Volume 4: The Revelation Revealed – Chapters 456: Going Home
The Lingguan of Wanderings entered from outside the door. The Jade Emperor said, “Summon the Great Emperor Ziwei and the Great Emperor Zhenwu. Come with me to the Kunlun Immortal Island.”
The Lingguan of Wanderings left to carry out the order. The Queen Mother then sent someone to summon the twelve saints from the back garden to provide protection. She smiled at the Jade Emperor and said, “Your Majesty’s life is of immense value; it’s better to be cautious.”
The Jade Emperor nodded and said, “Don’t worry.”
Ziwei and Zhenwu arrived at the Jade Pool immediately. They were unaware of the matter concerning the Kunlun Immortal Island. The Queen Mother explained briefly, and Ziwei said, “We will surely protect Your Majesty thoroughly.”
When the twelve saints stepped out of the back garden, Ziwei and Zhenwu’s expressions changed slightly. They knew that the Heavenly Court must possess great hidden strength, yet they were still surprised. These twelve people, if engaged in a real fight, would certainly not be opponents for Zhenwu and Ziwei, but their cultivation was undeniably that of saints—there was no deception involved.
Wasn’t the Queen Mother’s move also a way to show them her power?
The Queen Mother said, “With these two officials and these twelve people protecting Your Majesty, everything should be safe.”
Ziwei and Zhenwu flanked the Jade Emperor, with the twelve saints following behind. Further back were the Turtle and Snake Generals of the Purple Cloud Palace, the thirty-six marshals, the twenty-eight constellations, and the nine luminous stars—creating a truly imposing sight.
Soon, they arrived at the Kunlun Immortal Island in the mortal world. There, many immortals were confronting a group of bald Buddhists. Zhenwu and Ziwei knew that the Randan lineage had all grown their hair back, so these Buddhists must have come from the Buddhist underworld. After remaining silent for over a hundred years, Tathagata had finally taken action.
When the Jade Emperor arrived at the Kunlun Immortal Island, the immortals welcomed him with shouts. The Jade Emperor’s expression became solemn as he looked at the Buddhists. He recognized only Venerable Kasyapa.
This time, Tathagata had sent more than a dozen Buddhists. Compared to the Heavenly Court, their strength was weaker, but these Buddhists showed no fear at all. Seeing the Jade Emperor arrive, Venerable Kasyapa stepped forward and bowed, saying, “I greet the Supreme Heavenly Emperor.”
The Jade Emperor raised his hand slightly in return and asked, “What brings you here, Venerable One?”
Kasyapa replied, “I heard that there are thirty-six thousand-foot jade pillars on the Kunlun Immortal Island. Now that the Buddhist sect is in trouble, the Buddha has sent me here to ask Your Majesty for aid. I earnestly hope Your Majesty will consider the bond between Buddhism and the Heavenly Court and grant us the thousand-foot jade. We will repay it a hundredfold in the future.”
Though Kasyapa’s words were earnest, his tone was rather stiff, as if reading from a script, without any hint of subservience—more like an outright demand.
The Jade Emperor frowned slightly. Although he had an agreement with Tathagata, Kasyapa’s manner in front of everyone made him uncomfortable. He smiled slightly and said, “With such great powers and supernatural abilities, why does the Buddha even need to ask the Heavenly Court for help?”
Kasyapa immediately ceased his smile and said coldly, “Those are internal affairs of Buddhism; Your Majesty need not interfere.”
Zhenwu shouted, “How dare you!”
Kasyapa then smiled instead and said, “This is a matter of great importance. I urge Your Majesty to consider carefully.”
The Jade Emperor showed no sign of anger and said, “Since you recognize its seriousness, we must discuss it thoroughly before giving a reply to the Buddha.”
Kasyapa bowed and said, “In that case, I will return in three days.” With that, he left on a cloud along with those dozen or so Buddhas, without the slightest hesitation.
