I am a fairy in Journey to the West

Xiniuhezhou, Jiuyuan Village.

The villagers sat in the fields sighing and complaining because a plague had broken out in the village in the past few days, causing almost all of their cattle to die.

Even those that didn't die of illness were just lying in the cattle pen, foaming at the mouth, barely clinging to life.

Since the chaos began in Xiniu Hezhou, villages and towns in various places have built fortified villages or strongholds to defend themselves against harassment from mountain bandits and outlaws.

Therefore, the current situation in Xiniu Hezhou is basically that the country can only control the large cities, while the small villages are completely abandoned.

As a result, villages and towns built fortified villages for defense, forming small armed groups. On weekdays, they cultivated land around their fortified villages to grow food for self-sufficiency. If bandits or outlaws appeared, the men in the fortified villages would immediately arm themselves to resist.

Therefore, in this environment, the original village chiefs, neighborhood chiefs, and elders became garrison chiefs or fortress chiefs, uniting the villagers within the fortress and presiding over the allocation of resources.

Therefore, under such circumstances, oxen became an indispensable part of the labor force.

Without oxen, people had to use their hands or pull the plow, which was not only hard work but also inefficient, resulting in much less effort for little reward.

They have spent ten days cultivating less than 30% of the land. By the time they have cultivated all the land, the best time for planting will probably have passed.

Looking at the shouts coming from the neighboring fortress in the distance and listening to the deep mooing of the cattle, the villagers of Jiuyuanzhai, covered in sweat, were filled with envy.

"Hey, Lao Yuan, don't you have any usable oxen in your village?" the chief of the neighboring village shouted across the furrow.

Chief Yuan Mingqing of Jiuyuan Village stood up and replied, "No, they're all sick."

"This is really infuriating," the chief of the neighboring village said, then added, "If this drags on any longer, we'll miss the spring planting season."

Yuan Mingqing sighed deeply. Just then, a young man came up behind Yuan Mingqing and said to the chief of the neighboring village, "Why don't you lend us your village's cattle instead of just making sarcastic remarks?"

The chief of the neighboring village said, "I dare not lend it. There's a plague outbreak in your village. What if my cattle get infected?"

At this moment, a few young men from the neighboring village also came over. "These days, you can borrow a wife, but you can't borrow a cow. If you don't have a wife, you can just sleep alone, but if you don't have a cow, you'll go hungry."

Another young man half-jokingly said, "Why don't you go and worship a god? I've heard that there's a god called 'Divine Emperor of the Divine Firmament' who is very efficacious and grants all requests."

Although it was said in jest, it was a wake-up call for Jiuyuan Village, who were at their wits' end. "That's right, we can still pray to the gods."

Thinking of this, Yuan Mingqing immediately called on the villagers and told them about it. They had no better ideas and could only try anything as a last resort.

So everyone returned to the village to prepare offerings, incense, candles, and paper money, as well as to set up the altar.

Then, a shrine to the 'Divine Emperor of Shenxiao' was placed on the altar, because in recent years, worshipping Buddha has become less and less effective.

What they didn't know was that in Xiniuhezhou, Buddhism could no longer leave India.

Although the Brahma religion developed rapidly, its main efforts were focused on attacking Buddhism, so it did not pay much attention to worldly affairs.

The spread of the faith by Brahma relied solely on monks in the human realm, and these people were clearly insufficient to cover the vast continent of Xiniuhe.

In general, the foundation of Buddhism was insufficient, and there weren't enough monks to cover every part of Xiniu Hezhou.

You should know that decades ago, Buddhist temples were everywhere in Xiniu Hezhou, and monks could be seen everywhere in towns, mountains and villages.

As for the Buddhist and demonic forces, they have been undergoing transformation in recent years, but like the Brahma religion, they lack sufficient foundation and their manpower can only cover the large cities in Xiniuhezhou.

Therefore, over the past ten years or so, the belief in the 'Divine Firmament Emperor' has spread throughout Xiniu Hezhou.

