Journey to the West: The Great Sage's Guide

Chapter 47 Demonic Way

The three walked slowly, and soon they arrived at the north of the Kingdom of Jisa.

After passing through several bustling streets and alleys, the view suddenly opened up before me.

This is a square several tens of feet in circumference, paved with bluestone, surrounded by several old locust trees, under which people sit in twos and threes to enjoy the cool shade.

In the center of the square, there were several simple bamboo sheds.

Under the canopy sat a dozen or so Taoist priests, some old, some young, some fat, some thin, all dressed in Taoist robes, some with their eyes closed in meditation, others speaking in hushed tones.

Each Taoist priest was surrounded by groups of three to five people, some standing and some sitting, listening intently.

The Rakshasa woman's gaze swept across the plaza, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. She turned to the young man beside her and asked, "With so many Taoist priests, how are we going to find that so-called demon? Are we going to arrest and interrogate all these preachers?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhang Chengming inside the wooden fish started chattering again, his tone mocking: "Finding demons is easy, isn't it? Just beg me, and I'll give you a demon-identifying talisman. Just scatter it among the crowd, and the demon will reveal itself, at your mercy."

The Rakshasa woman's face darkened, and she ignored her.

The monkey got anxious and stood on tiptoe, straining to see into the crowd. Its eyes were wide open, as if it wanted to stare a hole through the dozens of Taoist priests.

I stared at it for a long time, my eyes were sore, but I still couldn't see what was wrong.

It scratched its head, muttering in frustration, "Why can't I tell... My eyes can usually see everything clearly, so why can't I distinguish between humans and demons?"

Zhong Xuan looked at its troubled expression and a leisurely smile appeared on his lips.

He's already figured it out.

Using the Tai Xuan Illumination Qi Method to observe the four directions, the flow of Qi within a radius of several feet can be fully seen.

Under the illumination of the Qi-illuminating method, the Qi (vital energy) surrounding these Taoists was clearly discernible.

Three of them are quite different from those of ordinary people.

A dark blue column of gas, carrying a fishy and pungent odor, was clearly the manifestation of a water monster.

A column of grayish-brown air, with a chilling aura, seemed to come from a cold and damp place.

There's another one...

Zhong Xuan's gaze fell to the edge of the crowd, where a Taoist priest with a goatee sat cross-legged, surrounded by seven or eight listeners.

The Taoist's aura was faintly hot, yet he didn't seem like a demon; rather, he seemed like someone who practiced some kind of unorthodox martial art.

--interesting.

He didn't make a sound, but withdrew his gaze and said to the Rakshasa woman and the monkey, "No rush. Rather than finding the demon, let's take care of another matter first, the original goal of our trip to Jisa Kingdom."

The Rakshasa woman was taken aback, a look of surprise flashing in her eyes: "Wang Sheng... is he among this group of people?"

The monkey was also stunned, and quickly asked, "Brother, brother! What Wang Sheng?"

It was so anxious that it scratched its ears and cheeks, just like a monkey whose craving had been aroused but couldn't reach the fruit—and being a monkey, it was not only mischievous but also loved to join in the fun.

Zhong Xuan chuckled, not in a hurry to explain, and walked towards a stall selling candied hawthorns.

He took out a few coins, picked out four of the largest ones, took one for himself, handed one to the Rakshasa woman, and stuffed two more into the monkey's hand.

The monkey took them, stuffed the two top pieces into its mouth in one gulp, chewed until its cheeks were bulging, looking just like a greedy hamster, and mumbled incoherently, "Brother, tell us quickly! Tell us quickly!"

Zhong Xuan bit into a hawthorn, and the sweet and sour taste melted on her tongue.

He narrowed his eyes and spoke slowly and deliberately:

Do you remember the day we parted ways at the fork in the road?

"Yunniang and I headed north to find a family whose only stick of incense on Cuiyun Mountain has been burning for seventy years."

