At the Yao Tai, the Ancestor Master spoke to Jiang Yuan and then turned to the monkey, saying, “Since you are from the Eastern Victory Divine Continent, tell me your name.”
The monkey below shook his head and said, “Immortal, I have no surname. I have no name.”
The Ancestor Master asked, “What was your parents' surname?”
The monkey shook his head again and said, “Immortal, I have no parents.”
The Ancestor Master said, “Since you have no parents, you must have been born from a tree?”
The monkey replied respectfully, “Immortal, you do not know, I was not born from a tree, but from a stone. I only remember that there was a stone in the mountain, and when the stone broke, I was born.”
The crowd in the class, upon hearing that he was a stone monkey with no parents, found it amusing and looked down upon him with disdain.
The Ancestor Master, upon hearing this, understood that he was born of heaven and earth.
He said, “Get up and walk for me to see.”
The monkey then stood up and walked a couple of steps, his figure coarse and clumsy, resembling a monkey.
The Ancestor Master looked at Jiang Yuan in the class and asked, “Guangxin, since this cultivator has no surname, what do you think would be a fitting surname?”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan stepped forward and said, “Master, since this cultivator resembles a monkey, if we take the character ‘hu’ (猢) for monkey, it would not be elegant. It would be better to take the character ‘sun’ (猻), which means to teach the beastly heart to remain, and keep the ‘Sun’, which aligns perfectly with the essence of an infant.”
The Ancestor Master laughed and said, “Just as you say, let him take the surname ‘Sun’ then.”
The monkey, upon hearing this, bowed to Jiang Yuan and then prostrated to the Ancestor Master, saying, “Master, your disciple earnestly wishes to pay respects to you! Now that I have received your surname, I implore you to show your great mercy and bestow upon me a name, so that I may achieve success!”
The Ancestor Master said, “Since you have come with sincerity to pay respects, you may enter my sect. In my sect, there are twelve generations, which are ‘Broad Heart Wisdom, True Suchness Nature Sea, Enlightened Understanding Complete Awakening’. When it comes to your generation, it will be the ‘Wu’ character generation. Your heart is filled with demonic obstacles, which is due to your attachment, so I will give you the name ‘Wu Kong’.”
The monkey was overjoyed and accepted it.
The Ancestor Master then allowed Sun Wukong to join the class.
Once Sun Wukong entered the class, he began to expound on the Great Dao, discussing the marvelous methods of the three schools.
Jiang Yuan, upon hearing the marvelous teachings, felt as if he were entranced.
Such profound teachings were beyond the children, as they lacked the depth of the Ancestor Master’s cultivation, who could easily draw upon the teachings of the three schools.
After two days of lecturing, the Ancestor Master finally stopped, dismissed the class, and instructed Zhen Jian to take Sun Wukong to the quiet room.
In the Yao Tai, only the master and disciple remained.
The Ancestor Master smiled and said, “I did not expect that this cultivator is indeed born of heaven and earth.”
Jiang Yuan, seated in the class, said, “Master, this junior brother is quite polite.”
The Ancestor Master nodded and said, “Indeed, he is polite. The etiquette here is complete, but his heart has demonic obstacles. Let us first teach him to nurture his nature and cultivate his true self before discussing his cultivation.”
Jiang Yuan said, “Master, since he is born of heaven and earth, if he cultivates the Golden Elixir’s true path, would he not be close to success?”
The Ancestor Master replied, “Indeed, this is not a matter of luck. Every bite and every drink has its fixed number. If he finds it easy to succeed now, the hardships he faces in the future will only increase.”
Jiang Yuan recalled the dream of Huang Shu, where the story of Journey to the West was told.
This junior brother was not one to calmly cultivate; in the future, he would face numerous hardships, all due to demonic obstacles.
However, this had nothing to do with him.
He had known for hundreds of years that this was the ‘Journey to the West’, and all kinds of matters could not disturb his heart, nor could they disrupt his path of cultivation.
Jiang Yuan asked, “Master, let us not speak of Wukong for now. I feel that my cultivation is shallow; what is the reason for this?”
The Ancestor Master, upon hearing this, did not know where to find a ruler to scold him, and instead laughed and said, “You have just formed your immortal body, and you wish to attain the Dao? You are aiming too high! Focus on your cultivation. When your affinity with the law reaches its time, I will naturally pass on the teachings to you.”
