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

Chapter 528 Planning the Journey to the West
"The Moon Goddess Chang'e in the Moon Palace..."

Xiao Chen gazed intently at the stunningly beautiful and graceful fairy Su'e before him.

This fairy, Su'e, would later become the noble princess of the Kingdom of Tianzhu on the journey to the west.

He was also a key figure in the "marriage proposal from India" tribulation among the eighty-one tribulations on the westward journey.

He couldn't help but sigh to himself:
"The Black Bear Spirit of Black Wind Mountain, the Great Sage Yellow Wind of Yellow Wind Ridge, the Three Tiger Immortals of Chechi Kingdom, the Scorpion Spirit of Poisonous Enemy Mountain, the Bull Demon King of Flaming Mountain, the Dragon Girl of Jade Wave Pool, the Spider Spirit of Spider Cave, the Hundred-Eyed Demon King of Yellow Flower Temple..."

"And if we add this princess from India, the fairy Chang'e who descended from the moon palace to earth..."

"Hey hey hey!"

"In that case, once the journey to the west begins, apart from the mounts and attendants of those few immortals, wouldn't everyone else be my people, the Golden Horn King?"

After all, at this moment, there are still a long time to go before the journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures.

The journey westward has not yet truly begun.

However, even so, the demons, monsters, and deities on the journey to the west were already showing signs of being "quietly controlled" by King Golden Horn.

It can be said that:
"On the journey west, there is a vast sky; who has ever seen Jin Jiao not offer him cigarettes?"

Faced with this situation, Xiao Chen had no choice but to fall into deep thought.

He pondered to himself:
"If I, King Golden Horn, participate in this journey to the West in the future, will I be able to share in that coveted merit of heaven and earth?"

"To improve my foundation, or my strength?"

To a certain extent, the journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures aimed to introduce Mahayana Buddhism to the East, enabling all beings to be liberated from suffering. This is a great merit of unparalleled merit in the world.

Jin Chanzi, after ten lifetimes of cultivation, still had to endure eighty-one tribulations before he could obtain the true scriptures, which shows just how arduous the process was.

Of course, there is another explanation.

The journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures is seen as a method of resolving the "great calamity" recognized by the Heavenly Way.

What is a "Great Tribulation"?

Xiao Chen had heard Kunpeng recount this mysterious and unpredictable story in the Demon Master's Palace in Beiju Luzhou and Beiming Sea.

Demon Master Kunpeng once said:

"In the primordial world, the passage of time leads to the continuous accumulation of evil energy in the heavens and earth, which in turn triggers periodic catastrophes."

"The essence of a great calamity originates from the cultivation activities of cultivators."

“During cultivation, cultivators continuously draw in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, like a giant whale sucking in water, while expelling the five turbid thoughts from their bodies, like filthy wastewater being poured out.”

"As time goes by, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth becomes insufficient to sustain itself, like a dried-up riverbed."

"The turbid energy formed by the evil thoughts in the Three Realms continued to gather, forming an incomparably powerful calamity energy, like dark clouds that blot out the sky and cover the Three Realms."

"When the calamity energy accumulates to a certain level, it will trigger a great calamity."

"In the past, major calamities were mostly caused by several forces fighting each other, exhausting the calamity energy through a great battle."

“The cultivators who die in the great battle, their bodies perish and their cultivation returns to the Three Realms, thus to a certain extent making up for the loss of spiritual energy in heaven and earth, just like fallen leaves returning to their roots to nourish the earth.”

"The Investiture of the Gods War was a massive calamity that was resolved through large-scale battles."

"This is the 'Investiture of the Gods Tribulation'."

"And the merits of Heaven and Earth are the constant rewards of Heaven for actions that eliminate calamities and maintain the balance of the Three Realms."

What Xiao Chen coveted was this incomparably precious merit of heaven and earth.

The Queen Mother's "Golden Hairpin" was originally an acquired spiritual treasure, but because the Queen Mother used the hairpin to part the Milky Way and divert water to surround Mount Buzhou, temporarily slowing down the fierce flow of the water, she gained precious time for "Nuwa to mend the sky," and thus acquired the supreme merit of mending the sky.

In addition, it is blessed by the boundless fortune of the Heavenly Court.

The Queen Mother's Golden Hairpin has grown into an "acquired merit treasure," undergoing a complete transformation, and its power is no less than that of an innate spiritual treasure.

It is evident that the merits of heaven and earth can enhance the quality of magical treasures and naturally reshape a cultivator's "foundation" (innate aptitude).

At the same time, the merits of heaven and earth contain the power of the laws of heaven, and absorbing them can help one break through cultivation bottlenecks.

