Chapter 164: The arrogant scholar finally reaches the Huai River

The three groups of immortals traveled for a long time and before they knew it, more than half a month had passed. It was the Waking of Insects time, when the Yang energy rose and drove away the remaining winter. In the third spring, there were bursts of thunder in the Waking of Insects, and the sweet rain brought new life to all things in spring.

The group traveled eastward and reached a mountain. It was drizzling with spring rain and the mountain road was damp, making it impossible for horses and vehicles to move forward. Fortunately, the white deer was not an ordinary person and had some strength on his feet, so he was able to move forward.

Jiang Yuan was wearing a bamboo hat, and Niu Wang and Zuo Liang were also wearing bamboo hats as they walked along.

Zuo Liang was over sixty years old, his legs and feet were not very flexible, and he walked with difficulty. He gritted his teeth and followed the white deer closely, not daring to show any sign of tiredness.

Jiang Yuan walked for a long time, pointed to a temple on the road ahead, and said, “It’s getting dark, let’s go to the temple to rest, and then continue to the Huai River tomorrow.”

The Bull Demon King looked at it from a distance, took a closer look, and said, “Master, that temple looks like an abandoned temple with no owner.”

Jiang Yuan said: “As long as you can rest.”

The Bull Demon King responded and rushed towards the temple.

It didn’t take long for the group to enter the temple, but they saw that the temple was indeed deserted and in a dilapidated state. It was only ok as a place to take shelter from the rain.

Zuo Liang gritted his teeth, endured his sleepiness and fatigue, and said: “Sir, I will sweep away the dust in the temple for you, so that you can rest.”

Jiang Yuan stopped him and said with a smile: “You don’t need to sweep, just find a place to sit down and rest. If you want to sweep, then sweep the dirt in your heart. When you have ‘sweeped the dirt in your heart and washed away the dust around your ears’, then I will rest.”

Say it.

He found a pillar to sit on. The immortal had his own immortal body. As soon as he sat down, all the dust disappeared. How dare he disturb him?

He said, “Ox King, please go and burn incense for the main seat in the temple and ask for permission to borrow the temple for one night.”

The Bull Demon King asked, “Master, this temple has no owner, how can we burn incense?”

Jiang Yuan said: “If there is a master, then respect the master; if there is no master, then respect heaven and earth.”

The Bull Demon King took the order and burned incense.

Zuo Liang bowed to Jiang Yuan and then sat down beside him, not daring to go beyond his authority.

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, “We have been traveling all the way and have had little rest. Are you tired?”

Zuo Liang shook his head and said, “Not tired, not tired.”

Jiang Yuan said: “You are old and weak. If you can’t stand the wind and rain, I can send you home so that you don’t have to endure this pain anymore.”

Zuo Liang said: “Follow the master, do not be afraid of pain, practice with all your heart, and do not dare to make mistakes.”

Jiang Yuan smiled and said “It’s up to you” and said no more.

The Bull Demon King came back from burning incense, holding firewood, and lit a fire to warm himself up, saying, “You are a little weak, so you should practice more.”

Zuo Liang said with a smile: “Master Niu is a god, and I am just an ordinary person. I cannot compare with him.”

The Bull Demon King said, “You are much weaker than ordinary people. You are shallow, and it must be because you were young and reckless, indulging in lust every day, that’s why you are so shallow. If you pay attention to cultivating your character, you will not be as shallow as you even if you are old.”

Zuo Liang smiled apologetically, not knowing how to respond.

Jiang Yuan asked: “Where are you now?”

Zuo Liang replied, “Sir, when I was young, I traveled a lot and visited many places. This place is still far from the Huai River, about five thousand miles away.”

Jiang Yuan nodded and said, “Rest for a while, then continue on your journey.”

Zuo Liang bowed and said, “Thank you for your understanding, sir.”

Jiang Yuan smiled and asked, “How do you thank me?”

