Yellow Court Daoist-Chapter 774 - 694 Zhu Zi Zhu Zi, I’m Not Becoming a Disciple Anymore!

When will the struggles for fame and fortune ever end? Wrestling with early rises and late sleep, freedom forsaken.

Riding mules and donkeys, yet dreaming of noble steeds, holding a minor office while longing to be of high nobility.

Constant worry over food and clothing, toiling tirelessly; why fear King Yama might hasten one's demise.

Seeking wealth and positioning offspring and grandchildren, yet none willing to look back.

...

But let's talk about Lu Qingfeng, who experienced a 'calamity' at Gold and Silver Mountain, only to have a macaque craftily fashion him into a bamboo cane and thrust him down into the world of mortals.

Beholding monkeys aping human dress, swaggering through provinces and cities.

In markets, mimicking human manners and speech,

Eating by day, sheltering by night.

Solemnly seeking the divine path of Buddhas, Immortals, and Saints; in search of the secrets to eternal youth.

Though just a macaque, his dedication and sincerity stood firm,

A stark contrast to worldly men driven by fame and profit.

Because the bamboo cane was durable, neither rotting nor deteriorating, clutching it made cold nights warm and scorching days bearable, the monkey, naïve as it was, knew he had found a treasure.

He carried it everywhere he went.

Though often harried and beaten by fools through town and alley, he never let go.

Seeing his plight and genuine yearning for the immortal path, Lu Qingfeng, moved by compassion, expended a great deal of the accumulated essence of the sun, moon, and stars to heal the monkey's wounds.

Good deeds, after all, beget good karma.

Clutching the bamboo cane, the monkey no longer used it recklessly, instead treasuring it dearly.

When resting, especially in the evenings, he took the time to wipe the dirt from the cane; before even cleaning himself, he ensured it was washed clean in the pristine waters of streams and rivers.

Lu Qingfeng found this pleasing.

Nor was he in any rush to leave.

"Might as well see this chance encounter through."

"Once I achieve my immortal transformation, I shall accept you as my disciple, and guide you to immortality."

Lu Qingfeng, having spent a considerable time with the monkey, noticed all the hardships he underwent and contemplated taking him as a disciple.

In this manner,

Days turned into years.

The monkey traveled the Southern Continent in his search for the Immortal Dao, wandering the Great Wall, exploring tiny counties, almost a decade unnoticed.

Then suddenly he found himself at the Western Sea.

Splash!

Waves crashed with relentless force.

"I've looked for years without finding an Immortal; perhaps they reside not on land but in the ocean depths."

Peering out over the sea, the monkey envisioned immortals beyond the waters.

With newfound vigor,

He dived into the woods, busying himself with chopping wood to construct a raft.

Lu Qingfeng watched amusedly: "The Southern Continent teems with Immortals, yet you, my simple monkey, flit aimlessly with no plan or direction. How do you expect to find a mentor amongst the Immortals?"

Seeking Immortals on land proves fruitless.

The sea likely no different.

Unbeknownst to the monkey, the bamboo cane he'd carried day and night for nearly a decade was an Immortal that could aid his quest.

Yet, Lu Qingfeng did not intervene.

Be it on land or sea, letting the monkey blunder was also a form of tempering.

Besides, the monkey was vigorous and resilient, persistently upbeat no matter if chased and beaten in cities or hunted and attacked by fierce animals in the mountains. Though momentarily infuriated, cursing and swearing, he'd soon forget and bounce back, continuing on his journey with leaps and bounds.

This temperament struck a chord with Lu Qingfeng.

The raft completed,

The monkey gathered many wild fruits and peaches from the mountains, cut down bamboo to craft several water containers. His preparations, far from those of a first-time sailor, seemed experienced and well-rounded.

Lu Qingfeng thought surely the monkey was agile-minded, not giving it further thought.

Looking at the bamboo being cut down, he felt a chill: "Luckily I'm not a bamboo tree."

He secretly rejoiced.

Being a bamboo cane, at least he kept his original form intact. Had he been made into bamboo tubes, it would have signaled his demise.

Watching the raft filled with bamboo tubes, Lu Qingfeng couldn't help but shiver.

The monkey was ready.

And not knowing fear,

Shouted, "Let's go!"

