The Battle in Journey to the West -
Chapter 319 - 280: Zhen Yuanzi Cleverly Persuades True Martial
Chapter 319: Chapter 280: Zhen Yuanzi Cleverly Persuades True Martial
Wukong had defeated the Heavenly Venerable of the Thunder Department, Wen Zhong, giving another victory to the Buddhist sect, which made Tathagata feel exceedingly satisfied.
Tathagata thought to himself, "Leader of Heaven-Penetrating, although your cultivation reaches the sky, your own disciples have started killing each other, and you are none the wiser! You may sit there looking composed, but I’m afraid you must be seething with hatred."
The Leader of Heaven-Penetrating pondered in his heart, "Tathagata, as cunning as a ghost, you are unaware that this Macaca has Amitabha Buddha’s protection and has transformed the Nine-Ranked Merit Lotus Platform into the Rebirth Box, reversing Heavenly Dao’s time to arrive here, huh? Heh heh, you think it’s funny that my disciples are killing each other, but you have no idea who will have the last laugh."
Tathagata glanced at the Leader of Heaven-Penetrating and saw him looking quite calm. Saints seldom show their emotions because they stand at the peak of this world, like Heavenly Dao itself—all else are but ants, illusions as fragile as bubbles, fleeting in a moment, nearly devoid of feelings.
Tathagata sneered to himself, unaware that the Leader of Heaven-Penetrating was also sneering in his heart.
"Good, truly worthy of being the Victorious Fighting Buddha, even the well-known Heavenly Venerable of the Thunder Department, Wen Zhong, a high disciple of the Supreme Pure Luminous Lineage, is no match for you! Well done!" Pharmacist Buddha said with a smile.
That was a slap in the face, a slap to the face of the Shangqing Lineage. Pharmacist Buddha’s words infuriated everyone in the Shangqing Lineage, their very hair bristling with anger. The Taoism of the Heavenly Masters Linage, staunch supporters of the Shangqing, were seething with rage, staring at Pharmacist Buddha, almost wishing they could tear him into pieces and consume him.
However, the Leader of Heaven-Penetrating smiled and said, "The Way of the Dao is mastered over time, the talent of the Victorious Fighting Buddha is extraordinary, and his victory over Wen Zhong is not surprising."
To date, four battles had been fought. The Complete Truth Sect’s seven had set up the Seven Stars Sword Array and lost to Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva; Chen Tuan had defeated Shan Wuwei; Bodhidharma and Zhang Junshi had tied; and the last was Wukong’s victory over Wen Zhong. With two victories and one tie, the Buddhist sect seemed to have the upper hand this time, feeling quite elated.
The last magic combat had featured all the Buddhas and Great Emperors, the big names, with only Daoist Equal to Heaven stepping in to fight with Mahoraga, ending in a draw. This time, the participants were those of slightly lower cultivation, and it seemed like both Buddhism and Daoism had an unspoken agreement.
Tathagata said, "Let’s stop while we’re ahead, the stakes were sufficient. The True Persons have given me a feast for the eyes. If we continue to fight, I fear we may spoil the harmony."
Although the Daoist Sect had lost one more battle, the Three Pure Ones didn’t care. Let Tathagata have this round, so what? The Three Pure Ones felt no burden in their hearts; after all, they had already placed a pawn within the Buddhist sect. When the time came to deliver a fatal blow to Tathagata, he would realize the severity. Now was not the time for a clash of egos.
The Leader of Heaven-Penetrating also stepped forward to quell the many Golden Immortal experts of the Taoism of the Heavenly Masters Linage, saying, "The World Honored One is right; we too have had our fill of spectacle. Let’s not fight any longer, stopping while we’re ahead, to avoid damaging our harmony."
The crowd was puzzled by the typically tempestuous Leader of Heaven-Penetrating’s abnormal behavior. Tathagata merely thought that the Leader of Heaven-Penetrating was upset about his disciples fighting each other and thus acted out of character, not thinking too deeply about it. And even if he did ponder, he wouldn’t be able to understand the full extent.
