Chapter Two: The Little Demon Flies to the Sky, the Boar Climbs the Tree

The sow can climb trees, but it seems the boar cannot. This crow indeed possesses some supernatural abilities, and I cannot provoke it.

Although Old Zhu's idea is good, the Liushah River is neither too far nor too close, precisely a distance of 1,000 miles. A little pig, taking about a month, does not know in which year or month it will arrive. Old Zhu was troubled, when suddenly he looked up and saw the nine-toothed rake floating in the air, and his heart was filled with joy

This is the territory of the Wusizang Kingdom, which is not large and does not have any desolate mountains or treacherous waters. The only creature present is a fairy who is currently flying around on a nine-toothed rake. The nine-toothed rake is not fast, and by nightfall, it has not yet left the Wusizang Kingdom. Old Zhu, feeling dizzy from hunger, has no choice but to land, run to the fields, and eat some grains at random. After that, he flies up to a tree on the rake and falls into a deep sleep, causing several wolves below to drool all night.

Zhao Gongming attained enlightenment during the era of the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign, accumulating thousands of years of Taoist practice, far surpassing that of Marshal Tianpeng. Thus, it was naturally easy for Lu Ya to take his life. However, the Daoist Lord did not anticipate that this would inadvertently benefit another pig demon.

Lu Ya discovered that his "Great Essence of Fire Celestial Technique" had vanished without a trace, and he could not help but feel a surge of anger. Upon further inspection, he found that the Wuchao had also been turned upside down by someone. The three thousand strands of cypress gold silk he had painstakingly cultivated were now missing over a hundred, which only fueled his rage further. These strands of cypress gold silk were crucial to his path to enlightenment, having been refined over two thousand years; how could he not be furious? Lu Ya waved his hand to summon the mountain god and the land deity to inquire about the matter. He learned that a pig demon had come by, and the land deity described the pig demon in such and such a manner.

The Nine-Toothed Nail Hammer, officially named Shang Bao Qin Jin Ba, is a divine weapon forged by the Supreme Laojun. Although it cannot compare to the Ruyi Jingu Bang, it possesses immense power and has never been damaged in the 81 trials of "Journey to the West"

The reason why Shang Baoqin follows Zhu Ganglie is likely because there is still a celestial spirit of Marshal Tianpeng within Old Zhu, thus recognizing him as the master and remaining loyal without leaving his side

Old Zhu exclaimed, "Lower it a bit, lower it some more!" The precious golden rod descended before the little pig demon, radiating beams of rosy light. Old Zhu hurriedly exerted all his strength to climb onto the rod. The rod was a smooth iron pole, and in a moment of distraction, he slipped down again. Old Zhu had no choice but to position the rod upright, sitting his pig bottom on the nine-pronged spike, tightly wrapping his limbs around the iron pole. Then, with his heart set free, the precious golden rod wobbled and flew up, heading westward.

This gourd is the renowned Immortal-Slaying Flying Dagger that shakes the three realms. Inside the gourd, there is a thread of fine light, exceeding three zhang in height. An object appears above it, measuring seven inches in length, with eyebrows and eyes, and two beams of white light in its eyes. It descends like a cover, and even if a Taiyi Golden Immortal is pinned down in the Niwan Palace by this treasure, they will still have their soul scattered.

Zhu Ganglie once studied "Journey to the West". From the perspective of alchemy, the east represents the sun, and the sun corresponds to Li; the west represents the moon, and the moon corresponds to Kan. Within the sun, there is a crow known as "Golden Crow", thus "crow" symbolizes the sun; within the moon, there is a rabbit known as "Jade Rabbit", hence "rabbit" symbolizes the moon. The term "Wu Si Zang" refers to the place where the sun hides, which is also where the moon rises. "Wu Chao" is also the resting place of the "Golden Crow", therefore hetushu.com possesses the ultimate treasure of alchemy, which is the "Heart Sutra". The term "Wu Si Zang" refers to the place where the sun hides, which is also where the moon rises. "Wu Chao" is also the resting place of the "Golden Crow", therefore hetushu.com possesses the ultimate treasure of alchemy, which is the "Heart Sutra".

