Chapter 7 I, Old Sun, Learn Fortune Telling

Dojo.

A group of disciples sat cross-legged on cushions, looking stunned and looking sideways.

"Goku, stop laughing."

"Shut up, Wukong, it's the corporal who asked, laughing."

Everyone spoke up to remind him, and some disciples whispered to each other, "Wukong misheard. I was wondering why he was laughing and dancing that day. It turns out he misheard."

"No wonder the master was so angry. How could he misunderstand such simple words?"

"Oh, luckily the master didn't come, otherwise I would be furious again."

"How many times did Wukong listen to the sutra? I remember that he was either sleeping or distracted. He was not diligent at all."

"Yeah, that's too lazy."

Seeing that he couldn't even remember a few verses of the scriptures, Lingyun thought to himself: Wukong is not working hard enough, no wonder the master is angry.

He pointed to the cushion in the middle, which was closest to the platform: "Wukong, don't go to the corner. This is the seat that your fellow disciples have reserved for you. Come and sit down."

"Oh, thank you very much."

Sun Wukong laughed inwardly, pretended to be surprised, and bowed to everyone repeatedly.

"Ding ding ding..."

The stone chimes rang three times, and Patriarch Bodhi appeared.

After sitting down, he waved a palm-leaf fan and smiled peacefully.

After a long silence, he said calmly, "Wukong."

"master."

"Well, you..."

Bodhi originally wanted to ask him how many years he had been in the mountains and use this opportunity to grant him supernatural powers.

But on second thought, this monkey is too stupid, how could he know how many years have passed.

He immediately changed his words and said, "You have been drifting on the sea for eight years, sweeping the floor for seven years, and removing dust for seven years. If you count carefully, it has been twenty-two years.

"I see that your mind is set, what Taoist skills do you want to learn?"

what!
Everyone looked stunned.

Lingyun, who was fanning Puti, trembled and the fan almost fell to the ground.

Master is confused!
Wukong... He drinks, eats meat, and walks his dog every day, and laughs loudly when listening to the sutras. Is this what you call a settled mind?
At once, dozens of pairs of eyes were fixed on Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong was also a little confused.

No, no.

You should listen to the sutras for seven years before learning supernatural powers.

This old man, why doesn't he follow the routine?

What does he mean? Does he want to kick me out early?

"Uh... hehe, as long as the master teaches me, as long as there is some Taoism, I will learn it."

The plan went very smoothly.

Bodhi smiled and said "hmm", pretending to think, and after a long silence, he said with a smile: "How about I teach you how to seek divination from the gods and ward off evil spirits and avoid misfortune?"

The routine came, and Sun Wukong laughed to himself: "Master, can you achieve immortality like this?"

Bodhi laughed and said, "No, no."

But I thought in my heart: Naughty monkey, hurry up and keep asking, I will teach him the 72 Earthly Transformations and Somersault Cloud, and then I will send him down the mountain.

Sun Wukong pretended to think, then suddenly slapped his thigh and said, "I'll learn, I'll learn. Thank you, Master."

Uh...no, Bodhi was slightly stunned.

This monkey, why doesn't he play by the rules?

Absolutely stupid.

If you can’t live forever, what’s the point of learning?

How to learn to seek immortality and divination, how to slay demons and monsters, how to travel west?
What a good-for-nothing, it makes me so mad.

After a while, Bodhi asked again: "Don't you want to live forever?"

Sun Wukong laughed inwardly and said:
"Being a living being, one wants to become an immortal. Being born on earth, one wants to go to heaven. If one is determined to become an immortal, then one is greedy. I do not seek immortality or longevity. As long as the master teaches me some skills, I will benefit greatly."

Bodhi was stunned for a moment and found himself speechless.

Even though he had practiced Taoism for thousands of years, he had never heard of anyone using greed to describe becoming an immortal.

Immortality, shouldn’t this be the dream that all living beings pursue tirelessly?
"Hmm... that makes some sense."

