I am a fairy in Journey to the West

The Wu King's Mansion was brightly lit late at night. Ever since Xiaoqing stole the treasure, the Wu King's Mansion had become increasingly heavily guarded.

Not only were there more than 300 soldiers on duty in shifts, but the Wu King's Palace also had talismans and ritual implements brought from various Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries, which were hung throughout the passageways of the palace.

However, none of this mattered to Bai Suzhen. Don't forget that she had already used the elixir given to her by the Old Mother of Lishan to remove the demonic poison and demonic energy from her body, and the "Qingling Hunyuan Dao" that she cultivated was an orthodox method created by Bixia Yuanjun.

Therefore, although Bai Suzhen was a snake demon and never did evil after descending the mountain, her aura was more righteous than that of many righteous cultivators.

The talismans and magical artifacts that King Wu had spent a fortune to acquire were of no use to Bai Suzhen. Bai Suzhen easily entered King Wu's palace, immobilized the guards, and then arrived at King Wu's bedroom.

"Li Song," Bai Suzhen called out from beside the King of Wu's bed.

King Li Song of Wu suddenly awoke with a start. He sat on the bed in a daze for a while before looking at Bai Suzhen and asking, "You! Who are you?"

Bai Suzhen said, "I am the monster you issued a proclamation to eliminate."

"What?!" King Wu was shocked and hurriedly jumped out of bed. "Are you the White Snake Demon?"

"I am Bai Suzhen," Bai Suzhen said.

Upon hearing this, the King of Wu hurriedly shouted, "Guards! Protect me! Protect me!"

"Stop yelling," Bai Suzhen said. "Your guards have been immobilized by my magic and can't save you."

The King of Wu turned deathly pale instantly, pointed at Bai Suzhen and said, "You, Bai Suzhen, I am a prince of the Great Tang Dynasty, how dare you kill me?"

Bai Suzhen said, "I didn't come to kill you." With that, Bai Suzhen lightly waved her sleeve.

A beam of light flew out and landed on Li Song's bed, immediately revealing four treasures, which were the four stolen treasures.

"The Fiery Divine Pearl, the Divine Harmony Heavenly Music Diagram, the Time Eight Trigrams Furnace, and the Jade Purification Bottle—these are the four treasures I borrowed from your household, and now they are returned to you intact," Bai Suzhen said.

King Li Song of Wu was terrified, but when he saw that Bai Suzhen had not come to kill him, but to return the treasure, he was stunned.

Bai Suzhen continued, "As for your son Li Lian, he was killed by my sister Xiaoqing, but he deserved it."

After saying that, Bai Suzhen looked at Li Song and said, "I will return your treasure to you, but I cannot return your wicked son. I apologize to you for stealing the treasure."

As soon as she finished speaking, Bai Suzhen bowed deeply to Li Song and said, "If you are willing to let this go, then withdraw the proclamation to exorcise the demon, and from now on we will keep to ourselves. If you insist on eliminating us, then pretend I didn't say anything."

After saying this, Bai Suzhen bowed to Li Song and said, "Farewell."

Bai Suzhen flew out of the Wu King's mansion on a beam of light, while Wu King Li Song remained standing blankly on the bed, his gaze shifting from where Bai Suzhen had been standing to the four treasures.

A moment later, Li Song suddenly pinched himself, and with a cry of pain, King Wu realized that he was not dreaming and that everything that had just happened was real.

After leaving the Wu King's mansion, Bai Suzhen flew towards Baoan Hall.

As he flew over a street, a dazzling light suddenly shone down on the street below.

Bai Suzhen immediately sensed the extraordinary nature of this flame and stood in mid-air looking down.

Just as Bai Suzhen was searching for the source of the fire, she heard the sound of hammering iron, followed by a voice in her ears: "Fellow Daoist, would you like to forge a magic weapon?"

Bai Suzhen was startled; she only heard the voice but couldn't see where the person was.

Just then, a light shone again in the street below. Bai Suzhen finally understood what was happening and immediately flew down.