In reality, King Golden Horn's aptitude was just average; he was merely an ordinary little toad.

If it weren't for his cheat code, he would have been refined into an elixir by Master Xuankong long ago.

In the world of mythology, one has a strong sense of belonging and influence.

It can be said that one's footing determines their potential.

The merits of heaven and earth can enhance the innate aptitude of King Golden Horn, thus raising his growth ceiling.

For example, with the blessing of the merits of heaven and earth, he might transform from an "ordinary little toad" into an "ancient golden toad that devours the heavens" or something similar...

……

Combining the Demon Master Kunpeng's theory of "the great calamity of heaven and earth" with his understanding of the journey to the west.

Xiao Chen roughly outlined the upcoming "Journey to the West Calamity".

Of course, this is only Xiao Chen's initial guess at the moment:
That is, with the development of the primordial world, a new round of great calamity is about to arrive.

The Heavenly Dao has approved the "Journey to the West" as a way to resolve this great calamity.

The core of the Journey to the West is to spread Mahayana Buddhism from the West to the East. By spreading the good intentions of Mahayana Buddhism, the five defilements and impurities of the world can be resolved, thereby gradually eliminating the calamities that shroud the world like a dark cloud.

The Buddha's fundamental purpose in planning this pilgrimage was to spread his teachings to the East and compete for the fortune of Taoism.

Of course, we also pray for the merits of Heaven and Earth.

The pilgrimage team's actions of spreading Buddhist teachings and subduing demons along the way were all ways of quietly accumulating "merit for heaven and earth."

On the journey westward, those who participated in this project felt as if they were in the midst of a grand feast of merit.

Their actions will be recognized by Heaven, and they will be rewarded with celestial merit.

This kind of merit from heaven and earth is a key resource for improving cultivation and breaking through realms, something that countless cultivators dream of.

For the members of the pilgrimage team, the accumulated merits of heaven and earth can not only enhance their own strength, but also bring them great rewards after resolving the great calamity.

They are both participants and beneficiaries in this great calamity.

Take Jin Chanzi, a key figure in the Journey to the West project, for example.

The final Buddha position of "Jin Chanzi" is none other than "Sandalwood Merit Buddha".

The "Sandalwood Merit Buddha" is directly related to the merits of heaven and earth.

"The Buddha of Sandalwood Merit" specifically refers to the immeasurable "merit" that Tang Sanzang gained after experiencing eighty-one tribulations and completing his pilgrimage to the West.

That is, Tang Sanzang attained Buddhahood through "merit and virtue".

Before that, Jin Chanzi was merely the second disciple of Buddha.

Upon his return from his journey to the West, he gained immense merit from Heaven and Earth, directly becoming the Buddha of the Western Paradise. His strength increased by leaps and bounds, and his status became incomparably revered, making him a pivotal figure in the Buddhist world.

On the journey to the west, many deities actually participated voluntarily.

The actions of deities are always unfathomable. They often send their eyes and ears to do things for them, while the deities themselves remain calm and composed, just like playing chess, where every move is methodical and orderly.

The demons on the journey to the West, though seemingly fierce and reckless, are mostly mounts or pets of the gods, and many are acting on orders... They are like chess pieces on a chessboard, skillfully manipulated by the gods.

Many of the calamities on the journey to the West were meticulously planned in advance by the gods.

For example, on the journey to the west, when they were at Pingdingshan, Laozi (the Supreme Lord Lao) directly told Sun Wukong:

"It has nothing to do with me, so don't blame people wrongly. Guanyin Bodhisattva borrowed this from me three times to send it here to transform into a demon, to see if you and your disciple are truly going to the West."

These words reveal the truth about the tribulations on the journey to the West.

In other words, the Golden Horn and Silver Horn Kings of Pingdingshan were actually sent down to earth by Guanyin Bodhisattva to obstruct Tang Sanzang and his disciples.

They took with them the gourd for holding elixir, the bottle for holding water, the fan for fanning the fire... and even the "waistband of Laozi's robe" was borrowed.

Guanyin Bodhisattva devoted herself wholeheartedly to the pilgrimage project, sending out everything she could, including her mount, the Golden-haired Roar, and her pet, the Inspiration King.

These demons stirred up trouble on the journey to the West, creating countless calamities. But it was precisely these calamities that allowed Tang Sanzang and his disciples to grow and accumulate merit through hardship.

The four great beings, namely, the Old Mother of Lishan, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, transformed into beautiful women and personally descended to test the steadfastness of the four disciples' Zen minds.

Maitreya Buddha allowed the Yellow-Eyebrowed Boy to impersonate the Buddha, setting up numerous obstacles to make things difficult for Tang Sanzang and his disciples.