"To the sea!"

He pushed the raft into the Western Sea.

Yet,

With no sail or paddle, the raft was entirely at the mercy of the waves.

Lu Qingfeng watched, bursting into laughter: "Silly disciple, I thought you capable; it turns out you're still just a simple macaque."

With neither sail nor paddle,

How could one navigate the sea?

Surely within moments, if not overturned by the waves, it would be slammed back to shore.

"I'll have to intervene eventually."

Lu Qingfeng shook his head,

Waiting for his moment to act.

He waited,

And waited,

The sea bore wind and waves. Yet the raft the monkey built, despite appearing precarious, was neither flipped nor broken apart, nor did it get pushed back to shore.

Against all odds, it floated and drifted into the territorial waters of the Western Continent.

"Well, blow me down."

"Could he truly be the one?"

Clutching the bamboo cane, the monkey jubilantly made landfall.

Lu Qingfeng looked from the Western Sea to the land, doubts surfacing in his mind.

In the Southern Continent, he allowed the monkey to wander freely, disbelieving he could be the renowned Monkey King of Huaguo Mountain.

But seeing the monkey navigate the Western Sea, reaching the Western Continent,

His certainty wavered.

He contemplated leaving, 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Yet couldn't dismiss his suspicions.

"I must stay and see for myself!"

Lu Qingfeng couldn't believe such coincidences existed in the world, hiding yet still encountering him by chance!

Thus, he continued accompanying the monkey.

Repeating their exploits in the Southern Continent, traversing the Great Wall, exploring small counties, venturing into deep mountains.

Yet another year passed.

Without any leads,

Lu Qingfeng's belief that this monkey was indeed the same figure wavered once again.

One day,

the Monkey King suddenly spotted a majestic mountain, lush and mystic. Fearless of wolves, insects, tigers, or leopards, he climbed to the top to take a look. Although Lu Qingfeng was made of bamboo, he too could observe, and saw—

Thousands of peaks stood like halberds, countless cliffs unfurled like screens. Sunlight gently locked the misty greens, rain gathered the shades of cold jade. Vines entwined aged trees, an ancient path marked the secluded journey. Exotic flowers and auspicious grass, tall bamboo and lofty pines. Tall bamboo and lofty pines, forever green surpassing the Blessed Land; exotic flowers and auspicious grass, flourishing through all seasons, rivaling the Penglai Isles. The close calls of hidden birds, the clear gurgling of springs. Layers of valleys wrapped in orchids and musk, cliffs and precipices sprouting moss and ferns. The undulating dragon vein beneath the peaks promised a revered hermit with a hidden name.

"What marvelous mountains!"

Lu Qingfeng saw this and felt uneasy.

Indeed.

A thought arose.

Suddenly, he heard voices from deep within the forest. Listening closely, he realized it was someone singing, "Watching the decaying chestnut tree, chopping wood clink clank, slowly traversing by the clouded valley…"

Only hearing bits and pieces,

Lu Qingfeng immediately panicked: "This is bad!"

His heart trembled.

Frightened and unsettled.

Daring not to linger, he quickly gathered his spiritual power, leapt from the Monkey King's grasp, and fled in the opposite direction of the voice without a sense of direction.

"Zhu Zi, Zhu Zi."

"Where are you going?"

Hearing the anxious cries of the Monkey King behind him, Lu Qingfeng did not stop.

Before the Western Tour began, this Monkey King was a troublemaker, and Lu Qingfeng dared not get involved.

Moreover, the Monkey King was on his way to Three Star Cave to become a disciple of Master Puti. Were this revered master to see his anomaly, grave disaster would be imminent.

This was unlike the earlier times at Black Wind Mountain.

At that time, the Heavenly Dao Sect Master had not yet attained enlightenment, and as Lu Qingfeng originally hailed from Black Wind Mountain – a child of the Heavenly Dao Sect Master and a bamboo nurtured by the Little Sect Leader, Zhou Zhu – he had some karmic connections with that sect master. Even if Saints knew, it wouldn't be a great concern.

But Master Puti was an enlightened Saint.

For Lu Qingfeng to rashly seek him out would bear bitter fruits. Not to mention other consequences, just being forcefully converted to Buddhism alone – what would become of his beloved wife and children at home?

