Journey to the West: The Great Sage's Guide

Chapter 2 Traveling with the Great Sage

The monkey's eyes were wide open as it tilted its head to look at the boy.

It seems to be trying to understand this strange change.

Why did this young man so easily change everyone's attitude?

The vendors were all intrigued and began whispering among themselves.

One tael of silver is no small amount; it's enough to buy half a pig.

The fat butcher licked his lips and spoke first:

"Alright! I'll go first! It's perfectly natural for a monkey to want to eat when it's hungry. But it's wrong for it to steal other people's food!"

Those around who heard this all agreed with it and nodded in agreement.

"You want to compensate the monkey, which is kind and the right thing to do. But it's ungrateful and even stole things; both of these things are wrong!"

After the fat butcher finished speaking, he looked around smugly, enjoying the flattery.

When the monkey heard that eating alive was right, it grinned. When it heard that stealing food was wrong, it bared its teeth and shook its head.

Zhong Xuan smiled but remained silent.

An elderly man selling vegetables stepped forward and said shakily:

The old man said... Heaven and earth give birth to all things, each with its own way of living.

"It's like humans eating rice and monkeys eating fruit; each is simply living its own way."

Those around them, upon hearing this, also agreed that it made sense.

"But this monkey wears human clothes and speaks human language, so why does it steal human food?" The old man shook his head.

He said with certainty, "If it's a monkey, it goes up the mountain to pick fruit. If it's a human, it works to earn food. Thinking about it this way, it's wrong for the monkey to steal food."

When the monkey heard about going up the mountain to pick fruit, its eyes lit up and it nodded repeatedly.

When it heard about scholars doing work again, it scratched its head blankly, seemingly understanding but not quite.

At this moment, everyone started to chime in with their own opinions.

Some say, "The law of the jungle is the rule of wild animals, but humans have their own rules."

Some people say, "Monkeys are innocent and natural, but humans are always greedy."

Zhong Xuan listened calmly, like a schoolchild listening to the teachers having a heated discussion on the podium.

He neither agreed nor denied it, but simply listened silently, smiling as usual.

The words of ordinary teachers may be simplistic, but they are often understood by the listener as simplistic as they are to ordinary people.

For example, what the people just talked about included principles such as nature, rules, exchange, and identity.

Zhong Xuan listened attentively and naturally found it interesting, not boring at all.

Cultivate the Tao and cultivate the mind.

In his eyes, if the mind is not lively, then the path is very uninteresting to cultivate.

He cultivated himself for a hundred years, entirely because he loved and cherished the Dao, not because he thought the Dao was anything special.

Then I saw the monkey, who was supposed to be the main character, at first just listening, but later he silently squatted down and scratched the ground with a grass stick.

He frowned from time to time, as if he was pondering something.

When it hears certain words, it will squeak, nod, or shake its head.

After everyone finished speaking, the monkey suddenly jumped up.

It pointed at the fat butcher, then at the old vegetable seller, and finally at the young fruit vendor, and began to squeak and groan.

"You... you said living is right, stealing is wrong... um, half right."

"You...you said monkeys pick fruit and people do the work...um, that's right."

"You... said you'd take it without asking... not asking is wrong... um..."

It scratched its head for a long time, then suddenly its eyes lit up and it looked at Zhong Xuan.

It stretched out its hairy fingers, first pointing to the loose silver in the boy's hand, then to the roast chicken stall, and finally to itself.

"You... use silver to buy chickens."

"I...have no money."

"I have......"

The monkey looked around, then suddenly darted to the side, picked up a few round pebbles, and plucked a few bright leaves.

It carried the things to Zhong Xuan and stared at him expectantly.

"This... should we change it?"

In that instant, a glint of light appeared in its eyes, and its wildness faded.

Zhong Xuan narrowed his eyes, revealing undisguised admiration and fondness.

Such a mind and understanding are truly exquisite!

It's impossible not to like someone who loves the Dao and discusses it.

Because now, the monkey has vaguely understood and grasped some kind of truth.

Therefore, the monkey was no longer willing to forcibly take or take for free, but it did not forget its original intention.

That's why they exchanged opinions, seeking guidance to resolve their confusion.

