Chapter 284: Lingtai Square Cun, Three Stars of the Slanting Moon

"There are monkeys and Patriarch Bodhi..."

Zhao Si became more and more confused:

"These two iconic characters both appear, so it should be Journey to the West... but why doesn't it look like it?"

As the plot progresses, first there are the "Four Continents", then the monkeys going out to sea, and now the monkeys have really met Bodhi Patriarch and learned the art of immortality...

All signs indicate that this chapter is consistent with some of the settings in Journey to the West.

However, Zhao Si knew clearly that this world was not Journey to the West. It was impossible to cultivate immortality here, only incense and gods.

So what did the monkey learn from Bodhi in this case? He even claimed that it was the art of immortality...

"And if the Honghuang style involves the plot of Journey to the West, then Bodhi Patriarch should be the incarnation of Zhunti Saint, one of the two saints in the West."

"Although the system says this is not the prehistoric version of Journey to the West, the essence remains the same. The identity of Bodhi Patriarch is very likely related to Zhunti."

"If we can confirm his identity, or even ask him questions about the background of the world in person, then we can definitely shorten the puzzle-solving process and establish a complete worldview as soon as possible..."

Zhao Si thought so, and until now he has not linked this chapter together with the previous three chapters, because the difference is too great, so great that it is not like the same world at all.

……

[Xiniuhezhou is the western continent among the four continents. In Journey to the West, there are many monsters and great supernatural beings here. Lion Camel Ridge, Lingshan Mountain, Wanshou Mountain... are all here. It is really a place of outstanding people and great monsters and immortals. ]

[Among these countless strong men, Bodhi Patriarch is the most mysterious one. The other strong men are at least known to outsiders, and the Heavenly Court will host banquets for them during festivals... Only Bodhi Patriarch is an exception. Only Sun Wukong knows him throughout the story, and no one else has ever heard of him. It's really strange.]

[And in this world view, before you know whether other gods and monsters exist, you have already heard the name of Bodhi from the monkey! ]

[Will such a great immortal really accept you as his disciple? ]

[With a nervous heart, you rowed the boat to the shore and followed the direction pointed by the monkey, looking for it step by step...]

[“What is the ancestor’s personality like?”]

[As you walked, you anxiously asked the monkey about the ancestor, intending to make some mental preparations in advance.]

[“The ancestor will answer any request, and he can enlighten people with just a few words. He knows everything about the truth of the world... Even I can understand him, so you don’t have to worry about it!”]

[The monkey laughed loudly: "When we all become immortals, we will go to heaven and live freely and untroubled by the troubles of the mortal world!"]

[You feel relieved, but you still have doubts about whether the ancestor will accept a disciple. After all, you are already old. Not only are you old, but you are also dull and can't even practice the visualization method...]

[So you ask it again: "What did the ancestors teach you? Was it the method of visualization?"]

【“Visualization? No.”】

[The monkey shook his head and said disdainfully: "What the ancestor taught me is the true method of cultivating immortality... The great way is only two or three sentences, so why do we need to practice those illusory visualization methods? It's just missing the point!"]

[“However, you need to pay attention to this.”]

[The monkey said seriously.]

[“The Grand Master is omniscient and omnipotent. Nothing in the world can be hidden from him. He knows everything you are thinking, so never lie to him. Just answer whatever he asks you…”]

[Hearing this, you felt a chill in your heart, thinking that you must not lie, and must show your most honest and sincere heart to the master...]

[You have even started to prepare your opening remarks in your mind. When you meet the master, you will recite these opening remarks truthfully: "Disciple Lin Liu, I am from the Southern Continent. My family has been clean for generations and I have never committed any crime... I have come here with a pure heart. No matter how hard or difficult it is, I can endure it. I hope the master will have mercy on me..."]

[You are ready for everything...]

[After traveling on land for several months, you finally arrived at the foot of "Lingtai Fangcun Mountain" under the guidance of the monkey.]

【…】

[“This mountain is Lingtai Fangcun Mountain!”]

[The monkey laughed and said, "Here are lush green ancient trees, auspicious clouds, and cranes flying around... It's a good thing that the master could find such a good place to build a cave. The Slanting Moon and Three Stars Cave is in the mountain. Come with me, I will take you to see the master!"]

[It strides forward, but you don’t move at all…]

【“Benefactor? Why don’t you leave?”】

【The monkey looks back at you in confusion.】

[There was a flicker in your eyes, as if you were struggling with something. After a long while, you said quietly: "Monkey, are you kidding me?"]

[“Playing? Why do you say that, benefactor?”]

[The monkey was very confused. He had good intentions to repay his benefactor. Now Lingtai Fangcun Mountain was right in front of him. Why didn't his benefactor go there? Instead, he said that he was playing a trick on him.]

[You stared at the sincere monkey in a daze, and then looked carefully at the so-called "Lingtai Fangcun Mountain"...]

【Mountain? Where is the mountain? 】

[You rub your eyes and look carefully again: there is nothing there, it is clearly a... cliff! ]

[In order to verify that there is nothing wrong with your vision, you tentatively throw a stone there: the stone falls normally without any obstruction.]

