Journey to the West: Demon Emperor: Beginning as a Little Toad

Chapter 515 The Past of Silver Horn (Silver Toad)
Later, time passed.

In the mortal realm, the Eastern Emperor was reincarnated as a human and was born into a family surnamed Lü, named "Lü Dongbin".

Lü Dongbin was handsome and talented, but he was deeply entangled in worldly desires, single-mindedly pursuing fame and fortune, and was unable to extricate himself from them.

He studied the classics and history day and night, burning the midnight oil, hoping that one day he could pass the imperial examination with flying colors, bring glory to his family, and make his relatives famous.

One day, Zhongli Quan, the "cowherd boy" who had been banished to the mortal world by Laozi, searched for a long time and finally found Lü Dongbin. He then enlightened Lü Dongbin with the Taoist magic of "The Dream of Yellow Millet".

In that dream, Lü Dongbin dreamt that he was going to the capital to take the imperial examination, overcoming all obstacles along the way, displaying outstanding literary talent, and finally becoming the top scholar.

After that, he married a beautiful wife, had a son, rose to the position of prime minister, reached the pinnacle of power, and enjoyed all the riches and honors of the world, becoming extremely famous for a time.

However, life is unpredictable, and fortune and misfortune are intertwined.

Unexpectedly, he committed a serious crime, which enraged the imperial court. His family property was confiscated, his wife and children were separated, and he was left all alone, ending up in a miserable and desolate state.

Suddenly he awoke from his dream, feeling as if he had been in another world, as if he had just woken from a dream.

Looking again at the millet in the pot, not yet fully cooked, I realized how illusory this dream was and how unpredictable life is.

This is the Taoist art of "The Yellow Millet Dream".

In his dream, Lü Dongbin experienced the ups and downs, joys and sorrows of life, and saw through the vanity and illusion of the world.

He awoke from his dream, his mind suddenly clear, and he realized:
"Fifty years have passed in the blink of an eye. What is there to be happy about in gaining something, or sad about losing it?"

"Fame and fortune are like fleeting clouds, gone in an instant, and cannot be held onto for long."

"Only by seeking immortality and exploring the methods to achieve eternal life can one attain lasting success!"

then.

Lu Dongbin let go of his worldly attachments and eventually became a disciple of Zhongli Quan, the "cowherd boy of Laozi," traveling far and wide with him to seek immortality and enlightenment.

Later, the Peony Fairy also descended to the mortal world and reunited with Lu Dongbin, the reincarnation of the Eastern Emperor, to continue their predestined relationship, creating a beautiful tale between immortals and mortals.

This is the legend of "Lü Dongbin teasing the white peony three times".

……

Furthermore, among the wandering immortals overseas, there was the younger brother of the Barefoot Immortal, the "Hair-Draped Immortal," who was the previous incarnation of Lan Caihe, one of the Eight Immortals of Taoism.

He was by nature unruly and did not follow the proper path of cultivation. Instead, he often liked to use magic to play pranks, wantonly teasing people in the mortal world and causing unrest in the world...

These wandering immortals from overseas are not part of the official ranks of the Heavenly Court. They act without restraint, are carefree and unrestrained, and especially enjoy playing in the mortal world.

For example, on a certain day.

The immortal with disheveled hair suddenly had a wicked idea and secretly used his magic on a local magistrate.

In an instant, the magistrate in the courtroom transformed into an old sow, and the gavel turned into a croaking wooden fish, striking the court repeatedly, shaking everyone to their core and leaving them in a state of panic.

The yamen runners and soldiers, armed with fire and water sticks, were in complete chaos, chasing after the "pig demon magistrate," throwing the entire county into disarray.

Taking advantage of the situation, the bandits looted granaries throughout the area. Coupled with a severe drought, the area suffered widespread famine, with corpses littering the fields. There were even instances of people exchanging their own children to eat, a truly heartbreaking situation.

One day, the Great Immortal with disheveled hair came to the Bian River and saw that the boatmen were working hard and looked miserable. He felt sorry for them and decided to find some fun for them.

However, his methods of showing compassion are both laughable and pathetic.

He actually used his magic to make the boatmen collectively perform the Pangu Dance, making them sing and dance happily.

However, more than a dozen merchant ships suddenly went out of control, crashing into the reefs like headless flies and sinking to the bottom of the river.

The ship owners wailed and lamented, while children clung to the side of the sunken ship, crying and shouting as they tried to retrieve the bodies of their parents.

