I am a fairy in Journey to the West

The next day, the wind and snow subsided slightly, and Zhu Qingqiu arrived outside Sanhua Nunnery.

At this moment, Sanhua Nunnery had just opened its gates, and several nuns were outside clearing snow with brooms. Upon seeing Zhu Qingqiu, they said, "Esteemed benefactor, Sanhua Nunnery does not accept male worshippers. If you wish to offer incense, please go elsewhere."

Zhu Qingqiu said calmly, "I'm not here to offer incense."

The nuns were puzzled by this, exchanged glances, and then fell silent, continuing to clear the snow.

At this moment, Yan Miaozhen came out carrying a whisk. Upon seeing Zhu Qingqiu, she asked, "Have you come to keep your appointment?"

Zhu Qingqiu glanced at Yan Miaozhen, slightly surprised by her beauty. "That's none of your business," Zhu Qingqiu said.

Yan Miaozhen said, "Last night, someone spent the whole night admiring the plum blossoms outside my nunnery. He said he had an appointment with someone."

"Oh?" Zhu Qingqiu asked, "Where is he?"

Yan Miaozhen said indifferently, "This is none of your business."

Zhu Qingqiu paused for a moment, then snorted coldly, turned around and continued to wait, ignoring Yan Miaozhen.

Zhu Qingqiu waited outside Sanhua Nunnery for an hour, but Zhuang Yan did not arrive for a long time. She couldn't help but wonder, "Could it be that he's been tricked by that bastard?"

Just as Zhu Qingqiu was hesitating whether to leave directly, a voice came from behind: "Fellow Daoist Zhu, you've arrived quite early?"

Zhu Qingqiu turned around abruptly and saw Zhuang Yan standing behind him, smiling at him.

Zhu Qingqiu rushed to Zhuang Yan in one stride, her face filled with barely concealed anger. "I've been waiting for you here for an hour!"

Zhuang Yan laughed and said, "We didn't agree on a specific time yesterday. We just said we'd meet outside Sanhua Temple today. Even if I come over this afternoon, it won't be considered breaking my promise."

Zhu Qingqiu was speechless for a moment. After regaining her senses, she said to Zhuang Yan, "Alright, now that we're here, can you tell me how to make money?"

Zhuang Yan nodded, then said to Zhu Qingqiu, "Wait a little longer."

"What? We have to wait? Are you kidding me?" Zhu Qingqiu said irritably, her right hand already touching the hilt of her sword.

Zhuang Yan laughed and patted Zhu Qingqiu on the shoulder, saying, "Why are you so hot-tempered, young man? Don't worry, if I were lying to you, I could have just not come today. Why go to all this trouble?"

Zhu Qingqiu looked at Zhuang Yan with suspicion, but slowly loosened her grip on the sword hilt. "What are we waiting for?" he asked.

Zhuang Yan said, "Wait for the person who will give you the money."

Zhu Qingqiu blinked. "Giving me money for no reason?"

Zhuang Yan said with a smile, "Nothing happens without a reason. Everything has a price, especially making money."

Zhu Qingqiu frowned, her eyes filled with suspicion as she looked at Zhuang Yan. Just then, Zhuang Yan pointed ahead and said, "They're here."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Qingqiu hurriedly turned her head to look, only to see two figures descend from mid-air and then follow the path to the outside of Sanhua Nunnery.

Zhu Qingqiu looked closely and saw that the two people who came were an old man and a young man. The old man was wearing a Taoist robe, with white hair and a weathered face.

The young man, on the other hand, was handsome and dignified, dressed in a pale yellow jade robe, with his hair tied up and wearing a crown, exuding an imposing and extraordinary aura.

Upon approaching, the young man first bowed to Zhuang Yan and said with a smile, "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Lingtai."

Zhuang Yan smiled and returned the greeting, saying, "Fellow Daoist Qingyuan."

The old Taoist priest bowed to Zhuang Yan with a cautious and respectful expression and said, "This humble Taoist priest, Qingsong, pays respects to the Great Immortal Lingtai."