Zuo Liang said: “I know that you are a god, so it is no problem for you to ride on clouds and mist. If it were not for me, you would have kept going forward. Why would you stop? So I have to pay my respects to you.”

Jiang Yuan smiled but said nothing.

Everyone was in the temple. It was getting dark and a drizzle was falling. So they lit a fire in the temple to keep warm.

At some point, a man suddenly stumbled in from outside the temple.

Jiang Yuan took a closer look and saw that the man looked like a scholar, wet all over, and holding a few books in his arms.

The scholar entered the temple and saw Jiang Yuan and others. He came forward to pay his respects and begged for permission to warm himself by the fire.

Jiang Yuan replied with a smile.

The scholar sat down carefully and placed a few books in his arms next to the fire. He felt relieved only after confirming that everything was correct.

Seeing this, the Bull Demon King said, “Why do you value books more than people? You should get some clothes to keep warm and avoid catching a cold.”

The scholar looked down on me and said, “What do you know, man? My books are more valuable than gold and silver. You should treasure them.”

The Bull Demon King said, “They are just some books, how can they be more valuable than gold and silver?”

The scholar was somewhat indignant and said, “How can you, a farmer, know the value of books? Do you know what book this is?”

Zuo Liang took a closer look and said, “Six Arts Book, what’s so precious about it?”

The scholar said, “Books like these can be bought with some gold and silver, but the value is not in the books.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan smiled and asked, “If the value is not in books, then what is it?”

The scholar held up the books and said, “These books were read by saints.”

Jiang Yuan said: “The sages read it and understood its essence. You read it, can you understand its essence?”

The scholar said proudly: “I never put down the book, how could I not know? The things in this book are all recorded in the principles of governing the country by the ancient sages. Reading it can make you a great talent for governing the country, and you can become an official.”

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, “If you say so, then everyone can be a great talent in governing a country and just enjoy reading books. The saints read it and took a different path. You read it and just follow the old path. If there is no way forward, you will be at a loss.”

When the scholar heard this, his face turned red and he said, “You are making a crooked argument.”

Jiang Yuan said: “What’s the twisted logic?”

The scholar said: “There are true principles in books. Your principles are not found in books, so your principles are perverted.”

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, “Since what you said is a fallacy, then it is a fallacy.”

The scholar pointed at three people and asked, “What are you doing?”

The Bull Demon King replied: “We are practicing cultivation.”

The scholar was very proud when he heard this and said, “I also met a practitioner before. He once read a book with me, the Tao Te Ching. It is said to be written by Laozi. The whole book has 5,000 words, and every word is precious.”

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, “I have also heard of the Tao Te Ching. It was during the Zhou Dynasty that Yin Xi, the commander of Hangu Pass, begged the saints to pass down wisdom so that those who heard about the Tao in later generations would have the opportunity to see it. That’s how this book came into being. The original name of this book was not the Tao Te Ching. It was because Yin Xi obtained the three thousand words of the mantra and used what he learned to complete the five thousand words. It was then passed down from generation to generation, and that’s when it got the name Tao Te Ching.”

The scholar was a little annoyed and said, “It’s ridiculous! This book was completed during the Zhou Dynasty. How do you know it is so complete?”

Jiang Yuan said: “If you don’t believe it, forget it.”

The scholar cursed, stopped warming himself by the fire, and walked to another part of the deserted temple. He was not willing to listen to anything.

Jiang Yuan shook his head: “Ox King, please get him some firewood. Don’t let him get hurt. It’s very cold at night.”

Upon hearing this, Bull Demon King brought some firewood to the scholar and then returned.

Zuo Liang couldn’t help but ask, “Sir, how can you be so knowledgeable? The Zhou Dynasty was more than a thousand years ago, yet you know so much.”

Jiang Yuan smiled but said nothing.

The Bull Demon King replied, “You underestimated me. I’ve heard that I followed him out of Hangu Pass.” Zuo Liang was shocked. He had never thought that the man he followed had lived for thousands of years. He asked tremblingly, “Sir, when were you born?”

