Volume 3: A Long Journey Chapter 331: Coaxing the Peach Fruits Wukong entered the Pipa Cave, drove away the small demons inside, and saw Tang Seng tied tightly. Wukong untied the ropes and examined him carefully. Fortunately, Tang Seng was only weak and unharmed or poisoned. Seeing Wukong, Tang Seng said sadly, “My disciple, you’ve come at last.” Wukong replied, “Master, this hardship was destined. Thankfully, nothing serious happened. Now let’s go back to the Western Liang Women’s Kingdom with me.” Hearing that they were going back to the Western Liang Women’s Kingdom, Tang Seng exclaimed, “No, no! Go and call Wu Hui and Wu Ping out of the city. I’ll wait west of the city.” Wukong laughed, “Master, you’re really scared.” The two returned to the women’s kingdom. After ensuring Tang Seng was taken care of, Wukong went to the Golden Hall to find Wu Hui and Wu Ping. The two had already prepared their horses and luggage to pick up Tang Seng. Zhu Rong called Wukong back and said, “Young elder, go slowly.” Wukong turned around and chatted casually with Zhu Rong. When he saw Wu Hui and Wu Ping walking away, he asked, “Is there anything?” Zhu Rong replied, “Avalokiteshvara was here and recognized me.” Wukong thought for a moment and said, “It doesn’t matter if she recognized you. Everyone knows about what happened beyond Qitian Ridge. How could she still doubt?” Zhu Rong said, “From her expression, she must have some plan in mind. Be careful in the future.” Wukong bowed deeply and said, “Thank you, sister.” Zhu Rong laughed and said, “Go now. I’m also returning to Qitian Ridge. The current grand preceptor’s illness should be cured by now.” Wukong glanced at the queen in the hall, who looked distraught, and said, “This queen has a serious illness.” Zhu Rong laughed and asked, “Do you have any medicine?” Wukong replied, “Even heaven and earth need yin and yang to balance. This Western Liang Women’s Kingdom is actually against the laws of nature.” Zhu Rong said, “By the way, what did you find in the River of Mother and Child?” Thinking of the Buddhist hell, Wukong shuddered and said, “I’ve already talked to Sister Hou Tu. You can ask her when you get back.” Zhu Rong said, “Oh, you’ve gotten another sister?” Wukong replied, “You were here first.” Zhu Rong laughed and said, “I’m not that petty. Hou Tu has always been my sister.” The two chatted further, feeling greatly relieved that, aside from their previous feelings, they could now be so open with each other. Wukong said, “I should head west. We might meet again in Qitian Ridge.” Zhu Rong laughed and said, “Good. I should keep you here for a few more days.” Wukong replied, “If you keep me for a few days, it will take a few more days to reach Qitian Ridge.” Zhu Rong said, “Then let them attack! Who’s afraid of them?” Wukong bid farewell to Zhu Rong, caught up with Tang Seng, and continued westward. ※ ※ ※
In the Jade Pool of the Heavenly Court, Laozi sent a boy to deliver a message, saying he had important matters to discuss with the Queen Mother and the Jade Emperor. How could the Queen Mother refuse? She immediately ordered the banquet to be prepared again and invited the Jade Emperor to join them.
After a while, Laozi and the Jade Emperor arrived. The three of them drank half a cup each. The Queen Mother said, “Laozi has come here; there must be important matters to discuss.”
Laozi replied, “Someone from the mortal world reported that three strange monks have appeared in the Western Heaven.”
The Queen Mother asked, “What’s so strange about them?”
Laozi said, “Those three are dressed in gray robes, all of the same color. Their cultivation has reached the highest level of the Hunyuan Golden Immortals, yet their combat skills are rather poor. Isn’t that strange?”
The Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother said in unison, “The Three Thousand Buddhas?”
Laozi nodded and said, “I know quite a few of the Buddha deities in the Western Heaven, but I’ve never seen anyone like them.”
The Queen Mother said, “How could the Three Thousand Buddhas act so casually? It’s truly incomprehensible.”
The Jade Emperor said, “The Three Thousand Buddhas are similar to the Eight or Nine Golden Immortals—once their formation is set, it remains unchanged; if they move, the formation collapses.”
