Traveling Through Journey to the West: I Am the Dragon King

Chapter 40 You have a bright future ahead of you, but you must stand firm on your principles.

After the two left.

The White Crane Fairy then leisurely led Yun Chonghua toward Ke Han Si.

When the two reached the banks of the Milky Way, the White Crane Fairy stopped by the railing.

After looking around to make sure no one was around, the White Crane Fairy waved her hand and created a soundproof barrier.

She looked at Yun Chonghua and asked, "Chonghua, what exactly is your relationship with Nezha and that Third Holy Mother? How did you get involved with them? You have to tell me the truth."

Seeing the serious expression on the White Crane Fairy's face, Yun Chonghua wondered what had happened.

He then said, "I only met the Third Holy Mother by chance in front of the Heavenly Gate. As for Nezha, he is my friend. Before I attained enlightenment, I was betrayed by the Dragon King of the East Sea, bound by this Dragon-Binding Rope, captured and brought to Heaven, and almost sent to the Imperial Kitchen to be eaten."

"It was the Third Prince who redeemed me with three pearls, freed me from my bonds, and even gave me the Dragon-Binding Rope after refining it. He also taught me some magic arts for controlling clouds and rain and flying. He saved my life."

Upon hearing this, the serious expression on the White Crane Fairy's face dissipated. She nodded and said, "I see. You can't be blamed for that; after all, this life-saving grace is indeed a great kindness."

The White Crane Fairy asked, "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"

Although the White Crane Fairy is questioning him now, it's in private, clearly indicating she wants to resolve these matters privately.

Yun Chonghua felt she was trustworthy. He didn't hide anything, saying, "This buying and selling business seems a bit dishonorable. I'm afraid that if I tell them, it will cause them trouble."

The White Crane Fairy asked, "Is that all?"

Yun Chonghua nodded and said, "Yes. There's absolutely nothing to hide."

Seeing the White Crane Fairy's expression, Yun Chonghua asked, "Sister White Crane, is there anything wrong with my association with them?"

The White Crane Fairy, regaining her composure, said, "There's nothing inherently wrong with it, but their identities are quite sensitive. The Holy Mother of the Western Peak is His Majesty's niece and the biological daughter of Princess Yaoji. The Princess's situation has always been a thorn in His Majesty's side, while the Holy Mother's brother, Yang Jian, is unruly in the mortal realm. He occupies Guanjiang Estuary and Meishan, commanding 1,200 grass-root gods who obey orders but not summons. This has always been a source of worry for His Majesty."

"As for Nezha's father, Li Tianwang, although he is His Majesty's confidant, the relationship between the Third Prince and Li Tianwang has never been good, and the father and son are only superficially friendly. Moreover, the Third Prince's master, Taiyi Zhenren, is a disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun of the Shangqing Heaven's Miluo Palace."

"If we count in this way, the Third Prince is a grand-disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun. Not only him, but even Erlang Shen is a disciple of Yu Ding Zhenren, a disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun. Currently, there are many disciples and grand-disciples of the Three Pure Ones in the Heavenly Court, and most of the Three Pure Ones are exceptionally skilled. They are the most powerful force in the Heavenly Court. To be frank, His Majesty does not want to see a force emerge that could destabilize the court. Do you understand?"

Yun Chonghua was taken aback upon hearing this. Although he knew that the Heavenly Court was a complex place, he had not expected the relationships to be this intricate.

The White Crane Fairy, seeing Yun Chonghua's stunned expression, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Chonghua, you have solved a great problem for His Majesty and the Empress. They trust and value you greatly. Sending you down to the mortal realm to be a minor Dragon King of the Sishui River is merely a formality. Your future is bound to be limitless. You must not disappoint the Empress and His Majesty's expectations."

Yun Chonghua understood the White Crane Fairy's unspoken meaning; she simply wanted him to state his position and choose sides as soon as possible.

He thought the "struggles" in the mortal realm were troublesome enough, but he didn't expect the Heavenly Court to be the same.

Sure enough, wherever there is power, these struggles are inevitable.