The scene was extremely tragic and heartbreaking.

more than this.

The immortal with disheveled hair once cast a bewitching spell on a city.

Ordinary people who enter are like those who have fallen into a fog, endlessly circling around, unable to escape.

The butcher wandered around for three days before finally returning home, only to find that the pork was infested with maggots and could not be sold.

The bride, riding in a bridal sedan chair, unexpectedly went to a dilapidated temple outside the city, where she and a beggar inside the temple exchanged vows before entering the bridal chamber.

The groom was left alone in the bridal chamber, tears streaming down his face, overwhelmed with grief and indignation.

These kinds of pranks are countless...

But the disheveled immortal, with a grin and an air of nonchalance, declared confidently:
"I'm just adding some fun to their mundane lives, what's wrong with that?"

When the Barefoot Immortal heard this, he was furious at the man's lack of integrity. He then reported to the Jade Emperor and requested that the man be punished, thus "sacrificing family for the greater good."

The Jade Emperor was furious and ordered the Barefoot Immortal to oversee the punishment, banishing this unruly immortal, the "Disheveled-Hair Immortal," to the mortal realm to experience the four tribulations of birth, old age, sickness, and death, and to taste the eight sufferings of human life, in order to temper his nature and strengthen his will, hoping that he could repent and return to the righteous path.

This is the end.

Disciple of Laozi (the Supreme Lord Lao).

The Eight Immortals of the Human Teachings—Lü Dongbin, Zhongli Quan, Tieguai Li, He Xiangu, Han Xiangzi, Lan Caihe… all descended to the mortal realm to undergo tribulations.

……

Meanwhile, on the day Xiao Chen ransacked the home of the Martial Star Lord, he unexpectedly encountered Yin Chan, who was also his younger brother Yin Jiao.

When he went into seclusion to cultivate, Silver Horn felt that his cultivation was still shallow and he could not help Golden Horn Ancestor in any way, so he went out to train on his own.

After that, Silverhorn disappeared without a trace.

Xiao Chen had searched for Silver Horn before, but had not found it. He never expected that Silver Toad would be in the residence of the Martial Star Lord in the Heavenly Realm.

Therefore, Xiao Chen did not linger at the grand An Tian Conference. Instead, he took the tea pet he had obtained from the confiscation of the property, namely the badly injured Silver Horn, and returned to the Yang residence on Chixia Mountain.

……

Chixia Mountain, Yang Residence.

Xiao Chen sat upright in the room, his gaze focused, gently stroking the back of the silver toad (silver horn).

The seven meteorite nails were arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper, shining brightly.

These seven nails of the Big Dipper seem to lock its spiritual veins and imprison its soul, causing the silver toad to suffer greatly.

Xiao Chen's expression was solemn as he slowly pulled out the seven nails. With each nail pulled out, the silver toad's body trembled slightly, as if it were enduring immense pain.

Yet, the unwavering light in the eyes of the silver toad remained undiminished; though in pain, it showed no sign of yielding.

With all seven nails removed, the silver toad's body shimmered with light, as if it felt a sense of liberation.

Subsequently.

Xiao Chen activated the power of the "Lotus Lantern" to heal the Silver Toad's injuries.

The power of the Lotus Lantern is naturally formidable.

Silverhorn's injuries were mostly physical pain, coupled with the torment of prolonged suffering.

Although his body was severely injured, his spirit remained intact and his foundation was still intact.

Nourished by the power of the Lotus Lantern.

In the blink of an eye, Silver Horn's wounds healed, and his aura gradually stabilized, like a seedling that had been parched for a long time receiving sweet rain, regaining its vitality.

Silver Horn transformed into a cold-looking boy with silver horns, silver hair, and blue eyes.

He looked at Xiao Chen and Princess Wansheng with a wary expression and asked:

"Who are you? Why did you rescue me?"

“I have never met you before, there must be a reason for this.”

At this time, Xiao Chen was still in the form of Yang Guoshan, so Silver Horn naturally did not recognize him.

Although Silverhorn felt close to her, he remained wary.

Xiao Chen smiled slightly, without explaining directly, but instead opened his mouth and swallowed the silver horn into his "inner universe".

The inner world within its belly is a self-contained universe, complete with mountains, rivers, the sun, the moon, and stars, just like a real world.

Xiao Chen is the master of this realm, controlling the birth and death of all things and dominating the operation of the universe.

In this realm, he and Silver Horn were able to speak freely.

