Chapter 45: Wuzhuang Temple Retains Friends
Now, Ba Jie’s meddling in Ao Tu’s attempt to heal the tree was recounted.
Upon hearing this, Ao Tu smiled and said to Great Immortal Zhen Yuan, “Great Immortal, your temple is quite self-sufficient.”
Great Immortal Zhen Yuan asked, “What do you mean?”
Ao Tu replied, “I saw some fruits and vegetables planted in the back garden, and pigs being raised in the front hall! Isn’t that self-sufficient? Since the ginseng fruit is gone, why not cut off some pork for me as a reward.”
Great Immortal Zhen Yuan chuckled, “Excellent. What part of the pig do you desire, fellow Daoist?”
Ao Tu said, “I’ve heard the pork belly is the best, with seven layers of fat and meat, making it the most delicious.”
Ba Jie cried upon hearing this, “Master! I, Old Pig, have encountered a Daoist who loves to eat pork, and he wants to eat me!”
Tang Sanzang, startled, quickly pleaded with Ba Jie.
Ao Tu and Great Immortal Zhen Yuan shared a laugh and walked into the hall.
Great Immortal Zhen Yuan immediately ordered Qing Feng to serve tea and said to Ao Tu:
“Thank you, fellow Daoist, for traveling from afar to tend to my precious tree. However, I had already made a bet with that Sun Wukong, and I cannot go back on my word. Please stay with me for a few days. Whoever can save the spiritual root, I will present a ginseng fruit in thanks.”
Ao Tu said, “Great Immortal values his word; I am impressed.”
Thus, Ao Tu stayed at Wuzhuang Temple, waiting for Sun Wukong to return with a cure.
This was exactly what Ao Tu had hoped for.
During this time, Ao Tu and Great Immortal Zhen Yuan sat and discussed the Dao.
While it was called discussing the Dao, it was mostly Great Immortal Zhen Yuan expounding the Dao for Ao Tu to hear.
Only when it involved the Dao of the Five Elements, due to Ao Tu’s comprehension of the Five-Colored Divine Light, could he contribute something.
The cultivation method Ao Tu currently practiced was a lineage technique of the Dragon Clan.
Born at the time of the creation of Heaven and Earth, when Dragons and Phoenixes came into being.
It belonged neither to Daoism nor to Buddhism, but the principles of the Great Dao led to the same destination through different paths. Under Great Immortal Zhen Yuan’s explanation, the medicinal power of the elixirs and Immortal Peaches Ao Tu had consumed was refined, and his cultivation naturally broke through to the mid-stage Golden Immortal, with further progress.
Ao Tu bowed and thanked him, “Thank you, Senior, for the grace of your teachings!”
Great Immortal Zhen Yuan chuckled, “Do not speak of Senior. If you were the son-in-law of Old Mother Li Shan, it would be acceptable for you to call me Senior. Now that you are Fu Zhu Zhen Shi Tian Zun, we should treat each other as peers and call each other fellow Daoist.”
Ao Tu smiled and performed the ritual.
Great Immortal Zhen Yuan added, “Within your divine light, if it were complemented by treasures of the Five Elements, your supernatural powers would be even greater.”
Ao Tu pondered, “What treasures of the Five Elements would be best?”
Great Immortal Zhen Yuan said, “The highest are naturally the Twelve-Grade Creation Green Lotus, the Twelve-Grade Merit Golden Lotus, the Twelve-Grade Karmic Fire Red Lotus, the Twelve-Grade World-Purifying White Lotus, and the Twelve-Grade World-Destroying Black Lotus.”
Ao Tu said with a bitter smile, “Difficult! Difficult! Difficult! Are there any other Five Elements treasures?”
Great Immortal Zhen Yuan said, “The next highest are the Central Wu-Ji Apricot-Yellow Banner, the Eastern Green Lotus Precious Color Banner, the Southern Ground-Blazing Light Banner, the Western Plain-Colored Cloud Realm Banner, and the Northern Profound Origin Water-Controlling Banner.”
Ao Tu shook his head, “Difficult! Difficult! Obtaining even one banner is difficult. Are there any others?”
Great Immortal Zhen Yuan pondered, “The middle and lower grades, even if treasures are gathered, will ultimately not form a complete artifact and will struggle to prove the Great Dao. My spiritual root is the essence of innate Wu-Tu. If you do not dislike it, I am willing to break off a branch to gift you, as a form of karma.”
Ao Tu was overjoyed and thanked him profusely.