Laozi said, “There is no absolute rule in the world. Perhaps the Tathagata has found a special method.”
The Queen Mother said, “Fortunately, it’s only three. If it were thirty or three hundred, it would be extremely terrifying.”
Laozi said, “It might happen in just a day or two.”
The Queen Mother said, “The Tathagata’s move is more of a threat than anything practical. It’s merely to let the world know that the Three Thousand Buddhas can act.”
Laozi nodded and asked, “What should we do?”
The Jade Emperor smiled and said, “There’s already a solution, but we need Laozi to intercede.”
Laozi shook his head and said, “I can’t persuade them. It’s impossible.”
The Queen Mother said, “Perhaps only the Primordial Great Heavenly Venerable can break through the formations in the Creation Furnace. If he doesn’t step in to help… not even the Eight or Nine Golden Immortals can move.”
Laozi said, “The Great Heavenly Venerable never listens to advice, as you two well know.”
The Jade Emperor said, “If we clearly explain the advantages and disadvantages, we might give it a try.”
Laozi still shook his head.
The Queen Mother glanced at the Jade Emperor, who gave an almost imperceptible nod.
The Queen Mother said, “It’s not appropriate for the two of us to step in. After all, back then, the Three Pure Ones clearly stated they would never get involved in the Creation Furnace matter. But this situation is truly critical. For the sake of the Taoist sect, we still need Laozi to speak on our behalf.”
Laozi looked troubled, took a sip of wine, and said, “Sigh, let’s give it a try then.”
The Queen Mother said, “Although we stand to benefit from this, we ultimately gain the most advantage.” She stood up, walked over, and quietly went behind the screen. After a while, she brought out a jade box and said, “These three flat peaches are for Laozi to use in refining pills. It’s a way to ensure his efforts aren’t in vain.”
Laozi hurriedly declined, saying, “How could I accept this? Absolutely not.”
The Queen Mother smiled and said, “Why should Laojun be polite with me? We’re all part of the Taoist community. Perhaps one day I’ll have to go to you for immortal pills.”
Laojun was taken aback and burst into laughter. “If that’s the case, it would be rude of me to refuse. I will surely do my best on this matter.”
Seeing that Laojun had agreed, the Queen Mother knew that although the Three Pure Ones were three individuals, they were as one. Since Laojun had spoken so, the matter was almost settled. Back then, she and the Jade Emperor had thought about this before, but Yuan Shi feared that the emergence of eight or nine Golden Immortals would cause chaos in the world. Now that the three thousand Buddhas of Buddhism had appeared, she seized the opportunity to bring it up again. Although she had lost three peach fruits, it was clear which was more important at this moment.
Laojun asked, “There’s one more thing. What do you think, Jade Emperor and Queen Mother?”
The Queen Mother replied with a smile, “Are you referring to the matter of Emperor Zhenwu?”
Laojun said, “Exactly. Recently, Zhenwu joined forces with the Qilin to fight against the Phoenix-Snake. This matter…” He brought it up because he was worried that the Jade Emperor might suspect some connection between Zhenwu and Qitianling. This was a time when Taoism needed to unite, and if discord arose so soon, all their previous efforts would be in vain.
The Jade Emperor laughed and said, “The feud between the Phoenix-Snake and Zhenwu and the Qilin dates back tens of thousands of years. I don’t know why they’re at odds.”
The Queen Mother continued, “The Jade Emperor and I have also discussed this. Emperor Zhenwu volunteered to go capture the evil dragon in the Northern Sea; he surely had no other intentions. The Phoenix-Snake took advantage of the situation, and it happened suddenly. How could Zhenwu expect such a challenge?”
“The battle took place in the Tongtian River in the mortal world, not far from Qitianling. It’s likely that the Qilin heard about it and, upon seeing its enemy, felt a sense of shared hatred. That’s only natural.”
Laojun said, “That’s roughly how it is, but Zhenwu should at least have an explanation.”
The Jade Emperor chuckled and said, “Laojun, you think my heart is too narrow. At the last gathering by the Jade Pool, I had open conversations with Zhenwu and Ziwei. I won’t suspect them over trivial matters anymore. Zhenwu was poisoned by the Snake, and the Turtle and Snake sent messengers to apologize, saying they couldn’t capture the evil dragon in the Northern Sea yet and would try again once the poison wore off.”