Although Old Zhu was extremely eager to steal the gourd, such a powerful treasure must have long been refined by Lu Ya, with its control entirely at his command. If he were to take the Flying Sword of Immortal Slaying, Lu Ya could simply recite a spell and say, "Please, treasure, turn around," and Old Zhu would be completely doomed.

But in the haystack, it was empty, with only a gourd and a scroll of scriptures, while Master Wuchao was nowhere to be found

The monkey is still trapped under the Five Elements Mountain, guarded by the Earth God and the Five Directions' Revealer, and cannot seek refuge with him. The Sand Monk was originally the curtain-lifting general serving in the Lingxiao Palace, and is of the same family as Zhu Bajie. It is likely that he has already been demoted to the Flowing Sand River, where he is generally among the demons. It would be better to seek him out, as there might be a future in doing so

"Fly faster, even faster!" The little pig soaring in the sky was full of pride, controlling the speed and direction of the nine-toothed rake while observing the scenery below

Therefore, this Master Wuchao is most likely the Buddha Vairocana. In conjunction with the legend of the Investiture of the Gods, the only one who fits the identity of the Buddha Vairocana is the Three-Legged Golden Crow, Lu Ya. Lu Ya first practiced Daoism and then Buddhism, integrating the two major schools of Mahayana, transforming into the Buddha Vairocana, establishing the doctrines of Esoteric Buddhism, residing in Wuchao, engaging in Zen meditation and enlightenment, and is a figure of quasi-savior status.

Here lies Futu Mountain, which was most beloved by Lao Zhu during his lifetime, who was well-versed in the Journey to the West and the Investiture of the Gods. He knew that there was a fragrant cypress tree in the mountain, and in front of the tree, there was a bird's nest, where resided a remarkable figure known as Master Wuchao. When Tang Seng passed through this place, Master Wuchao taught him the 270-character "Heart Sutra of Mahā Prajñā Pāramitā" and mocked the monkey for being overly suspicious, which angered Wukong. He raised his iron rod and struck wildly at the nest, but ultimately could not touch a single feather of Wuchao, realizing the profound magical powers of this Zen master.

On that day, Lu Ya heard that the Tathagata Buddha had been summoned by the Heavenly Court to subdue the demon monkey, so he went to the Western Spirit Mountain to inquire. The Spirit Mountain is also a celestial realm; one day there is equivalent to one year on the ground. Upon arriving at the Spirit Mountain, he did not realize that several days had passed as he discussed Buddhist teachings with various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, engaging in philosophical discourse and casually concocting some schemes. By the time he returned to the Floating Pagoda Mountain, three years had already elapsed

Zhu Gang, panting heavily, lay under the tree unable to move. The little pig was in good shape, able to run very fast at just one month old, though its two legs were not very agile. After resting, Old Zhu pondered over where to go from here.

Such situations often arise when one's own abilities are surpassed by the methods of others, or when someone assists in distorting the principles of yin and yang and the five elements, thereby obscuring the heavenly mechanisms. Lu Ya naturally does not believe that the meager magical powers of a mere pig demon could exceed his own; he merely suspects that someone is secretly aiding the pig demon to bring misfortune upon him, and he does not consider at all that the pig demon is fundamentally not a being of this realm

"Detestable! You have stolen my precious scroll and my treasures; I cannot allow you to escape unscathed!" Lu Ya Daojun calculated the origins of that pig demon with his fingers, only to find the heavenly secrets too obscure to decipher, leaving him astonished.

At present, set up a camp and a platform, erect a straw man, and inscribe the three characters 'Zhu Ganglie' on it. Place a lamp on its head and another lamp at its feet. Perform the steps of the Big Dipper, write symbols, form seals, and burn them, offering worship three times a day. This Nail-Headed Seven-Arrow Script could even defeat Zhao Gongming, let alone a minor figure like the Marshal of the Heavenly Canopy.

