Journey to the West: The Great Sage's Guide

Chapter 16 The Golden Horned Boy's Greed

Moonlight spilled across the mountains, into a secluded valley.

The boy sat cross-legged, and not far away stood a woman in plain clothes with a veil covering her face.

She watched the figure quietly, her expression gradually changing from indifference at first.

The surrounding spiritual energy slowly converged upon sensing it.

The movements of the spirit are slow, weak, and light.

At first, the Rakshasa woman didn't care, as she could tell at a glance that he was a complete novice in cultivation.

Even if one has the most ordinary mortal constitution, it is not surprising at all.

But gradually, she backed away little by little, feeling uncomfortable.

Because the boy's senses spread to this area, even plundering the spiritual energy around her.

And how can I accept that he even tried to scan her with his senses?

Rakshasa was unwilling to retaliate or cause harm, so she had no choice but to back down.

Because she needed the follow-up to that Taoist scripture.

However, as time went by, the spiritual energy around the boy accumulated more and more, gradually turning into spiritual mist.

The Rakshasa woman's expression gradually became strange.

"If breathing techniques can't convert that much energy, how can they continuously draw in spiritual energy?"

She couldn't understand it, even though she was already at the True Person Realm of Three Flowers Gathering at the Top.

During regular cultivation, drawing in spiritual energy consumes mental and physical strength.

Therefore, one should always stop at the right point and balance the efficiency of guiding and refining.

If you focus your attention on guiding the energy, the breathing and refining process will become less effective.

The opposite is also true.

The Rakshasa woman couldn't understand this boy. Could it be that his mental strength far surpassed that of an ordinary person with exceptional physical constitution?

Only this explanation makes sense.

With this thought in mind, the shame, anger, hatred, and even a little malice she felt towards him and his gang slowly began to be mixed with a trace of curiosity.

What is the relationship between this boy and the mountain god? Is he a temple keeper or a family member?

What is their background and origin? Their cultivation methods are also quite strange.

In short, they do not look much like the orthodox monks of today.

Because when he first began his cultivation, he was extremely frail, only slightly better than an ordinary person.

Yet, the way it exhaled and exhaled spiritual energy resembled the primal and unrestrained nature of a demonic beast.

The Rakshasa woman had a slight headache from thinking, but to no avail, so she simply walked away.

She also sat down cross-legged, silently facing the young man under the moonlight, cultivating together.

If the mountain god doesn't accumulate enough incense offerings and suffers misfortune, then she'll have an easier time controlling this young man.

……

……

One night.

The next morning, the clouds and mist over Cuiyun Mountain began to dissipate.

Outside the mountain god temple.

Zhong Xuan, in his immortal incarnation, stood quietly on the earth's veins, spending the night combing through them and doing two things.

The first thing was to expand the authority of the mountain god, centered on the temple, to a diameter of three hundred meters.

Secondly, while sorting things out, he also took the opportunity to clarify the path to breaking through the current predicament.

The current predicament and the opportunity for growth both unfold in sequence:

Incense offerings are paramount; without incense offerings, the divine authority cannot be established, and everything becomes difficult.

Although the threat to the Celestial Master's Mansion is great, a day in heaven is equivalent to a year on earth, so there is still time.

As for the demons and rogue cultivators all over the mountain, with his current Immortal realm and the advantage of the Mountain God Seal and the earth's veins, even if a true immortal came to his door, he would have a fighting chance.

The path to breaking the deadlock is clear: both external and internal efforts must work together.

The incense offerings rely on the monkeys running around, while the expansion of the mountain god's authority depends on two newly recruited laborers.

Once his thoughts settled, he turned his gaze slightly and looked towards the western part of the mountain.

The incense that Brother Monkey begged for is still wafting in continuously.

Under the gaze of those offering incense, Zhong Xuan smiled wryly, a faint worry dissipating from his heart.

This tiger demon is much more sensible than the monkey.

It turns out that at this moment—

The tiger demon, accompanied by a monkey, was carrying a portrait of the mountain god and an incense burner, searching for people to offer incense.

However, it always refers to it as a friendly competition, which somehow gives the monkey's mischievous antics a veneer of respectability.

This can be considered a wonderful use of a famous instrument.

However, Zhong Xuan still anticipated that the two of them would eventually run into a tough opponent.