Jiang Yuan looked at the ruler but was not afraid.
He laughed and said, “Master, let me ask just one question.”
The Ancestor Master said, “How have you fared with the one hundred and eight great methods?”
Jiang Yuan replied, “Master, I have refined three or four of the Earthly Fiends, but I still need some time. If I am to master them all, it will take more than a year or two.”
The Ancestor Master said, “Then go and cultivate. When you have mastered them all, come back to seek me for further teachings.”
Jiang Yuan bowed and served the Ancestor Master back to the quiet room, and then he returned to cultivate in the quiet room.
However, before he could return to the quiet room, he saw Zhen Jian was indeed waiting for him outside.
Jiang Yuan saw him and already knew why Zhen Jian had come, as the two gods were blocking the way, preventing him from accessing the Dao, hence he came to seek him.
He welcomed Zhen Jian into the room.
In the quiet room.
Jiang Yuan took a cushion and invited Zhen Jian to sit.
He asked, “Junior brother, you have come here; I already know. Can you now understand the Niwan Palace?”
Zhen Jian sat cross-legged on the cushion and said, “Elder brother, I have understood your teachings from the past. You taught me that the other person of the heavenly spirit is my true self, my primordial spirit. I read your writings, and the primordial spirit resides in the Niwan Palace, yet I observe my brow but do not see the Niwan Palace. I once sought my master’s help, but I did not understand what my master said, hence I have yet to gain anything.”
Jiang Yuan asked again, “What did your master say to you?”
Zhen Jian replied, “To be honest, elder brother, my master taught me to cover my eyes with my hand and asked me what I saw. I am foolish and do not know what he meant.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan sighed inwardly, “Junior brother Zhen Jian, having been harmed by wine, lust, wealth, and desires, is fortunate to have deep blessings to preserve his life. He ultimately sees his true nature and has the affinity to see his true self. Now, with the two gods blocking the way, he does not know why. Even the master’s hints are elusive. How can I explain the mystery of the Niwan Palace? It is a riddle that even the two gods cannot solve.”
He looked at Zhen Jian and said, “Junior brother, have you read all my writings?”
Zhen Jian shook his head and said, “Not yet.”
Jiang Yuan said, “Enough, enough, enough! Junior brother, go out of the cave and bring me a leaf.”
Zhen Jian, confused, asked, “Elder brother, what is this for?”
Jiang Yuan said, “Do not ask too much; just bring it.”
Zhen Jian asked again, “Elder brother, what kind of leaf do you want?”
Jiang Yuan simply said, “Any leaf will do.”
Zhen Jian had no choice but to go out of the quiet room to fetch a leaf.
Jiang Yuan thought to himself, “Junior brother Zhen Jian, adhering too rigidly to rules, lacks a bit of spirit. This time of cultivation will be extremely difficult. If one day, junior brother Zhen Jian ‘awakens’, perhaps he could achieve results through other paths. This difficulty lies in ‘Wu’.”
This path is Zhen Jian’s path, yet he cannot speak of it; he must realize it himself, just as the Great Immortal Zhen Yuan said, ‘If you know, it is not a calamity.’
Jiang Yuan sat cross-legged in the quiet room, waiting for a moment, until Zhen Jian returned.
He saw that Zhen Jian held a leaf in his hand, the leaf the size of a palm, resembling the leaves of fruit trees in the mountains.
Zhen Jian handed the leaf to Jiang Yuan.
Jiang Yuan did not take it; he said, “Junior brother, place this leaf in front of your eyes.”
Upon hearing this, Zhen Jian did as instructed, taking the leaf to cover his face.
Jiang Yuan asked, “Junior brother, what do you see?”
Zhen Jian replied, “Elder brother, I see a leaf.”
Jiang Yuan said, “Junior brother, can you understand?”
Zhen Jian shook his head and said, “Elder brother, I do not understand.”
Jiang Yuan said, “Junior brother, you are holding this leaf in your hand. Go to the library and read books. Whenever you understand, you can put this leaf down.”
After saying this, he sent Zhen Jian out of the room.
This time, his words had been fully spoken.
If Zhen Jian did not understand, he could do nothing; this was his own affinity with the law.
Jiang Yuan sent Zhen Jian away from the room and then sat cross-legged in the quiet room to practice the one hundred and eight great methods.
(End of Chapter)