Teaching Disciples in Jade Flower Prefecture (XVII)

Meanwhile, Wukong took up his staff to clean up the mess.

The Eldest Prince said, "Wait! Wait! Monk! I am Prince! I was the ruler before you and your teacher! How dare you kill me!"

Tang Sanzang advised, "Wukong! Don't kill him! Since he has no affinity with Buddha, there's no need to force him. Let him go!"

Upon hearing this, Wukong stopped striking with his staff.

The Eldest Prince hurriedly called out, "Guards! Guards!"

Little Demon came over, saw Wukong, and immediately started banging a gong.

The lions came running at the sound of the gong.

The Eldest Prince said, "I now wish to abandon Buddhism and follow Daoism, to change my allegiance and become a disciple of Daoism. I would like to request permission to do so."

The Yellow Lion Spirit cursed, "You despicable beast who betrays his master and ancestors, how dare you harbor such delusional thoughts?"

The Eldest Prince said, "I am a prince of this King. If I am fortunate enough to become a disciple of Daoism Immortal, and one day inherit the throne, the entire nation will offer Incense Offerings in worship!"

The Yellow Lion Spirit sneered, "Why would Immortal accept you as a disciple because of a meager offering of Incense Offerings?"

Bai Ze advised, "Whether we accept it or not, we shouldn't speak rashly. We should just inform him."

The Yellow Lion Spirit looked at Wukong beside him and asked, "What should we do with this Monkey?"

Bai Ze said, "Look at his bluish-green face. He must have been wandering in the mountains these past few days, unable to beg for alms, and ate a poisonous fruit. Let's get him some medicinal wine to detoxify him!"

The Nao Lion said, "I'll go get a few pounds!"

Snow Lion said, "I'll go and inform the Immortal; you all stay here and watch over him!"

The lions agreed.

Snow Lion immediately went to the thatched hut on the mountain cliff to report.

Upon hearing this, Taoist Baoshan and Taoist Taiqian laughed and said, "Excellent! Excellent!" They then instructed Snow Lion to bring the person over.

Upon hearing this, the Snow Lion hurriedly returned and told the other lions what had happened. The lions then freed Monks and led them outside the thatched hut.

Without needing the lions to remind him, the Eldest Prince immediately performed a grand ceremony and knelt in worship.

When Wukong, Bajie, and Sha Wujing saw this, they all looked indignant.

Taoist Baoshan and Taoist Taiqian came out and, seeing this, laughed:

"Whose student do you want to become, either of us?"

The Eldest Prince said, "I wish to become a disciple of these two Immortal!"

Taoist Taiqian shouted, "How dare you be greedy!"

The Eldest Prince hurriedly replied, "I wish to become a disciple of the immortal!"

Taoist Taiqian gave a soft chuckle and said:

"Your master worked so hard for you, yet you betrayed him and joined another sect. It's truly shameful and unbelievable!"

The Eldest Prince hurriedly replied, "If the immortal is willing to take me in, I will surely have the entire nation worship me when I inherit the throne!"

Taoist Taiqian laughed and said, "You make promises so easily; they are not trustworthy. How about this, I will keep you by my side for now, without accepting you as a disciple, just to test your sincerity. If you are truly sincere, then I will accept you as a disciple. Are you willing?"

The Eldest Prince was overjoyed and said, "I am willing! I am willing! Today, I have become a disciple of the immortal master, which has truly opened my eyes to the light of day and revealed the true lineage of Daoism!"

Seeing that his Big Brother had a knack for Daoist School, the second Second Prince thought that if he could help his brother become a disciple, the Throne would surely fall into his hands. So he gently pulled Bajie aside and whispered to him:

"Master, my Big Brother is destined for the throne; how can I simply relinquish it? Perhaps I should also seek to become a disciple of another immortal. When I inherit the throne, I will certainly not forget Master's kindness and will surely reward Master handsomely!"

Upon hearing this, Bajie shoved the Second Prince to the ground and roared in anger:

"You despicable scoundrel! You'd abandon your master for the Throne, what good can I expect from you? Hand over a thousand taels of gold, and I'll consider you no longer my disciple!"

The Second Prince got up and said, "A thousand taels of gold, it's fine to sever the bond between master and disciple."

Bajie said, "Who has any feelings for you? That thousand taels of gold was to buy my bestowal of Jewel Light and a thousand catties of strength. It should be my duty, Old Pig!"

The Second Prince said, "We'll settle the old scores once we return to the city."

