Journey to the West: Demon Emperor: Beginning as a Little Toad

Chapter 592 Jin Chanzi's "Embroidered Ball" Marriage Proposal

However, after the defeat of Emperor Donghua in battle...

Remembering the kindness shown by the Eastern King Duke, the "Head of Male Immortals," to the "Taoist Master Taiqing" in the Zixiao Palace years ago, Laozi accepted the Eastern Emperor as his disciple, thus preserving the Eastern Emperor's chance of survival.

However, the Peony Fairy who once captivated the heart of the Eastern Emperor has already passed away, her beautiful soul now gone.

Laozi made another deal with Donghua Dijun, exchanging Donghua Dijun's fortune as the emperor of the Eastern Daoist sect for the resurrection of Peony Fairy.

The transaction between the two parties has been completed.

The memories of Donghua Dijun, filled with deep emotions, were ruthlessly erased by Taishang Laojun, and his fortune dissipated, all of which entered the Taoist sect.

Only regret remains.

It is:

"The immortal Donghua hides his love, and the poem on the red leaves reveals the affection of the peony."

"This love can only be cherished in memory, for at the time it was already a regret."

From then on, Chunyangzi Lü Dongbin was no longer the Eastern Emperor.

That deep affection belonging to Emperor Donghua has vanished into the vast world along with memories and destiny.

The reborn Peony Fairy may still bear traces of her past life.

The modern-day Lü Dongbin possesses the sharpness of a "sword immortal," the unbridled spirit of a "wine immortal," the charm of a "lustful immortal," and the debauchery of a "magician," standing out from the crowd as he roams the mortal world.

However, Chunyangzi Lü Dongbin and Donghua Dijun were completely different people. His love for the Peony Fairy was ultimately different from Donghua Dijun's love for the Peony Fairy.

……

Now, let's talk about Lü Dongbin and Bai Mudan, the reincarnation of a flower fairy, who spent a warm spring night together.

As dawn breaks, the first rays of light appear.

The thin mist had not yet dissipated.

Inside the brothel, a secluded and enchanting atmosphere prevailed.

Inside the hibiscus-scented tent, the fragrance of camphor was almost gone, and the scent of orchids and musk was faint and hard to find, as if it were about to dissipate completely.

Only a pile of disheveled clothes remained, silently testifying to that passionate lovemaking that had exhausted their very being.

Bai Mudan's starry eyes were half-closed, her hair as black as ink, softly clinging to her rosy cheeks still damp with sweat.

On her fragrant cheeks, two intoxicating blushes had not yet faded, and her long eyelashes trembled gently like the wings of a startled butterfly.

She was like a peony after being washed by the night rain, languidly leaning against the pillow, her alluring beauty adding to her captivating charm.

Her jade-like fingertips unconsciously entwined around the fragrant handkerchief embroidered with twin peonies that Lü Dongbin had brushed aside when he got up—the handkerchief seemed to still retain the warmth of his fingertips and her own scent.

Her gaze, filled with the hazy feeling of just waking up and a hint of resentment, was fixed on the figure in the blue robe by the window, as if she had a thousand words to say but couldn't.

The White Peony, a reincarnation of a flower fairy, has eyes that sparkle with spring, a captivating charm, and an elegant demeanor.

Lu Dongbin, the Pure Yang Sword Immortal, is unrestrained and gentle, yet his heart is devoted to the Great Dao.

Peony is a flower fairy, but Dongbin is a pure yang master.

A flower fairy descends to earth, her alluring bones born; a pure yang spirit enters the world, sowing seeds of romance.

The peony wants to fade, but the pure yang energy continues; the pure yang energy wants to stop, but the peony does not wish to.

During the rain and clouds, each displays its own unique charm.

Is this a case of the flower fairy, banished from her homeland, using earthly tenderness to bind the true immortal?
Or was it a carefree immortal who casually transformed this famous flower in the mortal world?
Their love affairs are intertwined; who can truly understand it?
The red candle, its tears exhausted, has turned to ashes, bearing witness to the tender and poignant night.

"Click..."

The window was gently pushed open a crack, and the crisp morning breeze slipped in, silently diluting the thick, warm fragrance inside the tent.

The gilded wine jug on the desk, which had kept them entertained all night, was almost empty.

"Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock..."

A few drops of leftover wine gathered along the spout of the pot, eventually dripping onto the sandalwood tabletop like belated tears.

Lü Dongbin quietly got up, turned his back to the bed, and slowly straightened his slightly wrinkled blue robe and tightened his belt.

The faint morning light outlined his tall and upright figure, casting a long shadow on the ground.

