Journey to the West: The roadblock!

Chapter 103 Battle Against Red Boy (Part 7)
Meanwhile, Ao Tu accepted the task of delivering the elixir, bid farewell to Golden Horn and Silver Horn, and left the Tushita Palace with the little alligator dragon.

The two arrived at the Dou Niu Palace. Ao Tu bypassed the guards outside and went straight inside.

Beyond the outer palace, in the pavilion, two star deities stood together, arranging two star maps.

These two are the seven constellations of the Northern Black Tortoise: Doumu Xie and Niujin Niu.

Ao Tu stared intently at the two star charts. One chart depicted the ancient Southern Dipper, which included the Seven Killings Star Cluster, totaling 16,000 stars. The other chart depicted the present-day Southern Dipper and the Seven Killings Star Cluster, totaling 5,400 stars.

Time has passed, and many stars have moved.

The two star deities are comparing these two star charts, using the ancient to illuminate the present.

After watching for a while, Ao Tu also reached out and found a few stars that had changed positions.

The two star lords looked in the direction Ao Tu pointed and laughed, "Absolutely! Absolutely! These few stars..."

Suddenly, the two realized what was happening, turned around, and saw Ao Tu.

The two men asked in surprise, "Your Majesty, what brings you here?"

Little Crocodile Dragon followed behind, and upon hearing this form of address, couldn't help but look at Ao Tu, his eyes filled with confusion. Was this the "connections" Fifth Brother had mentioned?
Ao Tu laughed and said, "Now that we've arrived in the Heavenly Realm, there's no need to call me 'Great King' anymore. I've come to ask for your help."

Ao Tu then revealed his purpose.

Upon hearing this, the two hurriedly invited Ao Tu and the little alligator dragon inside, leading them into the inner hall.

Once inside, we saw many more star deities, including Venus and the Moon.

Ao Tu chatted happily with everyone.

Venus said, “This matter is not difficult. There are vacancies among the stars. I can recommend him with the other star lords to be the official in charge of the Underworld Water Star.”

Ao Tu smiled and said, "Thank you for your kindness."

At this moment, a star official came over and said to Ao Tu, "His Majesty Gouchen invites you."

Upon hearing this, Ao Tu bid farewell to the immortals and followed the star official to the destination.

After crossing a star-shaped bridge, we arrived at a celestial palace. Inside, we saw the Great Emperor Gouchen sitting at the head of the table, wearing a crown and a robe, looking majestic and solemn.

Ao Tu bowed and said, "Your Majesty."

Emperor Gouchen laughed and said, "I made a bet with Ziwei. She said that after you took that sword, you would need ten thousand years to recover; I said eight thousand years. But Mother said that we would see it tomorrow, and today it has indeed come true."

Ao Tu said, "It was just a little bit of luck. To be honest, my chest still aches."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Gouchen took out a blue jade box and handed it to Ao Tu, saying:

"This is a elixir given to me by the Moon Goddess. It is called the Great Medicine. It is crystal clear and can regulate the Five Elements and regulate the Qi. Take it and use it to heal your injuries. Do not refuse. Firstly, it is to thank you for the array diagram you gave me, and secondly, I have encountered some troubles recently and would like to ask for your help."

Ao Tu asked, "What troubles Your Majesty?"

Emperor Gouchen said:
“In ancient times, there was a great war. The sky tilted to the northwest, causing disaster to the starry sky. As a result, the stars collapsed and the constellations shifted, which led to the current arrangement of the constellations.”

I discussed with Ziwei the idea of ​​reshaping the ancient stars, shifting constellations, and restoring the ancient celestial phenomena. This undertaking has three advantages:

Firstly, the brilliance of the stars can benefit all living beings; secondly, the Big Dipper returning to its original position can protect the heavens; and thirdly, the ancient star array can be used to ward off unforeseen events.

I asked Chang Geng to submit a memorial to the Jade Emperor, who, upon learning of it, has already given his approval.

However, the immortals advised: "The current celestial phenomena should not be lightly altered. Moreover, the Three Realms are currently at peace, and all the heavens are subservient; why undertake such an unnecessary undertaking?"

Upon hearing this, Ao Tu said, "The immortals only care about their own interests, hence their words."