"Golden Horn Ancestor..."

"Silver Horn..."

After some discussion, Xiao Chen finally understood the whole story.

original.

Perhaps because of his own reasons, Wuqu Xingjun really hated the toad monster.

Back then, at Xuan Kong Temple.

The Xuan Kong Shangren, who was refining pills for himself, once petitioned the Wuqu Star Lord, asking him to send down a wisp of divine thought to kill him.

At that time, in order to protect himself, Xiao Chen smashed the statue of Wuqu Xingjun in a moment of desperation.

Although this action was taken out of necessity, it also planted a seed of resentment in the heart of the God of War.

The God of War, Wuqu, holds a revered position in the Heavenly Court. How could he allow a toad demon, who has not yet taken human form, to damage his statue and tarnish his reputation?
However, Wuqu Xingjun holds an important position in the Heavenly Court, mainly responsible for guarding the Heavenly Court, and also shouldering the important task of maintaining the normal operation of Wuqu Xingjun among the seven stars of the Big Dipper.

Therefore, he could not easily descend to the mortal realm, much less personally seek out Xiao Chen for revenge.

Moreover, it's embarrassing to talk about this kind of thing.

You, the dignified "Martial Star Lord" who is one of the Seven Star Lords of the Big Dipper, couldn't even defeat a toad demon that hadn't yet taken human form?
He even had his statue destroyed in front of a toad monster.

This is truly shameful; if it were to spread throughout the Three Realms, it would surely become a laughing stock.

Therefore, Wuqu Xingjun deeply hates the toad demon, and even more so the wild monsters that descend to the mortal realm.

Therefore, Wuqu Xingjun (the God of War) became an enemy of the wild demon king in the mortal realm, namely the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, the Monkey King, and repeatedly made things difficult for him.

For example, the God of War recommended that the Monkey King raise horses, and also made things difficult for him behind his back.

People often say that being a stable boy is a lucrative job. But a lucrative job is relative and depends on a person's position.

For ordinary demons, raising horses is a lucrative job. After all, being a "弼马温" (Bima Wen) is considered an official position in Heaven, part of the Heavenly Court's system.

Ordinary monsters can ascend to heaven in one step.

However, it would be inappropriate to have characters like the Monkey King or the Bull Demon King, who command hundreds of thousands of troops in the mortal realm, control their own territories, and whose fighting power rivals that of the Heavenly Gods of War such as Erlang Shen and Nezha, raise horses.

Even the monkeys in the mortal realm know: "The Great King reigns in this blessed land, enjoying so much respect and happiness. How could we possibly be willing to work as his groom?"

In the war between Wu and Yue, after King Fuchai of Wu defeated King Goujian of Yue, he made King Goujian raise horses for him in order to humiliate King Goujian.

An ordinary person who raised horses for King Fuchai of Wu rose to prominence overnight.

It was an absolute disgrace for King Goujian of Yue to provide horses for King Fuchai of Wu.

This is like wishing Lei Jun a million-dollar annual income. For ordinary people like us, earning a million a year is something we wouldn't even dare to dream of; it's an absolutely lucrative job.

But for Lei Jun, isn't this just setting him up for failure?

Therefore, the God of War made things difficult for the Monkey King, a wild monster from the mortal realm.

This is the meaning of "hating the house because of the crows," which means hating the toad and the monkey as well!
Among the seven stars of the Big Dipper.

The God of Literature symbolizes "extraordinary literary talent" and is renowned for his literary genius.

The Martial Star Lord symbolizes "superior martial prowess" and is renowned for his martial skills, serving as a role model for generals in the Three Realms.

However, this current Wuqu Star Lord was actually appointed through his mother, Doumu Yuanjun, who ousted the previous Wuqu Star Lord and took the back door to become the current Wuqu Star Lord.

Wuqu Xingjun does have some abilities, but he entered through connections, so he's not that powerful.

Therefore, people often say that his title of Wuqu is somewhat "unworthy of the name".

To put it bluntly, this Wuqu Star Lord is a fraud and an incompetent fool.

Now, this toad demon, who hasn't even fully transformed, has already defeated him, the God of War. If others find out, he'll be incredibly embarrassed.

This only makes them a laughing stock.

Therefore, Wuqu Xingjun was reluctant to let others help him avenge this private matter, and preferred to find an opportunity to kill the toad himself to silence him and wipe away his shame.

In Heaven, the Ministry of War was commanded by Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, Nezha, and other generals.

