Volume 3: A Long Journey, Chapter 358: The Jade Box

Ran Deng said, “Indeed, this ‘Instrumentary Canon’ was left by Tathagata. It’s only natural that Laojun and the current Buddha Tathagata are so adept at crafting magical artifacts.”
“Huh? Left by Tathagata?” Wukong asked, “Then how did it end up in Master’s hands?”
Ran Deng smiled bitterly. “That man’s schemes are truly inscrutable. Even now, I don’t know what he really intends. It feels as though I’m merely helping others prepare their paths!”
Hearing Ran Deng describe that man in such terms, Wukong felt a chill run down his spine. It seemed everyone in the world was caught in Tathagata’s schemes. But for now, the Buddha Tathagata still seemed weaker compared to the Three Pure Ones and Ran Deng—perhaps because his current body was far inferior to that man’s, or maybe it was intentional.
Wukong asked, “What exactly is the connection between Master and that Tathagata? How did Master fall victim to his schemes?”
Ran Deng slowly stood up and paced a few steps in the hall. “To this day, I still don’t know why I was born. From the day I was born, there has been a jade box by my side.”
Wukong asked, “Is the ‘Instrumentary Canon’ stored inside that jade box?”
Ran Deng nodded. “Not only that. Inside the jade box are cultivation methods from both Buddhism and Taoism, the foundations of Buddhism, the art of crafting alchemical furnaces, the secrets of building stupas, and even methods to transform the heavens!”
The more Wukong listened, the more astonished he became. Anything in that jade box was enough to shake the world. Who else but Tathagata could be so generous?
Ran Deng continued, “There are also immortal pills and elixirs in the jade box that help strengthen one’s foundation and enhance cultivation. With the help of Buddhist and Taoist methods, attaining immortality or sainthood would be a mere trivial task! Anyone who obtains this jade box can establish a truly great legacy!”
Wukong thought for a moment before asking, “Then why was it given only to Master and not to others?”
Ran Deng replied, “I’ve asked myself every day what the mysteries of the Tongtian River are and what makes me different from others. But to this day, I still haven’t found any clues. I can only assume that Tathagata simply chose someone at random.”
Wukong immediately said, “That’s not true!” If it were just any matter, Wukong would surely take Ran Deng’s words as gospel. But since he had learned about the array in the Tongtian River and knew it was a key point along the 108,000-mile journey to obtain the scriptures, he understood that although Ran Deng wasn’t from an earlier era, he was by no means ordinary!
The items in that jade box were extremely important. How could Tathagata casually entrust such a vital task to just anyone? If that person were foolish or naive, wouldn’t it be a huge joke?

But as for the origin of Ran Deng, Wukong really couldn’t explain it clearly. “Ran Deng” – at the time of his birth, everything around him was as bright as a lamp; this was a clue.
Wukong asked, “Master, you must have been ignorant of the world when you were born. How did you know everything around you was like a lamp?”
Ran Deng replied, “As soon as I was born, I could walk and speak, as if I had already lived for tens of thousands of years. Yet I had not the slightest memory at all – that too is a strange matter.”
Wukong thought to himself, “Could it be that you are Buddha’s third Dharma body?” But he immediately dismissed this idea. If Ran Deng were Buddha’s Dharma body, why would he constantly oppose Buddha? Wouldn’t that be self-sabotage?
Wukong refocused his thoughts, forcing himself to shift his attention away from Ran Deng’s background, and asked, “Master, after obtaining so many wonderful techniques, did you start practicing right away?”
Ran Deng smiled and asked, “If it were you, would you not practice?”
Wukong replied, “Of course I would. But have you never thought that this might be a trap set by others?”
Ran Deng said, “You really think I was born a deity. I know these are gifts from heaven, so why would I worry about such things? That jade box is full of mechanisms, with techniques ranging from lower to higher levels. If one fails to become an earthly immortal, the techniques for becoming a celestial immortal become invisible. You can see how thorough that person was!”
Wukong said, “By mastering both Buddhist and Taoist techniques, Master would become someone who practices both. But why did you only establish Buddhism and not Taoism?”
Ran Deng replied, “When I mastered those techniques and became a Hunyuan Golden Immortal, I was utterly obsessed. I thought that jade box was the supreme thing in the world. I followed everything it instructed. It told me to establish Buddhism, so of course I wouldn’t disobey! Moreover, the jade box only contained methods for establishing Buddhism; Taoism only had techniques, without such detailed explanations.”
Wukong asked, “Now do you understand? What’s the reason for this?”
Ran Deng nodded and said, “Now I naturally understand. Although Buddhism and Taoism share the same origin—both striving against heaven to prove one’s strength—they are extremely simple to establish. To put it simply, it’s just one word.”
“One word?” Wukong thought for a moment and said, “Seize!”
Ran Deng smiled and nodded. “Exactly, seize! Seize openly, seize secretly, seize skillfully—seize heaven and earth, seize ordinary people, seize the essence of all things!”
Wukong couldn’t help but ask, “Has Master ever had any compassion?”
Ran Deng shook his head. “Of course not. I thought I was the supreme being in the world. According to the Taoist scriptures, sages show no kindness, treating the common people as mere tools. But I was wrong from the start. If it weren’t for the Three Pure Ones and the Mysterious Maiden…”

