The Battle in Journey to the West
Chapter 246 - 229: Jin, Sui and Tang Dynasties_DIVINITY

Chapter 246: Chapter 229: Jin, Sui and Tang Dynasties_DIVINITY

The Leader of Heaven-Penetrating paused when he saw the third match between Medicine Buddha and South Pole Immortal Emperor reached a point where both had matured the Nine Heavens Divine Wood to 188,888 years, and it was clear that the battle was evenly matched, making it challenging to determine a winner.

While Tathagata was preparing for a fourth match, the Leader of Heaven-Penetrating decided it was best to quit while ahead, catching Tathagata off guard. Tathagata nearly choked on his words in surprise, his Three Corpses Deity seething with anger, but there was nothing he could do. He could only manage a slight smile, maintaining the composure befitting a Buddha Ancestor.

With a single statement, the Leader of Heaven-Penetrating had put Tathagata at a loss, and even though he had not won anything substantial, internally he felt quite smug about it.

Daoist Equal to Heaven also couldn’t help but chuckle to himself, thinking that Tathagata was out of luck during his visit to Louguan, as if he had neglected to consult the almanac before leaving his home and had encountered bad fortune.

Tathagata said, "Since Celestial Venerable Lingbao has spoken thus, let it be. This time I’ve indeed witnessed the elegance of the great Taoist masters."

Laozi replied with a smile, "The Buddhist sect is not lacking either, and this old one has learned a great deal as well."

Laozi had allowed the founding of Louguan Sect not just to spread the Way of the Dao but also to engage the Buddhist sect in a serious competition. After three matches, the Taoist Sect had won two and tied the third. It could be said that they had the upper hand and had seized the limelight, leaving the Buddhist sect with a smudged and dirtied face. Medicine Buddha was also secretly annoyed that he hadn’t managed to win the third round.

Yin Xi said, "Let’s not spoil our camaraderie over a mere competition. Today is a grand day for our Louguan Sect! From today onwards, the Louguan Sect will begin accepting disciples! I hope all esteemed and moral masters will visit the Louguan Sect and exchange insights with us."

"Of course, Yin Xi, my friend, there’s no need to be so formal."

"We will certainly support you, Yin Xi, my friend, so rest assured."

All the True Persons offered their salutations with a slight bow and smiled warmly.

The founding ceremony of Louguan Sect marked a conclusion to the contest between Buddhism and Daoism. If the competition had continued, both sides would naturally have had their victories and losses. Now, by keeping a perfect record against the Buddhist sect, it would be said that Buddhism never won a match on Louguan Mountain, barely managing a draw thanks to Medicine Buddha’s last-minute efforts. If the Taoist Sect had lost even one match, the impact would have been less significant. This was a strategy, and the Saints saw it very clearly and knew when to hold back.

Though Tathagata was dissatisfied, he had to concede, as there was no other choice. After all, Celestial Venerable Lingbao had already called for the contest to end.

The founding ceremony of Louguan had come to an end, and the guests were invited to stay a while longer to enjoy some celestial tea and precious fruit. Those who were acquainted sat together and discussed Taoist Teachings in what appeared to be a harmonious gathering, though underneath the surface, tensions were simmering. The Taoist true persons were all quite pleased with their victory over the Buddhist sect, feeling an undeniable sense of exhilaration and relief.

Yin Xi led the high monks of the Buddhist sect and the True Persons of the Taoist Sect on a tour around the Louguan Taoist temple. This temple had employed the technique of Containing Sumeru Within a Mustard Seed. Although it looked small, it was created using the method for constructing Secret Realms. The scripture library inside was astonishingly large and housed a million volumes encompassing all the scriptures of the Taoist Sect through the ages. It left the Taoist True Persons envious, thinking that they must visit the Louguan Sect often in the future to peruse its scripture library.

After a general tour, Yin Xi returned to the gathering and said, "This is the entirety of our Louguan Sect. Going forward, we will need the support and care of everyone here."

"Yin Xi, my friend, rest assured that we will do all we can to support you. After all, the Louguan is destined to become a significant entity in our Taoist Sect!"

Everyone was delighted to see the grandeur of the Louguan Sect. It appeared that the Three Pure Ones were set to take action to continuously strengthen the Taoist Sect, which was why the Louguan Sect had been established.