This mainly comes from the secret golden talisman that Zhuang Yan originally distributed to all the heavens and the three realms. When mortal beings obtain the secret golden talisman, they can make a wish to him, and his request will be granted.

The villagers of Jiuyuan Village chose an auspicious day and held a grand sacrificial ceremony to the shrine of Shenxiao Emperor, praying for his divine intervention.

When the ceremony had been going on for half an hour, a gentle breeze suddenly lifted the divine flag on the altar, and a beam of auspicious light fell from the sky.

Immediately, a majestic and ethereal divine figure appeared before the villagers of Jiuyuan Village. The figure uttered a solemn divine voice: "Why are you all here to make your wishes?"

The villagers were incredibly excited, and they all prostrated themselves in worship, some even shedding tears.

Yuan Mingqing quickly knelt down and kowtowed to Zhuang Yan, saying, "Your Majesty, our Jiuyuan Village's request was truly unavoidable. Please allow me to explain."

Yuan Mingqing then told Zhuang Yan about the predicament Jiuyuan Village was facing. After listening, Zhuang Yan asked, "Do you want to drive away the plague, or do you need oxen for plowing?"

Yuan Mingqing stood there stunned for a moment, then said, “There are only three sick oxen left in the village. Even if they recover after the plague is expelled, we won’t be able to plow the land quickly. I’d like to report to the Divine Emperor that we need oxen to plow the land and complete the spring planting. This way, we’ll have half a year to resolve the issue of oxen.”

“Alright,” Zhuang Yan said, “I will send a divine ox over to help you complete the spring plowing.”

Upon hearing this, Yuan Mingqing was overjoyed and repeatedly kowtowed, saying, "Thank you, Divine Emperor Shenxiao, for your mercy."

The villagers below bowed with tears of gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Divine Emperor Shenxiao, for your mercy."

Zhuang Yan nodded slightly and said, "You should all go and prepare your lodgings. The divine ox will arrive today."

After saying this, Zhuang Yan's figure gradually disappeared into the breeze. Yuan Mingqing led the villagers in a respectful farewell. Then Yuan Mingqing stood up and said, "Quickly, everyone go and clean up that old house on the east side to prepare for welcoming the divine ox."

The villagers of Jiuyuan Village sprang into action, while inside the Lingtai Taoist Palace on Buzhou Mountain, Zhuang Yan said to Xiu Huang, "Boy, go and summon the Bull Demon King."

Xiuhuang Tongzi responded and then turned and walked out of the main hall.

A moment later, the Bull Demon King arrived at the Hall of Fate and bowed to Zhuang Yan, saying, "The Bull Demon King pays respects to His Majesty the Great Emperor of the Spirit Platform and the Divine Firmament."

Zhuang Yan smiled and said, "Rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." The Bull Demon King bowed and rose, his tall body standing like a great tree in the hall.

Zhuang Yan looked at him and said, "There is something I need to assign you to do."

The Bull Demon King was slightly startled. Since arriving at Buzhou Mountain, he had never been given any tasks. So he quickly bowed and said, "Please give your orders, Your Majesty."

Zhuang Yan said, "A plague has broken out in Jiuyuan Village, Xiniu Hezhou. Most of the oxen in the village have died. With spring plowing just around the corner, they urgently need oxen. They prayed to me, and I have decided to send you to help Jiuyuan Village complete the spring plowing."

"Huh?" The Bull Demon King was stunned, never expecting that Zhuang Yan would send him to plow the fields for mortals.

Zhuang Yan laughed and said, "What? You're not willing?"

"No, no," the Bull Demon King quickly waved his hand, then said, "I believe that with my martial arts skills, I can help Your Majesty accomplish even greater things."

Zhuang Yan smiled and said, "You'll have bigger things to do in the future, so for now, focus on doing the small things well."

Upon hearing this, the Bull Demon King immediately became solemn and bowed, saying, "This humble general obeys the order."

Zhuang Yan nodded slightly and said to him, "Go directly to the Erlang Temple in Xiniu Hezhou to find my disciple Liang Nu, and she will personally escort you to Jiuyuan Village."

