Journey to the West: Sun Wukong's Advice System
Chapter 171: Dispute

Chapter 171: Chapter 171: Dispute

Ao Lie and Princess Wansheng exchanged glances, both their expressions grave and puzzled.

What were the Chan Teaching disciples doing in the Peach Garden?

"Be careful," Princess Wansheng said.

Ao Lie nodded, and the two went together to the entrance of the Peach Garden to check the situation.

But just as they reached the entrance, a fierce wind howled, blowing the two guards outside the gate into the air before slamming them heavily back to the ground.

"Blind fools." A handsome young man stepped on their bodies, walking into the garden with an arrogant expression.

Ao Lie’s face darkened—it was his subordinates!

"Are you the so-called Prince Jade Dragon?" the handsome young man asked, looking at Ao Lie.

"Who are you?" Ao Lie asked.

"What ignorance from the Dragon Race’s youth," the handsome young man said arrogantly. "I am Baiyun, a disciple of Qing Xu Daode Zhenjun of the Chan Teaching."

"No matter who you claim to be," Ao Lie said sternly, "the Peach Garden is a critical area of the Heavenly Court. Without His Majesty the Jade Emperor or the Queen Mother’s decree, no one can intrude!"

"Decree?" Baiyun burst into laughter as if he had heard the biggest joke. "You should inquire more, the people from Chan Teaching coming to take peaches from the Peach Garden—since when do they need a decree?"

Just then, the deity of the Peach Garden hastily came over and explained softly to Ao Lie, "My lord, every year before the Peach Festival, disciples from the Chan Teaching always come to pick some peaches in advance."

Ao Lie frowned, remembering his master’s instructions.

His master had exhorted him to remain reasonable and justified in his actions while guarding the Peach Garden, no matter the circumstances.

As long as he could do that, there was nothing to fear!

With this in mind, Ao Lie stated firmly, "I don’t care what happened before, now I am here under the Emperor’s orders to guard the Peach Garden, and I cannot allow anyone to just take the peaches."

"Well, well, well, you’re courageous." Baiyun scoffed. "I wanted to talk nicely, but you are forcing me to take action."

With that, he flipped his hand and drew a longsword that radiated the aura of a Superior Innate Spiritual Treasure.

"Immortals, please do not resort to violence!" Princess Wansheng urgently said.

"And you—who are you to stop me, a lowly dragon maid?" Baiyun said disdainfully.

Ao Lie was immediately filled with rage and was about to take action but was stopped by Princess Wansheng.

Though Princess Wansheng’s complexion was not great, she still smiled and said, "Immortal, please calm down. I am the personal attendant of the Queen Mother, here today to pick peaches by her decree.

If you wish to pick peaches, why not obtain a decree from His Majesty or Her Highness like I did and then come?"

"Lowly maid!" Baiyun was infuriated. Were these lowly members of the Dragon Race daring to mock him?

The Chan Teaching disciples had always picked peaches early; it was an unspoken rule in the Heavenly Court, and securing a decree was certainly not necessary, as neither the Haotian Jade Emperor nor the Queen Mother would issue one.

"I have already told you, I am the Queen Mother’s handmaid." Princess Wansheng frowned. "And yet you keep calling me a lowly maid. Are you looking down upon Her Highness?"

"To death with you!" Baiyun immediately attacked, swinging his longsword and sending a piercing light through the void.

"Too arrogant!" Ao Lie could not stand it once more and threw out the Heart Sutra beads from his wrist.

The blue beaded treasure radiated brightly, carrying a tremendous force that instantly shattered the sword light and knocked Baiyun to the ground.

"You..." Baiyun was shocked. He was a True Immortal with a Superior Innate Spiritual Treasure. Even facing a Golden Immortal, he was unafraid.

Yet, the Prince Jade Dragon before him was a Golden Immortal who had knocked him down with a single strike. Clearly, the opponent’s magical treasure was not simple; it must be at least a Medium-Quality Innate Spiritual Treasure, if not a Superior Postnatal Spiritual Treasure.