Having achieved the status of Victorious Fighting Buddha, the Buddhist sect grandly organized a banquet, inviting dignitaries from all quarters. The atmosphere at the feast was extremely harmonious, with everyone conversing with refined elegance.
Even those who were usually rough-spoken were now choosing their words carefully, fearing an unseemly act in front of others that might tarnish their sect’s reputation. After all, this was a gathering of distinguished individuals, each with an esteemed background. Chen Tuan and Shan Wuwei, who had fought earlier, were now sitting together, conversing with veiled barbs in their words, containing deeper meanings and Zen riddles, though outsiders found their talk incomprehensible, as if shrouded in mist.
Great Emperor Zhenwu saw Wen Zhong’s defeat and, although displeased, wouldn’t publically seek trouble with Wukong here.
Zhen Yuanzi said to Great Emperor Zhenwu with a smile, "True Martial fellow daoist need not take it to heart, victory and defeat are common affairs for militarists. We, People of the Immortal Path, approach magic combat as if leading troops; losing and winning are all part of the course. We had the upper hand in the battle at Louguan Mountain, and now letting the Buddhist sect even the score a bit is no big deal. Overdoing it will lead to the opposite effect; let them have this round."
Great Emperor Zhenwu nodded slightly, agreeing. Zhen Yuanzi knew well that Wukong had entered the Buddhist sect to gather intelligence and as a spy, he could deliver a fatal blow to the Buddhist sect at a critical moment during the real clash between Buddhism and Daoism.
Great Emperor Zhenwu nodded, saying, "Zhen Yuanzi, you are right. The extreme of anything will lead to its reversal. Always winning might not be a good thing; let them have this round."
Zhen Yuanzi smiled faintly, indeed worried that Great Emperor Zhenwu might secretly trouble Wukong, possibly killing him, which would spoil the plans of the Three Pure Ones. It was best to leave it to the Three Pure Ones to clarify with him, to avoid any accidents that could cost them dearly.
Hooked Chen Great Emperor, dressed in a Dragon and Phoenix Taoist Robe, bowed as Wen Zhong said, "Wen Zhong failed to win. I implore the Great Emperor to inflict punishment!"
Hooked Chen Great Emperor consoled him, saying, "Victory and defeat are common in war. Wen Zhong, you need not blame yourself so much."
Wen Zhong could only sigh and consider when he would find an opportunity to regain his standing. However, Macaca’s divine skills had been cultivated to an extreme degree. Those Thirty-Six Types of Transformations were utterly unpredictable, reversing yin and yang, and instantly disrupting the balance of the five viscera and six bowels within his body, rendering the flow of his mana sluggish. His divine skills, which condensed the essence of creation, were also extremely terrifying. With every punch, his power was like moving mountains and reclaiming seas, akin to opening up the heavens and splitting the earth.
The true power of the Thirty-Six Types of Transformations had not been fully revealed before, but after Wukong had grasped the law, he began to display its formidable might.
"This monk’s achievement of Buddhahood is due to a combination of causes and conditions, as well as the Buddha Ancestor’s earnest teachings. Without these, I fear I might have long fallen into the Demon Path. I was previously obstinate and caused much trouble for everyone here; I ask all of you to let bygones be bygones, without dwelling on it. Now that I have attained Supreme Right Enlightenment and accumulated the merits from questing for scriptures, achieving the status of Victorious Fighting Buddha, I shall universally save all beings and promote the Dharma of compassion. Moreover, I wish to form broad connections with friends of the Dao throughout the world. If any friend of the Dao has any difficulties, feel free to tell this monk, and I shall wholeheartedly assist," Wukong, with his hands clasped, said to the true persons of the Taoist Sect.
