The Battle in Journey to the West
Chapter 201 - 196: Stealing a Half Day’s Leisure from a Fleeting Life

Chapter 201: Chapter 196: Stealing a Half Day’s Leisure from a Fleeting Life

Our party of five flew swiftly, arriving at Mount Wudang.

Mount Wudang, famed for its scenic beauty and as the cradle of virtue, was where the Great Emperor Zhenwu practiced and became an immortal. He established the Wudang Sect, which now flourished under Zhang Junshi’s guidance, revered by countless followers in the mortal world.

The struggle over Guan Yunchang had come to an end. Had the Human Sages not intervened, it would likely have escalated into a great battle, potentially disturbing even the Great Emperor Zhenwu from his rest.

The mists around Mount Wudang twisted and swirled, incense burned brightly, and although not the highest mountain, its spirit shone due to the immortals. Many common folk came to pray, and this was during times of strife. In times of peace, the incense offerings would surely be even more prosperous, some arriving in the dead of night to secure a prime spot at the temple’s gate.

Once they landed on Mount Wudang, Xun Kuang exclaimed, "Wudang truly deserves its reputation as a sacred place of morality. Its feng shui is excellent, no wonder it has produced so many outstanding figures."

Zhang Junshi replied with a smile, "Xunzi, you flatter us!"

As they led Guan Yunchang into the True Martial Great Hall and paid respects to the Great Emperor’s statue, Zhang Junshi said, "Patriarch, I have brought Guan Yunchang. The journey was fraught with complications, but thankfully, two sages of the Human Path lent their aid, allowing us to overcome the dangers."

The statue of Great Emperor Zhenwu opened his eyes to see Xun Kuang and Sun Wu, and with surprise, smiled and said, "Ah, it’s Xunzi and Sun Wu. Thank you both for your assistance this time! I already know the purpose of your visit. Rest assured, from now on, Guan Yunchang will naturally belong to Confucianism and Militarists, enhancing the fate and fortune of both."

The Human Path was controlled mainly by Confucianism with Militarists as secondary, focusing on external affairs. Guan Yunchang, capable of enhancing the fate of three paths, was indeed the envy of many!

Zhang Junshi said, "Patriarch, we owe much to Daoist Wudao who first went to Jade Spring Mountain and detained those bald monks from the Buddhist sect. Otherwise, Guan Yunchang might have been taken by them first."

Great Emperor Zhenwu replied, "I owe you for this favor. Should Daoist Wudao ever need assistance in the future, feel free to ask."

Wudao chuckled, "Thank you, Great Emperor!"

After a brief conversation with Great Emperor Zhenwu, finalizing the matter of Guan Yu, Xun Kuang said, "We’ll take our leave now. We must return to Luoyang to report back to our teacher."

Great Emperor Zhenwu replied, "Go in peace, and be careful on your journey. Please excuse me for not seeing you out."

Xun Kuang and Sun Wu nodded, escorted out of Mount Wudang by Wudao and Zhang Junshi. They rode the clouds toward Luoyang, where the Dragon Qi gathered, showing signs of shifting towards Chang’an, possibly returning there in due time.

"Guan Yunchang, come with me to the Heavenly Court to receive your official appointment. You are the last of my thirty-six Marshals that I’ve awaited," Great Emperor Zhenwu said.

Guan Yu asked, "Great Emperor, is there a way to retrieve my head?" Disembodied, Guan Yu harbored much resentment.

Great Emperor Zhenwu declared, "That’s simple."

With a display of divine skill, Guan Yu’s head swiftly regrew. What did he look like? His face was like a heavy date, with moth eyebrows, phoenix eyes, and a beard that reached his chest, imposing and majestic, his presence commanding admiration! Not only had the Emperor restored Guan Yu’s head, but he also transformed his Primordial Spirit from pure Yin to pure Yang, instantly making him an immortal. The feat was truly incredible!

Guan Yu knelt and said, "Guan Yunchang gives thanks to the Great Emperor!"

Pleased with the result, Great Emperor Zhenwu nodded, "Hmm! Follow me to the Heavenly Court. Zhang Junshi, take this elixir named Yin Yang. After consuming it, you’ll gain deeper insight into the principles of Yin and Yang."

Zhang Junshi gratefully accepted the Yin Yang Elixir from the Great Emperor’s hand, saying, "I thank the Patriarch!"