Hearing this, Laojun felt relieved and said joyfully, “Your Majesty is truly wise!”
The three of them chatted a bit more, drank a few more cups of wine, then Laojun got up to leave, filled with joy. He took the three peach fruits back to his palace in Tushita.
※ ※ ※
A poem goes:
The mind is clear when free from distractions,
In silence, not a single thought arises.
Evil desires are utterly destroyed, transcending the realm of truth;
The heart turns toward the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.
Tang Seng adhered to his true nature, using his supreme pure thoughts to preserve his uncorrupted vital energy, and the group left the Western Liang Women’s Kingdom. They traveled safely without incident, and before long, it was again the early summer season. The scented breeze carried the aroma of orchids, and the rain-washed bamboo was cool. No one picked mugwort leaves, as the flowers by the stream competed among themselves for beauty.
As they continued on, a high mountain blocked their path ahead. Tang Seng said, “Wukong, I feel a bit dizzy.” Wukong replied, “It must be because the mountain road is bumpy and we’re walking too fast.” In truth, the White Dragon Horse moved so swiftly that its hooves never touched the ground, so how could there be any bumpiness? Tang Seng dismounted and climbed the mountain step by step.
Upon reaching the summit, Tang Seng had no interest in the scenery. He found a flat rock to sit on and catch his breath. After a while, he said, “Every step I take causes more discomfort.” These words reminded Wukong of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, who thought, “If you’re suffering here, there are others who suffer elsewhere too.”
Wukong said, “Master, rest for a while before continuing. It’s warm today, so there’s no need to worry about sleeping outdoors.” Tang Seng sat for a while, sighed, then stood up, leaning on his nine-ring staff as he continued westward. The group entered the mountains, crossed ridges and valleys, and after a long time, finally made it over the mountain.
Descending the western slope, they came across a flat road ahead. Seeing that Tang Seng was walking too slowly, and noticing the clear and peaceful surroundings with no signs of danger, Wukong said, “Master, why not get on the horse and ride for a while to refresh yourself?” Tang Seng agreed.
Tang Seng mounted the horse, and Wukong gave the White Dragon Horse’s rump a light tap and shouted, “Horse, run fast!” The White Dragon Horse galloped away like an arrow, speeding along the flat road. Tang Seng couldn’t hold the reins, so he simply gripped the saddle tightly and let the horse go. In the blink of an eye, they had traveled twenty or thirty miles before the White Dragon Horse slowed down and continued walking slowly while waiting for Wukong and the others.
Wukong arrived shortly after, flying above on the clouds and scanning the surroundings before feeling relieved.
It turned out that Wukong remembered from “Journey to the West” that after leaving the Western Liang Women’s Kingdom, the Monkey King was driven away by Tang Seng for killing villains, which later led to the story of the true and false Monkey Kings. He had deliberately sent Tang Seng to ride fast on his own while secretly following behind. After looking around, he saw that there wasn’t a single person within hundreds of miles—so where could any villains be?
Wukong thought to himself that they were already very close to Qitian Ridge. Even the slightest disturbance would likely be noticed by its spies. But after the expansion of Qitian Ridge, most of the demon soldiers were stationed at the Tongtian River and Jinpao Mountain, with many others following Yu the Great and others westward. Now, the situation was one of tight control on the outside but laxness inside, so it was normal not to see any people here.
Thinking again about the Six-Eared Monkey, in “Journey to the West” it tried to impersonate the Monkey King to obtain the sacred scriptures, and there were many doubts surrounding this. If the Six-Eared Monkey was still acting under the orders of the Spirit Treasure Daoist, it was likely to replace the Monkey King, disrupt the pilgrimage team, or infiltrate Buddhism in the West with other ulterior motives.
The Sun Wukong of this era was no longer the Monkey King who was solely focused on obtaining the scriptures; instead, he was a wise and intelligent ape well-versed in the complex power struggles of the world and in close contact with the Three Pure Ones. Thus, there was really no need for the Six-Eared Monkey to appear.
As he was thinking this, he saw a monkey flying from the west, dressed exactly like himself—none other than the Six-Eared Monkey!