Journey to the West: The roadblock!

Chapter 102 Battle Against Red Boy (Part 6)
Meanwhile, Mingniang lied and claimed that she was in love with the old monk.

This huge shock instantly sobered the little alligator dragon from its drunken stupor.

The little alligator dragon felt it was extremely difficult to accept.

The woman he had loved for so long, whom he had never been able to have, was now going to...

The thought of that scene made the little alligator dragon feel a sharp pain in its chest, almost driving it to madness.

The little alligator dragon roared, "Mother Ming, I won't let you leave! You're not allowed to go anywhere!"

Mingniang said, "Why must Your Majesty force me so hard? My husband will be coming to fetch me soon. If Your Majesty insists on keeping me here, I fear I will either be injured or suffer serious harm."

The little alligator dragon said, "I'm not afraid. If he dares to come, I'll kill him!"

Mingniang said, "If Your Majesty wishes to kill my husband, then please kill me first!"

The little dragon took three steps back in anger and said, "Mingniang, you! You are so fond of an old monk, just because he is a disciple of Manjushri Bodhisattva?"

Mingniang said, "Your Majesty, I have no feelings for you. You have imprisoned me in the palace all these years, but you have never forced yourself on me. I know you are a good person, so please grant me your wish!"

Upon hearing this, the little alligator felt even more suffocated.

Suddenly, the little dragon realized something and said, "Wait a minute, how can an old monk like him marry you? Wouldn't that violate the rules of the monastic community?"

Mingniang said, "He won't marry me. He just takes me into his home and we secretly have marital relations."

Upon hearing this, the little alligator dragon almost vomited blood, and said:

"Mingniang, would you rather follow that old monk without even a title, than be my wife?"

Upon hearing this, Mingniang smiled slightly, though she didn't say it explicitly, her expression conveying disdain.

Just then, an old voice suddenly came from outside.

"Where is Mingniang? This old monk has come to fetch you!"

Upon hearing this, Mingniang turned to leave.

The little alligator rushed forward and grabbed Mingniang's hand, saying, "Mingniang, please don't go!"

Mingniang shook off the little alligator dragon's hand and turned to leave.

The little alligator dragon cried, "Mother Ming, don't go! I'm willing to become an official in Heaven, please don't go!"

Mingniang shook her head and said, "Your Majesty, you are a good person. But someone like you will never become a high-ranking official, even if you ascend to heaven. If I follow you, I will never have a chance to rise in rank. Your Majesty, please have some self-respect."

After saying that, Mingniang left directly.

The little alligator collapsed to the ground, clenching its fists, its eyes gradually hardening.

He picked up a bamboo-jointed steel whip, leaped outside, and saw an old monk standing in the air, his hair and beard all white, his face full of wrinkles, looking very old.

As soon as Mingniang emerged from the water, she nestled into the old monk's arms like a little bird seeking shelter.

The little alligator dragon's eyes widened in fury upon seeing this.

pitiful!

Although he had imprisoned Mingniang in the underwater palace for several years, he had never even touched her hand, yet now he was being held captive by an old monk…

Just then, the old monk disgustedly shoved Mingniang and cursed:

"You wretched woman, covered in moisture, do not defile this old monk's robe!"

Upon hearing this, the little alligator dragon lost control of its mind, grabbed its steel whip, and flew towards the old monk.

The old monk glanced at the small alligator dragon flying towards him and said:
"Where did these mountain spirits and water monsters come from?"

He held up his hands and chanted, "Om Mani Padme Hum!"

Suddenly, Buddhist chants filled the air, and six golden Buddhist characters appeared, striking the little alligator dragon and causing it to vomit three liters of blood before falling into the water.

The old monk laughed loudly and led Mingniang far away.

Halfway there, the old monk revealed his true form, which was none other than Ao Tu.

Mingniang, unrepentant, nestled into Ao Tu's arms, rubbing against him to seduce him.

Ao Tu showed no mercy and slapped her.