"That old woman is now over eighty years old. She received the blessing of the mountain god when she was young, and for the past seventy years, she has gone up the mountain to burn incense every year, rain or shine."

"When I went to see her, she was bedridden and had no one to take care of her."

I asked her, "Where are your children and grandchildren?"

She said her son died young, her daughter-in-law remarried, and she only had one grandson named Wang Sheng. He ran away from home three years ago, saying he was going to seek immortality and Taoism, and has been missing ever since.

"She held my hand and begged me to help her find her grandson. If she could find him, she could die in peace; if she couldn't, she just wanted a definite answer so she wouldn't have to wait every day."

As the Rakshasa woman listened, she slowed down her movements as she bit into the candied hawthorn.

She looked at Zhong Xuan's profile, something flickering in her eyes.

The monkey was stunned and forgot to chew the candied hawthorn in its mouth.

It stared blankly at Zhong Xuan for a long while, then said in a muffled voice, "Brother... are you helping that old woman find a grandson to fulfill her wish?"

Zhong Xuan nodded, then shook his head: "It's both fulfilling her wish and completing this predestined relationship."

"The way of gods and men is the covenant."

"I am acting on behalf of the mountain god; this letter weighs more than a thousand pounds and must be relayed."

As soon as she finished speaking, the Rakshasa woman lowered her eyes, lost in thought.

Before Zhong Xuan could speak, the wooden fish in his sleeve trembled again.

Zhang Chengming reappeared from the wooden fish like a wronged ghost, mocking and ridiculing: "Boy, you're good at pretending to be a good person, saying others abandon their families to seek immortality and enlightenment. What about you? Tell me, you're so young, leaving home to cultivate, where are your family members? Are you an orphan, born and raised by nature?"

The atmosphere froze slightly after those words were spoken.

Zhong Xuan paused slightly.

He didn't want to talk about it, but when he looked up, he saw the monkey's eyes were full of curiosity and sparkling.

And there was the Rakshasa woman; though she still had her head turned to the side, one could feel her gaze fixed on them, filled with curiosity and inquiry.

Zhong Xuan understood that although Zhang Chengming was sealed inside the wooden fish, he was extremely ruthless.

These words, though seemingly casual, precisely struck at the rift between him and the monkey and the Rakshasa woman.

If he doesn't answer, it would seem like he's doing it on purpose.

Zhong Xuan remained silent for a moment.

Whether intentional or unintentional, once these words have been spoken, it's difficult to brush them off.

He thought for a moment, then spoke frankly:

"In this life, I still have my parents, an older brother, and an older sister."

"When I left home, my father was silent, my mother wept, and my elder brother tried to stop me."

But I still left in the end.

"Even the hardest ties to the world must be severed; even the most difficult-to-let-go desires must be relinquished."

"It's not that I'm cold-blooded and heartless, but rather..."

He paused, gazing into the distance.

"I have my own path to follow, and my desires are different."

"Halfway there, we met Brother Monkey, and from then on we traveled together until we arrived here."

After hearing this, the Rakshasa woman seemed to think of something, and her cheeks under her veil became slightly flushed.

Her bright eyes flickered slightly, but she didn't speak. She simply raised her hand, pinched the candied hawthorn, and gently bit off a hawthorn with her pearly teeth. The sugar frosting clung to her soft lips, and the sweet taste spread across her tongue. Her face, hidden beneath the veil, was quietly tinged with a thin blush.

She turned her head slightly, her gaze drifting to the weeping willows by the roadside. Her fingers unconsciously curled up, and the hand holding the candied hawthorn skewer swayed gently, as if she were already immersed in her imagination.

The monkey, however, noticed nothing amiss. It stuffed all four hawthorns from the candied hawthorn skewer into its mouth in one gulp, its cheeks bulging like a greedy little hamster.

Its cheeks twitched rapidly as it mumbled indistinctly:

"Brother, so you do have family after all!"

"When we both achieve immortality, I've heard that the underworld governs people's lifespans."