This nine-toothed nail hammer is the renowned weapon of Zhu Bajie. It is said: This is forged from divine ice iron, polished to a bright sheen. The Old Lord himself wielded the hammer, while the comet personally added charcoal dust. The Five Directions and Five Emperors employed their cunning, while the Six Ding and Six Jia expended great effort. Thus was created the nine-toothed jade fang, and the double-ringed golden leaf was cast. Adorned with the six luminaries, it aligns with the five stars, and its form follows the four seasons according to the eight festivals. The lengths and shortness determine the universe, while the left and right divide the sun and moon. The six lines of divine generals follow heavenly laws, and the eight trigrams align with the constellations. Adorned with the six luminaries, it aligns with the five stars, and its form follows the four seasons according to the eight festivals. The lengths and shortness determine the universe, while the left and right divide the sun and moon. The six lines of divine generals follow heavenly laws, and the eight trigrams align with the constellations.

The book states that this precious Baoyin gold palladium can change at will and soar freely. Zhu Ganglie immediately had a mischievous thought, thinking: "Treasure, lower a bit!" The Baoyin gold palladium indeed flew a little lower.

It is said that the Great Sun Tathagata Buddha is the ancient three-legged golden crow, Lu Ya Daoist. After the battle of the Investiture of the Gods, he neither gathered talents nor gained power; he was entirely alone, having gained nothing at all. Feeling that the path of a sage was long and uncertain, and realizing that his own Taoist cultivation was difficult to make progress in, he decided to turn to Buddhism, intending to find the great way of achieving the primordial true fruit through Buddhist teachings. Thus, he was conferred the title of Great Sun Tathagata Buddha

Old Zhu rode his horse along the mountain path, flying upwards. After an unknown amount of time, he finally spotted a fragrant cypress tree. The tree did not appear to be very tall. As Old Zhu continued to fly upwards on his horse, he found that for every ten feet he ascended, the tree grew an equal ten feet. The higher he flew, the taller the tree became, and Old Zhu remained beneath the branches, unable to see the top of the tree.

The Immortal Slaying Flying Knife is not to be desired, but this scroll of scriptures is not a magical treasure. The little pig, grunting and mumbling, clutched the scriptures and hung them on the nine-toothed rake, then ran back and turned the crow's nest upside down, yet found no treasures. The scent of this haystack was enticing, with each piece of hay shimmering with golden light. Old Zhu recalled that this hay was also a rare treasure, impervious even to the Ruyi Jingu Bang of the Monkey King. He quickly took a mouthful, flustered, and jumped onto the nine-toothed rake, soaring away.

"Do the sages of the East not wish for me to attain the Dao of the Primordial?" Lu Ya could not help but become cautious. He once again immersed himself in calculations, and this time, surprisingly, it went smoothly. He deduced that the pig demon was the reincarnation of Marshal Tianpeng from the Tongtian River, who called himself Zhu Ganglie. However, he could not ascertain his whereabouts, and he could not help but sneer, saying: "Even if a sage assists you in obscuring the heavenly secrets, I can still take your life!"

At noon on the second day, Old Zhu finally flew out of the Kingdom of Wusizang. Looking up, he saw a towering mountain blocking the way, majestic and lofty, with green pines and cypresses, verdant willows and red peach trees. The mountains were teeming with rare and exotic creatures, gentle and harmonious. Below the ravine flowed a torrent of azure water, and before the cliff floated clusters of auspicious clouds, truly a paradise on earth

Creation, creation! The little piglet stared at the gourd, drooling, hesitating for a long time, yet still dared not take the gourd away

Old Zhu fell down, and the little piglet ran around in a frenzy. Finally, it found the black nest, where the Great Sun Tathagata had built its old nest under a tree, imitating Shakyamuni's enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. The little piglet lost its hoe and was filled with joy, quickly running to this inconspicuous pile of straw and firewood, only to be greeted by a fragrant aroma that wafted towards it, instantly refreshing its spirit.

Ermi Tofu, having been accustomed to running on two legs in a past life, cannot change this habit even after becoming a pig. Fortunately, just outside the village lies a forest, and the villagers, deterred by the presence of that meddlesome sister Erlang on the mountain, only made a commotion for a while before retreating.