The Battle in Journey to the West
Chapter 249 - 232: Guanyin, by Imperial Decree, Enters Chang’an

Chapter 249: Chapter 232: Guanyin, by Imperial Decree, Enters Chang’an

It is said that when Guanyin arrived in Chang’an, it took only a moment to get there.

Having been thwarted at Five Elements Mountain, Guanyin felt quite upset. Along the way, her mood was gloomy; even Mu Zha didn’t dare to ask much and just followed Guanyin quietly from behind.

Once inside Chang’an City, Guanyin and Mu Zha transformed into two ordinary monks and made their way to the Earth God Temple. Upon seeing Guanyin, the Local Deity was so frightened that his soul nearly left his body. He quickly knelt and said, "This humble deity did not know of the Bodhisattva’s arrival and failed to welcome you from afar. I beg for the Bodhisattva’s forgiveness, forgive me!"

In recent years, the struggle between Buddhism and Daoism had become fierce. The Buddhist sect supported the Barbarians, while the Daoist sect backed Ran Min. The two sides stood off across the river, engaging in unceasing slaughter. Eventually, the Five Barbarians were expelled, and Ran Min was also defeated. When mortals fought, the immortals naturally had to intervene, each displaying their divine skills and killing as if it were a crushing defeat, and who knows how many died during the Wei, Jin, Southern, and Northern Dynasties.

The Local Deity was under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Court and was considered part of the Daoist lineage; thus, upon encountering Guanyin from the Buddhist sect, wasn’t it natural for him to be afraid?

Guanyin had been a prominent figure since ancient times, known as the Cihang Daoist with the Pure Luster Crystal Vase, who could collect people and turn them into blood water—extremely vicious!

Impatient, Guanyin said, "There’s no need for formalities! Local Deity, you should leave at once and let this poor monk rest in the temple. I am carrying out Tathagata’s decree here in Chang’an and you must not publicize this. Otherwise, you will needlessly forfeit your life."

The Local Deity eagerly replied, "Of course, how dare I disobey the Bodhisattva’s orders?"

Guanyin nodded and said, "Alright, you may go now!"

The Local Deity, not daring to say more, immediately used the Earth Escape and disappeared to an unknown location. There were countless Local Deities and Mountain Gods in the mortal world, all minor gods whom the Heavenly Court sometimes didn’t even bother to manage.

A minor deity like him couldn’t afford to offend Guanyin. Moreover, the Local Deity had many friends; it was nothing to move to the territory of another Local Deity in Chang’an City and stay for a few days.

Mu Zha asked, "Bodhisattva, how can we persuade King of Tang, Emperor Taizong of Tang, to support this Journey to the West?"

Guanyin, a being of great wisdom, had been the most intelligent among the Twelve Golden Immortals in days past. She sat cross-legged and pondered for a while before saying, "This time, Emperor Taizong of Tang must face a calamity. If we from the Buddhist sect take action, we might get entangled in karma. It would be best for the Daoist sect to slap their own face."

Mu Zha asked again, "Bodhisattva, what should be done? I will carry it out!"

Guanyin said, "The Yuan Family and Li Family from the Guanlong Region, who are adept in divination and fortune-telling and can invite immortals to conduct séances, enjoy the protection of the Daoist sect. Yuan Tiangang cannot be harmed so easily, and it is also difficult to deal with Li Chunfeng. We must target someone close to them. Today we shall go out and observe. Let’s see whether the Li Family or the Yuan Family is more vulnerable."

Mu Zha replied, "Understood, as you command!"

Disguised as wandering monks, the Bodhisattva and Mu Zha toured around Chang’an and came across a divination hall. Inside sat a Daoist wearing a Taoist robe. Who was this person? It was none other than Yuan Tiangang’s uncle, Yuan Shoucheng! Although Yuan Tiangang held a prestigious position in the Great Tang’s Imperial Astronomical Bureau, his uncle was rather unknown, and business at the divination hall didn’t seem to be thriving—the entrance was deserted.

Guanyin nodded to herself and said, "It shall be him. This man, named Yuan Shoucheng, is Yuan Tiangang’s uncle. We will use him to stir up this storm. The Wudang Sect has a fist technique called Tai Chi, and within it, there’s a method called ’Using the Opponent’s Force.’ We’ll use the Daoist’s own hand to play this Tai Chi game."

Mu Zha nodded and inquired, "Bodhisattva, have you decided to start with Yuan Shoucheng? How should we proceed?"

Guanyin replied, "Although Yuan Shoucheng is well-versed in ’The Book of Changes,’ he is rather foolish. Tonight, I will initiate him, awaken his Spiritual Wisdom, and transmit some profound methods of divination. I will guide him in a dream on what to do. Chang’an is Daoist territory, and the Guanlong Region has many Daoist followers. With the Guanlou Sect vigilantly watching, we must act with utmost caution. Otherwise, if they catch us, not even the Buddha Ancestor can save us."

Coming to Chang’an was extremely dangerous, so when Tathagata spoke to Guanyin about a great cause being possible, it was because Guanyin was highly intelligent and had many ideas. She had just arrived in Chang’an and had already found an opportunity to act.

Guanyin and Mu Zha returned to the Earth God Temple and the story does not mention what happened next.

