Chapter 1 Bodhi Immortal Mansion
"When I look at the four major continents, the good and evil of all living beings are different in each direction: Those in Shenzhou in the east respect heaven and earth, and feel refreshed and calm; those in Luzhou in the north, although they like killing, live hand to mouth and have a clumsy nature and emotional indifference.
There is no need to practice too much; I, the people of Xiniuhezhou, are not greedy and do not kill, nourish their energy and potential, although they are supremely true, everyone can live a long life; but the people of Nanfangbuzhou are greedy for sex and enjoy misfortune, killing more and fighting more, as the saying goes, words are fierce
The field is a sea of right and wrong.”
Every time I read this, Xue Tianqing always feels contempt for Wu Chengen in her heart.
Is his description of Xiniu Hezhou and Nanfanbuzhou wrong? Monk Tang went west from Chang'an to Liangjie Mountain without encountering danger, but after leaving the Tang Dynasty, he encountered monsters all the way!
Most of the demons and ghosts are in Hezhou, Xiniu. How could such a place become a place where neither greed nor killing can be used to nourish energy and submerge spirits?
Whether it's a novel or a TV series, "Journey to the West" has been read countless times by Xue Tianqing.
When I was a kid, I watched TV series, and the pictures were just hilarious.
When I grew up and started reading novels, Xue Tianqing realized that there was a big gap between the real "Journey to the West" and the TV series.
As I grow older and my outlook on life changes, some settings in the novel make Xue Tianqing feel that they have profound meaning.
Be it Heavenly Court or Jade Emperor, they are all inherited by Taoism.
But Tang Monk Sun Wukong was a disciple of Buddhism, especially Sun Wukong, who started out as a Taoist but eventually became a Buddhist.
What's even more interesting is that although those demons are all in Hezhou, Xiniu, more than 90% of them are inextricably linked to Taoism.
Although the whole novel cannot be said to be a battle between Buddhism and Taoism, it still has some meaning.
Tathagata's evaluation of the four major continents and the completely opposite descriptions of the demons from the two continents in the novel make people feel that they have a certain profound meaning.
It's a pity that Wu Cheng'en died hundreds of years ago, and no one knows what his purpose in writing "Journey to the West" was.
Although many modern scholars have studied "Journey to the West" very deeply, no one knows whether those conclusions are right or wrong, because this is a proposition that has no answer in the first place.
Today is New Year's Eve, and Xue Tianqing, who cannot return home for various reasons, feels a little lonely.
The sound of firecrackers could be heard on the street. Xue Tianqing stretched out and walked to the window to watch the fireworks bloom.
Xue Tianqing opened the window and looked at a group of children not far away. They were wearing new clothes and setting off fireworks.
Just as Xue Tianqing was watching in trance, a large firework that was being set off on the other side of the street suddenly tilted because it was not fixed properly, and then a huge firework bomb hit him.
Because the windows were wide open, the fireworks bombs were not blocked in any way and flew straight towards the snowy sky.
The fireworks were so fast that when Xue Tianqing realized something was wrong, it was too late to dodge.
Accompanied by the dazzling light and ear-splitting sound, his eyes darkened and he fainted.
The person who set off the fireworks knew that he had caused a big trouble. He immediately found Xue Tianqing's room and kicked the door open.
Looking at the empty room, the young man who caused the trouble was confused. He clearly saw a person standing in front of the window, but why was he missing?
After an unknown amount of time, Xue Tianqing finally opened his eyes and sat up suddenly: What is this place?
At this time, it was snowy and clear and we were in the mountains, surrounded by green trees and green grass beneath us.
White mist drifts through the forest from time to time, and the chirping of birds is endless.
Although the environment is quiet, Xue Tianqing is still confused: Why did he end up in the mountains?
Because I was in the room before the accident, not to mention my mobile phone, I didn't even wear a coat, so now it's snowy and clear, so I can say that I have nothing.
Without communication tools, it is impossible to contact the outside world. If you want to find out what happened, you can only find another way.
Fortunately, Xue Tianqing was very agile and climbed up a big tree without any trouble.
Looking at the boundless green ocean, Xue Tianqing's heart sank to the bottom: What happened and where are she?
Fortunately, there is always a path, and in the distance, a trail flickers in and out of sight in the forest.
Xue Tianqing breathed a sigh of relief when he saw this: where there are roads, there are people, and where there are people, there are homes.
More than half an hour later, standing on an unusually quiet mountain path, Xue Tianqing frowned into knots.
What is this place? Why are you here? It's winter now, why does it look like midsummer here?
When he first woke up, Xue Tianqing was still a little confused, but along the way, he discovered more and more things that were wrong.
When I was in a daze, a voice sounded from not far away: "Since you are here, why don't you go up the mountain?"
When Xue Tianqing heard this, he looked up and saw a famous Taoist boy standing on the road not far away, looking at him curiously.
That's right, it's a Taoist boy, not much different from the one in the TV series.
The appearance of the Taoist boy surprised Xue Tianqing: When did he come? There was no one on the road just now!
Xue Tianqing blinked first, then pointed at her nose and said, "Little brother, are you talking to me?"
The Taoist boy looked arrogant: "There is no one else for dozens of miles around except you. If I don't talk to you, then who should I talk to? You are the person who studied Taoism as the ancestor said, so why don't you feel like it?"
Xue Tianqing asked in confusion: "Acupoint? What acupoint?"
The Taoist boy did not answer Xue Tianqing's question, but urged: "Come with me to see the ancestor. If you have anything to say, just ask him."
Seeing that Xue Tianqing had no intention of moving, the Taoist boy continued: "Whether you follow or not is up to you, but there are wolves, insects, tigers and leopards in the mountains. If you are killed by them, you can't blame others in front of Yama."
