173: Chapter 173 Sun Wukong Arrives

Buzhou Mountain Ruins, night. Lu Mingyuan sat alone on the mountaintop, gazing at the stars. A few more stars had appeared, but there were still so few, only a few dozen. Yet they were there, shining in the darkness, twinkling in despair, living in the Dharma Ending Age. He was thinking about what Bai Ze had said—"It's not mending the sky, it's mending the Heart." But how does one mend the Heart? Using one's own Heart to mend others' Hearts. Filling deficiencies with love, transforming resentment with compassion. But was his own Heart big enough? How many Hearts could he mend? How big a deficiency could he fill?

"Lu Mingyuan!" Someone called him from behind. The voice was loud, like thunder. The voice was bright, like lightning. The voice was familiar, like an old friend.

Lu Mingyuan turned his head and saw a person standing behind him. That person was wearing golden chainmail, a Phoenix-winged purple gold crown, and lotus-root silk cloud-walking boots. There was a golden hoop on his head, a staff in his hand, and a smile on his face. The smile was light, but there was something in that lightness, a certainty that said, "Your Old Sun has arrived."

"Sun Wukong?" Lu Mingyuan stood up, stunned. "Why are you here?"

"Your Old Sun came from Spirit Mountain." Sun Wukong walked over and plopped down beside him. "Spirit Mountain is secured, so Your Old Sun came to check on things. I heard you're fighting a guerrilla war in the human realm, so Your Old Sun came to help you."

"Spirit Mountain... how is it?" Lu Mingyuan asked. He had heard about Spirit Mountain, but what he heard was different from hearing it firsthand.

Sun Wukong's smile vanished. "Not good. Tathagata passed away, Guanyin passed away, and all Eighteen Arhats passed away. Four hundred thirty-seven Vajra died, and over three thousand warrior monks died. Spirit Mountain was almost gone."

Lu Mingyuan fell silent. He thought of Tathagata, remembering when he was in Zixiao Palace, how Jieyin taught him "Emptiness and Existence are Not Two," and Zhunti taught him "Use." He remembered Tathagata sitting in the Mahavira Hall, chanting scriptures and counting prayer beads. He remembered Tathagata walking out of Spirit Mountain, into the Demon Tide, using his life to enlighten a million demon soldiers. He remembered Tathagata's golden body shattering, transforming into a ray of light, and that light was still there, in the Mahavira Hall, in Manjushri's hand, and in the Hearts of everyone willing to stand.

"Tathagata is gone, but Spirit Mountain remains," Sun Wukong said. "Manjushri is there, Samantabhadra is there, Ksitigarbha is there. Those who are willing to stand are still there. Spirit Mountain is secured, the Heavenly Court is secured, and the human realm can also be secured."

"How do you know the human realm can be secured?"

"Because you are here." Sun Wukong looked at him and smiled. "If you are here, it can be secured."

Lu Mingyuan also smiled. "How do you know it can be secured if I'm here?"

"Because you are Lu Mingyuan. You are the scholar who walked out of Heyin City, you are the one who won the debate against the Sages in Zixiao Palace, you are the one who stood firm at the South Heaven Gate. If you are here, it can be secured."

Lu Mingyuan looked at Sun Wukong, at this monkey who had rushed from Spirit Mountain, at this person covered in wounds, with a smile on his face, and only trust in his eyes. His eyes were a little moist. "Good. We'll secure it. Together."

---

The next day, by The Rift. Lu Mingyuan took Sun Wukong to see The Rift. That Rift split from the ground to the sky, from the sky to Chaos, and from Chaos to the depths of the Dim. Devilish Qi surged out from The Rift, as thick as ink, as black as night, and as cold as ice.

"This is The Rift?" Sun Wukong looked at The Rift, his eyes holding something, a hatred that said, "So this is what caused Tathagata to pass away."

"Yes. This is The Rift. The Dim Heavenly Emperor came from this Rift. The resentment of the Seven Great Calamities all comes from this Rift."

"Can it be sealed?"

"Yes. But not by killing. Kill one, and the Dim grows stronger. The more you kill, the stronger the Dim becomes. Confrontation is feeding it."

Sun Wukong was stunned. "If not by killing, then how do we seal it?"

