Teaching Disciples in Jade Flower Prefecture (6)

Meanwhile, Taoist Baoshan and Taoist Taiqian returned to their thatched huts.

Nine-Spirit Primordial Sage, clutching his head, led the lions back.

The lions asked, "Grandfather, where did those two Old Immortal come from, and what great Creation did they possess?"

Nine-Spirit Primordial Sage said, "I dare not say, for if I utter even half a word, another head will sprout! You may continue to worship, and if you have the opportunity to become my disciples, you will have no more worries in the future!"

Upon hearing this, each lion had its own plan.

Those seven lions were all different, each possessing one of seven unique abilities.

The Yellow Lion Spirit is a golden-haired lion with the purest bloodline and the most majestic presence.

The Nao Lion Spirit is a short-bodied lion, agile like a monkey, and adept at climbing.

The Snow Lion Spirit is a white-haired lion, an auspicious creature from the Western Regions, and a unique breed of lion.

The Suanni Lion is a lion of dragon lineage, born with divine abilities.

The Bai Ze Lion resembles a lion in shape, has horns like a sheep, and a body like Qilin. It can foresee disasters.

The Fuli Lion, resembling a raccoon, can command all beasts.

The Tuoxiang Lion is a large, powerful Lion Beast.

The lions first worshipped outside the hut for three days, but to no avail.

When the Taoist Taiqian came out, he simply told the lions to stand further away, his expression full of disdain.

Upon seeing this, the Yellow Lion could no longer sit still. He devised a plan and instructed the Little Demon in his cave to prepare a hundred gifts to present to the two Immortal.

The Taoist Taiqian, "He does know proper etiquette, but I wonder if it's a gift for me or for him?"

Huang Shi said, "Both Immortal have them."

Taoist Taiqian's face darkened, and he shouted, "What a fickle and opportunistic scoundrel!"

Huang Shi panicked and quickly corrected himself, saying, "It's a special gift for you, Old Immortal!"

The Taoist Taiqian, "His words are inconsistent, and he's always trying to deny it!"

Having said that, he waved his hand and drove the Yellow Lion Spirit down the mountain.

The Yellow Lion Spirit was utterly dejected. His Creation had failed, he had been banished from the mountain, and he had lost his gift. How pitiful!

After the Yellow Lion Spirit, the Nao Lion also had his eye on it.

He saw that the two Immortal would fish on the cliff every morning and evening, so he caught a basket of fresh fish, climbed up the cliff, and hung the fish on the Immortal ' fishing rods.

Having learned its lesson from the previous incident with the Yellow Lion Spirit, the Nao Lion dared not hang fish on both of them. Thinking that the Taoist Baoshan had a good temper, it only hung fish on the Taoist Baoshan's rod.

With a flick of his rod, Taoist Baoshan caught a six-pound carp and boasted to Taoist Taiqian, "Brother Daoist, I've caught one first, proving that the Great Dao is within my grasp!"

Upon seeing this, the Taoist Taiqian said, "This is because someone is causing trouble!" He stretched out his hand and gently patted the cliff, causing the Nao Lion clinging to the bottom to tumble down the cliff.

After the Nao Lion, the Snow Lion and the Suanni also had their own ideas.

Seeing that neither the yellow lion Nao Lion could be persuaded to worship one at a time, the two decided to join forces and each worship one at a time.

So the two of them played with an embroidered ball, fought over Jewel, and performed lion dances outside the hut.

The day before, Taoist Taiqian and Taoist Baoshan discussed the Dao without any hindrance and were in a very good mood. They saw a lion dance and happily pointed it out.

The two lions gave him pointers, and he worked even harder the next day.

Unexpectedly, the next day, Taoist Taiqian and Taoist Baoshan encountered obstacles and lost interest in watching the play. They only felt the noise and waved their hands, saying "Noisy!" to drive the two lions down the mountain.

Seeing this, Bai Ze dared not entertain any impulsive thoughts. He was by nature a quiet person who disliked movement, and having been praised by Taoist Baoshan before, he felt even more confident. Therefore, he continued to worship outside the hut every day, waiting for the right opportunity.

The Fuli Lion, however, could not sit still. Seeing that the Snow Lion and the lion-like Suanni had been driven away because of the noise, it went and caught a hundred birds, which chirped and sang outside the hut from morning till night, creating the songs of birds, natural melodies.

