Six-Eared's Experience, Xuande's Decision

Six-eared Macaque knelt outside the gate, waiting for a long time, but received no response.

Its heart sank bit by bit.

It knew it should not have come.

It had been to many places.

After leaving that cave where it had lived for countless years, it first wandered the eastern lands, seeking those great powers who had attended the lectures at Purple Cloud Palace.

It thought, if only it could bow to one great power as its master.

Perhaps that punishment—"the Law shall not be passed to Six Ears"—might have a sliver of hope.

It found Dijun and Taiyi.

That was the first time it mustered the courage to step forward and beg for an audience.

Dijun heard its origins, his expression shifted, and he refused on the spot.

Taiyi directly waved his hand to drive it away, unwilling to say even a single word more.

It found Minghe. That Lord of the Blood Sea gave it a cold glance and spoke only one word: "Scram."

It found Kunpeng.

A complex look flickered in his eyes, but in the end, he shook his head and refused.

It found the Twelve Ancestral Witches.

Dijiang paid it no heed at all. Houtu did show a trace of pity, but ultimately she gently shook her head and said, "I cannot help you."

It found East King Duke and West Queen Mother.

East King Duke sighed and said, "The words of the Dao Ancestor—who dares defy them? Leave."

West Queen Mother said nothing, only turned her face away, unable to bear looking at it.

It found Randeng.

That ancient Daoist gazed at it for a long time, then finally said:

"You have come to the wrong person. If I take you in, I become an enemy of the Dao Ancestor. Leave."

Time and again it was rejected, time and again it fell from hope into despair.

At last, it went to Kunlun Mountain.

The Three Pure Ones.

That was its final hope.

It knelt outside Kunlun Mountain for three years.

Laozi did not see it.

That tightly shut palace gate never opened from start to finish.

Yuanshi did see it.

Yuanshi valued ritual and upheld rules above all. He glanced at it and spoke only one sentence:

"The Law shall not be passed to Six Ears—spoken by the Dao Ancestor himself. If you know what is good for you, leave on your own."

It knelt and refused to go.

Yuanshi said no more, turned, and left. The palace gate slammed shut.

Just as it was about to leave in despair, a voice reached its ears.

"Wait."

It turned and saw a Daoist in a green robe standing not far away.

That Daoist had a youthful face, bright eyes, and an aura sharp and pure radiating from his whole being.

Shangqing Tongtian.

Six-eared Macaque hurriedly knelt: "I beg the True Man to take pity on me!"

Tongtian looked at it, a complex expression flickering in his eyes.

He knew what this monkey had done, and he knew what the Dao Ancestor's words meant.

But seeing this monkey kneeling on the ground, its eyes full of supplication, a trace of reluctance stirred in his heart.

"Your heart in seeking the Dao is indeed steadfast,"

he said slowly. "Though the Dao Ancestor said the Law shall not be passed to Six Ears, I observe that your Six-Ear divine power has not been completely abolished—only sealed.

That is to say, the Dao Ancestor did not entirely block your path."

Six-eared Macaque's whole body trembled, tears glistening in its eyes.

Tongtian continued: "This Humble One... can give you a thread of hope."

Six-eared Macaque was about to kowtow when suddenly a voice descended from the heavens.

"Third Brother, watch your words."

Yuanshi's figure appeared not far away, his expression grave.

Tongtian frowned. "Second Brother, this monkey's resolve to seek the Dao is firm, and its origins are not bad. Though the Dao Ancestor punished it, He did not completely cripple it—that means there is still leeway. What's wrong with me taking it as a disciple?"

Yuanshi shook his head. "Third Brother, you are too soft-hearted. The Dao Ancestor's words are Heaven's will. 'The Dharma is not transmitted to the Six Ears'—these five words apply not only to this occasion but to the future as well. If you take it as a disciple, you will be acting against Heaven."

Tongtian was silent for a moment, looking at the Six-eared Macaque kneeling on the ground, then at Yuanshi's solemn face. In the end, he let out a sigh. He turned to the Six-eared Macaque, his eyes carrying apology. "You... go. This poor Daoist cannot help you."