"Yes." The Bull Demon King bowed and accepted the order, then bid farewell to Zhuang Yan and left the main hall. After leaving the Hall of Fate, the Bull Demon King quickly found Princess Iron Fan, who was cleaning in the front hall, and hugged her tightly, saying, "My lady, we've finally made it through!"

Princess Iron Fan was startled and pushed the Bull Demon King away. She quickly glanced around and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that no one was there. She scolded him angrily, "How can you hug and cuddle in broad daylight? Besides, this is His Majesty's palace. If someone sees you, they will impeach you to His Majesty."

The Bull Demon King chuckled and said, "Please forgive me, Madam, I was just too excited. After working diligently for over thirty years, we're finally about to see the light at the end of the tunnel."

"Oh?" Princess Iron Fan's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly asked, "Could it be that His Majesty summoned you just now to give you an important position?"

The Bull Demon King recounted his audience with Zhuang Yan to Princess Iron Fan, saying, "His Majesty just said that he will have even greater tasks for me to handle in the future. Doesn't that mean he intends to give me an important position?"

Princess Iron Fan was also very pleased and said, "His Majesty is testing you. I'm not afraid that His Majesty will make you plow the fields, but I'm afraid that His Majesty will not use you at all."

"What you say is absolutely right, Madam. As long as His Majesty is willing to use me, the old bull, that would be the best thing ever," said the Bull Demon King.

Princess Iron Fan smiled and nodded, a look of joy spreading across her face. She straightened Bull Demon's clothes and said, "Then you should go quickly. You must do a good job on His Majesty's orders. You can't make any mistakes on such a small matter, so as not to disappoint His Majesty."

"Alright." The Bull Demon King nodded and said, "Then, my lady, I shall take my leave."

Princess Iron Fan said gently, "Go ahead, and be careful on your journey."

The Bull Demon King nodded, then bid farewell to Princess Iron Fan, went to the Fire Spirit Immortal to receive the talisman, and then left the Buzhou Mountain gate, riding the clouds and soaring into the sky, heading straight for Xiniu Hezhou.

Following Zhuang Yan's advice, the Bull Demon King first arrived at the Erlang Temple in Xiniu Hezhou. As soon as he arrived at the entrance, he saw the Howling Celestial Dog lying there.

Although the Bull Demon King had cultivated on Mount Buzhou for over thirty years and his demonic aura had almost completely dissipated, he still couldn't hide it from the nose of the Howling Celestial Dog.

Suddenly, the Celestial Hound stood up alertly, its eyes flashing with ferocity as it instantly locked onto the Bull Demon King.

The Bull Demon King, being well-informed, naturally recognized the Howling Celestial Dog. He quickly stopped and said, "Howling Celestial God, I am the General of the Lingtai Dao Palace of Buzhou Mountain. I have come to Erlang Temple to find Fellow Daoist Liang by order of the Divine Firmament Emperor."

Upon hearing the Bull Demon King's words, the fierce look in the Celestial Hound's eyes subsided somewhat, but he still looked at the Bull Demon King with a warning gaze.

The Bull Demon King hurriedly handed over the talisman he had obtained from the Fire Spirit Immortal. The Howling Celestial Dog pressed down on the talisman with one paw and examined it carefully before confirming that he had indeed come to find Lady Liang.

So the Celestial Hound returned the talisman and lazily walked to the side and lay down again.

Normal mortals come to the temple to burn incense, and the Celestial Hound will not stop them. It only stops gods and demons.

The Bull Demon King put away the talisman, bowed to the Howling Celestial Dog in thanks, and then entered the Erlang Temple, eventually arriving at the Liang Nu Taoist Temple on the back mountain.

The woman was dressed in a simple blue dress, without any superfluous decorations, except for a wooden hairpin that held her hair in place.

Her appearance remained the same as when she became Zhuang Yan's disciple, but she was now more dignified and serene.

"Xiao Cai." Liang Nu came out of the cave and called out to the mountains and forests outside.