"Mend. Enlighten. Transform. It's not about eliminating enemies, but healing patients. Enlightening demon soldiers into light, mending demon generals into humans, filling the Dim's deficiencies with love."

Sun Wukong looked at him for a long time. "Your Old Sun heard everything you said in Zixiao Palace. All laws originate from the same source, the Dao has no hierarchy. The Heart as the Mysterious Pivot, all laws naturally return. Your Old Sun didn't quite understand it then, but now I seem to understand a little."

"Understand what a little?"

"I understand what you mean by 'should.' Not fighting because you can win, but fighting because you should. Not standing because you can stand, but standing because you should. Not mending because you can mend, but mending because you should."

Lu Mingyuan smiled. "You understand."

"A little. Not enough yet. We still have to fight on."

The two stood by The Rift, standing. One was a scholar who walked out of Heyin City, the other a monkey who walked out of Huaguo Mountain. One was the founder of Xuan-shu Path, the other the Victorious Fighting Buddha. One cultivated the Heart, the other cultivated Battle Intent. But they stood together, between darkness and light, between despair and hope, between the Dharma Ending Age and completion. They stood, not because they could stand, but because they should.

---

Inside The Rift, the Demon Tide came again. This time it wasn't ordinary demon soldiers, but Fighting Demons specially prepared by the Dim Heavenly Emperor for Sun Wukong. Those demon soldiers had something about them, a Devilish Qi specifically designed to counter Battle Intent. The stronger the Battle Intent, the more potent the Devilish Qi. The heavier the killing intent, the denser the Devilish Qi. Fighting would only make them stronger.

"Your Old Sun will try." Sun Wukong raised his golden cudgel and charged into the Demon Tide. One sweep sent dozens of demon soldiers flying. But those demon soldiers didn't die; they got back up after being knocked away, stronger than before. Battle Intent made them stronger, killing intent made them more potent, fighting made them fiercer.

"Sun Wukong, don't kill!" Lu Mingyuan shouted. "Killing will only make them stronger!"

Sun Wukong was stunned. He had fought for most of his life and had never encountered anything like this. Fight, and the enemy grows stronger. Kill, and the enemy grows fiercer. Battle, and the enemy grows more potent. What then? Not fight? Not kill? Not battle?

"What then?" Sun Wukong asked.

"Enlighten."

Lu Mingyuan rushed forward, Wanxiang True Qi surging from his palm into the bodies of the Fighting Demons. Those Fighting Demons didn't die; they transformed. They turned into wisps of green smoke, dissipating between heaven and earth. Not annihilation, but transformation. Not confrontation, but enlightenment. But enlightenment also took time; for dozens of Fighting Demons, he needed time.

"Your Old Sun will help you!" Sun Wukong charged forward, but then he stopped again. He didn't know how to help. He couldn't enlighten, he only knew how to kill. He only knew how to strike with his golden cudgel, smash with his fists, and kick with his feet. He had spent half his life learning to fight and kill, not to enlighten and transform.

"Don't rush," Lu Mingyuan said. "Watch. Watch how I enlighten."

He continued to enlighten the Fighting Demons, one, two, three. Wanxiang True Qi surged into the demon soldiers' bodies, Devilish Qi dissipated, resentment dissolved, and deficiencies were mended. In the eyes of those Fighting Demons, the black Devilish Qi receded, revealing ordinary eyes. In those eyes, there was no hatred, no resentment, no killing. Only one thing—relief.

"Thank you," said the first Fighting Demon to be enlightened. Its voice was very light, like the wind. Then it transformed, turning into a ray of light, flying into the sky, becoming a star.

"Thank you," said the second. It also transformed into light, also became a star.

"Thank you," said the third. It also transformed into light, also became a star.

Sun Wukong looked at those lights, at those stars, at those lives that transformed from demons to light, from deficiency to wholeness, from hatred to love. Something shattered in his eyes; it wasn't tears, but the realization that "I fought for half my life, and it turns out I was fighting wrong."