This is an ordinary house, but there is a three-legged golden censer in the courtyard, and the firelight is flickering from this golden censer.

Beside the golden furnace stood a middle-aged Taoist priest dressed in a vermilion immortal robe. The priest looked at Bai Suzhen and said with a smile, "My three-legged golden furnace has the divine power to seize the creation of heaven and earth, and can be used to forge any powerful magic weapon for you, fellow Daoist."

“Or,” the middle-aged Taoist smiled slightly, “or perhaps you could enhance the power of your existing magic weapon.”

Bai Suzhen's heart stirred. Although she had returned four treasures today, Wu King Li Song's son was dead after all, and it would be difficult to get him to stop.

Thinking of the fierce battles to come, and knowing that the current Realgar Sword would certainly not be able to withstand them, Bai Suzhen asked, "Is that really true?"

The middle-aged Taoist priest laughed and said, "If I am lying, may I be struck by heavenly lightning and annihilated."

Those who cultivate the Tao value their vows most. Bai Suzhen made up her mind and immediately summoned her Realgar Sword. "Can you enhance the power of this sword?"

The middle-aged Taoist priest stretched out his hand and said, "Let me take a look."

Bai Suzhen handed the Realgar Sword to the middle-aged Taoist. The middle-aged Taoist took the Realgar Sword in his hand and examined it carefully. Then he smiled and said, "This sword has the power to restrain all snake demons and monsters, but it is somewhat inferior in fighting other Taoist cultivators."

Bai Suzhen asked, "Can it enhance power?"

The middle-aged Taoist priest smiled and said, "Of course, but it will require ten purple coins."

Upon hearing this, Bai Suzhen immediately took out fifty purple coins from her sleeve and handed them over. "This is all I have. I'll give them all to you, fellow Daoist. Please help me enhance the power of this sword. To be honest, I'm afraid I'll have to rely on this sword to survive in the future."

The middle-aged Taoist priest took the purple coins, his expression turning solemn as he said, "Very well, for the sake of these fifty purple coins, I will certainly do my best."

After speaking, the middle-aged Taoist pointed with his left hand in a sword-finger gesture, and the lid of the three-legged golden furnace instantly flew off.

The middle-aged Taoist priest threw the realgar sword in his hand into the furnace. With a loud bang, the three-legged golden furnace immediately sealed.

Then the middle-aged Taoist sat down cross-legged on the spot, and a wisp of fire flew out from between his eyebrows, directly into the air vent of the three-legged golden furnace.

Bai Suzhen stepped back a few paces and waited patiently, only to find the fire in the furnace extremely scorching.

After an unknown amount of time, the middle-aged Taoist suddenly stood up and said, "The furnace is ready!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the three-legged golden furnace suddenly flew into the air and exploded in the dark night sky of Hangzhou. The flames from the explosion instantly illuminated the entire sky above Hangzhou.

Bai Suzhen stared blankly, never expecting such a commotion to occur.

What troubled her most was that after the three-legged golden furnace exploded, a seven-colored celestial glow filled the night sky, and then a divine sword blazing with crimson flames appeared out of nowhere.

The divine sword was exactly the same as her realgar sword, but the divine power on it was completely renewed. The sword body was entirely crimson and radiated a seven-colored glow.

The middle-aged Taoist priest flew into the sky, grabbed the divine general, and threw him directly down at Bai Suzhen below. "I have fulfilled my mission. Take this sword."

Bai Suzhen stretched out her hand, and the sword naturally fell into her hand. There were five large characters engraved on the sword: "Nine Heavens Profound Fire Sword".

"Thank you. Huh?" Bai Suzhen felt the immense power of the Nine Heavens Profound Fire Sword and was about to express her gratitude when she looked up and found that the middle-aged Taoist had vanished without a trace, as if he had never existed.

The entire city of Hangzhou was awakened by the explosion of the three-legged golden furnace, and lights were turned on in every household.

Upon seeing this, Bai Suzhen hurriedly withdrew the seven-colored light from the Nine Heavens Profound Fire Sword. Just as she was about to return, three figures appeared directly in front of her.