With a pre-existing legal basis, many issues can be mitigated.

The survival strategies of these lesser demons actually provided the monkey with excellent guidance.

The road must always be walked step by step.

Zhong Xuan's thoughts stirred slightly, and he remotely understood the illusory figure of himself in the distance.

They smiled at each other, their hearts understanding each other's kindness.

……

……

Beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens lies the Heaven of Separation from Hatred, and the Tushita Palace.

Laozi sat upright on his cloud bed, lightly flicking his whisk, and a small bell the size of a palm flew out from his sleeve.

Its entire body is dark yellow, with a hidden flow of chaotic energy, and the cloud-like inscriptions on the bell body exude an unyielding and indestructible power.

"Golden Horn, deliver this item to someone at Cuiyun Mountain in Xiniu Hezhou."

"This was crafted on someone's behalf and given to their junior for protection. They will sense it when they get close."

Laozi gave a faint, indifferent instruction to the boy beside him who was tending the furnace.

The Golden Horned Boy respectfully accepted it, bowed, and withdrew.

The moment the boy turned around, a deep greed welled up in his eyes.

Laozi stood behind, his gaze deep and unfathomable, as if he could foresee all the entanglements of cause and effect that would follow.

After the Golden Horned Boy rode out of the Tushita Palace on a cloud, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

This bell, with its inner radiance, is clearly a rare acquired treasure, yet it is to be given to a cultivator from the lower realm.

Even if it were placed in the Heavenly Court, it would still be considered an exceptionally precious item personally crafted by Laozi.

It should be noted that Laozi's usual products are all made under the guise of something, with a group of children doing the work for him.

In this world, how many people possess magical treasures that require Laozi to personally refine them from start to finish?

"Silver Horn just happens to be lacking a treasure, and this item is destined for us!!"

He pondered for a moment, then pulled out a cheap little bell that he had casually crafted hundreds of years ago from his sleeve.

After another hand seal, the Samadhi True Fire enveloped the small bell and spun around several times.

A short while later, the clock quickly developed rough patterns and a fresh, precious luster.

"That's enough. It's enough to fool a cultivator from the lower realm. It's sufficient to make it look presentable."

The Golden Horned Boy was satisfied and, following the sound of the True Bell, headed straight for the Western Continent of Niuhe.

……

On the west side of Cuiyun Mountain, the clouds and mist gradually dispersed.

The young man walked out of the mountain path, dressed in coarse linen clothes with long sleeves fluttering in the wind.

At the foot of the mountain was a town with blue tiles and white walls, and wisps of smoke rising from its chimneys.

Zhong Xuan followed the stream out of the mountain pass and saw a house.

Inside the low wall, an old woman was bending over watering vegetables, her back hunched over.

"May I have a bowl of water?" Zhong Xuanlang reminded him.

Hearing the noise, the old woman looked up and saw a handsome young man followed by a veiled woman. She quickly put down her water ladle and came out to greet him: "Young Taoist priest, are you thirsty? Come in and sit down."

Zhong Xuan accepted the rough porcelain bowl and thanked him.

The old woman stood aside, observing the two, a smile appearing in her cloudy old eyes: "Travelers? This mountain path is difficult to walk on. Would you like to rest before continuing?"

The Rakshasa woman frowned slightly, about to speak.

Zhong Xuan put down the bowl and took out the things he had prepared in advance from his bag.

He gave her a small amount of silver and a bag of rice: "Old man, please keep this as payment for your water."

The old woman waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "No, no, a bowl of water isn't worth any money!"

Zhong Xuan had already placed the money and grain by the stove; it wasn't much, just enough for a few meals.

Too much is a disaster, too little is useless; this is the principle he holds in his heart.

The old woman stared blankly at the bag of rice, her eyes suddenly reddening: "Young Taoist priest, you are kind-hearted; you will surely attain immortality. This young lady is also kind-hearted; I wish you both a son soon..."

"I'm not—"

The Rakshasa woman's eyes widened instantly, and her right hand instinctively pressed down on the soft sword hidden at her waist.

However, before she could turn cold and angry, a hand gently grabbed her left arm.

The force was light, but the will was even stronger.

Zhong Xuan immediately released his grip and interrupted loudly, "Old man! I was guided here by the Cuiyun Mountain God. If you wish to thank someone, thank this newly appointed mountain god."