The Ministry of War had a single, dedicated duty: to wage war in all directions.

For example, in the Battle of Flower Fruit Mountain, Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, led the charge, with generals such as the Giant Spirit God and Nezha leading the charge.

However, the Doubu and Leibu are different.

Although the Thunder Department is quite powerful in combat, it is mainly responsible for the punishments and rainfall of the Three Realms, and manages the meteorological order (such as lightning, wind and rain, frost and snow) to ensure the growth of all things.

At the same time, the Thunder Department is also responsible for monitoring good and evil in the Three Realms and coordinating the water god system, including the Dragon Clan and the River God.

When rain falls, the Thunder Department must strike thunder to disperse the clouds and rain; when evildoers cause trouble, the Thunder Department punishes them with "Five Thunderbolts to the Head" to demonstrate the might of Heaven; when cultivators undergo tribulations, the Thunder Department must also unleash lightning tribulations to punish them on behalf of Heaven and test their resolve...

To put it bluntly, "making thunder" is the primary responsibility of the Thunder Department.

The "Dou" in Doubu is not the "Dou" of battle, but the "Dou" of stars.

The Big Dipper is a constellation of seven bright stars in the night sky. The shape they form resembles a dipper used in ancient times to scoop wine.

The name "Starry Sky" also originates from this.

The Doubu refers to the "Star Department," not the Department of Battle.

The Dipper Department is in charge of the movement of the stars, the alternation of day and night, and the rotation of the seasons. Its essential function is to regulate the order of the stars, hence the name "Dipper".

Maintaining the "rotation of the stars" is the primary responsibility of the Dipper Department.

Therefore, the Dipper Department cannot often descend to the mortal realm; it must remain in the heavens to control the movement of the stars.

The Twenty-Eight Mansions also need to be on duty in the "Dou Niu Palace" for a long time. They can only descend to the mortal world when Sun Wukong goes to heaven to ask for help or when Sun Wukong encounters difficulties.

Kui Mulang is the one who sneaked down to the mortal realm.

Moreover, while Kui Mulang was running away, Sun Wukong went to Heaven to find the Jade Emperor.

Upon hearing this, the Celestial Master immediately went to the Lingxiao Palace to report that he had been ordered to investigate the Nine Luminaries, the Twelve Earthly Branches, the Five Dippers of the East, West, South, North, and Center, the Milky Way and its constellations, the Five Sacred Mountains and the Four Great Rivers, and all the holy beings in the heavens, "none of them dared to leave their positions."

So, upon further investigation of the area outside the Dou Niu Palace, the twenty-eight constellations were found to be reversed, with only twenty-seven remaining, and the Kui star was missing.

The investigation revealed the answer immediately.

However, there are a total of 28 constellations, which is a lot. It's okay if you run into one or two.

The Big Dipper is the core of the Big Dipper constellation and is of paramount importance in maintaining the operation of the celestial sphere. It bears a heavy responsibility and cannot be neglected.

Moreover, there are only seven stars in the Big Dipper; if one is missing, the difference becomes quite obvious.

When the Big Dipper moves or changes direction, everyone knows it.

The Heavenly Court's campaigns against demons and monsters were mostly handled by the Heavenly Court's Ministry of War.

In most cases.

It is only when the demons in the lower realm are too powerful and the military department of Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, is unable to cope that the Jade Emperor will dispatch heavenly soldiers and generals from departments such as the Fighting Department, the Thunder Department, and the Heavenly River Navy.

Or the Jade Emperor could directly issue an order to send someone down to the mortal realm to subdue the demons below.

For example, in "Journey to the West", Sun Wukong falsely conveyed the imperial edict and caused a great disturbance at the Peach Banquet in Yaochi, which triggered the Heavenly Court's campaign against Flower Fruit Mountain.

The Jade Emperor then dispatched the Four Heavenly Kings to "cooperate" with Li Jing and Prince Nezha.

The Jade Emperor then dispatched the Twenty-Eight Mansions, the Nine Luminaries, the Twelve Earthly Branches, the Five Directions Protectors, the Four Duty Officers, the Eastern and Western Stars, the Northern and Southern Gods, the Five Sacred Mountains and the Four Rivers, and all the celestial beings, totaling 100,000 heavenly soldiers, to set up eighteen nets to descend to the mortal realm and besiege Flower Fruit Mountain, determined to capture that scoundrel and punish him!