Having said this, he bowed to the Taoist Baoshan and said:

"I beg the Immortal Master to take me in. If I am fortunate enough to inherit the throne in the future, the entire nation will support you!"

Taoist Baoshan chuckled and Earthly Way:

"I see you as a petty person; your words are hardly convincing. How about this, I'll keep you around for now, and after testing your sincerity, I'll take you under my wing. Are you willing?"

The Second Prince was overjoyed and said, "I'm willing! I'm willing! Your taking me in today has truly enlightened me; I'm fortunate to have the opportunity to join the Daoism!"

Seeing his two sons commit such a disloyal act in front of everyone, the Old King of Jade Flower Prefecture was filled with shame. He covered his face in remorse, tears streaming down his face, and cried out, "What sins did I commit in my past life to give birth to these two beasts!"

He was old and couldn't bear it any longer; he choked on his breath and fell backward.

Upon seeing this, the three Prince rushed forward. The Eldest Prince, clutching his right arm, wept and said, "Father King, how could you leave your son?"

The Second Prince, clutching his left arm, cried out in tears, "Father King, wake up! Father King, wake up!"

The Third Prince clutched his chest and abdomen, pressed his philtrum, and cried out in tears, "Father King, exhale quickly! Exhale quickly!"

The Old King, his chest and abdomen pressed by the Third Prince, exhaled a breath of stale air and slowly regained consciousness. Seeing the Eldest Prince and Second Prince beside him, he couldn't help but feel a surge of anger and shouted, "Beasts! Beasts!"

The Third Prince quickly pleaded, "Father King! Father King! Don't blame our Big Brother and Second Brother! They acted out of filial piety, unable to bear seeing Father King suffer in Prisons, which is why they resorted to this desperate measure!"

Upon hearing this, Old King angrily retorted, "You scoundrel! You're a beast too! All those years of my teaching have been wasted, why don't you follow their example and betray your teacher for personal gain?"

The Third Prince said, "If my Big Brother and Second Brother didn't go, I would have gone to rescue the king and our masters. But now that my Big Brother and Second Brother have already taken refuge with the immortal master, I am incapable and dare not rush ahead."

Royal Qi he couldn't speak, and he slapped the Third Prince several times with one hand.

Sha Wujing was always honest, and seeing that although the Third Prince said such things, he had not actually betrayed him, so he did not say anything more.

Since the Eldest Prince and Second Prince had become disciples of Taoist Taiqian and Taoist Baoshan, the lions could no longer pursue past grudges. So the two families put aside their hatred and let everyone go home.

The two Prince invited the Daoist priests Taoist Taiqian and Taoist Baoshan to live in the city.

The Old King was so Fire Qi by the Eldest Prince and Second Prince that he became bedridden after returning to the city and gradually became weak and listless.

Seeing this, the Eldest Prince and Second Prince did even more to curry favor with Taoist Taiqian and Taoist Baoshan, hoping to pass the test and become their disciples.

But whoever can be admitted to the inner circle first will naturally inherit the throne. Even if the Father King chooses someone else, with a mentor to support him, there will be no problem.

Bajie asked the Second Prince for the one thousand taels of gold that had been agreed upon earlier.

The Second Prince repeatedly declined, saying he would give it to him after returning from his Journey to the West.

Because he wanted to Taoist Baoshan, he invited all the lion Little Demon from Leopard Head Mountain Tiger's Mouth Cave on Leopard Head Mountain to the city to serve as his general's Royal Guards, and supported them with gold and silver, so he couldn't afford to pay them.

On the other hand, the Taoist Taiqian utterly detested such behavior, stating bluntly that these creatures with fur and horns, born from moisture and eggs, should not be allowed to live in the city alongside humans.

So the Eldest Prince impeached the Second Prince in Imperial Court, and the two Imperial Court endless political struggles.

Old King is seriously ill and unable to care for him.

Bajie's demands for money failed, Tang Sanzang advised, "Enough! Enough! Let's not argue with him about this. Let's bid farewell to the King tomorrow and then set off on our Journey to the West to the West."

Bajie said, "That money is mine, Old Pig. I will definitely ask him for it back after we get our Journey to the West."

The next day, Tang Sanzang and his disciples visited Old King to discuss their journey to the Journey to the West and then took their leave.

Old King, bedridden and unable to rise, wept as he said:

"Holy Monk, I am old and nearing my end. I have only one request to make, and I hope Holy Monk will grant it."