"Xiao Bai, where is that person?" Zhuang Yan asked Bai Suzhen.

Bai Suzhen exclaimed in surprise, "Uncle Zhuang? Taoist Master? Buddhist Master? What brings you all here?"

Laozi asked, "Never mind how we got here, I want to ask you, where is that person from earlier?" Bai Suzhen asked, "Was it the person who practiced swordsmanship with me?"

"Practicing swordsmanship?" Buddha asked. "What kind of swords are you practicing?"

Bai Suzhen took out the Nine Heavens Profound Fire Sword. "Just now, a fellow Daoist set up a three-legged golden furnace here. I used fifty purple coins to ask him to help me reforge the Realgar Sword. This is the reforged sword."

Laozi grabbed the Nine Heavens Profound Fire Sword, glanced at it, and asserted, "There is the aura of innate true fire on it."

"Is it the Fire Element Dao Ancestor?" Tathagata asked.

Laozi returned the Nine Heavens Mystic Fire Sword to Bai Suzhen, then nodded and said, "It's pretty close to the truth."

After saying this, Laozi waved his whisk, and a Taiji Bagua diagram faintly appeared in the sky. With a gentle turn of the Taiji Bagua, Laozi locked onto a direction.

"This person went to the upper right." Laozi said, "I will go after him, you two keep watch here."

Zhuang Yan nodded to Tathagata and said, "Alright."

Then Laozi leaped up, and the Taiji Bagua in the sky immediately flew to his feet. A long stream of time flowed around Laozi, and he disappeared without a trace in an instant.

Bai Suzhen was greatly shocked by this scene and hurriedly asked Zhuang Yan, "Uncle Zhuang, who was the person who forged the sword for me?"

Zhuang Yan laughed and said, "He's not a good person."

Upon hearing this, Bai Suzhen immediately looked at the Nine Heavens Profound Fire Sword in her hand.

Buddha immediately saw through Bai Suzhen's thoughts and said with a smile, "She is not a good person, but this sword is indeed a good sword. You may keep it."

Bai Suzhen breathed a sigh of relief and immediately put the Nine Heavens Profound Fire Sword into her spiritual platform.

"Let's go," Zhuang Yan said. "With such a commotion, things won't calm down anytime soon. Let's go back."

Bai Suzhen nodded, and instead of using her magic to fly, she followed Zhuang Yan and Rulai out of the residence and walked back to Baoan Hall.

On the way, Bai Suzhen asked Zhuang Yan, "Uncle Zhuang, who is that Taoist Master Li?"

Zhuang Yan said, "Who is it? Of course, it's you, Master Li."

"..." Bai Suzhen hesitated for a moment, then turned to Zhuang Yan and said, "Uncle Zhuang, I always feel that you are not ordinary people."

Zhuang Yan walked slowly forward, hands behind his back, and asked, "What do you want to say?"

Bai Suzhen said, "To be honest, I always feel that the things that happen to me are very strange, like the protagonist in a play being pushed along by the plot."

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Yan's face fell, while the Buddha beside him smiled and said, "I won."

Zhuang Yan sighed, took out a purple-gold gourd from his sleeve and handed it over. The gourd contained thirty-six 'True Rejuvenation Pills'.

Bai Suzhen was puzzled by what she saw and asked, "Uncle Zhuang, Buddha, what are you doing?"

Zhuang Yan said helplessly, "It's obvious that we're betting on the match."

"What are we betting on?" Bai Suzhen asked curiously.

Buddha smiled and put away the purple-gold gourd, looking at Bai Suzhen and saying, "I bet you'll reach enlightenment someday."

"Me? Enlightenment?" Bai Suzhen looked completely bewildered. "Enlightenment about what?"

Zhuang Yan's expression returned to normal. "I bet you'll realize when you're 'not in control of your own destiny.' You truly are a Buddha, with eyes that see through all beings."