Zhenwu said, “Your Majesty, this monk is so rude. Why not—”
The Jade Emperor replied, “The Tathagata has not appeared in the world for many years. This matter is highly suspicious. I will discuss it further before making a decision.”
The tense confrontation dissipated unexpectedly, to the surprise of many.
Zhenwu’s question was not genuine; he actually hoped that the Heavenly Court and the Tathagata’s faction would fight each other. Yet the Jade Emperor’s patience far exceeded his expectations, his usual haughty demeanor completely different from before. Zhenwu also had a vague idea of the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother’s backgrounds, and he knew this matter was far more complex than a simple conflict between Buddhism and Taoism.
The relationship between the Jade Emperor and the Tathagata was very special. The Jade Emperor had ruled the Heavenly Court for many years, during which time the West remained a barren land. Over these tens of thousands of years, the Tathagata grew stronger while the Jade Emperor weakened, seemingly in a pattern of one advancing and the other retreating. Occasionally, the Jade Emperor would take superficial steps to support Taoism but never took any real action.
It seemed the Jade Emperor intended to compromise again—otherwise, why not show Kasyapa some authority? Who was Kasyapa anyway? Just a mere arhat, one rank below a bodhisattva. Without the Tathagata’s backing, how would he dare speak to the Jade Emperor in such a manner?
When the Jade Emperor returned to the Jade Pool, the Queen Mother was slightly surprised, “So soon?”
He recounted the whole incident, and she looked puzzled. After thinking for a while, she asked him with a displeased expression, “Why didn’t you agree to his request?” The Jade Emperor was stunned and said, “What? That Kasyapa is extremely rude. If I agreed to him, wouldn’t I be laughed at by everyone?” The Queen Mother expressed concern, saying, “That would likely give him an excuse.”
“What excuse? Could the Tathagata come back and try to take it?” the Jade Emperor asked.
The Queen Mother nodded and said, “If he were to come and take it, what would you do?”
The Jade Emperor replied, “I only said we would discuss it; I didn’t refuse. What reason does he have to try to take the Thousand-Foot Jade?”
The Queen Mother said, “From Kasyapa’s words, it’s clear he was instigated by the Tathagata. His aim is to provoke you and then be rejected. If the Tathagata wants the Thousand-Foot Jade, it’s because he lacks enough power. If he can’t get it, how could he simply give up?”
The Jade Emperor sneered and said, “If he comes to ask politely, perhaps I’ll give him a few. But if he tries to take them by force… Hmph, I really need to test the power of the Tian Gang Di Sha Creation Array.”
The Queen Mother pondered for a long time before asking the Jade Emperor, “Is it just because you can’t swallow this anger?”
The Jade Emperor shook his head and sighed, “This anger? What does it matter? This had to be done sooner or later. Now that Buddha has come to take the thousand-zhang jade, he must be in a desperate situation. Delaying him for a few years will surely have a profound impact on him.”
The Queen Mother said, “That makes sense. But what if he can’t defeat Buddha…”
The Jade Emperor frowned tightly and then gritted his teeth, saying, “We must go home!”
The Queen Mother was still hesitating, but upon hearing the Jade Emperor say “We must go home,” her attitude changed instantly. She said, “Good! After enduring for so many years, it’s time to take a risk!”
Wukong, after witnessing the Furnace of Heaven and Earth, was filled with emotions. He stayed in the heavens for a while before returning to Qitianling, where the Five Divine Apes were still waiting for him on the peak.
Tongfeng asked when he saw Wukong come down, “Did you see it?”
Wukong nodded and said, “Guess what I saw?”
Tongfeng laughed and said, “Heaven and Earth are originally a furnace.”
“How do you know?” Wukong exclaimed. Then he realized that the Five Divine Apes had fully awakened, so it wasn’t surprising they knew the true nature of Heaven and Earth. He asked, “What does ‘Furnace of Heaven and Earth’ mean?”
Tongfeng looked at Wukong and said, “Who else but the enlightened can see the Furnace of Heaven and Earth? You were the one who told us about it back then.”