Before long, the seven-colored celestial crane flew back to Liang Nu. Liang Nu stroked its feathers; Xiao Cai was the name she had given it.

"Xiao Cai, Master just assigned me a task. You'll have to work hard later," Liang said with a smile.

Xiao Cai let out a clear cry, then nodded her proud head.

At this moment, the Bull Demon King had already climbed the mountain and appeared outside Liang Nu's cave. Upon seeing the man and the crane before him, he immediately bowed and asked, "May I ask if you are Fellow Daoist Liang Nu?"

Liang looked up and saw an extremely strong and imposing man standing there. Liang quickly stepped forward and returned the greeting, saying, "I am Liang, but are you Fellow Daoist Bull Demon King?"

The Bull Demon King nodded and said, "That's right." Then he took out a talisman and said, "I have come on His Majesty's orders."

Liang smiled and said, "My master has already told me." With that, she put the talisman away.

The Bull Demon King nodded and said, "In that case, I'll leave the rest to Fellow Daoist Liang." With that, the Bull Demon King transformed into a massive white bull.

Seeing the Bull Demon King's enormous size, Liang Nu was astonished and looked at the crane, asking, "Xiao Cai, can you carry him?"

The crane nodded proudly, and then Liang Nu leaped onto its back, saying, "Fellow Daoist Niu, you should come up too."

The Bull Demon King said, "Fellow Daoist Liang, you don't need to worry about me. I will ride the clouds myself. You can ride the crane and lead the way."

"Alright then." Liang nodded, then rode the crane and soared into the sky. The Bull Demon King followed, his four hooves pounding the clouds.

Seeing that he easily kept up with the speed of the crane, Liang was no longer worried and led the way.

As dusk fell, the villagers of Jiuyuan Village, led by Yuan Mingqing, stood in front of the village gate, eagerly awaiting their arrival.

Just as the sun was about to set completely, a patch of blue cloud approached from afar and soon arrived above Jiuyuan Village.

Then the villagers saw a fairy dressed in blue riding on the back of a crane, followed by a huge white ox.

"Look, the divine ox has arrived; it was delivered by a fairy."

"Wow, what a huge sacred cow! And it's a white cow too."

"My God, that cow must be as big as a house?!"

"How much fodder does such a big cow need to eat?"

"You're talking nonsense again. If it's a divine ox, how could it eat your mortal grass?"

Amidst the villagers' astonished discussions, Liang landed on the ground riding a crane, and the villagers immediately knelt down and bowed, saying, "Greetings, fairy."

Standing on the crane's back, Liang Nu smiled and said, "Please don't stand on ceremony, everyone. I am here on the orders of the Divine Emperor to deliver the divine ox."

After saying that, the Bull Demon King landed. When he landed in front of the villagers, they were immediately stunned. This was not the size of a house at all; it was clearly a small mountain!

“This…this…” Yuan Mingqing said, “Fairy, this divine ox is indeed extraordinary, but it is too big for us to control.”

Upon hearing this, Liang Nu looked at the Bull Demon King, who then shrunk his body to the size of an ordinary ox.

Seeing this miraculous scene, the villagers were filled with astonishment and developed a deep reverence for the divine ox.

The woman said, “The divine ox has come to help you with spring plowing. After the spring plowing is completed, it will return with me. During this time, you only need to provide good housing for the divine ox. You don’t need to provide anything else. The divine ox also does not need to eat or drink and will not consume your resources or money.”

Upon hearing this, the villagers were even more grateful and bowed, saying, "The Divine Emperor is merciful, the Fairy Goddess is merciful."

Liang smiled slightly and said, "Okay, the divine ox has been delivered. I'll be going now. I'll come back to pick it up after the spring plowing is finished."

Upon hearing this, the villagers all burned incense and bowed to Liang Nu, saying, "Respectfully sending off the fairy goddess."

Then, Lady Liang rode a crane and soared into the sky, while the villagers rose and rushed forward to surround the Bull Demon King, leading him to the simple yet grand villa that the villagers had cleaned up. (End of Chapter)