Emperor Gouchen said, “Indeed. You have been in the mortal realm for a long time. Do you know if there are any ferocious demons there that can be used to warn the immortals?”

Ao Tu laughed and said, "Your Majesty, I happen to know a demon."

The Great Emperor Gouchen asked, "What kind of demon is it?"

Ao Tu said, "His name is Blood Sea King, and he is indeed extremely ferocious."

Emperor Gouchen asked, "King of the Blood Sea... I wonder what his abilities are?"

Ao Tu laughed and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, the outcome will be clear soon."

Ao Tu bid farewell to Gouchen and left the Dou Niu Palace.

The little alligator dragon remained in the Bullfighting Palace.

The official of the Underworld is only a minor official; Venus will handle such trivial matters properly, so Ao Tu doesn't need to worry about it.

After leaving the Dou Niu Palace, Ao Tu headed towards Yaochi.

Because the Jade Pool was crowded and noisy, Ao Tu couldn't reveal his true form. So he transformed himself into a male immortal in a crimson robe and went to pay his respects.

A beautiful and courteous fairy dressed in red came to greet Ao Tu.

When she saw Ao Tu, she asked:

"May I ask where your celestial abode is, and what brings you to the Jade Pool?"

Ao Tu said, "I am a rogue cultivator, sent by the Supreme Lord Laozi to deliver elixirs to the Queen Mother of the West."

The fairy in red asked in confusion, "I know everyone in the Tushita Palace, so how come I've never seen you before?"

Ao Tu said, "I received the order by chance; I am not a person from the Tushita Palace."

Upon hearing this, the fairy in red, who held Ao Tu in low esteem, asked, "Where is the elixir?"

Ao Tu took out the treasure box.

The fairy in red reached out her hand and said, "Give me the elixir, and I will pass it on to the Queen Mother of the West."

Ao Tu put the treasure box back and shook his head, saying, "I'll still trouble you, Fairy, to inform her."

The fairy in red said, "You rogue cultivator are really ignorant. The Queen Mother is the head of all female immortals, and she manages countless affairs every day. How could she have time to concern herself with such trivial matters?"

Seeing this, Ao Tu thought for a moment, then took out a Bodhi seed, which emitted a faint glow and a tranquil fragrance.

Ao Tu placed the Bodhi seed in the red-clad fairy's palm and asked:
"Does the fairy know the origin of this item?"

The fairy in red was overjoyed and said:
"These are Western Bodhi seeds. I once saw the Western Bodhisattva offer this to the Queen Mother of the West at the Peach Banquet."

Ao Tu laughed and said, "This item is helpful for cultivation. Why don't you give it a try, fairy?"

Upon hearing this, the fairy in red placed the Bodhi seed between her eyebrows. As the pure energy circulated, she instantly felt her whole body become clear, as if the clouds had parted. All the obscure and complicated aspects of her previous cultivation suddenly became clear.

Ao Tu asked, "Did it work?" The fairy in red opened her eyes, held the Bodhi seed in her hand as if it were a precious treasure, and looked at Ao Tu, saying, "Then, why are you so kind to me, you wandering immortal?"

Ao Tu laughed and said, "This is nothing."

The woman in red pursed her lips and said, "You've been so good to me, but I have nothing to repay you with."

Ao Tu laughed and said, "No need for your repayment. Just please inform the fairy that I will deliver these two items to the Queen Mother of the West."

The fairy in red nodded, about to agree, when she suddenly remembered something and asked, "Two items? One is an elixir, and what is the other?"

Ao Tu laughed and said, "It's a Bodhi seed! Didn't I already give it to you? I disturbed the Queen Mother's grand gathering, and this Bodhi seed is my apology."

Upon hearing this, the fairy in red widened her almond-shaped eyes and looked at Ao Tu, filled with shame and indignation.

At this moment, how could she not know that Ao Tu was mocking her?

Thinking about her recent behavior, the fairy in red felt both ashamed and angry, but there was nothing she could do. She could only stomp her foot and go to inform the Queen Mother.

When Ao Tu saw her leave, he couldn't help but laugh.

In the flower bed beside them, a Crimson Pearl Fairy Herb also bent over with laughter.