"Begone!" Ao Lie growled lowly; he had obviously shown restraint just now.

"Wait, just wait!" Baiyun Tongzi’s face looked extremely unsightly as he left the Peach Garden in a most disheveled manner.

Princess Wansheng watched Ao Lie, a glint of fascination flowing in her beautiful eyes, as if she was seeing Ao Lie for the first time, having never witnessed his true strength before.

More than ten years ago at the Dragon Transformation Assembly, Ao Lie was merely an Earth Immortal, but today he was able to overturn a True Immortal of the Chan Teaching wielding a Superior Innate Spiritual Treasure with a single strike!

Could it be that Sun Wukong really is a wise mentor as well?

Ao Lie, feeling somewhat embarrassed yet proud under her intense gaze, finally said, "I apologize for frightening you, Princess."

But Princess Wansheng shook her head, "It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have said those words that angered the True Immortal of the Chan Teaching. He probably won’t let this go."

"Not so," Ao Lie said, "he was going to make a move regardless. But next time you encounter disciples from the Chan Teaching, you should still be careful not to argue with them."

"I will remember that, and you be careful too," Princess Wansheng obediently nodded.

Afterward, one of them picked a peach and returned to the Palace of the Queen Mother of the Jade Pond, while the other went to the residence of the Great Sage Equalling Heaven.

...

Meanwhile, Sun Wukong was still discussing matters of romantic relationships with Golden Cicada at the residence.

Their discussion started from a recent change of fate in marriage, and gradually deepened.

Of course, rather than calling it a discussion, it was more of a debate.

Golden Cicada said, "The word love can most undermine the Buddhist heart. The Heart Sutra states, ’Form is no different from emptiness; emptiness no different from form. Form is emptiness; emptiness is form.’"

Sun Wukong laughed, "That’s just deceiving oneself and others. If you meet someone you like, you’ll still be moved, but the rules and discipline of the Buddha Sect require you to suppress your own feelings, a practice of extinguishing one’s nature which I do not agree with."

He had more to say. According to previous online discussions, Golden Cicada, after experiencing nine cycles of rebirth and reincarnating as Tang Sanzang, would encounter the Queen of the Women’s Country on the journey to the West for scriptures.

The usually resolute Tang Sanzang nearly failed to leave.

This ordeal was arguably the toughest among the ninety-nine trials: evidently, Tang Sanzang was moved,

were it not for the intervention of the Scorpion Spirit, coupled with the forward drive of Buddhist intentions and the discipline of the Buddha Sect to suppress the feelings in his heart, he would definitely not have made it out of the Women’s Country.

"Amitabha, well said, well said," Golden Cicada responded, "Great Sage, you’re seeing it too one-sidedly. Buddhist practice is to avoid all bad desires, not to extinguish one’s nature."

"Still deceiving yourself," Sun Wukong shook his head, "Let’s talk about your Buddhist practice of becoming monks, making one without father, without mother, without wife, without child, this is cutting off human relations,

if all beings were to follow the Buddha Sect, there would be no reproduction, and thus human path would also extinguish."

"Why would you think so, Great Sage?" Golden Cicada puzzled, "If everyone aspired towards Buddha, then everyone would be reborn in paradise, there would be no suffering in the world, what’s wrong with that?"

"You and I hold our own views, arguing like this is pointless," Sun Wukong laughed, "Rather, let’s wait and see, to see what the truth eventually unfolds, who’s right and who’s wrong."

"That sounds good," Golden Cicada nodded.

As they were speaking, Ao Lie came back.

"Apprentice, you haven’t been gone long, how come you’re back already?" Sun Wukong knowingly asked.

The Peach Garden was right next to the residence of the Great Sage Equalling Heaven, with his abilities, he could surely sense what transpired there; a mere Divine Skill could reveal all behind the walls.

Ao Lie promptly knelt on the ground, "Disciple has made a mistake, please punish me, Master."

Then, he recounted the incident with Princess Wansheng.

Sun Wukong’s expression remained unchanged.

Golden Cicada, however, was quite curious; they had just been discussing matters of romance, and here was a related incident.