I am a fairy in Journey to the West

The little demon led Zhao Chongguo into the Dust Demon Cave. Zhao Chongguo was not surprised to see that all the monsters along the way were fierce and ugly. He remained calm and composed.

Upon arriving at the main hall of the cave, Zhao Chongguo saw a large cauldron with a roaring fire at the bottom and boiling water inside. A group of little demons were also laughing at him from the side.

"Reporting to the Demon Lord, I have brought Minister Beiyue here." The little demon reported to the Demon Lord Taichen above.

With a wave of his hand, the little demon stepped aside, and then Zhao Chongguo, holding the Northern Mountain Talisman, stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Zhao Chongguo, Minister of the Northern Mountain, pays respects to the Demon Lord Taichen."

The Demon Lord Taichen pointed directly at Zhao Chongguo, and a ray of dust appeared, instantly transforming into a rope that bound Zhao Chongguo.

Zhao Chongguo remained calm and smiled as he asked the Demon Lord Taichen, "Demon Lord, what is the reason for this?"

The Demon Lord Taichen said, "You insulted me with your words outside the Northern Mountain Divine Palace that day. Do you still dare to come and see me today? Are you perhaps ungrateful for death?"

Zhao Chongguo said, "Demon Lord, your words are illogical. As the Minister of the Northern Mountain Divine Palace, I naturally have to be loyal to His Majesty. When the Demon Lord questioned His Majesty with words, I naturally had to retaliate with words. This is not a difficult principle to understand, is it?"

The Demon Lord Taichen said, "I am a demon, I do not listen to such reasoning. Today I will just cook you and share your flesh with the little ones in the cave."

Zhao Chongguo laughed and said, "If the Demon Lord does that, there will be two disadvantages."

"Harm?" Demon Lord Taichen sneered, "What two harms?"

Zhao Chongguo said, "The first disadvantage is that if I am cooked and eaten, there will be so many demons in the Demon Lord's Cave that there won't even be enough soup to go around, let alone meat. If it is not distributed evenly, everyone will probably say that the Demon Lord is unfair."

"The second harm is that if you, Demon Lord, kill me, then you will not be able to enjoy the wealth and honor bestowed by Heaven," Zhao Chongguo said.

The Demon Lord Taichen laughed heartily and said, "As the Demon Lord, why would I care about worldly riches and honors?"

“It is not worldly wealth and honor,” Zhao Chongguo said, “but the wealth and honor of Heaven.”

At this point, Zhao Chongguo bowed to the north and said, "His Majesty the Great Emperor of the Northern Mountain has decided to confer upon the Demon Lord the title of 'Heavenly King of the North.' If the Demon Lord kills me now, he will not be able to obtain this title of Heavenly King."

“Not only will he not be able to obtain the throne of the Heavenly King, but the Demon Lord has also killed the celestial official, and he will probably face a siege from the Heavenly Court. Currently, the Divine Thunder Jade Palace is in power, and it is the Nine Heavens Demon-Subduing Ancestor, the True Martial Emperor, who is acting as regent,” Zhao Chongguo said with a smile.

Upon hearing the name of the True Martial Emperor, the Demon Lord Taichen's expression visibly changed, but he quickly returned to normal.

"Oh? Didn't the Great Emperor of Beiyue say before that he couldn't decide on this matter? How come he can now?" asked Demon Lord Taichen.

Zhao Chongguo said, "There are two ranks of Heavenly King: the Upper Yuan Third Rank and the Middle Yuan Fifth Rank. Your Majesty naturally cannot appoint Heavenly Kings of the Upper Yuan Third Rank, but you can appoint Heavenly Kings of the Middle Yuan Fifth Rank."

Upon hearing this, the Demon Lord Taichen laughed and said, "If I'm going to be one, I'll be a Heavenly King of the Upper Yuan Third Rank. A mere Fifth Rank Immortal Official of the Middle Yuan Rank is not worthy of me."

