You, a monster, still want to travel to the West?

In the Pixiang Palace, a celestial being bowed his head in confusion.

Outside the thirty-three heavens, a saint looked down with his eyes lowered.

In the Pure Land, there is a Buddha looking back to the east.

In the four continents of the earth, there are great emperors who each raise their heads.

In the ancient city of Chang'an, there is a Bodhisattva pinching branches and scattering dew.

On the land of Yongzhou, some people were in a trance.

Summary: With great supernatural powers, natural disasters are like dreams and bubbles.

A moment later, Xia Zhiming pointed to the streets in the city that looked the same as yesterday and asked with a smile, "Your Majesty, does this scene look comfortable to you?"

Xiaoqing nodded with satisfaction: "The Queen is very pleasing to my heart."

"What about my reward?"

"Hmph! I'll kick you!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the reward."

"Ah~"

……

At the same time, in the Hall of Incense—

Seeing the flood on earth vanish in an instant, the Great Celestial Venerable was relieved for a moment. Then he realized what had happened. He raised his eyes and said solemnly, "Issue the decree!"

In the hall, an attendant took up his pen and wrote down the imperial edict as instructed, saying:

The Dragon King of Jinghe River, the chief administrator of the eight rivers, arbitrarily changed the time and amount of rain, causing great suffering to the people. His crime is unforgivable. The patrolling spiritual officials are ordered to arrest him immediately and take him to the Dragon-slaying Platform to be beheaded in public!

……

—————————————————————

After that—

As a natural disaster that seemed like a dream disappeared into thin air, the city of Chang'an quickly returned to its usual bustle.

During this period, a bloody dragon head fell from the sky at the crossroads of Chang'an City, causing many speculations among the people. However, it did not affect their lives in the end. After all, the sun always rises and life goes on as usual.

Time flies, and the Mid-Autumn Festival has passed in the blink of an eye.

One afternoon, when Xiao Qingxin brought Baishe into the teahouse and asked for a table and chair to sit down with some preserved fruits and pastries, they heard a scholar pounding the table and angrily cursing:

"The world is still unsettled, and yet the Tang Emperor, instead of thinking about recovering lost territory, is busy building temples and even posting notices to recruit these bald assholes to hold some ridiculous water and land ceremony! How absurd!!!"

"Brother Wenruo, be careful with your words! Be careful with your words!"

"Be careful with your words, Brother Wenruo. The Tang Emperor wants to issue an imperial decree and pass a law that anyone who defames monks or slanders Buddhism will have one arm cut off."

"When I scold a monk, I'm helping him cultivate. If he breaks the precept of anger, he's no longer a great monk!"

"Hahaha, what you say makes sense, scholar! It makes perfect sense!"

In the teahouse, following the arrogant scholar's lead, many people soon joined in and began to denounce the absurd deeds done by the Tang Emperor.

Xiao Qingxin, listening nearby, felt their talk was perfectly logical. Turning to look at the white snake on her shoulder, she tilted her head and asked, "Zhiming, in the teahouses I visit, everyone knows everything from astronomy to geography. Why don't they all become officials?"

"If they have that ability, why are they still here?"

“I think they’re pretty awesome.”

"I can talk more nonsense than them. Look where I am."

Xia Zhiming stretched out his tail and tapped the girl's cheek, then asked himself, "It's hanging on you now."

"Zhiming, aren't you lazy?"

"No, I'm self-aware."

"!"

"Qingxin, what are you surprised about!"

"Humph~"

Xiao Qingxin snorted softly, and without answering him, she reached out and picked a pine nut from the preserved fruits on the table and chewed it.

At this moment, an old man in brocade clothes walked into the teahouse. He looked around and was surprised for a moment before quickly walking over to them. He bowed and asked with a smile, "Fellow Daoist, could I share a table with you?"

Xia Zhiming and Xiao Qingxin turned around immediately and saw him——

He walks the streets with a noble character, dressed like a scholar with a sharp edge.

Hang a clear mirror high and speak frankly, understand the country's feelings and travel to all directions.

Summary: Wei Zheng.