The vendors were all stunned, but then someone reacted quickly and exclaimed:

"This monkey is a demon!"

"It really understood!"

In the days that followed, the townspeople had tried to reason with him, but after several attempts, they still only felt that he was a clever monkey with a decent nature.

Although monkeys possess extraordinary strength and an iron-like skin, and are unruly and difficult to tame, leaving people both helpless and fearful, they never intentionally harm anyone. However, they have a habit of grabbing food at will without paying, which is infuriating.

But now, they can actually reason with people?

At this moment, Zhong Xuan first looked at the pebbles and leaves in the monkey's hand, then at the monkey's round, eager eyes, and finally smiled slightly.

The boy's voice was clear and bright, yet it pierced through the streets with the clarity of metal and stone.

"Can!

"Monkey, what you hold in your hand is a karmic connection, which can be exchanged for my karmic connection... If you are willing, you can take it first and settle the karmic debt with them."

Zhong Xuan reached out, but did not take the pebbles or leaves; he merely made a perfunctory gesture.

Those few leaves moved without wind, and the pebbles tumbled.

A gentle breeze swirled softly in the monkey's palm.

Then a tael of silver fell with the force of the palm strike, landing in the hairy palm.

This is not a magic technique, but simply a state of freedom where one can control one's energy at will.

The monkey was stunned, looked down at the silver, and then looked up at the person.

In the monkey's eyes, a sharp light flashed intensely, as if it were about to gain enlightenment again.

"But cause and effect will not disappear," Zhong Xuan continued, his gaze calm.

"I took on this burden for you, and thus we became connected..."

"The bond that began is hard to break; I'm afraid we'll have to walk together for a while from now on."

He was implying that he was handing over the final decision-making power.

From the monkey's transformation, Zhong Xuan saw the beautiful jade-like heart hidden beneath the stubborn rock, a seed of Dao that could be polished and refined, and he couldn't bear to let it go to waste.

Upon hearing this, the monkey's fur trembled slightly.

It suddenly dropped pebbles and leaves, then crouched down, clutching its head with its paws and trembling.

A low, guttural growl escaped its throat, as if it were struggling to think.

At first, the common people in the city found it strange, but they unconsciously lowered their voices.

A few breaths later, the monkey suddenly raised its head.

The wildness in his eyes faded somewhat, and clarity suddenly increased.

It no longer looked at the vendors or the roast chicken, but stared straight at the person, extending a hairy finger.

First he refers to the boy, then he refers to himself.

The monkey asked, slowly and deliberately, his voice thick with awkwardness but clear:

"Fellow travelers? Where is the road?"

Its eyes were filled with confusion and longing.

This question has transcended the previous entanglements and points to a deeper level.

This road is probably no longer the road we are walking on.

The surrounding crowd fell silent instantly, as if everyone had been questioned.

The fat butcher's mouth gaped open, and the pig-slaughtering knife in his hand clattered to the ground.

The old vegetable vendor stammered, "Enlightenment...enlightenment...this young man...is a spirit enlightened by an immortal..."

It turns out that this place is near Lingtai Mountain, and it has long been said to be protected by immortals who can suppress demons from all directions, preventing them from causing trouble. Therefore, the locals are all grateful, and the veneration of immortals and the pursuit of Taoism are very popular.

Seeing this scene now, how could everyone not be shocked and respectful?

The fat butcher was the first to react, frantically waving his hands:

"No! No need to pay for it! This chicken... consider it a tribute to the monkey... to you, my clever monkey!"

Other vendors chimed in, and no one dared to ask for money anymore.

Zhong Xuan shook his head, took the one or two taels of silver from the monkey's palm, gently placed it on the roast chicken stall, and said to the stall owner:

"The cause and effect must be settled, and the money and goods are settled."

"From this point on, it owes you nothing more."

The stall owner took it blankly, only feeling that the silver was slightly warm to the touch.

Seeing that Zhong Xuan had put down the silver, the monkey scratched his face and suddenly imitated him, awkwardly clasping his hands in a fist and bowing gesture towards the vendors.

I don't know where he learned this posture from, it's crooked and awkward, but it has a kind of earnest naivety.

Everyone was stunned again.