“Demon Lord, you are mistaken,” Zhao Chongguo said. “Even the Great Lord of the Spirit Platform who oversees all human affairs is only a fourth-rank celestial official in the Middle Yuan Realm. You are only one rank lower than him.”

The Demon Lord Taichen said, "True Lord Lingtai? I have never heard of such a person. You are trying to persuade me with an unknown person. Isn't that a bit too contemptuous of me?"

“Absolutely not,” Zhao Chongguo said. “The Demon Lord has been afflicted by calamities for so long that he has never heard of the name of the True Lord of the Spirit Platform. He is the Grand Master of Destiny appointed by the Jade Emperor, who holds all authority in the human world. He is by no means an unknown person.”

"Oh?" Demon Lord Taichen raised an eyebrow and asked, "Compared to the Great Emperor of Beiyue, who is superior?"

Zhao Chongguo said, "In terms of rank, the Great Emperor of the Northern Peak is a Heavenly Emperor, so he is naturally higher than the True Lord of the Spirit Platform. But in terms of authority, the True Lord of the Spirit Platform is naturally superior. The True Lord of the Spirit Platform is ordered by the Jade Emperor to oversee all affairs in the human world, so he naturally has the authority to govern the Five Peaks."

The Demon Lord Taichen raised an eyebrow and said, "Are you perhaps making up a joke to deceive me? How can a fourth-rank immortal official, no matter how great his power, possibly rule over the Five Sacred Mountains? I won't even mention your Northern Sacred Mountain Emperor, but would the Eastern Sacred Mountain Emperor of Mount Tai possibly take orders from a mere fourth-rank minor deity?"

"You must listen." Zhao Chongguo said solemnly, "The current number two person in power in the Eastern Peak Heavenly Qi Divine Palace is a person under the Lingtai True Lord, called the Fire Spirit True Immortal. These things are not secrets. The Demon Lord can verify them from various sources in the future and then he will know whether what I said is true or not."

Tai Chen Demon Lord said, "So you mean that the Great Emperor of Beiyue wants to bestow upon me the position of a fifth-rank Heavenly King?"

Zhao Chongguo said, "Exactly. With the Demon Lord's immense power, what great achievements could he not accomplish in the future? Why would he fear not obtaining a high-ranking official position? If we rashly bestow a high-ranking official position upon the Demon Lord, not only will the Great Emperor of the Northern Mountain be without legitimacy, but this action will also attract the attention of the Heavenly Court. If the Heavenly Court discovers that you, Demon Lord, have escaped disaster..."

"Wait a minute," said the Demon Lord Taichen. "I've been free from calamity for so long, doesn't the Heavenly Court know?"

"Of course I don't know. As I said before, the Five Sacred Mountains are now in charge of governing the region. Therefore, the Northern Sacred Mountain Palace did not inform the Heavenly Court about the Demon Lord's escape from disaster." Zhao Chongguo added, "Otherwise, the True Martial Emperor would have arrived long ago."

Taichen Demon Lord nodded, pondered for a moment, and said, "Alright, since that's the case, I will also serve as a fifth-rank Heavenly King, but I have a few requests."

Zhao Chongguo said with a smile, "Demon Lord, I don't think I look like I'm having a conversation."

Upon hearing this, the Demon Lord Taichen immediately waved his hand to remove the restraints from Zhao Chongguo. He then ordered the lesser demons to remove the cooking pots and stoves and invited Zhao Chongguo to sit down and be served tea.

After Zhao Chongguo bowed in thanks, he cupped his hands and said, "What are your requirements, Demon Lord? Please tell me."

The Demon Lord Taichen then made three requests: first, after he was conferred the title of Zhenbei Heavenly King, Nangong Wan should also be conferred the title of Zhenbei Heavenly King Queen.

Zhao Chongguo said, "This is common sense, and it should be done this way."

The Demon Lord Taichen then made a second request: the monsters in his cave would compile a list, and the Northern Mountain Divine Palace would appoint officials according to this list, with the official ranks to be determined by the Northern Mountain Divine Palace itself.

