Chapter 34: Within a Square Inch, the Heart of Chaos After the battle on Mount Huaguo, Li Jing and the Four Heavenly Kings escorted the Monkey King to the Jade Pool (Heavenly Court). Yang Jian and Yang Chan, however, did not return to the Heavens, instead each going home. As they parted, Yang Jian said, “Don’t worry, little sister. Your second brother will find that guy sooner or later and get justice for you.” Yang Chan didn’t seem to hear him, her face slightly flushed as she rode her cloud away alone. Upon arriving at the Jade Pool, Li Jing and the Four Heavenly Kings reported to the Jade Emperor: “The demon monkey Sun Wukong of Mount Huaguo has been captured.” With his political savvy, Li Jing naturally omitted any mention of Qin Chuan, and the other immortals also silently agreed to let the Monkey King bear all the blame for the chaos in Heaven. The Jade Emperor, upon hearing the news, said gravely, “Bring him to the Execution Platform to uphold the authority of Heaven.” At the Execution Platform, the Monkey King was bound to the Demon-Slaying Pillar, subjected to blades, axes, lightning, and fire—yet he remained completely unharmed. With indignation written all over his face, he glared fiercely and shouted, “You hypocritical gods dare to strike from the shadows! If you’ve got guts, fight me fair and square!” His voice shook the skies, echoing across the Execution Platform. The immortals ignored his fury. One general stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, this Great Sage seems to have learned some powerful defensive techniques. Our blades, axes, thunder, and fire have no effect!” The Jade Emperor asked the assembled immortals: “Is there any method to deal with this?” Just then, an announcement rang out: “The Supreme Lord Laozi has arrived!” All the immortals in the Jade Pool rose to greet him. Even the Jade Emperor bowed slightly and said, “I didn’t expect this demon monkey to alarm the Grand Supreme Elder. This is my failing.” Laozi lightly waved his dust whisk and smiled: “This monkey ate the Peaches of Immortality, drank imperial wine, and stole elixirs. He’s pushed his Taiyi Loose Number to its limit, and now possesses an indestructible body. Ordinary methods won’t harm him.” “Better to hand him over to me. I’ll put him in the Eight Trigrams Furnace, and burn him with Liuding Divine Fire. That’ll refine the elixirs out of him, and the monkey will turn to ashes.” The Jade Emperor nodded, “If that’s the case, then I leave the demon monkey to your care.” He immediately ordered the Liuding Liujia Gods to escort the Monkey King to Laozi’s Palace (Douzhai Palace). A streak of rainbow light flashed across the heavens, diving into earth and crossing oceans, until Qin Chuan, sensing that all prying eyes had faded away, finally came to a halt. According to Patriarch Bodhi and Lady Pingxin, Qin Chuan was the “One That Escaped” from the Heavenly Calculation. Whether that was true or not, now that the great calamity of heaven and earth had begun, no powerful being could divine his presence. After leaving Mount Huaguo and shaking off the curious observers, Qin Chuan returned to the place where he and the Monkey King had studied under their master. Given how things had escalated, he felt it necessary to inform Patriarch Bodhi. Without his insight, Qin Chuan felt uncertain. Towering peaks rose like blades, covered in lush greenery. Mist wove through the mountains, as if auspicious qi danced in a celestial paradise. Streams babbled, waterfalls roared—like the sounds of heaven. Ancient pine and cypress trees stretched into the sky, casting shadows on vibrant wildflowers blooming all around. Qin Chuan descended from his rainbow light and landed among the mountains. Looking around, his expression turned strange. “Where is Lingtai Fangcun Mountain? Where is Xieyue Sanxing Cave?” He flew back into the sky and surveyed the land from above. The mountains were still there—majestic as ever. But the mountain that should have held Fangcun and the cave were nowhere to be found. Even the peach trees on Rotten Peach Mountain had vanished. Qin Chuan narrowed his eyes, thoughts racing. He descended to a village by the water, nestled against the mountains. There, by a small creek, a man was fishing. Qin Chuan approached and asked politely, “Brother, greetings. May I ask—do you know if this place is called Lingtai Fangcun Mountain?” The fisherman