Looking back, the beautiful woman on the couch, Bai Mudan, had her hair disheveled, her starry eyes half-open, and her cheeks still flushed with the rosy glow of pleasure. She was half-awake and half-asleep, charming and adorable.

Lü Dongbin quietly felt the coolness of the morning breeze.

Love's threads, like flowing water, meander a thousand times; sword's aura, like frost, cuts through a hundred thoughts.

The intoxicating tenderness of last night, lost in the fragrance of flowers, has now completely faded from his clear eyes, replaced by a clear and lucid gaze that comes from having seen through the world's illusions.

He's frighteningly calm now!
The ancient Chunyang sword at his waist reflected a chilling light in the dim light, and the patterns on the hilt resembled dormant dragon scales, faintly exuding a fierce sword aura that could slay demons and vanquish evil.

This unparalleled brilliance stands in stark contrast to the beautiful, still sweat-stained and fragrant double-flowered peony handkerchief left by the bedside.

One side is a sharp blade that severs worldly ties and protects the true path.

On one side is a seductive and intoxicating haven of gentle pleasures.

Sword light like frost, handkerchief like water, facing each other across the void, silently telling the story of the entanglement and helplessness of love between immortals and mortals, leaving people sighing.

"Death under the peonies, even being a ghost is romantic."

"Her beauty was as delicate as butter, so alluring and captivating, that the land of gentle pleasures became the graveyard of heroes."

Lü Dongbin muttered to himself and immediately composed a "Warning Poem" to admonish the world.

That clear voice carried a hint of hoarseness from having just experienced ecstasy, mixed with a touch of helpless insight and transcendent enlightenment:
"A beautiful woman of sixteen or seventeen, her body as soft as butter, with a sword at her waist to slay ordinary men."

"Though no heads fall, they secretly drain your marrow."

He finished reciting.

Lu Dongbin subconsciously raised his hand, his fingertips gently stroking his waist, as if trying to capture the extremely precious essence and yang energy that had been absorbed by the peerless flower.

This touch caused the fingers, which were as steady as a rock when holding the sword, to tremble almost imperceptibly.

Last night's romance has all flowed away like water.

"Hey……"

In a fleeting moment, Lü Dongbin's eyes cleared like water as he gazed upon Bai Mudan, whose face still held a hint of spring and whose eyes held a hint of resentment, within the brocade tent. He sighed deeply and said:
"Wine and women are like a knife above one's head; indeed, they have slightly dimmed my primordial spirit and made my physical body a little weaker!"

"These words are indeed true! From this day forward, I, Lü—"

His gaze, sharp as lightning, swept over the empty wine jug on the table—a symbol of last night's indulgence—and then touched the lingering, slight ache in his lower back, before landing with a resounding thud:
"Quit drinking!"

Say it.

Lü Dongbin straightened his slightly weak back, his eyes no longer showing any lingering affection, his brows filled with resolute clarity.

He resolutely flicked his sleeves, leaned against the wall, and walked with firm steps over the remnants of warm fragrance and jade, pushed open the vermilion door that separated the desires of immortals and mortals, and his figure resolutely merged into the gradually brightening morning light outside the building.

The cool morning light rushed in instantly, enveloping his slender figure and washing away all the superficiality and worldly cares.

"Wow!"

The next moment, the clear cry of a crane came from the sky, and its figure resolutely merged into the gradually brightening dawn outside the building.

The house is empty, with only the lingering fragrance of spring scattered throughout.

on the bed.

Bai Mudan leaned against the couch, gazing at the open door, her eyes filled with a deeper resentment. After a long while, a languid yet worldly-wise cold smile slowly curved her lips:
"Heh heh heh, men."

"What kind of number one swordsman in the world is 'Chunyangzi'? He slays dragons and vanquishes demons, and is all-powerful. Yet he still has to lean on a wall to get out of the room?"

……

However, it is said that Emperor Donghua rebelled against Heaven.

At that time, the Buddha of the West, at the invitation of the Jade Emperor, used his supreme power and extraordinary abilities to help the Jade Emperor quell the rebellion of the Eastern Emperor.

Once the storm had subsided, the Buddha Tathagata led his disciples back to the Western Paradise.

Since then.

To celebrate the Buddha's success in quelling the rebellion, the Western sacred mountain held a grand and extraordinary celebration banquet, named the "Sacred Mountain Pure Land Celebration Banquet for the Buddha's Merit".

At this banquet, celestial music filled the air, and chanting lingered. All Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Vajras, Arhats, and others gathered together to celebrate this grand occasion.

At the "Celebrating Buddha's Merit Banquet at Lingshan Pure Land".

The Buddha decided to spread the teachings to Jambudvipa (the southern continent).

The "Journey to the West Project" has now begun.

