??Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Emperor Gaozong Seeks dicine from Sun Wukong
Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Emperor Gaozong Seeks dicine from Sun Wukong
“Taoist Brother, showing yourself so openly, aren’t you afraid of the Buddhist Sect?” Yuan Tiangang said.
Wukong chuckled, “That day on Heaven Pillar Mountain, the Twelve Ancestral Witches appeared, and now the Three Realms are in such chaos that everyone’s attention is focused on those Twelve Ancestral Witches. Who has the ti to bother with a minor character like ?”
Yuan Tiangang said, “Hmm… I have heard sowhat of this matter.”
After a mont, a young Daoist boy ran in and bowed to Yuan Tiangang.
“Master, His Majesty the Emperor has arrived,” the Daoist boy said.
Yuan Tiangang glanced at Li Shimin, who was still ditating, and saw that Li Shimin did not wish to et his own son, showing his firm Taoist conviction in his resolute attitude. Yuan Tiangang thought for a mont and then said, “Would you like to co with , Taoist Brother?”
Wukong replied, “Very well, very well, I too want to see what the current Emperor of the Great Tang looks like.”
Yuan Tiangang couldn’t help but give Wukong another look; he had learned from Li Shimin about so of Wukong’s abilities. Without Wukong, the Taoist Sect would certainly be at a disadvantage in the current struggle between Buddhism and Taoism; without this audacious Heaven-Defying Taoist, the Eastern Divine Region would not be in such turmoil now, but he had also thwarted the ambitions of the Buddhist Sect.
“Taoist Master Yuan,” Li Zhi greeted Yuan Tiangang with a bow as he ca out.
“Your Majesty is too generous, I am but a humble Taoist, unworthy of a bow from the one who holds the realm under his palm,” Yuan Tiangang hurriedly helped Li Zhi up.
Li Zhi hesitated and asked, “Does Father still not wish to see ?”
Yuan Tiangang nodded and said, “Do not be too persistant. He has given up his throne with great determination, you should no longer disturb his Taoist heart.”
Throughout history, many emperors have turned to cultivation when near death, but at that age they were already drained of vitality, spirit, and essence. Unless they consud a peach of immortality or ginseng fruit, how could cultivating to beco an immortal be easy? Li Shimin was old, but his timing was still adequate. Given his exceptional talents, vital spirit, and many years holding power, imbued with the charisma of a sovereign, his cultivation was quite favorable.
Yuan Tiangang inquired, “Your Majesty, what brings you here today?”
Li Zhi frowned and said, “There has been a report from the officials at Mount Li, saying that at night demons run amok; when it reaches midnight, chilling winds howl and ghosts wail, accompanied by the sounds of soldiers slaughtering each other. This has frightened the local populace so much that they dare not even step out during daylight, and many have started relocating.”
Upon hearing this, Wukong thought to himself, “The disappearance of Emperor Qin was indeed sudden, and now there is disturbance at his tomb; could it be that this fellow is not dead?”
Yuan Tiangang nodded after listening and said, “Then I shall go to see. Heaven-Defying Taoist, will you join ?”
Wukong replied, “Of course, I will join you.”
When Li Zhi heard Yuan Tiangang call Wukong by his title, he was initially startled, then bowed and said, “So this is Heaven-Defying Taoist! I have long heard of the Taoist Master’s great reputation, and Li Zhi is fortunate indeed.”
Wukong laughed and said, “Your Majesty mustn’t be so formal; you are the Supre of the Human Path, I can hardly bear such reverence!”
Li Zhi suddenly said, “Taoist Master, I have been unwell recently, could you possibly prescribe
a redy?”
If it were anyone else, they would definitely not dare to give Li Zhi any miraculous elixir. Those among the cultivators who offered elixirs that extended the life of emperors faced punishnt, but Wukong was not afraid. Who was he? He was the “demonic cultivator” who had audibly slapped the faces of both the Buddhist Sect and the Heavenly Court. As a demonic cultivator, he certainly did not follow common paths.