Zhu Qingqiu, who was listening from the side, found it amusing and said to the old Taoist priest, "I see you as having an otherworldly air and extraordinary demeanor, so why do you stutter when you speak?"

When the old Taoist priest Qingsong heard this, he glanced at Zhu Qingqiu with the look in his eyes as if he were looking at an ignorant person.

Zhuang Yan smiled and said, "Alright, now that everyone is here, let's begin."

Upon hearing this, the old Taoist priest Qingsong hurriedly asked, "Great Immortal, what should I do?"

Zhuang Yan smiled and said, "All you need to do is give me ten thousand purple coins."

"Good, good, good." The old Taoist priest Qingsong hurriedly took out 10,000 purple coins and handed them to Zhuang Yan. Zhu Qingqiu was very surprised to see this, she did not expect that this old Taoist priest was so rich.

Then Zhuang Yan took out another jade slip and handed it to Zhu Qingqiu, saying, "Didn't you want ten thousand purple coins? Here, take a close look at this jade slip. If there are no problems, then use your magic to sign it."

Zhu Qingqiu curiously took the jade slip and examined it closely. It read: "Cultivator Zhu Qingqiu is willing to sell nine years of his lifespan to the Green Pine Immortal for three purple coins per day. This is a voluntary transaction between both parties. The contract has been carefully reviewed and signed. No one may renege on the agreement after signing. Notary: Lingtai."

"Huh?" Zhu Qingqiu was greatly surprised after reading it. "Lifespan can be bought and sold?"

Zhuang Yan laughed and said, "Others can't, but I can. How about it? This is nine years of lifespan. You should think it over carefully. Is it worth exchanging nine years of lifespan for ten thousand purple coins?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Qingqiu replied without hesitation, "There's nothing to consider. Exchanging nine years of life for ten thousand purple coins isn't worth it, but for my good brother, I'll sell it."

After saying that, he used his magic to sign the jade slip without saying another word. Zhuang Yan took the jade slip and handed it to the old immortal Qingsong.

After receiving the jade slip, the Old Immortal Qingsong didn't even look at it before using his magic to sign it. After the transaction was completed, Zhuang Yan saw the two of them throw the jade slips they had signed into the sky.

Suddenly, a burst of flames erupted, instantly reducing the jade slip to ashes. At the same time, a wisp of green smoke rose and disappeared directly into the space between the eyebrows of the Green Pine Immortal.

As the wisp of green smoke entered his brow, the old immortal Qingsong's spirit visibly improved, and even the wrinkles on his face decreased by 70%.

Seeing this amazing scene, Zhu Qingqiu was quite surprised, "Why don't I feel anything?"

Zhuang Yan laughed and said, "Nine years is nothing. Try selling it for ninety years." With that, he handed him the pouch containing ten thousand purple coins.

Zhu Qingqiu quickly took the pouch and examined it carefully. There were exactly ten thousand purple coins, no more and no less. A broad smile immediately appeared on his face. "Hahaha, thank you very much, Fellow Daoist Lingtai."

Zhuang Yan said, "The deal is done. You can go find your good brother now." Upon hearing this, Zhu Qingqiu immediately cupped his hands to Zhuang Yan and said, "Alright, then I'll take my leave."

After speaking, Zhu Qingqiu turned and left. Watching Zhu Qingqiu's figure disappear into the wind and snow, the Old Immortal of Green Pine stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty."

"Hmm?" Zhuang Yan's gaze fell on the old Taoist Qingsong. "There is only the wandering Lingtai Hermit here, no His Majesty."

The old immortal Qingsong's expression changed, and he quickly apologized, then said, "Great Immortal Lingtai, may I...may I buy more lifespan? I still have plenty of purple coins on me."