The meaning of the Tathagata Buddha is:

"Our Western Vulture Peak wishes to first conduct a trial of spreading the scriptures within a small area of ​​the Southern Jambudvipa."

"However, the Taoist sects in Jambudvipa have deep roots, so we need to choose a place where the influence of the Taoist sects is relatively weak and send our Buddhist disciples there to spread the teachings and spread the seeds of Buddhism."

"When the time is right, we will spread the Dharma widely in the world so that all sentient beings may be liberated." Upon hearing this, all the Buddhas of Vulture Peak nodded slightly and had no objection.

The next step was to determine who would be on the pilgrimage.

At this moment, all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Vajras, Arhats, and so on of Mount Ling gathered together once again, discussing endlessly the selection of a person to transmit the scriptures to Jambudvipa.

Guanyin Bodhisattva recommended Jin Chanzi, the second disciple of the Buddha.

The Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta recommended Huangmei Boy, a disciple of Maitreya Buddha.

Inside Mount Ling, Buddha Tathagata, Dipankara Buddha, Maitreya Buddha, Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva... all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas argued endlessly over the selection of the person to transmit the scriptures, each holding their own opinion, creating a rather heated atmosphere.

At last.

The Ancient Buddha of the Burning Lamp made the decision, allowing Jin Chanzi and Huang Mei to each demonstrate their abilities, with the "effectiveness of spreading the scriptures" as the measure, and only the winner would be able to assume this important task.

Guanyin Bodhisattva, as Jin Chanzi's recommender, vouched for him and was also his protector.

Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, as the recommender of Yellow-Eyebrowed Boy, acted as his guarantor and protector.

……

The compassionate Bodhisattva Guanyin and Jin Chanzi transformed into wandering monks and traveled through Jambudvipa.

The two of them ate the wind and slept on the water, rested under the moon and slept on the frost, and experienced the suffering of the people in Jambudvipa along the way.

Having witnessed the myriad aspects of life on his journey, Jin Chanzi was filled with endless emotions and sighed deeply:

"All sentient beings suffer, as if living in water or fire; when will they be liberated..."

……

Now, on this day...

Guanyin Bodhisattva and Jin Chanzi traveled to the territory of Quanzhou.

Looking up, a mighty river roars and surges, its waters turbulent like a stampede of ten thousand horses, its current as swift as an arrow released from a bow.

The great river stretches across both banks, like an insurmountable chasm, separating the people on both sides.

The people stood on the riverbank, gazing at the surging river, their faces filled with helplessness, and could only sigh at the sight of the river.

The makeshift ferry bobbed and swayed in the raging waves, sometimes visible, sometimes hidden, and at times in danger of capsizing.

Crossing the river was dangerous and arduous for the people. Every trip was like going on a life-or-death mission, filled with anxiety and fear.

This scene deeply touched the compassionate heart of Guanyin Bodhisattva.

Guanyin Bodhisattva sighed softly and said:
"The sea of ​​suffering is boundless, but the bridge is the boat of Dharma."

"I will relieve the suffering of the people of this land from this blocked road, so that the two sides of the river can be connected and the people can live in peace and happiness."

"This opportunity can also be used to enlighten the creatures of this place and encourage them to have more good thoughts."

Jin Chanzi said:

"Since Guanyin Bodhisattva has such a kind heart, Jin Chanzi will naturally cooperate."

However, both Guanyin Bodhisattva and Jin Chanzi were monks.

Monks and nuns live a pure life, abstain from sexual desires and practice moderation in their diet. They do not wear incense or garlands, nor do they sing, dance, watch or listen to music, or sit or lie on high or wide beds.

He usually didn't have much money, and he mostly got what he needed by begging from people.

Buddhist precepts are strict, and Jin Chanzi was an even more rigorous monk who strictly adhered to the precepts. Where would he have gotten the vast sums of money needed to build the bridge?
The two fell into deep thought for a moment.

Subsequently.

After discussing the matter, Guanyin Bodhisattva and Jin Chanzi decided to "beg for alms" to build a bridge so that the people could cross the river and be relieved of their suffering.

And through this, he enlightened the creatures of this place and spread Buddhism.

……

then.

Guanyin Bodhisattva's eyes flickered, and her thoughts stirred slightly.

……

Meanwhile, on the great river of Quanzhou, a fishing boat drifted by at some unknown time.

Two figures stood on the boat, creating a unique scene.

At the stern stood an old boatman, his face weathered and deeply wrinkled, tanned bronze.

At the bow of the boat was a beautiful young fisherwoman dressed in simple clothes.

This fisherwoman was only sixteen years old, with a slender and graceful figure. Her beauty was so pure and refined that she resembled a lotus flower emerging from clear water, naturally adorned.

