I am a fairy in Journey to the West

Lingxia Taoist Temple, Hunyuan Peak, Qingqiu Cave.

Bixia Yuanjun looked at the Golden Cicada King kneeling before her and said, "Since you were recommended by Lingtai Zhenjun, you shall become my disciple and a true disciple from now on."

King Jinchan's face lit up with joy and surprise. He quickly kowtowed three times to Bixia Yuanjun and said, "Disciple Jinchan greets Master."

Bixia Yuanjun laughed and said, "The name Jin Chan is not good. When cultivating immortality, one should not easily reveal one's true nature."

At this point, Bixia Yuanjun calculated with her fingers and said, "I will bestow upon you a name. The cicadas sing for a summer, so let's take the character 'Xia' (夏, meaning summer) and name you Zhengyi (正一, meaning upright and unyielding)?"

Upon hearing this, King Jinchan said, "Xia Zhengyi? Xia Zhengyi." After reciting the name for a moment, King Jinchan kowtowed again and said, "Disciple Xia Zhengyi thanks Master for bestowing this name upon me."

Bixia Yuanjun nodded slightly, then tossed a scroll of Daoist scripture to Xia Zhengyi and said, "This is the Daoist method of our sect, 'Qingling Hunyuan Dao'. Take it and cultivate it well."

Xia Zheng accepted the Taoist scripture with both hands, saying, "Disciple thanks Master for bestowing the Dharma."

Bixia Yuanjun nodded and said, "This Wanxianzhang is all the territory of my Lingxia Dao Mansion. Go and find a mountain peak to open a cave for cultivation. If there is anything you don't understand, come here and ask me."

"Yes." Xia Zhengyi kowtowed in thanks, then stood up and bowed respectfully, saying, "This disciple takes his leave."

Bixia Yuanjun waved her whisk and said, "Go."

Time flies, and more than twenty days have passed in the blink of an eye. In the Great Luo Heaven, in the Tushita Palace, Sun Wukong suddenly yawned, then sat up and stretched.

"Comfortable! Comfortable!" Sun Wukong leaned against the wine jar and lazily opened his eyes. "This sleep was so comfortable for me."

A moment later, Sun Wukong looked up at the surrounding furnishings, then at the wine jar that still exuded a strong aroma of wine. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he finally remembered what had happened before.

"Oh no!" Sun Wukong suddenly stood up. "How long have I been asleep?"

When the boy guarding him saw Sun Wukong wake up, he quickly stepped forward and said, "Great Sage, you're awake? Master ordered me to stay here and watch over you."

Sun Wukong looked at the boy and immediately asked, "How long have I been drunk here?"

The boy said, "Great Sage, you have slept for exactly forty-nine days, no more, no less."

"Huh?!" Sun Wukong's expression changed again, and he asked, "Is it forty-nine days in heaven? Or forty-nine days on earth?"

The boy laughed and said, "Great Sage, of course it's forty-nine days on earth."

Sun Wukong breathed a sigh of relief and pointed to the jar of celestial wine that was not yet finished, saying, "Tell Laozi to save this jar of wine for me, and I will drink it after we have completed our pilgrimage."

After saying this, Sun Wukong left the Tushita Palace like a gust of wind and headed straight for the Imperial Stables without waiting for the boy's reply.

Upon arriving at the Imperial Horse Stable, the supervisor and all the celestial officials came out to greet him. Sun Wukong didn't say much, only ordering the Purple Dragon Horse to be brought over. He also asked the supervisor for a few more 'Five-Colored Clearing Pills' before leading the Purple Dragon Horse down to the mortal realm.

Back in Jinping Town, they walked towards the Zhao residence. Zhao Shu saw them from afar and immediately ran back to inform Tang Sanzang and the others.

Tang Sanzang immediately led the three of them, including the White Dragon Horse, out of the Zhao residence. When he saw Sun Wukong leading the increasingly magnificent and majestic Purple Dragon Horse back, Tang Sanzang's face lit up with a broad smile.

"Alright, Wukong is back," Tang Sanzang said.

Pigsy said with a look of dissatisfaction, "What's so good about it? If he had come back sooner, would we have had to suffer like that?"

Tang Sanzang glared at Zhu Bajie and said, "You idiot, do you want to be punished again?"

Pigsy grunted twice and muttered, "Master is just biased; he only knows how to speak up for Senior Brother."

"Master." Sun Wukong came before Tang Sanzang, knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Master, I was drunk and made a mistake. Please punish me."

Tang Sanzang said, "Wukong, I heard that you drank at Laozi's place and were drunk for a full forty-nine days?"