That night, Guanyin let her Primordial Spirit leave her body. Before achieving the status of Golden Immortal, her Primordial Spirit was divided into yang spirit and Yin God, but after becoming an immortal, they merged into Pure Yang. Thus, when she left her body, her presence was like that of the sun. However, Guanyin, highly skilled, used a spell and placed a willow branch in front of her, covering the Buddha Light.

Guanyin was originally male, but had transformed into a female form only to spread Buddhism, as women are generally more approachable. Now, her Primordial Spirit’s appearance was that of a man.

Guanyin arrived at Yuan Shoucheng’s residence and saw Yuan Shoucheng lying in a collapsing bed, asleep.

"Anointment!"

Guanyin extended her finger and touched Yuan Shoucheng’s brow, immediately unlocking his great spiritual wisdom! For those cultivating their path, the most critical aspect is to develop their own spiritual wisdom and spirit. Once these are strengthened, cultivation becomes easier. The reason people from later generations struggle with their cultivation is that their spiritual wisdom and spirit are too underdeveloped, equivalent to only one-tenth of those on the path of cultivation.

Guanyin entered his dreams and taught him some divination and fortune-telling spells, cautioning Yuan Shoucheng that he must: "Do so and so, thus and thus... "

In his dream, Yuan Shoucheng responded repeatedly, aware that this must be a True Man of Dao and Virtue clandestinely guiding him. Guanyin, entering his dreams, had taken the guise of a Taoist True Person, so how could Yuan Shoucheng have possibly guessed that this person was Bodhisattva Guanyin from the South Sea?

Guanyin is fully known as "Guanshiyin," but because it clashes with the taboo of the current Emperor, Emperor Taizong of Tang’s name, a character is omitted from the middle. Similarly, there is Li Shiji, whose name, to avoid taboo, is shortened to Li Ji by cutting the middle character.

Yuan Shoucheng was clueless why this person bestowing upon him the art of divination and fortune-telling would propose such odd terms, but he knew this person must be extraordinary. Moreover, being gifted with such divine skills, how could he refuse?

"True Person, rest assured, I shall strictly follow your instructions and manage affairs accordingly," Yuan Shoucheng said, bowing to Guanyin in his dream.

"Hmm, remember what I just told you, and don’t forget it. If you can’t handle even this small matter, don’t even dream about learning my great divine powers," Guanyin tempted Yuan Shoucheng with the promise of great divine skills, to which Yuan Shoucheng was overjoyed and bowed repeatedly.

Yuan Shoucheng asked, "Would True Person really teach me great divine skills?"

Guanyin replied, "If you wish to learn great divine skills, you must handle this matter properly for me. Otherwise, I may not wish to teach you."

Yuan Shoucheng exclaimed joyfully, "I will surely handle this matter well for the True Person! You can be at ease!"

Guanyin said, "Very well, just remember to manage this affair properly, and then I shall come to impart great divine skills to you."

Guanyin returned her primordial spirit to the Earth God Temple and Yuan Shoucheng suddenly awoke, drenched in sweat. He felt much clearer in his mind than usual. Calculating with his fingers, he found that matters he previously couldn’t discern clearly were now crystal clear, and he could even foresee how situations would unfold.

Actually, the Yuan family lineage is extremely gifted in the art of divination and fortune-telling, and now that Guanyin had anointed Yuan Shoucheng with great wisdom, if he still couldn’t figure things out clearly, it would just mean he was incompetent.

Yuan Shoucheng bowed into the distance and rejoiced, "Many thanks to the True Person for imparting such a method. Yuan Shoucheng will surely not let you down and will handle this matter satisfactorily."

If Guanyin had appeared in her Buddhist form, Yuan Shoucheng probably wouldn’t have even acknowledged her. The Yuan and Li families, these lineages steeped in Taoist arts, hold deep prejudices towards the Buddhist sect. Now, with Yuan Tiangang from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau being the Abbot of Qingyang Monastery, would they tolerate the Buddhist sect running rampant on Taoist territory, spreading incense and influence everywhere?

Having her primordial spirit returned to her body, Guanyin opened her eyes, and Mu Zha hurriedly said, "Bodhisattva has surely accomplished a great deed!"

Guanyin couldn’t help but smile slightly and nodded, "Indeed, you have insight, this matter is indeed halfway accomplished. The key is whether the Jing River Dragon King takes the bait! The Jing River Dragon King is obstinate and arrogant; he is bound to cause a major disaster."

Mu Zha argued, "The Jade Emperor of Heavenly Court is harsh and unemotional. Even the slightest mistake invites punishment. Bodhisattva, your actions might cause the Jing River Dragon King to face irreversible disaster."

Guanyin retorted, "If I do not enter hell, who will? Ultimately, it depends on the Jing River Dragon King. If he does not wish to compete with mortals, there probably won’t be any issues; my plan won’t succeed, and I might even take a loss. The death of one Jing River Dragon King will allow the people of the Eastern Land to achieve true fruition. That itself is a great act of merit!"

Mu Zha acknowledged, "Bodhisattva’s words are most accurate, it is I who am obsessing."

To find out what happens next, please look forward to the following breakdown. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to go to Starting Point (qidian.com) to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)