All the Three Pure Ones nodded silently in their hearts. This Macaca was unparalleled in acting, quite capable of beguiling others. At present, Tathagata must have let go of his vigilance and completely believed that Macaca had converted to Buddhism.
Wukong said, "This monk is a monastic, abstaining from alcohol and meat; therefore, I cannot drink wine. Here, I substitute tea for wine to express my thanks to the friends of the Dao who have come to attend this event."
After speaking, Wukong raised his teacup and drained it in one gulp.
Although the true persons of the Taoist Sect were quite displeased with the Buddhist sect, they still needed to preserve face and, one by one, they raised their cups and drank them down.
"Victorious Fighting Buddha is too courteous! If the Victorious Fighting Buddha encounters any difficulties in the future, he may also seek us out, and we will certainly not refuse to help."
"Victorious Fighting Buddha is far too modest. Coming to support this event is a matter of course."
A group of true persons exchanged courtesies with Wukong, their superficial gestures were performed flawlessly. In truth, both the Buddhists and Daoists couldn’t wait to tear each other apart, especially those from the Daoist side. Ever since Buddhism had been introduced to The Eastern Land, it had started to seize their incense power and wishes. Especially during the Two Jin Dynasties and the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Five Barbarians had received Divine Farmer’s Luck and contended for supremacy over the Central Plains, massively slaughtering the Han People and placing deep faith in Buddhism, destroying the presence of many sects in the mortal world.
However, during that time, Buddhism also faced a severe setback from Taoism. Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei, Cui Hao, a devout Taoist, initiated the infamous "Eradication of Buddhism" event. Buddhism’s influence in the mortal world was almost completely eradicated by him. Fortunately, during the turbulent period of Southern and Northern Dynasties, a considerable number of Buddhists hid in the Southern Song, so they were not entirely exterminated.
During the Wei, Jin, Southern, and Northern Dynasties, Buddhists and Daoists attacked each other, with immortals secretly engaging in magical combat and manipulating the powers of the mortal world.
In the time of Martial Emperor of the Northern Zhou, Yuwen Yong, because Yuwen Yong wanted to seize power, he was against the Buddhist preaching of "compassion" and therefore supported Confucianism and Taoism. Later on, he also began to "Eradicate Buddhism." Nevertheless, Taoism was hit too, and many Daoist priests were ordered to return to secular life.
"The Three Eradications of Buddhism" occurred twice during the Wei, Jin, Southern, and Northern Dynasties, which can well illustrate how intense the struggle between Buddhists and Taoists was at that time? Many true persons and high monks had made enemies in the dark, hating each other to death. But now, when they met, they had to greet each other with smiles and say pleasant, face-saving words, which was amusing indeed.
Wukong expressed his thanks to each of the true persons who had come. If he didn’t express his gratitude to each one, those who were omitted might think that he looked down on them, which could lead to unnecessary enmity.
The grand feast lasted for three days and three nights before coming to an end.
During the banquet, even Tathagata and the Three Pure Ones got along extremely harmoniously.
After the banquet had dispersed, Tathagata finally said to Wukong, "Victorious Fighting Buddha, you have defeated Wen Zhong and contributed greatly. Follow me, I will transmit to you a Magical Treasure!"
Wukong felt secretly overjoyed in his heart. Anything offered by the Tathagata was bound to be extraordinary. Thus, he followed Tathagata to the side hall.
To find out what happened next, please stay tuned for the next episode.
PS: Damn, damn! I finished writing this yesterday afternoon and uploaded it to the backend, but just as I had to leave for something, I completely forgot to publish it from the drafts box after uploading it. It wasn’t that I intentionally didn’t update yesterday; I really just forgot. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to come to Starting Point (qidian.com) to cast your votes for Recommended and Monthly Tickets. Your support is my greatest encouragement. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to come to Starting Point (qidian.com) to cast your votes for Recommended and Monthly Tickets. Your support is my greatest encouragement. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
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