Sun Wukong said with an embarrassed look, "Yes, Master, that is true."

Tang Sanzang said, "Wukong, you must know that the journey to the West is not yet complete. How can you be so lazy? Do you know how much suffering your master and your fellow disciples have endured during these days of your drunkenness?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong's expression changed, and he said, "Could it be that a demon has committed a crime?"

"That's not all," said Pigsy. "The three of us were even beaten to death once, and Master was also tortured quite a bit."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong was immediately filled with shame and said, "Master, I know I was wrong."

Tang Sanzang said, "Wukong, you are the eldest brother, and half of the burden of the journey to the West rests on your shoulders. This time you indulged in wine and made a mistake. Not to mention the suffering I have endured, your fellow disciples have also suffered a lot. If I don't punish you, how can I expect your fellow disciples to be convinced?"

After saying that, Tang Sanzang took out a white jade ruler and said, "This is a white jade ruler given to me by your uncle, the True Lord Lingtai, specifically to discipline you. Now, put out your hand."

When Sun Wukong saw the white jade ruler, he didn't say a word or complain; he simply stretched out both of his hands.

At this moment, the White Dragon and Sha Wujing immediately knelt down to plead for Sun Wukong. The White Dragon said, "Master, this matter cannot be blamed on our eldest brother. He was originally going to heaven to manage the horses and did not know about the monster who stole Buddhist treasures in the mortal world. He really should not be punished."

Sha Wujing also said, "Master, what Second Brother said is right. Please don't punish Eldest Brother."

Pigsy stood aside and said, "You're still pleading for him? Do you know that while he was enjoying himself in heaven, you were still copying scriptures in the underworld?"

"Bajie!" the White Dragon shouted, "If you don't shut up, I'll make sure your pig snout is salted and dried sooner or later!"

"Why are you bringing this up with me?" Pigsy said. "Am I not telling the truth?"

"Bajie!" Tang Sanzang shouted, "Since you love to talk so much, then kneel down with Wukong."

"Why should I kneel with the monkey?" Pigsy immediately objected and started arguing with Tang Sanzang.

Tang Sanzang was so angry that his face turned red, and he roared, "Kneel down!"

Seeing Tang Sanzang's anger, Zhu Bajie dared not talk back anymore and could only reluctantly walk to Sun Wukong's side and kneel down.

“Stretch out your hand too,” Tang Sanzang said.

Pigsy stretched out his hands, and then Tang Sanzang, holding a white jade ruler, struck Sun Wukong and Pigsy's hands more than ten times.

This white jade ruler was a gift from Zhuang Yan, and its power was self-evident. Sun Wukong's palms turned blood red and swelled slightly. Zhu Bajie's fat hands swelled up like lanterns, with two blisters covered in blood vessels. Zhu Bajie was in so much pain that he rolled on the ground, crying and screaming, tears streaming down his face.

Seeing this, the White Dragon and Sandy hurriedly pleaded for mercy. Only then did Tang Sanzang calm down, put away the ruler, and said to Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie, "Alright, you two have been punished. Let's let this matter rest. Get up and go back to rest. We'll set off early tomorrow morning."

Sun Wukong stood up with a grin and said, "Yes, Master."

That night, Tang Sanzang and his disciples went to bed early, but two figures did appear in the courtyard next to Tang Sanzang's residence.

Zhao Shu was dressed extremely beautifully tonight. She looked innocent and pure, with delicate eyebrows that also carried a hint of naivety. "Can you stay?" Zhao Shu asked the little white dragon in front of her.

The white dragon looked surprised and said, "You sent me a letter to ask me to meet you, just to say this?"

Zhao Shu nodded, then asked, "Can you stay here instead of going on the pilgrimage?"

The white dragon looked at Zhao Shu and said, "Do you know what nonsense you're talking about?"

Zhao Shu looked down at her toes and said, "I just don't want you to leave."

At this moment, three little bees were standing on the courtyard wall behind them, two thin and one fat. The thin one said, "Oh no, senior brother, this girl has taken a fancy to the second senior brother."

The fat bee said, "I've known for a long time that this girl has had feelings for Second Brother for a long time."

Sun Wukong said, "Even heroes have their moments of being unguarded."

Sha Wujing said, "Eldest brother, what if second brother gets caught up in love and doesn't want to go on the journey to the West?"

Pigsy said, "Then you'll have to call me Second Senior Brother."

Sun Wukong said, "Don't worry, Little White Dragon is the third prince of the West Sea Dragon Palace. What kind of situation hasn't he seen? This girl in front of us is not enough to bewitch Little White Dragon. If he is really deeply in love, we will tie him up and take him to Mount Ling."

