The Battle in Journey to the West
Chapter 100 - 098: Late Eastern Han Dynasty Divided into Three Kingdoms

Chapter 100: Chapter 098: Late Eastern Han Dynasty Divided into Three Kingdoms

Wukong finally grasped the profound secret of Bagua and managed to escape the Bagua Oven along with Tao Yao, who also preserved her life.

After Wukong fed her an elixir, Tao Yao chewed it twice and swallowed it, then felt a bit more energetic, opened her eyes, and bowed to Laozi, saying, "Thank you for the elixir, kind sir."

Laozi said, "I tricked you by giving you an elixir, so there’s no need to thank me. In fact, you’re at a loss yourself."

Tao Yao hastily said, "Kind sir, please don’t say more."

Laozi nodded and said no more.

Tao Yao, revived, smiled at Wukong and asked, "Sun Wukong, have you found my father yet? I miss him so much!"

Wukong gave a wry smile, as the Four Great Continents were boundless; where could he find him? He said, "This kind sir tricked you, owing you a huge favor, and he possesses vast divine skills. He might just know where your father is. Why not ask him?"

Laozi, when he saw Wukong diverting the attention to him, couldn’t help but open his eyes and glance at him, saying, "Your father is no ordinary man, and I cannot pinpoint him. He will naturally return when the time comes, so don’t worry. You are still of great use to him."

Tao Yao’s face paled slightly, and she forced a smile, "I know! When father needs me, he will tell me, but I wonder if he will be mad at me for using so much of what he left behind."

Wukong asked, "Used what?"

Tao Yao said, "Nothing! I just used some things he left, but I won’t tell you what those things are."

Laozi couldn’t help but gently shake his head and said nothing, only adding, "Although that mischievous monkey benefited this time, I did trick you. One elixir is hardly enough compensation, so I’ll give you a few more bottles. Take them back and eat them slowly to recover faster. It wouldn’t be good for my reputation if people said I, a saint, am stingy." Saying this, he reached into his sleeve and pulled out several bottles of elixirs, "These bottles should last you a few years. One a day. The vital essence you’ve lost is no small matter, and if not for that Seven-Color Divine Light protecting your body, you might have died in there."

Wukong was slightly stunned and asked, "Tao Yao, were you writing in the Peach Garden because of this?"

Tao Yao pursed her lips and shook her head, "Not at all!"

Wukong said, "It must be so, you are still lying to me! Whenever I was about to be lost, a voice would remind me in my heart. It seems, it was because of you."

Tao Yao no longer spoke, silently taking the elixirs from Laozi’s hand. Laozi’s craft in alchemy was indeed unparalleled, his elixirs were coveted by those on the Immortal Path—each elixir was extraordinary, and only Wukong was fortunate enough to consume his elixirs like candy. Seeing Tao Yao not responding, Wukong knew he had guessed correctly and felt some sympathy for this young girl.

"Thank you, kind sir!" Tao Yao said with a smile.

Laozi merely smiled faintly.

Wukong then said, "Tao Yao, why don’t you go to Flower-Fruit Mountain instead of staying in the Heavenly Court? I’ve planted those one hundred and eight peach trees there, and you could take care of them."

Tao Yao replied, "No! Only the Flat Peach Garden suits my living. There are many of my kind there, and ample True Qi. Only there can I recover the fastest!"

Wukong then said, "Well then, maybe Laojun should escort you back to avoid anyone capturing you."

Laozi remarked, "Hmm, the experts in the Heavenly Court are not to be underestimated. You were lucky this time not to meet any formidable people. If you had, you might not be able to escape. Let me send you back in a bit."

Tao Yao said with a smile, "Then I must trouble the kind sir again!"

Wukong asked, "Laojun, shouldn’t you be thorough in your kindness?"

Laozi, amused, chuckled and said, "You sure know how to impose when you’re right, you mischievous monkey. Letting her enter the Bagua Oven was a bargain for you, yet you still ask me for more. Well, since I find her agreeable, I’ll teach her the technique Chapters from the ’Tao Te Ching’ so she can defend herself against enemies in the future."

Laozi was, in fact, quite an approachable person, but Wukong really irritated him sometimes, necessitating a few knocks to prevent this mischievous monkey from becoming too self-satisfied and annoying to others.

Tao Yao swallowed another elixir, and her hair did turn a few shades darker. It appeared Laozi’s elixirs were indeed very effective.

Wukong asked, "What should I do next?"

Laozi said, "Don’t you have your own plans? You should know what to do, as if you have a mirror in your heart. Why come and ask me? Currently, the Buddhist sect is very tricky. You must not underestimate it. Among them, the Four Great Bodhisattvas are trustworthy, but with the rest, you must not be too credulous!"

Wukong exclaimed, "A Bodhisattva sent a glazed vase to strike me, and you still tell me to trust her?"

Laozi said, "She sent the glazed vase because she didn’t know the reason. When the time comes, she will understand. You don’t need to worry. Among the Four Great Bodhisattvas, three are my Daoist disciples. Even though they have turned to Buddhism, they still hold regard for us. Your journey will be perilous, but since you have a backup plan, there is little to worry about. If Tathagata becomes aware, we will be here to negotiate on your behalf."

Wukong said, "Then I am in your debt, Laojun! I will certainly repay the favor of the Three Pure Ones in the future."

Laozi nodded and remarked, "The era of the Great Han Dynasty is nearing its end, and turbulent times are approaching, yet another scheme is unfolding."