Manjushri Bodhisattva sent his mount to impersonate the king in revenge for the three-day flood, adding another troublesome matter to the pilgrimage team.

……

A closer examination of this grand scheme of the Journey to the West reveals that many of the calamities were preordained by the gods and Buddhas.

As the saying goes, "The world is bustling, all for profit; the world is bustling, all for gain."

People will not go where there is no benefit.

All living beings in the world strive for self-interest, and even immortals are no exception. The fact that immortals actively participate in the eighty-one tribulations must mean they have some unspeakable benefit to gain.

This advantage could be the expansion of one's own sphere of influence, allowing one to occupy a more advantageous position in the world...

Or perhaps they meticulously plan to accumulate the coveted "merit of heaven and earth" to enhance their cultivation and break through the shackles of their realm...

Think about this.

Xiao Chen's gaze swept over the fairy Su'e in front of him again. This fairy of the moon palace had a graceful figure and an unparalleled beauty. Every frown and smile could captivate people.

However, in Xiao Chen's eyes, she was nothing more than a pawn in a game of chess.

He was thinking to himself:

"Whether it's recruiting Fairy Su'e, the deputy head of the Heavenly Court's dance troupe, into my own Golden Horn Dance Troupe to admire her extraordinary and ethereal dances as a form of entertainment in my leisure time..."

"On the journey to the West, every calamity may be an opportunity to accumulate merit..."

"Perhaps we could cleverly exploit her identity as a princess of India, reincarnated as a princess of the Kingdom of Tianzhu, to gain the coveted merits of heaven and earth on the journey to the west, and claim a share of the spoils..."

"Or perhaps, after the singing and dancing have reached their peak and the merits of heaven and earth have been obtained, they will discard Fairy Su'e like a pawn to eliminate future troubles and avoid subsequent problems..."

"Whichever path I choose, it will be a good deal for me."

Of course, most importantly, peaches were not a scarce commodity for King Golden Horn.

His "inner world" also contains many incredibly rare peaches.

Moreover, he is about to visit the Monkey King, who is guarding the Peach Garden.

Given his friendship with the Monkey King, he would surely be treated to a lavish feast of large peaches in the Peach Garden.

He'll definitely have a great time, and he can also stock up on a batch of large flat peaches for future needs.

"Um……"

Although Xiao Chen was already somewhat tempted, he maintained a playful and thoughtful expression, as if he were pondering an extremely profound question.

Xiao Chen's knuckles lightly tapped the wooden box, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"A bond of love for a lifetime... Fairy Su'e, you are quite a remarkable person."

"Since you know that the peaches of immortality are extremely precious, you should also understand that those who eat the peaches of immortality can live forever, live as long as heaven and earth, and be as old as the sun and moon, and no longer be troubled by lifespan."

"A lifetime in the mortal realm is but a short hundred years, fleeting like a white horse galloping past a crack in the wall, gone in the blink of an eye. After a hundred years, everything will be gone."

"But immortality means being able to enjoy the years forever, witness all the splendor of the three realms, and live a carefree and unrestrained life."

"A hundred years of fleeting pleasures in the mortal world are of little significance to us immortals; they are nothing but fleeting clouds."

To put it bluntly, Golden Horn wanted more!

He didn't care about the romance in the mortal realm at all.

He really wanted to take advantage of Su'e's urgency to force this "short-term lease" (a lifelong relationship) into a "permanent bond".

He attempted to seize the fairy body and exquisite dance of the Moon Goddess, whose celestial music-like movements would provide him with ultimate enjoyment in his leisure time.

He coveted even more the potential value she might bring, such as the coveted merits from heaven and earth; this was the real goal of his transaction.

"This……"

Upon hearing this, Fairy Su'e's face paled slightly, and her fingertips trembled slightly.

The contract formed from the moonlight was on the verge of crumbling in her palm, its light flickering uncertainly, as if it might disappear at any moment, just like her hope that was now teetering on the brink of collapse.

Fairy Su'e forcibly steadied her breathing and gritted her teeth, saying:

“I know I am inadequate, yet… this is my purest and most precious possession.”

"I am willing to give my life and my heart in exchange for a chance to live."

"For a hundred years in the mortal realm, I wish to be bound to you, giving you my whole body and soul without reservation!"

"If I am fortunate enough to have this opportunity to extend my life and continue my cultivation of the Great Dao, I will remember it forever."

"In the future..."

"If one lifetime isn't enough, then two; if two lifetimes aren't enough, then three. Perhaps I can repay you even more kindness!"

Xiao Chen's gaze swept over the blood-red cinnabar mark between her brows, which, like a burning flame, ignited an even stronger fire of scheming within him.

