543: Retracing the Journey

Tang Ku pointed to the half-remaining Five Fingers Mountain ahead and said, “I’ve already told you before that after I left the country, I encountered that so-called General Tiger, as well as the story of the hunter Liu Boqin... Back then, I was just a weak and fragile Mortal. Although my health was decent, when it came to demons and monsters, I truly lacked the strength to truss a chicken.”

Looking at the mountain peak before her, Wu Zhen suddenly clicked her tongue and said, “I once heard from several Senior Brothers that when Senior Brother wreaked havoc in the Immortal Realm, it was the Buddha who suppressed him here. If this mountain is only half of what it used to be, just how massive must the original Five Fingers Mountain have been? And the power Senior Brother used to break out... it was actually enough to blast half the mountain into fragments. Did Senior Brother have that kind of power back then?”

“Heh, a character capable of wreaking havoc in the Immortal Realm—what do you think? Hmm, though havoc is havoc, it was just that. The Immortal Realm has no shortage of talented individuals; it’s not that no one could handle him. For instance, Wang Lingguan, who blocked him outside the Hall of High Heaven—he couldn’t defeat him! Of course, ordinary Heavenly Soldiers and Generals generally couldn’t handle him... Coupled with his natural Opportunity, stealing peaches and elixirs, and forging a Diamond Body, even the Buddha could only suppress him, not kill him. That is where his true advantage lies!”

Tang Ku explained, “Let’s go. We’re about to reach Eagle Sorrow Stream. That’s where I found your Senior Brother Ao Lie... Hmm, although he was the second one I took in, he has always been by my side in the form of a white horse, so in terms of seniority, he is still ranked after Monk Sha!”

The Master and apprentice set off on the road again, moving forward.

That’s right. The first thing Tang Ku did upon coming out this time was to take Wu Zhen to retrace the journey of seeking the scriptures.

“Seeking the scriptures, while carrying a strong sense of purpose, is also a part of cultivation!”

Tang Ku had told Wu Zhen this when they set off, but she still didn’t quite understand the meaning. Because according to the inherent thinking of Westerners, seeking the scriptures was just that—it was going with a task, and as long as the task was completed, the goal was achieved.

When she told Tang Ku her thoughts, Tang Ku couldn’t help but smile and explain, “If it were just for the scriptures, the Buddha wouldn’t have needed me to travel thousands of miles to get them. He could have just sent Sun Wukong; one somersault there, one somersault back, it wouldn’t even take half a day... The path of seeking the scriptures is a path of cultivation, a path of Dao. The Buddha made me go through thousands of hardships to seek the scriptures, experiencing the eighty-one tribulations. The so-called ‘nine-nine return to truth’—as a Mortal back then, both my body and mind underwent qualitative changes... Especially the tempering of my spirit, which became the foundation for me to attain Buddhahood!”

Wu Zhen thought about it for a long time, seemingly understanding but also confused, still unable to grasp the point. However, a certain feeling lingered in her heart, as if just a little nudge could break through the veil.

Following Tang Ku, they walked the whole way, proceeding just like ordinary people. With their cultivation, this kind of travel didn’t make them feel tired at all. So, in just half a day, they had walked all the way from Chang’an to Shuangcha Ridge, and even stopped by Liu Boqin’s home for a visit. Although Liu Boqin’s mother was nearly ninety years old, because she had worshiped the Buddha for years, her mind was clear, and there was even a faint glimmer of Buddha Power appearing on her. According to Tang Ku’s deduction, if the Buddhist sect were still present, upon her passing, the old woman would be able to go to the Western Paradise and become one of its members.

Liu Boqin’s family warmly hosted the Master and apprentice. Tang Ku didn’t hesitate and recited a scroll of the Agama Sutra on the spot to protect the family, ensuring their peace and happiness. Liu Boqin, who had walked the mountains for years and accumulated a body full of injuries, was also healed by Tang Ku using Buddha Power. He was also taught a set of physical strengthening exercises; if practiced day and night, while he might not attain the Right Fruit, living for one or two hundred years should not be a problem.

Afterward, the Master and apprentice continued on their way, entering the Five Elements Mountain, going to the Eagle Sorrow Stream, and then arriving at the Guanyin Temple.

All along the way, Tang Ku told her the story of his original journey to seek the scriptures bit by bit. Wu Zhen felt as if she were listening to a story, with scene after scene unfolding before her eyes. Beyond her intense longing for the deep bond between the Master and disciples and for the magical power of her Senior Brother, she also gained a deeper understanding of the significance of the Journey to the West.

“Master, your entire journey was completely arranged by the Buddhist sect and the Immortal Realm, and it was basically all ‘frightening but not dangerous’. But how could this cultivate the power of the spirit?”

Recalling what Tang Ku had just said about how Guanyin had promised Sun Wukong: “Call to the Heavens and they will respond; call to the Earth and it will be spiritual,” a question arose in Wu Zhen’s heart.

“That is a good question!”

Tang Ku laughed. “But at that time, I didn’t know any of this. Don’t forget, although I was the Reincarnation of the Golden Cicada, I was always just a Mortal. It was good enough that I didn’t get scared when I saw demons and monsters... Hmm, we’ll be at the Gao Family Village soon. We took in your Second Senior Brother there, and immediately after, we met that Zen Master Wuchao... The Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra that I taught you before was what this Zen Master Wuchao taught me. And the fact that I was able to proceed without obstacles, moving forward all the way and finally reaching the Spirit Mountain safely, was all thanks to this Many Hearts Sutra!”

Wu Zhen smiled: “I have recited this scripture many times. Often when my Zen heart is unsettled, I recite it silently in my heart, and it truly helps calm my mood significantly!”

The Master and apprentice continued on their way and finally reached the territory of the Gao Family Village in Ü-Tsang...

“Hmm, this place is not far from the imperial capital of Ü-Tsang...”

Tang Ku looked at the empty Gao Family Village and suddenly felt a surge of emotion. “Yet this perfectly fine Gao Family Village has been ruined by a group of corrupt officials. These people of Ü-Tsang... they do not recognize civilization, and the destruction of their nation is not far off!”

Wu Zhen looked in the direction of the imperial capital, seemingly understanding but also confused. She seemed to faintly see a trace of Dragon Qi rising, but it was becoming dimmer and dimmer, and this illusion vanished without a trace in just an instant.

The Master and apprentice traveled quickly. They crossed Mount Futu and arrived at Yellow Wind Ridge... Memories floated into his mind, and Tang Ku told Wu Zhen the story of the Yellow Wind Great Sage in detail... The two walked all the way and soon reached the Liusha River... And the true story of the Journey to the West, from the moment Monk Sha was taken in at the Liusha River, only then could it be considered to have truly begun.

After finishing the story of Sha Wujing, the sky had gradually turned dark. Tang Ku immediately decided that the two would spend the night here. Fortunately, the Liusha River was no longer as turbid as it used to be, nor would it be like the past where reed flowers would sink to the bottom. There were many fish in the water, so Tang Ku personally caught a few large fish, cleaned them on the shore, and roasted them until they were fragrant. The Master and apprentice feasted heartily, then sat cross-legged in meditation, waiting for dawn.

Just like that, a peaceful day passed, without waves, without ups and downs, and without any danger.

Until midnight, when a sudden situation arose!