I am a fairy in Journey to the West

After finishing his dinner, Tang Sanzang sat on his bed and began his evening prayers. Outside the room, the sun was already setting, and the afterglow of the setting sun shone on the window, as if it had been painted with gold.

Even after Tang Sanzang finished his evening prayers and the sun had completely set, the three of them, including the White Dragon Horse, still hadn't returned.

Tang Sanzang was somewhat puzzled. He got up from the bed, put on his shoes, and went outside to look around. He saw that it was already dark, with stars surrounding the moon and its bright light hanging high, but he did not see the three brothers.

"Why haven't they come back yet? Is the monster too difficult to deal with?" Tang Sanzang muttered. "Even if the monster is difficult to deal with, they should have come back by nightfall."

Tang Sanzang paced back and forth in the room when he suddenly heard footsteps outside. He immediately turned around to look.

A small head was peeking into the house from outside. Tang Seng stopped and looked closely. Who else could it be but Zhao Shu?

So Tang Sanzang went out, put his hands together in a gesture of respect to Zhao Shu, and asked, "Miss, why have you come here?"

Zhao Shu carried a bamboo basket in her hand. Her big eyes blinked as she looked around. She bowed to Tang Sanzang and asked, "Holy Monk, where are your disciples?"

"Oh," Tang Sanzang said with a smile, "They went into the mountains to subdue demons."

Zhao Shu said "Oh," and then asked, "Did they all go?"

Tang Sanzang nodded and said, "They've all gone."

Zhao Shu asked again, "Then why aren't they back yet?"

Tang Sanzang said, "Perhaps that monster is quite powerful, so we can't subdue it for the time being and will need to spend more time and effort."

Zhao Shu nodded and said, "May I come in and sit for a while?"

Tang Sanzang glanced back into the room, then smiled and said, "It's dark inside, unlike outside where the bright moon shines. Is there something you need, Miss?"

"No." Zhao Shu asked, "Which disciple is that one with horns on his head?"

Tang Sanzang was taken aback upon hearing this, but then calmly replied, "That is my second disciple, whose Dharma name is Wubai."

"Was he a monster before?" Zhao Shu continued to ask.

Tang Sanzang saw the curiosity in Zhao Shu's eyes and immediately became wary, remembering what Zhu Bajie had said.

So Tang Sanzang nodded and said, "That's right. He used to be a demon. He was imprisoned in Eagle Sorrow Gorge by the Jade Emperor for breaking the laws of Heaven. Later, he was subdued by my eldest disciple and became my second disciple, escorting me to the Western Paradise to obtain the scriptures."

"Oh." Zhao Shu lowered her head and said nothing more. After a while, she handed the bamboo basket in her hand to Tang Sanzang and said, "Holy Monk, here is some honey osmanthus cake that I made. Here you can have some."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang quickly replied, "Thank you for your kindness, Miss, but I have already had dinner."

Zhao Shu shoved the bamboo basket into Tang Seng's hands and said, "Eat this when you're hungry tonight." Then she turned and left.

Tang Seng watched Zhao Shu's figure disappear into the night, his brows furrowed slightly. He carried the bamboo basket back into the house, placed it on the table, and then sat down on a chair.

"If what Pigsy said is true, and Miss Zhao Shu has taken a liking to Wu Bai, then this is troublesome. Love is a difficult thing to overcome, and the debt of love is hard to repay. It seems that after we subdue the demon and retrieve the Buddhist treasure, we must set off immediately to retrieve the scriptures and cannot stay here any longer," Tang Sanzang thought to himself.

Just then, a cold wind suddenly blew in from outside. The wind was eerie and gloomy. When it blew on Tang Sanzang, he suddenly felt weak and listless. He drooped his eyelids and fell asleep.

Tang Sanzang, who was asleep, opened his eyes in his dream and suddenly saw three figures walking in from outside the house side by side.

Tang Sanzang looked closely and immediately called out, "Wubai, Wuneng, Wujing, you're back? Has that demon been subdued? Have you retrieved Master Zhao's Buddhist treasure?"

The three looked at each other, then bowed to Tang Sanzang. The White Dragon then spoke, saying, "Master, this disciple is ashamed."

Pigsy said directly, "Master, you have a lot of influence. Quickly ask Old Madam Zhao to burn some paper money for the Heaven and Earth Bank for us. I haven't eaten for half a day."

Sha Wujing scolded, "Third brother, all you do is eat all day long, and you'll still be like this in the underworld."

Tang Sanzang was completely confused and stepped forward to ask, "What are you talking about? What paper money? What underworld?"

Upon approaching, Tang Sanzang saw that the three of them were shrouded in eerie energy. He reached out to grab the White Dragon, but his hand passed right through the White Dragon.

The little white dragon cupped his hands and said, "Master, your disciples are incompetent. Not only did we fail to subdue that monster, but we were also killed by it. Our souls have now returned to the underworld. We have come to you in your dream."

"What?!" Tang Sanzang was shocked upon hearing this, his body swayed backward, and then he said with a pale face, "How could this be? You have never encountered such a disaster when you were subduing demons before."

At this point, Tang Sanzang added, "If you all die, wouldn't the journey to obtain the scriptures be abandoned halfway through?"

Pigsy laughed and said, "It doesn't matter if we give up halfway, as long as you don't give up halfway, Master."

"Bajie! I'm talking about you!" Tang Sanzang said, "You've protected me all the way west, overcoming so many hardships and tribulations. With Mount Ling in sight, how can I bear to see you perish halfway?"