His plan became increasingly clear:
"When I, the Golden Horned King, descend to the mortal realm, I am free to roam as the birds fly in the sky and toads roam freely in the sea. Why should I care about the rules of the Heavenly Court?"

"This fairy Su'e has an excellent appearance and is the best dancer in the Heavenly Court. Keeping her by my side as an ornament is pleasing to the eye, and I can enjoy her wonderful dance at any time."

"We can also use the Fairy Chang'e to plan for the merits of heaven and earth on the journey to the west. This is a win-win situation, so why not do it?"

"Fairy Chang'e..."

Xiao Chen took a step forward, getting closer to Fairy Su'e.

The ethereal charm emanating from the wooden box in his hand grew increasingly alluring. The faint, yet elusive, fragrance of the wooden box was like an invisible yet agile hand, gently plucking at the taut string in the heart of the fairy Su'e, silently but urgently beckoning her.

Xiao Chen leaned close to Fairy Su'e's ear, his finger lightly touching the "Moonlight Contract" that emitted a cool, clear light. A meaningful smile played on his lips as he slowly spoke:
“Fairy Su’e, these ‘worldly pleasures’ are nothing compared to the longevity and enlightenment.”

"However, this is a contract of 'love across lifetimes' in the lower realm."

"I'm willing to take a loss, so I signed it."

"If this box truly contains medium-sized or large-sized peaches, I will come to the Moon Palace to find you and fulfill my promise."

"At that time, I will wait for you in the lower realm, and we will cultivate the Great Dao together!"

"it is good!"

Fairy Su'e nodded slightly, a resolute glint in her eyes.

She glanced at the Panmu Box in Xiao Chen's hand. Having lived in the Immortal Realm for many years, she was naturally knowledgeable and had seen some treasures bestowed upon great gods by the Queen Mother of the West.

Peaches are best preserved when stored in the wood of the peach tree.

This box was not only a gift from the Queen Mother of the West, but it is also made of peach wood, so it is most likely a peach.

She secretly became certain in her heart:
"It's definitely a peach from the Heavenly Peach Garden, there's no mistake!"

In an instant.

The Moonlight Contract at Fairy Su'e's fingertip solidified into a jade slip with flowing frost-colored patterns, which gently fell into Xiao Chen's palm.

The jade slip emitted a cold light, as if carrying all her hopes and helplessness, just like her complicated state of mind at this moment. She hoped that this transaction could bring a chance for survival, but she was also helpless to pay such a price.

She lowered her eyes to conceal the complex emotions churning within them, and said softly:
"In that case... I will await the appointment with the Director of Ceremonies and the Minister of Rites."

Xiao Chen weighed the slightly cool jade slip in his hand and smiled:
"Easy to say."

"Fairy, please focus on preparing for your affairs in the mortal realm. This 'romance' in the mortal realm—"

Xiao Chen's gaze swept over Fairy Su'e's slightly pale yet exquisitely beautiful face, as if admiring a precious work of art he was about to obtain, and he said meaningfully:
"I will come back to claim this mortal romance in the future."

……

Xiao Chen knew in his heart that the so-called love affair in the lower realm was nothing more than a transaction, a common exchange of interests on the path of immortality.

This is a "mythological world," not a "fairy tale world."

Fairy tales downplay the dark side; they are dreamy and beautiful, truthful and good, and the endings often highlight the optimism of "good deeds are rewarded and evil deeds are punished." They aim to educate children and are a pure world built specifically for them.

However, the mythological world is quite different.

The mythological world is more like a huge and complex chessboard, filled with the swordplay of divine power struggles, the entanglement and struggle of ethical conflicts, and the fierce clash of religious beliefs.

Myths are closer to the harsh realities of life, lacking the idyllic filter of fairy tales.

Gods, Buddhas, and demons engage in open and covert struggles, deceit and treachery, in their quest for power, resources, and status.

On this immortal path in the mythical world, self-interest is the eternal law; emotions and morality are often powerless in the face of self-interest.

This is what is often said:
"Children distinguish between good and bad; adults only care about interests."

However, the affair between King Golden Horn and Fairy Su'e is just like the story of "Zhou Yu beating Huang Gai"—one was willing to hit and the other was willing to be hit.

There is no such thing as a free lunch. Everyone is scheming for their own benefit and striving to survive in this complex mythological world.

King Golden Horn and Fairy Su'e were both ancient demons and immortals, hundreds or even thousands of years old, who had long seen through the truth of this world.

Both parties agreed on the terms and each got what they wanted; that's all, no further explanation is needed.

……

After reaching an agreement with Fairy Su'e.

Xiao Chen then summoned Wan Shenglongnu, and together they returned to the Yang residence.

(End of this chapter)