Meanwhile, Wukong went to the Eastern Ocean Sea and urgently headed to Penglai Immortal Realm.
Wukong went straight into Penglai. Outside the White Cloud Cave, under the pine shade, three old men were playing Go: the spectator was Shou Xing, and the players were Fu Xing and Lu Xing.
Wukong stepped forward and said, “Younger brothers, greetings.”
The three stars saw him, withdrew their Go board, and returned the greeting, “Great Sage, what brings you here?”
Wukong initially found it difficult to speak and used small talk to stall, but later recounted the entire affair in detail.
The three stars were astonished upon hearing this:
“That Great Immortal Zhen Yuan is the Ancestor of Earth Immortals. How dare you knock down his precious tree? That ginseng fruit tree is the root of an immortal wood. How can we heal it with our mere pills of millet? There is no cure! No cure!”
Wukong listened, his brow furrowed, and his forehead creased with a thousand lines of worry.
Fu Xing said, “Great Sage, there is no cure here. Let us seek elsewhere. Why are you so troubled?”
Wukong said, “Seeking is easy; I can go to the ends of the earth or penetrate all thirty-six heavens. But my Master Tang has strict rules and a narrow mind, giving me only three days. If I am not back in three days, he will recite the Golden Fillet Spell.”
The three stars all laughed.
After a moment, Shou Xing said, “Great Sage, do not worry. You do not need to be troubled. Although Great Immortal Zhen Yuan is a senior, he is also acquainted with us. Firstly, it has been a long time since we visited him; secondly, it is a favor to Great Sage: now, the three of us will go together to visit him. We will convey this to him and ask Tang Sanzang not to recite the Golden Fillet Spell, and wait for you to return with a cure before we part.”
Wukong said, “Thank you! Thank you! Please ask the three younger brothers to intercede for me. I will be going now.”
Wukong took his leave of the three stars without further ado.
The three stars ascended auspicious clouds and immediately headed towards Wuzhuang Temple.
The people in the temple heard the cries of cranes in the sky, which signaled the arrival of the three elders.
Qing Feng and Ming Yue looked up and quickly reported to Great Immortal Zhen Yuan.
Great Immortal Zhen Yuan came out to greet them.
The three stars paid their respects to Great Immortal Zhen Yuan as juniors and then sat down to converse.
After they were seated, Lu Xing spoke of Wukong’s search for a cure and asked Tang Sanzang not to recite the Golden Fillet Spell.
Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang did not dare to disobey and repeatedly replied, “I dare not recite it, I dare not recite it.”
The three stars also met Ao Tu.
Zhen Yuanzi introduced him, saying, “This is Fu Zhu Zhen Shi Tian Zun from the Western Paradise, who has come specially to heal my precious tree. However, because of the prior bet with Sun Wukong, there has been a delay.”
The three stars were even more astonished upon hearing Ao Tu’s Daoist title and dared not be negligent, treating him with respect.
Meanwhile, Wukong left Penglai and went to Fangzhang Immortal Mountain.
This was the dojo of Dong Hua Di Jun. Wukong paid his respects to the Emperor and recounted the events.
Dong Hua Di Jun said, “You monkey, always causing trouble. That Zhen Yuanzi of Wuzhuang Temple, whose honored title is Companion of the World, is the Ancestor of Earth Immortals. How could you have offended him? Although I have a ‘Nine-Turn Grand Unity Rejuvenating Pill’ that can heal all living beings in the world, it cannot heal a spiritual root born at the creation of Heaven and Earth. There is no cure! No cure!”
Wukong then returned to Yingzhou Sea Island and met the Nine Elders of Yingzhou, recounting the events and asking for a cure for the tree.
Upon hearing that Wukong had knocked down Great Immortal Zhen Yuan’s fruit tree, the Nine Elders were all greatly alarmed and said:
“You are truly causing trouble! We are truly without a cure! Without a cure!”
Wukong had no choice but to bid them farewell and searched all four continents, wandering through all the heavens, but found no cure.
He then turned towards the Eastern Ocean Sea and arrived at Mount Luojia, descending from the clouds.
He saw Guanyin Bodhisattva in the Purple Bamboo Forest, working with many great deities, Mu Cha, and the Dragon Girl to cast a spell. The Bodhisattva was the main one, and the others assisted, but it was unclear what they were refining.
The sunlight, moonlight, and starlight converged in the air, condensing into a single drop of divine water, but it was not complete, less than half a drop.