[This is indeed a cliff...]

【…】

[As for your question about whether Lingtai Fangcun Mountain is a cliff, the monkey was also confused, and even tried to walk over it. ]

[Then you see it disappear without a trace...]

[After a long time, you see it suddenly appear in the same place again. There is no sign at all. The scene is extremely strange...]

[It seems that the monkey did not lie to you. There really is a wonderful world hidden outside the secular world.] [But you tried many ways, but you still couldn't get to that world, including letting it catch you and then walk forward step by step.]

[However, it always disappears while walking, leaving you alone at the edge of the cliff in a daze...]

[After trying all kinds of methods, you finally confirmed: the monkey did not lie to you. To it, there really is a Lingtai Fangcun Mountain there, and in the mountain there is a Xieyue Sanxing Cave, and in the cave there is an old immortal who knows everything and can do everything.]

[But to you, there is nothing there but a cliff! ]

[You even found the people living nearby and asked them about Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.]

[After hearing what you said, they looked at each other in bewilderment, saying that there was no such thing as a "Lingtai Fangcun Mountain" here. There had always been only a cliff there, and people and animals fell and died every year...]

[Finally, you get a ridiculous answer: only the monkey is special, and no one else can see Fangcun Mountain.]

【including you!】

[So, your hope of becoming an immortal and becoming his disciple, which you had placed so much hope on, was completely ruined...]

【…】

Standing at the foot of the so-called Fangcun Mountain, Lin Liu's body, which was already weak due to old age, became even weaker.

His eyes were filled with confusion and emptiness:
With that sincere ideal in mind, he went through nearly six years of arduous journey, and crossed the ocean with his old and frail body, from Nanshanbuzhou to Xiniuhezhou... The price he paid was so high, but he got nothing in return.

No matter how firm his faith was, it would be shattered into pieces at this moment.

He couldn't help but wonder whether the rest of his life was meaningful.

The answer is, it doesn’t make any sense at all…

Immortality is a fantasy, and years of hard work are completely in vain.

"Is it that Patriarch Bodhi is unwilling to accept others as his disciples?"

Lin Liu couldn't help but talk to himself.

This was one of the few reasons he could think of, otherwise it would be impossible to explain why the monkey could see the Fangcun Mountain while others could not.

I think the master looked down on others, so he used magic to hide his whereabouts.

Or maybe monkeys are just special?
Lin Liu couldn't think of a reliable answer...

"Benefactor...I have asked the ancestor."

At this time, the monkey who had just returned from Fangcun Mountain said to him cautiously:
"The master said that it is because of the [heart]..."

Heart?
In the dull gaze of Lin Liu, the monkey seemed to understand and said:
"The ancestor said that [Spiritual Platform Square Inch] is the heart, [Slanting Moon Three Stars] is also the heart. The reason why I can come here is because my heart is different from others..."

Different heart?
Lin Liu was even more stunned. The immortals' words were always so profound that a mortal like him could not understand them...

"It seems that I don't have the destiny to be an immortal, and my heart is not right..."

Lin Liu smiled bitterly.

"No, benefactor!"

The monkey got anxious:

"You can see me as a mortal, which means your heart is different from others... You should be able to go in too!"

"but I can not."

Lin Liu shook his head, looked back at the cliff, and finally sighed...

"I'm leaving."

He said silently:
"Since I can't become an immortal, I will return to my hometown to spend my old age in peace..."

After his ideals were shattered, he began to miss everything in the fishing village and his family...that was his only remaining psychological comfort.

"My benefactor, you can't go back now!"

The monkey shook his head eagerly:

"It's a smooth journey from Nanshanbuzhou to Xiniuhezhou. As long as you take the right route, you can get there."

"But if you want to go back the other way, you'll be going against the wind and the current. You'll never get there in your lifetime just by rowing!"

"Besides, you are old and weak, and now you are discouraged. I am afraid..."

The monkey became more and more worried, but Lin Liu was determined to leave:
"I don't want to die in a foreign land. Even if I can't go back in this life, I want to die on the road!"

Lin Liu, whose hopes were dashed, had lost interest in everything. Even though he knew he could not go back to his hometown, he still had to go back...

[The monkey can't persuade you, you are determined to leave. ]

[It took you several months to walk back to the beach, but compared to the high spirits when you came, you are now listless... and long distances make you age quickly. After the return journey, your hair and beard are all white, your face is full of wrinkles, and you look more than ten years older than a few months ago! ]

[When you set out to sea again, the fishermen on the beach were all very surprised. They didn’t understand why you were still going out to sea alone at such an old age…]

[You completely ignored this, and the monkey followed you and advised you, but you ignored it. ]

[The boat sets sail again, aiming for that distant hometown... But everyone knows that you can't get home, including yourself. ]

[The old man, who is dying, sails out to the vast ocean, beginning his last voyage in life, a voyage that is destined to end in death...]

……

(End of this chapter)