Mingniang covered her flushed face and said aggrievedly:

"Fifth Master, I truly love you. Can't you take me? Although I've been taken by the King for years, my body is still pure. He hasn't even touched my hand. Please verify if you don't believe me! Besides, you went to great lengths to get the King to heaven, wasn't it all to get him to help you cultivate relationships? Leave these things to me, I'll definitely do a better job than him!"

Ao Tu sneered, "Ninth Brother is my brother, born of the same mother. What are you, daring to make a fuss? Do your job properly, and I won't make things difficult for you. You'll be rewarded afterward. But if you dare to sow discord between us brothers again, I'll make sure your soul and spirit are reduced to ashes!"

Upon hearing this, Mingniang realized that Ao Tu truly didn't care about her appearance at all, so she dared not act rashly any further.

On the other side, the little alligator dragon was knocked to the bottom of the water by Ao Tu's six-syllable mantra.

Ao Tu didn't actually exert any force, so the little alligator dragon wasn't seriously injured.

However, for the little alligator dragon, the mental and spiritual stimulation was more painful than the physical injuries.

At such a young age, he has borne a burden that is unimaginable to most people.

The little alligator dragon silently shed tears and sank to the bottom of the Blackwater River.

The dark river water was like the gloom in his heart.

After an unknown amount of time, he limped back to the Water Palace.

Ao Tu pretended to have just sobered up and came out of the room. Seeing the little alligator dragon in such a state, he hurriedly asked:
"Ninth Brother, what's wrong with you?"

Upon seeing his family, the little alligator dragon could no longer hold back, embracing Ao Tu and wailing loudly:

"Fifth Brother, Mingniang is gone. She doesn't want me anymore. She's going to work as a maid for an old monk!"

The little alligator cried its heart out, tears streaming down its face.

Ao Tu felt a little disgusted, but didn't want to push him away.

Ao Tu waited until he had cried enough before using his magic to remove the filth, and said:

"What are you crying for? You're such a wimp! Who stole your sister-in-law? How can they be so arrogant in broad daylight? Come on, let's go and rescue them!"

Upon hearing this, the little alligator dragon burst into tears again, which he had just held back. He pounded his chest and stamped his feet in anger, saying, "Mingniang left of her own accord! She would rather follow an old monk than be with me! I! Ah!"

Ao Tu silently waited for the little alligator dragon to vent its anger. The little alligator dragon knelt on the ground and smashed the ground with its hands until it cracked open, until it broke the water palace's water-repelling formation, and the river water rushed in.

After a long while, the little alligator dragon finally vented its anger.

He looked at Ao Tu and said through gritted teeth:
"Fifth Brother, I understand now. A man cannot live without power! I want to ascend to heaven and become an official. Please send me to the Department of Dipper."

Ao Tu said, "Alright. Since you want to become an official in the Heavenly Court, I will first teach you the most basic ways of being an official."

The little alligator dragon asked, "What is it?"

Ao Tu said, "Give a gift. Go to your uncle's house and ask him for some treasures as a gift."

Little Dragon said, "Okay! Fifth Brother, aren't you coming with me?"

Ao Tu said, "It's inconvenient for me, you can go."

The little dragon nodded, went to the West Sea, explained the situation to his uncle Ao Run, and asked for some treasures as gifts.

When the little alligator dragon returned, Ao Tu examined the gifts and asked:

"Did your uncle choose these gifts for you, or did you choose them yourself?"

The little dragon said, "My uncle helped me choose it. After I told him what happened, he directly picked a gift for me from the treasure vault. But it's too light, sigh, I told him, but he..."

Ao Tu said, "No, these gifts are just right."

The little alligator dragon exclaimed in surprise, "Ah, for such an important occasion, is it really alright to send only these gifts?"

Ao Tu laughed:

“These gifts are neither too many nor too few. I have some favors with the Dou tribe, so this is enough. In fact, I think it’s a little too much. You should know that relationships are meant to be reciprocal. They owe me favors, and I ask them for help, so this is a give-and-take. It would be better to give expensive gifts too easily.”