"Your Old Sun has fought for half his life, from Huaguo Mountain to the Heavenly Court, from the Heavenly Court to Spirit Mountain, from Spirit Mountain to the human realm. Your Old Sun thought that fighting was the Dao. Killing was the path. Battling was the method. But today, Your Old Sun knows that fighting is not the Dao. Killing is not the path. Battling is not the method. Enlightenment is the Dao. Mending is the path. Transformation is the method."

Lu Mingyuan looked at him and smiled. "You didn't fight wrong. What you fought was what should be fought. What you killed was what should be killed. What you battled was what should be battled. But that was before. Now, it's different. Now, we have another path."

"What path?"

"The path of mending. The path of enlightenment. The path of love."

Sun Wukong thought for a long time, then nodded. "Good. Your Old Sun will learn. Learn how to enlighten, how to mend, how to transform."

---

By The Rift, Lu Mingyuan taught Sun Wukong how to enlighten demon soldiers.

"It's not about using strength, it's about using the Heart. Open your Heart, release your love, give your compassion. Demon soldiers are not enemies, they are patients. They lack love, lack understanding, lack tolerance. You must use your love to mend their deficiencies. Use your understanding to transform their resentment. Use your tolerance to mend their hatred."

Sun Wukong closed his eyes, trying to open his Heart. His Heart was hard, hard as stone. His Heart was cold, cold as ice. His Heart was tight, tight as a clenched fist. He had fought for half his life; his Heart had long since become hard, cold, and tight.

"It won't open," Sun Wukong said. "Your Old Sun's Heart won't open."

"Don't rush. Take your time. You're not fighting alone. You have your Master, your Junior Brother, your friends, and those who are willing to help you. Their love will help you open your Heart."

Sun Wukong thought of Tang Sanzang, of that monk who only knew how to chant scriptures, of that Master he had cursed countless times. Tang Sanzang had never hit him, never scolded him, never hated him. Tang Sanzang only knew how to chant scriptures, how to reason, how to move him with love. He hadn't understood before, but now he did.

"Master..." Sun Wukong's eyes grew moist. "Your Old Sun understands. Understand why you never hit Your Old Sun, never scolded Your Old Sun, never hated Your Old Sun. Because hitting is useless. Scolding is useless. Hating is useless. Only love is useful."

His Heart opened a crack. There was light in that crack, golden and warm like the sun. That light was Tang Sanzang's, Tathagata's, Guanyin's, and all those who had loved him. That light shone from the crack, illuminating the Fighting Demons. Those Fighting Demons didn't die; they transformed. They turned into wisps of green smoke, dissipating between heaven and earth. Not annihilation, but transformation. Not confrontation, but enlightenment. Not using strength, but using love.

"Your Old Sun has learned," Sun Wukong said. His voice was very light, but there was something in that lightness, the relief of "I finally understand."

---

Buzhou Mountain Ruins, night.

Sun Wukong sat on the mountaintop, gazing at the stars. A few more stars had appeared, but there were still so few, only a few dozen. Yet they were there, shining in the darkness, twinkling in despair, living in the Dharma Ending Age.

"What are you looking at?" Lu Mingyuan walked up and sat beside him.

"Looking at the stars. Bai Ze said those stars are transformed Souls that have been mended. Your Old Sun enlightened a few today, and a few more stars appeared in the sky. Your Old Sun fought for half his life and never imagined it could be like this."

"Isn't this good?"

"Good. But it's also too slow. Enlighten one, and only one more star appears. Kill one, and ten more demon soldiers appear. Mend one, and the Dim generates ten more. When will it ever be mended completely?"

Lu Mingyuan didn't answer. Because he didn't know either. He only knew that they had to keep going. Until the day it was mended.

"Sun Wukong," Lu Mingyuan said. "Tomorrow, we'll go find Yang Jian. He's also in the human realm, fighting a guerrilla war. The three of us together can enlighten more."

"Good. Your Old Sun also wants to see that three-eyed one. It's been a long time, I miss him quite a bit."

The two sat on the mountaintop, sitting. Gazing at the stars, at the light transformed from mended Souls. That light was weak, weak as a firefly. But that light would not be extinguished; no matter how strong the wind, how deep the darkness, how heavy the despair, it would not be extinguished.

That light is called hope. That light is called love. That light is called Sun Wukong. That light is called Lu Mingyuan.