“Ah!” Wukong’s mind cleared instantly as he exclaimed, “So the one who stole the Creation Furnace was Master!”
Ran Deng smiled bitterly. “You know everything!”
Wukong couldn’t help but stand up and take two steps back. Wu Zhiqi had said that man was cunning and vicious—surely that was true. How could the divine apes deceive each other! He looked at Ran Deng carefully, truly unsure, for Ran Deng had also had a dark side in the past.
Ran Deng, perceptive as ever, saw Wukong stepping back and naturally understood his thoughts. He said sadly, “Wukong, do you still not trust me?”
Seeing Ran Deng’s despondent expression, Wukong felt sad and said, “Has Master found his true self?”
“My true self…” Ran Deng murmured, “I don’t even know who I am. I’m only obsessed with this situation. Perhaps when it’s resolved, I’ll be able to find it.”
Hearing this, Wukong knelt down and said, “As long as you’re my master, I’ll never abandon you!”
By referring to himself as “Lingming” instead of “Wukong,” he was acknowledging Ran Deng as his master in the role of the Divine Ape of Creation. Ran Deng’s face lit up with relief as he helped Wukong up and sighed, “To hear you say that, I can die without regret!”
Wukong said, “Master, let’s talk only about life, not death! I can’t wait to hear about your encounter with the Three Pure Ones and the Mysterious Maiden, and what complexities arose.”
Ran Deng replied, “At that time, I was invincible across heaven and earth. But following the instructions in the jade box, I refrained from any conflict with the Seven Divine Apes. I only vaguely learned that they were governing immortals and demons in the east, also invincible.”
“Later, as my powers grew further, I sowed the seeds of Buddhism in the west. If nothing went wrong, it would eventually flourish and soar high. Thus, Buddhism was actually established not later than, but before, Taoism. It was only because of its deliberate concealment that many thought it rose overnight.”
“After doing all this, the next step was to forge the Creation Furnace, so I could use the methods in the jade box to harness creation and refine the heavens. The shape and materials of the furnace were all in my mind. I could have created it myself, but at that time, there happened to be a furnace in the world. I heard it resembled exactly the one I wanted to make, so I became curious and wanted to take a look.”
Wukong couldn’t help but interject, “Why did Master dress up as a Taoist?”
Ran Deng smiled. “You even know that? Did the Three Pure Ones tell you?”
Wukong remembered his conversation with Laojun. Laojun actually didn’t know the Creation Furnace was made by Ran Deng; he thought someone had imitated it. So he asked, “Master, didn’t you tell the Three Pure Ones about creating this Creation Furnace?”

Ran Deng shook his head and said, “To be honest, many of the things I did were carried out strictly according to the instructions in the jade box, like a puppet. How can I have the face to claim otherwise?”
Wukong asked again, “Do the Three Pure Ones know your master’s origins?”
Ran Deng replied, “Of course not. Why would I tell them?”
“Laojun once said that only your master is the most trustworthy in the world. Why is that?”
Ran Deng chuckled and said, “In human relationships, it depends on mutual understanding between hearts. If one has to talk endlessly about every detail, isn’t that utterly boring?”
Wukong nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly with this view.
Ran Deng continued, “When I went to seize the Creation Furnace, I naturally couldn’t appear in Buddhist attire, as Buddhism was still not recognized at that time. So I disguised myself as a Taoist and went there. Looking back now, I made a mistake—there wasn’t even a Taoist sect in the world back then, which is why I was remembered.”
“I had already reached the state of sainthood by then. Who could defeat me? I took hold of the Creation Furnace and examined it closely when suddenly a group of people emerged from it!”
Wukong said, “Those must have been the Three Pure Ones, the Xuanying Goddess, and the Jade Emperor and Empress.” The Three Pure Ones had never told him about encountering Ran Deng. Now he realized Laojun must have deliberately concealed it, as mentioning this incident would inevitably bring up Ran Deng. It seemed Laojun still didn’t want to reveal his master’s true identity to him early on.
Ran Deng said, “I was indeed shocked at that time. Who would have thought there would be people inside the furnace? The Three Pure Ones were also surprised to see me in Taoist robes. We had a few words, and then we fought.”
Wukong quickly asked, “Who won?”
Ran Deng smiled and said, “The more I fought, the more confused I became. The three of them used Taoist techniques that were exactly the same as what I had learned. Although their cultivation level was lower than mine, three against one—naturally, I couldn’t win. The Three Pure Ones captured me and demanded to know where I had learned those techniques. From their words, I vaguely guessed about the calamity of the previous era and realized they were likely from that era. I was utterly shocked.”
“It was then that another figure leaped out of the Creation Furnace. That person glanced at me once and then vanished without a trace. I could never find them again. Just that one glance made me feel as if I had fallen to the bottom of an icy abyss. That person seemed to know everything—my origins, everything I had done. That feeling… was truly unforgettable!”
Wukong felt something was off and said, “That person must be Tathagata. All of your powers stem from him. It’s natural you would have such a feeling. But since he was always inside the furnace, who gave you the jade box?”
Ran Deng was stunned and said, “How come I’ve never thought about that?”