Chapter 22: The Ancient Buddha Dipamkara and the Six-Eared Macaque

Lu Dongbin was truly afraid.

In truth, he had never wanted to get involved in the affair of the Dragon Princess Yancai from the very beginning. It was only after the repeated entreaties of his close friend, He Xiangu, that he had reluctantly agreed to harbor the dragon girl. Given his lineage, ascending to immortality was merely a matter of time; yet, encountering such a predicament, the delusional thoughts he had once severed were now threatening to resurface.

How could she be so bold! How dared this dragon girl refuse to submit to the law despite the direct imperial edict of the Great Heavenly Sovereign? Who was the last one to defy such an order? Their immortal bones had been scattered to the winds. It is no exaggeration to say that everyone within the cave dwelling, including Lu Dongbin, was terrified to the core.

He Xiangu and the Dragon Princess Yancai were deeply anxious. They were distressed because the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals were waiting just outside; the moment they made a move, they would be executed on the spot. As for Lu Dongbin, he would certainly be unable to escape the charge of shielding a fugitive.

As for Jiang Wang, he was also deeply wary of the "demon immortal" that Lu Dongbin had mentioned: the Six-Eared Macaque, rumored to be the disciple of the Ancient Buddha Dipankara! Dipankara was not a figure to be trifled with. Even within the ranks of Mount Sumeru, he was the supreme existence second only to the Buddha himself.

Ever since the rivalry between the Six-Eared Macaque and the Monkey King began, Jiang Wang had always suspected that the monkey who ultimately survived was, in fact, the Six-Eared Macaque! Otherwise, the disparity in the Monkey King’s demeanor before and after the journey was simply too vast. During the early stages of the pilgrimage, while not exactly reckless, the Monkey King had been untamed and rebellious. Yet, in the later stages... if the Tang Monk told him to go west, he would never dream of heading east.

What kind of event could cause such a radical transformation in the monkey? There were only two possibilities: either the monkey had truly developed a profound bond of master and disciple with the Tang Monk, or the Monkey King had been replaced by the Six-Eared Macaque! Considering the connection between the Six-Eared Macaque and the Ancient Buddha Dipankara, Jiang Wang even suspected that Dipankara had ultimately reaped the greatest benefits from the catastrophe of the pilgrimage.

Of course, these were all merely his private conjectures.

Just as they were harboring these secret thoughts, the voice of a Heavenly General echoed from outside the mountain. "Criminal Dragon Yancai, reveal yourself at once! Do not harm Jiang Wang!"

In all honesty, Jiang Wang felt quite moved upon hearing the general’s voice. At the very least, the other party had not prioritized the mission to the extent of forcing him into a perilous situation.

Inside Lu Dongbin’s dwelling, the Dragon Princess Yancai raised her head, her face full of humiliation. "My lady, I have caused you trouble," she said, thanking He Xiangu.

She then walked to Jiang Wang’s side. "Let us go, Fellow Daoist Jiang. I will go back with you."

"Then I must apologize for the offense, Dragon Princess." Jiang Wang did not stand on ceremony; he pulled out a specially crafted "Immortal Binding Rope" and secured her.

Just as Jiang Wang was about to lead the dragon girl out of the cave, that prying gaze he had felt earlier was suddenly detected by him once more! Was it the demon immortal, the Six-Eared Macaque, again? What exactly was he spying on? Did Lu Dongbin’s dwelling hold some attraction for him, or was he simply intrigued by the capture of the dragon girl?

Jiang Wang was a man who knew when to bend. Although he was deeply displeased by the Six-Eared Macaque’s surveillance, he held his tongue. He was no match for the macaque. Furthermore, given the status of the macaque’s master, Jiang Wang—a mere Heavenly Soldier—could not compete in terms of influence, background, or strength.

