Now, as Bajie was meddling in Ao Tu’s matter of healing the tree:
Hearing this, Ao Tu smiled and said to Zhenyuan Daxian, “Daxian, your temple is quite self-sufficient.”
Zhenyuan Daxian asked, “How so?”
Ao Tu said, “I saw some fruits and vegetables planted in the rear garden, and pigs are even being raised in the front hall! Is that not self-sufficiency? Since the ginseng fruits are already gone, why not cut me some pork as payment?”
Zhenyuan Daxian laughed. “Excellent. Which part of the meat does fellow Daoist want?”
Ao Tu said, “I hear the loin and belly of a pig are best, with seven alternating layers—the most delicious of all.”
When Bajie heard this, he cried, “Master! This old pig has run into a Daoist who loves eating pork! He wants to eat me!”
Tang Seng was so frightened he hurriedly pleaded for Bajie.
Ao Tu and Zhenyuan Daxian both smiled, then walked into the hall.
Zhenyuan Daxian at once ordered Qingfeng to serve tea, and said to Ao Tu:
“I am much obliged that fellow Daoist has come from so far away to tend to this precious tree of mine. Only, I had already agreed to make a wager with that Sun Wukong, and it would not do to break my word. I ask fellow Daoist to stay here for a few days. No matter who saves the spiritual root, I shall offer ginseng fruits in thanks.”
Ao Tu said, “Daxian values trustworthiness. This poor Daoist admires you.”
Thus Ao Tu stayed at Wuzhuang Temple, waiting for Sun Wukong to return with a remedy.
This was precisely what Ao Tu had hoped to see.
During this time, Ao Tu sat with Zhenyuan Daxian and discussed the Dao.
It was called discussing the Dao, but in truth it was mostly Zhenyuan Daxian expounding the Dao for Ao Tu to hear.
Only when the subject touched upon the Dao of the Five Elements could Ao Tu say a few things, because he had comprehended the Five-Colored Divine Light.
The cultivation method Ao Tu currently practiced was the inherited method of the dragon race.
It had been born when heaven and earth first opened, when dragons and phoenixes came into being.
It belonged neither to Daoism nor to Chan, but the principles of the Great Dao led to the same destination by different paths. Under Zhenyuan Daxian’s explanations, the medicinal power of the immortal pills and flat peaches within Ao Tu’s body was refined and released. His cultivation broke through naturally to the middle stage of Golden Immortal, with further gains besides.
Ao Tu bowed in gratitude and said, “Many thanks for Senior’s grace in transmitting the Dao!”
Zhenyuan Daxian smiled. “Do not speak of any ‘Senior.’ If you were Lishan Laomu’s son-in-law, it would be no matter for you to call me Senior. But now you are Fuzhu Zhenshi Tianzun; you and I should treat each other as peers and address each other as fellow Daoists.”
Ao Tu smiled and made the proper salute.
Zhenyuan Daxian said again, “Within that divine light of yours, if there were treasures of the Five Elements to complement it, the divine ability would be even greater.”
Ao Tu pondered. “For treasures of the Five Elements, what treasures would be best?”
Zhenyuan Daxian said, “The very highest would naturally be the Twelfth-Grade Green Lotus of Creation, the Twelfth-Grade Golden Lotus of Merit, the Twelfth-Grade Red Lotus of Karmic Fire, the Twelfth-Grade White Lotus of World-Purification, and the Twelfth-Grade Black Lotus of World-Destruction.”
Ao Tu gave a bitter smile. “Difficult! Difficult! Difficult! Are there any other Five Elements treasures?”
Zhenyuan Daxian said, “The superior ones would be the Central Wuji Apricot Yellow Flag, the Eastern Blue Lotus Treasure Color Flag, the Southern Flame-Light Flag Above the Ground, the Western Plain-Colored Cloud Realm Flag, and the Northern Xuanyuan Water-Control Flag.”
Ao Tu shook his head. “Difficult! Difficult! Even obtaining one flag would be difficult. Are there any others?”
Zhenyuan Daxian mused, “Those of middling and lower grade, even if treasures are gathered, will ultimately fail to become worthy vessels, and it would be hard to prove the Great Dao. This spiritual root of mine is the innate essence of Wu Earth. If you do not disdain it, I am willing to break off a branch and gift it to you, as a token of our karmic affinity.”
Ao Tu was delighted and bowed in thanks.
Meanwhile, Wukong went to the Eastern Ocean and hurried to the immortal realm of Penglai.