Zhuang Yan laughed and said, "If it weren't for Fellow Daoist Qingyuan, you wouldn't even have been able to buy these nine years. As an ancient immortal, your tribulation has arrived, and you should have been reincarnated long ago. You should know that under the tribulation, no matter how many years you have left, it's useless. Just now, it seemed like you bought nine years of lifespan from Zhu Qingqiu, but in reality, I used those nine years to postpone your tribulation by nine years. In these nine years, you should do what you need to do. Teaching a few disciples well is more important than anything else."

Upon hearing this, the Old Immortal Qingsong sighed, bowed to Zhuang Yan with a look of disappointment, and said, "I understand what you mean, Great Immortal."

After saying this, the Old Immortal of Green Pine turned around and bowed to the Taoist of Qingyuan, saying, "Thank you very much, True Lord."

Daoist Qingyuan returned the greeting with a smile and said, "Fellow Daoist and I are old friends, so it is only right that I help you. However, my abilities are limited, and this is all I can do to help."

"That's enough, that's enough." Old Immortal Qingsong laughed. "Nine years is enough time for me to pass on all my cultivation to my few good-for-nothing disciples."

After saying this, the Old Immortal Qingsong bid farewell to Zhuang Yan and the Daoist Qingyuan, then rode the clouds and returned to the Southern Continent.

With the departure of the Old Immortal Qingsong, only Zhuang Yan and the Daoist Qingyuan remained.

"The wind and snow are quite heavy, why don't we find a place to have a drink?" Zhuang Yan said with a smile.

Master Qingyuan smiled and said, "You're treating."

"No problem." Zhuang Yan laughed. The two were about to leave when a voice came from behind them: "My treat."

Zhuang Yanhe turned around and saw the nun Yan Miaozhen standing in front of the nunnery, holding a jar of wine in her hands.

Yan Miaozhen tossed the jar of wine in her hand over, and Zhuang Yan caught it steadily. Yan Miaozhen said, "This is a vegetarian wine brewed in my temple, made with twelve kinds of spiritual fruits. This jar of wine has been stored for eight years, so it can be considered an aged wine."

Zhuang Yan looked at the jar of wine in his hand and asked in surprise, "Why does the abbess invite the two of us to drink?"

Yan Miaozhen said, "I saw that you were handling some kind of transaction just now, which was probably to help that fellow Daoist. Since you are not a bad person, it is fate that you came here. It wouldn't hurt to offer you a jar of old wine."

After speaking, Yan Miaozhen bowed respectfully to Zhuang Yan and Qingyuan Daoist, then turned and entered the nunnery.

Zhuang Yan and his companion arrived at a mountaintop, moved a smooth stone in front of them, swept the snow off the ground, and then sat down.

The wind howled on the mountain, and snowflakes fell from the sky from time to time. The two of them sat in the open air on the mountaintop.

Zhuang Yan opened the wine seal, and the aroma of aged wine instantly filled their nostrils. The two first downed a glass, and then slowly began to drink together.

"Why did Your Majesty suddenly decide to enter the mortal world to cultivate? With your abilities, there aren't many people in the Three Realms who can surpass you. There's absolutely no need for you to enter the mortal world to cultivate," said Daoist Qingyuan.

Zhuang Yan laughed and said, "Erlang Zhenjun, you may not know this, but although I have invincible skills, my cultivation level is extremely poor."

It turns out that this Qingyuan Daoist was none other than Erlang Shen, the Manifestation Saint. The old Daoist Qingsong was a good friend of Erlang Shen. As an ancient immortal, his tribulation had arrived, but there were still many things to be done, so he went to ask Erlang Shen for help.

Even Erlang Shen couldn't help it. Everyone's fate is predetermined. Despite his great strength, he couldn't help Qingsong Laoxian in this regard.

So Erlang Shen used the Heavenly Profound Jade Talisman to contact Zhuang Yan. After all, he had already witnessed Zhuang Yan's profound supernatural powers, and now that Zhuang Yan was a powerful emperor, he might have a solution.