The Great Emperor’s fragment of the Primordial Spirit escorted Guan Yunchang out of Mount Wudang and ascended to the heavens.

Below, a multitude of Taoists from the Wudang Sect prostrated themselves, exclaiming, "We respectfully send off the Patriarch!"

With the Great Emperor already on his way to heaven with Guan Yunchang, Zhang Junshi breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Daoist Wudao, I truly owe you thanks for this. If not for you, I might not have been able to fulfill the Patriarch’s task."

Wudao waved his hand dismissively and remarked, "There’s no need for formalities, my friend. Those from the Buddhist sect always cross Taoists, and Guan Yunchang’s matter concerns the fate of our path. How could we let those bald monks spirit him away?"

Zhang Junshi nodded in agreement, "Indeed, the Buddhist sect’s ambition knows no bounds, constantly thwarting us Taoists and seeking to dominate the fate of the Eastern Land. It’s intolerable! We’ve given Virudhaka Bodhisattva such a beating that he won’t recover for years. It’s truly satisfying!"

Wudao nodded, "Exactly! Striking down those bald monks of the Buddhist sect is most exhilarating."

Unbeknownst to Zhang Junshi, he was conversing with another incarnation of the Daoist Equal to Heaven with whom he had previously interacted. They got along quite well! Daoist Equal to Heaven had secretly learned Zhang Junshi’s Tai Chi, and now Wudao seized the opportunity to earnestly learn his Fist Technique, hoping to advance further. Tai Chi, harmonizing Yin and Yang, evolving the cosmos, was exquisitely profound, indeed the foremost fist technique of Taoism!

Zhang Junshi, having received considerable help from Wudao and being a generous person, didn’t hesitate to share his insights and discoveries with Wudao.

Not everyone could master Tai Chi. Among myriad disciples of the Wudang Sect, none could inherit Zhang Junshi’s mantle but could only grasp the basics. Such profound understanding was beyond reach for them.

As Wudao studied Tai Chi with Zhang Junshi, time passed without them noticing. Engrossed in discussion, they were unaware of the passage of time.

Feeling he had learned enough of Tai Chi, Wudao thought the essence had to be comprehended personally. As someone with extraordinary talent and capable of perceiving the universe’s mysteries, his progress was swift. He thought to himself, "If I combine swordplay with fist techniques to create Tai Chi Swordplay, it would be excellent! It’s been quite some time now; leaving Tao Yao alone on Flower-Fruit Mountain was not ideal. I should return to check on her."

At present, Daoist Equal to Heaven is listening to lectures on the Yellow Court Classic at the Mira Palace, and Wukong is trapped under Five Elements Mountain, so he is the only one who is free. He has left Tao Yao there for so long without going back to check on her, feeling somewhat guilty about it in his heart.

Enlightenment Dao, with a clasped fist, said, "This talk with Daoist Zhang Junshi was most delightful, and I have garnered quite a bit of Daoist wisdom from it, making me immensely satisfied! I have urgent matters to attend to, but should I find spare time, I would surely seek out Daoist Zhang for another get-together."

Zhang Junshi replied with a laugh, "Haha, haha! Daoist friend, you are always welcome to come. Next time, we shall have another discussion and accompany it with some fine wine."

Enlightenment Dao joined in the laughter, saying, "Definitely, definitely!"

After leaving Mount Wudang, Enlightenment Dao made his way straight to Flower-Fruit Mountain. Princess Iron Fan was still on Flower-Fruit Mountain, waiting for the Ox Demon King, but little did she expect that the Ox Demon King had already planted spies there. With her around, how could the Ox Demon King dare to return? He was only waiting for the years to pass until Princess Iron Fan’s anger subsided, so he could properly admit his faults.

As Enlightenment Dao journeyed to Flower-Fruit Mountain, he naturally proceeded with great caution to prevent attracting attention and causing further issues.

Tao Yao was actually having a good time on Flower-Fruit Mountain, despite his absence. She was quite happy every day, looking after the peach trees that Wukong had stolen from the Heavenly Court in a peach garden she had cultivated, sometimes playing with the young and naive little demons on the mountain. Her life was a hundred times better than in Heavenly Court.

Princess Iron Fan treated Tao Yao like a little sister, and the two of them got along quite well. However, the unceasing absence of that Savage Bull made Princess Iron Fan restless.