The old woman was shocked.

She gripped the doorframe tremblingly: "Seventy years. The temple has been without incense for seventy years. I've offered incense and prayed every year. Has a new mountain god truly come to protect us?"

Zhong Xuan had already turned and walked out of the courtyard. Rakshasa paused for a few seconds, then followed step by step.

After walking about ten steps, I heard a thud behind me as someone knelt down, followed by an old woman's tearful murmur: "The mountain god has appeared... he has appeared... why not sooner... my poor child..."

The Rakshasa woman deepened her breathing, her chest heaving more noticeably.

Having finally reached the alleyway, she suddenly exclaimed, "The Way of Gods? The Way of the Heretics! It makes people so foolish! If this old woman truly understood, she would know it's your kindness, not your reliance on nothingness!"

Zhong Xuan kept walking.

The Rakshasa woman snorted coldly and said arrogantly, "If you really want to help, you should enlighten her and help her understand the Dao, so that she can be self-sufficient! This kind of begging and worship will only keep her a mayfly even a hundred years from now. And you just helped her, and she immediately complains about not showing her divine intervention sooner—how ridiculous!"

Zhong Xuan suddenly stopped and pointed to a small river ahead.

The river is not wide and the current is gentle. On the opposite bank is a field where people are working.

Some people never think about crossing to the other side in their entire lives and are content with their lot.

"Some want to go, but they don't have the strength. Some are crossing the river. Some have already arrived."

He turned back, his gaze gentle: "I cannot explain this principle clearly, and I am still in the process of cultivating myself. Do you have any insights you would like to share?"

Zhong Xuanfei was not being modest; he was truly expressing his feelings.

Revising the Tai Xuan Scripture is no easy task. It requires practical verification in all aspects to determine any errors—ensuring it can be used for teaching and guiding people in this world, and preventing them from being misled into the evil path.

What he is saying now is from the bottom of his heart.

Upon hearing this, the Rakshasa woman stared into his eyes and coldly mocked, "Without liberation, it is all an illusion. A hundred years is but a fleeting moment, like dew or lightning."

Zhong Xuan fell silent.

The mountain god, in his physical form, remotely asked, "How should I answer?"

At this moment, the human being pondered and replied: "Her inherent nature is not yet fully developed, and the necessary conditions are difficult to meet."

So the two said hello to each other and then fell silent, practicing the meditation of silence.

Seeing that the boy was no longer speaking, the Rakshasa woman felt secretly pleased with herself for winning the argument, but she also felt uneasy.

Zhong Xuan continued walking forward, sat down at a tea stall in the town, and asked the stall owner a couple of questions.

The stall owner was a talkative middle-aged man: "The old woman's son? He's been dead for many years. Her grandson went to Jisaguo a few years ago, saying he wanted to cultivate immortality, and he never came back. Jisaguo has been quite lively in recent years. There's a place where you can learn Taoist magic for money, and many people have really made a name for themselves. A few people from our town have gone there too."

After hearing this, Zhong Xuan got up and walked west.

The Rakshasa woman followed behind, frowning: "Are you going to help her find her grandson?"

"Um."

"You only made this one trip for a believer's offering of incense?"

Her tone was inevitably sarcastic: "If the mountain god truly gains power one day, can you still help all the thousands of believers? Such spiritual practice is nothing but self-indulgence, utterly vain."

Zhong Xuan nodded: "That makes sense, but I can now do what a temple keeper should do."

Then keep walking.

The Rakshasa woman stopped and confirmed one last time: "I've heard that things over there are not simple."

"Um."

"If you're in danger, I won't protect you!"

She chuckled softly: "Unless, at that time you were willing to beg me to explain that entire Taoist scripture."

Zhong Xuan smiled and teased, "I am going to Jisaiguo to seek an opportunity to attain immortality and find someone along the way."

The Rakshasa woman paused for a moment, then chuckled, "An opportunity?"

The smile beneath the veil was radiant, like the seven-colored snow melting in the mountain sunlight.

But she quickly composed herself, her face hardening, and her bright eyes clearly conveyed three words: I'll laugh at you!

Zhong Xuan withdrew his gaze and continued westward.

I could hear her footsteps behind me, neither hurried nor slow, always keeping me a few steps away.