This Li Zhi was also worthy of being an emperor, cunning in thought.
“Heh heh! You’re quite astute. Well then, I have taken a few Spirit Pills from Guanyin’s Cave Abode. They won’t make you immortal, but they can keep you healthy and extend your life by fifty years.” Wukong tossed out a Spirit Pill, which he himself had held and absorbed most of its potency. This was to prevent Li Zhi from gaining several hundred years of life span and revealing a flaw, which might lead to being killed by those deities and thus accruing bitter karma.
Wukong thought to himself, “In politics today, who holds great power and is easy to manage? Even the thoughts of this mortal world’s emperor are so intricately cunning!”
Yuan Tiangang acted as if he had not seen anything, his eyes fixed on the white clouds in the sky as if he had discovered sothing interesting.
Li Zhi wasted no ti and swallowed the Spirit Pill imdiately, feeling an instant relief throughout his body. The physical deficiencies caused by indulgence in his youth were replenished at once, leaving him feeling refreshed and revitalized.
Li Zhi thanked Wukong with a bow, “Thank you for the Spirit Pill, Taoist Master, the grace of the Taoist Sect, I shall never forget as long as I live!”
Wukong laughed and said, “Forget it, forget it, the struggle between Buddhism and Taoism isn’t sothing you can intervene in. If the Buddhist Sect finds out, you’ll have no peace. You’re better off maintaining a passive, observant stance.”
Naturally, Li Zhi would prefer that and said, “Thank you for the advice, Taoist Master.”
Wukong did not elaborate further, simply saying, “Taoist Brother, shall we go check out that ancient tomb on Mount Li?”
Yuan Tiangang responded, “Of course we should.”
Li Zhi then said, “Thank you both, Taoist Masters, I will take my leave first.”
Yuan Tiangang and Wukong saw the Emperor of the Great Tang out of the Taoist Temple. Today’s visit had felt truly worthwhile for Li Zhi. As he left, he was overjoyed, feeling as if he were walking on air, his body significantly healthier than before. Mortal emperors often have short lives, endlessly reviewing official docunts day and night, and surrounded by countless beautiful consorts… Such constant strain and bodily depletion; how could they live long?
“Oh! By such actions, I have no way to repay you,” said Emperor Li Zhi, turning back suddenly. “I shall construct a Taoist temple inside the palace for the Taoist, so that people can recite the Taoist scriptures day and night to accumulate Incense Willpower for the Taoist.”
“Oh? Very good, very good! But we must be careful with this matter; otherwise, it would be improper if discovered,” Wukong considered. Incense Willpower was extrely useful, nourishing the Primordial Spirit and enhancing Cultivation Level. He agreed imdiately and plucked three strands of his hair to give to Emperor Li Zhi, “If anyone causes you trouble, just take one of my hairs, shout my na three tis, and you will turn danger into safety.”
Emperor Li Zhi was overjoyed, preciously taking Wukong’s hair and commanding the eunuch to bring forward a box to store it.
The High Emperor was so joyful upon receiving these two benefits that he almost danced out of the room.
Yuan Tiangang said, “Aren’t you afraid of attracting divine wrath and human resentnt with such actions, Taoist Master?”
“My na is Heaven-Defying; do you think I would still fear Heaven?” Wukong responded. “Besides, everyone calls
a demon; if I am a demon, how can I stick to the rules? What do you think, Daoist Brother?”
Yuan Tiangang found this Heaven-Defying Taoist truly interesting and replied, “Daoist Brother, your high view is perhaps a sign you’ve found your own path.”
Wukong laughed playfully, “More or less.”
Yuan Tiangang, feeling envious, said, “Daoist Brother truly has high talent!”
“Aren’t you afraid of attracting trouble by associating with this demon Taoist?” Wukong asked.
“I’m the least afraid of trouble,” Yuan Tiangang replied.