Upon Enlightenment Dao’s arrival at Flower-Fruit Mountain, Tao Yao happened to be riding on the back of an elk. She saw Enlightenment Dao and curiously asked, "Who are you?"

Seeing Tao Yao, Enlightenment Dao replied with a smile, "I am Sun Wukong! This is another of my split forms."

Tao Yao was overjoyed at once, hopping down from the elk and pinching his face, saying, "Eh, it’s really not just a mask! Fun, fun, you look different from the other split form."

Enlightenment Dao brushed away her hand, saying resignedly, "Can you not pinch my face? I thought it’s been a long time since we last met, so I came to see how you’re doing, but you seem to be enjoying your time here."

Tao Yao, brimming with joy, exclaimed, "Yes, yes! The brothers have all been kind to me, and Ms. Iron Fan has been really good to me too! It’s much more fun here than in Heavenly Court."

Enlightenment Dao nodded and was pleased to see the girl happy, saying, "It seems you like it here a lot!"

"Right! If only you had brought me here earlier." Tao Yao said with a smile.

"I wanted to bring you out earlier, but you didn’t want to come at first, remember!" Enlightenment Dao couldn’t help but roll his eyes; arguing with a woman could be maddening.

With a giggling smile, Tao Yao said, "Alright, now that you’re back, can you spend some time playing with me properly?"

Enlightenment Dao did some calculating with his fingers and replied, "Hmm, I can play with you for a few days, then I have to go into seclusion to practice my swordplay! I’ve just learned some mysteries of Tai Chi, and I’m planning to create my own sword technique!"

Tao Yao was impressed by how amazing he was, being able to create his own sword techniques. She clapped her hands and said, "Great, then you must teach me once you’ve mastered your sword technique!"

Enlightenment Dao gave a nod, saying, "As long as you want to learn, I’ll definitely teach you! Have you refined those two Magical Treasures I gave you?"

Tao Yao stuck out her tongue, sheepishly admitting, "I got so caught up in playing that I forgot!"

Enlightenment Dao shook his head with a bitter smile. Tao Yao really didn’t seem to take mana and Magical Treasures seriously, but that was just her nature.

Princess Iron Fan came by just then and, seeing Enlightenment Dao, asked, "Is that you? Have you seen your older brother?"

Enlightenment Dao hardly dared to mention that the Ox Demon King was in Cave Moyun, and replied, "I haven’t. Isn’t he on Flower-Fruit Mountain?"

Princess Iron Fan gave a cold snort, "That Savage Bull runs away at the sight of me. Now, I don’t know where he’s run off to! If you see him, tell me where he is, and I will go sort him out properly."

Enlightenment Dao gave an embarrassed smile, avoiding the conversation; the Ox Demon King was just too ungrateful, leaving his wife behind to suffer—it was his brothers who ended up with the torment!

After playing with Tao Yao for several days—simply wandering around the Dongsheng Immortal State, admiring the landscape and the waters—she was already beyond joy.

Yet, Enlightenment Dao always felt a vague sense of something being off, an inexplicable intuition. What was off? He couldn’t quite put a finger on it. Observing Tao Yao’s glowing smile, this unknown agitation seemed to intensify even more.

The higher one’s cultivation, the more one can perceive things. Saints can predict much by a simple calculation. Enlightenment Dao wasn’t at that stage yet.

Despite having received the inheritance of Fuxi, he couldn’t foresee the future like Fuxi, who could predict the fate of thousands of years with a single divination.

This indefinable feeling left him without a clue to guess; it was too intangible to grasp or see through.

To find out what happens next, please stay tuned for the following Chapter.

PS: I’ve finally recovered from a month-long cold, and lately, writing has felt tiring; this Chapter took me over three hours. When the word count goes up, I hit a fatigue phase. Tonight, I can finally go out to exercise. I haven’t been practicing or running for a month and my body is in a bad state. Tomorrow, I’ll strive to bring back the quality. The book isn’t doing very well, but I am determined to finish it. This month has been tough with illness and lots going on; it’s been a struggle for me, and I’m unsatisfied with my writing. Please forgive that. Tonight, after a good workout, I’ll organize the plot, and tomorrow I aim to write with a refreshed spirit. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to vote with your recommendation tickets and Monthly Ticket at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)