The Battle in Journey to the West -
Chapter 128 - 125: Great Saint and Minor Saint Emerge from Retreat
Chapter 128: Chapter 125: Great Saint and Minor Saint Emerge from Retreat
There was once a failed scholar named Zhang Jiao from Julu Commandery in Jizhou. Zhang Jiao had two brothers, named Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao.
Zhang Jiao’s family was impoverished, and in these troubled times, they found themselves unable to satisfy their hunger or clothe their backs. The Han Dynasty had spanned nearly four centuries, and although the Western Han had fallen, Emperor Guangwu, Liu Xiu, established the Eastern Han, temporarily solving the issue of land annexation. But now, the Han Dynasty was weakening, eunuchs dominated the court, and the problem of land annexation had escalated once again. Land was concentrated in the hands of princes, nobility, and families of eunuchs, leaving farmers without land to till, living in destitution. In this chaotic era, the number of troubled wanderers and malcontents had surged.
One day, to make a living, Zhang Jiao went up to the mountains to gather herbs.
Suddenly, he heard someone singing. Enchanted by the song, Zhang Jiao couldn’t help but wonder, "What makes this song so captivating?"
The song went:
"The next life cannot be awaited, the past life cannot be pursued.
When the world has the Dao, the saint succeeds
When the world lacks the Dao, the saint emerges!
In times like these, avoid punishment is the aim!
Luck is as light as a feather, yet no one knows to carry it
Disaster is heavier than the earth, yet no one knows to avoid it.
Enough, enough! Approach others with virtue.
Dangerous, dangerous! Draw a line and make haste to cross it.
Confused and obscured, my journey remains unharmed.
Even if my path bends, my feet stay unhurt.
The greatest joy is without joy, the highest praise without acclaim."
Zhang Jiao followed the voice, winding along twisted paths, the singing growing ever closer. He thought to himself, "I wonder which sage can sing Zhuangzi’s ’Nanhua Sutra’ with such flavor. He is truly impressive. Let’s go see; in such troubled times, how can such a noble hermit exist?"
Upon reaching the mountain’s summit, he saw a Taoist practitioner sitting on a distant mountain. From afar, the details were unclear. Zhang Jiao continued forward, thinking the mountain was just ahead, but even after a long walk, it did not seem to get any closer. He started to grow doubtful but being a determined man, he felt such an extraordinary sage must be special and kept walking without giving up.
After more than three hours, as the sunset began and a faint golden glow filled the sky, he finally arrived at the mountain top. He saw that the Taoist had blue eyes, a youthful complexion, and white hair, holding a flat walking stick, with three scrolls of scripture set beside him, labelled "Essential Arts for Peace."
Zhang Jiao bowed and said, "While listening to the Old Immortal singing the ’Nanhua Sutra’ at the foot of the mountain, my spirit was deeply drawn to it, so I came to pay my respects. May I ask for the Old Immortal’s honored name, and would you be willing to share your wisdom?"
This person was none other than Zhuang Zhou, who, having received Laojun’s guidance, had secluded himself here in Julu, calmly awaiting the appointed person as foretold by destiny. By his calculations, nearly a hundred years had passed.
"I am the Nanhua Old Immortal," Zhuang Zhou said with a slight smile upon seeing Zhang Jiao, having finally waited for this man’s arrival.
"My family is impoverished, with two brothers, and not an inch of good land to our name. My relatives are clothed in rags and starved, I beg the Old Immortal to take pity on us and point out a way forward," Zhang Jiao pleaded, prostrating himself on the ground.
"Well said, well said. The imperial court is dominated by eunuchs, and treachery runs rampant. The people are destitute, farmers have no land to sow, and merchants have no goods to trade. Disasters are frequent, and chaotic times loom. I do have a path for you, which is to lead you to overthrow the dynasty. Do you dare to undertake it?" Zhuang Zhou said.
Zhang Jiao gritted his teeth and replied, "The Son of Heaven is a child, and eunuchs run wild. We, as members of society, must rise to strike back and clear the royal side! However, I am but a useless scholar, unsure of how to proceed."
