Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

Atop Yunfeng Mountain in the Great Chen Dynasty, the weather of midsummer was blistering hot, the sky void of a single cloud, as the sun cast a dappled light through the dense leaves onto the forest path.

By the side of the path, an old man sat on the ground, his calloused hand slowly supporting his leg, while moans of pain escaped his lips.

At this moment, a young scholar approached from the other end of the path, wearing a slightly faded green robe and a treasured sword at his waist. He appeared young with handsome features, though his complexion was somewhat pale.

"Elder, are you alright?" the scholar asked with concern as he slowly helped the old man to his feet.

"I'm fine! I'm fine!" the old man said, waving his hand while secretly pulling a dagger from his waist and viciously stabbing towards the scholar.

With a "whoosh," a flash of sword light streaked by, and the old man's dagger was still in midair when a sword had already pierced through his chest.

At the same time, a flying needle shot out from the woods, aimed straight at the scholar's face. The scholar drew his sword and with a slight flick, he knocked the hidden weapon to the ground. Several people had by then leaped out from the woods, weapons in hand, glaring fiercely at the scholar.

"Impressive skills! Unfortunately, you've offended the wrong person. We'll be taking your head, brother!" the leader declared as he charged towards the scholar.

The scholar was none other than Lu Yu from the Green Lotus Taoist Sect.

Lu Yu's swordsmanship was like clouds in the sky, elusive and lightning-fast, even while under the attack of four men his movements showed no sign of panic. One assassin's head was severed with a single sweep of the blade, and soon all the assailants became corpses strewn across the path, their blood staining the peaceful forest.

"Good! Very good! A fine specimen indeed. My banner is missing a main soul, and you certainly are an excellent choice!" a hoarse voice spoke, as Lu Yu turned to see a withered-faced elder in black, holding a white banner and slowly approaching from among the trees.

The elder seemed unconcerned by the bloodshed on the ground as he walked towards Lu Yu, white banner in hand. Lu Yu then noticed the mournful white banner bearing a terrifying ghostly visage, sending shivers down his spine as he gripped his sword tightly.

"Don't worry, it will be over soon, and afterward, you'll work well for me!" the elder said, his words accompanied by a strange, skin-crawling cackle. With a gentle wave of the white banner, two wraithlike shadows emerged and rushed towards Lu Yu.

Only upon their close approach did Lu Yu realize those shadows were two ferocious ghosts, charging at him with dizzying shrieks.

Lu Yu, relying on his deft movements, continuously evaded the ghosts' attacks and looked for opportunities to strike back. However, the ghostly entities had no physical form; no matter how he attacked, it had no effect. As time passed, his speed began to slow, and the two ghosts swiftly cornered him, ready to consume him. Even the elder, still waving the banner, began to smile as he seemed to foresee Lu Yu's impending doom. But just as the ghosts were about to devour Lu Yu, he calmly retrieved a nanmu box from his chest.

A blinding white light burst forth from the box, instantly eradicating the two ghosts as if they were snowflakes meeting hot coal, not even allowing a scream to escape. The relentless white light, after destroying the ghosts, shot straight at the elder with the white banner.

"Sword Immortal!" The elder, terrified by the scene, desperately raised the white banner hoping to block the light, but it was as if the banner was made of paper, torn asunder in an instant. The elder looked down at the gaping hole in his chest, never managing to utter last words before he was lifeless.

After slaying the elder, the white light made a turn and instantly returned to the box, transforming back into a small wooden sword.

As Lu Yu gazed at the bodies scattered around him, he sighed deeply upon recalling the 'Sword Immortal' the elder had called out just before his death. Lu Yu was well aware of his own capabilities; how could he be considered a Sword Immortal? At best, he was just a mortal who had learned some Sword Rearing Techniques.

"Old Immortal! Old Immortal!" Suddenly, a voice with a strange accent echoed from the bushes. Lu Yu looked intently and saw a golden monkey appear before him, bowing incessantly. Staring at the golden monkey, he had a suspicion but could hardly believe it!

"Which mountain are you from, Monkey? I'm no immortal, and I don't dare accept your homage!" Lu Yu waved his hands repeatedly.

"I am the Monkey King from the Water Curtain Cave in the Huaguo Mountain, who just heard someone call you Sword Immortal and hoped the immortal could teach me the secret to eternal life!" The monkey said eagerly, about to bow again.