Bodhi nodded, and suddenly an idea flashed in his mind. His fingers flew and started pinching rapidly.

After calculating for a while, he became more and more confused. The monkey had not changed at all, and the overall situation of the Journey to the West had not changed either.

What's going on here?
Could it be that this demon monkey's temperament has changed drastically?

He calculated carefully again and found that the monkey had not had any contact with any people except drinking, eating meat and walking the dog.

But why did his character change?
Maybe he should learn some magical skills.

These are the established rules anyway, so just teach him everything and kick him out.

Thinking of this, Bodhi took a deep breath, calmed his mind, and said slowly:
"Don't worry, don't worry. I can teach you to chant the Buddha's name and scriptures, to worship the truth and the saints, and I can also teach you to meditate, to abstain from words and fast, and I can also teach you to ride on clouds and mist, to subdue demons and monsters. Think carefully, which one do you want to learn?"

Good boy, a new tactic, right? He directly brought up the idea of ​​flying on clouds and mist, and exorcising demons. Sun Wukong pondered for a moment, then saluted:
"Master, whatever you teach, I will learn."

Suddenly, Patriarch Bodhi stretched out his hand and grabbed a ruler. He shouted softly:
"You monkey, you want to learn this and that. I'll let you experience the power of the ruler."

After saying that, he hit Sun Wukong on the back of the head three times, snorted coldly, and floated away.

Sun Wukong rubbed his head and thought, Damn, old man, he wants me to go find him in the middle of the night.

Teach me my magical powers, and then kick me off the mountain after I’ve learned them.

That’s not right. The Journey to the West started earlier?
"Goku."

Lingyun grabbed Sun Wukong who was about to leave and asked: "Do you know what the master meant by knocking you three times?"

Boy, this is a clear sign.

Just in case I didn’t know, they sent an interpreter.

Sun Wukong thought for a moment and said with a smile: "I know, I know. If you don't even know this, you are really stupid."

"Okay, okay, I'm glad you know."

After the two of them bowed and said goodbye, Lingyun quickly came to the Three Stars Cave of the Slanting Moon and said, "Master, Wukong knows."

Bodhi was still a little worried: "Do you really know?"

"I asked him, and he said he knew."

"Okay, okay, let's go."

Bodhi was leaning on the bed barefoot and with his chest exposed, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan, his eyes full of smiles.

You naughty monkey, you naughty monkey! I will tolerate him for a few more days.

After teaching him the 72 Earthly Transformations and the Somersault Cloud, he immediately drove him away.

If he is allowed to stay any longer, this Saint’s state of mind will surely be damaged again.

……

That night.

The moon and stars are sparse, and everything is silent.

Bodhi sat cross-legged on the bed and waited until midnight, but still no one showed up.

After counting with his fingers, he suddenly widened his eyes in anger. Sun Wukong was sleeping soundly...

"This evil beast! He is so stupid. Is this what he said? Evil beast, evil beast..."

"Wukong...Wukong..."

He opened his lips slightly, and his voice rang in the ears of Sun Wukong in the back mountain: "Wukong, do you really understand? Wukong...Wukong..."

Hearing the call in his ear, Sun Wukong almost laughed out loud. This old man must have been waiting for half the night.

I continued to pretend to sleep, snoring...

"Wukong...Wukong..."

Patriarch Bodhi used his magical powers and continued shouting in his ear.

"Whoosh..."

"Beast!"

Seeing that he still hadn't woken up, Bodhi angrily threw away the palm-leaf fan and said, "Lingyun, Lingyun..."

"master."

Lingyun's voice was heard outside the door.

"Come in."

"Yes."

Patriarch Bodhi slowly closed his eyes and said, "Let me ask you, did you explain it clearly to Wukong during the day?"

"No, he said he understood, so the disciple didn't say anything."

Lingyun said, his voice suddenly rising: "Hey, where's Wukong? Is he gone?"

(End of this chapter)