Seeing this, Xia Zhiming spit out his snake tongue and said with a smile: "Prime Minister, please sit down."

After saying that, he wagged his tail again and placed a cup of fragrant tea on the table.

The person in front of me is the future Prime Minister of Tianshu, so now that I have met him, I naturally have to treat him well.

Wei Zheng was not surprised when the White Snake called out his name. He smiled and bowed in thanks. After sitting down, he turned to look at the many scholars in the store and listened quietly to their angry curses and nonsense.

After a long while, when the storyteller in the inn came on stage and told some anecdotes about gods and immortals, Wei Zheng turned around and sighed: "I walked into the teahouse and heard that the people were complaining, so I walked in. I didn't expect it to be just as I expected."

Xia Zhiming laughed out loud and said, "Li Shimin did something ridiculous himself, but he doesn't want people to talk about it."

Xiao Qingxin nodded and said, "The people are already boiling with resentment, and yet they're still carrying out this massive construction project. They really deserve to be criticized."

"This is unavoidable." Wei Zheng put down his teacup and sighed, "Do you know the dragon head that fell from the sky a month ago?"

Xiao Qingxin tilted her head and said, "We didn't go to see it, but the Dragon King of the Jing River broke the Heavenly Law and flooded Chang'an. I think he was the one who was beheaded."

Wei Zheng was surprised to hear this. He had never thought they knew such inside information. He bowed and asked, "I am Wei Zheng, the Cao official. May I know who you two immortal friends are?"

Little Qingxin obediently returned the greeting, "Lihentian Guardian Spirit Officer, Qingxin."

Xia Zhiming spat out his snake tongue: "Lihentian Guardian Spirit Officer, Xia Zhiming."

Wei Zheng asked puzzledly, "I wonder what important matter has brought the two immortals down to earth?"

"No... wu~"

"As for the Spiritual Officer, you know what I mean. Don't ask. If you ask, it means there's something wrong."

"Hahaha, it's me who's been talkative."

……

Chapter 184 At the Foot of the Buddha

In the teahouse, Wei Zheng, the man, and the snake each announced their names before he spoke, "Since you, my friend, know the Dragon King of the Jing River, then this matter will be easy to discuss."

"A month ago, Yelong was captured and taken to the Dragon Slashing Platform for execution. I was the one who carried out the execution."

"I don't know who leaked the news, so Yelong went to the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty in advance and begged His Majesty to stop me and save his life."

"His Majesty readily agreed, and then sent me to the Imperial Garden to play chess, hoping to delay the execution."

"Your Majesty is but a mere mortal, how could you possibly know the abilities of a cultivator? In the end, it was my spirit that left my body, ascended to heaven, and slew the Karma Dragon."

"Who knew that the Karma Dragon, still restless after death, had transformed into a ghost and gone to the underworld, accusing Your Majesty of breaking his promise and demanding he face justice in the Three Courts of the Netherworld."

At this point, Wei Zheng said with a strange look on his face: "You said that the Jade Emperor ordered his beheading, and who in the world can save him? Isn't this nonsense?"

Xiao Qingxin: "Puff~"

"I know that!" Xia Zhiming poked his head out and said happily, "Back then, there was a monkey that we didn't kill, and it's still alive and well."

"Zhiming, don't argue."

Xiao Qingxin knocked on his head, and waited until he shrank his neck and hid in his hair before speaking, "Sir, please continue."

Across from him, Wei Zheng took a sip of his tea, treating it as a tale of the heavenly realm. He continued, "Afterwards, Your Majesty went to the netherworld to sue a judge. On his way back to life, he passed through the City of the Wrongly Dead and encountered a vengeful ghost demanding his life."

"In desperation, His Majesty borrowed a treasury of merit money from a kind-hearted person and distributed it to the ghosts. He also agreed to hold a 'Water and Land Ritual' to liberate the wronged souls. Only then was he able to escape from the City of Wrongful Death."

"After your majesty returned to life, we sent someone to return the money for the merits, but the kind-hearted man was too honest to accept it. So we had to use the money to build Xiangguo Temple and pray for him and do good deeds."