looked up and saw a noble young man in fine robes. Smiling, he said, “This is Emerald Peak Mountain. Never heard of any ‘Fangcun Mountain,’ sir.” Qin Chuan pondered for a moment, then cast a spell, gathering the fish in the stream before turning into a rainbow light and vanishing. The fisherman was dumbfounded, then dropped to his knees in shock, murmuring, “An immortal! I met an immortal today!” At the mid-slope of Emerald Peak Mountain, the spot where Sanxing Cave once stood, Qin Chuan landed again and looked around. He cupped his fists and called out: “Master! Your disciple Wu Xin seeks an audience!” His voice echoed through the mountains, but no response came. Qin Chuan frowned slightly, then called again: “Master, your disciple has an urgent matter. Please, show yourself!” Still, only the sound of his own voice returned. A wave of inexplicable frustration welled up in his heart. Qin Chuan bowed again: “Master, your disciple Wu…” Suddenly, Qin Chuan looked up sharply, his expression filled with confusion—then, as if a thought struck him, realization dawned. A gentle breeze flowed through the mountains, the waters remained still. During moments of rest from cultivation, Qin Chuan would sip tea and discuss the Dao with his fellow disciples under the moonlight. On one such day, a word of guidance from the master granted him sudden enlightenment in the Immortal Way — as though clouds were parted to reveal the sun, and his heart was filled with clarity. From then on, his cultivation improved by leaps and bounds, and his state of mind became ever more tranquil. Unnoticed, time passed. Qin Chuan sat quietly in the mountains as the Golden Crow (sun) rose and the Jade Rabbit (moon) fell, seasons cycled, and before he knew it, ten years had gone by. At that moment, a strange aura rose from within him — neither Daoist nor Buddhist, neither immortal nor Confucian. Ten years of study, ten years of reflection! When Qin Chuan opened his eyes, the world around him had shifted — mountains and rivers transformed — and he now stood before a cave dwelling. Outside the cave was a giant stone slab that read: “Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, Xieyue Sanxing Cave.” The “Heavenly Heart” is one’s own heart — and one’s own heart is like the heart of a sage. This technique is a direct path towards attaining the Primordial Dao Fruit. Qin Chuan gently pushed open the cave door. Inside, Patriarch Bodhi sat atop a cloud platform, flanked by two figures. To the right stood the woodcutter who had once led Qin Chuan and the Monkey King to this very place. To the left stood a refined scholar, holding a feather fan and a scroll, exuding a Confucian air. All three of them looked at Qin Chuan with smiling eyes. The woodcutter spoke first: “Well? Didn’t I say that junior brother Wuxin would surely find his way back here? No doubt at all, right?” The scholar sighed and said, “Fine, fine… I admit defeat.” Qin Chuan stepped forward and bowed deeply before Patriarch Bodhi. “Disciple pays respects to the Master!” Patriarch Bodhi smiled and nodded, “You have cultivated diligently, very good.” “You must have many questions?” Qin Chuan looked up, his gaze steady: “I only have one question. I ask Master to enlighten me.” Bodhi replied, “Speak.” Qin Chuan asked, “Master… are you Zhunti, one of the Western Saints?” The moment those words left his mouth, silence fell over the cave. The woodcutter opened his mouth to speak but held back. The scholar let out a chuckle and shook his head. Patriarch Bodhi slowly raised his right hand, a powerful divine force gathering at his fingertip… Qin Chuan leapt onto a boulder and sat cross-legged, focusing inward. “What is Lingtai Fangcun Mountain? Where is Xieyue Sanxing Cave?” With his current cultivation and perception, he knew — if what he experienced back then was merely illusion or spellcraft, he should have noticed some trace of it by now. The days of his Daoist training remained vivid in his mind, as if it were just yesterday. When he first entered Fangcun Mountain, carrying water and chopping wood alongside the Monkey King, that was the start of his path to immortality. The mountain was serene and quiet, he practiced tirelessly, his mind free of distractions. Morning and evening rituals calmed his heart like still water. In his cultivation, body and soul united, allowing him to perceive the essence of the Dao itself.