Lu Yu quickly supported the monkey and said, "I've only learned some rudimentary sword rearing techniques, how could I possess the secret to longevity? Like you, I too am searching this vast world for immortals!"

When Lu Yu heard the monkey's introduction, it was as if a heavy stone had finally fallen in his heart, and he realized where he was. It turned out to be the Journey to the West. The monkey in front of him was to become the awe-inspiring Great Sage Equalling Heaven, which suddenly filled him with a sense of surrealism. However, he still managed to suppress the turmoil in his heart and continued to speak as usual.

The monkey, upon hearing Lu Yu's response, couldn't hide the disappointment on his face. He had ventured across the sea in search of immortals, drifting across oceans ever since he stepped into the human world. By his own wits, he had learned the human language and since then mingled in society, traversing mountains and rivers solely in pursuit of those legendary immortals. Unfortunately, the fates were elusive; he had not found them despite such a long pursuit, facing yet another empty joy just when he thought he had caught a glimpse of hope.

"I too am a seeker of immortals and have traversed the mountains and rivers of this land, yet have not found an immortal willing to teach their technique. Recently, I've heard that there are immortals to the west across the sea, and I'm preparing to set sail. If you don't mind, the two of us could travel together, what do you say?" Having said this, Lu Yu feigned calm, though inside he was already nervous. He'd made this suggestion because he remembered that the monkey seemed to have sought the teachings of Bodhi in Xiniu Hezhou, and as far as he knew, the Great Chen Dynasty he was in should belong to the Southern Continent.

"Yes, yes!" The monkey was instantly overjoyed, dancing with happiness. He had endured many hardships in his quest for immortality and, by nature, loved the hustle and bustle and couldn't stand being alone. Having company was naturally something to welcome with open arms. Moreover, since Lu Yu was a human, it would be more convenient moving through the human world.

Hearing the monkey's reply, Lu Yu finally felt relieved. The idea of heading west across the sea came to him because he remembered from the Journey to the West that the monkey first sought immortality in the Southern Continent without success, which led him to venture westward across the sea to meet Bodhi.

Just as Lu Yu and the monkey had agreed to seek immortality together, atop a high peak within the Green Lotus Taoist Sect.

This was the meditation ground for Elder Xu of the Green Lotus Taoist Sect. At this time, it was solemn and quiet. The immortal boys and immortal maidens who usually served the elder had been ordered to leave the residence and not to eavesdrop.

A slap landed fiercely on Xu Guangyuan's face, with force enough to render him unable to stand steady and inadvertently falling to the ground while instinctively covering his cheek.

At this moment, none could see Xu Guangyuan as a cultivator; instead, he looked despondent and disbelieving as he looked at his father, having never been struck like this before in his life.

"You vile spawn, your own doings have brought this upon us. Who asked you to send Wu Guang Taoist to assassinate Lu Yu, when I, Xu Ming, have lived a life of a hero? How could I have sired a son as foolish as you?"

"It's just that I couldn't stand it. All He Sister admired was that scholar."

"Silence! He Sister is what you call her? The Sect Leader took her as a disciple on behalf of the teacher. He Yinglian is my equal; you should be calling her He Martial Aunt."

"I know you've fancied He Sister ever since she joined the sect, but you're being foolish. That scholar is merely a mortal, blocked from the path to immortality. In time, he will belong to a different world than He Sister. Why exhaust your schemes against him? Remember, those of us who cultivate are adept at divining Heaven's Secret. If one day He Sister discovers that you tried to assassinate that scholar, what will you do?"

Xu Ming's words made Xu Guangyuan stand there, stunned, as he realized that his thinking had been too naive.

"Luckily that scholar has some skills and is safe for now, and is even setting out to sea with some monkey in search of immortals. It's likely they will never meet again. It's also my fault for indulging you too much since you were young, allowing you to become so short-sighted and lacking in wisdom. This matter is settled; you shall reflect on your actions in the Yin Wind Cave. Without my permission, you are not to leave on your own."

Upon hearing this, Xu Guangyuan tried to rise and plead, knowing that the Yin Wind Cave where the chilling wind scraped bones was a place for those who had committed grave errors within the sect. But one glance at his father's icy gaze told him that the decision was final and unchangeable, so he could only hang his head and blankly answer, "Yes."