Zhao Chongguo nodded again and said, "Now that the Demon Lord has become the Heavenly King, his subordinates will naturally be granted official positions and will still be under the Demon Lord's jurisdiction."

Finally, the Demon Lord Taichen made a third request: that he, as the Heavenly King, would not have to report to the Northern Mountain Divine Palace, but would instead establish his own palace and govern affairs. He would obey the orders of the Northern Mountain Divine Palace if he felt he should, and disobey if he felt he should not.

After saying this, Demon Lord Taichen said, "If you agree to these three requests, I will submit to the Northern Mountain Divine Palace."

Zhao Chongguo said, "The first two points are easy to discuss, but as for the third point, I need to consult His Majesty."

Tai Chen Demon Lord said, "Then hurry up and ask for instructions. I will wait for you for three months."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chongguo immediately rose to take his leave, then departed from Qingwu Mountain and returned to the Northern Sacred Palace.

When the Great Emperor of the Northern Mountain heard these three requests, he smiled and said, "The third request can still be granted, but it can be changed a little."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chongguo said, "Please give your instructions, Your Majesty."

The Great Emperor of the Northern Peak said, "If the order is changed to one that is unfavorable to him, he may disobey; but if it has nothing to do with his own interests, he must obey."

Zhao Chongguo said, "Understood, Your Majesty. I will go to Qingwu Mountain to convey this message again."

So Zhao Chongguo went back and forth three times and finally settled the matter of surrendering the enemy. On the sixth day of the eleventh month three months later, the Great Emperor of the Northern Mountain issued an edict, conferring upon Taichen Demon Lord the title of Zhenbei Heavenly King, and ordering him to establish his government in Chenmo Cave on Qingwu Mountain. Nangong Wan was appointed as the Queen of Zhenbei Heavenly King, and all the demons in the cave were also granted official positions such as generals and officials of the sixth rank or below.

Zhao Chongguo, the Minister of the Divine Palace, led the Divine Palace generals, celestial officials, and the entourage of the Great Emperor of the Northern Mountain to Qingwu Mountain to deliver the imperial decree. After receiving the decree, the Demon Lord Taichen held a grand banquet on Qingwu Mountain for half a month, and all the demons and monsters in the entire Jinling Prefecture came to congratulate him.

Another month later, the Demon Lord Taichen had already established the Northern Heavenly King's Palace on Qingwu Mountain, set up a ceremonial guard, trained soldiers and armored warriors, and when he went out, he was escorted by divine gongs and jade horns, with ten thousand armored warriors and ceremonial guards.

At this point, the Demon Lord Taichen was finally about to begin collecting 'Heart Dust' in preparation for ascending to the 'Heavenly Demon' realm.

Previously, he had always been extremely cautious in collecting Heart Dust, resulting in very slow progress. But now, things were different. With the identity of the fifth-rank celestial official, 'King of the North,' as a cover, he could openly collect Heart Dust. Heart Dust is an evil substance born when mortal beings are burdened by the seven emotions and six desires. It is a deadly poison to gods and Buddhas, but for the Demon Lord Taichen, it is a treasure for his ascension to the Heavenly Demon realm.

If we were to collect these things by ordinary means, it would be far too slow, since there aren't that many living beings burdened with the seven emotions and six desires.

At this point, it would be necessary for the Demon Lord Taichen to give it a push, to stir up the seven emotions and six desires of all living beings in the mortal world, so that he could have an endless supply of heart dust to collect.

Thus, the Demon Lord Taichen stirred up all dust, transforming into myriad forms, and entered the human world of Beiju Luzhou, stirring up countless battles of desire.

Just six months later, the once peaceful and tranquil Beiju Luzhou was completely transformed into a hell of various desires and struggles, with fighting and killing everywhere.

While the mortal realm was stained with blood, the Demon Lord Taichen indulged in the unrestrained absorption of Heart Dust.

A year later, only 84 of the 136 tribes in Beiju Luzhou remained, and millions of lives had been lost.

