A Tale of Encounters with Immortals: A Peach Blossom Temple in the Martial World

Once the monkey left Qingcheng Mountain, it immediately felt as if the world had become vast and open.

Thinking about Zhang Zhengdao's words, "Lingtai Fangcun Mountain in Xiniu Hezhou, Xieyue Sanxing Cave has its own master? Isn't that ridiculous? I'm already so capable, why would I need to find a master?"

However, the Taoist priest said we should still go and take a look.

It transformed into a golden light and disappeared. Soon after, it arrived at Xiniu Hezhou. The golden light landed and turned into a monkey, dressed in clothes, leaping and walking on the road.

It was on the mountain road that I shaded my eyes with my hand and looked around. The mountain was steep and the cliffs were thousands of feet high. The trees were lush and the clouds and mist swirled between the towering peaks, making it seem as if immortals lived there.

Just as they were about to fly to the top of those mountains to see if there were any fairy temples or monasteries, they heard faint singing coming from above.

"Watching chess, the axe handle rots; chopping wood, the sound of hammering echoes; strolling slowly along the valley's edge. Selling firewood and buying wine, laughing wildly, indulging in self-satisfaction. On the autumn path, high in the sky, facing the moon, I pillow my head on a pine root, sleeping until dawn. Recognizing the old forest, climbing cliffs and crossing ridges, I take an axe and cut withered vines. Gathering a load, I sing as I go to the market, exchanging it for three bushels of rice. There is no more strife, the price is fair. Without scheming or calculation, without honor or disgrace, I live a tranquil life. Where I meet, they are either immortals or Taoists, sitting quietly discussing the *Huang Ting Jing*..."

If Zhang Zhengdao heard this, he would definitely complain.

The mountain is still the same mountain, the woodcutter is still the same woodcutter, and the song is still the same, only the monkey is no longer the same monkey. I just wonder if this monkey will ever find a master again.

The monkey approached and saw a woodcutter chopping wood, so it asked, "Brother, is this Lingtai Fangcun Mountain?"

The woodcutter looked and saw it was a hairy monkey dressed in human clothes. He laughed and said, "This is Lingtai Fangcun Mountain. I wonder who you, spirit monkey, are looking for?"

The monkey said, "Find the Cave of the Crescent Moon and Three Stars."

The woodcutter said, "It's right up there, go ahead!"

The monkey said "Thank you," and as soon as the woodcutter blinked, the monkey disappeared.

The woodcutter scratched his head, tucked his axe into his waistband, and hurried up the mountain, muttering to himself as he went, "My master told me to chop wood here every day to lure a monkey up the mountain. Now that the monkey has arrived, I have to hurry back to report."

I saw a cave dwelling from the air; it looked like a nice place.

According to the original description, it was truly a scene of dazzling splendor, with the sounds of cranes and phoenixes, and two boys who were exquisitely beautiful, like carved jade. Then, at the entrance to the cave, there were two lines of text written diagonally.

First line: A majestic body, as enduring as Heaven. Second line: A mind enlightened through countless eons, the Bodhi of the Ancestral Source.

Horizontal scroll: Slanting Moon and Three Stars Cave.

It seemed this was the place. Immediately, a beam of light descended and landed in front of the two boys.

The two boys were startled and took a few steps back, exclaiming in horror, "What kind of demon dares to be so presumptuous here?"

The monkey laughed and said, "I've come to become your apprentice."

The boy looked at the monkey suspiciously, shook his head and said, "Why are you here to seek a master without explaining yourself? Explain clearly, or I'll kill you as a demon."

Did they mistake you for a demon and kill you?

The monkey immediately became angry.

Having already learned supernatural powers from the Taoist priest, he couldn't bear to listen to such words and angrily said, "You want to kill me? I'll take your life first!" With that, he rolled up his sleeves and was about to fight.

Back in Qingcheng Mountain, the demons in the temple often fought for no reason, and they got used to it.

"stop!"

Then a sound like a thunderclap was heard, and the cave door opened wide, revealing an old Taoist priest with white beard and hair, dressed in a white Taoist robe, holding a whisk—a classic image of an immortal.

The monkey, seeing the old Taoist priest shrouded in mist and unable to discern his cultivation level, was startled. He lowered his fierce expression, bowed, and said, "Are you the master of this cave?"

Before the old Taoist could speak, the boy beside him said smugly, "This is Patriarch Bodhi. He even said he wanted to become his disciple, but he doesn't recognize a true immortal. Aren't you ashamed?"

Bodhi Patriarch looked at the monkey and said, "You want to become his disciple?"

The monkey nodded and said, "Exactly."

Bodhi Patriarch: "Go back, I don't accept disciples."

This monkey's cultivation level was so high that it was impossible to discern the origin of its cultivation.

The monkey said, "I came here on purpose, are you trying to drive me away?"

Bodhi Patriarch said, "You've already mastered your skills, what are you doing here? Go back to where you came from. Boy, see the guest out!" With that, he entered the cave, and the cave door closed immediately.

The monkey was bewildered, wondering whether he should break down the cave door and rush in to become its disciple.

The Taoist priest said that this was the place where he became an apprentice and learned his skills.

Since it was said by the Taoist priest, it must be true!

"Old Taoist, come out here, or I'll storm your cave and destroy your home!" the monkey boasted arrogantly, fearless of anything. "I just came to ask to become your disciple, and this isn't how you treat a guest."