Ao Tu saw it, recognized it, and stretched out a finger to tease it.

The Crimson Pearl Fairy Grass angrily used her branches to hit Ao Tu.

Ao Tu laughed and said, "You don't remember me?"

Ao Tu released a wisp of his previous aura.

The Crimson Pearl Fairy Grass remembered and gently rubbed her twig against Ao Tu's fingers.

Ao Tu then noticed that the Crimson Pearl Immortal Herb had some injuries around its waist, likely caused by carelessness during planting.

Ao Tu took out the elixir of the Moon Goddess, gently scooped out a little, which was glassy in color, and applied it to the waist of the Crimson Pearl Immortal Grass. The injury healed in an instant.

Moreover, the ointment was exceptionally potent, not only healing the injuries but also greatly enhancing the cultivation of the Crimson Pearl Immortal Grass.

The Crimson Pearl Fairy Grass swayed gently, bowing in gratitude to Ao Tu.

At this moment, the fairy in red appeared.

Ao Tu quickly straightened his posture.

The fairy in red, oblivious to anything amiss, said solemnly, "The Queen Mother of the West requests your presence."

Ao Tu followed the fairy in red and walked inside.

Passing through the Emerald Water Terrace and the Twelve Jade Towers, one sees three palaces: the Peach Blossom Palace, the Azure Phoenix Palace, and the Stone Unicorn Palace.

Ao Tu followed the fairy in red to the Peach Blossom Palace in the middle.

The Queen Mother of the West resides in the palace.

Ao Tu paid his respects and presented Laozi's elixir.

The Queen Mother looked at Ao Tu and smiled, "I've heard the Old Mother of Lishan mention you before, why don't you show me your true form?"

Ao Tu said, "I'm afraid that if others see this, it will cause gossip."

The Queen Mother said, "It's alright, these are all my trusted confidants."

The fairy in red stood to one side, her almond-shaped eyes glaring at Ao Tu.

She'd like to see what this person really looked like after being mocked like that!

Ao Tu was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected that this fairy in red was actually a confidante of the Queen Mother. He had previously thought she was just an ordinary fairy and had only teased her, but now…

Ao Tu didn't think any further and revealed his true form in the hall.

Upon seeing this, the fairy in red's almond-shaped eyes flickered, her cherry lips parted slightly, and she thought to herself, "This guy clearly has such a handsome appearance, so why does he need to disguise himself?"

The Queen Mother praised, "He is indeed a handsome man."

The Queen Mother then invited Ao Tu to sit down and began to talk with him.

We only talked about everyday things.

Ao Tu was somewhat confused.

After talking for a while, the Queen Mother of the West finally let Ao Tu go.

Once outside, Ao Tu changed his appearance.

The fairy in red couldn't help but say, "Changing your appearance again and hiding yourself, it's clear you're not a good person!"

Ao Tu smiled and said seriously, "Fairy, I was rude earlier. I saw that you were unwilling to announce your presence, and I did not want to reveal my true form, so I resorted to this tactic. Please forgive me, Fairy."

Ao Tu took out a pear and placed it in the red-clad fairy's hand, saying, "Consider this an apology."

Seeing this, the fairy in red, her eyes reddening, glared angrily at Ao Tu, returned the pear, and said, "What do you take me for!" She then turned and stormed off.

Ao Tu shook his head and sighed softly.

The fairy in red returned to her room, still feeling wronged.

The fairies in green, white, black, purple, yellow, and green robes came to inquire about the reason.

The fairy in red initially kept quiet, but after her sisters kept pressing her for answers, she finally told them what had happened.

Upon hearing this, the fairy in green robes angrily said, "Fine! How dare he bully my elder sister like this! Let's go and report this to the Queen Mother of the West and ask him about his improper conduct!"

The other fairies all echoed in agreement.

Upon hearing this, the fairy in red hurriedly said, "Don't go and report to the Queen Mother of the West!"

The fairies crowded around and asked:

"Big sister, why aren't you going?"

"Elder sister, only by reporting to the Queen Mother of the West can we avenge you!"

"That's right, big sister!"

The fairy in red lowered her head and said in a trembling voice, "Actually, I was also at fault..."

(End of this chapter)