Her face was as bright as the moon, pure and flawless; her eyes were like autumn water, shimmering and sparkling; her eyebrows were like distant mountains shrouded in green, beautiful and graceful; her cherry lips were delicate and luscious.

Even though this fisherwoman was dressed in coarse cloth, it was hard to hide the ethereal and otherworldly charm that emanated from her.

Her beauty silenced the clamor on the shore, and everyone held their breath, their eyes drawn to her.

This is the incarnation of the compassionate Bodhisattva Guanyin—the fisherwoman "Yu Lan'er".

The old boatman at the stern, wielding the oars, was none other than Jin Chanzi in disguise.

A coarse white banner was hung from the bow of the ship, with several large characters written on it:

"A bridal bouquet to choose a husband, a slave to build a bridge."

The boatman (Jin Chanzi) stood at the bow of the boat, surveying the growing crowds gathering on both banks. His voice was not loud, but every word was clearly audible to everyone:

"Fellow villagers! This is my ill-fated daughter, Yu Lan'er!"

"I am showing my face today not to flaunt my achievements, but to choose a good husband and to perform a great service!"

"Look, everyone! This great river before us has swallowed countless ferries and swept away countless lives. It has torn families apart on both banks and made it difficult for merchants to travel!"

"I want to raise funds to build a bridge to connect the two banks, relieve the people of the hardship of crossing the river, and enable them to live and work in peace and contentment, no longer suffering the pain of crossing the river!"

"But what can this old man do? He's just a nobody, his house is bare, and his purse is emptier than the river!"

"With no other choice, we had to resort to this shameful and disgraceful measure—'using an embroidered ball to find a husband and selling ourselves to build a bridge'!"

The rules are very simple: one silver coin is equivalent to one 'embroidered ball'.

"If any hero throws a coin at the body of my daughter on the boat, it will be a match made in heaven, and my daughter will go with him to spend the rest of her life with him!"

"Those who fail to hit the target will donate the proceeds to bridge repairs. The old man and his daughter are deeply grateful! This is truly a last resort, and we earnestly hope that our neighbors will support this compassionate act and join us in this righteous deed. The merit will be immeasurable!"

The beautiful fisherwoman Yu Lan'er (Guanyin Bodhisattva) lightly lifted her fish basket, moved with graceful steps, and said sweetly:

"This humble woman makes this vow: to use my body as a boat or bridge to ferry all living beings across the sea of ​​suffering!"

"Alas, I am but a weak woman with little wealth, so I can only offer myself to help raise funds for the bridge construction."

"Today, I wish to raise money by offering my body to kind-hearted people all over the world."

"No matter how much or how little money one has, a copper coin or a silver coin... is a 'bouquet'."

"Regardless of wealth or status, regardless of social class, who would throw money at a young girl's body..."

"My daughter is willing to give herself to him."

"If I fail to throw it into the bridge, consider it a donation to this charitable cause, and I will be eternally grateful!"

These words immediately ignited the crowd!

Everyone was captivated by this astonishing act, and all eyes turned to Yu Lan'er.

In this world, there are those who "sell themselves to bury their fathers," but those who "sell themselves to build bridges" are extremely rare.

It is said that the most beautiful beings in the celestial realm are the Fairy of Guanghan and the Moon Palace Fairy Maiden, whose ethereal beauty transcends the mundane world.

In the demon realm, there are beauties who are venomous and wicked, and nine-tailed celestial foxes who bewitch all living beings; every frown and smile can captivate souls.

Even the demonic Rakshasa women of the ghost realm possess their own enchanting beauty.

In the Buddhist realm, however, there is the compassionate and beautiful Guanyin of the Water Moon.

The "Yu Lan'er" transformed from Guanyin Bodhisattva was graceful and elegant. Even in coarse linen clothes and simple attire, her pure and extraordinary beauty could not be concealed. The compassion between her brows, along with a touch of girlish determination, was truly captivating.

That ethereal and compassionate beauty, originating from the pure and holy essence of the Bodhisattva, has long transcended the glamour of the mundane world!

Is this the kind of woman one would expect to see in the human world?

Everyone was amazed, as if they had seen a fairy descending from the heavens to the mortal world.

Immediately, the crowd erupted in excitement, and the people on the shore became as restless as ants on a hot pan.

A single coin can be used to win a "good match," and besides, the fisherwoman on the stage is breathtakingly beautiful!
Who wouldn't want to win the heart of such a beauty?

"I'll take it! I'll take five copper coins! That woman looks just like the fairy from my dreams back then!"

A burly man, as tall as an iron tower, pushed his way through the crowd. His face was full of scars, his eyes were wide open, and he shouted at the top of his lungs.

(End of this chapter)