The Six-eared Macaque knelt on the ground, tears silently streaming down. It did not resent Tongtian. That Tongtian was willing to help it was already more than it could have hoped for. But... but this final hope had also been shattered. It stood up, bowed deeply to Tongtian, then turned and left.

After leaving Kunlun Mountain, it wandered aimlessly. It did not know where to go, nor what to do. It only knew that it could not stop. Once it stopped, it would truly have nothing left.

It did not know how long it had walked when it looked up toward the West. There stood Mount Sumeru. It had heard of that place—it was the dojo of the two great Western powers, Jieyin and Zhunti. It had also heard of a Xuande Daoist who cultivated alongside them. Those three, when attending lectures at the Purple Cloud Palace, sat in the front—clearly important figures of the West.

It hesitated for a long time. The West was different from the East. The East had many great powers, but also many rules and heavy rites. The West was barren, but perhaps... perhaps they did not care so much about such things? This was its last hope.

So it came to Mount Sumeru. Kneeling before the mountain gate, it shouted those words and then waited quietly. The mountain was utterly silent. Its heart sank little by little. As expected, it still wouldn't work?

Beneath the Bodhi Tree, Xuande quietly watched the direction of the mountain gate. He could sense the monkey's current state of mind. Despair, helplessness, and a spark of the Dao-seeking flame that refused to die out. He suddenly spoke.

"Two Daoist brothers, this poor Daoist believes we can take it in."

Jieyin and Zhunti both looked at him, surprise on their faces. "Daoist brother?" Zhunti said. "This monkey eavesdropped on the Dao Ancestor's lecture, and the Dao Ancestor Himself said the Dharma is not transmitted to the Six Ears. If we take it in, wouldn't that be..."

Xuande shook his head and spoke slowly. "Two Daoist brothers, please hear this poor Daoist out." He looked toward the mountain gate, his gaze profound. "The Great Dao has fifty paths, Heaven's evolution takes forty-nine, and one escapes. Though the Dao Ancestor said the Dharma is not transmitted to the Six Ears, this poor Daoist observes that the monkey's innate divine ability has not been destroyed—only sealed. That is to say, the Dao Ancestor did not completely block its path. That one which escaped may be what is left for it."

Jieyin frowned slightly, lost in thought.

Xuande continued:

"Two Daoist brothers, just now you discussed the Way. Daoist brother Zhunti said that fate and dharma follow nature—neither force nor abandon.

This monkey's resolve to seek the Way is firm. It has searched for masters everywhere, failing time and again yet never giving up—this is fate; it came to Mount Sumeru and knelt before the gate—this is dharma. If we ignore it, that is abandonment; if we take it in, that is following the current."

A flicker of contemplation passed through Zhunti's eyes.

Xuande added: "Compared to the East, the West has always lacked talent.

Two Daoist brothers, look at the Purple Cloud Palace—three thousand cultivators, and the East accounts for over ninety percent, while the West has barely a handful. Though this monkey has been punished by the Dao Ancestor, its origins are extraordinary—one of the Four Spiritual Monkeys of heaven and earth, with innate divine abilities: Keen Hearing, Discern Truth, and Know Past and Future. If we take it into the West and teach it diligently, in the future it may well become a pillar of the West."

He paused, turning to Jieyin:

"Daoist brother Jieyin just said that before entering nirvana, one must first enter the world. To enter the world is to form bonds with all beings. Today this monkey comes seeking; if we shut the door on it, are we not severing that bond? If we take it in, we form a good bond. If it later achieves something, that is the West's fortune; if it cannot, we have done our utmost and have nothing to regret."

Jieyin was silent for a long time.

Zhunti also sank into thought.

Xuande knew they still needed a little time.

He raised his eyes toward the mountain gate. That monkey was still kneeling there, its form trembling slightly.

He suddenly recalled this monkey's fate in the legends of later ages. It failed to eavesdrop, its path to the Way was cut off, it wandered for countless kalpas, and ultimately died on the road of the Journey to the West, becoming that so-called "True and False Monkey King" ordeal. But that was a fate unchanged.

Now, it had come to Mount Sumeru, and there was still a thread of hope.