Both burst into laughter, feeling very compatible with each other. Yuan Tiangang had quite a temperant; although invited by the Heavenly Court to beco a deity and by Golden Cicada to participate in the Journey to the West, he declined both. True Cultivation requires one to have temperant and to stick to one’s guns; otherwise, one will ultimately fall to a lower position.”
“Your actions with Emperor Li Zhi’s elixir pills might damage your rit,” Yuan Tiangang cautioned.
“Heh heh… I’m not those Buddhas of the Western Heaven who highly value rit, don’t worry about it!” Wukong waved it off.
Yuan Tiangang whistled loudly, calling a white crane, and leapt onto it cross-legged.
Watching this, Wukong felt inspired. Although he currently had no mount, he didn’t need one. If he wished, he could travel 108,000 miles with one sorsault—why bother wasting ti with a mount? However, having a mount did indeed affect a cultivator’s prestige, just as those four bodhisattvas each had a powerful mount, and Tathagata rode the Golden-Winged Great Peng King, not to ntion Lord of Salvation rode a Nine-Ling Sheng Saint. Back then, even Wukong could not match him.
It seed he indeed needed to find so ti to obtain a mount to maintain his dignity.
Yuan Tiangang said, “This is a Seven-Star Celestial Crane, its cultivation accomplished with the power of the Big Dipper, capable of flying ten thousand miles with a flap of its wings.”
“Not bad, not bad! But I do not need any mount,” Wukong said. “Just like Sun Wukong, I can travel 108,000 miles with one sorsault. With this mount, it seems rather superfluous.”
Amazed, Yuan Tiangang exclaid, “Daoist Brother, your Escape Technique is incredibly astonishing, admirable indeed!”
After saying that, he commanded the celestial crane to fly off, wings outstretched, as if eager for a comparison.
Wukong laughed heartily, performing a sorsault, and instantly swept out like a shadow of light.
In the blink of an eye, he arrived at Mount Li, waiting briefly before Yuan Tiangang followed on his celestial crane.
“Daoist Brother’s Escape Technique is truly unrivaled in the world, I fear even the Golden-Winged Great Peng cannot match it!” Yuan Tiangang jumped down from the crane’s back and said.
“Heh heh, that Golden-Winged Great Peng King is also extrely formidable; I’m not sure who would be faster,” Wukong remarked.
Back when Wukong fought the Golden-Winged Great Peng King, due to being trapped and bound for five hundred years, his mana had not progressed, and naturally, he could not defeat the one who had cultivated for five hundred years. When he tried to escape using the Sorsault Cloud, he was caught up by a scooping hand that captured him. Rembering the events of the Journey to the West still made Wukong quite upset, regretting that he had easily killed Tang Sanzang without taking the chance to tornt him properly, letting him be incinerated into ashes while unconscious, thus sparing him the ordeal.
Yuan Tiangang let the celestial crane fly away on its own and said, “Daoist Brother is too modest; it’s rumored that the Golden-Winged Great Peng King can only fly ninety thousand miles, but you outpaced him by eighteen thousand miles.”
“This Escape Technique cannot be compared like that. Suppose I can travel ninety thousand miles in the blink of an eye, but the Golden-Winged Great Peng King travels the sa distance in a snap of the fingers. If he were to travel one hundred and eight thousand miles, wouldn’t he be faster than ?” Wukong explained.
Yuan Tiangang, not very skilled in Escape Technique, did not fully understand this.
“Your celestial crane can cover ten thousand miles with the flap of its wings, which takes the ti of a cup of tea, whereas I can only travel five thousand miles at a ti, but I need only a snap of the fingers. Wouldn’t I still be faster than your crane?” Wukong argued.
Yuan Tiangang clapped his hands together, “Oh! I don’t really understand Escape Technique; you’ve made
realize my ignorance.”
Wukong waved his hand, “Daoist Brother, it’s still early today; the demons and ghosts have not yet co out. We need to wait for midnight, which is still a long ti off. How about we sit down right here and discuss the Tao to affirm our understanding?”
Yuan Tiangang was only too eager to agree, and they seated themselves on the ground to start their discussion.
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