“Brother, you’re right,” said Sha Wujing. “We can’t lose anyone on the journey to the West.”

At this moment, the little white dragon sat down at the stone table in the courtyard and invited Zhao Shu to sit down as well.

After Zhao Shu sat down, the little white dragon said, "Let me tell you a story."

Zhao Shu rested her chin on her hands and her elbows on the stone table, her clear eyes sparkling as she looked at the little white dragon.

The White Dragon recounted his past punishment for violating heavenly rules, saying, "In the end, this dragon prince named Ao Lie was subdued at Eagle's Sorrow Gorge and, after being enlightened by Guanyin Bodhisattva, protected Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West to obtain the scriptures."

After listening, Zhao Shu said, "This Ao Lie is you? Is that right?"

“Yes,” said the little white dragon. “That’s why I can’t stop. I still have sins to atone for. If I don’t go on the pilgrimage, heavenly generals will come down to take me back. Then you’ll see a dragon’s head fall from the sky in the mortal world.”

The horrifying description made Zhao Shu turn pale and breathe rapidly. She quickly said, "I don't want you to die."

"So I have no choice but to go on the pilgrimage. This is my only mission right now, and I won't consider anything else," the White Dragon said to Zhao Shu, "including matters of love."

Zhao Shu immediately looked dejected, her face full of dejection. "Okay, I understand."

"But I'm still young," Zhao Shu suddenly smiled again, "Will we be able to meet again in the future? Can you come back to find me after you've finished your journey to the West?"

The White Dragon laughed and said, "Of course, we've been friends for a while now, haven't we? But I still have to say, I have no interest in romantic love."

"It's alright," Zhao Shu said with a smile. "I can be your friend."

Seeing the disappointment hidden beneath Zhao Shu's smile, Xiao Bailong felt it was too cruel to treat a young girl like this.

Just then, the moon and stars were sparse, and the little white dragon suddenly said, "Would you mind recognizing another brother?"

Zhao Shu was taken aback for a moment, then asked in surprise, "Are you saying I should acknowledge you as my brother?"

“Yes,” said the little white dragon. “Now that the moon is bright and clear, how about we become sworn siblings under the moonlight?”

Zhao Shu was stunned at first, then beamed and said, "I'm willing! You're the Dragon Prince, so if I acknowledge you as my brother, does that mean I'll become a princess?"

Looking at her expectant eyes, the little white dragon smiled slightly and said, "Of course."

“Then let’s become sworn brothers now,” Zhao Shu said, standing up. Little White Dragon breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this. He was most afraid that Zhao Shu would fall deeply in love and insist on being with him, which would be troublesome.

This is exactly the best outcome right now, without needing to resort to any magical methods.

Just as the two were about to become sworn brothers, a gentle voice suddenly rang out, "Since you are going to become sworn brothers, this humble monk will be your witness."

Upon hearing this voice, the White Dragon's expression changed. He turned his head and saw Tang Sanzang slowly walking out of the moon gate.

The little white dragon hurriedly stepped forward and called out, "Master, it's me."

Tang Sanzang stopped the little white dragon who was about to explain and smiled, "Wu Bai, you handled this matter very well. Your master is very pleased."

Hearing Tang Sanzang's words, the White Dragon was completely relieved and a smile appeared on his face.

At this moment, Sun Wukong and his two companions flew up from the wall, transformed back into their original forms, and said with a smile, "How could we miss out on such a good thing? We will witness it together with our master."

Zhao Shu stared at everyone in astonishment: "You...you..."

The White Dragon was not surprised at all. He winked at the group, and then, witnessed by Tang Sanzang, Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing, he and Zhao Shu swore an oath under the moon to be sworn siblings of opposite sexes.

After the sworn brotherhood ceremony was completed, Zhao Shu fetched some snacks for everyone to enjoy. As it grew late, everyone went back to rest.

Early the next morning, Tang Sanzang and his disciples bid farewell to Zhao Changchun, and he presented Zhao Changchun with his copy of the "Great Compassion Heart Sutra" as the original.

Because of Tang Sanzang's profound wisdom, Zhao Changchun failed to notice anything unusual about the handwritten Buddhist scripture, and felt only joy and relief at the recovery of the lost Buddhist treasure.

Afterwards, Tang Sanzang and his disciples were seen off by Zhao Changchun's family and the entire population of Jinping Town, and amidst everyone's reluctant farewells, they continued their journey to obtain the scriptures. (End of Chapter)