Buddha looked at Bai Suzhen and said, "In this world, everyone is the protagonist of their own story, and likewise, every protagonist is not in control of their own destiny."

Bai Suzhen said, "I understand what you mean, Buddha. Buddhism says that everyone can become a Buddha, and all intelligent beings can become Buddhas, but none of them can become Buddhas."

The Buddha smiled and said, "Among the five aggregates, the greatest suffering in the world is the inability to obtain what one desires."

Upon hearing this, Bai Suzhen suddenly laughed and said, "So I am quite lucky. By marrying my husband, I can both repay his kindness and stay with him forever. This is truly something I have obtained without asking for it."

At this point, the three of them had arrived outside Baoan Hall. Xu Xian and Xiao Qing were waiting in front of the door with lanterns. Upon seeing Bai Suzhen, the two immediately greeted her with smiles on their faces.

"My wife." "My husband."

"Sister." "Xiao Qing."

Seeing the three of them gathered together, displaying their deep affection as husband and wife and their strong sisterly bond, Zhuang Yan asked Buddha, "Buddha, is there any explanation for this?"

The Buddha smiled and said, "These are the 'sentient beings'."

Just then, two beams of celestial light flew straight down from the sky, accompanied by a shout: "Bai Suzhen, what kind of demon are you causing trouble again? Making such a ruckus in Hangzhou at this late hour!"

Zhuang Yan and Rulai exchanged a glance, and the two immediately stepped back and walked to watch the play under the eaves of Baoan Hall.

Bai Suzhen, Xu Xian, and Xiaoqing, who were gathered together, suddenly looked up and saw two people descending from the celestial light.

The three men's expressions darkened. They recognized one of them as Li Xuanzhen, the abbot of Lingtai Dao Palace and the Grand Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty.

The one who just questioned Bai Suzhen in the sky was this Li Xuanzhen, but they did not recognize the other beautiful and dignified female immortal.

But one thing is certain: these two people have come with ill intentions and are definitely here to cause them trouble.

Bai Suzhen immediately summoned the Nine Heavens Mystic Fire Sword and secretly protected Xu Xian behind her. Xiaoqing summoned the Azure Cloud Sword and stood tightly protecting Bai Suzhen, staring coldly at Tieguai Li and Zhong Wuyan.

Bai Suzhen looked at Tieguai Li and said, "Master Li, I have never done anything wrong since I left the mountain, nor have I offended your Lingtai Dao Palace. Why are you pressing me so hard?"

Tieguai Li laughed and said, "As the Grand Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty, I cannot stand by and watch you destroy the boundary between humans and demons. If you were in one of the other four continents, I would not care about you."

Bai Suzhen asked, "If we move to Dongsheng Shenzhou now, will Master Li let us go?"

Tieguai Li said, "No, we've already taken charge, how can we give up halfway?"

"You stinking Taoist priest, you're such a busybody! What business is it of yours what happens to their consensual marriage?" Xiaoqing cursed angrily.

Tieguai Li chuckled and said, "The Heavenly Laws are the guiding principles for all beings in the Three Realms. You, little green snake, also have a responsibility to persuade your sister to see the error of her ways instead of making one mistake after another."

"Pah!" Xiao Qing spat, "The Heavenly Laws are nothing but the constraints imposed on us by you rulers."

"Good." Tieguai Li clapped his hands and laughed, "Well said. Since you put it that way, then I will pick a good day, capture all the creatures of your Green Snake clan to refine pills, and see whether the Heavenly Laws restrict or protect you."

Xiaoqing was about to curse again, but Bai Suzhen stopped her. Then Bai Suzhen looked at Tieguai Li and said, "Master Li, did you bring this helper here to arrest us?"

"No." Li Xuan smiled and said, "Let me introduce you. This is your senior sister, the disciple of the Jade Purity Saint Ancestor Zi Yuanjun Lishan Old Mother of Lishan Immortal Palace, 'Wu Yan Zhenren'."

Bai Suzhen's expression changed drastically, and her clear eyes instantly fell upon Zhong Wuyan. (End of Chapter)