bookrandom Chapter 1171 Support
Chapter 1171 Support
The monkey head showed its might before daybreak, with only a faint pale light in the eastern sky. The village at the foot of the Five Elements Mountain was still immersed in silence, with only a few sporadic crowing of roosters breaking the tranquility of the early morning. Li Yan was sleeping soundly, and in his dream he was still working overtime on a project report, with the sound of keyboard tapping ringing in his ears. Suddenly, there was a rapid knock on the door, "dong dong dong", not strong but very persistent, waking him up from his dream. "Who is it? So early..." Li Yan rubbed his sleepy eyes, the fatigue of working overtime still lingering in his mind. He sat up from the simple wooden bed, and the coarse cloth quilt covering him had a faint musty smell - it was an old item left by the original owner, and he had not had time to wash it. He walked to the door in a pair of worn straw sandals and creaked open the bamboo woven door. The person standing outside the door instantly woke him up: Tang Monk was wearing a clean moon-white monk's robe with fine dark patterns embroidered on the corners, which was obviously carefully taken care of; he was holding a dark blue cloth package in his hand, which contained scriptures and a small amount of luggage, and a small wooden fish on his shoulder; the boy beside him was leading the white horse, the horse's mane was neatly combed, and the saddle on its body was polished to a shine, and it was obvious that the horse was well taken care of. "Sir, thank you for taking me in last night, which allowed me to rest peacefully." Tang Seng clasped his hands together and bowed slightly to Li Yan in a gentle tone with gratitude in his eyes. "Today I have to go to the Five Elements Mountain to remove the Buddha's post and rescue Wukong. I wonder if you would be able to lead the way?" Li Yan nodded quickly and stepped aside to let Tang Seng and the boy into the house. "That's convenient, elder. Please come in! I'll wash up and we'll leave soon." Only then did he remember that he had promised to take Tang Seng to the Five Elements Mountain yesterday, and he almost forgot about the business because of the nightmare of overtime. Tang Sanzang entered the house, his gaze sweeping across the simple hut: the earthen walls were mottled, a few tiny cracks visible in the thatched roof. Inside, there was a wooden bed, a bamboo table, and two bamboo chairs. The rice jar in the corner stood open, its mouth empty, its contents a thin layer of rice. He observed all this, yet without a trace of disdain, he gently remarked, "Your donor lives a simple life, yet your heart is filled with kindness. This is truly rare." Li Yan scratched his head sheepishly and scooped water from a clay pot in the corner to wash his face. The water, drawn yesterday from the village well, was slightly cool, and splashing it on his face instantly dispelled the last of his sleepiness. He quickly washed up, grabbed a handful of rice from the rice jar, placed it in the pot, added water, and placed it on the earthen stove by the door, lighting the fire. "Elder, boy, please sit down for a while. I'll make some porridge. We'll eat before we go, or we'll be hungry on the road," Li Yan said as he added more wood to the stove. The fire crackled, and the flames reflected on his face, bringing a touch of warmth. Tang Sanzang nodded and sat down on the bamboo chair. The boy led the white horse to the tree next to the house and added some grass to the horse. Before long, the aroma of porridge filled the air. Although there was no seasoning, it was full of the fragrance of rice itself. Li Yan poured the porridge into three coarse porcelain bowls and brought them to the table: "Elder, boy, eat it while it's hot. It's not good food. I'm sorry to have bothered you." Tang Sanzang picked up the bowl, sipped the porridge, and said gently: "You are very polite. This porridge is very sweet. It is much better than the dry food I have eaten along the way." The boy also nodded and drank the porridge in big gulps. It was obvious that he was very hungry. The three of them finished the porridge quickly. Li Yan put away the dishes and chopsticks, locked the door, and set off with Tang Sanzang and the boy in the direction of the Five Elements Mountain. The mountain path was still wet and slippery in the early morning, with glistening dewdrops clinging to the weeds by the roadside. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. After walking for about a quarter of an hour, Li Yan couldn't help but ask, "Elder, do you truly believe that the spirit monkey beneath the stone is the Dharma protector Guanyin Bodhisattva mentioned? I heard him speak yesterday, and his tone was quite impatient, not at all like someone who could support you on your journey westward." He was still a little worried, fearing that Sun Wukong would cause trouble right after his escape. After all, the Sun Wukong in the original novel was a wild and unruly creature. Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang smiled faintly, his steps unbroken, his voice still gentle. "Donor, you may not know, but Guanyin Bodhisattva appeared before I set out and personally handed me a letter, informing me that I would have three disciples to protect me on my journey westward. The first is this spirit monkey beneath the Five Elements Mountain. The Bodhisattva explained that this spirit monkey was born a stone monkey, and had mastered the seventy-two transformations and somersault cloud, among other magical powers. However, because he caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace, he was imprisoned beneath the Five Elements Mountain by the Tathagata Buddha for five hundred years. Now that the five hundred years have expired, it is time for him to reform and support me on my journey westward." He paused, then added, "I trust the Bodhisattva's guidance, and I also believe that 'no one is perfect.' Although this spirit monkey has a quick temper, he also values loyalty and righteousness. With guidance and education, he will surely become a valuable assistant on my journey westward." Li Yan nodded and said no more. He knew that Tang Sanzang's compassion and unwavering faith were key to his success. Even if Sun Wukong did get into trouble later, Tang Sanzang would guide him in his own way, rather than simply blaming him. After walking for about another half hour, the outline of the Five Elements Mountain finally appeared ahead. The five peaks stood like fingers between heaven and earth, covered in lush vegetation. From afar, they resembled a giant piece of jade. As they drew closer, the massive stone tablet at the foot of the mountain became clearer. Inscribed on it were the three characters "Five Elements Mountain" in bold, powerful calligraphy, imbued with authority. "Master! Master! You're finally here!" Before they even reached the foot of the mountain, a hoarse, yet urgent, voice rang out from the mountain. Li Yan looked up and saw a furry head peeking out from a crevice on the central peak of the Five Elements Mountain. With its pointed chin and sharp eyes, it was none other than Sun Wukong, the one trapped beneath the mountain. A hand reached out from the crevice, its fur dampened by dew and clinging to its skin. Its nails, sharp as knives, waved in Tang Sanzang's direction. "Wukong, I'm here." Tang Seng stopped and saluted Sun Wukong in the crevice with his palms together, saying in a gentle tone, "Wait a moment, I'll go up the mountain to remove the notice and rescue you." When Sun Wukong heard this, his eyes lit up instantly, and his fiery eyes flashed with excitement: "Great! Master, hurry up! I have been suppressed by this broken mountain for five hundred years, and I've had enough!" As he spoke, he struggled hard, but the crevice did not move at all. It was obvious that the oppressive force of the Five Elements Mountain was still strong. Tang Seng took a deep breath, straightened his robe, and walked up the mountain road. The mountain road was steeper than expected, and the road was covered with gravel and moss. If you are not careful, you will slip. Tang Seng walked very carefully, taking every step firmly. Soon, fine beads of sweat oozed out of his forehead and slid down his cheeks. Li Yan looked at Tang Seng's struggling back and felt a little bit reluctant.