Tang Sanzang spoke with such sincerity that even Zhu Bajie became serious and stopped making strange remarks.

At this moment, the White Dragon stepped forward and said, "Master, don't worry. Although our souls have returned to the underworld, we have been taken in by Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. We are just waiting to contact our eldest brother. With his abilities, it will not be difficult for him to revive us brothers."

"Yes, yes, yes," Tang Sanzang quickly replied, "Wukong has resurrected his master before, and others as well. He has great supernatural powers; he must have a way." "But," Tang Sanzang said anxiously, "Wukong went to heaven to train the horses. I wonder when he will return?"

The little white dragon said, "Master, don't worry about that. We came to tell you in your dream that you have no choice but to stay in the Zhao family mansion and take good care of yourself. We will contact our eldest brother."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang sighed and said, "There's nothing we can do for now. Alas, it's all because I made promises to others recklessly, which has harmed you all."

Little White Dragon shook his head, but Pigsy smelled a fragrance, stepped forward, picked up the bamboo basket Zhao Shu had brought, smelled it, and said, "What fragrant pastries! Master, if you feel guilty, give these pastries to your disciples."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang felt a pang of pain in his heart and said, "I would give my life for you all, let alone these pastries?"

"Then thank you very much, Master." Pigsy said, and picked up the bamboo basket and left.

At this moment, the little white dragon cupped his hands and said, "Master, it's time to visit you in a dream. Please take good care of yourself. We disciples are going now."

As soon as he finished speaking, a cloud of dark mist rose up, and the figures of the three, including the white dragon, vanished without a trace.

Tang Sanzang, who was sitting in the chair, suddenly woke up with a start, quickly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and said, "Thank goodness it was just a dream."

But soon, he saw that the bamboo basket on the table in front of him had really disappeared. Tang Seng was stunned on the spot, and then his body went limp and he slumped into the chair.

The underworld, the palace of Ksitigarbha.

Pigsy offered the honey cake to the White Dragon and Sandy, but the White Dragon shook his head and didn't take it, as he had no appetite at the moment.

Sha Wujing did take a piece, but couldn't help but tease Zhu Bajie, "Third brother, you never forget to eat, no matter what."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy reached out to snatch the pastries from Sandy's hand, saying, "If you're not going to eat them, give them back to me."

Seeing this, Sha Wujing took a bite and said while chewing, "Why not eat it if it's free?"

At this moment, a god from the underworld entered and said to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, "Reporting to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, I have sent a letter to the Great Luo Heaven, and I believe it will reach the Great Sage Equaling Heaven soon."

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva smiled and nodded, saying, "Alright, thank you for your hard work."

The priest quickly declined and then took his leave.

Then the White Dragon stood up and asked, "Bodhisattva, can my two brothers and I return to the mortal world?"

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva smiled and said, "You are all destined to be pilgrims, so naturally we will not let you perish halfway. However, it seems that you cannot return to the mortal world right now. Your physical bodies have been destroyed, and you will have to wait for the mortal world to rebuild your physical bodies before you can be reborn."

Pigsy said, "That's good. Although we'll die, we can have some peace and quiet for a while. Once the monster is subdued and the Buddhist treasure is retrieved, we can go straight back."

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva laughed and said, "That won't do. I can't let you eat and stay here for free. You also have things to do here."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy sighed, "I'm clearly a pig, but I can't escape being a beast of burden no matter where I go."

Sha Wujing said, "That's good, at least we won't be killed and eaten."

The little white dragon put his palms together and asked Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, "Bodhisattva, what is the origin of that monster? It killed all three of us in one go. It's really powerful."

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva laughed and said, "That monster has no special background. It's just a golden cicada that has transformed into a human. What's so powerful about it is the treasure in its hand."

"A treasure?" the little white dragon asked. "Could it be that glass bottle?"

“Indeed,” said Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. “That glass bottle has a remarkable origin. It is called the ‘Eight Treasures Glass Bottle,’ a supreme treasure acquired later in life. It contains the Three Lights Divine Water. The Sunlight Divine Water can erode blood essence, bones, and flesh; the Moonlight Divine Water can corrode the primordial spirit and soul; and the Starlight Divine Water can dissolve true spirit consciousness. If the three waters are combined, it will become the number one healing elixir in the Three Realms.”

At this point, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva added, "Your physical bodies were destroyed by the Sunlight Divine Water. Because you were destined to be pilgrims, your souls came to the underworld the moment your physical bodies were destroyed and were protected by the underworld authorities. Otherwise, you would have been completely destroyed by the Moonlight Divine Water and the Starlight Divine Water."

The three gasped in astonishment. Sha Wujing asked, puzzled, "How could an ordinary little demon possess such a treasure?"

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva said, "That treasure was also stolen from the Zhao residence along with the Buddhist scriptures."

"Could it be a Buddhist treasure?" Pigsy asked.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva shook his head and said, "This is not a Buddhist treasure. This Eight Treasures Glazed Vase should be a Taoist treasure."

"Laozi?!" The three of them exclaimed the name in unison.

Pigsy was even more certain: "It must be Laozi. We've suffered quite a bit from all those bottles and jars he carries along the way!"

At that very moment, inside the Great Luo Heaven's Tushita Palace, Laozi suddenly sneezed violently and said, "Who's been talking about this old Daoist behind my back?"

After saying this, Laozi said to the boys beside him, “Boys, I heard that the monkey has come to heaven to govern the horses. This monkey has always been dishonest and loves to wander around. You must guard the alchemy room carefully.”

Upon hearing this, the surrounding celestial children bowed to Laozi and replied, "Yes." (End of Chapter)