"Let's go to the underworld and change the lifespans of your parents, brothers, and sisters!"

"I'll also go and revise things for the monkeys and their offspring on Flower Fruit Mountain."

"So that everyone may live forever, and there will be no more separation or sorrow!"

Upon hearing this, Zhong Xuan was both amused and exasperated, and patted its head, saying, "Brother Monkey, you have a good idea."

Rakshasa couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth into a smile, and said softly, "You little monkey, you do have a bit of a kind heart."

The monkey immediately puffed out its cheeks and argued, gesturing wildly, "I've been a good boy these past few days, listening to you and not causing any trouble! I've been very well-behaved!"

Zhong Xuan smiled, said nothing more, and strode forward.

He walked through the crowd toward the edge of the square.

Ahead was a Taoist priest with a goatee, sitting cross-legged on a straw mat, talking eloquently about something.

There were seven or eight people around, men and women, listening intently.

As the three approached, they heard the Taoist priest speaking:

"...Therefore it is said that isolated yin cannot produce, and solitary yang cannot grow; only through the interaction of heaven and earth can all things flourish. This method of dual cultivation is the great path of yin and yang harmony, and its profound mysteries cannot be fathomed by ordinary people..."

His flippant remarks, interspersed with some explicit phrases, made several listeners blush, yet they were reluctant to leave.

After hearing a couple of sentences, the Rakshasa woman's delicate eyebrows furrowed, and her face suddenly darkened. Her hand was already on the green rope sword at her waist, ready to teach the lewd man a lesson.

Zhong Xuan reached out and gently pressed her wrist.

The Rakshasa woman was startled, and her cheeks beneath the veil suddenly burned, the heat almost setting the veil on fire.

She recoiled as if electrocuted, turned her head away, and felt a pang of guilt, unable to look at him.

Just then, the monkey swaggered in and squeezed through.

Its furry body already made it conspicuous, and this squeezing immediately drew gasps of surprise.

Seven or eight listeners came to their senses and were all shocked to see a man with brownish-yellow fur, a pointed mouth, and monkey-like cheeks.

"Oh dear! What is this?"

"Monkey...monkey?!"

"That hairy thing, could it be a monster?!"

"You forgot? The rumors from the east of the city this morning—the fight outside Jin Guang Temple last night—supposedly involved a monkey demon..."

The goatee-bearded Taoist looked up, and instead of being surprised, he was delighted. He stroked his beard and said leisurely:

"Don't panic, everyone. It must be because my teachings are so profound that they have attracted all the monkey spirits in the mountains. They want to hear my Dharma and learn the true meaning of my Great Dao!"

Upon hearing this, those around immediately began to flatter him:

"The Taoist priest is indeed highly skilled!"

"Even monkeys came to listen to the teachings; this must be a true immortal!"

"I will definitely bring more silver to offer to the Taoist priest when I get back!"

The goatee-bearded Taoist smiled so broadly his eyes narrowed into slits, waving his hands repeatedly: "I dare not accept such praise, I am but a novice with only a smattering of Taoist magic..."

Before the words were finished, a clear voice suddenly rang out:

"Wang Sheng".

A clear, bright voice, like that of a young man, rang out calmly, piercing through the noise and reaching everyone's ears.

The goatee-bearded Taoist was startled and looked in the direction of the sound.

Outside the crowd, a young man in a blue robe stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the crowd and landing on the most down-on-his-luck young man among the seven or eight listeners.

The young man was wearing a faded, patched old robe; his face was thin, and his eyes were unfocused.

Upon hearing the call, he shuddered and abruptly raised his head.

Zhong Xuan looked at him, his gaze gentle and clear, and said calmly, "Your grandmother is bedridden and longs for your return every day. If you are willing, you should first settle her in. Once you have no worries, it is not too late to seek immortality and enlightenment."

Upon hearing this, Wang Sheng was first taken aback, then a blush of resentment rose on his face.