As it turned out, Zhuang Yan did indeed have a way to avert the nine-year tribulation for the Green Pine Immortal. Although the tribulation would still descend after nine years, at least he could peacefully finish his unfinished business during these nine years.

Erlang Shen nodded slightly after hearing Zhuang Yan's words and said, "Cultivation level is indeed important. When I first achieved success in my cultivation, I only attained the Dao Fruit of a Celestial Immortal. Later, after countless eons of cultivation, I was granted the position of True Lord of the Heavenly Court, and only then did I attain the Dao Fruit of a Great Awakened Golden Immortal."

At this point, Erlang Shen suddenly looked at Zhuang Yan and said, "Your Majesty, you are now a Celestial Immortal. After you complete your cultivation and attain perfection, you will probably be able to attain the Great Luo Golden Immortal Dao Fruit."

Zhuang Yan shook his head and smiled, "That's hard to say."

Erlang Shen said with certainty, "There's nothing to be ashamed of. With your current power, Your Majesty, once you reach perfection in your cultivation, the mere Great Luo Golden Immortal Dao Fruit is nothing to you."

At this point, Erlang Shen smiled at Zhuang Yan and said, "Last time I visited the Victorious Fighting Buddha at Huaguo Mountain in Dongsheng Shenzhou, he had already achieved perfection on his journey to the West. After being conferred the title of Buddha, he also attained 'Great Enlightenment and Righteous Nature'. I believe that he will soon be able to attain the Great Enlightenment Golden Immortal Dao Fruit."

Zhuang Yan said, "After Wukong went on his journey to the West, he was indeed transformed and it was expected that he would attain the Great Enlightenment Golden Immortal Dao Fruit."

Erlang Shen nodded slightly, then asked, "By the way, as soon as I entered Xiniu Hezhou, I felt that the calamity between heaven and earth was extremely strong, and even I felt trembling with fear. What is going on?"

Zhuang Yan laughed and said, "Do you still remember the 'Great Calamity of Buddha and Demon' hundreds of years ago?"

"Oh." Erlang Shen nodded and said, "I remember, that time the great calamity between Buddha and demon was very fierce, but it was all bark and no bite."

Zhuang Yan nodded and said, "That's because Amitabha Buddha burned his own merits to suppress the great calamity between Buddha and demon. During this period, Brahmanism emerged, Mara, the Buddha and demon, entered the mortal world, and Asuras defected from Mount Sumeru. Now, the power of Amitabha Buddha's burning merits has been exhausted, and the great calamity between Buddha and demon has returned."

Erlang Shen suddenly realized and said, "Won't Xiniu Hezhou be plunged into calamity?"

Zhuang Yan nodded and said, "That's right. As long as you are in Xiniu Hezhou, no one can escape it."

Erlang Shen's eyes lit up, and he said, "In that case, it's a good opportunity to do good deeds. My six brothers are in dire need of merit. They've been stuck with me at Guanjiang Estuary all these years, without ever getting any achievements or promotions. I feel deeply sorry for them."

Zhuang Yan laughed and said, "Does Erlang Shen want to bring them to Xiniu Hezhou to gain some merit during the great calamity and thus be promoted?"

"Indeed." Erlang Shen nodded and said, "Since Your Majesty holds power in the mortal realm, I wonder if you would permit me to do so?"

Zhuang Yan smiled slightly and said, "This matter doesn't concern me. The Great Emperor of the Western Peak actually rules the Western Niuhe Continent. You should ask him. As long as he allows you to enter the Western Niuhe Continent, the Jade Palace of the Mortal Realm will not interfere below your level."

"That's good." Erlang Shen was relieved. As long as Zhuang Yan had no objections, he could handle things at the Western Mountain God's Mansion.

Erlang Shen then raised his wine cup to toast Zhuang Yan. After finishing the wine jar that Yan Miaozhen had given him, Erlang Shen bid farewell to Zhuang Yan.

Watching Erlang Shen's figure disappear into the sky at incredible speed, Zhuang Yan also descended the mountain. (End of Chapter)