Zhong Xuan said no more, flicked his coarse cloth sleeves, turned and walked out of the town, reciting aloud:

"Do not ask where the road leads, but seek where your heart desires."

"Foolish monkey, foolish monkey. Come on, come on, what are you waiting for?"

The boy's voice was like the tolling of a morning bell, or the sound of an evening drum breaking through the deep twilight.

In the market, everyone could hear the rhythmic vibrations of the breath, and they all felt a buzzing in their ears, as if a delicate tingling sensation was rising from the soles of their feet and rushing all the way to the top of their heads.

Each word is understandable, but when put together, they contain a wealth of hidden meanings.

Upon closer reflection, it seems both clear and unclear, leaving one feeling empty yet restless.

They couldn't help but wonder: Is this the way?

The fat butcher dropped the knife he had just picked up.

The old man selling vegetables stood there, oblivious to the fact that his basket had been overturned.

The apples in the young fruit vendor's hand rolled to the ground.

He stared blankly at Zhong Xuan's departing figure, his lips trembling: "Xian...Xian Yao..."

And what did the monkey think after hearing that?

Its golden fur suddenly stood on end, and its eyes shone brightly!

Then he suddenly clutched his head and squatted down, this time in an even worse state, making strange hoarse sounds from his throat, as if in pain or enlightenment.

A few breaths later, it suddenly leaped up.

He scratched his ears and cheeks, then let out a long howl to the sky!

The whistling sound was clear and stirring, devoid of any ignorant wildness, leaving only an overwhelming joy of awakened spirituality.

Without hesitation, it ran a few steps on all fours and chased after the figure.

As the boy drew closer, the monkey gradually stood upright, mimicking the way its predecessors had done, and followed the boy in a crooked and unsteady manner.

It kept looking back as it walked.

I looked at the town, then at the figures ahead.

In the monkey's eyes, the light shone brightly.

It was as if this was what it was looking for.

Zhong Xuan strolled ahead, dressed in coarse cloth, taking a leisurely walk.

After the monkey caught up, it walked alongside the boy, turned its head to look at his face, and then asked hesitantly:

"Where...is my heart?"

This question made Zhong Xuan stop in his tracks.

As dusk settled, only the sound of the wind remained on the desolate path.

He gazed into those clear yet stubborn golden eyes.

Wild beasts never question the heart.

Indeed, it turned out to be a naturally clever monkey.

Zhong Xuan remained silent for a moment, then raised his right hand.

Asking one's conscience is never just a matter of words.

He must not mislead the younger generation, nor should he deceive Lingbao.

Therefore, he lightly pressed his index finger to his lips and made a sweeping motion from left to right.

It was as if they were closing their lips, sealing them off.

Zhong Xuan moved very gently, his eyes as warm and gentle as ever, like a smiling elder.

The monkey stared in disbelief, its ear-scratching motion frozen in mid-air.

Look at the person's gestures, then look at the person's eyes, then look down at the golden fur on his chest, and finally look up at the darkening sky.

A few scattered stars had already appeared there, and the place was deserted and quiet.

Suddenly, the monkey stopped scratching its ears and cheeks.

It imitated Zhong Xuan, raising its furry paw and silently making a half-hearted tug at its mouth.

After making this movement, it trembled slightly, and the light in its eyes exploded like lightning deep in its pupils.

It seemed to understand something, but it couldn't express it.

I don't know where my heart is yet.

But it seems that what I'm hearing now is different from the answer I wanted to give...

It seems like nothing I do will be right.

So the monkey slowly lowered its paw, and the whole monkey became quiet.

It stopped asking questions and squeaking, and simply followed silently behind Zhong Xuan, as if performing the respect due to a disciple.

The monkey's round eyes no longer looked confused, but instead held a hint of admiration and curiosity.

Like an apprentice gazing at his master, or a traveler recognizing an unfamiliar road.

It's more like gazing at a beam of light that can illuminate it, wanting to explore it to the end.

Zhong Xuan continued walking forward.

The monkey followed along, trying to learn to walk.

One in front, one behind, one standing, one staggering, they walked into the deepening night.

The distant mountains are like dark eyebrows, and the stars and moon are gradually becoming brighter.