Wukong did know, after all, he had come from a rebirth. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, eunuchs disrupted the government, leading to the collapse of the Han Dynasty’s fortunes. Then there was Cao Cao, who coerced the emperor to command the nobles, followed by the Sun clan father and son, who established the Eastern Wu regime across the dangerous Yangtze River to resist Cao Cao.

It was precisely:

"The dragon coils and the tiger crouches to block the river’s flow, independent rule has always started with Zhongmou."

In later generations, some people would say, "If you have a son, he should be like Sun Zhongmou."

Then there was the kinsman of the Han house, Liu Xuande, who welcomed wise and virtuous people. Many of them flocked to him, first acquiring Mr. Xu Yuanzhi, then having Wolong assist the world, allowing Liu Bei to secure the Shu region, resulting in a tripartite standoff.

Wukong asked, "What scheme?"

Laozi replied, "You’ll know when the time comes. It’s too early to discuss this now, but when the time arrives, your ’Daoist Equal to Heaven’ identity can also join in the fun."

Wukong said, "So, shall I go and create Havoc in Heaven now?"

Laozi said, "Not so fast, not so fast! Wait for forty-nine days to pass, then you can go. I will tell the Jade Emperor a lie, saying it takes seventy-seven days to refine you properly."

"Hehe, that Jade Emperor is indeed foolish!"

"It’s not that the Jade Emperor is foolish, it’s just that the Three Pure Ones are so powerful, he is forced to feign compliance and secretly alliance with the Buddhist sect, trying to be the fisherman that profits from the fight," Laozi said indifferently. Being an old sage, Laozi had attained enlightenment and sainthood since the creation of heaven and earth, how could he not see through the Jade Emperor’s tricks.

Wukong laughed loudly, "Then I’ll just wait here for a few days. Once forty-nine days are over, I’ll burst out and let that old Jade Emperor know how formidable his Grandfather Sun is."

"This Macaca, his mouth is really not clean!" Laozi scolded. "Where has your integration of the Three Teachings, especially Confucianism, gone? Don’t you know it’s disgraceful?"

Wukong couldn’t help but give a sheepish smile. As the saying goes, ’It’s easy to change rivers and mountains, but hard to alter one’s nature.’ He had long been accustomed to speaking this way. Among his own band of brothers, which one wasn’t foul-mouthed? Yet here he was, sitting in front of a saint, the chief among the Three Pure Ones, and he spoke without restraint, bold indeed.

Wukong said, "Speaking of Confucianism, it reminded me, how is Old Master Kong doing in Luoyang?"

Laozi said, "In his early years, this child was already of great fortune and wisdom. Back then, to spread Daoist teachings, I incarnated as Li Dan and walked the mortal world. He was already very learned but still came to me for guidance, so I enlightened him, and from Confucianism, he comprehended the Heavenly Dao, achieving immortality, which indeed broke his own theory of ’rejecting strange powers and gods.’

Wukong really wanted to jump up and give this old ghost a knock, asking him about the east, but he would talk about the west.

"In the Middle Ancient Period, a great war erupted, and back then, all the Hundred Sage Scholars had to go to war, but I stopped them. After all, that war was too dangerous, and though their strength was decent, it still wasn’t enough. Moreover, their forte was scholarship, not fighting," Laozi said, narrowing his eyes.

"The reason why the Hundred Sage Scholars could achieve immortality was because of the incense from their disciples and the merits of teaching the masses, as well as their scholarship reaching the realm of communicating with heaven and man. I stopped them because I feared that if the Middle Ancient war was lost, no one would be able to enlighten the people anymore. Do you understand?" Laozi said.

After listening, Wukong nodded and said, "I see, so what exactly was the Middle Ancient war about?"

Laozi glanced at him, shook his head, and said, "This... cannot be mentioned! Cannot be mentioned!"

He seemed quite apprehensive, so he chose not to elaborate. Wukong asked, but he simply did not answer; Wukong didn’t dare to provoke this old deity incase he decided to give him a hard time.

Wukong knew that the Middle Ancient war was a major turning point; many had not participated in it, clearly, as the Three Pure ones wanted to preserve their seeds. They probably were prepared to die in battle.

"Then you must tell me about the death of the Queen Mother. Why did Gonggong go mad and fight with Zhurong, rashly striking Buzhou?" Wukong asked.

"It was merely because his mind was controlled. The Primordial Spirit of the ancient shaman gods wasn’t that strong. Buzhou is the Heavenly Pillar, and when the pillar broke, naturally the heavens started to collapse. She was already critically injured while mending the heavens, and receiving a strike on top of that was just her destined calamity," Laozi sighed wistfully.

Wukong was shocked to the core. During the ancient times, a slaughter known as the great calamity of witches and demons occurred, in which the witch and demon tribes fought for supremacy, both ending in dismal defeat. He had no idea that, unharmed in the great ancient slaughter, they actually died in the fearsome slaughter of the Middle Ancient Period.

"Alright, I still have things to do here, so make yourself comfortable. And don’t think about stealing my things; even if you stole them, you wouldn’t be able to carry them away!" Laozi said.

This remark made Wukong feel awkward, as if the old deity considered him a thief, truly worried that he might steal his belongings.

Laozi then rode the Green Ox to the backyard and left without a word on where he was going.

Wukong sat down next to Tao Yao and noticed Golden Horn and Silver Horn, the two Taoist boys, staring at him, as if afraid he would steal something, which made him chuckle.

Wukong breathed a sigh of relief and thought, well, things are still complicated, but since Laozi allowed him to follow his own plans, he would just do that!

Creating Havoc in Heaven!

To find out what happens next, please listen to the following episode.