With a loud bang, the cave door opened again.

"You're a guest? You're a hostile guest. Get lost, I'm not taking any more apprentices."

Patriarch Bodhi was furious. If it weren't for the great master who taught you the Dao, I could have slapped you back to Flower Fruit Mountain.

Although he couldn't see through the origins of the monkey's cultivation level, he could still discern its background at a glance.

The monkey laughed and said, "Old Taoist, please don't be angry. Although I am a bit mischievous, I am very sincere in wanting to become your disciple. Why don't you... accept me as your disciple?"

Patriarch Bodhi sighed and said, "It's not that I'm stingy and unwilling to accept you as my disciple, but I can't teach you anything more about the techniques you're currently practicing. If the skills I teach are too low, I won't be able to present them to you, and they won't benefit you. If you require even higher skills, I have no choice but to..."

The monkey scratched the back of its head and muttered, "Wait a minute, they clearly told me that Lingtai Fangcun Mountain and Xieyue Sanxing Cave are where I became an apprentice..."

Patriarch Bodhi could only shake his head: "Go away, go away, don't get in people's way."

The monkey glanced at Bodhi Patriarch and said, "It's not that I don't want to become your disciple, but that you refuse to accept me, is that right?"

Bodhi Patriarch: "What is it?"

The monkey laughed: "That's fine then. I'll have an answer if you ask me again later."

Bodhi Patriarch: "Who asked?"

The monkey shook its head and said, "You don't understand. I'm leaving, old Taoist." After saying that, it turned into a beam of light and disappeared into the horizon. It came quickly and left quickly.

Bodhi Patriarch shook his head and prepared to return to his cave.

The boy asked, "Master, this monkey is so hateful, talking nonsense and being arrogant and domineering. Why not punish him?"

Bodhi Patriarch shook his head: "This monkey's cultivation is profound, and its origins are unknown. It should not be offended lightly. Next time you see this monkey, stay far away and do not provoke it."

The boy was unconvinced and muttered, "Is our ancestor afraid of monkeys?"

Patriarch Bodhi kicked the boy in the butt, sending him sprawling face-first into the dirt, and roared, "Afraid of him? Heh, just a wild monkey, how could I... Never mind, let's pack up and leave."

The boy was taken aback: "They've left? Where have they gone?"

Bodhi Patriarch sneered: "Of course he's going to the Outer Heavens. What's he still doing in Xiniu Hezhou? The monkey doesn't need my teaching anymore. He's all on his own. He's gone, he's gone!"

The boy was puzzled, but he still followed the boy into the cave.

In the dead of night, the entire mountain roared, and suddenly a beam of blue light shot straight into the sky, disappearing in an instant.

As dawn broke, birds sang and dew condensed. The lay disciples of the Slanting Moon Three Stars Cave awoke to find themselves in the wilderness. Looking around, they felt as if the sky had collapsed.

Where is the Slanting Moon and Three Stars Cave anymore?

It was just an abandoned cave overgrown with cobwebs and weeds. Where did this patriarch come from? He ran away overnight, taking everything with him and leaving nothing for these lay disciples.

Suddenly, the sound of weeping filled the air.

Then, the monkey was carried away by a beam of light and returned to Flower Fruit Mountain.

Upon landing, he discovered that Flower Fruit Mountain was no longer the bustling place it once was, and he could hardly see any monkeys. Surprised, he leaped up and, once on a high place, shouted, "Children, your Monkey King grandpa is back!"

After that shout, several disheveled monkeys finally appeared.

The Monkey King jumped down and asked, "What else?"

The little monkey cried, "A wicked devil has come here! He's taken over our Water Curtain Cave, killed many of us monkeys, made us his servants, and even ordered us to kill and set fires for him..."

Before he could finish speaking, the Monkey King became enraged.

With all my skills, I can't stand being bullied.

Just one step away, they reached the entrance of the Water Curtain Cave, and sure enough, they heard loud laughter, the shouts and curses of demons, the sound of whips being cracked, and the pitiful cries of monkeys.

"I'm so pissed!"

The Monkey King transformed into a beam of light and burst into the cave.

Inside the Water Curtain Cave, a hideous, dark-skinned demon king, three zhang tall, sat in the highest position. He had a black face and fangs, and a large sword beside him. Suddenly, a beam of light rushed into the cave. Startled, he grabbed the large sword beside him.

The little demons in the cave were terrified and scattered in panic, while the little monkeys who had been being abused hiding nearby saw the Monkey King and cheered with joy, singing in unison, "Great King, Great King is back!"

The Monkey King said, “My children, please be patient. I will talk to you after I have killed this demon.”

The demon laughed loudly: "You monkey, you must be one of the monkeys they went out to learn from. Come, come, stick your head out, I'll chop it off as soon as I see it, and then I can use the body to extract some oil..."

Before I could finish speaking, I suddenly felt a chill.

It felt as if a breeze was passing through my body.

Its eyes widened in horror as it slowly looked down.

Then the Monkey King pulled his fist out from between his chest and abdomen.

This punch pierced right through the Demon King's body.

A large hole suddenly appeared in his body.

A little demon shrieked like a woman, "Your Majesty, you have a hole in your body!"

The little demon glanced through the cave and was horrified to see a hairy face—it was the same fierce Monkey King from before, grinning and making a face at him.

"Boom!"

The little demon was so frightened that it burst, and he fell straight down.

Immediately, the Demon King also fell straight down.