Upon hearing this, the Taoist Taiqian said, "This song was created by humans and is not natural!" He then drove the Fuli Lion down the mountain.

The remaining Tuanshiang and Bai Ze, paid their respects.

One day it rained, Taoist Taiqian and Taoist Baoshan went into the thatched hut to take shelter from the rain. Tuanshiang saw the thatched hut shaking in the wind and rain, he had an idea. So he used his strength to move a huge rock and build a stone house on the cliff.

After the rain stopped, Taoist Taiqian and Taoist Baoshan came out.

Tuanshiang said, "My two Immortal, this is a stone house I built. With this stone house, we no longer need to worry about wind and rain."

The Taoist Taiqian, "He is indeed diligent."

So they approached the stone house to take a look.

The stone house was crooked and dilapidated, drafty and leaky. Leaving aside these issues, the stone door was Three Zhang high and the threshold was six chi, making it very inconvenient to enter and exit. It was truly not a place for human habitation.

It was only because Taoist Baoshan and Taoist Taiqian Ao Tu Incarnation that they were able to see inside. If it were Wukong, he would have been blocked by the threshold and would not have known what the structure inside was like.

The Taoist Taiqian, "Although you are diligent, you are truly foolish."

So they drove the Tuoxiang Lion down the mountain as well.

Only Bai Ze remained, offering daily prayers.

That day, the Taoist Baoshan calculated that Tang Sanzang and his disciples were about to reach Jade Flower Prefecture, so he prepared to go down the mountain to take a look.

Seeing that Bai Ze was still worshipping, he said, "I wish to travel to Jade Flower County, but I lack the strength to travel there."

Bai Ze quickly replied, "I am willing to be the Immortal's mount."

Taoist Baoshan nodded in satisfaction and said with a smile, "Your appearance is extraordinary, so please transform yourself first to avoid disturbing Mortal."

Bai Ze then suppressed his divine nature and transformed into a white goat.

Taoist Baoshan sat sideways on top and said, "Let's go! Let's go!"

Bai Ze then headed to Jade Flower County.

On the other side, Tang Sanzang and his disciples, having passed through spring and summer, were now in late autumn, traveling along the Main Road to Jade Flower Prefecture.

But what I see is: the watermarks recede, the mountain's bones grow thin. Red leaves flutter down, yellow flowers bloom. The frost clears, making the night seem long, the moon shines through the window. Every house has smoke rising in the setting sun, everywhere the lake glistens with cold water. White duckweed is fragrant, red smartweed flourishes. Oranges are green, tangerines are yellow, willows wither, valleys are beautiful. Wild geese land in desolate villages, reeds are scattered, and roosters crow at roadside inns as people gather beans.

Upon reaching the city gate, I encountered an Old Man with a bamboo cane and brown shoes, who was heading out of the city.

Tang Sanzang hurriedly bowed and said, "This humble monk has inquired!"

The Old Man returned the greeting and asked, "Elder, where do you come from?"

Tang Sanzang said, "This humble monk comes from the Great Tang Eastern Land, on the orders of the King Tang, to travel to the Thunderclap Monastery on Western Spirit Mountain to worship Buddha and seek scriptures. Now that I have arrived here, I do not know which city or county this is, and I would like to ask the Old Benefactor for guidance."

The old man said, "So you are monks on your way to Mount Ling to worship Buddha. It's not far from here. We are from Yuhua County in the Kingdom of Tianzhu. The lord of this county is a member of the royal family of the Tianzhu Emperor, and is known as the King of Yuhua. My king especially respects monks and Daoists. Elder, you may go and receive your reward."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang repeatedly expressed his gratitude.

The Old Man left on his own.

Bajie said, "Master, let's go collect our reward!"

Tang Sanzang said, "Since you are members of the India imperial family, you must not be impolite. When you enter the city, you should all keep your manners in check to avoid causing trouble."

Wukong and the other two agreed, and they got a piece of cloth to cover their faces and mouths.

Pigsy 'Bajie ears are too big to be covered up.

The four entered the city and found it indeed bustling and prosperous, with a large number of people buying and selling.

Bajie couldn't resist looking left and right, so he stuck out his ears and slapped them at the passersby, making them all scramble to see.

The four men couldn't push through the crowd, and their face masks fell off.

Human Way, "Look, it's a foreign monk!"