At this moment, Zhao Chongguo, the Minister of the Northern Peak Divine Palace, hurriedly reported to the Great Emperor of the Northern Peak. The Great Emperor of the Northern Peak immediately issued an edict, ordering the Demon Lord Taichen to stop instigating conflicts among human beings and causing them to harm each other.

Taichen Demon Lord naturally refused to accept the order, since this matter was directly related to his acquisition of the Heart Dust and advancement to the Heavenly Demon realm.

Once he is promoted to a Heavenly Demon, not only will the Great Emperor of the Northern Mountain have to give him some face, but even the Great Emperor of True Martial will have to give him some respect. Therefore, Demon Lord Taichen refused to accept the decree.

So the Great Emperor of the Northern Peak compromised and said that since you do not accept the order, that would also work. The Great Han Kingdom of Guanling Prefecture would receive the Emperor's Seal, and the Northern Peak would send troops to the Great Han Kingdom to rescue the people in various prefectures who were suffering from dire straits.

The Demon Lord Taichen accepted the decree without any objection.

Thus, Emperor Tianhe Xun of the Great Han Kingdom received instructions from the Great Emperor of the Northern Mountain in his sleep, ordering him to send troops to save the people of Beiju Luzhou from their suffering. Furthermore, the fortune on the Emperor's Seal in his hand could protect the people of his Great Han Kingdom from the influence of the Demon Lord Taichen.

Therefore, just one month later, Tianhe Xun mobilized an army of 200,000, divided into four routes, with 50,000 men in each route responsible for a direction, to rescue those living beings who were deeply entangled in the struggle of desire.

Thus, the Demon Lord Taichen used his magic to incite a struggle of desires among mortals in order to capture the heart's dust.

Meanwhile, the army of the Great Han Kingdom marched into the midst of chaos in various states and tribes, rescuing and protecting the elderly, women and children who were in danger, defeating various villains, occupying a state and pacifying many tribes that were already in disarray.

Furthermore, whenever the army of the Great Han Kingdom pacified a place, it would establish county and prefecture governments and simultaneously build the Northern Mountain Temple.

Five years passed in the blink of an eye. The Great Han Kingdom had occupied two-thirds of the territory of Beiju Luzhou and established prefectures and counties in each state. At the same time, it built countless temples to the Northern Mountain God.

Whenever the Great Han Kingdom controlled a place and built a temple to the Northern Peak God, the Northern Peak God Palace would immediately bestow titles of immortal officials and deities upon that place.

Each state conferred a divine ruler, who then selected local mountain gods, land gods, water gods, and various divine officials.

In just five years, Beiju Luzhou has become filled with temples dedicated to the Great Emperor of the Northern Mountain, and hundreds of millions of people in Beiju Luzhou have become subjects of the Great Han Kingdom and believers of the Great Emperor of the Northern Mountain.

With the protection of the Human Emperor's fortune, it is now difficult for the Demon Lord Taichen to cause chaos in the human world again.

Over the past five years, millions of lives have perished in the catastrophe unleashed by the Demon Lord Taichen. Similarly, the Demon Lord Taichen has finally accumulated enough Heart Dust, and he can finally ascend to the Heavenly Demon realm.

The Demon Lord Taichen paid no attention to the changes in the human world, but happily informed Queen Nangong Wan that he could be promoted to a Heavenly Demon.

Five years have passed, and Nangong Wan seems to have forgotten the gloom and unpleasantness of the past, becoming a qualified Queen of Zhenbei.

So when she heard the news about Taichen Demon, she showed genuine joy and quickly bowed, saying, "Congratulations, Heavenly King! Congratulations, Heavenly King!"

The Demon Lord Taichen helped Nangong Wan up and said with a smile, "Queen, when I ascend to the Heavenly Demon realm, I will take you to the Thirty-Sixth Heaven to enjoy the blessings of a celestial being."

Nangong Wan smiled and curtsied, saying, "Then this humble servant thanks the Heavenly King."

Demon Lord Taichen quickly helped Nangong Wan up and said, "We are husband and wife, so there's no need for such formalities."