Yun Chonghua said, "Sister, rest assured, Chonghua is not an ungrateful person. Your Majesty, the Empress bestowed upon me the Peaches of Immortality, the Golden Elixir that guided me to immortality, and also granted me an official position, allowing me to enjoy this glory today. I will never forget this kindness that has given me a second chance at life. Chonghua will certainly serve Your Majesty and the Empress faithfully. I will have no disloyalty whatsoever."

After hearing this, the White Crane Fairy smiled and nodded, saying, "That's right."

Yun Chonghua continued, "However, the Third Prince Nezha also saved my life. I would be grateful if you could put in a good word for me with Her Majesty and the Empress. From now on, Chonghua will certainly not get involved in the affairs of the Sanqing Sect, nor will I associate with any of them. But could we perhaps sever ties with the Third Prince?"

The White Crane Fairy wasn't annoyed by this. She said, "Of course you can. I'm just reminding you to stand firm on your own position. I'm not telling you to be impenetrable and unapproachable, to the point that no one wants to get close to you. Although the Third Prince is a disciple of the Three Pure Ones, his father is His Majesty's trusted advisor. It's fine for you to have some personal interactions with him. Just don't get too close to the Three Pure Ones disciples behind him."

After hearing this, Yun Chonghua said, "That's good. Otherwise, it wouldn't be good if we didn't talk to Brother Nezha in the future."

After the White Crane Fairy "reminded" Yun Chonghua on the banks of the Milky Way, the two continued on their way to Kehansi.

For Ke Han Si, reporting for duty wasn't too troublesome; he simply picked up the magic pen and signed his name on Ke Han Si's register of personnel.

This concludes the "reporting to the emperor" ceremony, and the gods who went to heaven to report on their duties can return to their respective posts.

After the Three Holy Mothers and all the immortals from the Ten Continents and Three Islands had finished their roll call, they returned to the mortal realm. Only Yun Chonghua was taken to the Jade Pool by the White Crane Fairy.

Yun Chonghua and the White Crane Fairy arrived at the Jade Pool. Yun Chonghua asked, "Sister, now that my reporting for duty is over, if I don't return as soon as possible, wouldn't that be considered dereliction of duty? After all, one hour in heaven is equivalent to one month on earth. If I don't return for so long, and His Majesty issues a decree that it will rain... then..."

Upon hearing this, Fairy White Crane chuckled, "Hehe. My brother Chonghua is quite dutiful. Don't worry, I've already spoken to the Water Department and the Thunder Department. If there's anything to do with clouds and rain, they'll find another Dragon King to cover for you. Relax. Before you were away from Sishui, everything in the mortal realm was just as normal, wasn't it?"

Yun Chonghua chuckled and said, "That's true."

At this moment, Yun Chonghua remembered the incident at the Dragon Palace and asked, "By the way, sister, there's something I'd like to ask you."

The White Crane Fairy asked, "What is it?"

So Yun Chonghua told Fairy Baihe everything that had happened between him and the Dragon King of the East Sea over the past six months. He recounted everything in detail, from the Dragon King's apology to the grand banquet at the Spring Dragon Festival and the Dragon King's plan to marry off his daughter.

Yun Chonghua spread his hands and said, "Alas! That's why I'm so troubled. If I accept the old Dragon King's gift, it would be considered bribery, and it would also embarrass His Majesty and the Empress. If I don't accept it, the old Dragon King will never stop. Besides, he keeps waving those rare treasures in front of me. Even if I have a strong will, he can't test me like this."

"Besides, that old mudfish almost made me his meal. I'm afraid that if I accept his gift, I'll be on his pirate ship and won't be able to get off. I don't want to let him off so easily either, but if I'm going to settle a personal score, not only has he been very polite to me, but I also can't find any major evidence against him. This is really a difficult situation."

After hearing Yun Chonghua's description, the White Crane Fairy disregarded her eternally aloof fairy demeanor and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

The White Crane Fairy laughed as she spoke, "Hehe, I never imagined that my brother Chonghua would live such a poor life down there. Not only does he not have a single soldier in his mansion, but he is also so cold-hearted that even the old Dragon King cannot send him gifts."

Yun Chonghua asked, "So, taking advantage of this opportunity to report to Heaven, I would like to ask my sister for advice. What should I do?"

At this moment, the White Crane Fairy stopped laughing and straightened her posture again.