Zhuang Zhou then presented the "Essential Arts for Peace" to him, saying, "This is a scripture I have written, called the ’Essential Arts for Peace’. Since you have no other recourse, I will bestow it upon you. With this book, you must strive to be diligent, study earnestly day and night, and upon succeeding, you must follow Heaven’s will to enlighten the masses and rescue the commoners from dire straits. Should your heart waver and you use Taoist arts for evil deeds, be warned, there will be retribution!"
Overjoyed, Zhang Jiao bowed deeply and said, "Having received this book, I will certainly not fail the expectations of the Old Immortal. I will study it day and night and then use its teachings to save the people!"
Zhuang Zhou sighed slightly, knowing that although Zhang Jiao was destined to end the Han Dynasty’s fortunes, this man was fated for a short life. Once Zhang Jiao started his rebellion, it would give the various warlords an excuse to assert their power. With growing forces amidst such tumultuous times, rebellion would naturally arise. And when the warlords stirred, the Han Dynasty would inevitably fall apart. Zhang Jiao was an essential figure in the demise of the Han Dynasty; Zhuang Zhou was there to impart Taoist teachings to him so he could organize the masses and ignite the spark of uprising.
Zhuang Zhou nodded, and then, turning into a wisp of blue smoke, he vanished without a trace.
Zhang Jiao had obtained the "Essential Arts for Peace" as if it were his past life, diligently studying day and night, comprehending the Taoist arts, so no further words are necessary.
Let’s talk about what happened at Guan Jiangkou. A golden light flickered, and the Daoist Equal to Heaven jumped out from within the statue. A golden glow radiated from his skin, and behind his head faintly appeared three halos, representing great fortitude, great wisdom, and great courage. The Daoist Equal to Heaven, being an unconventional character, naturally didn’t have much great compassion to speak of, so the third halo was not great compassion, but great courage.
Calculating with his fingers, the Daoist Equal to Heaven thought to himself, "Emperor Ming of Han has died, and now it is the time of Emperor Ling of Han. The Han Dynasty has indeed declined, and it seems Zhang Jiao is about to raise the banner of rebellion. Almost a hundred years have passed, and my Sharira refining has become quite powerful. Unknowingly, having consumed many Peaches of Immortality, I have reached the mana of the Second Heaven of Da Luo Golden Immortal!"
He had already grasped enough principles, the only thing lacking was sufficient True Qi in his body to break through to the Second Layer of Heaven. During these hundred years, he cultivated in Flower-Fruit Mountain, refining Sharira without realizing it, and had broken through this layer of fetters. To reach the Indestructible Realm of the Third Level of the Great Luo Golden Immortal, one still has to endure the baptism of thunder and lightning to cleanse all impurities from the Primordial Spirit, achieving a truly Immortal Body where even a sliver of Primordial Spirit can recover in a short time.
When the Daoist Equal to Heaven emerged from his seclusion, Yang Jian also achieved the Second Level of the Great Luo Golden Immortal and had come out from his meditation. Throughout these hundred years, he had comprehended the profound mysteries of Fuxi, refining the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends Transformations to a more complete state and greatly strengthening his power. This time coming out from seclusion was due to encountering barriers in his cultivation, and he was only one step away from reaching the Immortal Realm of the Third Layer.
Yang Jian was naturally a genius of exceptional talent. If it were not for having practiced the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends Transformations, he probably would have reached the Third Level of the Great Luo Golden Immortal by now. Now that he had acquired the remaining cultivation methods of the Earthly Fiends Transformations, it was like adding wings to a tiger. The mana he had been suppressing for so many years was surging upwards, and when the day was ready, he would ascend to the Nine Heavens, use the Thunderclouds to refine his Primordial Spirit, eliminate impurities, and achieve the Immortal Realm.
Looking at his own statue, which had dimmed without the glow, Yang Jian couldn’t help but curse with a laugh, "You Macaca are really ruthless, having absorbed all of my incense power and wishes!"
The Daoist Equal to Heaven, who was lying behind the shrine and munching on a banana offered by a mortal, saw Yang Jian arrive and said with a smile, "I taught you such methods, and despite all the bargaining, I’ve been the one to suffer a loss. What’s wrong with taking a bit of your incense? Heh, your emergence from seclusion is quite well-timed!"