Jiang Yuan said: “Born in the Zhou Dynasty.”

Zuo Liang then bowed and talked about his ancestors.

Jiang Yuan helped Zuo Liang up and said, “You are not wrong to call me that. Your ancestors have been kind to me.”

Zuo Liang did not understand what he meant and asked, “Sir, you were born in the Zhou Dynasty. How did my ancestors show you any favor?”

Jiang Yuan did not answer.

Silent all night.

Zuo Liang was exhausted and went to bed early after the conversation.

At dawn the next day, the scholar turned away, saying, “We have different ideals, so we cannot work together,” and then he walked out.

Jiang Yuan was sitting cross-legged in the temple, and was unmoved when he saw the scholar leave.

The Bull Demon King was standing nearby and asked, “Master, that scholar is so rude, why aren’t you angry?”

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, “Why should I be angry?”

The Bull Demon King said, “I don’t know why. If someone was so rude in the past, I would definitely teach him a lesson about the power of my iron rod. But when I am with you, my heart is always calm, so I never get angry.”

Jiang Yuan said: “Don’t get angry because of words. In the past, when I was traveling in the world of Jambu, some people scolded me for being unlucky, poor, childless and grandchildren, and some people scolded me for being extremely stupid. I didn’t need to pay attention to them.”

The Bull Demon King said, “Master, I am grateful for your advice.”

Jiang Yuan said: “Let Zuo Liang rest for a while.”

The Bull Demon King looked at the sleeping Zuo Liang and asked, “Master, why don’t you use some tricks to make him walk faster? Why make him suffer like this?”

Jiang Yuan said: “If he wants to be truly free and cultivate the true Dao, he must walk the right path. No one else can help him. If he can succeed, then he will have the heart to cultivate the Dao. Don’t disturb him.”

The Bull Demon King nodded deeply.

The two waited in the temple. When the sun was high in the sky, Zuo Liang finally woke up. Seeing the temple was quiet, Zuo Liang realized that Jiang Yuan and Bull Demon King were waiting for him, and he apologized in panic.

Jiang Yuan smiled and shook his head, and asked Zuo Liang to pack up and set off towards the Huai River.

As soon as Zuo Liang stood up, he felt pain in his feet. He looked carefully and found some blisters on his feet, which hurt when he walked.

Jiang Yuan asked: “Can you still walk?”

Zuo Liang bowed and said, “I can walk.”

Jiang Yuan said: “Then follow me on the road.”

Zuo Liang stood up and set off with Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan left the temple and sat on the back of a deer. The Bull Demon King led the way with a mixed iron stick, and Zuo Liang followed closely behind.

They all went outside. The drizzle gradually stopped, but the road was still wet and difficult to walk on. Zuo Liang’s feet were in pain, which made it even more difficult.

After walking for a long time and going down the mountain, they suddenly saw a figure in front of them. The Bull Demon King walked forward and took a closer look. He recognized it was the scholar from yesterday, who was now wandering on the road.

The Bull Demon King laughed and said, “Master, look, the scholar is blinded by the mountain mist and is wandering on the road.”

Jiang Yuan looked carefully and saw the scholar was panicking and walking around a tree on the road. He said, “If your heart is not right, evil will come. If you have a bit of noble spirit in your heart, you won’t be blinded by the fog. Just go ahead. He will suffer a little bit. After noon, the fog in the mountains will disappear and he will wake up.”

The Bull Demon King responded and went down the mountain.

Jiang Yuan walked slowly on the back of a deer. Wherever he walked, an imperceptible golden light rose on the road. He looked back at Zuo Liang, feeling something in his heart. In the past, his master led him to walk on this path of golden light, and now he finally led those who practiced with him to walk on this path of golden light.

……

Before I knew it, time had passed quickly and more than two months had passed.