Three days later, people from all quarters naturally dispersed, leaving only a few discussing the Dao.

The Three Pure Ones returned to the Thirty-Three Heavens, and Tathagata led the All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas back to Mount Meru.

Time flowed like water, never to return.

Zhuge Liang ventured out of Qishan six times, and Jiang Wei breached the Central Plains nine times. Both teacher and disciple returned without success. Zhuge perished at the Five Zhang Plain, and without the same fortune, Jiang Wei could not single-handedly save Western Shu nor arrest its national destiny from falling. Moreover, Western Shu’s Emperor Liu Shan was a hopeless case.

Zhuge Liang was nearly worked to death. There was a time when he was close to crushing the Wei Army, yet Liu Shan and Ma Su, among others, thwarted his great plans with their gross incompetence, culminating in Zhuge Liang’s departure from this world with regrets. His six ventures out of Qishan ultimately exhausted the army, and the state’s destiny of Western Shu inevitably spiraled into decline.

The Buddhist Sect could not secure Cao Wei’s lineage as the legitimate ruler. Eventually, Sima Yi’s son, Sima Zhao, arose with the great fortune and took control. The Buddhist Sect sought to kill Sima Zhao, hoping to enable the Cao Wei lineage to ascend to the throne, but neither the Taoist Sect nor the Hundred Sage Scholars approved of this intention. After the death of Sima Zhao, the fortune fell upon Sima Yan.

When the Hundred Sage Scholars intervened, Old Master Kong directly stated that the division of the realm into three parts for the Sima Clan was decreed by the Heavenly Dao and could not be contested. Under such pressure, the Buddhist Sect realized it could not proceed with their plans and thus could only look forward to the pilgrimage to the West during the Tang Dynasty.

Journey to the West was a conspiracy from beginning to end, planned by the higher echelons of both factions before Buddhism even entered The Eastern Land, with signed decrees and all. Wukong just happened to be born at an inopportune time, catching the eye of both sects, and of course, there were also some miscalculations due to unforeseen circumstances.

These schemes were born from the hands of Fuxi.

The divine mandate destined two parts for Jin; it was the will of the Heavenly Dao, the call of fate, and the momentum of the times. Moreover, all the Hundred Sage Scholars unanimously emerged, proclaiming the rise of Confucianism. Thus, the era of the Two Jin Dynasties began.

No sooner had the chaotic era of the Three Kingdoms just ended than the Western Jin was plagued by the War of the Eight Princes, which weakened the nation to an extreme. The Flying Liann was beheaded by the Daoist Equal to Heaven in the Uttara Kuru Kingdom, and the stolen fortunes of the Shennong Clan fell into the hands of the five tribes: Xianbei, Qiang, Xiongnu, Jie, and Di.

The War of the Eight Princes weakened the power of the Western Jin, followed by the invasion of the Central Plains by the Five Barbarians,

"The decree of the Heavenly Dao is as anticipated, I figured Buddhism would rise greatly. I just didn’t expect it would be due to the chaos caused by these Five Barbarians in the Central Plains!" Laozi said with furrowed brows.

"Humph! These Barbarians, in order to counter the thought of Confucianism, fervently endorse the Buddhist Law, suppressing our Daoist sects," the Celestial Venerable of Spiritual Treasure snorted coldly in astonishment.

Although the Louguan Sect gained an upper hand over the Buddhist sect for a time, Buddhism found its opportunity amidst the chaos sown by the Five Barbarians in the Central Plains and spread Buddhist teachings wildly. Indeed, the doctrines of Buddhism were revered by these unenlightened Barbarians, for Buddhism excels in sophistry and bewilderment. Additionally, the Barbarians disliked many aspects of Han culture, especially detesting Confucianism for its emphasis on orthodoxy. Han people of the Eastern Land were nearly wiped out by the Barbarians, and only thanks to Ran Min, who led the sons of the Han nationality to resist and confronted the enemy across the river, was the flame of the Han line preserved.