Wukong shook his head; he still couldn’t remember. He asked, “What else did I say?”
The Clever Divine Ape said, “You spoke very little back then, but lots of nonsense.”
Speak little, but lots of nonsense? What did that mean?
As he was still thinking, the Five Divine Apes burst into laughter. Wukong, who was deep in thought, didn’t immediately understand. Hearing their laughter, he finally realized what was happening. After a moment of shock, he joined in the laughter.
The Clever Divine Ape rarely spoke, but when he did, it was always playful—unimaginable.
The Armored Divine Ape said, “I remember one thing.” Though he was short in stature, his voice was as deep as a bell.
Wukong asked, “What?”
The Armored Divine Ape said, “I remember once, after you went to heaven, you came back and told me that the earth was interesting too—surrounded by water, with only a pool of furnace ash in the middle.”
Wukong thought for a moment and said, “Yes, inside a furnace, isn’t it just furnace ash?”
Wang Yu suddenly said, “Later, I asked you what was left after burning the ash, but you couldn’t say anything for a long time.”
Ah! There was that too?
What is furnace ash? Naturally, it’s the earth beneath our feet. And what is this earth? It’s the body of Pangu! No, how could Pangu’s body be furnace ash? If so, what burned it? At that moment, Wukong couldn’t help but think of that force that opposed creation. After pondering, he still couldn’t figure it out. Though he was a divine ape of creation, he knew very little about that force that opposed creation. Yet he had a strange idea: Perhaps it was the force that opposed creation that Buddha was refining. His goal was to ascend beyond heaven, and even in the fierce winds atop heaven, there were traces of that force. So, could it be that this force existed beyond heaven? A scene appeared in Wukong’s mind—a vast furnace filled with burning oil. Suddenly, the lid of the furnace opened, and a spark was thrown in. Heaven, earth, humans, and all things… they were all submerged in the raging flames. Who could escape unscathed? What Wukong was thinking of was the moment of the Catastrophe of the Primordial Essence. Since he had determined that this furnace of heaven and earth was created by human hands, then the Catastrophe of the Primordial Essence must also be controlled by humans. If those humans decided to cause trouble, how could he stop them from opening the furnace lid? As Wukong was lost in thought, suddenly a man descended from the thirty-six heavens—it was the Great Emperor Zhenwu. Zhenwu arrived at Qitian Ridge in an instant and saw Wukong and the five divine apes standing on the peak. Seeing their cultivation levels, he was so shocked that he stepped back three or four steps and asked Wukong in astonishment, “This… how did you achieve this?” Wukong smiled and said, “Divine apes have their own ways of cultivating. There’s no need for the Dragon God to be surprised.” Zhenwu nodded and laughed loudly, “What a blessing for heaven and earth!” Wukong asked, “Did the Dragon God come here for some purpose?” Zhenwu replied, “Just now, Patriarch Kasyapa under Buddha’s command led more than a dozen Buddhas to Kunlun Immortal Island to demand a thousand-zhang jade pillar.” “What? They just came to demand it like that?” Wukong asked. Zhenwu laughed and said, “Kasyapa lacks manners, but the Jade Emperor tolerated him.” “Oh? The Jade Emperor can actually tolerate him? Is it because those dozen Buddhas are too powerful?” “Not exactly. From the Jade Emperor’s expression, it seems he owes Buddha a lot!” Wukong nodded and murmured, “Perhaps that’s indeed the case…” “A thousand-zhang jade pillar?” Tongfeng spoke up, “How many such pillars are there on Kunlun Immortal Island?” Zhenwu replied, “There are thirty-six in total.” “Thirty-six!” Wang Yu couldn’t help but exclaim. The Armless Divine Ape and the Intelligent Divine Ape asked at the same time, “How tall are they?” Seeing the eager look in these monkeys’ eyes, Zhenwu wondered, “A thousand zhang is quite tall. What’s the problem?” The group of monkeys rushed forward, grabbed Wukong’s clothes, and cried, “Let’s go! Let’s go!”