Human Way, "We have monks here Dragon-Subduing and Tiger-Taming, while foreign countries have monks who can subdue monkeys and pigs!"

Upon hearing this, Bajie revealed his true colors, bowed to the crowd, and asked, "Do you have any monks who can subdue the Pig King?"

The crowd stumbled and fell, some stepping on each other's feet, others squeezing each other's hands, trying to get out of the way.

The four of them then walked over.

After passing through the market and arriving outside the Prince's Palace, Tang Sanzang was about to go forward to exchange his travel documents when he saw a Daoist riding a sheep arguing with the Royal Guards in front of the palace gate.

Wukong looked around and said, "Isn't this Daoist Baoshan? What are you doing here?"

Bajie said, "No need to say more, they must have set off before us, traveled here, and run out of money, so they caught a goat to sell and are now arguing about the price!"

Tang Sanzang said, "In that case, let's buy the sheep and release it; that would be doing a good deed."

Bajie exclaimed happily, "Good! Good!"

Wukong said, "Fool, stop just cheering and hurry up and hand over the silver!"

Bajie asked, "What kind of silver?"

Wukong laughed and grabbed Bajie's ear, saying, "You idiot, now you're pretending to be confused. Where's your secret stash of money? Hand it over, how are we going to buy sheep without it?"

Bajie said, "Brother! Where would I get the money? You just divided the money, so you should pay for it!"

Wukong said, "I used all my spare change to make fire, ask for directions, and hire boats to cross bridges. Where would I have any left? I know you've saved up several dozen taels of silver. Quickly, take it out!"

Bajie complained bitterly, "Where would I get dozens of taels? I've only saved less than ten taels of silver over the years. You must be a reincarnated goat, trying to steal my Silver Taels!"

Wukong asked, "Who was the reincarnation of a goat?"

Bajie said, "If you weren't born from a goat, why would you use my money to save a goat? Even people who are filial to their parents aren't as diligent as you!"

Upon hearing this, Wukong yanked Bajie's ear and shouted, "Fool! Are you going to take it or not! Are you going to take it or not!"

Tang Sanzang quickly told Wukong to stop, and then advised Bajie:

"Bajie, monks are compassionate; saving a life is worth more than a thousand taels of gold!"

Upon hearing this, Bajie was very reluctant and slowly went to take the gold and silver. Suddenly, he was overjoyed and stopped, saying:

"Master, there's no need to take the money. The Taoist couldn't agree on a price and has turned back."

Everyone looked and saw that the Taoist Baoshan was riding a sheep.

Upon seeing this, Tang Sanzang stepped forward and bowed.

Taoist Baoshan laughed and said, "So you're a monk from the Tang Dynasty."

Tang Sanzang said, "It is truly a fortunate encounter to meet you again, Daoist Master, in this foreign land. I wonder how much this mountain goat costs? This humble monk wishes to buy it and release it back into the mountains."

Upon hearing this, the Taoist Baoshan asked in confusion, "When did I say I was going to sell this sheep?"

Bajie said, "Weren't you just haggling with the Royal Guards of the Prince's mansion? You couldn't reach an agreement, so why aren't you selling?"

Taoist Baoshan laughed and said, "No! No! You don't know, this sheep is Strange Beasts that can foresee good and bad fortune. I took it as my Mount. When I passed through this city, the sheep said, 'The king of this city will suffer misfortune.' So I came to inform him, but the guard was ignorant and wouldn't let me in, so I turned back."

Bajie exclaimed in surprise, "Such a thing is possible! Even sheep can sense good and bad fortune?"

Tang Sanzang said, "Since that's the case, I also need to exchange the travel documents. Why don't you come in with me, Daoist, and tell this king about the disaster?"

Taoist Baoshan, "Very well."

Tang Sanzang then went to the palace, revealed his identity, presented his Passbook, and requested an King of Jade Flower.

Before long, an official invited Tang Sanzang inside.

Tang Sanzang then went to the hall and met the Old King.

The Old King; after reading the Travel Permit, he gladly stamped it with his Precious Seal and then asked Tang Sanzang about the journey.

Could it be that Tang Sanzang endured hardships along the way, only suffering calamities, yet still managed to reach the Western Heaven?

Old King exclaimed that this was indeed the mind and character of Reverend Monk, and immediately instructed people to prepare a banquet.