He had a kind of anger that he couldn't suppress, as if his sore spot had been hit.

Wang Sheng sneered, pointed at the boy's nose, and angrily rebuked, "You make it sound so easy!"

"Seeing that you're not afraid even with this monkey demon by your side, you must have already entered the path of cultivation!"

"Then you can naturally stand there and talk without understanding the situation, spouting nonsense about filial piety and ethics!"

"But I, Wang Sheng, have sought the Dao for many years, enduring countless scornful looks and suffering, before I have this little opportunity today!"

"You want me to go back? Go back for what?!"

"Should we just stay in that dilapidated house, cultivate those few acres of barren land, and wait to die?"

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, his voice growing shrill, as if he were about to unleash all his anger.

The other listeners in similar situations around them also chimed in:

"Exactly! They're diligently seeking enlightenment, why should they be forced to go back?"

"This young man's demeanor screams wealth; how could he possibly understand the hardships of the poor?"

"Wang Sheng, ignore him and continue listening to the Taoist priest's sermon!"

The crowd, eager for a good show, gradually gathered around.

The goatee-bearded Taoist twirled his beard, watching this scene with a smug smile.

However, someone in the crowd still chimed in with a sarcastic remark:

"Wang Sheng, you should just give up! With your aptitude, what's the point of pursuing the Tao? You might as well go back to farming!"

"Yes, this Taoist priest has been preaching for half a month, and you haven't even scratched the surface. How dare you stay?"

"Let's get going, let's not waste the Taoist priest's time here!"

Wang Sheng blushed deeply at these words, opened his mouth, but didn't know how to refute them.

The goatee-bearded Taoist spoke up at the opportune moment: "Gentlemen, please refrain from making rash statements. Although Wang Sheng's talent is mediocre, his strength lies in his sincerity. Sincerity brings results, and given time, he may very well achieve something."

He adopted a mysterious and inscrutable demeanor, then abruptly changed the subject.

The Taoist priest's gaze then fell upon Zhong Xuan and his companions, and he asked cautiously and warily, "So, who are you gentlemen? I have set up this altar to preach the Dharma here, and I am a complete stranger to you all. Is it not inappropriate for you to barge in and disrupt my proceedings like this?"

Upon hearing this, the Rakshasa woman scoffed.

She glanced sideways at the Taoist priest and sneered mockingly, "Who do you think you are? Do you think you're qualified to be someone's teacher?"

The goatee-bearded Taoist's expression changed drastically.

He abruptly stood up, made a hand seal in his sleeve, and roared, "You ignorant brat! Today, I'll show you what true Taoist magic is!"

Before he finished speaking, he raised his hand and waved.

A talisman flew out from his sleeve, transforming into a gust of evil wind that rushed straight towards the Rakshasa woman's face!

The wind howled, whipping up dust all around, and onlookers gasped and retreated.

The Rakshasa woman remained completely still.

Because Zhong Xuan had already taken a step forward and stood in front of her.

He raised his hand, and a talisman flew out from his sleeve, which he activated with his magic power.

It was one of the few wind-summoning talismans that he casually drew in Qingyang Temple.

The wind forces of the two wind talismans collided in mid-air.

The evil wind emanating from the goatee-bearded Taoist dissipated in an instant after the collision.

The winds converged, shifted to one side, and blew a nearby old locust tree rustling and scattering its leaves.

Zhong Xuan stepped forward and lightly placed his palm on the Taoist's chest.

The Taoist grunted, staggered back several steps, and landed on his backside in a sorry state.

"Let's talk this out calmly, don't resort to violence."

Zhong Xuan gave a half-smile as he reminded him.

The Rakshasa woman stood behind, looking at the figure in blue robes in front of her, her cheeks flushing slightly beneath her veil.

Something was gently swaying in those clear, cold eyes.

Finally, someone is willing to protect me...

The thought flashed through her mind, and her heart skipped a few beats for no apparent reason.