This was a grim Chapter of history, one that caused countless people of the Eastern Land to grieve deeply! The Jin Dynasty was corrupt, the rulers inept; although Confucianism flourished, it was also misinterpreted. Scholars pursued romantic pleasures instead of thinking of serving their country. Hence the saying, "Behind the vermilion gates, the stench of wine and meat fills the air, while on the roads there lie frozen bones."

Buddhism spread rapidly through the northern regions, making reputable Daoist sects like Orthodox Unity lose their luster. Given that Orthodox Unity was a branch of the Shangqing Lineage, how could the Celestial Venerable of Spiritual Treasure not be angered? Yet, there was no solution at hand—the consequences of interfering with the Human Path being too great. They had also foreseen that after the age of chaos, the prosperous eras of Sui and Tang would follow. Though the Emperor of the Sui Dynasty was as tyrannical as Zhou, the Tang Dynasty would produce an enlightened ruler.

"Let us follow the will of the Heavenly Dao! The grandeur of the Buddhist sect is inevitable; otherwise, there would be no Journey to the West. Our Taoist Sect isn’t suited for the mortal realm," Yuan Shi said, shaking his head.

The Taoist teachings promote quiet inaction, with a ruling king governing through non-action. But which ruler desires not to grasp great authority in their hands? Thus, Taoism isn’t popular in the eyes of emperors—what monarch would willingly relinquish power to govern through inaction and quietude? This is simply not possible.

As for the matter of the Journey to the West, the Taoist Sect has since then largely withdrawn its involvement, letting the Buddhist Sect organize it. If even they cannot convene, then it is a loss for the Buddhist Sect, which must then not meddle with the fate of the Eastern Land anymore and retreat completely to West Cow He State.

However, as trends continue to progress toward the prosperous Sui and Tang era, Buddhism is certain to grow even stronger and more flourishing. Convincing the Emperor of the day to support the Journey to the West will then be much easier.

While Buddhism strengthened, the Louguan Sect also prospered. During the Two Jin Dynasties, the reputation of the Ten Elders of Tian Valley rang throughout the land, greatly promoting Taoism.

As the Southern and Northern Dynasties period came to an end, the darkest of times passed. Heroes from Wagang rose in rebellion, and the Louguan Sect backed Li Yuan in his revolt against Emperor Yang of Sui.

Naturally, there were many stories within, interwoven with the subtle conflicts between Buddhism and Daoism, but these were minor skirmishes. I shall not dwell on them further.

The Louguan Sect began in the Guanlong Region, and during the Two Jin eras, the Heavenly Master Xu Jingyang also descended to the mortal world, subduing a marauding dragon that had yet to cause chaos, which further elevated the reputation of Taoism. During the Two Jin Dynasties, although Buddhism developed swiftly, Taoism was not inferior, as various Heavenly Masters and True Persons came forth to rescue the common people.

Even Wang Xizhi, the Saint of Calligraphy, was among the Taoist ranks.

Buddhist and Taoist practitioners wandered the mortal world, flaunting their divine skills to attract followers and enhance the incense offerings for their sects.

For nearly a hundred years, Enlightenment Dao continued following Chi Songzi to learn the Divine Sky Taoist Magic, a tremendously difficult art worthy of being Chi Songzi’s most prized possession. To conjure thunder is exceedingly challenging, as it requires communion with the Heavenly Dao and a heart fortified with righteousness, preventing the backlash of lightning.

Daoist Equal to Heaven naturally took part in some minor skirmishes between Buddhism and Daoism, gaining fame amongst cultivaors as a highly respected person of profound morality.

However, even with his involvement, he could not reverse the overwhelming momentum established by the Heavenly Dao. Battling against Heaven, they say, is an endless delight, but when true confrontation arose, a sense of futility emerged, a frustration so intense it nearly drove one mad.

"Li Yuan has risen in rebellion against Emperor Yang of Sui, heralding the arrival of the Tang Dynasty, and the Journey to the West is about to begin. But it remains uncertain whether this time, I will stand triumphant, or fall victim to the Six-Eared Macaque, drinking the bitter cup in the underworld," lamented the Daoist Equal to Heaven.

To discover what happens next, please stay tuned for the following installment.

PS: This Chapter is not a double-length Chapter; there will be another this afternoon. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to vote for it with a recommendation ticket or a monthly ticket at Starting Point (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)