Jiang Yuan traveled eastwards towards the Huai River, intending to subdue the Water Ape Sage. Along the way, he saw the red dust and purple paths, gorgeous stringed instruments, and fighting with grass and passing cups.

One day, a group of people walked to the outside of Chang’an City and stopped to admire the scenery of Chang’an City.

Jiang Yuan rode on the white deer and took a closer look. He saw the capital city of Chang’an. It was indeed majestic and magnificent, with eight rivers flowing around four mountains, which was very impressive.

The Bull Demon King said, “My Lord, this capital city of Chang’an is indeed a great city, with an aura of kingship that is alluring. When I traveled in the past, I also passed by here, but I never saw this capital city.”

Zuo Liang said: “Master Niu, sir, since His Majesty Tang ascended the throne, he has worked hard to govern the country, and the country has prospered.”

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, “Now that I have come to the capital of Chang’an, I have seen that China is a great country. There is no country in Xi Niu Hezhou that I have not heard of. They all have good relations with China.”

The group said no more and went into the city. Once they were in the city, they saw ‘ships carrying all kinds of goods from the lake to the market, thousands of hotels with curtains drawn, buildings everywhere crowded with people, alleys and streets bustling with merchants every morning’. It was so bustling and prosperous.

Jiang Yuan saw it and said, “What a great country! It is indeed prosperous.”

Zuo Liang said, “Sir, I have been here several times. I can take you wherever you want to go.”

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, “No need, just walk around, rest in this city for a day or two, and then leave and go to the Huai River. Chang’an City should not be far from the Huai River.”

The Bull Demon King stepped forward and said, “Master, it will take another month to reach the Huai River.”

Jiang Yuan nodded, and they found an inn and checked in.

Zuo Liang took off his shoes, revealing a pair of feet covered with redness, swelling and wounds. He applied medicine carefully.

Jiang Yuan asked: “Since the pain was unbearable, why didn’t you give up?”

Zuo Liang smiled and said, “Sir, it hurt at first, but later it didn’t hurt anymore.”

Jiang Yuan asked again: “Why do you say you never felt any pain?”

Zuo Liang said: “Sir, when I first felt the pain, I couldn’t understand why I had to endure this pain. But then I thought about how I have been rich and noble all my life, and never suffered. Now that I want to be free, I have to pay off my debt of wealth and nobleness. This pain and suffering, teach me how to pay it back.”

Jiang Yuan smiled and asked, “Why do you think so?”

Zuo Liang shook his head and said, “Although I was in pain, I felt more and more relaxed as I walked. The pain in my body was nothing compared to it. I have read books and know that the world is fair. I have enjoyed all the wealth and honor, but if I still want to practice cultivation and be free, I will have to suffer the same pain.”

Jiang Yuan said: “You see it clearly.”

Zuo Liang stood up and bowed, saying, “It’s not that I understand everything, but I have lived for a few years, so I understand it. Fortunately, you helped me, otherwise, I don’t know what to do.”

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, “I didn’t save you, so you have to save yourself.”

Zuo Liang thanked him again and again.

The two said no more, and after touring Chang’an for a day, they left and headed towards the Huai River.

Before I knew it, another month had passed, summer went away and autumn came, and the golden wind just started.

Jiang Yuan and his companions finally arrived at the Huai River area, where they heard the waves surging like mountains and rolling like ridges. They took a closer look and saw that the Huai River was “flowing like a tide, with waves rolling like mountains, vast and boundless.” What a nasty water.

The immortal used his ability of “looking at qi” and took a closer look. He saw black qi in the river water, which meant that there must be an evil spirit causing trouble.

The Bull Demon King swung his iron rod and said, “Master, I have to go down and drive that Aquatic Ape Sage up here.”

Zuo Liang was terrified and said, “Master Niu, the water is so turbulent that no one can stop it. How can we get down?”

The Bull Demon King laughed and said, “You don’t know that I have the ability to go up to the sky and the sea. Not to mention this river, I can go to the whole universe and the four seas.”

(End of this chapter)