Tang Sanzang said, "There are still a few disciples outside."

Old King, please come in as well.

Wukong, Bajie, and Sha Wujing then entered, Taoist Baoshan also rode in riding a sheep.

Upon seeing this, the palace official was terrified and said tremblingly:

"How dare you be so rude, you foreign monk! You must dismount and enter the hall!"

The Taoist Baoshan acted as if he hadn't heard anything.

The palace official had no choice but to stop him, saying fearfully, "Foreign monk, dismount."

Taoist Baoshan, "I am Daoist, not a monk."

The palace official said, "Please dismount."

The Taoist Baoshan, "There are no horses here, so why do you say 'dismount'?"

The palace official, suppressing his fear, said, "Please come down."

Only then did Taoist Baoshan come down.

The goat followed behind.

Wukong asked, "Master, should we leave the sheep outside the hall?"

The Taoist Baoshan, "We still need this sheep for prophecy."

So everyone went up to the hall together.

The Old King of the Jade Flower Kingdom had never seen anything like it before. Looking around, he saw no human being among them and, filled with fear, said to Tang Sanzang:

"Elder, these... these are all your disciples?"

Tang Sanzang said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, although they have ugly faces, they are all good people!"

Wukong and the others then paid their respects to the King.

The goat also bowed and spoke in human language.

The Old King was so frightened that his whole body went limp. Suppressing his composure, he said, "Quickly, go outside the pavilion to prepare the vegetarian meal!"

The goat said, "I have a calamity to tell Your Majesty!"

Old King dared not listen, only instructing, "Go quickly! Go quickly!"

After speaking, he was helped by an eunuch to hide in the back hall.

Tang Sanzang and his companions first went to the pavilion to eat vegetarian food.

Bajie laughed and said, "That King is too cowardly. What's so scary about a goat's words?"

Wukong laughed and said, "He doesn't even look at his age. When he suddenly hears a goat talking, he'll definitely think it's Yaoguai. How can he not be afraid?"

Tang Sanzang said, "This is truly an offense to His Majesty! I will apologize after we have finished our meal!"

The Human Way.

Meanwhile, the Old King of the Jade Flower Kingdom returned to the Imperial Harem, immediately collapsed and lay down, filled with unspeakable fear and trepidation.

The palace officials, believing their time was near, hurriedly sent out the message.

Upon hearing this, the Eldest Prince of the city mobilized the Imperial Guards.

Upon hearing this, the Second Prince mobilized the Imperial Guards.

Upon hearing this, the Third Prince Five-City Troops.

The three Prince rushed to the palace together, intending to break in. The Eldest Prince, who was closer, had already surrounded the palace with three hundred Imperial Guards guards, preventing the Second Prince and Third Prince from entering.

Seeing this, the Second Prince Third Prince princes each led three hundred soldiers, intending to join forces, but the Eldest Prince was very wary.

This is because in these foreign lands, regardless of age, all rulers are virtuous.

In the end, the three Prince discussed the matter and decided to cease hostilities and listen to their Father King's dying wish. However, they distrusted each other and feared that someone might cause trouble by breaking cups or throwing halberds. So the Eldest Prince took a staff that reached his eyebrows, the Second Prince wielded a Nine-Toothed Rake, and the Third Prince carried a black, oily stick. They went to the palace to attend the funeral, looking majestic and proud.

Upon arriving at the mansion, the Eldest Prince knelt before the bed, holding a stick, and began to wail.

Old King only saw a stick standing upright in front of him, but he didn't know what it meant.

At this moment, the Second Prince and Third Prince also arrived, each holding a weapon and wailing.

Old King asked, "What happened? What happened? Who died?"

The three Prince exclaimed in surprise, "Father King, are you alright?"

Old King asked, "What do you need?"

The three Prince replied, "We were saddened because we heard from the palace officials that Father King Father King was lying on his bed, unable to move his hands and feet."

Old King said, "It's not a serious illness! It's just that a few monks came this morning, saying they were on their way from the Great Tang Eastern Land to Journey to the West. I invited them to stay for a vegetarian meal, and when I saw their disciples, they looked like Demon. They scared me so much that my hands and feet went numb and I couldn't move. I'm only feeling better now."

The three Prince, upon hearing this, became angry and said:

"So that's how it is. It must be some kind of mountain spirit that dared to disturb Father King. Let us go out and investigate!"