Suppressing his resentment, Jiang Wang led the Dragon Princess away from the cave. Before departing, he bid farewell to Lu Dongbin and He Xiangu. The three agreed that if they had time in the future, they would meet at the cave to share a few cups of crude wine. Jiang Wang had no objections. As a Heavenly Soldier, while he could not desert his post, it did not mean he was devoid of freedom. Every year, there were several days of leave in the Heavenly Court, during which even Heavenly Soldiers could descend to the mortal realm to chat and drink with friends. Naturally, while in the mortal realm, one still had to abide by the Heavenly Laws; they could not reveal their true forms to mortals without cause.

"Farewell, you two," Jiang Wang said, cupping his hands in a salute to Lu Dongbin and He Xiangu.

"Farewell," the two replied in kind.

Jiang Wang smiled slightly, recited a incantation, and a large white cloud materialized beneath his feet. "After you, Dragon Princess."

Just as he was about to take flight with his charge, a sudden, malicious gaze locked onto him. Although he was only an ordinary Celestial Immortal, his possession of a fragment of the Jade Disc of Creation allowed him to clearly perceive changes in the surrounding spiritual energy. Spiritual energy was a broad concept, and it could fluctuate in response to intentions—be it malice or benevolence. The previous prying gaze had lacked subjective intent; it had simply been curiosity. But for some reason, the moment he moved to take the dragon girl, the other party’s attitude shifted drastically.

What was the creature planning? Jiang Wang began to circulate his magic power in secret. Once on the cloud, he whispered to the dragon girl, "Yancai, be careful."

"Hm?" the dragon girl asked, confused.

Before she could react, a thick, heavy iron staff came crashing down from an unknown source. Jiang Wang’s reaction was lightning-fast; he snatched the dragon girl and dodged the attack. The staff slammed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust and causing the earth to crack and shatter.

Jiang Wang looked toward the staff with a solemn expression. One end of the weapon was massive, while the other was incredibly thin. The wielder was a monkey—a monkey dressed in the martial attire of a mortal warrior.

"Halt, Heavenly Soldier! Release the dragon girl!" The monkey bared its fangs and snarled, "If you do not let her go, you shall taste the iron staff of your Lord Monkey!"

Jiang Wang scrutinized the creature. Beyond the strangeness of a monkey taking on a human form, the most peculiar feature was its ears—it had three ears on each side! A six-eared monkey; it could be none other than the Six-Eared Macaque.

The Six-Eared Macaque was one of the four great spiritual monkeys of heaven and earth. Aside from the Lingming Stone Monkey, which was born of destiny, the other three species had appeared throughout history. For example, the Red-Buttocked Horse Monkey; the most famous of that group was Wuzhiqi, the water god of the Huai River, who had once been a source of great floods. Another was the Armed Ape; Yuan Hong, the leader of the Seven Monsters of Meishan under Erlang Shen, was one such creature.

Those two types of monkeys had existed in multiple numbers throughout history. But the Six-Eared Macaque and the Lingming Stone Monkey were different; there was only one of each in all of existence! Since the primordial era, there had been a saying: "The Dharma is not transmitted to the six-eared." Because of this, the Six-Eared Macaque had been unable to cultivate; his innate ability allowed him to hear the heavens above and the netherworld below, and thus, no great master was willing to take him as a disciple.

"Fellow Daoist, what is the meaning of this?" Jiang Wang asked, keeping his anger in check. "I am here under the imperial edict of the Great Heavenly Sovereign to bring the dragon girl to justice. Do you dare to defy the mandate of the Sovereign?"

He had no desire to provoke the Six-Eared Macaque. The creature was long-lived. While its cultivation might not be peerless, its repertoire of techniques was vast!

"The Sovereign’s edict? This Lord Monkey hasn't seen it!" The Six-Eared Macaque scratched his ears and cheeks, appearing anxious. "Release the dragon girl at once, or I shall see to it that you perish right here and now!"

The Six-Eared Macaque’s resolve was absolute.