It is quite obvious that the commander-in-chief and generals who led the expedition against the lower realm were actually Li Tianwang, as well as Prince Nezha, the Giant Spirit God, the Fish Belly General, the Yaksha General, and other people from the Heavenly Court's Ministry of War.

As for the Four Heavenly Kings, the Twenty-Eight Mansions, and the Nine Luminaries, these were all appointed by the Jade Emperor to cooperate with Li Tianwang.

Of course, as the "Great God of the Three Altars and Seas," Nezha possessed great supernatural powers and once used his divine power to subdue ninety-six demon caves. There were very few "wild demons" from the lower realm who could defeat Nezha.

They're basically all at the level of the Monkey King, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

……

Deities are generally not allowed to descend to the mortal realm without permission; otherwise, it is a grave offense, a violation of heavenly law, and they will be severely punished.

Moreover, the Big Dipper is the most important of the Big Dipper constellations, so how could it abandon its post and descend to the mortal realm at will?

Therefore, it's really not advisable for the true form of the God of War to descend to the mortal realm.

He couldn't very well say that he, a dignified "Martial Star Lord" symbolizing "superior martial prowess," had actually been beaten by a toad spirit that hadn't even fully transformed.

Moreover, he didn't even know the name of that toad demon from back then.
They searched the Book of Life and Death of the King of Hell, but couldn't find that toad demon.

Toads are a very common type of tea pet.

Therefore, Wuqu Xingjun developed a hobby of raising "live toad tea pets" as a way to "take revenge indirectly".

Whenever Wuqu Xingjun picks up his teacup and looks at the toad tea pets struggling painfully in the boiling tea, a twisted sense of pleasure wells up in his heart.

It was as if this grudge had already been avenged.

Some generals of the Dou tribe learned that Wuqu Xingjun had this hobby.

When some generals from the Doubu tribe accompanied the Bingbu tribe to the mortal realm to fight demons, they would catch some toad monsters and present them to the Wuqu Star Lord in order to curry favor with him.

The God of War then refined these live toad spirits into tea pets, scalding them with boiling tea every day to vent his hatred.

The live toad tea pets struggled painfully under the scalding tea, emitting mournful cries, but Wuqu Xingjun (the God of War) turned a blind eye and a deaf ear, only caring about enjoying himself.

Why should he care what that toad demon's name is?

Anyway, once he catches a toad demon, he just kills it.

Over the years, I don't know how many wild monsters in the mortal realm Wuqu Xingjun has killed, tortured them to death, pulled out their tendons and bones, and then eaten their flesh and blood.

Yinjiao was traveling in the Southern Continent when, by chance, he was captured by a general of the Dou tribe and presented to Wuqu Xingjun.

At the place of the God of War, Silver Horn suffered endless torment, his life a living hell.

Each time he was scalded with boiling tea, he was in excruciating pain; each time the God of War tormented him, he was on the verge of collapse.

If Xiao Chen hadn't happened to save him...

I fear that in a few more days, he will be tortured to death by Wuqu Xingjun, becoming another victim for Wuqu Xingjun to vent his hatred.

Within the small world of the abdomen.

Having heard Silver Horn's explanation and understood the whole story, Xiao Chen couldn't help but feel moved, and sighed inwardly:

"I never imagined that the feud I had with the God of War would lead to so many twists and turns."

Silver Horn recalled that unbearable past, and couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion. Hatred welled up in his eyes, and his voice trembled slightly, yet he gritted his teeth and said:

"Your Majesty, that is how things are."

"If it weren't for the King's timely rescue, I, Silver Horn, would probably have already lost my life at the hands of that Martial Star Lord!"

"If I don't avenge this, I, Silver Horn, will not be a toad!"

Humans are hypocritical, and so are toads.

He, the Golden Horned King, is also a hypocritical toad. He can mess with you, but you can't mess with me.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen's gaze sharpened, and he angrily said:
"This Wuqu Star Lord, as a righteous god of the Heavenly Court, is so narrow-minded and has tormented us toads in every way. He is utterly hateful!"

"However, justice prevails and retribution is inevitable. This Wuqu Star Lord has been banished to the mortal realm by the Jade Emperor to suffer the torments of reincarnation."

"This is the punishment he deserves, but it's far from enough."

"Silver Horn, once we descend to the mortal realm and find his whereabouts, we will make you personally kill this fiend to vent your hatred!"

"We must show him that we toads are not to be trifled with!"

(End of this chapter)