Even if he had a decade-long friendship and fondness for the Monkey King, Lu Qingfeng dared not act recklessly.

"Leaving is best!"

The bamboo cane truly agile; it sprung out and darted into the forest, quickly leaving the woods behind.

He finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Discerning his direction.

Just as he was about to find a place for solitary cultivation,

he then heard noises from behind him in the forest. Listening carefully, it turned out the Monkey King was chasing after him, panic-stricken and yelling, "Zhu Zi, Zhu Zi, where did you go?"

"This macaque, having found the path to Immortal Sect, rather than seeking a master to learn cultivation, why chase after me?"

Lu Qingfeng saw the Monkey King had followed, momentarily stunned.

He had watched the Monkey King seek the Dao, travel across mountains and seas, meandering for ten years, to finally find the true location of Immortal Mountain.

And now, for this mere bamboo cane, useful only for warmth in winter and cool in summer, he would give up the Immortal Fate right before him?

"Perhaps I haven't gone far enough."

Lu Qingfeng thought.

Thereupon, he summoned his mana, invoked his Divine Skills, and vanished into thin air from outside the forest.

To a faraway, Nameless Mountain.

…

"Cold and serene."

After ten years with the Monkey King.

Parting unexpectedly, Lu Qingfeng felt somewhat unaccustomed.

The four-foot-tall bamboo cane bounced and hopped.

Eventually leaning against a tree: "Pity for my disciple."

Lu Qingfeng shook his head inwardly.

His true wish was that this monkey was not the Monkey King; he desired to take this monkey as his disciple. This was also why even though the Monkey King stumbled from the Nan Zhanbu Continent, crossed the West Sea, and reached the Northern Continent, Lu Qingfeng didn't believe it and didn't leave directly.

But the eventual outcome was not as he wished.

Lu Qingfeng could only painfully let go.

"I can't possibly compete with Master Puti for a disciple, can I?" Lu Qingfeng wryly thought to himself.

His hurried departure was twofold: firstly, he dared not meet Master Puti, and secondly, he was worried that it might upset the Monkey King's karmic path like the first dream encounter, potentially ruining his fate.

However, considering the Monkey King's future ordeals, he couldn't tell if Three Star Cave was karmic fate or calamity.

"The calculations of Saints, who am I to question them."

Lu Qingfeng shook his head.

Wukong Daoist would later become a top figure in the Three Realms. Although he bore his karma during the calamity, and his original form, along with the slain incarnation, were all killed, he was subsequently brought back by the Heavenly Dao Sect Master without much trouble.

The end was still favorable.

Thinking this,

Lu Qingfeng cleared his mind, jumped out to a clearing, ready to spread his roots and branches to begin cultivation.

But just then—

From below the mountain, a monkey in tattered clothes, panting heavily, ran up the hill.

It was none other than the revered Monkey King, who had sought out Three Star Cave.

Lu Qingfeng had run thousands of miles.

And yet, this monkey had also chased after him for thousands of miles.

Exhausted and gasping heavily, he appeared both comical and pitiable.

But the monkey didn't seem to notice.

"Zhu Zi, Zhu Zi."

Seeing the bamboo cane in the front, the monkey disregarded his fatigue, joyously approached, and hurriedly reached out to grab it.

"Ah!"

"Caught up again."

Lu Qingfeng sighed, leaped, and dodged the monkey's hands. Mana surging, he was about to travel even further.

But before his Divine Skills were activated,

The monkey shouted, "Zhu Zi, Zhu Zi, I won't seek a master anymore, don't run."

Huff, huff, huff.

I really can't run anymore.

The monkey gazed pitifully at Lu Qingfeng.

"Not seeking a master?"

Hearing this and seeing the pleading in the monkey's eyes, Lu Qingfeng was instantly stunned, "You came from Huaguo Mountain, endured countless hardships, and finally found the Immortal Mountain, just to give it up like this?"

And there was more.

If Master Puti knew that his predesignated disciple was led away, wouldn't he flay and debone him, igniting his divine soul?

This was unacceptable.

"Huaguo Mountain?"

The monkey blinked, shook his head, and said, "I am Six-Eared, not that silly stone monkey from Huaguo Mountain."

…

…