At this point, the Demon Lord Taichen seemed to notice Nangong Wan's attire. Seeing that she was dressed so formally, he asked, "Your Majesty, are you going out?"

Nangong Wan smiled and took out a jade edict from her sleeve, saying, "Empress Jingming has sent an invitation to the banquet of female immortals at the Beiyue Palace. At that time, all the wives of the righteous immortal officials in the entire Beiju Luzhou will be there."

Upon hearing this, the Demon Lord Taichen immediately said, "Yes, we should go. Moreover, Your Majesty, your attire should be even more luxurious. My queen should not be inferior to anyone else."

Therefore, the Demon Lord Taichen specially prepared many celestial treasures for Nangong Wan, so that she could take them to Beiyue and stand out among all the female immortals.

Nangong Wan naturally bowed in gratitude, and the Demon Lord Taichen said, "When the Queen returns, you can come with me to the Thirty-Sixth Heaven to enjoy your blessings."

Nangong Wan bowed and said, "I have long awaited this day. I wish the Heavenly King a smooth ascension in advance."

Thus the couple parted ways, and Nangong Wan boarded the extremely luxurious jade carriage of the Heavenly King's Palace, accompanied by an extremely grand procession, and headed to the Northern Mountain Divine Palace.

When Nangong Wan arrived at the Northern Peak Divine Palace, divine generals and officials immediately came to greet her and led a group of soldiers and attendants from the Heavenly King's Palace to settle her in.

Meanwhile, Nangong Wan came to the Beiyue Palace to pay homage to Empress Jingming. The so-called 'Feast of the Female Immortals' was obviously a lie. The Beiyue Emperor and Empress Jingming sat solemnly in the hall, watching Nangong Wan enter the hall to pay her respects.

Nangong Wan first bowed to the Great Emperor of Beiyue and Empress Jingming. Then the Great Emperor of Beiyue asked, "Nangong Wan, you used the blank jade edict given to you by Empress Jingming. Did something happen?"

Nangong Wan immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty, that demon has collected enough heart dust. Before he came, he told me that his ascension to the Heavenly Demon realm was imminent, so I came to report this in a hurry."

Upon hearing this, the Great Emperor of the Northern Mountain's expression hardened, and he asked Nangong Wan, "Are you sure?"

Nangong Wan kowtowed and said, "It is absolutely true. I am certain that he would never deceive me. He also said that after I return, I will be able to ascend to the Thirty-Sixth Heaven with him."

Seeing her so confident, the Great Emperor of Beiyue immediately stood up and said to Empress Jingming, "Empress, Nangong Wan will stay here with you for now."

Empress Jingming nodded, understanding the meaning of the Northern Mountain Emperor, and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured."

So the Great Emperor of the Northern Peak left the main hall of the inner palace and came to a treasure pavilion. He dismissed all the servants, closed the pavilion, took out the Heavenly Profound Jade Talisman from his sleeve, and dialed a dial.

The next moment, a divine light illuminated the treasure pavilion, and then a majestic and dignified figure appeared before the Great Emperor of the Northern Mountain.

The Great Emperor of the Northern Peak quickly cupped his hands and said, "True Lord of the Spirit Platform."

Zhuang Yan, reflected in the image, returned the greeting with clasped hands and then asked, "Your Majesty, is there something important that you wish to discuss with me using the Heavenly Jade Talisman to reflect your image?"

The Great Emperor of the Northern Peak immediately became solemn and said seriously, "I, the Great Emperor of the Northern Peak, the Mysterious Saint of Heaven and Earth, have a matter of great importance concerning Heaven and Earth and the human world that I must report to the Grand Master of Fate who oversees the human world."

This sounds very awkward. An emperor actually used the word "report" to a fourth-rank celestial official. No one would believe it if it were said out loud.

But that's just how it is, and neither of the parties involved seems to find it awkward at all.

Zhuang Yan remained calm and composed. After hearing the words of the Great Emperor of Beiyue, he simply said, "Please present your report." (End of Chapter)