Wukong went straight into Penglai. Outside White Cloud Cave, beneath the shade of pines, three old men were gathered around a game of chess: the one observing was Shouxing, while those playing were Fuxing and Luxing.
Wukong stepped forward and said, “Little brothers, I salute you.”
When the Three Stars saw him, they brushed aside the chessboard and returned the salute. “Great Sage, what brings you here?”
At first Wukong found it difficult to speak, and evaded with idle chatter. Only afterward did he recount the previous events in full detail.
After the Three Stars heard it, they cried in surprise:
“That Zhenyuan Daxian is the Ancestor of Earth Immortals. How did you dare knock down his precious tree? That ginseng fruit tree is the root of immortal wood; how could our millet-grain elixirs heal it? No remedy! No remedy!”
When Wukong heard this, both his brows locked together, his forehead creasing with countless lines.
Fuxing said, “Great Sage, if there is no remedy here, then simply seek elsewhere. Why be so troubled?”
Wukong said, “Searching is easy. Even if I had to roam to the ends of heaven and earth, even if I had to pass through all thirty-six heavens, this Old Sun could go there. It is only that my Elder Tang is strict in rules and narrow in tolerance; he gave me only three days. If I do not return within three days, he will recite the Tight-Fillet Spell.”
The Three Stars all laughed.
A moment later, Shouxing said, “Great Sage, set your mind at ease. There is no need to worry. Though Zhenyuan Daxian is of the elder generation, he is also acquainted with us. Firstly, we have been parted long and have not paid him a visit; secondly, this is a favor for the Great Sage. Now the three of us shall go together to call on him, and we shall explain the matter on your behalf, so that Tang Seng will not recite the Tight-Fillet Spell. We will wait until you have obtained a remedy before taking our leave.”
Wukong said, “I am grateful! Grateful! Then I ask the three little brothers to speak for me. I’m off.”
No more need be said of Wukong’s farewell to the Three Stars.
The Three Stars mounted auspicious light and immediately headed for Wuzhuang Temple.
Within the temple, everyone heard the cries of cranes in the high sky; it turned out the three elders had arrived.
Qingfeng and Mingyue saw them and hurried to report to Zhenyuan Daxian.
Zhenyuan Daxian came out to welcome them.
The Three Stars greeted Zhenyuan Daxian with the rites of juniors, and only then did they exchange greetings and sit.
Once they were seated, Luxing told of Wukong’s search for a remedy, and also asked Tang Seng not to recite the Tight-Fillet Spell.
When Tang Seng heard this, how could he dare refuse? He answered repeatedly, “I would not dare recite it, I would not dare recite it.”
The Three Stars also met Ao Tu.
Zhenyuanzi introduced him, saying, “This is Fuzhu Zhenshi Tianzun of the West, who came specially to save this poor Daoist’s precious tree. Only because there was first the wager with Sun Wukong has the matter been delayed.”
When the Three Stars saw that Ao Tu dared bear such a Daoist title, they were even more astonished and did not dare slight him, treating him with respect.
On the other side, Wukong left Penglai and went again to the immortal mountain of Fangzhang.
This was the Daoist site of Donghua Dijun. Wukong paid respects to the Emperor Lord and recounted the previous events in full.
Donghua Dijun said, “You monkey, you cause trouble everywhere. That Zhenyuanzi of Wuzhuang Temple bears the sacred title of Lord Equal to the World and is the Ancestor of Earth Immortals. How could you offend him? Though I have one Nine-Turn Taiyi Restoration Pill, which can cure the living beings of the world, it cannot heal that spiritual root born when heaven opened and earth was split. No remedy! No remedy!”
Wukong then went again to the sea island of Yingzhou, met the Nine Elders of Yingzhou, recounted the previous events in full, and sought an immortal formula to heal the tree.
When the Nine Elders heard that Wukong had pushed over Zhenyuan Daxian’s fruit tree, they were all greatly shocked and said:
“You truly do invite disaster! We indeed have no remedy! No remedy!”
Wukong could only take his leave. He searched throughout the four continents and roamed all the heavens, but nowhere was there a healing formula.
He turned straight back to the Eastern Ocean and arrived at Mount Luojia, lowering his cloud.
There he saw Guanyin Bodhisattva in the Purple Bamboo Grove, together with the great gods of the heavens, Muzha, and the Dragon Girl, all combining their powers to cast spells. The Bodhisattva was the lead, while the others assisted; it was unknown what they were refining.
In the air, the three lights of sun, moon, and stars gathered and condensed into one place, faintly forming a drop of divine water, though it was not yet complete—less than half a drop had formed.