Seeing the Taoist boy turn around and walk up the mountain, Xue Tianqing didn't dare to neglect him. If he really let the tiger eat him, how could he be reasonable?!
The Taoist boy suddenly appeared, his face not red and his heart not beating, which made Xue Tianqing think that the destination was not too far away, but no one wanted to leave for two hours.
It wasn't until his legs began to tremble that he saw a cave at the end of the path.
The cave was originally natural, but was later repaired, and the closed stone door separated it from the outside world.
There are stone couplets on both sides of the cave door, with five characters on each side: Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, Xianyue Sanxing Cave!
There are four big characters above: Bodhi Immortal Mansion!
After reading the couplet several times, Xue Tianqing became more and more puzzled: these two sentences were so familiar.
Suddenly, he remembered where he had seen it - "Journey to the West"!
That’s right! Patriarch Subhuti’s spiritual platform is located in Fangcun Mountain and the Three Stars Cave in the Xianyue Mountain!
Just now, the Taoist boy asked me to follow him to visit the Patriarch. Which Patriarch? Could it be Patriarch Bodhi?
How is that possible? That's too nonsense!
Seeing the Taoist boy urging him to enter the cave, Xue Tianqing rolled his eyes: "Brother, whose cave is this?"
The Taoist boy had disdain on his face: "Everyone in the world lives in confusion, so it's not surprising that you don't know that there are immortals in the mountains. But since you sincerely come to learn Taoism, why don't you know which immortal's cave is the Xianyue Sanxing Cave?"
Xue Tianqing asked tentatively: "Is this the cave of Patriarch Bodhi?"
"You know, but you still ask? Come with me to see the Patriarch quickly, don't keep him waiting."
Xue Tianqing became more and more confused: "Brother, you and your ancestor made a mistake. I am not a Taoist."
"The ancestor has known for five hundred years and has known for five hundred years. How could he miscalculate the secret of heaven? Do you really think that this old man will accept disciples casually?" The Taoist boy was obviously a little angry at Xue Tianqing's words.
Hearing this, Xue Tianqing secretly cursed: I have known God for five hundred years, but I have known God for billions of years!
But what is the situation now? Did he join the TV station's prank crew?
Seeing that it was snowing and the sky was clear, the Taoist boy finally lost his patience and said, "Why are you so stupid? Come with me to see the ancestor!" After saying that, he stretched out his hand and pushed the door open.
It’s too shabby! Are the crew reluctant to spend any money? This was Xue Tianqing’s first thought after seeing the scene in the cave.
Except for a few candles lit on the wall, the cave was almost empty, and there were no tables or chairs for people to rest.
Seeing that the Taoist boy wanted to reach out to pull her, Xue Tianqing quickly said: "It's okay for men to accept or not kiss each other. I'll go by myself, but can you tell me where this is?"
The Taoist boy became more and more impatient: "Of course it's the Bodhi Cave! Let's go quickly."
After saying that, Tao Tong grabbed Xue Tianqing's wrist like lightning and almost dragged him towards the depths of the cave.
Although Xue Tianqing wanted to break free, Tao Tong's hands were like iron pliers, no matter how hard he tried, it was of no avail.
Xue Tianqing struggled all the way, and the Taoist boy dragged him all the way. The two soon reached the innermost part of the cave.
Seeing the Taoist boy crashing into the stone wall, Xue Tianqing was shocked: Did he meet a madman?
Just as he was about to hit the wall, Xue Tianqing suddenly felt a flash of white light, and then subconsciously closed his eyes.
When he opened his eyes again, he was surprised to find that the two of them were no longer in the cave, but in a square.
The square is paved with marble, and apart from all kinds of exquisite stone carvings, there are dozens of flower beds with hundreds of flowers blooming inside, and the fragrant fragrance can be heard from time to time.
Directly in front of the square is a mountain peak. Although it is not high, it is shrouded in clouds and mist. There are not only exotic flowers and plants on the mountain, but also animals and birds. It looks like a fairyland from a distance.
In front of the two of them, on the other side of the square, was a white marble staircase leading directly to the top of the mountain.
On both sides of the stairs, dozens of balconies rise from low to high along the mountain, and there are some houses around each balcony.
At the end of the stairs, on the top of the mountain, an unusually majestic hall sits, looking particularly solemn.
The Taoist boy let go of Xue Tianqing's hand and said, "This is the Bodhi Immortal Mansion, the place where the ancestor practiced."
Xue Tianqing swallowed, then turned to look back and found that the cave just now was gone, replaced by a clear blue sky.
He and the Taoist boy were standing on the edge of the square, white clouds drifting behind them from time to time, and the endless land could be vaguely seen through the clouds.
"Bodhi Immortal Palace is suspended in mid-air?"
"Of course it's in the air, is it possible that it's still in the turbid world of mortals?"
Li Jian touched the void, and then said: "Where was the cave just now?"
The Taoist boy said: "That is the gateway to the Immortal Mansion."
Seeing that Xue Tianqing was a little stupid, the Taoist boy urged: "Hurry up and follow me to see the ancestor. The lunch time is almost here. If you are late, you will be delayed."
Xue Tianqing pointed behind her: "There isn't even a railing, what should I do if I accidentally fall?"
The Taoist boy stretched out his hand to push Xue Tianqing: "Don't wait, the Patriarch is waiting."
Crossing the square and reaching the steps, Xue Tianqing raised her legs and was about to take a step, but was stopped by the Taoist boy.
The Taoist boy looked at Xia Xue Tianqing again, then shook his head: "The clothes are not only weird, but also sloppy. How can you pay homage to the ancestor like this?" After that, he waved to him.
By the time Xue Tianqing realized what she was doing, she already had an extra Taoist robe on her body.
Chapter completed!