After calculating with his fingers, Yang Jian couldn’t help but exclaim, "It has already been almost a hundred years!"
The Daoist Equal to Heaven nodded and said, "The Method created by the Celestial Emperor Fuxi is not something ordinary. In the past, even the Tathagata took five hundred years upon his moment of enlightenment. It’s not surprising for you to spend a hundred years."
Yang Jian replied, "It’s good I didn’t sit in meditation for five hundred years."
The Daoist Equal to Heaven said, "Your timing is impeccable. Now the Eastern Han Dynasty is declining and is about to be destroyed. It is the perfect time for heroes to flex their muscles!"
However, Yang Jian said, "You intend to meddle in the human path? One misstep, and you risk entanglement with karmic forces and cleanup by the Heavenly Dao."
The Daoist Equal to Heaven replied, "Do you think the inheritance of the Heavenly Emperor is useless? Since all Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors were supreme in the human path, with their inheritance, I can naturally intervene in human affairs without being affected by human karmic force. I am not asking you, Brother Yang, to wade into these murky waters with me, but if you would help against those from the Immortal Path, I would be grateful for your assistance!"
Yang Jian breathed a sigh of relief. He had a close relationship with the Daoist Equal to Heaven and wouldn’t have easily refused if the latter insisted on his involvement in the human path. Fortunately, the Daoist Equal to Heaven only asked for his help against people of the Immortal Path, which was a simpler matter. The human path is chaotic with heavy karmic forces, and one careless move could lead to entanglement with karmic forces, and then when the fatal calamity comes, one might face purging.
Yang Jian said, "Of course, whenever you need me to take action, I will do it! But even though you have the Heavenly Emperor’s legacy and can meddle in the rise and fall of human affairs, try not to go against nature too much, lest you provoke a catastrophe and turn to ashes."
The Daoist Equal to Heaven laughed, "Rest assured, rest assured, I have my own plans for these matters."
Yang Jian said, "That’s good, that’s good! I see that you Macaca fear neither heaven nor earth, even daring to bet with the Tathagata, which is truly audacious. The Tathagata in the past was the top disciple under the Sage of the Sect of Interception, Daoist Duobao, with divine skills that even the Twelve Golden Immortals could not match. He was among the top of the Mixed Yuan Golden Immortals, and who knows what level his cultivation has reached now."
In his heart, the Daoist Equal to Heaven thought, "Now that Tathagata is no longer Duobao!" But aloud he said, "I have my own calculations for that!"
Yang Jian replied, "But you caused Havoc in Heaven, forcing Zhang Bairin to hide in Yao Pond, which was truly gratifying to the heart!"
Seeing that his nephew seemed to have deep grievances with his uncle, the Daoist Equal to Heaven chuckled inwardly upon hearing him cheer for his defeat of the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor was one who reaps what he sows and would sooner or later face the purging by the Three Pure Ones. When the killing calamity came and the God-Beating Whip was raised to redefine the Three Realms, they would see how the Jade Emperor could still be so arrogant and unbridled.
"Brother Yang, you flatter me! Now that the Eastern Han is on the decline, I must make my move and can no longer linger here. I will come seek you another day," said the Daoist Equal to Heaven as he bowed his hands.
"Alright, go on your way. If you need anything, just let me know, and I will hurry to your aid," Yang Jian replied with a bow and a smile.
The Daoist Equal to Heaven called out, "I’m off!"
Summoning his divine powers, he somersaulted onto a cloud and sped away.
In the waning years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the embers of war were about to ignite. After Zhang Jiao’s rebellion, lords from all directions would come to join as mercenaries. There would be Dong Zhuo using the Son of Heaven as a hostage, later to be overthrown by the allied lords; Cao Cao would rise to power, commanding the North, and after defeating the brothers of the Yuan Family, no one dared to contest him. Later, Liu Xuande would travel to Eastern Wu and ally with Sun Wu to resist Cao Cao, thus securing Sichuan and dividing the realm into three parts.
To find out what happens next, please tune in to the next episode.
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