The little alligator dragon nodded and said, "Fifth Brother, I've got it. When are we going to heaven?"

Ao Tu said, "Change your clothes, and we'll set off now."

The little dragon changed into a brocade robe, and Ao Tu took him with him as they flew up to the heavens.

When they arrived at the South Heavenly Gate, the little alligator dragon wanted to go inside, but Ao Tu stopped him and said, "Where are you going?"

The little alligator dragon asked, "Aren't we going in?"

Ao Tu said, "Your fifth brother is a notorious demon dragon in the Three Realms. How can we enter through the main gate? We have to sneak in."

Upon hearing this, the little alligator dragon said, somewhat puzzled:
"Fifth Brother, how come you have so many connections in the Heavenly Court even though you're wanted by the Three Realms?"

Ao Tu laughed and said, "A wanted notice is a wanted notice, and personal favors are personal favors. This is also a way of being an official, which is called distinguishing between public and private matters."

Ao Tu, accompanied by the little alligator dragon, secretly entered the Heavenly Court. In front of the Lingxiao Palace, there was a towering ornamental column with a dragon coiled around it.

Little Crocodile exclaimed joyfully, "Fifth Brother, look, it's Seventh Brother!"

Ao Tu said, "Don't involve him, let's go."

Ao Tu took the little alligator dragon with him, but instead of going directly to the Dou Niu Palace, he went straight to the Tu Shuai Palace in the Li Hen Tian, ​​outside the Thirty-Three Heavens.

Little Dragon said, "Fifth Brother, what are we doing here? I want to go to the Doubu, not the Tushita Palace."

Ao Tu said, "I know. But I am deeply grateful for the care of the Supreme Dao Ancestor. Now that I have come to the Heavenly Court, I must pay my respects first."

Ao Tu took out his ginseng fruit, knocked off two fruits with a gold tool, and put them away.

To Laozi, these two fruits probably meant nothing.

But Ao Tu had no choice but to make a statement.

The little alligator stood obediently to the side.

Ao Tu stepped forward, and before he could knock on the door, two boys came out to greet him.

Ao Tu Xi said, "My two virtuous brothers."

Jinjiao and Yinjiao said, "Elder brother! Our master had instructed us to come here to welcome you today."

Ao Tu said, "The Dao Ancestor's calculations are marvelous."

Golden Horn and Silver Horn invited Ao Tu and Little Crocodile Dragon into the hall.

Ao Tu took out two fruits and said, "This is a small gift to express my sincere feelings."

Golden Horn calmly accepted the gift. Silver Horn served tea to Ao Tu and his companion.

Ao Tu took a sip of tea, feeling refreshed, and asked, "Is the Dao Ancestor not here?"

Golden Horn and Silver Horn said, "Our master has gone out on business."

Ao Tu said, "Since that's the case, we two won't stay any longer."

Golden Horn and Silver Horn said, "Brother, please wait. Our master instructed that if you come over, please move to the back hall."

Ao Tu asked, "What are your instructions for going to the back hall?"

Golden Horn and Silver Horn said, "You'll know when you come over, elder brother."

Ao Tu then asked the little alligator dragon to wait a moment, and he followed the Golden Horn and Silver Horn to the back hall.

There was no one in the back hall. After passing through a screen, a precious light suddenly appeared in front of him, and a thirty-three-story pagoda appeared out of thin air in front of Ao Tu.

Ao Tu stared wide-eyed, completely absorbed in the moment.

A series of primordial yellow energies surrounded it.

After an unknown amount of time, Ao Tu finally came to his senses, only to find that there was nothing in front of him.

Ao Tu bowed deeply in respect.

The Golden Horn and Silver Horn beside him stopped him, saying:

"Brother, do not bow. Our master has already instructed you not to bow to him. Our master has something for you to do."

Ao Tu asked, "What are your instructions, Dao Ancestor?"

Jinjiao took out a treasure box and said, "This is an elixir that our master refined for the Queen Mother of the West. I would be grateful if you could help me deliver it to her."

(End of this chapter)