wouldn’t be an overstatement. Yet the situation was extremely delicate—Buddhism and Taoism dominated the world. If viewed as a sectarian dispute, it seemed reasonable, making it hard to criticize. Ultimately, it depended on what the Jade Emperor decided.
The Jade Emperor sat on his throne, pondering for a long time before saying, “The Buddha and Taoists have sent people to spread their teachings in the Eastern Land. What do you all think?”
As soon as these words were spoken, many astute officials, upon hearing “Buddha and Taoists,” realized the Jade Emperor had already made up his mind and could not afford to clash with the West. Some elders also remembered that the West’s current status was actually achieved ten thousand years ago when the Tathagata caused a disturbance at the Peach Banquet. Back then, with his “Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage” ritual, he intimidated all the immortals in the heavenly court, forcing even the Three Pure Ones to retreat to their palaces in haste. The Tathagata appeared to respect the heavenly court greatly, but in reality, he had already harbored great ambitions.
Zhang Daoling, the foremost of the four great Taoist masters, immediately stepped forward and said, “In my humble opinion, the Buddha and Taoists’ actions are inappropriate.”
The Jade Emperor asked, “Since the Master himself says it’s fine, where exactly is the inappropriateness?”
Zhang Daoling said, “Buddhism and Taoism spread their teachings; they should have informed Your Majesty first. Acting in this manner is no different from acting without prior approval.” The Jade Emperor merely nodded, showing no reaction at all. Unconvinced, Zhang Daoling continued, “In recent years, the lands of Xiniuhexiu have gradually expanded eastward, becoming even more aggressive than before. Now they are going even further, stealing away the fortune of our Taoism. If this continues, our religion will be in danger!” The Heavenly King who carried the pagoda stepped forward and said, “Elder Master, your words are overly alarmist. Our Taoism is supported by the Three Pure Ones and governed by the Supreme Heavenly Emperor, who commands all under heaven and is obeyed by all. How can there be any danger?” Zhang Daoling replied, “Your Majesty underestimates the situation. One must remember that even a thousand-mile-long dike can be destroyed by ant holes. Moreover, the conflict between Buddhism and Taoism has always existed. Now that our opponents are so aggressive, should we really back down and tolerate them?” Li Jing laughed and said, “Buddhism and Taoism have always gotten along well. Any so-called conflicts are caused by ordinary people. How can you, Elder Master, believe such nonsense?” Zhang Daoling urged, “As the saying goes, ‘It’s hard to refuse what’s already in your hand.’ King Li, don’t stand by and do nothing.” Li Jing’s precious pagoda had been given to him by Buddha. Zhang Daoling bringing up this matter hit his weak point. His face turned red instantly, and he began to defend himself, saying, “I have always been loyal to the heavenly court—” The Jade Emperor frowned and said, “Enough. You two, stop arguing out of pride. This is not the time to discuss such matters. Since Buddhism has taken such action, if our Taoism does not respond, it will only lead to contempt. I called all the ministers here to find a solution—nothing else matters!” Seeing the Jade Emperor intervene, both Zhang Daoling and Li Jing apologized and left. Li Jing shot Zhang Daoling a sinister glance. Zhang Daoling knew that a feud had been formed between them. For a moment, no one spoke in the hall. Tai Bai Jin Xing thought quickly and came up with an idea. He stepped forward and said, “I have a plan, though I’m not sure if it will work. If it fails, it can at least serve as a starting point.” Being very clever, he took care of himself first after seeing Li Jing and Zhang Daoling squabble. Tai Bai Jin Xing continued, “We shouldn’t overemphasize the spread of Buddhism to the east, but we shouldn’t underestimate it either. If we overemphasize it, people might say that our heavenly court is too narrow to accommodate other religions. If we underestimate it, given the large number of Buddhist monks, adding more followers could indeed lead to uncontrollable situations.”
Many people nodded slightly upon hearing this; indeed, it was Tai Bai Jin Xing. Though he said a few trivial things, everyone felt it made sense. Seeing that the Jade Emperor seemed quite approving, Tai Bai Jin Xing began to speak at length: “I’ve heard that Buddha and Laozi sent Guanyin Bodhisattva to find someone to go west. One must know that the journey from Jnanapada to Ling Mountain is extremely long. If measured step by step, it would take thirty to fifty years at least. Along the way, there are many kingdoms and mountains, hiding various demons and monsters. From this, it’s clear that completing this quest isn’t easy at all.”
Xu Xun, one of the Four Great Celestial Masters, suddenly asked, “What Jin Xing said makes sense. But in that case, does it mean Buddha and Laozi have set a difficult task for themselves?”
Tai Bai Jin Xing replied, “Not at all. Buddha and Laozi are such great figures; how could they not have anticipated such considerations? Since Guanyin Bodhisattva has received their guidance, she must also understand the intricacies. The journey is long and full of obstacles, beyond the strength of one person. If my guess is right, the person Guanyin is looking for to complete the quest isn’t just one person—she’ll need some helpers.”
“If they need helpers, then supernatural powers should come first. Otherwise, there’s a risk that the quester might fail along the way, turning it into a laughingstock.” The Jade Emperor grew increasingly interested, leaning forward to listen carefully.
Tai Bai Jin Xing continued, “Since it’s not appropriate for our heavenly court to intervene directly, how about using a strategy of ‘building roads openly while secretly making other moves’?”
The Jade Emperor asked, “What does ‘building roads openly while secretly making other moves’ mean? Jin Xing, please explain further.”
Tai Bai Jin Xing said, “This metaphor might not be perfect, but it essentially means creating a facade while secretly changing the plan. Just imagine—if we place someone from our heavenly court in the quest group to block mountains, seal roads, and destroy bridges when encountering water, how could the journey go smoothly?”
Everyone present praised him highly, saying that Tai Bai Jin Xing was extremely resourceful, and this tactic was truly cunning.
Tai Bai Jin Xing added, “This is actually just a minor strategy. Only with such a preliminary move can a larger plan be implemented later.” The Jade Emperor exclaimed, “Is there another strategy?”
Tai Bai Jin Xing replied, “With this person inside to coordinate, we’ll have complete knowledge of the questers’ habits, strengths and weaknesses, and their route. Then, by setting more obstacles along the western journey, it will make the quest even more difficult.”
Li Jing couldn’t help but ask, “If our heavenly court sets obstacles, isn’t it the same as sending people to stop them directly? Such actions still look bad on the surface.”
Tai Bai Jin Xing smiled and said, “The Heavenly King is truly straightforward. Our heavenly court has both good and bad elements, so it’s only natural that some celestial generals and constellations occasionally commit mistakes.” King Li’s face turned red again at Tai Bai Jin Xing’s words. He praised him hastily and stepped back, vowing never to speak again.
After pondering for a while, the Jade Emperor finally praised, “Jin Xing, your strategies are excellent. Do any of you have different opinions?”
Seeing that the Jade Emperor had approved Venus’s plan, none of the ministers dared to speak foolishly. The Jade Emperor said, “Then let’s proceed as planned. Let’s discuss again—who in my heavenly court is capable of taking on such a great responsibility!”