Wei Zheng shook his head and sighed, "Whether it's building Xiangguo Temple or holding the Water and Land Dharma Assembly, both are wasteful and costly, yet Your Majesty has no choice but to undertake them. It's no wonder the people are complaining. This is a completely unprovoked disaster."

Xiao Qingxin: "If that's the case, then I really can't blame him."

Xia Zhiming poked his head out curiously: "Let me ask, has the altar master for the Water and Land Dharma Assembly been decided?"

Although he didn't know why he asked this question, Wei Zheng didn't care. He stroked his beard and smiled and replied, "It was decided half a month ago. It's Master Fa Ming from Jinshan Temple in Jiangzhou. I believe he will be able to arrive in Chang'an soon."

"Hmm?" Xia Zhiming spit out the snake's tongue and asked doubtfully, "Are you sure?"

"Are you sure? But what's wrong?"

"You're alright...right?"

After receiving an unexpected answer from Wei Zheng, Xia Zhiming simply responded and gradually came to his senses - he seemed to have done something big again!

But at this time, Xia Zhiming suddenly thought of a question. In his impression, Tang Sanzang should be a monk from Jinshan Temple in Jiangzhou.

Thinking of this, Xia Zhiming stretched out his tail and tapped the girl's cheek, tentatively asking: "Qingxin, let me ask you a question: We came here to find Jin Chanzi, how did you pass by Chang'an?"

"But..." Xiao Qingxin scratched his head and asked doubtfully: "Hasn't Jin Chanzi always been in Chang'an?"

"?"

Snake question mark?

Did I wait for a month in vain?

……

—————————————————————

Half a quarter of an hour later, at Hongfu Temple in Chang'an.

The main hall is magnificent, with golden statues of the Three Buddhas standing tall and majestic, and the air is filled with lingering sandalwood incense and flickering red candles.

It was autumn, and the offering table at the feet of the Buddha statue was covered with colorful chrysanthemums, the tribute basin was filled with fruits and silver coins, and the incense burner was filled with incense roots.

Standing in front of the altar that was taller than her, Xiao Qingxin hesitated for a moment, took out three incense sticks from her sleeve, lit them, and bowed three times.

The girl put her hand on her shoulder. Seeing this, Xia Zhiming did not stop her. He also nodded following her movements as a greeting.

As the girl leaned against the edge of the altar and stood on tiptoe to insert the incense into the burner, Xia Zhiming wagged his tail, passed an apple to the girl, and said with a smile, "Come to think of it, Qingxin, I don't think I've ever seen you eat this before?"

"Zhiming, don't steal the Buddha's things."

"I'll tell you a secret: the monks in the temple are tired of eating these common fruits and throw many of them away. Only by offering some rare fruits as an offering will they have a chance to taste them."

"Really...really?"

"Why would I lie to you? Eat more. It's shameful to waste."

"..."

Click~!

Xiao Qingxin silently picked up the apple and took a bite. After chewing and swallowing, she asked in confusion, "Zhiming, Buddha doesn't care?"

"Who cares? There are frying pans in hell."

"Now what?"

Qingxin, I was the one who said this to you before."

Xia Zhiming stretched out his tail and tapped the girl's cheek, then stopped talking and turned to look at the entrance of the hall.

Outside the hall, a monk came over after hearing the noise. Seeing the apple in Xiao Qingxin's hand, he shook his head helplessly. He quickly stood in front of them, leaned over, clasped his hands together, and advised: "Amitabha, little donor, please do not take the offerings from the temple."

Xiao Qingxin nodded when she heard that, but did nothing.

On her shoulder, Xia Zhiming spit out his snake tongue and said with a smile: "Where is your Master Xuanzang? Take me to see him."

The monk was stunned for a moment when he heard the sudden male voice. He followed the direction of the voice and saw the white snake poking its head out. He took two steps back in shock and exclaimed, "Monster...monster!"

"Main Hall, at the feet of the Buddha, what are you afraid of?"

"Ahhhh! Monster!!!"